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Why so tired?

Can you believe that it's almost a year to the day that I've visited you and put up a story?  Tsk, tsk, shocking, not to mention lazy.  Oh?  Busy, not lazy?  Damn right.  Busy shopping, that is!

I've bought some fabulous stuff and done some awesome things since last contact, however, I'm not going to share them with you.  Reason being, I don't feel like it so I'm bloody well not going to.  Did you miss me?  Didn't think so.

Besides, I have one announcement to make right now - no, oh HELL no, I'm not pregnant, banish the thought!!  I made a most wonderful, must-share purchase about 2 weeks back.  Garnier's caffeine eye roll-on, it is just truly amazing!!!  I'm so impressed! No more black and blue, baggy, saggy eyes!  for R75.00 - what a true bargain that was!!!  Get some, you won't be sorry!

What else?  It wouldn't be right to go backwards, we need to look to the future, right?  Hmmm.  No, just another quick tidbit to share - www.groupon.co.za/pretoria - well, do yourself a favour; subscribe immediately!  What were my 2 best purchases through the great deals site?  Permanent eyeliner (R300) and haircut, treatment, blow dry, extensions, R360.  I am awaiting my whiter, brighter teeth treatment kit and my slinky slim and slender new me in a box!  Will keep you posted!!

www.minxmynails.co.za, well I'm just impressed deluxe!  www.minxnails.com - I did my nails with Flowers, the look absolutely gorgeous!  Do it, you'll go and do it again!!  I can't explain what it is, an explanation doesn't do Minx any justice; R200 for the most beautiful nails or toenails with gorgeous designs on them, you'll be as impressed as I was!  Before I left the salon I was already planning the design for my next set of toenails, ha ha!!

Okay, it appears that I am slightly vain.  Yep, proudly so.  You know why?  Once again I realise that it's never a bad thing.  I'd rather have someone comment that I'm vain...but look after myself, hair always freshly washed, make-up always done, always over-dressed, people telling my hubby his wife's a "fox" (yes, really), rather than have people look at me and wonder silently to themselves why I don't make any effort.  Yep, vain I am, vain I'll stay!  I'm proudly vain.

Bye shopping buddies, 'til next time!

What's going on???

What on Earth is happening to me?

In the past 2 months I've bought myself (among other things) 2 pairs of flat shoes.  Flat shoes.  FLAT shoes.  Yes.  Why?  I can't say.  My calves ache for 2 days after I've worn them and they make me feel like a stocky midget.  But Hell, they're comfortable.  I've never been one to complain about heels being uncomfortable, and when you're used to heels they're very comfortable.  But flats are really, really, truly comfortable.  So now I know what the secret is.  And every single one of my colleagues and friends now know that I am in fact neither tall, nor thin.

Sigh.  You can't win them all.

Anyway, go and have a look at the 2nd phase of the Woodlands Mall and see what you think :)

Have a great time shopping up a storm - if you wouldn't mind doing the rain dance at the same time, it would be much appreciated...!!!!!!!!

Grey day

That was such fun - I went on a shopping spree the weekend and finally found clothes I like!!  At Ltd in Truworths - 2 grey shirts!!  Yes, that's right - grey, not black!  Yay!!  And it looks very nice if I do say so myself!

And 2 cd's - one for hubby (GnR), and one for myself (The Mamas and The Papas), love that!

Bye!  If you're going shopping, go BIG!!

Growing up at last??

So I'm wondering if at last I might actually be growing up.  I don't know so much though.  Let me share what happened:

My "shopping baby" is a little annoying when we go shopping together and I can't try anything on as he shrieks that he can see my boobs or bum...or both if I take him into the fitting-room (do all kids do this??).

In the last month or two since it's been getting quite cold, I've actually started moving away from the black clothes (can you believe it!!).  Not completely away you understand, but not pitch black Swart Kat like I've been in the past!  Today I bought the following:  2 CD's from Musica (2 for R100).  I bought The Greatest Hits of Guns and Roses for my hubby and The Mamas and the Papas for myself - I love them, I've wanted this CD for years!  I actually can't wait to go to work now so that I can play my CD :)

I also bought 2 GREY tops!  Yes, I said GREY!  Not BLACK!!!  Come to think of it, I haven't actually bought anything black for quite a while!  Now I'm getting scared. Ha ha ha!!

Hubby bought us a bearded Dragon.  He's very cute, I've decided his name should be Spike - he definitely looks like a Spike.

I'm tired, I've still got work to do.  There's crap in the shops, clothes are expensive and ugly; they are bulky and horrible, they make no sense - short sleeved jerselys - wear long sleeves underneath, WTF.  I don't like knits, I never have and I never will.  If you want to appear tall and thin, wear pointed heels, tight fighting clothes with long, straight lines that will lengthen both torso and legs - clothes shouldn't cut you in half or in blocks at all.  If your hair is long make sure that it is very sleek as well.  There's my tip for "creative dressing".  People always think I'm tall as I have very long straight hair and dress to look thin.  I'm not tall, neither am I thin.  You wanna believe that I am - good.

That brings me to my next point:  I believe that botox costs on average R60 per unit - I'm thinking I might need to use about 8 units. I'm there.  Check this page for updates on the Botox Virgin!!!!  If you have a really great contact; just let me know.   Thanks!

So, this is what I've also started liking - Jack Parrow and Die Antwoord.  Well, I am married to an Afrikaner after all.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Until next time, shop until you drop!!  Maybe I'll see you either at the Grove, Woodlands, Menlyn or Brooklyn!!

To shop, or to socialise?

So lately I've been spending a lot of time doing the family-thing and the friend-thing.  I've been really doing quite a lot more touchy-feely stuff than I'm usually comfortable with and it means that it's left precious little time left for working late and non-stop shopping, which in itself is rather sad.

Here's what I've bought recently - some more Jenna Clifford items (yes, well, I couldn't help it - my delicious husband also bought me some gorgeous JC items for Mothers Day!!), loads of different shampoos, conditioners and hair dyes as well as make up,  I did buy a few pairs of (bloody expensive) jeans and a couple of assorted tops (ooh!!  Also another Kariza "Magic Wrap" - don't forget to ask me about it!!), however, it wasn't exciting, it wasn't enough and the "shopping sprees" just don't feel like "shopping sprees" any more, I'm not sure why.

I think that, while retail therapy can make you feel like a million bucks, if you're not in the right frame of mind and are just going shopping because it's a habit and it usually fixes everything, it's quite disappointing to find out that it's not working as well as it used to.  Hopefully it's a phase and I'll be back soon.  I'll keep you posted - you'll know when I've returned...

The Bargain Hunter Strikes Again!!

Well, I've done it again!  Everywhere I go, there are bargains and sales, just begging me to take advantage of them - what kind of disobedient, rude, arrogant, good-for-nothing loser would I be not listen to those voices?  So, of course, I listened.

Listen, I bought a R280 (beautiful I might add) pair of shoes for R99.99 from Kingsmead Shoes in Menlyn Retail Park (they don't seem to have their own website, how sad is that??  Disappointing) over the long weekend - what a serious bargain!!  www.retailpark.co.za/categories.htm?category=Footwear and they had so many pairs of sale shoes to pick from, it was like bloody Christmas in there I tell you!!

So then I went all over the place picking up bargains.  Tst, tsk, how shocking.

P.S. My husband bought me the new Pitbull CD.  He has a foul mouth and his lyrics are mostly disgusting, but all in all, a damn good CD.  Example - last few words of track #2 - "I am what I am, I do what I do, if you don't like it, it's cool, f*ck you."  Ouch, my ears...

So I'm thinking that we should all be waiting for Jenna Clifford http://www.jennaclifford.com/ to bring out April specials (no, really JC your "specials" this year have been very disappointing), then we can all go shopping there!  Unless you want a pewter Candarel holder (oh gosh, how very twee) and a rose ringy pendant thingy at an expensive price for what it is??!!  Come now, bring back the good stuff!  Let's all wear Jenna Clifford pendants and t-shirts please!!!  Bling, serious bling!

Shop til you drop!!!

Facebook Profile

I thought that you may, or may not, find it interesting to read this, as this is what's on my Facebook page, but it feels out of place there as Facebook is pretty superficial and this is "deep" - well, for me anyway.  I don't do "touchy-feely" very well.  Have a read, see what you think.

So, if you read my blog you will find out what I do in the little spare time that I have.

But what defines me as a person? Is it my upbringing, my education and my family and relationships? Is it the work I do, my interests & hobbies and the people I choose to spend time with? Perhaps it's my past, my present or my future. I'm not sure.
What I do know is that I don't know myself as well as I thought I did. Let me explain.
Three years ago I resigned from TPG, the wonderful company I had worked at for almost 7 years to see what more I could do, what further skills I was capable of acquiring, if I had more to offer than I realised I had and if I could still sell. Having been in sales for many years, then giving up all of my clients slowly but surely gave me withdrawl symptoms; but there was no time for me to manage a full branch of consultants and hold onto my clients as well, never mind bring in new ones.
So I started consulting at Thomas International, also a great company; realised I could do all I'd hoped I could & had not lost my skills while managing, but had fine-tuned them. Nice feeling? Not really as I wanted to be somewhere else; back in the recruitment industry, but more specifically at TPG.
I started back at TPG eight months after I'd left. What a good move! As the Training Manager I had challenge upon challenge and I loved my job. I was so glad not to be managing a team again as I felt the touchy-feely side was so not me. I let five - not one; five opportunities pass by me with a smile. Manage a branch again? No thanks!
As things inevitably do, they changed and an opportunity was presented to me that I didn't expect, wasn't sure I wanted, but couldn't really refuse for a number of reasons. I've taken over management of TPG's Midrand branch, and am I enjoying it? Hell, yes! I didn't want this, I didn't ask for it and I didn't imagine I'd be doing this ever again. Yes, it has its' ups and downs, yes I'm back on medication to control my anxiety attacks, yes I am writing this note at 3:54am as I couldn't sleep and have been awake since 1am, but am I where I want to be? Absolutely.
What's the moral of the story? Sometimes you just have no idea what you really want as you're not being honest with yourself about who you are and what you get off on and the things that make you tick.
Oh, another thing, if you're reading this and smirking? Get the hell off my page and de-friend yourself. Enough mushy stuff for one day. Over & out.

Helen The Bargain Hunter

So here I am again - blog, I almost told you to go to hell, but sometimes blogging is a good release.  Like I've said before, dear reader/follower, if you don't want to read my blog and you think that you have the right to be critical and pass comments, pick a finger and tell someone who cares.  With that out of the way, let me tell you my latest story!

About 2 weeks ago my hairdryer started giving me shit.  It started getting really really hot and making a weird vibrating, metallic noise.  As usual, I thought I'll get there eventually (if it's not clothes or make-up, it really doesn't take priority!!) and buy a new one whenever.  Anyway, this morning it made a noise like an explosion and didn't want to switch off, ha ha ha!!!

I am quite sure that I've mentioned before that I wash my hair every single day without fail.  I will not leave the house if I haven't washed my hair.  It's really long and there's plenty of it and it's a real pain to wash and dry every day, but I am a smoker and there is no way in hell that I'll go out in the morning having scrubbed every other square inch of myself...but not my head/hair, feeling like an olie-bollie with hair smelling of smoke...or last night's dinner!  DISGUSTING!!!  Sis!!!!!

So anyway, off I go to The Grove shopping mall http://www.thegrovemall.co.za/ - very nice newish centre down the road from where I live, open til late!!!

Usually, I am not the type that hunts for bargains, but today I just got hit from all sides with the bargains!!  I had R120 worth of cash-back vouchers from Clicks http://www.clicks.co.za/clicks/Index.aspx.  I saw the dye was on special - R15 off per box, so I bought 2 (save R30), the shampoo and conditioner I use (Gliss - divine!!) was on special so I bought one of each (save R20) and the hairdryer was on special (save R50), so I saved R100 and got R120 off with my vouchers!!  What a great deal!  So, I saved myself R220 today - good for me!!

Again it bacame clear to me that the only way that you can go shopping for bargains and find them consistently is to be in the shops constantly so that you know which bargains are coming up and keep your eye on that ridiculously high-priced item and wait until the price comes down and you can afford it without feeling guilty!!!!

Thought for the day:  "It is really easy to stop smoking - I've done it a thousand times."  Mark Twain.  Mark, yes, you speak the truth...

Enjoy your shopping, see you at the mall!

Cosmetics

Well, I haven't been shopping (well, not on a PROPER shopping spree anyway) for far too long.  Oh, what a liar I am, I went last weekend!!  Just feels like so long ago, it may as well have been last year!!

ALL of my closest friends but one are pregnant (you probaby know this, I'm sure it's not the first time that I've mentioned it with glee that it's not me!!), so I must just say that all of my cupboards are filling up with baby presents.  It's such fun buying for baby boys - I don't enjoy shopping for pink things at all!!

Elizabeth and Estee are having their gift offers again, buy 2 items of which one must be a treatment product and receive a free gift (usually a goodie bagfull of freebies).  I LOVE this time of year - yes, I love shopping, but I also love the freebies!!  I don't go out and actively hunt for the bargains, so when they come to me without me asking, it feels as though it's because I deserve it.  Ridiculous I know...

So I've been buying loads of cosmetics again - make up, cream, moisturiser, foundation, liquid liners, hair dye, shampoos, conditioners, soaps...

People, I'm SO excited!!!  This is something I really have to share - Kariza.  http://www.kariza.co.za/

  

I bought a "Magic Wrap" and in 3 days, wore it 3 times.  Wash and wear, drip-dry, it looks amazing and you can REALLY wear it 100 different ways!  I am a consultant, so let me know if you want to place orders - it's the most versatile item of clothing ever!

Until next time, shop 'til you drop - payday is around the corner...thank goodness!  Not a moment too soon!!

BAD SERVICE

So I've been getting such shitty service lately, it's horrific!!!!  Really!  Everywhere I go I end up fighting with the shop assistants and giving them a piece of my mind and telling them how rude and unhelpful I think they are, never mind not worthy of their job in a day and age where so many people are unemployed.  I really think it's so awful, honestly.

When I go to Baby City, wander around like a lost fart in a bubble bath for 10 minutes, then finally yell at a gaggle of 3 assistants standing blabbering loudly to one another across the room to enquire whether or not any of them actually work there and would perhaps like to assist me and they jump a foot into the air and all scurry over to assist...for goodness sake!!  Who trains these people??  And who's managing them???

When the cashier in the PnP Liquor store is relaxing in her chair as though it's a gomma-gomma and doesn't even sit up straight when I walk in, never mind glance in my direction, so when I walk over to ask her a question my blood starts boiling and I can't help myself from blurting out that if she is a representative if PnP, they should be completely ashamed of themselves for employing her as she doesn't deserve her job.  One day I am expecting to either get slapped very hard by an irate salesperson or be given a mouthful by a very self-important cashier.

Oh well, whatever.  If I can't keep my mouth shut I suppose i deserve whatever I'll get!  I'm tired of complaining on http://www.hellopeter.com/ even though it does come to something it's a pain in the butt.

The moral of the story is this:  if you must shop (and you must), go in knowing what you want and not needing to ask for assistance - it ain't gonna happen.

Do this! Quick!

Quick people!  With speed!  Get to the shops!  The sales that I mentioned were everywhere?  They're all over still...but have all had such ridiculous mark-downs that it actually makes a person sick to realise how much money they were making in the first place if they can afford to mark items down that far...

Don't waste your time going to Menlyn, it's just horrible (unless you park at the undercover-uncovered entrance and proceed straight to Jenna Clifford and then directly back to your car, paying R10 for your parking for a ridiculously short 10 minute "shopping spree"), go to the Grove, Woodlands or Brooklyn.  I must say:  Woodlands are stepping it up - well done!!  Nice new stores like Guess, etc,, but either I missed something or...WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU HIDDEN THE CNA???!!!??!?!?!?  Come now, life surely can't all be about clothes...or can it?  Hmmm.

Whatever.  Have money, will shop.  The location matters a lot less than the purchases.

So anyway, enough about you, about me now.  The sale of my house fell through, taking my new house with it.  Whatever.  Banks are full of shit and full of shit and full of shit and I hate them.  I had lost all the excitement I had when they started with their shit, and, guess what?  They keep on raining shit.  Why would anyone work for a bank by choice?  Oh, I understand now!  You had no other choice and nobody else wanted to take the job and you were completely unemployable by any other man or beast!!  It's all making sense now!

So, I love my job and I am taking nice, strong tweet-tweet inducing medication to deal with my anxiety attacks.  Oh well, what would life be without a little anxiety attack every now and again.   Or perhaps up to 20 a day.  I'll just keep popping the pills so that the nice young men in their clean white coats stay outside the door...

Enjoy your shopping.  If your wardrobe is bare you certainly can't blame me now can you?

Oh, get stuffed you self-important wench

So this is what this bitch tells me (please take note that I did not ask for unwanted advice, I merely invited other shoppers to view my page on the off-chance that they may like it, bearing in mind that it is my"online diary").

"I have to say that your blog has no real unity (fonts, colours, etc.) to it, nor does it offer any fellow shopaholic any shopping tips, links, etc. that I saw...it all just seems to be about YOU, with no thought of your READERS and what you can offer them for the time they spend on your blog???


Possibly re-consider your goals for this blog and what you hope to achieve/offer the public IF you intend for it to be a publicly known site...sorry for the critique but I call'em as I see'em...you can ignore my thoughts if you wish, of course."
 
So I have a message for you - SCREW YOU.  Oh wait, I have a "shopping tip" for her - select item, proceed to cash desk, remove wallet from handbag and extract either cash or card.  Stupid woman.  Point of interest:  the woman responding to this is into mayhem and murder according to her sad and sorry-looking blog.  Poor thing.  No wonder she can't relate.  Interesting that she would've visited my blog at all.  Probably just to offer unappreciated and unwelcome "advice" to compensate for something that's missing in her life.  Oh well, we can't all be like me.  More's the pity.
 
I quite enjoy criticism...when I ask for it and by someone who's qualified to give it.  Then, and only then.
 
P.S. Yesterday was a wonderful shopping day - go to the Trenery and Country Roads sale at Woolies, you'll LOVE it!!  Oh, except you, whoever you are.  Perhaps you'd enjoy a halloween store - sorry, I can't help you there :(

Cosmetics

Anyone would think that I have a ridiculously huge salary from the way I spend.  I don't.  Well, to some I might, to me I DO NOT and to many others, I most certainly don't.  If you want bargains, you have to shop ALL THE TIME.  How will you know where the bargains are or what the usual prices are if you didn't see the items at the original prices?  Come now, that just makes sense.

So I went to the Clicks cosmetics sale and took full advantage.  No, I will NOT tell you what I bought.  So the next time you see me and you think I look nice, just know that it's thanks to this very shopping spree.

And just so by the way, my amazing hubby bought me the most divine Polo handbag for Christmas (a little late, yes I know, but what do you buy a girl who shops non-stop and has already bought everything she wants...).  LUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRVE it!!!!!!!  Lucky me :) :) :) :) :)

Enjoy your shopping.  Once again, the sales are everywhere - take advantage NOW!!

P.S.  I'll let you know when Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder have their special offers, I'm anxiously waiting for them.  www.elizabetharden.co.za and www.esteelauder.co.za - have a look!  2 best friends that a girl cannot possibly go without.  Ladies please, listen to good advice.  It's free.  My advice, that is.  The products are not, but they are well worth the money.

By the way, don't go to Jenna Clifford - disappointing right now.  I feel a little let down.  Her stores were recently my favourite places to shop, now I feel...oh, I don't know, just like my needs and expectations were misunderstood.  She can't possibly have run out of ideas.  Hopefully she comes back soon.

House hunt almost officially over

This year's (actually forever's) most expensive buy - our new house - is almost in the bag!

Our house is sold (thank you God for looking down and acting with speed) and our offer has been accepted on the beautiful house with pool and jacuzzi and split levels in Faerie Glen.  Now all that needs to happen is: the buyer's bond needs to be approved (no foreseeable - spelling? - issues there) and then my bond has to be approved - no issues foreseen there either.  YAY!!  IDFL - In Debt For Life!!!

Shop til you drop!!

2 epilate or not?

After much thought and careful consideration i bought myself an epilator. I recommend it highy! Very impressed indeed! I can now save on razors & waxing! Woo hoo! And the pain is at least self-inflicted, so how can i complain?!

Christmas

So after a mad, last minute dash to buy a small mountain of Christmas presents for my (dearly loved, horribly spoilt - in a nice way - 1st born, last born) little boy, it was off to the coast at last for The Long Awaited Holiday.

I don't mind telling you that I am hugely unimpressed with the shitty, rainy, miserable, overcast, hair-frizzing weather. I believe I actually put my order in 6 months ago & now instead of celebrating Christmas day in the sun on the beach it will be in a townhouse listening to & looking at grey skies & rain pelting down.

Sigh. Seriously p'd off. Cant even go shopping on Christmas day.

Jingle jingle

So I had a great day today - it's my 9th wedding anniversary so I was spoilt (my husband seems to have realised that I loooooove Jenna Clifford, yay!!) and got to go shopping, out for lunch to my absolute favourite restaurant, Pascalis, then home to sleep off the after-effects of last night's late night, then some more shopping!

Anyway, among my few purchases...okay fine I'll list them shortly, was something rather interesting and disgusting and honky and a real novelty which is not to be repeated.

I bought new mascara (I seem to buy mascara weekly, what a waste), silver liquid eyeshadow, green liquid eyeshadow, Justine lip balm, hair dye - blue-black, lipstick, 4 DVD's, a CD for Gerhard, and Carribean Tan.

I couldn't wait to get home and try the Carribean Tan out as I am going to the coast next week and haven't seen the sun in too long - well my jiggly bits haven't anyway.

What a mess!!!  Thank goodness I sprayed it on in the shower as it got absolutely everywhere!  On top of that, it does not spray evenly, it makes blobs and blotches, thick parts, streaky parts, thin patches.  It stinks to high heaven and says it takes 5 to 10 minutes to dry, will come off on the bedsheets, don't worry, it's water-soluble, and it was 2 hours ago - it's still sticky and rubbing off on everything.  It says you shouldn't shower for 8 hours and neither should you exercise and perspire (there goes my gym session, ha ha - duh, wedding anniversary, whoops) or wear tight clothing (hello, it's my wedding anniversary, that was actually in the plan) until you have showered.  The best thing I can say for it is that the colour is nice.  If it were even I'd like it a whole lot more though.

Enjoy your Christmas shopping!!!

?! Huge buy!

How scary! Going to make an offer on a really amazing house tomorrow! And our house isn't even in the market yet! We seem to be doing things a bit arse-about-face! Excited, scared, nervous...!

Wish me luck!

Go BIG or go home, ha ha ha!

Too 80's??

Over the weekend it was my company's Christmas function & I didn't know what on Earth I was going to wear - empty closets & all that - & the black top I'd bought for the function a few weeks prior just wasn't doing it for me; too many itchy-scratchy-looking sequins & the pants didn't seem to match the top didn't seem to match the shoes I'd bought either. Off I went to the mall - as I do - & settled on black pants, white pants (I know, I know), black sandals (yes, I know) & a black & silver sequinned boob-tube. Not very cleverly exchanging one problem for another. Confirming all rumours about sequins, it scratched me so that by the end of the evening I felt as though I'd had a fight with a rose bush. And guess what? I still havent worn the white pants, thinking they're possibly too 80's. Aren't sequins slap-bang right out of the middle of the shoulder-pads, teased-hair, white-high-heels, stretch-jeans-with-number-plate-on-butt 80's? Oh yes, I think they are...

Shop 'til you can't shop no more coz your ever-so-stylish shoes have given you blisters.