peitience is a virtue

chicago suburbs + orange county + urbana champaign = me. i am a mixture of these places- from my personality to my style.
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Posts tagged "thegirlystuff"
Part 3 of my mini-series on accessories! In case you missed them: intro, part 1, part 2. In this post I will be highlighting wrist accessories. The watch pictured is from Fossil, and it was gift from my mom for my 20th birthday. :) Weird to think that I turned 20 almost two years ago! WAHHH. hahaha The watch was $85 and is quite expensive for a watch when you think about it. You can get a watch for less than $20 at Target, which seems practical. Well, I can talk about why I got this watch specifically another time. Pictured here is also an extra watchband that I have. My watch originally came with a white leather watchband (not pictured), and last summer I bought the red silicone one. I love the boldness of the red and the sportiness of the silicone. However, realizing that in some situations I may need to look more business-setting friendly I bought the taupe leather one. It goes with everything! Whenever I see a Fossil Outlet store, I pop in to see if they have any bands on sale. I’ve only bought bands at Outlets store- the taupe one was only $7!  The two bracelets are from H&M and a very new purchase- I haven’t worn them yet! The woven bracelet with embedded rhinestones was $5.95 and comes in a coral-pink color and turquoise color as well. Not something I’d normally pick up, but I’ve seen them a lot on style blogs and love how they look stacked with other bracelet. The other bracelet was maybe $2.50? It’s not on the website anymore so I can’t check the price. Since both have gold hardware I can wear them together and it’ll look good. :) I totally forgot that my watch has silver hardware though…OOPS! Guess I have to look for some bracelets with silver hardware then so I can stack them with my watch.  Thank you for reading! Part 4 will be coming out soon! 

Part 3 of my mini-series on accessories! In case you missed them: intro, part 1, part 2. In this post I will be highlighting wrist accessories.

The watch pictured is from Fossil, and it was gift from my mom for my 20th birthday. :) Weird to think that I turned 20 almost two years ago! WAHHH. hahaha The watch was $85 and is quite expensive for a watch when you think about it. You can get a watch for less than $20 at Target, which seems practical. Well, I can talk about why I got this watch specifically another time. Pictured here is also an extra watchband that I have. My watch originally came with a white leather watchband (not pictured), and last summer I bought the red silicone one. I love the boldness of the red and the sportiness of the silicone. However, realizing that in some situations I may need to look more business-setting friendly I bought the taupe leather one. It goes with everything! Whenever I see a Fossil Outlet store, I pop in to see if they have any bands on sale. I’ve only bought bands at Outlets store- the taupe one was only $7! 

The two bracelets are from H&M and a very new purchase- I haven’t worn them yet! The woven bracelet with embedded rhinestones was $5.95 and comes in a coral-pink color and turquoise color as well. Not something I’d normally pick up, but I’ve seen them a lot on style blogs and love how they look stacked with other bracelet. The other bracelet was maybe $2.50? It’s not on the website anymore so I can’t check the price. Since both have gold hardware I can wear them together and it’ll look good. :) I totally forgot that my watch has silver hardware though…OOPS! Guess I have to look for some bracelets with silver hardware then so I can stack them with my watch. 

Thank you for reading! Part 4 will be coming out soon! 

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This is the first part of my mini-series on accessories, which I explained in my intro post. Click the link if you missed it! :) 

As I was packing to leave campus for a mini vacation I glanced over at my pile of necklaces-tangled up and sitting in a bag, rings in another bag, and earrings strewn allover the top of my dresser. I usually never bring accessories with me on vacation because I think it’s unnecessary, but since I want to practice accessorizing things there is no better way to practice than on vacation! On vacation I’ll have to get dressed every day as opposed to sitting around all day in my pajamas because I don’t have anywhere to go. haha 

So how exactly did I pack my accessories and how did I choose what to bring? Well I’m about to tell you! I like to be really organized and concise when I pack. Combine that with the number of random little bags from purchases that I like to hang on to, and you’ve got yourself packing-made-easy…Pei-style. 

First baggie: The little red bag came with the black jeweled double-finger ring, which was a gift. The bag is big enough to fit all my rings in it, so in they go! Rings- done. 

Second baggie: This canvas bag was actually reclaimed from my bf. I gave him a bracelet from Fossil that came in this bag and a tin container. For some reason, I wanted the drawstring bag over the tin container, and since my bf didn’t want it I took it. How appropriate is it that I use this Fossil bag to carry my watch and extra watchbands from Fossil? haha I usually wear my watch, but it does fit into the pouch if necessary. Bracelets go on your wrist, too, so it seemed appropriate for this bag to become the “wrist accessories” bag. 

Third baggie: Interesting little fact- I think this plastic baggie is actually used to hold marijuana, but I like Batman a lot and thought this little bag was so darling (hahaha) that I asked my friend for one. He obliged. I’ve been searching for a purpose for this bag for awhile now, and finally found one when I needed something small enough to hold a few stud earrings. 

Fourth baggie: It’s another plastic baggie because I don’t have any medium sized drawstring cloth bags to hold my necklaces. This quart (I think?) sized plastic bag from IKEA looks a little nicer than the usual bags you’d pack sandwiches in so it doesn’t look too tacky, right? 

What’s great is that all the little bags fit into the largest one! Compact. Concise. Flexible enough to fit into that little awkward empty crevice in your suitcase. You can easily grab the bag when you want an accessory, and since it’s organized you’ll find what you need easily! Bam. haha Let me know if you think you’d use this technique the next time you pack your accessories! Thanks for reading! :)

P.S. I’ll go over my accessories in more detail! Stay tuned to this mini-series. 

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On accessories.

This summer I’ve decided to practice the art of accessorizing. I’ve never been big on accessories, and as a creature of habit I tend to wear the two same, meaningful accessories every day. I always wear my watch (for practical reasons and because it was my 20th birthday gift from my mom), and the ring my bf got me two and a half years ago. I wear honestly almost every day and the proof is the tan lines I have from both. hahahaha 

Anyways, this past spring I started following two petite fashion bloggers, Extra Petite and Wendy’s Look Book. I’ve been learning a lot about fashion, where to shop for petites, and sales! I have been turning my knowledge into inspiration for slowing transforming my closet into one of a sophisticated woman, as that is my ultimate goal now that I am out of college (still weird). I love reading both blogs as Jean of Extra Petite is a working woman in the East Coast that requires work appropriate clothes. Wendy of Wendy’s Look Book does more freelance work in the West Coast and has more of a laid back look. 

From reading the blogs I’ve noticed that accessories completely elevate an outfit! That is why this summer, while I am not in school, I want to practice! I have collected accessories over the years, mostly as gifts, and they have not gotten much wear. There are quite a few pieces that I really adore and would love to show them off!

In the next couple of days (or today if I am too impatient to put things on queue hahaha), I will be rolling out a mini-series of posts focused on accessories and sharing with you the majority of my collection of accessories, where, and why I bought them. I hope you guys are interested! 

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Oh hey, product review time! It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything girly. :P  My latest find that has got my skin feeling oh so smooth and tingly- literally! This is the Noxzema Clean Blemish Daily Scrub and I got it at Meijer for I think $6-7? It’s on drugstore.com for $5.79, which I think is a great price for this product. For the last two months I’ve been using a sample I got of Clinique’s 7-Day Scrub and I thought it was doing a decent job. However, I forgot to bring it home over Spring Break and ended up using my boyfriend’s scrub (the Noxzema one).  The first time I used it I think I actually smiled. hahaha It is a great scrub that is kind of gritty, but not harsh and fine, but not too fine that it doesn’t do anything. It also kind of tingles on your skin and makes me feel super refreshed. It’s definitely not a tingle like a stinging, which some products have done if they’re too harsh for me. I use like a nickel sized amount all over my face and neck, scrubbing in circular motions for a minute or two. Then, I follow with the rest of my Clinique regimen, including the face wash.  My skin feels sooooooooo gooooood. Sooooo smoooooooth. If it were not for hyperpigmentation marks on my skin, I’d say it’d be perfect. My skin glowsss. It looks so youthful! :P Because it is a scrub and since I do use it at night, I add on a thicker lotion on top of the Clinique gel-like one I have. Oh man. I know I should not be touching my face right now because that’ll just make it oily, but it just feels so smooooth! If you’re looking for a facial scrub- seriously check this one out!  Note: I have combination oily skin. And even though it says it’s a daily scrub I just use it every other day because I am afraid using a scrub every day would be too harsh for my sensitive skin. 

Oh hey, product review time! It’s been awhile since I’ve done anything girly. :P 

My latest find that has got my skin feeling oh so smooth and tingly- literally! This is the Noxzema Clean Blemish Daily Scrub and I got it at Meijer for I think $6-7? It’s on drugstore.com for $5.79, which I think is a great price for this product. For the last two months I’ve been using a sample I got of Clinique’s 7-Day Scrub and I thought it was doing a decent job. However, I forgot to bring it home over Spring Break and ended up using my boyfriend’s scrub (the Noxzema one). 

The first time I used it I think I actually smiled. hahaha It is a great scrub that is kind of gritty, but not harsh and fine, but not too fine that it doesn’t do anything. It also kind of tingles on your skin and makes me feel super refreshed. It’s definitely not a tingle like a stinging, which some products have done if they’re too harsh for me. I use like a nickel sized amount all over my face and neck, scrubbing in circular motions for a minute or two. Then, I follow with the rest of my Clinique regimen, including the face wash. 

My skin feels sooooooooo gooooood. Sooooo smoooooooth. If it were not for hyperpigmentation marks on my skin, I’d say it’d be perfect. My skin glowsss. It looks so youthful! :P Because it is a scrub and since I do use it at night, I add on a thicker lotion on top of the Clinique gel-like one I have. Oh man. I know I should not be touching my face right now because that’ll just make it oily, but it just feels so smooooth! If you’re looking for a facial scrub- seriously check this one out! 

Note: I have combination oily skin. And even though it says it’s a daily scrub I just use it every other day because I am afraid using a scrub every day would be too harsh for my sensitive skin. 

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Winter Skin Now that it’s truly winter (legit snow fell today haha) I feel like it’s a good time to talk about how I keep my skin hydrated and protected from the frigid cold and icy winds. First let me briefly introduce you to the troublemaker that is the skin on my face. haha I have combination oily skin and in the winter my cheeks are dry and the t-zone oily.  Now on to the products! Clinique’s 7-Day Scrub cream rinse-off formula | The one pictured is a sample one I got (1 fl. oz.) from a gift set. Quick note: Clinique’s gift sets are the best way to try out their products! Plus you get a cute makeup bag. :) Clinique only sells this in one size. It comes in a 3.4 fl. oz. tube for $18.50. I think that’s a bit pricey for a facial scrub, but it works so I might repurchase it. I use it once a week although I might try using it twice a week since by the end of the week my skin feels like it’s begging to be scrubbed. haha I really like it because it is gentle, the “gritty parts” are small and very fine, and it leaves my face feeling very smooth! During winter, dry dead skin builds up more than ever for me and this scrub takes it all away. I use this and follow it with the rest of the 3-step system.  Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel | Moisturizing is the third step of the 3-step system. Because I have combination oily skin, which is considered “Type 3” (out of 4), I use the moisturizing gel. This lotion is really light and kind of well- gel like and not a cream lotion. It is hydrating and doesn’t ever make me feel greasy. My sister, who is a “Type 2” has drier skin than me so she uses the Moisturizing Lotion. I think it is really nice that Clinique has developed different moisturizers for people with different skin types. The lotion pictured above is the 1.7 fl. oz. that I purchased for $13.00. I also have the larger version that comes in a square bottle (4.2 fl. oz. for $24.50). I bought the smaller version for travel purposes since it is under 3 fl. oz. it complies with TSA limitations. This lotion is the bomb during humid summers.*  Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion by The Body Shop | My blemishes are problematic because even if just leave it alone (no picking, popping, etc.) they leave hyperpigment marks. These marks fade on their own eventually, and by eventually I mean months and months. My mom has tried to get me to use Mederma before, which is a scar fading ointment. However, it requires a few applications daily for a number of weeks in a row to start seeing results. This didn’t work for me because I would forget or wear makeup and not want to put Mederma on over it. The week before I purchased this Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion I had just broken out pretty badly on my cheek and they left some ugly ass scars. I was desperate for something and when I walked into The Body Shop just to look around I found this lotion. My mom used to use tea tree oil (comes in bottles) from The Body Shop to treat her blemishes so I knew tea tree oil was good. When I saw this lotion I really wanted to give it a shot, but the price tag made me shudder. $18 for 1 fl. oz.?! I actually walked away. It took me half an hour while looking for some gifts and constantly thinking about this lotion before I bought it. I did have a buy 2 get 2 coupon so it made me feel a littttle better. I was happy that this was a night lotion, one that I can just put on once a day at night. Easy enough to do because I can just incorporate it into my 3-step system. Since this was so expensive I only dab it on where my hyperpigmentation spots are. I use uhmm “a few drops” each night. It’s nice because it comes with a pump! So how do I like this? I LOVE IT. I noticed a difference after the first night. No joke. The marks have been fading a little every day since I started using it a week ago. Pretty quick results if you ask me! Of course it works best on recent hyperpigmentation marks and will work differently for everyone. Some reviewers didn’t see results for a few weeks, while others like me saw results quickly. Reviewers recommended using another moisturizer with this lotion as using it alone might be drying. I listened and it works fine in combination with my Clinique moisturizer. Would I purchase this again? Yes, definitely. Although I think it will be awhile before I have to spend $18 again (I still cringe when I think about the price) because I use so little every night that the 1 fl. oz. will last me awhile. Thank goodness.  Note: Some reviewers talked about how you can’t tell how much you have left, which is a pain, but tea tree oil is sensitive to UV rays so exposure to light damages the oil.   St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer | As the winter months were approaching I knew I needed a second moisturizer to help me combat the cold. In the past my cheeks have gotten so dry that they peeled and I had to use a really strong prescription lotion to heal it. Since then I’ve made sure to use a heavy cream lotion during the winter. For the past couple of years I was using Cetaphil’s cream lotion (the one that comes in a jar instead of a bottle with a pump). I used mine up and decided I’d take the chance to try something new. Don’t get me wrong I love love Cetaphil, but it’s always nice to try out different things. This lotion is non-comedogenic and made without parabens and phthalates. I’ll give some definitions to these words at the bottom. Basically it means it’s good for your skin! This lotion works very well and really does keep my face moisturized all day. I can tell the collagen and elastin proteins are doing their job because my skin feels so smooth! Earlier in the fall I used it as an extra moisturizer just to rehydrate my skin at night, but now that it’s much colder I use it in the morning as well. I bought mine at either Target or Walmart for $5-6. Well that’s everything! The order of the products is also the order in which I use them (of course missing the cleanser and toner which comes between #1 and #2). Thanks again for reading this long ass post. I hope you enjoyed it! If you have recommendations for anything- message me! :) *Non-comedogenic: not tending to block pores, meaning it won’t make you break outParabens: antifungal chemicals used as preservatives in foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics; so no parabens = no chemical preservativesPhthalates:  esters of phthalic acid mainly used as plasticizers <-yuck. *In the picture above two of the things I use (cleanser and toner) are not shown because it is part of the Clinique 3-step system. If you want to hear my personal opinion or just learn more about it in general, let me know! :)

Winter Skin

Now that it’s truly winter (legit snow fell today haha) I feel like it’s a good time to talk about how I keep my skin hydrated and protected from the frigid cold and icy winds. First let me briefly introduce you to the troublemaker that is the skin on my face. haha I have combination oily skin and in the winter my cheeks are dry and the t-zone oily. 

Now on to the products!

  1. Clinique’s 7-Day Scrub cream rinse-off formula | The one pictured is a sample one I got (1 fl. oz.) from a gift set. Quick note: Clinique’s gift sets are the best way to try out their products! Plus you get a cute makeup bag. :) Clinique only sells this in one size. It comes in a 3.4 fl. oz. tube for $18.50. I think that’s a bit pricey for a facial scrub, but it works so I might repurchase it. I use it once a week although I might try using it twice a week since by the end of the week my skin feels like it’s begging to be scrubbed. haha I really like it because it is gentle, the “gritty parts” are small and very fine, and it leaves my face feeling very smooth! During winter, dry dead skin builds up more than ever for me and this scrub takes it all away. I use this and follow it with the rest of the 3-step system.

     
  2. Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel | Moisturizing is the third step of the 3-step system. Because I have combination oily skin, which is considered “Type 3” (out of 4), I use the moisturizing gel. This lotion is really light and kind of well- gel like and not a cream lotion. It is hydrating and doesn’t ever make me feel greasy. My sister, who is a “Type 2” has drier skin than me so she uses the Moisturizing Lotion. I think it is really nice that Clinique has developed different moisturizers for people with different skin types. The lotion pictured above is the 1.7 fl. oz. that I purchased for $13.00. I also have the larger version that comes in a square bottle (4.2 fl. oz. for $24.50). I bought the smaller version for travel purposes since it is under 3 fl. oz. it complies with TSA limitations. This lotion is the bomb during humid summers.*

     
  3. Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion by The Body Shop | My blemishes are problematic because even if just leave it alone (no picking, popping, etc.) they leave hyperpigment marks. These marks fade on their own eventually, and by eventually I mean months and months. My mom has tried to get me to use Mederma before, which is a scar fading ointment. However, it requires a few applications daily for a number of weeks in a row to start seeing results. This didn’t work for me because I would forget or wear makeup and not want to put Mederma on over it.


    The week before I purchased this Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion I had just broken out pretty badly on my cheek and they left some ugly ass scars. I was desperate for something and when I walked into The Body Shop just to look around I found this lotion. My mom used to use tea tree oil (comes in bottles) from The Body Shop to treat her blemishes so I knew tea tree oil was good. When I saw this lotion I really wanted to give it a shot, but the price tag made me shudder. $18 for 1 fl. oz.?! I actually walked away. It took me half an hour while looking for some gifts and constantly thinking about this lotion before I bought it. I did have a buy 2 get 2 coupon so it made me feel a littttle better. I was happy that this was a night lotion, one that I can just put on once a day at night. Easy enough to do because I can just incorporate it into my 3-step system.


    Since this was so expensive I only dab it on where my hyperpigmentation spots are. I use uhmm “a few drops” each night. It’s nice because it comes with a pump! So how do I like this? I LOVE IT. I noticed a difference after the first night. No joke. The marks have been fading a little every day since I started using it a week ago. Pretty quick results if you ask me! Of course it works best on recent hyperpigmentation marks and will work differently for everyone. Some reviewers didn’t see results for a few weeks, while others like me saw results quickly. Reviewers recommended using another moisturizer with this lotion as using it alone might be drying. I listened and it works fine in combination with my Clinique moisturizer. Would I purchase this again? Yes, definitely. Although I think it will be awhile before I have to spend $18 again (I still cringe when I think about the price) because I use so little every night that the 1 fl. oz. will last me awhile. Thank goodness.  


    Note: Some reviewers talked about how you can’t tell how much you have left, which is a pain, but tea tree oil is sensitive to UV rays so exposure to light damages the oil. 

     
  4. St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer | As the winter months were approaching I knew I needed a second moisturizer to help me combat the cold. In the past my cheeks have gotten so dry that they peeled and I had to use a really strong prescription lotion to heal it. Since then I’ve made sure to use a heavy cream lotion during the winter. For the past couple of years I was using Cetaphil’s cream lotion (the one that comes in a jar instead of a bottle with a pump). I used mine up and decided I’d take the chance to try something new. Don’t get me wrong I love love Cetaphil, but it’s always nice to try out different things. This lotion is non-comedogenic and made without parabens and phthalates. I’ll give some definitions to these words at the bottom. Basically it means it’s good for your skin! This lotion works very well and really does keep my face moisturized all day. I can tell the collagen and elastin proteins are doing their job because my skin feels so smooth! Earlier in the fall I used it as an extra moisturizer just to rehydrate my skin at night, but now that it’s much colder I use it in the morning as well. I bought mine at either Target or Walmart for $5-6.

Well that’s everything! The order of the products is also the order in which I use them (of course missing the cleanser and toner which comes between #1 and #2). Thanks again for reading this long ass post. I hope you enjoyed it! If you have recommendations for anything- message me! :)

*Non-comedogenic: not tending to block pores, meaning it won’t make you break out
Parabens: antifungal chemicals used as preservatives in foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics; so no parabens = no chemical preservatives
Phthalates:  esters of phthalic acid mainly used as plasticizers <-yuck.

*In the picture above two of the things I use (cleanser and toner) are not shown because it is part of the Clinique 3-step system. If you want to hear my personal opinion or just learn more about it in general, let me know! :)

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Introducing: the best wallet ever.

Well, at least that I have bought. hahaha I spent most of last summer on campus for summer school, but I had a lot of free time. One day I poked my head into the Urban Outfitters on Green St. and saw a whole display full of beautiful wallets. I wasn’t sure if I should splurge on a new wallet since the mini wallet/coin purse I had been using from Coach was working just fine. I thought about how I had not bought a wallet in a few years…and how I did kind of miss having a larger wallet…. hahaha This is basically how I justified my purchase. 

This wallet is by Kimchi Blue and you can purchase it from Urban Outfitters for $20. Now looking back on it, $20 isn’t bad at all for this wonderful wallet considering that’s how much I paid for my little coin purse from Coach at an outlet store. I don’t know if you can still find it in stores because I bought it during the summer, but they do sell it in three colors online. The color I have, a grey with gold lining under the lasercut front, is not available anymore. I actually was debating between the grey and “pink” color (which in person is more like coral) because I really love coral, especially for summer. However, I asked a salesperson for advice and she said that the grey would be more suitable for year round use. That was a valid point so I decided to go with the grey. I’m happy with my choice because the grey is also more sophisticated compared to the coral or teal color. I think one of my favorite parts of this wallet is that the interior is a lovely mint green. The exterior may be muted and grey, but when you open it there is a burst of color! :) 

Anyways, onto just how great this wallet is!

  • I love that it is a full zip closure, you don’t have to worry about anything falling out. 
  • It might not look very large from the exterior, but the interior is very roomy. As you can see from my pictures above, the wallet has two main sections separated by a middle pocket that has a zipper-closure. The two sides are identical with a pocket/slot that runs the length of the wallet and four smaller pockets/slots for cards (total two large pockets/slots and eight small pockets/slots). 
  • I use one side for cash, license, debit cards, and insurance card. The area between the side and the middle pocket is quite large (!) so it fits my checkbook and receipts nicely. 
  • I use the other side for miscellaneous things such as business cards and wallet-sized photographs (large pocket) and gift cards, punch cards, etc. in the smaller pockets. I have a little notebook from Moleskin that I put in that extra space in case I need to jot anything down. 
  • The middle pocket is a fun spot for me. I wasn’t sure what to do with it at first because there’s a zipper pocket for coins on the back of the wallet. But, then I realized I needed a place to put my fortunes that I have been collecting from fortune cookies for the past year or two. So in they went! haha
  • The coin pocket on the back opens up pretty wide so it’s easy for me to find coins. This was actually a big plus for me because I don’t like taking forever at the counter while I look for change. :P
  • The wallet is very soft. It is faux-leather, but does not feel like a faux-leather jacket. It feels nice in my hands like it’s been broken in (like real leather) and…comfortable for lack of a better word. 
  • It’s very sturdy and well made. I haven’t had any problems with the zippers. I’ve had it for about 6 months with a lot of handling, but the faux-leather shows no sign of it. There are no tears and the stitching is still holding strong.

You can tell from the pictures that I have my wallet chock full of stuff, but it stays very neatly organized, at least for me. And even though I have so much stuff in my wallet it doesn’t really expand too much in width, which I think is due to the full zipper enclosure. It is definitely a hefty wallet and would hurt if I chucked it at anyone. hahahaha I like that everything like my notebook and checkbook are now more portable because they fit in the wallet. Thus, the switch from backpack to purse and back is easy! I just grab my wallet and just toss it in and I’m ready to go!

Seriously $20 is a great deal for this wallet! Thank you for reading, and let me know if I’ve convinced any of you to get it! bahahaha 

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