My Book Outlet Birthday Haul

My birthday recently passed and I'm still taking advantage of some of the discounts. Bonus points to the companies that have a lengthier amount of time for redemption! One birthday discount I put to use was for Book Outlet. Combined with our reward points and cash back with Rakuten (my referral link), I got everything I ordered for under $70 CAD! There's three books I'm not showing because they are part of Larry's Christmas gifts. What a deal for 7 books!

They have a pretty decent selection. You may not find everything on your TBR list, but you won't step away disappointed. If you're anything like me, you actually end up adding more books to your wishlist from browsing. Oops! If there's one thing I do miss, it is the Book Outlet's physical location. Everything is now only online, but they do have both an American and Canadian website.

This haul showcases my love for romance and classics. Two of my favorite genres! I actually haven't read a classic in a while, so I need to rectify that soon. If you're on Goodreads or Fable, I'm happy to connect! I prefer Fable and that's where you can find my reviews. It's also great for tracking TV and is more social than GR. The breakdowns on the profile are fantastic. Highly recommend!

 

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Birthday Sephora Haul

The minute my birthday gift became available, I made the purchase. Having a July birthday comes in handy when it comes to the Sephora birthday gifts because they always seem to do a small overhaul on the gifts available from the first half of the year. This go-around, they added a new VIB and Rouge offering so I took advantage of that.

So I fired up my Rakuten to get some money back on my purchase, took advantage of the 500 points back offer, got my birthday freebie, and sat back with that post purchase high. 😄 It's not my birthday yet, but I see nothing wrong with starting celebrations a little early. Who does?!

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Tarte Create Your Own Kit Sale Haul 2021

I did not plan to have three haul posts right after one another, but today is Tarte's Friends and Family sale. I wanted to get up my latest Tarte haul in case something interested you! You can save 35% if you join their rewards membership (referral link) and 30% if you check out as a guest. Free shipping on Canadian orders over $50. I recommend the membership, because you can earn points and you get a free birthday reward. The gifts are nice and don't take a ridiculous amount to get some of the nicer ones. Not only that, but you can get points from reviewing products on the site, opening emails, clicking within emails, completing your profile, etc.

Here's what I recently bought! What's your favorite Tarte product? Let us all know in the comments!

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Collective Birthday Haul - Coach x Peanuts, Torrid, H&M, Old Navy, Shoppers, and Sephora

Hi there! Last week was my birthday and I splurged on a few things, because... hi, my name is Wendy and I can't say no to birthday discounts, apparently. I felt like the best way to share what I got would be to do a collective haul. Some of the things I've already shared on my Instagram. I'll share some of the beauty items in later posts, both on there and here. I purchased all of this within the last two weeks, I'd say, so most of it should still be available if you see something that interests you!

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Fashionable Heart Turns 13 and August's InstaMonth

Hi y'all! Before I dive in with the recap from my Instagram during August, I wanted to give a quick message on my blog and its longevity. Fashionable Heart turned thirteen last week on the 7th. FH is officially a teenager! So many things have happened in those years!

In 2007, this space allowed me to focus on things and topics I enjoyed and helped give me an escape as I mourned my grandmother. It has given me a voice when I've sometimes questioned having one or being heard and seen.

I just want to pat myself on the back for the day that I started this journey. I've gone through periods where I need small breaks or fewer posts, but I've never truly contemplated quitting or going on a lengthy hiatus. That's not to say it will never happen, but I feel like as long as I stay true to myself and allow the blog to grow with me, that it'll be a part of my life for years to come.

Blogging has given me some awesome experiences and brought amazing people into my life. Not just here, but the older days of Xanga, MySpace, and LiveJournal. And before those, I even had a WebTV website way back when where I shared different things about my life and favorite quotes. Some things never change. I've been in the blogging game for so long that I can't remember a lot of time before it.

And I'm happy to blog because with it, I talk about a lot of things I would have forgotten without it! Maybe I'm not as personal as I once was in my early days, but I try to strike an even ground. I am a private person who likes to selectively choose what is shared and when a more personal touch is needed. I don't want to share everything, but I don't want to be too impersonal. It's finding that balance and I hope I'm succeeding.

Thank you for supporting me whether you have been here from the start or just clicked on Fashionable Heart today. I can't thank you enough for subscribing, following, liking, commenting, working with me, and most importantly reading and listening. It all makes me feel such happiness and acceptance. Grateful and thankful are understatements. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I might have told a fib when I said I'd make that quick. Haha! Let's get to some highlights from my Instagram during August!

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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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InstaMonth for July 2020

Hi, y'all! Can you believe we are in August already in a year that seems to be moving slowly and quickly given whichever moment you're in? This pandemic seems to slow things down, but then I sit back and look at how quickly the months went by. Time is weird right now. Well, it's always weird, but it seems even weirder now. I read this article a few month's ago and it struck me as being true as the pandemic has continued! I find myself having to check my watch or phone more and more to see what day and time it is.

Now to some highlights from my Instagram account during July. I'm happy to see August, as autumn is just around the corner. I can't wait for full fall vibes with dark evenings, cool breezes, candle lit nights, etc. It's my favorite season, so bring it on. Sorry, summer lovers! :)

L'Occitane Aqua Reotier line - review is here!

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Birthday Fun - Gifts, Sales, and Clearance

My birthday was two weeks ago and I thought I'd share some of the things I got as gifts and just gifting myself - haha! I'd like to say my latest Addition Elle, H&M, Reitmans,Torrid, and Taylor Swift orders that aren't in this post fell under that category, but maybe I can get away with blaming it on "Christmas in July"? Yeah, let's go with that. Technically, Reitmans and Torrid fall under the birthday category because I used my birthday rewards. I just don't have them yet and want to make sure they arrive before I share what I got. Perhaps, I'll post a collective haul on those purchases - minus the Taylor Swift items, because they said it might be two months before they ship.

So in this post, we have Addition Elle, some of my gifts, H&M, Shoppers beauty haul, Juvia's Place, and a few birthday pictures! Just typing all of this out makes me realize just how done I am right now. Like DONE. July was a fun month with a little getaway, my birthday ,and some retail therapy but I'm good to get back to normal and reining back the spending again. Though points, rewards, and gift cards made this feel a little less daunting on the wallet. (Except for the Taylor Swift order mentioned above. That one hurt. Don't even get me started on the shipping to Canada, but darn it Folklore is amazing and I just wanted the album and some of the merch to go with it. Who knows when we're all going to get to experience live shows again?!)

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Happy 12th Birthday, Fashionable Heart!

Here we are again, folks! Let's see if I can put together a decent post. I'm sure I've put my thoughts more eloquently in all the previous posts where I honor my blog's date of existence. I won't make this a novel as I probably have in the past, because those thoughts and words very much still apply.

If I recall correctly (it was a long time ago, afterall), I started the blog just a few days prior but didn't post until September 7th. It was originally known as Ordinary Superstar, a song that was featured on The Hills at the time. I decided to get my very own .com and so Fashionable Heart was born. The real reason behind me starting the blog was that my grandmother passed away that year (2007) and I was in a dark place. I needed something to put my focus on and I knew I loved writing and photography. I wasn't new to blogging, but this one felt different from the start. This blog came to be exactly two months after my grandma died.

I loved it so much and just kept at it. I blinked and somehow I am sitting here celebrating twelve years. It is insane how quickly time passes. I had no idea that day in September would bring me to this point. I've met some lovely people, worked with some great brands, and have had incredible experiences. Fashionable Heart means so much to me and has made such a difference in my life that it boggles my brain a bit to sit back and think about it.

Thank you to everyone who has deemed this blog worthy of a follow or any of my posts worthy of a read,share, or save. Thank you to the brands and companies that have worked with me. I appreciate all of you with every fiber of my being.

12 years. Wow. What a 12 years it has been! Let's keep going, shall we? :)

Amazon Prime Day 2019 Beauty Haul

This was my first time taking part in Prime Day. I have had Prime before, just not around Prime Day. It worked out well this year because I had renewed it to watch the Prime Day concert. I got a handful of items and thought I would share the beauty items from my haul. I originally didn't have my eye on any beauty, but then I got an email that stated 30% off of select items. It didn't hurt that each were already priced lower than they typically are at the drugstore. And so this mini haul was born!

Did you get anything during Prime Day? I can't help but think ours in Canada isn't as great as the American one, but at least we get it. I didn't take advantage of any of the big ticket items, but maybe next year. It is definitely enticing! I got an Amazon gift card for my birthday, so I put it to good use and stayed within that amount. Here are the three beauty items I bought!

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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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Happy 11th Birthday, Fashionable Heart!

Today is the day that my blog turns eleven. Eleven years old! What?! My blog is basically in middle school now. On its way to preteen territory. And that's crazy to think about! I've been at this a long time and I guess I just haven't run out of things to say or the want to say them. That's the true power of blogging, isn't it? May all of the naysayers that say blogging is dead be wrong, because I think blogs are still as relevant as ever.

You can look at all of my past blogiversary posts to see more of what I think about this blog, what it has allowed me, and just how much I love it. None of that has changed. Another thing that hasn't changed is how much I appreciate all of you. Without readers, I'd just be talking to myself. Now, that wouldn't be much different from my everyday life (haha!)...but it means the world to me that you stop by to read my thoughts, look at my pictures, and support me on this journey.

Some of you have been here since day one and that is not lost on me. I'm so happy that I have gotten to know so many of you and formed friendships. I believe support shouldn't be one way. I love supporting you, reading your blogs, following you on social media, and meeting you! Paths that may not have crossed if I had never hit publish on this site. That's a strange and wonderful thought!

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. Here's to another 11 years? Well, you never know!

Sephora Birthday Haul 2018

I put in my first Sephora order for this year to get my birthday freebie. Every time I go into the stores, they seem to have an issue with getting my points issued and I have to call them in. So I avoided that extra step and ordered online. Plus, getting 8% cash back on eBates (my link is on my sidebar, if you're interested) and a limited sample bag of foundations were some added benefits.

I don't think I've bought anything from Sephora this year unless something has escaped my mind, as these days I typically wait until my birthday, Black Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day, and the $15 off coupons. It's actually a pretty decent system with there being a few months between Christmas and my birthday to actually use and enjoy what I pick out. That ain't to say I'm not always lurking the app and adding to my wishlist novel. ;) It also gives those things time to sit on that list and let me decide if I actually truly want it or would use it.

This haul might be slightly boring as it involves the birthday freebie, samples galore, and one item that fit the above criteria. This item sat on my list for months. I drooled over pictures on Instagram. I obsessed over makeup tutorials using it on YouTube. The want just kept growing and now it's mine! This post is just the haul. I will have swatches and reviews coming!

And while we're at it, what's something that's on your Sephora wishlist that you can't wait to get? I want to know!

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Sephora's 2017 Birthday Gift: Tarte

This year, Sephora offers three different birthday sets for its Beauty Insiders program. They have the Tarte set that I am showing in this post, a Caudalie set, and a Jack Black set (online only). I almost chose the Caudalie set, but I already have a tube of Vinosource.

I'm aware that it is August, but I'm sure there are quite a few of you out there who still have an upcoming birthday to celebrate! I would have had this earlier to review, but my local Sephora did not want to give me the set. I contacted Sephora's customer service and they put it in the mail for me right away. Not too happy with my local Sephora for that, but Sephora's main customer service was great. So I'll take that as a win!

 Come see what I think of this little Tarte set!

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My Birthday

I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but it has been a rough month. There's been three family deaths, two on my side and one on my husband's side. Yesterday, his 102 year old great aunt passed away so I stepped away from everything for the most part and spent time with him.

My birthday was last Wednesday and I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday. I thought I'd type up a quick post just to show a few things I got and tell you how I spent the day. It was nothing extravagant, which was perfect for me! The day marked ten years since my grandmother's funeral (Yes, my dad planned her funeral to be on my birthday. And no, I've never been okay with it. Long story.) and I just wanted to do something to lift my spirits. She had the largest hand in raising me and it's a time where I really spend missing her and thanking her at the same time. It's an emotional rollercoaster, if I'm being completely honest.

My main birthday celebration was a nice dinner out at our local Chinese buffet restaurant. I gleefully stuffed my face with sushi, sesame chicken, and noodles. And afterward, we headed to my MIL's where my husband had a cake waiting. No complaints about any of it! I got some really thoughtful gifts and I thought I would share a few of them below. My friend Daniel thought of me while down south in Nashville and brought me back a country ham and Dolly Parton CD from the Cracker Barrel, so I even felt like I got a dose of home!

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Odysseo by Cavalia (Discount Code!)

I want to apologize if you came to my blog during my birthday break and had to see the issues I was having with a few graphics that I had linked to my Photobucket. They decided to change their whole website without telling anyone. Now to link to your pictures on there, they expect $400 US a year. Keep dreaming, Photobucket. Luckily, I only had a few to deal with on my main page. But you will see some past posts with an issue. As for my birthday, I'll have a post up next week. I just needed a little break to enjoy it!

While on my break, I took in a spectacular show. I saw Cavalia when it first came to Toronto forever ago (pretty sure it was 2005) and fell in love. They then started the Odysseo touring show, so I jumped at the chance when I got invited to attend during Social Media Week. My husband and I went on Friday (July 7) and I specifically chose that day because it marked ten years since I lost my grandmother. I wanted to do something fun and emotionally moving at the same time.

When seeing Cavalia, I remember being in absolute awe the entire time. Odysseo is no different. In fact, I seem to still be missing my jaw. I think I left it behind on the tent floor! Continue reading for more of my thoughts and to see the pictures. I have tried to cover a lot of the VIP (and regular none VIP) experience. There's also a discount code below if you are in the GTA and interested in going!

*picture provided by Cavalia

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My Birthday Wishlist This Year and a Michaels Planner Haul

My birthday is next month. Any fellow July babies reading? I'm not a big fan of summer (that's no secret), but I always enjoyed the fact that there was no school on my birthday. I have never been a big celebrator of my birthday, so I didn't usually have big shindigs and invite a lot of people. And as I age, I'm still very much the same. Some birthdays have been better than others and I don't mind making plans for a dinner with close friends and family or something simple. This year, that's probably the plan. A dinner out, a birthday date night with my husband, and just taking it easy. Are you a big celebration type of person on birthdays?

I do have a few things that I wouldn't mind receiving as gifts. If you're here for beauty items, not this time. I've gotten quite a few new things in that category recently and want to take the time to enjoy those and get ready to review them. But don't think for a second that the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette is not going on my generic wishlist, just not on my birthday version! It's so dang pretty!

• Beauty and the Beast - I didn't get to see it while it was in theatres! At first, I wasn't excited for it. I don't care much for the live action versions of animated films. But it just looks so good from every clip I've seen and I adore Emma Watson.

• Le Pen - This list is mostly planner related things. Sorry if that bores you! I've been a planner person for the better part of my life. I just recently picked up two new planners at Michaels that I am really excited about (see below). I had a few Le Pens back in high school and enjoyed the fine tip. I never replaced them and I've since been seeing them pop up on my radar. So many colors, but I find black to be the most useful so I'll start there.

• Create 365 Sticker Book - This one is the rainbow one. I have four of their books in my collection so far and I am hooked. They last ages and I haven't even made a dent. These stickers are so great and versatile! I have a ban.do agenda right now and I make them work in the horizontal layout.

• Pigma Micron Pens - I haven't tried these, but I've heard they are brilliant. I thought they would be great for my bullet journal that I just started.

• Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens - Again, I want these for bullet journaling. 

• Recollections Planner Accessories Kit - I love these little kits. They come with a band, sticky notes, a dashboard, bookmark, stencils, and sticker sheets. The dashboard, bookmark, and stencils are all cut to go on the coil. 

• PopSocket - I already have one, but I don't want to keep moving it from case to case. I don't really use it while carrying my phone, but I love it for when I'm taking pictures or using it as a stand

Recollections Recipe Planner - I recommend it to you if you love to cook and bake. I promise you do not have to be a planner type to enjoy this one. I've been putting some of the recipes from Pinterest in it so far. I have a few that I've tried and enjoyed and I'd really like them written elsewhere besides just saved on my account.

Recollections Life is Sweet Planner - This is more for next year, though I'm breaking it in a little before that because it has a vertical layout that I am not used to. I was never attracted to vertical until recently, so we'll see. For now, I'm going to use it as my blog planner and test page layouts to see what works for me before it possibly becomes my main planner in 2018. If I don't make it my main planner, it will stay my blog planner and I'll go back to horizontal.

I used coupons on both, which I highly recommend. You can get a great planner and accessories and save a lot of money!

Sephora 2016 Birthday Gift: Marc Jacobs

This year, Sephora offers two different options for your birthday. Signing up for their Beauty Insider program is free and their birthday gifts are one of the perks each year. The two available this year are a Fresh skincare duo and this Marc Jacobs duo. I chose the Marc one, because A) I already have lots of skincare items I am trying right now and I have already tried one of the items in the duo and B) I have yet to try anything from Marc's line and both items have pretty good reviews.

The set comes with deluxe samples of the Blacquer Highliner Gel eyeliner and a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Le Marc Lip Creme lipstick. Here are my thoughts and swatches!

The eyeliner: It is so smooth and creamy. I actually think it is smoother than the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners. It is pretty opaque on first swipe, but I did not find it to be as opaque as Urban Decay's Perversion liner. I noticed little smudging and it does not come off easily. I've kind of gotten away from black eyeliner. I just happen to prefer taupes, but this is great for a smoky eye or a night out. It is retractable, which is an added bonus.

The lipstick: It goes on opaque in one coat. I normally put on  a lip balm before lipstick and I forgot when I did the swatch. And honestly? I did not even notice the difference. That is a rare occasion! This is a great creamy formula. No sinking into fine lines and my lips stay hydrated. And the color is gorgeous. I can see why they chose this one for the set.

Verdict: I would definitely buy both products in full-sized versions, but personally would pick a different color of the eyeliner.

Hitting it out of the ballpark as usual, Sephora! And Marc Jacobs continues to not let me down. Fangirl for life.

Sephora's NARS Birthday Gift 2015

My birthday was last month and my husband volunteered to swing into our local Sephora to grab my annual Beauty Insider gift. If you shop at Sephora at all, it is totally worth signing up for. The program is free and offers points on every purchase, allowing you to earn them for rewards and perks. There are three tiers to the program- Beauty Insider, VIB, and VIB Rouge.

The gift this year is a lip duo from NARS and I say it every year, but the birthday gifts keep getting better. The NARS lip pencils are among my favorites, so I was really excited to get these two in colors I haven't tried. Here are my swatches of Cruella and Rikugien.

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Happy 7th Birthday, Fashionable Heart!

Wow! I started this blog on September 7, 2007. I originally just wanted something to do during the day, something that would get my mind off of my grandmother who had just died, and just a little place to write about whatever I wanted. I wasn't sure how long I would keep at it and to be honest, I certainly didn't think I'd still be here this far down the road.

But I love this site and I love blogging. I still enjoy taking the pictures, reviewing products, and sharing a little about my life. And although it is often cringeworthy, I enjoy looking back and seeing things I've done or bought and seeing how this blog has grown. It's all about growing with your blog and never making it something that you don't love!

I'm especially lucky because this blog and my subsequent social media accounts has really brought some special people and opportunities into my life. When I moved to Canada in 2004, I became the "new girl" for the first time and had very few friends to call my own up here. Coming from a small city where everyone knows everyone, this was crippling for me to deal with for a very long time. Fast forward to now and I have made a few friends in this city that I would not have known had I not started blogging and putting myself out there a bit on social media.

I put all that I can into this blog. Sometimes my updates slow down when life catches up to me, but that is bound to happen. I'm always thinking of new ideas and what to share on here. I still try to comment on other blogs and respond to comments on my own. I also never want you to think that I am "too big for my britches" and if I ever come off that way, give me a virtual slap. Please keep it virtual, though. I have sensitive skin! ;)

Thank you to all of my readers who have been here since day one and those that just popped in for the first time. The fact that you visit my blog and read things I say and see pictures that I take...well, I can't put it fully in words just how much it means to me. I wish I could give you all a hug or high-five (if you're not a hug person).

Here's to seven years of memories and to making even more!

*Vanilla toffee cupcakes I made this weekend, because I #stressbake.