Things I've been buying, loving and trying! Part 4
The fact that Part 3 of this series was posted last December is CRIMINAL. This is my favourite type of post to write and I have been slacking… I swear time has been flying by as I’ve been getting older. I don’t even think a full intro is needed, we need to get into the things I have been buying, loving, and trying, stat. (P.S. Yes, I added visuals this time. Scroll to the bottom.)
Let’s start off with beverages. I always love knowing what people’s go-to beverages are, whether they’re in a coffee shop, a bar, at home, etc. At home, I drink tea every morning. My favourites are Heavenly Cream, Green Tea and Perfectly Pear by Sloane, and Marco Polo by Mariages Frères. I drink them all black, I never add anything to my tea (sugar, milk, etc.).
If I am going out to a coffee shop, I almost always get a decaf cappuccino. I find that caffeine makes me anxious and doesn’t sit well, I don’t know the science behind it, but when I get it decaf, I am fine, and the second there is caffeine, I get a stomach ache and just don’t feel great.
If I am at Nutbar (IYKYK), I get a smoothie (lemon glow, cherry, or chocolate) or a decaf supercoffee. I will not stand for any $20 smoothie slander, cocktails these days are minimum $18 and they aren’t good for you, so me getting a delicious and healthy smoothie is justified.
However, if I am out on the town, I do love a glass of wine, bubbly, a gin and tonic, or a southside (I like gin, can you tell?).
And finally, I am trying to up my water intake and I do so with my cute little Bink water bottle.
I bought and returned these loafers from The Row. The Row has sadly (for my bank account) become an obsession of mine. I was strolling around Holts (dangerous) with one of my favourite people to ever exist, you know when you just really click with someone and you feel so comfortable with them? Anyways, that is how I feel with Rebecca.
Anyways, back to this very impulsive purchase. And before you wonder, “why is she including this section in the blog post if she returned them?”, this falls in the “trying” category of the title, duh! I found them, tried them on, loved them, but then looked at the price and even though they were on sale, they weren’t a no-brainer, the price was still pretty steep.
So we went to Nutbar to ponder. I got a decaf supercoffee and chatted with my husband about this purchase, which he blessed and said, “this will be your Christmas gift from me.” He’s the sweetest. So we went back and I tried them both on and decided, yep, I will be buying them.
I brought them home, so sure about my decision. I ran them by one of my most stylish friends, Sam. He too blessed them. But then, as the week went on (I had two weeks to make a return), I thought to myself: a light suede, expensive loafer that I could only wear for approximately two months out of the year… probably not the purchase I should be making right now as we are saving for a house. I’m more thoughtful with expensive purchases and want to ensure a good cost per wear.
So I did the responsible thing and brought them back. I do still think they’re extremely chic, but for now now I will saving and on the hunt for maybe a brown leather pair of The Row loafers, ones I could wear more often than 2 months out of the year.
100% cotton pajamas!!! My current favourites are the Brandy Melville ones. They come in a pant and a short version. They are nowhere to be found on their website right now, but trust me, they’re wonderful. I put a pair of Cozyland pajamas on my Christmas list, so I am so excited to try those out too. I just love a cotton PJ set. I am team no buttons on the shirt, I like a long-sleeve crew neck and pants.
Secondhand shopping, consignment shopping, vintage shopping? Idk what to call it. Scrolling the following sites has been a pastime of mine for the past year: Facebook Marketplace, Mine and Yours, VSP, The RealReal, and eBay.
I somehow found my dream wedding after-party dress on eBay, a vintage Dior piece. It is so fun to find unique pieces that nobody else has. I think the Dior dress and my coffee table are two of my favourite finds this year (I can’t even take credit for the coffee table; my good friend found it and drove me to pick it up, she is the FB Marketplace queen).
I have favourited a lot of finds from The RealReal and my parents and sister live in the States, so I can easily ship all my finds to them and dodge the duties. If you are a good friend of mine and reading this, 1. thank you and 2. your reward is also being able to ship things to my family’s home and one of them or I will bring them back for you.
Tracking my expenses… adult stuff. But wow, I think everyone should be doing this. Just look at where your money is going. I find actually having it on an Excel sheet, month by month and by category, is so much more helpful than just scrolling through your credit card statements.
It is those random $10–$30 purchases that add up in no time that are the most shocking. I’m going to keep this point short though because I am a believer that everyone should spend their money how they want. Buy it if you want or don’t want, not my business. But it is your business to know where your money is going.
Printing and framing pictures!!! Not art, PICTURES! I do love the idea of a gallery wall. I don’t think it makes sense in my current home, but in a future home there will be a gallery wall on my second floor, something I can enjoy and won’t be too in people’s faces when they come over.
But I do love a framed picture and I especially love a tabletop frame. I will be starting my collection now. I have one that I love, I just put in a photo booth pic. I always check the thrift store for them.
Gifting consumables, I think unless you know for sure that your giftee will like your non-consumable gift, you should err on the side of caution and stick to a consumable. Coffee beans, candles, chocolates, fancy paper napkins, spreads, creams/lotions, fancy olive oil, fancy salt, spa gift card.
I try to stay away from gift cards in general, but a spa gift card is in a different category IMO, think Caudalie facial or a Formula Fig facial for your busy friend. I also love Sidia products. I have been loving the solid perfume in Braless, another great gift option, and it has been the perfect work-bag pouch addition for a reapplication throughout the day or before post-work events.
Following #7, I love a Diptyque candle… I know, they’re expensive, but they’re oh so worth it. I love treating myself to one, gifting one, reusing the jars. It’s a small luxury I’ll continue to treat myself to.
Ok, this was a longer post than usual. I have fallen back in love with writing and it is such a nice feeling. Sorry for blabbing on too much about each point, but hope you enjoyed! I promise I will have Part 5 out before next December.
xx