Update: Not A Shopaholic Wish List

http://notashopaholic.blogspot.ca/2011/04/not-shopaholic-wish-list.html

Remember back in April 2011, I did the Not A Shopaholic wish list? Link is above in case you don't.  I was unemployed and not able to go out and do much of anything. I was thinking of all the things I wanted but had no money for. Mostly as a therapeutic exercise I created this wish list as incentive and motivation to get me out of the situation I was in. I haven't thought much about it since then until I realized I have accomplished some things on the list. I thought you might want an update on things I've knocked off the list. It will never be completely done as I am always thinking of new and expensive things I want to buy. It's the expensive ones that are trouble. They take a lot of planning and saving to acquire. I also like a deal so I try to find the least expensive way to get the things on my list.

Here is a current update to that list from more than a year ago:

1. Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress - sadly this still remains on the list. Its funny because I thought when I started working again this would be one of the first things I would get. Hopefully this will be checked off in the near future. I am planning a trip to Woodbury Common outlet shops where DVF has an outlet. I am confident my first ever DVF dress will be found there at a somewhat reasonable price.

2. Smythe blazer - another piece still unchecked from the list. I have been keeping my eye on the Smythe options at Holt Renfrew but so far nothing has caught my eye. This is an ongoing pursuit.

3. Art from Celeste Brunel - Yea, this one I actually did! I bought 3 beautiful photographs from Celese that now hang proudly in my living room. I never knew art would add so much dimension to a living space. I love, love, love these photos and am so glad I chose the ones I did.
Her full catalogue of pictures is available through her website. Please have a look and support Canadian artists.

My living room with Celeste's photographs

4. Michael Kors - I was in love with Rose Gold watches and Michael Kors had some of the prettiest. Since writing the original post, I have given this some thought and will likely go with the Fossil brand over Michael Kors. Fossil is more affordable and just as nice. I have long been a fan of Fossil and am pretty sure I can get just as beautiful a watch. 

From Fossil.com: Stella Watch in Rose Gold $125 US

 

 

5. Toy Watch: This is one of the first things I did get once I had a job and income again. I was fortunate enough to be able to puchase this one wholesale plus shipping. I ended up going with a bit of a smaller style than I originally planned and its perfect for me. I get so many compliments on it. People really like the combination white and silver band which is one of the things I loved about it. I tend to wear this watch a lot in the summer obviously, but am surprised at how much I wear it in Fall and Winter. It really does go with anything.

 

 

From www.ToyWatchCanada.com

 

6. Mirrors - After many many years in my condo with only the bathroom mirror to see what my outfits look like I finally invested in a full length mirror. This functional and decorative mirror is now on my bedroom wall. Thank you Ikea for this affordable find. Thanks to Dad for putting it up for me.

 

Ekne mirror $49 Ikea Canada

 

7. Running Shoes - I did buy a pair of good running shoes and started running. It took me awhile to get going. I am now up to 20 minutes on the treadmill. Running outside is a bit harder so working on getting that time up. I hope to do my first 5k run sometime next year.

8. Home Internet - Done! Got this shortly after starting work and I wonder how I did without it for so long. Even better news is because I have Rogers internet, I am able to watch my beloved Toronto Blue Jays play games again.

 

9. New Car - This one I just accomplished this year. A new or used car is a major purchase and requires a lot of research. I probably did more than the average person because I despise buying things I am not familiar with and cars falls into this category. I got some help from a friend on Twitter and was able to get a great deal on a used 2008 Honda CRV which I love! If you are looking for a new or used car I encourage you to do as much research as possibly and try to talk to people who have the car you want. Happy to still be in the Honda CRV family. I love my car more each day.

 

 

So happy I couldn't keep my eyes open

 

 

10. Charitable Donations - this one I have to get better at. I continue to volunteer my time at a position I've been at for 3 years. Financial contributions I haven't kept up with. Hopefully I can get moving on this one and have an update the status on this one soon.

My Knight in Shining Armour: The Chesterfield Shop

Once upon a time there was a lovely girl who grew up in the suburbs and dreamed that one day she would be able to afford a condo in the city somewhat bigger than the size of a shoebox. When that day eventually came, she packed up her fantastic wardrobe, IKEA bedroom set and moved into said condo with its hardwood floors, spacious bedroom and gigantic balcony. Having lived with her parents her entire life, she had no furniture to speak of. The bigger than a shoebox condo remained relatively empty for over a year. A leather club chair, ottoman and barstools were the only furniture pieces to keep her company. After a year and a half of owning one piece of furniture and scouring the city and suburbs far and wide for a sofa that would fit in her beloved condo, the girl decided to buy a sofa and a slipper chair from a reputable retail chain. After many visits to the store, many searches online, measuring her living room and furniture selections, she came to terms with the price and took the plunge. The girl filled out the proper papers, picked out fabric for her furniture that would have made it magazine worthy and handed over a deposit. Now she was tortured with waiting 8-10 weeks for her magazine worthy furniture to arrive.

She waited patiently for the day her furniture would finally arrive, well maybe not that patient but she did the best she could. At the 8 week mark she called the store to check on the date of arrival, after all this was the most important day of her life. To move the story along quickly, it turns out the magazine worthy furniture was never ordered by the reputable retail chain. Hmmm, what? Yes, you read right. The order was never submitted. She wasn’t going to be getting furniture anytime soon. They offered to rush the order, but this girl had had enough. She demanded her deposit back from the big bad retail chain, much to the horror of her family and friends who thought she should have stuck with the original order. But lovely girls in the city don’t believe in rewarding bad behaviour so this girl set out to take her business elsewhere.


Now, the situation wasn’t as bad as you might think, for this girl already knew where she was going to go. Having visited a friend’s condo a few months before, she was smart enough to inquire as to where the friend had purchased her furniture. When the friend replied “The Chesterfield Shop”, the girl had no idea what she was talking about. After the big bad retail company screwed up her order, she knew she had to look up The Chesterfield Shop and check it out. The salesperson was very sympathetic to her predicament. He was a great help in pointing out their condo sized sofas, provided her with pricing and matching fabric to her sample. Within an hour of entering the store, she had a sofa and fabric picked out and signed on the dotted line. This purchase ended up costing less than the previous so some good came out of it. She settled in to wait another 6 weeks for her sofa. Luck was on her side this time because at 4 weeks she got a call and her sofa was delivered on a beautiful Saturday morning in September. It was so pretty and nice she didn’t even want to sit on it for risk of getting it dirty. It has become the centrepiece of the living room and this girl couldn’t be happier. Now her condo resembles an actual home thanks to The Chesterfield Shop and many other stores. The Chesterfield Shop will always have a special place in her heart. It is now the store she recommends to anyone who needs furniture. As it turns out, the lovely girl’s best friend and husband ended up buying furniture for their house there too. And they saved money compared to the place they had originally been looking at. See a trend here?


So now that the lovely girl has her beautiful sofa in her beautiful condo, what is she to do with her time? Why search for her Prince of course!

Christina Wallaert

Authors Note: While I was working on this piece, I came home one day and there was a delivery truck from The Chesterfield Shop parked in front of the condo building next to mine. Its was pretty funny timing.

My sofa and I are very happy together.