Spring racing

Attended spring racing at Randwick on Saturday and I must say the standard of dress has severely gone downhill. Although it may have always been like that and I have never noticed. I'm sure it's gotten worse. There were some atrocious "dresses" (I use that term very loosely as some were more suited to being garbage bin liners than party frocks!) and there were men there in jeans and t-shirts! Some people were wearing shorts and thongs!!!

Why is it I don't win on the horses? I put two bets on great horses but neither one of them even placed! They weren't exactly dogs and they're names were awesome. How could you not want to bet on horses called Sequinella and Lotus Flower? Sequinella reminds me of Rachel Zoe - "I do love me a sequin"

The one thing I am kicking myself over is not taking the advice of a drunken bookie. Sounds odd but one half of my group got out of their taxi and a drunk bookie was yelling "horse 1, race 6!" at them. They all put $5 down on the horse which I think was called Wasted Emotions and the darn thing won!!! If only I had put down $10 to win I would have made my money back as $5 paid $19.

Oh well! I wore a Princess Highway strapless, bubble hemmed, checked dress with my Coxinelles. I wish I still had my Scissor Girls in pewter as they would have gone perfectly. I didn't manage to get a decent full length pic but you all know what my Coxinelles look like by now anyway!

Accessories worn are my silver cuff necklace, diamond drop earrings and Bvlgari Astrale ring. I should probably photograph my accessories too but I never remember to. You're lucky enough you get outfit pics!!!

The weather was perfect for the races and a good time was had by all. Afterwards we all headed back to our place and continued on. My head was a bit sore this morning but hey, that's what happens when you consume 5 bottles of champagne and a bottle of vodka between 6 people!

Anyway, gotta some sleep for work tomorrow, sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite!

Je suis triste...

This is probably my first sad post. I'm sooooo disappointed in myself right now. I had the opportunity to buy these super cute Louboutin flats and I didn't jump on them. I wanted to hear back from the seller about shipping costs in case it was ridiculous. I hadn't heard anything by lunch time so I went to lunch a little worried. I decided while out that I should definitely buy them but when I went back to work someone had already snapped them! I'm such an idiot!!! And the worst part? They were only US $85!!!! That is UNHEARD of for brand new Loboutins. And they were totally cute and perfect for me. I was already building outfits around them...just goes to show I should snap things up right away when I see them. Grrr...

pictures taken from ebay listing

They super cute aren't they? I don't even know what style they are. If anyone ever gets any leads on them please, please, please let me know!!!! I need them in a 35.5 or 36.

I couldn't believe I didn't just buy them...what was I thinking. Oh yeah, that I am trying to stop spending money. Even M told me he can't believe I didn't buy them and they were an absolute BARGAIN and that's saying something coming from him.

In better news, I did receive my first Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress in the mail today. I was so depressed that it didn't cheer me up until I got home and tried it on. It's the Jessica style in the Spotted Frog print.

Beautiful pattern isn't it? I blurred the backgound because you don't need to see my dead plants! I do not have a green thumb at all. The thing I love about DVF is that she designs very feminine, flattering clothes for all types of shapes. I've paired them with my CL Coxinelles and they could easily go with my nude CL Clichys.

Well, enough of my whining. It's time to eat dinner! Night!!

Life is a garden...Dig it!

Hey strangers, I'm baaack! Sorry I've left you hanging for an update, got back to Sydney and enjoyed my day off  on Monday, then got thrown back into work like a banana in a blender!

Phew, what a weekend. You know what I've discovered? If you're going to have a wedding the best place to have one is at a winery! You NEVER run out of wine!!! And the food was still coming out at midnight! I'm sure some of you are shaking your head right now but I've never been to a wedding at a winery before so I didn't realise how good it was.

Look at the view! What a picturesque venue. Must have my own wedding at one someday if I get around to it. It was a fairly casual even with the bride and groom wearing thongs and sandals so we dressed accordingly to the wedding invite - "after 5, ready to jive, formal or funky, however you feel funky".

See the purse my cousin gave me in action? Oh and you know how I bought some clothes, these are them. I paired my maxi dress with my CL Citys in tan. I should have worn my bronze flats in all honesty but I wanted to wear my CL's. I am a bit of a melting pot of colour but it wasn't that bad in real life. And I'm so glad I bought the bolero jacket as it was drizzling during the ceremony and it was a rather cold day! I had a silk scarf as well that I ended up using too.

Much was fun was had by all and we needed big breakfasts to cope with the aftermath of it all...

Poached egg, tomato, grilled mushrooms, eggplant, wilted spinach, hollandaise sauce on a toasted english muffin

 Smoked salmon scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach, tomato & bernaise sauce

Yes I know, I finally remembered to take pics! Crappy phone pics but hey, better than nothing, right? Anyway, that's enough from me for now. Have a great night and I'll chat to you soon.

Busy times...

You would not believe how slammed at work I've been! I have not had a chance to scratch my butt cheeks let alone blog or chat or breathe!!! Well, I may be slightly exaggerating on the breathing part since I'm still alive.

I'll keep this one short and sweet as I have to pack for a weekend away. I'm off to another wedding, this time a super casual do in the Barossa Valley, one of Australia's best wine regions in my opinion . Can't wait! And it's even more special as I have Monday off too so I'm having me a loooong weekend, woohoo!!

Anyway, I thought that I would share some pictures I took on Wednesday of the city I call home.

The above shot is of our majestic town hall which houses the below organ which I've been lucky enough to hear even though at the tender age of 12 I couldn't appreciate it like I can now:

Handel's Messiah sounds ethereal blowing out of the century plus old grand organ! It was a really beautiful experience and I know I felt at peace even at 12 listening to that music. I'm not religious by any means but I felt it was a religious experience if you know what I mean.

Next we have the icon Queen Victoria Building or QVB for short which is opposite where I work. Love the architecture and glasswork. M's grandfather was a glazier and he actually did the roof of the QVB!!! How's that for being a small world? I've seen the pictures.

 

 

Pretty spectacular isn't she? Not too shabby for an old lady. Sorry, no pics of the Opera house as I was out and about on my lunch break so not enough time to get there and back.

Oh and yeah, purchased some clothes today so I'm really sucking at this ban thing aren't I? I did need a little bolero style shrug/jacket for the wedding...

Anyhoo, I'm leaving now before you shoot me. Plus I have to pack and rest for my 6am start!!! Enjoy your weekend and you'll get a full debrief when I get back. Night!

It's my birthday!

Today's my birthday and I had an awesome day! I have to admit I spent money but it was mainly spent on birthday and Christmas gifts for others so I think that lets me off the hook. Oh and I don't count the breakfast or dinner I treated myself as I wasn't going to cook on my birthday now was I???

I traditionally take my birthday off but since I was having next Monday off I decided to go to work anyway. No one usually expects you to do anything on your birthday anyway. I was leaving work at 1pm so my plan was to slip in and play it on the down low but that got blown to smithereens with people passing by wishing me a happy birthday!

Look what was waiting for me when I got into work:

What a lovely bunch of flowers!!!

Then I got surprised by cake (no photo sorry!) and a card and present. It was so sweet of my colleague to organise the whole thing. I got some beautiful Body Shop body butters which are just heavenly.

Then I got taken to lunch by M and we pigged out (again no photos of food! I think I can't wait to eat that's my problem, plus I'm not used to taking pics of everything!!) and then went shopping. Still can't decide what I want for my birthday/Christmas present.

I did however sneak into Gucci and try the Riddle boot on. Can I say it is extreme HOTNESS!!! The smallest they had was a 36.5 and my foot slipped way too much in them as I knew they would. I NEED them in my life. You don't understand. Even M thought they rocked!!!

M and I have this tradition that we only buy each other one big present a year. It's usually cash and goes towards whatever we want it to. I think it's a great idea and we don't really have to think about what to get the other person. Sounds sad I know but it's extremely practical. I usually put my money towards designer items. Predictable!

Anyway, getting off track there. I had a lovely day out and then we wandered home to meet my cousin and her partner for dinner at a local Japanese eatery. The people who run it are actually not Japanese they're Korean but if you give me sashimi, tempura and udon noodle soup you're Jap to me! Food wise not nationality wise I should clarify. We were eating with vegetarians so we had a lot of tofu but I don't mind. Agedashi tofu is the bomb!!! Plus we had tempura vegetables, sashimi, teriyaki tofu, miso soup and tuna hand rolls. Soooo good!!!

My cousin is a bit of a hippie and works for a place called Bird Textiles. It's such a cool job for her as she did design at uni and actually created the pattern on the wrapping paper which was made into fabric and then made into all the different items in the store. She gave me this climate neutral, organic cotton handbag that I just love to pieces. Such a cool individual item to have. The design on the bag was actually made by her boss.

Cool huh? Anyway, I am full, content and very sleepy now so I will leave you with that and chat to you soon!

Dinner and a wedding

Wow, what a busy weekend! I know I promised I wouldn't leave it so long between updates but the truth is I've had a herd of elephants stampeding through my head all day.

Ok, so let's start at the beginning of this epic weekend.

Friday we had jeans for good means day. I work at a really conservative company where 'casual Friday' doesn't really exist but once a month we raise money for a good cause. I wore jeans (obviously), a Woosh tshirt and my nude Clichys.

After work I rushed home to get ready for my partner's 4th year engineering dinner. We didn't know what the dress code was so we erred on the side of caution and went formal. I must say M scrubs up all right when he puts a suit on!

I wore my Herve Leger ash colourblock tank with my CL Coxinelles.

The next day was an absolute cracker weather wise. The sun was shining and everyone was ready to celebrate at one of my best friend's wedding. The ceremony took place at Clark Park in Lavender Bay right on Sydney harbour.

What a view!!! The reception took place at the Kirribilli Club. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of the wedding and reception as my camera battery died. I'm still kicking myself about not charging the battery the night before but my camera was showing a full battery...grrrr!

Now please don't hate me but I did kinda spend some money...I went into town on Saturday morning with M and I was only going to check out this Cue dress for work and possibly layby it so I could pay it off over 8 weeks. Honestly. I was trying to be sensible but M insisted I buy it and wear it to the wedding! What was I supposed to do? At least I made it to 17 days!!!

Here is said Cue dress paired with my CL Very Galaxy in platine.

It was the shoes first outing and everybody loved them. I think I spread the CL virus to my friends as they all seemed very fascinated with my shoes. I think I may be lynched by some put out boyfriends and husbands!!

Here's a better picture of the shoes..

Totally to die for aren't they? Anyway, it's been a long weekend and I think I'm going to get into my pj's and snuggle down for the night. Talk to you soon!

Boot Camp

I know I'm not meant to be spending money but do you know how hard it is? My last purchase was on the 28th of October and my blood is singing out for some more goodies. I can't deny the blood can I?

Today I took a trip down boutique lane at lunchtime. Not a good move really! I slipped into Gucci to see if they had any boots in stock and whaddya know? I got a first hand glance at the Riddle boot. O-M-G!!! They are to die for and soooo HOT! Do you know what they look like at all? If not see below.

 

Aren't they divine? They're made of some pretty tough leather. For anyone who follows Jane of Sea of Shoes, I first saw these boots on her blog and I have been dreaming of them ever since. I just can't get these boots out of my mind. Thankfully the boutique didn't have my size because if they did, I would have been in some serious trouble! They retail in the US for $1,690 and in Oz for $2,195. Ouch!

The other thing I'm really digging at the moment are OTK boots. I thought at first I might look like a tranny hooker in them but the more I think of it the more the idea is growing on me. I really hope I'd never EVER look like a tranny but that's a different issue...I'm talking about boots here so back to topic.

Christian Louboutin produce a stunning boot called the Supra Fifre which is one that I fell in love with straight away. Only in the black suede silver button combo though.

 

There is something about this boot that I find incredibly sexy!! I could imagine them with a cute pair of black cuffed hot pants, a raceback singlet top, a black boyfriend blazer and some long multi-layered necklaces. Perfect outfit in my opinion! These retail for US $1,995 (double ouch!!). I wonder if we'll even see them in Oz.

For the more budget minded (like I'm supposed to be right now) I noticed that Victoria's Secret has a nice selection of cute OTK boots. I liked these Chinese Laundry ones in grey suede for US $119

Gorgeous aren't they? I love the button up detail and the flatness.

Or the Barneys Co-Op Ivetta for US $535.

 

Delish aren't they? I want them all! Even if we are going into summer I should probably stock up on boots for winter shouldn't I?

Oh what a night

Wow, apologies for not updating you for a while but I've been off recovering from my friend's hens night on Saturday night. I meant to post something before I went out but no such luck! I did however post a quick outfit pic for my lovely friends on tPF so some of you do know what I wore out that night.

Ok, well I'm guessing you want all the juicy details of what I did, what I wore and what I spent?

Let's start at lunchtime. I didn't know exactly what I was going to wear until the last minute but I figured I'd start with the most important thing - nail polish! It does take about 40 minutes for me as I apply two coats of polish and a top coat.

I put on OPI Russian Navy which is the most gorgeous shade of navy blue with sparkly red flecks shining through.

It almost looks purple. Sorry the pic is not that great with the flash. I totally recommend this colour for all of you who love dark colours. I'm a dark or light polish girl, no in between colours for me! To give you an idea some of my favourite nail colours are OPI Relight My Sapphire (dark purple), OPI You Don't Know Jacques (taupe/grey), OPI Mrs O'Leary's BBQ (deep red), Chanel Rouge Noir (dark brown/red) and Chanel Flamme Rose (light beige/pink).

Next up, my outfit. You'll be pleased to know I didn't spend any money on my outfit. I managed to rifle through my wardrobe and find the perfect outfit. And I've learnt how to master the polaroid program so that I get the WHOLE outfit including my head and feet in the shot!! YAY! Only took me a week, eep!

Ok, here I am, you finally get to see my face! I am wearing a tartan skirt with a black racer back top, mother of pearl necklace, diamond earrings, a bracelet I got up in Port Douglas and my Christian Louboutin Coxinelles again. You'd think I don't own any other shoes but I do, I swear I do!!

Here's proof!

See I do own more than one pair of CL's!

Anyway, I digress....we started the night off by attending a cocktail making class at a local establishment, then moved on to tapas. Once we'd eaten our fill we proceeded to a club to shake our a$$ on the dance floor. A great time was had by all and poor little old me stumbled back through my front door at 5am! <insert faint smiley here>

And the big question, how much did the spenaholic spend? All in all I only spent about $80 so I'm happy seeing as it was a hens night!

I would post a picture of our fun night but I'm afraid I should preserve what little dignity I have left and also I don't know that my friend's would be too keen to see themselves on my blog! Maybe one day.

I should get going as it's getting late and this has been a long enough post. I promise I won't leave it so long next time!

Lead me not into temptation...

ARGH!

I've just got word that some Balenciaga things I pre-ordered are due to arrive at the end of the month or early December!! I can see my savings plan going to hell in a teacup right now. I guess I should have seen this coming but in my defence I did pre-order them in the first week of October so shopaholics anonymous wasn't exactly where I thought I would be in a month and a half's time. And I have been good, I cut out more than half the list! You don't want to see how many items I had myself down for.

My love affair with Balenciaga only started recently with the purchase of a SS09 Giant Silver Handle clutch in Anthracite followed very quickly by the snapping up of a very beautiful FW09 Day bag in Tempete as seen below.

Look at that bag....*sigh*...isn't she simply marvelous?

The leather is lightly distressed and super smooshy and thick. She's a great shade of stormy blue (hence the apt name of tempete) and goes with everything from black to denim. You can dress her up or down.

Now can you see why I'm jonesing for another Balenciaga? This time I have a Drum in black on order. I don't know what the Drum is supposed to look like except that it's similar to the old Box style. I don't know how many of you are Balenciaga experts but the box style is like the current Twiggy but not as east/west. More like a box shape. I've been looking for a Box in good condition but now if it's similar I won't have to!!! YAY!

Hmmm, can the Bal classify as my present to myself??? Or should the Chanel and exotic Louboutins I want to get next year be my present? Tough decisions need to be made soon. Ha!

Oh yeah, I wore my Coxinelles again today and here's the outfit. I'm wearing a Cue dress with a bolero style long sleeve cardi.

Sorry there's no head or feet, the polaroid process is a bit random so it tends to cut off the picture at nonsensical spots.

They are my go to shoes right now! Sorry if you're getting bored of them already, they're just the perfect work shoe.

Anyway, it's getting late and I have a busy Friday ahead of me so I should probably stop boring you to tears with my ramblings and try and get some sleep.

Night!

It's November already!

My name is B and it has been 6 days since my last purchase.

Today is the 3rd of November and spring has sprung...there is so much to do this month. Weddings, formal dinners, spring racing and of course my birthday. My wallet has entered witness protection to get away from me!!

Speaking of which, today was a big race day in Australia. Melbourne Cup. Melbourne get a public holiday for the race that stops the nation but us Sydney siders usually spend the day celebrating it too! Unfortunately I was at work but we got to take an hour out to watch the race.

Oh! I totally forgot to let you know that I got my Coxinelles yesterday.

They're gorgeous aren't they? Hopefully these will keep me on the wagon for a while...

And this was the outfit I wore them with today.

Wearing a Portmans shirt and a Cue skirt. Both items are new but they don't count as they were bought on the 16th October before I entered rehab....plus I need new work clothes. I can't possibly be banned from buying a new work wardrobe, it's a necessary evil.

By the way, shoutout to my friend shockboogieninja who taught me how to achieve the polaroid effect! You rock!!!

Anyway, time to go think about dinner!

Help My Friend!

What is the current Hollywood craze? HERVE LEGER!!!!

I have a friend who is selling some brand new with tags Herve Leger dresses on Bonanzle and eBay.

Bonanzle

Ebay

Please show her your support by visiting her booth! For god's sake, I need you to buy it so I'm not tempted!!! I am supposed to be in rehab after all....