Tag: shopping

Geek Girl, Little Miss Shopaholic

Curating at Naiise

yannisms

When the folks behind Naiise contacted me and asked me if I was keen to curate pieces from their online shop for a Mothers’ Day special, I jumped and said yes.

You see, I’ve always had a crush on that site. Naiise is all about design and their shop is chockfull of items that not only look gorgeous but are functional to boot. Plus, I love that they champion the work of local artists. And honestly, the whole notion of curating the items was a bit like make believe shopping – I was imagining placing all these beautiful things that I covet into the cart and KA-CHING! ALL MINE!

Alas, one can only dream.

(I’m always hoping that I can decorate our home all over again, much to the chagrin of poor Mr Thick. I mean, my design aesthetic has changed so much over the past five years but ah, that’s not in the cards right now. Maybe when we have been here for 10 years!)

naiise

Anyway, here is the list of items that I had selected (and which I would be most thrilled to receive, not only for Mothers’ Day but also for Christmas, anniversary, birthdays etc. hint hint hint).

And here is my interview with the lovely Naiise folks.

Little Miss Shopaholic

Blah blah blah

yannisms

Yeah. That sums up how I feel these days. Boring and uninspired.

The words are eluding me.
The mind is dulled.
My clothes are boring.

Speaking of which, it’s amazing how my wardrobe choices have changed since I became a mother. While I used to spend time creating an outfit for the weekends, my outfit du jour these days are shorts and flats.

It’s convenient, really. I can’t wear skirts when we take Aidan to his baby gym class because there’s a lot of running (the parents, in addition to the child) involved and we also do stuff like tumbling around. And dresses are out because I am still fulfilling my mudderly duties. I try not to wear jeans because we sometimes end up outdoors at a park or at the beach and it’s mad hot.

So shorts, it is. I guess it’s a good excuse for me to start building up my collection of shorts?

And is having a second pair of Saltwater sandals frivolous? (No, right? RIGHT?)

(No, my toes are usually not painted. I don’t like having to remove the polish, I end up scraping it off. Urghs. So klassy.)

**********

Zalora recently contacted me to let me know that the company is now the exclusive online vendor of River Island Singapore. The official launch party is on September 13 but the preview is up online now.

I used to love River Island when it was in Singapore. It was a bit pricey for my wallet but hey, that’s what sales are for. In fact, one of my favourite jackets was scored at a sale from the brand:

So yay that they are coming back!

Disclaimer: I will be given a Zalora shopping voucher but all views expressed are purely mine. Honestly, I would never mention a brand that I don’t personally like. 😉

Little Miss Shopaholic

Happy kicks

yannisms

Hurrah, I am no longer blue!

The annoying problem with this infertility shit is that it’s full of ups and downs. Well, it’s really down and downer most of the time, the ups are far and few. But anyway, it’s all good. I’m as happy as a lark now.

Oh! And there were those glasses of wine on Saturday night too.

And since I was alone at home, I decided to strut around in my new heels. Yes, even though I was dressed in my sleepwear. Which was Mr Thick’s cotton ribbed wifebeater. See, he’s an XL and I am an XS and when I wear those shirts, they transform miraculously into my nighties. And they are super comfy to snooze in.

So picture this. Me in a ginormous wifebeater. Putting my legs up on the coffee table with a glass of wine in hand and a pair of super sexy heels. With the footy match on the telly. Really, really glamourous.

It’s my secret single behaviour.

Then on Friday, I made Miss Vivaglammed bring up her new blinged out Miu Miu heels for me to see. I love them! They are absolutely obnoxious and crazy comfortable. Methinks I will get a similar pair too.

My legs look v praying mantis-ish here. (Yes, that’s my little foot stool under the table.)

Shoes ♥

Little Miss Shopaholic

Tea with me?

yannisms

The venue where I have been going for my twice-weekly training sessions just happens to have a thrift shop, which is open for four hours a day. Whenever I can, I’ll make an effort to check out the shop during our ridiculously short lunch hours, just to see what treasures there are in that tiny little space.

I had spied a vintage turquoise suitcase going for $2 one afternoon. Silly me decided to deliberate about it (ie. post my dilemma on Twitter and expect some answers from my Twiends) and by the time I had made up my mind (BUY!), the shop had closed. And when I went back the week after, it was gone.

Lesson: NEVER think about vintage purchases – JUST BUY.

Anyway, one brief trip to the shop last week found me lugging this gorgeous set back into the training room. All my coursemates were amazed, they could not believe that I had actually bought something at the thrift shop. Heck, not all of them knew of the thrift shop to begin with.

Tea and scones for you, m'lady?

I was immediately captivated by a horrendous BIG pink prom dress and this elegant set of teacups. I didn’t buy the dress because it was just too ugly (even I have ugly limits) but how elegant are those rose prints? I feel all English already. Except these said “made in China”. Nobody does fake English like the Chinese.

English breakfast tea?

There are four very dainty teacups with matching saucers and lids. And by dainty, I mean, TINY. I could probably finish my tea in two big gulps. Which, of course, means that husband won’t be using it anytime soon. He’ll probably burp and cause the cups to break or something.

So that leaves me with a dilemma: should I store these away for use when I have girly guests over? Or should I just pretty them up and stick them into the display cabinet for…display?

Any girly person wants to come over for some tea soon? 🙂

Once more with vintage tint
Little Miss Shopaholic

All I need is an apron

yannisms

Wore my funky new dress from the Hansel pop up store. Except I had on bright purple tights and my pretty sparkly ballerina flats from Topshop.

I love how big the skirt is and the workmanship is fabulous. It’s definitely worth every cent I paid!

Do go check out the store; it’s closing on Sunday. It’s amazing how everything is put together using cardboard – sheer genius! Even if you are not in the mood to spend, you have to pop by to marvel at the artistry of it.

Little Miss Shopaholic

Club 21 spoils

yannisms

This is long overdue but one fine afternoon, I took off from work to meet the cousins for lunch and a spot of shopping. Our destination? The famous Club21 Bazaar at Pit Stop Building.

Because it was a Friday afternoon, the crowd wasn’t as unbearable as we had expected. The room was divided into two parts: the more affordable lines like CK, A/X, DKNY and Diesel in one and the higher end labels like Marc Jacobs, Maison Martin Margiela (swoons) and Comme des Garcons (swoons!).

I saw several weird and wonderful CdG pieces but at sizes 40 to 44, they were too big. There were lovely Marc by Marc Jacobs overcoats too but I didn’t think it was practical to buy them, as much as I loved them.

In the end, I went home with A/X wares and two shirts for Mr Thick. I also managed to get my hands on something I had desired for the longest time. Here’s a clue:

This is what happiness is:

Wellies! I had spied these lying in the bin at the children’s section and fished out the biggest pair. To my joy, they fit perfectly, were really cheap at $30 and I promptly chucked them into my shopping bag. The cousins were baffled but as they were used to me wearing weird stuff, they soon forgot about it.

Another of my spoils is this feminine v-neck blouse from A/X. I liked its gentle ruffles at the neckline and the pretty mix of gold and beige.

Little Miss Shopaholic

Next week: Uniqlo!

yannisms

My favouritest Japanese fashion line will finally be arriving in my neck of the woods next week and I cannot wait!

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More skinny jeans that fit comfortably and do not cut off the blood circulation in my legs.

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More graphic tee-shirts that fit my tiny frame.

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More kids clothing that I actually like and which fits.

Me love Uniqlo! I am going to rush home after work to check it out on April 9 when it first opens at Tampines 1.

Little Miss Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic

yannisms

Becky Bloomwood. Me. Becky Bloomwood. Me.

See, there is no difference between the two of us at all.

I just caught the movie with the Cuz, the person who got me started on this whole Shopaholic craze five years ago. I really enjoyed it – I thought Isla Fisher as Miss Bloomwood was brilliant and hilarious. Hugh Dancy wasn’t exactly what I imagined Luke Brandon to be (my mind was swinging more towards Luke Wilson or Matthew Macfadyen) but I thought he wasn’t too bad. I love, LOVE that crisp British accent. There is something seriously sexy about the way Englishmen speak. Anyhow, both of us preferred the books to the movie but it was fun fluff nonetheless.

The funny thing was, we both entered the theatre with large shopping bags – me with a pair of heels and a hairdryer (free! thanks to vouchers) and her with a pair of heels and a bag. We had both decided to pop into Pedder Red separately and emerged with shoes.

Which is why I say I completely identify with Becky. Shopping makes me happy, it makes me feel that the nonsense that I had to put up with for the day is worth it because I get to buy the most amazing pair of shoes. My mind is working furiously to pair this wondrous design with the clothes in my wardrobe and I am thinking of how it would make me feel: breezy, quirky and girly. Becky is the girl with the green scarf, I am now that girl with retro shoes.

The little girl whose mother dressed her in sturdy brown shoes was me. And the little girl who, despite the good-hearted practicalities of her mother, grew up to love all things fashion is definitely me. I’m not going to be buried under a whole bunch of credit card bills, of course, and I am as happy throwing groceries into my shopping trolley as I am twirling in front of the mirror in a new dress.

But at the end of the day, buying something that I like and which fits me makes my heart pound with joy. Like this pair of Pedder Red platform heels, for instance:

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Just like Becky, the shoes were speaking to me. Look at us, aren’t we gorgeous? they whispered. And we fit you to a tee. We’ll make you look taller without inflicting unnecessary pain and your legs will look like Alicia Bitch Long Legs’. Perfect, no?

And so the card came out and the shoes went into a bag. The exchange was quick and painless and it ended with a cheery, “Thank you!”

Pedder Red sale. Run. Now.

Little Miss Shopaholic

In with the new!

yannisms

After spending my pennies in Bangkok and buying the Matriarch a luxe leather Coach wallet for Christmas/New Year/birthday/whatever festival in 2009, I am now more careful with my moolah. We are facing a recession afterall and I hereby resolve to cut down on my spending, note down my expenditure everyday and save more so that I can properly furnish east end.

But. I have been eyeing these Charles & Keith heels for a while now and they are currently going at a 30 percent discount. They had my size, I was in the mood and the rest, as they say, is history.

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The socks, on the other hand, are something that I have been searching for the longest time. I have looked high and low for them, only to find them lying at the bottom of the sale bin at, of all places, Mango. Unfortunately, the ones I saw had nasty runs all over and it took three Mango outlets before I found the perfect ones in the Ngee Ann City outlet for $5 a pair (got them in black as well).

Now, I’ve never really been trendy or particularly creative and I was thinking of ways to wear these socks without looking like a Lolita wannabe (not that anyone would think that I am young, not with those wrinkles). The blue necklace was a stroke of genius at the last minute: I thought the outfit needed a pop of colour and tah dah!

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And then I got bored and decided to play with textures (just ignore the midsection, I’ve got eff-ing water retention!). I like how the opaque and sheer play up against each other. And I just love the satin bow tie I got from Shanghai’s textile market. Best $2 (?!) I have spent!

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Then I saw the cute plaid Uniqlo shirt that Popartgirl bought me hanging in my wardrobe, looking sadly unworn. It’s a kid’s shirt (and not even the largest size at that) and when I first saw it, I laughed and said I’d have to give it to my seven-year-old nephew. And then I tried it and had to eat my words. Bah. It fitted perfectly, except that I couldn’t button the cuff. The jeans are from my cousin’s boutique (I end up buying all the stuff she cannot sell because nobody else can fit into them) while the boots were a bargain from Charles & Keith’s recent warehouse sale (thanks, Trev!).

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And to end off, I would like to thank Mr Thick for gifting me with the Casio Baby-G (we are matchy-matchy now!) and a bouquet of white lilies and roses. I used to lament that he doesn’t have a single romantic bone in his body, I was so wrong! For the past year, he has been springing surprise after surprise on me while I am the one who has gone dull. Looks like VS is not too bad a school for boys to learn chivalry afterall.

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