Oh man, I thought I was doing so well this month. I began April with a decent amount of money - £120 - in my account from selling some clothes and shoes on eBay, and a list of things I wanted for summer: a new school bag, replacement skinny jeans (as my current New Look ones are literally coming apart at the seams), a pair of tan sandals, and some more t-shirts. I'd found everything I needed (how often does that happen), I'd spent most of my eBay cash, and I was being really controlled about not buying any more. But then I got close to payday with money still to burn and things went to pot: a sale bargain skirt, a splurge in Bravissimo and a fab bicycle print dress become a precursor to buying an actual new bike by mistake. Oops. Add in a splurge on Sugar & Vice necklaces and both Sufjan Stevens & Father Jon Misty tickets going on sale, and my bank account is looking fairly unhealthy right now.
So first, the stuff I was meant to buy...
M&S bag via charity shop, £5.95
Having put aside money to buy a new school bag, imagine my delight when I found the perfect candidate in a British Heart Foundation shop in Thirsk. Bargain!
If I had a hammer I'd smash patriarchy t-shirt, Cafe Press £14.40 with discount code
I freaking love this tee, it makes me feel like such a bad ass feminist warrior.
3 x t-shirts, Zara £7.99 each
I wore my Zara Organics striped tee to death last summer - it's now a rather sorry mess of sunscreen stains and what I suspect is tattoo ink on the sleeve. So I went a bit over the top when I saw the same t-shirt back in stock in my local store and bought every one in my size. This is such a great tee for tucking into skirts, with the perfect depth of neckline and great sleeve length, so I know I'll be wearing them for years to come.
White t-shirt, H&M £3.99 (not pictured)
Not much to say here: it's a white t-shirt.
Leigh jeans, Topshop £34.20 with T's 10% student discount
My New Look supersoft skinny jeans were one of the great loves of my life; when they changed the 'recipe' I was distraught. Luckily, Topshop's Leigh skinnies seem to have filled the hole in my heart. I love the wash of this mid-denim pair.
Tan sandals, Clarks via Debenhams £40.10 with discount code
A pair of sandals that are basically brogues with loads of holes? Sign me up. I walk a lot, and in summer I walk even more, so having shoes and sandals that look cute but are comfortable enough to pound the pavement in is the holy grail. Clarks are good at cute and comfortable.
And now the fun stuff...
Cloud necklace and Bitch necklace, Sugar & Vice £14 & £11I freaking love this tee, it makes me feel like such a bad ass feminist warrior.
3 x t-shirts, Zara £7.99 each
I wore my Zara Organics striped tee to death last summer - it's now a rather sorry mess of sunscreen stains and what I suspect is tattoo ink on the sleeve. So I went a bit over the top when I saw the same t-shirt back in stock in my local store and bought every one in my size. This is such a great tee for tucking into skirts, with the perfect depth of neckline and great sleeve length, so I know I'll be wearing them for years to come.
White t-shirt, H&M £3.99 (not pictured)
Not much to say here: it's a white t-shirt.
Leigh jeans, Topshop £34.20 with T's 10% student discount
My New Look supersoft skinny jeans were one of the great loves of my life; when they changed the 'recipe' I was distraught. Luckily, Topshop's Leigh skinnies seem to have filled the hole in my heart. I love the wash of this mid-denim pair.
Tan sandals, Clarks via Debenhams £40.10 with discount code
A pair of sandals that are basically brogues with loads of holes? Sign me up. I walk a lot, and in summer I walk even more, so having shoes and sandals that look cute but are comfortable enough to pound the pavement in is the holy grail. Clarks are good at cute and comfortable.
And now the fun stuff...
I had a £12.50 voucher to spend on Sugar & Vice after I supported their Indiegogo campaign in January, so I decided to treat myself to not one but two necklaces (using the logic that if I'm paying P&P, I may as well get the value from it).
Summer skirt, Cath Kidston £23 in sale
I've worn this to work a couple of times and as cute as it is, I'm still not 100% convinced. I have a feeling it might make its way onto eBay pretty soon.
Polka dot cardigan, H&M £12.99 (doesn't seem to be online)
I bought this when I was in town in only a t-shirt and feeling a bit cold; that'll teach me to think you can leave your jacket at home in April.
Bicycle-print dress, H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams £21.40 with discount code
How utterly brilliant is this dress? Blue, with a collar and printed with little bicycles and flowers, it couldn't be more me if it actually had my name on it. I snapped it up with 25% off plus an extra 10% discount code.
I bought this when I was in town in only a t-shirt and feeling a bit cold; that'll teach me to think you can leave your jacket at home in April.
Bicycle-print dress, H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams £21.40 with discount code
How utterly brilliant is this dress? Blue, with a collar and printed with little bicycles and flowers, it couldn't be more me if it actually had my name on it. I snapped it up with 25% off plus an extra 10% discount code.
Hand knitted scarf, Daisy Gray Knits on Etsy £14.99
It's no doubt mad to buy a scarf at the start of summer, but this had been on my Etsy favourites list for ages, so when it came down in price I pounced. It's a great shade of mustard and so cosy: perfect for next winter.
Aqua polka dot bra, Bravissimo £29
How could I resist the cuteness of this turquoise polka dot bra? I also picked up a staple white Alana bra for £26, but paid for them both with a gift voucher I got for Christmas so have left them off my total monthly spend.
And so my total is (ouch) £223.79, of which £103.79 was 'overspend' from what I sold on eBay. Oh dear. But I've got some wardrobe essentials there - t-shirts, jeans, new bras, shoes - plus some really fun pieces that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. And hopefully May will be a better month (I say that every month, don't I?)
It's no doubt mad to buy a scarf at the start of summer, but this had been on my Etsy favourites list for ages, so when it came down in price I pounced. It's a great shade of mustard and so cosy: perfect for next winter.
Aqua polka dot bra, Bravissimo £29
How could I resist the cuteness of this turquoise polka dot bra? I also picked up a staple white Alana bra for £26, but paid for them both with a gift voucher I got for Christmas so have left them off my total monthly spend.
And so my total is (ouch) £223.79, of which £103.79 was 'overspend' from what I sold on eBay. Oh dear. But I've got some wardrobe essentials there - t-shirts, jeans, new bras, shoes - plus some really fun pieces that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. And hopefully May will be a better month (I say that every month, don't I?)
