30 for 30: my items

Okay folks, here they are! My 30 items. I apologize for the crappy pictures, my picture editing skills are crap and I'm a bit pressed for time and really wanted to get this up before I start tomorrow.

16 tops, 1 blazer, 2 dresses, 4 pairs of pants, 1 pair of shorts, and 6 pairs of shoes

1. Plaid shirt - H&M
2. Gingham shirt - J.Crew
3. Silk t-shirt - H&M
4. Polka dot blouse - H&M
5. Rhinestone cardigan - Old Navy
6. Black cardigan - Old Navy
7. Black hoodie - Old Navy
8. Chambray shirt - H&M
9. Maroon cardigan - Forever 21
10. Gray cardigan - American Eagle
11. Heart thermal - American Eagle
12. Gray sweatshirt tee - Madewell
13. Green thermal - H&M
14. Navy thermal - Forever 21 (back when it was Gadzooks, so old!)
15. Corduroy blazer - H&M
16. Striped sweater - American Eagle
17. Black and white stripe tee - H&M
18. Black boots with heel - Seychelles
19. Flat black boots - Rocket Dog
20. Desert boots - Forever 21
21. Gap legging jeans
22. Gap skinnies
23. Gap flares
24. Black skinny jeans - Old Navy
25. Black shorts - H&M (these may not stay in the mix as they are two sizes two big)
26. Black wedges - Jeffrey Cambell
27. Brown lace up boots - Jeffrey Campbell
28. Brown boots - Old Navy
29. Polka-dot dress - Forever 21
30. Black dress - Old Navy

As you may have noticed, I only shop at a few different stores, H&M being a winner, clearly. Can't wait to get started tomorrow, just in time for a major snow storm here in New England! (But what else is new?)

january purchases

It's the end of the month so I thought it would be a good time to round up my January purchases. I have a $200 a month budget to spend on clothes. Originally, my plan was to pick one or two stores and  only spend my budget there, but the shopaholic inside me really can't be contained. This month's purchases came from a few different places. Here they are:

Madewell Artisan Tee $14.62 (sale) - mine is an eggplant color no longer available online

Madewell Top $26.24 (sale) - no longer available online

Madewell Year-Round Tank $7.49 (sale) - mine is more of a neon yellow, no longer available online

J.Crew Shorts $42.50 - I bought these a size too small as an incentive. I know this is a no-no, but for    $42 I WILL fit into them.

BP Basics Cami from Nordstrom $12 - these are the best cami's. They don't have that irritating shelf bra. Needed it for the Madewell sweatshirt top since it is actually kind of sheer in the back.

H&M Oversized Chambray Shirt $24.50

H&M Blouse $24.50

H&M Jacket $7 (sale)

H&M Necklace $12.95

Target Fleece Lined Tights $10 - unable to find online and who wants to see a picture of plain black tights?

If you've been keeping track and I did all my math correctly, you'll see that I came in a tiny bit under budget - the total is $181.80! Not too shabby. I have to say, I felt much less stressed about money this month than I normally do. I got a little crazed for a while about every little thing I bought - should I add my new shampoo to my budget? Gas money? A pack of gum?! - but then I decided this was really about keeping my excessive clothes shopping in check. As long as I don't go above my $200 budget for clothes and accessories, I'm not going to beat myself up about other things I spend money on. I even managed to put extra money in my savings account this month!

Next month is going to be a little tricky. I have everything I want to buy all picked out - it's all from Urban Outfitters! Except I am doing the 30 for 30 and I am not allowed to shop. So I think I am going to have to squeeze in that purchase before I start. I really, really want everything I have waiting in my shopping cart, hehe.

i'm taking a vacation

It snowed again. I got up, showered, got ready to go to work. Spent almost a half hour cleaning off my car (I'm short and my car is tall okay!) and climbed inside. My Mom told me to "just plow through" the snow in the driveway so no one else would have to wake up and help me shovel out. So that's what I tried to do. And I got stuck. So I gave up and called my boss and told her I'd be staying home. My brother came out to dig me out and promptly locked my keys in my car. Today was clearly not meant to be.

[This is my "I'm a little teapot" pose. Completely unintentional.]

I decided to waste use a vacation day today. Since I never go anywhere anyway. Mom's going to Aruba in March. Boyfriend is going on a family trip to Florida on my birthday. So today is my vacation.

[hat - unknown/jacket - Tommy Hilfiger/mittens - unknown/jeans - Gap/leopard boot liners - TJMaxx/rainboots - Hunter]

Pass the self tanner, turn up the heat, and find me my bikini. I am having a staycation at home today. I just can't handle this weather anymore! I am pretending it is warm and sunny instead. As long as I don't look outside I think I can pull it off. I am currently making a summer sounding playlist and wearing my straw beach fedora.

I am also going to do some alterations to the dress I am wearing to my winter work party tomorrow night. It's the only piece I have ever thrifted and I have been waiting to style it up. Expect pictures tomorrow (okay, more likely Saturday).

My outfit is comprised of a couple random cold weather items. Everyone has a bin in their house of mittens and hats from who knows where, right? That's where I got this hat and mittens. I wear the hat all the time, actually. Even though it kind of makes me look like a garbage man and my mom says it reminds her of a clown. Whatever, Mom.

Mia can't take this weather anymore either. She's gone into hiding under her dog bed.

the picnic shirt

These pictures aren't the best, I apologize. I dragged my brother outside to snap them before it started snowing - again. It seems like all it does around here lately is snow. I'm sick of it. I'm somewhat concerned the weather is going to keep me from taking pictures as regularly as I want to for the 30 for 30.

[shirt - J.Crew/vest - Target/belt - Old Navy/jeans - Gap/boots - Oh Deer!]

Speaking of the 30 for 30, this shirt is one you'll be seeing a lot of since it's one of my 30. I call it my picnic shirt, for obvious reasons. Please do not try to eat off of my chest though. That would be super awkward for us both.

Not much to say today. Oh! My camera is back! I have it in my possession. I am going to scour Amazon for some books on digital photography. One of my goals this year is to learn more about photography. Any recommendations for good learning resources?

Going to eat some pizza, get ready for yoga, then hunker down for this snow.

i want spring

It feels like it's been so long since I posted outfit pictures. The weather was finally decent enough to go outside and snap some pictures. Hopefully, after this next storm we're expecting this week, the weather will give us a bit of a break, because I honestly can't deal with anymore snow!

My bangs need to be trimmed so, so bad. I was editing these pictures and Boyfriend was watching me. I said "Ugh, my bangs make me look like a Muppet." He said I looked more like a Ramone. Then he compromised and said I looked like a "Ra-muppet."

I have good news! I got word today that my camera is back from it's little camera spa vacation and is good as new! My Dad is going to bring it by this week, I can't wait to have it back. Now I'm thinking about getting a new lens for it. Any suggestions? I don't know anything about cameras, really. Maybe I should do some reading first.

[cardigan - Forever 21, castoff from Mom/dress - Old Navy/tights - Target/boots - Rocket Dog/necklace - H&M/belt - TJMaxx]

We need to talk about my tights. They are FLEECE LINED. Yes, you read that correctly. I originally got wind of these fabulous tights from Chaucee, and when I was at Target last weekend I made a beeline for the tights. Sure enough, there they were! They are labeled as "brushed/lined" tights by Merona if anyone is interested in purchasing them. They're really cozy, but I find that the bands across the tops of the thighs - you know, that place on tights where it looks like an outline of little shorts - is strangely tight and not stretchy at all. I think since I've been wearing them all day it's gotten better, but this morning I thought I might lose a limb.

Time to go watch Jeopardy. Hopefully I can wake up Boyfriend long enough to watch with me. You see, I tried to make him watch Eclipse with me earlier and it put him right out.

P.S. Are you following me on Twitter yet? I may not be a kid anymore, but I sure do say the darndest things.

what i'm reading: january 2011

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

I picked this book up at the beginning of the week, and I haven't been able to put it down since. This was the case with Morton's first two novels as well. 

Morton writes fantastic Gothic-style novels - there is always the requisite big, creepy old house and secrets and mysteries on every page. I love, love Gothic novels and Morton's books are no exception. I am on a self-imposed snow day today (work isn't closed, but all the schools in all the towns on my way to work are, and it doesn't look like anyone has plowed, so I opted to stay home) and I look forward to spending the rest of the day curled up in bed with some coffee and this book.

There is nothing like a good page turner that you can get totally lost in, and this is definitely one of those kind of books. It's also nice and big, which is good for me since I'm such a fast reader. I burn through shorter books too quickly, so having a nice long one to take up my time is nice.

What's your favorite literature genre?

risky business

This week has been d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g has it not? It was a short week too, no work on Monday! But i feels like it will just never end. Maybe it's because Boyfriend has been away all week. I feel discombobulated without him around. This whole week I've just been in a funk I guess.

I always forget these are the pants that have a crotch issue. Please don't look at it. You're all looking now, aren't you? STOP IT. That's sooo inappropriate.

So, funny story. I've been hijacking my brother's camera while mine is off being repaired (I miss you, Rebel Girl. Please come back to me with inexpensive repairs). So I grabbed his camera to take pictures today and it wouldn't turn on. Figuring I killed his battery, I grudgingly went back inside to use my old Cybershot (more like Cybershit. Thing takes lousy pictures). I finished up my photo shoot, came inside to turn on my computer, and there was my brother's memory card, stuck in my computer. Oops. That's why it wouldn't turn on. I wanted to kick myself.

This last picture is my Jessica Simpson face. She always looks kind of slack-jawed in her pictures, doesn't she? Love you Jess, but close ya mouth.

Tonight is the Swapaholics swap that I oh-so-badly wanted to attend. I wanted to swap my clothes! And meet other bloggers! But, like I said, I've been in a funk this week. I couldn't find anyone to accompany me and I'm just feeling lame, so I'm skipping out. I'm bummed. Next time I will be there, for sure. I just couldn't work myself up enough to drive to Somerville alone. Bad excuse, I know, but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

[denim shirt - American Eagle/corduroys - American Eagle/boots - Seychelles/watch - Guess/sunglasses - Ray Ban/earrings - from Aruba, gift from Mom/belt - Express]

I know I said I was going to do a what i'm reading today, but I lied. That will be up tomorrow since there will not be an outfit post. Sooo stay tuned!

shock me like an electric eel

I can't believe it, but I managed to pull myself out of my weather-induced coma and I snapped a few pictures today. They were taken on the safety of my front porch since it's been slushy raining all day.

Not much going on this week, other than crap weather. It was snowy and then rainy yesterday, slushy rain today, and then on Friday we're getting snow again - anywhere from 2 inches to a foot. They don't know yet. Typical. I feel like I'm in a wardrobe rut with all this yucky weather. I just pull on boots, jeans and a sweater of some sort and call it a day. I'm on the express train to Closet Snoozeville over here.

[top - Madewell/jeans - Forever 21/boots - Old Navy/necklace - American Eagle/rings - H&M]

Maybe this is what made me sign up for Kendi's winter 30 for 30. I swear, my mouse hand was working independently of my brain when I did that yesterday. But now I'm committed. I filled out the form. I pledged 30 days of my life to wearing the same 30 things over and over. I am in a panic. I'm sure once I sit down and have a good heart to heart with my closet we'll both come up with 30 things I will be able to remix 'til the cows come home, but right now I'm shaking in my boots.

I'm going to have to work the 30 for 30 around my February shopping schedule. You might remember from this post that I've given myself a monthly shopping budget. While I don't have to always spend my allotted budget, I do already have my purchases for February picked out (what can I say, I'm a planner). I'll just have to buy them, then start the challenge. That's allowed, right? I still have some of my budget left over from January, so maybe I can just buy some of them now. There's a high-waisted pair of flared jeans that I just might need for the challenge anyway!

I really love this shirt. I got it from Madewell on sale this past weekend. It's see-through on the arms and in the back, so I have to put a little cami under it. But it has subtle sparkly threads running through it, which I am obviously obsessed with. When my mom saw it on me today she said:
"Give me that shirt. I have nothing to wear."
"No way, you'll get it all stretched out and wonky. You should have bought your own."
"Yeah but I didn't think it was that cute when you bought it and now I do."
Mom always acts like she doesn't have my taste in clothing, then she turns around and wants everything I have. Nice try, Mom. Not everyone can have my uber-cool sense of style.

I'm off to do some reading before yoga. I am reading a book I can't put down. I'll be sharing it with you all tomorrow in a what i'm reading post!

i wanna go on vacation

 

 To the tune of "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones

Twenty twenty twenty four inches of snow
I wanna go on vacation
Nothing to do but wait for the plow
I wanna go on vacation

Just get me to the airport, put me on a plane
Hurry, hurry, hurry, my flight will be delayed
I can't feel my fingers, hypothermia is pain
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Twenty twenty twenty four inches of snow
I wanna go on vacation
Nothing to do but wait for the plow
I wanna go on vacation

Don't put me on a chairlift, don't put me on a ski
The last thing I need is to crash into a tree
I can't feel my fingers, I can't feel my toes
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Twenty twenty twenty four inches of snow
I wanna go on vacation
Nothing to do but wait for the plow
I wanna go on vacation

Don't put me on a chairlift, don't put me on a ski
The last thing I need is to crash into a tree
I can't feel my fingers, I can't feel my toes
Oh no oh oh oh oh

Wah wah wah wah, wah wah wah wah, I wanna go on vacation (x4)

Sorry I've been MIA the end of this week. But, like. It snowed. So I wasn't wearing anything cute. Or doing anything fun. My beloved Hunter rainboots got to see some action though, so yay for that! I'll be back next week with more regular posting. Stay warm and snow free kids.