Monday Mood: Cheap and Cheerful Purchases.

 I've got a ton to post later this week but I'm still busy as hell so I thought I'd start with a short post about a couple of very satisfying (and cheap!) purchases I made recently.

Last weekend I went to Sephora with my friend Kate who's in town visiting (yay!) as I desperately need to replace most of my gross old makeup. I was especially interested in getting a couple of new pencil eyeliners because Urban Decay discontinued a couple of my favorites. I wanted interesting colors that weren't too dark or matte. I was surprised when the sales assistant suggested this Sephora line. I got two colors:

Flirting Game which is a purple-taupe and:

Cocoa which is a lovely brownish purple. They're shimmery, waterproof, glide on like a dream, and the colors are really pretty. PLUS, the best part: they are $11 each. I mean. That is half the price of UD. I also bought one of the Sephora shadow & liner colors in taupe as an all over shimmer color. It's very nice as well and does not budge once it's set. 

The other thing I bought is a pair of Target high-waisted liquid leggings:

WAIT COME BACK. I swear, I promise these are good. They aren't, like, Spanx faux leather quality good but for $18 they will definitely fill your leather leggings needs (assuming you have them.) Marianne found me the cutest tunic-length Mara Hoffman dress at a thrift store in Austin that were  begging for leather leggings and booties. Just begging. I am not really ready to invest in Spanx (or some other quality brand) of faux leather leggings just yet but for $18 (!) these Wild Fable leggings are surprisingly good. Look:

I tried them on in a medium and a large and the medium is what I bought - I love that they hit slightly above my ankle and they don't bag out at the knee. They won't obviously hold you in like Spanx will but for $18 I am really pleased. I'll post an outfit soon! 

Weekend Window Shopping: Purchased and Under Consideration.

 Lately I've been lucky enough to get to spend time with a couple of my closest friends and go shopping! In person! I've bought a few things but there's still a long list of things I have under consideration. Here are a few:

Outfit of the Day: Travel Outfits!

Hello! This week has been crazy so I haven't had time to post, but I wanted to mention that Marianne and I actually got to see each other IN PERSON last week! We met up for a long weekend in Austin, TX and had a grand time. Next week I'll post more about our trip (and everything we wore), but today I want to share our travel outfits:

This is my ultimate airplane outfit (plus my denim jacket which is in my backpack.) I'm wearing my favorite Wilt high-low ombre tee (non-ombre version) with the best travel pants ever - my Athleta Brooklyn Ankle pants. I also pulled out my packed-and-nearly-forgotten Madewell Sidewalk Sneakers and y'all, they are so cute! I should wear them more often. Mine are sold out but this pair is the update and this version is on sale! My Think Royln bag has become a favorite and was great for travel. 

Yes, Marianne really does look this cute when she travels. Her dress is Old Navy and it's sold out but this blue striped version is basically the same dress and it also comes in two prints. Marianne's adorable perforated sneakers are Camper (and on sale!) and she loves them.

I mean, duh, of course we are friends, would you look at this? Ridiculous. Both of our suitcases are Calpak 24" and I believe with both got them at TJ Maxx. They have a floral version right now but how cute is this marble print carry-on at Nordstrom? The terrazzo print is pretty great too. 

Our backpacks are both the Lo & Sons Hanover and I reviewed mine here, though I believe the current version has been updated with more pockets, etc. It's lightweight, minimal and has a suitcase sleeve which we both love. 

Weekend Window Shopping: Once More, With Feeling.

 I'm going to stop bagging so hard on the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale because I keep finding stuff I want and ugh. Now I feel like a hypocrite. Eh, It'll pass. Here are a few more things I've been eyeing:

Stuff I Like: Catching Up Edition.

Hello! I've gotten behind so I have lots of Stuff I Like to catch up on. Here we go:

This Air Fryer Sandwich We Both Love
If you love C-F-A but not the associated guilt, and you have an air fryer, this sandwich is what you want. Marianne introduced me and I've made it twice and it is DELICIOUS. Now, it's a delicate beast to make and air fryer parchment paper is definitely helpful, but Marianne said she just flipped them super carefully with a thin spatula and it was fine. My first time (sans parchment) I had a full-out tantrum but they still turned out pretty freaking delicious. Just make them. They're so good. 

This Weird Travel Thing I Had To Try
There are these little travel containers that keep following me around the internet. They're magnetic and made from recycled ocean bound plastic and they honeycomb together and I WANT THEM SO BAD but they're expensive and probably I don't need them. I definitely don't need them. Anyway, because I'm about to go on a trip and have an obsession with travel containers, I bought this travel case thing on Amazon and it's so fun! It holds your toothbrush and toothpaste and has three different containers for shampoo and whatnot. Also, the lid is a cup and the bottom is magnetic. Sold. (I'll let you know how it performs.) And yeah, I'll probably buy the other ones eventually. You know me. 

This Book of Poetry That I Highly Recommend
Maybe you already follow poet Maggie Smith on Instagram but if not, you should. Last year was such a hard year for me (and for everyone, really) and her daily "Keep Moving" posts were, well, moving. She published a book of those posts but also has a new book of poetry that I preordered, so when it showed up it was a happy surprise. It's called Goldenrod and it's so good. I've been reading a poem every night before bed and it's been a nice meditation. Also, pretty much everyone is gonna get this for the holidays, so there's that. 

This Cleansing Oil From The Past.
Remember DHC and all their free samples? I used the cleansing oil back in the day and then promptly moved on to fancier things and forgot all about it. Well, my face freaked out recently which means I have to get REAL basic with my skincare. I'd run out of my balm cleanser and found the smaller size of DHC cleansing oil at Target. Y'all, it's so good. How did I forget about it? It's unscented, it gets all my makeup and sunscreen off and it doesn't upset my face. Plus, it's pretty affordable and a little goes a long way.

PS. These Unders I Really Love.
Real quick, I bought two pairs of the Evelyn & Bobbie mid-rise Girlshort and they are SO GOOD for wearing under dresses. I was worried the shorter inseam would ride up but they don't! And right now they're 65% off with code: LASTCALL. If you've never tried Evelyn & Bobbie you can get $10 off your first order through my link. (I also get $10 credit.)

That's it for now! I'll be back next week with a book/podcast/TV-specific entry because I have a lot to tell y'all and it's too much for one post. 

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Yay.

 Okay, do you feel a lack of enthusiasm on my part when it comes to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? It's not that I don't love a good sale, it's that this particular sale is frustrating on a few levels. I discussed one of my issues last year and I also don't like the exclusive nature of the roll-out, because by the time it's open to the general public, a lot of the hot items are sold out. Rude. But, see my rant from last year on the hot items, which may not be that hot. Anyway, there are still plenty of great deals to be had and here's what I really love:

Maybe its that I live in the pacific north west now but I am REALLY into these lumberjack-esque boots. Is it just me? They're by Timberland and I just think the color combo is so sharp.

I always want fancy candles and this set of minis is a great way to figure out your favorite or, squirrel them away for amazing stocking stuffers if you're that person. (I am not but I wish I was.) 

There's just something about a giant, cozy sweater, right? Maybe not right now, but one day soon you will want this to wear with leggings and those boots up there.

Ugh, this Clare V. tote is hurting my feelings. It's so understated and cool. 

I want to be understated and cool! Maybe this bag will do that? (It might, shut up.) 

Oooh face gadgets. Does anyone have this dermaplane thingy? 

Because I kind want this dermaplane thingy. A lot.

These are Frame jeans and I think they are CUTE AS HELL. That is all. 

Sweaty Betty is one of those fitness brands I haven't tried (yet) but I would definitely like to start with these amazing leopard print leggings. And they have pockets! 

Hey, guess what? Lipstick is (maybe) back? Throw away all your expired crap and try some fun new colors from MAC with this set of minis. 

If you're looking for a tiny adorable crossbody bag, this Madewell number is what you need. 

I am never not going to recommend a classic pair of Ray-Bans because I love mine a lot. 

These are weird, right? But also really cool with that giant chunky chain? 

Loafers aren't usually my thing but these are something else. 

And finally, like last year, I am going to say that AllSaints leather jackets are worth every penny and it doesn't get more rock 'n roll classic than the Balfern. Dew eeeet.

Outfit of the Day: Brought to you by Madewell.

The title might leave you to believe Madewell is sponsoring this blog entry. They are not but I WISH THEY WOULD. (Madewell! Call me!) I just seem to spend most of my money there and it shows:

 

This was just something I threw on to go run errands but I thought it was cute so I took some pics. The jeans are the Perfect Vintage cut and they are your gateway jean if you're trying to get away from skinny styles. They're slim and just the right amount of cropped with a suck-it-in high rise. Mine are the Sumner wash but they also come in a grey wash (on sale!) and in black. There's also a black wash pair included in the Nordstrom sale. I love these jeans so much that when my pair were too tight in the waist (thanks, pandemic) I bought a secondhand pair in the next size up. (Thanks, Poshmark!) Yay for jeans that fit. 

Stripes on stripes! Look how happy I am with my Think Royln bag! More about that in a minute. My tee shirt is, duh, a Madewell tee from last year and it's basically this exact style (extended sizing here.) It also comes in a cute blue stripe. I had issues with the long sleeved ringer tees stretching out at the neck, but this t-shirt has been great and I wear it a lot. Now, back to the Royln bag. It's tiny but is the perfect light, hands-free option for running errands, especially if "running errands" means losing time in a thrift store. I can fit my phone, card case, sunglasses, keys, mask and Chapstick. That's about it, but it's all I need for short outings. 

I mean, this outfit just needed a jacket, right? I've been so happy with this Level 99 denim jacket, which is a pretty classic shape but has fun pockets that make it a bit different. I also like that it's not aggressively cropped like some denim jackets which makes it easy to throw on with basically anything. (I recently wore it here with a dress.) I'm also wearing my sweet new Madewell Maggie sandals that are nearly sold out but did you know that Teva makes leopard print sandals? They do! I kinda dig the gray leopard pair and don't even know who I am anymore. Moving on to details: 

Wow, that is an awkward close-up, sorry! I was trying to get everything in. My necklace is by Three Flames Silverworks and it's such a special piece. I just love her work so much and I hope y'all will check out the website because I basically want everything on it. The end.