February... Wardrobe additions and finally putting a dent in my cull pile

I'm still here... still culling... still eBaying... still shopping!

For the last couple of weeks I have really focused my energy into finally photographing and listing all my culled items.  It's a massive task, but seeing racks and tubs of stuff which could crystalise into cash was really starting to grate on me.  So just the other day I spent 5 hours washing, ironing, and photographing, before finally sitting down to list the items on eBay.  I presently have 41 items on there - the most ever!  This after already having sold a fair few items over the past couple of weeks.  I'm actually getting rid of more stuff than I'm bringing into the house lately, which feels awesome!

Some items are surprisingly popular, while others are just sitting there looking like they might not sell.  6 years ago, had I listed a bulk lot of Country Road and Witchery tops, bidders would be falling over themselves to try to secure a bargain. Today, my listing has 1 watcher. That's right, 1 watcher!  I smell a recession...

Anyway, part of the reason for my furious eBaying is that in February I completely exhausted my eBay kitty which I had diligently saved since last October.  I also spent all the Myer One vouchers which were burning a hole in my wallet (so much for saving them for a new laptop).  Although I've done my bit to keep the economy spinning, it makes me officially poor. Well, poor in the sense that I can't buy what I want anymore (a first world problem, I know. It's not like I actually need anything).

So what did I buy, I hear you ask:

1. T.L. Wood dresses x 3 - the sleeveless ones are so comfy like you would not believe and machine washable too. I also think the black spotty one will look good layered in Winter.
2. SABA white t-shirt - I actually don't really need this, but I bought it to make up the amount to be able to use a $50 voucher SABA sent me. It's loose and comfy.
3. Country Road embellished shoulder 3/4 sleeve top - I was tossing up between the navy and the khaki stripe and ended up going for the khaki to wear with my taupe IM Dickers as the matchy-matchy element of my outfit.
4. SABA breton tops x 3 - I love these.
5. Country Road black ballet flats - the jury is still out on these.
6. Rag & Bone "Newbury" knee high boots - I stalked these online all season. 

I will sign off on this blog post as I always do and say that my pant and skirt wardrobe is severely lacking.  Although I am moving forward in that I did have a bit of an Oprah light bulb moment today whilst trying on all the skirts in Country Road. I realised that I shouldn't even go there until I lose some weight. It's pants for me for now...

January purchases and contemplating some future wardrobe additions

January shopping highlights

A few marginally successful eBay sessions resulted in some spending money for me, so in January I purchased the following items:

• Veronika Maine vibrant blue silk blend tank
• Etoile Isabel Marant faded khaki linen blazer
• Etoile Isabel Marant Ariana knit jacket (pictured above)
• A.P.C. striped boat neck knit (pictured above)
• SABA silk front white tee (this has proven to be an awesome staple!)
• Missoni grey toned zig-zag infinity scarf
• Witchery sleeveless gather dress
• J.Crew black and white silk boy shirt in heart throb (pictured above)
• J.Crew red mini skirt 

Hopefully the J.Crew pieces fit.  They are sitting at my US parcel forwarding address while I wait for one more parcel to arrive.  I have loved the black and white heart print blouse from day dot and the red skirt appeared long enough for work, but we'll see.  Fingers crossed.

I'm sort of at the point now where I justifiably cannot buy any more discretionary clothing items without afterwards checking myself into a rehab clinic. Slap me if I tell you I have no tops to wear to work, as I have worked hard to fill this particular gap this Summer.  I just need to get into the habit of regularly steaming and ironing.

The gaps in my wardrobe are now blatantly obvious and I will focus my energy now into filling these. My major wardrobe gap is work suitable bottoms (skirts and trousers).  I seem to have a lot of average fitting pants and skirts.  Come Winter, I will need some new work dresses.  Some of my favourites that I have been wearing for the past two years are looking tired.

I would also like new pair of knee high boots this Winter (incidentally a pair I have been stalking just went on sale), and I would not say no to a new pair of leather ankle boots (maybe tan?).

My black J.Crew ballet flats are looking a little battered too as I have started walking to and from work a little more, but I do not change into sneakers.  No longer do I look down at my feet and feel polished. This must be fixed ASAP. 

I also have a wedding to attend in mid-March, if I can I would like to avoid buying something new, but we'll see.

On ALWAYS loving what you buy yet hating two-thirds of what you already own

"Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets." - Mignon McLaughlin

Does the above statement apply to you?  

Photographed below is how much I have managed to cull since moving into our new place.  Granted the contents of one of the tubs are the items that I was not quite ready to cull the last time, but I am now.

 

I'm doing my best to eBay the Summer appropriate items now and as soon as it's March I will try listing the coats, wool jackets and boots (not pictured).

Back to the quote. Did I love everything at the time I bought it?  Yes and no, but each piece certainly spoke to me at the time of buying it.  Do I hate it all now?  Well "hate" is a strong word, so let's just say that each piece does not fit in with my lifestyle and now given limited wardrobe space I am ready to let it go.

For example, although I adore the look of the Lover Chrissy coat, the three-quarter turn up sleeves drive me crazy.

Lover coat

For me the coat is only appropriate on a certain type of Winter's day - one which is mild and not windy, otherwise my wrists and forearms get cold.  I also find that sleeves poking from underneath look a little odd unless very fitted.  And full length sleeves of corporate jackets just look plain wrong!  Therefore in my life this coat is only appropriate to wear on weekends - those which are mild and not windy. In other words the Lover Chrissy Coat planets are aligned maybe once each year. It must go.

The same can be said of an amazing Thurley belted cape that I own. It looks fabulous, but it's not a piece that I gravitate towards, so gets it worn maybe once or twice a year. Does it deserve a spot in my ideal wardrobe? I think not.

Also given that I have vowed to myself to only spend eBay proceeds this year, and my determination to achieve this mystical ideal wardrobe of mine... suddenly two-thirds of the contents of my wardrobe looks eBay-able! I don't hate two-thirds of my clothes, but I just don't love all the pieces enough or wear everything enough to justify keeping it.

A cosmetics spending ban... a year of shopping my stash!

The makeshift vanity table I blogged about some months ago now, is no more. It was put out with the hard rubbish when we moved.

Whilst still on holidays, I spent the day today collecting up all of my makeup from various handbags and boxes stashed in multiple rooms of the house and put it all in one spot... 2 and a half months after moving into our new home.

My makeup is all organised once more!

My makeup now all lives in the bathroom - within easy reach to use everyday.

Last year, with a trip to the US and my discovery of mail forwarding services (hello Sephora), I have a further stash of unopened products and plenty of deluxe sized samples (generously given away in the US every single time one buys anything remotely cosmetic) which I have not photographed.  I think I own a lot of cosmetics for a woman who likes the 'no makeup' makeup look, so I have decided that this year I will go on a cosmetics spending ban.

I do not foresee this to be a problem as I wouldn't call myself a makeup junkie, but having previously had a relatively large amount of disposable income (prior to buying our new home), I pulled the trigger on all the lemmings which developed throughout 2012.  Enter 5 new eyeshadow palettes, about 20 new lip products and all new foundations after my favourite L'Oreal one was discontinued, not to mention everything else.

My rules are very simple - this year I will 'shop my stash' throughout the year and only buy what I NEED:

ALLOWABLE PURCHASES*	SHOP MY STASH
Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Moisturiser	Shower Gel
Kosmea Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost	Cleanser
Ellis Faas Concealer	Eye Cream
Butter London Hardwear PD Quick Topcoat	Moisturiser
Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover	Primer
	BB Cream & Tinted Moisturiser
	Foundation
	Powder & Bronzer
	Eye Shadow & Liner
	Mascara
	Blush & Highlighers
	Lip Colour & Care
	Nail polish
	Hair products (excluding shampoo & conditioner and colour)

 * These are my Can’t-Live-Without-Holy-Grail-Products, but I will only purchase if nothing in my stash proves suitable. 

If I'm ultra organised, I might even do an end of month empties post each month, including a small review of each product that I have finished.

Do you own more eyeshadow than you can use up in 5 lifetimes?
Do you find yourself hoarding cosmetics?
Do you find yourself buying a new product before finishing the one that you are currently using?
Do you own more than 3 nail polishes in a similar shade?

My answer to all these questions is YES.  If you have answered yes also - then maybe you too should re-assess whether you NEED to buy anymore (at least for this year) and instead shop your stash.

The way I see it, each dollar I save on cosmetics, I can re-direct into buying small things for our new home.

2012 shopping wrap up

After buying the one Topshop top in Melbourne back in October, I managed to not buy anything until just recently, probably because I was too busy living life in the fast lane to shop.  I nevertheless managed to list a few things on eBay which sold and I saved the proceeds for a rainy day so to speak.

Needless to say there were a few 'rainy days' in December and it bucketed down on Boxing Day...

Apart from the peachy pink top (which I have since returned because I decided that it was not perfect on me), I bought:

1. Kate Sylvester cotton sundress (eBay);
2. Country Road viscose tees in white and pale grey (using Spend 'n' Save voucher);
3. Camilla & Marc bird singlet (David Jones);
4. Veronika Maine striped silk tank;
5. Veronika Maine jade green silk tank;
6. Kachel polka dot shift dress (David Jones);
7. Nudie High Kais in dark blue organic denim (David Jones);
8. Seed soft blazer in marine blue (David Jones);
9. Country Road mid-heels in black and tan; and
10. Country Road ballet flats in jade green and blue (using Spend 'n' Save voucher).

When I put it this way (and I cheated even by placing the items which I bought in two colour ways in one row), it seems that I have bought a lot... Who am I kidding, I have bought a lot!  I must say though that I am pretty pleased with almost everything.  In a sick and twisted way I am *almost* looking forward to going back to work in a week's time, so that I can wear my shiny new things.

The striped tank is amazing on and the polka dot dress makes me look 5 kgs lighter - both winners!

Praying that the mid-heel shoes prove to be comfortable

By the way, I am shopping off a list now (with eBay proceeds only), and this pretty much ticks off all the items on my Summer wish list (with the exception of a few items which I'm still looking for) and one item off my replacement wish list (the jeans).