Seeing Double, Triple, Quadruple...

I recently got some nail polish to update what I already have. I figure, summer season's coming which means more pedis, open-toed shoes, time to try a different color perhaps. And of course, I probably should have looked first to see what I've got already to refresh my memory before I add any more to the collection. But of course, I didn't.

Essie

So there I was thinking, after the most recent purchase, "Oooh, I don't have this shade "Chocolate Cakes!" But what do I find when I got home? "Chocolate Kisses"! Ok, for a brief moment, I thought it was still a good buy since one is a cake and one is a candy, albeit both chocolate.

You think? *sigh* Even I had to admit that they're practically the same color, or should I say they ARE the same color(?)! Needless to say, I ended up returning the cake one.

Got me looking closer at the rest of what I have, to see what I actually got. And lookey!

From left:
NARS Chinatown, Essie Wicked, Essie Bordeaux, Essie Chocolate Kisses,
Essie Rock the Croc, Essie Vintage Wine, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark,
OPI A Man in Every Portugal

I guess it's one thing to say I like the plum-y brown-y shades but it's another when I just realized I have not just one, but 2 3 4, guess we can all count...

*sigh*

This is indicative of something, no? (You think?!)

I had this problem, in my young(er) years, when it came to clothes/shoes/accessories. I had multiples of the same color, cut, pattern, you name it. And that's how I've always justified my purchase. "Oh, but the stripes are different width", or my favorite line then, "Oh, but I don't have it in that shade of (insert color)". I got out of that thinking, eventually, thank god! But I guess my nail polish(es) have not gotten the message. Until now. Achh!

One step at a time, or I should say, one product at a time...

How Time Flies

First work week of the year, I made it, yay!

It may have helped that some kind of shopping kinda' sneaked in there somewhere heehee...

Zara top (Front)

(Back)

Seriously, there I was coming home, after having gotten a ride from a colleague, which then meant walking home from a different direction, during which I happened to pass by Zara, at which point I saw these big-ass posters SALE on the window. *sigh*

Mind you, I've been eyeing this top for a while now and I didn't think I'll even see it on sale and on my size at that! First, I really don't like paying for full price. Second, although I don't like paying for full price, I came pretty close to buying this top at regular price but they didn't have my size. So there, I say it was written in the stars! LOL

And mind you, again, with their crazy sale, I seriously have not just one item on hand, but, call it baby steps or whatever, in the end, I put them all away but for one:p

I can keep going with excuses reasons as to my purchase(s)... Sad... hehe


And since coming back from vacay, wasn't really in the mood to brown-bag for lunch all week. Not good, I know...

... part of Thursday lunch at Mucho Burrito

Friday (Filipino) lunch at Kumare

So there, another week bites the dust! Happy Friday, yay!!!!

2 months, and counting! Part 2

Yes, there is a Part 2, because as of today, it's been 2 months since I last bought a piece of clothing. Yay!!! How about that! Didn't think I'd last this long, but hey, here I am! I may just pull this off, eh? But I don't wanna get too ahead of myself. One day at a time... teehee...

On my way home today, I walked through the mall. Yes, I like to torture myself every now and then. Call me cray cray, but I was kinda' nervous when I first stepped in. After all, I've been good all this time!

As I took tentative steps, I started feeling comfortable being uncomfortable. LOL. I actually even walked in to some stores that I normally frequent. Initially, I thought I would just walk in and out; but I ended up browsing, almost expecting for an item to jump at me that I would not be able to resist. But no! *whew*

Until I got to Sears. Accessories department. Ooooh, my resolve almost disappeared. Sears! Of all places! There was my brain, ready to justify a purchase. "Oh but it's not clothing really so it shouldn't count" What would have been next?!? A milestone for when I last bought shoes, then clothing, then accessories, then who-knows-what... Don't really know how, but I managed to walk away. Yay!

Now, this is one place, dare I say,  I'm not ready to walk in, just yet. In my other blog, I tagged all my clothing, thus far, that I've purchased at this place, and scary to say, there's one too many. I've "jokingly" (yeah, right!) referred to this place as my second home. Well. some think I'm joking, but, oh, if they only know. People closest to me know the real deal, unfortunately. Seriously, I might as well work there, then at least, I will get a discount (hmmmm, there's a thought, hmmmm). I think this is the longest time I've stayed away from this place.

I've always been attracted to this place even when we were living in Toronto. When we lived in the US, there was Ross and Loehmann's (oh, Loehmann's, how I miss thee!). Then, Marshalls to a lesser degree, which I believe, is Winners' sister company. And when we moved back to Canada, the love affair with Winners was rekindled.

Oh I know I won't be able to stay away forever. All I'm hoping for is that I'm able to stay away for as long as possible... hehehe...

For dinner, luckily, hubby made a big batch of meatballs the other day that we ended up with some extra in the freezer. So as my contribution for tonight, I made the sauce. It was one of the yummiest meatballs I've had in a while!!!

Made me forget, almost, that necklace I saw. HAH!

(True confession of a shopaholic):p
Psst, now there's another story right there...

I've come to suck your blood, so I was told

Thanks to a lovely co-worker, I am working my way to becoming a regular blood donor. I could not have been happier. With all the trivial things that occupy my brain, I forget sometimes to think beyond "my" world. I know it may not mean much to some, or even enough for some, but I have to start somewhere, right?

www.bloodservices.ca

Times like this makes me really appreciate and feel fortunate to be working with such wonderful people who inspires me to be a better person. There's her who's donated blood more than 50 times so far. And another who volunteers in a refugee camp during her vacation. And so much more. And if I tell you the kind of work we do, to be able to continue that same amount of passion outside work says quite a lot about the kind of people I work with. A true blessing indeed! I can only hope I can do a fraction of what they do... Baby steps...

And of course, what's an event without food, tell me. LOL. For what's-becoming-a-ritual dinner after our tiny act of good deed, this time we went here.



Fried cauliflower




Falafel



white wine sangria

Okay, the third item may not have been the best choice, considering, but they did say I needed to replenish with liquid. Guess they should have been more specific... teehee...

There may be hope after all

Came across this article earlier. I said to myself, hey, whatever will help. I thought it was good. The tips may not be the first things that come to mind, but I thought it was worth exploring. Maybe one of these days...

Meanwhile, as I wasn't working today, I thought I'd visit my usual haunt. I've even referred to this place as my second home. People close to me knows exactly which one I'm referring to, sad but true. As I walked in, I'm pretty sure I was holding my breath a little, having said a little prayer, "Please do not let me find anything". I know, I know, silly, right? But I've lost count of the number of times I've gone through that experience of walking in to a store, thinking that I was just browsing, and next thing you know, I have an item, or two, or three, in my hand that I've convinced myself I cannot live without, nuts, I tell ya!!!

But today, I must say, I walked in, did my usual round, and, drumroll please, came out with nothing!!! Yes!!! Tried a few pair of shoes here and there. Quickly glanced around the clothes area, and the bag area, and the jewelry area, and walked out of that store shortly after. Even went to the adjacent mall, and again, looked around then walked out. Whew!

In 2 days, it'll be 1 month that I haven't shopped for shoes, 10 days shy of a month since I shopped for clothes. Hey, one of these days, I may even set a longer time to shoot for, just to give myself a goal. But, for now, I'll settle for baby steps... So, there may be hope after all... hehehe