Jen Russum

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Just Say No.

I hardly want to write a fashion post. This is a very good thing. But the Type A in me wants to complete my 30 for 30 posts and tell you how I finished out my little shopping fast in May.

Actually, truth be told, it ended with me sitting on the floor of my closet at midnight ordering necklaces off Etsy.

Maybe I didn’t learn that much about controlling my consumerism.

But then again, maybe I did…

Side note: The necklaces were ones I had been eyeing and avoided buying for at least six months, and I just happened to stumble across them that night when they were 40% off. I still wasn’t going to buy them, until I realized the calendar had rolled to June 1st and I was no longer technically on a shopping fast. Maybe I’m weak… or maybe I am a very patient shopper.

Anyway, the good news is that shopping doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore. I’ve by no means erased that idol from my life completely, but I can see my heart changing and, along with it, my behavior.

Because as much as I love, love, love shopping and finding a great deal and stocking my closet with new, pretty clothes, I have also realized that shopping is a life sucker for me. In the past six weeks of my life, I’ve learned that the actual act of shopping is not quite as fun for me as I thought it was…

Let’s keep it real though. Sometimes shopping is really fun. On that day when Anthro is having their biggest sale of the year or you hit up your favorite outlet malls with your sister or your best friend or you get to go splurge on an item out of your normal price range thanks to an unexpected gift card. Those are good days.

But most of my shopping days don’t work like that. They work more like this: I am out running errands. I spot Old Navy. I wonder if they have any good sales going on. I impulsively pull into the parking lot, justifying in my head how much I am allowed to spend if they have any deals {let’s say… $20}, and pull my visor over my windshield to block my car from the hot sun while I run inside on this pointless errand. I wander into Old Navy, skim the front room and don’t see anything too impressive. I squeeze my foot into a pair of cute wedges, even though there are none left in my size. Consider buying this smaller size since it’s an open toe shoe. Talk myself out of that bad idea. Meander back to the sale section, poke through the racks, realize there is hardly anything new on sale since the last time I went to Old Navy {probably three weeks ago} and begin the walk back to my car in the scorching parking lot. Thankfully, I’m empty handed, but I just wasted at least ten minutes of my life and the gas it takes to turn my car on and off repeatedly.

That is not fun shopping, friends. And it’s a lesson my sinful heart has been slow to learn.

But I am learning, praise the Lord.

In the last week, although I did have the Old Navy experience described above, I also had a few small victories. One day I pulled into the Kohl’s parking lot while out running errands, sat in my car looking at my phone for a minute, and in that 60 seconds, decided I wasn’t really in the mood to shop. I turned my car back on and pulled right out of that parking lot. Sorry Lauren Conrad. And just yesterday, I was running errands around ASU and considered stopping in the obligatory Urban Outfitters that graces every university district, and decided it wasn’t worth my time. I got into my car and drove home because it was too lovely of a day to spend my afternoon digging through hipster clothes in search of a clearance gem.

And without further adieu, here are a few ways I mixed up some of my favorite pieces during my last week of 30 for 30. And this is probably the last time you’ll see a fashion post around these parts for a while…

The dress posing as skirt look. Short version.
Cotton dress:: Nordstrom Rack // Eyelet blouse:: Anthro // Sandals:: Jessica Simpson // 
Belt:: Old Navy // Necklace:: Nordstrom // Watch: DKNY

The dress posing as skirt look. Long version.
Dress:: Target // Striped tank:: TJ Maxx // Wedges:: Ross
Necklace:: Nordstrom Rack // Belt:: Forever 21 // Bracelet:: Nordstrom BP

The striped tank over cotton dress for dinner with my little lady friends. 
The striped tank with jeans and hat {both Banana Republic} for date night with my man.
P.S. I have no idea why my pictures are blurry. I took them with my nice camera and edited them the way I usually do using PicMonkey. Any photography experts out there want to explain why or give me any tips?
*Linking up with The Pleated Poppy and 5 Days, 5 Ways*

Comments

  1. I think that waiting 6 months to buy something and snagging it when it's on sale is smart shopping. I'm trying to train myself to understand that the best way to SAVE money is to buy things sometimes. I'll pass on things when they are on sale and then realize later that I actually NEED it and be forced to go out and buy it at full price or at a closer store where it's more expensive, etc.

  2. Your shopping fast is really admirable. And there's no harm in spoiling yourself every now and then. It's all a matter of buying more consciously and not just on a whim just because something's on sale.
    When a friend of mine asked me to join her in living the frugal life in 2011 I thought this would be a bad idea – I mean, NO shopping!? For a YEAR!? Unless something breaks I was not allowed to replace it, and if I already had half a dozen similar versions of something in my closet, I wasn't allowed to buy either.
    To make it a little less painful we agreed to use money from things we sold (aka stuff we've bought with tags still attached or things that didn't fit anymore, basically all the things we once thought we needed but really didn't) and that money could then be spent on pretty much anything.
    Long story short, my friend made it maybe half way through the year while I succeeded (and I still had about 500 bucks I could have spent at the end of the year, ha). I drooled over sales, I drooled over online shops, I drooled all over the place, but I didn't cave. Not to say I didn't by any clothing or accessories though – but when I did it was because I purged my closet to get rid of things worn out and where I really needed a replacement.
    And you know what? It wasn't as bad as it sounds. I mean, my closet is so full I probably won't need to shop for a decade (well, except for new socks and underwear maybe). This year I'm taking the whole frugal living thing a lot more lightly – I will only use money I made through sales, but I will also spoil myself (like I did yesterday when one of my fav Etsy shops suddenly had a 25% OFF sale, yay).
    The point is, last year's experience made me rethink consumerism and I realized that there are worlds between needing and wanting. Needless to say, today I am able to appreciate my purchases a whole lot more than in recent years. Not to forget, all the money I save (ohhh … to be spent on books, but of course this is the year of the big book buying ban as I've got way to many unread books already – what can I say, the life of a book blogging book worm). Plus, the things I buy now – well, I actually use them, wear them, enjoy them. They don't just end up in the closet, never (or rarely) to be seen again.
    Oh my, that comment's pretty long now, isn't it?

    P.S.: Love your 30 for 30 feature!

  4. So, it's June 13 and I realize I haven't bought anything yet … quite the accomplishment for me (I know your Old Navy trips all too well).

    Thank you — and I'm sure my husband thanks you, too — for inspiring me to keep doing it for the next 18 days!

  5. Love the striped tank – it is so cute and versatile! And I really enjoy your honesty about shopping. I used to shop like that as well. When my hubby quit his job to stay at home with our boys, our income dropped drastically, and I learned to only shop when I needed things, and occasionally for fun. It has really changed my perspective of shopping and I hardly ever make impulse purchases now.

  6. in love with your striped shirt/pink maxi combo! I just ordered a pink maxi i can't wait to try this look 🙂 I love new fashion inspiration!

    stopping by from WIWW

  9. I loved this post. I am a big shopper and have to say, there are days where I am just not in the mood. Or days where I go out and have similar experiences and later think wow…I just wasted 2 hours doing a whole lotta nothing.

    Love the looks though! And re: picmonkey. The exact same thing happened to me once and I had no idea why. 😮 I will say, if you enlarge the pic at all using their tool…it gets very blurry, very fast. Not sure if you did that?

  12. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a sweet comment. So glad to have found your super cute blog…following you now! I love the versatility of the dress and the colorful way you styled it in each of the looks, especially with the black/white striped top! You are so cute and glad to have discovered our similarities…great minds think alike too! 🙂

  14. Hello I'm a fellow Arizonian too! I love your stylish outfits and your challenge. I'm doing a similiar challenge called 'Revive My Closet', trying to revive and rework the old closet, along with a few thrifted items thrown in here and there, instead of running to the mall everytime I can't figure out what to wear.