As you may recall, earlier this month I did a post featuring AUrate jewelry. Those were my first closet additions this month.  I also finally bought sandals from the Net-a-Porter sale. I was waiting for the end of the sale because they usually have a 15 or 20% off coupon at the end. I waited until the last day and sadly they did not do a coupon this time. So I bought them at their sale prices of 60% off using some side hustle money. 

 

Originally I was just going to get the embellished sandal, since they were super fun and my middle name (and my late Grandmother's) is Faye. But then I saw the leopard print ones for $74 and couldn't resist. So I broke my rule of 1 pair of Ancient Greek Sandals per year and have bought three this year, OOPS! But I didn't use "real" money for any of them, so it's fine, haha!

 

At the end of the month I was perusing my Shopbop wish list & sale section and noticed a sweater I have had on my wishlist for over a year was up to 70% off and they only had 1 left in stock (it's still for sale on the brand's website.) There was a bit of a snafu with a free reward I was supposed to get so they offered me 15% more off! Plus I used my partnership money so it was free.  

 

I also bought a couple Disney things with a gift card before my Annual Pass expired. One was a super cute light sweatshirt that I thought would be perfect for evenings in the parks or hanging out at home. The other was a couple state themed shirts, one for me (Connecticut) and one for Christian (Missouri.) Figured I would force him into wearing matching shirts on our next trip - whenever that may be. For those that don't know we had to cancel our May trip due to the virus. Back then I had re-booked a trip for November and December hoping we'd be okay. It's not looking good. I also have a THIRD trip booked for next May, REALLY hoping things are better by then. Thank goodness for free hotel cancellation, haha.

 

Patience pays off more often than you think. All the (non-Disney) items I bought this month could have been purchased over a year ago, but I waited for sales and extra discounts which saved me quite a bit of money. ($679.12 to be exact! Not that I ever would have bought the sweater full price)


THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS

Clothes:

1. FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
2. Burberry beaded owl sweater via eBay ($75, retail $2950 in 2012)
3. Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans via eBay ($15 after ad money, retail $735)
4. Ba&sh "Perla" dress in Green Light c/o Shopbop ($236.25, retail $630)
5. *NEW!* Nili Lotan Cashmere Abbey Sweater c/o Shopbop ($133.88, retail $525) 
6. *NEW!* Mickey Mouse Football Jersey in purple ($28, used gift card)
7. *NEW!* Disney State Fair Connecticut Tee ($17.47, used gift card)
   

Basics:

1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)
2. Madewell Camp Shorts in Faded Rosebud c/o Shopbop ($35, retail $50)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
2. Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99) 
3. *NEW!* Ancient Greek Sandals 'Faye' embellished leather sandals via Net-a-Porter Sale ($112, retail $289, used side hustle money)
   
4. *NEW!* Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clio' leopard-print leather slingback sandals via Net-a-Porter Sale ($74, retail $185, used side hustle money)
   

Accessories:

1. Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
2. Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)
3. Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop ($55)

Activewear:

1. SPANX Look At Me Now Seamless Leggings in Indigo Leopard c/o Shopbop ($68)

Gifted from Brands:

1. AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
2. AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)
3. *NEW!* AUrate Gold Twist Huggie Earrings (retail $80)
4. *NEW!* AUrate Stackable Twist Ring (retail $80)
5. *NEW!* AUrate Mini Infinity Ring (retail $70)

Total spent in August: $0

Total spent in 2020: $104.83

*This post was made in partnership with Nakturnal.  Thank you for supporting brands I feature*

I haven't been getting out much these past few (aka FIVE) months, because we're staying safe at home, but when I do it's with minimal jewelry due to the heat.  How adorable are these small stackable pinky rings from Aurate? You can get them in sizes ranging from 3 to 10 so they're fit for any finger. I definitely want to add more of their thin rose gold rings to my jewelry box.
If you are a long time follower of the blog you'll know that I used to wear a LOT of rings, almost one per finger. But since getting engaged and married I've worn a lot less. These thin rings are a great accompaniment to my wedding rings. I went with rose gold vs white gold to add a bit more fun. Who says you can't mix metals?!
Both rings (and my cute twist huggie earrings) are made with ethically sourced and sustainably made Rose Gold Vermeil. Similar to yellow gold, rose gold is made with a blend of color-saturated alloys with a bit more copper for a rosy hue. Vermeil is basically a fancy name for gold-plated. Aurate goes above and beyond the required amounts and uses 14-karat gold with over 2.5 microns (thickness) and finishes with a top coat to ensure durability and shine.
To make your purchase even better, Aurate has a lifetime guarantee! They'll re-plate, polish, and repair your jewelry when needed. Additionally, for every piece of gold purchased, Aurate donates a book to a child in need in your name.
Summer and hot temps are the perfect time for bold prints! You don't want to have a lot of fabric covering your body so why not make it fun and vibrant. This dress by Farm Rio is so much fun, I was looking forward to wearing it at Disney this Spring but sadly that trip didn't happen. Rather than let it sit in the closet until next year, I decided to wear it for a day of nothing.

I finished the look off with a pair of sandals - I live in my Ancient Greek Sandals all Summer. I'm up to 9 pairs so far - with another possibly on the way, wow! I didn't need a bag since we were just going on a walk but if walking is the only activity on the schedule for the foreseeable future why not make it a complete outfit. This Madewell crocodile effect bag was a pre-quarantine purchase that I never got to wear before lockdown. So glad I was finally able to use it, even if it was just holding my phone, mask and hand sanitizer! Last minute I threw on another new piece. A layered necklace that I got my Mom for Mother's Day. And no, I didn't steal it from her - I got one for my sister and I too so we could all match!

Dress: FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop, Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens), Bag: Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop, Sunglasses: Ray Ban Erika c/o Shopbop, Necklace: Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop, Rings c/o Aurate - Stackable Twist Ring & Mini Infinity Ring in Rose Gold, Earrings c/o Aurate - Gold Twist Huggie Earrings in Rose Gold

 

This post was supposed to happen in April but due to COVID-19 we had to push it back. I've been so excited to wear these pieces and show them on the blog!

These Pearl Studs are made with 4mm Akoya Pearls - sourced from the freshwater of Japan - and rose gold posts made with 14K gold. AUrate ethically sources their 18-karat and 14-karat gold. At traditional retail these pearl stud earrings could cost $390, but AUrate sells theirs for $150 a pair, a more than 50% savings.

I received 2 pieces from a brand last month and was waiting to share them until this month since I was supposed to do a blog post featuring them. However, that post has now been postponed due to COVD-19. It will probably be a bit before you see them in an outfit post and I wanted to share them! AUrate is still shipping items with a very stringent policy on how to keep everything safe.


THE (modified) RULES

1. Be mindful of purchases 
2. Quality over quantity
3. Basics are best

MY PROGRESS 

Clothes:

1. FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
   

Basics:

1. J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)

Shoes:

1. Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
2. Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)

Accessories:

1. Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
2. Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)

Gifted from Brands:

1. *NEW!* AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
2. *NEW!* AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)

Total spent in April: $0

Total spent in 2020: $14.83

We've got sort of a cosmic/moon theme going on in this outfit. It started off with me picking this cosmic embroidered cardigan to build my look and ended with my painting my nails with some gold splatters and topping the look off with a moon necklace.

This look felt a little frumpy until I made a couple changes. First I tucked in the tee instead of having it out over the high waisted jeans. Second I slightly rolled up the jeans so they rested just above the boots. Both of these modifications instantly made me look taller.


Cardigan: J.Crew Cosmic Embroidery sweater (shop more cardigans), Tee: Zara (shop short sleeved tees), Jeans: Everlane high-rise skinny jean in mid-blue (shop more high waisted jeans), Ankle Boots: Candie's c/o Kohl's (shop more heeled booties),  Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AURate (shop delicate necklaces), Crescent Moon Necklace: Marrin Costello

My best friend got married a couple weekends ago so Christian and I drove the 8 hours down to Virginia to celebrate! The wedding was held at a cidery in Charlottesville. The building looked like a Winter wonderland with string lights on the ceiling and snow covered trees around the hall. There was even a hot chocolate booth so you could make your own drink and one of the favors was ingredients for s'mores (fire pits were lit in the evening!)

Luckily for her, the weather was BEAUTIFUL! It had been rainy/foggy the evening before but on the day it was unseasonably warm and partly cloudy (perfect for outdoor photos.) It only rained a teeny bit during the reception, but everyone was safely inside.

I bought this black Joie dress back in August for a steal ($40) at Marshalls and was waiting for the perfect occasion to wear it. My mom talked me out of wearing it to my cousin's wedding in October because no one wears black to weddings (but they do, haha.) A couple weeks before the wedding I sent my friend a couple dress options and she liked them all so I decided to finally wear this! In anticipation of it being cold I topped it with a teal velvet blazer to add some color and make it dressier.

Dress: Joie 'Johnesha' black polka dot tiered dress (Marshalls, shop more Joie dresses), Velvet Blazer: Darjoni (Good Will, shop more blazers), Heels: Dolce & Gabbana suede Mary Jane Pump (Uptown Consignment, similar pair), Simple Pearl Necklace c/o AURate (shop delicate necklaces), Earrings: Mejuri 'Loop' (designed by my friend Jamie-Lee!),