Awhile back, I shared some of my most recent second-hand finds in a blog post, and I thought I would share an update with my latest finds! I have really taken a liking to shopping second-hand and trying to find thrifted options for pieces I really want. I love that I can find unique items and usually save money, too!
1. Coach brown leather mini shoulder bag. I purchased this off Poshmark, but this bag is just beautiful to me! This style of mini bag is really in, but I love that this was a vintage find and such great quality as well.
2. Rattan wine storage. My mom actually found this on Facebook Marketplace for only $15! I love it so much - and it is replacing a gold/really modern looking one on our bar cart that was cheap and isn't as much my style.
3. Green goblets. This is something I have also been searching for in the past few months. I have loved collecting unqiue vintage glassware - I have a few sets in different colors but green has been on my wishlist! These were another Marketplace find that my mom came across while I was visiting - and again a steal at only $15 for seven glasses!
4. Butterfly cowboy boots. I got these also in Kansas while I was visiting - I have always found that they have such better deals there. These were purchased at a Flea Market, one of my favorites in Wichita called Paramount. I am having a moment with butterflies so these are so fun to me!
5. Vintage slip dress. This is a recent find that I really love - and I upcycled it! I hand-dyed this dress and I think it turned out so beautiful. Slip dresses are super trendy, so its fun to take this vintage piece and make it a little fresher and on-trend!
I hope you all enjoyed this post - I have really been into finding fun, unique pieces for our home and my wardrobe. It makes the hunt really fun and exciting!
I have shared before, but a big goal of mine is to perfect my natural beauty routine. I have learned a lot in the past year about the harmful ingredients that exist in much of the beauty products I had been using - from Target, Sephora - and even their certified clean products had ingredients that I wasn't super impressed with!
So, I went on a mission to find better products and things that still worked, but didn't contain products that were harmful. I did some research to find some mascara options that were better than my typical favorites from Maybelline or Benefit. I have found some other products to replace much of the rest of my makeup routine, but I always thought mascara was something I would never be able to switch because its one of my favorite products. However, I am here to prove that false!
I will warn, natural beauty products are unfortunately much more expensive than drugstore products or those from Target. However, I was used to buying Benefit products (my previous favorite) so I was prepared to budget the same amount, but to me, it's worth budgeting the extra money to know that the products won't harm my body! Here are a few great options:
1. Young Living Lengthening Mascara. This one is probably my favorite! I buy my essential oils, natural cleaning products, and other products from Young Living, so it's super convenient for me to add to my monthly order. It is very lengthening for sure and actually has a wonderful consistency. I have found with natural mascaras, flaking off or being too liquidly can be a major issue. So this one is a win!
2. Well People Volumizing Mascara. This one is my other favorite! I think I love layering my Young Living one and this one. I think I prefer a lengthened and volumized look - I can't pick just one look ;) so these two work really well together. Plus, you can grab this one from Target.
3. Honest Beauty Extreme Length Mascara + Primer. This is one I tried and I did like it. However, I didn't love it. It's another option from Target, so if you're out shopping and need a product and can't wait to order online, that's a great option. However, I would say the primer side was worthless to me. It really did nothing, and as someone who loved lash primer, I had high expectations. Plus, having the two in one tube means you get less mascara, so the cost for the amount of product is less, too. However, I did like the mascara, though it was a much more liquid consistency and if I didn't let it dry all the way, I would get smudges on the top of my eyelid, which I truly hate. So, I think there are better choices, but, it's not a bad one.
4. Beauty Counter Volumizing Mascara. This one is on my list to try next! I have not tried Beauty Counter, but they are an amazing company who is working hard not only to create wonderful products that are healthy and have amazing ingredients, but they also are working to make better legislation so these bad ingredients are banned by the FDA completely. Oh, and it's a women-owned and led business. SO cool!
I hope you all found this post helpful. Next up in the clean beauty review is shampoos + conditioners - can't wait to feature those too! Be sure to let me know what products you'd liked to see reviewed, too!
Today I wanted to share some fall fashion inspiration - fall is my absolute favorite season and I cannot wait until the day comes when I can wear all these lovely layers and outfits without sweating like crazy when I step outside ;) Some of the things I am most looking forward to this season are turtlenecks, leather pants, this amazing flannel, and warm brown/orange tones!
Here are a fun few looks - and check out the links to shop below.
I hope you all found some inspiration for your own fall wardrobe! Tell me in the comments: are you a fall/winter lover, or do you love the warmer months more?
For today's post, I wanted to share a round-up of my favorite fall footwear pieces, and those that are my true essentials for the season. If I could only have five pairs of shoes, these would be the ones I'd pick! If you saw my last post, I have a pair of black booties on my fall wishlist - so I'd say I really have about six essential pairs of shoes for the season ;)
1. White sneakers. Y'all know I love white sneakers! These Nike Court Sneakers are my favorite pair and the ones I wear the most. They are really chic and easy to wear, so I know I will wear them a lot in the fall.
2. Cognac booties. These are definitely a favorite of mine - I've had these since high school I think! I love that I still wear these, and they are excellent quality. I just love the look of them and the varnished style of the leather. I wish they were a heeled boot, but I have other options with heels too.
3. Snake print mules. I love snake print and had a pair of snake print booties last fall that I wore to death. Since I have so many pairs of booties, I wanted to try a heeled mule. I can still wear them with flare jeans and they look like booties, but the mule will be a fun change.
4. White booties. These white booties might be my favorites for fall. White may seem like a strange choice for fall, but I think they are a great statement and a fresh look! I love the western detail of them.
5. Black mules. These are a thrifted find that I purchased recently, but I love them. I think they are a really chic look and think I will get a lot of wear out of them.
I hope you all enjoyed this post and found it helpful! I am SO excited for fall if you can't tell - it's my favorite fashion season by far! Let me know what your essential shoes are for fall!
For today's post and a kick-off to my fall content, I wanted to share a few pieces I have on my fall wishlist. As I have mentioned before, I am trying to strive for a capsule wardrobe, so I am trying to make my shopping really intentional, investing in really quality pieces and things that are still my style, but timeless and not things that I will get rid of next season.
So, with that being said, here are a few things I have had my eye on and I think would complete my wardrobe for this season.
Outerwear
Outwear might be my favorite clothing category - I think its the easiest thing to invest in because fall layers are just everything to me. :) I have two jackets/coats on my 'wishlist':
1. This ivory coat. I think this would look so beautiful during the winter months! I love the 'winter white' trend and this coat would be perfect for Dallas - I have an older style of this coat in black, and they are the perfect weight for winters here.
2. This suede moto jacket. I have been wanting a really nice quality moto jacket, and this one is the one I hope to buy at some point this season. It's such great quality and investment I think I would wear for seasons to come!
Misc.
Beyond outerwear, I have a couple other random things that I think my closet is missing!
1. Black graphic tee. This is random, but I think I would wear a black graphic/band tee a lot and I actually don't have one. Plus, its a great piece for that work from home life with leggings - so I'm thinking cardigan, leggings + this tee would be a go-to look for me.
2. This camel cardigan. I had a camel cardigan awhile back, but it was really thin and it looked funny over anything put really thin tees. I love the look of this one because it seems so much thicker and more luxurious and would work over a thin sweater or button up.
3. Black booties. I want a really nice pair of black heeled booties with a western edge, but without any stitching like I have seen on some styles! I saw a really beautiful pair that were in the Nordstrom sale, but they sold out and I took it as my sign that it wasn't a needed purchase...ha. But, I'm hoping to find some soon that I really like.
I hope you all enjoyed this post - let me know what you're looking to add to your fall wardrobe!
Today I am saying farewell to summer - I'm so excited to start sharing fall content here on my blog/Instagram. I thought what better way to recap this weird summer than by sharing some of my favorite outfits of the summer! You can shop for each of the looks below the photo.
What are you most looking forward to for fall? I think fall is my favorite season - and I'm so ready to not sweat to death every time I walk outside ha. I'm excited to enjoy our backyard more and make fires in the firepit. And I would love to go on walks on my lunch break, too :)
Thanks for checking out this post - talk to you all in my next one!
This month I tried Nuuly for the first time. If you haven't heard of it, Nuuly is a clothing subscription service where you can pay a monthly fee, select 6 clothing pieces from a range of name brands/designers, and wear them all month long! I love this concept because it is a great way to try out different styles, trends, or bold/statement pieces without having to commit to purchasing them. It's also a very great model for sustainability - which I love too!
Here are the six pieces I received this month.
Abigail Lace Blouse
Retailer: Anthropologie
I really liked this blouse! It was a bit cropped, but I loved the lace detailing and it was actually a thin material so it made it easier to wear in the summer heat!
Lee Vintage High Rise Flare Jeans
Retailer: Free People
These were really cute and fun to wear. They also fit perfectly! However, I thought the tie-dye print would be a little more boldly colored, but it was pretty subdued and almost looked like white pants. But I really did love the fit of them.
Kimono
Retailer: Anthropologie
This kimono was so cute! I loved it so much. Kimonos are so easy to wear and throw on over a tank or tee, or a simple dress to make a statement look. This one was definitely a statement which I loved!
Spell & the Gypsy Dress
Retailer: Free People
I had been wanting to try a dress from Spell & the Gypsy, so I just had to try this one. This brand is so expensive and one that I will never actually buy anything from, but the dresses are just beautiful so I was glad to get to try this one out.
Floral Dress
Retailer: Urban Outfitters
This dress was really fun! I loved the puff sleeves and a fun pattern. It looked very vintage floral which I loved. The square neckline was also so beautiful and on-trend. However, I think the cut of the hem was less flattering on me, so I didn't wear this one as much.
Spell & the Gypsy Dress
Retailer: Free People
This is another Spell & the Gypsy dress - I would've gotten all dresses in my order if I didn't make myself try something from every category! This dress is just beautiful. Again, it comes with a pretty high price tag, so I wouldn't buy it myself, but it was so fun to try for the month. This was definitely my most worn piece in the whole subscription box.
I hope you all found this interesting or helpful! If you want to see the video I made on my YouTube channel all about the pieces and showing them, check that out here. And, if you're interested in getting $20 off your first subscription with Nuuly, click here!
Thanks for reading, y'all! Talk to you in my next post :)
I have seen people film YouTube videos about "50 Things They No Longer Buy" and I thought it would be fun to share something similar on my blog - but just a bit shorter. Maybe someday I will share 50 things on my YouTube channel, too!
This list is items that have both saved me money and helped reduce the amount of items I consume/throw away. Here are 50 things I no longer buy:
1. Cotton pads/balls to remove my makeup (I switched to these reusable ones!)
2. Tons of holiday decor. I have found that buying tons of pumpkins, seasonal throw pillows, etc. was just not effective for us, and really was not something we ended up enjoying for very long. I still have my Christmas tree/decorations, but that is really all I keep!
3. Excess groceries/food. I found that I have a really great system for ordering my groceries through Instacart, and I have really streamlined our weekly list and planning meals, so it has cut down on stuff to store, as well as waste that we throw out from not eating it.
4. Candles - I started switching over to diffusing essential oils - it actually smells better to me, and I learned about how toxic candles/fragrances can be!
5. Coffee mugs. Nate and I were completely 100% coffee mug hoarders. We have really stopped buying them, and trying to also scale back on what we have. It helps clear up storage space too!
6. Random stuff at Target - I used to be the queen of impulsive purchases at Target, like mugs, random hair accessories, etc. but I have tried to enjoy looking more and being intentional with my spending.
7. A gym membership. We tried out a gym here in Dallas, and cancelled just a few months later. Especially here, it was just not worth it. They were so busy, and just such a waste of money. Now, we go on runs/walks outside, or use the Peloton that we have.
8. Random journals. I used to be addicted to buying journals at Target when I went (see #6) and now I don't keep tons of journals lying around. People always give them as gifts, so I really never need to buy them myself because I never actually fill up using one.
9. Paper towels - we use these resuable 'towels' and they are really handy for cleaning up the kitchen!
10. Jeans. I found my favorite pair/style of jeans from Everlane (worn in these photos above!) And before, I would buy new jeans all the time trying to find my 'favorite' fit. I decided to try spending a little bit more over the Old Navy or Target options I had been trying, and now I found the best fit for me and I don't have to spend any money on them anymore.
11. Tons of special occasion clothing. This is a newer thing I've been trying to focus on, but I have tried to stray away from spending a lot of money on 'new' things for events, etc. In college, I was always buying something new for every date party, formal, etc. and I recently tried Nuuly, which is a clothing subscription service, and it is amazing to replace specialty items for events or vacations!
12. Coffee/breakfast at Starbucks. When I worked downtown/at a corporate office, the temptation to grab a coffee at Starbucks in the morning was SO real. I won't say I never go there, but I definitely stopped making it a common occurrence. It saves SO much money.
13. Drinks at restaurants. This is something I was in a pretty good habit of from college, but we rarely buy drinks, especially alcohol, when we go out to eat. It is such a big expense that really adds up!
14. Tons of hair products. I do dye my hair, but besides my purple shampoo, I really don't buy any hair products and I don't really even put hairspray on my hair, even when I style it and I still think it looks good!
15. Makeup I don't need - makeup is quite expensive, and I really only keep items in my makeup bag that I use every day. I don't have much variance in my day to day makeup, so I don't need excess here.
16. Pop. I was once addicted to pop/soda, but I have stopped buying pop at the store and buying diet cokes from McDonalds (for the most part, every few weeks we MIGHT go to sonic, but its not a daily thing anymore!)
17. Cleaning products - I actually switched to all natural cleaning products, and I actually use the same bottle of cleaner to clean my entire house!
18. Tons of meals out. We never ate out very much, but quarantine has helped us scale down - and then buying a house made us want to cut back a bit to save extra money. It truly saves SO much money, and we have enjoyed cooking more together at home!
19. Random stuff on clearance/sale. I have been working on my shopping mindset lately, and I was always someone who tended to buy things because I knew it was a good deal. However, the more I've learned, I don't really need that stuff, and it would just end up unused/unworn in my home/closet.
20. Sponges for washing dishes - another reusable 'hack' is these ones off Amazon.
I hope you all found this list interesting and helpful! Let me know something that you no longer buy to save money/be a bit more minimal.
