Moments of Weakness – March

So, I haven’t exactly been an angel this last month. I’m always like this at this time of year – with my Birthday almost immediately following Christmas I always seem to go through a couple of months of shopping frenzy. I don’t know if it’s all the shopping for other people in December or all those lovely things I receive from loved ones in Feb that drives my insatiable urge to consume things, but I’m the same every year. It doesn’t help that my birthday passing nicely collides with the start of a new season, the promise of sunshine and a renewed motivation to wear something nice and go outside – it’s just so darn tempting to go out and buy ALL THE DRESSES when you’ve spent the last few months covered up from head to toe in drab layers! Either way, once again this month I have been less than saintly when it comes to saving some cash and not spending on frivolous things. I have, at least, been a little more practical in my purchases though, and I did have a little spending money left from my Birthday so I’m not feeling too bad about it to be honest. Or that’s what I’m telling myself anyway…..!

My first purchase of the month was the most extravagant:

There is absolutely no justification for me buying these shoes – because really, how many people really need lilac suede peep toes?? In England?? Where it rains 90% of the time?? Exactly. Thing is though folks, I’ve been obsessed with these ‘Beth’ shoes by Kurt Geiger London since 2011. 6 whole years. I fell completely in love with them and their bright pink counterparts the first time I saw them, but coming from one of the pricier ranges by the Brand, £225 was just too much for me to spend on something I’d have limited opportunity to wear, so I declared them ‘Fantasy Wish List’ fodder and tried to put them out of my mind. When I stumbled across these by accident on eBay a couple of weeks ago, I recognised them straight away, but it seemed too good to be true. Could someone really be selling a 6 year old pair of pastel suede shoes in mint condition for the ridiculously low price of £29?? Well yes, it turns out they could be, and now they are mine! I’m still baffled by this – they have clearly never been worn, except perhaps in the shop when tried on, as they really are good as new with only the tiniest bit of scuffing on the sole to suggest they are anything other than pristine. Someone must literally have kept them in a box in the back of their wardrobe for the last 6 years, which I try not to think about to be honest as it makes me a bit sad, even though I’ve clearly benefitted from the situation! I’m beyond thrilled with them, even though the platform is a little higher than I usually wear these days – the lilac colour is just stunning and I particularly love that the soles are silver glitter which is a nice little extra – so even if I only wear these once between now and my death, I’ll still consider them worth every penny.

Another accidental shoe find next:

Yet again, these Zara shoes are ancient – it’s been a good few years since they were released, around the same time everyone on the planet started wearing Zara shoes to be exact, meaning most of them sold out within days, which is exactly why I never managed to get my hands on a pair. Again, inexplicably, someone has been hanging on to these all that time, as they still even had the tags on. I have unsuccessfully bid on a few pairs in the past, so I was certain someone would swipe them out from under my nose in the last second, but no, I won them, for the bargainous price of around a tenner with postage! Unlike the ‘Beths’ they are a little more wearable thanks to their lower heel and darker colours, not to mention their ability to be worn with bare legs and tights alike, and I’m pretty sure they are going to fast become a favourite for work.

I also got a little naughty picking up these two Oasis blouses:

One was another eBay bargain, bought new for £9.99. It’s made of a lovely silky fabric and is a flattering draped wrap style with a lovely bright floral print which is almost oriental. It’s a much brighter print than I usually go for, but thanks to the black background I’m finding it pretty easy to wear. The other one was a bit of a treat – I’d spotted it in store a few weeks ago and was really taken with it, but I didn’t really fancy spending £45 on a top I knew I’d mostly wear for work. So when I noticed they had a sale on I thought I’d pop in on the off chance it was reduced, and what do you know? £25 later it was mine! Much like both shoe purchases, I had no real purpose for more blouses, but since I’ve worn both at least twice already I’m not regretful.

Everything got more sensible from there on in! After I wrote this post about the VIP event at Dorothy Perkins, I headed over to take advantage of it myself:

I bagged myself yet another couple of pairs of Eden Jeggings in red and khaki – I’ve been meaning to replace my tatty old red Primark jeggings for a while now and khaki is a colour I’ve been meaning to try since it’s so versatile. As you know, I already love the style and I’m really pleased with the colours and will be getting plenty of use out of them (in fact I’ wearing the red ones as I type this!) While there I also picked up this cute little navy bardot top – it’s one of my favourite styles for the Summer and I’ve been wanting to expand on my existing black and white versions. I really love the lace detailing which make it just a touch more interesting than a plain tee.

Finally:

As much as I again don’t really need more shoes, I wear flats to and from work so frequently in the warmer months that I go through them at a rate of knots, so I never consider buying a pair an impractical purchase. The nude pair I featured a whole year ago now in this post. A pair of nude flats is a key staple for me, and I’m really pleased with these (well, they have a bow, so…..) What I didn’t know when I ordered them is they actually have a small wedge in the heel which makes them super comfortable. The black and white Leona flats are by ASOS and I’m completely blaming Gemma over at Retro Chick because the moment she featured them I knew they would be mine. They’re reminiscent of a pair Marks and Spencer’s did a couple of years ago that I’ve always regretted not buying – printed shoes aren’t always the easiest to style, but thanks to my obsession with stripes these have barely left my feet since they arrived!

And that is that for this month – I still have a £20 Debenhams voucher from my Birthday, but other than that it’s time to buckle down and get back to saving!

Tune in next time to see how that goes down….!

Love,