October Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2018 budget here.

Leopard and black and plaid, oh my.

I tried really hard to get myself not to write that, but here we are. I'm just really amused seeing my October purchases all lined up. Two black jeans might seem a little much, but the distressed pair actually is a really faded black in person and is really casual. The other pair is a really dark black and look more like a dress pant than denim. So now I've justified that to myself ;) As far as the double leopard? Well that scarf was on sale for $12, so I basically had to get it. Right? Right.

The month of October basically flew by, and I can't believe I've got an almost eight month on my hands now! My mom brought over my baby book last weekend, and it was funny to look through and see that Mia and I have been tracking the same height and weight almost exactly since birth. Freaky the way those genes work!

Sam Edelman Loafers - originally $140, on sale $112. I've talked about how much I love these already, but they really are the best. I wear them basically every day.
J.Crew Factory Flannel Popover - originally $69.50, on sale $34.95. All of my plaid was in the wash, which made me think that I needed more plaid for fall. I didn't, but I love the popover style so I decided to keep this one.
J.Crew Mid Rise Jeans - originally $110, on sale $66. I wore these over the weekend and I love that they look a little dressed up without being actual dress pants. I haven't owned black jeans in a few years, and I love the way they pair with sweaters and plaid.
J.Crew Factory Leopard Scarf - originally $59.50, on sale $12.49. This is thick and beautiful and expensive looking in person. Just note that it is a full square when you open it up, so it needs to be worn more like a blanket scarf.
Madewell Button Fly Distressed Jeans - $135. I got these on sale. I got my usual Madewell size and they were waaaaay too big. I checked like a madwoman trying to find the size I needed in stock. I thought it never would, so I ended up returning them. The long story short, is that I did manage to find my size and I wanted them so badly I paid full price the second time around. In case you needed to know how good these are. I am wearing these as I type this, and they are incredibly comfortable and flattering.

Total spent: $360.44
Total saved: $153.56

I did order a couple other things that haven't come yet, I'm really hoping this coat fits! I also am looking for a good red sweater. I always want one for the holiday season and then never have one in my closet.

Did you budget this month? Any good scores?

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J.Crew Factory New Arrivals

I was going to write a Friday Finds post, but then I got an email about J.Crew Factory's new arrivals and knew I had to shift gears, especially since they have a great promo right now that ends tonight.

J.Crew Factory always seems to shine its best around the holidays. I took one look at their new arrivals and knew I was in trouble. They're currently running a promo for an extra 20% off your purchase of $100 or more with code YAYMORE, which brings a lot of their coats down below $100. I ended up ordering this bow coat, which I saw on Carly last year and died over - so cute! Now I'm just crossing my fingers that it will work on me since they don't make tall sizes. I also love this dark plaid coat, but I held myself back because I'm a responsible adult. Boo.

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! This week actually flew by, I think because Mia and I were home together on Monday (I had a floating holiday) and then on Wednesday she stayed home with me while I worked so I could keep an eye on an allergic reaction she was having. Still not sure exactly what it was, but it seems like it's from something that's touching her skin, not a food.

Last weekend everyone ended up being sick so we pushed back our fall family day to this weekend. I'm itching to take some pictures of Mia with some pumpkins! I also have a friend's birthday party and we're trying to squeeze in some time with Mia's baby auntie, so it'll be a busy one!

Here are this week's finds. I was considering the floral dress for our family photos but it wouldn't have shipped in time so now I'm just admiring it from afar. It's very Laura Ashley '90s floral but in a good way, am I right? Kind of expensive, but if you had a fall wedding coming up it could be a fun choice.

one / two / three / four / five (currently 40% off!)

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The Best Leopard Mules

Jacket - J.Crew / Sweater (currently on sale!) - Madewell / Leggings - Zella / Shoes (also available here and here) - Sam Edelman / Bag (similar here and here) - Coach Factory / Sunglasses - Amazon

We haven't been shooting a lot of outfit photos lately, mainly because getting outside with the camera in daylight is hard enough when the sun starts setting earlier in the fall. Add a baby + not getting dressed very often + living in a fourth floor walk-up, and no, no we aren't taking many outfit photos. But I made special plans to get Jeff out with the camera with me over the weekend so I could bring you these shoes. Also known as the best shoes ever, my new favorites, what I will be wearing into the ground until it snows.

You may remember that I've been on the hunt for a good pair of fall shoes basically since July. I keep ordering mules and loafers and booties and returning them. I have very picky feet, and I can usually tell just from touching the heel whether or not I'll be able to wear a pair of shoes or not.

Well this pair? Straight out of the box I knew they were the real deal - so freaking comfortable. I immediately put them on and went to get Mia from daycare, which is over a mile round trip and usually requires sneakers. Not one blister, no pinched toes, no ache in my arches, and no slipping out (often a problem with mules)! I should have known off the bat they'd be good, Sam Edelman makes some of my favorite shoes.

In case the leopard isn't your thing, they do also come in black, brown, white, and snakeskin.

Jacket - J.Crew / Sweater (currently on sale!) - Madewell / Leggings - Zella / Shoes (also available here and here) - Sam Edelman / Bag (similar here and here) - Coach Factory / Sunglasses - Amazon

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Come On, Get Cozy

It was freaking freezing here this weekend. Okay so not quite, but we did have a frost advisory one night so we at least got close. The cold temps meant it was finally time to pull out all of my cozy pieces from last winter, and I was weirdly overly excited to get back into my sherpas. Mia has been in her little sherpa zip-up for a couple of weeks now and every time I see her in it I get a little jealous - she just looks so dang cozy! It's funny walking around with her when she's wearing it too because everyone comments on it. Even an old man in the park who then wanted to talk about whether or not she got her blue eyes from "the motherland" but that's a story for a different day.

I'm rounding up a few of my favorite cozy pieces below. Just a note that these are almost all huge deals - I made sure to find some super affordable options for you! My favorite sherpas are actually from Abercrombie. If you haven't shopped there since high school, it's time to take another look!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! So excited we're back to the weekend - even with my new modified work hours (I'm starting later and doing more work after Mia goes to bed) it was tough. Jeff and I are both in really busy seasons for work so we're basically just ships passing in the night... or really, ships passing a baby back and forth ;) I decided to take Monday as a floating holiday to celebrate some indigenous peoples, so I'm super excited for another three day weekend with Mia. We've finally figured out the swings and how to nap in the big girl stroller, so I'm anticipating a nice loooong walk on Monday. We're also planning to go look at pumpkins with my sister's family and prepping for some family photos that I scheduled for next week. I used to just make Jeff match me when we took photos, but now obviously Mia's outfit comes first ;)

In shopping news I stalked the crap out of these jeans (also available here) after the pair I ordered was way too big (definitely go down at least one size!) and ended up reordering them yesterday. Fingers crossed going down two sizes works because they are so freaking cute. I also decided that yes, we will be matching Christmas pajama people, but no, I won't be ordering completely new sets every year. Instead I went to Old Navy and bought buffalo check pajama pants for Jeff and a onesie for Mia to match the buffalo check I already have in my pajama rotation. That way we just need to buy new pajamas for Mia every year as she grows instead of full new family sets. If you're thinking, "Kristina, it's too early to think about Christmas," just know that both of Mia's grandmas have already requested Christmas lists. It's happening people. This is not a drill.

Anywho, enough rambling for today - here are this week's finds! That green coat is currently 40% off!! If you've been wanting a coat from J.Crew, they're all in stock and on sale so now's the time to buy it. (I actually just ordered this coat because I'm in need of something dressy!) And I always get questions about my tortoiseshell phone case. Mine has been sold out for ages, but this one is incredibly similar and works for the new iPhone. My phone is overdue for an upgrade so I'm currently considering my options ;)

one / two / three / four / five

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday! It's my last Friday home with Mia today, and I'm so excited to spend the whole day with her. As long as the weather cooperates we're planning on doing a long walk (and maybe returning a few things along the way - my shopping returns pile is out of control!). In case you've been following the saga of "Kristina Misses Her Baby Whilst At Work," I'm starting to try a modified work schedule where I work a little less during the day and make up those hours after Mia's bedtime so I can spend some extra time with her. Hoping this helps with the separation anxiety! Of course that means less time for things like blogging and watching four hours of Bachelor In Paradise a week (thank god that is over, am I right?) so things might get even quieter over here. But don't you worry, if you're looking for a Mia fix you can always count on Instagram Stories :)

Here are my finds for the week. I want everything. Send help.

one / two / three / four / five

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September Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2018 budget here.

Welcome to October - what?!??

Since I literally only bought one pair of earrings in August (I ended up returning that blouse), I was a little worried about how September would go. Well, it turns out I was right to be worried ;)

Usually I feel like I'm not ready for fall and wait until after the true first day of fall to put away my summer clothes. But this year, I realized that fall clothes are my favorite clothes and they also seem to have the shortest wearing window since at some point in November I'll start breaking into holiday clothes. So out the sweaters and booties came!

Target Color Block Cardigan - $27.99. So cute in person!! I think it's a great dupe for the really popular color block Madewell cardigan, and it's softer and comfier. I wore it here.
J.Crew Skinny Jeans - originally $110, on sale $66. I realized after I started trying jeans back on post-pregnancy that my J.Crew skinny jeans were the cutest and most comfortable, so I went ahead and ordered another pair. The dark wash sans distressing is great for dressing up!
Madewell Striped Sweater - originally $75.00, on sale $41.65. I'm wearing this one right now! This is a great oversized sweater for fall, it drapes really well and looks great with a front tuck.
LOFT Blue Floral Dress - originally $89.50, on sale $44.75. I orignally bought this a size up from normal and thought it was big and unflattering. I tried it down a size and while the buttons pull a little, it's so pretty I think I can live with it. Or maybe I will sew the buttons closed ;) The fabric is so beautiful and soft in person, it's the type of thing that works for spring, summer, or fall!
LOFT Striped Short Sleeve Sweater - originally $49.50, on sale $29.70. This is actually a really dark green and I was weirdly drawn to it in the store. I saw stripes and thought MINE MINE MINE hahaha. I love that this looks like a dressed up version of all of my striped tees. I wore it here.
LOFT Vine Pattern Dress - originally $89.50, on sale $44.75. I said this dress was worth paying full price for, but then it went on sale for 50% off so I ended up buying it again and returning the first one - good thing I didn't take off the tags! It is so flattering thanks to some invisible seaming. I think it will look so cute with over the knee boots this fall!
J.Crew Bracelet - originally $25, on sale $15. I'd been eyeing this for a while as something to wear with professional outfits. It's super cute, the perfect addition. I wore it here. I have the rose gold.
J.Crew Brown Striped Tee - originally $26.50, on sale $15.90. I'm all about the brown this fall, and this tee was a no brainer! It is a less stretchy material that isn't super form fitting which I'm all about these days!
J.Crew Blazer - originally $198.00, on sale $118.80. I've needed another blazer for years, since the only ones I currently have are navy (which doesn't quite go with all of my black dress pants) and a black velvet, which is very season specific. I love that this color will go with gray, black, or navy pants. I always go for a tall in J.Crew jackets to get enough sleeve length.

Total Spent: $404.54
Total Saved: $286.45

I know I went over for the month, but I actually feel okay about it since I basically spent nothing in August and since I filled in a couple holes in my closet. I'm still looking for another pair of mules or booties, and keep refreshing on these jeans to see if the size I need comes back in stock (hint - size down!), but besides that am not shopping for anything specific for October.

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