I purchased this Ogden dress from LA makers April Meets October back in May, and a part of me wanted to review this dress in October so that the review was a bit like May meets October lol. But seeing as by the time October rolls around this spring/summery dress would be out of season, I decided to review it asap (according to my current posting schedule). So I guess it’s a bit more like May meets August for this Ogden dress lol. Anyway month-talk aside let’s get into the review!
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Moving from conspicuous to conscious consumption and doing reviews along the way. Find plenty of unsponsored reviews of Quince, Everlane, Grana, and Cuyana on the site! I'm working towards a minimal waste lifestyle, and oh yea I love bags >.<
Everlane Review: The Keepers and Returns in 2021 {Updated February 2022}
Instead of writing one review for every Everlane item I’ve tried so far this year, I decided to lump them all into one. Yes, I’m still doing Everlane reviews in 2021 but that’s because I’m trying to use up my referral credit that I’ve earned with them in the past (with the exception of one pair of jeans-but really I’ve earned those jeans with all my work since 2017). So I’ve been trying things that I might like and then returning the ones that I don’t. And I might as well write about them here 🤷🏻♀️(especially if these reviews help inform your purchasing decisions).
Read MoreWeekend Update/Ramblings
Hi guys, it’s been a bit since my last Weekend post. Well our dog Hachi passed away two weeks ago and I’ve had a hard time getting motivated to do much blogging or instagramming. He passed suddenly at home (he was 12 and slowing down but we thought he had at least a couple more years left) and my husband and I have been dealing with the grief (Emi doesn’t seem to understand though she’s accepted that Hachi is not around anymore).
Read MoreTwo Days Off Clothing Review: Jordan Dress
Ok so this review is only a couple months late since I purchased this back in May. But since I’ve slowed down my reviews to once a week, reviews are out later than usual. Luckily I don’t review fast fashion brands (or fast fashion adjacent) because at this pace, the items would be gone by the time my review comes out for most conventional brands. As it stands, Two Days Off is as intentional as it gets. If you’re not familiar with TDO you can find more about them in my first review of them here. And since then I’ve done quite a few more which you can find here.
Read MoreWhat I Didn't Buy in July
Since I was purposefully not looking to buy things, I don’t have a long list of things I didn’t buy. But instead here are the sales I would have looked at but didn’t because of No Buy July: the babaa sale, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, the Two Days Off sale, the Beklina sale, and the AtLand sale (because they always have dreamy stuff).
Read MoreIlana Kohn Review: The Mabel Jacket
If you’ve read my What I Bought in May post, you already know that I’ve returned this Mabel jacket from Ilana Kohn. But I thought I would write this quick review here for those who are interested in this jacket (still selling at the Garmentory) or it’s close cousin the Park Jacket still selling at IlanaKohn.com. And sometimes the Mabel jacket will show up time to time on the RealReal (their current selection of Ilana Kohn jackets here), which is where I found this one.
Read MoreWeekend Update/Ramblings
Hi guys, just checking in to see how your No Buy July is going (if you’re choosing to participate). I hope you guys made it this far (we’re already over halfway there!), but if not no sweat and maybe try again next month. As for me, I’m still feeling pretty strong and not buying clothes or beauty items. I did buy some things for Emi and a new bar shampoo (but trust me, I really needed it while traveling), but I plan to lay it all out at the end of the month in July’s What I Didn’t Buy (and What I Did Buy) post.
Read MoreSmall Lot Co. Review: Mary Jane Shoes for Adults and Kids, Wide Brim Hat for Adults, Lug Sole Mary Janes {Updated April 2022}
For the first six years of my life I had to wear a uniform everyday for school (an all-girls Episcopalian school) and I hated it. I bring this all up because part of that school uniform was the requirement of wearing plain white Keds. Now I have nothing against Keds now (though tbh I haven’t purchased a pair of Keds since elementary school), but back then I was so sick of them. Yet I have to begrudgingly admit, they are pretty darn comfortable sneakers (and maybe also the reason why I’ve always been so intolerant of uncomfortable shoes). Well this long-winding story was just to illustrate that these Mary Jane shoes from Small Lot Co feel like a comfortable pair of Keds but have 10x the style factor IMHO.
Read MoreMy Best and Worst Luxury Purchases as of 2021
Back in 2018 I wrote a blog post detailing my best and worst luxury bag purchases. Well it’s been several years so I decided to update that post with what I consider my best and worst luxury purchases as of 2021. I’ve decided to include items other than bags this time and I’m expanding my definition of “luxury” to mean anything that’s expensive for what it is and not a necessity.
Read MoreA No Buy July Guide {Updated July 2023}
So for those who want to try a No Buy July with me, I thought I’d give you some pointers and tips. This is my third No Buy July and though I’m not a seasoned pro, this is not my first rodeo. You might think not buying anything for one month is going to be easy, let me tell you it’s not for the faint of heart. And that’s because July is the start of the summer sale season. I know this because this is what derailed my second No Buy July attempt (but I did succeed the first time). So here are some of my tips for a successful No Buy July:
Read MoreWhat I Bought in June
It’s been another month of purchases so I’ve decided to go on a No Buy July and will try to continue it for three months total. It’s time for a reset!
Read MoreWeekend Ramblings
There once was a time when I thought I could be an ethical/sustainable/zero-waste lifestyle blogger. I thought if I just purchased the right things at the right amount, than pronto I’d be that. But after 6 years of blogging, I’ve come to realize I’ll never be fully that nor do I want to be.
Read MoreQuince Review: The Linen Shorts [Updated November 2024]
Last year, I was (and still am) a huge fan of Quince’s linen tank (Quince 100% organic linen tank review here). So when they released matching 100% organic linen shorts this year I jumped on them right away. And I have no regrets. In fact, once I ordered one pair, I immediately ordered two more pairs and now I have my all linen summer uniform.
Read MoreFor Days Upcycled Rib Top and Pants Review
I first heard of the brand For Days via Instagram (dang you Insta marketing), and when they had a sale a couple months ago I snagged the Upcycled Rib top and pants set that I had my eye on. Everything else from the brand is mostly tees and sweats, and seems very Gen Z to me. But this rib set reminded me of some of the stuff I used to wear in the 90’s during middle school, and I guess the nostalgia got me.
Read MoreU Beauty Review: The Super Smart Hydrator
I really love the U Beauty Resurfacing Compound (I’ve repurchased it 4 times and counting). You can read why I love it so much in my U Beauty Resurfacing Compound review here. So I had fairly high expectations for the next product that U Beauty produced, their Super Smart Hydrator. And I really wanted to like it (and believe me I did because it’s more affordable than my current favorite moisturizer, the Augustinus Bader Rich Cream). But unfortunately it didn’t work out for me at all.
Read MoreBeklina Review: The Ribbed Open Toe Clog
After writing up my review for the Beklina Matisse Criss Cross Platforms, I ended up purchasing these Ribbed Open Toe Clogs in both black and buff (as I mentioned at the end of that review). Well it’s been over 5 months since I got these shoes so it was about time I wrote up a review. If you follow me on Insta, you see that I wear these shoes a lot (see the compilation above lol). I loooove how they look and how comfortable they are, and they’ve quickly become my go-to shoes.
Read MoreLevi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans Review
A couple months ago I wrote up a review of the Agolde 90’s jeans, and ever since then I’ve been on a quest for the perfect mom jeans (the problem with the Agolde ones were that they were a tad too small and even though I tried a size up, they still didn’t fit right. You can read all about it in my update in the Agolde jeans review). So I recently decided to try the Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans as a more affordable alternative to the Agolde jeans.
Read MoreMansur Gavriel Review: The Mini Travel Crossbody Bag
Ok ok, so I know since my last Mansur Gavriel Protea bag review I said no more Mansur Gavriel bags. Buuuut I actually bought this last year before the protea bag and hadn’t really had a chance to use it because we were staying home all the time (and all I needed when going out to do errands was a small bag). Well now that we’re back in California and Emi is a full-on toddler with many toddler needs, I’ve started carrying this Mansur Gavriel mini travel bag and I have to say I love it.
Read MoreWeekend Update/Ramblings
Hi guys! How have you been? For those of us in the states, did you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend? We were pretty busy with kids birthday parties and hanging out with friends. It was definitely nice to be able to gather again.
Read MoreAugustinus Bader Review: The Lip Balm {Updated October 2022}
Let me just say that having grown up in Hawaii, I rarely used lip balm. There was no such thing as chapped lips in my childhood, unless we went to the US mainland. So I’m not really experienced with lip balms and I was never a chapstick addict. I’ve tried various lip balms since moving to California (20 years ago lol) and thus far I have never found one that I loved. I basically went from chapstick to a free Sephora sample or another when I needed it. But now my search is over because I can definitely say that the AB lip balm is The One.
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