An outfit post!

I haven't posted an outfit in a long time.  What with winter in our midst, my outfits tend to gravitate towards a layers of woollen/cashmere items worn under a coat and scarf.  Sigh.

I did give the wool the flick for my friend's birthday dinner though..

• sass & bide rats, which are in need of being replaced
• scanlan & theodore top, tied in a knot on the side
• zac posen for target blazer... true love
• YSL "Lauren" suede booties
• sportsgirl cuff

I'm back!

I think my internet connection has been fixed (well it's been connected for 45 minutes and hasn't dropped out yet - best effort in weeks).

And by sheer chance, I find that a tweet of mine was featured in Grazia magazine this week!  Scan to follow!  I'm amused.

How frickin' cool is Karl?

The huge lion - Coco Chanel was a Leo.

No black dress in sight - Karl figures all women have an LBD.

'To most of us, the baggage we collect through life brings with it little jolts of memories'

Stressed.  That's the best way to describe how I've been feeling at work.  My schedule has been crazy and my desk cluttered beyond recognition.  Settling into my day is impossible.  I took the morning "off" - didn't do any work, instead I cleared out my desk and finally got the filing done.  Two huge boxes are now sitting in the storage room - if I don't need anything from the boxes this month, it's being shredded!  I feel a lot better now and the to-do pile seems all that more manageable. I feel a lot more calm working from a completely empty desk.   I've also purchased a new note pad for my to do list and started fresh.  A thick pad of notes was flustering me!

  I'll try to do the same at home tomorrow night.  Does anyone have any tips for organising a workspace?  I need all the help I can get!

Detoxing one's life...

Well my internet at home is well and truly dead. I no longer even have a signal that drops out. 2 months later the ISP has finally decided to escalate it to level 2. Geez, thanks. Just send me a new modem and put me out of my misery! If it wasn't for my iPhone I'd well and truly be at internet AA. Is there such a thing?

I've also embarked on a dietary detox to go with the friendship detox I've been on of late. I'm on lent this week (to coincide with lent for St Peter and Paul, which ends on Monday), which means a vegan diet.

I don't usually drink coffee, don't drink soft drink and I don't drink alcohol, but I need to kick start my body and get rid of the toxins that inhibit it, thanks to my love of sweets and desserts (I'm speaking to you Lindt macaroons and hazelnut hot chocolate). Did you know that sugar is one of the main accelerators of aging?

It's amazing how much you crave the foods that you don't normally eat when you know that you cannot eat them.  My cravings usually last 48 hours, after which I'm fine.  Hunger pangs are eliminated with a tall class of warm water!

Next week I'm accelerating the detox and embarking on a 3 day Urban Remedy liquid only juice detox, beginning on Wednesday. I'm hoping to improve my skin and eye clarity and move the couple of kilos that have refused to budge!

Check back through the week - I'll be blogging about my experience a couple of times a day!

http://www.urbanremedy.com.au/

Fashion Blogger Q&A

The lovely crew behind the 2threads style network have asked me to take part in their blogger Q&A!  Thank you!  I really appreciate your support of my little blog :)

Q1.  The time you felt most inspired by fashion?

This image of Gemma Ward on the cover of Vogue Australia November 2004 is definitely the defining moment and when my love affair with fashion began.  One of the jobs I did whilst at university was marketing campaigns on campus for big companies - mobile phone providers, banks and other necessary services.  It paid about $12 an hour, but offered some good freebies and bonuses.  One of those was a magazine subscription - to Vogue!  And I thought, what the heck!?  I had done a bit of modelling, but that world in Brisbane was not like the fantasy modelling world.  We wore singlet tops, denim shorts and flip flops as a uniform.  Vogue had never crossed my mind, especially not reading it.

But this issue of Vogue spoke to me.  The exotic beach holiday locations and packing essentials, beauty tips from models, fabulous ad campaigns for the design houses... It inspired me to lead a more fashionable life... and started the whole evil love affair with luxury.    Whether that's a good or a bad thing, I'll let you judge. 

I still have this issue in my old bedroom at my parents house.  I actually reread it while on holidays up there in January.  It's amazing how relevant the fashion and the written features are, 5+ years down the track.

Q2. The time you were proudest of your outfit of style?

I'd say my style is "minimalist".  Back in 2005 when I travelled to Europe, boho style a la Sienna Miller and Nicole Richie/Rachel Zoe was all the rage.  I could have fallen victim to the trend, and don't worry I wore plenty of gypsie outfits to class, but when I travelled, I decided on a minimalist style, which I'm very glad I did.  While all of my friends are channeling Sienna, with photographic evidence etching it in our memories forever, I am wearing black and white henleys, straight leg jeans, a slim cut coat etc... travel style that will never age!

Q3. The time in fashion you would most like to return to - eg 60's style, 70's style?

The answer here is none!  I love fashion where it is now!  I'm a Balmain girl (well a Balmain-loving girl, because frankly, who can afford $1,500 to spend on a t shirt?)

https://www.stormwatches.com.au/

Melinda Maria Pod Ring

Late night assessments of ones life usually revolve around clocking up some serious couch time on a Sunday night, as well as reading, watching World Cup repeats and making lists. It sometimes also results in online shopping. (Un)fortunately my internet at home has not worked (the ISP technician, nor the Telstra technician has been able to solve the problem of my signal that keeps dropping out) which has limited my access to the mountains of online retailers currently having sales. And I've been much too busy at work to indulge in my online shopping weakness.

However, the signal held up just long enough for me to order the Melinda Maria pod ring that I've wanted since I fell in love with it after seeing it on this free bird a few weeks ago! I love so many Melinda Maria pieces - I can see this becoming an addiction! Thankfully the only Australian online stockist that I could find has a very small selection, so I'm safe for now!

The ring arrived this morning and is even more perfect in person than I'd imaged. Really well made and gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!

Weekend winter warmers...

Some inspiration for me for the following weekend... My brother is coming for a weekend visit. Lets hope I manage to get out for breakfast on Saturday wearing something other than a hoodie and sneakers... sigh

New week, new me...

Over the last few weeks I've felt rather flat.  Life has not gone to plan lately, friends have disappointed me again and again.  Sometimes I struggle to get out of bed, let alone to wash my hair and get dressed and leave the house.  And the cold weather is going straight through the bones.

I'm going to try and beat it one day at a time.  Today it was with baking, tomorrow, hopefully with exercise. And I promise I'm going to care about what I'm wearing to work next week!

Tonight's recipe - an apple & strawberry sponge pudding.  A variation of a couple of different recipes

Ingredients

• 4 granny smith apples
• punnet of strawberries - you can use any berries or even rhubarb
• 120g butter
• 220g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g self raising flour
• 50ml milk

Boil apples and berries in 100ml water & 100g sugar for 15 minutes

mix butter, sugar, eggs, flour and milk

spoon the fruit (minus the juice) in a baking tray.  pour the sponge mixture over it.

bake for 30-40 min at 180 degrees.  custard is optional

perfect with a cup of tea on a cold winter Sunday night

xoxo

Loving the Mad Men vibe of these Dolce & Gabbana Campaigns...

"It was very comfortable. She walked in the room, and I’m a big Madonna fan so I was expecting it to be nervewracking but she walked in and it was totally fine. I felt like her son for the day, I was supposed to be her son in the ad campaign actually. She was just so nice to me, it wasn’t like I was some random kid, she really treated me with respect and I truly respected her for that. She’s such a superstar but she treats you as though you’re on the same level. It was really incredible and she’s just a very nice, sweet person. I was pleasantly surprised."

Summer Sizzle!

Spanish Elle - May 2010

I'm eagerly awaiting my issue of US Vogue July 2010.  These images of Marion shot in Provence are spectacular, cannot wait to cosy up and read it next weekend.

Spent!

Is it just me, or is there an influx of books and films glorifying the concept of shopping addiction?  A beautiful woman breaks up with her boyfriend/her dog dies/her friend steals her wedding date and she spirals out of control and consoles herself by shopping?  In the end, prince charming comes along and saves the day.

But the reality is a lot harsher.  Living beyond ones means is a lot more dangerous than one may hope.  Credit cards come with a whole lot of spin - the promise to help you lead a better life and enable you to live your dreams, go on that vacation now, buy those Prada shoes now and all the while earn points for rewards (towards useless things you'll never use, like a rice cooker or foot spa).  But chances are if you need expensive debt to achieve your dreams, they are not meant to be, or there is a better way to achieve them.  If you cannot afford to pay for those shoes now, chances are you won't in 40 days when the bill arrives.  Key is to budget!  Put away some money for rent, for food and for shoes and buy things once you've saved up for them.

If you're battling existing debt, you will know how hard it is to actually pay it back.  Living costs will continue and it will be increasing difficult to go old turkey on your old lifestyle.  To not be able buy that new lip gloss on Saturday (as well as the coffee and pastry and scarf and sunglasses...)

It is a serious matter.  One that can damage a relationship.  Hiding new purchases from your boyfriend or mother?  Not just a fun thing all girls do, it's deceipt and can be harmful to your relationship.  Own up, you will feel a huge burden lift from your shoulders.... You will no longer be afraid of that envelope and the phone calls that follow should you be unable to keep up with repayments.  Get your loved ones involved to help you consolidate and get back on track.

Avis Cardella's memoir of her dark shopping years is on it's way to me.  Interesting to see her take on the issue and how she overcame her shopping addiction.  Review to follow.

Give away winner!

Thanks to random.org, the winner of the last give away was comment number one - Couture Carrie. Book and other bits and pieces coming your way.

Congrats

x

Winter getaways...

Travel has got to be one of my greatest loves.  But unfortunately I do not like being away from home for more than 2-3 weeks.  I love new places, but I'm not a fan of lugging suitcases and disrupting my routine.  So that's why I love mini breaks - carry on luggage and minimal fuss and I'm back in my own bed within days.

Summer breaks can be exhausting - I spend a lot of time walking, sight seeing and checking out every beach within driving distance of the destination and often I need a day or two to rest.

My favourite time to get away is in winter.  Activities are usually limited to drinking red wine and eating hearty meals or sitting by the fire reading.

B and I are planning a quick trip in August to the snow or perhaps to Cradle Mountain in Tasmania...

Cradle Mountain Lodge is absolutely divine in winter.  It can snow at times, but very lightly, and the bush walking tracks are amazing with plenty of wild life to encounter.  There is no rushing required, just a tranquil few days spent by the fire or in the spa.

Of course, a winter get away requires a winter wardrobe...

A cosy cashmere jumper...

A wool cocoon coat

A chunky knit scarf

And of course, flat riding boots in a luxe, buttery leather