February Shopping

So, after January aka the month of buying all the things, I really needed to slow down. Especially because we booked Europe and you know, I kinda want to eat when we are there.

I still went over budget this month. But not as bad. Still not good though. I did most of my shopping early on, and slowed down towards the end of the month. I realised not only do we have Europe coming up, but we just got a new (to us) car, and my green card expires in a couple months which is $600 right there (yeah being an expat is so fun!), among other things. So this really will have to calm down from now on. I think I am finally getting to the point where I am really thinking about my purchases, and if I will actually wear them etc etc.

1. A dress from sheinside - I actually already own this dress but it's too short so I thought if I bought another I could make it longer... but then I got the stitch fix striped dress and I don't think I am going to try. It's too hard to return the dress, so I will just sell them both on eBay.

2. Crocs Adrina Flats - don't judge. They are for Europe, apparently great for travel. They are super comfy. They aren't the normal ugly crocs. At least, I think they're cute.

3. Cat flats - Ok you can judge me for these, but kitties! They are fairly comfy, definitely need breaking in but I really like them.

4. Skirt from modcloth - I have been searching for a skater skirt for yonks that actually covered my butt. For once, modcloth came to the rescue. Normally I love their stuff online but it doesn't work in real life. Happy to say this skirt is long enough, cat hair resistant, and super cute.. in my opinion. It comes in navy too which is actually on super sale.

5. A dress from stitch fix - and I love it! More about my first fix here.

6. Gap knit moto jacket - Gina made me do it. Seriously though.. I am hoping this will be my go-to comfy but casual without looking like a slob jacket. I haven't got it yet, but it looks great on Gina. I have a denim jacket that I was hoping would be it, but it's just too stiff and I never grab it, so it's stupid. If this works out, I am taking it to Europe. Oh, I got it on super sale which is always awesome. It was like $76 originally, on sale for $56 and then another 30% off. I mean, I had to, right? But seriously, I really did want a jacket like this and I am hoping it will be the one and I'll never buy another jacket again. Promise.

Thrifted buys:

I bought 1 blouse and 2 dresses off eBay and thredup, I am returning the thredup dress because I simply do not need it and shouldn't have bought it, but you live shop and learn. I am losing the couple of dollars on shipping, but better that than having a dress in my closet I never wear. The blouse is more like a tunic, it's blue and white striped - super cute. My favourite purchase was this J Crew maxi dress - got it for less than $20 and it's long enough, thick enough, and I think pretty darn perfect. It's a bit boobalicious but I guess you can't win them all, plus I am president of the itty bitty titty committee.

So that's everything I bought in February. Not good, but better. March should hopefully be a quiet shopping month.

Goal wise, here's how I did:

1. No impulse shopping.
Half pass. I have wanted all of these things for a little while and have thought about them for quite some time - but as soon as I see the exact item and it fits all the criteria including budget? I buy immediately. So it's like premeditated impulse shopping.

2. No more than $100 a month.
Fail.

3. No more cheap clothes that don't last.
Well the sheinside dress is the only 'cheap' thing here, and I'm not keeping it anyway, so... Pass.

4. No more getting sucked in by other bloggers.
Half pass. The only thing I really saw on other bloggers was that Gap jacket, and I love it.

5. Fill holes in my closet rather than create new spots.
Just okay. Maybe pass.

6. Buy more house stuff, but no more projects until previous projects are done.

No house stuff.

Here's to March!

TFITLFOF

aka thank fudge it's the last Friday of February. I know I was all like 'hurry up Spring' last year but for reals, this winter is just killing my buzz and ruining my life. Too strong? Don't care.

So over it and ready for warmer weather. I never thought I would be excited for a 40 degree forecast - seriously, I am running in shorts and a tshirt on the weekend, rain you better stay the buggery away.

Meanwhile, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the forecast said 61 for Tuesday. It's coming, I can feel it.. Spring. But until then... favourites!

Sling.

Y'all I am so obsessed with this I literally can't even. If I'm saying y'all you know it's real. I might have mentioned that KC and I don't have cable - never have, not worth the money. He had it when he lived with his mom, I never had it growing up and we survive just fine. That being said, if you invite me over to your house for a HGTV marathon, I would say yes in a heartbeat. KC has to watch soccer and football games on his computer or go to a friends house. So, we don't want to pay for cable but we wouldn't say no if it were free.

Well. It's not free, but it's damn near. $20 a month and you get like 20 channels, I can't tell you what they are because I only care about 1 - HGTV (KC only cares about ESPN - this should be interesting come football season). Yep. aka the reason I have done nothing the last few days because all I have been doing is watching alllll them shows.

Ok, first off - we signed up for a free trial to see if it was our jam. Bummed to find out we need a roku or amazon fire whatsit. I don't like watching live TV on my computer, and while we can hook the 'puter up to the telly, then what am I supposed to blog on? Then I discovered they were running a deal where you get $50 off the fancy amazon thing, or a free amazon stick thing (real technical terms here y'all). So, I cancelled our free trial that I had set up with one email address, and signed up using this link with a different email address- now you do have to sign up and pay for 3 months up front with either of these deals, so I recommend doing a normal 7 day trial with another email address to figure out if it's right for you. It might not be, but I thought I would share for my other HGTV lovahs out there.

Oh, and you can access netflix and all the other doodads with the fire stick thingy.

You can add extras, like sports or news or kids but we didn't.

Biggest awesome thing I have discovered: I CAN REWIND. Ok, so I get home and some lameo show is on. I can rewind hours or days back and watch whatever I want. Boom. The stick isn't the best to rewind and fast forward through commercials and the like, so I just let it play through and instagram for like a minute till the show comes back on. It is without a doubt my favourite feature.

Biggest flaw I have found so far: doesn't have the option for subtitles like Netflix. Have a feeling this would not annoy most people, but y'all I love my subtitles. Oh, and you also can't have it running on multiple devices at once, which is not a big deal for us, but it might be for you.

We love it so much we are most likely going to get rid of netflix because we really don't use it that much. It's ok, it's handy, but eh. We kept it cause it's like $10 a month, but this is $20, and both makes - you guessed it, $30, and I like $20 better than $30 so Bye Felicia-Netflix.

I hope I don't have to say this, but totes not sponsered. I wish. I would shout it from the rooftops even more so than I am doing right now. It's not even an affiliate link, nada, zilch, noperaino. Just my love for HGTV, or as I like to call it, hug TV.

Favourite book.

I started Joey's book Yeah, maybe last night and I seriously couldn't put it down. I didn't even watch HGTV which is a big deal because see above. It's still on sale for $1.99 so go get you some good bookage.

Serial.

About a year late, but I'm listening to Serial whilst running. I don't like podcasts, I don't like murder (you know what I mean), I didn't think this would be my jam. But I'm addicted, I want to run more just so I can keep listening.

You guys.

Yep, all y'all. For your sweet words and comments on Tuesday's post, I just feel super loved and normal and like a new person. Baby steps, being nicer to myself, being honest with what I actually want.. come at me March life.

This weekend is hopefully gonna be low key - running, reading, hgtv-ing and sleeping. Sounds fine to me. Any plans?

The best me; training for tuesday

Before we get started, I just wanted to share that Joey's book Yeah, maybe is on sale this week - for only $1.99! I bought it and can't wait to start reading it. 

I had a grand idea for February's Training for Tuesday post, but life happened so... nope. C'est la vie.

My training is going okay. Not great, but okay. I know so many places are getting way worse weather than we are, and it's a walk in the park compared to last winter, but I am just so over this weather. I hate winter. I hate being cold. Cold for me is anything below 60. But I can run in the cold. I can't run in the freezing, and I can't run in the snow, or ice. Nope. Not happening. If that means my real runner badge gets taken off me, so be it. I can barely walk to my car in my snow boots without busting my ass, I'm not putting my klutzy ass in even more danger.

I have been slogging it away on the treadmill, as boring as it is, it has to be done, because I have to run. Will RnR be the race where I meet my dream PR? Most definitely not. But it's okay - it's still gonna be a great race, a great weekend with great peeps. I have the rest of 2015 to meet that goal.

So today, I'm not talking about progress or any specific exercise. I hope that's ok, Tracy & Alyssa.

The last item on my 30 before 30 list is be the most healthy, most fit, nicest, happiest person I can be.

In my 2015 goals, I said 'I am going to take care of myself. I am going to be the healthiest and fittest person I can be not because I want to lose weight but because healthy is where it's at.'

I have talked briefly about my issues before, and I have joked that I can't eat what I want anymore without gaining weight or feeling sick. I have rarely looked in the mirror and not thought a mean comment about myself. I have never pulled on a pair of jeans without thinking that they were a struggle to get on because I'm fat. I have never worn a bikini without feeling self conscious.

I am more comfortable in my skin right now than I have ever been before. I owe that to getting older, surrounding myself with positive people and in general leading a happier life. But I still think to myself 'if I don't eat for a couple of days, maybe I will lose enough to kick start my weight loss' or 'maybe if I purge all the crap I just ate, it won't count'. I am not fishing for compliments here, so please don't tell me I don't need to lose weight - I understand the desire to say these things but it does not help someone with issues like mine. I am so much better than I used to be, and I am proud of how far I have come. I am not trying to belittle my journey or the progress I have made, and I am not being a debbie downer just to be a debbie downer. I am just being honest.

I'm not the first person to experience these things, I won't be the last. But every single year, every single month, week and day - I tell myself today will be different, today will be the day that I eat better, exercise, lose 10lbs overnight, and feel good about myself, inside and out. Most days, I go to bed sad about a choice I made, mad about the weight I gained, or already making excuses for the next day.

I'm the kind of person that likes to start things on the 1st (of the year or month) or on Mondays. If I screw up one of the many rules I have made myself on a Monday, most likely the rest of the week is 'ruined'. It's ridiculous, I know. You don't need to tell me that. I am so sick of it. I am afraid I am going to wake up one day and I'll be 80 and still mad at myself for not making the right decisions and I still won't be completely happy in my skin.

Here is the kind of person I am right now:

- Exercise is not a priority or routine. I exercise semi regularly, but I skip more days than I should.

- I exercise because I want to lose weight. I tell myself it's because I want to be healthy, and live longer, but ultimately I want the scale to go down.

- I am such a slow runner compared to how I used to be.

- I eat my idea of healthy about 50% of the time, and the other 50% I eat crap, and drink enough milkshakes for every single person reading this.

- None of my jeans fit comfortably right now. I can't even do up a couple pairs.

- I eat a 'treat' or 5 a day.

- My mum sent me some Australian goodies for my birthday and the only thing that lasted more than one day was Milo, which is kinda like nesquik only not, and that (huge tin) lasted about a week. I have zero willpower.

- I lack motivation. I want the easy way out - doesn't everyone? I want to work hard and see results immediately. I don't want to wait.

- I use doritos in my nachos.

To be the person I said I wanted to be in my goals and 30 before 30 I want to:

- Make exercise a priority, something as routine as brushing my teeth. Stop turning off the alarm, get off the damn couch.

- Exercise to be healthy, to have a healthy heart, to sleep better and have better skin.. to live longer. Not to see the scale go down.

- Be a faster runner, but not crazy fast. I am never going to be super fast, and that is more than okay by me. I just want to get back to where I was.

- Eat healthy 80% of the time. I don't do well with restrictions, but I don't need daily milkshakes or a 'treat' every time I go to the store.

- Fit in my damn jeans.

- Snack smart. I do not need a cadbury creme egg, bag of skittles or chips daily... Snack on almonds, Kristen.

- Have better willpower.

- Have motivation to achieve all of these things. I know once I get in a routine of exercising regularly it makes me eat healthier so I am making smarter choices. It also helps me sleep better so it's not so hard to get up in the morning. I just need to be patient. The whole it won't happen overnight but it will happen thing.

It's embarrassing to admit these things - to myself, and to the internet. I have thought so many times 'ok, this is it. This is the moment I change'. Seriously, I'm sure I have said it at least 5 times on the blog alone. I am not complaining, I am not talking shit about myself just to talk shit, I am not fishing for compliments. I am just trying to work towards the best version of me. Hopefully one day I will be this person that I want to be. I will eat healthier naturally, I will walk by the junk in the grocery and not want to buy it all, I will look in the mirror and not be mean to myself, I will exercise to be healthy and happy and live longer.

I will still have my nachos with doritos though, because it's the only way! yolo.

What does being the healthiest, fittest, best version of you mean to you?

The person I'd like to be, but probably never will be.

Tracy posted here about 5 things she'd like to be but probably never will, and not only did I enjoy reading the post, but I've enjoyed reading along as she's already on her way through 2 of those things. She's working on her capsule wardrobe and is totally going to do a half ironman in September, so I have no doubt one day she'll be a legit full iron(wo)man.

So I am hoping, with this post, that I will tell you all who I'd like to be, but probably won't be, and then like Tracy, I'll start working towards making those things a reality. Maybe. We'll see. Like reverse psychology, hopefully.

1. The opposite of a shopaholic.

I have had shopping issues since I started making money at 15. Shopping makes me happy. I don't want it to, but it does. If you gave me x amount of money and told me to go shopping, I wouldn't think twice about all the things I could buy.

2. A person with a capsule wardrobe.

Shopping might make me happy but looking into a closet full of crap I don't like and don't wear is getting old fast. I'm not sure if I will ever have a legit capsule wardrobe, I just want a wardrobe full of things I like and actually wear.

3. A marathoner.

I can barely run 13 miles let alone 26. You crazy. I don't know.. maybe, one day. I want to master the half before I go on to the full. If I go on to the full.

4. A vegetarian.

I don't particularly like meat. We never have beef or pork at home, I don't love the taste of chicken. Turkey (ground / mince) is ok but I can survive without it. I'm positive I could eat vegetarian at home all the time, it's when I go out that's the problem. Sometimes I want a greasy whopper after a night out. Sometimes I like chik fil a sandwiches. Ignore the fact that I'm not supposed to eat the buns either of those sit on, that's not the point right now. My friend's dad owns a restaurant and he makes this koobideh (ground beef) that I absolutely love... If I ever go home again, I want to eat meat pies and sausage rolls and everything my mum makes. So I'm kinda scared to be a vegetarian, I guess. I think of it as 'I don't want to put myself in a box I can't get out of'. I already have dietary restrictions, why add more? But I know the benefits to being a vegetarian, and they are the results of omitting meat but also because of an increase in plant based foods. So I don't know where I am going with this.

i actually really love salads...

5. A minimalist.

This goes hand in hand with shopping. I'm also super sentimental and it's hard for me to let go of stuff - dresses that don't fit anymore and never will but I can't part with them because I wore them once and loved them... Just random crap all over the house. I hate the 'want more, want bigger' mentality but sometimes it's easy to get caught up in it. But I would like to at least get to a 'minimalish' lifestyle, not quite tiny home living, but just not any bigger and without all the stuff that we don't really need.


Here's hoping the reverse psychology works and soon I'm a vegetarian minimalist with a capsule wardrobe but no shopping addiction who is training for a marathon. Maybe?

Anything you want to be but probably never will be?

Where I thought I'd be by now

If you'd asked me at 15, or 20 where I thought I would be at 28... Man. It would not match where I currently am, that's for sure.

For some reason, 28 has always been a big deal to me. Bigger than 30. Not like I'm scared of it, but 28 was always ok shit you are actually an adult now. Why? Because my mum was 28 when she had me. When I was 15 I thought 28 was so old and I would totally have like 3 kids by then. When I was 20, I thought - ok maybe one already or I'd be pregnant. Now? Hey, what's wrong with 30?

Here are some things that I thought would be true by the time I turned 28:

I would always have long hair - my mum never let me cut my hair when I was younger because her mum never let her have long hair.. vicious cycle. I cut a big chunk out of my hair when I was like 12 and cried for weeks - I thought I would never cut my hair again, and I had long hair up until I moved to the US - and then I discovered how much easier my hair was to do, how much healthier it was and how much better it held curl. Sometimes I miss my long hair, but I really dig my 'short' hair.

A non sloucher - yeah, I still slouch. I really thought I'd be better by now.

Friends with everyone that I was friends with at the time - yeah, some friendships are not meant to last.

I wouldn't get hangovers - I never got hangovers when I was younger, and I truly thought I never would. HA.

Not blogging - because I never thought I would do this, enjoy it and be kind of okay at it? I didn't even have the internet or a computer when I was 15, and at 20 I didn't even know what a blog was. But I love it. So thank you blogging friends.

I would always be blonde - I could not fathom being a brunette. I had tried a couple of times to dye my hair but it always made me look washed out and gross. I was blonde and I loved it.. then one of my besties took a stab at it and I haven't turned back. Turns out all I needed was a good hair stylist.

Super cool - I totally thought I would be 'cool' by now. I don't think I am, but the best part is that I don't care as much as my 15 year old self did.

A bazillion dollars saved up - because adults don't have shopping addictions and make tons of money. We do have money saved up, of course, but I guess young me thought I would be a millionaire or something. Plus, shit cost money yo.

Eat whatever I want and not exercise - I really could eat whatever I wanted and not exercise up until my eating disorder - I am sure it messed my metabolism up, but also just age... I can't eat a whole pizza and not feel it or see it on the scale. I used to eat bags of lollies with no problems and now if I eat one bag of gummi bears I feel sick.

I would not own a house - I must be the only person in the world who didn't want to own a house. I remember arguing with a girl at work when I was like 23 because my goal in life was not to own a home and hers was. She just couldn't see it my way - I figured I might buy one if I settled down with a guy but at home it is much more common and sometimes better to rent, and there is nothing wrong with it. She wanted to buy a home on her own, on her own two feet - and kudos to her. But it wasn't for me. We obviously own a house now, but I couldn't have done it on my own - nor would I have wanted to.

Eating really well because adults don't eat junk - my mum was an unfair role model because she doesn't like chocolate or ice cream like wtf. I, on the other hand, love alllll the junk.

Good at moderation - goes hand in hand with the junk thing. If I could do moderation like normal people, I wouldn't have had to give up soda.

Good at everything I do and have all the knowledge - because adults are just good at stuff and know everything, right? I remember when I was younger I literally thought I knew everything and what I was going through was different than what my mum was saying to calm me down. I remember fighting with girls at school and she told me if it didn't matter in 5 years, it didn't matter right now. But I was like of course it will freaking matter, don't you understand? But it didn't. I barely remember their names. As I have gotten older, I have realised that I definitely know more than my younger self but I definitely do not know it all. That's ok. Here's to living and learning some more.

Be old - I don't think I am old. So screw you, young me.

Is it just me, or is growing up completely weird? Like totally the opposite of what I thought. I don't feel 28. I mean, I do in the sense that I have 28 years worth of memories and I can remember things that younger generations have no clue about.. But when I was younger I would see someone older and I would think they looked it.. But I feel like I still look like me, I don't look 'old'. I can't sit on the floor cross legged anymore, or move furniture without being sore the next day.. I make an 'oomfph' noise when I get off the couch, but I don't feel older and I definitely don't feel old. Does that even make sense?

Is there anything you thought you'd be doing at your age and you aren't?

28 facts about a 28 year old

Because, why not. Officially 28 (and a few days..) now. I actually have the day off today because it snowed a bunch so the office got closed. Boom.

1. I was born with black hair, it changed to blonde before I turned one.

2. I love onions.

3. I drive with my left foot up on the seat (except when I drive manual, obviously).

4. I like even numbers.

5. My nose bleeds all the time. When I'm hot, when I'm cold, when I'm in salt water, when I get in chlorine, when I get hit in the face with a ball, when I blow my nose too much...

6. I'm almost always cold.

7. My favourite dessert is pavlova.

8. My favourite meal is anything my mum cooks.

9. I was born in a place called Kew.

10. I have split my head open twice.

11. I don't drink soda.

12. I had an operation when I was 6 weeks old for something that wasn't actually wrong with me, but I have a scar the length of my stomach to show for that nothingness.

13. I have celiac (or coeliac but I hate that spelling) disease.

14. Are you actually reading these?

15. My middle name is Lee, which is my mummy's name.

16. I have low blood pressure. It's a family thing.

17. My first job was McDonalds which I swore I wouldn't work there, but I loved it and it really brought me out of my shell. I worked there for 5 years and was a manager.

18. I crashed my mum's car whilst trying to get out of a parking spot.

19. I have never had a migraine in my life, a doctor told me once it was because of the nose bleeds. I have probably had a proper headache less than 10 times in my life.

20. I played netball up until year 6, and then sporadically as an adult before I moved to the US.

21. I get really bad allergies (why do I have cats?) and rub my eyes so much I have no idea how I still have any skin there.

22. I have 4 half sisters and 2 brothers. My mum has 3 siblings and all of them (including my mum) have 3 kids each, so I have 9 cousins.

23. I type super fast.

24. I read faster than I type.

25. I have never liked Valentines Day because it's too close to my birthday.

26. Up until I was about 11, I thought I could be a princess when I grew up - like it was a choice, something you could do at university or whatever. That was a rude awakening.

27. I hate air conditioning.

28. When I'm sick, I like to hold things. Tissues, water bottles, stuffed animals.. they make me feel better.

Well there's me! I only have 2 years to complete by 30 before 30 list, it seems a lot closer than it was yesterday.

I would like you to have a drink in my honour tonight. You're welcome.

Stitch Fix - First Impression

I am sure you have heard of stitch fix before, so I won't go into detail about it. 

I signed up a few months ago and then almost immediately cancelled it. It just didn't seem like my cup of tea - all the prices were more than I'd like to pay, and I thought I was pretty good at shopping for myself. However, since I basically had a closet full of clothes I disliked, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and sign up again. I scheduled my first 'fix' to arrive on my birthday, because you can't feel guilty about getting anything on your birthday, right? It ended up arriving 2 days early, which was awesome.

I can say - so far - it has definitely helped with my online shopping addiction, because I am looking forward to my fix. I set my March one up to arrive later in the month - this one arrived too early in the month and left way too much time for me to want to shop - hopefully I can continue to behave and not go over budget.

Note: the link I am using in this post is a referral link - if you sign up for stitch fix, I get a $25 credit! Which is like free money, so I had to use it. Please sign up. Jk. Mostly.

Courtney posted her fix last month and I absolutely adored one of the items she got (and pinned it like 10 times so that my stylist person would hopefully get the hint) and after lots more pinteresting and googling I decided to re-sign up. I told myself I would give them 3 chances and if I hated them all, or the price points were just too high, I would cancel it again.

So here's what I got for my first 'fix' - prepare yourselves for stellar iphone photos.

Rosalia Double Strand Charm Necklace $34 - Sent back

This is cute, but I can't see myself wearing it.. To be honest, it looks quite cheap and it's definitely not my style. I like longer necklaces but they have to be more substantial - this one is too dainty to be as long as it is, at least for me. I know you can't really see it in the photo, don't worry - you're not missing anything.

Malcolm Dolman Sleeve Slub Knit Shirt $48 - Sent back

I'm assuming they sent me this because I said I really loved Courtney's Market and Spruce Corinna Striped Heathered Dolman Top.. but I liked that top because the sleeves weren't too dolman-y and it was just super cute and striped. This one... too dolman-y, not a fan of the material or fit or anything.

Kieraly Dot Print Short Sleeve Blouse $68 - Sent back

Not gonna lie, this top is super cute. I don't like wearing short sleeves to work, but I would wear this to work. I would also wear it for fun.. but the fit wasn't perfect (especially in the back) so I didn't love it, and for $68 I need to love it. It would have been perfect with longer sleeves and $20 cheaper.

Moss V-Neck Pleated Dress $68 - Sent back

This dress is gorgeous in person. I thought it would be a contender, but when I tried it on, ew. Not for me. It must be for women with boobs, because it was so frumpy and gross up top on me and just not cute. I love the colour and the pleats - gorgeous! But the fit was off, and it was a little shorter than I like (I think the way I'm holding the phone makes it look longer). And honestly, I have nowhere to wear a pretty dress like this, even if it did fit perfectly.

Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress $68 - Kept! 

I actually saw this dress while I was pinteresting and really liked it. It is beautiful, well made and I just love it. Fit & Flare + Sleeves + Stripes? Sold! I just love the way it fits, I can totally wear it to work (its a bit shorter than I'd like, but with stockings it's ok) and for fun. The stripes don't match up (can't help but notice it thanks to Amanda!) but I think it looks ok. You can just tell it's super well made, from the detail on the shoulders to the darts on the bust, I just love it. Very feminine. The bad part - there was a mark, like someone had grabbed a sharpie and drawn a line on the inner arm. Super disappointing. For $68 I would hope my dress wouldn't be marked like it was a seconds book or something. It's not very noticeable, and I emailed them and they offered to send me a replacement in the same size after I returned it, or 15% off if it was repairable. I think I can fix it and it really isn't that noticeable so I happily took the 15% off. Thanks stitch fix!

So that was my first 'fix'. I'm bummed I didn't get the 3 items I pinned a bunch and basically begged for (a pleated swing skirt, a striped top and a polka dot dress) but I understand that you can't always get specific items and the stylist (Jenna) did say she would try and send them if they ever came back in stock. It was probably for the best though, because I would have gone way over budget if I'd bought all of those items! So overall I am actually super happy with stitch fix - it was fun to look forward to, the items weren't super expensive and it was a pretty good mix of my style and not for the first one. And I really do love my pretty striped dress.

Should I take it to Europe? It's thicker material and the sleeves are longer, but Paris won't be super warm (not to me) and neither will Dublin. Decisions, decisions.

Have you tried stitch fix?

Letter to the birthday girl

So, I had some random post ready for today and then Megan surprised me with a guest post so of course that was way better. So, happy birthday to me and thank you to Megan for thinking of me and writing such a sweet post (and I swear I didn't ask her to.. but even if I did, it's my birthday alright?!).

___________________________________________________________________

If you are a dedicated reader, chances are you have already read many of the blog posts that Kristen has made about our friendship. Well, I would love to share one from my perspective. <3

To Kristen,

When I look back at the beginning of our friendship I am in a happy place. I cannot imagine spending my early 20’s with ANYONE ELSE. I am so thankful to share those memories with you.

So, let’s start with a game…. It’s called “Remember when….”  [insert maniacal laugh]

Remember the first time we met in a job interview – and it was basically a shit show cause I had no idea what the eff I was doing so we talked about my accent and a Justin Timberlake concert we both attended the night before? Classic. You were so funny and sweet and I was like “finally! Someone I can bond with!!” (side note: I had no friends that I felt a true friendship with…I was so lonely before I met Kristen and decided I wanted to go back home. I had only been living there about 3 months).

Remember when you invited me to your 21^st birthday party and I was like “oh my god she likes me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” oh yeah that was just in my head… :)

Remember when we got all dolled up in all the make up and the shortest dresses and went to the best bars in Sydney? Yeah. That was EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND. (side note: I ended up getting a visa approval and decided to stay in Australia! To be extremely honest, I don’t think I would have stayed if I hadn't met Kristen… I was dating this silly guy that didn't appreciate me and he wasn't worth staying for… but she totally was!!)

Remember when you left for it felt like forever to travel the USA ALONE??! Took real guts. I was so proud of you but also missed you terribly and was secretly jealous of the girls you hung out with on your trip :P We even had an epic going away party for you. Because. Any excuse to have a kick ass party.

Ahhh memory lane… I could play that game for about 20 blog posts…. But those are just a few of the early memories I have with you.  You have been (and still are) such an influential person in my life. You have taught me that you don’t always have to say “yes.” You have taught me to be a stronger person… helped me find my voice to stand up for myself. And for this I am forever grateful. Though we did not meet until later on in life, I feel like you have helped mold me into the woman I am today. 

side note from Kristen: this is one of my favourite photos of us because it is so random and hilarious.

We've laughed, cried, laughed until we've cried…. Nursed each other through hangovers, supported each other through break ups, make ups, and weddings :) You helped me through a mountain of homesickness by just being there for me.

I love how our friendship has evolved as we have gotten older (older…. Ew) we have matured into late twenty-somethings together. I tell my Jack all the time that when KC and he dies, me and you will move in together and get a bunch of cats. It will be great.

But- maybe we should just celebrate your 28^th shall we?

Happy Birthday darling. I hope you are spoiled to no end as you should be. I’ll always be here for you.

Megsy.

 ___________________________________________________________________

Cue ugly crying. I have some pretty amazing best friends. Love you Megs! Here's to being friends the rest of our lives and becoming crazy cat ladies when our husbands are dead.

Happy birthday to me! 28 is good so far - I started the day with cupcakes, as you do. By the way guys!!! Megan started her own instagram (yay!) so pretty please follow her, please and thank you. Outfits, makeup, random stuff and cats. What more could you want? No really, please follow her.

28 years ago today(ish)

Give or take a few hours because of the time difference and different countries... 28 years ago today my mum was like hey.

there is a 1000% chance my mum will kill me if she ever sees this

After reading Helene's post (and Yes, Please by Amy Poehler) I decided to ask my mum about the day I was born. As I predicted, she didn't respond with a super long amazing story, or a lot of detail. But here it is, in mummy's words. So you know, Matt is my older brother and Brian is my younger brother.

I drove to the doctors at Kew hospital for my regular appointment and they couldn't believe I wasn't in labour already as I was 5 cm dilated. I then drove home in labour, picked Nana up and dropped Matt off somewhere. I drove myself back to the hospital and rang your father when I got there. Not long after that my labour pains stopped and they told me they could break my waters or send me home and because it was Friday the 13^th the next day your father said do it now as I don’t want a child of mine born on Friday the 13^th. As far as you being early or late I can’t really remember sorry, I think both you and Brian were on time or near enough. You are the only one I had 'natural', I had an epidural with both boys. The nurse on duty with you told me I was a woman and it was my job to push you out and I shouldn't need an epidural. I don't think it was a very long labour, I don't remember much to be honest. When you came out we couldn't get over your hair - pitch black, sticking straight up in the air and so much of it!

She was right about the hair..

My Nana wrote the momentous occasion down.

Side note: my first name was Kristen Lee for like the first 16 years of my life. Now Lee is my middle name. You don't want to know the rest of my names.

Wasn't I an unfortunate looking baby?

It's ok, I got real cute, real fast.

Cuter.

Even cuter!

Cuter still!

Ok, I'm done with my 'I was such a cute kid' thing. Memory lane is fun.

Thanks to mummy for making me. I think I look a lot like her. Nothing like that weird dude that helped - I literally do not have a photo of him, so here's a photo of me and mum.

Now don't go wishing me happy birthday just yet - it's technically tomorrow in America. But thanks to Facebook and time differences, I get like 48 hours of 'happy birthdays!'. Thank you World, thank you. Anyway.

I'm thinking I need to celebrate my birthday with 28 wines, or 28 cupcakes. Thoughts?