spending freeze results

I'm all about transparency and keeping it real here on finer feelings, and today it's time to share with you the results from my 30 day spending freeze. In case you're new, *welcome*, and check out this post where, inspired by Morgan at xoxo, me,  I spontaneously decided to cut out clothes, shoes, and accessories shopping for an entire month.

So how did I end up? Since I'm a finance dweeb, I will let this pie chart from mint.com do the talking.

Boo yeah. The category "Shopping" doesn't even exist in this 30-day span, which went from August 15th to September 15th. And just in case you don't believe me (probably everyone who knows me personally) and thought maybe I got sneaky and recategorized some purchases as "Other", here's a snapshot of what went in to that category.

Don't even get me started on that ATM Fee. It's the first time I've had one since switching banks close to six months ago. Grrrr.

So there you have it! I spent $0 on clothes, shoes, & accessories, and did zero online shopping for an entire month. Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can do it. Even in the fall. 

Disclaimer: Ok you guys. I have to get this off my chest. I went to a Sporting Kansas City game on Friday, Sept. 15th (last day of the freeze) and had promised myself earlier in the season that if I went to two games this year, I could buy myself a Sporting shirt. That Friday was my second game, so I spent $22 on a top to wear that night. Since it was a Friday afternoon, it didn't hit my card until the next Monday - which is outside of the freeze window. But it's a really cute shirt and I love my soccer team!!! 

I told you it's all about transparency around here.

bucket list: visit all 50 states: utah

I'm sure you're all checking this list daily.... but in case you missed it, the number of states visited on my bucket list ticked up to 27. If you hadn't guessed already from Monday's post, I went to Utah for the first time last weekend.

Does anyone else love taking pictures out of the plane window? 

 We did some touristy things like go to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The architecture is beautiful and I learned about the Latter-Day Saints religion, which admittedly I knew little about before visiting.

Bro and I outside of the Salt Lake Temple. rose gold sweater // jeans

The Tabernacle at Temple Square.

Salt Lake Temple from the front.

The flowers in Utah were like nothing I've ever seen before.

I had to get a picture of this flower since the color oxblood is so popular this season.

After about an hour in Salt Lake, we hit the road towards Park City.   

Olympics ski slopes.

Utah has some interesting laws when it comes to boozing, like draft beer is only 3.2% alcohol unless you're at a microbrewery. So we went to a microbrewery.

A Porter, Pumpkin ale and Apricot ale. The pumpkin was, in one word, delicious.

Our favorite bar/beer garden on Main Street in Park City.

Mom and I enjoying our favorite beers at No Name. She got Coors Light (with a few ice cubes - weird I know) and I got Kansas City's own Boulevard Wheat.

There you have it. My first trip to the beautiful state of Utah. It was quick since we were en route to my cousin's wedding in Wyoming, but we packed in as much as we could. September was a wonderful time to visit, but I made a promise to myself to come back for ski season. And bring Blue Eyes along next time!

sosie

I was doing my daily pre-lunch pinning yesterday and stumbled upon the cutest chevron dress. Afraid it was going to be way out of my budget given its covetableness factor, I clicked on the original link and was brought to a site I can only describe to you as broke-shopaholic-twenty-something mecca. The name: Sosie.

Porta blouse $41

bejeweled collar necklace $19

Fun Times sweater $43

Forever Zig Zag shift dress $49

This last dress is on its way to my apartment now. I can't wait to wear it with boots and a belt while the weather in Kansas City is still beautiful!

obsessed with the weekend

I'll provide more deets once I'm fully recovered, but I just had to share the amazingness that was this past weekend.

1. witnessed my cousin marry his beautiful bride in green river, wyoming

brunching the morning of the wedding

2. my alma mater k-state wildcats beat the oklahoma sooners (HUGE.)

K-S-U WILDCATS!

3. visited a new state, adding one to the bucket list

bro and I in the new state. can you guess which one it is? hint: it's not wyoming :)

4. attended a cocktails & canvas class with my high school friends

finished product: kansas city skyline

What did you get in to this weekend? 

i believe in

I believe there is good in all people.

I believe in Nordstrom tomato basil soup.

I believe in seeing the world.

I believe in both men in this picture.

I believe in the motto "the show must go on".

I believe in dancing. Swing, tap, dougie, you name it, I believe in it.

I believe Kansas City BBQ is the best BBQ.

I believe in making time to read.

I believe in bronzer. And mascara.

I believe in girlfriend trips.

i believe we had been drinking wine

I believe in nap time.

I believe hard work will pay off.

I believe in America.

I believe some reality TV shows are slowly ruining people.

I believe calories don't count when you're having a great time with friends.

I believe dogs make the best pets.

I believe in being nice.

I believe many people's problems can be solved with an attitude adjustment instead of medication.

I really believe in this:

I believe girls can like football just as much as boys.

I believe crying in the shower is the best remedy for a hard loss or difficult day.

I believe in drinking red wine. No matter where, when or how.

I believe in quality over quantity.

I believe in family. Especially grandparents.

I believe quiet mornings on the lake are good for the soul. 

What do you believe in? Link up with Erin at Living in Yellow!

i feel smart

Hey heyyyy. This is going to be a short little bit of a post but I just wanted to let you all know I feel like I finally became a semi-legit blogger. See those cute little icons over there?

Me and my non-HTML savvy brain did that. And the links actually work! Obviously I can't take all of the credit for those baby quatrefoils/links/connections-to-my-life. Many thanks to Katie over at Lady Million for her very helpful DIY blog design posts. Seriously - I could not have done it without her. I tried.

So click on them and follow along or shoot me an email if your heart so desires. I'd love to hear from you.

Fall wish list for the working girl

Mossimo vianca tuxedo flat

gap embroidered loafers

I almost never wear heels at work. If I do, I have to make sure I've brought my lunch to the office because my ankles have become so weak and used to not wearing three inch heels everyday. The down town Kansas City streets were not made with cute heels in mind.

I am loving these two loafer options from Target and Gap. There are so many cute print and color options for both of these styles, and the price points are reasonable enough that I might have to splurge and get two of each. I'm thinking adding the purple Mossimo flats and the polka dot Gap loafers to the mix.

madewell true love shrunken oxford

Along with my very favorite Banana Republic silk blouse (mentioned here, similar found here), this Madewell  oxford is a staple in my closet.

gap really skinny pants

Gap pants for work. You just can't go wrong here. Actually as I'm typing this (at work, shhhh.), I've got the True Straight on, which are the more conservative option than the Really Skinnies above. I live in these pants when the weather gets too chilly for skirts and I wake up too late to put on tights. Which is most everyday.

j. crew etta cap toe pump

In my own little dreamworld, these shoes are sitting right next to the Gap and Target loafers above. This is one heel I could live and work in: a sturdy heel, leather and cap-toe to boot. Even the description says this shoe is "for the girl who only ever wears flats". *sigh*

I bet I know what you're thinking: J. Crew, Gap and Madewell. Really. Don't step too far out of the box. But let me tell you, after dressing business casual for four years, these three brands continually deliver quality garments, have sales, and most everything is compatible. i.e. mix-match heaven. Today I barely have to think about what I'm going to wear in the morning, I just pull a top and bottoms from the work section of my closet, add a watch or necklace, and I'm out the door. Love that.

What are your work wardrobe must-haves this fall?

cozy

via

via

via

It was one of those morning here in Kansas City. I woke up and could almost smell the crisp air waiting for me outside. I checked my phone. 57 degrees. YES. This is what I've been waiting for. Time to break out the boots and scarves. Happy fall, you guys.

it's planner time

Yesterday I received my second save the date of the 2013 wedding season. For now, this only means one thing - it's time to start looking for next year's planner. The Type A personality is out in full force today you guys.

Most planner owners struggle with the same general issue when it comes to picking their paper BFF for the year:  finding the one with the perfect mix of functionality, space, size, and aesthetic. Don't worry, I've done a lot of the hard work for you this time around. Here are some of my favorite planners I have found for 2013...

This planner from Etsy shop Letter C design includes touches of whimsy, simple and convenient weekly & monthly layouts, and six {really} cute cover designs to choose from. 

This self-proclaimed multi-tasker planner is from See Jane Work. It includes pages with lines & check boxes, graph paper (side note: did anyone else love using graph paper notebooks for all their high school courses?), and weekly appointment pages. 

It's personalized, chevron, ombre, AND you get to choose a layout option. Not to mention there's a back pocket (third image) for stashing important stuff. I always have random bills and photos sticking out of my planner - a pocket is the perfect solution. Coming to you from Etsy shop plum paper.

Here's another pretty chevron option with large spaces for each day. I love the "diary style" ribbon to keep your place. This Breast Cancer Awareness planner can be found at Blue Sky. This layout is similar to my current planner from Paper Source which I've been very happy with.

The owls were what first got me to click on this planner, but the inside is just as intriguing. Part planner, part journal, and you can start using it at any time since the dates are filled in by you. From yet another Etsy shop, Notbook Notbuk. Isn't Etsy the best?

For the minimalists, a way cute monthly version of the planner above from Letter C design. I'm thinking this would be perfect for a blog editorial calendar. Not that I have one of those, but maybe by 2013 I'll be ready for one. PS: doesn't Letter C design do an amazing job styling her planners? I feel like if I buy it my desk that I don't have and my life would be so clean and organized. SOLD. 

How do you stay on top of your busy schedule? Are you a hard copy person like me or have you moved on to a fully digital calendar? If you are a planner person, I'd love to hear which ones you've used.

//Image credits in text.//