Fall Shopping

One of my favorite resources for putting together outfits, Shopbop.com, is having their Friends and Family Sale! Styles will sell fast for sure so don't think twice too long!

I've always been drawn to Free People, thanks to my mom's influence! She grew up in the 70s so Free People's boho style is very relatable to her. There's one thing we don't agree on though--cold weather. FPs's cold weather clothes are definitely stuff that I would wear if I had unlimited money to spend.

While shopping for Seattle clothes, a turtleneck top sort of caught my eye as it reminded me of Kendal Jenner. I know, I know, she's a model and she can pull anything off but guess what, I bet you everyone can pull of that trend! I bought the top by the way, but more on that later.

Another one of my fall must-haves is a saddle bag...or perhaps, English saddle colored bags. I got mine last summer and I love that the style carries over to fall. I really love these ones bags from Madewell that Shopbop carries which you can for 25% less in the next few days by using the code INTHEFAM25! You can also click here for more details about the sale.

What styles do you have your eyes on this fall?

Linked up with:

Tu: Mama and More | The Fashion Canvas | Style Elixir | I Do De Claire | Reasons to Dress | Myriad Musings | Elegantly Dressed and Stylish | Garay Treasures | Two Peas in a Blog | Sandy Ala Mode

W: Pumps and Pushups | Pleated Poppy | Because Shanna Said So | Get Your Pretty On | The Mummy Chronicles | Tucker Up | Book of Leisure | Sydney Fashion Hunter | Classy Yet Trendy | Kimba Likes | Pampers and Pearls | My Girlish Whims | For the Love of Leopard | Earnestyle | Pastries Pumps and Pie | The Stylish Housewife | Claire Justine | Beauty 101 By Lisa | Shopping My Closet | Color and Grace | Cappuccino and Fashion

Th: Mix & Match Fashion | Living in Color | The Tiny Heart | Penniless Socialite | Sincerely Jenna Marie | Happiness at Midlife | A Labour of Life | High Latitude Style | Home of Malones | East Coast Chic | Stylin' St. Louis | Twenties Girl Style | Doused in Pink

Sale ends 10/15/15 at 11:55pm PST.

Classic Bags Under $200 + 20% off Code for Shopbop

Click here to shop these bags and get 20% OFF using code: INTHEBAG

It is no secret that handbags and sales are two of the things that get me all excited. Well, shopping in general gets me excited. I just cannot resist scoring pretty items in great prices! So I thought it was my moral obligation to let you know that there is a sale happening on Shopbop! :)

Linked up with:

Tu: Mama and More | The Fashion Canvas | Fashion and Feathers | Style Elixir | I Do De Claire | Reasons to Dress | Myriad Musings | Elegantly Dressed and Stylish | Garay Treasures | Two Peas in a Blog

W: Pumps and Pushups | Pleated Poppy | Because Shanna Said So | Get Your Pretty On | The Mummy Chronicles | Tucker Up | Book of Leisure | Sydney Fashion Hunter | Classy Yet Trendy | Kimba Likes | Pampers and Pearls | My Girlish Whims | For the Love of Leopard | Earnestyle | Pastries Pumps and Pie | The Stylish Housewife | Claire Justine | Beauty 101 By Lisa | Shopping My Closet | Color and Grace

Shopping at Zara

via Polyvore

Despite shopping the Zara sale as soon as it started back in June, I still sometimes cannot resist going back and forth their site to check for more stuff I want from their sale...then I remind myself that I have a few new pieces that I have not worn since June so close my Zara.com tab and try hard to not open the website again. Hahaha!

I actually tried the fringe top at the store but the S felt too tight and did not bother trying on size M because I was tired and Ron was already done shopping the men's sale.

Have you gotten anything from the sale? I got something pretty cool that I'll be sharing soon! :)

Linking up with:

Th: Mix & Match Fashion | Living in Color | The Tiny Heart | Penniless Socialite | Sincerely Jenna Marie | Happiness at Midlife | A Labour of Life | High Latitude Style | Home of Malones | East Coast Chic | Stylin' St. Louis | Twenties Girl Style | Doused in Pink

F: September Farm | Meet at the Barre | All the Joys | Bright on a Budget | Classy Yet Trendy | Rachel the Hat | Fashion Should Be Fun | Lauryncakes | All Things Chic | Birdie Shoots | Lizzie in Lace | Style Elixir | Jo Lynne Shane

Sa: All of Life's Little Adventures | The Fashionista Mama | The Sits Girls | House of Hipsters | Fashionably Employed 

Su: Watch Out For The Woestmans | The Foley Fam | The Budget Babe | Style Me Sunday | Fab Fatale | Sydney Fashion Hunter

A Shade of Grey + $175 Paypal Giveaway

Sweater: F21. Bandeau: Free People (other colors available). Bag: Dooney and Burke (thrifted). Jeans: Banana Rep. Booties: Cotton On. Necklace: old.

How much do you love that detail in this sweater? I was obsessed! During my trip to Houston earlier this year, my friends and I stopped by Forever 21 in downtown to pass time before the brewery opened. They had the buy one, get one free sale going on that time and even though I knew I had limited space in my luggage, the stubborn me still got a chunky cardigan (see here) and this chunky sweater. I mean, who wouldn't if it only costs $16.99 for both?! I should also mention that I got the Free People cropped lace tube from Marshalls for $10. WIN!

If there was a kind of clothing that I don't have much of, it would be sweaters. I mean, that should be a given when living in LA. You have no choice but to have so many light cardigans and tops. Our weather is so unpredictable sometimes that I feel the need to wear a top and a cardigan almost everyday.

In other news, I've teamed up with these beautiful bloggers in putting together a for Paypal Cash! Thanks to Becca for planning this awesomeness! :)

Jan • Sabrina • Meagan • Emelia Kelly • Becca • Sarah Christine Anne • Kati Rose • Krista • Lauren

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linked up with:
The Pleated Poppy | Dressing Dallas | Sincerely Jenna Marie | Mix & Match Fashion | Living in Color | The Tiny Heart

Holiday Wish List Idea

I have been spoiling myself as of late. In my mind, I have never had a normal job for so long that I need to make myself feel that I can again get what I want for myself. I am also in the process of breaking away for everything trendy and rebuilding my closet to what I feel comfortable wearing. I think I have had enough with buying statement tops and now aim to make every top a blank canvas. Yay for changes!

So back to my point. The holidays are here and for the first time ever, I don't have a loooong list and I really know what I want. Everything else I want, I have decided to get for myself which I think is fair that now, I am employed. So here goes.

Canon | Skagen Ditte | Sam Smith Vinyl | Parka

• My love for taking pictures is pretty intense right now and the moment I found out about the new lens Canon is releasing, I got super excited. It's gotten great reviews too!
• Skagen Ditte is a good replacement for DW watches. You get the same vibe for a (much) lower price. 
• Do I really have to explain why I love Sam Smith's album? #EARGASM
• I don't think I could go through another cold season without a parka. But I heard from a little (beautiful) birdie that she already ordered this for me. :D

What's in your wishlist for the Holidays?

When Cheap Becomes Cheaper

When I got $25 for eBay for doing on of Influenster’s campaigns, I decided to try and buy clothes from no-name stores I've never ordered from. I mean, what did I have to lose really? It was kind of free money and there are tons and tons and tons of stuff on eBay that I can buy.

There’s this one top that I have been eyeing on from an online retailer based in Korea (I believe) but I thought maybe I can find it cheaper on eBay so I copied the name and pasted it on eBay. Guess what! I found the same item for at least 50% less! The bargain shopper in me could NOT refuse this one anymore.

via
Online Retailer vs eBay

Here is also another great example, which I accidentally found while mindlessly wasting time online.

via
Online Retailer vs eBay

If you have not really been to the depths of shopping on eBay, you might ask, what are the pros and cons of buying from eBay?

Pros

• Free shipping for most of the products.
• Great customer service – their English is not perfect but they always try to make every customer have a positive experience. They even email to see if you’ve received the item.
• Super cheap!
• There is always a variety of items to choose from.
• Buy it now option. ICYMI eBay is not only for auctions anymore.

Cons

• It takes a LONG time to be delivered because it’s from China.

How Do You Like Boyfriend Jeans?

Gap | Urban Outfitters | Forever21

H&M | American Eagle | Levi's

I have been sporting BF jeans since Ron and I started dating because of our random sleepovers and me not ever willing to wear the same bottoms two days in a row even when I washed it. However, I’ve never really gotten my own pair from the women’s section till Urban Outfitters’ sale last weekend where I got the UO boyfriend jeans in the pic above for only $15. *victory dance*

I have been playing dress up and I’ve learned that you can wear pretty much everything with boyfriend jeans—all you need is guts and know that BF jeans also work for wider hips (which I do have)! ;)

I am Afraid of Store Brand Products

Last night, in between bothering Ron and playing with Fox, I decided to check my email. As it turns out, my boss is asking me to take today off so I can help her with staging a home all day on Monday. Of course I don't mind that. I mean, a Friday off? Yes please! I later realized that my dog is going to have dental prophylaxis today. This means that his teeth is going to get cleaned, which also means he needs to be at the pet hospital for most of the day--8:30am to around 4:30pm to be specific.

So now that all my chores are pretty much done (except for laundry because I need a reason to stay at home on Sunday), and I have also done my errands, what's left to do is rest and cuddle with the dog. But then again, the dog is out so here I am blogging my time away.

My point is, I miss my dog.

My next point is, which is the actual point of this post is that I don't like buying store brand products because they have a reputation of not being as good as branded ones. However, in my Economics class, I learned that those Costco, Target and Walmart pay the same manufacturers that make branded items. With that insight, and the strict budget constraint that I'm putting myself into, I decided to try out Walmart's Equate Cocoa Butter Conditioning Body Lotion. To be honest though, I saw an open bottle at the store so I sniffed and tried it. As it turns out, it is very much alike my favorite Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Radiant Lotion.

I compared the ingredients and the only thing missing is: Dihydroxypropyl Trimonium Chloride. And no, I cannot pronounce nor spell it. I copied and pasted that. ;)

The texture's almost the same too. I noticed that Equate's is a little more runny but if you've used Vaseline, you'll know that that lotion is extra creamy but not as creamy as Jergens.

I'm really excited to try this product and I will most definitely update this post and let you guys know how it works on my skin!

Kimonos

Happy Friday! Whether you have awesome plans for the weekend or not...I'd like to wish you a productive one. Why? Because I need someone to wish that for me. I have to finish a novel by Tuesday, and also start studying for my final exams. Luckily, I don't have to take my final exam for my other class because I have enough points to get an A already. :)

Anyway, my point today is to talk about kimonos. These almost sheer piece of clothing especially when you need something to spice up your plain old boring outfit.

I have three kimonos so far, one round black, one black with white polka dots and one gray that has a thicker fabric and is perfect for transitioning in between colder and warmer temps...which hasn't really happened here in LA for the past year. I have room in my closet for more, however, two words: budget constraints. LOL! Seriously though, I have been trying not to go into Cotton On because I have been eying one of their kimonos (not the on below!).

red | peach | white | navy

Sometimes I wish we had more money, then I think about how materialistic I could get, then back away from the thought...so I just think of clothes and window shop online. My nights always include visiting my "flavor of the week" online store, adding tons of things in my cart, then shutting down my computer. So much fun, I tell ya! :p

Oh! Oh! Ron surprised me with a purse last weekend. I gotta share this story in my next post! I swear, my husband can be way too sweet sometimes! <3

Once a Bargain Shopper, Always a Bargain Shopper

Since this year started, I haven't had that I-want-to-shop-and-no-one-can-stop-me mood until last Saturday. Although I can't say I want to do it again next week because I honestly do not, I sure missed the feeling! Having a very supportive husband (sorry I need to say this every time I talk about shopping but I really love it that Ron loves to shop) helped too. My haul wasn't super big or expensive. As you guys know, I'm not into expensive stuff because I am not the most careful person when I eat, and I am aware that every trend fades. ;) Also, I need to ask myself a bunch of questions before I buy something:

• Do you have that I-cannot-wait-to-wear-this feeling?/Does it fit in my wardwobe? When I try something on, I make sure that after seeing how it fits on me,  I have that said feeling, and that I can already see myself wearing it with the other things in my closet. If I tell myself "I can wear this when I go to [insert some event/part that has not been planned yet]," then it's a no go. I've learned not to buy stuff because they're cheap the hard way. Buy it because you need it.
• How's the quality? I've tried on some items that fit good on me but when I hug myself, I hear some stitches rip, and because I was in denial, I tried on a bigger size. Guess what. Even if it was loose on me, I still heard some ripping while I was unbuttoning it. That's when I checked the stitches, and they were no good. 
• How often will I wear it? A $25 top that has good quality that I will only wear once or a $12 top that has decent quality that I know I will wear and last for at least 3 times? The latter will always win. Always.
• Which top will I get rid of if I buy this top? I have never been so serious about the "one in, one out" rule in my life. I've de-clutterd my closet of things that I have not worn in so long and clothes that I don't think I will wear anymore. I will be honest, it was a hard process at first but it became so much fun for me. I love getting rid of that extra closet rod to double up on the space in my closet! 
• Can I actually afford it? If I'm using my credit card because I don't have the money YET but I know that it'll just pile up on my debt, I will (now) just won't buy it. I shouldn't even be shopping, to be honest with you. I've learned this the hard way. Like they say, don't buy anything with the money you do not have. If you're debt free, and have the money in your account but are using your credit card to earn points --- that's a different story and I bet you guys know where I'm going with this. [On a side note, did you know Capital One has this thing called Quicksilver where you get 1.5% cashback for ALL purchases?)
• Now for the hardest question: Do I need it? If the answer is yes, I'll get it. If I answer myself with a no, then it's a no go. It's all been yeses for me lately though because I need to wear "nicer" clothes to work as opposed to the very casual outfits I wore at the place I used to work at. Also, Ron and I have been good about this lately and I love it. 

Luckily, the answer to all of these questions were positive so I was able to get quite a few items! :)

H&M Chambray Top: $25 $15

Forever 21 earrings set: $3.80 $2.66

FashionQ Geometric Print Dress: $10.99

FashionQ Coral Tank Top: $5.99

Black D'orsay (from FashionQ): $13.99

Qupid Black Pointed Flats (from FashionQ): $13.99

And now of course, this post won't be complete without the inevitable photobomb by Fox...