Madame

Madame by aranika featuring genuine leather belts

Close to nature

Close to nature by aranika featuring a polka dot dress

My dream

My dream by aranika featuring polka dot scarves

I wish I was there

I wish I was there by aranika featuring bermuda shorts

Simplicity

Simplicity by aranika featuring wide waist belts

Yellow again!

Yellow again! by aranika featuring wood jewelry

Sunny

Sunny by aranika featuring platform heels

Beige

Beige by aranika featuring a beige blazer

My chance

My chance by aranika featuring flat sandals

Coral

Coral by aranika featuring messenger bags

Waiting for summer

Waiting for summer by aranika featuring super skinny jeans

A bit of purple in my life

A bit of purple in my life by aranika featuring a leather tote

In my mind

In my mind by aranika featuring a straw tote

Waiting for summer

Waiting for summer by aranika featuring a disc necklace

I'm feeling blue

I'm feeling blue by aranika featuring cigarette pants

Trench spotting

Trench spotting by aranika featuring a short coat

Blue

Blue by aranika featuring an ivory blouse

Flowery

Flowery by aranika featuring summer sandals

Spring is coming

Spring is coming by aranika featuring H&M tops

Oranges

Oranges by aranika featuring bow shoes

I've got a date

I've got a date by aranika featuring a slimmer belt

Blue and yellow

Blue and yellow by aranika featuring gold earrings

A bit of summer

A bit of summer by aranika featuring destroyed denim shorts

Easy afternoon

I haven't managed to stay away from the shops or from the websites where I can buy and buy clothes. Maybe it's time to come to terms with my addiction and learn living with it? I am miserable when I like something and cannot buy it or when I cannot go into one of the shops I'm passing by so why resist the urge?

In the meantime, thanks to British girl in norway, I discovered a website called Polyvore

It's brill! It has thousands if not more photos of "sets" of clothes - mix and match sets - where you can see what looks nice with what and all. You can even have a go and using online photos you can make your own sets.I have just tried that to see how it works and this is what I came up with: more or less what I wear today- at least colour wise.

Here it is. I hope you like it.

Easy afternoon by aranika featuring long shirts

I have sinned!

I didn't manage to pass s shop without a look inside and a purchase. Unfortunately for me I had to go to my bank on Saturday morning and while there, I couldn't resist the small trip to Dorothy Perkins store. As a result: one pair of skinny jeans and a top managed to make their way into my wardrobe. I could technically return them but that is only technically. I like what I bought and will wear it so I won't return them.

I promised that I will be honest here and that I will not be hiding my purchases from you. So here you go. I have sinned and I am guilty of not keeping this particular promise to myself. I knew it was not going to be easy but I didn't think that I would make some purchases just after a week from my birthday.

Making slow progress!

My strong or rather weak will and self control were seriously tested yesterday! I have to admit, I am really proud of myself. I'm sure you want to know what has happened. Well... Do you know what those sales are doing to us? How the items that are on sale (and not only on sale in my case) shout at us: "I'm reduced, come and get me, I'm a bargain!" Well, yesterday afternoon I managed to kill the urge (nip it in the bud) to look at the sale items in one of the shops I was passing by. Wait a minute, I'm lying, I did look, peaked actually but not went through them! How about that? Ha, I know I can do it then! Can I treat myself to something for that, something like a new top or pair of shoes or pair of trousers or perhaps a scarf? I'm just kidding.

In my case, or I suppose in anyone's case, the saying"out of sight, out of mind" is pretty much true. I know that if I looked at anything yesterday, anything that I liked, I would be desiring it, thinking about it so badly that in the end I'd have to go back and buy it. It's always like that with me. There is never: I have a similar item at home, I don't need one more. It's always: it would look good with my new pair of trousers, shoes etc. My mind would be imagining how I can wear it, with what and where. I dind't look yesteday and I don't have the problem today. Nothing is on my mind, not a single new item of clothing I mean.

Going in circles!

Why is it so difficult? Do you know that I actually feel envious of people coming out of shops with shopping bags? The other day I saw this woman with a shopping bag from my favourite H&M store and I almost burst out crying because it wasn't me. That's not normal, is it? I fell like some sort of freak with no self control. I know I plunge myself into feeling low by constantly thinking about things that I would like to add to my wardrobe but I seem to be unable to help it. I do like shopping, probably a bit more than others, if only it didn't get out of hands in my case.

Perhaps just one little peak, one purchase, it would actually make me happy, wouldn't it? Well,  I'm sure it would, for 5 minutes perhaps and then I would feel guilty for the rest of today if not longer. It's not worth it. I need to try harder!

One down and counting!

One day down, the rest of my life to go!

I have managed to survive one day - my birthday in fact - without a single look on the so loved by me websites. I have to admit it was tempting and very close to being irresistable. My mind was going: just once, one look, one thing, it's your birthday after all. And my hart was saying: remember what this is all about, spending money on things you don't need and don't really want. It's a no no for you! After a long battle who do you think was the lucky winner? My hart! 
It all has to be about following my resolutions, keeping faith in myself and being positive. If necessary reading my first post all over again. I know I can do it! I know I can be strong. These has to be my mantra, my theme sentences! So how come I can hear a voice at the back of my head saying: one sparrow does not make a summer? Oh well, I'll ignore it (the voice I mean) and will enjoy my first shopping free day and I will concentrate on being positive for the time being. I know it is early days and the crisis will come, but I have to, and I mean it, be positive. I can't live my life with all this "clutter" around, "clutter" that builds up because I do not know how to wake my strong will up. So...

 I came up with the idea that I need something to occupy my mind, especially while I am at work. I know it sounds crazy, but my job is not very mind involving and high-tech and I do have a lot of free time on my hands to check the Internet. That's why I need something that will stop me, or actually the urge in me to have a small look on the websites. In other words, I need to think of another "hobby". For a start something that definitely does not involve spending money would be a good option. That shouldn't be difficult, should it? I suppose not! It's a matter of asking yourself what one like doing? Hmm...

Well, I like cooking, but I can't cook when I am at work. That would be pretty much difficult if not impossible. I like reading, but it is not necessarily possible to read at work either, not without the Manager noticing. What then? I know! Fashion! But wait a minute! That involves looking on websites though and those are fobidden until I can safely check and not feel the urge to buy everything I like. There you go then, there is no winning with me, I am a hopeless case. 

Starting a new life on my 35th birthday!

Ok, so I am a Shopaholic! Good thing that I know about that, so I can actually start doing something about my addiction. Bad thing, well, addiction itself. Perhaps today will be a good day to start doing something about that? Any day is good you'd say, but I want to make my 35 birthday special and with new resolutions. There you go then!
I'm not one of those who can spend hundreds in a day and I am not one of those who will max the credit card out, but unfortunately I am one of those who buy things everyday and soon after pay day being left with no money in my account. My weakness is H&M website. I could spend some money and some time there checking what's on sale and what's available. If I like something, well, I buy it. When I receive the package I am thrilled to have received that but after a few moments I chuck it into my wardrobe and wait for an occasion to wear it. When the day comes, I'll wear it and then I feel guilty of wearing the item because I don't want it to wear out or damage it. It's like feeling that all my clothes (I buy clothes mostly) are my precious possessions and I want them to last me forever. 
My wardrobe is full, I have no more room for anything. Yet I keep buying. The pros of having wardrobe full of clothes is that it takes me less than a minute to decide on what to wear, the con, well no more room for anything else and in many cases forgetting what I have in there.


You'll ask, so how are you going to start a new life? Well, I want to be free from checking the websites on what is available, I want to have some money left in my account at the end of the month and I want to be able to shop my own wardrobe rather than the shops. I want to be able to window shop without the urge that I need something that I make this last purchase and my wardrobe will be complete. I want to be able to actually enjoy my purchases. So, from today I am going to think: I don't need new clothes, I have more then enough. I don't need more shoes, I have more than enough, I don't need anything new, I need to enjoy what I have!


I hope that having a blog and actually writing here will help me. I need to be honest though and I need to write down my progress. If I purchase something, which I hope will not happen, I will write it down in here. If I stay away from purchases, I will write it down. 

In the meantime: Happy Birthday to me ;)