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05/09/2014
04/23/2014
Ermahgerd, It's Time for a Redesign!
Big news, my friends: The Spendicate is getting a much needed update. To go along with all of the big changes happening in my life -- new job, new apartment -- I wanted to refresh my blog as well. Which is why on or around May 1st, The Spendicate will have a new look, a new home, and a new lease on life. So stay tuned, my little crumpets, big changes are ahead.
04/02/2014
Hello, ban.do
I'm pretty sure this graphic says it all, but all I'm going to add is that I'm not at all a hair accessories person -- I like to keep it free and simple -- however, I feel converted thanks to ban.do. I want all the things: headbands, bobby pins, barrettes ... let's do it up.
Ban do tech accessory / Ban do tech accessory / Ban.do Sip Sip Tumbler with Straw / Crystal Swirl Bobby Pin | ban.do / Ban.do Power Trip | ban.do / Print & Shine Bobby Pin Set | ban.do / Ban.do Rock Solid Hair Elastic | ban.do / Ban.do Pom Pom Flower | ban.do / Ban.do Pom Pom Flower | ban.do / It Girl Bobbi
03/07/2014
Stitch Fix Has Taught Me Much About Myself
I've lost count of how many Stitch Fixes I've received, which should say a lot about how enamored I am with their service. Quick rundown: Stitch Fix is like a Birchbox for clothes, which I find way more valuable than monthly boxes of free cosmetic samples that I'll inevitably lose. You fill out a questionnaire about your style and size, and their personal styling elves conjure up a box of clothes and accessories that you can choose to keep or send back. Amazing.
In the 6 months or so that I've been Stitch Fixing, I've learned a few things about myself...
1. If a pair of pants fits me correctly, I'll buy them. Even if I have 85 pairs of jeans, I will always buys a pair that fits. Because when you find a pair of pants that fit beautifully, it's a miracle and you should keep them. Also, kensie makes great pants, and I will keep every pair of kensies that Stitch Fix cares to send.
2. I think Stitch Fix has caught onto the fact that I have a weakness for horizontal stripes. They've sent a striped shirt in every box for the past 3 or 4 months, and for this, I commend them. Also, why in the world do I love unflattering horizontal stripes so much? Beats me. I blame Annapolis.
3. I'm a sucker for a draped front cardigan. I think it's because they make me feel like a serene yoga teacher who's about to chants some OMs and sip some tea. They're also about the most flattering piece of clothing you can find.
4. Scarves. Are. My. Obsession. And I will keep every scarf that arrives in my mailbox. And if the scarf has animals printed all over it, it's a done deal.
Well done, Stitch Fix. Well. Done.
03/04/2014
A Kitchen for the Birds
Moving day is quickly approaching, and maybe I've been going a little crazy buying home goods for my new digs. I've found that I mostly like buying kitchen things, which is ironic, since I'm not one to cook. But kitchen things are the prettiest, and bird-shaped things are the best, so I've combined my love of both recently. If anyone ever tells me that a house can have too many owl items, I will show them the door.
01/23/2014
Let's Talk About Toms, Baby
I'm over this snow, you guys. I want some spring weather, so I can rock these new Toms sandals. Yup, that's right -- Toms makes sandals. I'm ready to make all of these my spring shoe wardrobe, so ... can it be April now? Please?
01/22/2014
My Name is Amanda, and I'm a Nerd.
I hate to admit it, but I have a problem. Most of the time, I'm not that into video games. My boyfriend will be the first to tell you that as soon as I get a gun in my hand, I can't figure out how to not look at the sky. But every once in awhile, I find a game that I like, and then I can't stop.
I grew up playing video games. I had a Super Nintendo, an N64, a Game Cube, a Wii ... the Super Mario theme song is my ring tone. But wait, I'm not done embarrassing myself yet. The radio station I listen to has a video game report, and that's how I heard about "Don't Starve" for PS4. Since my boyfriend is a video game fiend and new owner of a PS4, I asked him about it. He downloaded "Don't Starve" for free, and so my obsession began.
So maybe I lost hours of my weekend surviving in this Tim Burton-esque world of werepigs where growing a beard is a skill. And maybe I downloaded the game to my Macbook. Don't worry about it. But if you were an "Animal Crossing" junkie like I once was, I recommend "Don't Starve." I just had to say my piece. I'll be back tomorrow to discuss less nerdy things.
I grew up playing video games. I had a Super Nintendo, an N64, a Game Cube, a Wii ... the Super Mario theme song is my ring tone. But wait, I'm not done embarrassing myself yet. The radio station I listen to has a video game report, and that's how I heard about "Don't Starve" for PS4. Since my boyfriend is a video game fiend and new owner of a PS4, I asked him about it. He downloaded "Don't Starve" for free, and so my obsession began.
So maybe I lost hours of my weekend surviving in this Tim Burton-esque world of werepigs where growing a beard is a skill. And maybe I downloaded the game to my Macbook. Don't worry about it. But if you were an "Animal Crossing" junkie like I once was, I recommend "Don't Starve." I just had to say my piece. I'll be back tomorrow to discuss less nerdy things.
01/16/2014
Things That Make Me a Better Person: Part II
I've been really good about buying clothes lately. Don't get me wrong, I still find ways to spend money. But lately, I've been spending my money on more productive things, things that make me happy for longer than 30 minutes -- art supplies, books, dinners out, etc. Here are my current favorite things:
1. Spotify. This might seem silly, but my monthly subscription to Spotify is money happily spent. More often than not, when I'm at work in my cubicle, I feel as if my head might explode. It might be the constant flow of emails or the lack of sunlight. Regardless, nothing sets me back on track like putting on my headphones and zoning out. Spotify saves my sanity. Moving on!
2. Kindle HD. I never thought I'd put my iPad aside, but when I got this Kindle for Christmas, I found myself doing just that. I don't know if it's the book-like size of it or the ridiculously easy access to my Amazon Prime account, but I've been blazing through my reading wish list like gangbusters. All good things.
3. Suja Juice. I found this juice on Refinery29's list of best juice cleanses. No, I'm not doing a juice cleanse, but when I read that they were available at the Whole Foods across the street from my office, I decided to try one. Gotta say, they're pretty good. And they make me feel better about myself.
4. Tiny Devotions. I hate to say it, but I won my mala from them in a Twitter contest. And as much as I'd love to buy another, I can't justify the cost. However, I love my mala, and wearing it makes me feel like I'm back in my yoga studio days. Especially that day when I was wearing it and a guy stopped me on the street to ask if I was from India. Uhh, what?
01/13/2014
Let's Bundle Up: Snow Day Style
So, yes, it's true: I've been dreaming BIG TIME about summer. But in order to cope with my summer-sickness -- since it's January and there's no hope for time moving any faster than it does -- I've decided that it's better to hope for snow and all the cute accoutrements that come with it. Yes, infinity scarves that are so big, they make your head look like it's sitting on a platter, and yes, puffy vests that make anyone look like a J. Crew model, but most of all: a day to sleep in and drink tea while listening to Rosie Thomas.
01/06/2014
My 2014 Resolution: Make Pretty Things
I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how I miss creating things. But like a slew of other things in my life, my time spent creating is subject to chronic procrastination. This realization has led me to wonder: why do I continue to put off doing something that makes me feel better about life?
I came to the conclusion last night: creating things terrifies me. Writing terrifies me. Drawing terrifies me. This one resolution scares me more than my other two: run a marathon & do more yoga. Because everyone with an ounce of creativity and the urge to make things has two problems: a huge ego and high expectations. And no matter what I do, it's never good enough. So maybe rather than a resolution to create more, I need to resolve to be easier on myself.
In the meantime, I'll be buying art supplies on art supplies on art supplies.
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