Apologies again for the massive break in blogging. I've meant to, I really have - every now and then I'd stop and make a mental note to share a little somethin' somethin' with you guys but I've just not been able to get around to it, with work and uni and family and facebook and general laziness and all. I'm not gonna promise to start blogging regularly or anything (don't try to change me, baby) and with exam season looming - yurck - it's looking more and more likely that this post may have to suffice for the next two weeks or so. But I'm here now, and that's what's important right? Right.
Two weeks and one day ago I banned myself from shopping. I know. But let me give you the back story.
Almost two years ago I started moving from my room into my sisters old room after she moved out. I never actually ended up moving completely out of my room - and the other room, essentially, became my walk-in wardrobe. It now houses my shoe collection (of more than 360 pairs), as well as hundreds of dresses and tops (no exaggeration), and an abundance of jeans, skirts, shorts, playsuits, jackets, coats, scarves, gloves, hats, and a few bags & belts (but my collection of belts smaller-sized bags lives in my other room). Most of the time this room is a mess. Any girl who needs to find something to wear in the morning will understand why.
Every few months I do a cleanout, and sort things out into one of four piles: things to keep, things to sell on ebay, things to give to family, things for charity. In most cases, half of the clothes still have tags on them, and the shoes are either new or only worn once. Last time I did a major cleanout, I ended up with a good 5 garbage bags for charity, 5 for ebay, and 5 or so for family. And when it came to putting stuff back in the cupboard I still had to go out and buy another 50 coat hangers. and that STILL wasn't enough. I had to hang up to 10 garments on the same hanger, which isn't an easy feat. Needless to say, I broke a lot of hangers trying.
I know this doesn't look too bad, but keep in mind I threw out over 45 shirts and about 5 pairs of shorts & 5 pairs of jeans prior to taking this picture!
There's a filing cabinet preventing me from taking a full length shot of this section of my 3-panel-wall-long-built-in-wardrobe
A small snippet of the shoes
So anyway, a few weeks back I was feeling guilty for having spent three times what I'd been paid that week: I'd only done two shifts, and had filled my spare time with mid-season sales. So after a week-long (or rather, life-long) shopping spree I thought I'd sit there and actually write down what I had bought.
It went a little like this...
Monday - got sidetracked on the way to class
@Topshop: 2 full-length jumpsuits ($20)
Review: 2 necklaces, 2 bags, 1 scarf ($96)
Tuesday - I chose to shop instead of eat on my lunch break at work
Dotti: 4 dresses (2 were maxis), 1 bag, 1 (p)leather jacket ($82.50)
Bardot: Lace leotard ($10)
Friday - shopping with my cousin at Mac Square
Sportsgirl: 1 dress, a bottle of nude nail polish, 1 bag, 1 belt, 1 ring ($80.75)
General Pants: 1 Urban Originals oversized wallet ($25)
Factorie: 1 maxi dress, 2 rings ($35)
Valleygirl: 1 blazer ($30)
Lovisa: 1 ring ($40)
Ally: 1 straw fedora, 1 dress, 2 tops, 1 pair of jeansn ($84.95)
Dotti: 1 top, 2 maxis, 1 pair of shoes ($46)
Saturday - shopping on my lunch break again, but I ate this time!
Forever new: 2 pairs of heels ($19.90! and they're leather!)
So the total came to just over $570 for 9 dresses, 4 bags, 4 rings, 3 tops, 2 playsuits, 2 necklaces, 1 blazer, 1 leather jacket, 1 scarf, 1 belt, 1 wallet, 1 hat, and nail polish. I also have a pair of shorts and another bag written down here too, but I don't remember where I got them or how much they cost or what exact items I may have been noting here. Haha that's a bad sign isn't it?
I seriously scared myself with that list. I actually contemplated going to see a shrink about my addiction - but then I thought about it, and decided I'd rather spend the amount of money I'd spend paying to see a shrink on clothes & shoes. LOL
So I put myself on a shopping ban: no more purchasing of clothes or shoes for myself for as long as possible. And I was going soooo well up until yesterday. I had gone two weeks successfully resisting the call of the mid season sales. Sure I'd had a sneak peak here and there, but I'd resisted buying anything (even despite that close call I had with that pair of gorgeous pair of leather Peeptoe booties with gold buttons I'd wanted for ages...that were on sale for only $80 from $399).
And then it happened. Those damned five words called out to me in big red and white writing. Buy one get one free. Forever New, you're an addict's dream/nightmare. I scored that lace playsuit I had eyed when it first came in two weeks earlier (RRP $90), and one for my cousin, for what worked out to be $35 each, 2 pairs of leather lined ballet flats (RRP $60/pair) for a total of $15, and 2 vintage style hats for $10! Total spent was $95, with a saving of $275 on the total RRP...could you really blame me for relapsing?!