Inexpensively Fashionable

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Claudz read my mind when she did a post HERE about her need for fashion help.

Just last week I sat chatting to Lizette about how we need to update our look without having to re-kit our entire wardrobe.

Clothes are simply becoming too expensive and we can't afford to buy a new outfit everytime the fashion changes.

With me trying to get out of my ever-increasing debt, I really can't afford to buy new clothes.

Here in South Africa we have a great chain of clothing store called Mr Price. They sell trendy clothes at really great prices. The quality is average, but beggars are definitely not choosers!

As I told Claudz - I am with her on her new fashion adventure and I am attempting to be fashionable, inexpensively.

While I was packing my winter clothes away and unpacking my summer clothes I realised that with all the weight I have picked up I dont have many clothes that fit me anymore.

I have bought 2 new tops - total cost: R160
1 x pink spaghetti type top with silver sparkly buttons.
1 x white and beige striped tank top with gold butterfly picture.

Lets see how far I can make these go with my existing clothes.

Today is Casual Day in SA - the theme was Fun/crazy.
Our whole admin office dressed up and it was alot of fun mixed with feather boas, crazy devil horns, green wigs and slippers.

My normal outfit:

Clothes: Long tiered chocolate brown skirt, white and beige tank top, dark brown pumps
Accessories: Long gold circle necklace, brown circle earrings, brown bead bracelet and skinny brown scarf.

Result - I am quite happy with it.

Shopping for Men... for Women

Went shopping for a birthday present fo rmy boss yesterday. This man is a very difficult man to buy for!

I settled on some nice work shirts and ties as his are looking a bit tired.

Sounds simple. It isn't.

I found some lovely striped work shirts - blues and whites. But I never imagined how difficult it would be to find a matching tie.

I love accessorising - my friends always comment on how my accessories match (I even wear matching earrings on the beach with my bikini)

Logic dictates that a tie in a matching blue or even silver would match - nope. The blues are not quite right and the block design does not match the stripe pattern. Phew! Who knew this was so much hard work!?

I now have a new respect for men - I thought only women agonised over accessorising correctly!

It took me 45 minutes to decide on a white shirt with a lovely blue striped tie and I bought a plain, pale blue shirt as well as a vertically striped green and blue shirt.
He has a plain green tie at home that will go well with that shirt.

I studied the models up against the wall - and tried to copy their examples, but the colours were not the right ones ;-)

I do however like shopping for black shirts and black ties, or silver as a contrast or a nice burgundy - that's the easy stuff!

The gift was a hit - he loved them.

At the end of the day I put alot of thought into the gifts I buy for people and I hope that they absolutely love them.

This is me - This is Us

This is me over at My So Called Life wrote the following about the This is Me Photo Challenge:

It's been fun & refreshing to do because of the many opportunities to take new photos and look back at the old ones filled with memories - good or bad. This photo challenge has the perfect name: "this is me" My experience has brought me back to many facets, aspects and times of life that make me who I am

I could not have described it better! I gave alot of thought to the seemingly random photos.
I wanted the photos to give us an insight into each other - our personal tastes and experiences and I have really enjoyed the journey so far.

To This is me - I am so glad that you have enjoyed this challenge!

Happy Spring / Secretary Day

For everyone in the Southern Hemisphere - Happy Spring Day!

The weather is finally warming up for us and I am looking forward to wearing my summer dresses and pretty skirts & for my toenails to have pretty colours and be seen!

My Secretary Day Gift

Now this is a funny story - I didn't even know that it was Secretaries Day today - I have been so busy trying to meet deadlines that it didn't even occur to me.

My boss' wife rocked up at the office with the above gift.

How pretty is it?

15 whitish green roses in a black and white box with pictures of shoes and feathers - this is so me! 

This is Me # 28 & the next installment

#28: Cocktails - My favourite!!

In clockwise order:
1: My 30th Birthday
2: My friend's 28th birthday
3: A dinner party I held - Sherry and my Signature drink - the Flirty-linni (it has a better ring to it with my real name)
I might share the recipe with you 1 day if I am feeling generous -  as it is a closely guarded secret!
4: The 1st time I met Tee

Next installment:

#29: Cake

#30: Pretty flowers

#31: Beautiful architecture

#32: A book you’re reading

#33: A painting or a mural

#34: Something totally random

Ending off with a bang…. 

I will give you the final challenge (#35) at the end of these..... *grin*

The latest Bee in my Bonnet.....

This month all I can think about is about "upgrading" my bedroom and bathroom. 

My lounge is never used because I need a decent couch.

I live in a crappy garden cottage - and after living in a 2 bedroom, loft apartment - it stings. The worst part is that I pay R900 MORE a month!

I better not go there, otherwise this whole entry will be a bitch and moan session.

My belongings are starting to look a little bit tired and I feel like a few fresh looking items will go a long way to cheering things up.

Thanks to the bill from my Con artist Ear specialist - I will not be buying anything for a very long time, but I guess I can Blog shop.

Mr Price Home

Mr Price Home

My bedroom's colous are a mix of pale purple and pinks and whites.

I love butterflies, so the pink duvet set available from Mr Price Home is right up my alley.

Duck Down duvet and matching pillow. 

Soft. Fluffy. 

Need I say more?

Bath sheets - Mr Price Home

For my bathroom I am torn between 2 extremes.

My current colours are Beige and Green. (mixed in with the obligatory pink items like razor and body washer-  because I cant seem to resist buying anything that is pink!)

I love Lime green and Turquoise. The colours are bright and for such a small room they "pop" so nicely.

The other extreme - Dove grey and Powder Blue.
The colours are understated and the muted tones might just help to relax me. (yeah right, who am I kidding - a stress free job would do the trick)

Bobble Border Bath Mat - Woolworths

Bring on the Lotto winnings....

This is Me # 26 & # 27

#26: A sunset

I have many gorgeous pics, but all of them are stored on cds at the back of my cupboard - I did find this one that I love. That is me and Alex.

# 27: A bicycle

This was taken at my friend's recent wedding - wonder if that was ever a real bicycle....

This is Me # 24 & 25

#24: A photo of your best feature:

I say my eyes but QT says my cleavage. ;-)

We were bored 1 day during loadshedding, so we drew on a lacey edge for my bra with Marker pen.

#25: A romantic place you've been

This was a hard one.....

The streets of Venice blew me away.
Everything felt so magical - I would love to go back for my honeymoon and walk down the narrow, softly lit streets again. This is my favourite place of all time - Luzern, Switzerland is second.

St Mark's Square - Venice                

  

Mozambique was extremely romantic and another of my favourite places:

This is Me # 23 - your bellybutton

I am not showing you the rest of my stomach - this will have to do.

Uniquely Me - SwissTwist

Today I would like to welcome an ex-pat South African lady currently living in Switzerland.


This lady has a big heart and I am a regular reader of her blogs, I love being kept up to date on the fashions thanks to her photos.


Without further ado.....  Please welcome Swisstwist:

1: What made you decide to start a blog?

I always spent a lot of time on the net, usually in chat rooms and on forums, when I did a search on expats in Switzerland. I found a blog by a very funny Aussie mum also in Kanton Zürich and was inspired. That was a few days before my wedding and the rest, they say, is in my archives!

2: How did you meet MrTwist (I know these questions are always the same - but I am very nosy)

OMG, you just HAD to ask that one??!!? On an internet dating site.

3: What calms you?

The sea. When I lived in Cape Town I would often go for walks on the beach, especially in Winter, I loved it and it always helped me feel centered and alive. These days it’s my beautiful furbaby, M&M, just sitting or lying on the bed and gently stroking him does the trick.

4: What TV show keeps you riveted?

Project Runway US at the moment, but a constant in our household is any and all of the CSI’s.

5: If you could be on the cover of any magazine - which one would it be?

Either US or UK Vogue, I aspire to be the epitome of every Vogue woman

6: When getting dressed - what is the 1^st item of clothing you put on?

Usually my trousers (after underwear, of course). First thing I select are my shoes though … and build my outfit around that.

7: Which Desperate Housewife character are you?

I’m a lot of Bree and a bit of Edi J

8: If you could go back in time to 1 moment in your life - which would it be?

There are a number of moments I’d like to relive, but anyone that involves me holding and loving my Angel would make me very happy.

9: Which Disney Prince Charming would you want to rescue you?

Aladdin, I think, because of his magic carpet and pet monkey (hhmmm… that could be a euphemism for something, Freudian slip perhaps?)

10: If you had your own talkshow, what would it be called?

‘If the shoe fits…’

This is Me # 22

Why do I seem to be so completely behind on these challenges??

The time is running away from me! I promise to try get back up to date this week!

This is a photo of the singer - Marcus Hernandez.

He was in South Africa for a short while and participated in a competition with our local radio station for the opportunity to win a date with him.

We were at the same restaurant as the lucky winner and him.

I got my photo take with him and then he did took my camera and took this photo of himself. :-)