I Think I May Be Getting Better At This

For me, summer is not just about the weather, it's also about end of season sale. Surprise, surprise! As we head towards July long weekend (Canada Day for us, 4th for US), my inbox is getting flooded with all kinds of sale alerts.

So over the weekend, I thought I'd check out what's "out there". I know, I know, I don't have to, but I thought, why not. I wasn't overly concerned that I would go crazy all of a sudden after months (yes, as in months) of not shopping. And hey, you know what, I was right, in a way.

Bath & Body hand soaps

Yup, I did buy something but those were it. So hey, I think I may be getting better at this, after all, no?

...It's A New Day, It's A New Life...

... ok not really...

I realize being away for a week from the blogosphere is like a month in real life, so imagine being AWOL for a month, let lone 5 months! A blogger might as well be gone for years, no? I guess that's just what happens when the blog world in particular has the attention of a goldfish... Not that it really makes a difference, does it?

It's been ages even I feel awkward, sheesh! What's up with that?!... Not really sure what happened. It just did, whatever it was.

Regardless, here I am, 5 months later. Reminds me of the time I used to have a journal when I was younger. Before I knew it, I'd just stop, then I'd be back a year later. It's quite an interesting read actually, only for me of course. It felt a little jarring since there would be such long gaps, but it also felt like no time has gone by, and there I was back again.

Christmas came and went, a fun time spent with family. Winter... Easter... Spring... And now here we are, here I am, and it's almost summer. Work has been really crazy busy, a major contributor to my absence here, that's for sure, but fortunately, with really happy result. I'm now in a different office, after what felt like almost a whole year of bouncing from one office to another, one task to another, one project to another, one position to another.

And I'm happy to report that my {un}retail therapy is kinda' sorta' working *insert googly eyes* Well, a tad... Since Christmas, I've been really good, I thought, up until a week ago. But hey, that's like almost 5 months! That should count for something, no?

Cynthia Rowley blouse (Winners)

Gap ballet flats

That's it, I swear... Although... (dum-duh-dum-dum) I must say yes, I have not been shopping per se, but I may have inadvertently found a new kind of retail therapy *eeep*...

Kobo Touch e-reader (Christmas gift from sisters)

... in the form of e-books! *gasp* Well, at least I'm feeding my brain, right?

On that note, will just leave you with these lovely thoughts I happen to stumble upon on my way home from work one day...

Who knows when I'd be back here again hehe... sooner rather than later, I hope...

New Shopping Venue and Other Random Things

Over the weekend, after my volunteer, thought I'd check out the new Topshop that opened nearby.

And boy was it huge! If I heard correctly, this is one of the bigger stores outside UK.

And that's just part of the shoe department.

The accessories department has its own corner.

But in the end, I didn't get anything. How about that? Not counting the fact that I'm sorta' in a pseudo shopping ban (sorta'? pseudo? does that make it almost nil?), it was just so busy in the store I was getting sensory overload. Me! Of all people!

So next thing I knew, my feet took me across the street.

Anna dello Russo collection for H&M

And guess what, I didn't buy anything there either! What's going on with the shopping universe?! O wait, I did buy something. (Oh, how quickly we forget). I bought some woolen knee-high socks... And a belt... And a snood... But wait, they're necessary accessories! To keep me warm for winter! Ok, a belt wouldn't keep me warm. Ok, not that I have no scarves at all. But still, in my mind, they don't count! Do they? They're necessary accessories! HAH!

Anyhoot, today, for the first time this season, felt like winter's just around the corner. And I thought the day calls for something hearty and warm and cozy for dinner.

Beef stew with barley

And with Halloween just around the corner, not that we "celebrate" Halloween, I came across something fun that I just couldn't walk away from.

Random things, isn't that what I said?... hehe...

It's All a Matter of Perspective... Just Saying

I previously talked about my itsy-bitsy shopping indiscretion that just happened recently. Believe it or not, those items, as numerous as they appeared to be, were carefully whittled down to what's only required. Granted, my definition of "what's required" is probably more liberal than some people's, but that's neither here nor there.

And for every item purchased, I'd say a good item or 2 are tried on, examined, looked at every angle, and apparently, photographed (for posterity sake?), then discarded.

So, really, if I compare the number of clothes/shoes tried on to what's actually purchased, I'd say it's a pretty small ratio. It's just a matter of perspective.

HAH!

Okay, even I know how lame that sounds. But just saying... hehe...

First came the Hits, now the Misses...

From H&M. Saw this dress on one of my fave blogs. It looked really good on her. On me? I know it's not the worst dress I've put on, but I wasn't in love with it either. It felt like I was trying too hard to relive my girlhood, no thanks. Pass.

From H&M. On the hanger, this new flower print of theirs look all girly and nice. It felt like a tat gone wrong on me, just saying. Pass.

From Winners. I almost got this dress. In the dressing room, I thought it was a perfect update to the LBD. But then I remembered how many black dresses I have already and considering how hubs and I are more homebodies, I wondered where I'd wear this. So I didn't get it. Whew! And rightfully so, now looking at this image. Yikes! Pass.

A shame too, since I kinda' liked the back details. O well. And all those clothes to the left? All misses. Pass.

From Old Navy. Again, saw this heart-print wannabe J Crew dress on some of my fave blogs so when I saw it on sale and in my supposed size in the store, thought I'd try it on. I felt like a walking lab sample about to pass thru a microscope. Oh, plus the underarms didn't fit well and I certainly was not willing to consider alteration in this case. Pass.

From Old Navy. I felt like a dalmatian, a highly organized and anal dalmatian no less, that needs to line up all its spots, I mean dots. Pass.

From Old Navy. It kinda' reminded me of an anemic cheetah. And the length was just wrong on me. Pass.


So, take these items for example. I know for the most part they looked ok. In my young(er) years, when I was less discriminate (yes, WAS) about my shopping choices, I would have convinced myself that I looked good enough in them that they probably would have gone home with me. Now with a lil more wisdom (I said just a lil), I'm more discerning with my options.

Again, perspective, right?

HAH!

Small Victories

Yesterday, I happened to work in a different office. On my way home, I decided to drop by some stores to see what they have, and first stop was the Gap store. No, no, just to look around, I swear. I haven't forgotten that I'm still $2.88 over for the month of May, and there's still 2 days left in the month,  a fact I'm highly aware of.

So there I was, just browsing, when I happen to see the same dress I bought last month now on clearance. Practically half the (sale) price I paid for! Ach!

My brain, obviously, started churning. I haven't worn the dress as yet. It's still in the same shopping bag, for crying out loud. Yes, I do love this dress, believe it or not, but I thought, why should I settle for a higher price seeing how much it costs now. Needless to say, I got the same exact dress on clearance. And what did I do when I got home? Why, walked back out again and returned the same dress with a higher tag. HAH!

Having done so, I'm happy to say that April's shopping tally has now been readjusted to $128.85, instead of $145.32, which makes April's shopping only over by $28.85.

Small victory, no?

Then, on my way back after that exchange, what do I see on the window of the bookstore nearby? "Buy 3 and get the 4th free". The same bookstore where I happened to have bought 3 books over the weekend! Gah! Again, my brain started churning. In I walked to the store and talked to a staff about my teensy-weensy predicament. She then told me to bring my purchase back. Which I happily did. Walked out of that store (a second time, or is it third by now?), with 4 books. HAH!

Again, small victory, no?

{Un}Fortunately for me, these places happen to be all walking distance. 2 additional trips to carry out above transactions. Would I have gone to the same trouble if it was otherwise? Maybe not. Was it all worth it in the end? I think so.

Such is my exciting life, eh? HAH!

Those Were the Days

As I was folding the laundry the other day, got me focusing on the tags on some of them (not sure why). One of them being my cardi, a black unassuming piece of clothing, an item so old I honestly don't remember how long I've had it. And I was kinda' surprised when I read what I read.

Express Tricot(?) cardi

Made in Australia. How cool is that! Guess you can kinda' tell how old this cardi is looking at the tag, but you'll never think it's that old (I think so anyway).

Which then got me thinking, then looking at some of my older pieces I have that, again, I don't remember how long I've had, but I still wear to this day.

BR sweater

Made in Canada. I guess this is from the time when Canada still had a garment industry, albeit dying. This is a sweater that used to belong to hubs. Yes, used to, as he no longer wears it, because someone else started using it hehe If I recall correctly, I may have given this to him on an occasion. Super comfy, especially around winter time.

Gap striped shirt

Made in HongKong. I guess when things made in HongKong were still the norm. Notice the old Gap logo? I love love this shirt. The cotton is thick and comfy.

...more Gap stuff

Made in Mariana Islands. I remember a time when my mom would tell me to look for this specifically because she thought the clothes were made well if made from this place, be it Gap, Ann Taylor, Jones New York, or whatever...

CK jeans

Made in Mauritius. Ok, this item is not as old as the others, but I thought it's still interesting, considering I don't think any of my other newer clothes are made in that country anymore (someone actually pays attention to those details? I do, evidently). But then again, I could be wrong.

AY! Those were the days, I suppose. I'm under no illusion that these pieces are vintage. I just find it fascinating, that's all.

And I may have just completely aged myself, but who cares. Maybe it's not my clothes that are vintage. Maybe I am the vintage. HAH! Again, who cares... hehe

Hit or Miss

Last weekend's shopping excursion resulted in purchase of 3 items, see previous post. But deciding on those 3 items took lots a bit of trying out stuff. {Un}Fortunately, I happen to be one of those gals who have the patience to go through the whole process of trying numerous (as in numerous) pieces to see what works for me.

Take the last shopping trip, for example. For a couple of hits (in my head, that is)...

Purchased: the cardi and the skirt (shirt, my own)

... are lots of misses.

Miss #1 (and #2):

I call this the bathrobe-gone-wild dress. (See the striped item behind me? That's actually another (maxi) miss hehe, the material is so poor, the lining was clinging to me like crazy)

Miss #3:

I call this the tribal-gone-Golden-Girls maxi dress.

Miss #4:

I call this the floral-wanna-be-16-again dress.

Miss #5:

I call this the neon-ready-to-fly dress.

Miss #6 and #7:

I guess it's bad enough that I looked like a horizontal inflated celery stick with that sweater (on clearance or not, I care not), I had to pair it with tan maxi skirt. I call the result a tree-on-a-hippie-trip look.

HAH!

Who's my worst critic? Me, that's who! Rightfully so, I readily admit, in some of these outfits.

Was that a waste of time for me? Definitely not. At the end of these kinds of experiences, I learn what works for my body. I learn that some pieces are better left to some people. I learn that some outfit experiments can either go awry really fast or make you smile in an instant just because you know you look fab in it. Live and learn, right?

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...

Do I Include This Too?

I mentioned early this week that I've decided (finally!) to put myself on a budget. I'm still wondering though what to include in that budget. Well, I know clothes, shoes, purses and accessories are definitely part of that budget. It just must! hehe

But do I include make-up too? Including nail polishes?

I'm thinking not.

Sephora by OPI Matte Topcoat

Sephora had a promo going on last week, 15% off entire purchase til Thursday. And lucky me, I still had a gift card left over from Christmas. So last Wednesday, I thought I'd re-stock my Bobbi Brown mineral powder since I'll be needing it any day now. (The gift card took care of that, yay!) I also thought, since I was already there plus with the 15% off, I might as well finally buy (yes, finally) a matte topcoat that I've been meaning to get for a loooong time (yes, looong). (Alas, the gift card didn't take care of that.)

Makeup, in general, have never really been an issue for me, as far as shopping is concerned. Ok, maybe they were, at some point, loooong ago, in my young(er) days, but things have changed. I tend to only get them now when I need them.

So, again, I'm thinking not. No? I'm sticking with that, for now, anyway.

As for the carry-over to the next month (hey, I'm still hopeful), I think that sounds good, for now, anyway. Gotta' leave some room for some "nice" stuff every now and then, right? *raised eyebrow*

The good thing with this new self-imposed cap, as I was going thru the mall yesterday on my way home, for example, I ended up putting things down when I was at the Gap. After much deliberation, I realized I didn't want to use the remaining balance I have this early in the month. Whew, that was close! heehee

Anyhoot, as I was walking through (yes, just walking through) H&M early this week, I think, I noticed they have some Marni stuff again.

Notice the scarf in the first pic? It was cut in half! WTF! I realize this is a collab, but I really am not able to justify the prices in my head. $50 for the totes, and $70 for the sandals!!! Maybe Marni's designs are just too cerebral for me. Plus the material on the bottom totes, for example, reminds me of the rice sacks I used to see in my grandparents' farm as a child, only with patterns. Again, maybe it's just me...

Needless to say, no Marni for H&M stuff went home with me. HAH!

Fiscal Year

I've decided that if businesses/government do it, so will I. Operate on a fiscal year, that is. Why? Well, why not?

As I've been attempting to curb my shopping since the onset of this blog, and failing miserably, I've finally decided to call myself out on this endeavor... Attempt? What is that anway? Pffftt...As the great Yoda said, "Do or do not, there is no try" HAH! (I know, nerd!)

Having said that, the new plan is to go on a fiscal calendar, rather than a yearly calendar, as I start to seriously work on this goal. I figure, to start on Jan01 is too far ahead, who knows how much more damage I can do by that time, or too far gone if we're talking 2012. Plus, with the retail cycles getting shorter and shorter, January appears to have become a good month for awesome deals, *sigh* hence not a good month to start my endeavor, *more sigh*

In the beginning of this blog, I think the longest I've gone without shopping is 1-1/2 to 2 months, after which my shopping brain went on overdrive for feeling deprived those 1-1/2 to 2 months, and it hasn't stopped since eeeek (I think). And considering my purchase for the month of Jan, Feb, March this year, it got me thinking...

SO, moving forward, starting April 01, I'm putting myself on a budget. (What?!? No budget to work with all this time?!? What were you thinking?!?). I'm putting myself on a $100 budget a month, and that includes tax!! I realize, since I don't really thrift, nor do I even know how, to begin with, and considering how much tax we pay on retail goods, I know it's not gonna be much, which is the whole point!

I haven't quite decided yet if I should carry over any unused amount. (Hey, a girl can wish, no?). And this is as far as I've gone. I'm sure there are some more details that I need to hash out...

What does that this all mean then?

Well, for the month of April, I guess it means I've used up almost half of my budget. Yes, yes, I know, it's only the 2nd day of the month, but it's all good. I'm still feeling confident. For realz!

$18.00 (RW &Co)

(Inspired by this, which I first saw from this blog)

$20 (also from RW & Co, can you tell?:p)

(Inspired by this, which I've seen practically at every site, that I follow anyways)


TOTAL: $42.56, after taxes


I know, I know, all this blabbering... yadda-yadda-yadda...

But hey, I figure, slowly, slowly... Next goal will be? To stop reading all those blogs that I follow to not get anymore ideas! HAH, kidding! As if!... Why,  not shop entirely, of course!

Run, L____, Run

Over the weekend, I was pretty much in my kicks for the most part.

K-Swiss (Winners)

And whether right or wrong, I even wore one to work today *eyes averted*.

Reebok (Winners)

In the beginning of my career change, mind you that was almost 4 years ago already, I realized I didn't need to  subject my feet (and toes) anymore to all those heels that I've worn day in and out (yes hehe), 5 days a week, oh say, for a good 10, 13 years. Cray cray, right?

So when that shift happened, my feet definitely rejoiced. And I guess my feet I got carried away. Perhaps a tad.

You'd think I would have just considered flats, eh, but no! During those days, in my mind, work shoes just meant heels. Flats, what are those?

But yes, I eventually discovered the joys of flats. And boy, did I ever!... And I'll just leave it at that...

Obsessions

I guess obsessions are called obsessions for a reason.

Zara tote

I've lost count the number of times I've brought this purse up with my sister. She'll tell you! HAH!... I myself do not understand, I don't even know why. It's just a tote, really!

It doesn't help that practically all my fave blogs or every street style I peep out there features this purse. First, I noticed the black. Then this color. Ach!!!

courtesy of cupcakes and cashmere

courtesy of instyle.co.uk

courtesy of chictopia.com via Google images

courtesy of twentythirtyforty.net
via Google images

... among the, oh, so many of them. Eeeek!!!


{Un}Luckily, I dislike paying for full price, and this tote, due to its demand, will probably not go on sale, and I don't like scouring the net to shop online, which all means I may just be able to put a lid on this so-called obsession... Maybe... crossing fingers...

LOL

Color of the Year

According to Pantone, the color for 2012 is Tangerine Tango.

Source: fabsugar.com via Loisa on Pinterest

Cannot be happier:p Love anything orange-y! Just makes me smile *wide grin*

Guess I'm off to a good start with a purchase from last Boxing Day.

Forever 21 cardi

.. to add to my growing orange-y pieces in my closet, as seen here, here, and here... heehee...

How can you not like anything orange-y, seriously?!?! And just saying the word tangerine, doesn't that alone put a smile on your face?:p

soaps, yes!

Jello shots

One more time, TANGERINE!!!
LOL