Online Shopping

The perfect way to spend money without having to find parking, brave the crowds and stand in a queue to make your payment.

But what do you do when it comes to clothing shopping? Unless you have the perfect figure where clothes just fit. Then I am not talking to you - don't bother reading any further.

Claudz sent me this awesome link to a site called Runway Sale - sign up and then go shopping to your hearts' content.

Huge savings on branded items such as Forever New & Guess. I found an awesome SA brand called Salt & Pepper. Classic pieces at great prices.

Take this beautiful Grey Pencil Skirt - only R79!

I would buy this in a heart beat except for 1 point: I have no idea of this skirt will fit properly. 
And will it look good on a fuller figure?

Clothing companies need to post a photo of a Size 10, 12, 14 & 16 model each wearing the exact same outfit.

This will give us a better indication of what it will actually look like. This gorgeous woman in the photo is nowhere close to me.

However, this doesn't stop me from buying shoes or make-up ... just wait for the next sale to start... 

Go and have a look! 

Thanks for the referral Claudz - my bank account however will not thank you

How to eliminate your entire wardrobe in just 1 stupid moment

5 years ago Alex bought me 1 of the nicest, most thoughtful gifts I have ever received for my birthday: A burgundy cashmere pashmina.

Firstly, it was the 1^st 100% cashmere item I had ever owned – luxuriously soft and so pretty and 2ndly, he ordered it overseas and had a pilot friend collect it and bring it back to SA with him.

Christina travels well because she is lightweight, but warm and she folds up small, which makes her easy to travel with.

On my recent trip to Japan, I took Christina for a chilly day. I also packed the only 6 outfits I have that actually still fit me.

In the middle of the week we stayed at a traditional Japanese hotel, requiring only an overnight bag.

I was running late the next morning and somehow left Christina behind at the hotel – 3 hours away from Tokyo.

I thought she was lost to me forever.

The hotel very lovingly wrapped her in bubble wrap and couriered her to me and she was back around my neck the next day.

Upon my return from Japan I literally just tipped my whole bag into the washing machine and pushed Start. I never took into account that the default setting on my new front loader is not the same as my old top-loader (cold wash)

My clothes were all burgundy! I shrugged and thought, ‘oh well, now everything matches’

I wasn’t going to be that lucky… the dye was not consistent!

But that wasn’t the worst of it… Poor Christina was a ratty, squashed string of her former self. The victim of a 2 hour; 60⁰C hot wash.

Now I have no more Christina and no more clothes that fit.

I guess that was the excuse I needed to go shopping…. And shopping I have!

Long Easter Weekend

It was glorious to have some time off in the form of a long weekend, I really needed this time to re-charge the batteries.


I spent the weekend shopping for some clothes & it was a very successful shopping expedition.


I managed to find almost everything I needed and without having the usually depression that follows the trying on of various outfits (The secret behind this is not trying on jeans or pants)


I bought some cute shift dresses that hide the Gloria rolls and I am able to wear cute tights and different tops to change the appearance of the outfit.


I also opted away from my usual long legged boots & bought a cute pair of high ankle boots with Stud detail.


I have said for a while that I would like to dress slightly edgier, so the boots with the colourful tights and funky scarf will help update my image a bit away from the pants and pullover jersey style I usually adopt in winter.


I also bought a really nice jersey that can be layered over long sleeved tops and I am looking forward to wearing that as well.


Easter Sunday was spent with my family and my little nephew. He is just over 1 years old now and I must say I love being able to run after him and tickle him mercilessly as he tries to crawl away. Oh yes, I am THAT aunty!


He has the cutest little giggle and it comes out when I bite his fingers or I hide around corners and go Boo!


When I catch him and tickle him he goes flat and straight and I was laughing so hard because it looks just like he is trying to plank! ha ha ha


I missed my grandparents alot this Easter. Easter weekend used to be a much bigger affair because my Gran would save her pension up and buy us so many goodies; biscuits, sweets and eggs. If I think of how little her pension money was, it shames me because she loved us so much that she saved as much as she could to buy goodies for all 6 of her grandkids and the parents.


I wish I had appreciated them alot more when they were alive and taken the time to hug them thank you instead of diving in to the box of yummy goodies and running off.


I think it is only once we are older and having to pay our own way do we realise how expensive the cost of living really is.


I have been doing really well these past few months by saving money, it is only this past month that I have fallen off the money wagon and spent alot of money on DIY and clothes for winter.


I promised myself last winter that I would buy myself new clothes and I put it off. I went through the whole of winter looking like an orphaned child wearing old clothes, so I really can say that this year was a necessity (besides, since I stopped the regular gym workouts, I have put on weight, so even those old winter clothes wouldn’t fit me anyway)

Shopping up a storm

After being told by my boss that I have to come in to work (essentially cancelling my leave) I was really peeved.

So how does one deal with anger over the festive season?
Shopping!

I have seen the nicest things in the shops & I have shut my cautious side up with a menacing inward snarl & bought things I have wanted for a while now, but not exactly needed, ie: a new kettle.
I bought a cheapie a good 10 years ago because I had to move out of my fiance's house and needed something in a hurry - the darn thing has lasted all this time!
So I bought a cute little kettle that reminds me of the old kettle my mom had when I was a little girl:

Then while buying wrapping paper I came across a really cute cutting board that was pink with words and cupcakes printed on it. I had to have it!

My kitchen colours are actually red, so I bought all the matching accessories and suddenly my kitchen is pink.

It ties in very nicely as my lounge is pink & purple and because everything is open plan, it works well.

This is the new decor I bought for my walls a little while ago - they stick on with wallpaper glue and when you wet them they slide off again.

The photo doesn't do it justice, in real life it looks as if they are painted on:

Don't you think I NEED a flatscreen tv?

I have completed most of my Christmas shopping, and I am off to find a present for my mom (a bead charm for her Pandora bracelet) & a wedding photo frame for my brother & new sister (for their first wedding photo)

What presents will you be putting under your tree?

Friends

I love my friends - all of them - because they are hand-picked by me to be in my life.


I am especially loving my girls who have recently been there for me without even knowing it.


This past long weekend we have seen alot of each other & it really has been fun.


My weekend went something like this:

My obsession: Johan

• Went to the last ever performance of Eden - was bittersweet. Was awesome when Jay saw me in the crowd & excitedly waved at me and the entire audience turned as one to see Who on earth ? he was waving at. Tee & I have had many fun evenings watching Our Boys & we have tons of self-portraits to show for it
• Watched Limitless - what an awesome movie.  Bradley Cooper is a hottie, but I enjoyed the way he portrayed his character. Lunch at Fego Cafe and shopping at Woolies afterwards.I have a long list of things I need for the house: Blind for bathroom, storage for bath towels, new duvet cover, new lampshade
• Watched The Back up Plan & 17 Again because Tee twisted my rubber arm & I do so like me a bit of Zac....
• Went through to a school friend's wedding (this was the dilemma on an outfit to wear) I ended up wearing a Ginger Mary dress I had just bought for work as the weather was cold. It was perfect & I got some nice compliments. (After trying the Big Blue skirt on, my fat hips made it look frumpy - however as per my original promise, I did say the person to help me most would receive a photo and see who the real Flirty30 is - winner: keep an eye out!)
• Caught up after the wedding with dinner with some friends & slept at my parents house
• Noah came to visit & spent the entire day playing with him. Afterwards, mom cut my hair into the new style which I am loving
• Shopping at Melrose Arch with some delicious milkshakes at the Protea Fire & Ice
• Had sushi dinner at YuMe - their Dim Sum and Salmon Roses are to die for
• Got together at Design Quarter & did some serious shopping. I found a lampshade, duvet cover, bathroom blind & basket for bath towels.

• To reward ourselves we went to 1 of my favourite places: Buddha Ta. They have a specialty Mojito called a Candy Mojito. I can't even tell you how divine it is. You get a martini glass of Candy Floss and the mojito gets poured on top of it and the candyfloss melts. It is such a treat & just Too Divine
• Ended it off with more sushi at CTFM with my friend T - her & her husband are going through the process of adoption as they are unable to have children of their own. They have asked me to help them create a profile for when they are picked as a possible match. The natural mother reads all their profiles and picks them that way. So I want to design a storybook written as kiddies story: Once upon a time there was a girl named T.... she met G and they fell in love..... I think that will be fun.
• Throughout the weekend I laughed so hard with my girls. I am so blessed to have them in my life & to be able to share everything with them - the good & the bad.
• I have booked a table at my favourite restaurant in Parys: Ruby's.(Another one of my birthday traditions) We'll be donning our feather boas and having a girls day out - Mom, Tee, AC, Li & myself.

Trendy... me?

I have put on ALOT of weight recently and as a result - none of my clothes fit me, especially not my jeans. And I refuse to buy Fat Jeans

Going out and even going to work has become a bit of a mission because I have had the same winter clothes going on 3 years now and my shoes were all chucked when I moved because last winter they were already past their prime.

So this weekend was a huge shopping spree attempting to find clothes & to be trendy as well.

I came across the cutest dress from Edgars and some stunning "fuck me" boots (quoted by a work colleague) Added a pair of black tights and it was quite a nice ensemble.

Mom cut my hair for me and I decided to also go against what I normally do and I cut a fringe along with my layers. I recently started doing my nails again with Bio Sculture Gel and it feels good.
I feel like I am revitalised  and I am loving my new look!

Shoes maketh the (wo)man

In my bid to get out of debt I have been really good at not buying stuff that I don't absolutely need.

My shoes are a great case in point - I have been wearing what I have until it falls apart - Literally.

Off I trot to the shops to buy myself another pair of black shoes for work (see, necessity) & came. across. a. SALE!! On. Iron.Fist!

These shoes are gorgeous and oh-so-sexy (you will remember my post HERE about my first pair)

As luck would have it - they had my size in both pairs (2 for the price of 1) and I snapped them up before anybody else could snatch them out of my grubby little paws!

Are they just so pretty??

Ignore the chipped nailpolish!

Shopping up a storm

Thank goodness for clothing accounts.

Getting fat is quite a pricey exercise and I have needed more clothes that actually fit me.

Was a very successful day - I bought a lovely pink top that hides "Gloria" and I am able to wear it to work and also casual.
(Its not as long as in the photo - it sits higher up on the hips with wide open sleeves)

A lovely purple Ginger Mary top with some ruffle detail - again - perfect for work or casual.

I bought a pretty black skirt from Woolworths for work as well, as my black work pants have seen thinner better days.

For purely casual use I bought myself some really nice Instinct cargo pants. These have an elasticated waist that fits nicely and does not cut into Gloria causing unsightly "muffin top"

So just when I thought I was going to have some money left for the rest of the month, I remembered that I needed birthday presents for everyone.


RaceCar - Estoril Books voucher
T - Body Shop sparkle cream and Body Scrub
Li - American Swiss Voucher to begin her Donna Mia collection.
My credit card is in tears while my stomach growls at the thought of toast for dinner.

Cost of gifts: R600
Great friends: Priceless

This holiday I plan to:

• Get a manicure or at least look after my hands and nails
• Get a Professional Pedicure at my favourite place in Melrose Arch - Salon. Skin -  they serve delicious coffee and champagne! It is alot of fun to go with a friend to get your nails done.
• Read more books
• Spend time with my friends
• Do a little bit of Christmas shopping for my close friends and family
• Host our bookclub Christmas party at Mangiare in Melrose Arch
• Host the annual Christmas party for my friends at Kitchen Bar
• Decide whether I am going to keep little kitty cat or give her to Friends of the Cat - can I afford the injections and spaying costs
• Meet 1 new person
• Buy baby clothes for my brothers baby - It's a boy!! his name is Noah
• Attend a baby shower at Norscot Gardens
• Spend some time with my mom and dad
• Laugh More
• Relax