Sneakers Crave

It's been exactly 50 days since I've started this 6 months no-buy clothes ban, and I can officially feel that the hardship had begun. What seemed last month like fun lil test that I'll finish with flying colours now seem like a slew of never-ending end of term exams.

It almost feels like a curse that in Japan, every major train station is filled with super posh stores. For example, in Omiya where I'm close to, there is Nano Universe, United Arrows Beauty & Youth, and Kate Spade all within 10 metres proximity of eachother. Yet, I can't buy anything at all. Instead of wearing anything interesting, I'm wearing the same clothes day in and out. I feel like a hungry dog walking in a field of juicy meaty meat sticks, but somehow have horrible jaw-dislocation and can't bite anything, so I'm forced to drink the same nutrition smoothie everyday. Oh and, I forgot to mention that everyone in the station is very stylish and posh, sporting the latest garments from possibly the above mentioned stores.   Everyone be enjoying their juicy meat sticks while I'm drooling in my dislocated jaw, looking at them with eyes of wanton.

These days, it seems that all the gal's got a pair of sneakers, especially popular are the running shoes kind like the ones my imaginary self is sporting in the above illustration. Hey, I can't have a real meat stick, I can at least dream, right?

Buying Useless Things

. Confessions time. This week, I broke the no-buy rule.

But, it's for work for work! As part of an activity for a school camp, I am to prepare for a costume (how fun right?).  The character is Daisy Duck. So as preparation for these "work" clothes, I went and bought a pink headband, a pair of orange tights, and then some...

When I was browsing the tights section at the Daily Soxer, I told myself: socks are kind of "necessities", and for 6 months it'll be too much to walk around with holes in your sock and showing your big toe to everyone, so I let myself off a hook a little: can buy socks, tights or underwear (yeah!! Gave self a little high five!)

As I spent a day shopping, I realized that somehow my bags got heavier and heavier, and my wallet got lighter and lighter. And before I know it, I've created a disaster. 

I bought: orange tights (for Daisy), yellow leggings (to change into since the camp is 3 days long), pink headband (for Daisy), pink leggings to match this light grey skirt, which has nothing to do with Daisy (ok so this is where I went wrong!), white leggings (also for the skirt), a pair of yellow socks, a pair of orange socks,  a pair of purples undies, and another pair of purple undies in a similar but less purply shade of purple. Not in that order in particular. It sounds like a lot now, but when I bought them, I failed to notice it at all. It was all stuff you wear on the inside. I didn't even buy any "real" clothes. Then, what gives? Why did my wallet mysteriously get so light?

To make sense of things, I made this chart. I've coloured coded the things that I need vs don't need.

Huh... so that's what happened. Now I'm not sure if I should have made this chart. Do better next time, OK!

In another note, I visited the 2013 VOCA exhibitions (which was awesome, btw!) my favourite was the painting Reflection of a Closet by Sato Midori. It's so rich. I feel like she's saying, you could have so much clothes, but in reflection, it's just a blur that mean nothing.  

easy financial management

Today's craving:
easy jeans.

It seems just so cute and comfy, and well, easy!

Boy I wish financial management can also be that easy.

Uniqlo is making their own brand of stretch jeans, there's this suberb cute commercial on TV now, and that temptation isn't helping this shopaholic control her addiction. What gives? It's like a fat person going on a diet and all there is on TV is frenchfries and hamburgers.



So I roped my boyfriend into reminding me not to buy anything.

For every reasonable/logical reminder, such as "You already have so many, why do you think you need one more" I swiftly shot back with a comeback, like
"You know, just to have. Like you know how some days you just wanna wear an orange shirt."
"Okay but I already have an orange shirt, and you have jeans."
"Yeah but do you have an 'easy' orange shirt?"

These jeans are a basic, so that means it can be kept forever, right? I mean, just the fact that it is a "basic" means it can be used over and over, right? It's not like I'm throwing my money into a rainbow-coloured skirt made of candies.  These pants seem to be saying "hey, you're gonna buy us and you're gonna wear us for years"
I do believe that style is wearing something consistently, in different ways, rather than buying and tossing things out all the time. Right now, I find myself feeling more comfortable in skirts most of the time, but when I see everyone else wearing skinny jeans, I think "Hey, why can't I wear them too?" The question is, are those jeans really for me or not?

In 6 months, I'll see.

aloha

Hello ladies and gentlemen, sorry about the long absence.

In spite of having a fairly well-payed job for a year and a half, I managed to save almost next to nothing.

It is one thing to just be poor, but it's another story when you have a good job and you still end up broke! Actually, that's when you can tell this person's got real money problems. It's like, if you got only one sausage for breakfast, and you ate it all, it's not really your fault 'cause you're just hungry. But if you got like, five sausages and you still eat them all, girl you got a problem.

Technically speaking, I am not exactly broke, I did manage to save a meager amount, the equivalent of half a sausage. Which I rejoiced in small moments of celebration for the flashes of self control, the reality is that it is almost next to nonexistence in the grand scheme of things. So, I have decided to take up the challenge again, and this time, take it to the next level. I am not going to buy anything for the next six months.

I actually started this challenge last month on Valentine's Day. I took a little trip recently to Hawaii, so I broke the challenge for three days. I bought three things in Hawaii.

- A kind of sort of Hawaiian shirt. $18. Actually discovered by my boyfriend. It was made in the sixties, I like that the fabric still retained its' vibrant colours and the print is so cute.

- Marble necklace from the sixties. $12. from the same vintage store as the shirt. Found in Chinatown, Honolulu.

- Skeleton Jesus necklace. $10. I'm not sure what I'll wear that with or if I am going to wear it at all, but I liked it so much not to get. (maybe a waste)

- the shell necklace was a give-away (gotta love them free stuff)




If you ever go to Honolulu, I highly recommend China Town, not exactly a luxurious place with beaches and palm trees and beautiful people, but the buildings are filled with history and wonder, and in the midst of all the ghetto, it's a gathering place for a lot of great artists and has a lively music scene.Not to mention, a few wonderful thrift stores.



I've also decided to make an illustration of the things that I am lusting after. I want to update at a weekly basis, so, I will do my best : ). you can expect some illustrations in the next post.