a is for australiana shiny beads

Well, I could go on about how horrified I am at the tremendous delay in updating (which, incidentally, is true - seriously, where has the time gone??), but given that this seems to be my standard introduction to every post, I'll work on finding a new way to begin.

So....here's a quick and dirty post of some lovely Australian-based wonders who produce rather divine shiny beads (and at least some of them, if not all, post overseas - huzzah!).

www.polli.com.au

Based in New South Wales, this company is both sexy and sustainable.  They design and make beautiful earrings, necklaces, brooches, rings and cufflinks from a variety of materials (predominantly stainless steel and plantation hoop pine plywood), as well as the occasional delicious piece of clothing (amongst other things).  Having only really started to appreciate their talent (as in, stumbled upon) over the past few years, I am starting to amass a respectable collection of their wares.  The fact they offer free shipping for purchases over $25 is a nice bonus, too.


www.honeybeegoods.com

Another New South Wales-based business (Newcastle, to be exact), honeybee creates lovely, intricate earrings and necklaces from stainless steel, as well as gorgeous cut-out clocks using sustainably harvested Australian Blackwood timber veneer (phew - that's direct from their site, incidentally).   I particularly love their Goldilocks rang - so much so, I own three of the four pieces.  Whoops.


www.rebeccaroth.com.au

My beloved and I first stumbled across the resin-y delights of Rebecca Roth whilst in Hobart a few years ago.  To discover she had an online presence was...dangerous, to say the least!  Brightly coloured earrings, rings and necklaces of resin abound (as well as other materials, such as silver and wood), making any grey day infinitely happier.  Of course, it goes without saying that a number of her hand-crafted pieces can be found in my (ever-increasing) jewellery collection...


www.hugmeharry.com

Based in Ringwood, this lovely site has a range of goodies for the man, woman and child, as well as their homes.  It was through this site I found my love for Erstwilder (seriously, have a look at her stuff - quirky, gorgeous, made-in-Melbourne goodness) and honeybee, as well as others.  Postage is free, which, of course, is always a plus.


And on that note I shall leave things (for now).  Of course, all of these talented business can also be found on facebook, should you want to find out more.

h is for health(ier) living

It's an utterly glorious day in Melbourne today, so I'm airing the house, the washing is drying in the sun and the solar fairy lights are charging.  Of course, the kitchen is in dire need of attention, but I'll save that for later on today!

There is so much conflicting information out there about what we should and shouldn't eat; it makes my head positively hurt.  That said, I've just started the eight-week 'I quit sugar' programme (the name is misleading, as it's not actually about quitting all sugar, just fructose), and have had quite a time finding some of the more...interesting items required to make up meals (which, incidentally, are generally easy and delicious).

So, here are some sites I've stumbled across in my quest for healthier cooking and living.

www.goodness.com.au

I first saw this brand in Maxi Foods, a totally fabulous supermarket in Upper Ferntree Gully.  Don't be fooled by its kind of dowdy appearance - this place is an absolute ripper, full of hard-to-find items and European delights.

Of course, I then googled 'Honest to Goodness' and found their site, which houses an impressive variety of stuff, from organic pantry staples to household items.  I think my best purchase was 2.5 kg of coconut flakes (so tasty and so versatile) for $22...along with cacao nibs, cacao powder and coconut flour (interesting to cook with).  From memory, postage was quite reasonable and delivery quick (they're based in Sydney) - will definitely return once my stocks have dwindled to alarming levels.

www.lovingearth.com.au

Another great site full of deliciousness.  I am particularly fond of their chocolate coconut butter - good on toast or straight from the jar!  I took advantage of the sale they had on this particular item and stocked up.  Again, from memory, postage was reasonable and delivery quick (unsurprising, given they live in Melbourne).

http://sunshinevanilla.com.au/

A number of sugar-free recipes call for vanilla powder, something that is not all that easy to find in stores.  So, once again, I hit up google for the answer and came across Sunshine Vanilla which, unsurprisingly, deals with all things vanilla (and organically so).  When compared to other sites, their product is very reasonably priced and, given a little goes a long way, it will last for ages. It took a few days to reach me, but it is travelling from Queensland, so that's to be expected.

www.biome.com.au

I can't remember how I came across this site, but am so glad I did.  The stores are based in Brisbane, and have a wide range of all things eco-friendly and earth-huggy, ranging from homewares, to tasty treats, to shiny beads and clothes.  Definitely worth a look, and is a site I return to time and again (particularly when they offer 20% off the entire site).

www.iherb.com

This site is based in California, and I stumbled upon it whilst on the quest for eco washing powder, of all things (Grab Green pods in Vetiver - divine).

They sell so many things it makes my head spin, and while navigating can be quite a challenge (so much to see, how do you choose??), it's well worth the effort.  In addition to stocking up on the washing pods, I've also purchased body wash, hand wash, room spray, dish-washing tablets, lip balm and an array of flavoured liquid stevia (so much cheaper than here).  Postage is quite reasonable, particularly as it comes by DHL, so you receive all your goodies within a week or so.

And for those who mutter to themselves about the issue of having things flown here not being environmentally friendly, it's not as though a separate flight is chartered...the plane was already coming here, it's just being chucked aboard! :p

So, there you have it - happy shopping, cooking and eating!

O is for oh dear....

Yes, it's true, it has been an abysmally long time since I last posted about the delights of online shopping.  Fear not, my love affair with online shopping has continued with gusto, it's just the recommendations of said lust-worthy sites has rather fallen by the wayside...

So, to remedy this aberrant behaviour (and to get back into the habit of updating this blog), please find a few of my favourite sites below (in no particular order or category).

www.beautybay.com

Based in Manchester, England, this fabulous site stocks a wide array of wonderful beauty products and affiliated bits and bobs, and has free world-wide shipping.  Sadly, some items cannot be sent to Australia (such as Opi nail polish, due to some kind of caveat from said manufacturer), but, even with the falling dollar, prices are still better than here (which, admittedly, isn't all that hard!).

www.bathandunwind.com

Another UK-based site, I stumbled across this when I was looking for, well, to be honest, I can't remember, but needless to say I found what I was looking for and then some.  I absolutely love this site for so many reasons and, in no particular order, here they are:

• free international postage
• loyalty scheme, where you get credits towards future purchases
• wide range of fabulous products (such as Moroccan Oil, amongst other things)

I think the best thing about both of these sites is that they stock entirely different items, so I get shopping satisfaction at both, knowing that what I'm buying from one isn't generally available at the other.  Likewise, postal delivery between here and the UK is pretty good, so you usually get your goodies within a week or so.  Huzzah!  

In keeping with my UK theme of the night, who can resist a blitz at M & S?  I certainly can't! (particularly as I've discovered that their sheets fit my bed).

www.marksandspencer.com

Again, even with the depressing downward spiral of the dollar, things are still reasonably priced, as is postage (last time I checked, delivery to Australia was free, though that may well have changed).  So, if you fancy some department-store shopping that's quite affordable, check it out.  

Another rather delectable Brit site is Anorak, which features quirky kissing animal prints on a range of products (such as bedding, toilet bags, picnic-ware, to name but a few).

www.anorakonline.co.uk

Postage can be rather prohibitive as it is, naturally, dependent upon the amount you purchase (as it comes by courier, so, on the upside, it arrives in record time!), however, their stuff is gorgeous and, in my opinion, worth it.  I recommend signing up to their newsletter and/or liking them on stalkbook, and then waiting for the next sale - I splurged when they had 30% off and got some wonderful sheets, towels, tins and a toilet bag (there may well have been more, but that's what springs to mind).

p is for perfume

Oh my.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, but I can't believe that i. it's been an absolute age since I last posted here and, perhaps even more importantly, ii. I cannot believe we're now halfway through February 2012.  I'm not sure if it's due to time moving faster or me getting older, but either way, I like it not!

However, I am not here to bemoan the passing of time but, rather, to continue to extol the virtues and delights of online shopping.  Something I do enjoy buying online is perfume, as I (unsurprisingly) am simply not prepared to spend oodles in-store when I can spend the same amount on at least two different types of delicious fragrance (and perhaps, just perhaps, one of those may be for my beloved).  With that in mind, I give you the following site:

www.perfumeemporium.com

A US-based site that I stumbled across in my quest for new scents, it offers an extensive range of perfume at competitive prices.  From memory (and it has been a while since I purchased from them), postage was reasonable, however, like so many things purchased from the US, it did take an age to arrive.  Best not to use this site if you're impatient and/or in a tearing hurry to receive it!

In addition to perfume, they also stock an array of other beauty goodies to make your heart, body and soul sing (as well as look extra-fabulous and the rest!).  Furthermore, they do have a reward scheme - I've not looked at it closely, but no doubt it adds further incentive to buy goodies and reap the rewards...

Lastly, they charge in a range of currencies, which makes it even easier to know how much of a bargain you're getting (rather than how much you're hurting your bank account...).

As I am feeling rather rusty at the whole blogging thing, will keep it short and sweet, but will add further sites soon(er than my last effort).

s is for strawberry (net)

Much like amazon, unless you've been living under a rock, or in a cave, you'll know all about the following site:

www.strawberrynet.com

Since being introduced to this site not long after my return to Australia (so a good five years ago now, at least), it has been a frequent port of call to replenish my stock of lotions, potions and make up. 

Based in Hong Kong, it offers brand name items at a much more affordable rate, with free and quick postage to most places in the world (the exception being perfume, the postage cost for which is capped at $10, I think).  It stocks a wide range of make up, perfume, skin care and accessories, although does not stock an entire range (for instance, may only have select colours of powder/lipstick/eyeshadow available).  Their available stock can fluctuate, too.

It has a customer loyalty scheme, which further adds to the incentive to shop with them (the more orders you place, the greater discount you get, the maximum being 10% off once you've placed twenty orders, I think).  It's easy to speed this up by collaborating with friends and using the one e-mail address for all orders placed.  Also, if you purchase more than one item further discounts are applied, although these have been decreased from the initial 5% discount with the purchase of three or more items to a gradual, incremental increase. All orders can be paid for in the local currency.

Signing up for their newsletter ensure that you're kept up-to-date of any additional promotional discounts, for example, as a further 10% off all haircare or perfume.  I'd definitely recommend using this site for your beauty needs, although not necessarily for perfume, as I have found some cheaper sites in the US (which I'll put up here shortly).

My only word of caution is for those based in the UK (and this is more around the UK Customs than anything else) - I sent an order from here direct to a friend, and was absolutely horrified to learn she'd been charged an importation tax on the gift.  Vile!

r is for radley london

Well, I am appalled by how long it's been since I last posted and, truth be told, there's really no exciting reason for this other than lack of motivation.  Regardless, here I am once again, with some more fabulous shopping sites for your pleasure and delectation.

While living in London all those years ago, I was introduced to the gorgeousness that is Radley (now rebranded as Radley London, for reasons unknown to me).  Their mascot is a divine little Scottie dog, and their handbags, purses and accessories are simply scrumptious.  In fact, my count of Radley handbags is currently at...well, perhaps it's best not to divulge the exact number; suffice to say, it's more than one and less than ten (I think)! 

www.radley.co.uk

They've recently expanded their range to include watches, sunglasses and shoes, and continue to produce seasonal collections and themed bags and purses, as well as luggage, key rings and umbrellas (as well as other bits and bobs).  As I'm a little rusty at the whole blogging thing, I'm probably not really doing it the justice it deserves, so click on the above link and peruse the pleasures for yourself! 

One of the most wonderful things about Radley is that they now deliver to Australia, so there's really no excuse not to indulge in a shiny new bag.  If you subscribe to their newsletter, you are advised of any promotional events (such as the 20% off that I recently took advantage of; I'm now waiting for my gorgeous new bracelet watch and another new brolly) and any new collections/items.

The only real downsides that I've experienced with my latest purchase is that one of the items I ordered was, in fact, permanently out of stock (presumably gremlins in the system) and that it's taken about a week for them to actually get my order together to dispatch (opposed to the one- to two-business days advised on their site).  The fact that they don't remove the VAT (as is done by www.amazon.co.uk) is also a bit disappointing.  That said, as long as it doesn't get held up by overly enthusiastic bodies at Australian Customs (as has happened with a previous order, when they were convinced another umbrella had a wooden handle when, in fact, it was plastic, and took multiple calls for me to resolve), I hope to have these pretties by the end of this coming week or the start of the next.
 

h is for hiatus (of the shopping variety)

I've been on a self-imposed shopping ban of late, which has, I'm ashamed to say, been rather more difficult than anticipated (does buying eBooks count??  No, I didn't think so, either!).  That hasn't stopped me looking at my favourite online stores, though, with the happy anticipation (and justification) that comes with future purchases.

Time away from the delights of internet retailing has afforded me the opportunity to indulge in some of my other favourite past times, such as soaking in the tub with a good book.  I was recently given a kindle (hence the eBooks) and am still amazed by just how much I love it.  It will never replace my love of books (or books themselves, for that matter, as I firmly believe that pleasure in reading stems as much from the story as it does from the tactile, physical experience of the book itself) , but it comes pretty darned close - there is something so deliciously decadent about having so many varied books available in such a portable device, secure in the knowledge that you can dip into books as the mood takes you, rather than having to plan ahead for your anticipated literary needs and desires.  The fact that mine has a gorgeous, vibrant pink cover with an inbuilt light merely enhances my delight!

I have also rediscovered the pleasure of knitting though, sadly, this has suffered at the hands of my love of reading (I can see the battle now - knitting needles standing off against the kindle - I wonder who would win??).  Of course, our beasties showing definite interest in the movement of needles and wool doesn't encourage me much, either.

It has also given me time to reflect on social networking (namely facebook) and the way in which it can utterly consume and destroy.  People seem to forget that it does not replace communication proper and relationships, and have a tendency to emotionally invest in something that is simply not reflective of real life (I have certainly been guilty of that).  Personally, I've found it liberating to come to this realisation and take a step back, have a bit of a spring clean, as it were (ah, unfriending - not quite so much fun when you're the unfriended, rather than the unfriendee, if such words exist, even if you know it's for the best) and to remind myself of those who are important to me (and, presumably, me to them).  I do think facebook is a wonderful platform with which to catch up, particularly with those on the other side of the world, however, if it spontaneously combusted tomorrow I would not be too fussed.  Especially since I've stopped playing all those time-wasting games!

So, fret not, more posts will follow soon - just been feeling incredibly lazy of late and not particularly inclined to update, particularly as it would no doubt lead to some unplanned retail therapy....In the meantime, I'm going to have a soak in the tub with a good book!