An actual OOTD and DIY Aspirations

I really fail at this posting regularly. However, I managed to write and send off letters to all friends who requested them when I asked via Facebook if anyone wanted a letter, as well as one to my Grandparents, so that is one goal achieved at least!

Here is an actual outfit, although it is recreated because I forgot to take a pic on the day, but received loads of compliments on at work! The jewel-dress-thing has actually been sitting around in my wardrobe for about 4 years begging for the right shoes to go with it, which I think personally are pointy toed stilettoes in either blue/red/gold yellow. However, these shoes arrived in the mail the night before ($8 off Trademe!!) and I thought they would go and still be sensible for work, and my 3/4 pants were finally fixed! They even sewed up a loose belt tab - definitely going back to them again.

 Jewel Dress: Pebble; Top: Max; Pants: Whistle in Farmers; Shoes: Isabella Anselmi for Overland

Now I come to another item that has been hanging around in my wardrobe not being worn much and waiting for some TLC. I am always on the search for the perfect trench coat, and I randomly picked this one by Australian brand Cue up for free from a secondhand store. It was rather dirtynall over and makeup stained around the collar and not much better after a dry clean, however I kept it with the idea I would dye it a different colour (charcoal grey or caramel but caramel might not hide the stains) and fix it up a bit. Mainly because I know Cue is mostly a good quality brand - I have another of their coats that is still going strong after about 7 years (good thing I haven't changed much since I was 13!) and, well, I really wanted a trench coat and it was free, so why not.

But it has been sitting around for almost a year now and I have begun to contemplate just chucking or donating it, until I came across this blog post by Khatu wearing a sleeveless trench. But why, you say? Just imagine the possibilities! I have been admiring the look of Cupcake and Cashmere's leather-sleeved trench, and that would be easily attainable if I chopped of this trench's sleeves. It is no great loss to me considering I got the thing for free; however I would rather prefer it to be caramel than charcoal grey which I don't even know for sure is possible and also where the heck do you get things dyed these days? Because I don't trust myself to do it.

So I am torn between spending a little bit of money on this free trench that may or may not turn out how I want or if it is better spent elsewhere getting a good quality one that's not so wrecked. Also this trench isn't double breasted and I would prefer a double breasted. So... I don't know!

Decisions! They are hard.

Waiheke Purchases

I went to Waiheke Island about two weeks ago which is a nice, fairly large, moderately populated island about half an hour on a ferry from Auckland city and since I have just figured out how posting pictures on this thing works, I'm going to post some pictures!

I bought a retro bag for NZ$15 at the market and the turquoise bracelet from a stand in the main town for NZ$18 and was very happy with both purchases. The bracelet I like to pair with my all-black outfits to bring a bit of colour and it looks good on me. Waiting for an opportunity to use my handbag... Since I don't really have much of a life at the moment I have not yet. I do have a dinner on Thursday next week which could call for it however!

Most of the weekend was spent driving around the island, eating my weight in delicous food and tasting delicious wine. I didn't drink too much, just a glass at lunch and dinner. I enjoy the taste of wine over the making-me-drunk part, although on occasion that's nice too. It was sunny and hot both days on the island.

Sunet on the way back on the ferry.

Shopping Spree. With photos!

So yeah I have been meaning to post in here... and sort of got swamped with work. I usually only have two and a half hours between getting home and going to bed and I generally spend those eating, reading emails and blogs, writing and chilling out on the internet. But I have realised if I get up early in the morning I can probably have time to take crappy mirror pictures of outfits? I can borrow my sister's camera but she's never up as early as me and also I feel kind of embarrassed to ask. I need a tripod and a camera remote.

So. Went shopping with my friend today! Spent about NZ$140 total which is way less than I planned for so I feel rather pleased I exercised a little bit of self control; and by control I mean.... Lay-by. Lay-by is my friend. I put a white shirt from Cue on lay-by, which fit my criteria for a classic white shirt, which is actually a damn unicorn in most Women's clothing stores. I didn't want frills or capped sleeves or pockets or whatever. It is only 3/4 sleeve but I that length looks good on me. Still on the lookout for a plain long sleeved white shirt, but figure I can get one at Nicholas Jermyn for a reasonable price.

Anyway! I also got some bargain secondhand pants today after a visit to Recycle Boutique (why have I never been to the Auckland one before?! It's like the secondhand shop to end all secondhand shops). Originally from Max, who like to price their pants around the $100, these were straight-legged and in excellent condition, in my size AND the right length (considering my height this is a miracle) for only NZ$28!

Shirt - Glassons
Singlet - Glassons
Pants - Max
Shoes - Tony Bianco

I rolled them up in the picture because I am absolutely obsessed with cropped pants at the moment. I think they look cute on me, and it's such an easy style to fake i.e. I just roll up my jeans or pants and voila! Plus I think the cropped look looks better with flats; because I can't really wear heels to work (I just like to dream about it hence the showcasing of them in pictures) as most of the time I'm running around delivering/picking stuff up and my feet get very very sore if I'm in heels. Although I don't own any low height heels right now so that might change.

I also bought the Glassons top today, it is a lot brighter and more orange than in those crappy cellphone camera pictures. Can you tell I'm new at this?

I also went to Country Road to try on these pants for NZ$150. Straight legged but again I rolled them up for cropped look. I want non-black pants so I don't look too monotonous when I wear my black tops, and I considered these cream/beige coloured ones because I didn't really like the other colours they had.

 (Stupid expression in this one - friend didn't really know how to work the crappy cellphone camera lol)

 Top: Glassons

Scarf: Glassons

Pants: Country Road

Shoes: Tony Bianco

(I promise I actually own things from places apart from these two)

Oh yeah and the bumps on my bum are a combination of crinkly pockets and bad underwear choice... oops!

My friend said they looked really good on me. I had to size down to a 6, but I think Country Road has US sizing so it probably was an NZ8. They were expensive though. I really quite like them, and can imagine them going with several items in my wardrobe but... They're beige. I'm not great with light coloured clothing. I had an off white ball dress and managed to stain it with Meatball sauce. I have a white summer dress that gets one wear before going in the Napisan soak again because I always spill stuff on it. My job involves a lot of handling dirty mail and boxes. I'd constantly be paranoid about getting something on them.

They are lovely. If only they were in charcoal grey! There was black but I already have two pairs of black pants (although fly is broken on one which I hope to fix). For Country Road, NZ$150 is actually quite reasonable, but in this case, I think I will have to give these pants a miss.