I heart California

I am sure people that live there can complain about the not so warm temperatures and the heavy winds but as a Canadian from up north where I've already turned on my heater at night, California this time of year was amaze-balls.

First off shopping is amazing.  I stopped by the local CVS and bought my Revlon Whipped Foundation for $10 ($14 with a $4 off coupon) which is pretty darn amazing considering Shoppers has them for $19.99 at regular price.  Even with the sale, I wouldn't be able to get it for the same price as in the US.

Here are some pictures from the trip....

First off, did you know that they have ipads at the pearson airport waiting area!  You can even order food on there and have it delivered to your table!  Pretty darn sweet.

Next up is the view from our brunch spot, Schooner or Later.

This was our sweet ride for the weekend.  I've always wanted a mini cooper for a car.

However, the inside took a little getting used to.  I didn't like that the control for the window was not on the windows as expected!

This was the sweet view from our resort.  See that?  Yup, that's the beach within walking distance!

Last was a stop at the Rubys Diner at the end of the Balboa Pier.  Had a nice apple pie a la mode while we enjoyed the view.

Costa Blanca Goodness

Seems like all I've been spending money on lately besides food is clothes! I guess it's the change in seasons that's got me riled up. Fall is my favorite season, along with spring. I don't like it when it's too hot or too cold.

So little old me was at the mall and what do I spot? 40% off everything at Costa Blanca! I have no shame, I am a Costa Blanca fan! Lots of people group them with UB, Sirens, Suzy Shier ect. but I find that their quality and style is often better. You can find Costa Blanca scattered throughout my wardrobe when it comes to tops: cardigans, shirts, long sleeved tops, sweater vests...you name it. Bottoms however are a different story as I find their pants are flimsy and not great quality. Maybe things have changed but I typically don't even bother trying them on. I have a few cardigans from Jacob and I would pick the Costa Blanca ones in my closet over the Jacob ones any day. They have also stood the test of time. The Jacob ones started out strong but after lots of washes, it looks dull and out of shape unlike the Costa Blanca ones which still looks new.

The 40% is only off regular priced items which I didn't realize till I took my items up to the cashier. I bought a regular priced wrap around ($17), a shirt (on sale for $9) and flats (on sale for $20) that I've had my eye on for a while. All in all, I am a happy girl.

I am in trouble

My local Shoppers Drug Mart just renovated their store. It finally has a beauty boutique which is hard enough to resist but I also noticed they had the most gorgeous purses there.

The brand is called Suede & Co. Never heard of them but since and did Shoppers carry purses? Either way I totally wanted one of these bad boys. Made me wish I didn't redeem my points earlier and waited till they reopened my store so I could have splurged on a purse & not had to pay for it.

Starting on budgetting for 2009

OK so yesterday I had a realization. I really have enough clothes for 2009. My style has evolved to something more classic? Not sure if classic is the word but I do try to ask myself 'Will I actually wear this for years to come?'. 'Is this just a one hit wonder?' So w/ that, I've spent the extra cash on items I plan on owning for years: Jeans, jackets, work clothes, shoes, etc. W/ that said, there is really no reason for me to spend much on clothes next year. Looking back on 2008, I think clothes & eating out are the two areas I can cut back on.

With that in mind, I've decided that $20/month on clothes is a reasonable budget. Basically this allows me to get one nice top on sale a month or a jean over 2-4 months. That means $240 for all of 2009!! Not sure if that is realistic since I can easily spend $100 on a nice pair of boots & there goes half of the 2009 budget. But I figure I'll try this for the next few months & see if I have to revisit it half way through the year. Off course, I am allowing myself to carry over anything that's not used in that month & also adding in the stipulation that if for some reason I am at the Outlets again, going a little over the budget is acceptable. I think going to thrift stores really will contribute to me staying w/in this budget. I only started thrift store shopping last summer but I cannot stop. I can't count the number of unique things I have purchased & also items w/ tags on them.

Also decided that $5/month on beauty products is a reasonable budget. I know, am I crazy or what? Crazy: Yes. Wanting to save money: YES. I mean I don't really buy beauty products much anymore. I've enmassed enough eye shadows & such to last me for years to come. I am no where near hitting the pan on any of my shadows.

I think I'd like to try setting up some monthly tally on the right hand side tool bar so I can see it and remind myself of how I am doing.

Boxing Day Shopping

So who went shopping?

I go just about every year for clothes. I am a girl after all. I have the patience to sift through clothes & wait in lines for great deals. At least for a few hours. So I went this year again. What's the damage? $120 on clothes & $30 on a makeup brush set from costco. So $150 in total. I am also debating returning about $30 worth of clothes back as I am not sure I will actually wear it. Pretty good if I do say so myself.

The brush set at costco as seen below is an awesome deal. I started getting into makeup a little over a year ago. I have a pretty decent eyeshadow collection and brushes are key to a good application. I am willing to pay the extra buck for a quality soft brush that will last the test of washing & other abuse. This set has gotten great reviews at makeupalley.com & I trust the girls on there. A decent makeup brush goes for $10+. MAC easily has brushes that go up to $40 and that is something I am not willing to pay yet. So to get 10 brushes plus a makeup roll for $30 is an amazing deal.