In My Bag

I dunno if it's just me... but I take delight in peeking inside other people's bags. There's something about seeing what other people use, what they choose to take with them when they're out and how they store it that I find absolutely fascinating. I believe it can reveal a lot about a person's character...



So today, I want to share what I love to carry with me, when I'm away from home.

In my bow clip-style purse in pastel pink, you will find:

• Mimco quilted travel wallet - a lovely and luxurious black leather wallet which I purchased last month as a gift to myself. It holds all my cash, plastic cards, receipts and has a clip-style compartment for coins, a huge flat rectangular mirror and pockets for plane tickets and passport! This is my dream wallet.
  

• Sunglasses - black frame with Swarovski detailing, by Versace.

• Small beige purse with leather flower embellishment - I'm currently using this as my make-up bag (previously it was holding my phone). I don't really wear much makeup anyway, so it's the perfect size to hold my Burt's Bees Pomegranate lipbalm (I swear by this stuff!), blemish cleverstick that can double up as foundation and a travel-size perfume atomiser holding my favourite summer fragrance, Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche.

• iPhone 3Gs with clip on merlot metallic protective case + spare battery -this is the newphone I've only had for a few months (purchased after my old iPhone died). Currently waiting out for the white iPhone 4 or next gen iPhone!

• Philips in-ear headphones - these are the comfiest earphones I've ever owned. Love the snug fit and the noise cancelling function really works to stop unwanted background sounds. Best of all, the colour of the earphones perfectly match my phone case!

• Eclipse spearmint breath mints - I have tried many different mints but always return to these. They're yummy and better than gum when you're at work and need a quick freshen up!

• House keys and car keys -Currently hanging these on a pair of keyrings that I bought last week, thought the matching lock and key was perfect for the two most important things I need when venturing out!

• Arnold Palmer folding umbrella - I love to be organised and never leave home without an umbrella. This one isn't as compact as I'd like it to be, but it is hot pink, relatively light and opens up beautifully with lots of tulips and butterflies around the rim. Very girly.

• Peach Juicie hand moisturising lotion - this stuff is pure goodness for my hands especially after a day of constant sanitising with anti-bacterial washes. Smells absolutely divine, perfect consistency and soaks in quick leaving my hands as soft as a baby's bottom.

• Travel size samples of my facial cleanser, softener and moisturiser - for someone who's always on the go, having oily/combination skin can be a nightmare in summer months. I like to keep these on hand so that I can feel refreshed during the day.

• Slimfit waterbottle - can never get enough of drinking water. Always refilling this at the drink fountains at work. It's so cleansing and good for the body!

• Urban Originals card wallet -this is a purchase I should have made a long time ago. Now I can find all my VIP store membership cards, stamping coupons and the like in one place. This flip-style wallet makes it easy to find what you're looking for and has 6 extra card compartments and a place to keep your small notes. I often use this to double up as my wallet if I'm carrying a clutch to go out because it's small and compact.

• Work-related stuff - boring but important stuff. ID badge, scanning cards, locker keys, hairties, bobby pins, pen and my trusty ol' steth.

• Sony Tx7 digital camera + spare battery - You may remember I purchased this at the beginning of the year. Got myself a gorgeous chocolate brown leather case for it. Perfect as a point-and-shoot to capture everyday happy moments.

• Bandaids - I have enough trouble as it is buying shoes that are comfy. Never know when blisters will pop up and being on my feet all day, I just can't take that risk.

• Travel size jewellery box - for storing my precious rings in instances where I have to remove them. This keeps them safe from scratches or getting lost in my bag.

and very occasionally...

• 4G Mini USB - should technically have this with me everywhere but I am looking for one that has a keyring to hang off my work lanyard.

• Diary/planner - most often I will use my iPhone when I'm out and then transfer appointments / events to pen and paper when I'm back home. I will only take this with me if I am going somewhere I know I may need to book things in advance.

• Book - for long trips or when I'm in the mood to read.

• Pair of soft ballet flats - because comfort is key.
  

Of course, I only carry these things in large totes for everyday wear to and from work. When I'm heading out on weekends or at night, I only take the important stuff like wallet, phone and keys.


So... are you the type of person who carries their whole house with them 24-7? Or are you a minimalist? Show me what's in your bag!

The Urge to Splurge

Most people I know are severely hungover and recovering at half past six in the morning the day after Christmas Day.

But not me.

I am wide awake, dressed and ready to make my way into the city along with thousands of other like-minded shopaholics to try and snap up the best bargains at the annual end of year stocktake Boxing Day sales. It has become a tradition for me to join the huge crowds every year but today was the first time I went with a list of things I had been eyeing for some time. Having a good idea of what I wanted really helped as I usually overspend on useless, spur-of-the-moment items that I end up returning later on. Knowing which places to check out really helped to reduce my frustration levels, because as you can imagine, fighting Christmas crowds can be a nightmare if you're wandering around aimlessly and especially if you don't have a clue what sizes fit you best. Most shops don't allow you to try anything on to prevent lengthy delays, plus the change room queues can take forever.

The best thing about this year's sales were the great deals and savings in most stores with markdowns of up to 70% off! I was also fairly impressed with the stock on sale - in previous years I've sometimes come home with nothing I was terribly excited about due to the fact that the only things I liked were the full-priced clothes. This year I didn't waste any time in stores that always seem to put the same junk on their bargain tables every year and this meant that I had more time to comb over the racks and snap up bargains.

As always, some of the more prestigious stores had massive queues needing to be monitored by security. I normally give these a miss because it's a waste of time but this year I decided to test my patience and lined up behind the security ropes. I waited... and waited... and swear it was nearly 40 minutes before I inched my way like a baby caterpillar up to the entrance of the shop. Once people started clearing out, with my ticket in hand, I was finally given the go ahead by the security guard to enter. According to the sign, we had only 15 minutes each to purchase our items. A quick look around told me there was no way that was happening! It was so crowded in there with rude people pushing, shoving and yelling at the top of their voices. There is something about Boxing Day sales that seem to bring out the worst in human nature. It didn't help that there weren't enough sales assistants to serve everyone, given that all the objects (jewellery) were locked behind glass cabinets.

I, however, am ecstatic with my purchases. Must be just me, but I love the feeling of buying things that are not only perfect in size but also the last ones in stock! Heaps of customers, after seeing what I had purchased, also wanted the exact same items only to be told I had just snapped up the last of the ones available. I was in there for probably 20 minutes before being served but it only took 5 minutes for the saleslady to bring me my goods and then I was out of the store. It really helps to know exactly what you want!

So without further ado, here's a little sneak peak of the goodies that came home with me today!

Karen Walker ruffle skirt and silk trim cardigan




Alannah Hill skirt and cardigan


Max & Co. shorts

Cue ruffle cardigan in Wine

These are only some of the things I bought today. I haven't had much time to take photos of the others but they include a set of glass tumblers, Royal Dalton crystal champagne flutes, a new pro salon hairdryer, skincare products, two fragrances I've been lusting over (Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and Miss Dior Cherie EDP by Christian Dior). Also bought a few pieces of expensive jewellery which came to less than one-fifth of the original price in total thanks to the sales!

All in all, I am very glad that I ventured out today to brave the stocktake crowds. All the goodies that came home with me were all things that I would've ended up buying anyway, except I now have them for less money spent :) So, my tips for a good Boxing Day experience:

1. Wear comfy shoes that don't cause blisters, thereby allowing you to weave quickly through the crowds

2. If you're super organised and already have a list of things you want, find out whether the store/brand will be going on sale and how much of a discount you are likely to get. If you haven't got a list, make sure you compile one! Will make it so much easier on the day.

3. Have a rough plan of where you want to go first - it's all about prioritising! If you get this right, you will more than likely get your hands on what you're after.

4. Work out how you will pay of your items... and ensure plenty of $$$ in the bank beforehand!

5. Bring a nice roomy bag that will fit small items that you purchase (jewellery, bits and pieces) - this leaves your arms free to browse the racks!

6. Try to be courteous to your sales assistants. I imagine they have the toughest jobs on days like this, trying to keep the stores under control and ensuring their customers leave happy. Tell them if you think they're doing a wonderful job. Say thanks.

7. In the frenzy of it all, sometimes it is easy to forget that everyone is there to shop. Don't let rude people ruin your day. You will come across plenty of them, so mentally prepare yourself for this and count your blessings if you get through the day without being pushed out of the way or having things snatched off your hand.

8. If you have the day off, fantastic; otherwise try and arrange for some time off to shop properly. One year I rushed like crazy and ended up with a handful of things that were heavily discounted but of completely no use to me. Extra time means you can actually browse around for a bit - you may even find that extra special something to take home!

9. A personal preference for me is to shop alone. I find going in groups very difficult and even having a shopping buddy makes it hard to really buy things that you like. Unless it's your absolute bestie who doesn't mind waiting half an hour for you to try things on and wants to look at the same things as you. I usually feel too guilty when I go with friends and end up not really looking at things properly. Also, if you can put your man out of misery, send him out with his mates rather than drag him along with you to the sales. I felt so sorry for all the men at the shops today, minding baby prams, waiting in chairs and even sitting on the mannequin stands in the department store... all of them LOOKING SO BORED!

10. Know your sizes. Like I said before, most shops won't allow you to try anything on if things are heavily discounted or the size of the queue will make you change your mind anyway.

Finally, a good Boxing Day experience always begins and ends with purchases that you love. So if you've really worked hard all year, time to reward yourself accordingly. Don't waste money or time on things that don't make your heart skip beats but at the same time, don't put something back if you know you'll go home and think about it non-stop. Regret is the worst feeling ever!!

So if you had a Boxing Day experience, I hope it was lovely and look forward to hearing about your splurges!

The Best Things in Life

falling asleep to a thunderstorm, cosying underneath the covers listening to the pitter patter of rain fall against the windows

when someone notices your haircut

opening the first pages of a book or magazine and breathing in that new-book smell

when you catch someone looking at you with a glance that makes the world pause and takes away all the breath that's left in you

when a stranger smiles at you or holds the door open for you

browsing through digital photos from months or even years ago and finding a real gem that makes you smile just thinking back to that wonderful moment

finding out the name or artist of the song you heard on radio ages ago and loved

sipping caramelatte whilst people-watching from a cosy spot inside a trendy cafe-restaurant

finding, trying on and purchasing buttery soft leather shoes that fit like a glove and walk like you're barefoot

watching Disney classics in your pyjamas

public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday - who doesn't love long weekends?

when someone stops you in the middle of the street to tell you how lovely you smell

pulling out the tray and rejoicing because those macarons have feet! Yessss!

making a purchase, whether big or small, and having the salesperson walk around the counter to hand you your goods

the moment you wake up and realise it's not Friday but Saturday morning. . .

when a (gentle)-man offers you his seat on the bus

feeling pretty & being told you are

having the whole row of seats to yourself at the cinemas

being at home when the postie visits to drop off one (or several) parcels

running your fingers over perfume bottles in the morning as you decide which scent to apply

pretty handwriting

coming home to familiar, loving faces

having a good dream, and remembering it

the first mangos of summer

My Right Hand

Lately I have been looking to upgrade the ring that I wear religiously on my right hand. It all started when my mother handed me the one she owned when she was in her early twenties - a beautiful ruby and diamond channel ring in the 4 prong setting for my 16th birthday. I kept it on everyday for several years before noticing a tiny crack in the base of the ring. After that I placed it back in its box and carefully stowed it away for safekeeping. For a short while, I enjoyed wearing no jewellery but soon my fingers felt naked and I was once again on the hunt for RH ring number 2.




As a little graduation present for myself and to mark my first time travelling away from home, I spent my first big pay check on a dainty little gold and black sapphire heart ring earlier this year. It was a relatively pricey piece to me at the time given that all my other purchases had been big, fun, less expensive cocktail rings. However, after spending more money I noticed an increase in the number of people stopping to comment on my ring. I vowed to never again spend money on pieces that weren't absolutely classic and timeless. I worked out that I would rather fork out the money for good quality craftsmanship, if it meant that I could only have one ring as opposed to several tacky ones made from cheap materials.


Yesterday after a big week, I decided I needed a little pick-me-up and the time felt right to get myself something to commemorate the wonderful year that I've had. I tried on many different rings, store after store until I came across the most breathtaking, classy piece I had ever laid eyes on. I was a bit hesitant initially given the hefty price tag but the simple, elegant design eventually won my heart over. It was perfect: a beautiful piece to add to my growing collection and something I could continue to wear in the future with my wedding and engagement rings. I am so happy with my purchase, despite having spent over double the amount of money compared to my last ring. It's sparkly, it's pretty and it is so me. Isn't that what a right hand ring is for?

[24 hours later and I still can't stop gazing at it lovingly!]

Images from Tiffany and Co. holiday campaign 2010

My Personal Style

1. I have a healthy obsession for big, roomy bags that will allow me to throw all my books and new shopping purchases into. As my friends know it, I like to carry the world with me, everywhere I go.

2. Dresses make up nearly 90% of my wardrobe - I simply LOVE them! You'll find them in every colour, material and style for any weather and all seasons of the year. You'll never find me in a skirt and I hardly ever wear jeans. I prefer tights and leggings (though not when worn as pants alone!).

3. My biggest gripe about shoe shopping is that I can personally never find any that are comfortable AND cute. It's always one or the other.... Neverthless, I love to splurge on ballet flats and slouchy boots.

4. I love to accessorise and my wardrobe reflects this. I have over 3 drawers filled with scarves, racks and racks of necklaces & belts, and many shoeboxes containing rings I've collected over the years. I like the mix of vintage and modern high end pieces that I own.

5. The colours you'll most often find me wearing are: black, brown, grey, purple, teal.

6. I am very fond of vintage pieces and I have many items handed down to me by my mother and grandmother. My current favourite is the belt collection I recently inherited; some of those belt buckles from the 60-70s are simply extravagant!

7. I would describe my style as romantic, feminine and sophisticated. Whilst I love ruffles, tulle, sequins and bows, I also like to keep my look clean and well put-together.

8. If I am leaving the house, I will always put an effort into dressing nicely. It was never over the top, but I made sure I looked presentable even as a student going to Uni.

9. I don't wear make-up on a daily basis and when I do, it is strictly only for special occasions like weddings, birthday celebrations or formal dinner parties. I'm very low maintenance on this front.

10. I love to mix what others would consider eveningwear, like sequinned dresses, with woolly cardigans or simple opaque tights to "dress it down". Or wear evening bags during the day...

Two Minutes to Midnight

Coffee and late nights are soon going to be a thing of the past.

After nearly a decade of what must be chronic insomnia, I have decided I no longer want to run on an average of 5 hours sleep a night. Shocking, I know and thinking about it even makes me cringe but sadly it's just the way things turned out. Early classes, getting home late from uni, then staying up into the wee hours of the morning revising, finishing assignments, reading and preparing material for the next day - if you think about it - it's not all that hard pulling an all-nighter. And then throw into the mix the unconquerable inner demon: Procrastination and the fact that you know you have a deadline the next day to meet.....

So I was thinking, how many of you are also night-owls like me? I can confidently say that I do not function well in the mornings -- it's not because I feel sleepy because I don't -- I just cannot seem to focus, the sun shines too bright, the world around me is bustling with excitement. There are too many distractions around... & I just want to get out there. I've talked to lots of people and most argue otherwise; that it's much easier to lose focus at 3am - how can you possibly think clearly after a long tiring day? But for me, the time when everyone else has gone to bed is when I feel calm and a sense of peace that helps me to concentrate. I also love the total silence that surrounds me at this time of the day except for the sound of pencil on paper when I'm jotting notes or the striking of keys as I work at the computer. Funnily enough, I actually feel somewhat energetic and can therefore produce my best work.

What I also find very interesting is that I don't have a problem with being on time the next morning after staying up all night -- I am a very punctual person and always end up arriving even earlier than others! Can anyone relate to this craziness?!

As I am writing this, I'm thinking to myself "tonight.. must sleep before 10pm..."

How successful do you think I will be?



Love from your soon-to-be-early-bird,

If I Had a World of my Own

Thought I would repost this from Poly:

if.i.had.a.world.of.my.own

10 facts about me:

1. I love the smell of rain but I don't like being outside when it is actually raining
2. I am a night owl and function best between the hours of 10pm - 4am
3. All my life I have wanted long nails but have never been able to grow them out because I play and teach piano & violin
4. I'd much prefer to be warm than cold so I'm always looking forward to summer
5. I am an aspiring photographer and can waste a whole day daydreaming over pretty images
6. Sometimes I go to bed just to dream.
7. This blog is my pet project and it keeps me going when life gets hectic
8. Reading is my passion - in my future house I will have a room entirely dedicated to books!
9. I love perfumes and save their empty bottles
10. 5 people I would love to meet in person: Oscar Wilde, Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel, Carine Roitfeld and Walt Disney

Girl in a Daydream

Do you remember the summertime?
When you let your hair grow down your back
And we left the woods and ventured the city
And joked of leaving our lives behind.

I stepped into a daydream
With a brush in my hand
A palette full of colors near my easel stands.
Lay down next to me
Let me paint you this daydream,
Open your eyes and see what I see
Wishful words, beautiful feelings
All the things that define me

Stay with me, till the lights go down
cry a little bit, it's such a beautiful sound
When magic happens you will know the reason why,
you've finally stepped into my daydream
and I hope you stay a while!

happydays

About me:

Hi everyone! Welcome to my new blog! If you have found this via Polyvore, you will know me as light.my.sapphire. I'm a shy, quiet and curious girl who spends all day dreaming about and wanting to know *everything*. I am a twenty-something year old living in Australia and also a full-time uni student, which is kinda exciting because I can't wait to start working and then do a bit of travelling (Egypt, Greece and Jamaica are currently my top 3 places to visit)! My hobbies include reading (I'm a real bookworm), swimming and I'm also classically trained to play the piano and violin so music is definitely a huge passion of mine - it inspires me on a minute-to-minute basis and I absolutely cannot live without it! In my spare time, I like to sit down at the piano and write songs or snuggle up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. When in need of some cheering up, I like to go shopping and some of my favourite high-end labels include Chloe, Marni, YSL, Alaia and Lanvin but I also really like many of the local Australian designers (like Lover, Shakuhachi and Sass & Bide, to name a few). I am a huuuge animal lover too, but that goes without saying and I think you may already have figured that out for yourselves... ;)

How I discovered Polyvore:

I stumbled upon the wonderful world of Polyvore a year ago and it was after reading a thread on the Vogue forums. It has been crazy fun ever since and I just absolutely love this place!

My fashion favs

I don't really know if an exact word exists to describe my sense of style as it most definitely always depends on my mood. I love wearing dark colours (black, all shades of brown and grey which I have too much of in my wardrobe) and I have a serious obsession with accessories in all its wonderful forms (scarves, gloves, necklaces, hats and big chunky rings especially). I love wearing dresses, cute ballet flats and combining different textures in my outfits. Every now and then, I will draw inspiration from fashion magazines but I try not to base my fashion choices on what is 'trendy' or 'in at the moment' because I think being unique and different is MUCH more exciting! To quote one of my favourite fashion icons, the wonderful and legendary Yves Saint Laurent, "... what is important in a dress is the woman who is wearing it." That's how I view fashion and I live by this statement.

Why I love Polyvore

To me, Polyvore is a really wonderful community that brings together people of style, talent and creativity -- and that is why I like it so much. This is the place where I get to be surrounded by those who share the same interest as me and that is an incredible feeling, to have so much support! I love seeing the really amazing items that others have uploaded and this ability to share bits and pieces of fashion and creativity is what I feel makes Polyvore so special and unique. Especially after a stressful or long day, it is an unbelievable feeling to come on and see all the lovely messages that others have kindly left for me and I always, always appreciate that so much. I can't believe I used to consider music as my sole creative outlet; but then again, that was until I found Polyvore!!! :)

Setmaking on Polyvore

This is a very tricky to answer, simply because I don't really have a certain way of creating my sets! Sometimes I will base it on a really unique item that I have found and other times I will choose a particular theme or mood that I want to create and then go with that. For my sets, I feel it is not complete unless it has a title so I always try to think of something before I hit the publish button. Also, if you've taken a look at my sets before, you will notice that I love to incorporate animals into every single one and I'm often inspired by nature. Every now and then, I attempt to create something very different to my usual work and it makes me smile when people point it out to me. It makes me think, "was it really that obvious?". I have to say though, most of my sets are inspired by the lovely friends I have made -- their beautiful personalities and creativity always push me to do better and it works wonders! :)

Why I started this blog

I always find it very interesting to understand the ideas and inspirations behind other people's artistic creations and wanted to share mine here. Pictures I see, places I visit, songs I hear.... foods I eat, fabrics I touch and scents I smell - all these seemingly insignificant things that others miss, they are my starting points. The beginnings of my stories.

To my readers and ever-loyal supporters,

Thank you and welcome. I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about me!! Please leave a comment if you visit with your own blog/profile links, or even just to say hi! The more the merrier, wouldn't you agree? :)