July Budget Review

July, I'm not sad to see you go. While I did get to go on vacation and DH got some good news, you were kinda crappy to me.

Regardless, as you are on your way out, here's how I did this month fashion-wise:

Madewell V Neck Tees, green and gray - 2x = 12 each
Madewell polka dot sweater = 30
Keds for Madewell = 24
Gap maxi skirt = 6.50

July total: 84.50

By far, my cheapest month clothing-wise in a long time. I did spend in other areas - I got a haircut, made a donation to a coworker's rowing fund, and took myself for a massage when I found out I was getting my job back. And Ollie the chinchilla has been having some health problems so he's had to see the vet twice this month.

August is a busy month - DH's birthday, our first wedding anniversary, and my birthday. I do need to buy DH his presents but other than that I'm hoping to keep it low spend.

How did you do this month? Linking up with Franish!

Madewell July sale picks

Happy Weekend! I can't even begin to tell you what a week I had so I figure I will just omit it from the blog. ;)

To cheer myself up I wandered down to the Madewell sale which is featuring an additional 40% all sale items.

My pics - all from Madewell San Francisco which still had a nice sale selection

Dot stitch sweater. I nabbed this one in the grey/navy dot combo. It was 49.99 in store before before any additional reductions. 

Madewell artisan tee. I took a size down in this so I got the charcoal grey and this awesome green color. Marked to 19.99 before additional sale.

Keds for Madewell in mint polka dot. I loved these ever since I first saw them.. and at 39.99 before the 40% off I treated myself. I sized down in these as well.

Have you picked up anything from the summer sales?

Wine tasting & Sunday night thoughts

Oh Sunday evening at 8:45pm I loathe you as Monday quickly descends upon us.

Over the past week I've started to feel as though I'm getting stuck in a rut. Things at work have gotten interesting, to say the least and I'm going to leave it at that. Perhaps as I approach my 29th birthday next month I'm also simultaneously freaking out over the fact that 30 is knocking on my door. I hate the idea of getting older (although much, much better than the alternative) and I hate not knowing what's going to come my way next. I feel vulnerable and on edge and that's really not a way I like to live; as a creature of habit I feel like I'm a snail without a shell.

To say that I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place in more than one situation would be an understatement.

I think I might do something like cut my hair soon to hopefully give myself a bit of a boost. I'm trying to be better with money and impulsive spending. If anyone has any ways that they cheer themselves up when feeling down let me know, I'd love to hear it!

But enough of the debbie downer stuff. This weekend we celebrated a friend's birthday by going wine tasting in Napa. The weather was perfect and we had a great time... some photos below. :)

Watching some bees buzz around

Group tasting at Peju

Sunflowers at Peju

Gorgeous flowers at the entrance to Mumm

Golden Gate out the sunroof

Wineries in Napa you should visit (only because I liked them!)
V Sattui Winery - awesome marketplace and outdoor bbq area (oysters, anyone?) and tastings inside.
Peju Winery - if you enjoy reds, go here
Mumm Napa - lots of bubbly with a fantastic view of the vinyards

Zion & Bryce 2013

I have to admit that one of my favorite things about coming home from a trip are getting to see Rosie, Frankie and Ollie. Second is my own bed. And third is coming home to San Francisco.

But that's not to say I didn't appreciate Utah because I fact I do. After this trip I seem to have a new found love and appreciation for our National Parks, for small American towns that fly flags down their main street for 4th of July, for thunder and lightening storms that are scarce at home, and for being able to take time off and travel with DH and my parents.

Zion National Park is mind blowing. We hiked up a river into the canyon, saw waterfalls, and enjoyed small town life. Bryce Canyon has a staggering amount of hoodoo's and allows a look down on them from over 9000 feet up. We hiked, sweated, cursed, laughed, and admired. In Bryce we stayed late for the astronomy program and saw Saturn, a nebula, two stars masked as one, and clear as day the Milky Way.

Is it crazy that I've been back for not even 24 hours and want to go some where else again?

Until the next time National Park system... keep it real.

Zion National Park

 Bryce Canyon National Park

All photos here taken with my Nikon D80. :)