Wishlist Wednesday: Winter Florals

Food and fashion are two of my favorite things, and here's a working theory of mine: fall is the brunch of seasons.

Spring is dawn, new beginnings; obviously, breakfast. Summer is light, bright, and carefree: lunch. Winter is meatier, more substantive, so definitely dinner. But fall is that happy time in between -- substantial but not heavy, tasty and satisfying. And my very favorite thing about brunch is that anything goes. It's breakfast, lunch, and everything in between. You want an omelet? Yes, definitely. Lobster? OK! French toast? Sure. How about some prime rib? Yum. Don't forget the champagne…it's cool, it's brunch.

Fall fashion is the same way. You have your tweeds, turtlenecks, plaid shirts and puffy vests -- classic fall pieces. But there's quite a lot of leeway. If you're not ready to put away that floaty dress you love, throw a chunky cardigan over it. Summer sandals work when you wear them with opaque tights. And if you love a pretty print, why not florals? Specifically, winter florals.

Winter florals bring color and energy into your wardrobe. The print adds sweetness; cool tones against a darker background set just the right mood:

clockwise l to r:

Loft Autumn Blossom Flutter Dress ($90) -- quite popular among bloggers this season, the bold print and rich color palette suggest a cool 70's vibe without being overly trendy or costume-y.

Zara Printed Leather Court Shoe ($119) -- an easy pick-me-up for so many different fall looks. A simple sweater and pants become a great outfit with the right shoes.

Thakoon for DesigNation Floral High-Low Hem Blouse ($37.50) -- this top is one of the more interesting pieces in Kohl's recent designer collaboration. The fabric is elegant but the cut is casual -- a very cool look.

Yumi Kim Museum Row Maxi ($258) -- what a dress, right? Who knew you could be so sexy while being so covered up.

Vintage Floral Short Coat ($53) -- I don't know, this oddball, Grandma's couch cushion print kind of appeals to me. It's not for everyone, but it's interesting.

Bettye by Bettye Mueller Pedigree Flats ($65) -- great shoes at a great price. So much more versatile than you'd expect.

Modcloth Elegant Instruction Dress ($170) -- when you want to make your SO's eyes pop out of their head cartoon-style.

LK Bennett Marli Silk Print Top ($145) -- I like the drapey cut and the lovely watercolor effect print.

August Budget

What a difference a month makes...

Last month was a bit of disaster that included a pricey splurge and a big Zara haul that put me way over budget. (A quick update there: I ended up returning the beautiful J. Crew shoes. It was a little sad because I did love them, but I couldn't justify the price when I really looked at the quality of the shoes). This month was the polar opposite -- almost no shopping at all. I had other priorities, and sometimes that's just the way it goes: I had a number of boring household-type expenses (new MacBook battery, new glasses, fresh highlights, etc.), I've been putting money away for my vacation, and I wasn't really interested in fall clothes because it's just too hot in Florida.

Here's how my August spending looks:

Starting Budget: $200

J. Crew Factory Tipped Linen Blazer ($50, on sale) -- I actually haven't received this jacket yet, but assuming I keep it, I'll be counting this towards my August budget. I've been wanting a sharp white blazer with black piping for a while and caught a fairly rock bottom price (it's back to almost $100 now!). 

a.n.a Stella Thong ($18, on sale) -- I've loved these sandals all summer, and I picked them up during a nice end of summer sale. They're fun and add a nice pop of color to a lot of outfits.

J. Crew Factory Photo Collector Tee ($10, on sale) -- just a cool little tee. 

Total: $78 ($112 under budget)

I'll be tucking this $112 away in savings, but I'll reserve the right to dip into it in September or October when I might be tempted by great fall pieces.

I have been doing a lot of window shopping fall fashion (and I'll be starting a fun fall shopping series next week). Since this is a pretty short post, I thought I'd share some of the things I'm eyeing for September:

I really love this Zara blouse. It pushes all of my buttons: black and white, pretty piping, sheer flowy shape. I'm hoping to see it in store rather than ordering online because I am concerned it might be a little too short for my long torso.

How sexy is this mermaid-like swimsuit? I still have a lot of swimming months ahead of me, so it seems like a good buy.

Thakoon x Kohl's launches this month, and the preview images look great. I love this cozy marled sweater, among other things.

I fell in love with this blouse a few years ago, and I'm glad Kate Spade re-released it this year. It is marked down from it's original overinflated price, but I'll need another round of reductions before I can pull the trigger. But it's so pretty, right?

This bag looks amazingly chic in photos -- can you believe it is from Old Navy? I definitely want to check this out in-store. I've been let down by the quality level of ON bags in the past, but if this looks as good in real life, it would be an excellent fall buy.

Anything you have your eye on this season?

Linking up with Fran and the budgeting bloggers -- go check out all of the great buys this month!

PS - New here? Welcome! Check out my most popular posts this month:

Wednesday Wishlist: So Bright

Pack This: Summer Vacation

Three Ways: Cashmere Cardigan

June Budget

Fun fact -- I have no idea how much I spent this month! And I could barely remember what I bought when I tried to put this post together. My goal of spending mindfully sort of went out the window this month, so I'm on a mission to do better in July. Anyway, let's see what the damage is together, shall we?

Starting Budget:

$200

Purchases:

clockwise from l to r:

J. Crew Perforated Drapey Crepe Dress ($75, on sale) -- this dress, oh, this miracle dress. The perfect combination of sexy, sweet, and sophisticated. I actually bought it in the Sweet Persimmon color (a perfect tomato red), but for some reason J. Crew decided to style it like a potato sack in the online photo. This dress really loves a woman with curves, so the poor waif models are really drowning in it. Hence the miracle -- it is a dress that looks so much better on real women than on models! It is in and out of stock online, but keep checking -- I'm definitely on the lookout for one of the other two colors (black, and a cool nude-y walnut color).

Forever 21 Tonal Patterned Dolman Top ($20) -- sheer and lightweight and very pretty.

Zara Soft Shopper ($25, on sale) -- spotted this on sale in NYC and bought it as I was headed to the register. I will certainly get lots of use out of it and love it for years; debatable about whether it was a good purchase this month, but oh well.

Zara Perforated Clutch ($25, on sale) -- I actually went to Zara in search of this cute clutch I wrote about a few weeks ago, and I was thrilled to spot it on sale as well. It has a crossbody strap as well, so quite versatile.

Old Navy Cross-Strap Slides ($20, on sale) -- I'm obsessed with snakeskin print, and these seem chic but still practical.

Kohl's Graphic Scooped Tee ($12) -- I love a slim fitted graphic tee, and this watercolor-y endless summer print just made me smile.

Old Navy Faux-Leather Capri Sandals ($10, on sale) -- mine are black, which are sold out online. I'm obsessed with sleek, minimal sandals even though I don't think they always work on my feet -- I was happy these do!

Old Navy Palm Print Shorts ($18, on sale) -- summer is the perfect time for a pair of crazy print shorts.

Juicy Couture Burnout Henley ($7, clearance) -- this is definitely a lounging around the house top -- so light and sheer, with the sweetest rhinestone buttons.

Old Navy Slub Knit Hoodie ($10, on sale) -- this is one of my problem areas -- I can't seem to stop buying comfy lounge tops. This one is cozy and adorable, but so are the other 4 nearly identical ones I have in my closet. Note to self: knock it off.

Total: $222

Welllll....close. I actually both the 2 pair of Old Navy shoes today, so if I hadn't made that impulse buy I would have been on target. I can justify by saying my size is hard to find, sizes were limited online, blah, blah. I should have been keeping track of my total throughout the month so I knew that I'd already hit my limit. Room for improvement.

Next month's budget may be spent pretty quickly -- I'm waiting for this pair of shoes that seems to be taking the scenic route from J. Crew, I am hoping to score another miracle dress, and I just snapped up this gorgeous piped jacket after Ann Taylor taunted me with a great 50% off deal (there's always a chance that I'll hate it when it arrives, but something tells me it's a keeper). Oh, and Zara is having a massive sale? Sigh. How much can you get for selling a kidney these days?

Any good buys this month? Are you going to try to fight me for one of those fab little J. Crew dresses? Let me know!

Linking up with Fran and the budget bloggers -- go see what the ladies bought this month!

PS -- are you new here? Don't judge me on my poor budget skills alone -- feel free to take a look at my most popular posts this month:

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Florida Girl Problems

Weekend To-Do

Another weekend - yay! Pretty routine stuff, but lovely nevertheless. Here's what was on my list:

1. My second Summer Friday got off to an unceremonious start -- a massive thunderstorm only Florida can whip up. This happens almost daily this time of year, but Friday's was particularly violent and slow moving, so I decided it would be a good night to cuddle on the couch with Netflix and takeout. I'm cruising through season one of Mad Men and it is as wonderful as everyone says. Such a great show to binge watch -- the pace is deliberate and slow, so it is satisfying to gulp down 2 and 3 episodes at a time and still be able to delight in all of those juicy details. So many smart women, so many thick men -- it is frustrating and satisfying and the same time. And the makeup is everything. Note to self: figure out how to wear red lipstick without looking like a clown.

2. Saturday morning got off to a good, sweaty start (I'm letting Shawn T kick my ass these days) and then headed out for a few hours to catch up with friends. We ate and shopped, which was perfect. I was happy to find quite a few gems without putting much of a dent in my June budget -- I loved this sweet t-shirt with a relaxed 'endless summer' vibe, a surprising Kohl's find.

3. I spent Saturday night having some grown-up fun at the Orlando Science Center -- they host a regular "Science Night Live" event. Basically you can run around the center and play with all of the exhibits while enjoying some tasty food and adult beverages. Just some good nerdy fun. #orlandodoesntsuck

4. Finally, Sunday was spent doing mostly un-fun grown-up things. I've been slacking on housework lately and I'm embarrassed to admit that things were getting a little crusty en la casa. I spent a few hours getting things sparkling clean -- a few loads of laundry, tons of dishes, vacuuming dog fur from every crevice of the sofa, and a little elbow grease and things are feeling much better. I'm not a neat freak, but since I work from home I have to look at the dust bunnies all day long and I can't really relax when things are out of order. 

And now I've got the Tony Awards on while relaxing in bed. Not a bad way to end the weekend...be kind to us, Monday.