Update: Personal Blurb, Shopping Haul and Purchase Rationales

Hello readers!  It's great seeing you again.  

I fell off the face of the map again because I'm back at school full time.  I had never taken 8 courses at once and it has been mentally draining.  I have neglected a lot of things like going to the gym, my actual friends, blog friends, blog events and work industry events.  I miss it all.  

I know I probably have lost some interest in my readers because of my inconsistency but I'm here now.  Thank you all who have checked up on this blog every now and then - it means a lot to me.  Even though it's just a hobby, blogging about fashion and beauty is a great escape from being a regular person.  I love sharing my love for fashion with you all and I'm glad you enjoy browsing through my fashion adventures.

Thankfully school has slowed down a bit.  Now I can do and go to things!
Here's my plan for the weeks to come:

• I have been invited to a fashion show next Wednesday with a blogger friend
• I have some beauty products to review: from Kiehls and H20 
• Make a post about what makes a blog successful 
• Make a post about my work out routine and eating habits
• Make a post about holiday gifts for your girlfriend at different price points
• Make a post of my favorite blogs to visit and why I like them so much

I recently got a new phone and have Instagram now!  

I switched back to an iPhone from my Blackberry Torch.  

Follow me above: My username is Kerribabe18

I haven't been shopping much or going out much because of school.  So one day, I felt like I deserve a reward.  I've been getting pretty good grades lately (surprisingly considering the lack of time I have to study for these exams).

I had always wanted a nude pair of Salvatore Ferragamo Varina flats to accompany my black ones I purchased.  After 6 months, Holt Renfrew had finally received some in nude.  Unfortunately, the price had increased by $40 since the time I got the black ones.  

Purchase here

I intended to only pick up these flats that day....However, I walked by Balenciaga and I saw it...  

The perfect shade of blue bag - it was a deep teal turquoise.  I've always been on the look out for a beautiful blue coloured bag.  I was considering getting the YSL Cabas Chyc mini in blue but it was hard reserving this bag at Holt Renfrew so I gave up.  

I ended up purchasing the Balenciaga giant city 12 in Lagoon with rosegold hardware.  It's a Fall Winter 2012 colour.  I can't capture the true colour of the bag.  It's a mixture of the stock photo on the official website and my photo that I have taken. 

Purchase here

In retrospect, there are a lot of people who may not understand my hobby in designer shoes and purses.  The idea of it may seem insane.  Then again, I don't understand the perks of collecting stamps or building Gundam models.  Everyone enjoys different things.

Overall, there are 3 factors that I consider when purchasing a shoe or a bag:

1) The "cost per wear" ratio when buying designer items.  

• Yes, the shoe is $440 but I wear it all the time. For example: about 4 days of the week for 9 months of the year.  $440 / 144 days in a year = $3 a day.  That's nothing.

2) Appreciation value of certain brands/models.  

• Chanel and Hermes have 3-4 price increases a year ($200-500 increments).  So these brands (for purses) are great investment pieces given if you take care of them well to resell in the future.  My Chanel flap has doubled in price since I last purchased it.  

• Louis Vuitton monogram or any monogram brand purses depreciates easily (about 50%) and even more if the purse is not near mint condition.  However, Louis Vuitton prices so increase as well ($100-300 increments) but only once a year at most.  My Louis Vuitton Trevi pm has increased by 25% since I last bought it as well

• Yes, I could have 20 pairs of $20 flats instead of one pair Ferragamo flats.  But my closet would explode so I rather have one really awesome pair of shoes than 20 okay ones.  

3) Your financial state.

• If you are a living beyond your means, purchasing a new purse should be of the lowest priority.  Money should go towards paying tuition, rent, food, and car first.  

• Buying a designer item should not be something you had to move mountains for to save up and it should not make a big dent in your bank account.  

These are just some factors that I live by to govern my purchases.  My rationale for purchases may be different than yours and that's perfectly fine if they do not match mine.