Right On Track

It's been a while since I've done a Spending Update.  In 2024, I decided it was finally time to rein in my spending. You can't change what you don't acknowledge, so my first step was to take a whole year to track every penny and analyze my habits and patterns.   It was eye opening and extremely helpful.  Once I saw my patterns I could set a budget and start sticking to it. 

Not to give away my progress report with the title of this post, but I feel like I'm on track with my spending this year.  I've had a few slips of course, because I'm not perfect, but overall, I'm really proud of my progress and determined to keep going and do even better in 2026.  While I will admit there were some really amazing sales or bargains on items I'd been eyeing for months or years and I did end up spending more than I budgeted for, even that seems like progress because it was all stuff I'd been watching and waiting for; I made zero impulse buys for an entire year!  And not once did I sit glued to a screen waiting for the absolute feeding frenzy of a collection drop.

As far as sticking to my budget, the thing that has really made it easier is that I just haven't bought from luxury brands.  I can still thrift regularly and stay well within my spending limits by simply avoiding all my favorite but insanely pricey shops.  This little resolution has slashed my spending in half and not least of which because those are the very shops that do those mad drops.  

I've had a lot of challenges this year, some really difficult times and it's been really tough to take it all without shopping as my emotional crutch.  However, I've been working really hard at just feeling the feelings, especially the really tough stuff, and processing it without any crutches.  Do I love that?  Nope, not at all.  Is it good for me?  Well, it sucks in the moment, but in the long run, I know that I will be healthier for going through these things in this way, processing my feelings rather than using something to dull the pain or delay the difficulty.  

With only a few months left in 2025, I feel really good about how far I've come this year and am more determined than ever to keep it up in 2026.  We still have a ways to go before the start of the new year though, so I'll definitely be talking about my budgeting year again.

Outfit Info:  Rainbow Madras Plaid Belted Dress from Unique Vintage

Autumn Work Wear

Ever the avid thrifter, I found this beautiful Anthropologie dress for about $20. This dress is a muted chocolate brown and ivory plaid with an ornate beaded collar.  I added a belt just to break up the print, and since there's this lovely collar, I skipped the necklace this time and went for hoop earrings instead.  I love my Ecosusi bow briefcases for work, and the real thrill in this outfit was these thrifted blue and brown oxford heels that I just adore.  I'll definitely add a cardigan or a blazer with this dress when I wear it to work, but I took these photos in the heat of summer and hadn't really gotten out my autumn wear yet, so you'll have to use your imagination there.

A Year of Change

If there is one thing we can always count on it's that life is ever changing.  This year has brought us a graduation, two weddings, a partially empty nest, and a funeral all in just the first six months. We also took a family vacation for the first time in five years and I had a persistent feeling while we were traveling that this might be the last time that our family travels just the four of us.  My oldest was even then making plans to leave the nest; she followed through shortly after and my youngest will follow.  My favorite workplace friend is retiring, leaving me wondering how I'll ever make it without her, because although I love my job, maybe she's the reason I've loved it so much, and perhaps it's time to move on if she won't be there....You see the spiral I get lost in.

I see the young people, the teens and early 20s, in my life feeling lost and desperately searching.  I tell them it's OK not to have everything figured out yet and that most people feel this way at this age.  I tell them to be patient and have some faith that things will work out.  And, yet, here I am at twice their age and then some, suddenly feeling that same kind of lostness and wishing like crazy I could just take a quick peek at life a few miles down the road so I know not just continually hope that things will turn out alright.

At times like these, when life is moving so quickly and everything is changing, it's important for me to: slow down.  breathe.  pray.  listen.  As much as I wish I could know the future, always make the right decisions, or at least have some measure of control over the outcome, I simply cannot.  Life is an amazing journey with so many twists and turns.  There are seasons of grief and seasons of joy and neither one lasts.  Things are always changing and that is the great beauty of it all. 

Outfit Info: Bordeaux Connie dress by Retrospec'd from Modern Millie, Shoes from B.A.I.T. Footwear

Strawberries Galore!

As summer slips away, I admit that I am both sad to see my beautiful bright florals and berry prints get packed away for another year and excited to bring out all my fall plaids.  Before I lose another moment of the summer sunshine though, I wanted to share this amazing thrift find.  Collectif is one of my most favorite vintage style brands; I was devastated when they closed down last year and elated when they finally returned.  I try to support them as much as my budget will allow, but when I find a great second-hand piece for a mere song, you better believe I bring it home.  Collectif has such amazing prints and the great quality clothing that I would have paid full price for this gem!  

Outfit Info:  Bag is old Collectif and Dress is thrifted Collectif, Shoes are by B.A.I.T., Cardigan is from YeMAK, Earrings from Kramaric Millinery

Moments of Autumn

I absolutely love that moment when you know summer has peaked and autumn is on the way.  It's that moment when you step out your door to a chill in the air and instinctively reach for a sweater before turning the kettle on.  For me and my little neck of the woods, that moment is here.

Outfit Info:  Classic Dress in Tiny Woodland Print by Son de Flor is thrifted. Shoes from B.A.I.T., Cardigan is from YeMAK.

Date Night Simplicity

I love to dress up for special occasions which includes date night, but in the heat of summer or in the hustle and bustle of a busy life, date night doesn't have to be a complicated thing.  Sometimes it's just as simple as grabbing a thrifted cotton little black dress, throwing on some pearls and some comfortable loafers and enjoying a little time with the person you love.  This Anthropologie dress cost me about $15 thrifted and it's very light and comfy.  Perfect for enjoying an outdoor dinner and drinks at one of our favorite restaurants.  And if it's a little too humid out for heels, I think this dress would look just as cute with sandals.

Outfit Info:  Anthropologie Dress is thrifted, Life Stride Loafers are thrifted, pearl clutch is vintage

 

Eye of the Tiger Summer

When a tiger is stalking its prey, it has a moment when it turns its head to the side, cocking their heads to the side and reveal eye-like spots just before striking.  This process is two fold: 1.  It distracts the prey.  2.  It allows the tiger to zero in and strike.  From this comes the saying, "Eye of the Tiger."  It means you are intensely focused on a goal.  This summer has been one of intense focus on the construction of our house.  Instead of building an entirely new structure as we planned when we moved out here, we have been adding on some space and reorganizing the existing place.  When we were touring our house with the realtor, we noticed that one of the ceiling panels was newer than the others.  After asking about it, we were informed that a tree had fallen on the roof several years prior but had been duely patched.  Didn't seem like an issue, so we moved ahead with the purchase.  

After moving in we noticed that an entire 1/3 of the house had no electricity...because of that tree fall.  After a year or two we noticed a window directly under that brand new ceiling panel would leak during heavy rain.  At around five years in the home, the entire ceiling in that same 1/3 of the house started to leak when it rained even a little.  Turns out, that spot wasn't properly patched at all and we now had big, big problems.  So, we had to make a decision about how to move forward and repair/renovate was the route we took.

Two years ago we put in some new floors, paint, etc and at the end of that hard work, that's when we noticed the leak.  We spent the winter planning and then last summer we began the addition.  We excavated, hand dug, hand mixed and poured concrete, measured, cut, drilled, and on and on and on.  This summer it was time to put on a new roof and the timing was critical so that we didn't get a torrential downpour while the roof was ripped off.  That meant we had to time out each phase of construction as closely as possible and wow is that hard to do when you have never done this type of thing before.

Every weekend for the past the past six months or more, plus every spare moment in between, we have worked on the house.  For all this time though we've had this intense focus, the eye of the tiger, we've done nothing else but build, build, build.  Now, it seems we are nearing the end...of phase one. Thankfully phase one was been the most challenging and physically demanding.  I'm hoping things go more smoothly after this, because I've made a vow to myself that once this is done, we won't ever do it again. We'll just kick back, relax, and enjoy what we've built.

As far as today's outfit, obviously this adorable tiger print suited the theme well.  It's never failed to amuse me how perspective can change in an instant.  One moment you see the a certain thing, or even the whole world one way, and then the paradigm shifts on a dime and everything is entirely different.  I've window shopped Modern Millie at least half a dozen times over the past year and I've seen this Tiger shirt dress and always passed it by.  Then one day I saw it and thought it looked like the cutest kitschy print and from a brand I love and trust and I just had to have it as part of my autumn wardrobe.  Eva Rose is a reasonably priced brand that always has adorable prints and very good quality, plus I love supporting smaller businesses like Modern Millie.  So this post is all tied up in a neat little bow.

Outfit Info: Tiger Dress by Eva Rose from Modern Millie