What I Bought This Month: September Haul

I had a weird moment a few weeks ago when I was getting dressed for work. I had just purchased a burgundy striped tee from Old Navy, and had decided to wear it half tucked in to my black trousers for work. At the exact moment I was putting the shirt on, I felt really excited for cold weather. I have no idea why. I think it had something to do with the color of the shirt.

That always seems to happen as a season change comes closer. When I start reading about fall clothes on blogs and seeing them in stores, I'm still loving summer and wearing tanks and shorts and easy things. I can't even imagine being excited to wear jackets and layers and all that. Until a switch flips, and all of a sudden I am.  Then I get really excited to change from the same stuff I've been wearing for months into something more seasonally or weather appropriate. I feel instantly more inspired.

Okay, enough of my seriously too philosophical description of how clothes make me feel, blah blah blah. My point was to say that I really haven't been excited about fall yet until that exact moment, and now I'm over here pinning to my Fall/Winter Wishlist Pinterest board like there's no tomorrow. Oh, and shopping of course!

Most of my purchases are pretty self explanatory; darker tops, booties, a bomber jacket. Those fur things and the coat? Straight up impulse buys. I have a tendency to lay in bed and play on my phone when I don't have anywhere to be on Saturdays, and I saw that Forever 21 had come out with their outerwear edit, and started browsing. That led to me purchasing three items that I won't be able to wear for a good long while because its still in the high eighties and nineties here. But they are so cute and I love them and that's my rationale! Ha.

In other news, with my new found fall inspiration (and clothes), I'm hoping to get some outfit posts up starting next week!

Here are the details:

1. Houndstooth Crop Top (Francesca's) - I've worn this twice already- tucked in to a skirt, and with a white button up under it. I'm not into showing my stomach, but this will be a great layering piece.
2. Gray Zip Sweatshirt (Forever 21) - I love the side zipper detail on this sweatshirt. As soon as the weather cools down this will be part of my weekend uniform for sure.
3. Floral Bomber Jacket (Forever 21) - I've been wanting a bomber jacket since the became popular in the spring. I love that this one is floral, but still looks sporty with the stripes at the neckline and waist.
4. Black Sandals (Forever 21, sold out) - I'll be able to wear open toed shoes at least through the month of October, and I'd been wanting a pair of black block heeled sandals. These are really comfy, and actually go with a lot of my "fall" outfits since they aren't as strappy as some of my other heels.
5. Lariat Necklace (Express) - This is a fun little piece that looks great over a flowy top.
6. Black Jeans (Francesca's) - I loved the white stripe on these jeans. It looks very menswear and sporty, two trends I want to try out this fall.
7. Black Tank (Express) - I am hooked on this tank. I want it in all the colors...but since its fall I'll stick with black for now. I love that it's reversible and that the other side is gray too!
8. Maroon Booties (Old Navy) - I looked for a pair of maroon booties last fall but never found any I liked. These are really cute (the ankle in the picture doesn't do them justice), and I got them for $17 after using my Gap rewards.
9. Gray Booties (Express) - I was surprised I didn't have any gray booties, and at 40% these seemed like a great buy. I've already been wearing this a lot this month.
10. Silver Necklace (Express, sold out) - I've been wearing this almost everyday. I love it!
11. Faux Fur Jacket (Forever 21) - This purchase is a little ridiculous, I'll admit. But ever since trying on a faux fur jacket at Topshop last winter, I've really wanted one! That one was $170, and this one is only $50. I want to try it with black skinny jeans, a tee shirt, and ankle boots to dress it down.
12. Faux Fur Vest (Forever 21) - I have a faux fur vest, but I don't really like the texture very much (i.e. it looks cheap). I figured it was time to retire the old one and try this one out!
13. Gold Necklace (J.Crew) - I don't have any J.Crew jewelry, surprisingly. I'm really cheap when it comes to jewelry, especially statement necklaces. Most of the time I don't even want to pay Baublebar prices unless there is a sale. When I saw the colors of this, and that it was 40% off the sale price (making it $30), I figured it was a good time to try something of a little nicer quality. Now I may be hooked...
14. Sheer Stripe Tee (Forever 21) - I'm still really into the sheer stripe trend we started to see this spring, so this seemed like a no brainer.
15. Gray Coat (Forever 21) - Ummm, yeah so I already have a gray coat too...like I said, my Forever 21 order was a total impulse purchase! My rationale was to see if I like this one better than the one I have now, and either return this one or sell the other on Poshmark since its still in great condition.

See my previous hauls here: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August

Linking up with Budgeting Bloggers

No Shop September

I didn't shop during the month of September.

*GASP*

That's right, aside from two Phillip Lim for Target bags that I planned ahead for, I didn't buy any clothes, shoes, jewelry, or bags. Why did I do it?

     1) I shopped a lot in the month of August
     2) I don't "need" anything new, especially since the weather hasn't cooled off yet
     3) I don't want to be a shopaholic anymore.

There, I said it. I don't want to be a shopaholic anymore. I no longer want to associate myself with that word. I mean, I even use that word to describe myself in my Instagram bio, so how can I keep up the facade that I don't have a problem?

So let's get a little bit personal. This has always been my logic: I don't have debt, so I'm not a shopaholic. Or, my shopping isn't out of control because I don't have debt. What kind of logic is that? Thanks to Mint.com, I am able to see what percentage of my paycheck is being spent on clothes. Scary! I tried to push away those little nagging thoughts and twinges of guilt for buying just one more pair of black boots, or that ever so unique top (the one that looks so similar to three I already have in my closet). But those thoughts popping up.

Then the real guilt set in.

So picture this, I'm lying in bed one night, feeling physically nervous that I won't be able to get my hands on those Phillip Lim bags I'd been craving, and I thought of the lilies of the field, and how they don't care what they wear.

That was the point when I realized, something is really wrong here. What I wear should not bring me anxiety! I already have enough things to worry about.

I'm starting to get a bit literal here, but stick with me. The moment we allow something as unimportant as what we wear control us, to cause us anxiety, or drain our bank accounts, there is something wrong. God does not want us to worry about anything, so in that moment of "Limsanity," I decided I needed to do something about it.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with getting joy out of fashion. For me, it is a hobby, an interest, a passion. It allows me to express my artistic side. It is a successful money-making industry which employs millions of people worldwide. It is an industry which values art, creativity, and beauty. And these are things God also loves.

And is the earth not so beautiful? It doesn't take more than a quick glance around you to know that God created something amazing and awe inspiring for us. In Genesis 1:31, God looked around, and knew that His work was good.

God admires our beauty as well.

So what I am saying, is that as a Christian young woman, I want to be smarter about how I shop, what I buy, and how much I spend. I don't want to stress over it, eat ramen because of it, or have to rearrange my budget for it. I don't want it to be an addiction anymore, but rather, a creative outlet which I can use to express the talents and passions God has given me.

I know (at least I hope), there are more of you ladies out there feeling the same way I am, and that's why I have decided to document my journey as a "recovering shopaholic" as I continue my shopping ban into the month of October. Every Tuesday in October, I will bring you a new post packed with information about how to shop your closet, how to find the best bargain, how to decide what you really need, and how to blog on a budget. I want to share my tips and tricks with you, so we can still be fashionista's without breaking the bank or feeling guilty.