Balloons and Bows

It's my B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y!

JumpSuits and Sun Hats

Happy Saturday!

This past week was pretty great for me. I ended up with two days off of school. I spent that time studying, which meant there was less work for me to do this weekend. I don't get a whole lot of "me" time so this is a big deal. This weekend will be my last "free" weekend for a while so I'm enjoying it to the fullest. I spent the day in the city, including lunch with an old friend and I'm on my way home to spend Mother's Day with my family. 

Overboard: April Budget

Um so yea...I definitely spent much more than usual this month, by a lot. I would love to blame it on the Lilly Pulitzer for Target launch, but I've known about that for months so there is no excuse. I'm thinking that May might be a good time for my annual "no buy month", where I go the entire month without buying any clothes. For now, here is a look at my April spending.

ModCloth Oh Classy Day Hat 

  Original $20

Never really fancied myself a hat person, but this one called to me and has been perfect for all of my travel adventures. You will be seeing it a lot of it. See how I styled it here. 

Also, I'm not sure if I should me angry or happy with TJMaxx. I don't really know how I wound up in the shoe department, but they supplied my closet with flats and sandals for the season at a fraction of the original price! 

 Michael Kors Jelly Sandal 

   Original $70 Purchased via TJMaxx $35

 Lucky Brand Jeans Emmie Flat

   Original $60 Purchased via TJMaxx $30

Sam Edelman Gigi Sandal

   Original $70 Purchased via TJMaxx $25

Next I reacquainted myself with Old Navy. All the weight that I've been losing means that things are fitting differently. I normally wear a medium there so when the perfect dress was only available in small and large, I wasn't going to bother trying it on, but the small size fit! 

Old Navy Striped Teri-Fleece Dress in Dark Blue Stripe 
  Original $35 on Sale for $14

I actually originally purchased this dress for a little more, but it went on sale directly after. Old Navy honored the sale price and refunded me the difference. Great Customer Service! 

Old Navy Patterned Scarf

  Original on Sale for $12 with promo $7.44

Old Navy Maxi Tank Dress
  Original $30 on Sale for $20 

Loft Petite Curvy Skinny Jeans in Proper Blue Wash
  Original $60 on Sale for $30 with 60% off $12

I also placed a big order at Loft, including this blouse that I really wanted to work, but it was much too thin and sheer for my taste. The only items that I ended up keeping were these perfect pair of jeans and this bag for travel (different budget). 

You guys know that I am obsessed with all things Lilly so I definitely took part in the Lilly for Target Launch. My experience and my feelings with the whole crazy process are here. I've decided to keep all of the barware and beach goodies that I snagged, but most of the clothing items were a disappointment. I either wasn't impressed or had sizing issues when my items arrived in the mail so I only kept the following items.

Lilly Pulitzer for Target Embroidered Clutch
  Original $24 with 5% off $22.80 

Lilly Pulitzer for Target Satin Jumpsuit in "Boom Boom"
  Original $44 with 5% off $41.80

Lilly Pulitzer for Target Golden Pineapple Sandal

  Original $30 with 5% off $28.50

I totally thought that I was done for the month, but then I stopped into TJMaxx again for kitchen towels. Instead, I left with the most beautiful trench coat in my favorite color! No it's not pink...although I did pick up a pink trench in February. I'm obsessed with Sam Edelman shoes, so it stands to reason that I would love the clothing as well. I picked up this bold coral Sam Edelman trench for $60. It was fortuitous timing as this jacket was perfect for our Canadian getaway! Trip recaps & budget coming soon :) 

April Total: $316.54 

Yearly Total $1500-$50 [January]-$160 [February]-$75 [March]-$317[April]=$898 remaining for the year 

I've got less than $900 for the year, which averages at just over $100 per month, but I also have a J Crew order from this month. I've been traveling so I suspect it's been delivered to my place by now. If I keep anything from the order, I will share that in May, but I definitely think that next month needs to be a "no buy month". 

Linking up with Franish for Budgeting Bloggers

#LillyforTarget

Today was the day that many of us have been anxiously awaiting. It's Pink Sunday! As you all know,  big news hit The Juice Stand a few weeks ago as Lilly Pulitzer and Target announced a collaboration. The bold prints and sophisticated style associated with the Lilly Pulitzer brand would now be available in an affordable location. Prepsters around the globe should have been rejoicing at such wondrous news, but instead there were a lot of negativity. 

Lilly, Lilly, & More Lilly

Hello lovelies, did you all enjoy the after holiday sales? I ordered quite of few things for myself. Unfortunately, many of them didn't work. But I did score big at the most important sale of all...the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale. It only happens twice a year and you never really know what's going to be in the sale and what won't. Luckily, the shift dress that I have been coveting for months was there, along with a whole lot more!

Comfy-Cozy

I'm in Boston visting Husband this weekend and brrrrr-is it cold. Cold enough to stop me from venturing outside in these near freezing temperatures. So today's outfit post called for indoor photos as I try to stay comfy-cozy! 

August Budget: Lilly, Target, & Kate Spade

                Lilly Pulitzer Lori Dress                                                    Lilly Pulitzer Charlton Sheath 

This month's purchases will come as no surprise, especially if you read this post. I was all amped up for the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale and it did not disappoint. I literally wanted to grab one of everything, but I managed to maintain some self control and only picked up two dresses. Surprisingly, I didn't get any prints, but instead went for dresses that focus on texture. Still waiting on for these. Even though I haven't received a confirmation email that they have shipped yet, I still keep checking for packages. Sad huh?

The Lilly Pulitzer Sale: Are You Ready?

You all know how much I love a Lilly dress, which is why in the last few years, many of the milestones in my life involved a Lilly OOTD (more here). However, I have yet to purchase a Lilly Pulitzer item at full price. While the pieces are beautifully made and durable, I just can't bring myself to take that big of a plunge, especially not with my student budget. So I look forward to the Lilly sales all year long. And it's finally here! 

Unfortunately, Lilly does not go on sale very often, but when it does oh boy what a sale. Typically, there is one sale in January and one in August and that is it for the year. You may be fortunate enough to find Lilly on sale in a department store or if you're really lucky, you can attend the Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sales. As for me, I stick to the online sales where I've picked up beautiful $300 shift dresses for as little as $50. Do you see why all us Lilly Lovers go so crazy around this time of the year? So in anticipation for such a crazy sale, there is work to be done. Here are my tips on scoring your Lilly!

Floral Crossing

I love florals, literally adore them. I'm totally going to be that lady with a house full of floral printed wallpaper and proud of it. As it so happens, this LP print "Worth Blue May Flowers" just so happens to be one of my all time favorites.  

Love of Lilly

You all know that I have been in summer mode for quite a while, but today is the first official day of summer, meaning that it's also National Wear Your Lilly Day. So today I'm taking advantage of that to share my love of all things Lilly. I realized that in the past couple of years, anytime I had a special occasion, Lilly Pulitzer was my outfit of choice. And because I couldn't just pick one outfit to showcase today, here are a few of my favorites. 

Never Too Old for a Tea Party: 25th Birthday

You know those old black and white movies, where the lady of the house is bustling about in pearls and heels, preparing for the evenings dinner guests. That's exactly what I wanted for my birthday...a vintage upscale atmosphere. I chose to do this by hosting my first dinner party. And since I have quite the little collection of antique tea cups, I decided on a tea party theme. 

Dessert Table 

April Budget

1. Banana Republic Petite Floral Necklace $35 Original $60
Is it just me or do all statement necklaces have a gold tone? This is more than I would have liked to pay, but I was just so excited to have a statement piece in silver.


2. Gap 1969 Bleached Western Shirt  $24 Original: $59.95 Worn here
Thinking that chambray would be a trendy piece for me, I purchased an inexpensive version from Old Navy a year ago. I had no idea how much it would become a go to shirt. So excited to have a nicer quality chambray in a different wash.

3. Banana Republic Leather Bow Bracelet $8.38 Original $29.50

4. Banana Republic Giraffe Bracelet in Ivory $23 Original $39.50 Worn here

Can you tell that I like cardigans? 

5. Gap Luxlight Cardigan in New Pale Lemon $17.53 Original: $44.95 Worn here


 J Crew Factory Always Cardigan in Ivory $15.60 Original: $39.50
Not pictured

 J Crew Factory Always Cardigan in Heather Graphite  $15.60 Original: $39.50
Not pictured, but Worn here

C Wonder Canvas Sparkle Mini Easy Tote $50.80 
Paid: $40.80 + $10 for monogram Original: $68
Not Pictured, but Worn here

I am 100% in love with all of the pieces that I picked up, but my favorites are definitely the Lilly Pulitzer items. As an advocate of bright colors, bold patterns, and unique textures, it should come to no surprise that I am a huge fan of all things Lilly. Well everything except the price point. While I love her clothes, it is just not practical for me to buy them on my current student budget. Thus, I normally only purchase Lilly items during the bi-annual sales when everything is officially out of season and 50%+ off. However, I stumbled upon a Lilly store by complete accident and they were having a sale. Here is what I got:

6.  Lilly Pulitzer Delray Tunic in Resort White Bungle in the Jungle $118  Original: $158
This really wasn't on sale by that much (25%), but I have been thinking about investing in a Lilly tunic or Elsa top for well over a year now and decided to take the plunge. The delray top has better reviews in terms of fit compared the the Elsa, but they look exactly the same.

7. Lilly Pulitzer Terrance Top in Metallic Scallop Jacquard $48.80 Original: $198

That made this top 75% off

When I first saw it, a little voice in the back of my head told me that the fake diamond beading placed it  just on the other side of gaudy, but I could barely hear that little voice because the rest of me was screaming OMG must have that now. I've already got a special occasion planned for this one.

Total: $356.71 Yikes! So much for trimming down this month. I actually made money from clothing sales, which I thought about deducting from this total, but then I decided that counting that into this would be cheating. Gift cards or bonus points are one thing, but directly adding in extra money felt wrong (even if it was gained from selling old clothes). I set a budget for the year and I intend to keep it so instead I pocketed the extra cash away for my travel fund.

$1650 (Year) - $171(Jan.) - $0 (Feb) - $232(March) - $357(April) = $890 remaining for the year

Also, please check out our beautiful hostess and all of the other budgeting bloggers at Franish