yay! my stuff is home!

So the first shipment of all my stuff has finally been delivered. This shipment is the one with both drugstore.com orders, my Amazon Neutrogena order, the stuff from January's F21 excursion, the Target.com stuff and my Haute Look NYX haul.

I only managed to convince my sis to take pics of my F21 stuff cos my eldest sis had swiped all the other packages and brought them to her home. The F21 package was the only one left at the office.

The pics are not too good but from what I've seen, I am totally loving my oversized ring and cuff! My sis says that the chain fringe detail bag is gorgeous too. Not much comments on the clothes though. First impressions of the longline modal skirt is that it's just kinda blah. I do like the cocoa satin foldover pants and the skinny cargo pants in olive look nice as well although a lil bit short.

The rest of my packages will have to wait till I get back since my sis has them stuffed at her house. She did mention that my NYX lippies are a bit sticky so I told her to stick 'em in the fridge. And she also commented that my nude Dolce Vita For Target wedges are super high - that kinda surprised me cos from the pics on the site, they did not look more than 3.5 inches.

Oh, my Corso Como Payson bag is already shipped so once that arrives in Portland in the next week or so, I am having the rest of the stuff shipped back. I am most excited for the Corso Como Festive flats, the Payson bag AND my entire F21 haul! Oh, and to see the look on my niece's face when I give her the Disney Princess VTech laptop! I can't wait for my trip home in a lil les than 2 weeks!

reality is making me weepy

I have been watching an inordinate amount of reality tv and I'm embarassed to say that some of the going-ons have made me shed a tear or two. Ok, a lil more than that if I'm honest.

I've been following the resurrection of American Idol and goodness, there are more than a few heart-bleeding stories this season! I think the one that sticks out for most people is the Chris Medina story and I was sad for him that he did not make the Top 24 cut. Then there's the mom, whose name I've forgotten, with the lil girl who was born with a disorder and was advised to terminate her pregnancy but decided to carry on. She did not make it past the Hollywood Week group round I think. Then the African-American girl adopted by the Caucasian couple. That was a sweet story too.

But it's not just American Idol that has tugged at my heartstrings - Kourtney and Kim Take New York had a few moments where I was overwhelmed by compassion, lol. The whole W mag debacle, Scott's defense of Kim in the club and subsequent undeserved fallout with Kourtney, Scott's total maturity in dealing with the Las Vegas birthday and Shengo leaving for AUstralia were some of the moments I felt were organic despite whatever the gossip sites like to suggest :)

And the most embarassing of all was the 2 episodes of Jersey Shore filled with the epic breakdown of Sammi and Ronnie's relationship. I shed tears for Sammi cos I just could not believe she would put up with that kind of treatment from Ronnie. I understood her despair of knowing you deserve better but unable to walk away. LOL, I WAS embarassed I cried but her pain really did seem so acute and real I couldn't help myself.

You know what? I'm just gonna pin all this weepiness on my overall fragile health state of the past couple of weeks :D

am i reading too much into this?

I feel that my colleague, Y, (yea, the love declaration guy) is trying to sneakily upstage me and another colleague, who we'll call Triple M. We all hold the same position even though Triple M is the head of one unit and I am the main liaison for the other unit while Y is like my second-in-command. Again, these are our unofficial roles and it was not established by us but by the bosses themselves.

So there have been a coupla incidences where things that have happened at my unit during the times I was not around that Y was aware of were not discussed with me and then when the bosses ask me about it I'm baffled cos I have no clue what they're speaking of. It's not like I don't ask, I do. When I come back on the job I always ask what has been going on. I don't consider this as an official update as I am not his boss but it's just a courtesy I expect you to extend because I extend it to you. For a person who keeps calling me the boss, he sure doesn't understand how to update people.

Also, we are always encouraged to pursue certifications and attend seminars and the bosses leave it up to us to determine what kind of courses we should take up but occasionally they will encourage us to pursue one of their choosing. So, last year I did mention I was supposed to take this exam along with Triple M and Y. During our discussions, we had thought for one of us to take the exam first as this certification is not accredited by the organization related to our industry. We had mutually agreed that Triple M would go ahead and be the first to take it but when the bosses were asking us for an update, Y replied without consulting us that he had already registered and the study material was already on its way. I was a bit pissed that he just went ahead without telling us after we had all agreed but okay, nvm.

The reason I decided to vent is because on Monday as we were having breakfast in a cafe near the office, I saw him looking at an ad for an IT seminar and I told him that that looked like something I wanted to attend as well. I told him if he was going, I wanted to go as well. First of all, if I had been reading that paper and saw that ad, I would have showed it to him and said that we should go. I wouldn't have kept quiet about it but not be sneaky enough to hide what I'm looking at. Then after my whole I-wanna-go-with-you speech, he barely acknowledges me then just simply takes down the details. I just keep quiet cos I was suffering through some crazy ear pressure balance thing and it was taking up my concentration.

However, today I saw an email in my inbox, addressed to the bosses but cc-ed to me and Triple M, announcing that he wants to attend this seminar and if the bosses agree then he will go ahead with registration. Then, at the bottom of the email before he signs off I see this:

"Note to Zlena and Triple M: If the two of you would like to attend, I will RSVP our names once I get the go-ahead."

First off, in my mind, is it not unprofessional to be asking your colleagues in the same email you are seeking approval to go for the seminar? That just shows a lack of communication between your team members for such a simple thing! We live in the same complex for goodness sake - he lives with Triple M! Second of all, which I'm sure was his motive, he thinks it makes him look good as now he looks as if he showed intiative and Triple M and I look like lackadaisical slackers. Fine, it's ok, I can deal with that but is that really a way to build good rapport with your colleagues. Third, I don't care if you want to be point man but you don't make yourself look good when you leave your teammates behind like that! If you wanted to make sure you had credit for suggesting the seminar, just reword it to say, "I saw the ad and approached both Zlena and Triple M about attending said event and they agreed it would be a good learning opportunity." would have covered the fact that he took the initiative!

I dunno, maybe I am reading too much into it but it sure does feel as if I need to watch my back a lot. Sigh. First I had to deal with Crazy-In-Love Y in 2010 but now 2011 I have Scheming-Backstabber-Ambitious Y. Gimme a break, dude!

a bag a month

Or so it's starting to seem like. Last month I decided to get a cute, and insanely cheap, hobo bag from Forever 21. I haven't even seen it yet but today, after looking over at the Corso Como event on Haute Look, my sis and I both ended up with the Corso Como Payson Large Flap Bag. In different colours, of course. My sis went for basic black while I mulled over the choclate brown and grey stone hue, eventually settling on the one below:

I think it's so cute - the colour seems more lavendar than grey which I do like. I'm just happy I got a non-black bag. I think overall the bag has a very boho-chic esthetic. The exterior is a combo of lizard-embossed leather and suede while the lining is cotton. In the image with the multiple views of the bag that I painstakingly print screened off of endless.com, the lining has a floral motif that is very Liberty of London-esque. And my most favourite feature - the detachable fringe pouchette that can be converted into a clutch or a mini cross-body bag. LOVE! That makes this bag like a 3-in-1!

I think what really convinced me to get this was the AMAZING price. The RRP for this bag is valued at USD298.00 as, after all, it is a genuine leather and suede bag. Haute Look was selling this for the very bargain basement price of 73 BUCKS! That really made my debilitating pain in my ear cease a bit :)

Anyways with shipping that was divvied by 2, my total amounted to $77.48. Is that not a deal or what?

so i know i've been on the quiet side

I've just been busy. My year hasn't started slowly, in fact, it's been one thing after another after another. Work and personal life and work and personal life, interspersing and making it seem like it's been go, go, go all the time.

I've also been sick a lot. I was ill for two weeks in late January, got well but two weeks later when we had our company kick-off meeting, my sister, who was my roomie, was sick so I caught her illness and fell sick. Again. I can tell you at this time I believe my 'Being Ill' quota for 2011 should be considered 75% full now. I'm currently battling a cripplingly painful and insanely annoying ear infection. In both ears. I think it was due to my immune system not being up to full strength before it was battered again that I'm now enduring stabbing pains in my left ear.

Work has not stopped for my sickness though. A lot of things were up in the air the first few weeks of 2011 as we had been renegotiating our contract with our suppliers so it has been a lot of digging around into the current process to figure out what else can be improved from our vendors. Not to mention dealings with the client. And also travelling to a different state SIX LONG HOURS away for another project we're working on. I'm just tired and longing to see my family whom I haven't seen since November last year.

Lest you think my life only revolved around getting sick and work, far from it, I managed to squeeze in a bit of online shopping as well *sheepish grin*. Eh, that's something that won't change about me I think. On that note, I'm off to retroactively blog about my shopping exploits so perhaps this post will make less sense later :)

FINALLY!

I FINALLY SCORED MYSELF THE CORSO COMO FESTIVE BALLET FLATS!!!!!


I had waited and paced myself for months after the disappointing encounters with both Shoes.com and Piperlime but in the end (hehehe, Linkin Park - no, it DOES NOT get old :D) the amazon of the eCommerce world, Amazon.com (who DID NOT see that coming???) came through for me! I got my shoes for a 25% discount at an already reduced price. Granted, the sale price wasn't that much different - it was selling for $57.15, it's actual RRP is usually stated as $59.99 or an even $60. But with the 25% off, I got it for the very impressive price of $42.86 :D

Amazon.com was having a shoes promo - get 25% off any shoes order of above $80 with purchase of qualifying shoes. Now, I know, the flats are only $57.17, what else did I get to qualify for the discount, right? Well, my aunt had tried on my sister's flats a few weeks ago and was also in love with the style and comfort it afforded and when I told her it was going for a discount, she said she wanted to get a pair as well. She got hers in a size 7 as my sister's size 8 was a bit loose for her and I got mine in a size 9 cos my sis encouraged me to size up despite my testing her 8 and being satisfied - she said I just tested in the house and I hadn't truly walked around in them yet so I followed accordingly. I'm a dutiful sister, I am :P

So my aunt getting the shoes as well totally solved my $80 minimum dilemma. The purchase of the flats qualified me for Amazon.com's free super saver shipping so that got a big whoop (totally vibing the '90s here :D) from me!

Aside from that, I also got my niece's birthday present which was also under the free super saver shipping. Hanni Bunny's totally going to have a conniption when she sees her new V Tech Disney Princess Magical Learning Laptop.

I had gotten my nephew one of those toy laptops with learning activities for his birthday present a few years ago but now that there are 3 hyperactive kids, a whole lotta fights are going on for face time with the toy. My sis suggested I get her this cos the last time the lil 4 year old tyke was having a push-pull competition with her bigger sis, she got knocked on her head with it. As such, I decided to get her a lappie of her own - and her elder sis will go green with envy, MUAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I'm evil as an aunt but Poopie will get something equally cool when her birthday comes around.

Anyways, I am so excited for my niece, my aunt and myself! We scored good!

i feel forever 21

Sometimes I feel a bit embarassed that I like to shop at Forever 21, lol. I haven't been 21 in ages :D

Anyways, by the time I decided to write this post, some of the items I got have disappeared off of the site before I could get a screenshot so we will have to make do with the two pieces that are still available.

My whole intention of this latest F21 haul was to get this first item. I am in love with it and don't really understand how it's still available on the site. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks it's all that, hehehe.

I got this Lace Layover Tunic Tank in black/blush for $8.99. I love how pretty and feminine it looks. It feels very whimsical to me. I can't wait to wear this with my skinny jeans or with one of my maxi skirts.

Next is this cute lil ruffly shrug/capelet that went for $9.99.

I actually plan to wear this over a black long sleeve top or my black long sleeve cardigan with my raspberry pink shantung skirt from Newport News. I want to jazz up the black and fuschia pink ensemble with texture rather than patterns so this cropped ruffle cardigan fits the bill nicely.

I also got some clear bra straps for 30% off. I got one for myself and one for my sis. After discount they were $3.92 total. Apparently if I had wanted to show you an image of them, I wouldn't be able to cos they are all sold out on the site, hehehe.

The next thing that I loved, loved, loved the look off was this contrast trim long sleeve top that was designed to look like a preppy off white blazer with black piping. I love the whole concept of it and can't wait to take a pic of the piece once I can get my hands on 'em - which will be next month. This is one of the items that have sold out on the site. I got it for $13.99.

Another item I got for $13.99 was a drawstring sheen shirt in the shade cream. Also sold out on the site so no pics but it is a long sleeve shirt with a utility feel to it - think safari chic. It has a silk-ish look to it and appears to look very luxe in pics.

Last of the things I got which coincidentally was the last item I put in my cart was a contrast colour piping cropped tweed jacket. It's a cap sleeve jacket in cream with black piping and the tweed bit is black as well. Hmmm, how does one describe the tweed effect colouring? But you get what I mean, right? I loved it when I first saw it but the cap sleeve is why I didn't immediately jump to get it but when there was nothing else that I looked at that caught my eye and was within the budget to complete my free shipping, I decided to go ahead and get the jcket. i can now see the many ways I can style the jacket and am so happy I was able to snag it for a mere $11.99. It's very Chanel-esque and is also one of the items I'm most looking forward to try out as well.

My total this time around was a lil more than I've spent before - $60.87. The shipment is already in Portland and awaiting shipment but since I have a few other things that need to arrive in Oregon first, it'll have to wait till early March before it get's shipped I think.

i thought drugstore.com and i were done till April

But I can't resist the pull of a promo code and the shopping exhilaration still stands even when I don't do it for myself. Anyways, it was the usual, I had received an email with a 20% off promo on skincare items and since I knew my sister's were looking into the Olay range, I figured I'd tell them about it so they can make good on the discount and I can earn more drugstore.com dollars! WIn-win for everyone!

My second sis was looking into the Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System which is the drugstore dupe of Clarisonic. I have read reviews on it and most are positive so that's a great alternative if I ever want to get a more travel friendly cleansing system. I also encouraged her to get a replacement brush head as well and she did. The entire system cost her $32.78. My eldest sis decided to change her skincare regime to Olay from Bliss's Youth As We Know It. She got the Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Regeneration Cream Cleanser and the Olay Professional Pro-X Anti-Aging Starter Protocol. That cost her a mere $45.98 compared to what she used to spend on the Bliss range.

For myself, I replenished my Murad APS Pure Skin Clarifying Supplement, Tablets. If I was getting 20% off I damn well am gonna buy 'em. I got myself another 2 months supply and that set me back $68.80. I think these are really helping to make my skin healthier, my scars are fading and my breakouts are less and clear faster. I also decided to spring for the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cleanser which I got for $4.79. I figured I would try this cleanser out and see if the combo will be good with the cream I already use from this range.

Now, I'm going to talk about the things I did get but will have to return cos comGateway refuses to ship 'em as they are considered hazmat material. I am grumbling cos only one item in the order had a warning for ground transportation only but the company is refusing to allow the 4 other liquid items to be shipped. My second sis and my cousin each got 2 bottles of the Dove body mist while I got a Neutrogena Rapud Clear Fight and Fade toner. The Dove body mist scent in Pemogrante is the item that had a ground transportation only warning while the other itmes were not labeled as such. So we have to decide if returning the products will be a cost-effective option since there are handling and return fees involved. The handling fee is 5 bucks while the shipping fee is $6 for the first 1kg and subsequent 1 kg is an additional $2. If the cost of returning the items is equal to the total of the returned items, I'm thinking we'll just forgo it. Sigh. It's a good thing I will only lose out on $5.11. Still sucks though.

i'm not gloating but if it comes off as that i'm sorry!

So the company's performance appraisal came and went in late January and overall I was happy with the outcome of my review. Although I did not score the highest out of my peer group (I came in third) that's ok, sometimes the scope of our responsibilities are too different to judge solely on our positions.

Anyways, during the end of our kick-off weekend presentation day, the bosses distributed our salary review letters and can I just say, THANK YOU GOD ALMIGHTY!

I have to say that I was kinda dazed right after reading the letter and wasn't able to process the contents until a couple hours later as we were whisked off to lunch and then the beach immediately after but once we returned to the hotel later that night and I was able to re-read the letter, I have to say that it started to really sink in for me. I am sooo happy with the increase I received and am seriously hoping that I finally have enough to comfortably shop and save all in one! Lol, yup, I do know how to prioritze :D

I was curious to see what the average salary increment was like and was kinda surprised to find out that most places offer a 5% increase and some places cap increments. It just made me thankful that no such thing happens where I work and our reviews are based on our performance for the working year. When the company rewards you justly for your service, you tend to be more fired up to serve and it builds loyalty. That's how I feel anyway.

So just thank you, Bosses, thank you so much for believing in me as much as you have shown!

if there's anything I've learned from blogging.....

it's that I CANNOT pass up a deal!

Sigh. JewelMint sent me a V-Day promo email - Buy a $60 gift card for $30. I had recently declined this month's selection as I'm trying to not spend unnecessarily even though there were pieces I was interested in.

Then I got this email and I couldn't help myself! I didn't even take 5 minutes to think about it - I logged in to my JewelMint account and looked at the gift card section to see if the promo was going on and 5 seconds later I had purchased it.....

Of course, the next thing I did was keep on refreshing my inbox to see if my eGift card to myself had arrived and the moment it did, I IMMEDIATELY redeemed it. What I did spend some time on was choosing which bauble I wanted to get this time. I could get 2 pieces straightaway and I was seriously contemplating it but decided to just go for one thing this month and save the credit for the other piece for another time.

I looked over two rings and a couple of bracelets but finally settled on this:

It is named the Trinity Bracelet. As can be seen, it's a set of three chain bracelets in gold, silver and rose gold, measuring 7 1/2" each. It's simple, elegant and perfect for everyday - as described on the product page :D

Can anyone hazard a guess as to why I eventually went for this? No? Aside from the fact that I think it's a classy staple for my jewelry collection, the fact that there's three of 'em certainly is a major plus.

I decided to take that approach with JewelMint. I figure I'm paying $29.99 every time for any piece from the JewelMint collection right? So if I can stretch out my $29.99 on pieces that contain multiples, I can divide the $29.99 with the number of pieces :D In this case, it would mean $29.99 divided by 3 and essentially, each bracelet cost me $10. That's not too bad overall. And since I have one more store credit for free cos of the $30 for $60 deal, whatever my next purchase is will also be factored into this $29.99 so then the cost for each item goes down even further. Hence why I love and can't resist promos like this!