I broke my no spending streak! But I used blog profits so technically still didn't spend "real" money. I got a site credit/promotion for $25 off a $50 purchase at TheRealReal so I did a quick (aka all night long) browse and found a couple things to splurge on. Some new with tags jeans and a really cute Marc by Marc Jacobs sweater. After all my years of blogging still one of my favorite brands (even though it was discontinued in 2015, haha.) I also threw in an $8 tank to get me to the $50. Since that was so cheap I'm splitting the $25 between the sweater and jeans for wardrobe price purposes.
Upon writing this post I found out, according to WWD, that J Brand won't be selling jeans on their website and in department stores anymore. Hopefully this doesn't mean they will disappear because they're one of my favorite jean brands! (Especially the Maria high rise)
Beginning with the summer 2021 collection, J Brand will be sold via Fast Retailing’s divisions, Uniqlo and Theory stores. The brand’s Web site will be paused in spring 2021 and will eventually be redeveloped. It is conceivable that J Brand would open freestanding stores in the future.
I also got a $15 credit for Madewell and was trying to resist using it but then yesterday they had extra 40% off sale and free expedited shipping. I ended up buying two v-neck tees for $4. Can't beat that! They should be here tomorrow. Apparently I had a purple theme this month.
I also got a few new things for a sponsored Instagram post this month. Some workout clothes from Dona Jo. And I got new pieces from Aurate for a post next month. Stay tuned!
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- *NEW!* Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped sweater ($12.50, retail $298, used ad money)
- *NEW!* J Brand Maria High Rise in Purple Velvet ($7.50, retail $228, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Current/Elliott "The Muscle" leopard print tank ($8, retail $75?, used ad money)
Basics:
- mīere the label "Frankie" knit sweater in Faded Black ($56.92, $32.15 if we omit shipping)
- *NEW!* Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Spiced Plum ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Madewell Whisper Cotton V-Neck Tee in Sahara Sand ($2, retail $19.50, used ad money)
Shoes:
- Ancient Greek Sandals Kore of Berlin ($365, used Shopbop gift cards + ad money + 15% off)
Handbags:
- None yet
Accessories:
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
- Ryka "Belong" Walking Shoe in Plum Red/Burgundy via DSW ($26.58, $79.99 retail)
Gifted from Brands:
- Pearl and Gold Bar Duo Stud Earring - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Rose Gold c/o Aurate
- Gold Bar Stud Earrings - Yellow Gold c/o Aurate
- Janey Sport Sandal - Pewter c/o Aetrex
- *NEW!* Active Biker Short in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
- *NEW!* Adjustable Bra in Jungle c/o Dona Jo
- *NEW!* Urban Tank in Pitanga c/o Dona Jo
- *NEW!* Destination Aura Beaded Necklace in Marrakech c/o Aurate
- *NEW!* Endless Gemstone Station Necklace in Rose Quartz c/o Aurate
Spent in August: $0
Spent in 2022: $83.50
The last time I wore this jumpsuit was on our honeymoon in 2019 so it was only fitting that I would wear it with 2 pieces I bought on our honeymoon! I bought the sandals at thee Ancient Greek Sandals flagship store in Athens and the bag in a little shop in Venice. Longtime readeers will know that this used to have long sleeves which you can see in the photos from the first time I wore it in Positano in 2017. I had my mom take the sleeves off it in the Summer of 2019 because I didn't see myself wearing it again if it still had sleeves.
I should probably stop wearing these sandals, at least on outfit photo days. They've been in 3 of the last 7 outfit posts, whoops! But that shows you how comfy they are!
I wanted to take photos where we had lunch last weekend but the sun was just far too bright so the photos weren't great. Then we were going to take photos at one of our usual spots but there were too many people there so we settled on my parent's backyard, ha ha.
Rosewood Jumpsuit (MODIFIED): Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent (Anthropologie)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens)
Italian Leather Bag: bought in Venice
I wore this back in July when Christian had to do an afternoon video shoot in Newtown. I was having a slow work day and decided to tag along because it was an informal "get shots around town" kind of situation. We drove around town getting videos and drone shots of various parks and buildings. This was a fun Victory Garden at Fairfield Hills. It is kind of hidden in the back of the park, we almost didn't find it, ha ha. There were so many cool vegetables and trees growing - even peaches! It was basically Christian's dream garden. Hopefully one day he's able to have a nice, big garden to grow everything his heart desires!
Dress: Who What Wear Floral Shirt Dress via Target
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Rome)
They also had some really cool paintings on old doors. There are 2 of my favorites but there were a ton more!
We've got a nice mix of recipes in this roundup of treats I made. Cobbler, muffins, cookies, bread, brownies and cookie bars! YUM! It's been SUPER hot these past few weeks which means baking has made our already hot house even hotter (no central AC and can't really have an AC unit in the living room.) But nothing can stop me from making tasty treats!
Oreo Chocolate Cobbler
I saw this on Instagram in May and made a mental note to surprise Christian with it because he LOOOOVES Oreos. I usually bake on the weekend but decided to make it on a random Tuesday so he would still be working while I baked. After dinner I pulled it out and he was like "WHAT'S THIS?!!!" Mission accomplished! Ha ha. It was kind of the texture of a mug cake up top and then gooey and fudgy on the bottom. We served it with some ice cream as recommended in the recipe....mmmm. I didn't use the hot coffee and opted for water instead, I definitely think the coffee would have helped bring out more chocolate flavor but we don't drink coffee so I never buy it.
Almond Flour Brownies
This recipe was a surprise hit! I wanted to use up some almond flour that had been in the freezer forever and I had all the ingredients handy. I made the non-paleo version so I used butter and sugar instead of coconut oil and coconut sugar. The inside is super gooey and delicious and the outsides are firmer, just how Christian and I like them (I eat the mushy inside he likes the edges.) I've heated up my pieces so it becomes lava-cake like but Christian ate them straight out the fridge. Will definitely be making these again.
Chocolate Pan de Cristal
This is one of the more interesting bread bakes I've done. It's Chocolate Pan de Cristal or "Glass Bread.” You start by doing what is called a “bowl fold” followed by doing a “coil fold” three times before adding in some chocolate chips with two letter folds and then doing a double rise (one rise all together and one after dividing the dough into 8 different pieces.) I started making it at 9am and finished at 3:20pm, so definitely a weekend bake. I did pretty good for my first try, but my shaping and dividing could use some work. They’re a bit uneven and odd sizes.
Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins
These were sooo good! I had some blueberries left after making pancakes for Brinner and went straight to Tessa's blog for a recipe because she never disappoints. The streusel topping on this was sooo good, I almost wish I made more. I also left the batter in the fridge for about 8 hours before baking as suggested in the recipe to make them bake taller, pretty cool! I waited to put the blueberries in until after, so the color wouldn’t bleed, but then it was hard to get them into the batter. Next time I'll just add the blueberries anyway, I don't care if the muffins turn blue.
Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I decided to make these on National Chocolate Chip Cookie day but I hadn't taken butter out early enough so I tried to soften it quicker by putting it in the microwave (not turning it on, just in because it's warmer in there) and kind of warming it with my hands. The dough is supposed to be chilled in the fridge for 24 hours but we wanted some cookies that day so I baked off 4 even though I knew the dough was too soft and they would spread....they basically filled up the whole quater sheet pan and flattened worse than pancakes, haha! After the 24 hours I baked the rest of the cookies and they were still really flat. Still tasted delicious though! I think it's how hot it was in the house because I've never had an issue with a recipe from this baker.
Birthday Cake Confetti Cookie Bars
Another recipe from Tessa at Handle the Heat! This time it's a recipe exclusive to her book, The Ultimate Cookie Handbook. After the sort of fail I had with the cookies above I wanted to bake again over the weekend and decided cookie bars may be the smarter choice because they can't flatten! I was in the mood for something whimsical so the confetti cookie bars were the perfect choice (even if I had to buy and use cream cheese - EEW! Not a fan of the smell or taste, haha! Luckily it mostly disappears in the flavor)My brother's puppy decided to hop in at the end of my outfit photos. Isn't he the cutest?! My siblings and I do a Secret Santa every year and if I had him I would totally want to get one of Mr&MrsPaw's hilarious renaissance pet portraits so we could always remember how adorable he was as a puppy. He's growing bigger every week so I'm sure he'll be HUGE soon. I'll miss being able to have him sit on my lap for pets.
I could even do one for my sister's dog, Shiba Inu's are pretty classy (especially the black and tan colors like Teddy) so it would be super funny to see him in a renaissance pet portrait. I've already done a Cuddle Clone of Layla, but maybe she could use a portrait too! And don't worry, they do cats as well, which would be a funny gift for Christian's Mom.
Dress: ELLE Poppy Zip Up Dress (Kohl's)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals AGS x Gas Bijoi Stephanie Charms (bought in Santorini)
Sunglasses: Chanel
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola
*This post was made in partnership with Responsival. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
