Style Budget Month 6: June

June 2015 Spending 

1. $33 at Factory sleeveless top and chambray shorts (not shown)

2. $16 at Factory navy drapey tank (not shown)

3. $42 J. Crew Pixie pants

4. $26 Factory embroidered tunic in navy (not shown)

5. $21 J. Crew pink stripe tee

6. $33 Factory: vibrant flame Clare cardi and white tunic (not shown)

7. $43 J. Crew New Balance sneakers 

8. $15 J. Crew Tortoise necklace from Gigi on IG 

9. $34 J. Crew for swim bottom, and Navy turner pants (not shown)

10. $13 J. Crew scoop back swim suit (not shown)

11. $53  Factory: grey drapey tank, D'orsay flats, & love birds tee

Spent = $329 -$81 Made = total spent $248

Reflection: My favorite purchase this month is likely the New Balance sneakers from J.Crew. I have had my eye on these for some time now, so when they popped back in my size and the color I wanted I was fast to grab them. The D'orsay flats in black and neon were an impulse buy and they are brutally uncomfortable so those are my biggest regret at this moment. I also, sadly, went over budget again. I am really going to try hard to reign it in for July as it is a month with no pay for me. 

Check out my Instagram page to see me wear most of these new items: @hersoulsociety 

Linking up with Fran and the other Budgeting Bloggers as usual. 

Style Budget Month 5: May

May Budget 

1. $53 J.Crew for the circle pendant (similar here) , sateen toothpicks in pink, hammered pendant (not shown) 
2. $18 a Tippi sweater NWT in heather silver on eBay
3. $26 for a white Banana Republic blazer on Poshmark (not shown) 
4. $38 J.Crew stipe key hole top and (tall) grosgrain top in black 
5. $114 Factory for Navy Sylvia wedges, a green gingham top, half moon pendant, and stripe drapey top (not shown) 
6. $26 J. Crew cinched tank in heather stripe (not shown) 
7. $24 J. Crew Factory Moonglow Paisley top via Instagram (not shown) 
8. $23 J.Crew midsummer tassel pendant
9. $24 J. Crew falling flowers tee 
10. $13 J.crew textured cotton in orange plaid (size 10 & 12 still available and on sale!) 

Spent $359 - $288 Made on Poshmark = Total Spent $71 

Reflection:  

May was my birthday month, so naturally I over spent. Also, not too surprisingly, most of my shopping was at J.Crew this month, but with a bit more from Factory than usual. I almost never shop the new releases as I wait for items to go on sale, but when an early round of Factory releases included navy Sylvia wedges (the cousin to the retail Martina which I adore) I knew I had to grab them.  Good thing too, as they are now sold out in my size. I also got the green gingham and the half moon pendant from that roll out and have been very pleased with all the items. The gingham top runs big, but after a month of staring at it in my closet I took the tags off and wore it last week and am glad I did.

Worst Purchases: 
I made a few unnecessary purchases that have still gone unworn, one on eBay (a sliver grey Tippi that is almost sheer) and a white Banana Republic blazer on Poshmark that I have absolutely no idea how to style, despite liking the longer cut of the style. I have also not yet worn the pink sateen toothpicks that I got on super sale and likely should have skipped those, but may feel differently when  cooler weather rolls around.  My worst purchase for the month is likely the J.Crew cinched tank that is well made and pretty, but is another I simply cannot seem to style. It too has sat unworn in my closet all month long.

Best Purchases: 
My best purchases this month would be the navy wedges, which will be a closet staple for me and then a surprise love in the Falling Flowers tee from J.Crew. You can see my review on the website too. It is boxy and a bit short, but a nice quality and a lovely color. I sized down to a medium in it and find it so comfy and easy to wear.

What did you all get this month?  I'd love to hear from you. 

Thanks for visiting! 

Linking up with Fran for Budgeting Bloggers as usual. 

Style Budget Month 4: April

April Budget

1. $38 at J. Crew swim top and anemone pendant necklace (not shown)

2. $30 at J.Crew for grosgrain navy ribbon top and glamour girl bikini bottom (not shown)

3. $35 Amazon Really Flats in taupe (not shown)

4.$12 J.Crew metallic bud pendant

10. $55 J. Crew Toothpicks in Miller wash and swim brief  (brief not shown)

5. $27 on eBay for Jcrew firework floral top NWT

6.  $98 J.Crew Collection calf hair Martinas

Spent= $295- Made $169 (on Poshmark) = $126 Spent 

The shoes were my big item this month, for sure. These Martinas are the most expensive pair of shoes I now own. I adore them, but have yet to make it a full day in them, as they are super tight, even 1/2 a size up from my normal. I am hoping to wear them more once they stretch a bit. 

I'm currently sick (and my daughter was sick last week) and in the middle of a grading whirlwind pre AP exam time, so sorry for the short post! 

How did you all do this month?

Linking up with Frank for budgeting bloggers as usual. 

Style Budget Month 3: March

March 2015 

1 & 2.$41 J. Crew black tassel top and ponderosa pine sateen toothpick pants

3-5.$48 Factory: slim wool pants, intarsia sweater, black knit scarf

6. $22 for 2 Factory l/s stripe tee in grey & coral (coral not shown) 

7 & 8. $54 at DSW Leopard Vans and Really Flat black leather flats by Dr. Scholl's (not shown) 

9. $32 NWT blue Café Capris on eBay (not shown) 

10. $24 EUC Corso Como leather wedges on eBay
11. $37 DSW for Dr. Scholl's Really Flat shoes in calf hair leopard
12. $23 on eBay for J.Crew NWT Heather Merino V neck cardigan (not shown)
13. $24 on eBay for J.Crew EUC green silk Blythe blouse (not shown) 

Spent $305 - Made $174 on Poshmark = Total Spent $131

Reflection: 

My absolute favorite item this month has to be the Really Flat shoes from Dr. Scholl's. They are so comfy and come in about 10 different color/fabric choices. Another love this month are the Sateen Toothpicks from J.Crew. I made sure to include links above in case anyone wold like to try these items out. They are both very reasonably priced and top notch in quality.

A few things that have not been worn yet would be the scarf and intrasia sweater from Factory, but they were on super sale so I bought them to save for next winter. The V neck from eBay has yet to arrive, but I already have three this style and know it is lovely, with our weather it won't be worn until cooler months return.

I also had a few eBay fails in that the  Corso Como wedges were not at the EUC level as stated in the description. I still like them and plan to wear them, but would have liked to have paid less for them.  Another eBay misstep on my end is the silk Blythe blouse, I forget I have my computer brightness turned down and when I saw the blouse I clicked buy now as I love green and I love this style from J.Crew, sadly, the top is more of a neon green and is too bright for me.

How did you all do this month?

I'm linking up with Fran for Budgeting Bloggers as usual. 

Style Budget Month 2: February

February 2015

1. $21 Factory yellow grey plaid flannel (not shown) 

2. $60 J.Crew blacksmith wash toothpicks & destructed miller toothpicks (not shown)

3. $18 J.Crew tassel top in black

4. $30 J.Crew toothpicks in arcade wash 

5. $42 J.Crew toothpicks in miller wash tall (+8 to have them hemmed)

7. $22 J.Crew silk cafe capris on eBay 

Spent= $161 

Made= $188 on Posh  

$188- $166= $27 Made 

Reflection: I never thought I could wear toothpick jeans from J.Crew before, however, it turns out with the new update to many of the styles in 2014, I can.  This month I tried six different pairs of these jeans and ended up keeping four out of the six. 

These are the toothpicks I tried in order of preference:

1. Destructed Millers
2. Blacksmith Wash
3. Arcade Wash
4. Miller Wash (bought the talls and had them hemmed to a 28' inseam, but they are a bit big)
5. Mamba Black
6. Classic Rinse

I kept pairs 1-4 and returned 5& 6. The Mamba black pair may have worked but they felt a bit too tight in the waist and the coated denim part bothered me and felt awkward on me.  The Classic Rinse may look amazing on Rynetta of J.Crew is My Fave Store, but they were awful on me. They fit me too tightly in the legs and looked more like a legging than a jean. 

The good news is that if you have not tried them, you really should. The Millers are amazing and I would wear them every day if I could. I need to find a more grown up wash that fits like these. IF you all know of any that are comparable please let me know!

That's it for my month of pants. I'm linking up with Fran for Budgeting Bloggers as usual.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Style Budget Month 1: January

Well... I thought I would set the goal of spending only $250 for the month to be more budget conscious this month and I basically blew it. However, I am hopeful that I can improve and need to take it one month at a time.  I also didn't spend quite as much when you factor in my Poshmark sales.

That being said here is what I got this month.

1. $54 J. Crew online for an oversized turtleneck and sleeveless graphic plaid shirt

2. $126 at Clearance store for 8 items: 4 black sweaters, Maddie pants, leggings, white boy shirt, & orange silk blouse ( Items not shown) 

3. $51 Target Polka Dot Wool Long Coat by Merona (30% off sale, 10% off coupon, and 5% off with red card!) 

4. $18 Stripe endless shirt and side sequin shirt $21

5. $29 Open shawl cardigan at the Clearance store (not shown) 

6. $25 tortoise pendant necklace J. Crew online

Spent $324

Made $155 on Poshmark

Spent $324- Made $155= $169 Spent

For my thoughts on the items I think the pendant necklace has already been worn four or five times making it well worth the price I paid for it. The two shirts on the bottom are a bit longer than what I am used to and are taking some getting used to in terms of styling, however, I think in the long run the overall look of the pieces make them versatile for my closet. I LOVE the oat and am glad I got it and the new longer length coat is much warmer than my usual pea coat staple.  A surprise love for me in the oversized turtleneck, which is now the second one in my closet. It is such a comfy and cozy piece and I love it so, if you are in the market I would suggest you grab one if you can.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with Fran of Budgeting Bloggers here as usual. 

Style Budget Month 12: December

1. $118 at Factory and J. Crew on Black Friday: 2 flannel- grey tartan and rock salt plaid, knit infinity scarf, and Lady Bug necklace.

2. Clearance store- 5 visits while on vacation in NC:  $283 total 

Sunday: Gold Martina's with gift card

Monday: $10 fan necklace, and 4 tops, boots for $102 boots shown in dark brown but purchased in tan

Tuesday: $21 for two pairs of Madewell skimmers (not shown)

Friday- $70: skimmers, 2 necklaces, collection cashmere hoodie (none from this day shown)

Saturday- $80 two cardis, (pj top, 2 pairs of shoes for Liv not shown),  2 pairs of leggings

3. $17 on eBay for polka dot boy shirt (not shown)

4.$52 Factory: jeweled sweatshirt and heart blouse (not shown)

5. $27merino charley in navy from J. Crew Factory 

Spent $417  

Made= Posh $164 + Sales via PP $86

$417 - $250= $167 SPENT! 

My favorite purchase has to be the gold Martina's that I regretted not grabbing when I was here in July and yet were still here waiting for me on the shelf in the store. I wore them a ton in the month of December as they are perfect for holiday style.

Yikes! I really feel like I overspent this month. Especially, as I am not including my J.Crew warehouse sale purchases here. My goal for the new year is to be more conservative. I have to think of all the money I will save if I don't spend my postmark/ebay sales on new items.  Another blogger, Anna at http://theannabelleblog.com has given me an idea for a budget yearly review post and I will work on that next. 

Linking up my last budget post of the year with Fran and the other budgeting bloggers here. 

Style Budget Month 11: November

November Budget

1. $59 at J. Crew for the crepe skirt in navy and the fluted skirt in black

2. $48 J. Crew black rib stitch cardi 

3. $70 J. Crew: sundress, merino exclamation sweater, & merino v neck in heather sandstone

4. $47 at J. Crew Factory for Marley ballet flats (possible return?) and the Henley tunic top in navy (not shown)

5. $3 (and gift card) J. crew Pea Pod pendant (and bullion hearts top but it will be returned)

Spent =$227 - Made =$197 on Poshmark = $30 Spent in total this month 

Linking up with Fran as usual. 

Style Budget Month 10: October

October 

1. $79 at J. Crew: pj pants (not shown), painter tee, embroidered top

2. $38 J. Crew v neck cardigan (not shown) 

3. $54 J. Crew necklace and silk tick tock shirt

4. $ 57 J. Crew marled rib stitch cardigan

5. $25 Maritime dress from Anne on IG ( not shown) 

6. $17 Zara inspired blanket scarf from Mandy on IG (not shown) 

7. $30 J. Crew Schoolboy chambray blazer on eBay 

Spent $300

Made

$146 on Poshmark 

Total Spent = $154 

I have only worn the bright orange top once so far and am a but unsure of the cut on my figure, but I feel like I will wear it more in the spring/summer next month and will be happy to save it for then. I bought the bottom chambray schoolboy blazer specifically with next spring in mind and look forward to wearing it then, even though I must note the strange fact that the fact that (it came from ebay) it smells a bit like patchouli or sandalwood oils.

I have worn the marled rib stitch cardigan three times already and as soon as my J.Crew rewards card shows up I plan to buy the black version provided it doesn't sell out.

I love the tick tock silk blouse SO much, but as it is a tunic length do find it a bit of a challenge to style. I also love how dainty the gold necklace is and it was only $15!   I didn't sell that much on Poshmark this month and I haven't blogged at all.  I can completely attribute both of these facts to work. Teaching all AP/IB classes all day long is exhausting and there are SO many essays to grade. Add an almost three year old to the mix and I am amazed that I can even type this, much less comprehend a complete sentence.

Happy Halloween all! I plan to dress as a leopard (with all my leopard accessories on at once), and Liv is going to be either Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, or Super Girl.

Linking up with Fran as always! 

Style Budget Month 9: September

September

Spent

1. $51 at J. Crew: Tippi in brown & jeweled painter tee in gray. 

2. $33 J. Crew Factory Cap Toe Satin Pumps NEW on Poshmark 

3. $22 J. Crew Factory dot/ dash sweater

4. $75 to Anne for capris, shirt, and skirt (not shown) 

5. $11 groopdealz tassel necklace 

6. $50 Sam Eldman Blake ballet flats (not shown) 

7. $53 at Target leopard belt, bracelet, and Oxford color block Altuzarra blouse (not shown) 

8. $19 J. Crew stone necklace 

9. $50 J. Crew Factory: sweatshirt in Kiss and jeweled ballet flats in black

10. $12 leopard cafe capris from eBay 

11. $13 on groopdealz for replacement tortoise necklace (not shown) 

Spent= $389

Made on Poshmark = $301

$389- $301=

Total Spent= $88

Linking up with Fran as usual. 

Style Budget Month 8: August

Spent 

1. $43 on eBay for two pairs of Café Capris (not shown) 

2. $22 J. Crew Crystal Fiesta Necklace 

3. $14 NWOT Stripe Tippi on eBay 

4. $15 Kendra Scott Inspired Rayne tassel necklace from Purple Peridot (not shown) 

5. $12 Merona Leopard pony hair heels on Poshmark (not shown)

6. $19 Patent leopard J. Crew Martina's on Poshmark 

7. $25 on Poshmark for a nwot J. Crew Tilda blouse 

8. $20 beaded rose necklace and sunflower necklace from J. Crew via Instagram 

9. Fabeltics $15 for a three piece outfit (not shown) 

10. $54 at J. Crew for Modernism necklace and painter button stripe tee. 

11.$26 on eBay  J. Crew wool black cafe capris (not shown)

Spent= $264

Total  Made= $ 632 (on Poshmark only, no eBay sales this month) 

$632 made - $264 spent = total made $368

Linking up with Franish of budgeting bloggers as usual. 

Reflection: Out of the things I bought this month, I've been wearing the pendant necklaces the most. Meghan at Hayes Days (see link below) told me that they elongate the torso and I think that has been making me reach for them more than some of my other statement necklaces. What necklace did I not need? The Kendra Scott inspired Rayne necklace in hot pink that I have only worn once and briefly at that. What item do I need more of? Cafe Capris, of course. ;) I'm also glad to have made money this month as my family really needed it. Being a teacher and having summer off is fantastic, but it hurts to not get paid for almost three months. 

How did you all do with budgeting this month? 

Style Budget Month 7: July

July Budget

1. $11 Groopdealz pendant necklace (not shown)

2. $39 Banana Republic  Ivonne heels (not shown) 

3. Clearance Store $45: Jackie cardigan and two belts 

4. Clearance Store $42: Perfect gingham shirt $21 (retails for $72), Factory Necklace $21. 

5. Clearance Store $22.50: Linen baseball tee $15 and swim bottoms $7.50 (retails for $50)

6. J. Crew: Gauze Maxi skirt $15 and pendant necklace $17

7. J. Crew $42: photo floral sweatshirt $15, mixed lace shell $25

8. J. Crew $70: $17.50bateau stripe tee, $25 gemstone silk tee, and $27.50 maxi skirt in stripe

9. J. Crew $26, gold tassel flower bud necklace & $22 rash guard in sailor stripe navy 

10. $17 J. Crew factory pendant necklace 

11. $44 Cole Haan metallic Lanie pumps via amazon 

Spent $413

Made $257 on Posh and $105 on eBay = $362 total made 

Made $362- 413 Spent = Total spent $51 

Linking up with Fran of Budgeting bloggers as usual. 

Style Budget Month 6: June

June Style Budget aka the month where I only shop at J. Crew (and do way too much of it!) all during a #noshopsummer IG challenge.

Here are the details:

1. $13 on Groopdealz for 2 necklaces from Ivory Bleu (not pictured)

2. $24 Lands End Order: Canvas Tote large with monogram (not pictured)

3 & 4. $38 at J. Crew: $17 J. Crew Ebony Weekdays Cotton Tee & $21 J. Crew  linen diamond ikat top

5. $37 at J. Crew Factory: 2 Clare cardigans (not pictured)

6. $44 for the J. Crew photo floral patio skirt 

7 & 8. $39 at J. Crew: $15 linen baseball top & $24 Embroidered lace top 

9. $30 at J. Crew: $30 Amie maxi dress

10. $65 for the J. Crew Downing Tote 

11 -13. $53 at J. Crew: Chambray Popover $15, Tippi $18 (not shown), Honeypie Perfect Shirt $20

Spent $343

Made $126 on Posh + $154 on eBay

Total=$ 280

Total Spent$ 63 for the month 

I've worn three of the top four black shirts at least twice each, so I know they were good purchases for my closet. I also have tons of navy and very little black, so these were good choices in that respect as well. A surprise love for me is the Downing Tote, while the skirt is an item that has been on my wish list for MONTHS so it feels good to finally own it. I'm planning to wear the Chambray popover as I travel to NC tomorrow where I am sure I will do some shopping with the lovely Asheville retail J. Crew store and the Clearance Center in Arden near where I will be staying. 

Happy Summer all! 

Linking up with Fran for another month of budgeting bloggers here.