Colour, colour, colour.

If I’m going to wear a watch I want it to be an accessory, not just a functional time telling device. Something a bit different to the usual; colourful; not too big or tacky, but maybe a little tacky. I love watches with coloured faces.

Taking a look at Time2 Watches I found more than a few fitting my needs. I tend not to wear watches in everyday life. The ones I’ve owned in the past have been good enough, I suppose, but for some reason I try to buy what I think a watch should be and it never quite fits me right.

I do have one watch I like, which was stupidly spoiled by a leaking pen in my bag! I wore its bright pinkness all over Asia. So necessary for travel when you’re used to pulling out your phone for the time!

I really like all the Oasis brand watches! (plus they are cheap!!) The solid bright colours that cover even the face really appeal to me, and the deployment clasp would keep it from falling off my wrist. As my watches seem to love doing.

Yellow is slowly creeping into my wardrobe so I would not be disappointed if the Oasis yellow bracelet showed up in the post!

My real problem is just having too. much. stuff! You may remember me talking about wanting to pare down my belongings last year, right around the time I thought I would be moving to Canada in the one one. We’re not moving overseas any more but we did move house and left a lot of things in the tip on the way. How do I still have trouble walking around my room due to all the junk then?

Now that my 3 month back pack around Asia is only a couple of months away I’m thinking about the need to pare down again. Soon everything I own needs to go back in to boxes and I need to carefully select a very small amount of things to take in my backpack. Solid shampoo and medication is a given, but what about clothing? How will this seemingly low maintenance girl deal without her double wardrobe full of clothes or her dresser full of underwear and tights?

For practice and experiment I’m taking Ginger’s advice and participating in the Six Items or Less challenge. I’m only planning for a week at the moment (or I might freak out), but I’ll keep going as long as I can.

The basics I’m wearing are boring, comfortable, and things I wear often already. A plain black t shirt, a straight plaid skirt, a black button down dress. Things that can surely be jazzed up with accessories. Or not.

Three days down and I’m feeling uninspired by my clothes, but finally making use of my huge box of costume jewellery.

How would you handle a month of the same few pieces of clothing?

Well, not so much a postcard as an adorable letter and gift.

Back in February (my how time flies!) the lovely simi of [the now disappeared] Postcards from Simitopia ran a tag giving five people the chance to receive a gift made by her. I was one of the lucky ones and I received my specially made gift yesterday wrapped in black tissue and a sparkly ribbon, with a letter addressed to the Cupcake Factory, a special Simitopia stamp on the front and the Simitopia deer on the seal. So cool!

simi is a crafty little lady and it really shows in the beautiful brooch she made me in my two favourite colours, pink and black.

Thanks simi! You’re great. :]

Your winter essentials:

• A long coat with a hood for Wellington wind – If you live in Wellington like me you should know that there is nothing more essential than a hooded coat in winter. Umbrellas are turned inside out and there’s no use for them when the rain is coming at you vertically anyway. A long hooded coat will keep your head and most of your legs dry.
• A pashmina or wide scarf – Wont take up too much room in your bag and it can be used as a scarf, as a whole head covering to keep your ears warm, and you can wrap it around your shoulders when the meeting room turns our to be colder than the rest of the office.
• Fingerless gloves – Even better if you can find the mittens that fold back into fingerless gloves. Sometimes the air conditioning can take a while to kick in and it’s difficult and painful to type with freezing fingers. Fingerless gloves are perfect for typing in.
• Knee high socks or stockings – Wether you’re a pants or skirts type of girl knee high socks will keep you warm.
• Long sleeved undershirts or polyprops – Wear them under your short sleeved tops and dresses and you wont have to go without your summer wardrobe or cover it up with jackets for 6 months.
• Bright nail polish and accessories – If they don’t keep you from being depressed then they might at least keep you from being hit by a car.
• Shoes – You’ll need at least one pair of closed toe shoes, with proper grip, and no details cut out of the sides and top that can be worn with socks. For those freezing days when you’re running down the hill to the bus in the rain.
• Waterproof bag – If you usually use a bag made from a material that absorbs water now is the time to switch to something more like leather or vinyl. There are not many things worse than discovering that not only is your bag soaked but so is every single thing inside it.
• Miso sachets and heat and eat meals – For when you haven’t prepared lunch and can’t face going outside on your break.

What helps you survive the winter months?

No excuses.

If you win you could be as cool as my sister.

I like to call Xmas Present Day because it’s they day for presents and family and food. Celebration of a god I don’t believe in is insignificant.

These are the things I’m lusting after in a perfect world:

1. Petticoats – I REALLY want a big fluffy petticoat. REALLY!
2. Prettyfull sneakers – I already have these ones but I’m dismayed over the lack of pretty individual sneakers available. Note to shoemakers: Not all girls like wearing heels!
3. Loungefly bag – I love Loungefly gear. I especially love this bag though. I WANT it. Damn you exchange rate. I’m not really asking for this stuff but if someone got me this bag I would love you forever!
4. Marie Antoinette DVD – So I can play it on my computer and screen cap all the prettiness for inspiration. That’s going to be a whole lot of screen capping.
5. Camera – I don’t actually own a camera of my own :S I currently use the boys one that I bought for his birthday a few years ago. He uses it at work a lot now so I can’t steal it. What kind of blogger am I?!
6. Mindless Self Indulgence CDs – With the opening of JB Hi-Fi I have been lucky enough to score the CD Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy. I’m keen to get the rest of the discography though.
7. Jewellery – Chunky jewellery, including this super cute baby bunny charm bracelet which I have the possibility of winning via Annie’s giveaway :D The site mentions an adult version but there’s no search function on the site and I can’t find it :[
8. Hospital bracelets – I love them, I’m refusing to take off yesterdays hospital bracelet. I’d like to style them like Tilda Swinton as Gabriel in the movie Constantine. She wears them with the extra length of bracelet left in tact and words like passion and hope written on them. A metal version would be pretty damn awesome too, I found a Ksubi version a couple of years ago but it’s not for sale anymore.
9. Labrets – Pretty labrets with attachments that are long enough. The pretty blue one I own now needs to be checked constantly to make sure it’s screwed on properly because the thread isn’t long enough. It’s fallen out more than once, luckily only when I’m sitting at my desk. It did come out in the shower once but I managed to save it just before the drain.
   Labrets need to have more than one twist before they fall out.
10. Darwin Fish – One of the little car plaques would be nice, but what I’d really love is for everyone to come to their senses and realise “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.
11. Glasses – Still need some scene glasses.
12. Sprout the life you love – Perfect for aspiring female entrepreneurs.
    Wreck this journal – I also REALLY want this. I think it’d be an excellent way to nurture my baby creative skills.
13. Tattoo – This is more about finding something I love enough that I will want it inked onto me FOREVER.
14. Glitter – I like sparkles so a glitter bar would be ideal :D

I’ve loved seeing everyone’s lists around! They’ve been my favourite posts of late. If you haven’t done one yet get onto it and leave me the link. Otherwise let us know what you want in the comments.

In between my 6 year anniversary dinner and trying to find a free file recovery program for SDcards I’ve spent a few hours looking at pictures and prices. I think petticoats look cute for so many occasions like a fancy night at the casino or a girls night out to a club. I can’t wait to get my hands on one, so I can start rocking some great looks! (If anyone does know of a free file recovery program I will love you forever. I’ve downloaded a couple of free trials and I can see the files there but I can get to them unless I pay :[ )

So much pretty!

Petticoats by Ms Constantine

Super Summer Starter – Yep, it was amazing. Beautiful weather followed by a four day working week.

Angels and Demons – By Dan Brown. I started reading this book while camping and I’m almost finished, I’ve got the added distraction of work, internet and TV back in the real world though. If you liked The Da Vinchi Code then you’ll probably like this one. It may seem like you’ve read it all before though, it is VERY similar to The Da Vinchi Code. Religious guy is killed, Robert Langdon is called in as specialist and helps daughter of dead guy to save the world.

Sales – It’s that crazy time of year again. An emailed voucher for Glassons got me the bright blue purse for 30% off. My camera completely refused to take a photo to indicate its true colour, it’s bright 80s style blue. Awesome.
The necklaces were cheap to begin with but I’m not going to complain about 50% off! The plain black one is a long strand of star beads :D

Like my dance?

Fluffy skirts – After feeling like a slob in grey pants and a faded t-shirt yesterday I decided today had to be different. You’ll have to excuse everything from the shoulders up, the photos were taken after work and even though it was a short work week it feels like I’ve been dehydrating in my air conditioned office forever. I was also very bored and therefore falling asleep, it was beginning to feel like poking my eyes out with sticks would be a good option because at least then I’d get to take a trip to the hospital.
It’s amazing what a fluffy skirt can do to perk up your day and have everyone commenting!

Also note the bag from above, you can see the colour a lot better in these photos. I swapped the provided strap for a pink ribbon too :D

• Star bead necklace – Bling
• Tails style blazer – Portmans
• Misery t-shirt
• Blue purse – Glassons
• Silk check skirt with netting petticoat – Portmans
• Black over the knee socks folded down
• Sneakers – Babycham

Summer – I’ve always said that winter is my favourite season, mostly because it means I don’t get too hot or burnt. But with summer gradually returning I’m changing my mind. If I can see this from my bedroom window between 8 and 8.30pm what do I really have to complain about?

Can’t beat Wellington on a sunny day.

This means my birthday wishlist has almost been fulfilled! I got cupcakes, a road trip, pink pretty stuff, I finally got my hair cut and I ordered a new computer on Monday! Yay. I’m so excited about my new computer! It’s going to be flamingo pink :D

Along with the beautiful cupcakes she got me some earrings; 2 cupcake pairs, a lollipop pair and a pink pair. And to match my bag perfectly she got me some bright pink socks with skulls on them and some bright pink undies (hehe) with skulls on them, she said when she saw them she new they’d be perfect. That was even before I got the bag!