Sunday, April 17, 2011

as promised




Some quick shots of the natasha gan maxi dress I picked up, on sale for $125 from over $300. Excuse the embarrassing posing & crappy lighting.

Friday, April 15, 2011

decisions, decisions.

I treated myself to some post-exam/first-paycheck-at-the-new-job shopping yesterday/today (and let me tell you, that first paycheck didn't last all too long). I don't have the gear from yesterday with me (I got my sister to take it home with her because I had a concert to get to last night - fyi, I've decided I'm marrying bruno mars), but it involved 5 pairs of sunnies, 3 pairs of earrings, 3 button up blouse/dress thingies, and two jumpsuits, all for less than $39 from cotton on! I'm talking things for $2 (sunnies, earrings, and dresses) and $5 (jumpsuits & sunnies)! Tiny detour to GAP, to pick up some bday presents for little people (I could spend hours in the baby gap section, everything's so damn cute!). I also dropped by the carla zampatti/bianca spender sale...there were so many amazing gowns at like 70-80% off, but realistically I have nowhere to wear such lavish things, and I couldn't justify blowing 200-300 bucks on a single item that I'd probably never get to wear. Yeah, I left happily with just two leather belts (one carla & one bianca), for $19 each - bargain.

Anyway, I had a bit of a stressful moment today, whilst at parra with the boyfriend. I wasn't meant to be buying anything, but I couldn't resist poking my nose into the wanted shoes outlet they'd set up next to their regular store - you know, just to have a quick look. I ended up spotting the Tony Bianco wedges I'd lusted for on ebay (unfortunately that particular listing hadn't been my size) - in TWO colours. ON SALE. And they had my size in both. I tried the tan ones on. Amazing. Then I chucked the black ones on. Heaven. Did I mention they were on SALE?!

Then started the debate in my head: 'I already have tan wedges. But the tan was so much more wearable for the day. And the leather is so soft. And they're cheaper. But I could totes wear the black for work. But black is boring. But it's also versatile. But so is the tan...'

I tried to do the responsible thing - leave it, walk around, and have a think. I told myself that I'd come back after lunch/the movie we'd come to parra for the purpose of watching, and which ever ones (if either) were still there, it was meant to be. I'm not gonna lie, a little part of me was sort of hoping, for my savings' sake, that they'd both be gone. But I also know how devastated I would have been if that had been the case.

I think you all know how this one ended. With my third and fourth pairs of Tony Bianco's, and my seventh and eighth pair of shoes in general, in just over two weeks.

The last two weeks in Tony B's


Tan Tony Bianco wedges (exclusive to wanted), $60 down from $200


Black Tony Bianco wedges (exclusive to wanted), $80 down from $200

Decisions, decisions...

Tan Tony Bianco Pumps, $40 down from $160 from Pulp


The more practical option - Tony Bianco workman boots, $40 down from $160 from Pulp


The less-glamorous, more practical (and amazingly cheap) shoe buys from the last two weeks: ValleyGirl black brogues, $15 (from $25), Kmart military boots ($19), ValleyGirl black bow flats ($10), Pulp suede leather desert booties $15 (from $100).

Crazy thing is, even with all of my gorgeous new shoes, the shoes I've worn most over the last couple of weeks are actually a pair of my dad's old boots that I'd rescued from being thrown out. Vintage, leather, perfect-for-uni, comfy-as-anything Italian leather boots. My dad laughs at me and says 'nice shoes' mockingly every time I wear them.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

just a quickie

Before I say anything else, just a warning that I'm not going to have much time to post in the next few weeks, what with mid sem exams, assessments & a new job. And you know, all the shopping center visits as procrastination in between.

Many purchases have been made this week, which I'll talk about in a later post, when I've had a chance to take pretty photos of them - but for now, just think - Tony Bianco & Natasha Gan, at ridiculously low prices.

Anyway I thought I'd take a break from writing notes, and swing by to show you this mainly vintage outfit I chucked together the other day, with less than 10 minutes to get ready (which explains the crinkled top). I didn't bump into anyone who'd appreciate that kind of outfit that day (my sister teased me as per usual for my choice of high waisted pants, and likened my dress sense to one of her friend's mums - a woman in her 50's).

The top & pants are vintage from Vinnies ($3 each), sunnies were $10 from the markets, bag was another vintage buy from the markets ($55 for Italian made leather), the shoes were on sale for $19.95 from Shoe Box, and the rings were on sale for $5 each from Lovisa.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

old habbits die hard.

I'm sorry it's been so long. I just kept putting blogging off because, well, I was ashamed. Eighteen days, I lasted, and it was all going so well when all of a sudden, it happened.

I didn't just fall off the wagon. I hurled myself off. And then the wagon ran over me. Repeatedly. Until all that was left was a moneyless shell of a woman.

It all started on that fateful Tuesday, when I found myself wandering around Westfield Parramatta, I forget why now. Seems like a pretty stupid thing for someone on a shopping ban to be doing in retrospect. I was going well - I'd been to at least a good 10 or so shops without making a purchase. And then I saw them. What I thought (at the time) were the wide-leg high-waist pants I'd been searching for. They came in two colours and they were only $10 each. How was I meant to pass those up?! HOW?!

So I cracked. Those pants didn't even turn out to be what I'd wanted. I suffered a bad case of buyers remorse that night (yeah I know they were only $20, but in the long run, they cost so much more), but since I'd broken my shopping ban, I thought I'd may as well go for broke...so the following Thursday I trecked it out to Surry Hills for the Ladakh warehouse sale. $410 later, I was carring two massive eco-sacks worth of Ladakh and Anise goodies to my car. And 'why stop there?' I asked myself, 'Why not make a whole day out of it?' so from 7am-2pm that day, I shopped. Shopped shopped shopped shopped shopped. And boy, did it feel good.

Needless to say since then I've made quite a few more purchases. There was that incident at Birkenhead Point (think Mimco, Dangerfield, and close calls at Witchery). And those wandering-off-errings from uni to Pitt St. And those few lunch breaks at work (who could help themselves when they're right next door to Forever New). And then TODAY, when I got to work early (in anticipation for my last shift in my current job)...lets just say I had to make a trip to the car because I couldn't fit my loot in the storeroom.

Bargains of the day:
- Tony Bianco leather boy-style boots for $40 (from $160) from Pulp!
- Tony Bianco military boots for my sister for $50 (from $160) from Pulp. I was v.upset that they didnt have my size :(
- Pulp suede desert booties $15 from $100!
- a major haul from St Vinnies (I do love a good vintage shop!), including loads of high waist wide leg pants which were much closer to what I'd been looking for, loose tops for lazy days, a gorgeous vintage leather satchel, and even more gorgeous vintage red dress and a pair of tsubi jeans (from back when ksubi was still spelled as tsubi), and a pair of vintage high waist levis which I plan to cut up & distress into shorts. $85 goes a long way in Vinnies, and how often can you say you shopped for a good cause??

This is just a snippet of what you missed: