My Warby Parker Experience

Hello Lovelies,

Sorry for the delay but I've been busy trying to accomplish my Christmas shopping!  I'm practically done but I feel like I could use a few more little tiny gifts!

Anyhow, the last update I posted showcased the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G  home try on program Warby Parker has to offer.  I did two rounds of home try ons and found that I liked most of the glasses.  I was able to narrow my choices down to two choices: the Nash and the Welty.  Ultimately, I decided on the Nash glasses because I had those in front of me but I can honestly say I don't regret my decision.

I absolutely love these glasses.  The quality of these glasses far surpasses the $95 price tag.  When I went to order these glasses I did experience a bit of a hold up (which I attributed to the busy holiday business) but the lovely customer service representative explained that my prescription actually held up the process.  So aside from that hold up I would definitely, definitely recommend this company!!! I actually visited their showroom in SOHO because my friend wanted to pick out a pair of glasses and loved that experience as well.  I would highly recommend visiting one of their many showrooms because you can try on all the glasses in every color imaginable instead of only getting 5 choices at a time.  They are also able to order your glasses and do any test that may need to be done in house (which is awesome!).

This morning I awakened to the Santa mail man delivering my glasses.  I couldn't wait to open them and try them on because I was wondering if I made the right decision.  Once I opened the package I can honestly confirm that I did make the best decision.  Who knows, maybe I'll even buy another pair in the distant future!

Until Next time.....

* my next post will probably be after Christmas and it will be updating you on what I got for Xmas/birthday.  Hint hint... it may include a new Kate spade bag that I've been eyeing for months!

  

"It's Just A Bad Day, Not A Bad Life"

From Pinterest

Hello Lovelies!!

So as you can see by the title of this post, I've had a bad day.  But if we're being 100% honest, I've had a series of bad days.  Truthfully this week has just not been one of my weeks.  As I write this I'm listening to All Time Low's song Weightless.  If you haven't heard the song or of All Time Low, I highly recommend them!! Weightless is pretty much my bad day anthem.  The song starts off a little off tempo then builds up to the chorus that becomes my bad day motto "maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year!" 

For me, positive thinking is not my strong point because I'm kind of a glass half empty kinda girl.  I'm not proud of that, and believe me I'm trying to re-evaluate my bad days and approach them differently.  Ever since I've been little I've stressed about the little things in life.  I was a perfectionist and hated anything that prevented me from accomplishing things exactly how I imagined.  As a mental reminder I've been wearing an Alex and Ani bracelet that says "It is what it is!" Those 5 words have honestly helped me realize that there are some things that I can't control and I can't make myself sick over worrying about every little detail.

With that being said I will outline how my bad week started:

On Sunday I was blamed for a mistake that wasn't actually my fault.  It all started when I made the mistake of assuming that my one boss had finished a task the day before and didn't double check that he did in fact do it. At the time, this little mistake didn't really bother me until I heard from another employee that my "boss" was talking poorly about me in front of other employees.  I've recently been promoted to a new position so I am still in the process of learning everything and unfortunately my one boss doesn't seem to understand that.  I had no problem with my boss pointing out that maybe I should of double checked that fact but I'm a firm believer that if you have a problem with something I've done, then you need to tell me, not talk about me behind my back.  I'm not in high school anymore and I can assure you it's been a LONG time since my boss has been in high school.  Let's be adults and actually talk through situations, not gossip about each other.  

Although Sunday wasn't a completely terrible day it didn't start my week on the good note I was expecting.  Monday was completely uneventful which was nice.  However, Tuesday was a complete NIGHTMARE.  I woke up and started my day like I normally do.  I was eating breakfast and checking my emails when I realized I had an email from my bank.  I randomly receive emails from my bank so I wasn't completely alarmed until I read the first sentence of the email.  I don't remember the exact wording but I believe the words went something like this "Dear Victoria, we've noticed some unusual activity on your credit card.  As a precaution, we've placed a hold on your account.  If you haven't made any purchases please contact us at xxx-xxx-xxxx right away!" I immediately panicked because I hadn't used the credit card recently so I had no idea what purchases they were talking about.  After calling the bank, I was told that someone had purchased $253 worth of products on Sears.com and had attempted to make a $650 purchase there when my account was flagged.  Now, not to be a brat but when she told me this I immediately told her I have never shopped at Sears, nor would I randomly buy nearly $1000 worth of stuff in one shopping trip.  At this point during the phone call I was shaking.  I had my credit card in my possession so I have no clue how someone had accessed my account information.  Luckily, because I had a Bank of America credit card I was protected from fraud and they quickly deleted my account information and will be reissuing my a new credit card.  (On a side note, I've been looking for something to curve my shopping addiction.  Although I would of liked something less severe, I think credit card fraud has scared me enough to stop shopping for awhile!).

I needed to calm down from this horrific event, so I began searching Pinterest for some quotes that will help me get through the bad day.  I found these three quotes that helped me realize that we all have bad days, but we can't let those bad days define us or destroy us.  I need to learn to let things go and not constantly stress over little things that I can't control.

 I hope everyone else is having a better week than I am.  I'm determined to have an absolutely amazing week next week and hopefully I can update you on the great things that happen to me then!

Until Next Time....

Things I've bought over the last couple of months

Hello lovelies,

So in my absence from this blog I've done some shopping.  Ok, some shopping is an understatement... I've done tons of shopping.  I'm pretty good at knowing when I've bought something but honestly this post would go on and on if I included everything I've bought in the last six months.  So to keep this post relatively short I'm including the stuff I've bought most recently.  I've been going crazy for shoes, I need shoes that are comfortable standing in for 8+ hours so I've been on the hunt for cute yet comfortable shoes!

So without further ado let's get on to the good stuff:

The Shoes:

 I've been obsessing over these J.Crew glitter loafers that go for over $250.  They are these gorgeous midnight blue color but I truthfully can't justify paying that much money for something I'm going to wear once in awhile.  After realizing that those shoes aren't in my immediate future, I began looking for a cheaper alternative.  While flipping through the Lands End catalogue I stumbled across these beauties.  They are the Vivian Venetian Flat in Slate Frost Sparkle.

 So I'll admit that I'm slightly obsessed with the smoking slipper/ loafer trend.  I may have bought a few styles and have loved all of them.  Next are these adorable cheetah Uggs that my mom scored at Marshalls.  Unfortunately for her they were too small and I quickly swooped in and stole them!  Her loss is my gain!!!! Now I've worn these shoes several times and I will say they were slightly uncomfortable to break in.  I have very sensitive skin on the heels of my feet and often get blisters when I break shoes in.  To hopefully clear up this problem I bought a little Dr. Scholl's foam tape dispenser to help pad the back of the shoes.

 My last pair of loafers is these adorable yet edgy Dolce Vita black suede smoking slippers.  What's amazing about these shoes is all the little details.  The leopard tassels and the little gold plated studs help make a classic male style shoes become a little more girlie! They look a little worse for wear because I've been wearing these with absolutely everything because they are just too cute for words!

Now, here in Jersey it's been unseasonably warm which makes it kind of difficult to wear boots.  But when the weather finally does decide to catch up with the season I can't wait to wear these little boots.  Both of these shoes as well as the Dolce Vita loafers were purchased at Nordstroms, my favorite place to buy shoes!  The boots below are the Steve Madden Tennassee Boot.  What I love about these shoes are they a like my other Steve Madden Troopa combat boot but they are slightly cropped.  Again, I'm a sucker for details so the gold hardware made these pretty hard to avoid.  I can't wait to wear these with a chunky sweater and some skinny jeans.

 These next shoes were a bit of a splurge.  These are the Sam Edelman Lucca boots.  I've worn these a few times and have received so many compliments on them.

 Accessories

 Now I'm sure I've mentioned previously that I am obsessed with owls.  While decorating my room I've struggled with the fact that not everything can be chevron or an owl (although truthfully that would make everything better!).  With Halloween right around the corner, I've found some great little accents for my room.  This adorable owl is on my nightstand and is currently resting on my next book (which is Love in the Time of Cholera).

 Another splurge item, the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C bag.  I was hesitant to purchase this bag at first but I've used this as an everyday bag when I was convinced that I could downsize from my normal suitcase of a purse and as a dressier night bag.  I love this bag and think this may be the first but not my last rebecca minkoff bag!

Clothes
I've bought a few pieces that I'm not sure if I'm keeping (which are the first two items here).  Just to clarify, I'm in the process of switching out my summer wardrobe with my fall/winter one, hence why the little bit you see of my closet looks like it exploded.  

 This first shirt was recently purchased at The Loft, and it's a burgundy blouse with little butterfly/birds. It photographed a little redder than it actually is.

 I've been obsessed with puffer vest for awhile but I've always been hesitant to purchase one for myself for awhile.  The reason for that is simple, I have a very large chest and I'm afraid a puffer vest will make my chest look bigger than it actually is.  I found this adorable wool puffer vest from Gap that is heather gray with little black polka dots all over.  I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to keep this vest because I really don't know if I can get past my hesitations about puffer vests.

 Moving on from one polka dot piece to another, I recently scored these adorable toothpick polka dot jeans from J.Crew.  I've been eyeing these pants for awhile but couldn't justify buying them at full price.  When I discovered that these were on clearance I happily picked these up and can't wait to wear them.

 I'm pretty certain in a previous post I wrote about my obsession with Gap's Broken-in khakis.  Well they recently launched the broken-in skinny mini which is a feminine version of the boyfriend chino.  These have a skinnier leg and look adorable with boots.  I've bought these in this adorable burgundy color and have them in a Forrest green that you can kinda see in the background of the picture.

Until the next shopping trip! I promise to keep you posted on what I've bought, because in some weird way this is kind of therapeutic for me because it shows me that sometimes my shopping is out of hand.

Until Next Time!!!

Where have I been???? Updates and an apology.

Hello Lovelies,

I'm going to apologize for not posting anything for the last 6 months.  I have no idea why I haven't posted because I've done some great things in that time that I would of loved to share with you.  I'm going to try my best to blog once a week about what's been going on in my life (keyword try).  

Update on my life: Currently, I'm a supervisor at a lovely retail store and am looking to move up within the company.  I'm in the process of redesigning/redecorating my room, which is taking me way longer than I expected.  

So since my last post I talked about getting a haircut.  I've mentioned before I have a weird phobia of getting my haircut.  As a little kid I've had some horrific haircuts (thanks mom!) and that has translated to my adult life.  However, I've found an amazing salon and an amazing stylist who truly understands the texture of my hair and is willing to talk me off the ledge when I go in a say "I want short hair and I want to dye it darker, or maybe lighter?"

So after a brief panic attack and countless pictures later, we decided a lob was definitely the cut for me and in terms of color she told me I should embrace my natural highlights but maybe help speed them up a bit by adding some dimension.

 While at the salon I got a little bored because I didn't realize the process getting "a few" subtle highlights would still take an hour so I decided to whip out the Ipad and take some photo Booth pictures.

The finished product, subtle highlights in the front to add some dimension and shorter hair. I've gotten my haircut a few times after this and I don't think it's even looked as good as this cut has been.  Now, this isn't because my hair stylist isn't talented, I believe I'm to blame for this because I made the mistake of telling her having so few layers has made my hair heavy and less curly (which truthfully is a gift from god because my natural hair isn't pretty).  The color has turned out better than I could of expected, as the summer progressed the color got more natural and looked ahhh-mazing.

Currently my hair looks like this... but as I look at old pictures I'm thinking the winter is calling for longer hair which I can curl and just love and style.

I love my hair this length but the problem with it is I feel like I'm limited in how I can style it.  I straighten it nearly everyday, and that's damaging to my hair.  When it's longer I can curl it and get maybe 2-3 days out of that style or I can put it in a top knot and go about my day.

Here are some old pictures of my long hair that I kind of miss...

I definitely think the shorter style makes me look more my age, since people always seem to think I'm like 12 (I know I should appreciate this now, but it gets annoying after awhile).  I'm slowly growing out my lob but I know once spring rolls around I'll want shorter hair again.  Ugh, the struggles of being a girl.

Moving on from haircuts, I was fortunate enough to go to Florida for 12 days in May and have just gotten back from a weekend trip to Chicago.  I'll write some posts about those trips at a later date (probably right after I finish this one!) because there is just too much to share.

I've mentioned earlier that I've been SLOWLY redecorating my room.  The keyword in that sentence is slowly.  Truthfully I had an image of what I wanted in my head and it's difficult to find those pieces, in my price range, which is basically as close to free as possible.  The room is almost complete but I just need a few more accent pieces to add some color into my room.  I'm going to hold off on pictures until I can do a full post on everything that I've done.

So to wrap up, I'm hoping to update this blog once a week on the progress of my room, what I've been up to, and basically what I've bought because let's face it, once a shopaholic always a shopaholic!!!!
I've bought some great pieces recently and I can't wait to share 6 months worth of shopping!!!!!

Until next time!

Birthday Wishes and Christmas Dreams...

Hello all,

Long time no blogging but lately I haven't been very creative with my outfits so I haven't been posting.  Also, I was going to post about the horrific school shooting in Newton but I couldn't gather all my thoughts into coherent sentences.

So, today is Christmas Eve, which means tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY!!! Yes, I know, you think having a christmas birthday sucks and I would have to agree with you.  However, in all honestly I have never experienced what having a birthday on another day feels like.  The one thing I hate about having a Christmas birthday is I always get asked "Do you get less presents because your birthday is on Christmas?" Without fail within a few minutes of people knowing when my birthday is this is the first question I get asked.  To which I respond, "If anything I get way more presents then I deserve!"

When I first started this blog I talked about how I needed a new perspective and needed to make a change in my life.  I left my retail job for another retail job in hopes that it would be better.  When I graduated college I had zero desire to ever want to work in retail again but that was until I found my current job.  I work with people who are nice and I actually enjoy being around.  Also, the management team understands that I am interested in learning new aspects of the job and are willing to train me.  Today, after they bought me a delicious cake for my birthday, they gifted me with a lovely surprise.  They offered me an opportunity to expand my responsibilities within the store.  They understand what I want and are willing to invest in my future.  Although it's only been a few months there I've enjoyed every moment I've spent there and am thankful for the opportunity.  My only regret is that I didn't leave my previous job and come to this one sooner.


I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate.  May Santa bring you everything you may want and need.

Image from: http://yummyplants.com/vegan-holidays/merry-christmas-welcome-santa-with-delicious-vegan-christmas-cookies/

 Clearly, I should look into becoming a mime.....

A Week in Review... outfits, movies, and shopping

Hello Lovelies,

Sorry again for the lack of posting.  I've been super busy at work since it's Christmas shopping time.  However, the only plus to working a lot is I get to put together some cute outfits.  This past week in NJ was unseasonable warm so I got to wear a few items that I would never imagine wearing in December.

So without further ado, let's get on with the outfits!!!

 The first outfit was a black and white plaid chiffon blouse from Old Navy paired under a black V-neck sweater.  I also chose to pair this outfit with my boyfriend fit pants from Gap and my J.Crew CeCe flats, which I absolutely adore.

Probably my favorite outfit of the week was the one I wore when it was 65 degrees this Tuesday.  I paired my skinny cropped navy polka dot pants, a lavender boyfriend fit shirt, and a navy crew neck sweater all of which came from the Gap.  I also work my favorite gold cece's from J.Crew and my bubble necklace, which has quickly become a staple for me.  

Although I mentioned above that the polka dot outfit was my favorite of the week, this Chevron outfits was a close second.  I love this blouse that I got at Nordstrom during their Anniversary Sale, and this is actually the first time I wore it.  I paired it with a pair of Black Rockstar skinny pants from Old Navy, which I took a chance on because they were only $15 and surprising I liked the fit.  I also decided to wear my pink CeCe's as my pop of color because I felt like this outfit needed something to spice it up.


So onto movies.... I just got back from seeing Playing for Keeps.  Overall, I say the movie was cute and heartfelt but by no means was it amazing.  My favorite part of the whole movie is that Gerald Butler has the sexiest Scottish accent ever.  Jessica Biel, on the other hand was a little annoying in the movie.  I love Jessica Biel and am considering dying my hair like hers but in the movie she has this dark hair that just washes her out.  Again, it was a cute movie but I definitely think it's one of those that you can wait to see on Redbox or OnDemand.

I also attempted to watch Rock of Love but I lost interest about 45 minutes in and don't think i'll ever be able to watch it again.

Until next time......

Outfits of the Week!!!!

Hello Lovelies,

I've been super busy with work and took some time off to have some fun in Atlantic City.  I don't really have anything worthy of blogging about but I did put some cute outfits together and wanted to share them.

 My top is a lovely paisley print from J.Crew Factory store.  I'm wearing black cords from the Gap from last year.  I'm on the lookout for a great pair of black jeans.  I want them to be a little on the dressy side but not look ridiculous if I want to wear them casually.

Although this outfit isn't terribly original, I was the best I could do with only a few minutes to get ready.  I was running extremely late for work so I put together the first thing that matched.  Here I'm wearing the same black cords paired with a Loft tunic underneath and Merino wool Tippi sweater from J.Crew. I've also found that the colder weather is making my hair really staticy if I straighten it.  I've been enjoying curling it but I don't have the time in the morning to actually curl it.

I promise next week I've have some better outfits to show you!!!

Black Friday Outfits and Cyber Monday

Hello Lovelies,

Sorry for not updating more frequently but I've been busy working non-stop this weekend.  I usually love working in retail but every year around Black Friday I start to dread this job.   This year many stores opened at 8pm on Thanksgiving night.  I think that is absolutely ridiculous that crazy people can't wait a few more hours to get a few dollars off something.  I think what many people forget is the fact that those workers who are working at 8pm actually have to come in at 6pm on Thanksgiving to prepare for the madness that will ensue.  I personally refuse to work Thursday night into Friday because I don't think it's fair to ruin people's time with their families.  I honestly think those people who have to be there at 8pm should be ashamed of themselves because of their selfish ways they took valuable time away from the workers families.  I will state this now, I have never and will never shop on Black Friday. Honestly, I love to shop but no deal is worth spending all night with crazy people trampling you.  I hate crowds and waiting on lines so Black Friday shopping is not for me.

Anyway, I digress.  Now onto the outfits I wore to work this week.

Friday my dress code consisted of a chambray shirt.  I paired that shirt with a black cardigan and one of my new favorite jewelry pieces, a white and gold bubble necklace from J.Crew.  I thought my outfit was a little dark so I added some chestnut boots to break up the darkness.

 Now Saturday my dress code consisted of plaid.  I wanted to take a girly take on the typical "flannel" look.  This lovely shirt dress is from the Gap and I love it.  It's a gorgeous green, navy, and red plaid flannel dress.  I paired this shirt dress with my same chestnut boots and J.Crew necklace.  Being that it's cold here in NJ I did wear navy tights under this dress.  I think the next time I wear this I'm going to forgo the matching belt and pair it with a fun belt that I already own.

 Now for Sunday.  After having have to be told what I could wear, I was lacking some creative ideas when it came to clothes.  I decided to pair a Gap Boyfriend fit ruffled dress shirt with a classic crewneck navy sweater.  I liked the contrast of the navy with the red shirt.  For a girly feel I decided to wear the bubble necklace again.

Here's the ruffle shirt available now at Gap

 Now, onto a good deal I got yesterday morning.  It seems many retailers are expanding Cyber Monday to start on Sunday.  I got a email from Kate Spade stating that their sale was 75% off.  I quickly jumped on the website and found this gorgeous bag.  It's the cobble hill small Kori and I look forward to opening it up on Christmas morning.  Thanks Kate Spade for this great deal on this bag!!!!

M.I.A.... Missing in Action

Hello Lovelies,

Sorry I've been MIA lately but I've been super busy with work and just haven't had the motivation or inspiration to update blog.  I figured since my most popular post seem to focus on my shopping addiction I'd fill my lovely readers on what my shopping compulsion has lead me to buy.

I went a little crazy at the Gap because I got a coupon for 50% off one item and 40% off the rest of my items.  I had to take advantage of this because I no longer can use my employee discount, this was as close as it was going to get.  So the things I bought were:

This sweater was on sale for 29.99 and I got 40% off

I already have this sweater in the grey with neon pink but when I saw this one was $11 I had to have it

Cute plaid oxford with a ruffle collar, it's playful and girly and so festive!

I love these fitted boyfriend shirts that the Gap has right now, I really think they look great on all body types

This is a super cute and super comfy flannel dress

This sweater is super comfortable but I pretty much got this because navy and neon pink is my absolute favorite color combination!

Now onto J.Crew 

I bought a beautiful chiffon black and white chevron scarf that I can't seem to find a picture online and I don't want to take a picture of it right now (but I'm positive I'll be wearing it with an outfit within the coming week). I bought two of the Merino Wool Tippi sweaters.  If you love J.Crew sweaters they are currently on a promotion for 25% off, which is a great deal for these amazing sweaters.

I bought this Biennial hobo for my mom for Christmas, partly because she liked it but because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BAG TOO

and I bought these shoes on clearance because I thought they would match my bag, I mean my moms bag perfectly

Now for some random work outfits of the day.  I need to get a new full length mirror in my room so I don't have to keep taking pictures in my bathroom.

 The headband is from Nordstrom's BP, shirt from Loft, scarf from Banana Republic Factory, Jeans are from Urban Outfitters, Boots are Steve Madden Troopa Boots

Headband from Forever 21, Scarf from Express, sweater from Old Navy, wool pencil skirt J.Crew, and flats from Banana Republic.

As you can see I've been obsessed with head bands lately.  I've been pretty bored with my hair recently so I think I need to spice things up and change it up.

Well hopefully my next posts won't be too far off but if it is, I promise I'll have tons of items to haul 

Bracing for Hurricane Sandy

Hello Lovelies,

Here in NJ I am under lockdown because of this crazy Frankenstorm known as Hurricane Sandy is currently wrecking havoc on my beloved state.  I live only a few miles from the beach but I'm far enough that the ocean can't reach my house.  However, the town I live in is surrounded by the Shrewsbury River so a lot of the residents have been forced to evacuate.  My family has not had to do so, but my thoughts and prayers are with all those who are suffering through this storm.  Here in NJ, we're no strangers to storms but this storm is particularly bad because it's going to make landfall in NJ.  What also doesn't help is that the tides are at an all time high, and the full moon is probably to blame for that.  The pictures of Atlantic City are heartbreaking because most of the city is actually underwater and the brunt of the storm isn't even here yet. (If you want to see the pictures of the destruction just go on Instagram and search the hashtag #hurricanesandy)

 


On a more positive and uplifting note, I've been trying to experiment with different types of outfits that wouldn't normally be my style.  Here are some work outfits that I've been experimenting with...

Here's to hoping that I don't loose power and survive Hurricane Sandy with relatively little damage.  

Outfit of the day- 10/26

Hello lovelies!!!

I'm writing this quick post to feature my outfit for work today.  I thought it was kinda cute.  I'm starting to dress more professionally so it's interesting to create and experiment with these different looks.

My top is a lovely black and white tunic from J.Crew factory store, the skirt is a turquoise wool Number 2 Pencil skirt from J.Crew factory, and my watch is from Fossil.  I have my little turquoise heart pendant necklace which I got from a local jewelry store.  Although you can't see it in this picture I completed my look with some black tights and black ballet flats.

I have no idea what I'm planing on wearing to work tomorrow but I have a feeling it maybe my go to navy polka dot pants from Gap (you'll have to stay tuned to see.)