Juleping

This is the second color in my 1st Julep Box (see the first color here). Its the perfect pink color - bright but not neon. If you haven't signed up for your own Julep box, you can sign up here (You can get your first box for $0.01 with the code COLOR2012)!

Pink: Julep Eva
Grey: Essie Chinchilly
Dots: Sally Hansen White On and Blue It

Linking up with the Nail Files...

Purple Dots

This outfit is a complete copy cat of this outfit I wore a few weeks ago. Coming from a girl whose closet had no purple in it a month ago, 2 purple shirts is a big start...I love the way it works with primary colors! I picked up this top up on Tuesday during Banana Republic's 40% of sale items.

I feel a bit ridiculous wearing cardigans and jeans during one of Wisconsin's hottest days in years but 1. I have to wear pants to work and 2. The lab I work in is set to like 60 degrees so a sweater (under my lab coat) is necessary. Some days I miss the days of lifeguarding - easiest dress code ever. Are you struggling with the work attire/summer heat conundrum?

Blouse: Banana Republic (similar also at BR)
Cardigan: Old Navy
Jeans: Joe's Jeans
Belt: The Limited (similar)
Shoes: Rocket Dog

'merica

I did a little holiday shopping yesterday after work to take advantage of all the sales. Banana Republic is having a 40% of sale items, and since I can really only afford the sale items there anyway, it worked out great. I got a 100% silk blouse for $20 and a safari shirt for $15, and had a giftcard so it ended up costing me nothing out of pocket! I also picked up this t-shirt at The Gap for $13 (they currently are having a 40% of all tees!)

Did you take advantage of the sales? Don't forget to stick to your budget!


Shirt: Gap
Belt: Madewell (similar)
Shorts: Aeropostale (embarrasing, but I love them)
Sandals: Sam Edelman for AE (similar)
Sunnies: Ralph Lauren via Lenscrafters

Happy 4th of July from us two Germans :D









Linking up with WIWW...go check out everyone's holiday styles!

Sure is hot out here.

I hate to be that person that discusses the weather, but come on, the temperature outside dictates what we wear. Although its been in the mid 90s outside for days now, the AC at work keeps the building chilly. I've been trying to layer up at work so I can remove them after. How are you dealing with the heat? Love it or leave it?


Blazer: LC Lauren Conrad (similar)
Tank: Old Navy
Jeans: Gap Outlet (similar)
Necklace: Forever 21
Shoes: Simply Vera Vera Wang (similar at JCP)
Watch: Fossil (similar)

Linking up with Marionberry Style's Monthly Trend: Colorful Blazers.


P.S. Have you linked up to Budgeting Bloggers yet?

Queen of Returning

Every time I bring something new home, Chris asks me if I'm going to end up returning it. I would say that probably one third of the time, the answer is yes. I get caught up in the purchase of something, thinking about how cute it is in the store/dressing room/Sephora's mirror and then I get home and realize that once again I was mistaken.  I realize that it doesn't look as great as I thought it did, or it doesn't work with my closet, or it really isn't as flattering as I thought...which is why I'm the Queen of Returning.    

If you are going to buy something, you should really love it. If you have any doubt about something you buy, keep the receipt (I do for every purchase), don't take the tags off, and play around with it. If you find out that you do actually feel 100% confident in your purchase, rip those tags off and wear with pride. If not, return it. Some stores are really great about returns (Sephora, for example, lets you return just about anything without a receipt in exchange for store credit which is great if you decide after 3 weeks that the mascara you bought really doesn't do what you wanted it to) and others aren't so great (Forever 21 only allows store credit for returns, even with a receipt).

I bought this sweater this weekend while shopping at Forever 21. I loved the color (which is surprising because I don't own anything in yellow/orange) but after putting it on again this morning, I realize that the fit is a bit off, and its scratchy. Even though its only a $15 sweater, I'm going to take it back. I would rather use that store credit to buy some fun jewelry, and use those $15 I would normally have spent on the jewelry to invest in a sweater I know I'll wear again and again.

How do you feel about returning purchases? Are you a frequent returner like I am, or once you claim something as yours, you hold on tight?


Sweater: Forever 21
Jeans: Joe's Jeans (similar)
Belt: Old Navy (similar)
Bracelets: Forever 21
Purse: Coach (similar)

Work It Out

Although I've been going to the gym consistently for months now, I find I don't enjoy anything as much as I enjoy running. After seeing many of my IRL friends and online friends training for half-marathons, I knew that having that "end goal" would keep me accountable. I'm signing up for the Madison Mini Marathon in August, so I have 6 weeks to prepare. I ran 5 miles today...only 8 more to go (eek!). Having work out clothes that fit you well, and that you enjoy putting on makes the whole 'running outside in the heat' thing a lot more enjoyable. Here are some of my favorite pieces:




Top: When I'm running outside, I like to wear the work out tanks that have a built-in bra. It helps everything stay put, allows me to keep my neck bare (I'm really claustrophobic...I know, its weird) and whisks away the sweat.
Shorts: I like the Nike Phantom shorts because they have a pair of compression shorts built in to the outer shorts. It keeps the chafing at bay, and minimizes a ton of awkward adjusting.
Bra: If nothing else, a good sports bra is a must, no matter your bra size. I really like the Nike Compression sports bras. I have several pairs that have last me years without stretching.
Shoes: I currently have an older pair of running shoes that are still holding up (no foot pain yet!) but I'm going invest in a new pair of Asics once my current pair starts to go.  
Watch: It doesn't have to be anything fancy, a $5 watch from Walmart does the trick for me.
Hair band: Because running with hair in your face sounds like my worst nightmare.

June Budget & Budgeting Bloggers

1. Old Navy - $20 @ 20% off
2. Old Navy - $12 @ 20% off
3. Revlon Minted - $5 (seen here)
4. Forever 21 - $7
5. Forever 21 - $10
6. The Limited - $35 @ 25% off (seen here)
7. Loft - $20 on sale (seen here)
8. The Limited - $8 on sale (seen here)
9. Forever 21 -$30 
10. Forever 21 - $13
11. Banana Republic - $35 on sale with giftcard (seen here)
12. Old Navy - $16 @ 20% off
13. Madewell - $35 on sale (seen here)

= $240








Budget: blown. When I think back through the month, I feel I didn't spend that much, but having a spreadsheet and tallying it up makes me realize where the money goes. On one hand, I could not buy 13 different things, and buy one "big ticket" item but at the same time, I do find joy in having a variety of pieces. I've been working on buying clothes and accessories that I will wear for quite some time - pieces that fit, aren't all trendy, and ones that I can wear multiple ways. There are several items I purchased this month that I ended up returning because they didn't fit that criteria.

July starts the {seemingly endless} month of car payments so I will need to re-evaluate the money situation...although I did just get a raise ;)  

How did you do sticking to your budget? I've started a monthly link-up as a form of motivation for us to stick to our {self imposed} budgets.  Please link-up below with Budgeting Bloggers and share with your readers :)