Update

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to stop leaving my wonderful readers in the lurch. I have been very slack with Bought by Birdette lately and I sincerely apologize. I'm not going to make excuses, I lost my drive to write. At this point in time I actually have quite a nasty hand injury that is hampering many everyday activities. (You should've heard me squealing in pain when my memory laapsed and I went to open a jar, ow!) So we'll still be slow for a little while, as typing isn't too bad, photo editing is another kettle of fish.
I've been thinking about introducing a few new topics into the fray to help reinvigorate my drive to write, so you may see more craft and cooking popping up, turning Bought by Birdette into a more lifestyle based blog until I truly find my niche. Also most certainly more personal style posts, I love doing these, I just need to find my confidence in front of the camera!
Otherwise, I would love to take this opportunity to ask all readers to please let me know what you like and don't like, do you have a particularly favourite post that I've done? Have I taught you something new?
I' really hoping to bring a lot of readers out of their bubbles on this one, and I'm aiming to get at least 20 responses. Don't think I wouldn't love to hear from you because really I would!
Thank you for reading.

So I went for a Sidecut

Admittedly I have been off the radar for a the last few weeks, I guess I got myself into a little CBF funk that I'm now digging my way out of, ever have that feeling that's there's just so much to do that you don't know where to start? Yeah had that. Big time.

But I've felt myself come out of that little sooky corner of my mind this week, and after a chat with some of my most honest friends I went to the hairdressers and did something I've been pondering for months now, and had part of my head shaved.

This may well be the first time in my blog I've actually shown my face

Earrings: Lovisa
Top: Dotti

And I love it!

I based it on recent photos of Rihanna, it's easy enough to hide in my corporate day-job, but I've found it no problem so far. But for visiting Nanna all I have to do is change the part and then it only shows a little when I tuck my hair behind my ear. I went about the office quietly thrilled with myself and no one being the wiser on the day I had it done, until I excitedly revealed it to a few of them ...

What I find really curious is that the vast majority of people love it, and because I'm certainly not the first to do it in recent times, I'm not getting many stares on the street. A friend of mine warned me that doing something alternative can make Joe Average really judge you, but in this town of Brisbane where I happen across someone almost daily who is twice my age and has brightly coloured hair, perhaps society is becoming desensitized to the alternative and odd?

Even though I know it's prettymuch done it's round in fashion, with the nineties Grunge Trend taking off in a big way this season it's still relevant to fashion. while the clothes of the nineties don't really appeal to me, I find this haircut makes me happy.

Have you ever done something drastic to your hair? What was it? Did you love it or hate it?

Update

Hey Everyone, just a quick update.
I've run myself ragged and am sick with a rotten flu again, But I just wanted to let everyone who entered the competition know that yes it has wrapped up, but I'm waiting to hear back from the guys at Personal Planner before I announce the winner, so stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who entered and shared the competition! I can't wait to see what you design.
Also the Thrift Challenge has sort of fallen flat on its face, that's a long story that deserves a post all of its own, but I'm still going to power through and not give up! It's just been a very expensive fortnight.
I hope you're all keeping well! I'm hoping posts as usual will be back soon, but I just need to get back to 100%.

Brisbane gets wet again

You may be seeing on the news right now that Brisbane and her surrounds are undergoing another flood crisis, making this the second in just over two years. It's quite eerie, the rivers will peak in the sunlight with very little rain coming down. Quietly the banks break and the water creeps up, not during the torrential rains that we have already had.
Like the last time I'm quite fortunate, I live in an area of Brisbane that is quite safe from floods, and our biggest worries have been trees falling in the strong winds. I haven't heard yet whether or not I'll be going in to my office job tomorrow in the city centre, I'm not fussed either way but I know people will be stuck in their homes, and if we're allowed the time off to go and help and do our 'Mud Army' thing like last time, it would be good.
Ultimately if I have any readers in places that are in trouble, stay safe, look out for others, and for god's sake, do not drive through flooded roads!

100 days of Thrift check in - Day 6

Hey would you look at that! I have a post to write! In all seriousness though it has been quite a busy week, lots of long days in the office leave me in a mood to do utterly nothing when I get home. In fact the boy has bitched me out since he cooked more then I did this week, though two of those nights were merely me asking him to cook, and then eating scrambled eggs around 8 when I decided I had waited long enough.

So how has the challenge been coming along? Well it is day six today and it's only early morning. So far I've found this weekend to be quite easy to get through, but that's because it's too hot to leave the house. During the week I had issues, I bought lunch more then I brought it, I'm just not used to having to having to prepare something to bring in. Leftovers are great and all but in this house they're normally snapped up by the boy, and even then we're moving offices in less then a fortnight, so I had to have last meals at some of my favourite places. I am going to be very, very sad when dumplings are no longer within walking distance.

I made a gift for my latest Niece/Nephew who is due in a few weeks, My sister is being a pain and won't let on the gender, We have a theory it's a boy though as her husband is way too happy for it to be another girl. Mind you, the gift is incredibly cute, and so easy to whip up, I bought the kit from Voodoo Rabbit over a year ago, and it was about time I used it. The results are rather cute.

Dr. Seuss Rattle Toy Cube

What I spent:
Dumplings - $10
Pizza - $10 (Boss shouted a beer to go with it)
Japanese Donburi: $12

What's in the kitty:
$60

Lessons learnt?
Plan ahead for lunch. No really, 8:00 am when you're already running late is not the time to scrounge around the cupboard.
Going through old project piles can yield surprising results.

Keep an eye out! We're going to be running a competition early next week and I'd hate for you to miss it!

100 days of Thrift Challenge

Yeah, you read right, Birdette has overdone it! I've decided it's time to do something a little more serious to try and clean up my financial situation and while things are not dire, they're certainly not improving. You know when you get to the stage of I'm-flat-broke-but-don't-remember-what-I-spent-it-all-on-AGAIN you need an intervention.

"Boring! Why on earth would I keep reading? Isn't this blog all about shopping??" I hear ya. However this won't change the content of Bought by Birdette all that much as I don't plan on restricting my window shopping! There should actually be more content then usual as I'll be reporting back on my progress and posting about the things that I've been tempted to break on and my progress towards my goal.

So what exactly does this entail? I will begin this Payday, Tuesday the 8th of January and conclude on April 18. Here are the ground rules I've decided on.

Allowed Purchases:

• Gifts (Birthdays etc, and I do recall a wedding coming up later this month)
• Materials to make Gifts
• Materials to complete any craft/DIY projects I've already started, nothing from scratch
• Necessary toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste etc)
• Magazines (Hey, a girl still needs her past-times  I won't be buying any more then my usual amount I still won't admit to ...)
• One Haircut, but no blow-drying
• Groceries (food, cleaning products, but nothing too extravagant, I do not need to buy a box of pricey icecreams)
• Medication and doctors if required
• Rent and bills
• Bus tickets
• Limited entertainment, one date night/movie per fortnight to keep from going insane.

Grey Areas:

• Makeup (Colour make up is banned, but Foundation, Concealer, Moisturiser type products and Hair removal etc are only allowed if completely out)
• Lunch is to be brought from home, can only be bought in unusual circumstances (working out of office, left in the fridge etc)
• Beauty services are banned, but one massage per month is allowed if required
• Laybys are allowed if I find something I truly cannot live without, to be fully purchased at end of 100 days.
• Takeaways are still allowed, but only once a fortnight
• Giftcards and vouchers may be used. I will have my birthday during this Challenge
• I have been hunting a Buffet sidetable for months, If I find the perfect one second hand or on special, challenge be damned
• For the sake of keeping up appearances, purchases for things like friend's parties and the odd after work drink are allowed, but to be kept to a minimum
• Should I choose to sell anything while on this challenge, money garnered from that can be spent.
• Blog necessities, I'm talking things like business cards and tech support are allowed, purchases to write about are not.

Completely banned:

• Coloured make up, no shadows, no lippys, I have more then enough
• Clothes! This will be the hardest thing to stop buying, I'm always finding things I want to add to my wardrobe, so this ban will hopefully make me see what I already have and use it to the fullest!
• Accessories
• Books. My only exception to this is the yearly Lifeline Bookfest and that's only because it's yearly and for charity
• Stationery
• Pretty much everything that hasn't already been mentioned. Items from the grey area and banned list are what generally bleed a hole in my wallet, I'm sure I'll think of some stuff to add to the grey area over time

So I couldn't possibly do all of this without some sort of goal and reward in sight could I? This is where I'll have a problem again as I've always been an instant gratification type of person. For every day that I survive the challenge I will be putting $10 into a savings account, to be used for reward at the end. Considering I normally give myself a pretty generous budget of just under $400 per fortnight to spend on whatever -and still usually blow it- this will still give me an extra boost to pay off my credit card debt as well as provide an ample incentive to stick to my budget.

So hopefully that's everything covered, Feel free to join me in my endeavours  and if you do decide to do something similar, Let me know. I'd love to see how others are going, I actually found the inspiration to do this from fellow bloggers so keep in touch too!

Happy Holidays from Bought by Birdette!

Hello Lovelies, Just a quick one to let you all know I'll be out of reach for the next few days. Celebrating the Holidays in a remote area of Queensland in a house that's entirely solar powered.

I hope everyone has a wonderful break, take care of yourselves, and stay safe.

I can't wait to get intovthe sales on my return!

Source: Pusheen

Loving this week - Summer boots, Oil and it's finally raining!

I'm a fencesitter, while you get most people who are very black and white about things I tend to find the good in both ends of the spectrum. I like cats AND dogs, Summer AND Winter. But most of all I love it when a piece that would usually be relegated to one season, can be worn in the other.
Cut out boots are going to be huge this Summer, and already there are enviable versions in store. Balenciaga have an awesome pair but not everyone can reach that price point. Here are two styles that I would love to add to my shoe rack, perfect to throw on with a summery above the knee dress. These two varieties by Jeffrey Campbell tickle my fancy. The Tripoli Cutouts almost look normal from the front but feature a sneaky cut out around the heel, while the chunky flatform of these Roscoe Cutout Boots rock my socks.

Nothing beats an oil to remove hardcore makeup. They operate on the notion that like attracts like to remove the day without stripping your skin of its natural protection. So far all of the ones I've found are just too expensive for me, So when I spotted Cleanse off Oil by MAC for $15 a bottle I figured I'd have to give it a try. Add to cart.

Lastly, it's raining.. Oh my god. It's been about 3-4 months since we're had proper rain, and the days where it's sprinkled I could count on one hand. I miss the way the world is lit with white light under the clouds, the way water runs down the window panes, and the crisp, clean scent. Snuggled on the couch with a book and a nice hot cup of tea. These are my favourite kind of days.

Hauling! Dotti

So uh, I had a particularly difficult day at work on Friday, where my boss has recently been instructed to lay off some staff... only half of my team. Friday was the day where the individuals found out if they were staying or leaving and it was horrible. Some people did have the incredibly lack of empathy to take it out on me. I have truthfully never cried so many times in one day. Pull myself together to get my job done, only for one cruel word or look to make me fall apart again.
But moving on, this too shall pass etc. etc. That is not the focus of this post, only the occurrence that triggered this haul!
What else did I do to make myself feel better but go shopping?
Now Dotti have been moving on up in my eyes recently, their ranges have been great and full of both staples and great little fashion updaters for a fantastic price. I've been finding that I can't go in there without finding something that I want to make mine. Here's what I picked up yesterday!

Stripe Peplum zip back top 

Peplums are everywhere at the moment, it was like "pop!"  and every store suddenly had them about two months ago, personally I adore them, and I'm surprised they didn't take off about three years ago when a lot of dresses had them. Why did no one think to bring out some in a top style then?? These are great for hiding food babies, my advice if you're unsure is to balance the look out with a pair of skinnies, and wear with a cute upstyle and bright lippy.

Brooklyn Collar Shift 

This dress is amazingly versatile, and certainly something I recommend for everyone else to snap up. Why? the shape is completely classic. A black shell that can be accessorised so many ways. And the absolute kicker? The collar is both reversible and removable. The other side is black velvet, but you know what? The crafty girls out there (or those with crafty mothers, ha!) could easily use the collar as a template to make whatever kind of collar they choose! Highly recommend, like I said, you should buy this dress.
Those who aren't fond of collars could also use it to pair with bold accessories, An arm party of bangles, a statement necklace, Breakfast at Tiffany's Glasses. the list goes on.

Paper Bag Pant

Now, these trousers are something that I can look at and think "These will not look good on me." Wrong, wrong wrong. Never limit yourself just because you don't think it will work, you can find a way to make most things work, trust me. These trousers turned out to be incredibly flattering, Black is slimming for this odd shape, and they are a great canvas for your best shoes. If you see them, try them, and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Grosgrain Tie Knit Coat

Lastly I bought this gorgeous coat, after realising that I have been through this entire winter without buying myself a new one, I love the rounded collar and the unusual tie up front. the shape is loose which is something I wouldn't normally go for, but it will work great with all my flarey skirts I have and skinnies too. Navy is a great colour to have too and it will go with warm and cool outfit palettes.

Source: Dotti.com.au

Cotton On's new Carindale store

So last week I did go to the new Carindale extension grand opening and it was packed! As only can be expected really, it seemed like everyone was there to check out the area.
What stood out in my mind after I had fought my way through the crowds however was the massive new Cotton On shop. Just near the new Glasshouse is the biggest Cotton on I have ever had the pleasure of being in, and it rocked my socks. They have rolled all of the apparel brands into the one shop with clothings, accessories, shoes and even a shop inside a shop with Body down the back in a stand alone alcove. It is huge! The new store truly is an experience in itself that helps bring bricks and mortar into the new shopping age.
Here are a few of my fave things I spotted on the night!

I'm always a sucker for a fun slogan, this one is just daggy enough.

Striped tube skirt for the win.

Because if you can't wear leopard print to bed, when can you?

Have any of you been to the renovations? What did you think?

Source: Cotton On

Bought by Birdette on Pinterest!

Yes I have fallen into the newest and amazing internet networking craze, and so far, so good, I'm enjoying it! Check me out by clicking the red button over on the menu and please add me if you have Pinterest yourself! I'd love to see what you all are doing on there.
Hope to see you there soon!

Man grooming Yay or Nay

An article I recently read over at Bellasugar got me thinking, Man grooming. What a euphemism. I'm really quite glad that we're past that period a few years ago when men by the barrel load took more time to get ready then their more feminine counterparts, but it was nice of them to still get up and make a little bit of effort.
Take my boy, if I want him to look nice, I generally have to dress him myself. Otherwise it's flat hair, comic book character t-shirt and pants if I'm lucky. If I'm not lucky it's shorts, long socks and pull on shoes. Such a dag lol.
I just want a nice balance, where he does his hair and realises that the shorts and socks combo just isn't right. However, I would love to attack his eyebrows with a wax pot one day ...
Another example on the opposite end of the scale is my sister's Italian husband. My sister is frequently late to events because he's spending time making sure he looks like he's spent very little time. However he's imaculately pressed his clothes, blow dried and straightened his thick hair, trimmed his designer stubble and thought very carefully about what he's going to wear. The whole process takes more then a hour from what I can remember.
Just a little bit of effort please men! Not the whole sh-bang. If you are going to do anything, make it look like you haven't, and for the love of god, please put down my straightening iron!

Nature inspired Wall lamps by Ikea

Another thing to add to the refurbishments when I get off my financially challanged butt and buy a house, how gorgeous are these lamps? The Ikea catalogue landed in my mailbox last week sometime last week and these are by far my favourite thing in there.

 Soder Wall lamp by Ikea

They also have a pendant lamp in the range.

 Soder Pendant light by Ikea

Cannot wait to move into our own rental again soon, started looking this week and the market is tight as (yawn, I know) wish me luck guys!