*This post was made in partnership with Photowall. Thank you for supporting brands I feature*
The easiest way to update almost any part of a home is artwork. Posters, paintings, photographs, even wallpaper can make a huge difference to your living space. When Photowall offered to send an item of my choice I really wanted to try one of their amazing designer wallpapers. Christian and I couldn't figure out where to put our perfect statement wall so we decided to go with a canvas print above our purple couch in the living room instead.
They've also generously offered my readers a coupon code. Enter aclosetfashionista25 for 25% off an item! This Photowall coupon code will expire in on October 14th.
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| Living Room - Before |
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| Living Room - After - Photowall Canvas: Mauve Mist |
Photowall offers everything from photographs and movie posters to illustrations, contemporary art and inspirational quotes. You can also upload your own photo/artwork. We opted to go for an abstract mountain landscape because Christian's dream is to live in/near mountains. There were almost too many to choose from and we had a hard time picking a favorite. This blueberry sky print was a close second but we ultimately decided on the Mauve Mist canvas to tie in with our couch. Coincidentally our top three choices were all by the same artist, I guess we have a very specific taste.
Sizing is super customizable and if you choose a different ratio from the original piece you can easily pick which part of the photo you want to use for your print or canvas. When choosing canvas there are 4 options, I went with "
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| Photowall canvas customization |
We got a fairly large canvas because we wanted it to make a statement,
and bigger is better, right? It adds so much fun and brightness to this basic wall. I did like our previous "art" - aka Harry Potter illustration - but this painting ties in a lot better.
My Photowall canvas arrived super quickly (3 days after I ordered) and came unmounted with an easy DIY frame. We were able to put it together in under 15 minutes with no tears. There is also a video on each product page showing how to assemble if you're more of a visual vs. written instructions person.The system was very easy to follow and I'm sure saves a bundle on shipping costs/the environmental impact of shipping.
I posted a Reel showing how easy it is to put together! Watch on Instagram.
While perusing the site I learned about their environmental efforts. In partnership with Vi Agroforestry, Photowall plants around 5000 trees every year in the area surrounding Lake Victoria in East Africa. They also operate on a made to order system so they do not produce items that are not needed which avoids unnecessary waste. The printing ink used for their wallpaper contains no solvents or hazardous chemicals, and is biodegradable. The canvas used for my beautiful piece of art is made from 100% biodegradable cotton.
If (when) we move to a new house, a statement wall with Photowall wallpaper will be something we think about as we're designing the interior. I went through 5,000 designer wallpaper options before we switched gears and there were so many I would love to have! I'm not normally a floral person but I was drawn to so many of their floral prints. How gorgeous is this purple sakura wallpaper? It would go perfectly in my purple-walled closet. Christian and I both loved this misty landscape in blue tones, he definitely has a thing for mountains.
Don't forget about the 25% off Photowall coupon code - aclosetfashionista25! It will expire on October 14th.
An outfit featuring a nice mix of old and new. The sweater tank has been seen MANY times on the blog but I think it's time for a refresher for those that have missed the original story. My late Grandmother - Dad's Mom - made this sweater for my Mom many years ago, I would assume when I was a baby. She also made them for my 3 aunts. My Mom had two because she asked her to make a second in a white/cream color, she still has that one. It was passed on to me back in 2012 and became a Summer staple. I love that whenever I wear this sweater it brings me closer to her (she passed away right before I turned 13.)
These Zara shorts are also a pretty old item - bought in 2012. I'm pretty sure this is one of my most worn tank/short combos. They go so perfectly together. When paired with my new purple Prada Cahier the purple flowers on the shorts pop even more!
You can never go wrong with a pair of Ancient Greek Sandals. This time I wore the Faye embellished sandal, a pretty apt choice now that I'm writing this blog post. My middle name is Faye, after my Grandmother who made the sweater! How funny that I chose this particular pair to wear. Must be a sign.
Sweater: Made by Grandma
Shorts: Zara
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Faye' embellished sandal (Net-a-Porter Sale)
Ring: Vintage Emerald Cut Ring with London Blue Topaz c/o Aurate
Necklace: Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sunglasses: Gucci Aviators (bought in Italy)
No new purchases this month, which should be of no surprise if you saw last week's post. But, in case you missed it, I got a new car after 11 years! This is also my first time having a car payment because I got my first car very cheap right out of college. Crazy stuff! Ha ha. So clothes are definitely on the back burner these days, although I do still have advertising money and Shopbop gift cards for moments when I need a pick-me-up!
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- mīere the label Women’s Cotton Knit Sweater in Terracotta ($68.87 including shipping)
Basics:
- FRAME Denim Le Skinny de Jeanne Crop in Sunnyside ($30 via Poshmark, retail $189, $18.67 after ad money)
Shoes:
- Splendid Harvest Mules in Tiger/Cheetah Print - also here ($25.80 via eBay, retail $118, used ad money)
- Teva Original Universal Sandals in Boomerang Pink Lemonade ($42.50 via Shopbop, used partnership money)
Handbags:
- Prada Cahier in 'Viola' purple via Vestiaire Collective ($1488, used bag savings account)
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
Gifted from Brands:
- Vintage Emerald Cut Ring - London Blue Topaz c/o Aurate ($50 after gifted amount)
Spent in July: $0
Spent in 2021: $209.66
Spent in 2021 Counting Prada bag: $1,697.66
Whoops! Had a bit of a dry spell for posts there, didn't we? I've had a busy past few weeks and haven't had my usual weekends to take outfit photos. For the 4th of July we went on our annual camping trip to Vermont and this past weekend we took a last minute trip to the beach in New Jersey with Christian's brother. We took photos a couple weekends ago but then the following week was crazy so Christian didn't have time to edit them.
I wore this to run a bunch of errands on a Saturday morning before heading to my parents to wash and wax my new car with Dad. Yep, huuuuge update! After 11 years I finally got a new (used) car! Long story short-ish:
We downgraded to 1 car in May when Christian sold his to his brother for his niece. We planned on Christian getting a(n electric) car first, but the ones he
want (also used) are insanely overpriced due to shortages so he's going
to wait a few months to see if they go back to their true value. My Cobalt is 16 years old so it's not the most spritley. We had to repair it last month so it would pass an emissions test. It's also going to need new tires so we don't want to drive it much to avoid any more costly repairs/etc.
I've been thinking about getting a Mini since my Mom got hers years ago but never though I would actually do it. I got super lucky and found a used 2018 in the color I wanted with super low mileage and had to do it! (I wanted a purple one but they haven't made Minis in the shade I want since 2005)
Sadly this means even less clothes shopping than I'm already doing since I have a car payment for the first time in my life...YIKES! (I got the Cobalt very cheap in 2010 without a loan.) Fingers crossed I can do a few big payments and pay it off early like I did with my student loans. I'm not a fan of debt so this is very weird for me.
Dress: Splendid Zebra Print Dress (NETAPORTER)
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Sunglasses: Ray Ban 'Erika' c/o Shopbop
Apparently Splendid loved this print so much they made it in multiple pieces! I bought my Mom pants in this print for Mother's Day quite a few years ago, we've definitely twinned while on vacation. Shop a bunch I found below.
Well, I did it. I got my Prada Cahier bag! Well....almost. Read the story here! Since the bag money came out of a savings account I've been adding to for a few years I'm not counting it in my main 2021 spending total, but I did add a line at the bottom of the post including it in my yearly spending.
I also finally got Teva sandals after spending a couple months mulling it over. I went with a crazy printed pair since they'll be more fun for beach trips, camping and rainy Disney days! I also bought a new bathing suit from Target for a beach trip (that ended up being canceled.)
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
MY PROGRESS
Clothes:
- mīere the label Women’s Cotton Knit Sweater in Terracotta ($68.87 including shipping)
Basics:
- FRAME Denim Le Skinny de Jeanne Crop in Sunnyside ($30 via Poshmark, retail $189, $18.67 after ad money)
Shoes:
- Splendid Harvest Mules in Tiger/Cheetah Print - also here ($25.80 via eBay, retail $118, used ad money)
- *NEW!* Teva Original Universal Sandals in Boomerang Pink Lemonade ($42.50 via Shopbop, used partnership money)
Handbags:
- *NEW!* Prada Cahier in 'Viola' purple via Vestiaire Collective ($1488, used bag savings account)
- None yet
Activewear/Swimwear:
Gifted from Brands:
- Vintage Emerald Cut Ring - London Blue Topaz c/o Aurate ($50 after gifted amount)
Spent in June: $34.99
Spent in 2021: $209.66
Spent in 2021 Counting Prada bag: $1,697.66
I planned a different first outfit post for the Prada Cahier, but we were lazy last weekend and didn't take any photos, so this look will have to do. Worn for a family gathering a couple weekends ago. I love how the little bits of purple in the camisole pop with the color of the purple Prada Cahier.
These IRO jeans are one of my favorite pairs for Summer because they're loose and the fabric is much more breathable than my skinny pairs. I will never give up my skinny jeans but I do embrace more styles. I've had them for 4 years now and they get more and more wears as the years go on.
Floral Camisole: eight sixty
Jeans: IRO "Faxy Cropped Jean" (Gilt c/o Wikibuy)
Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens)
Amethyst Necklace: BubuRuby
Bag: Purple Prada Cahier in Viola (Rebag via Vestiaire Collective)
Plus, here's a fun Reel I did with the Prada Cahier!
It’s story time again! I always seem to do these with my splurge items. But I love a good shopping tale. Welcome my new purple Prada Cahier bag in “Viola.”
The Prada Cahier was introduced in Fall 2016 and the purple/viola “Astrology” or “Constellation” version I coveted is from a couple of years later, according to my research. Cahier is French for notebook, which explains closure and golden edges. Turn it to the side and it magically turns into an old-style book!
Inspired by valuable ancient books, the Prada Cahier bag is made of soft calf leather. The metal hardware gives it an unmistakable look, & it comes with a removable shoulder strap.
I was a little late to the Prada Cahier bag game, probably because I was focused on finding my Chloe Faye for so long. When I saw the Cahier came in a celestial-themed style in early 2018 I had to have it. Originally, I wanted the black velvet version and started saving up in my usual way – a Capital One 360 savings account. I kept my eye out on secondhand stores in case I saw, one but they were always out of my price range.
When we went on our honeymoon to Italy and Greece, I thought I might splurge and buy another bag I had wanted – a turquoise velvet Gucci Marmont bag. We went to some Gucci stores and I found the one I wanted but wasn’t sure I was ready to spend the money yet. Christian wasn’t the biggest fan (this is important later.) We also went into some Prada stores even though I didn’t think I would find the Cahier.
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| Prada store in Florence | Prada store in Venice |
At a Prada store in Florence, I tried on the plain black Cahier for size and asked if they happened to have any constellation ones left. They didn’t. In Venice I asked if there were any black leather or velvet versions. The sales associate said no, just wallet-sized ones but they did have another color in the larger version - smaller than the black one I tried, though. She went to get it and IT.WAS.PURPLE!!! For those of you that aren’t aware – purple is my favorite color. This was the bag for me. Christian also loved it. We told her I would have to think about it because I definitely hadn’t budgeted for this. She gave us her card and off we went.
Christian
thought I should have gotten the bag, but I was being dumb and said, “I don’t have enough saved yet, I’ll have to steal from my other savings accounts” (for travel.) I agonized over the decision for the remaining 2 days of our stay in Venice but ultimately decided I would “behave” and that I could just find the purple version pre-owned later for less. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.
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| My bookmarks toolbar with all the stores I've been checking |
Since we got home (September 2019) I’ve been on the hunt almost every day. I had found some in the first couple months that were all over 2K and I didn’t want to spend/hadn’t saved up that much. In February 2020, I thought I found one on Poshmark, bought it and it failed their authenticity checks. In August 2020 I found another on Vestiaire Collective, got the girls over at The Purse Forum to say they thought it was authentic, and bought it. I had to rob my travel funds because I wasn’t going to let it get away this time! A few days later VC emailed me to say that it actually wasn’t available and refunded me. GAH!! I even had personal shopper Gabriel Waller on the case (after a recommendation from Jamie!) starting in May 2020.
You’ll obviously notice that it doesn't have the moon and stars. I found this plain purple Prada Cahier for a really great price (considering) and just had to take advantage of a lower-than-market price. Most of the plain ones I’ve been seeing are over 2K and this one was listed at $1770 on Rebag. Rebag was also selling it on Vestiaire Collective and, for some reason, they lowered the price to $1488 on there. SOLD! After checking with the Purse Forum, of course. And again after it arrived with my own photos to be doubly sure.
There are 2 things I prefer about this version of the Prada Cahier bag – it’s slightly bigger/wider and I really love the thicker strap. It has so much more weight to it, literally and figuratively! The biggest size of the Prada Cahier astrology only comes with a thin metal chain strap. I actually looked to see if Prada sold the wide strap separately, but they only sell a thin leather strap.
This doesn’t mean I gave up on my embellished version. I will still be searching and will most likely resell this one if I find it. Unless I decide that I don't want to go any smaller than this. I still have money leftover in my bag savings account since this was lower than I expected to spend. Who knows, I may finally get that Gucci Marmont with that and stick with the plain Cahier bag!
All this rambling to say, I probably should have bought the bag in Venice because 1) I would have saved two years of searching and 2) It would be a forever reminder of our honeymoon. I guess next time I’ll know better and buy the holy grail item when I see it!
Retail when released in 2018: $2,950
Current retail price for same size bag: $3,150
My cost: $1,488
