Affordable back to school haul

Back to school season is in full swing. My first one started last week and my second one's first day of kindergarten was Monday. Today, I wanted to quickly share a few back to school purchases for my daughter (who is now in grade 7). All items were purchased by me with my own money. I gave her $100 allowance and let her pick out her own clothes. Shein is probably one of her favorite places to shop for clothes at the moment (used to be Justice but she finds them to be very kiddie-like now and I agreed). If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you probably know I don't spend a lot of money on clothes (not for me and certainly not for my kids). They go through new clothes every 6 months. Two things I don't mind spending extra for: 1. A well-made heavy winter jacket and 2. A comfortable pair of everyday shoes. I didn't have high expectations since everything is so affordable. I am pleasantly surprised everything turned out to be better than expected. She's excited to rock these pieces at school. I am modeling them below (please keep in mind that these items are for my 12 year old daughter and one size too small for me).

1. Camo sweatshirt *size S*: Good material (not too thick, not too thin). It's perfect for those cooler mornings at the bus stop

2. Cropped two-tone hoodie *size XS*: The length is great on her. Again, the material is perfect for this time of the year

3. Cropped blue sweatshirt *one size*: This sweater is thicker and would be better for cold months. It's so cozy and comfortable (fleece on the inside). I love the baby blue color as well.

4. Rose embroidered tee *size XS*: These adorable t-shirts are perfect for now but they also work great as a layer for the colder months. The material feels really nice and substantial

5. Lace up front tee *size XS*: Love the color for Fall. The material is soft and drapy. The length is long on her but she can make it work by tying a knot or something. I was afraid the neckline would be too low but luckily, it's not

6. Pineapple hoodie *one size*: This is the perfect hoodie for those lazy days. Again, the material feels nice and cozy (fleece on the inside as well). The pineapple print adds a cute touch to a plain black sweatshirt.

7. Holographic backpack: This chick wanted a holographic backpack this year and we managed to find the shiniest one on the planet lol. The quality again is surprising decent. It's big enough to hold normal sized folders with lots of pockets for organization. 

When it comes to online shopping, I only buy tops for her. My favorite places to shop for kids bottoms are Nordstrom (their Zella leggings are the best) and Abercrombie kids for jeans. I hope you find this post helpful if you have a teenager in your household. Nothing too trendy or over the top. My kid is definitely not one of those Instagram kids and this is what a normal kid in my area would wear.

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Affordable back to school haul

Bell sleeve floral dress

 

Hope you all had a great weekend. It went by so quick. Today is my little one's first day of kindergarten. I have to say every cliche about kids is true. They grow up so quickly. Now onto today's post, this is another piece I received from Shein last month. I ordered this dress because I love the print. It reminds me of one of those beautiful Zimmermann dresses. Ruffle sleeves and a soft floral print make this dress the perfect summer piece. Even though the dress is lined, it's still somewhat see through. I am going to keep it because I love the print and the style. However, I would have to wear this slip underneath every time for extra coverage. Outfit details: Shein floral dress | Zara suede sandals (almost identical) | Chanel bag *exact one here* | Cluse watch

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Bell sleeve floral dress

The new and updated Gucci Soho bag

Updated version

Not too long ago, Gucci released a new version of their incredible popular Soho bag. I mentioned in this post that this bag is one of the 5 luxury bags I will not buy. The number one reason is because of the huge tassel. I know some people are a fan of the tassel, it just didn't do it for me. Gucci must have heard my wish (j/k) - the new version does not have the leather tassel zipper pull. I also mentioned in the same post that the strap is just way too long for my short frame and that hasn't changed. The new version is currently only available in 2 colors as seen above. I hope they'll release more colors in the future. What do you think of the modification? Are you a fan of the tassels trend?

Previous version

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The new and updated Gucci Soho bag

The last bit of summer

It's still pretty hot in the Midwest. We're planning to take the girls to the pool this weekend. It makes me sweat just seeing blogger in booties and sweaters =) I am still embracing summer to the fullest. I ordered this dress/cover-up for my FL trip but unfortunately, it did not arrive on time. I am excited to wear it out this weekend. As mentioned in my previous post, I ordered 5 items from Shein. Each item has things I like and things I don't like. This dress is super well made. The material feels really nice and expensive than it actually is. The embroidered details are absolutely stunning. Even though the top part isn't lined, you can get away with wearing a nude bra. This item listed as a dress on their site but there is no way I can wear this out as a dress even though I am only 5'2". It's very short. All it takes is a gust of wind =) However, if you're looking for a good/solid swim cover-up, I highly recommend this one (available in these gorgeous color below)

This is one of the outfits I wore on my trip and really loved it. I was panically looking for a high-waisted swim bottom a few days before my trip due to an unexpected surgery. I stumbled upon this swim bottom at Target and feel like I hit the jackpot (it's on clearance now). It fits extremely well and covers all my scars. I paired it with a top from my other set and they go perfectly well together. Outfit details: Target swim bottom *size XS* | Swim top |  Straw hat *size XS* | Sunglasses

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The last bit of summer

Biggest gift card event of the year (up to $900)

 

Saks is running the biggest gift card event of year (up to $900) starting online today. You can earn a gift card up to $900 on select designers when you shop this week (use code AUG2017). Brands like Prada, Givenchy, Saint Laurent and Gucci are eligible for this event. Below are things I own and recommend.

Saint Laurent clutch (review)
Saint Laurent Sunset bag (review)
Movado watch (hubby's fav. watch)
Burberry coats
Prada handbags

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Biggest gift card event of the year (up to $900)

Ruffle One Shoulder Top

Today's post features this incredibly popular top from Shein. It's basically an exact dupe of the StyleKeepers top. I've seen this top on so many bloggers so decided to give it a try even though the style is a bit too out there for me. Whenever I receive a package from Shein, half of the items are pretty decent and the other half is totally useless. I received a new package 3 weeks ago and this time, there was nothing to rave about but nothing was too bad either. Each item has things I like and things I don't like. I am going to review them all and let you know my thoughts just in case you're interested. This top is very trendy and fashion-forward. The price is great if you just want to test out the trend (under $15). The material feels a bit cheap but wrinkle-free (which I like). The thing I don't like about this top is the fit. It's so boxy. It looks decent tucked in but as is, it's really wide and long. Also, I am not sure how many wears I can get out of a trendy top like this. However, if you're looking for fun and unique piece for the summer, it's not a bad purchase (available in blue as well). Outfit details: Shein top | Hollister shorts | Target sandals | Cluse watch *obsessed* 

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Ruffle One Shoulder Top

Chanel Handbag Cleaning and Repair

You might have heard Chanel is no longer refurbishing or repairing bags that are more than 5 years old (with some exceptions of course). I own 3 Chanel bags (2 of them were purchased brand new) and they are all in perfect condition. I don't live near a Chanel boutique so I don't really have any insights as how their new policies work. However, I'd like to share my experience with the Leather Surgeons whom I have used in the past. One of my clients dropped a piece of packing tape onto her Chanel bag. When she pulled the tape out, the leather also peeled off. As you can imagine, she was devastated. I did some research and stumbled upon the Leather Surgeons. They located in PA. I sent an email along with a few pictures of the damage and got a quote a few days later (estimated cost: $130). A week later, the bag is back, good as new. Gerry (the owner) and Cory (Gerry's son) are super nice. They respond quickly and professionally. I wish I had taken a before and after photo to show you. If you have color transfer on your bag, they can clean it up for $50. The Leather Surgeons also offer authentication services. Authentication fees ($55) are waived for items that require additional services. You do have to pay for shipping to ship your bag to them. However, the return shipping is free. You might or might not know most third party authentication services are no longer provide email authentication for Chanel bags from 2011 and beyond due to the proliferation of super fakes on the market. I can't stress enough the importance of doing your research before purchasing a pre-owned luxury bag. You can always use third-party authentication services like the Leather Surgeons for a second option but always always know your source before pulling the trigger. I hope you find this post helpful. I used the Leather Surgeons twice and had great experience. You can see some of their beautiful works here.

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Chanel Handbag Cleaning and Repair

J.Crew Lady Day Coat is 65% off right now

 

J.Crew is having an incredible sale on their classic Lady Day coat right now. It's down to $125 from $355 (all sizes are still available). I own several and can't recommend this coat enough. I've done an in-depth review here if you're interested.

 

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J.Crew Lady Day Coat is 65% off right now

Personalized Disney shirts for the whole family

Before heading to Disney World, I ordered these personalized tees for my whole family. Visiting Disney is not something we do often. The last time I was at Disney World was 5 years ago (before my 2nd one was even born). I wanted to make the trip a little extra special. This is the design I went with and it took about 3 weeks for my package to arrive. The shop has a ton of other designs to choose from. For privacy reasons, I won't be able to show you how they look on my kids (they look so adorable tho). Outfit details: Etsy tee | AE shorts | Forever 21 hat | Amazon sunglasses | Adidas sneakers. Learning from past experiences, I downloaded the Disney app and scheduled all fast passes well in advance. Let's just say we made the most out of our trip this time around. We stayed at Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter and had a pleasant time.
 

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Personalized Disney shirts for the whole family

White one piece swimsuit :: Pom-pom cover up

Today's post takes you back to my vacation to Florida with my family a few weeks ago. If this one piece swimsuit looks familiar, it's because I talked about this Becca suit last year and how much I loved it. When I spotted this dupe in white, I am intrigued. Sadly, the quality of this suit is a far cry from the original. The fabric is decent (not as nice as the Becca suit but it's not bad either). However, it has a really strange fit. The suit has adjustable straps and ties behind back. However, no matter how I adjust the straps/ties, the shoulder straps do not lay flat. I had high hopes for this suit but sadly, it's a miss

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White one piece swimsuit :: Pom-pom cover up