*Bag bAg BAGS!*

1 of the advantages of working (and earning) in Australia now is that the $AUD (from which I shall abb to $A is definitely the stronger currency against some of the major currencies around the world.

Seeing that the $A1 =/RM3 and $A1 =/ $USD0.87, shopping is a dream and I don't I feel as guilty when it comes to going for a big ticket item, that is - until I do the conversion into RM and go "OMG - I just spent an equivalent of a fresh accounting graduates monthly wage on a bag!" *Sigh*

Well, seeing that one of my new yr resolutions was to buy quality, and not quantity - I have opted to start off with some very nice totes for work and play.

Introducing - my 2 buys in a week (yes.. you heard me right ... got both these beauties in a week! I have no shame!.. my credit card is crying in pain!!)

Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Stamped Croc Dunaway Bag

~ Got this off from Shopbop as I wanted a nice black utilitarian bag that can take me from work to play. I still haven't got it yet tho, but Shopbop being Shopbop has sent across the UPS tracking number so I am keeping an eye out for it as we speak..heheheh.

I got this on New Yrs Day (my resolution remember).....

2nd January is the start of the shopping sale in Japan.BF and I, biting the bullet decided to brave the crowds and see what the craze was all about in Shinjuku and I must have been bitten by the Tokyo bag bug*

Going to Isetan Shinjuku - this is what I saw, and it was love in 1st sight.

Mulberry Daria hobo in burnt orange

For the summer, something bright and definitely roomy. :)

I will be on instant noodles for the rest of the yr then..lol

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*Tokyo bag bug - I have never seen soooo many designer bags in 1 place. If I thought that HK was designer heaven, Tokyo is designer manic! Women AND men all touting a designer bag - Gucci, Long Champ, Hermes, Mui Mui, Balacieaga, Coach and how can we forget LV.

To Board ...or not to Board..

So much has happened over the past few weeks that it feels like a whirlwind and I am caught up in a swoop of activity.

More so that I am actually at home right now, called in sick and am trying to recuperate. After all, I rather be healthy and doing what I do best than working at half strength and barely coping.

Anyways, over one of those weekends, BF had these urge of getting a new snowboard. Ok, I lied - it wasn't an urge. He has been wanting a new snowboard for quite a while. Don't get me wrong, our current Option snowboards work well, but then again - I am not as fussed. BF on the otherhand has been wanting a new snowboard ever since we came back from Japan earlier this yr.

So he's been browsing - and after much looking he knew that he wanted a specific type of board - some new technology Lib-tech technology on a banana board which apparently hugs snow irrespective of the type of snow it is.

At the end - it was between these 2 here - the black was a T-Rice board the green was a Park Pickle board - both not cheap as it was well within the 4 figure category and that is without binding! Oh well, the thing with BF is, he likes buying good stuff which in most cases screams "Expensive" but it keeps him happy and it would last him for a while ~ plus it keeps him happy and it IS his money after all.

At the end of the day - the final outcome is the T-Rice board and with bindings - should keep BF a well truly happy chappy when we hit the slopes at yr end.

As for me - I think I shall stick to my tried and true Option GT Girl board for at least 2 more seasons. Lol.

$$$ blues

Have been feeling blue re: my current state of finances.

I get logged online to check my account balances and it is just too bloody depressing!

Am just wondering where is the cash trickling to? Its been quite a while since I've shopped (last major spree was back in KL during the Easter break) and most of my larger spend goes on the CC - so where does it go???

Its been that bad that I am resorting to jotting down every single cash spend so I get to know where it goes - sigh.

So far, my cash spend has indicated that the cash goes to:

1. My occasional cuppa mocha/skinny latte on the days I work from the office
2. Hot chocolate fixes during weekends

Thus, nothing fancy really... so WHAT THE???

On top of that, I have both the rego and yearly car insurance due early next month so there goes a big chunk of this months salary. There is also the other bills that I offered to pay this last month (as opposed to going halves) as BF has home content insurance and the body corporate fees this month.. I also have to transfer money home as my CC bill in due - it just keeps getting better doesn't it - not!

Maybe the reality that I am now paying mortgage is still sinking in. Yes, I am renting my place out now but the rent is not covering my full mortgage and I am still paying 30% of the mortgage and that is taking a chunk of what was savings.

BF sensed my doom and gloom and cheered me up buy getting me a pair of Calvin Klein jeans when we headed down to Chadstone last weekend and I got myself my tried and true Levi's (the mid-year sales are on now and we were just doing our bit for the economy - all on the CC of course) but that was only a temporary perk up and its starting to hit me yet again.

With the wedding looming, an impending house move on the same month and the expenses to keep the house in tip-top condition as we are selling our current place - it doesn't seem like I am going to see any substantial increase to my bank account anytime soon. :(

Deep in Debt *and loving it* - somewhat.

Well, it is all done - all official - no turning back.

I can see a very VERY big DR when I login into my Netbanking and my account balance looks soooo measly!

I have now entered into the big Australian dream and am now officially a property owner! To add the cherry to the cake, I am also now a landlord *gosh*. The landlord thing is temporary though - a mere 6 months until the previous owners finish building their own property. Will then move further out into the suburbs but then again, I like suburb living.

I like the fact that

• I have the space to call my own
• I am not sharing a small area with 8 or more other dwellers.
• I am able to walk and savour my cup of coffee in (small) garden.

I do not like the fact that

• I am now in debt for at least 25-30 yrs
• I am unable to take my (3 X ) yrly trips away
• I am stuck with a atrocious bank balance (even if it is suppose to be good debt)
  

I am so screwed aren't I? :)

Broke - but celebrating ....

It is done. I am now a property owner.

My offer was accepted and I have received the signed contract by the vendors. Next will be paying the deposit (it was a private sale hence there is more time for certain things esp with all the holidays we are having) and then settlement in March 2009.

I am still surprised that my offer was accepted! The offer was slightly below what the vendors were after. Plus, I knew that the agent was going to the vendors with another offer at 6pm and when I did not hear anything from the agent by 730pm.. I resigned myself to the fact that I did not get it and had even started looking for other potentials.

Received the call from the agent around 8ish and he says that even though the other offer was higher, my offer was better in terms of settlement and long term rent-back etc so its mine!

Just got back from the conveyancer but there you go. Am officially broke - but in a good way :)

Home Sweet Home ...

If no one else puts in an offer come COB Monday - I will be the the proud owner of a 3 bedroom house.

Oh shit.

A little bit of happiness

After all the drama's and going-on's - these new addition to my shoe cupboard added some cheer to my otherwise downer week. Wore it to work this Friday and *yes*, I did add an additional skip, hop, jump to the step.

p/s: Dad is still in hospital, albeit recovering.

Bad things come in 3's

Its been a hectic, long drawn past few weeks - lack of sleep, long nights, very stressful.

The reason ? Dad was involved in a bad accident and I rushed back to give support to Mum and help in any way possible. It was not even his freaking fault. It was a head-on collusion no doubt but due to the driver coming from the opposite loosing control on a notorious blind corner (and it was raining!), spinning and hitting the car coming from the other side (the car driven by Dad).

In a nutshell - Dad suffered/suffers a fractured skull, his right leg broken in 3 places.

• If one thinks about it, it might seem like he got off lightly if not for the fact that Dad has always had an irregular heartbeat.
• And the med's that he is on thins the blood.
• Which means until the docs need to take him off the meds to start the thicken his blood again so that surgery could be done on his leg
• Which means it adds more pressure on his heart as it now needs to work harder as the blood is getting thicker.

Its a Catch-22 situation innit?

• It took a good 10 days before the doc's even dared to take dad to the operation theatre.
• 10 days where his leg was in "freefall".
• 10 days where is thigh bone was so jarred that it was 1 cm apart
• 10 days where his shattered bone was so jagged that it was cutting into his muscle.
• 10 days where no pain-killers could be given due to his heart-condition
• 10 days where there could have been a possibility of catching an infection
• 10 days where he DID get water in the lungs

We needed a neuro-surgeon so Dad was rushed to Pantai Medical Centre in Melaka which is a good 2 hrs away from home. Hence my 2 weeks was spent at the hospital - and thats it. I was such a regular face that the hospital cafeteria workers knew my drink of choice; and the local convenience store kept my daily reads booked as newspapers sell like hot cakes.

It has been 3 weeks since the accident and thankfully Dad is on the road to recovery. He is still in rehab with daily visits to the physio. He has metal rods now going through his bones (his new name from me IronMan) but he is slow on the uptake and he is a shell of the man he was.

It has not been an easy few weeks.

I pity Mum who has to bear the brunt of the responsibility now. It will take a minimum of 6 months till Dad will be back on his feet - and his rehabilitation has been much slower than expected.

I think it is a fear in most children to get a phone call that relays the news of a parent's demise/accident etc. To watch from the sidelines and not being to do anything but to support and pray.

I am keeping my fingers crossed.

In Lust

I am in lust! In lust with these oh so adorable ballet flats.. I want I want I want!

Oh dear, it is not looking good. Have already spent $$$ on Estee Lauder foundation and eye liner only just yday AND bought a new pair of leather heels (my excuse is that I need it for work ..heheheh) and as I was browsing.. I saw these ballet flats and I oh so want... Been resisting temptation..its from Marc by Marc Jacobs and its going for £168 on Net-a-Porter.

Problem is, BF says I have too many shoes as is but another pair - esp as it is flats wouldn't do much harm now innit?

Which brings me to another point really. I realise that my shoe preference (and fetish) has changed since moving here. Back in Malaysia, it was predominantly heels, sandals or kitten heels - but its mostly open toe typed shoes and manicures and pedicures is an essential must for any a groomed girl's list.

Over here though, I don't really own that many open toe shoes. On the ones I do have, these are the ones that I brought with me when I first moved over. My brand of choice? Nine West or Wittner although I secretly covet Miu Miu. Flats are an absolute wardrobe must as we pretty much walk everywhere and the weather is nice enough to encourage walking (without the heavy bag and laptop naturally).

I still want those ballet flats...