Look, this whole year shooting by is already getting a bit ridiculous, don't you think? Here we are at the end of April already when I'm still feeling a little full from Christmas.

By my standards, I went a little nuts on the old retail therapy this month but you guys, SALES. I made it a focus to concentrate on A/W tops for both work and casual as I had identified that as a massive gap in my wardrobe and I am pleased to say, I think I have filled it with some expert sale stalking. Naturally, the weather turned on beautifully warm days from then on so I haven't even had a chance to wear them, never mind the fact I was grossly sick for nearly two weeks and in no mood to do anything remotely involving photographs.

Whinging aside, first off was the navy version of the Sangria bell-sleeved top* I bought from Katies* last month. Not only did I snag the last one in my size in store, it was also 30% off all tops AND I had a $5 voucher from last month's purchasing. So this $29.95 top was mine for the princely sum of $16.05. Yes.


I don't often get to Harris Scarfe these days but I happened to swing by during another 30% off sale and bagged two of the same double-layer jumpers from Luca & Marc in different colourways which is how I roll when something is cute and cheap. I got the navy and the blush which is pictured below.


Then one day I found myself in Target. I style-jacked Liv from Eenie Meenie Miney Mum with this pink polkadot knit I'd been eyeballing (full price but just had to have).  See how she wore it. . . .


Then the clearance racks coughed up this emerald and black contrast top for $19.


And another of my go-to tee styles I bought back in February, down to $10 from $15 :


And a geometric print tee for my workout wear for $10. Not pictured.

Strolled into Rivers*, also during a sale, for some casual zip-up jumpers. Funnily enough, I had nearly popped on this twin-pack from ASOS* the night before:


Only to find 2 x jersey leisure knit bombers* just like these for $12 each. Yes ma'am.

There were no hard feelings towards ASOS* though, as I pounced on yet another sale and added these to cart in the spirit of #neversaynever2017:


One Day petite leggings with stirrup detail*


Only striped asymmetrical knit jumper*

And a Brave Soul cardigan* which is yet to be worn.

And did the same with Cotton On*, as promised back in this post, for this open knit sweater in dusty raspberry*. Also yet to be worn.

STILL TO BE WORN . . . this variegated dot crew jumper* which I had scooped up while on sale but then forgot about my pink spotty one from Target but then decided it didn't matter because they were different enough.

Right, I said, that's it but then I had to drop off a couple of bags to Savers and I got my 20% off stamp and it would have been churlish to not have a look. I was quite restrained and left with only a Katies* split-back sweater thingo for $8 which hasn't been worn yet because it is in the wash.

Fun fact: 15 items acquired and only paid full price for 2 of them.

Totals for the month:

Items acquired: 15
Total RRP ticket "value" - $481.75
Total paid - $264.94
YTD spend - $795.99
YTD "value" - $1,838.06

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* This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and purchasing, you don't pay any extra but I earn a small amount of coin to mitigate the next identified gap in my wardrobe. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.

I don't know about you, but my lips are heaps dryer in colder weather as opposed to warm, so when I had the opportunity to suss out the range of new tinted lip balms from Weleda, I took it with thanks.

I first heard of Weleda at the Bloggers United Adelaide event back in February last year when we were gifted with a couple of their products, including their famous Skin Food. Founded by Rudolf Steiner (yes, the same one as the schools), the company has been using sustainable farming and organic products for over 90 years, well before it was on-trend.


Tinted lip balms are great for those days where you don't want to look like a corpse but even the nudest of nude lipsticks is too much. My favourite of these colours is the berry red, which gives just enough tint and more than enough nurturing feels. The nude and rose shades are quite pale and opaque which don't suit my skin tone as well but they still feel amazing so I don't even care. Here I am rocking it for kindy drop-off.


Not only do these balms feel like they're doing good; with rich nurturing shea butter and sunflower seed wax but they are also totes natural, suitable for vegans, gluten free, fair-trade and suitable for sensitive skin so they're good for you and the environment and the people farming and supplying the gear that goes into them. Everyone's a winner.

You'll be able to find them by poking around David Jones, selected health stores, pharmacies and online and they'll retail for $15.95.

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I was kindly sent these three lip balms by Weleda for review. All images and opinions are mine and authentic. For more information, please see my PR & Media policy.

Late last year, I jumped on a blogger bandwagon (despite my own advice) and ordered my first dress from a popular online boutique during a crazy sale. Pleased with the money I'd saved for what appeared to be a really pretty item, I sat back and eagerly awaited its arrival.

When it arrived, I sent a few pics to various people, asking what I already knew - is this too much dress for me? Spoiler alert: yes. Excuse sad face.

Pockets tho:


I need to remember that as much as I love them, long sleeves are generally designed for people with regular length arms and I don't have those, I have short arms to go with my short body. This often results in bunching or over-wrist flapping which drives me nuts.

I checked the returns policy and, like many of these smaller online boutiques, unfortunately it did not apply to sale items. Disappointing. So rather than lose out, I set about trying to make the situation work for me.

I experimented with rolling the sleeves until I hit upon the genius solution of tucking them right into the dress itself. Being split sleeves from the shoulder, this worked and created a sleeveless top which I further customised by pulling in to show even more shoulder.

I then rolled the waist up slightly to take advantage of the front split. The combined effect of more skin and less dress made it much more wearable for my frame and saved it from the donate pile. I also added bolder shoes so my feet didn't disappear.


For a different look, I just added a coatigan to break up all dat dress.

 No-sew tips for making a dress work

• Belt it, belt it, belt it. Or if it has a belt, unbelt it. Change it. Try a sash. See what happens.
• Roll the sleeves. I have kept mine up with hidden elastic bands before. Emphasis on the hidden.
• Try layering. A sleeveless blazer or cropped jacket over the top can hide a multitude of sins and add shape. Or try a tee, tank or collared shirt underneath a sleeveless number.
• If you like the top half, wear a skirt over it. If you like the bottom half, wear a top over it.
• Pettiskirt? Just saying.
• Disguise a wack bodice or an unforgiving waist with a scarf (weather permitting)
• Use a dress clip to create shape and add interest.
• If you can pull it off, try the knicker tuck. I know people who are skilled at this, however I'm likely to be told discreetly by well-meaning friends that I have left myself tucked in after a toilet visit.
• Try back-to-front! Just make sure there aren't any tags poking out.

• How's the length? Would it look better taken up or let down?
• Does it actually fit properly? Perhaps taking in or letting out would help.
• Change the neckline, shorten the sleeves, add darts or pleats or whatever.

There are any number of no-sew DIY clothing hacks out there if you're feeling particularly crafty (I'm more the replace-pants-button-with-bulldog-clip kind of girl but you know, you do you.)

Have you ever rescued an item of clothing you thought had no future with you?

As you may know, I strongly favour affordable, accessible fashion and if it's an Australian company with a reasonable ethical grading, then I am all the way down. According to the 2017 Australian Fashion Report, Cotton On Group gets an excellent A- score and has been credited for investing in paying its workers fair wages and signing the Accord for Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.

Another cool thing is that the Cotton On Group is also investing in a new, sustainable cotton initiative in Kenya. This allows them to trace their supply and use cotton they know has been sustainably sourced. By supporting the farmers in set-up and operations and providing training and education on environmentally-friendly farming techniques, the Cotton On Group is working towards eventually integrating sustainable cotton across each of its six apparel brands by 2020, meaning good things for the farmers and good feels for the end consumer.

I'm pleased to be an affiliate partner of Cotton On for these very reasons, as well as the fact that Cotton On includes Rubi, Cotton On Body, Cotton On Kids and Typo, giving me excellent scope for bringing you news of bargains across the shopping spectrum.

Another thing I enjoy about Cotton On is their generous sales and discount offers which can be applied across the site. YASSSSS. Currently there's up to 70% off in their sale section!

Here are some of my favourite picks for the coming season, presented in this nifty gallery:



Are you down with Cotton On? See anything you like? I have a couple of jumpers in my online wishlist, waiting eagerly for the next sale to drop.

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This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and purchasing, you don't pay any extra but I earn a small amount of coin as commission to maybe put towards one of those cute knits. For more info, please see my PR & Media policy.