Goal achieved - 5 pairs of shoes out!

Woohoo! I achieved one of my 2016 purging goals - to let go of 5 pairs of shoes this year. 

I passed on a pair of Guess wedge strappy sandals to my coworker - I had purchased them so long ago and hardly got the opportunity to wear them. With her style and outfits, I thought they would be a great fit for her. 

Now that I'm housing more in my closet, space is a very big deal - it might seem like a drag, but it's actually really great for me to be more conscious of what works with my lifestyle, and if it can physically fit in my closet. 

9 more days of March - will it be this year's first purchase-free month?

With the exception of an almost moment of weakness at Danier Leather, so far, so good.

This is a big year for non-material expenses - circumstances have resulted in two trips lined up for my husband and I: New York in May, and Korea in August. Both will be expensive trips so I don't plan to buy anything (except in Korea where I will go crazy over skin care products since it's much cheaper there than in Canada) but have decided to spend my money on experiences since I don't know when I will be going there again, any time soon.

I'm also trying hard to let go of more stuff. One of my wardrobe goals is to be able to consolidate 2 exterior drawer units in my room, into my closet so that we can have more space and options when we finally decorate our room. So far, I've managed to remove one drawer and still reuse the fabric containers in my existing closet unit.We live in a condo so space is precious and I just want clean lines and very little clutter. 

All in all, the more months I'm able to have, purchase-free, the better successes I'll have in most of my 2016 goals. I'm hoping that March will be a no purchase month to motivate me through the rest of the year. 

And I repeat, gifts don't count. 

Wardrobe goals for 2016

Last year I worked hard on making more focused purchases and tried to make sure that each item I brought in would make at least 3 outfits. I also continued to purge and focused on letting go of items that could be substituted with other items, and didn't rush into making any purchases until I found the perfect pieces.

My goals for 2016 are to:

• Not purchase any shoes, and continue to let go of more, with the ultimate goal to own 25 pairs of shoes
• Continue to work on using the things I love and not worry about them getting ruined
• Continue to shop within my collection of bags and wallets, and let go of 10 items
• Stay within my budget of $1,000, and again, not include any major investment pieces or bags
• Have 4 purchase-free months
• Continue to purge so I can consolidate all my items into 1 closet
• Build a 'rainy day' fund by selling any items that may have some value to use towards a pre-loved Louis Vuitton Speedy 35/40.

2016 Wishlist and "needs" (these items are exceptions to any 'do not' buy lists):

• Black wedge ankle boots 
• Gray leather bag 
• Gray wool winter coat
• Navy sheath dress
• Pre-loved Speedy 35/40
• Black sheath dress

'Do not buy' list: 

• Trousers and Khakis
• Shoes
• Bags, wallets and small pouches
• Jeans

Merry Christmas!!! - Preparing for 2016

Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day with their loved ones. I'm spending the day with my husband and enjoying the time we have together before he heads back up north to finish school.

I'll make this post short and sweet =)

After what I consider to be a pretty successful 2015 year of purging and refining my wardrobe, and being mindful about my purchases, I'm very much looking forward to setting new goals and furthering my progress of perfecting my closet. 

How am I preparing?

• I'm taking another sweep of my wardrobe to see if there are any other items I can remove;
• I've set aside some items that may have re-sale value and listed them for sale to build a 'rainy day' reserve fund outside of my budget for some pre-loved bags I have had my eye on should they become suddenly available;
• I'm checking my Stylebook App to remind myself of the number of items I have in each category and revise my 'no buy' lists;
• I'm revisiting my 2015 resolutions to remind me of my goals and decide which goals to keep, revise, and what new goals to add; and
• Reorganizing my closet

I'm looking forward to sharing my new goals with you and seeing how I can make 2016 an even more successful year!

Review: Dr. Jart+ Blackhead Master Patch - nope, never again

I originally bought the one-time use, Dr. Jart Blackhead Mater Patch because I was just shy of free shipping from Sephora. When I bought it, I didn't realize it was another Korean product, but it is! I was excited to try it and used it immediately when I got home the day it was delivered.

They're advertised as: powerful yet gentle blackhead nose patches instantly remove blackheads and unclog pores while tightening and cleansing. Complete with a dry patch and wet patch for anytime, anywhere use, this two-step system features optimal pore-purifying benefits for clear, healthy-looking skin. 

The dry strip is similar to any nose strip pore remover but these did not have the slits to make it fit properly on the nose. I had to shift it down pretty far in order to wrap it around my nose. I waited longer than the recommended 10 minutes (as I usually do with these things) before removing it. I was VERY disappointed - the strip removed 3 blackheads and nothing more. I've tried regular Biore strips that work MUCH better than this. 

The wet strip, is very soothing and I did enjoy how it felt, but I had to hold it for a while before I could leave it my nose alone. It is very wet and probably would have been better if I had lied down, but I usually like to do stuff when I am waiting for my face stuff to work haha. Alone, the strip was soothing enough that I could render myself immobile for 10-15 minutes, but unfortunately, the dry strip didn't do enough for me to want to get to this second step.

One pack costs $9 and there is no way I will be buying this again.

N's guest post! - How she cleaned out her closet

Last week me and N finally had a chance to catch up and she was telling me that she had done a major purge to her closet. Some of you may remember that N and I have been cheering each other on, on our journey towards a simpler closet and better outfits. She told me about her recent purge and I asked her to write a guest post to share, because it's amazing! Without further adieu....

Heya everyone! I'm so excited to get invited to write on V's blog - thanks V! Well, really excited to share my wardrobe cleanup with you all. 

So, I had too much stuff in there that I had not worn in a long time or were so attached to that I couldn't get rid of them and all that! I came across this book '1,000 outfits from just 30 pieces - Terrific Thirty' (by Wendy Mak) and I got really inspired to try this myself! I looked at my closet and didn't even know where to start with everything all over the place and I had also added in a number of extras during the last few seasons. One morning I woke up and took everything out of my closet. I only wish I had a walk-in closet so I could see each and every piece I have in there. Anyways, I started sorting things and kept taking almost everything out. This is the first time I've let go of almost 2 garbage bags full of stuff. I let go of some of my favourite pieces but I know I'll never wear them. Some of them were pieces like coloured jeans, some blouses, maxi dresses. Last year I was hooked on shopping at Marciano and I bought a bit too much from that store! I tell ya I felt so much better after this cleanup. The idea was for me to let go of stuff and add some really good staples for work. My wardrobe cleanup was a general one but the thirty pieces I'm putting together are for work for Fall/Winter. I think this is a good start and I feel very positive I can do this. 

This is what my collection looks like now. Not very clear but I'm hoping to put it in a better way so I can see everything.

Oh thought I mention this cool project I used to organize my everyday wear jewelry items. Made this out of cork board last winter.

Now, I'm well organized and look forward to styling my looks from these 30 pieces. I'll share these in detail when I've put it all together.

Many thanks to N for taking the time and sharing her purge with us. Stayed tuned for a future post about her 30-piece capsule! I'm so excited for it!

Review: Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm - love it

Last week I was browsing the Sephora website and came across the Tony Moly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm - since I had been experimenting with masks, I've been closely inspecting my face and felt I needed to try this (although I'm told that I don't have many black heads and my pores aren't that big, but I am a bit OCD...). It was sold out on the Sephora website, but I found it at my local H Mart for almost half the price - $12.99.

Why? It was described as: A self-heating balm targeted for blackheads that removes dirt and oil within minutes. I love anything that heats up, cools, tightens or hardens on my skin. It just feels so satisfying. 

Not to mention, it's incredibly cute looking. 

I used a small dab, about the size of a pea and it was enough to apply on the sides of my nose and across. It's easy to apply and spread around, but I didn't feel it heat up at all. Nothing. I was disappointed with that, but the smell of it is very, very pleasant and the end result was quite impressive. I left it on for a little over 5 minutes (it's recommended to be left on for 3 - 5 minutes). There was a noticeable difference in my pores and my nose felt very smooth, but it did lack the clean and airy feeling that I would get from using a nose strip. 

Would I get it again? Yes - a little amount goes a long way and I can see it lasting for a good year with regular use. For $12.99 you can't beat the value for an effective product. It's a very quick and easy, no-mess way to get results.

One quarter left of the year - how are my budget and goals looking?

This year, I set aside $1,000 for my wardrobe budget, not including investment pieces. We're down to the last 3 months - how's it going? It's going pretty great!

With $1,000 it gives me $250 per quarter to spend on seasonal or staple items and so far I've purchased 31 items, with $168.44 left to spend.

Most of my purchases have been for work, 8 of them being shoes. Despite purchasing 8 pairs of shoes, I've also let go of about 10 pairs and my count is currently at 47, compared to the 50+ I started with at the beginning of the year (I wish I had written down my start numbers). Even though I purchased more shoes than I had wanted to, they are all staple pairs for work and some were to replace those that were on their way out.

Aside from shoes, I've been quite successful with almost all of my wardrobe goals that I set out to meet this year - briefly, I downsized the number of coats and jackets I have, have not purchased a single bag or wallet and have been regularly rotating throughout my collection, and continued to purge my wardrobe.

How are you doing with your wardrobe goals?

September comings and goings

Coming - 3 

Technically, NOTHING (at least nothing that I bought myself) - It is my second no-spend month of the year!!

• Gifted - Swarovski necklace
• Gifted - Banana Republic earrings
• Gifted - Jeweled firefly necklace

Goings - 3+

• Necklace
• Tahari sleeveless top - actually, it will be demoted to a sleep shirt (letting go of another one of my sleep shirts which I don't log in my Stylebook App)
• Banana Republic khaki colored trousers - don't like the way they fit anymore 
• not directly from my home closet, but from my closet at my parents' house; I donated a number of work appropriate pieces. I had been hoping I would fit into them later, but my friend is involved in a program to collect clothing for women who are looking to get back on their feet, so I let them go. And I'm very, very, very close to completely having no clothing at my parents' place.

Review: Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Lavendar and Oat Face Mask

Just sharing my thoughts on the face mask sample I received from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company - I typically am very lazy when it comes to using face masks, but since I'm fast becoming a life-long fan of this company and its products, I couldn't wait to test it out.

 

I tried the Lavender and Oak Calming Face Mask -

 

The lavender smell is SO amazing and it was instantly cooling. When I was sitting there waiting for it to dry, I felt so calm and just couldn't help but relax. I added a few drops of water to get the consistency I wanted in the paste and it gave me ample time to apply before beginning to dry. I love the feeling of a mask hardening and waited 15 minutes before removing it with a face sponge. I was left with a clean tingling feeling and didn't feel I needed to apply face moisturizer immediately (like I normally do any time after washing my face due to my really dry skin). The second time I used it was because I felt my face starting to itch and wanted to cool it down - worked like a charm. For reference, I have extremely sensitive skin - one year I had a year-long reaction for no reason and my body would not heal itself properly (luckily not on my face)... just for reference.

 

I can't wait to try all of them - the next one on my list is the Tea Tree Deep-Cleansing mask and would definitely love to spread the joy of this Lavender one. Such amazingness!

I really like the cute little packets it comes in!

They're so pleasing to look at, all lined up like that!

$12 per one 28 gram pack, up to 3 servings
(I was surprised that my sample was a full sized sample)

 

I've used it twice already and can probably get another 3 uses, easily;
the sales associate said she got 6

 

That's how much I used -
I'd say about the amount that would tightly fill a bottle cap



Just add a little water to turn it into a paste; when freshly applied

 

When dried after 15 minutes

 

Would I buy it now?

Definitely one of the best questions I ask myself when doing a closet purge. 

I used to equate 'would I buy it now?' to 'do I need this?' but as I got older and purged more, I realized that the question became more about myself as a person and how the things I wouldn't buy, was a reflection of my evolving self. 

When I decided that I would not buy tight clothing 'now', it was because I had grown out of the clubbing and partying part of my social life; when I decided I wouldn't buy the same sneakers 'now', it was because I was embracing adulthood.

Did everyone already figure this out?  I feel like it should be obvious, but it wasn't for me.

May comings and goings

What came in - 12

• Swarovski bracelet from the Stardust collection - love it so much!! I very rarely buy costume jewelry but I LOVE Swarovski pieces and can never resist a dark colored piece.
• 3 pieces from H&M - 2 throw-over dresses in navy and orange; and a orange striped sweatshirt. These 3 purchases are fast becoming a staple in my wardrobe, especially the dresses. I had originally purchased 2 items back in February, but decided to exchange them for something else since they were still sitting in my closet with tags on them. Upon exchange, I immediately went home and changed into one of the dresses for dinner - very telling =)
• 4 skirts and a skinny belt from the Banana Republic outlet - all 5 pieces for around $50, can't go wrong there! The only draw back is that the two ivory skirts I purchased are a tad too short for work when I sit down, but great for dates nights, and evenings out. 
• Dress, sandals, and earrings - they were a gift from my friend for being in her bridal party <3 (do these actually count? hrm...)

The Tano sandal from Aldo - I love the color and details of this!

What went out - 11

• Adidas Missy Elliot sneakers - after several attempts at trying to sell them, and trying to work it back into my wardrobe, I decided to just donate them. This is great because I'm one more pair of shoes down to having only 20 pairs =) still a long way to go....
• T-shirt - just didn't fit me the same anymore.
• Sweater - didn't feel the same way about it anymore.
• Black and white houndstooth jacket - letting this go was a sad moment for me; I love this piece but ruined it by trying to bleach some of the white squares =( I learned after I tried to bleach it, that trying to bleach anything that isn't cotton just turns it yellow.
• Purple denim shorts.
• Gray Tommy Hilfiger skirt with pockets (one of my previous go-to items in the summer but it was looking 'tired') 
• Red and black sweater dress - really loved this piece as I had purchased it on a trip to Malaysia many years ago but it just wasn't working for me any more.
• 2 Hoodies (this makes me incredibly happy as I'm trying very hard to lessen the amount I have)
• Pair of dress shorts - from last year, don't like the fit of it any more. 
• Ralph Lauren cami from their sleep wear - didn't fit any more.

Mini goals achieved!

Wardrobe related, this is a short but very satisfying post.

One of my goals is to own 10 coats/jackets - to make it a more realistic and achievable goal, I aimed to let go of three in 2015. I am pleased to announce that I have achieved this!

Lifestyle goal related, this is a super satisfying post. 

A lifestyle I'm striving for is one that combines being active, strong, and fit, while also living my life - I don't want to confine myself just to the gym, or restrict myself to endless diets. My husband loves being outside and while I enjoy it, it takes a lot of convincing to get me there. I'm working on changing that and spending more time breathing in the fresh air, and spending more quality time with my husband, doing something he loves. It's also great for me to get that 'natural workout.' 

On that note, over the weekend, my husband and I tackled the Grouse Grind. Located in North Vancouver, the summer transforms Grouse Mountain into one of the most popular hikes for tourists and locals. It is a steep trail that climbs 2,800 feet,  with an average grade of 17 degrees. The total number of stairs is 2,830 and the fastest time is about 23 minutes, with an average time of 1.5 hours. For those visiting Vancouver, I highly recommend trying it. If you're visiting in the winter, it is one of our local ski hills. You can find more info here. It was his first time doing the Grind, since he has moved to BC and while most find it grueling, he found it to be 'easier than he had thought' - yes, I married one of those. HAHA. I'm happy he enjoyed it - it felt great to be outside and I got lots of exercise.

Here are some of my pictures - 

The bottom of the Grind, and my husband making a cameo <3

View at the top

View of the gondolas to take you back down - $10 for the ride down 

Benchmark items

I know one of the first rule of thumbs when purging is to get rid of all the clothing that doesn't fit you but while I was purging, I couldn't help but keep some favourite items in hopes that I will one day fit into them again. 

These are a few of my benchmark items.

(Mexx, Tahari, Tommy Hilfiger, GAP)

I try on my benchmark items every few months - I last tried on these items at the beginning of the year and they were tight. Very tight. This month I started to do the 30 day squat challenge and I tried these pieces on, on Saturday and they fit! The blazer was a little tight in the shoulders but I was able to button it, and the dresses and skirt skimmed my body like they did when I first bought them, years ago. I am beyond pleased and am so glad I kept a few of these pieces - I know some people find them demotivating and I did too at times, but they also help me find motivation every time I looked at them because they remind me of why I want to be healthy and shed some weight - so that I could wear these favourite pieces again! 

Do any of you have any benchmark items? I have a few ultimate benchmark mark pieces but I think I'll actually have to lose 10 more lbs to be even close haha, but I'm not giving up!!!

Rocky Mountain Soap Company - a step towards my lifestyle goal for healthier skin!

A major lifestyle goal I am trying to achieve is to take better care of my skin. All my life I have lived with extremely dry skin and eczema, and a few years ago, experienced the worst eczema outbreak I have ever had, lasting a year and even landing me in emergency a couple of times. 

My skin is under control again, and thankfully do not have any scarring, but that experience really scared the s*it out of me. I was miserable, my self-esteem took a hit, I had open wounds that would not heal, it was ugly and uncomfortable. After I recovered, I REALLY wanted to make an effort to keep my skin healthy - I switched to products made for sensitive skin and tried to keep my skin hydrated as much as possible by drinking water, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and constantly moisturizing. The products I used worked well, but I was also wanting to lead a healthier and 'cleaner' lifestyle, thus began my search for toxin free products, and especially those that were easily accessible - locally available, and not insanely expensive. 

Enter, the Rocky Mountain Soap Company - this little boutique store opened near my work in Downtown Vancouver near the end of 2014. They have a full range of items such as soaps, lip balms, deodorant, and body butters. I was most curious and impressed by their deodorant and body butters (especially their body butters as I loooooved their packaging - such easy application!). I tested their body butter in store and it left my skin very soft and lasted quite a long time without feeling greasy; their scents were lovely but not too over-powering. My favourite is the apricot.

I purchased the Apricot Body Butter, Hand Butter (Avocado), un-scented Body Butter (specifically for dry skin), Lemongrass deodorant, and was gifted an Apricot hand-cream during their promotion (buy $35 of product before tax and receive a free hand cream). 

I'm extremely excited to start with these products =) Best of all, they're made in Canada, and I love their saying - "Tested on owners, not animals".  

Lifestyle changes I'm striving for

In school we used to be asked to write down some yearly resolutions and that idea just stuck with me for much of my adult life. Unfortunately, I never achieved any of them =( Last year, I really wanted to work on making solid and steady changes in my life that I could maintain so I focused on my lifestyle changes, rather than resolutions. 

I started an excel spreadsheet of all the things I wanted to do and it expanded into other lists like 'things I don't need', or 'things I want to only have X amount of', etc. and by writing each and every little thing (some were as little as owning 3 perfumes at any given time), it really helped me to focus on my goals.

I won't bore you with all the little details, but some major ones are:

• to travel more - I have a list of places and will have begun to find ways to fly for free, cut down on travel expenses, and also start a travel fund
• feeling beautiful every day - and I just mean feeling beautiful to myself so that I can focus more on the goals I want to achieve that day than be distracted by how I look; this aligns with perfecting my wardrobe
• taking better care of my skin - I've lived all my life with eczema and had a terrible our break a few years ago that just killed my self esteem; I have already begun to discard or use up products that may not be the best for me and replaced them with fragrant free items, or skin friendly products. This also means drinking a lot of water and avoiding or decreasing some foods that may not be good for me
• eating healthier - I have stopped saying I want to lose weight, because I know that the healthier I eat, the weight loss will follow, and I want to get into a better habit of eating smaller portions and putting more nutrients in me. I have begun to juice so that I can get more veggies and frutis in me that I otherwise would not.
• feel physically strong - this is a big one because I don't think skinny is what I want. I want to be fit, which I think is a big difference. Last year I began boxing again and loving it and can feel some changes already. 
• try to spread more joy to people each day - I sent out Christmas cards this last holiday and that may seen standard to some people, it's a new thing for me. I'm starting small =)

Each time I achieve something, or began something that would help me achieve this change, I update it in my excel sheet for motivation. It helps me a lot and I can't wait to see when more things begin to have an accomplished date next to them. 

There are many more but I think these may be ones that a lot of people share so it would be great to get your support and make sure I'm staying focused =) I'd love to hear some of your changes and how your working towards them!

Side note: I dropped off my bag of donations on the weekend, with the help of my cousin, re-fashioned a t-shirt into a tote bag, and decided to give my Gucci money clip to my best guy bff (I bought it back in my univ days for clubbing and only used it a few times).