Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
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Life, Low Buy · January 16, 2020

Why I’m Committing to A (Very) Low Buy 2020

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and/or make a purchase, I may earn a few cents at no additional cost to you. Any products gifted by a brand will be marked "c/o." Thanks for helping make this blog possible! <3

“I’m done with shopping in excess and done with filling any emotional void that I have with stuff.” – Christina, aka Style Apotheca

Y’all, I have to admit something…I have an unhealthy relationship with shopping. I’ve known this for a while. Although I am very thrifty and try to spend wisely, I still buy too much. I am a “pack rat” by nature and my house always feels cluttered. Yet, I always want more.

I first heard about people doing “no buys” a few years ago and my first thought was “wow I should do that” and my second thought was “no way in hell I can do that.” I knew my spending was out of control, but I wasn’t ready to face it. I didn’t want to stop. Shopping makes me feel good. New things make me feel better. Even if once I get those new things I only use them once or twice and then they just take up space.

BIG YIKES.

As I started to think more about what I wanted from this year, a sense of calm is what I longed for most. Serenity. (Read more about why I chose it as my word of the year here). And I knew I couldn’t have a sense of calm with the current state of my house. So I committed to a declutter (and it’s been going great! More on that sometime in the future) but deep down I knew I would fill it back up with more stuff. That was a hard realization to face.

The idea of doing a no buy year popped back into my brain so I started to do a little research. I watched HOURS of youtube videos from folks who have done them before. Why they did it, tips and tricks, success stories (and things that were tough) and I decided it was finally time. So this year, in 2020, I’m buying less. Like….WAY less.

Here are the main reasons why I’m committing to a (very) low buy:

  1. To break my bad shopping habit and (more importantly) stop relying on it as a temporary fix for emotional and mental problems
  2. To reduce clutter in my home
  3. To appreciate and use what I already have
  4. To save money and pay off debt
  5. To lessen my environmental impact
  6. To push myself to value experiences over things

Now the thing about a no (or low) buy month/year/life is that you have to set your own ground rules. Not everyone’s will look the same and that’s a good thing! Clothing is the main thing I want to reduce, but there are other things to keep in mind as well, so here’s where I landed with my rules.

  1. No NEW clothes in 2020. Nothing that’s brand new. I’m giving myself ONE exception here and that’s to purchase a pair of Doc Martens. I’ve wanted them for years and I don’t want to buy used because an important part of having them is breaking them into your own feet. I’m comfortable with this purchase because I know I will have them for many many years to come.
  2. If I NEED something (all of my jeans rip, my workout pants don’t fit, etc) swap or buy secondhand.
    • I have to abide by the “one in, one out” rule.
    • And if I buy something, it must be purchased with money I make from selling other items on Depop. This is a toughie but I’m confident it won’t be a problem…I have lots of clothes to get rid of.
  3. No new makeup except replacements for things I don’t have more of (foundation, concealer, etc). I’m keeping my Boxycharm subscription through April, and then I will cancel that for the remainder of 2020.
  4. No home decor purchases unless it’s agreed upon with my husband that it’s something we need.

So what CAN I buy?! Here’s what I’m okay with:

  1. One plant per month (maximum). I love my plants and since they require care, it’s not something that just sits in a dark closet.
  2. Experiences (concerts, trips, etc) I have a “personal spending” budget each month, so experiences are okay as long as they fit into my budget.
  3. Small (useful) souvenirs from trips I take. I have a terrible memory, and it’s really important for me to have small mementos of vacations. I will set a budget for this before each trip.
  4. I have an Alamo Drafthouse season pass, so I will continue to pay for that monthly and see movies on a fixed budget.
  5. Candle-making supplies are okay, because that’s a date night (at home) for me and my husband. But only buy more when I run out.

What do I do now? It’s weird because this is a massive goal but I really don’t have to do much, it’s more what I have to not do. But here are a few things to get the ball rolling for me:

  • Take photos and list all unwanted clothing on Depop (my username is valerybrennan if you want to follow along!)
  • Go through closets (again) to make sure there’s nothing else to list
  • Open a savings account specifically for “emergency clothing” and put Depop sales money into that account
  • Enjoy all the things I CAN do and fall in love with the possessions I have 🙂
  • Take photos of my outfits. I plan on snapping daily outfits to see if I can keep the creative juices flowing all year long! Not sure what I’ll do with the photos, we’ll see how that goes.

So….who’s in!? It’s okay if you’re reading this and you’re like “you’re crazy.” I get it! This is a super personal decision and this year is the right time for me. If you’re doing your own low/no buy, let me know! I’d love to encourage you (and maybe call on you when I’m super tempted lol!)

xoxo
Valery

ps I can’t stop laughing about the fact that I came back to blogging and then immediately decided I wasn’t going to buy any more clothes lol.

In: Life, Low Buy

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Comments

  1. B says

    January 16, 2020 at 7:57 AM

    I really need to cut back on spending. Not sure I can do an entire year but I know I can do SOMETHING to make things better. Good luck!

    • Valery Brennan says

      January 16, 2020 at 11:44 AM

      You’ve got this, B! Maybe start smaller like “one month without (whatever you spend a lot on)” and feel it out from there?

  2. Meg says

    January 16, 2020 at 2:26 PM

    Go, Valery!! Proud of you! You can do this!!👏👏👏👏

  3. Caitlin says

    January 26, 2020 at 3:17 PM

    This is awesome, and really admirable! Do you think you could share some of the Youtube videos you watched on this?

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I'm an eclectic Denver blogger, embarking on a low-buy journey to break up with bad shopping habits and learn to love what I have. Most of the fashion you'll see here is thrifted, and the beauty is thrifty.

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Smell ya later, 2020. (This is an old photo from Smell ya later, 2020. 

(This is an old photo from this summer when I did my Harley Quinn makeup, but the energy felt right.)

I’ll be honest, I think the first half of 2021 is gonna be brutal but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, babes. We are almost there so stay safe and stay diligent.
I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I I posted an embarrassing photo in my stories so I have to balance it by posting a hot one here 😂 Also wow I haven’t posted since HALLOWEEN. I’ve been spending most of my IG time on my candle account, @brennancandleco, but I truly MISS Y’ALL. I formed so many great relationships over the years and I want to get back to that. So you’ll be seeing more of me, probably in a less curated way than you used to. I might lose some of y’all but I hope the ones I call friends will stick around because I really do miss you. 

And lastly, if you ARE into more business-y content from me, follow @brennancandleco, there are some pretty awesome things happening over there if I do say so myself.

Photo by @narirophoto
I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out o I may be at home, but I wasn't going to miss out on transforming into Furiosa. 

2020 has been a heck of a year, and I think we're all feeling a bit like we're stuck in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Ready to turn things around and kick our own Immortan Joe to the curb.

Happy Halloween. Stay home.
My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤 My latest project: @brennancandleco 🖤
Welp I think this negative space mani is my new si Welp I think this negative space mani is my new signature look so prepare to get sick of seeing it in different colors. 💅🏻
Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and Our tomato plants finally started flourishing and thennnnn there was snow in the forecast 🙃 Tomorrow we are supposed to get quite a lot and I’m very cranky about it. Hoping our plants survive but more importantly, I hope the snow puts out the wildfires that seem to be never ending. It’s been a brutal summer for many reasons, but it’s still pretty cool to look at this bowl and know we grew these tomatoes from seeds. Also there’s currently zucchini bread in the oven from our garden ☺️
I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designin I am so so so grateful to @crispy.ray for designing this and putting it on my body, y’all 😍 They are SUCH a talented artist and all around great person. I felt super comfortable and they executed my vision perfectly. 👽 I’ve been a diehard X Files fan since I was a kid (swipe for evidence and a photo of me and Gillian Anderson where I have never felt uglier lmao), so this means a ton.

Re: COVID-19. Truthfully I felt super nervous to get my tattoo and super nervous to post it here. I’ve still been doing my best to stay home but am also (like many of you, I think) struggling mentally. So where is the balance? Honestly I don’t know. I haven’t had a haircut (besides doing it myself), had my nails done, or sat down to eat except for once (and it was a place with no servers). I barely see anyone except my husband. Some days it’s fine and others it’s “how much more of this can I take?” So anyway. I took a risk, but @blackbirdinktattoo was taking everything very seriously. All were masked and sanitized (duh it’s a tattoo place) and I specifically chose a leg tattoo so Christa and I wouldn’t be breathing on each other. I long for the day when things are normal again. I long for the day when I can see my family again. But for now, I’ll try to safely find small pockets of joy and normalcy and ride those little waves until the next pocket of joy.
Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Dennis and Sweet Dee are here to help ward off the Sunday scaries 🐾 In case you missed it in my stories, these are our newest fosters! (We just decided on names today - I think having to name two slowed us down 🤣) Usually we only have pups for three nights but we had to keep these little pals for an extra week before they’re ready to be adopted. 

Also I PROMISE I am going to record a video/write a post about fostering this week so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Annnnd last but not least if you’re in the Denver area and looking for a puppy, message me if you want more info on either of these little ones! 🥰
Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my f Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is still one of my favorite movies from the past five years, please don’t judge me 😂🙈 “Hey! You’re Rick f*cking Dalton. Don’t you forget it.” (that line was improvised btw - it was based on something someone told Brad Pitt once when he was struggling 💕 I just love that.)

Print by @rbrunoill
Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and Complementary 🧡💙 If you have hooded lids and/or you’re scared about mixing colors, this is such an easy way to do it, y’all! Monochromatic on top (I incorporated an orange shimmer but you could keep it super simple and just blend out one shadow), and then a different color on bottom. I was worried the blue would look too heavy on me since my eyes are a bit downturned but I think it turned out just fine! 

I’m using a @shopaltergo palette again here, this one is a dupe for the Natasha Denona Metropolis palette ($129). The Alter Ego palette is a whopping $22….and so far it’s a GEM. I don’t have ND so I can’t compare them directly but I didn’t have any issues with these shadows at all.

Lips are @lagirlcosmetics liner in Keep It Spicy + @flowerbeauty lipstick in Spiced Petal
Brows are eyeshadow and a bar of soap

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