A Seasonal Update

Early in September, I made a deal with my husband. The deal was that I was going to purchase a bag and pair of boots that I was MADLY IN LOVE WITH (to the tune of a few hundred dollars-no small purchase understandably) and in exchange, I would not be purchasing another pair of shoes or bag until January 1, 2016 (you can bet your top and bottom dollar that I have a pair of shoes picked out for my new year purchase).

This deal was made in conjunction with a desire to have only things that I LOVE in my life. For me, it was a bit nerve wracking to think that I would not bring another bag or shoe into my wardrobe until the new year, but honestly, it's been freeing. Now, I don't even waste time looking at new bags/shoes because I feel really fulfilled with what I have. As an undiagnosed shopaholic, I'm very surprised to be sharing these words, but I think this could become a new way of life for me. I experienced the same feeling of freedom when I stopped eating meat and started purchasing only cruelty free products. When your choices are limited, it's so much easier to a. make a decision and b. stay on track with clear cut yes/no "rules".

Novel concept: buying 1 pair of shoes and 1 bag per season to freshen things up and to ensure you only buy what you love. I highly recommend giving it a try!

You're probably wondering what shoes and bag I grabbed, right?

Coach SHADOW Crossbody 

Donald J Pliner "Volt" Boot 

*Editor's Note: In the end I returned the boots. I loved them, but I had a really hard time pairing them with pants that I already own due to the higher piece of leather around the ankle in the front. With the whole philosophy of having only items that I love, I had to let them go. I loved them, but I wasn't going to wear them. In their place, I purchased a pair of custom Adidas sneakers that I will be sharing soon!

Pay Day Priorities II

Last night, we had a date night and went to the mall and to see Jurassic World. It came as a surprise to both of us that I LOVED the movie. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should, but be prepared to sit through the whole movie in a stage of anxiety. 

We had a couple hours to kill before the movie started so we had dinner and did a bit of shopping. I grabbed a couple things, most notably the two pieces below. I'm quite happy with my purchases, which came in just under $95.

I stopped into the Coach store to check out their store redesign (which looks really high end and amazing) and happened upon these amulet earrings. For $60 I thought they were totally worth it and can't wait to wear them.

I ventured into Forever 21 (which was an absolute mad house) to score a cheapie outfit for 4th of July (unsuccessful) but I did find this (faux) leather quilted crossbody bag for about $30 on a shelf in the men's department and then invested 20 minutes on line at the register to purchase it. It looks and feels so much nicer than its price tag suggests, which I'm always a big fan of. 

To Mom, with Love . . .

It is just about that time where you need to make your final purchases for Mother's Day to have them arrive without springing for upgraded shipping. If you are like me, you're usually scrambling the weekend before to find something that will prove to your mom how much she means to you. Let's make a pact, we aren't going to do that anymore!

This list has been curated with my mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother in mind- I can assure you that these three women could not be more different!