A Little Self-indulgence Never Hurt Anyone (...I Think)
So...I might have gone shopping again...just maybe. I blame the post office, because to go all the way to the post office means passing through the shopping areas where are the pretty clothes are and then...this happens. I keep using "THIS IS CAMBRIDGE, A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!" as my excuse, but I'm pretty sure that's doesn't really apply to shopping (although it does apply to traveling 130 miles to go to Highclere Castle, a.k.a. Downton Abbey).
I think I need to work on my self control. But I'll get to that when I get home.
I don't normally wear pink, but for some reason, I thought this was a really pretty color and I really liked the semi-peplum look of it.
I got this dress for super duper ridiculously cheap because it was on sale and it was missing two buttons. I'm going to have to find a store that sells buttons around here to fix it because I want to wear it to the last winter formal. The material is kind of strange; it's a mix between spandex and wetsuit, but softer. It has a very formal look to it and if I just throw on the pink top over it, I think I may be able to make it business-y.
I had to include a picture of the back of this dress...IT'S ENTIRELY BACKLESS. I don't quite know how I feel about that yet. I think I'll be wearing a black cami under it for now.
As I was standing in the checkout line, I saw these adorable socks. They were 3 for 4 pounds, so I got some. Good job stores, your sneaky sneaky ways are working.
These shorts actually aren't a recent purchase. I had wandered into this store a month ago and they were having a massive sale (actually, all the stores were having massive sales then, which wasn't really good for my newly discovered shop-a-holic tendencies). I wore these to Barcelona and I'm so glad I found them. They're semi-high waisted, not all the way up to waistline, but just a little below my belly button, and a wonderful tapestry like pattern (my inner grandma is overjoyed). They're a little bit thick, which isn't exactly great for hot summer weather, but I just don't care.
When I went back to Miss Selfridges this week, they were having a massive sale on dresses and me, a person who absolutely adores dresses, went mad. I actually walked in 20 minutes before the store was closing so the dressing rooms were closed, but the sales lady was like, "If you want, you can just buy all of them, try them on at home, and return the ones you don't want." Well guess what I did, I bought all the dresses...well, only 4. This dress was the only one I really liked enough to keep. It's a beautiful summer dress and I don't even care that summer is ending. I will wear it.
I had never noticed this store before at all. It's a tiny store on King's Parade across from King's College. I noticed this store the first time at the last formal hall when I went to go listen to my friend sing outside King's College. During that, a group of the Egyptian girls stopped in front of this store to take a group photo and I made a mental note to go take a look the next day.
Walking into this store was probably one of the top 10 best decisions I've ever made, maybe an over-exaggeration, but you get the point. This tiny shop was selling handmade goods from India, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries from around there. There was jewelry, tapestry, china, and other beautiful trinkets. I saw these amazing tapestry patterned silk scarves that were absolutely gorgeous. I had been looking for a tapestry scarf for ages and I wanted to buy all of them. (Un)fortunately the 50 pound price tag deterred me.
However, I did see a bunch of rings. I have been in a massive ring mood ever since Barcelona and the knot ring I saw. I've never been a big ring person, but for some reason, I really want one now. The shop had a bunch of rings like this one with different stones set in them, but I liked the turquoise the best. I'm so glad I was able to find a ring that fit because I have massively fat fingers and rings never fit, although the ring ended up being a bit loose. I've been wearing this ring everyday now and I'm so in love it.
(do you like my makeshift ring holder?)
I felt like I had to go to Primark one last time before I left, even though I'm actually not a big fan of it. I had heard so much about it before I left, but when I'm actually there, I don't really see all that much stuff that I really want. Sure, there are pretty things that I ohh and ahh at, but nothing I'd buy for myself. Haha, and not I'm going to tell you that I ended up buying some things.
The first is this maxi skirt. I've been inspired by all of my Mormon friends to wear maxi skirts. They're not allowed/supposed to wear very revealing clothes, so they wear a lot of long skirts. I have one friend who pulls off the midi skirt so beautifully, but I don't think I'm ready to go there yet.
I have a black long sleeved shirt from Target that I wear all the time during the winter, so I thought I'd stock up on some more long sleeve shirts for the upcoming winter. Nothing super exciting about them except for the fact that they were only 3 pounds each. Wheee!
I had seen this store around, but I was kind of afraid to go in. I assumed this was a really expensive, high-end store so I always just walked past it. But I saw their ginormous summer sale sign so I thought, what the heck, and walked in. Boy am I glad that I did. They had such beautiful things and they weren't even that horribley priced. A really nice dress is 17 pounds, a t-shirt 5, pants 15, all around Primark prices, but way better quality. The really expensive clothing were the more professional work type clothing that I wasn't even looking at. But the best part besides the sale was that they were having a 20% shoe sale and students get an extra 15% off. Guuurl, I'm going to town in this store.
This first shirt was on sale and it's beautiful. I really like the sheer paneling on the top and the flowing lace on the bottom. It's really ladylike and I feel like I can dress it up or down.
Going along with my getting some staple items theme, I got two plain t-shirts that were 2 for 8 pounds. I realized that I don't actually have a plain white t-shift, so I took this chance to get one. They're really soft and wonderful.
These shoes were part of the 20% off shoe sale going on. My current flats actually got ruined when it suddenly starting pouring rain. I'm a bit iffy about the pointed toe, but I love the different materials. I'll make it work.
Lastly, I got these two bits of jewelry. This necklace is super dainty, but that's how I like my necklaces. Either small and dainty or on a long chain.
And these earings are just super classy. 'Nuff said.
What I've learned about myself these past few days: I'm a shop-a-holic. I super big part of it is the British pound to American dollar conversion. I keep thinking in dollars and everything sounds so cheap. Aiyaaa.