Pampanga roadtrip part 2: the cursed necklace

i cracked.  after 119 days straight of zero fashion retail therapy, i succumbed to the sweet beckoning of this candy-colored floral necklace at Accessorize (on sale for 70% off).  i'm so so so sorry! i let you down, and i let myself down.  and, what's worse, i am already itching to find an excuse to purchase this pair of gold and coral Ipanema flip flops. damn you, consumerism!  mind you, all my flip flops have been worn to the ground and i really have no choice but to wear other types of footwear when going on even the simplest errands. poor me  (how's that for an excuse??? *googly eyes*)

anyway, i'll leave it up to you to decide on an appropriate punishment. but before you make your final judgment, let me first defend my case.  i've been really like-you-wouldn't-believe stressed at work the past few weeks and have been so busy that i couldn't even get a back massage for the thickening shoulder muscles.  also, the components of the necklace are quite difficult to find in the country so i'm sure i wouldn't have had an acceptable DIY option.  third, it's so cute, i can get ideas for future pieces from it hence, helping me actually earn in the long run.  last, it looks great on me!  so, now you've had the chance to see what's going on in the mind of an almost-reformed shopaholic, you may announce your verdict.

i must say that, even though i cracked with the necklace, there were tons of opportunities yesterday alone that took most of my willpower NOT to take out my wallet.  i'm in no way telling you to buy buy buy and acquire acquire acquire but, in case you were in the market for the following items anyway or are just planning your next purchases (mine will be on Christmas, then Summer 2011), here are a few options you might want to consider:

Primadonna bags

it was my first time to enter their shop (i believe the brand is also available in Megamall, among others), and i was immediately drawn to the bags.  usually, the ones we have here, even the higher-end local brands, are too overdesigned.  too many trendy details but not enough attention is given to the things that really matter.  and, more often than not, these are so trendy that it would be passe to keep using them after the season.

here's one of my favorites, which costs less than P900:

here's the design on the other side.  it's 2 bags in 1! (available in 3 different sets of colors)

now, i can't speak for the durability of these Primadonna items yet, seeing as i don't have one piece from the line, but if i were to buy based on looks and price alone, i'd get one or two pieces from their current selection of shoulder bags. very classic and fashionable at the same time.  in case you haven't heard the memo, ladylike bags are all the rage this season.  and guess what, they were never out anyway! maybe they haven't been as much in the spotlight in the last few seasons as they are now but i tell you, these bags are quite similar to the ones i've seen my mom carryin in her old photos.  in fact, i just inherited my first designer bag from mother superior and it does look eerily like the ones on the runway, albeit the latter has less scratches.

here are other options from the brand:

Follie shoes

now i wouldn't say that all the pieces were great, but i did find a really cute and affordable one that was also quite comfy too.  these three charactersitics can rarely be found in the same item and i really was tempted to start counting my bills (i left my card at home to help keep myself from spending).  but i figured, there'll be other opportunities.  for now, i'll just have to locate a Metro department store that's not in Pampanga.

hey, if i can't buy them, at least i can write about them, right?

oh yeah, here's a photo of me wearing the culprit necklace.  i fished it out of my bag on the same day i bought it, right after my hwa rang do session. then i wore it again to work the next day.

also shown is TJ's incredibly hot hot hot Fossil watch, which he got for P4k (nka-sale na un sa lagay na un ha).  i borrowed it for an hour :D isn't it pretty? i have an affinity for male watches, as long as they don't overwhelm my tiny wrist, which is always the case with my dad's watches, unfortunately :(

to all my readers (if indeed there are any. magparamdam naman kasi kayo!) contemplating going on Project 365, i really hope that i didn't disappoint you too much.  i'm still planning to continue this mission, regardless of my small slip.  hey, we all make mistakes right? but the important thing is picking up the pieces and really striving to correct our wrongs and to live the best way we can, regardless of our dark past. amen?