Spring Break

Okay, so it's not spring yet. In fact, it's barely winter. Even though we're just getting started with the cold, I'm already dreaming of a warm escape. Luckily, my friends and I thought ahead and were able to anticipate that we'd need some sun, and we planned a little trip to Florida for next week. I know I should be shopping for sweaters and boots right now, but I just can't help looking at swimsuits and cute little dresses. Oh, and bags covered in tassels. I want all of the bags covered in tassels.

Day

Dress / Sunscreen / Towel / Tote / Suit

Night

Sandal / Necklace / Dress / Bag / Bracelet

Do you have any spring break plans?

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Distressed + Stripes

Shirt - J. Crew Factory / Vest - Old Navy / Denim and Bag - Gap / Booties (similar) - Sam Edelman / Necklace (similar) - BaubleBar (gift) / Watch - Wristology

 Don't tell my mom, but yes, I did in fact buy my jeans this way. I've been searching for the perfect pair of distressed denim for a long time. I maybe was a little too picky, but I wanted distressing without too many or too big of holes, and a lot of the pairs I tried on had knee holes that didn't line up with my knees which just looks silly. This pair though is perfect. I'm in love and I don't care who knows it. It's silly, but they just make me feel cool. And as a person who is constantly tripping or falling or spilling something, feeling cool is kind of a tricky thing.

Of course, today winter finally hit, so I'm not sure when I'll be pulling these out again - as much as I like feeling cool, I much prefer being warm! Suffering for fashion is so not in my wheelhouse.

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Previously on KDTI - Black Vest:

 

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This Weekend...

This weekend I...

...Met up with some friends for drinks at Band of Bohemia. The cocktails are crazy and creative, and the boys loved their beer. I want to go back now because they have small plates that pair with each beer, and the food looked so good.
...Had a very grown-up Saturday with Jeff shopping for more furniture - we ordered this sleeper sofa for my office, and spent a whole lot of time planning out our dining room at Walter E Smithe. Also, I now have their jingle stuck in my head forever and ever.
...Finally had our friend gift exchange, you know, just a few weeks late ;) We went home with a couple of interesting gifts, including a calendar of one of our friends drinking daiquiris across America. I told Jeff that's going in his office ;)
...Somehow remembered that the Golden Globes were on Sunday (I can never manage to catch award shows!) and loved a lot of the dresses - especially Jaimie Alexander!

I hope you had a good one!

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The Rehearsal Dinner

As promised (and only six months late!), I'm going to be sharing some photos from our wedding every Friday for the next several weeks. First up - the rehearsal dinner. Jeff's dad decided to take the lead on this one and booked it literally the day after we booked our wedding venue (so, 16 months in advance...) at his favorite restaurant, Chicago Cut. If you're looking for a special occasion restaurant in Chicago, this is the one - my family is still talking about the shellfish bouquets & gigantic steaks! It ended up being so cold (60 degrees in June! Luckily it heated up a lot for the actual wedding.) but we braved it out on their patio on the river for the happy hour, and then headed into the restaurant for the dinner.

Dress (exact, similar here and here) - Adrianna Papell / Heels - Jessica Simpson (original post)

Photos by Cristina G

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The 2015 Budget

Welcome to my shopping budget recap for 2015! For the past two years, I've set a monthly clothing budget for myself of $300/month, but I'm not super strict on myself - if I go over one month, I'll try to real it in the next and vice versa. My budget includes everything I wear except for undergarments, pajamas, and workout clothes, and does include bigger ticket items like shoes, coats, and special occasion dresses.

2015 was my second year budgeting, and let me say, it was a lot easier sticking to my budget than last year. It's easier to hold myself back from buying things I don't need, I'm feeling less of an impulse to shop just for the sake of shopping, and I'm not letting sales dictate my purchases. Sure, I still love a good deal, but I'm not buying things just because they're on sale.

Here's a breakdown of what I spent each month:

January: $309.38
February: $256.22
March: $300.33
April: $228.74
May: $196.20
June: $401.28
July: $178.30
August: $275.40
September - $225.15
October - $98.45
November - $314.23
December - $209.67

Total Spent: $2,993.35
Average Monthly Spend: $249.45

That total might seem like a lot for the year, but for me the majority of my clothing budget comes out of my "extra money" that I get from freelancing and affiliate links on this blog (p.s. thanks for clicking!).

While in general I was more thoughtful about my purchases than last year, I did have a few misses in 2015. These are the pieces I should have skipped:

Target Dress - $19.98. I bought this because it was on clearance and I figured I'd have an occasion to wear it. Hint: I didn't find a reason. It's still in my closet though because I'm holding out hope.
SheInside Dress - $14.95. This didn't quite fit, but it would cost so much to return that I didn't bother since it was so cheap.
Old Navy Skirt - $14.30. I tried and tried to find ways to wear this, but it ultimately felt too junior. By the time I figured that out I was past the return window.
Ann Taylor Tank - $37.49. I didn't realize the fit was a bit off until I tore off the tags and wore it on our honeymoon, and then I wore it a couple more times because I was packing light, and by then it felt wrong to return it.
Target Espadrilles - $24.99. Everyone was buying these, so I bought them. I figured I'd break them in and they'd eventually get comfortable. They didn't.

And now here are a few of my favorite purchases for the year:

Loft Scalloped Dress - $0 with giftcard. I wore this for one of my bridal showers and to a wedding, here's hoping I find some more occasions to wear it next year!
J.Crew Factory Dress - $45.90. I basically wore this every chance I got this year, and this made me want to wear all of the shift dresses - they're the perfect inbetween of dressy and casual that feel appropriate for any situation.
Kate Spade Bag - $128. I was unsure about this because it's such a small bag, but it turns out that I love it so much I'm willing to barely carry anything. This one is still available!
Sole Society Sandals - $59.95. I wore these basically every day this summer, including all over Italy. There are a couple of sizes still available on clearance.
Zella Leggings - $52. I now realize that every other pair of leggings I ever purchased were terrible. These are amazing and I'm going to wear them every chance I get. Available here.
BaubleBar Earrings - $18.40. I wear these basically every day and get compliments on them everywhere I go. Available here.
Sole Society Booties - $79.95. These are the only heeled item I wear on the reg, they are so comfy and lend a cool vibe to any outfit.
Banana Republic Sweater - $37.70. I wear this as many times in a week as I feel is socially acceptable, plus probably one more. Ponchos are my new favorite thing.
Jessica Simpson Dress - $104.99. It's funny that this was in one of my most popular posts of the year, because when I ordered it I was 99% sure it wouldn't fit and would have to go back. Guess I should step out of my comfort zone more often!

I thought about switching to a quarterly or even annual budget for 2016 since I tend to be way under or way over each month, but ultimately I decided I prefer the structure of the monthly clothing budget. It makes it easier for me to stay on top of my spending and not go crazy every time there's a sale. That means that I will be sticking with a $300 a month budget for 2016.

Did you budget in 2015? Will you start this year?

P.S. Check out my 2014 budget recap here!

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That Swing Thing

Dress - c/o SheIn / Scarf (similar & only $29!) - Hinge / Flats - Tory Burch / Earrings - BaubleBar / Necklace - Madewell (I was wearing it, I swear!)

I don't know why, but I've been resisting the swing dress. I mostly just assumed they would look terrible on me because of my body type. Well guys, turns out I was wrong. This one SheIn sent me is so cute and weirdly flattering despite the flowy cut. I guess it's the same principle as the poncho or oversized sweaters - as long as you find the right cut, they can definitely work on a larger bust. And sidebar - while I was wrong about swing dresses, I learned this weekend that I was correct in my assumption that OTK boots wouldn't work on me - turns out my legs are long (umm, guess I knew that) and every pair barely covers my kneecaps. Oh well.

Anyway, back to the dress. Not only is it flattering, but it's also super versatile. I wore it over the weekend for a casual lunch date with the family, and then swapped the ballet flats for heeled booties and the scarf for a sparkly necklace for a fancy dinner date with Jeff at Siena Tavern. Another bonus? No one could tell that I basically inhaled a pound of pasta at dinner. So shhh, let's just keep that between you and me.

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Previously on KDTI - more LBDs:

 

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Since I've Been Gone...

Oh hey there, welcome to the new year! I've had a very chill last couple of weeks, thanks in part to a nasty cold I came down with after Christmas, and thanks to a relaxing schedule. We did get down to a few things besides hanging out with family and watching all of the Christmas movies we own over and over and over, including...

...Taking Jeff's siblings & sig others out to dinner at Ombra, and holy brussels sprouts! I order those little guys maybe too often, and these took the cake as the best I've ever had. Thanks to our waiter for making an error and giving us a second order on the house ;)
...Doing tons of post-Christmas shopping and returning, and somehow only managing to buy one pair of knee socks from the clearance rack. Le sigh.
...Going on a little dinner date with Jeff to Siena Tavern thanks to a gift card we got as a wedding gift, and errrrmygerrrrrrrd the gnocchi!! I seriously considered licking my plate ;)
...Finally going to see Star Wars! Now I'm not a super fan, but my brother made me watch the original three quite a few times back in the day. I know there are some mixed opinions out there, but I loved it - the perfect mix of nostalgia plus a new story.
...Entertaining up a storm at the new place, including hosting drinks with Jeff's family, lunch with my family, and a little NYE party (for which I couldn't help wearing my new sequined dress ;).
...Discovering that every restaurant in Logan Square closed for the holidays. After trying and failing at several places we wanted to try, we wandered into Dunlays, and let me tell you, that was an excellent accident. Afterwards we met up with a bunch of friends next door at Billy Sundays and enjoyed a few very fancy cocktails.

I hope you had a good one!

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