ASOS ban total sad face

The very last Winter coat in my shopping bag - bringing the total haul of Winter coats to seven.  Don't judge me, already it is starting to get cold and we are months of Winter!  I was waiting for this to go on further sale and it never did $98

I have been needing a decent polo for ages and I love polka dots so its a match made in heaven $45.  I also needed a leather skirt but was over the high waisted feeling - this skirt is 'wet look' and its got a stretchy band yay $50

Snood - having discovered snoods last winter, I am in love - this one was $15

In an effort to save more for my overseas trip, I have decided to ban ASOS - I am not even going to look at it :-(.  Like most 'dieter's one last binge before the ban - total bag was $200 but using their shop and save code on their front page it was $150 - save $50!

Outfits

Above is the outfit I was aiming for yesterday! Work outfit worn today: ASOS dress about $45 - I probably would not have bought this dress if I saw while shopping in a store, even though it's pretty. Bag is my suede Mimco bag that is still not completely clean after the fiasco that happened to it - suede is really hard to keep clean and then try to clean :-(. Novo glitter ballet shoes, I got these a couple of years ago in a buy the second one half price deal. I actually blogged about it at the time on this blog!  I should not be lazy and go back and find it and link it..but I will be lazy ;-).

BAd lighting and beauty boxes

My selfies experiment is still needs a lot of work, turns out the lighting in our spare room is so bad!  Pictured is the chambray shirt I bought last week from Dotti and the Coles Mix Apparal skirt I got for $19, I got medium though and it seems Coles is quite generous with its sizing and I should of got small...I am tossing up whether I should try and exchange it since I pulled the tags off!  Our house is energy efficient which means, dim lighting everywhere! Trying to figure out a better solution for the selfies...

My February Lusthaveit beauty box turned up, it was four normal sized products instead of samples this time, with one extra product added into next months box.  I have not tried any of these yet except for the lipstick which was not revolutionary but fine to wear.  Looking forward to trying the tan, if its good - its a huge bottle!  Lusthaveit have added youtube videos on how to use the products on their website, still super happy with this beauty box!

Ugh to the eighties

Today's work outfit: my Ally chevron top that was $9.99 and my ASOS green pants that were about $19. Went with short tucked in look today - although I love the colour of the pants I am really regretting not sending the entire lot of pants back to ASOS instead of keeping the two really cheap ones (featured in last post and this post). Big lesson learnt in fashion exploration. I hate the eighties and these pants are SO eighties, yuk! Most times I'm successful with my experimentation but these are a fail. Wore my old Novo stud shoes with this outfit.

Selfies

Finally set up a mirror in a better area of the house. This is the ASOS swallows shirt and the black and white stripe pants.  In retrospect I should of tried to run with a tucked into my pants look, but I didn't love this look in general, it was a bit of an experiment.  It is not what I usually wear to work even though it is still a corporate look.

ASOS work pants review

These were about $18 after discount.  The colours is gorgeous in real life and love the zips at the end of the pants.  The top of the pants are a bit high waisted and slightly unflattering unless you are super skinny like the model pictured.   Dont love them but for the price they are worth keeping and making them work.

I took a big risk ordering work pants online, in retrospect I really should of recognised that 'pants' are my trouble area and I really should only try thing on first.  So it turned out to be a frustrating exercise where I actually had to pay to return something to ASOS :-(.  After all these years of ordering mass amount of clothes and never returning anything, I came unstuck with work pants!  Reviews below under photos.  Have learnt my lesson and will only buy pants instore, and to be honest the only work pants I have loved have been from Cue - a tough lesson that cost me $12.50 postage to return the pants!

These pants are really not great quality - but the cost about $14 so really what did I expect!  They are pretty much like pictured except slightly more high waisted, again didnt love but for the price they are 'fine'.

These look nice pictured, in real life they look like the hippy pants my Aunty always wears. They are described as geo print but really they are hippy flower print!  and they are a bit more 'hammer' pants then I would like, they cost about $41 after discount which they are not worth (they look like they were from the markets!!!) so they have been returned!!

OMG these cost about $27 after discount.  They are TERRIBLE cut and quality - quite disgraceful  even for that price - returned!

More staples!

Two collar singlet tops from Ally, $30 all together. The top I really wanted turned out not to be in stock and I'm to lazy, or to be honest I am actually genuinely time deficient, to go to a store to check it out - I haven't been to Ally for ages, it's completely out of my way to get to. I am still hoping to but I am not sure if it will happen. Any who these are the two shirts I got with the intention of wearing them casually as well as for work. They will also layer under jumpers nicely in Winter. I also received my shoes from Shoebox and they are awesome and such a bargain for $50 together and free shipping!

Dreams do come true

I found my Grumpy Cat travel mug on Zazzle and it was on sale!!! I bought this and a personalized travel mug for hubby together plus shipping were $50.

Staples

Not for the stapler, but wardrobe staples. My fav black shirt has a moth hole :-(. And I was still searching for a good white shirt and a chambray shirt. Yay for Dotti, Chambray shirt $20 off so was $39.95 and shirts were two for $20. Free shipping and arrived within two days. ( not express). Very happy, they fit perfect. :-). So excited I finally got a chambray shirt, I envision it as a winter staple. Dotti's website us fantastic, catwalk videos that I can see on the iPad, it seems they took a leaf out if ASOS's book.

Work refresh

I had a couple of codes for ASOS so decided to buy some new clothes for work. I have a lot of work clothes, but like my work shoes - a lot of my clothes are looking tired and its time to do a cull. I got a bit excited about work pants though, I don't own any really as I'm a dress and skirt girl - so I ended up buying five pairs of work pants! Five! To add to the pair I got a couple of weeks ago, and I'm super worried as the I wore that pair for the first time after I made my extra pants purchase, and I wasn't happy with the quality. Altogether there $150 with the blouse being $50 and the red pants being $40 being the major $$. I couldn't resist the blouse though it is so quirky and pretty, I had another one in my bag but took it out at the last minute as I couldn't justify the price. Will post review!

New shoes!

As previous posted, I need new work shoes. Not drastically, but I'm probably losing a pair a week at the moment. After not wearing them for nearly a year while on maternity leave it's apparent on my return to work that a large part of work shoe collection (around 20 pairs), are at the end of their life. I could afford to lose a few as 20 pairs was probably excessive! These two will do for now, $50 together and free shipping from the online website ShoeBox.

Shiny bright things

I heart accessories, now that I have set up my new storage drawers I feel quite confident that I still have more room to add to my collection.  Queue walking past Colette Accessories and seeing a 50% off all accessories sale.... $33 dollars later, I had three sets of stack bracelets (still loving my stack bracelets), two necklaces that I think will transition well into winter wearing them over cardigans - and amber hoop earrings.  Then I stopped in to check the dregs of the Sportsgirl 30% off reduced items, I got two stack bracelets sets and a necklace for $10 :-).  Super happy with my bright shiny haul.

Big W bargains

I have never bought clothes for myself from Big W. This week I was looking in Big W for clothes for my daughter and walked past a mannequin wearing a light weight black and white polka dot jumper. I had been lemming one from Country Road but it was sold out, the Big W one was only $25 so I thought I would give it a try. On the rack also was a polka dot Work shirt for $9.96. Bargain!! These picture highlight why I need a mannequin for my home!

Busy bee

Work is a bit hectic at the moment, but lots of good stuff like this goodie bag stuffed full of cool stationery! From my lovely coworkers. This is my casual Friday look, denim vest and ASOS studded pants and $10 Ice studded loafers.
My $2.00 polka dot grocery bag and Mimco cocoon bag, this is my least favorite Mimco bag - its not soft leather and it's a bit ugly. They have a similar cocoon bag in their new season that's a lot nicer.

Lots of books and pens

I love stationery. My husband teases me about 'books and pens'. For example I have been looking for a pen holder for ages, finally I found one in Typo - surprisingly Typo has been lacking in pen holders for quite some time :-p. But I found a cute owl one for $10 yay - and a polka dot pen for a $1. Good stationery cheers up my work day, which my coworkers must know because they got me a huge bag full of stationery! Left it at work so will post pic later. I also bought a huge paint canvas to use as our holiday pin board. Can't wait to start pinning stuff on it :-).

Impatience

Ugh. After waiting forever for an ASOS discount code, I got worried about the sale stock in my bag - I desperately wanted the three things I bought. Obviously then a discount code was released the next day because that's how the world works. So bargain hunter fail in terms if the extra $10 I didn't save :-(. However what I did get was, yellow coat $56, dress $46 and gloves for $16. The dress is the same brand as the two ASOS work dresses I bought last week - which were cute! I only have one coat left at ASOS and I'm not desperate for it as its still listed at $99. I am swearing off ASOS for awhile, I need to stop shopping and start getting serious about saving for my holiday. Otherwise I will cry when I am in New York and everything is cheap and lovely and I've spent all my money at ASOS.

Decorating via Mumgo

www.mumgo.com.au is a deal website aimed at mums. It has some really good deals but so far all I have bought from it has been dishwasher tablets (180 tablets - I got way to excited about dishwasher tablets) and a world map! Pretty happy about the world map, we have been looking for one but haven't found one that we like and for a decent price - this one was $49.95 including shipping! Only a couple more pieces and interior decoration is done. Still got a bit outside to do, but pretty low on the 'to do' list ATM.

eBay

In an effort to raise some funds to offset purchases, I have been selling a fair bit on EBay. I have also remembered that EBay is a good source for some cheap stuff. It's also full of crap that people think are worth way more than it is, but I guess listing an item is free so why not take a chance that someone will buy your overpriced crap lol. Rant over. Bought a nail lamp for $27 I needed,because the one in the Luminail kit was not strong enough (will post review after trying with new lamp), two covers for my new mini iPad. I bought two as I want sure which colour I wanted and they were pretty cheap came to $25 together. I plan to take my mini out way more than the normal iPad as it fits so nicely in my handbag :-).

Be mine Valentine

Got an early Valentines present from my Hubby - a mini iPad! So excited, I have wanted a mini iPad for a couple of months now. I thought maybe Mother's Day I might get lucky - but now it has arrived, I am a very spoilt lucky wife. Am currently obsessed with Grumpy Cat, google it - it's addictive (well I'm addicted lol). I think I need this cup for work.

every day stuff

Finally seem to be remembering to take selfies lol.  Photos of my work outfit - Cue skirt bought in previously posted mega sale for $40, old but still in mint condition portmans top and portmans jacket and Novo shoes that have seen better days!  They are seven years old though and were a bargain for $30 on sale.  Accessories - loving the stack bracelets, always loving turquoise and I also love my cheapo Lovisa watch.  Work lunch was at a restaurant on top of a mountain, beautiful views and food. do love a good pot pie ;-).