Frugality Game : Episode 1

Disclaimer : This pic is not mine and is used compliments of cyberescue.co.uk

   My sister Jane was convinced that she could succeed in spending virtually no money this month. As in zero dollars. On Wednesday when I was telling her that she has to spend money SOMEtime, she said in a very serious voice "No, I can spend no money if I cook everyday, if I don't go out with friends, if I don't leave the house, if I don't do anything."

   I rolled my eyes at how serious she had become. This game has really brought out her competitive streak. As soon as I got home Wednesday evening she announced that she had spent no money that day.

   "How much money did YOU spend?" She asked brightly.

   "I don't wanna talk about it." I mumbled.

   "Haha! See? I'm winning already!"

   "Yeah, yeah. Don't judge me. I had to buy lunch."

   "Well, if you would cook in the morning like me you could bring your own lunch to University."

   "But I can't cook.

   "Well, whose fault is that? You're so gonna lose this game."

   Ooooh, that was low.

   I turned away from her and consoled myself by planning my next blog post.

   However, my buying lunch is no longer a problem as my sister has relented and said lunch doesn't count. Nor do grocery bills or anything like that that is absolutely necessary. I mean, you've gotta eat, right? Instead, only the purchases that are not necessary, like say, buying a snack when you've just had lunch, or eating out for dinner when my mum has already cooked dinner, will be counted.

   Anyway, my other sister Jackie has also joined the frugality game. She like me, is a shopaholic used to be a shopaholic. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I get some of my impulsive shopping habits from her. Therefore, I was worried that she might not last out this game. However Jackie has actually spent the least amount of money out of the all of us so far.

   But onto the struggles of yours truly in this darned game. Well, it's been really tough on the Misnomer so far. And was especially hard this week as the mall I work in had a mall-wide sale.

   Yup. Mall-wide. And up to like 60% off in certain stores too.

    Can you imagine how an alcoholic feels when being confronted with liquor after two months of being sober? Well, that's how I felt when I was confronted by the giant sale sign after being clean for three days.

Lets play a game.....

Disclaimer: Pic compliments of www.lilitu.com

 
My sister has just suggested that we play a game. I perked up hoping she meant something like Uno or Poker or something interesting.
   "I propose we play a game this month. I've decided to play this game with my friend T and we decided to challenge each other to see who can spend the least money this month. 'Cos we're both trying to save. Do you want to play too?"
   My shoulders immediately slumped and I went back to frowning at the laptop screen. I thought I knew why she was mentioning this game to me. Earlier this very night I had unwittingly allowed her to read my last blog post on being a shopaholic. Still in denial about how horrible my shopping habits have become, I kinda don't think I need to play any silly frugality games. Pssh. I can stop my shopping anytime. And I will. All on my own.
   Yes, these were the thoughts that raced through my head in the seconds that followed her announcement. Then I figured what the hell, I might as well play this game. I mean, I only have a part time job while my sister has a permanent full time job, so she makes more than me, so she is probably going to spend more than me. I should win this game easily.
   Then I remembered something about my sis Jane: she is the sensible sister. And she doesn't like to lose.
My other sister Jackie and I are far more flighty, live-for-the-moment people. We're both shopaholics, we're both random, and we both have odd senses of humour. Jane is special too, but she's just always got her head on more than us. She's dedicated, passionate to what she loves, and single-minded. And she doesn't like to admit it, but she can be very competitive. She will be a worthier opponent that I had previously thought.
   And so without further ado....let the games begin.
  This will be a series I will try to blog about at least twice a week till the end of this month-long game. Should be interesting seeing how a shopaholic will cope against a sensible sister. Lets do this.


   p.s. By 'month', my sister means that this game will commence from today, Sept 21st till Oct 21st, as September has nearly ended (and thank God for that. September has not been my best month. lol)

I've got a problem...

Disclaimer: Photo courtesy of sodahead.com

   

Last Saturday afternoon found yours truly in a dressing room slithering her way into a white maxi dress. The maxi dress was-- as most maxi dresses are-- far too long for my five feet two inches. I stumbled out of the dressing room to show my friends, M, K and L. They gave me a look that said, put it back, but I totally ignored them, and started to rationalize why this would be a good purchase.

   Well, obviously, I could alter it. Or I could just wear heels with it. I mean, like six inches of it was dragging on the ground, but I have five inch heels that I can wear, and in that case only one inch would be left dragging. Which is totally normal. Plus, I could artfully wrap the excess material (I swear it was made for a giantess) in a knot at the bottom like that woman I once saw in a Caribbean trip advertisement.

   I launched these ideas to my friends who gave me a deadpan expression that showed they were not amused. K pointed out that I always say I'll have clothes altered, but I never get around to it. L said that if I was gonna spend 60 bucks on it, the least the dress could do was fit me properly. And did I really want to spend more money on getting it adjusted? M just shook her head at me and sighed. Then I realized I don't even wear those 5 inch heels that often. Plus, that tying your dress in a knot thing might only work for Caribbean tourists.

     So with a heavy heart, I trudged back into the dressing room, clawed my way out of the white parachute and later re-emerged to hang up the white monster back on the rack. It was then that I realized I may have a problem. Because if my friends had not been there, I might have very well bought that dress. And do you know why? Because in that dressing room, I had started deluding myself that I could indeed have that dress, and I had started formulating all these great excuses to launch on my friends as to why this dress was clearly made for me.

   I am, my friends, what they call a shopaholic.

Chronicles: A mockery is made of the best laid plans.

Disclaimer: Pic compliments of yallin.com

   I had a plan of how I wanted the first day of the new semester to unfold. I was going to fall asleep at 8.30 pm the night before so I could awake the next day all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I would hop out of bed refreshed and hopeful, ready to meet what would be a great day.

   Yes, I had decided to grip September by the horns and make the most out of it. This would be the beginning of a new era for the Misnomer. A new month, a new attitude, a new positive outlook on Life.

   However, even though I duly clambered into bed at 8.30 pm, I didn't fall asleep till after twelve...Mainly because I soon clambered out of bed to eat double chocolate chip ice-cream and reminisce on what had been a great, lazy summer.

Pretend it's September 1st...

   So I was going to post yesterday but then I realized I didn't have anything to post about and that I only wanted to post because it was the first of September. 

   Ahhh September 1st....the day you realize you're going to have to write on everyone's facebook wall every single day because half your friends are born in that month. 

   The day when you realized that if your Hogwarts letter had come in the mail like it was supposed to you would be on the Hogwarts Express with all the other wizards.

   The month where every fashion conscious woman scratches her head and tries to figure out how to update her wardrobe to encompass the fall season. (Garance Dore wrote a great post on how hard it is to leave your summer clothes behind here. ) 

   The month where University students like myself reluctantly trudge to school while starting the countdown to next summer.

   The month where leaves turn orange and fall off the trees and hit innocent Uni students in the face as they study on the grass below them.

   Okay, so maybe September isn't my favourite month. Mainly because every September I happen to look in my wardrobe and realize I need a wardrobe overhaul. This happens every year. And I'm not the only that is worried. Why is it that every September we women look in our wardrobe and realize there is nothing to wear? And it's not just the women in the temperate climates. Where I live doesn't even have a proper autumn (well the leaves fall off the tree, but that's it. It doesn't really get colder). So why can't I find anything to wear? What is it about September?

   I think it's because, like Spring, people kind of view September as a new beginning. For some people, It's the beginning of a new season: Autumn. For others, its the beginning of a new term / semester at school.           

   Basically, for many of us, September heralds in something new. I dunno why, but stuff happens to happen in September. Particularly in September. I'm a bit upset about leaving the laziness of summer behind, but I really do need a wake up call for my lethargic brain. So let's do it. 

  I'm ready September. Snap me awake and make me busy.

  Bring it on.

 Give me all you've got. After all, I just might survive it.

Painting entitled September Morn. Disclaimer: I do not own this image. Image compliments of Sniggle.com

I found this great painting on sniggle.com called September Morn and I think its really beautiful and aptly depicts how I feel about September in general. I feel vulnerable, uncertain, kind of like I'm naked, but hell, at least I'm there. And I haven't run scared. 

  How do you guys feel about September? What, if anything, is new that's going on in your life this month?

Shallowness: Eyebrows, Ruby Woo kisses and Housekeeping

Pic compliments of Sephora's Beauty and the Blog

 

  So the fall trend according to several magazines and Sephora's beauty blog is full, thick brows. I don't think I would go as far as the model in the pic above, but I have been growing out my brows for awhile, not because I was aware of this trend, but because I'm kinda suck at doing my brows.

   So this morning I woke up with a very shallow purpose: I was determined to pluck and shape my own eyebrows. This was a bold and scary venture as previous attempts have ended badly. I have ended up with spaces in the middle of my left brow, with bleeding, and I have had to wear a cap for a week. This is all due to the fact that I am the single klutziest person on planet earth and I don't usually trust myself with sharp objects. However, I've decided to man up and try again. 

   Of course, I have not manned up as yet, and now sit here writing this post as a way to procrastinate and work myself up to actually doing it ('cos if I say I'm going to do it online, that means I have to do it, right? :).

   Another recent shallow interest of mine is red lipstick. Now usually, I'm not bold enough to try something so distinctive on my face, but Lori of hisherchigago finally managed to talk me into it, and give it a whirl.  She suggested Ruby Woo by Mac. So I traipsed into the city, stalked into the MAC cosmetics section, and confidently asked to meet this Ruby Woo...and then I saw it and nearly ran in the opposite direction. It looked so bright! The gay assistant that was helping me put his hand on his hip and said, "Girl, just try it!" I meekly went over to a mirror and applied it. 

  And it was like love, lust and life at first application. I LOVE it! In fact, I loved it so much I wore it out of the store, to the bus stop and to work. So far, I have also worn it at home, to my grandparents' house and to the grocery store. I'm trying to figure out how I get away with wearing it to the beach. I have even given a Ruby Woo kiss to my sister's hurt knee, and the next day she swore it hurt less. 

   Clearly, I'm obsessed. But you have to understand how I feel. Trust me, I've tried red lipsticks before, and most of them look horrible on my complexion. I've noticed that a problem girls at the opposite ends of the spectrum-- girls with very fair complexions and girls with very deep complexions-- seem to have trouble with is finding the right red lipstick. And I think what's so great about Ruby Woo is that it suits almost all complexions. I don't know quite how, but it does.

   The only problem I have is that it's matte and so it is very drying. In fact, it's the most drying thing I've ever put on my lips. I have to use lip balm underneath it, and sometimes a lip gloss on top of it. But it's still definitely worth it. The colour is fantastic! As it's matte it isn't glossy, so even though it's bright it doesn't look like it's too much. And I feel like a fifties spy in it. Which is, obviously, what I've always wanted to be in life.

   Anyway, I'm off to do some house cleaning (a la Ruby Woo), and I'm going to the mall later today with a very good friend.  I also have to somehow fit in my eyebrow shaping into my very busy day (see how I'm conveniently filling up my day so I can avoid doing this task? Skills.)

   Hopefully my next post will be something less shallow, but this blog is about the chronicles of the Misnomer and this is what is going on in the Misnomer's life right now. Tell me what shallow interests you have going on in your life! What porduct are you currently obsessing over? And am I the only one who sucks at doing her own brows? Oh, and I've created a twitter account specifically for this blog: www.twitter.com/themisnomer

   Cheers!!

Does your clothing define you?

Does the way you dress match your personality?

    I read this interesting article by Amy Uhrich and it was funny because it was a topic that I recently found myself thinking about as well. I found it was a well- written article on Clothing vs. Lifestyle, but I figured that I'd also give a crack at it to add my opinion on it.

    Now I don't know about you, but I think a lot of us dress as a way to show who we are inside on the outside. The external display of clothes is a medium through which we transfer our inner feelings. It's like a chance to show who we would like to be, but are not because we are too chicken. At least that is how it is for me.

    For example, I have a very retro 1980's Cyndi- Lauperish approach to style. I love the big shaggy hair of the eighties, and while my hair is unfortunately not so big anymore, I overdose on the shaggy part to make up for it. Nearly every week I find an excuse to wear my cropped, studded jeans jacket and ripped, faded uber-tight Levi skinnies. Basically I usually look like a 80's/early 90's reject or a Day of Our Lives extra circa 1990. (Don't knock it. It's kinda cute in all its pathetic-ness) 

    But alas, I am not a cool crazy recording artist like Cyndi Lauper who gave us big hits like Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and I Drove All Night (I still think Celine Dion ruined that song with her perfect smooth voice, but that's a rant for another time.) I'm just a regular University Lit major who just might one day gather the boldness to sing Girls Don't Wanna Cry at an empty karaoke bar. 

    Therefore, my bold way of dressing does not match my personality at all. So what now? Do I dress all mundane and inhibited to reflect my life? Heck no! I keep dressing in the cool threads to show the bad-ass I am deep down on the inside. The bad ass that doesn't care about what people think about her clothes (except that catwoman outfit. Even my inner bad ass rejects that.) And I think that that is important, 'cos that's the only chance my inner bad-ass gets to come to light. 

   And I think that that shows the importance of dressing. It's so important that there is some outlet in our lives that shows our personality, just in case our life / lifestyle doesn't do the job. And sometimes it's the only hint anyone who has just met you gets an inkling of who you really are on the inside. I know a guy once looked at my pincushion earrings (....don't ask) and rightly predicted that underneath there was a wild child just waiting to be set free and who wanted to do the crazy things like bungee jump and skydive. He turned out to be a douchebag who just wanted to get into my Levi's (there's not enough room for you in these skin tights, loser.). But he was right.

    So basically, dress how you want. Do what you want. Into full wide ball gowns? Wear them. Everyday. Into huge dream catchers that you want to wear as a pendant on a necklace? Do it. Walked into Portobello Market two years ago and bought long turquoise feather earrings that match nothing in your wardrobe ? Wear them anyway. Don't mind what people say when they say that fashion or the way you dress doesn't matter. It does! If only to you as an outlet for your inner self!

   What do you guys think? Give me your thoughts please! :)