January 2016 - comings and goings

I almost had a no-purchase month until I purchased the style of belt I had been looking for, for ages. Does that count? It's a very planned purchase and I got it at a great price... hm...

Comings - 4

• Lou & Grey Mix-up cardigan - bought for me by my parents <3 (I insisted to pay for it myself, but they insisted they buy it for me - gifts don't count ;))
• off-white skinny belt for my waist - been looking for one for a long time and the right one finally came along, with gold hardware, at an amazing price - $9 for leather, you really can't beat that. 
• Edit: Feb 3-16 - Forgot to add 2 pairs of shoes I got at the end of the month from The Wishbone Collection

Goings - 5

• White and navy striped blazer - it was starting to pill and look too worn. Also it was a bit shorter in length than I prefer, so I am on the look out for a longer version since it was a great outfit finisher.
• Pair of black mesh earrings - I just didn't wear it enough, if at all, and against my black hair, the details got lost anyway, defeating the purpose of adding any oomph to my outfits.
• Esprit black dress - I bought it because it has studs on the shoulders but I never got a chance to wear it since, and trying to fit it into my rotation now, is just not working.
• Gray Ugg Baileys - I love them and I will miss them very much, but they are too worn out now. I've lovingly said good-bye to them and thanked them. (That's also one pair of shoes gone, towards me owning 25 pairs... it's a loooong road)
• Esprit blue and white sundress - just didn't like the length of it any more;I got good use out of it but I think I wore it so much that it's a bit out of shape too and flares a bit too much for its length, for my liking.

It pains me to let you go

After 5 years, I am sad to say that I have had to make the decision to part with my first ever pair of UGGs - my gray low-rise Baileys. 

It took years for me to jump on the UGG bandwagon and after I made my first purchase and slipped into them for the first time, it was magic. I wanted to wear them everywhere (but I didn't because that would be a fashion faux-pas) and when the Canadian winters co-operated, happily pulled them out. They even inspired me to write a haiku.

Good-bye my friend. You've kept me warm and cozy for 5 seasons and I will never forget you. Even though I have a new pair (given to me by my mom, who didn't wear hers) they will never have that same bond as you and I, once had. 

How I track my purchases

I posted about this before when I first started my blog, but I just wanted to share again since I've been doing it for 2 full years now - this exercise really helps me be more aware of what I buy and now that I have a few years under my belt, can also look at the categories that require a bit more data, such as the condition of an item.

In 2013 I started to track my purchases and it was very simple, just handwritten in a notebook with the item description, price, and date. Then in 2014 I made an excel spreadsheet that I uploaded to Google drive so I can track anywhere (in case I go on vacation and make purchases), anytime. These are my categories: 

• Cost per wear - I've set up the excel to automatically calculate this for me; remember, my own threshold is $1 so before I buy something, I ask myself whether I think this item will meet that by the time I'm done using it (either worn out, or loss of interest)
• # used in year X - now that I'm on my third year, it's interesting to see what items I bought before, that I am still using and how often; helps to let me know what pieces are a staple that I may not have realized before, and  might keep in mind to replace again. 
• Description
• Designer - tells me what designer/brand fits me best for certain items
• Color
• Type - type of article, i.e. shoes, blouse, t-shirt, etc.
• Cost
• Condition (1 poor - 10 - excellent) - this one is more for future purposes so I can get an idea of the quality of the item over a course of time, and see if it's something worth buying again, or perhaps I should go with another brand
• Date of purchase - tells me how often I shop
• Place of purchase - tells me where I shop
• Regular price - tells me how much I'm saving, and just makes me question whether I would have purchased this same item at regular price

When the new year comes around, I just add a new sheet, and copy and paste these categories into it, and I add an additional column to the previous years and track how often I use them in the current year, and adjust the cost per wear formula.

This might seem excessive and probably, slightly, obsessive compulsive haha, but I find it helps remind me of my budget when I look at my quarterly spending to get a gage of how my yearly budget may be looking; tells me what items I may be buying too many of and should take note of before I buy another one (by tracking the type of item, I realize I go on small binges where I buy a lot of certain items - in 2014 it was khakis and button-up shirts, and in 2015 it was shoes); and each time I update how many times I've used an item, it makes me feel good to know I made a good purchasing decision and reminds me that I've come a long way from making random purchases.

My wardrobe count going into 2016

It's been well over a year since I started using the Stylebook App and it has definitely helped me to keep focused on my purchases and how often I'm using each item in my wardrobe. 

When I first started using the Stylebook App towards the end of 2014, my wardrobe consisted of:

124 tops (includes sleeveless, blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirt/hoodies, blazers)

48 bottoms (includes jeans, shorts, trousers)

25 dresses

53 shoes

17 scarves 

68 bags (including clutches)

17 coats and jackets

32 pieces off active wear (tops, headbands, bottoms, runners)

After more than a year of purging and refining, these are my current numbers:

106 tops (includes sleeveless, blouses, t-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirt/hoodies, blazers)

54 bottoms (includes jeans, shorts, trousers)

31 dresses

51 shoes (I previously reported 46 pairs of shoes because I didn't count my one pair of sneakers for running, or a few pairs of shoes that were made specially for my Chinese wedding ceremony when I got married)

16 scarves 

65 bags (including clutches)

18 coats and jackets

22 pieces off active wear (tops, headbands, bottoms, runners)

Overall, I think I did pretty well - doing this for almost 2 years now I've definitely seen a shift from purging, to learning what works for me, to narrowing things that work really well for me and finally coming to a plateau where I feel comfortable with the items I have. 

The drop in numbers in my tops came from letting go of graphic-Ts, tops I had been holding on to in hopes to fit into them again in the future, and items that didn't fit as well anymore. Bottoms saw an increase as I slowly replaced wider legged trousers with slim fitted ones and also got some incredible deals on shorts and jeans; I also stocked up a bit on pencil skirts, my work staple. Dresses saw an increase mostly because I brought some that were at my parents home, into my current closet. 

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

Happy New Year! (December comings and goings)

Happy New Year to all of you!!! - I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family and are ready to start fresh with any resolutions you have.

To start off the new year, a recap of my December comings and goings =)

Goings - 5

• Doc Marten combat boots - sold them to fund my future pre-loved Speedy
• Doc Marten loafers - sold them to fund my future pre-loved Speedy
• Adidas work out top - don't like it anymore 
• Esprit dress - don't like it anymore
• Purple top - doesn't fit the same anymore

Comings - 1

• Stuart Weitzman loafers - given to me by a family friend - this DOES put me backward by one pair of shoes towards my goal, but I mean, they're Stuart Weitzman's, c'mon haha.

The start to my pre-loved Speedy 35/40 fund!

After confirming how much I want a pre-loved Speedy, I went through some more of my things and actually started to list things for sale. I started with shoes since I have way too many and it seems to be the most difficult area for me to make a dent in.

The first item to contribute to the fund are my Doc Marten combat boots. I had come up with a number of cute outfits for them, but still hadn't worn them, so I decided to let them go and help them find a home where they could be loved and fully used.

Second on the list is another pair of Docs - my 'second chances' shoes! I did make awesome outfits with them and wore them a few times this year, but over all, I didn't wear them as much as I thought I would. Off to a new home they went!

I hope I'm able to keep this momentum up and continue with the selling. I sort of regret not trying to list my previous items I let go, for sale, but onward and upward!

December, the month of reflection

I've been waiting for December 2015 to come along with great excitement! I have been diligently tracking my shopping purchases and trying to work within my wardrobe goals for 2 years, and can finally do a comparison between 2014 and 2015, and with 2 full years under my belt, feel I can finally get a better understanding of my budget and habits. 

Since I only started blogging towards the end of 2014, I'm going to go over 2014 in detail, and work my way up from there until the end of this year.

What I didn't do in 2014 was include my shoe purchases in my grand total of money spent, but I did keep track of them in a separate excel sheet specifically for shoes, so I was still able to determine what I spent on clothing that year. Unfortunately, I was't able to track the cost per wear for those shoes since I don't go into as much detail in their separate excel sheet as I do for my yearly budget sheet. (In 2015, I did include shoes into my full year's tracking.) 

My goal to purge and purchase better items had already begun in 2014 but I was mostly focused on purging rather than finding 'perfect pieces'. My purchases were less thought out in the 'wardrobe staple' department and more about filling in areas that needed replacing, or just things that I liked. The only well thought out pieces were my investment pieces.

In 2014, I didn't give myself a budget, but I also didn't go crazy - I would like to think I'm a pretty responsible shopper to being with, so not having a budget didn't affect me too much. In total, I spent $1028.78, for non-investment purchases, and $1,570 on 4 investment pieces (2 Burberry jackets/coats, and 2 Seiko watches), for a total of  $2,598.78. 

** For 2015, I made a conscious decision not to include any investment pieces into my regular wardrobe budget since they are intended to be long-lasting and very, very well thought out and calculated pieces. **

Spending $1,029 bought me a total of 33 items, including 4 pairs of shoes (including my ever so difficult to fit, knee-high boots), a winter coat that turned out to be one of my best purchases to-date (and an unexpected, very well-priced, investment piece), 3 items of gym wear, and an awesome black sheath dress. I also discovered that GAP boyfriend button-ups fit me very well and that I love their broken-in khakis, having bought 4 pairs. 

From those purchases, I have since donated 2 tops because I didn't like them any more, ended up wearing out my black sheath dress and a tunic, and ruined one of my favourite coloured khakis from a bleach accident (I've only recently bleached the entire pair of pants in an attempt to salvage them).

Since 2014, my cost per wear for each items has ended in single digits, with 6 items well under my $1 cost per wear threshold and approximately 10 items nearing that mark. The only item still in the double digits is my red Burberry quilted trench coat, but that was expected, and since I intend to have that for many, many years, am not too bothered by it.

Over all, my 2014 purchases helped me to: 

• find a great alternative to jeans by introducing me to khakis
• find a well-fitted button-up style
• finally find a pair of knee-high boots that fit me
• focus in on specific colors that are now my color palette of choice - gray, white/ivory, navy/blues, and black
• find an awesome cobalt wool coat that I absolutely love
• determine what kind of investment pieces I'm looking for and what areas of my wardrobe I'm willing to spend that kind of money on (coats, yes, definitely will lean towards paying investment prices; the watches were a one-time purchase and while they aren't in the price caliber as a Rolex, they meet my criteria of going with everything, are of solid quality, and are not pieces I intend to buy again until they break).

November comings and goings

Goings - 6

• Banana Republic colorblock sheath dress - was one of my staple wardobe pieces for work but is now pilling and showing signs of color bleeding into the white portion; tried to treat it but it didn't work.
• My black sheath dress - this was purchased in 2014 at Target and for its price, I definitely got amazing cost per wear with it. Unfortunately it was getting too worn out.
• Banana Republic navy dress pants - didn't like the wide-leg cut anymore; I have been slowly shifting towards skinny fitted pants for a more streamline look since I'm quite short.
• J. Crew plaid tunic - too worn out
• Sparrow blue short sleeved cardigan - lost its shape to due my laundry mishap =S
• Banana Republic pinstriped black trousers - another pair of wide-leg pants that don't flatter me.

Comings - 8

• Casual winter coat with fur hood - my mom gave it to me as she received it as a gift from a family friend but it's too big for her. *As great as it is to receive something for free, this, plus the earlier coat my mom gave me, and the casual jacket I purchased at H&M, puts me back where I was at the start of the year with my numbers in coats and jackets. Bummer.
• black sleeveless top, gray waffled trousers, black trouser pant, plaid button-up, and navy & black pencil skirt
• Marc by Marc Jacobs Printed Crosby quilted backpack - I found my perfect casual backpack!!! =D
• Cole Haan Johanna ankle boots - was given to me pre-loved and gently worn from a family friend; very excited about these

October comings and goings

Goings - 3

• Collarless blazer - just don't really like the way it looks and fits on me any more
• Guinevere purple bolero - gave it to my friend as it was a little snug on me and looked better on her
• Esprit white and navy striped 3/4-sleeve sweater - it was big on me to begin with but has now stretched out even more

Comings - 17

• Cobalt colorblock drape pants from Banana Republic - got these for such a steal and I'm so in love with the color!
• a set of 3 pouches - I'll count as one item
• a coat from my mom for weekends and casual wear - it' s a good in between fall and winter coat until I am able to find one that I like enough to purchase. It's in a neutral color scheme and also has a hood for our never-ending Vancouver rain.
• 2 pairs of white jeans, pair of blue jeans, white linen pants, a black and gray patterned drape pant, a blue sheath dress, sweater, tshirt, and v-neck top for layering all from the Banana Republic outlet
• Slipped a last minute haul day into October - 2 ivory tops and 2 dresses from LOFT, and a navy quilted jacket from H&M for casual outings (something I had been missing since I donated a number of jackets)

For the rest of the year, I do not intend to add any more pieces to my wardrobe since I went a little over my 2015 budget with my last second haul at LOFT and jacket purchase at H&M. Hopefully, I see more 'goings' for the rest of the year to start out my 2016 goal with a bang! I'll talk more about that later ;)

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!

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.

August comings and goings

What came in - 4

• Franco Sarto Venezia flats
• Keds x Kate Spade purple leopard print sneakers
• Marc by Marc Jacobs black Balle Logodisc flats
• Townshoes black loafers (made in Italy)

What went out - 11

• 5 pairs of designer jeans/shorts - was able to find a new home for them with my friend. I am so happy I was able to pass them to someone I know who will give them a good home. I know, I'm super attached when it's something I love - I need to know it's going to be taken good care of. 
• 1 pair of really old wide leg, 3/4 pants from the GAP - they were really popular 10 years ago; the really comfy and soft kind with the wide elastic waist band that folds over, remember? I can't remember the name for them now...
• my every day Cole Haan Wedge shoes - getting worn out and I found replacement every day flats with the MbMj flats
• 1 pair of red American Eagle wedge sandals - let go because they don't go with too many items in my wardrobe, and I can't think of any new outfits for them
• 2 pairs of Aldo shoes that I have not worn in years, and can't think of any outfits to pair them with
• my Cole Haan leopard flats - they're just too worn out now =( and replaced my trend wardrobe staple with a new trend: black loafers

Budget status: With another month left of the third quarter, I am currently over budget per quarter, but still under budget for the year. I'd love to come out of the year under budget and have more than one month of no-purchase months.Who knows, this may be the end to my shopping for the year.. maybe....

One and the same - let's lighten that closet!

Can you account for every article of clothing you own? Yes? You sure? 

I'm glad I started this blog to capture milestones, and remind myself of what I previously thought. In one of my earlier posts, I wrote, "I didn’t have an insane amount of clothes to begin with ..."

I thought I didn't until I continued to find myself thinking "Oh yeah!" upon discovering a forgotten piece that was hiding in the back of my closet, or in the weird nook and crannies of my drawers. They weren't there because I didn't like them, or they didn't fit any more; some were actual wardrobe staples of mine! How could this happen? 

Was it because I actually had a lot of clothing? I argue against that, but who really knows haha. That aside, I think I figured it out.

My first major purge targeted items that I didn't like anymore, didn't fit, didn't flatter, etc, and the usual list goes on. What I didn't do was remove items that I had more than one kind of, or can be interchanged with one another. If they didn't fit the purge criteria, I kept them.

Where did my black pants go? I didn't even have to ask myself because there would already be another pair of black pants hanging right in front of me (or something I easily substituted it for). This leaves me with possibly 3-5 times the amount of items that essentially serve the same style purpose.

I recently did another round of purging and identified these duplicate or  interchangeable items - I picked 1 or 2 of my favourites from the bunch and culled the rest. My wardrobe has seen another significant purge, allowing me to better remember what I already own and preventing me from purchasing another item that might be too similar.

With even less now, it's much, much easier for me to exercise the one-in-one out rule because I actually only have 1 of that item that serves a more specific purpose, and also it helps me to better consider whether what I want to bring in will indeed enhance my wardrobe and style, is of variety, and won't simply just add to its numbers. 

July comings and goings

What came in - 9

• 2 dresses from my mom
• Coach wallet - a surprise gift from my husband =)
• Denim shorts
• Ivory skinny belt - I LOVE this piece, easily a new wardrobe staple and favourite
• Black crop top - not super short though!
• 2 non-iron blouses
• 1 short-sleeved blouse

What went out - 8

• 1 pink collared shirt with argyle patterns - I started to feel kiddish in it
• 1 black blouse - the material just made it very hot to wear
• 1 ivory sleeveless top - I love it but this time when I wore it, it seemed like an item that needed a lot of fussing, which I didn't love. I am sad to part with it
• 1 gray hoodie - I think over time I have been shrinking it in the wash, as well as outgrowing it =S x 2 (although that is one less hoodie I own! A category I've been wanting to downsize)
• 1 olive skirt - too big now
• 1 pair of shoes - sadly, a pair of my Cole Haans
• 1 collared shirt
• 1 dress

June comings and goings

What came in - 3

• Converse sneakers
• Mint green sleeveless blouse
• Bracelet

What went out - 9

• A summer dress from years ago that I decided to let my cousin have to explore more sewing projects
• Nude Chanel nail polish 
• 4 graphic tees that I'm going to have my cousin turn into drawstring bags for travel uses
• 1 t-shirt - didn't fit the same
• 1 tank top - too small now
• UPDATE: I DID decide to let this one go.
  
  
  
  
  
• not wardrobe related, but my parents are renovating their basement so I donated a lot of my childhood toys and tossed a lot of things I had been keeping. They also purged and let go of a lot of stuff so we have a trunk full of stuff to donate. Hurray!

What do I do with you?

Do you have an item where you struggle to decide whether to let it go, or keep? 

Lately, I am wanting to let go of this top - 

Why? I have no idea. I wear it often, it looks fine, it's comfortable, and is a nice shade of gray. 

Something about it though, is making me want to say good-bye. I've been debating this for 3 weeks now. Yes, I know, #fwp...

Every other day, I think, I'm going to let it go and walk towards the donation bag and then I decide to put it on, look in the mirror, and change my mind. This should tell me I should keep it, especially since I wear it often (actually, quite a lot) but then why do I have an inclination to do without it? This is really bothering me and I can only come to the conclusion that I DO like it, but I am wanting something very similar to it (that may, or may not exist) and I'm waiting for that item to come my way (which, may or, or may not)... which brings me back to my original struggle.

I've asked myself a series of questions - 

Does it make me happy? It doesn't, not, make me happy

Does it serve a purpose? Yes.

Do I enjoy wearing it? I suppose I do, I wear it a lot.

Is it easy to wear? Very much so.

If I were to let it go, has it reached my cost-per-wear threshold? Definitely. 

Do I already have something that I could substitute it with? No.
Have I seen a better replacement? No.

None of these answers, are helpful or make me any more decisive. Any thoughts? 

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 

April comings and goings

I would say that April proved to be a successful month - these are some of its highlights: 

• let go of a number of pieces of clothing, including a pair of shoes and a jacket
• purchased some boot trees to take care of and prolong the life of my knee-high boots, of which I may only ever own one pair because of my weirdly large calves (yes, I'm bitter)
• found a fantastic Spring/Summer dress in my current color capsule colors for an awesome price
• added a new favourite - a 'grown-up' sweatshirt that I absolutely LOVE
• turned a scarf from my existing wardrobe into a favourite
• discovered a new outfit by putting together existing items from my closet

Comings:

• Black and white color-block, racer-back dress from Banana Republic
• Gray sweatshirt from Banana Republic
• not directly wardrobe related, but still applicable - boot trees, and socks (something I HATE buying)

Goings:

• 3 hoodies
• 1 blouse
• 2 pairs of jeans
• 2 pair of runners
• 1 casual jacket/blazer
• 1 jacket
• 1 canvas tote bag
• 1 zip-up sweatshirt
• 1 pair of sweatpants
• 1 sleeveless top

That's 14 items! It's the largest number of wardrobe items I've let go of since the Great Purge.