Back to School Haul!

As mentioned in my last post, I went back to school shopping! I actually bought most of the essentials a while ago, or I'm just going to bring stuff I already have, so the only things left were: 1) shoes, and 2) accessories! My sister and mom both happen to have the same shoe size as me so my shoes get worn by everyone and wear out far too quickly. The only day-to-day wear shoes I had were a pair of off-white flats that were starting to look beat up. I also wanted a small backpack and some nice notebooks. I've decided that my bed will have a purple theme, my desk will have a turquoise/tea/aqua theme, and the bathroom will have a sunshine yellow theme. [Links are included when available, original price in strikethrough.]

First store was Ross. The main goal here was shoes, but as my feet are tiny, they did not have a huge selection. However, bags were abundant so I bought a small backpack.

»U.S. Polo Assn. Athletic Sneakers [$30 $20]: They're super lightweight and comfy; I'm not a hardcore runner or strenuous exerciser so these suit me quite nicely. They're also plain enough that I can get away with wearing them as normal shoes with sweats on a lazy day if need be.

»Unionbay Navy Ditzy Daisy Backpack [$40 $16]: The difference between this and a standard Jansport is that it is slightly smaller, there are no zippers, and there are two side pockets for water bottles. There is also a small zip pouch attached to the top of the inside. I don't know if this will be the backpack I use during college (I also have an oversized tote and my old Jansport), but I definitely will use it frequently.

Next store was TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. The two stores are connected at the location in the Almaden Plaza, but I don't know if that's how it is at other places. HomeGoods is probably my new favorite store now; they have so many interesting and pretty decorations. There were so many decorative boxes on those shelves; I wanted to buy everything, but I probably wouldn't have space to use them in a dorm. I ended up only buying notebooks but I am more than happy with that.

»Purple "Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost" Softcover Notebook [$5]: I saw this on a shelf and I knew I had to get it for a Tolkien loving friend. The inside has a really pretty bluish teal thin chevron design and a white ribbon bookmark. I love the shade of purple, but I'm not a huge Tolkien fan, so I hope she likes it!

»Carpe Diem Hardcover Notebook [$4]: This fits right in with the teal desk theme, and it matches a gold and teal pen I received from my college counselor at the end of senior year. The picture doesn't quite accurately depict the color, it's more greenish than sky-blue.

»"Keep Calm and Organize" Notepad [$4]: I saw this on the shelf and instantly loved it so much; I had to have it. Now I, too, can be an artsy studyblr!

»Grey Hardcover Notebook with Teal Accents [$4]: I intended to buy this to give to a friend for their birthday (though I was very, very tempted to keep it for myself while I was in the store); when I got home, I remembered that I had already bought that friend a gift (see previous post) and I was able to keep it! It's a very elegant little notebook. The cover has an interesting texture, and the page edges are teal. There is a rubber band to keep it shut, and a teal ribbon for a bookmark. There is also a small envelope pocket in the back for storage of random notes.

I probably didn't need all these notebooks (I have so many unused ones already at home) but I justified it by convincing myself that it would have been cheaper than an equivalent number of Moleskine notebooks. Besides, notebooks don't spoil, so even if I don't use these this year, they're still usable in the future. You can never have too many notebooks. Likewise, you can never have too much nail polish. I had heard that TJ Maxx has discounted name brand nail polish, so I knew I had to check it out. They don't have a huge selection but I still found something that I like.

»O.P.I. Nail Polish Two-Pack [$20 $6]: O.P.I. polishes usually retail for about $10 a pop, so I saved about $14 getting this set. On the left is Dawn Patrol, a dark uneven glitter and on the right is Make Reservations, a slightly shimmery hot pink. Both of them seem to be discontinued.

TJ Maxx didn't have a good selection of shoes in my size either, so finally we went to Target. It's amazing what the right pair of shoes can do for your confidence, and I was so happy with what I found here.

»Merona Women's Terri Booties - Black Size 6 [$35 $18]: These were originally $35 but they happened to be on sale for 20% off. I also had a $5 off coupon for shoes over $20 and then a $5 gift card, so in the end I spent about $18 for these and I love them so much. Wedge booties have been one of my top styles on Pinterest for a while now. They fit my feet perfectly and are quite well balanced.

»Mossimo Supply Co. Women's Lenia Sneakers [$20]: Plain grey sneakers are must because they go with every outfit and are comfortable all day. However, I'm regretting these a lot because Payless had a sale that was two pairs for $30, but I was too lazy to go return them. They're a good brand so I might as well keep them, but now they're on sale on the Target website too.

Lastly, I bought a small, black, lacy bralette. It only goes well with one tank top I have at the moment, but they're a lot cooler temperature-wise than most bras, so it's good under t-shirts in the summer too. It was more expensive than I had hoped at $17 but it was far less expensive than those at specialty stores. It's not exactly my size; I normally wear a 32B so I thought a 34A would fit but it's still slightly big. No picture because it looks like a shapeless scrap without wearing it, and I can't find it online. Finally, this is crossed this off my bucketlist!

Overall, I'd say it was a mildly successful shopping spree. I bought pretty much everything I wanted, but I didn't get the best deals on everything. You win some, you lose some. In total, with tax, I spent around $130, which is probably more than I'd normally spend, but not heartbreakingly expensive either.  ◊