September Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $300, which to some may seem like a lot and to others a little, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2014 budget here. 

Another month, another budget post. Usually September is a high month for me, but not this year. I think it's partially because I still love all of my fall clothes from last year, partially because I'm not quite ready for sweaters yet, and partially because Jeff and I are currently looking to buy a house and need to save our dollars and cents ;) I managed to fill a few holes in my closet, so overall I'm pretty pleased with the month.

Here's the damage for September:

Adrienne Vittadini Thomas Bootie (DSW) - $69.95. Every year when the weather gets cold enough for tights, I start to panic about shoe selection. Every holiday party I went to last year was a struggle because I didn't have any closed-toe heels I could wear with tights, except for one old pair that's so uncomfortable I can't wear them if there will be any walking involved. I'm excited to have found this heeled pair that (so far) seem pretty comfy!
Girly Chevron Necklace - $16. I lost my favorite long necklace at some point last year, which was a total bummer because it's hard finding longer necklaces that work with a bigger chest. I was super excited to find this one (and at such a good price!) and have been wearing it basically nonstop ever since (ahem).
Zella Leggings - $52. My favorite leggings were falling apart, and I've heard people rave about these so I had to give them a try. Length? Check. Full coverage? Check. Comfy? Check check check.
Banana Republic Sweater - originally $79.50, on sale + used rewards $37.70. I try ponchos and oversized sweaters on all the time and usually they don't work on me, but for some reason this one does. It helps that I ordered the Small/XSmall so it isn't so oversized. I'm excited to wear this with leggings and boots once it cools down a little more.
LOFT Hi-Lo Tee (in black and purple) - originally $49.50 each, on sale $24.75 each. I got this tee in green back in August, and once it went on sale again picked up the black and purple versions. They're so flattering and seem to work for any occasion, so I've been wearing them all the time.

Total Spent: $225.15
Total Saved: $91.30

Once again I'm not really sure what I'm looking for next month (besides a new watch) - probably as the weather cools down I'll be looking for some sweaters, but I don't feel like I need anything. We'll see how the month plays out.

Since we're three quarters through the year, here's how the budget has been going so far:

January: $309.38
February: $256.22
March: $300.33
April: $228.74
May: $196.20
June: $401.28
July: $178.30
August: $275.40
September: $225.15

Total Spent: $2,371
Average per month: $263.44

Did you have a clothing budget this month? How did you do?

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...Did a whole lot of eating and drinking and eating and drinking at an Oktoberfest on the north side. And maybe some more eating and drinking. Basically the theme for the weekend.
...Made it down to Chicago Oyster House for a little date night with Jeff where I tried baked oysters for the first time, and let me tell you, I may be a convert!
...Went to a big family birthday party at Highline - I can never say no to a taco bar, but holy barbacoa!
...Saw a big Cubs win - yay playoffs!

I hope you had a good one!

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LOFT Sale Alert

A post on a Saturday, say whaaaaaaaat?

I know I know, I'm confused, you're confused.

I was flipping through LOFT's sale this morning (40% off EVERYTHING with code FALL40) and there was so much goodness I just had to share. Their sweater game is on point right now - don't you love this fun blanket sweater? I also want all.of.the.scarves and have my eye on this dress - it has potential for our confusing dressy but not too dressy and still work-appropriate work holiday party that got added to my calendar this week.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Review Lipstick Queen Medieval

So I'm not what one might call a "lipstick girl." If you can't tell from my style posts, on most days I'm just rocking the old cherry chapstick ;) I hate worrying about whether the color has worn off or whether I'm going to get lipstick on Jeff, and I'm always scared that too much color will look weird on me. Typically my lip color goal is to mimic their natural color when they're cold or after I've brushed my teeth - just a little enhanced. 

That being said, I've really been wanting to try Lipstick Queen's 'Hello Sailor,' which is this freaky blue color in the packaging but is supposed to be a pretty berry color. I stumbled upon it when I was visiting my friend Beth in Madison a couple of weekends ago (every time we get together we end up attacking a makeup store) and gave it a try. Sadly I have really blue undertones in my skin so it did NOT look cute on me, but I saw another shade, 'Medieval,' that is supposed to be the perfect red for anyone. 

I would say the color is a little more pink than red, but it's the perfect lipstick for me - sheer so it isn't scary, moisturizing so I feel safe skipping my chapstick fix, and a color that works on me. You can layer the color if you want it a little richer, or just put on one quick swipe for a hint of color. Here I'm wearing a heavy single coat. If you look closely you can tell it's sheer because the little freckles on my lips are still showing. (Yes I have freckles on my lips. Soon I will be one giant freckle.) 

It hasn't yet replaced my chapstick routine, but I like the color and have been pulling it out when I want to dress up a little or when I'm feeling particularly pale. I also am a sucker for cute packaging, and love the box as well as the tube itself. This little guy has earned a place in my purse for sure! 

Are you a lipstick kind of girl? 

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TBT

Tee (similar) - JCrew / Skirt (similar here and here) - Prabal Gurung for Target / Bag - Kate Spade / Flats - Tory Burch

I was editing these photos and thought, "hmmmm, this combination looks familiar..."

Oh right. I wore basically this exact same thing waaaaay back in 2013. Blogger fail. Although back in 2013 I didn't have this adorable striped crossbody. Blogger win? Or perhaps shopaholic fail.

I can attribute this outfit to the great closet cleanout of 2015 also. I don't think I wore this jeweled collar tee AT ALL last winter, but for some reason it looks fresh and fun now and I want to wear it every day. So watch out, because I might wear it every day.

Shop the post:

Previously on KDTI - this skirt, and this top, and this skirt and top together -

  

Linking up with Style Me Weekly, Just Jacq, Style Me Wednesday, Fab Favorites, Mix It Monday, How I Fall, Flashback Friday.

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Indian Summer

Shirt and Skirt (similar) - LOFT / Flats (similar) - Vince Camuto / Necklace - Girly / Watch - Wristology

Fall is always a confusing time of year for getting dressed, with some days that feel cool enough for sweaters and boots, but also a whole lot of days that are just as hot as summer. When it's still hot in the fall (although I guess it isn't *technically* fall until tomorrow!) I choose colors and patterns that look like they would fit in with cooler temperatures, but are actually breezy enough for that Indian Summer.

What isn't quite working for my fall wardrobe is this watch - I feel lost and confused without a watch now, but the white isn't really fitting in with those fall colors. I'm thinking about getting something with a cognac band or maybe a little tortoiseshell for fall and winer. Here are a few of the contenders, maybe I can fit one in the budget for next month!

Shop the post:

Previously on KDTI - this skirt, two incredibly similar ways:

 

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...Took a loooong walk around Lake Michigan since the weather was so beautiful - just a hint of fall in the air.
...Went on a little Target bender. They put out all of the fall stuff and I just.couldn't.resist. And then I came home and replaced all of my summer candles with fall scents and started pulling out the fall decorations. I'm going all in on this whole fall thing, bring on the boots and scarves!
...Went on a bachelorette party, and let the popular vote win out on my outfit choice. As for what happened during the party? Well that's "what happens in Vegas" type information ;)
...Got this adorable dress in the mail, but sadly it's going back. When am I going to learn that this shape just doesn't work on me?
...Drove out to the suburbs for a big family dinner and a lot of time with my cute little niece - she's getting so big!

I hope you had a good one!

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Additional Plaid Required

Every August, I start wanting all.of.the.plaid. It's such a fun pattern that adds a little something something to any outfit and can be dressed up or dressed down. Win win win. Here are a few of my favorite plaid looks from previous years:

 

 

 

Additional plaid is pretty high on my wishlist right now, here are a few of my picks:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Shop more plaid below:

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Return of The Vest

Tee - LOFT / Skirt (same cut, similar pattern) - JCrew Factory / Vest (similar) - Old Navy / Booties (similar) - Sole Society / Necklace - Girly / Bracelet - Michael Kors

You guys, something happened. All I want to wear now are fall colors! Bye brights! Bye summer dresses!

I think it's because I took the time to do a major closet cleanout the other night, so now my fall clothes are front and center in my closet. I ended up donating bags and bags of stuff. And when I say "donating," I mean I was about to put all of my stuff into a conveniently located donation box near my house, only to have a homeless guy run up to me and ask if he could have all of it instead. So now I'm really hoping I see him around town in my old scarves and tee shirts. 

Something that survived another closet purge? My utility vest! I was a bit obsessed with it when I first got it two years ago, and it hasn't made many blog appearances since then since I thought I may have been overloading you with it. But don't worry, she's back, and just as versatile as ever! Since I'm feeling fall but the weather isn't quite here yet (it's been in the 80's this week!), this is the perfect light layer. The whole utility trend is still amusing to me because the last time it was popular (hmmmm, late nineties or early aughts?) my brother and sister bought matching utility jackets on super clearance from Abercrombie and wore them basically every day for years, which was especially funny because they were so not Abercrombie people. Don't worry sibs, you can pull out your jackets again! 

Shop the post:

Previously on KDTI - the vest:

 

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Denim Jacket

Denim Jacket (similar) and Necklace (similar) - JCrew Factory / Tee - Loft / Denim - Gap / Flats (similar) - Vince Camuto / Bag  - Kate Spade / Bracelet - Baublebar

Denim jackets - for some reason, I think of them as only a summer thing. Is that just me? I love layering them over dresses and shorts, but as soon as it comes time to pair them with jeans I decide to put them away for the year instead. No Canadian tuxedos here! Oh, okay, maybe a Canadian tuxedo sometimes, but only with chambray.

For some reason though, I'm totally okay with the double denim here since my jeans are such a dark wash. They're so dark I keep thinking they're black, and it's really making me want a pair of black jeans, preferably of the distressed variety. Of course, every time I buy a pair of jeans that aren't blue I never actually wear them, so maybe those will just stay on the wishlist for now. #struggs

Something that made it's way off my wishlist though is this striped Kate Spade bag! It's definitely the smallest bag I own, and I got a couple of questions about the size when I shared it in my last budget post. It really is just like a little wallet - there's enough space for my phone, keys, chapstick and a mini tube of hand lotion, and there are card slots for my ID and a credit card. That's it though, and it's bursting at the seams! No sunglasses, nothing else. So really it isn't the most practical for using during the week, but depending on my weekend activities can work great. The shoulder strap also snaps off from the inside, so it can convert perfectly into a little clutch. I have a bachelorette party coming up this weekend so it might just make an appearance ;)

Previously on KDTI - the denim jacket:

 

Linking up with What I Wore to Work, Style Me Weekly, Just Jacq, Style Me Wednesday, Style Sessions.

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...Had all of our parents over for dinner and to watch our full wedding video! It was so fun to see everything again and experience the full ceremony. We also cooked some Italian food and drank a whole lot of wine we brought back from Italy. Carbs and wine, what more does a girl need? Having our parents over meant we were actually motivated to get some stuff done around the house, so we cleaned and organized and cleaned some more. I love having people over just because the house always gets so polished and shiny! Well, and you know, the whole socializing thing ;)
...Had to set my first lineup of the year for our Fantasy Football league. We got talked into joining a couple's league a couple of years ago, and while I still have no idea what happens in football playing fantasy is pretty fun, especially when I beat one of the guys! Sadly that's not happening this week, I'm playing Jeff and he had Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, soooo....
...Remember my frogs? Well they had a bit of an adventure this weekend. Jeff was cleaning the plants from their tank and somehow ended up sending one of the frogs into the garbage disposal! Luckily we found him before anyone used the disposal (!!!!) and cut the power to it so I could stick my hand in and pull the little guy out. He looked VERY pleased to be back swimming around in his tank.
...Felt a chill in the air and decided to jump on this whole fall thing by making a lasagna! The husband was pretty happy with me ;)

So not the most exciting weekend in terms of things to talk about here, but it was nice and relaxing and just what the doctor ordered. I hope you had a good one!

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