Owner: The Fashion & Beauty Bargain Queens URL:http://fashion.thebargainqueen.com Join Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 01:32:52 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: The very best fashion & beauty deals online, to help you look great on your pay cheque. Site statistics:Click here
Ask the readers: Christmas gifts for big families 2006-12-04 00:47:24 A question for readers
who have big families: do you buy Christmas
presents for everyone, and if so, how generous are you?
I ask because my family used to be tiny so I bought a generous present for everyone. Total budget: $200ish.
Then I got married and gained all of Mr Bargain Queen’s huge extended family: two parents, two brothers, stepmother, three step-siblings, grandmother, aunt and a bunch of adorable step-nieces and -nephews.
Then I was reunited with my father and gained five brothers, a stepmother and many adorable nieces and nephews of my own.
I now have ten times as many family members and I have no idea what to do. Should I buy everyone a present? Should I only buy the kids presents? Is it OK to buy little joke presents instead of big generous ones?
If you have a large family and want to share some tips about how Christmas works for you, I’d really appreciate it!
How to choose great gifts 2006-12-06 00:46:31 A perfect gift is something the recipient will use and enjoy. That means it’s different for every person, and rarely as generic as most of the gifts in catalogues and ‘what to buy’ guides.
Since Christmas is the most intense gift-buying period of the year, I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learnt about picking great gifts.
Tip One: Ask what they want
The quickest, easiest way to pick the perfect gift is to ask the recipient what they’d like, so don’t feel bad about asking. This year, my sister said she’d like a manicure set, so that’s what I’ll get her. It won’t be a surprise, but it is something she’ll actually use, and that’s what’s really important.
But only ask if you intend to buy what they want. It’s frustrating to tell someone exactly what you’d like, then get something different that you’ll never use.
Tip Two: Think interests, not gender
A lot of gift guides have ̵ Read more:choose
Great cheap food gifts (under $5) 2006-12-07 03:27:20 If your Christmas gift list is long, you’re probably looking for lots of great, cheap gifts: thoughtful, inexpensive things that the recipients will enjoy.
Food gifts are great for most people — who doesn’t love a yummy treat?
Here are some of the most delicious food gifts I’ve received, and some things I’ve given that have received rave reviews. Most are under $5, so they’re still affordable in bulk if your gift list is long.
Make these yummy food gifts…
Nothing beats a delicious home-made treat, especially if it’s beautifully packaged. Some of my favourites include:
gingerbread men
peanut brittle
chocolate crackles (an Australian favourite)
homemade strawberry jam
I found a great festive food gifts guide while I was looking for these recipes, which includes some new ideas like homemade mustard, pet cookies for the dog- or cat-lover and DIY amaretto liquer too. I might have to try those this year!
Even if you can’t cook, you can Read more:Great
Re-gifting: how to do it right 2006-12-08 01:30:03 If you’re thinking about re-gifting this Christmas, Hot Off the Sales Rack has some great tips on hot to re-gift well. Well worth a read if you have a cupboard full of gifts you’d like to palm off on an unsuspecting relative year!
PS: Today’s suddenly the busiest day of the week so my promised post on cheap gift ideas that aren’t food will be coming on Monday instead. See you then!
Still offline, unless you count video… 2006-12-13 05:32:09 No posts for a couple of days — sorry everyone! My laptop died and I’m computer-less. This makes blogging very difficult.
I’ll be back as soon as I can, but I can’t tell you when that’ll be. The Apple service place said it’ll take two weeks to fix my laptop, but they don’t know what’s wrong with it so I’m not sure I believe them.
While I’m away, if you’d like to see the person behind this blog, watch Cameron Reilly’s G’day World podcast from December 10th and see The Bargain Queen speak. There’s about 10 seconds of me talking towards the end; the rest is a whole bunch o’ boys talking about geeky things… which is what you’d expect from a Web 2.0 networking night, I guess.
Enjoy!
Read more:unless
, count
, video
I'm back! 2006-12-18 03:09:55 I just got my laptop back with a new hard drive installed, so I’m finally back online.
Today I’m catching up on email and responding to comments; tomorrow it’s blogging as usual. See you then!
How to survive Christmas: money, family, health 2006-12-19 08:59:58 The week before Christmas
is my ‘danger time’ — if I’m going to get carried away with Christmas spirit, this is when it happens.
In the past I’ve:
overspent on presents to make up for being away from my loved ones;
overworked myself doing nice things for people who don’t appreciate it;
overeaten so much that nothing fits for a few weeks afterwards; and
drunk so I’ve felt sick for quite a few days.
I know I’m not the only one who tends towards Christmas excess.
A little Christmas indulgence is great, but it’s easy to go too far. Here’s my silly season confessions, and what I’m doing to survive
this Christmas with my finances, health and dignity intact.
Money
This time of year, it’s really easy to overspend. So many Christmas things cost money and are socially expected: presents, parties, festive outfits and travel to see loved ones.
I never have enough money for all the shiny things that catch my eye, but each ye
Trendy or stylish: which are you? 2006-12-20 23:59:09 Fashion and style are completely different concepts, and without knowing it, most people gravitate towards one or the other. People who are into fashion are fashionable or trendy; people who are into style are stylish.
You can be fashionable, or you can be stylish, but you can’t be both.
So which are you: trendy or stylish?
Fashionable
To be fashionable or trendy means:
you wear clothing that’s currently fashionable
you buy clothes to keep you up-to-date
you stop wearing them when the trend has passed
you will wear something that doesn’t suit you or your lifestyle if the trend is compelling enough
Being fashionable tells the world that you’re outwardly focused and engaged with what’s happening around you. On the flip side, being too trendy makes it look like you have no identity of your own.
Stylish
To be stylish means:
you wear clothing that suits your figure, colouring, personality, lifestyle and environment
you only ever buy clothes because you gen Read more:Trendy
Holiday entertainment: great blogs to read 2006-12-22 02:28:19 Looking for some entertainment?
I’ve just created a new page with a list of fantastic blogs. It’s an eclectic mix, with everything from fashion & beauty to home improvement; copy-writing to indie music. They range from quirky-but-charming amateur efforts to seriously informative pro blogs. The one thing they all have in common is a royal endorsement from The Bargain Queen: I read them, I love them, and I think you might too.
So, get a head start on the new year and find some great new blogs to keep you entertained for the next 12 months!
(I confess, it’s really my long-and-unruly blogroll made into a neat, usable page with helpful descriptions of every blog. Should I categorise them as well? Let me know what you think.)
PS: The Top 10 Australian fashion and shopping blogs are also all worth a read.
Read more:Holiday
Cheap last-minute gift ideas (under $15) 2006-12-22 22:48:51 It’s December 23rd. You’re still doing your Christmas shopping… or maybe you haven’t even started yet.
The only solution now is to take your credit card to a department store, wade through the crowds, grab the most suitable-looking presents and ignore the total until January. Right?
Or maybe you intend to buy all your gifts at the gas station when you fill up your car on the way to Christmas dinner. Nothing says “it’s the thought that counts” like milk, cigarettes and a street directory, wrapped in a plastic bag with the receipt still inside.
If these are your Christmas shopping plans, stop right now.
Here are some better ideas
: quick, cheap, thoughtful gifts you can buy today.
Yummy food
For the gourmet: Buy a small box of gourmet chocolates — good for the palate and the waistline. In Sydney, you’ll find amazing chocolate at the Lindt Cafe, DJs Food Hall (they have Godiva!) or Haigh’s. In a pinch, you can buy Lindt chocolate Read more:Cheap
Tip: post-Christmas sales start today! 2006-12-23 22:26:36 Have you ever wondered how a whole store of merchandise is magically marked down by the time the sales start, early in the morning on the day after Christmas
?
A lot of stores get their staff to re-price items late on Christmas Eve, i.e. today.
So if you’ve been lusting after something that’s a fraction too expensive, go take a look an hour before closing time. It might just be discounted already!
My bargains: cheap designer shoes 2006-12-25 23:59:18 Boxing Day is the start of the big post-Christmas bargain shopping season in Australia. To get you in the mood for bargain hunting, here’s one of my recent finds.
I bought these two from David Jones at the very start of the Boxing Day sale, i.e. Christmas Eve (when the staff mark down all the merchandise).
The ones on the right are from Via Spiga. They were AU$150, marked down from AU$300. They have a small kitten heel which you can’t see in the pic. The slim cut and high vamp make my feet look positively dainty in them!
The ones on the right are Kenneth Cole Reaction. They were AU$109, down from AU$150. They’re surprisingly comfortable given the high (for me) wedge heel that’s just visible in the picture. I wore them for hours at Christmas lunch yesterday and they barely hurt at all.
Even on sale they’re not the cheapest around, but good-quality, well-made shoes
are an investment worth making — just ask The Manolo.
My ebay bargains: two nice skirts for $18 2006-12-27 00:11:16 I recently bought these two skirts
on eBay for $18 plus delivery (a little over $25 all up).
This skirt is by Tigerlily. I picked it up in as-new condition on eBay for only $13! It’s made from a silky cotton-blend fabric and hangs really nicely. It’s very lightweight and breathable — perfect for the hot Australian summer. It’s longer than it looks in the pic and the hem sits just below the knee.
Excuse the poor photo of this skirt. It’s a black cotton skirt that originally came from Sportsgirl. It cost me $5 on eBay. It’s also knee-length.
I love these eBay bargains!
My bargains: $50 of thrift store finds 2006-12-28 00:21:24 This is what I recently picked up on a thrift
-shopping outing for only $50:
On the left-hand side, from top to bottom:
White cotton boatneck sweater with navy trim (brand new!), $3
Pale blue stretch-cotton long-sleeve shirt, $5
Cute lilac t-shirt with a low neckline, puffy little sleeves and lace trim, $3
Red ‘Joe’s lemonade’ tank top, $2
Knee-length polka-dot cotton skirt, $5
On the right-hand side, from top to bottom:
Grey Sportsgirl cami with sequined trim, $10
Red satin Blue Juice top, $8
Purple top, cheap synthetic but I like the colour, $3
Printed cami, $3
Burgundy shirt with mid-length sleeves and ruffle trim, $8
Please excuse the poor quality photo. Everything’s much cuter in real life, I just didn’t have time to carefully photograph them all.
This week's links 2006-12-29 23:17:50 Something new for the New Year: each week, I’ll post the best money-saving articles I’ve found online.
Here’s my picks for the last week:
Beauty beat >> cheap thrills
Cheap Australian beauty products that work great… for anyone who’s run out of money over Christmas but still wants to look pretty.
Jonk’s Bargains
A bargain shopping directory for Australian readers.
Reduction Quest: How to Save at the Money Game
A twice-yearly exercise to cut your bills.
Want to Save Money? Just Ask!
If you ask for what you want, you have a much better chance of getting it.
Also, if you’re interested in fashion and technology, head over to Verbal Croquis and read Zoe’s great post, fashion invades Teh Geekosphere. Apparently not all geeky males are happy to have attractive, stylish female company in ‘their’ interweb. (Spoilsports!) Zoe’s response talks about how technology supports individual style and how that’s re-shaping the fash Read more:links
2006: A year in the life of The Bargain Queen 2006-12-31 07:03:54 2006 has been a really wild year for me, both on this blog and in my offline life.
I launched The BargainQueen
on February 22nd, as a hobby to keep me sane while I was on extended sick leave. I figured it would be a good antidote to all the serious I.T. stuff I do at work: something girly and fun and frivolous to occupy my spare time. It’s turned into much, much more than that…
I started The Bargain Queen for free using Blogger, so I could learn to blog. I installed a very basic free stats package (StatCounter) to see whether anyone read it. In February, 108 people visited — more than enough to convince me to keep going.
So I kept on blogging, and the blog kept growing… 603 visitors in March, almost 2,000 in April. May was a bumper month because I hosted my favourite blog carnival, the (now-defunct?) Carnivale of Couture. Almost 4,000 people stopped by to read it. (If you missed it, you can still read my Carnivale of Best-Ever Bargains.)
By July, my Technorati
My new year's resolutions 2006-12-31 23:50:30
In 2007, I want to be…
A pro blogger
I love blogging and I want to do it for a living. How do you make a good income blogging? I have no idea. But this year, I’m going to find out.
A published writer
I’ve been asked to co-author a chapter of an experience design textbook that’ll be out in 2008. So in February and March this year, I’ll be writing it! Fingers crossed it all goes well.
A licensed driver
I’ve never learnt to drive, so this year I’m going to. Mr BQ and I just bought a car. Next step: learn the road rules. Then the driving lessons start.
A lot healthier
I finally have a really good medical team — a bunch of professors plus one head of department. They’re already getting great results. I’d like a whole year of continually improving health please!
A happy renovator
Renovating sucks and I’ve been very cranky about it last year. This year, I’m going to be happy about the progress we’ve already made an
Why cheap shoes are too expensive 2007-01-03 03:19:51 Tempted to buy some really cheap shoes
? Don’t do it.
I’ve been test-driving cheap and cheerful, fast-fashion shoes for the last few months — knock-offs of the Marc Jacobs and Chloe numbers I’d love but can’t afford.
My verdict? I’m going back to wearing better quality, less trendy footwear. Here’s why.
Cheap, poor quality shoes:
Hurt your feet
Wear out quickly
Get very smelly
Are more expensive on a cost-per-wear basis
…but I admit there are some very cute cheap ones now.
By contrast, good quality shoes:
Support your feet well
Last for years
Breathe, so your feet don’t stink as much
Cost practically nothing on a cost-per-wear basis
…but you do have to look a little harder to find cute, fun styles because they can be a little dowdy.
So how do you tell if a shoe is good quality?
It will be made of all leather, or have a leather upper and lining on a sole that’s made from another material (e.g. rubber).
It will look n
Say "I do', not "I debt' 2007-01-05 02:11:15 So, you’re engaged and planning the wedding. Which would you prefer: to start married life with a huge pile of debt, or to begin with a clean financial slate?
The first year of married life is already a time of great stress, as you both work out how to have a happy marriage, so why add financial pressure to the mix?
Here’s some ways to rethink your wedding plans and bring them back in line with your budget.
Don’t love it? Don’t do it
Look at each wedding tradition in turn and ask yourself: is this really meaningful to me? Would I still feel married if I skipped this entirely?
Personally, I didn’t wear white because I wasn’t a virgin and didn’t want the symbolic pretense of being one. We also skipped the veil; he knew what he was getting! We didn’t do it in a church because neither of us are religious, and we wrote our own vows in our own words. But we did want rings, loved ones, a limo, special outfits and plenty of champagne — it
5 things you didn't know about me 2007-01-05 23:28:21 There’s an internet meme circulating called ‘five things
you didn’t know about me’. Here’s how it works:
someone tags you,
you post five things about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned on your blog,
you tag people you’d like to know more about
I was tagged by Oz Bargain Blog, so now it’s my turn.
Without further ado, here’s five things you probably didn’t know about me:
I was a teen gymnast. I’m still a lot more flexible than most people… and sometimes enjoy showing off.
I have a metric ton of brothers (i.e. 1,000kg / 2200lb.): five half-brothers plus two brothers-in-law, average weight a little over 100kg/220lb.
I have big dimples in both cheeks when I smile.
The nicest word you could use to describe my sense of humour is ‘acerbic’. I have a witty sharp-tongued comeback for practically anything anyone ever says to me. Online, I keep it to myself because everyone’s snarky on their blo
My eternal gratitude 2007-01-08 00:49:14 If you’d like to be a recipient of The Bargain Queen’s eternal gratitude
, it’s easy — simply include this blog amongst your nominations for the 2007 International Bloggie awards!
All you have to do is enter your three favourite blogs in the categories for which The Bargain Queen is eligible, such as:
Best Australian or New Zealand Blog
Best New Blog (The Bargain Queen started in Feb 2006)
Best-Designed Blog (don’tcha think?)
(As Manolo pointed out, there’s still no category for fashion blogs. What an oversight!)
You have until Wednesday, January 10th (10pm U.S. EST) to get your nominations in.
Want some more ideas of people to nominate? Here’s my picks:
Manolo’s Shoe Blog — ‘Best American Weblog’, ‘Best Topical Weblog’, ‘Most Humorous Weblog’, ‘Best Writing of a Weblog’ and ‘Best-Kept Secret Weblog’
Go Fug Yourself — ‘Best American Weblog’, ‘Bes
Links for Jan 8th, 2007 2007-01-08 00:30:56 My favourite web links for the last week — all well worth a look!
Can this living room be saved?
A room makeover, without buying a thing.
I am woman, hear me shop
Helen Razer on women’s relationship with shopping.
Crime watch
Do fashion editors with big clothing budgets make fashion mistakes? Absolutely! Save your money by learning from their mistakes.
301 Saving Money Posts — Hundreds of Ideas on How to Save Money
I haven’t read them all yet, but there are some great ideas in the posts I have read!
Special fragrance makes you look 12 pounds lighter
A study found that men perceive women as being thinner if they have floral/spicy perfume on… seriously!
Form follows funtion; style follows substance 2007-01-09 04:49:34 This phrase:
Form follows function
…is so oft-repeated by designers that it’s practically become a mantra.
This simple expression reminds them that their job is to make something that works, then make it attractive. It helps them avoid creating fatally flawed products by directing them first to the object’s raison d’etre, then to the finer points of its appearance — no wonder it’s repeated so often.
In your own life, a similar principle will help you make good choices in most areas of your life, and avoid mistakes that could make you look very foolish.
The principle you can use in your own life is:
Substance before style
If you put substance before style, the same way that designers address function before form, you make better decisions any time that both appearances and practicalities factor into a decision.
Many decisions are about style as well as substance, e.g.:
Which shoes to buy: sexy stilettos or practical flats?
Which home decor: chintzy
Fashion advice from Tom Ford 2007-01-09 23:04:54 Tom Ford handed out some fashion advice in a recent Wall Street Journal article. It’s all well worth heeding if you’d like to save money on clothing by avoiding expensive mistakes.
Tom Ford offers advice for dodging fashion’s banana peels:
Defining your own personal style: Take a look at what’s worked for you in the past.
“Think back about what are your five favourite outfits,” says Mr. Ford. “What colours and fits do you feel are the most flattering? How do you feel the most comfortable wearing your hair?”
From that you can come up with a list of things that define you. … Then each season, you can update your look because there are always new versions of whatever the thing that suits you is.”
The biggest mistakes that women make: Jumping on trends they aren’t comfortable in.
“If a trend strikes a chord with you, then try it. But if you don’t care about fashion, then don’t try it,” he says. “ Read more:Fashion
Meet Sydney bloggers, (and me), Thurs. 18 Jan. 2007-01-11 09:38:08 A quick announcement for Sydney
readers: there’s another blogger meet-up on next Thurs
day 18 January. Come meet us to swap stories, blogging experiences and make new contacts who share your endeavours.
Pro-Bloggers, hobbyist bloggers
and their fans are welcome!
When: Thursday, 18th January from 7pm
Where: Paddy Maguires Pub, corner George St and Hay St, Sydney
I’ll be wearing a very shiny red satin top so I’m easy to find.
PS - if you want to be easy to spot in the crowd, wear something red too…
See you there!
Welcome Take5 readers! 2007-01-11 23:48:53 For those of you who first saw The Bargain Queen in this week’s Take 5 magazine - welcome, and thanks for visiting!
You can find out all about the site on my welcome page, and get updates on new stories through my newsletter or RSS feed. (Look just a little to the right and you’ll see them.)
I hope you find the site helpful, and look forward to hearing your bargain stories.
Read more:Welcome
, readers
Links for Jan 13th, 2007 2007-01-12 23:41:39 My favourite web articles for the last week…
How to reupholster a couch — for amateurs
Got a grotty couch? Here’s a cost-effective way to turn it into something nicer.
Unsightly Closets, Pantries, Storage areas, Workshop?: Make the Simplest Possible Doors
(Some carpentry skill required.)
Manage Your Finances Like a Professional Gambler: Small Things Add Up
A professional gambler’s tips for managing money.
Skin Care: All You Need Is Soap and Sunscreen
A growing group of dermatologists recommend a minimalist (and cheap) skincare routine — no Creme de la Mer required. Sounds a lot like what I do already!
Patrick Blanc's vertical gardens
Oh boy do I want one! No price tag though, so I guess if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. *sigh*
How to shop the sales
Tips from a professional stylist
How to recover from fashion mistakes 2007-01-15 00:58:09 It looked fab, you bought it, you took it home. You put it on to take it out for its public debut and felt… blah. For some reason, that thing you loved is now leaving you cold.
Or, you love it but it doesn’t love you. It didn’t stretch like it was supposed to… the ankle straps cut into your feet… it doesn’t work with anything else in your wardrobe.
It’s a Fashion Mistake.
Don’t feel bad about it — we all make them sometimes. The sooner you let go of the item, the more likely you are to get your money back so you can move on to something you’ll really love.
Here’s your options:
Return it to the store
If your fashion mistake hasn’t been worn (or doesn’t look like it’s been worn), you might be able to take it back to the store and have your money refunded. It helps if you also have your receipt and the store tags, preferably still attached to the garment.
Some stores put a time limit on returns or offer a Read more:recover
New-look Bargain Queen 2007-01-16 01:16:18 You might’ve noticed that the site looks a little different now. Don’t panic, it’s still the same BargainQueen
, just re-designed.
I hope you like it!
If you spot anything that looks broken, please email me so I can fix it.
(I think I got all the gremlins in the last three days of mind-numbing cross-browser testing, but on web sites, too much testing is never enough.)
PS: If you’re reading this in the newsletter or RSS feed, click here to take a look at the new design.
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