Workwear Addition #2746

Desperation hit me this week. Let's just say that I'd been walking around in a pair of $20 patent black flats from Target pretty much every day since June and that I had well and truly got my money out of them. The inside lining had worn away and even torn off in some places, the patent wasn't so shiny any more and they were beginning to smell. Plus, while flats were comfy, they weren't exactly the height of office fashion, so it was definitely time to update.

I'd been on the lookout for a pair of closed-toe patent black heels for quite some time, but it seems as though they are nowhere to be found at the moment. It's as if the shoe stores all assume that we spend our summers off work, sipping cocktails at Fed Square in gladiator sandals and thongs, because that's all anyone is selling. It was getting to the point where price wasn't even this issue any more, I just needed a pair of shoes suitable enough to pair with a pencil skirt.

Matt suggested we go to DFO (Direct Factory Outlets) yesterday afternoon, as he needed a new pair of work shoes too, and this was where I found them...a perfect match, everything I had been roaming the streets looking for in the past few weeks, right there in front of me. And, at a discount too! Have a look at my beauties in all their splendour, and for only $68!

P.S. I loved these so much, I broke them in while washing the dishes last night!

Festive Decorations

This year will be my first Christmas out of home, so finally I have creative control over the decorations!

Gone are the days of red and gold tinsel and angel ornaments and in is a simpler, sleeker, more contemporary look. My apartment is quite small, so in place of a tree we are going with some fairy lights around the window and this blue, silver and aqua ensemble as a table centrepiece.

The bowl is Vue (from Myer, of course!) $29.95, and the baubles are from the Myer Christmas department (starts from $7.99 for a box of 7 large baubles).

Christmas Shopping!

Well, it's that time of year again, the time of caring and sharing, of giving and receiving, of delicious festive treats (or in my case, family infighting, a bulging waistline and a heck of a lot of credit card debt!). Have you guessed yet? It's Christmas!!

Melbourne City Council decided to give me a friendly reminder by erecting a Christmas tree in October, followed closely by carols in City Square and tinsel on the tram lines a few weeks later. Coles and Safeway were kind enough to make sure I could get my advent calendars and cards as early as September!

Traditionalists like my mother complain that it's too early, but for paranoid organisers like myself, it's a great opportunity to get all the presents purchased and wrapped by the time long before the first square of the advent calendar is peeled open!

Given the terrible economic climate, retailers are even more desperate to try to get us to part with our hard-earned cash than normal, and this means one thing - pre-Santa sales! My favourite store in the world, Myer, was one such place this week and they were really slashing prices at their Myer One VIP Night! I picked up some lovely luggage for my boyfriend at 40% off, as well as some tree ornaments for 25% off and a beautiful metallic silver bowl for 30% off. The greatest deal for me though was the 10% off cosmetics - in Australia, cosmetics are NEVER on sale!

The Clinique counter was packed to the max due to their amazing range of gift sets, but unfortunately, not everything was in stock (boo! no Black Honey Set! see right for it's gorgeousness). However, I did manage to pick up two presents...

Eye Refresher Kit for mum: was $58 AUD but for me, a steal at $52.20!

This is a great starter kit, coming with a full-sized jar of All About Eyes eye cream as well as a mini High Impact Mascara and a 30ml Take the Day Off Makeup Remover.

I'm a huge fan of Take the Day Off - you don't need much and their is minimal rubbing or pulling to remove even the most waterproof of liners and mascaras!

Target Eyes (my gift from Matt) was $65 AUD but I snapped it up for only $48.50 thanks to an additional one-night-only $10 off coupon!

Last year I got the Eye Refresher, but I've been using the Repairwear night cream with great results and thought it was time to follow up with the matching eye cream. This also comes with High Definition Mascara which I am yet to try.

All up, it was a very satisfying sale and I was pleased to find myself 80% finished when it comes to gifting for the big day.

As an aside: the days of pushing and shoving old ladies for cheap hosiery and manchester are long over! I have vowed to several friends that I will never pay full retail for anything at Myer any more because they have so many damn sales! This year alone there has been the End of Financial Year in June, Boxing Day, then the two mid-season sales and numerous VIP nights...moral of the story is to shop smart, ladies!