My shoe collection

I have made a decision with regards to my bags and shoes. From now on, I will try to buy those with good quality. Considered these as investment pieces, this will help me from buying too many shoes and bags which don't last me more than 3 months. Also, given my limited space, I will need to focus more on building a small but well-covered wardrobe. Quality over quantity.

At the moment, I have only 4 pairs of designer shoes. These were bought from different sale events and with discount from 70% and above. I am very proud of this collection even though I haven't managed to establish a personal shoe style. Anyway, I allow myself to acquire about 4 pairs of designer shoes a year. Yes, no more cheap shoes and no more seasonal de-cluttering!

1. Alexander McQueen Mary Jane Heels



Red and brown. Suede and fine leather. Very sharp combination. Dislike its pointy toe cap though, cos it hurt my feet terribly. I have wide feet, ya see!

2. D&G buckle crunched flats



One thing I like about leather-made accessories is that the more you wear them, the more they become beautiful. This pair of flats isn't an exception. I have been wearing it for more than 6 months and it looks prettier and prettier. However, due to the crunched design, it was a pain in the ass to wear. Until I cut the rubber band and it is perfect.

3. Marc Jacobs dark blue pumps



Square toe and chunky heel, a comfortable design? Nah, dun let it deceive you. It's 4-inch high which can really kill you if you walk too much. Talking from a painful experience here! But I love the additional height it gives me and the compliments I got from wearing it. Just be prepared to soak my poor feet in warm water at the end of the day though.

4. Yves Saint Laurent Ballerina Flats in Purple



My latest addition into the collection. Actually I wanted to buy the silver cage bow heels but that pair cost over SGD1k, even after a 50% discount. And it is 4-inch high and I was still traumatized over my Marc Jacobs pumps. Anyway, I just realized I hadn't had any purple shoes before. So here it is, lovely sitting there in my shoe rack.

All in all, for this year, I have bought 2 pairs. I might buy about 2 more pairs, if there are any good deals out there for me grab! My wish list includes a pair of Lanvin flats and a pair of Christian Louboutin heels.

Look Fabulous For Less

From Nini's Style blog:

Look fabulous at all time without spending a fortune. Know when to splurge and when to save. Your head to toe outfits does not have to be all designers, but you just need to know how to pick and put it all together. Here are some of the tips that I’d like to share with you:

Coat, shoes, and handbag should be your big ticket items. You can never go wrong with a pair of Christian Louboutin Stiletto, a great Lanvin bag, or a Prada coat.

It Doesn’t matter whatever you have on your body, it could be K-mart, forever 21, or Ross. You can rock it if you have on a pair of good shoes. As seen on my photos, my skirt is vintage, turtle-neck from thift store, Judith Leiber belt, and shoes from Marni.

There’s no need to buy another version of what you’ve already owned instead change the accessories.

The black dress that been sitting in your closet, take it out today and wear it with a fun color scarf, and your new favorite shoes.

You should consider paying for less on items that you replace every season like t-shirt, legging, tank, and running around clothes. I personally like theory and vince basic tees, it’s really soft and last for a long time.

By mixing the highs and lows and adding a touch of vintage is the modern ways of dressing. Who wants the look of dressing head-to-toe in one designer brand?

I love to mix my Commes des Garcons ruffles hook and eye sweater with XXI skinny pant, and vintage clutch. Building your outfit around one good statement piece should consist items that you spend on the low ends. This will bring out the statement piece and will give an overall fabulous look. XXI now carry a lot of nature fiber clothing that you can choose from. I love that store….

Know what looks good on you. Be honest with yourself about your body. It will save you time and money.
Choose clothes that fit your life.

GSS 2009

I'm so broke this sale season! After 4 months of not-so-much shopping, GSS 2009 has been a disaster for me! I've been spending too much now, and in combination of other events, I'm nearly broke. But of course, I'm happily broke.

To keep myself in track, I will use this post to list all the good purchases I have been making. Dun read if you are not a shopaholic. You have been warned.

- 10 books (checking)
- 1 pair of Met store pearl earrings
- Zara dress
- 2 Ralph Lauren dresses
- 1 Ralph Lauren turtle neck top
- 1 pair of Tommy flats
- 1 pair of FCUK flats
- 1 FCUK dress
- 1 Island shop dress
- 1 vintage dress
- 1 pair of Marc Jacobs heels
- 1 Swarovski necklace
- 1 Kate Spade Tarrytown Quinn in Orange
- 1 Mango dress
- 2 pairs of United Colors of Benetton tights
- 2 Massimo Dutti scarves
- 1 Massimo Dutti cotton vest
- 1 BCBG dress
- 2 Zara dresses
- 1 Zara slip
- 1 Zara scarf
- 1 Zara cropped cardigan
- 1 YSL ballerina flats

December travel plan

Okie, here is the deal! Due to some unpredicted events, I have decided to move my Sep trip to Dec. Even the country has been changed. It is Canada now, baby! I would love to celebrate a white christmas once in my life. So I cancelled my air ticket to NY, just in case I change my mind again.

As you know, I love making list. Since we are in the paperless era, I think writing a blog post about my trip planning could be so fabulous. [Edited] I have managed to redeem an air ticket to NYC so I guess I don't need to plan for LA or SFO.

Here is the tentative itinerary:

- 15 Dec: Fly from SIN to NYC
- 16 Dec: Fly from NYC to Niagara Falls (Jetblue)
- 16 Dec - 18 Dec: Niagara Falls Canada (2 nights)
- 18 Dec: From Niagara Falls Canada to Toronto
- 18 Dec - 28 Dec: Toronto (10 nights)
- 28 Dec: From Toronto to NYC (Air Canada, arrive to Newark)
- 28 Dec - 05 Jan: NYC (8 nights)
YES! I'll count down new year in New York! Good God! I love this plan!
- 05 Jan: Fly from NYC back to SIN

Budget:
Round trip from SIN to NYC and back again: S$621
One-way trip from JFK to Niagara Falls: USD 110
2 nights in Niagara Falls: USD 300 (Sheraton Fallsview Hotel & Conference Center or Sheraton on the Falls)
One-way trip from Toronto to NYC: USD150
8 nights in NYC:
1. USD1700 (The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Tribeca)
2. USD1900 (Hilton Garden Inn New York/Tribeca)

Alright! I know I'm a bit fickle-minded. But think about it! December is winter and what can you see at Niagara Falls in winter? Ice and snow, exactly. And my friend told me it is quite near to where she stays, which I might convince her to go with me on one of the days I am in Toronto. But that's if it is convenient.

So here is my plan B:
- 15 Dec: Fly from SIN to NYC
- 16 Dec: Fly from NYC to Chicago (Jetblue)
- 16 Dec - 20 Dec: Chicago (4 nights)
- 20 Dec: Fly from Chicago to Toronto
- 20 Dec - 28 Dec: Toronto (8 nights)
- 28 Dec: From Toronto to NYC (Air Canada, arrive to Newark)
- 28 Dec - 05 Jan: NYC (8 nights)
- 05 Jan: Fly from NYC back to SIN

Budget:
Round trip from SIN to NYC and back again: S$621
One-way trip from JFK to Chicago: USD
4 nights in Chicago: USD 460 (Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers) or USD 510 (The Westin Chicago River North)
One-way trip from Chicago to Toronto: USD
One-way trip from Toronto to NYC: USD150
8 nights in NYC:
1. USD1700 (The Cosmopolitan Hotel, Tribeca)
2. USD1900 (Hilton Garden Inn New York/Tribeca)
To be updated...

San Francisco Sep 08

This was taken on 29 Sep 08 at Union Square in San Francisco. I so love the weather there! Just nice to wear light coat and boots. And introducing my lovely Furla bag.

Am I a bag snob?

I am on the 9th cloud right now. Why? It is because I just bought a Kate Spade Tarrytown Quinn for myself. For those who know about my travel plan this Sep, laugh all you want. Yes, I know I was talking about waiting to shop in the States. Yes, I know I need to save lots of money for that trip. Yes, I know this year the economy is down. Yes, I know there were many reasons that I need to save money. But really, I thought very hard before I decided to bring this bag home. I have been lusting over this bag for a year, or as long as I saw it. And when it was on sale last year, it was 30% discount and I couldn't feel justified enough, for that kind of leather, color and brand.

Time passed, this year's sale has come, I wandered to Kate Spade store again, didn't expect much. And there it was, sitting invitingly on the shelf. I couldn't help myself and took a look at it. Lo and behold, it was a 50% discount and in my favourite color. OMG, I thought to myself, "I could afford it, should I buy it?" Anyway, I walked out of the store and went to buy some jewelry at Swarovski. The next day, I was still thinking about it which meaned I really wanted to buy it. So I went back there with a friend who I wanted to give me a rational voice. And you know what? The bag was sold out at the store. What the heck? I felt so lost and so sad. And I realized I would have to buy it at all means. So I asked the SA to call to another branch to check if they still had stock. The answer was YES. I felt so relieved but it was too late to go there at that time. And today, I went to the other branch, saw the bag, checked with SA for the new piece, had my credit card swiped and BAM, I am a proud owner of a new bag. A Kate Spade Tarrytown Quinn in orange.

That is the typical story of a reformed shopaholic. And back to the question, am I a bag snob? I do not know. Truly. I just feel myself loving bags made of good materials, and at the moment, I am really into leather. I do believe that leather bags will last you very long, compared with bags made of other types of material. The more you wear them, the more they look beautiful. Long-time worn leather bags have a very particular look which make them more unique. Also, just do some simple math, if you keep buying cheap-material bags, you can only wear a few months and then you will feel bored with them, and of course, discard them. And nowadays, those bags are not very cheap either. You can spend nearly 100 bucks for them. And because you think they are cheap, you will buy more, quantity over quality. Within a year, you can easily spend a few hundred bucks on bags which you can't keep at all. Whereas, you save and buy 1 or 2 good bags a year, but you feel content and confident when wearing them. Over the time, you will have a collection of good bags which you might be able to pass down to the next generation. That is if you keep them in very good condition.

And speaking of cheap bags, they will do you no good when travelling. I had a case of bag malfunction at the airport where the handle of my bag broke. I had to run around to find a new bag, just to replace that old bag. It wasn't a pleasant experience, I must say.

Anyway, enough talking, now it's time to goggle over my new bag. Muahahhahaha....

In its shopping bag



Then in its dust bag



In its own glory



In another angle



Enough? Yes, I think so!