What I Bought In July & How I've Worn It

I feel I have been doing a lot of shopping this year! While I didn't buy anything in June, I added to my wardrobe in July, just like I did in March, April and May. And I added quite a lot this past months! With the preloved markets stalls I've had I've also cleared out a lot from my wardrobe, and I feel I've made some really wise buys to replace some of the things I've let go.

What I Bought in July:

• thrifted red dinosaur skeleton earrings
• blue and yellow daisy resin earrings
• thrifted pink ombre tassel scarf 
• thrifted Rebecca Minkoff vintage Cupid satchel in dark navy blue

• Kmart linen blend textured black tank
• Kmart teal tank
• Cle The Label Amelia tank in indigo 
• Cle The Label Charlotte tee in ombre rose 
• Kisschasy Hot air balloon United Paper People tour band tee

• thrifted Atmos&Here white straight leg jeans
• thrifted no label floral print babydoll dress
• thrifted colourful geometric print maxi dress

• thrifted Kmart turquoise linen shorts (no wears yet, until it warms up!)
• thrifted pastel Paisley print cape (no wears yet, until it warms up!)

Why I Bought It:

Actually bought a couple pieces new this month! The majority of my purchases have been preloved through the year, but I couldn't resist picking up a tour tee from my favourite band. The Cle the Label items were on super sale so I thought I'd give the brand a try, however I don't think I'll be buying more from them in future. As good as the organic cotton is as a material, I haven't found anything about the people in their supply chain and if they have fair wages, so they were a bit of an impulse buy I was maybe too hasty on. The two pieces I got are good basics, but I really need to be more thoughtful about where my money goes when I buy retail. Kmart is good for a bargain, but despite improvement isn't yet paying a living wage either.

With the decluttering at home, of everything from books to pieces from mine and the kids wardrobes, I've been visiting the opshop more frequently, so of course I couldn't resist a couple of browses through the clothes and picked out a few things for myself. While they are impulse buys, I'll never turn down a Rebecca Minkoff opshop find, and I did try to stick to thrifting pieces I knew would work with the goals I have for my wardrobe this year. I've been focusing more on shopping preloved as I know it's more environmentally friendly. More budget friendly too!

How I've Worn It:

As you can see, I've been buying a lot of basics! And that Rebecca Minkoff Cupid bag has been a firm go-to since I practically danced out of the opshop with it. Such an amazing find. To prevent this post just being a huge wall of photos, i tried to only share times I'd worn the bag with other new pieces I bought this month.

I haven't worn some of the summer pieces I bought. While I could make the dresses work with a few layers, the cover up and shorts are going to have to wait until winter weather leaves us in Brisbane. Not too long until spring arrives though!

This is the biggest shopping month I've had this year, with 14 items purchased, which is a lot to purchase all at once. Not everything has met my goal of being worn twice in the month I bought it, as I did buy some summer pieces, and July only had so many days to wear so many new buys. I'm confident everything I bought will be a wardrobe staple though. Even with the opshop finds I was trying to be really discerning with what I added to my basket. At only $1 per item of clothing at my local opshop it can be hard to not buy everything I like!

My wardrobe has changed a lot this year, but I'm putting thought into it. With going back to work full time, and having regular days in the office each week so I'm working from home less, it's been a good year to have re-evaluated my wardrobe and to have made a few changes. Even if I have donated or sold on pieces I didn't hit 30 wears with, I'm trying to make sure everything I buy is something I'll want to wear 30 times or more.

Excited to come up with more outfits from these new additions to my wardrobe!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

What I Bought In May & How I've Worn It: Preloved Purchases

After not buying anything for my wardrobe in January and February, I have been impulse buying a lot these past few months! Picked up some things in March and April, and now I've tripled what I spent over both those months with my latest buys in May!

What I Bought:

• Rebecca Minkoff quilted maxi Edie crossbody in Porcini brown suede
• Orange Sherbet Zoe tiered dress in geranium print pink
• Witchery black belted moto leather jacket
• Adjustable coral flat bead necklace
• Red multi strand beaded statement necklace
• Gold beaded statement multi strand necklace
• Mimco gunmetal twisted bracelet stack

Why I Bought It:

Everything except the bag was purchased at Gladrags markets. It was a cold morning so I did a few laps around the market to keep warm, instead of sitting in my stall all the time. I ended up chatting to some of the other stall holders and making a few too good to pass up buys. Still made more than I spent, so a good day, and I got some incredible bargains too!

The handbag was an impulse buy as well - I've been looking at this style when it goes on sale quite often on the Rebecca Minkoff site, but even the sale prices didn't drop enough to make me buy. When I stumbled across this on eBay, ticking off a style I wanted to try, and a fabric I wanted to try (I don't have any suede bags in my wardrobe), I knew this was a keeper!

How I've Worn It:

Gladrags Markets was at the end of May, so I haven't had as many opportunities as I'd like to wear everything I bought. Even if it takes me a few days longer to hit my goals of wearing everything I buy twice in the month I bought it though, I've managed to wear everything at least once which is awesome.

The leather jacket was a very timely buy with our record breaking cold temps at the end of autumn - it's kept me very cosy! And I've managed to wear the bag 3 times too.

I can definitely see I've been increasing my spending since the start of the year. With that stall at Gladrags markets I'm being a bit more critical with my wardrobe, so that even if I haven't reached my 30 wear goal with some pieces, I'm creating a wardrobe full of things I love to wear and letting those that don't work for me go on to new homes. And it's so much fun seeing who your pieces go home with when you have a market stall!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

30 Ways To Wear A Blush Pink Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Darren

For this month's 30 ways to wear post, I'm featuring another bag, this beautiful Rebecca Minkoff small Darren messenger in peony pink. A bag I've worn a lot more than 30 times, the pastel pink has been so versatile in my wardrobe!

30 Ways To Wear: Blush Pink Small Darren Satchel Bag

When I saw this bag during a browse of the David Jones sale I could not get it out of my head - so I had to buy it! I didn't think about how I would wear it, just how pretty it was. I have been pleasantly surprised to find it works with so many outfits in my wardrobe! The adjustable strap is a nice feature, although I do mostly wear it on the longest crossbody setting. I started out just trying this bag as a lovely pastel pink touch of colour with a neutral or monochrome outfit, but found over time blush pink goes with so much, and I'm so glad I stumbled across this bag in the sale! I'm really not sure why this messenger style was discontinued - the Darren is still available in other styles, but this original one will always be a true classic to me!

Cost Per Wear

I bought this bag back in October 2018, at over 50% off it was $240.78 as there was an extra discount on the sale price. At 44 wears to date, that's $5.47 a wear so far. Higher than the $1 a wear most people aim for, but given how often I reach for this bag and how much I love it, I have no doubt it will get to $1 a wear or less in time.

One thing to note is that the lighter colour has suffered from colour transfer - thankfully it was easily cleaned off. Since then I haven't had any further issues wearing this bag with denim or dark clothing, it's staying stain free.

Since I've worn this bag a lot more than 30 times, I tried to pick just my 30 favourite outfits to share.

---

30 Ways to Wear: Video Style

---

Pastel Pink Bag and Little Black Dress

This was one of the first ways I started wearing this bag - pairing the pale pastel pink with a lot of black. A little black dress is perfect for that. The bag adds a nice colour that isn't too statement making like a brighter pink bag would be, and pink and black always go together nicely.

Blush Pink Bag With Blue Outfits

If you're read my blog occasionally you'll know that blue and pink is a colour combination I always love to wear - different shades of blue and pink work together so well! While navy blue is a frequent go-to with this blush pink Darren bag, you can see with these outfits that even lighter shades of blue look nice with the pastel pink.

Pastel Pink Bag With Monochromatic Neutral Outfits

Just like the little black dress outfits above, neutral colours were a good starting point for me with this bag. Blacks and greys together create easy neutral outfits, and the pastel pink bag is a lovely way to inject a little colour with all those neutrals and otherwise monochromatic outfits.

Blush Pink Crossbody Bag and Purple

Although not something I wear as much as pink and blue, I do really like pink and purple in an outfit together. I just don't have many purple pieces in my wardrobe to pair this bag with! As you can see, the lilac tee is a firm favourite with this bag, I like the two pastel tones together.

Pastel Pink Bag Matching Other Pieces In An Outfit

If you're really not too sure about what colours go with a pastel coloured bag like this Rebecca Minkoff Darren, try doing a little matchy-matchy! I find pink scarves, or even piece4s with a blush pink print in them, coordinate perfectly with this peony pink bag and make any outfit feel a bit more cohesive. I love that I have a pair of shorts that match the bag so well too!

Pink Bag Worn With Other Contrasting Shades of Pink

If a little pink accessory looks good in an outfit, why not add even more pink? This was a fun colour combination to try, although I'd had this bag a while before attempting it! Trying two different shades of pink in the same outfit, from a deep berry blouse to a bright fuchsia dress, even the magenta kimono. The pastel pink works well with all other shades of pink I've tried it with! When I was trying this combination out I always wore it with other neutrals like black and white as you can see in these outfits.

Blush Pink Bag With With Other Pinks and Blue

This is a great example of how I've slowly tried more colour combinations with this bag! I could definitely categorise them some of the outfit formulas above. It's the blush pink and brighter pink outfit pieces combination, but this time instead of sticking with black and white pieces, I'm adding a little more colour and having the two different shades of pink, and a little bit of blue as well. Easy pairings I know that work well together, worn all at once to make a colourful new trio that I can try out in different outfits.

Rebecca Minkoff Peony Darren Bag and Skirts

This is the best way to show the versatility of this bag - it works so well with all my outfits, as you've seen above. But while I worried the crossbody messenger style might feel too casual, I think it's perfect for the office too! It looks just as good with a maxi skirt as it does with a little denim skirt, or a pencil skirt for work. It really is such a versatile bag, and I'm glad I have it in my wardrobe!

---

Where To Buy Rebecca Minkoff Darren Messenger Bag:

---

More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 44+ ways I've worn this bag in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear Mulberry Alexa in foggy grey
• 30 ways to wear magenta pink bag: Rebecca Minkoff Edie bag
• 30 ways to wear a neon pink bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga city bag in sorbet pink
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff Regan tote bag
• 30 ways to wear a red bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Avery
• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag
• 30 ways to wear Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Love bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga black Part Time bag
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Tote in plum purple
• 30 ways to wear Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag
• 30 ways to wear brown Balenciaga Day hobo bag
• 30 ways to wear purple Balenciaga Work Bag
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote bag

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

30 Ways To Wear: Rebecca Minkoff Magenta Edie Crossbody Bag

Featuring a beautiful bag for this month's 30 ways to wear post. One that illustrates perfectly how much of a challenge committing to wear something 30 times can be! Over a couple months I've been so sure I'd have hit 30 wears on this bag, I feel I wear it pretty regularly. But I've only just hit 33 wears with it. 30 wears can take a bit of time to achieve if you don't wear something daily, even something that's easily reworn without waiting for the laundry cycle, like a handbag!

30 Ways To Wear: Rebecca Minkoff Magenta Edie Crossbody Bag

It's not the first time I've shared 30 ways to wear a pink bag, I think it's such a fun colour to accessorise with! And this magenta is definitely my favourite shade of pink, it goes with so much!

Cost Per Wear

I ordered this pretty little bag in the post-Christmas sales and got it in January 2019. It was reduced to $168.92 (including shipping), which I just couldn't resist as it retails for $330. At 33 wears, that brings it to $5.12 a wear which is much higher than the $1 a wear people aim for, but is pretty good cost per wear so far for a leather handbag. Considering it is still in amazing condition and something I don't ever see myself getting rid of I know I will hit $1 per wear eventually. I tend to see my bags as splurges that are always good value given how much they will be worn over their lifetime. Excited to keep wearing this for years to come!

---

30 Ways To Wear: Video Style

---

Magenta Edie Bag With Blue Dresses

Honestly the reason I love magenta accessories so much is because of how well the colour goes with blue, and I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe. You'll see the blue and magenta combo in a lot of these outfits but I wanted to call out these 4 dress outfits specifically as a blue printed dress and pink bag is a staple outfit formula, and it shows how well the Edie bag works with different styles of dresses and different shades of blue.

Matching Handbag to Other Magenta Pieces In An Outfit

Matchy-matchy makes me happy! An easy way to wear a bold bag is to match it to something else in your outfit that's the same colour. That could be a scarf with a bit of magenta in it, a magenta necklace, or something with magenta in the print like the kimono. The magenta jeans and Edie crossbody bag together are a particularly bold combination.

Wearing a Magenta Bag With Different Shades of Pink

Despite my live of a matchy-matchy outfit, sometimes it's nice to try something a little different and wear the little magenta Edie bag with other shades of pink in an outfit. Blush and other shades of pastel pink pair nicely with the magenta bag. Even pastel pink so pale it kind of blends in with the white tee like in the maxi skirt outfit!

Magenta Bag As A Pop Of Colour In Outfits

Hands down the easiest way to wear a colourful bag, wear it as a pop of colour with your outfit. I do this a lot with my brighter bags. As you can see from these past outfits, the magenta Edie bag really pops against neutrals like black, white and grey.

Magenta Edie Bag Worn With Purple

Pink and purple are such fun colours together and these 5 outfits show how well this little magenta bag goes with different shades of purple. From larger pieces like a tee or jeans to smaller pieces like a scarf or in a print of a kimono, magenta and purple look great together.

Edie Crossbody Bag With Summer Shorts Outfits

A little crossbody bag like the Rebecca Minkoff Edie is a great choice in warmer weather. It's a good light bag and the long chain strap means it doesn't have to get all caught up in your armpit a hot day like a shoulder bag would 😅 Plus this bag just looks great with shorts and magenta is a lovely colour for summer.

Magenta Edie Bag With Blue Winter Outfits

Of course I like to wear my bags year round and just as the Rebecca Minkoff Edie crossbody bag works in summer with shorts like I showed above, it works well with winter layers too. A colourful bag can inject a bit of brightness to a winter outfit. In most of these outfits you'll notice that I'm wearing the blue and magenta colour combo again too. It really works and is such a staple for me.

---

What Fits Inside Magenta Edie Crossbody Bag

---

Where To Buy Rebecca Minkoff Edie Crossbody Bag:

---

More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 33+ ways I've worn this bag in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear a neon pink bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga city bag in sorbet pink
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff Regan tote bag
• 30 ways to wear a red bag: Rebecca Minkoff Micro Avery
• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag
• 30 ways to wear Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Love bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga black Part Time bag
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Tote in plum purple
• 30 ways to wear Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag
• 30 ways to wear brown Balenciaga Day hobo bag
• 30 ways to wear purple Balenciaga Work Bag
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote bag

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

What I Bought In August (And How I've Worn It) - Rebecca Minkoff Jumbo Love Bag

After achieving No Buy July I've been sticking firm to the Slow Fashion Season #FashionDetox challenge, which means buying no new fashion pieces from July to September. I'm really wanting to achieve that goal, and didn't see myself even doing much thrifting or second hand shopping for the 3 months, shopping that's allowed under the rules because it's not newly made. 

But then I stumbled across a preloved bag for an amazing deal and just like I did in June, and March, and February... I impulse bought another handbag 😂 Maybe I need a handbag detox!

What I Bought:

This beautiful bag is the Rebecca Minkoff quilted jumbo Love bag in cobalt. It's a bag I've considered a few times over the years but the cheapest I've seen it on sale was $190 and I eventually thought too long even at that price and missed out on it. Being petite and wary of bigger structured bags I didn't want to spend a lot in case it was too big for me. It currently retails for $539 at David Jones so I'd always thought it would be a bag I wouldn't add to my collection.

But then I saw this second hand on Gumtree for just $50 - and knew I had to try it at that price! I do think it is a bit big for me, and I can't wear it crossbody like I do with my other love bags as it's down at my knees! But while it won't be a permanent addition to my handbag collection I plan to enjoy it for a while, the colour is amazing.

Given I don't see it being a staple for me and that I've found it a little tricky to style so far it's an impulse buy I probably shouldn't have bought, but I was so curious about this style and it's nice to have a jumbo Love bag to try. It also brings my total purchases so far this year to: 5 items of clothing, 4 bags and a wallet! 🤣 Definitely a bag buying year this year! They have all been second hand bag buys so I'm still just under budget.

How I've Worn It:

If I was in the office more this would be the perfect office bag I think, but we are still under hybrid ways of working with it meaning working from home most of the time. I've tried to work this bag into more casual outfits, with varying rates of success. I'm determined to make this bag work though, it's just so beautiful!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

30 Ways To Wear A Neon Pink Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC

Happy Easter! I hope you have a fun weekend celebrating, we will be, with our 3 day lockdown lifted early.

I love putting together 30 ways to wear posts with my bags as I always have so many old outfit photos to look through to narrow it down to just 30 outfits I've worn! Each month, I look through my blog archive of daily outfit photos and find things I've worn 30 ways or more to put these posts together. Inspired by The True Cost documentary that says we should aim to wear each thing we buy 30 times or more to reduce the impact of our fashion purchases.

Today it's the turn of this beautiful little neon pink Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag!

30 Ways To Wear A Neon Pink Bag

This cute neon pink Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC was an impulse buy back in May 2016. I'd seen the auction relisted a few times on eBay but the bag looked pretty worn. In the end I decided to go for it, it was under $30 even including shopping, and I reasoned I could redye it if the condition was too poor. It is a very worn bag but it's also an awesome shade so I just decided to wear it anyway. I know it will eventually get to the point it's too worn to wear and will need some TLC, but right now all people see (and compliment!) is that amazing bold neon colour!

Cost Per Wear

At $29.75, and having been worn 37 times, this bag is down to just 80 cents a wear, which is pretty good! And I intend to get quite a few more wears from it before I go down the redye route. For a bright and bold hot pink bag I didn't expect it would be as versatile as it has been in my wardrobe! I've worn it with a few different outfit options but I thought today I'd focus just on the colours I've worn it with to give you some ideas and inspiration for how you can add some neon pink to your outfit. Neon seems to come back as a "trend" every couple of years!

---

30 Ways To Wear: Video Style

---

Neon Pink Bag With Black Outfits

This bag is a very bright neon pink and it doesn't really need any help to pop in an outfit. But it really stands out with black! It's a fun way to lighten up a black outfit and is such an easy way to wear it.

Neon Pink Mini MAC with Grey Tee Outfits

Another neutral this pink mini MAC bag works with is grey. I've worn my grey tees with the neon bag quite a few times, grey and pink is a lovely combination and this neon is a really bright way to do it.

Navy Outfits With Neon Pink Mini MAC

Just like the grey tee outfit above, blue and pink is another colour combination I wear frequently and I love the extra bold touch of navy and neon pink together. Just like I did with the other neutral outfits above, I sometimes add another little bit of pink in the outfit too but the mini MAC bag makes a great pop on its own against navy as well.

Olive Outfits With Neon Pink Bag

Pink and olive is a combo I never thought I'd try but once I gave it a wear once I was hooked and I find this really wearable! I like the contrast of the neutral olive and neon pink together. I particularly like wearing olive tops with this bag but my olive shorts work too!

Neon Pink Mini MAC With Other Shades of Pink

I don't have a lot of neon in my wardrobe and I certainly don't have a lot of neon pink! But I've found I can make my matchy-matchy outfits I so love when I try other shades of pink with the neon. Pastel pink printed jeans, a hot pink tank, even different shades of pink in a scarf all work well with this bag despite the shades being indifferent.

Purple With Neon Pink Mini MAC Bag

Pink and purple, much like pink and blue, are an easy combination and one I frequently rely on. As with the pink above I find any shade of purple, from a magenta cardigan to deep purple jeans, is such a pretty pairing.

Accessorising White Outfits With Neon Pink Bag

I don't have a lot of white in my wardrobe but I have worn this neon bag with white quite a lot! Like the black outfits I shared first, this bag really doesn't need a neutral base to pop as it does that all on its own. But it really stands out even more with a neutral base and white is another good colour choice to wear with neon pink. Perfect outfits for spring and summer.

---

Similar Neon Pink Bags Under $50:

---

More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all the 37+ ways I've worn this neon mini MAC bag in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag
• 30 ways to wear Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Love bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga black Part Time bag
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Tote in plum purple
• 30 ways to wear Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag
• 30 ways to wear brown Balenciaga Day hobo bag
• 30 ways to wear purple Balenciaga Work Bag
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff micro Avery bag
• 30 ways to wear navy Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga sorbet pink city bag

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

What I Bought In March And How I've Worn It: Rebecca Minkoff Love Too

Well... I bought another bag 😂 Despite saying I didn't need or want anything this year I've managed to make an impulse buy or two every month. But this one was definitely worth it!

What I Bought:

• Rebecca Minkoff Love Too in deep teal croc embossed leather

Why I Bought It:

We have an internal recognition program at work and there's a little monetary reward associated with it. Which I was lucky to get, and immediately put towards getting this bag! I hadn't used my Christmas bonus gift card yet either which covered the rest.

I'd checked out the Rebecca Minkoff sale and gotten as far as adding this bag to my cart before I realised that even with the extra % off, the shipping cost and exchange rate didn't make it that much of a bargain. It's a style I'd been wanting to try for a while but didn't want to pay the $400+ it retails for here either.

When I later browsed eBay with that work reward in mind I stumbled across the exact same bag I'd been eyeing on the Rebecca Minkoff site. At $100 cheaper than I'd seen in the Rebecca Minkoff sale! Of course I had to buy it!

As you can see in the video it didn't quite go as smoothly as I'd hoped but the handful of times I've used this bag it's been issue free and I've really enjoyed wearing it!

How I've Worn It:

The seller on eBay was super sweet and shipped this bag so quickly, it arrived much sooner than I expected. Which let me wear it for the first time on my return to the office. We had a celebratory lunch planned related to the work I mentioned above. It was so good to catch up with my colleagues and empty out all the food I'd left behind in the office before lockdown last year! It was nice being back, although throwing out all that expired food that hadn't been touched in over a year was not a nice experience!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

What I Bought In November

Short and sweet what I bought post! Showing you two things I bought for myself last month - I did take advantage of some of the black Friday and Cyber Monday sales but that was to buy Christmas presents for others. So I wanted to share some things I picked up for myself before all the sales, just two things!

What I Bought:

• Rebecca Minkoff Jean MAC bag in fig
• Thrifted Adidas Superstar sneakers

Why I Bought It:

The shoes were such a lucky find. I have never been able to find shoes in my size at an opshop but I always glance at the shoe rack just in case. I was thrilled to realise these were in my size and just $3! Looking a little worse for wear I figured I could clean them up a bit at home, trying a few different things to get rid of the yellowing the scuff marks and stains on the leather. They certainly don't look new but $3 for a $150 pair of shoes I'm pretty happy with how they scrubbed up!

Got extremely lucky and found these Adidas Superstar sneakers in my size at the opshop for $3 😁 a bit of a clean up later and they look pretty good! ⭐#opshopfind #ilovetoopshop pic.twitter.com/ZgV40zM0iv

— Mica (@AwayFromTheBlue) December 8, 2020

The bag was an impulse buy - and while I also bought it at the start of November it was on better sale than it ended up being on Black Friday. I'd been eyeing it for a while unsure about the colour it looked on the David Jones site, but once it was further reduced I had so snap it up. As you can see in the video I didn't need to worry about the colour! It's been a firm favourite bag to wear since I bought it.

How I've Worn It:

The bag has had the most wear as I've only worn the shoes once so far as it took a while to clean them up. I was pleased with how they were looking so wore them on Monday to check out how comfortable they would be with my knee injury. Pretty happy with them! I know both pieces will get a lot more wear in future too.

I'm not planning to make any fashion related purchases in December but who knows what sales will tempt me 😂 At the moment though I'm on track to be under my 2020 fashion budget and I want to stick there!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It 

Handbag Lover's Gift Guide For 2020!

It's that time of year again, where blogs turn into gift guides! Each year I publish this one gift guide: the perfect gift guide for a handbag lover, no matter your budget! This year, because it's 2020, I've added a little bit at the end for ways you can support some local Aussie businesses too. I try to pick pieces that will ship internationally, but I'm sure you will understand that the local section may only ship within Australia.

So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for a bag loving friend or relative, or just a little bit of bag-candy, this is the gift guide for you!

Spectacular Splurge-Worthy Spoils

These bags are $500+ and above - not the kind of thing you would give to a casual acquaintance, but certainly something special for someone close. Wives, girlfriends, mums, sisters - if you have the cash to splash you can't go wrong with something from this list! Sticking with classic styles and neutral colours is always a good idea, especially if you're not entirely sure what their preferred colour bag would be. Probably something to be 100% sure that you know they are after before investing so heavily in this section though!

Modest Mid-Range Designer Choices

At $100-$250 you can look at bags from their favourite contemporary designers, or maybe even a SLG (small leather good) from a luxury brand. There are so many options at this price point to choose from, this budget doesn't limit you but lets you get creative with how you want to spend. Think wallets, clutches, card holders, wallet on chain bags, wristlets... You can give them an accessory from a brand of their dreams or their perfect bag from their favourite contemporary designer. Mine being Rebecca Minkoff of course!

Bargain Bag Finds

Got less than $100 to spend? No worries! Think of ways they can accessorise bags they already have - keychains and bag charms are a good way to go, or a skinny silk scarf to tie in a bow on a bag or wrap around bag handles. See my video for more ways to accessorise a bag! What about a little pouch or wristlet they can use to keep things safe in their bag? Or a gift card to help them purchase the bag of their dreams they have been saving for? You can even hit up sites like ASOS for high street versions of designer styles, without the high price tags.

No matter the budget you have set aside, remember that the Thanksgiving Black Friday sales in the US will be starting soon, and other countries are starting to follow with similar sales. That bag that may have been out of your budget before might be a much more attractive price now or in the days to come, so get adding to cart in preparation for the sales!

Shopbop have up to 50% off designer bags, and you can get an extra 30% off at Rebecca Minkoff with code 'TAKE30' on orders over $150.

A Little Something For Yourself?

All that shopping for other people can lead to a little splurge or two on yourself! The categories above are good for gifts as you get the "new bag" experience with all the wrapping and boxes and that new bag smell! But if you're looking for a bag for you, why not try the preloved market? Easier on the wallet and the environment! Sites like Fashionphile, Yoogi's Closet, Bag Mad Boutique, Vestiaire Collective make it easy to snap up an authenticated designer bag at a bargain price - just be sure to review all the pictures and description carefully so you know what to expect with the condition. eBay is an option too, but I highly suggest using an authentication service like Authenticate First before buying anything designer from eBay.

Shop Local

There are so many local businesses who would really appreciate your support this Christmas. In the sprit of shopping small and supporting local that's so needed for  2020, I wanted to share some. While they are certainly not all bag based they have a lot of great gift ideas to surprise, spoil or entertain your loved ones this Christmas.

For The Little Ones:

• Little Birdie Books (get 15% off with code 'TOPKNOT') 
• Keeping Kids Busy (get 15% off with code 'BLACKFRIDAY')
• Kids Craft Box

For The Grown Ups:

• Yondale Designs - beautiful silver jewellery that will be treasured for years to come (I have two cuffs I adore from this company that I never remove from my wrist)
• Handbags on Etsy - you can filter for the perfect gift from your country, state or city!
• Katherine By Katherine - vegan friendly handbags and accessories, made in Brisbane!
• Fashion Scarf Girl - another Queensland mum, with multi-buy scarf discounts! (I have been a brand rep for this company in the past and I have also bought a lot of her scarves with my own money!)

Have fun shopping and finding that something special to bring yourself or someone you love a little bit of joy this year!

Follow Away From the Blue on:
Bloglovin : Twitter : Instagram : Youtube : Facebook : LikeToKnow.It