Winners, Wearing and Weekends

I'm a little late but remembered that I promised to announce the winners of my trade secret giveaway on Friday. Apologies for the lateness but the random number generator at random.org has picked Kat and Amber. Would love to see your finds - tag me (peta_ballerina) and trade secret (tradesecret_aus) on instagram to show off what bargains you find with your voucher. I'll be in touch via email shortly.

 The days have just been beautiful around here lately. Upon recommendation from my aunty and uncle we took Rocky to the dog beach at Coolum - Stumer's creek. He had a ball - so much so that we've been again - twice in a couple of days. My sissy also visited and we had a girls day - I got a seafolly tankini top to wear post-baby and pre-back-to-pre-baby-body from a shop in Caloundra marked down from $160 to $30! It amazes me how much some things cost and amazes me even more that some people pay those sorts of amounts!

In other news my wardrobe clearout is slowly happening. I took five bags to the op shop yesterday and it felt fantastic. What isn't so fantastic is this dress was in the selling/giving away pile and I've decided to keep it for now. It's a good maternity and autumn/winter option and I need all the options I can get!

target dress | thrifted siren heels | michael kors watch

Saturday officially marks three months till my due date ... I'm not scared yet but I'm sure as the days tick along apprehension and doubt will make an appearance. 

What I Wore - Dotti on a Budget: Week 25 Edition

Picked up this cute autumn floral dress from Dotti for the grand sum of about $13.00 on Sunday - a cheap dress for this very awkward stage of dressing. It's a bit vintage with its pleated skirt and I do love the colours. I also went a bit nuts yesterday with jeanswest's 40% off store and site wide sale - you'll be seeing me in (maternity) jeans a lot from now on. 

What do you think of my hat? I do love hats - try them on in shops, buy the occasional one and most of the time they sit unworn. Does anyone else have that lack of confidence to wear the hats you have? I mean if Blair Waldorf can rock a hat, surely the rest of us can?! 

dotti dress | forever new hat | diana ferrari wedges

I got a taste of reality the other day when trade secret linked to this post on their facebook page. It gave me a (very minute) taste of what celebrity's must experience in their daily life with things being written and said about them. The comments may not have been a direct reflection of me but certainly affected me a little bit. 

• Nikki Mackay That jacket is horrendous!!!

  Like · Reply · 2 · April 19 at 2:19pm via mobile
• 

  Rhonda Johnson That sounds so funny!!!! Thats Gold !!!!

  Like · Reply · April 19 at 9:17pm
• 

  Rhonda Johnson Really,,Is that a joke or what???? it looks like it came from some old op shop!!!!

Remember to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!

What I Wore: Week 24 Edition

Have you entered my trade secret GIVEAWAY yet? Go here pronto if you want to win a $50 voucher - I have two up for grabs and will post anywhere in Australia!

I've gotten to the stage in my pregnancy where I can literally wear about three things in my wardrobe. And my wardrobe is CHOCKAS. Don't believe me? Check out my instagram feed at peta_ballerina. Yes, FULL huh?

It's quite depressing really. 

I did manage to find this gorgeous dress/tunic once I'd culled a substantial amount of dresses out of the mix. A gem from Sportsgirl that I have yet to wear yet but absolutely LOVE. I do wonder though what Sportsgirl's intentions were when they made this dress. It's way too short for a dress in my opinion without tights or leggings but then would it look silly with pants or skinny jeans? Let me know your thoughts.

Speaking of said overcrowded wardrobe, I have decided to do a PROPER cull and actually be serious and brutal about it. I've been inspired a few bloggers out there but not sure I could live on such a small selection. What is the best avenue to sell things? I have quite a few vintage dresses that I've decided to part ways with - I've even considered instagramming them and seeing if anyone loves one or many and just have them pay the postage. I actually have particular bloggers in mind for particular items. What do you think? Sometimes eBay is just too hard.  

Lastly, I can can confirm I live on the sunshine coast. What a glorious view I get outside my bedroom window out onto the top deck that overlooks the pool. Maybe they are right - Queensland, beautiful one day, perfect the next.

Trade Secret Fun + a GIVEAWAY

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the newest Trade Secret store on the Sunshine Coast (in Maroochydore) and was kindly gifted a voucher by the lovely TS marketing manager Tessa to spend on whatever my heart desired. Tessa even provided my twin sister a voucher when she found out she was coming along with me. LUCKY OR WHAT?!

The store is jam packed with mens, ladies and kids clothes and accessories AND homewares at at least half the RRP price of regular stores (and that's without any further discounts applied which happens all the time!) They have some great brands on offer including Wish, Lee, Calvin Klein, Henleys, Mossimo and the ever reliable Bonds.

Sissy and I went off separately to check out what was on offer and when we came together to show each other what we were considering getting, what do you think twins did? Yep, picked the same Sunnygirl pants.

Here are some of the other things that caught my eye. 

I got the red ballet flats with the bow and the onesie with the dozer on it

 I desperately wanted those shorts but there were none in my size (and they wouldn't fit at the moment anwyay!)

um, YES they have Michael Kors bags! I think the top one was just under $200. 

Between my sissy, husband and I we scored a new jacket (wearing today), a pair of Lee jeans, a Henleys shirt, a couple of onesies for the little man, some shoes and a toy for my niece who is just the most scrumptious little thing ever. Wouldn't you agree?

exhibit A

Oh, and here is my modelling said jacket. 

 just add sugar anorak and zensu wedges C/O trade secret | asos top (here) | forever 21 waxed coated jeans | karen walker sunnies

Would you like to join in on the trade secret fun? I have TWO yes TWO fifty dollar trade secret vouchers to give away to my lucky readers. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your contact details - it's that easy! Winners will be drawn by random number generator in two weeks time (26 April 2013) and will be notified via email.

Sorry, only Australian readers/people visiting Australia can enter!

Store locations can be found here.

even though i was gifted the voucher, these views are my own - I really do LOVE trade secret and shop there regularly so this was just a bonus

Secrets and Plurals

Today I'm very excited to be attending the grand opening of a new Trade Secret store at Maroochydore. I'm even more excited that the lovely marketing manager of Trade Secret contacted me via instagram to offer me a voucher to spend in store! And I also have been offered a couple of gift vouchers to give away to my lovely readers. I will be posting about those tomorrow ; )

On trips to Brisbane my twin sister and I always made a point of bypassing a suburb where a trade secret(s) was located. It was always one of those shops we thought Toowoomba would never 'get'. And wouldn't you know it ... Toowoomba got one a couple of years ago. And I was over the moon. Because I love the shit out of trade secret. Since I've moved to the Sunshine Coast I haven't visited the Kawana store very often because it is a good 15-20 minute drive. This new Maroochydore location is just down the road from my Buderim abode. You can guarantee the husband and I (and the new baby) will be there VERY often. The husband has told many-a-friend that TS is his favourite shop and it is a shop where he actually looks. Normally he just finds the 'boyfriend' seat. 

I got these from the Toowoomba store over easter. Hello $10 - down from the TS price of $29.95 - regular RRP like $45!

He thinks I should split my gift voucher with him but I'm thinking I'll take at least half of it, he can have maybe a quarter and we'll pick up some items for the little man who will be making his way into our lives in August (or hopefully even before ; ))

Can't wait to open my giveway tomorrow and share with you my items on my wishlist and and what we spent the voucher one.

For anyone wondering about the blog post title there is a running 'joke' in our family about plural shop names. Mum and the husband love to refer to Myer as Myers (because it was started by so-and-so Myer) and we all love to call trade secret trade secrets due to a hilarious phone conversation we overhead while shopping in the Toowoomba store one day. A lady's husband was asking where she was - her reply? 

'Trade Secrets, you know, next to Harvey Normans'

(probably one of those 'in' jokes where you have to be there to find it funny)

till tomorrow 

On feeling gross ... and then not so gross

Yesterday was one of those days where I just felt horrible about myself. You know those days where you throw something on that looks somewhat respectable, slap some makeup on, and tie your hair back in a messy bun? Now most days, I would be quite fine with the minimal effort I had put in but yesterday whenever I passed a mirror I felt frumpy and ugly. My hair was giving me the shits - unstraightened with little curly bits popping up (and out) everywhere, not to mention the FRIZZ.

I didn't fancy feeling that way today so put the effort in (still not much effort) to at least be somewhat happy with my reflection in the mirror. And I feel 500% better for it. I am forever indebted to the inventor of the GHD. What a genius that person was.

This dress would have to have had the most wears of any dress in my wardrobe. It's a blue juice number I picked up at Myer on sale for a specific occasion and thankfully has served me for many more specific and not-at-all specific outings.

blue juice dress | kmart wedges | temt jacket | diva necklace | belt from trade secret

It's nearly the weekend - hooray!