What I Bought This Month: January Haul

Is there anybody out there who watches clothing haul videos on YouTube? I don't know what it is about seeing what other people buy, but I love it. I decided it would be fun to do a monthly haul post to keep track of all my fashion related purchases in 2014.

This month, I wanted to pick up a couple items I could start wearing now, and keep wearing throughout the spring and summer months. I focused on pieces that were more versatile and practical (though some were just for fun, like my Zara skirt!). I also unintentionally bought several pastel items. This is only the start of my obsession with pastels, and its not even spring yet!

I know some bloggers do a budget breakdown each month, which I also really love to see. I am just not comfortable saying, here's what I bought, this is how much I paid for it, and this is how much I spent on clothes this month on the internet (though I am linking to these items, so if you want to add it all up and guess what kinds of discounts/gift cards/sales I scored, be my guest). But since I do have a set clothing budget, and because I have blogged about the importance of having one here, here, and here, I will share with you whether or not I stayed within mine. The answer to that question this month, is yes, I did stay within my clothing budget. (Yay! I feel like a little self praise is in order. Go me!)

Here are the details:

1. Navy Floral Dress (Lulu's)- I was so lucky to win a gift card to Lulu's from Auteur Ariel this month, so I picked out this dress to transition from winter to spring. It'll be fun now with tights and boots, and later with bare legs and sandals.

2. White Leather Jacket (Forever 21)- I saw quite a bit of white leather on the Spring 2014 runways last fall and loved it. This jacket is almost as versatile as my black leather jacket and looks oh-so-cute with all the pastels I anticipate wearing this spring.

3. Pink Midi Skirt (Dorothy Perkins)- Is this a versatile purchase? Maybe, maybe not. But its stinking cute. I've been experimenting with midi skirts, starting with some of the pencil variety. I think I am ready to embrace the full midi skirt thing, so I decided on this pastel version, of course.

4. Pink Gingham Shirt (J.Crew Factory, sold out)- An eBay purchase! I have just recently started experimenting with clothes shopping on eBay, and I have to say, it is pretty great. To get a brand new or barely worn piece for one fourth the retail price? Yes, please!

5. Blue Honeycomb Sweater (Old Navy)- I love this sweater to pieces and have worn it multiple times in the same week. I was so tempted to buy it in one of the darker shades, but since I am already pastel obsessed, I decided on this one.

6. Blush Lace-Up Booties (Lulu's)- These were another item I purchased from Lulu's with the gift card I won. I had been eyeing them as soon as they popped up on a New Arrivals email from the site, so they were an easy choice to add to my cart.

7. Floral Skirt (Zara, sold out)- Another eBay purchase! I always loved this Zara skirt, but for some reason I passed on it when it was in stores. Maybe the price was too high? Anyway, I found it on eBay and decided to make it mine. I've already worn it with my blue honeycomb sweater and it was pretty adorable, if you ask me!

8. White Jeans (American Eagle)- I kept seeing super cute winter outfits with white jeans all over Pinterest and decided I needed to replace the pair I owned, which were super old, awkwardly cropped, and didn't really fit anymore. These skinnies from American Eagle fit so much better and are much more comfortable.

Do you like the idea of these haul posts? I mean, I'm going to post them anyway, but it'd be nice to know if some of you are actually interested in seeing this type of post. :)

Linking up with Budgeting Bloggers

Layering Required

Coat- Old Navy, Chambray- Old Navy, Jeans- c/o Aeropostale, Blazer- Target, Belt- Target, Boots- Sole Society (on sale $36!), Necklace- Lulu's, Bag- Michael Kors

Texas weather is crazy, y'all. Its kind of hard to keep up with. On the cold days I've been really enjoying layering my outerwear, as I did here with my blazer and blanket coat. I like that the blazer peeks through just a bit from under my coat. Gives a bit more dimension to my outfit.

I haven't talked about my new bag yet. This was my Christmas present from my parents, and its my first designer bag! I had been eyeing it for months, and of course this color sold out in November. I looked all over eBay and Poshmark until I found this one, brand new, for over $100 less than the original price! I am so in love- the color, the size, the structure- it is the perfect everyday bag. The shoulder strap makes it even better. The problem is...now I'm eyeing the blue one! And that color is also basically sold out!

Linking up with Three-for Thurdsay | Spotlight of the Week: Jacqueline & Elle | Tres Chic Thursday |  Mix and Match Fashion | Working Girl With Style

Fedora

Dress- Lulu's, Vest- Sears (similar), Boots- Sole Society, Tights- Target, Bag- Michael Kors, Hat- Target, 
Sunglasses- Forever 21 (similar), Watch- Fossil, Bracelet- J.Crew Factory

A couple weeks ago, I took a trip up to downtown McKinney, TX to explore the shops in the square. It was one of those days in Texas that is at least 20 degrees warmer than the day before, so I pulled out this floral dress and winterized it a bit. It was warm enough to not need a jacket, but I still wore tights to keep my legs warm. My fur vest was the only other piece I needed to be comfortable while walking around outside.

To be honest, this hat came off right after we finished shooting these pictures- it was just too windy! But I am really glad I purchased this hat on a whim. It was a really great way to try out the fedora trend at a reasonable price. Maybe next time I'll wear it all day if I can just get it to stay on my head!

Linking up with  Style Sessions

Pastel Inspiration

{source}

I'm obsessed with pastels.

Linking up with: Mix It Mondays | Manic Monday | The Style Record

Winter Uniform

Coat- Old Navy (major clearance!), Sweater- Target (similar), Button-Up- Old Navy (major clearance!), Jeans- c/o Aeropostale, 
Boots- Sole Society (on sale $36), Bag- Michael Kors, Necklace- Shop Lately ($10 off first order when you sign up with Facebook)

I posted last week about how I am not going to be doing daily outfit posts anymore. But when I get the chance to shoot an outfit I'm already wearing that day, why not? This was my casual Friday outfit from last week. I dragged my somewhat reluctant boyfriend out to take some shots of me before I changed for dinner that night- didn't he do a good job? This was his first time using a DSLR camera and I think they turned out great. And now that I know he can take successful photos for me, that means more outfit posts for you! Yay!

This outfit is a good representation of what I've been wearing since my last outfit post- any variation of the sweater/button-up combo you can imagine, paired with skinny jeans and boots. Layering is just so much fun, and of course it's functional for cold weather. I liked this combo of leopard and plaid since its more playful that wearing two solid pieces. These boots have been on my feet pretty much from the time I got them in the mail until now. They are extremely comfortable for everyday wear, despite the heel!

What's your winter uniform?

Linking up with Three-for Thurdsay | Spotlight of the Week: Jacqueline & Elle | Tres Chic Thursday | Mix and Match Fashion | All Things Thursday | Favorite Fashion Friday | Friday's Fab Favorites

New Year, New Wishlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

This year, my shopping goal is to stay within my clothing budget the majority of the time. I set a monthly budget, but I know there will be some overlap at the beginning of seasons when new things are being put out in stores. As long as I stay within my budget each quarter, I'll call that a success.

I know it's only January, but I already have spring on my mind. I won't get use out of my winter clothes for much longer, so I'm starting to focus on pieces that will make the transition from winter to spring easy. That means pastels, floral, and lots of white. Peep toe shoes may seem a little silly for those of you who still have snow on the ground, but I think I can manage here in Texas. With these styles, at least most of my foot will be covered, right??

A Bit of A Change

Hey guys! Its been a while. Why? I'll get straight to the point. I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few weeks about what direction I want this blog to go in. After lots of back-and-forth, I've decided not to keep up with my weekly outfit posts for the time being.

When I started this blog, I intended it to be a place where I could journal my daily outfits (hence the word "diary" in my blog's title), share shopping habits, wish lists, etc. Back then, I was using my cell phone to take pictures, and what I put on the blog was literally something I had worn in the past week. After a while, I wanted to start taking posed pictures outside to make my blog look a little less amateur. My photo shoots went from taking minutes a day to hours on the weekends, taking time away from relaxing and all the other glorious things weekends are for. If I could find a way to take quality photos of what I'm wearing on a daily basis, it would make things a lot easier. The problem is that 1) I live by myself; and 2) I am not about to go out with a tripod and take them myself. Lol.

I also have to mention-- I don't think its any secret that the amount of clothes I bought increased dramatically after I started blogging. I started buying things that I thought would make great blog outfits, but they weren't really practical in my daily life. I wore outfits on this blog that I never wore in real life, although I meant to. Want to see some? I think it's kind of funny to be honest, so I'll share.

 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

6 | 7 | 8 | 9 & 10

In the spirit of the new year and keeping up with my shopping budget, I spent the weekend cleaning out my closet. I saved the best for Poshmark, so if you're interested, check out my closet here. I have a few bag-fulls for Plato's Closet, and I donated the rest. It feels really nice to get rid of so much at once.

So for now, I won't be posting regular outfits. I think it will be a lot easier to stick to my shopping budget without the pressure of posting four outfits per week. I want to get back to a point where I am wearing everything in my closet, and not buying things that I'll never wear beyond this little space online.

I am still fashion obsessed. I am still going to shop. And I still want to share my passion. If you would like to continue following along, I'll be popping in about once a week to share new wish lists, fashion inspiration, and the occasional outfit. Otherwise, you can see what I'll be wearing on Instagram. I try to post OOTDs most days. And to see what my current cravings and inspirations are, follow me on Pinterest.