Colourpop and Old Navy Collective Haul

Long time no post! I can't explain why other than there's just a lot going on in the world and I'm doing my best to navigate through it. No excuses, just self preservation. I've been unplugging a lot and giving myself breaks. It's a privilege that I appreciate more so these days than many in the past. Not just following world news, but I try to stay caught up on the two countries that I call home. It can become overwhelming quite quickly and I realized how important unplugged moments are in a world that is very plugged in.

I still have my pictures for What I Got for Christmas, but it seems so far removed from Christmas now to share. Maybe I'll fit them into a random post, if interest is there. Most of the items end up popping up in my Instagram photos, though! And there are other posts I'm behind on, but I have to keep telling myself not to beat myself up about it. I'll get back into the swing of things. I know I will. It's just the obsessiveness and perfectionist in me that wants to make things harder on myself with added pressure and a proverbial magnifying glass pointing things out. Both a blessing and a curse at any given moment.

Today's post is a simple throwback to old school blogging, a collective haul with stock photos (since I'm waiting for the items to arrive)! I made an order from Colourpop during their big sale and used some Super Cash from Old Navy, taking advantage of Rakuten's cash back on both orders. Here's what I got and now for the hard part of waiting for it to arrive! 😁 I apologize if some of the Colourpop items are now out of stock since it was also a "last chance" sale but most, if not all, of the Old Navy items are still available if you see something you like!

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July 2021 Favorites

Hi, everyone! I'm back at you again with my July favorites and honestly, it feels like I just did the June version of this post. July went by so quickly for me! I selfishly want August to do the same, because my countdown for autumn and the start of the holiday season is on. I won't lie about doing a happy dance when I found out Bath and Body Works were already putting out their Halloween collection. With everything going on right now, we need to find things to be happy about! If that means shopping for Halloween in late July/early August, then so be it. Am I already thinking about where to put my Christmas decorations? Maaaaaaybe.

It was a short week here in Canada with Monday having been a holiday, so it's a really nice realization to wake up and remember it is Friday already. It's often a struggle to keep the days straight! If the weather holds up, Toronto is supposed to have a Vincent van Gogh hot air balloon on Saturday to draw attention to the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Vincent is my favorite artist and I've never seen a hot air balloon in person, despite coming from an area that hosted a giant hot air balloon festival every year. I just never had the opportunity to attend! Have you seen one in person? I don't think I'd ever be comfortable riding in one with my fear of flying and heights, but I'm happy to admire from solid ground.😄

To this past month's favorites! What were some of the things you've been enjoying? Do we have any in common? I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

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Birthday Collective Haul - Reitmans, H&M, Torrid, Addition Elle, Taylor Swift

I had mentioned that I went a little ham in July for my birth month. Birthday money, sales, coupons, and discounts helped, for sure! This is the second part of my hauls, click here for the first part if you missed it. July is over now and I'm trying to reel in my spending habits. It was fun while it lasted! It wasn't that bad of a quarantine birthday for this introverted homebody who loves online shopping. Haha!

I'd say I was probably thinking of late summer and fall for this shopping batch, because my countdown has already started for autumn to get here.  Like if I just will for fall weather to be here enough, it'll come quicker.Cardigan weather is calling my name! Speaking of cardigans, I do have two of those featured in this collective haul. I'll link to what I can. Have you added anything to your closet for this fall?  Here's what I ordered!

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Winter 2020 Torrid Haul

If there's one thing that I love, it's finding a good sale or discount! And one thing that keeps me from taking advantage of ordering from Torrid is the high shipping cost. Thanks, but no thanks! Rewind to a few weeks ago when I opened an email from them giving me $25 off of a $50 purchase and free shipping to Canada. I had to take advantage! Okay...I didn't have to take advantage, but I have no regrets that I did. I gave the heads up to my SIL at the same time, because I'm an enabler extraordinaire! ;)

I didn't go too crazy, only buying three clothing items and a belt. As you'll see below! The $25 off could not be applied to sale items, but I couldn't pass up two of the items that were on for a great deal. And again, it was nice to have free shipping and access to the online exclusives. My order came about three days after I ordered, which was faster than I thought it would arrive. I wouldn't pay the full shipping, but I'd order when they have free shipping again. Until then, I don't mind going into one of my local stores. If you are unfamiliar with Torrid, they offer clothing in sizes 10-30. While I often find their clothing at the regular pricing too expensive, I live for their clearance and sales.

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Recent Amazon Buys - Summer 2019

I got a little carried away on Amazon this summer. I got a few things off of my wishlist when Prime Day came around and I had a giftcard to use from my birthday. Perfect timing in that regard! I already shared what I picked up beauty-wise during Prime Day here. This is a collective haul from Prime Day and after.

There's a little bit of everything here - home decor, fashion, beauty, etc. I'll link to the actual listing I ordered from, since there are so many different versions of a lot of these as is usually the case. Who else can't stay off of Amazon?! Don't think I'm not drooling at some of the sweaters on there for fall, because there are some real winners!.

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Birthday Wishlist for 2019

It's really just a wishlist, but my husband asked me for ideas for my birthday (it's Friday!). I had a hard time coming up with anything after having the most perfect trip home to South Carolina in May. I do usually have a running wishlist on my phone, so I resorted to that and here's a few of the things from it. There's no beauty items on it, because I just couldn't think of anything. Plus, I know I'll be getting my birthday freebie from Sephora to fill that void! Man, I live for birthday freebies.

We're planning a few outings over the next week or two to stretch out the celebrations, the Terre Bleu Lavender Farm for one. We also had a movie date this past weekend while finally seeing Shazam! You guys, it's so good. I know I'm late on the train. I love Zachary Levi (Chuck and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, especially) and he did not let me down. I went in knowing nothing about the superhero, but loved the entire story and adventure. It was even better that the seats were fully reclining...if only every theatre had those.

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Old Navy Semi-Annual Clearance Sale Winter 2019

I couldn't resist. I tried, but then I saw a sweater that I had been wanting on massive discount and got nearly the entire order for what that sweater originally cost after added discounts and money back through eBates. I got a few things for myself and my husband for under $70 and I consider that a retail success. Because I just ordered these, most of them are still available online and possibly stores.

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What's In My Purse?

I haven't done one of these in a long time now. If my search skills are correct, my last What's In My Purse post was just over two years ago. I used to be the girl that carries the kitchen sink and sometimes I still am when I carry one of my bigger bags. That's one of the things I like about choosing a smaller bag though. You only have so much space to delegate to the more important items. It depends on my mood and my daily plans, but my shoulder definitely thanks me when I go the smaller bag route!

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InstaMonth: February 2017 (ft. Old Navy and Valentine's Day Items)

Time for the post where I share some of my favorite pictures from my Instagram over the course of the past month. As always, I would love for us to follow each other. You can find me as "wendybanner" and I post six times a week. I post a mixture of beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and quotes (big Motivation Monday fan!).

I normally try to give an update on my knee in these posts and don't think I have in a while. There's just not much to update on. I still can't get it fully straight BUT I did get it slightly straighter. Bending it is still also a big issue. I'm working on standing longer and going further without relying on my cane. Stamina and strength is a real you-know-what to get back. You don't realize how much you depend on your knee's extension and flexion until you can't do much of either. But honestly, it affects everything you do with your legs.

I'm still going to physio and my therapist enjoys (a little too much) throwing difficult tasks my way. The best part is when he brings something out that I once had a hard time doing and breeze through it. I don't always see my progress because it is so gradual (and painstakingly slow at times), but it feels so good when that happens. That all of this hard work is paying off and any amount of improvement IS improvement.

It's so easy to focus on negatives, isn't it? But sometimes you just need to pat yourself on the back and give yourself some appreciation and love!

1. Happy Pats fan right here! // 2. This mud mask is amazing. // 3. The new Bite pencils are worthy of a purchase.
4. When in doubt, make out. // 5. ColourPop Party Trick set. // 6. Old Navy haul. (chambray, weekend tee, floral sweatshirt, leggings)

7. Pamper session with the new Legendary Olive Whole Blends set. // 8. ColourPop x NKLA // 9. My wintry view.
10. New from Arbonne. Coming up next week! // 11. The cutest lip balms. // 12. My Valentine purse set. (purse, wallet)

Gift Guide: Valentine's Day 2017

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! I'm not sure how that happened, because I could have sworn we just welcomed in a new year and now we're already nearing the second month. It's been a dreary month here with hardly any sunshine, which is not great when I have quite a few blog photos I need to take. I know cloudy days are best anyway, but not when it is as dark as it has been most days. When the clouds are just right, you can probably find me taking what feels like 50,000 photos.

Maybe it's because it has been dreary or maybe because Valentine's Day is coming up, I've been surrounding myself with color. Red lips, pink nails, bright accessories, whatever it takes to liven things up a bit! Today, I'm sharing some things I think any girl would love to receive (or buy for herself! #treatyoself) on Valentine's Day.

• Makeup - A given, but especially something sweet like the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette. This bad boy screams "I'm perfect for Valentine's Day!".
• Perfume - Something light and delicate like the Chanel Chance Eau Tendre will be a hit.
• Jewelry - You don't have to break the bank unless you want to. I'm always happy with a new Pandora charm for my bracelet.
• Nail Polish - A great gift to give your best friend! The one shown is Just Stitched.
• Gym Gear - For the health nut...or not. I don't consider myself a health or gym nut by any means, but I have to stay active for my knee since breaking it. Yoga pants, mats, etc. are always welcomed in my eyes! But my main attraction is my S'well water bottle. One of the best things I've bought in recent months and keeps my water ice cold all day!
• Experience - I love sentimental value over everything else. Write a love letter or try baking something. Movie night, dinner out, slow dancing in the kitchen after a meal at home. Those types of things and events are what stick out in the end. Even the year that my husband tried to make me dinner (he avoids cooking like it is the plague) and I found out the hard way that I am allergic to lobster is still one of the best memories. But yeah, no lobster in my future... :)

Palette // Water Bottle // Bracelet // Perfume // Nail Polish

What's one of your favorite Valentine's Day memories?

What I Got For Christmas 2016

I'm not going to show everything. A lot of it will pop up in my Instagram feed over time, I'm certain. And I got a lot of the typical stocking stuffers of candy and little knickknacks that I am happy about, but I don't want to photograph or share every little thing. So instead, I'm sharing a few of the items that were deemed as my "special" gifts. That's what my husband and I call the gifts that are under our tree and the family tree at my MIL's.

Insert typical disclaimer here about the not bragging or rubbing things in anyone's face. I happen to enjoy these types of posts immensely and I often get ideas (and new additions to my wishlist) from seeing what others get for various occasions. If you don't like this type of post, I understand if you choose to skip it and read my other material. But do know it's not about the material things at all. As I noted in a previous post, my best Christmas gift came in way of a long lost wedding card from my grandmother. So many emotions! Feelings of love, happiness, faith, and peace. That's my Christmas.

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Gift Guide 2016: For the Girly Girls

Where do I start? This is the easiest and hardest gift guide to do. Why? Because how does one narrow down all of the pretty things into one compiled list? It's not easy and there are plenty more things I could have added to this post, but I have to draw the line somewhere. With that said, these are some of my favorite gifts and gift ideas right now for the ladies in your life (or you!).

• Scarves - You can't go wrong.
• Perfume - Rollerball perfumes are perfect for gifts.
• Makeup - Buy gift sets and split them up among friends. You save money and everyone wins!
• Jewelry - Something personalized or a charm for a bracelet is always a winner. (I'm a fan of LovePendants!)
• Sentimental Gifts - A framed picture, concert tickets for you to enjoy together, etc.

Scarf // Rollerball // Lipstick Set // Ring // Frame

You can see my past girly gift guides for more ideas: 2014 and 2015.

I hope everyone in the States has a lovely Thanksgiving! I am taking a short staycation and will be back to posting next week. Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

LovePendants by Robert Leser - My Personalized Necklace

I have a huge thing for jewelry, especially those pieces that have personality or sentimental value. Those are the ones that I always reach for. My favorite items are those that were gifts, are personalized, or passed down from someone I love. Those that tell a story. Those are the ones that earn a special place on my jewelry display.

I've been talking back and forth with Robert Leser, creator, owner, and designer of LovePendants. He wears many hats! And he totally got that I am all about the sentimentality. I was able to create a necklace that is perfect for me. The pendants are very dainty and perfect for necklace layering. I want to put my charm on one of my chains that my grandmother gave me, but I'll have to take it to a jeweler to get them to switch it out. I really appreciate Robert including a chain to my order, which allows me to not have to rush out right away for the switch.

You can choose to customize bracelets, necklaces, or just the charm. There are various color options, allowing you to choose the gemstone and symbol colors and what metal you want. Besides that, you can choose from initials, popular symbols, sorority letters, etc. While deciding what I wanted, I was torn between so many. At the end of the day, I'm a sucker for a good monogram. And purple. I love a good dose of purple.

This is the back of the necklace. Robert engraves the gemstones from the back. The center on the front of the necklace is smooth. The clasp is an easy lobster clasp and extends to 18". For the exact combination that I ordered: I got the initials pendant with an amethyst gemstone, purple engraving, and yellow vermeil.

I am so pleased with my necklace and my experience in talking to Robert. I love this brilliant idea of his and I think they would be great to give as gifts! I am really appreciative to have had this opportunity, because I would hate to think that this company might have gotten past my radar.

**This necklace was provided to me for reviewing purposes. All opinions and pictures are my own. There are no affiliated links in this post.

What I Got For Christmas 2015

Hi, guys! So obviously my post is going up a little later than others, but it took me a bit to get around to taking the pictures and deciding what to include and how to organize the post. I have some Boxing Day hauls going up in the next while, as well. It's just a matter of fitting everything in with my other regular posts and reviews. Lots coming up!

If you hate these types of posts, that's fine. Just skip over it! I'll be back with other posts this week. I personally love seeing what people receive, but to each their own!

Keep reading!

My Thoughts on GlassesShop.com!

When I was contacted to try a pair of glasses from GlassesShop.com, I knew I wanted to pick out a really fun pair. I view glasses as another way to accessorize and I love having different pairs and colors to choose from. The only thing I don't stray too far from is the shape, because you still want to stick to pairs that flatter your face. For me, I have a round face so I stick mostly to square frames. You ovals out there that can wear any frame, consider me jealous!

GlassesShop offers non-prescription and prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. They offer various pairs of cheap glasses to keep even the most fashionable diva happy. You can upload a photo and virtually try on any pair. I narrowed my choices down to three, but picked the Fayette Wayfarer in multicolor. With each pair, you also get a case and cleaning cloth.

They have a geometric pattern and glitter to add dimension. GLITTER. Yep, I was sold after that. This pair is amazing up close and just look like a brownish red from a distance, so I feel like they are really easy to wear from day to night. An easy foray into the print world without making too huge a splash. They are made of acetate and are very comfortable while wearing.

For my readers, I have a coupon code to save you 50% on select eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lenses (sale frames excluded). Just enter GSHOT50. There is also a campaign going on currently called "First Pair Free", where all new customers can get their first pair for free and pay only shipping and handling. That's a pretty awesome deal!

**I received these glasses from GlassesShop. All pictures and thoughts are my own. I am not being paid, nor are there any affiliate links in this post.

My New Firmoo Glasses

As a girl who loves to accessorize, a new pair of glasses brings me great joy. Eyeglasses and sunglasses are such a fun way to switch up your look instantly. When Firmoo contacted me about picking out a new pair, I would have jumped for joy...you know, if it weren't for that whole broken knee thing.

Last year, I picked out a pair of tortoise sunglasses so I went along that same theme. The frames I got also came in black, but I feared those would be too harsh on me. Tortoise is a good meet-in-the-middle and goes with everything. I don't wear glasses full-time. I only need them for things really far away, mostly while on the road. I am navigator while my husband drives and I have to be able to read street signs. So now I am set for future road trips and I might just have to start hinting about needing a vacation once I am healed! Sounds fair!

Each order comes with a soft case, hard case, cleaning cloth, and a mini double-sided screwdriver. There are additions you can choose for each pair like anti-scratch, multifocal, blue-light blocking, etc. Any pair can be made into sunglasses and you can make any pair non-prescription if you do not have any vision problems. You put in your prescription and any additions you want and that's it. Super easy! And they have a try on tool where you can upload your picture and virtually try on pairs. This comes in super handy, because I was torn between two pairs and seeing them on made my decision a lot easier.

I am really pleased with my choice. They are comfortable around the nose and ears, don't slide down, and are very lightweight and sturdy. The pair I ordered is sold out, but there is a pair that is similar available. There are lots of colors to choose from to let your personality shine!

**Glasses were provided by Firmoo. There are no affiliate links and all thoughts and pictures are my own. You can find Firmoo on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Wake Up With Lavazza + Giveaway!

Who woke up to a video call from Italy this morning? This gal! As part of my Lavazza experience, I had my alarm app set to go off this morning. I thought I had time to quickly brew a cup of the Perfetto expresso roast and make it back before the alarm went off. Just as the last drop hit the cup, I heard an operatic "Buongiornooooooooooo" from their spokesperson and I hurried over to see that the call had started. Whew, close one!

I suffer from "foot-in-mouth" syndrome often, so I did not have high hopes for myself during a video call. But I think I survived with minimal embarrassment! Fingers crossed! It was a lovely start to my morning to learn more about Lavazza.

Oh, we talked about many things like my blog and music. We talked about positivity and of course, coffee. Glorious coffee. It took me out of my comfort zone and I'm glad. I mentioned on Twitter the other day how I was trying to be more positive and how it is working for me. If you put good out in the world, good comes to you. Lavazza has proven that to me in a big way. They have treated me kindly and made me feel like my voice matters. That's a big deal! I can stand behind a company that has those kind of standards.

This has been a fantastic experience and I cannot say enough good things. I hate surprises and they kept a lot of this secret from me until it was time to know something. That would normally drive me crazy, but I think it actually added to the adventure. I enjoyed not knowing what was in the box when it arrived and I enjoyed not knowing what to fully expect when the alarm went off (probably the only time I will ever be a morning person and it not be Christmas morning!). You can read more in my last post!

Lavazza is offered in K-Cups and you can read more about them here. I was sent all four to try and it's hard to choose favorites, but I can't stay away from Gran Aroma and Perfetto. My MIL loves dark and bold roasts and has really been enjoying the Gran Selezione.That's not a knock against Classico, by any means!

Now, I want to give one lucky reader a chance to try all four. In this giveaway, I've picked something to represent the three main categories of my blog- lifestyle, beauty, and fashion. The winner will receive two K-Cups of each Lavazza flavor to sample, a rose gold bow cuff, a Korres lip butter in Quince, and an One Direction mascara (an extra one from one of my sets that has never been opened). This will end on December 15, 2014 at 12AM EST. Open internationally!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*These items were sent to me from We Are Social, in collaboration with Lavazza Coffee. #BuongiornoAmerica! The pictures and thoughts are my own. There are no affiliated links in this post.

My Firmoo Sunglasses

Firmoo reached out to me and asked if I would like to try a pair of their glasses or sunglasses. Impeccable timing! With summer here, I really needed to finally get a pair of sunglasses in my prescription. My eyesight isn't that bad, but I have difficulty seeing road signs clearly when in the car. Since I am the navigator on all of our road trips, this can be a major problem! Even on sunny days (which make for the best road trips!), I was having to wear my regular glasses to see the signs while squinting in the brightness. But not anymore, because Firmoo came to my rescue!

If it is your first time ordering from them, there is a 50% off code on their home page. They also run a "first pair free" special every now and then, so you can look out for that. You do have the option to make a pair non prescription, as well. For my US-based readers, there is a deal right now for Independence Day where you can get two pairs for $49.

The pair I got can be found here. Each pair comes with a hard case, soft case, a double-sided screwdriver keychain, and cleaning cloth. For my sunglasses, I chose the dark tint. I love them. Me and these babies are going steady. We're tight like bread and butter. You'll be seeing these in my future selfies and OOTDs on Instagram, I guarantee it.

**I did receive this product from the company. All pictures and thoughts are my own and there are no affiliate links in this post.

Updates & Belated Valentine's Day!

So I'm super late on this post. With this move and a sick cat, my schedule has been fluctuating a lot more than I like. The good news is Jade is finally home from the vet after several nights and has stitches in her paw from the surgery to remove the abscess. Her kidney levels came back high and we have changed her diet to involve less protein. I have to give her the rest of her antibiotics and get her stitches out and that should do it. With any luck, this little brat will be around to annoy me a lot longer. ;)

We managed to get our bridge mortgage finalized and can start renovations and moving in on next Thursday. It's a week later than we wanted, but it gives us an extra week that we can definitely use. We move out of our current place officially on March 14th. It's exciting and bittersweet at the same time! Everything about this move has been daunting and when things could go wrong, they went terribly wrong. But I can finally see the finish line! Well, sorta. There's still plenty of things to be done, but we are closer. I'll take what I can get!

That's pretty much the gist of our life right now. I'll do a future post on the appliances we just ordered and some of the decor on my wishlist. For now, here's some belated Valentine's Day pictures.

^ My card and Rob Ford Valentines. My husband hunted down these limited edition cards and they are hilarious. I don't like making fun of others at all, but the punchlines are on point.

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Benefit Advent Calendar Week Two

I've mentioned on twitter that I would be sharing weekly mini write-ups on the Benefit Countdown to Love advent calendar from this year. Every Friday, I'll share what are behind the doors that I have opened that week. Here is December 7-13th!

I know many of you could not get your hands on this advent calendar, but all of these sample-sized products (aside from the charm bracelet) can be bought from their permanent line in full sizes!

Keep reading!