Fake Fall clothes

It’s not #fall yet but we’re getting there. With moving, I intentionally didn’t buy any clothes from like April to June because I was grossed out by how much I had in my closet that I haven’t worn since having Sutton. And also, packing up all the dresses I wore for school was kind of depressing because I’m not going to be wearing them and I’m just hoping I got my money’s worth.

Onto some things I can wear in August…

A button down. I wanted this in olive, but they only had it in a small in navy. Runs large! It has a denim look and is like a t-shirt-type material. 

I wear it over everything like a cardigan and I've slept in it too. <$20 well-spent. You could do this with shorts, leggings, a skirt, whatever! 

I bought this camo cropped sweatshirt in-store at the outlet and it’s not on the site but it was $20. I treat camo like a neutral so they have a ton of options online if you like it too!

This is just my personal recommendation but I know everyone has their own preferences for bra-shopping. I only buy bras at Aerie. << It's this particular one only. I found that line there years ago and it was perfect and I go back every year and order a couple more. I don’t care about color so I get whatever is on sale (they all fit the same!) and usually try to hit a holiday sale too. These were $17 each so I grabbed two a few weeks ago. 

Team tees from Old Navy. These were about $15 each and totally worth it. They run true to size so they’re loose but not oversized. I got mediums. Wait for a sale. They're twice as much right now. 

Summer sweatshirt. They have many colors and designs but this was $9 and I couldn’t resist. It’s soft and oversized and absolutely worth it. This is a medium.

I will occasionally pop onto the Madewell site and I saw these “vintage” tees* for $14 each and I always need new basics. They run small, I think. Like, they work but they are not all comfy cozy. 

*I would expect something vintage to be looser.

I'm 99.9% sure that's the mirror I bought in-store and it didn't cost that much (site says $108 and I'd be scared to order a mirror online anyway). 

Lastly, I broke my tar-jay moratorium to buy this mirror (our rental is mirror-less aside from bathroom vanities) and I had to get these shorts. My other two pairs of target pull-on shorts have been worn thousands of times in the last 5 and 3 years, respectively, so I knew I’d get my $15 worth out of these. They are a million percent more purple in person and I didn't know I'd bought brown shorts until I got home and took the tag off (and I am not colorblind). 

Now that I have a mirror ^^^ I will get around to taking pictures again but that also means I'll have to make my bed (so we'll see, I guess). 

Friday things: Ulta things.

 

I went a little nuts in Ulta the other day. I was mostly in awe of the fact that I was in a store looking at actual products; I don't go to stores. We don't have them where I live. The nearest Ulta/Sephora/whatever is like 90 minutes away. 

While I generally like to stay more toxin-free with skincare and makeup, there were a few things I needed:

1. I forgot my eyeshadow brush altogether on this trip home and these brushes were $4.

2. I love La-Roche Posay and I can only buy it online where I live...the Walmart we used to go to in Kansas actually had it in store, but then I had to start ordering from Amazon. I needed a new/more moisturizer so I'm trying this one. 

3. I'm always looking for something to get rid of tired eyes so I grabbed this on a whim. We'll see. I like it so far. Anything is better than nothing when your alarm goes off at 5am.

4. I haven't found a new (good) hair styling cream in years so I thought I'd try Bumble and Bumble. I actually might splurge on shampoo and conditioner. If you can't do it for birthday #39, when can you?

5. And I spent forever looking at the MAC lipsticks only to grab this hybrid between a stain and a balm. I buy a lipstick like every 18 months so SpLuRgE I guess. 

Scott and I don't do stockings for each other...we basically just buy our own gifts and, with traveling, I don't haul them around.  I do wrap everything and we just open pre or post holidays. This was my $100 "stocking", I guess. 

Did you do stockings this week? I mean, for adults. I know it's the best part of Christmas but we have let the tradition lapse. Our kids have two stockings (I know) but our dogs actually like opening gifts so, while they have stockings, I don't fill them. I just wrap toys and treats up. 

The first clothing item I've bought since Labor Day

 ...and I was trying to figure out why. Like, why haven't I cared to buy clothes? A lot of it was because it's really annoying to buy the fall clothes when it's a million degrees outside. 

I had a giftcard for Aerie from a return (what a scam that is!) and I was looking for a sweater. I only actually own a couple of them. While I have a red sweater, this cherry color "spoke" to me because it was darker. 

I will say it's definitely more cropped than we see in the picture. I ordered a small since Aerie usually runs big. To be honest, some of my biggest hits come from Aerie. 

^^^This says that's an extra small and the model is 5'9". I can't believe that based on length.

I'm thinking I can wear it with black pants (which, I need new ones), my flared leggings (also the best thing I've bought this year), or...jeans. I bought a new pair of jeans back in August and haven't worn them yet. I literally think the last time I wore jeans was last December. (I'm the weirdest person I know, I suppose.)

However, I did find myself on this unintended shopping ban for a few reasons: I'm tired of buying clothes that get 2-3 good wears and then they lose shape or shrink or fall apart. I have two items with holes in them and it's slightly devastating when something you like is no longer wearable. 

So I didn't want to spend on fast fashion or at trendy places.

Second, I refuse to buy more dresses for school. I am.planning on probably not teaching after this year. I don't want a closet full of work clothes that I won't wear day-to-day after this school year. I don't want to, essentially spend my salary on clothes I won't wear constantly. I got rid of an entire wardrobe after Wells was born. I built it back up when I went back to work in 2020. I am still wearing some of those items but they're starting to wear out after 4+ years. Also, when I went back to work after having Sutton, all of a sudden certain things didn't fit the way I wanted them to anymore. There's been items in my closet that I wore a few years ago that I haven't worn post-Sutton and I'm still hanging onto them. (Basically I've spend a lot of time listening to closet-curation podcasts lately.)

That being said: I am still dressing like a teacher and not like a high school student. Many people who teach dress like students. It's super disheartening. You will not catch me wearing leggings and a sweatshirt or jeans and a t-shirt to school. Oh my gosh it would be easier and more comfortable! I have a visceral reaction to that though because I've been at this for too long. I can't do it. I've been grandfathered into the old way of thinking about things. I still wear tights and dresses in the winter and dresses and not sneakers (okay, sometimes nice sneakers) in the warm months. (This year, we were able to pay $25 in advance and wear jeans whenever we want.)

Lots of random thoughts there, but I realized a few weeks ago that I basically went into this fall/winter season with no new clothes. I've worn and re-worn and mixed and re-mixed everything in my closet in the last 3 months. It's kind of insane but I've never done this before and I ended up here completely unintentionally! 

Questions:

1. Where are you buying pants? I have no idea where to look. I feel like there's very few pants out there that aren't super trendy.

2. Do you remember Kendi's remix posts from many years ago? I miss those days. She was definitely my inspiration when I got dressed in Alaska every day. 

Two guilty pleasures.

1. Politics. I ride an adrenaline high on election nights. It's the weirdest thing. I picked up this hobby of following politics around 2016, but I always paid attention from about 2000 on. I remember following 2012 pretty closely on Twitter. With podcasts and live coverage and tracking of the electoral map, I really went for it in 2018, 2020, and 2022. It's like an actual hobby. On debate night last week, the season started. 

2. I love Nordstrom Anniversary Sale season. It's funny because I don't have an N card and I don't buy from the sale. But I love seeing what other people are buying and I love reading the lamenting about how quality has gone so far downhill. That being said, here's what I would want if I were shopping the sale (no affiliate links here)...

All Saints Tote (though if I had the access and unlimited funds to spend on bags at this second, I'd get the leather one)

SuperGoop pack

Treasure and Bond Knit Top

Free People Sweatshirt

Hourglass Blush (I have this and love it, so I would like the mix of colors to play around with instead of a single palette.)

Zella Pocket Joggers

This is the literal definition of window shopping here because I can't buy any of these things anyway! They'll all be gone by August when the sale opens up to everyone. I could see splurging on that nylon All Saints bag post-sale though. 

Do you shop the N Sale? Do you...follow politics? 

Fashion Files: Instagram shopping

I do a lot of my clothes shopping from Instagram. I guess you could say I'm easily influenced but honestly the algorithm just knows me really well; I've had Facebook since 2005 and Instagram since 2011. 

I keep, basically, a full shopping cart at jcrewfactory.com and then I just wait for holiday sales. 

I've also had whole DM exchanges with Stitchfix over how you can see an outfit you like, but there's no way to actually buy it. Clicking "learn more" just leads you to signing up for a box (not always a bad thing!) but you can't get to the clothing item you originally wanted. There's no physical way to find it. So I have definitely contacted them asking what a particular piece is and where I can get it. 

(Do I ever follow up? No, I don't.)

All of this, I would definitely wear: 

^^This is the dress I wanted badly enough to contact them about. It retails for like $200 so that was a hard pass. 

I'm actually trying to not buy any work-related clothing this summer. I have until August to worry about that. 

I got myself a romper, and some graphic tees and I tried two pairs of Tevas and a pair of Reefs and disliked them all, so I'm just wearing last summer's sandals which are like a Teva/Madewell hybrid. Obviously they were so great that they don't exist anymore, so no link. 

Of course, most days, I wear pull-on shorts and t-shirts in the summer. Sometimes a tank. Summer dress-up clothes are the nicest of all the seasons but it's hard to care when you're on summer break and it's a million degrees out.

Do you shop on Instagram???

Linking up with Fashion Files! 

Amazon lately + Easter baskets + Dresses

It was a slow Amazon month (for me, not for Scott. Or for Wells. Wells loves when I let him open the boxes of parts and tools that arrive almost daily).

So I'm combining some Easter basket discussion and some formal dresswear talk. 

Linking up with Tanya!

So from Amazon, this is really all I've got. These ketones drink mixes are something I take most days. I have to be honest: it's getting a little hard to choke down this flavor so I mix it with orange juice and coconut water. Scott drinks them too. 

Every single other thing was related to house projects, and I spent most of my month doing returns to Nordstrom and buying Easter basket goodies. I need to do a whole post about it, but I've been really trying to shop at smaller businesses and not just Amazon and the like. 

When it comes to baskets, every parent does things *so* differently. This wasn't really something I considered much before becoming a parent but then I had Thoughts and Opinions once I got into the game. Just like with Christmas stockings/gifts, we do reinforce a mythical creature because it's fun. We'll leave out some carrots for the Easter bunny and all that, but I don't hide baskets. That seriously would've stressed me out as a kid, and sounds like way too much work now. 

Wells has 3 egg hunts on his schedule this week so there will be no egg hunt and NO Easter grass. I learned my lesson last year. I think I'm going to just use tissue paper in their baskets. I also don't love little trinket-y toys that I usually end up throwing away. There's no stuffed animals because that's pointless. Also, not much candy. The one thing I still have coming for Sutton is a pair of water shoes she can wear outside this summer, hopefully. 

I got them things I either wanted them to have or that they actually need. Wells has asked for a Pokemon water bottle, "Pokemon", "goggles", "the ninja book", etc. Sutton gets an Easter bunny in Missouri book since Wells has a Pennsylvania one from his first two Easters in Pittsburgh. 

What do you do for Easter baskets? 

We have a formal event coming up next week. I have been trying to find a dress for two months now. I have bought, tried on, and returned 5 now. I have tried to buy one that sold out at the last second. I have bought and decided to keep one. This has been a full-time job. I grabbed two clutches online the other day. I'll send back the one I don't like. Still don't have shoes but I'm going to do that in-person this week at an actual shoe store. Also don't have a wrap but this is seeming like way too much work at this point so I might just wing it, hope for a warm night, and keep a jacket in the car. 

First dress was from Amazon:

Next two were from Lulus:

Neither exist anymore on the site, but here's the details from my emails. They were very well-made so I wouldn't hesitate to order from this brand if you have a need for a dress. 

Then I gave up and went to Nordstrom online. I tried to order this and it sold out in my size before it could ship. 

Next from Nordstrom:

This was not the same in person...I don't know..curtain-like, you might say? 

And then this one from Nordstrom:

This is the dress I kept:

You can absolutely see my progression in choice here: 

I started trying to get away with something basic. Then I moved onto dresses with some style to them. Then I went for texture and "interesting". Then I went for color. In the end, I might as well just go with the hot pink. Completely by chance, I'm sure, the dress I kept was the most expensive one at $124. 

Good thing these events only happen once every 18 months. In our case though we haven't been one a formal event since January of 2017. I was informed by Scott that since he's higher-ranking now, we'll get to leave early so the soldiers can party without the bosses watching. 

That's totally okay. 

Bought lately.

I've really been splitting my online shopping between Amazon and Target lately when it comes to things I "need". Amazon is where I go when I need something. Target is a close second. Walmart is only of use to me because it's there. (I have to say that the clothing, still, at Target is horrendous this spring and Walmart...I know you all love shopping there for random clothing pieces!...is just as bad. So, still at a loss on where to shop for clothing that is practical for summer as a SAHM.)

This baby gym. I really like it so far. We didn't have one with Wells. 

Wells' aunt and uncle sent him this dino blanket and it's pretty adorable and amazing. It's so soft that I'm jealous. I got him the pillow to match. I also got him a Pillowfort comforter from Target and it's so comfortable that I want one. Then I got one of the dino blankets in pink to send to Wells' cousin for her birthday this month. 

And onto Amazon...

I absolutely love our carpet and upholstery scrubber/cleaner. We use it all the time! Carpets, couches, etc. About a month ago, it was in the garage and a giant box fell off the shelf and landed right on the upholstery nozzle and smashed it to pieces. What are the chances? So I googled and ordered just the nozzle and it works perfectly. I alternate cleaning solutions. This is the one I grabbed most recently. 

Eye cream. This is my favorite and I've bought it multiple times. It's necessary since I'm up twice a night, at least, right now. 

Mouse traps. Ugh. But these are my favorite ones. Also, I do not reuse mouse traps. I'm not into that nonsense. 

That's kind of it for this month. I feel like I'm buying things all the time but, really, it's just formula from Amazon other than those few necessities.

I also did some in-person shopping this week, which is rare for me. But I had to go to Springfield, so I made it worth my while picking up some baby gifts, some decorations for the house, and a clutch for me (for inside the diaper bag). 

Linking up!

Retail Therapy: Things worth your time

In the last month or so, I've been shopping a lot. This is part of why I tracked my spending at the beginning of the year: I always go a little nuts come late summer. 

However, these are things that are worth your time, and are either second-time buys for me or things I've personally done the on-the-ground research on...I whole-heartedly recommend them all. 

First, I caved and bought my favorite Beauty Counter serum. This Honest brand I recommended last week is great too, but something about this Tripeptide just seals the deal for me. I love it. Ugh. Hopefully it lasts til Christmas. I use it 1-2 times a day. 

These Gap leggings. They are the modal crop sleep leggings. But, they are absolutely perfect under shorter dresses with flats/sandals/wedges and also perfect in the winter if you wear higher boots because they go to about mid-shin. Also perfect for yoga, Pilates, errand-running with a longer shirt...

This is my third pair. I wore two holes in my first black pair, SEWED/GLUED them, and still wear them around the house. I have gray too. I just needed a new pair for the school year. They run a teeny bit big so get your regular size. 

I guarantee they will go back to regular price after school starts, so grab them now. 

These Old Navy zip-ups. 

I had an ON zip-up years ago that I adored. The zipper just fell off one day in the washer. Not a testament to quality, sure, but I haven't found a material/fit since then that I liked as much. I check multiple times a year to see if they've brought that style back (they haven't). I did finally run into an actual ON store over the weekend and these were on sale for $10 each. Sold. The fit is not the same at all, but they will be fine over dresses in a chilly classroom or when out walking the dogs. The material is much nicer than the traditional ON zip-ups. If you can find them on sale, it's worth it. I got black and gray. 

I also grabbed a bunch of random things from Amazon that we needed ("needed"), but I'll share those in the next Amazon link-up. 

Wardrobe Additions, January thru March

I tried to think of a catchy title. I could not. 

Basically, I try at the beginning of most years to be intentional with what I buy when it comes to clothes and shoes and then it all falls apart when I see the summer stuff 'round March or April. 

This year, I've actually kept a list. 

I've decided, given that it's boredom or whatever, to track clothing purchases this year. I've really zeroed in on using my closet efficiently; wearing everything once to work before repeating. and I'm about halfway through. I'm interested to see how much of what I have for "spring" will actually be worn. It's been a few springs since I've dressed for work each day. 

Wrapping up the first quarter of 2021, since I am a first-worlder with lots of time to think, here is what I bought and why:

Align leggings: This was a birthday gift from me to me. I will say they 100% live up to the hype. They don't fall down and you kind of forget you are wearing them. I don't wear them around the house, per se, but they are great for under tunics/long shirts when out and about. They are not for winter weather, though. Definitely not. So buying them in the winter and expecting to wear them outside is not something you should do (don't be like me). They are warm-weather/indoor pants for sure. (seriously)

Turtleneck: I bought a Target turtleneck because one can never have enough high-necked long sleeve shirts. I've gotten a lot of wear out of it this winter. 

A few springy Old Navy basics: a tee, some tanks for layering, and a pair of joggers that can also be worn to work. 

New sneakers: "They" say you should get new athletic shoes every year. I wear them a lot to walk dogs, to hike, out on errands, etc. They are generally my go-to shoes. Last year, I struggled finding any I liked and got Nikes in November 2019. I got new ones recently mostly because I've worn a hole in the Nikes and the cushion is pretty worn....I still can wear them for outside chores and walks but they don't work on our stationery bike anymore. I had a few Nordstrom gift cards, so I got these and spent about $20. 

Universal Thread dress: while Target has been a crapshoot in-store recently with clothing (seriously, go away Wild Fable), I was grabbing some Easter basket goodies online for Wells and came across this dress. It's adorable. I got my regular size and I feel like it's a bit big/loose but the length and tunic look might be okay with wedges. Plus, these things always shrink just a little. 

Thoughts? They don't have it in-store so I'd have to do an online exchange and maybe get a dress that ends up being too short in return. 

I don't usually pay full-price if I can help it, but dresses like this are indispensable almost year-round.

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I almost grabbed a zip-up from Walmart the other day but, while I loved the length, they didn't have the color I wanted (I wanted light gray, they had dark only in my size) and I do not like the circular zipper pull. I can't find it online. Maybe it's only in-store. I know it's only $9, and maybe I'm being ridiculous but this is how it starts and how clothes I've worn once end up in the donate box. 

Then, upon a trip to target.com to grab Wells some cheap sneakers, I came across this zip-up, which is exactly what I wanted, albeit full price. 

And I grabbed this sleeveless dress. 

Why does Wells get cheap sneakers? Because I already bought him his nice, new, and kind of expensive for a 2-year-old spring/summer shoes. Last year, he lived in Natives and sandals. He never put on actual sneakers so I didn't want to spend $30+ on sneakers he might not even get to wear before fall, and would subsequently grow out of. I never realized kids' shoe-buying had such strategy to it. 

What's your must-buy for spring?

5 on Friday 1/29

 1. What do you think about wardrobe holes? Meaning, you shop specifically for things you need. I told myself I would stay out of the Target this year, when it came to clothes. I actually stopped this last fall when I realized many of the $7 shirts/tanks/etc I'd been buying for the last two years just weren't holding up in my rotation of things I wanted to wear. 

Then, on Wednesday, I had time to kill so I was walking around Target and I found myself going through the clothes because I knew I had a few gaps in my everyday wear. This is where I realized that I was looking for what stores had to offer me, instead of what I needed to look for in the store. It's like the backward version of intentional shopping. I think I started this back in 2012ish, when I'd go into the clearance at Target and just browse when I was bored. I'd found some real steals back then, so you never know when you'll find something great, right?

I got this turtleneck for $10 the other day. It reminds me of the tissue mock turtlenecks that they used to have at the Gap. Maybe they still do? But I used to wear those a lot in the winter because they're not too hot and good for layering. I saw this and, for the price, it fits exactly what I need. I definitely am missing a lot of pieces like this because I got rid of many when I stopped working in 2018...most were just worn out from repeated wear and/or didn't fit the way I wanted any longer. 

I'm not a fan of the $45-tshirt-phenomenon. I don't think things have to be expensive for you to get a lot of wear out of them. But I do think they need to fit well. Most of what I bought from Target in 2020 just didn't excite me with the way it fit. 

2. 

I've been doing this a lot lately. Boxed brownie mix (always superior) with homemade peanut butter frosting. It's a horrible habit to have gotten into. 

3.  

Speaking of my solo Target trip: I went in there with a giftcard for myself and ended up with a cartful of things for Wells for Valentine's Day...I put most of it back. 

Also...

Let it be noted that the next person who buys him something will be maybe ex-communicated and all of the bought item(s) will be donated. 

You can buy him clothes. I'll take clothes for him. 

Any toys are going right back out the door and/or I'm wrapping them up for a future holiday. He will not know of their existence. I'm not even kidding. I packed up a lot of stuff last night in a fit of (what I can only assume is) parental rage. 

4. I will happily get as political as you want me to be in this space. I am the one telling myself that politics are fleeting, and being informed and being permanently annoyed are different things; you can be informed without being permanently annoyed. 

However, if I see you wearing 2+ masks, I may not be able to keep my thoughts to myself. 

5. The Bachelor. I did it: I read the spoilers. I don't know if I meant to, but I found myself on Reality Steve's site the other day and, you know, I was pleasantly surprised by the season's results. However...it also seems like Matt isn't as great as we may perceive him to be. Essentially, RS has all kinds of evidence that the last thing Matt wants to do is settle down. 

And Sarah doesn't seem like she was that great either, according to RS. So...I'll share what I know if you want an email! Truthfully, I just find the season so much more fun to watch when I know the ending. I'm not on anyone's team at this point. They all seem perfectly awful, to tell you the truth. There's no reason to be there, aside from wanting a moderate amount of fame at this point. AND, if you thought Here to Make Friends is normally racist, check out this week's episode. They have a guest who is worse than usual and they spend an awful lot of time classifying women by their race. And I quote "we love to see it" when a black woman gets a group date rose. 

Anywho. Three-day weekend for me and we have a doctor's appointment today for a 2.5 year well-check. Thoughts and prayers.