Serbia show case!

On top of still being really, really sick AND home sick after speaking to my grandmother last night, I thought a good cure would be to look through my photos from my 2008 trip.

A small selection of photos to show case a beautiful country...

Photos are unfortunately pre-SLR.

A very lonely and boring 14 hour stop over in Vienna.  Made all the worst considering that Belgrade is only about 600km away.  So close, yet so far.

When you're bored in Vienna, you go looking for Milka

Peaches at my grandparents house

First night in Belgrade - not voted by Lonely Planet as the world's party capital for nothing

The youngest of the cousins - Marko :)

Each time I go I try to visit a few monasteries.  This time I went to Studenica which was founded in 1190 and for many years was the centre of medieval Serbia.  To walk along the same path that so many saints and history making individuals walked was breath taking.  

The original frescos

The amazing streeets

Belgrade's oldest restaurant "Znak Pitanja" (Question Mark)

Knez Mihajlo

View from our apartment

Novi Sad

Saint Sava church

Saint Marko church

View over the Danube from Kalamegdan

Sunrise over the Danube

Little Luxuries

On Friday night I had the immense priviledge of attending the Little Luxuries event hosted by Harper's Bazaar Australia editor Edwina McCann - who was wearing those Chanel pumps (gosh HB have been generous to me of late - and I really do appreciate it!)  

Sibella Court was on hand to share with us her list of her favourite little luxuries... from exquisite de Gournay wall paper (with which I am now obsessed and am framing the samples that were given to us) to her favourite hotels, beauty products and more.  The presentation was complimented by amazing canapes, gold flecked bite sized cheese cakes and free flowing Belvedere vodka cocktails.  And a big thank you to my gorgeous friend D from Fierce Pretty Blog for being my plus one!

How amazing is the wall paper!

And the amazing goody bag, including a $1,050 eye cream!

The event inspired me to consider what my favourite little luxury is... and that's got to be matching silk and lace lingerie.  I think it's lovely wearing something just for yourself.

image via tumblr

Party time

Well the holiday party invites have started coming in, hot and fast at my end. The office alone is having three, not to mention the many client parties and lunches that go with it. And as the holiday season in Australia coincides with summer, it’s also wedding season. With gifts to buy, trips to take, parties to host and attend, the nightmare of what to wear is sure to dawn on us all. And it doesn’t help that I’m loathing everything in my wardrobe, or finding it inappropriate for the soirées that I have to attend – from BBQ picnics to cocktail parties. I’m in major distress.

Since I’m not made of money (and would prefer to spend what I do have being pampered at Jari Minari in Bali, anyway), I am not making any major purchases! Here are my tips to make work what’s already there. For a couple of hundred dollars, you can be party ready. The big trick? Don’t be afraid to wear the same outfit twice, especially if you’ll be wearing it amongst a completely different crowd of people. Nobody will know!

Get your hair trimmed! Get rid of the split ends, invest in a moisturising treatment and get yourself a bottle of Moroccan Oil. I think grooming is the key during the party season. No matter how simple or fancy the outfit, make sure your hair is clean and neat and you WILL look and feel a million dollars. Take an extra 20 minutes to blow dry it the morning of the event. Guaranteed to make you feel fabulous.

Look after your nails. Keep them short and tidy. Cuticles neat. Whether you paint your nails or not, having nice hands and neat nails and nail polish that isn’t chipped while holding a glass of champagne always looks chic. In summer I get a weekly manicure and fortnightly pedicure.

Invest in a new lipstick. It will completely change your look and won’t break the bank. This summer I intend to make full use of my MAC – Russian Red. I might even treat myself to one of Tom Ford’s new lip colours.

Dress appropriately for the occasion.  If you're with co workers or clients, dress like you would for work and dress it up with accessories, a clutch bag and said new lipstick rather than a mini skirt.  Chances are you see these people once or twice a year, yet speak to them daily, so ensure that you dress and act appropriately.  That's the impression they'll have of you for the rest of the year!

Don’t be afraid of sequins.  When else will you be able to pull of sparkles than during the holidays?

Statement shoes. You know how I feel about that. Nothing I love more than a simple dress and amazing shoes!

Moisturise! Slather your skin in a rich cream for soft, supple skin.

Drink lots of water! The champagne can be drying on your hair, skin and kidneys!

all images via tumblr

Where's she been?

It's the second time in a little over a month that I've been violently ill, so apologies for my absense.  For almost a week now I've been waking up feeling worse than I felt the day before.  It can't be a good thing.  Every time I start back at the gym, something forces me to have to stop. And then illness ensues.  My assessment deadlines are looming (one is actually overdue now).  My nights are filled with nightmares.  Dark shadows appear in my bedroom.  Every single night.  The red tray for urgent submissions on my desk is overflowing.  I have three 3 hour exams in the space of 3 days in the next 14 days.  Three's a charm, right?  I have no energy.  For anything.

Take a holiday everyone says.  I had intended to.  My planned and now booked and paid holidays are a mere 5 weeks away, yet I am experiencing pangs of fear and guilt.  If I have a bad feeling about this trip, maybe I shouldn't be taking it?  Maybe I should follow my gut instinct and not go?  But I can't stand spending another weekend in those 4 walls, let alone almost 4 weeks.  I don't know what to do?  And it's not like I can count on Melbourne to provide me with a blissful 4 weeks of holiday weather.  I'm sick of sweaters, even if I do love them.

I'm longing for days of no assignments, of no journal articles to read and regurgitate for a paper for a paper about fair value, no alarm clocks on the weekends to wake me to listen to lectures about accounting standards.  I miss reading non sense magazines, I miss trips to the beach and drives along the coast line with the car window open and my hair blowing in the wind (even hair sticking to lip gross on such perfect days wouldn't bother me). 

And why can't Melbourne make up it's mind about the weather?  Why did wearing this dress and shoes feel so out of place on a mid November day?  Why did it feel like I should have been wearing opaques and boots and a scarf and coat? AND THERMALS UNDERNEATH!  When just 48 hours earlier it was 29C/84F.  Yesterday it was less than half that?

Why do I spend hours hating the contents of my wardrobe, wrestling with coat hangers and mountains of clothes, not wanting to leave the house as I have nothing to wear.  Correction: nothing I want to wear...

fleur wood dress

asos wedges

olga berg clutch

HB giveaway winner is...........

Heart-shaped Happiness

Let me know which cover you'd like and your prize will be out swiftly xoxo


sheworeitwell.blog@gmail.com

Fleur Wood warehouse sale

Just in time for the holiday season and the parties!  I hear that nothing is over $150.

Kicking the sugar habit - take 2

I've previously blogged about the evil of sugar.  And today I've found out that sugar is more addictive than cocaine! With my holidays creeping up (and the intention to spend 3.5 weeks in a bikini at various beaches around the world),  The GOOP newsletter was a timely reminder to change my habits.


Sugar is also associated with many chronic problems that include decreased immunity, some chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, pain syndromes, irritable bowel syndrome, ADD, chronic fatigue, and candida. Research suggests that one of the main causes for decreased immunity is that sugars inhibit the entrance of Vitamin C into white blood cells, which then inhibits immunity. The more sugar, the less productive your white blood cells are and thus, the less immune you are. Furthermore, sugars stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas, which in turn stimulates the liver’s triglyceride production. Triglycerides are linked to stroke, heart disease and obesity.


Sugar is my drug of choice.  I'm not a fan of carbs (I consume bread/pasta/rice once a month, if that).  And salt?  Did you know that I do not have salt at home?  I refuse to add it to food, as I know there's already more than enough in all the other food that I consume.   I don't drink or smoke but I'll eat sweets like they're going out of fashion!  Maybe that is the reason that when I get sick, I'm virtually on my death bed.  I'm so motivated not to consume sugar until the trip (hello High Tea at Raffles in Singapore) that I am no longer carrying any money with me to minimise the temptation to purchase a cupcake or a chocolate bar.  (that and to save myself from shopping temptations - what's with my addictive personality of late... sugar... shopping.. REHAB??) 

You can read more about the evils of sugar and tips to beat the addiction in the GOOP newsletter. But a disclaimer, it's a little bit scary.

image via habitually chic blog

J. Crew holiday love

I take a break from the internet/blogging/browsing online stores and feel so liberated and in control.  I return and within an hour I've piled up various shopping carts.  Silly FALLSALE J. Crew email and code.

Maybe the closet will, not the wallet!

Nicole Trunfio - In Style December 2010

Nic is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated Australian models.  This ed is absolutely divine, in keeping with the upcoming holiday and party season.

via Nicole's facebook page

Slow Monday

Today is one of those weird days.  Tomorrow is a public holiday in Melbourne for the running of a very important horse race - The Melbourne Cup - the "race that stops the nation".  We are all at work today, but busy with other things. 

Like eating lollies

And running sweeps while keeping a watchful eye on the weather.

I had every intension to going to a couple of race meetings for this year's carnival, but Melbourne decided to gift us with 5 weeks worth of rain in the space of 2 days.  Not very glamourous having your heels digging into the mud.  Even the VIP helicopters couldn't fly due the rain on Derby Day and Cup Day is not expected to be any better.

I intend to watch the race from the comfort of my couch.  Cheering on horse number 13, Manighar, which I picked up in the sweep.

I've busily been making a list of chores that I'll also be actioning tomorrow.

Baking white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes

Drinking many cups of tea

Watching season 6 of SATC.. my favourite to have on in the background as I'm busy ticking things off my to-do list

Finish an assignment, submit it and clean out the study/spare room/storage room 

Do some serious laundry (the hand wash only delicates are piling up)

And then iron it all! (ha!)

And topping off the day with dinner at our favourite Greek restaurant - Hellenic Republic - to celebrate our 2 year anniversary.  Already watering at the mouth at the thought of their saganaki with a fig reduction.

image via gggiraffe.blogspot.com