Quick trip to the Magnolia Silos

It was the labor day weekend and luckily, the hubs wanted to go out someplace. It was a little late but I decided that it was a good time as any to drive to Waco and check out what the city had to offer.

We barely had enough time to check out the silos. The hubs was a little too bored of the place while it was sensory overload for me. I didn't bump into Joanna or Chip but just seeing the silos from the Dr. Pepper Museum made me squeal with joy. It was a relatively short walk to the silos from the museum (I try to walk more with all these pounds I keep on gaining lately.)

There was a little bit of a line at the bakery but nothing too crazy as it was really near to 6pm which is when they close the bakery and store but the grounds remain open until 7pm. 

We did some walking around to check out a little bit the grounds and their home store. 

Since we were there anyway, and the food trucks all being closed (close at 5pm), and no house to decorate yet, I decided to line up for about 5 minutes for two cupcakes. Texas heat aside, it was already late afternoon and they have plenty of mist spraying through the patio.

Considering the other cupcakes I have tried (other than the grocery store and from other countries), the red velvet was pretty decent and good. We have yet to try the chocolate one though. They have plenty more sweets in their menu but again, we're both trying our best to behave and manage our weights! 

Oh, and we also celebrated 2 yrs and 6 months of officially being together since we started dating. Hurray for small milestones! 

Sneaker Find at Marshalls

So my husband was just trying to kill time at Marshalls while waiting for me to finish work. And then he tells me of this certain sneaker that ended there at a really low price. Since I really know nothing of sneakers I decided to trust his judgment.

We somehow picked up this Nike Air Penny II at just $60. I looked it up on Foot Locker to check the price and the sizes that were still available were going for $130+. It seemed too good to be true. If I had been back home, I would instantly think it was a fake. But then this article clearly explained how some "rare" sneakers end up at Marshalls. 

http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2017/01/how-sneakers-end-up-at-marshalls

I guess my husband had been lucky on my birthday. Call me cheap but I really, really like shopping at Marshalls.

Kate Spade Outlet finds

I think of myself as a very stingy/frugal person but of course I have my low EQ moments and indulge from time to time. But I am a sucker for great deals. Initially, a trip to the outlet store would always end up with me buying a thing or two. But then, the proximity of the outlets and with nothing better to do, frequent trips resulted to no purchases at times. In fact, I have ended up comparing prices depending on the season and with other stores. A lot of times, I feel that weekend deals are traps because the price don't really vary much but just gives you the impression of so. I probably should elaborate more on a separate post. For this one, I will try to focus on some observations I've had of bag purchases from Kate Spade.

Not that I have a lot of Kate Spade purses but for some reason I thought their outlet items looked a little on the cheap side. It was for this reason I read up on some brands producing items specifically for outlets which never sees the day on their regular boutiques. With the number of outlet stores around and the number of people shopping at any given time, it is indeed hard to believe that all discounted items came from boutique clearances. Since then, it felt a little less of a bargain shopping at the outlets especially at Kate Spade because I thought I really was not getting any discount. The money is more for the brand name (bragging rights) than the make and quality (at a discount). Nonetheless, this didn't stop me from constantly perusing their deals but I mostly zoned in on the clearance items. To me, that's where the real deals are, the rest are just deal traps. 

But then, one time, this sales lady recommended this specific bag I was trying to decide on, more than the other. Other than it looked nicer, she said it was from their Kate Spade boutique. After that experience, I am more on the lookout for real deals from their Outlet stores of boutique finds more than anything else. So far, here's what I got as a basis for identifying if it's a made-for-outlet purse or the boutique ones.

Boutique purses:

1. The spade symbol outside the bag is made of metal.

2. The inside of the bag has cute prints for its lining.

3. Again, there is a spade symbol that is again made of metal inside the bag.

4. One bag which I ordered online (not from the surprise store), actually came with a dustbag.

Outlet purses:

1. The Kate Spade brand is printed only (which I am tempted to try if I can scratch them out...) or a solid metal (this I am not 100% sure).

2. The inside lining is black (the two I got so far), with the words Kate Spade somewhat embossed. Makes sense from a mass production standpoint to bring the cost down.

3. Inside the bag there is no spade symbol made of metal, instead is a cheaper version of a stitched patch or something to that effect.

4. No dust bags so far from my outlet hauls (whether boutique or not).

I honestly prefer to buy if I can manage to find a really good deal of boutique versions of the bags than outlets because I feel the value for money is more in there. For me, the discount is not misleading because it was really sold at one point for the listed price unlike the outlet stores who only probably post the "MSRP's" as more suggestions and as a marketing ploy. However, to some, Kate Spade is Kate Spade so as long as the price is less then 60% off the "MSRP" then that's already good. 

Love-Hate relationship with Tieks

I first heard about tieks just probably 3-4 months back when someone posted in a facebook group. Seeing the tag price and how simple it looked, I quickly dismissed it. I was not at all drawn to it and thought I was not its market. I was quite happy with the Cole Haans I managed to snag from DSW on clearance sale. Prior to that, I settled for any random brand that would sell cute ballet flats after getting tired of wearing heels. VNC/Vincci, Charles and Keith, Aldo, Coach, MK, G.H. Bass, korean street vendors etc. It wasn't until that Cole Haan pair when I realized that these flats could be comfortable. You see, I'd trade them with sneakers/NMDs anytime when heavy walking is involved.

"Curiousity killed the cat."

Curiousity got the better of me though and I found myself wanting to splurge and indulge in some retail therapy one time that tieks was just back in the radar. Also, not to mention that I was out on a business trip where I had to wear steel-toed shoes which weren't exactly my taste leaving me with a hefty luggage for Just a one week trip. It was the perfect excuse to give tieks a try. It could be perfect for travelling and I had some extra funds.

My first pair was burgundy. I tried to break it in as all other posts I've read told me to. The big toe problem did surface but now that I've been wearing it a lot, it's a very comfortable pair that feels like second skin. Honestly, sometimes I don't realize it is that comfortable until I switch to my non-tieks pairs.

Barely a month later, I found myself, splurging on another pair. This time, with my husband's choice of color, cobalt. It is now my favorite pair. 

I definitely want to add some more but I need to be practical and sensible. Also, since joining the group Tieks Anonymous it made me feel paranoid of how I use mine. My husband takes better care of his Jordan collection than I do with any shoes.

I'm definitely conflicted so for now, a wishlist would suffice, until I can add them to my tote guilt-free.

Top Golf!

When travelling in a city that offers top golf, do try to drop by especially if you have a group of 2 or more (and if you have the time for it).

Top Golf is just like going to a driving range but to play a game of bowling or darts. I have just recently tried it, and though I suck at it I definitely enjoyed it and would want to go back again. We managed to play their popular game where the driving range had somewhat like dart boards spread across with points allocated evenly. The bull's eye with the higher points and the outer rings with lower points. It didn't matter that much if you swing hard or soft, as long as you can get the ball in the innermost ring. We did try another one where you gain more points the farther you can get your ball in a hole. This one I almost got 0 for every swing I made. 

 

Meanwhile, the rest of your group can have a beer and a snack or meal while socializing or watching you (or maybe laughing at you.). 

Travel tip: go before 5 on a weekday to get almost half-off the hourly rate. Rates are on an hourly basis which can be split evenly among the group members. 1.5 hours/3 people allowed us to play two casual games as mentioned above.

Look Rich

These days, I find myself wanting to spend and buy more high-end items in a less thoughtful manner without need or justification. In short, just giving in to whims and maybe perceived self-actualization and competitiveness. That one bag I bought somehow had me wanting to buy more, to enjoy my earnings instead of always thinking about savings and ROI.

Then I saw a timely reminder which had Facebook's CEO picture with the caption, the idea is not to look rich but be rich. That hit me. I started getting addicted to trying to dress myself up, to set myself apart and make me think that people would notice the message "hey I made it". So here I am salivating and planning on my next luxury item while my net worth is not even .01% of Mark's. Oh boy, do I love these little reminders that puts things in perspective and regain focus. The challenge is not to fall into the habit of looking for material rewards every so often. Get rich with experiences than look rich. Live below your means, not within and all the more not above.

Photo grabbed from Mark's FB page.

Carry On 20

Ladies and Gents after several brand hopping, online window shopping, some failed attempts (that's another story), internal conflict, forum scouring, I finally jumped the gun and found my first splurge bag. The stingy side of me, originally dropped the idea altogether but after discovering this brand, it was more than happy to give in and indulge me. My wallet is happy, my stingy self is happy and my EQ is happy. I think I ended up reading all entries from the purse forum just to get to know the brand some more.

 

I exchanged emails with the SA, Louise, who was very helpful with all my questions as well as including some pictures as I requested. Since I have already done my research though, I have my eyes and heart leaning towards a certain direction already. (SO to all the lads and ladies for posting about this brand.). It was the color that I was ultimately undecided on but most weren't available except for the walnut brown. As much as I wanted the other colors than this, putting me on the waitlist would be a bad idea as I knew it might end up in smoke if I don't buy it now. She did tempt me with a few other extras but I stuck with my goal and budget. Besides, I wanted to first give it a try to see if it looks nice in person. Exactly, a week later from my first email, I found a box on my doorstep. In it were two envelopes, one with the receipt and the other was a handwritten note from the SA with some other details about the product and the brand, Faure Le Page. Of course, the shopping bag, dust bag came with the bag as well. Now, the bag, I... LOVE... IT!!! It's the right size and color, not to mention it's so my taste!! It's versatile and practical enough that I think I can use it many ways, not to mention I can stuff more than just the bare essentials in there (I tend to carry more than the usual most days.).

 

As much as I'd like to gush on it some more, I'd have to savor, I mean save it for another day. I hope I'd get the chance to post something like what's in my bag for this one. It's one of those I found difficult to find in my online research.

Also, I am on the lookout of what the total damages will end up being including taxes. The bigger problem though is I might like their totes, pouches and wallets too. uh-oh...

*** runs to closet to find old stuff to sell...