. . .

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

My wardrobe is filling up slowly. I have slacked off from my "buy 1 item of clothing per week". Why? I don't know. It was going so well. Ebay is like Chi or something, if one bit gets blocked, everything falls on it's bum. I could have been more scientific about it but there it is.

My latest purchase sort of stopped me in my tracks. Surprisingly, it's yet another pair of corduroy jeans in brown (yes, I am a fashion goddess).

The problem with this last pair is not the fit (although they are a tad too big), not the style, but the colour. It is too light! In the photo it looks kind of mid-brown but when I opened the package, it was sort of a light cappucino. Not my thing, really.





















I suppose I'll have to sell them now and I don't know what it is but I haven't had much luck with selling anything. I sold a $40 music instruction book for 0.99c and it just goes on from there.

My latest sale - the guy had a wrong address registered on Ebay, I sent it to the registered address and surprise surprise! It didn't get to him. He seemed quite miffed. Then it came back to me, boomerang-style. Then...(grrhrhrrh)... he asked me to post it to him again, to another address. Guess who had to pay the extra postage?? Now he hasn't bothered to contact me so I don't know if it has reached him or not. Nor has he left feedback. I might give up selling and start donating more to charity or something.


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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I can't really find the words...so...I thought I'd give you this....
















The Key To My Heart

In the description, it seems to indicate that you might melt if you received one of these. I think they meant barf.




This one is kind of interesting until you think about it...














Misspelled Ebay Items

You know what? I don't think I trust any of these people enough to buy their Iod. Or their Nitedo. If they can't spell it, I don't want it. Attention to detail is pretty important. And it doesn't bode well for the hassles of sorting out payment methods and delivery.

P.S. Nice touch with the fake software box. It's actually a toolbar...probably loaded with spyware...I'm not going to buy it to find out...




And of course, who can resist a listing that starts with

"dear hopeful lottery winner..."

Hmmm. Promising.









Cheat Lottery System

Question - why would someone who has the clairvoyant / scientific / bullshit ability to cheat the lottery system be needing to sell anything on Ebay for ten bucks? Hmmmm.....

Oh I know...

"...because of my amazing discovery, I just couldn't sleep until I shared the idea with the world because it makes me happy to be helping people....yada yada yada




And finally....
















Exploding Money Box

That's right, kids. This is seriously funny, scare your friends, film them and put it on YouTube. Oh, no, hang on. Isn't that dangerous? And sort of mean?
But...it's YouTube. Oyeah it's like...sohot.



Yes. That's right. I am a tad irritable today.




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Monday, September 24, 2007

I don't know why but I am ravenous this morning. I even paid $5 for a pastie at a bakery this morning because I couldn't bear the thought of not having one. I paid the very patient lady in 10c pieces because that's all I have at the moment. Thankfully she didn't think I was too weird. She just had a bit of a wry smirk at the corners of her mouth. I didn't mind. I got my pastie. I actually wanted quiche because it happened to be the nicest quiche I have ever tasted but this turned out to be the one day when they didn't have any quiche. At all. Argh!@$%#

So I'm still hungry even after the mushroom pastie. I found myself trawling through recipe sites with big, hungry eyes.

I found a brilliant recipe blog called 'Simply Recipes' with lots of pictures. Yum! I went straight to the vegetarian section (of course!) and coveted potato bakes and quiche. I'm learning how to make quiche. I'm obsessed. I think it will be a mushroom and capsicum quiche with cheese. Quiche. Argh!! I need help!

I'm going to put a picture of quiche here to further torment myself:














*stares longingly*

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

You think you've seen it all. Then this happens...




















Holy Toast Stamper

That's right. So you can make your own "holy toast". Can someone please explain to me how and why the Ebay obsession with toast thing got started?


















Nutri Grain E.T.

This happens to every second nutri-grain that I've ever eaten. But, come to think of it, it kind of does look like the little guy.



Oh, yeah, check this one out. For the extremely tolerant and / or masochistic:














Rotating disco ball alarm clock


I can just see it now. This is how it would go on its first day with me.


Me: Zzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzzz

Disco Ball Alarm Clock: Ddldldldldldld wheeee doo doo (insert 70s disco tune here)
Flashing lights. Oh yeah, you are feeling funky....

Me: F#$%!!!! Mph? What the F#$%?!?!?!? Is there a fire? (sees clock)

**SMASH!!!**

Disco Ball Alarm Clock: Bwwwwww dzzzz mooooo (dies)

Me: Zzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzzz




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Feel like crap. Don't know why. I presume Mercury is in retrograde but I can't be sure. Or perhaps it was the lunar eclipse. I don't know. I need cheering up and shopping just isn't going to do it today. I need silly.

I know I bagged out Dean Koontz recently but something he wrote in "Midnight" has ironically come back to haunt me. The character in the book has three things that keep him alive (ie. stopped him from ending it all)

1. Guinness
2. Good Mexican Food
3. Goldie Hawn

I've just noticed they all start with "G" but that's probably just a coincidence.

The character in the novel repeats these three things like a mantra when things get bleak. Well, things are bleak. I need my own list. Might be a bit longer though.


1. Good Italian Food. Quite partial to Mexican and Indian food also. And Chinese. And Greek...okay I'm running out of room here.

2. Father Ted - you just can't buy this sort of comedy. Forget "The Office", "Little Britain", all that stuff. This is the real deal. Sheesh! It's like listening to Nirvana after a day of listening to Good Charlotte and Sum 41.















3. Beavis & Butthead - Bunghole! bunghole! bunghole! Lake Titicaca! Sometimes I wonder if all of us don't have a little Beavis & Butthead inside. Or is that just me? Actually it probably is just me. I still make Year 10 jokes. And laugh.

















4. This little guy is called the "Slender Loris". Doesn't he look kind of annoyed? Maybe he has little man complex. Or perhaps he's plotting to take over the world, either way he's very cute!!




















5. Steptoe & Son - they could discover old DVDs of this show in 100 years and it will probably still be funny then! "You dirty old man!"





















6. Good books - ie. Patricia Cornwell, reading a bit of Thomas Harris recently, Stephen King, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Crichton is pretty good too, if I'm in a nerdy mood. What am I saying? I'm always in a nerdy mood!

7. A good film. Gordon Bennett! (sorry, still thinking about Steptoe & Son) Is it that hard to find a good film? I nearly committed videocide when I saw "The Lady in the Water" by M. Night Shammy Man. Good grief. What a load of horse bollocks. Don't get me wrong, I loved "The Sixth Sense", it was great. But seriously, who let him do this one?

All time great films - Die Hard (even though I saw Bruce Willis on an interview and he is a kind of gun-toting card-carrying Republican Global Warming Skeptic. I'll let that slide for now. Because it's a good film. Seriously, though, his political analysis is so bizarre. Kind of like GWB.)

Star Wars - Okay, I'm obviously going to need to clarify here - I mean Episode IV - A New Hope, Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. The new ones? I don't know. Is it a Y-Gen thing? I didn't get it. All set and no action. Blah! I didn't hate Episode III - Return of The Sith. That was ok. Still not as good as the ones made first...that are the later episodes. Good grief.

by the way, if you want to see something funny, check out the machine translation effort here:
Episode III - The Backstroke of the West

In a chase scene, one of the pilots says:
"They're all over me" which somehow translates to "He is in my behind"

You get the idea.

That brings me to another favourite of mine - direct Chinese to English translations. I don't know why it's so funny but it always brings tears to my eyes. My sister sent me this picture when she was in China. I know what they meant but really... there must be a more dignified way....
















Oh yeah, other good films. Hmmm. Bit thin on the ground at the moment. Good TV shows - "Curb Your Enthusiasm". If you don't think this show is funny then...well I don't know.
Larry David is a genius. There. I said it.




















I think....

I think I'm starting to feel just a tiny bit better.

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The theory behind R.G. Skin Revitalizer is to nourish your skin from the inside out. The concept is one that has been around for some time - to take care on the inside and outside. And theoretically it would make sense to include diet, exercise and nutritional supplements as part of a skin care regime. This is not a product I have tried myself, however the idea of taking antioxidants and beta-carotene does not seem too far fetched. It is widely known that a lot of skin products don't really work, but that Vitamin A / carotenoids do appear to have some effect when used in a skin care regime. A nutritional supplement is known to be good for the eyes, this is the standard information given from most vitamin handbooks and websites. It is also known as an antioxidant and an immune system booster. Obviously, everybody's needs are different and it is a good idea to check with your doctor, naturopath or TCM practitioner to find out what kinds of supplements would be beneficial to you. You may want to try this product, you may not. I am not necessarily advocating the purchase of anything without the proper research and checking that is vital with any new exercise or diet regime.

This post brought to you by R.G. Skin Revitalizer

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I found this clip through David W. Boles’ Urban Semiotic ™

I like Pink already so I didn't need convincing. Protest songs. We need them. I agree...

Here it is - Pink "Dear Mr President":




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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Thanks to Ann from A Nice Place In The Sun and Christy from Totally Fabulous for this award.








I'd like to thank my partner, my family, my greengrocer, various Ebay sellers, God, my toy stress pig, um...

if I don't stop now I'm going to do a Gwyneth!
















Yay!! How fun!

I'd like to nominate the blogs that I believe are fabulous. Here we go (drum roll, please)
the winners are:

Maryannaville
A Diva's Dressing Room
Handbag Showcase
Indie Shopping
Kyesi

Congrats to all!
:-)


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Monday, September 10, 2007

I know it sounds cliche but spring cleaning actually exists. I am struck down my this motivating cleaning bug at almost exactly the same time each year. Big big garbage bag of unwanted clothing went into the Red Cross bin this morning. But there are some things you just don't want to give to charity. Because they have rips, weird stains and other strange anomalies. Also, some things you just don't want other people to have. Sometimes you want to burn something, or let it rot in a hole in the ground. Stuff that reminds you of things you would rather not be reminded of. I think it's best to do what is right for you. If I really want to get rid of something I throw it in the bin. It gives me great pleasure to know that something that I have held on to for far too long will decomposing in landfill, returning to the earth, returning to nature.

It's nice to get rid of the old and make space for the new. It's amazing how many clothes hangers I have now. Just waiting for new clothes....

hehehehe.

I'm off to check out some new clothes on Ebay.


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Thursday, September 06, 2007

Art Deco Detail Wardrobe




















I love old art deco stuff. It's such a refreshing change from those "I want my house to look like a cold steel veterinarian's workspace". Current styles suck. Wood is warm and old things are just better. I don't know why, they just are.

more info-


Twin Handled Tray















I've always liked these for some reason, maybe one of my grandparents had one, I don't know. There's something warm and fuzzy about food being served on a wooden tray.

more info-


Metal Dancing Figurine




















I love these dancing figures. This one looks like she's getting something off her foot rather than dancing. Still love it, though.

more info-


Art Deco Vanity




















You can find this nifty art deco dresser on Ebay for 0.99c at present with just over 3 hours to go in the auction. It doesn't quite go with the garage bricks but you get the idea!

more info-


Art Deco Chairs




















According to the description, these need a little restoration but for $34 for 5 chairs it could be a bit of a steal, actually. They look pretty comfy too!

more info-


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Hold the phone, dim the lights, here we go! Very soon, savesavesave will have a completely new look. You might not even recognise it. But, it's still me, same wacky shopping adventures, same bat place, same bat time.

xox :)

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

It's taken me a long time to write more about Hobart. Apologies. I have been very stressed and busy with various things. Back on track now...the story continues...

We arrived at Salamanca Market with a triple hangover. The colours and sounds of the vibrant market jarred my nerves until the second Guinness kicked in (see picture below). I held an unlit cigarette in my hand to quell the craving, knowing that lighting it would start an unstoppable chain reaction of nausea. A meal would fix us up, we thought, heading to Irish Murphy's. Little did we know of the culinary crime waiting in store for us.


Pictures:
1. Parliament House, Hobart
2. The surrounding gardens / entrance to the market
3. Salamanca Market
4. The Guinni (plural for Guinness)




























































The tradition of lasagne has been carefully passed down through Italian families for generations. That is, until it reached Irish Murphy's. Hungry and hungover, we waited 45 minutes for this abomination to the Italian tradition, and food in general.

Exhibit A: The Vegetarian Lasagne
















I don't know if the scale is apparent here but check out the size of the fork, then the "lasagne". The "lasagne"was two small halves of stuffed capsicum, each half the size of my palm, or even smaller. The chef had decided to buck tradition by including no pasta nor any recognisable lasagne ingredients, except cheese. This $12.00 morsel contained carrot, capsicum, a tiny bit of cheese, all swimming in a splat of Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup. Nevertheless we ate it hungrily and laughed about it for the rest of the trip.

I must say, the chef's attempt at Nouvelle cuisine, with the focus being on flavour, tasted no different to any bizarre concoction I have made for myself after a night on the piss.

Irish Murphy's beautiful sandstone pub was made by convicts many years ago. The Irish theme is entirely apt for the colonial atmosphere. The sign out the front proudly boasts "The Best Craic In Town". Perhaps they were referring to the vegie lasagne.

The staff were friendly and warned us about the size, we should have realised. They gave us free salads which was just as well, I was nearly crazed with hunger. The Guinness and the perfect shamrocks were a nice touch as well.

I will leave you with some images of Salamanca Market and Kelly's steps on the way to Battery Point. The whole experience was very European - if you are not planning on going to Europe, this is your next best bet! The last image is a street performer we dubbed "The Angel of Salamanca". It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?























































I will now point out the wrongness of anyone even thinking about responding to the following email.

I received it today.

Twice.

That would probably be the first reason for becoming suspicious.

I will translate as we go...

FROM MR AMADI SALAM
ADB. OUAGADOUGOU,
AFRICA DEVELOPMENT BANK.
BURKINA FASO.
EMAIL: amadi_salam100@yahoo.fr

(A banker with a generic Yahoo France address?? Hmmm...prestigious...)


DEAR FRIEND, (isn't it nice to be called "friend" by a complete stranger who spams your inbox)

PLEASE THIS IS IMPORTANT AND VERY URGENT I HAVE AN URGENT TRANSACTION OF $8 MILLION USD TO TRANSFER
TO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT,I AM MR AMADI SALAM

(In a search for Amadi Salam in Google, the first result found was "Email Scam, Fraud and Phishing Resource" Probably not a good start)

,I AM AN
AUDITOR,WITH ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT,ADB HERE IN
OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO IN WEST AFRICA.
AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE RECORDS,I
DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO NOT REMIT THIS MONEY OUT
URGENTLY IT WILL BE FORFEITED FOR NOTHING THE OWNER
OF THIS ACCOUNT UNFORTUNATELY DIED IN THE PLANE
CRASH OF UNION TRANSPORT AFRICAINS FLIGHT BOEING 727
IN COTONOU,BENIN REPUBLIC ON THE DECEMBER FRIDAY
26TH,2003.YOU WILL READ MORE STORIES ABOUT THE CRASH
ON VISITING THIS WEBSITE BELOW:

www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

(Hey wow! This is a real story. If this guy links to a CNN article, he MUST be legit!!)

NO OTHER PERSON KNOWS ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING
CONCERNING IT,THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY
AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT HIS
COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT
AND THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS ($8 MILLION USD)
EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES
DOLLARS.

(Well, that's not exactly true. Nobody knows about this account because you're not a real banker/auditor and you made up $8million fictional dollars. Conversely, EVERYBODY knows about it because you just did a mass email.)

I WANT TO TRANSFER THE ($8 MILLION) EIGHT
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
INTO A SAFE FOREIGNERS ACCOUNT ABROAD,BUT I DON'T
KNOW ANY FOREIGNER,I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A
FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CAN NOT BE APPROVEED TO
A LOCAL BANK HERE,BUT CAN ONLY APPROVED TO ANY
FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN US DOLLARS
AND THE FORMER OWNER OUR DECEASED CUSTOMER IS A
FOREIGNER TOO.

(Thank goodness the money can be APPROVEED here. I feel much more confident now.)

I KNOW THAT THIS MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A
SURPRISE AS WE DON'T KNOW OUR SELVES BEFORE,BUT THE
REST ASSURE THAT THIS IS LIFE TIME BUSINESS FOR BOTH
OF US EVEN FOR OUR GENERATION TO COME.

(Actually, I'm not surprised. I get these every day. What makes you so special? Oh, yes, that's right. "The rest assure that this is life time business for both of us even for our generation to come...")

WITH THE BELIEVE IN GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS.YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT I
HAVE CONTACTED IN THIS BUSINESS,SO PLEASE REPLY
URGENTLY SO THAT I WILL INFORM YOU THE NEXT STEP TO
TAKE URGENTLY,SEND ALSO YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND
FAX NUMBER.
I WANT US TO MEET FACE TO FACE OR SIGN A BINDING
AGRREEMENT TO BIND US TOGETHER SO THAT YOU CAN
RECEIVE THIS MONEY INTO A FOREIGN ACCOUNT OR ANY
ACCOUNT OF YOUR CHOICE WHERE THE FUND WILL BE
SAFE.WHENT THE MONEY IS SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFER INTO
YOUR FOREIGN ACCOUNT,YOU WILL SEND ME AN INVITATION
LETTER SO THAT I WILL COME TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR
SHARING AND AFTER WITH MY OWN PERCENTAGE YOU WILL
HELP ME FOR INVESTMENTS IN YOUR COUNTRY.
I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INVOLVE A
FOREIGNER WITH FOREIGN ACCOUNT AND TO STAND AS THE
BENEFICIARY OF THE FUND.

(Blah, blah blah. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit. And bad grammer. And really dodgy spelling.)

I NEED YOUR FULL CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK
RESORT TO GOOD FOR US BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT IS
READY TO APPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO HAS THE CORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT THE DECEASED
CUSTOMER'S ACCOUNT,WHICH I WILL FEED YOU WITH,IF YOU
ARE ABLE AND WITH THE CAPABILITY TO HANDLE
TRANSACTION IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND TRUST ACCORDING
TO MY INSRUCTIONS AND ADVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT
BECAUSE THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL NEVER COME AGAIN IN MY
LIFE.
I NEED TRUTHFUL (gullible!) PERSON IN THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE I
DON'T WANT TO MAKE MISTAKE (get caught),I NEED YOUR STRONG
ASSURANCE AND TRUST (not to inform the police). WITH MY POSITION NOW IN THE
OFFICE I CAN TRANSFER THIS MONEY TO ANY FOREIGN
RELIABLE ACCOUNT,WHICH YOU CAN PROVIDE WITH
ASSURANCE THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE INTACT PENDING MY
PHYSICAL ARRIVAL IN YOUR COUNTRY FOR (kidnap, robbery, fraud) SHARING AND YOU
WILL DIRECT ME ON WHAT KIND OF INVESTMENT I WILL DO
WITH MY OWN PERCENTAGE IN YOUR COUNTRY.
AND I WANT YOU TO REMIND YOU THAT YOUR SHARE HAS
BEEN CALCULATED TO 35% OF THE TOTAL SUM (...get out your calculator. See the dollar signs....) I AM WATING
FOR YOUR URGENT REPLY SO THAT I WILL GIVE YOU MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DEAL. PLEASE REPLY BACK THROUGH MY MAIL ADDRESS.THANKS.
EXTEND MY GREETINGS TO YOUR FAMILY AND HAVE A NICE
DAY.
WITH BEST REGARDS,
AMADI SALAM.

(shit. I left the caps lock on)



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Monday, September 03, 2007

Yep, got me some more. I can't stop! Must...buy...more...clothing...

yikes. I write a shopping blog on how to save money and then I turn into a compulsive shopper. Ha! Not really. I don't think buying 10 items in 8 months really qualifies. And considering I ignored clothes in general for 10 years or so I think I have some catching up to do!















Bargain time. This sports top cost me $4.25 on Ebay with $5.00 postage. The ironic thing is that I haven't exercised since I got it. I have got a lot of compliments thanks to this top. But I did buy it for walking in, not parading around getting compliments. Extra walking this week to make up for last week.

P.S. notice how the photo was taken in 2003? Has it been hiding in a closet all this time? Languishing?
















These shoes are brilliant. Good quality leather. They cost me $15.10 on Ebay with $10.50 postage. Tip: buy leather shoes. They last. I bought a pair of not-so leathery shoes from Target for $39.95 and I have already worn them out. That's only a few months' wear. Crapola. Go with quality even if it costs a little more. Better still, go with quality if you can get it cheaply. Hehehehehe


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Often you will sit at a bar and not fully comprehend the workmanship that goes into making Quality Bar Stools.

If you are interested in setting up your own bar, you may be shopping around for furniture to deck it out. During my investigation of this site, it seems you can save money on retail prices when you buy online. When you choose a stool, you get a drop down menu to choose fabrics and finishes.



















The design is pleasing to the eye, loads quickly and laid out sensibly. The checkout system is easy to use, I did a trial run to make sure it was user friendly, and it is. There's nothing more annoying than actually wanting to buy something and getting so caught up in red tape in the site that you give up and finally go somewhere else.

The delivery costs are around $35 for residential or commercial UPS delivery (price for 1 chair, around $50 for 2 chairs).

It's a great idea to give customers a choice of fabrics and shades. My only suggestion is to provide a fabric / shade / materials chart. I understand there are a large number of choices but it may enhance the experience for the customer to see their selections and make decisions accordingly.



Important Note: This has been a paid review. This does not mean I am paid to have an opinion that pleases others. My review contains my own observations about the subject matter - both positive and negative. The review may contain criticism, suggestions and comments of my own choosing. See disclosure policy for more details.