OOTD: dropping hubby off at the airport and meeting with my banker and lender

Hubby is jetting off for work again and I am driving him to the airport this morning to drop him off, and thereafter I have two important meetings: one with my banker for a loan refinance and another with my other lender.

So that I would look my best today, I juggled a last minute hair dresser and a beautician’s waxing and threading appointment yesterday. This morning, I picked out my gorgeous TED BAKER Gemisa Encyclopaedia floral pleated dress in nude pink colour to get dressed in, taking the trouble to match both the pink colour of my lingerie I am wearing underneath to the pink colour of the Ted Baker dress and wearing my new Heidi Klum intimates Sun Kissed Rose Dust/ Beetroot purple suspender belt I bought 2 days go.

My favourite CUE CITY Black Revere Collar Blazer, Salvatore Ferragamo slingback high heeled pumps, nude hosiery, and my usual earrings, pearl necklace and pearl bracelet set complete the elegant and professional look.

You know how real estate agents (ok, I know I myself am guilty of that…) and property developers and builders all sell you the promise: Buying/ owning an investment property (aka buy-to-let in the UK) is the sure-fire way to financial success and independence. In no time you’ll be a landlord making an effortless passive income, worrying about nothing when all the rent money comes in except for when/ what to buy the next one.

So after years of working in real estate, I finally took the leap myself and bought my very first investment property (aka buy-to-let in the UK) just before Christmas 2020, at the (not so) tender age of 26! Even real estate agents have to start somewhere, right?

Almost 2 months have now passed and I realise buying/ owning an investment property (aka buy-to-let in the UK) isn’t what it’s all cut out to be. Certainly not the stuff of success and independence and effortless passive income real estate agents and property developers and builders promised. I should have known this before given I work in real estate myself, but I guess I only saw what I wanted to believe then.

My first ever investment property which I bought is still vacant without a rent paying tenant despite my efforts in trying to have it leased out for the past 2 months.

I am starting to get a little stressed now (a little being an understatement).

On upkeep and loan repayment alone I am already out of pocket by $2900 since settlement: I have had to make mortgage repayments even though my investment property is still vacant with no tenant. Then there is also other expenses which I have to pay despite receiving no rental income: The advertising fee so far set me back by another $550, $450 for the cleaners to come in the spruce up the place, $220 for the electrician to replace a broken switch and change 2 bulbs, $150 to get the smoke detector batteries checked. Yes that is a chap coming in for 3 minutes making, sure the batteries aren’t flat. I swear to you that was all he did! He didn’t even put new batteries in or wipe down the smoke detectors! The body corporate that was due on 1^st January 2021 was $1058 for whatever little they do, and then more expenses for council rates, electricity, gas…

It is starting to become apparent to me the entire real estate industry is nothing more than scam and giant Ponzi scheme: I am losing money and out of pocket as I struggle to find a tenant but everyone else is making money off me: the real estate advertiser, the real estate agent, the council, the bank, the electrician, the cleaners, the government…. And the industry sustains itself by getting more and more new players in the market, paying those existing players. A giant Ponzi scheme. Did I mention again that the real estate agent had not been able to put a rent paying tenant in for weeks and his rent appraisal appears to be nowhere near what is realistically achievable?

I pondered my choices – I could slash the rent further (I have already lowered the asking price for the rent by $50 per week), but at the end of the day the problem is that Western Australia has insisted on keeping its borders closed and with closed borders there are no tourists, no international students, no interstate migrants – which translate to an over-supply for rental properties on the market. I could sell it, but that will come at a massive loss to me for I don’t think I can recover the costs and resell at over the price I paid for the apartment. In the end, the only option seem to be refinancing and renegotiating lower repayments so that I can afford to meet the repayments and expenses until the apartment gets leased out and rents recover.

When I first purchased the investment property my biggest concern was whether the banks will reject my loan application. The whole situation with the coronavirus meant lots of people had their income shaved (mine included – I was put on reduced hours which meant reduced pay!). To get the loan approved, I had to submit multiple documents, cancel some of my credit cards (I am only left with one card now – ouch!), and my parents had to be my guarantor.

Even then the lending fell a little bit short, but luckily an acquaintance in the building industry whom I had done some business with in the past and have ongoing referrals for the agency’s properties we managed was more than willing to lend me the twenty odd thousand dollars short-fall ($22,680 to be exact) to finalise the purchase. He was happy enough for me to start repaying it only after my investment property gets a rent paying tenant in, but he is getting a little inpatient with me as it has been two months and he hadn’t seen any of his money paid back.

I spent the past two weeks pursuing refinancing options with the bank and renegotiating lower repayments with the building industry acquaintance, and with both we finally came to a new agreement. At least the Australian Reserve Bank’s ongoing low interest rates are working in my favour.

So today I am going to meet up with my banker in the city to sign the refinancing documents, and then on to the office of the building industry acquaintance to finalise the new renegotiated agreement as he wanted. I might even go out for a drink with him and buy him a drink after work to keep him happy on and my side.

It is not what I had hoped for when I first bought that investment property and I am not even sure how this will affect my credit rating in the future and I am quite stressed and disappointed, but I think it’s the only way forward for now.

Given how important the meetings are, I decided to dress well and look professional.

So that I would look my best today, I juggled a last minute hair dresser and a beautician’s waxing and threading appointment yesterday. This morning, I picked out my gorgeous TED BAKER Gemisa Encyclopaedia floral pleated dress in nude pink colour to get dressed in, taking the trouble to match both the pink colour of my lingerie I am wearing underneath to the pink colour of the Ted Baker dress and wearing my new Heidi Klum intimates Sun Kissed Rose Dust/ Beetroot purple suspender belt I bought 2 days go.

My favourite CUE CITY Black Revere Collar Blazer, Salvatore Ferragamo slingback high heeled pumps, nude hosiery, and my usual earrings, pearl necklace and pearl bracelet set complete the elegant and professional look.

I checked my look in the mirror before I left home: A tasteful dress combined with recently done hair and a beautician visit and light make-up, I feel confident, empowered, and feminine. The confidence boost I need for someone as stressed and disappointed like myself to get me through the meetings with the banker and the lender.

Xoxo

Natalie

Occasion: meeting with my banker and lender to sign new agreements

Wearing:

Dress: TED BAKER Gemisa Encyclopaedia floral pleated dress (size 2)

Blazer: CUE Black Revere Collar Wool Blazer (size 8)

Belt: CUE (size 8)

Pumps: Salvatore Ferragamo slingback high heeled pump

Lingerie:

Pleasure State White Label satin bra & satin g-string knickers (Matching set in pink)

Heidi Klum intimates Sun Kissed Rose Dust/ Beetroot purple suspender belt

Hosiery: nude stay-up stockings from Target

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Monday shopping find – something from Heidi Klum intimates cheer myself up at the start of the work week

You know what it’s like on Mondays – trying to get through the day with the thought of the whole week looming. If work alone isn’t stressful enough, there is also one of annoying neighbours(that’s another story for another time), finances and money. I am constantly aware that my first ever investment property which I bought is still vacant and without a rent paying tenant despite my efforts in trying to have it leased out for the past 2 months.

I am starting to get a little stressed now (a little being an understatement).

I have had to make repayments to the mortgage even though my investment property is still vacant and the real estate agent hadn’t been able to find a tenant. Then there is also other expenses which I have to pay despite receiving no rental income: The advertising fee has already so far set me back by $550. $150 to get the smoke detector batteries checked. Yes that is a chap coming in for 3 minutes making, sure the batteries aren’t flat. I swear to you that was all he did! He didn’t even put new batteries in or wipe down the smoke detectors! $220 for the electrician to replace a broken switch and change 2 bulbs. $450 for the cleaners to come in the spruce up the place prior to letting. The body corporate was due on 1^st January 2021 at $1000+ for whatever little they do. And then more expenses for council rates, electricity, gas…

On upkeep and loan repayment alone I am already out of pocket by $2900 since settlement… Did I mention again that the real estate agent had not been able to put a rent paying tenant in for weeks and his rent appraisal appears to be nowhere near what is realistically achievable?

It is starting to become apparent the entire real estate industry is nothing more than scam and giant Ponzi scheme: I am losing money and out of pocket as I struggle to find a tenant but everyone else is making money off me: the real estate advertiser, the real estate agent, the council, the bank, the electrician, the cleaners, the government…. And the industry sustains itself by getting more and more new players in the market, paying those existing players. A giant Ponzi scheme.

I pondered my choices – I could slash the rent further (I have already lowered the asking price for the rent by $50 per week), but at the end of the day the problem is that Western Australia has insisted on keeping its borders closed and with closed borders there are no tourists, no international students, no interstate migrants which means an over-supply for rental properties on the market. I could sell it, but that will come at a massive loss to me for I don’t think I can recover the costs and resell at over the price I paid for the apartment. In the end, the only option seem to be refinancing and renegotiating lower repayments so that I can afford to meet the repayments and expenses until the apartment gets leased out and the rents recover.

My biggest concern at the start was whether the banks will reject my loan application. The whole situation with the coronavirus meant lots of people had their income shaved (mine included – I was put on reduced hours which meant reduced pay!). To get the loan approved, I had to submit multiple documents, cancel some of my credit cards (I am only left with one card now – ouch!), and my parents had to be my guarantor.

Even then the lending fell a little bit short, luckily an acquaintance in the building industry whom I had done some business with in the past was more than willing to lend me the twenty odd thousand dollars ($22,680 to be exact) short-fall to finalise the purchase. He was happy enough for me to start repaying it only after my investment property gets a rent paying tenant in, but he is getting a little inpatient with me as it has been two months and he hadn’t seen any of his money paid back.

I spent the past two weeks pursuing refinancing options with both the bank and renegotiating repayment terms with the building industry acquaintance, and I am starting to get a little stressed now (a little being an understatement). So I decided I needed a little retail therapy. I left work early and headed to the shops. I came across this Heidi Klum intimates Sun Kissed Rose Dust/ Beetroot purple suspender belt. I thought the piece is really cute, but they don’t have the matching bra and panties in my size (blame it on the ongoing border closures – nothing comes into Australia anymore, not even clothing). But I thought the colour would go quite well with my existing pink bra and panties sets. Can’t wait to try it on when I next get dressed!

Xoxo

Natalie

Someone stole my pictures online and used it on eBay!

Just ONE case of the coronavirus, and the city of Perth in West Australia is plunged into a 5 day ‘lockdown’. Yes we are talking about ONE case. Successive States across the country have closed their borders to any West Australians (with the exception of New South Wales who has rightly determined the risk is ‘low’ on the basis of just ONE case).

If this is not an over-reaction, then what is?

‘Lockdowns’ from over-reaction aren’t just an inconvenience. It creates confusion. It leads to panic buying supermarket shelves already been wiped clean (even before the five-day ‘lockdown’ had even been announced – how did those panic buyers know?). And in my case it creates a lot of uncertainty for my wedding planning but most importantly for now I have yet to find a tenant for my investment property I bought over a month ago and I desperately need those open inspections to allow prospective tenants to view the apartment, which currently is not allowed.

I have been cooped up at home, so with nothing to do I decided to turn to my least favourite hobby: online shopping. Now my friends will know I hate online shopping (I can’t try it on for size and fit, and also can’t inspect the goods for quality and workmanship, and I have to WAIT for the item to arrive after buying rather than instantly having it in my hot little hands after paying for it), but what can a girl do when she is cooped up at home bored shitless?

In any case, I was looking for a new Ted Baker dress when I came across this: some eBay seller who is going by the name kotka46 stole my pictures online and used it on eBay to try to sell the same identical dress that I have! What injustice! It’s my picture!!!!

Can anyone advise me what to do with this eBay seller kotka46 who stole my pictures online and used it on eBay?

Xoxo

Natalie

If this is not an over-reaction, then what is?

Just ONE case of the coronavirus, and the city of Perth in West Australia is plunged into a 5 day ‘lockdown’. Yes we are talking about ONE case. Successive States across the country have closed their borders to any West Australians (with the exception of New South Wales who has rightly determined the risk is ‘low’ on the basis of just ONE case).

If this is not an over-reaction, then what is?

‘Lockdowns’ from over-reaction aren’t just an inconvenience. It creates confusion. It leads to panic buying supermarket shelves already been wiped clean (even before the five-day ‘lockdown’ had even been announced – how did those panic buyers know?). And in my case it creates a lot of uncertainty for my wedding planning but most importantly for now I have yet to find a tenant for my investment property I bought over a month ago and I desperately need those open inspections to allow prospective tenants to view the apartment, which currently is not allowed.

Mask wearing is now abruptly mandatory – at all times outside and in workplace, so I had get my groceries today wearing a surgical mask. I was lucky I got given some mask a few months back by a doctor friend, for if I had to buy one out of desperation not only would it be impossible to buy (more stores sold out), there is also a thriving black market with price gouging rampant. If the West Australia government wants to learn something, learn from our Asian neighbours in Singapore: when mask wearing were declared mandatory, the Singapore government distributed masks across every household to ensure people actually could comply with the law in an environment where mask are both scarce and expensive.

The reality is that most people hate wearing masks, but for a young woman like myself there is the added problem of mask wearing: my lipstick and make-up sticks onto the mask and it messes up my make-up which I meticulously applied this morning. How frustrating!

On the bright side, however, given the current bushfires I must admit that at least the mask will reduce the amount of forest soot going into my lungs.

Xoxo

Natalie

I bought myself another Karen Millen dress: this time a Blue Floral Embroidered Midi Pencil Dress

So last week I received my long awaited Karen Millen military safari shirtdress wearing another Karen Millen dress – my Karen Millen Floral Bodycon Pencil Dress. One might think two is enough, but the truth is I still cannot get enough of Karen Millen dresses. Karen Millen dresses are flattering, on-trend, and well made.

So even though I paid the hefty cost of £80 for the Karen Millen military safari shirtdress, and another hefty £20 for global shipping, and roughly another £10 for tax (making it a total of £110, or A$220 when it is all converted to Australian dollars), I just couldn’t help myself when I came across this Karen Millen dress when I was browsing online.

Now my friends will know I hate online shopping (I can’t try it on for size and fit, and also can’t inspect the goods for quality and workmanship, and I have to WAIT for the item to arrive after buying rather than instantly having it in my hot little hands after paying for it), but ever since Karen Millen decided to close shop in Australia I have little choice. Not unless I travel to the UK, which guess what? I can’t because that goddamn border is still closed!

Back to the dress that caught my attention – Karen Millen describes it as a Blue Floral Embroidered Midi Pencil Dress. I’ve always been told I look good in blue, so I guess the colour is what caught my attention first. Furthermore, I think that the embroidered floral pattern on the waist and hip is stunning (ok, I love flowers…). The midi length should mean I can wear it to the office and to work.

However the one thing I am unsure of is the wide horizontal shoulder straps though, for I think I have pretty prominent shoulders and it will just draw attention to the ugliest parts of my body. Pity I cannot try it on before I buy! So with the usual trepidation that goes with online shopping, I finally hit the check-out button.

Can’t wait for this dress to arrive – and hopefully it won’t take quite as long as my military safari shirtdress.

Xoxo

Natalie

My Karen Millen military safari shirtdress has arrived!

So a few months ago I decided I’ve wasted enough of my life searching on eBay to buy myself a Karen Millen military safari shirtdress and paid the £80 for a listed dress, £20 for global shipping, and roughly another £10 for tax. All up it had cost me £110, or A$220 when it is all converted to Australian dollars. I’ve NEVER paid so much to buy anything online on eBay. And the worst thing is that on add on shipping cost and tax costs more than 30% of the actual dress itself. Ouch!

I’ve been waiting patiently for it to arrive, and given the current state of Australia Post (rated 1.7 stars from 10,258 reviews on ProductReview.com.au) and closed borders – it really took its time!

For a while I was worried it was lost in the mail/ pilfered by the postman/ impounded by Customs/ detained and held in mandatory covid-19 Quarantine, so imagine my joy and relief when I got home today (yes I am wearing my Karen Millen dress to the office) and found the package (of my long-anticipated other Karen Millen dress) sitting at my doorstep!

And the timing today is also so right: hubby just happened to get home in time to take photographs of a joyous me receiving my dress.

The seller listed it as new with tags, in my size (I think – it’s hard when I can’t try it on!), and although it is the classic safari sand colour (I wanted one in black) I decided the asking of £70 was the most reasonable I have seen so far.

So I put in my bid of £80. While the asking for the dress may be the most reasonable I have seen, eBay’s shipping cost and taxes is certainly not: £20 for global shipping and roughly another £10 for tax meant an all up cost of £110 (or A$220 when it is all converted to Australian dollars), of which eBay’s shipping cost and tax costs more than 30% of the actual dress itself. Ouch again!

For inexplicable reasons, Karen Millen military safari shirtdress has been incredibly sought after and popular. It is sold out everywhere online, and on the dreaded eBay (I hate eBay, for more than a few reasons which I have previously detailed) second hand/ worn dresses still have astronomical asking prices – mostly still about £100! (i.e. almost A$200!). A hint for the savvy investor: why bother dabbling in real estate or the share market when the right Karen Millen dress will give you decent returns?

And on that subject of real estate – That is another headache. My first ever investment property which I bought just before Christmas is still vacant and without a tenant despite my trying to have it leased out for the past 4 weeks! I am really annoyed that Western Australia has insisted on keeping its borders closed and with closed borders there are no tourists, no international students, no interstate migrants which means an over-supply for rental properties on the market… and I have to meet my mortgage repayments regardless!

But the arrival of my long-awaited dress is a little bit of good news and distraction from my real estate headaches.

This is one of a few items in my Natalie’s (yes, that’s me!) 2020 fashion wish-list, but it is by no means part of Karen Millen’s 2020 collection. In fact, as I understand, the piece is quite a few seasons old (6 or 7 years old maybe? – someone can correct me). So its sought after status and high second hand prices continue to baffle me.

I did do a little research though to try to understand why the dress commands such a high price. Like everyone else I tried google (no luck). Turning to the next trusted source of reliable information (facebook groups),

some have suggested:

‘Has it been worn by a celebrity?’ (Megan Markle was a specific suggestion)

‘The collar + front opening (vertical line) + cut away sleeveless is really flattering for a lot of figures and makes your bust look great without actually showing much cleavage.’

‘it’s sexy – but more old school sexy, where it’s sexier that more is hidden than what is put on display.’

‘It’s a flattering, timeless piece that will likely never go out of style.’

In any case I was left still scratching my head.

I removed the dress from the eBay envelope and found that the seller had neatly folded it up in a zip lock bag. I inspected it and it does look new (as described), with tags still attached that shows an original price of £135 that was marked down to £64.95, which I assume is what the seller paid. Not sure about you, but I am started to detest on-sellers on eBay who make a profit out of selling items at prices higher than they paid for.

In any case, it is too late for buyer’s regret now.

I am going to get it laundered before I try it on, and fingers crossed it lives up to my expectations when I actually try it on!

I have 2 questions for my readers:

• What are your thoughts on eBay on-sellers who make a profit out of selling items at prices higher than they paid for.
• What is the most you have ever paid for a dress on eBay?

Xoxo

Natalie

P.S. and oh by the way I am wearing another Karen Millen dress today as the Karen Millen military safari shirtdress arrived!

Occasion: Office

Wearing:

Karen Millen Floral Bodycon Pencil Dress

NINEWEST ‘Mailin’ heeled point toe pumps

OOTD – picking up the keys to my first investment property! (plus office Christmas party)

I am super-excited this morning.

After years of working in real estate, I finally took the leap myself and bought my very first investment property (aka buy-to-let in the UK), at the (not so) tender age of 26! Even real estate agents have to start somewhere, right?

When I first signed the contract for sale and paid the deposit 3 months ago I was hoping that I can have the settlement and contract exchange on my birthday itself (which was only a fortnight ago!), but given the whole situation with the coronavirus everyone needed a bit of extra time to get settlement in order and a slight delay meant everything happened a little later than expected.

Settlement wasn’t, however, my biggest concern. My biggest concern was whether the banks will reject my loan application. The whole situation with the coronavirus meant lots of people had their income shaved (mine included – I was put on reduced hours which meant reduced pay!). And it wasn’t that straightforward loan application process that I was hoping for.

To get the loan approved, I had to submit multiple documents, cancel some of my credit cards (I am only left with one card now – ouch!), and my parents had to be my guarantor. Even then the lending fell a little bit short, luckily an acquaintance in the building industry whom I had done some business with in the past was more than willing to lend me the twenty odd thousand dollars ($22,680 to be exact) short-fall to finalise the purchase. He was happy enough for me to start repaying it only after my investment property gets a rent paying tenant in, so it had worked out well for me.

After a nail biting 90+ days, I was finally relieved the loan application finally went through.

I wanted to get dressed in something nice today to pick up the keys in once my conveyancer advise that settlement has gone through. And also our office work Christmas party is happening today as well, so all the more reason to get dressed in something nice.

So this morning I decided to get dressed in my Karen Millen low neck midi dress.

I bought this dress sometime in the last 2 years (I remember it wasn’t cheap – I paid close to $400 for this dress) but had only worn it maybe once or twice, because I think I made a mistake and got it one size bigger than I should, meaning it was a little loose. But given I have gained weight over the past 2 years (I am silently sulking as I reluctantly admit to this) my Karen Millen now fits better than it did when I first bought it.

Karen Millen describes it as ‘A bold option for work and play, this mid-length dress is styled with a low-cut square neckline for a contemporary look. Versatile enough to take you from desk to dinner, pop some heeled sandals in your bag to spice up your outfit for post-work cocktail hour.’

I couldn’t agree more. Perfect for going to the office in the morning, picking up the keys in the afternoon, and then our office Christmas party after that.

This flattering and comfortable blue satin pencil dress comes with a midi length fitted skirt which is perfect for the office as I will be working today (I was just going to nick out of the office for 10-15minutes and walk over and pick up the keys on my tea break once I hear settlement has gone through). It is comfortable because it is fully lined and the blue satin does stretch, and flattering because the pencil shape of the dress hugs close to my body, not to mention that square neckline with ‘v’ detail reveals a hint of cleavage when I bend over. The midi length fitted skirt with single vent at the back finished at my knee, meaning the dress is never too short to wear to the office.

These are the official photos of the dress from Karen Millen:

I subsequently found out this dress comes not just in blue but also black and pink as the following photo from Instagram shows, but given we are in Australia which is at the other end of the world and not a lot of good stuff land here, there was only blue on the racks when I bought it.

Today, I paired the dress with my favourite lilac coloured Pleasure State White Label bra (this bra is my favourite because it has the ability to give me an ample bosom), Chloe and Lola lace g-string knickers (so my pantyline won’t show through the material of the pencil dress), nude hosiery from Target, and my Salvatore Ferragamo slingback high heeled pump with 10cm high heels.

I arrived at the office early today but to be honest I was so excited I couldn’t really concentrate at work. I waited and waited all day until my conveyancer finally rang. I was ecstatic when she told me the property had settled and I could pick up the keys. I grabbed my handbag, nicked out of the office, walked across to the other real estate agency and picked up the keys. And when I got back to my office I was pleasantly surprised to find my work colleagues had been patiently waiting for me to return so that they can congratulate me with the gift of a bottle of bubbly!

And needless to say I am glad it finally settled. Whew! And I am one proud owner of my very first investment property, at the (not so) tender age of 26!

If only every day was this great…

Xoxo

Natalie

Occasion: work/ office + office Christmas party in the afternoon

Wearing:

Karen Millen low neck midi dress (in blue)

Salvatore Ferragamo slingback high heeled pump

Pleasure State White Label bra

Chloe and Lola lace g-string knickers (so my pantyline won’t show through the pencil dress)

Hosiery from Target

Waiting to pick up the keys to my first investment property!

I arrived at the office early today but to be honest I was so excited I couldn’t really concentrate at work. I am having my Siggi’s yoghurt for lunch now and I am just watching the phone and waiting and waiting for my conveyancer to ring to advise that settlement has gone through….

xoxo

Natalie

Wedding planning

I am going to be busy for the next couple of months!

Seems like needless repetition to say that but it is true the coronavirus pandemic changed everything.

Hubby and I had already made plans last year to get married – we were initially going to do the whole deal: White dress, bridesmaids, photographer, and family coming from everywhere. We had the wedding venue booked and paid the deposit, planned our honeymoon (including purchasing flights to go to Scotland and Ireland and then on to Paris) – but then the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Restrictions came into force: As of March 26, only the couple marrying, the celebrant and two witnesses can be present at the ceremony.

So we waited.

I remember initially when the restrictions came into force rumours were circulating that it was all going to be short term: Qantas after all predicted flights will be back up by July with its lounges re-open.

And waited.

July came and some states have started opening its border, but Western Australia stubbornly refused to follow suit.

And we waited.

October came and free internal interstate movement within is still banned in Australia – some states have allowed interstate travel but Western Australia still stubbornly refused.

So much for our planning August 2020 wedding and our September 2020 honeymoon.

With little hope of Western Australia opening its borders again, which mean family and friends could not attend a wedding, hubby and I decided rather than waiting and waiting we’d just formalise it with the paperwork and worry about a wedding in the future.

So on 20th of October 2020 we got married.

We may not be having the lavish wedding that I wanted but I made certain things were still around to remind us of our special day even though it was a simple ceremony attended by just the celebrant and close family (my parents, hubby’s parents, my siblings and his): I organised a cake, flowers, and the all-important Moet champagne and wore a classic traditional Chinese dress called a Qi Pao for the ceremony.

Then a little less than a month after we got married – 10 days to be exact – Western Australia decided it wanted to open its borders.

That royally annoyed me, to say the least. Had I known they were going to open the borders I would have waited the extra few months because I really wanted to wear a white dress and have a proper wedding!!!

With the prospect of being allowed to leave the state (or interstate family members being able to visit), hubby and I have started looking at planning our (long delayed) wedding once again. I decided my wedding planning should follow the following order: I am going to start shopping for a white wedding gown, and then bridal lingerie and accessories, then looking for a suitable a wedding venue, and then everything else for the wedding after that.

(I must say at this point hubby disagrees – he thinks we should sort our wedding venue out first. But given we lost our deposit on the wedding venue booking last year I am not going to repeat that mistake – even if all wedding venues in Australia get booked out I’d rather get married in the penthouse suite of the Ritz Carlton Perth, or Hyatt Sydney, than lose my deposit again)

I am going to be busy for the next couple of months!

And BTW, does anyone knows a good wedding planner that doesn’t cost an arm or a leg?

Xoxo

Natalie

Supermarket markdown mistake?

There is a whole pile of sausages being marked down – all the same price at $4.40 (or $5.50 each; 2 for $10 but I don’t need 2 packs). They all have their use by date tomorrow – except for this pack: 5^th November. Markdown mistake? I am not sure, but I obviously took this rather than the ones that has the use by date tomorrow.

My Sunday morning breakfast tomorrow sorted 🙂

Xoxo

Natalie