Weekend Recap & June Shopping Breakdown

I cannot believe June is over already!  Summer is flying by much too fast-- there's still so much I want to do this summer!  One thing I did accomplish this weekend was running my first half marathon in over 7 years!!  It was a doozy and I by no means qualified for anything at my lightning speed of 11:45 a mile, but hey-- I finished it at least!  Due to a last minute medical snafu of my long time running buddy and half marathon tackler, I ended up having to run it all by myself (insert sad face), but in a way this may have been even better, because it gave me such confidence that I can accomplish something this huge all by myself {well, not entirely by myself-- she still came up to support me- such a good friend!!}  I can't wait to do it again next year!!

   

And it was pretty cool that I got to cross the finish line at the 50 yard line of the Buffalo Bills home stadium! Needless to say I laid pretty low for the rest of the weekend with my legs elevated, drinking gallons of water, and hiding out in the A/C... 

How was everybody else's weekend??  Did anyone tackle a major goal or accomplish something they've always wanted to do?  Would love to hear from you!

Now on to this month's shopping ...... 

One of the goals of writing this blog is to document my pursuit for a more tailored, professional, and versatile wardrobe and to stay away from the trendy or cheap pieces that filled my closet in my early 20's.  I've set a budget of $250 for clothes, shoes, and makeup every month, but not a limit to the number of pieces I can buy.  By sharing what I buy every month, I'm hoping I hold myself accountable to the pieces I buy and how much I spend ...

June 2014 Shopping Breakdown

Banana Republic Gemma wrap dress {$98, 40%- $59}
Joie Shoal sandals from BlueFly {$135, on major sale- $60.75}
J.Crew chino navy shorts {$39.50, 30% off- $27.65}
J.Crew Malta gold sandals {$78, 30% off- $54.60}
Zero UV pink heart sunglasses {$9.99}
Old Navy black maxi dress {$37, on sale- $30}

Total Spent: $241.99
Total Saved: $155.80

Bam! Just under budget and I got a few things I've been eyeing for a while on major sale, like my two new pairs of sandals that I absolutely love and pretty much rotate between every other day.  I would highly recommend these J.Crew chino shorts for anyone looking for staple shorts for their closet- they come in a array of colors and longer inseams too.  I especially like the thickness of the fabric, which makes them look more expensive than they really are and these shorts are tailored enough to dress up or down and they don't ride up {ladies you know what I'm talking about}.  And lastly I loooove this wrap dress from Banana Republic- and would definitely buy the other colors in berry or aqua {if it ever goes on sale again}.

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High or Low?

I've been lusting after this Helmut Lang asymmetric skirt for a while now and couldn't believe the uncanny resemblance of the Zara skirt to it  -- and for so much less! Naturally I decided to create one super chic outfit around both skirts ... one on a designer budget and one ... well ... on my budget!  Best part is -- these black and white basics can be re-worn countless ways to maximize their usefulness in your closet {whichever outfit you choose}!

::High::

Helmut Lang Skirt {$195}

Isa Tapia sandals {$550}

T by Alexander Wang T-shirt {$80}

Theory blazer {$375}
{Total Cost $1200}

::Low::

Zara skirt {$39.99}

Obsession Rules sandals {$99.99}

J.Crew tank top {$17.50, on sale}

TopShop blazer {$90}
{Total Cost $247.50}

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Patriotic Day at the Beach

Red White & Blue for the Fourth of July! 

I'm not even sure what our plans for Fourth of July are yet, but I'm hoping it involves the water in some way!  There's no better way to spend a hot summer day than in the water- beach, pool, ocean, whatever!  And with the 4th only two weeks away (why is summer going by so fast already?!) -- this would be my ideal beach outfit for the occasion.  And if you plan on heading out to a party afterwards why not throw on this matching red beach dress also by Scandale {on sale}! 

What are your plans for the Fourth? :)

::A Patriotic Day at the Beach::

Karen Walker sunnies

Joie sandals

Floppy sun hat

Mar Y Sol Tote

Scandale swim suit

Turkish Towel

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A Weekend Outfit & Sales!

::Outfit details::

Old Navy maxi dress {was $36, on sale for $29}

J.Crew Panama hat {$58}

Westward Leaning sunglasses {$210}

Zara city bag {$79}

J.Crew Malta sandals {was $78, now 30% off}

Anthropologie necklace {$64}

Anthropologie clutch {$48}

I plan on recreating this look this weekend as I just bought the ON dress and J.Crew sandals! This black maxi dress actually looks like it cost much more than $29-- it's fully lined, fits loose and flowy and has a sexy racerback.  The dress is true to size and it may look short on the model, but I'm 5'2" and I will have to wear a low wedge if I don't want the bottom of the dress to drag on the floor.  This outfit is perfect for a day at the farmer's market or brunch or if you're planning a vacation anytime soon I would definitely pack this LBD!  If it's still a little chilly in your neck of the woods like it is up here in Buffalo then I would throw on this denim jacket from J.Crew Factory {$58, but now extra 30% off}!  And to spice the dress up for a night out I would just switch out the sandals for these wedges from Mango {on sale}, ditch the hat and sunglasses, and keep the clutch and necklace!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and that you enjoy the sunshine.  If you have a moment to sit down at your computer-- there are some great sales going on right now that you guys should check out!! 

::Weekend sales::

{Zara} It's finally here-- Zara has put all their S/S clothes on sale to make way for the A/W stocks.  Go crazy!

{Anthropologie} The semi-annual sale at Anthro is going on- up to 50% off at the summer tag sale.

{J.Crew Factory} Extra 30% everything with code BIGSALE until 6/23

{J.Crew} Extra 30% sale items, with 50% off some final sale items with code HISUMMER until 6/27

{Sole Society} 50% off all flats until Sunday (some sandals too!)

{Mango} Mango isn't having any special sale, but they have some seriously great stuff on major discount-- especially the summer dresses!!

{Old Navy} Extra 20% off your purchase online with code SAVE until 6/25-- you could get this maxi dress for even less than $29!

Happy weekend!

Austin Recap {Part 2} Things to Do

::Things to do in Austin::

::Walking SoCo Ave:: There are tons of shops, restaurants, food trucks, and plenty of people watching to do on South Congress Ave.  SoCo Ave is the most popular stretch of road south of downtown and it's a pretty popular place for tourists.  If you're looking for souvenirs for loved ones, vintage clothes, antiques, or just something uniquely Austin-- then definitely give SoCo Ave a try.  

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One of my favorite shops was Uncommon Objects -- a huge store/warehouse filled from floor to ceiling with antiques and vintage gems or as they say an "emporium of transcendent junk".  Yup, that's it.  I could have spent all afternoon in that store looking at every single piece.  Everything from vintage tools to full size anatomy charts from the early 1900's to animal skulls ... yeah it's weird, but fascinating! 

Next on SoCo Ave. was Big Top Candy Shop!  After scouring through antiques at Uncommon Objects for a couple hours we needed a sugar boost! They have so many bulk candies to choose from and an old fashioned fountain bar ...

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Another favorite shop on SoCo was Feather's Vintage Boutique.  It's a favorite vintage shop of Kelly Framel from the Glamourai -- so you know it's good!  

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::Spend the day in Zilker Park:: We knew we wanted to spend a whole day in Austin's "most loved park" because there is just so much to do there.

First thing in the AM we went to the Botanical Gardens in Zilker Park -- so so beautiful {but bring bug spray} and a great place to just hang out and take lots of pictures! 

  

Next we drove to another area of Zilker Park to visit the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden.  

The Kiss Sculpture

Riding the Zilker Park Train -- the Zilker Zephyr -- was just a tiny awkward since we were the only two riding sans petite enfants, but hey you only live once- and it was pretty funny.  It went around a lot of the park so we could see what everybody was up to on their day in the park-- and we were serenaded by this dude ...  

Enjoying a GoodPop on the Zilker Zephyr

Saving the best for last -- we cooled off after a hot day of walking around at Barton Springs!  It's a natural spring-fed pool in Zilker Park.  After some swimming {or wading in waist deep for me} we laid on the grassy hills watching other people in the water.

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One of the best parts of spending the day in Zilker Park was it only cost us $15 each for all the admission fees and we packed a picnic lunch!  If there were more hours in the day we would have loved to rent bikes and ride along the biking/hiking trail around Lake Austin in Zilker Park...


 

Austin was so much fun and we did as much as we could cram into 4 days-- so stay tune tomorrow for Part 3 of my Austin recap of even more things to do in Austin!! See Part 1 {Where to eat} here!

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