July may be the coldest month of the year, but we didn’t indulge any winter blues with this month’s purchases, which range from show tickets to pies, cakes to gin (is it an Ensemble Nice Things without gin?).
As always, this is a strictly #gifted free zone – we paid for everything below, and think you might like them too. And yes, we know the month is not actually over yet; we're bringing this one to you early.
An Evening with David Sedaris ticket, $50
He’s coming to Auckland in January – something to look forward to! I have to be honest, I’ve actually only read a couple of his books but will devour any interview he does or essay he writes; I love how he thinks about fashion, too. I got the cheapest nose-bleed pre-order tickets, but there are more expensive/better seats available. – Zoe Walker Ahwa
Sunday the Bakery banana and condensed milk cake, $150
My purchases this month were Ensemble AF. Everyone knows how much we love cake and I’ve been wanting to order a Sunday the Bakery cake ever since I saw someone recommend them on the Lazy Susan Facebook page. Thankfully a team birthday provided the perfect opportunity to order the biggest size they had; I can confirm it was utterly delicious and infinitely Instagrammable. – Rebecca Wadey
Daiso B7 Memopad, $3.50
Daiso’s 3 items for $10 deal seem to be the last bastion of retail unaffected by inflation. I needed a new bedside notepad for those 3am panic thoughts and was drawn to the Wes Anderson-esque orange cover of this one. It fits squarely in my pocket so has migrated to my desk and is already half full of partially crossed off to-do lists – Tyson Beckett
Vacation Inc. SPF30 Chardonnay Lip Oil, $35
I’m obsessed with this suncare brand’s 80s-inspired imagery and art direction, and products that are all about holiday leisure. I bought a teeny tiny travel-sized bottle of their baby oil (I KNOW THAT IS BAD, but it is SPF30) a while ago, but the shipping was expensive – so when I saw that locally, Superette had more of their products, I had to make a lunchtime visit to get this. Because I’m a true sucker for sexy packaging and fonts. Much like actual chardonnay, the taste is… an acquired taste (they say it’s caramel and vanilla flavour). – ZWA
Island Gin Limited Edition Feijoa, $110
The amount of time a fruity gin purchased by me has featured in this column… Including, I believe, this exact same one purchased a year ago. It’s an extremely limited range (yes I fall for marketing hype like everyone else) of the delicious Island Gin from Great Barrier, infused with feijoa. Mixed with grapefruit soda water this is the most delicious drink of all time. I don’t share; I just make one for myself and sip in solitude as a little gift to myself. This way I eke the bottle out for a year, until the next one rolls around. – RW
Ohen The Lift bra, $129
For every bottle of gin Rebecca has purchased, I’ve bought a bra. I’m still enjoying my underwire Videris number from June, but I’m forever a contrarian so this month I added a push-up bra from Ohen to my knicker drawer. I’m obsessed with this beautiful periwinkle shade, which I think is flattering on all skin tones, and the fact that it’s padded, but it's done so lightly and evenly; no hubcap-hard lifts round here. - TB
Pie Rollas bacon and egg pie, $10
The good news is I found a vaguely affordable lunch near our office (Ponsonby, AKA the land of $20 sandwiches). The bad news is, it’s a pie. Not just any pie though, it’s Pie Rolla’s, the latest from hospitality legends Fran Mazza and Aaron Carson. Fran’s baking has always been incredible (you may know her work from their previous eateries including Salvation, Sweetie, Winona Forever and Sugar), but let loose on pastry she’s a hazard to my health. In the best possible way. She makes all the pastry from scratch, which I believe involves much butter (there is also a vegan option), and it’s the best pastry I’ve ever had. I visited at 11am and the smoked brisket jalapeno pie was already sold out but the bacon and egg, which comes with pockets of homemade sausage, completely satiated me right through until dinner and was the best pie I’ve ever had, hands down. – RW
