LMFF 2012 - Alex Perry Presentation

What's more exciting than an invitation from the divine Josh Flinn on the eve of LMFF to the Alex Perry presentation?  Not much!

The scramble to find something to wear resulted in the purchase of two dresses, none of which arrived in time, rendering my new lipstick the most important component of my outfit. I'm a woman of many talents, none of which is finding something to wear in a wardrobe full of clothes.  No wonder I'm selling virtually all of it...

The show was nothing less than spectacular.  Lots of glamour.  Lots of white and nude with a dash of red and plenty of sparkle.

And I must mention the Tony Bianco shoes that the models were sporting, along with every second person in the front row.  You heard it here first.

Thank you Josh and Alex for having me xxx

Palette Melbourne Launch

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Palette Melbourne at their concept store in Malvern. Palette is designed and made in Melbourne and at amazing price points, helps you build the ultimate wardrobe to take you from the office to a night on the town and building your lock. I love the fact that it's a well edited collection with all the pieces working together (the ultimate capsule collection) with essentials to take you through for years to come.  It's the perfect place to start when you're starting your wardrobe.


Thanks for having me girls... the cocktails were just as delicious as the collection! X

”Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life. I don't think you could do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.”- Bill Cunningham

How true is that quote?  How powerful can an outfit, or a killer pair of shoes make you feel?  How many times has a certain look helped me feel like I know when I'm talking when presenting something that I KNOW I'm out of my depth with.

If you haven't seen this documentary yet, do yourself a favour and find a way to watch it.  I'd been meaning to see it for months, but something always got in the way.  When I got wind of the fact that it was screening for one final week at Palace, I switched around my diary and unplugged and saw it one late Monday afternoon.  Blackberry was off, iPhone was on flight mode and I sat in a cinema at 3pm on a weekday.  Totally indulgent but I'm so glad that I did.  The world didn't combust without me.

Bill is such a simple individual, who up until recently lived in one tiny room at Carnegie Hall, sleeping on a mattress that sat on crates.  And his infamous blue jacket is a jacket that Paris street sweepers wear, which he wore to receive his French Legion of Honour award.  This documentary will make you laugh and cry and humble you enormously.

First world problems...

My internet died this week.  During the busiest month of the year for those living (and blogging) in Melbourne - Fashion Festival, F1 parties, Food and Wine Festival, Comedy Festival, French Film Festival and every Oscar nominated film being released at the same time... phew!  Add to that a kitchen renovation (a self managed one, mind you) and a naturopath prescribed detox that has me waking one in a cold sweat at 2am one morning and shivering the next.  

But all is well that ends well.  

I have most of the day to blog while dad replasters the kitchen walls (I love you dad)... and I'm continuing to sell most of my belongings on eBay.  I vowed to reclaim my life back in 2012 and I have not wavered.  And after spending a year searching for an affordable sheepskin for my bedroom, I'm beside myself at having finally found one!

How are your resolutions holding up??

Meet Marvin - part one

 

Marvin dress, Witchery leopard print clutch (similar here or here or here), Zomp shoes, Sportsgirl necklace

 

Marvin top with brass neckpiece, Zara shorts, Witchery sandals (similar here)

 Meet Marvin. The Sydney label is the brain child of Melody Hasse and Liza Rowe both of whom have some serious design pedigree having working for the likes of Akira Isogawa and Hussy.

I've been lucky to play around with the S/S collection "The Spirit Will Rise" over the past week.  The collection has a hint of tribal in wonderful fabrics, playful prints and brass detailing.  The pieces translate from a breakfast, to the office with a blazer and a night out on the town.  And the best thing is, the price points are fantastic, with most pieces under the $200 mark and able to be mixed and matched with everything that's currently in your wardrobe. Instant love.

Look out for part two of my post in the coming days!

The weekend

This past weekend marked the last weekend of summer. Each year summer seems to be quicker and quicker. I thoroughly enjoyed the long days and squeezed in some beach time, a trip back home, a perfect weekend in Sydney and lots of trips to the cinema.

Tomorrow I'm finally seeing Bill Cunningham: New York during a late afternoon session and hoping to have the cinema to myself.

This past weekend was HOT and I managed another trip to my favorite sea side idyll - Portsea. The ocean temperate was perfect for swims and the late summer sun not too harsh. Simple happiness.

OPI The Muppets collection... Designer de Better

I've completely and unexpectedly fallen in love with this polish. It's one of the easiest polishes to apply - it dries very quickly and stays put for days.

It's a little bit more OTT than I'm used to (I'm a Bubble Bath girl at heart) but I'm enjoying the playfulness. Summer has decided to stay so a little bit of sparkle compliments it just fine.

Sugar free update

Since converting to mostly organic and free range products and curbing my sugar intake, I have been much happier. I now survive on much less sleep and can concentrate for longer periods (believe it or not last year I barely lasted 5 minutes). Not to mention a completely flat stomach.

As a test I had a small handful of mini Easter yesterday afternoon which resulted in a feeling of hangover today. Ewww.

Don't despair though, I'm still eating amazing foods.

Coconut yoghurt is a salvation. It's creamy and filling and believe it or not has no sugar in it at all. Along with halloumi cheese.

Last days of summer..

Enjoying being able to wear shorts for a few more weeks. And the stars aligned and I found the Zara sequin in the Melbourne store. The very last one. Yesssssss!

I Quit Sugar

I quit sugar.  Yep. 


This is the year that I look after myself, so this week I made a pact to quit sugar. I've tried to do this before, but this time I'm serious.
Last night, after a horrid day at work all I wanted to do was dive into the giant box of Ferrero Rocher (to my credit it's been in my posession since Christmas and I have not opened it).  Sugar is always the easy option.  Chocolate, cakes, snakes, jams, nutella, Not to mention the sugar that's added to pretty much everything we consume anyway.  I don't know about you, but it seems to be that the easiest thing to grab while on the run is sugar laden?  Sometimes when the day is crazy, all I will eat is an almond croissant.  My body has pretty much told me that I have to stop.  It's inflamed and it hurts and I need to change my ways.

Sarah Wilson's ebook has been a good helping hand. 




Probably the best $15 I've spent all year.  It's quick to read and easy to follow.  It's not patronising, but it's scary and realistic at the same time.  I don't think that I'm overly dependent on sugar, so I'm not doing the extreme and quitting fruit.  I love fruit and it's a staple of my diet, but I am steering clear of the fruit that's too high in fructose.  Sugar is inflammatory, it's ageing and it turns into fat.  The biggest revelation has been the fact that fat isn't fat, fructose is.  One is encouraged to eat full fat products as they contain the least amount of additives.  And lets face it, fat fills us up.  I'm all about grilled halloumi, lots of salmon, daily gym sessions and weekly infrared saunas. You should see my skin after 40 minutes in that sauna.  Amazing!

I'm not trying to lose weight or be Gwyneth Paltrow.  I just want to be healthy.

So, I quit sugar.

I love Sydney

Sometimes you just need to get away. I've been to Sydney many, many time and am very familiar with it. Yet every time I go I love it even more. I usually hire a car and explore the surrounds. There's only so much the CBD can offer. And it's Frugal February, so staying away from shops is the best idea.

My friends on Twitter warned me that the weather wasn't great but boy was I grateful that they were wrong. It was sunny and hot. Just how I like it.

Upon arriving in Sydney I stuffed my face with Zumbo macarons (the Milo one pictured was perfection) and on attempting to go to Oxford Street, I took a wrong turn and ended up crossing Harbour Bridge and ending up under it, in Kirribili in a tiny little park. Love a surprise.

I'm really looking forward to a quiet February. I do not have too many commitments and I'm over the moon about that.

Hoping to return to regular blogging and blog visits too!

Recipe: Raspberry & Banana Muffins

Isn't life an unpredictable ride?  

I've spent the last 10 years racing through it.  I sit down each January and set goals.  Usually to do with property purchases, pay rises, promotions, a trip to a new destination, something new to study?  More more more, quick quick quick.  

Well not this year.  This year is all about me and my health.  Today was the first day in ages that I didn't HAVE to be in 3 places at once.  And more than ever I'm starting to say no.  Just doing things that make me happy.  I'm winding down some things on the go and January is traditionally the craziest (and the most fun and exciting month) but I need to take better care of myself and draw the line somewhere.

Cooking and exercising and spending time with my amazing husband are top of my list.  I'm also treating myself to a trip to Sydney in February, selling most of my belongings on eBay, going to the country to see the Grace Kelly exhibit in March and going home more often to see my parents.

My heavy duty kitchen mixer died late last year, which almost excited me because I thought that MAYBE it was time to get a KitchenAid.  But it seems not yet.  I fell in love with a beautiful Kenwood which was reduced from $300 to $219.. which then scanned for $129 at the register.  HAPPY!  Which meant some left over money on the voucher for some goodies from Chanel.

I took it for a test mix today and made some raspberry and banana muffins.  The recipe can be altered to just about any sort of muffin.  I usually halve the amount of sugar in recipes, so if you like your muffins sweeter, I have stated the amount of sugar the recipe calls for.

360g plain flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 eggs

150 g caster sugar (recipe calls for 270g)

180g butter

200g sour cream

1 small banana

1 punnet raspberries

Preheat over at 180C.  Sift together the dry ingredients.  Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick, then continue to beat while adding the butter, adding in the flour mixture.  Add sour cream and mix for a further 1 minute and fold in the fruit so it doesn't crumble.  Spoon into paper cases and bake for around 15 minutes.  The sour cream is the winning touch in my opinion and these are great frozen and popped in the handbag for a snack during the day.

Giveaway winner is...

I know the comp ended at Christmas and since my spare room resembles a St Vinnies sorting warehouse right now I had totally forgotten to pick a winner.

Random number generator has decided to give the prize to Iron Chef Shellie!! Yay! Congrats! X

Mid week dinner

I'm headed out for dinner at Greek Deli on Chapel Street with my dearest friends. It's a tiny and hidden oldie but goody. After the cold weekend, yesterday was once hottest day of the year, and today it's windy and chilly again. Who can keep up?

-- Zara tiered top, Zara jacket, Lovisa necklace, Scanlan & Theodore silk peg leg trousers, Zara sequin clutch (borrowed from SIL, still looking for my own), Witchery studded sandals --

Back and on the go

I'm back from holidays. Happy to be reunited with my pillow, my bottle of Pantene Aqualight and Parlux hair dryer. Not so happy to be headed back to work on Monday.

I'm running late for a meeting now. Last minute run through for our huge event tomorrow. Nerves have set in, for sure. Last minute calls from media seeking accreditation. Breathe.

My tan is hiding under this wintry outfit. Please sun, come out and play????

-- sass & bide rats leggings, Alaia lace ballet flats, Sportsgirl sweater, Zara sequin clutch, Lovisa necklace --

Where I've spent most of the week...

Hope you all had a fab week and hope you have an even better weekend x

L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival 2012 Cultural Program

The L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) Cultural Program packs an artistic punch, with over 77 diverse and inspiring events throughout Victoria.

The program combines design, art and film to explore another side of fashion through a series of unique and interactive events, far beyond the runway.

Extending from the officially programmed events of the Festival week, LMFF Cultural Program runs through the entire month of March. In 2012 LMFF is thrilled to announce the Cultural Program has the support of leading Australian public and commercial galleries, who will host some of the program’s ‘hero’ events.

Graeme Lewsey, LMFF Chief Executive Officer said “The Cultural Program celebrates a number of iconic Australian designers including Linda Jackson, Mariana Harwick (celebrating 30 years) through to street groovers Alpha 60 in non-traditional fashion presentations. Fashion & Film events continue to morph from digital platforms to live screens across the Festival adding inspiring colour and movement”.

The 2012 Cultural Program highlights include:

Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition, at Bendigo Art Gallery traces the life
of one of the most photographed women of the 20th Century, exploring the
evolution of her style from actress to Princess Grace of Monaco, and
includes her haute couture gowns of the 1960s and 1970s.

CLICK! Fashion Photographers on Film, at ACMI goes behind the
camera to discover the world of a fashion photographer, featuring new and
classic documentaries exploring the world of these iconic image makers.
Fashion Loves Art Loves Fashion exhibition, at Sophie Gannon Gallery,
Richmond will showcase a collection of gems gleened from the creative
coupling occurring between art and fashion in Australia. Featuring
collaborations from Romance was Born, Scanlan and Theodore,
Rittenhouse and Josh Goot.

Hearts and Crafts at NGV is a documentary directed by Frédéric Laffont
and Isabelle Dupuy-Chavanat that pays homage to the artisans of the
numerous Hermès métiers.

Linda Jackson exhibition at NGV, is the first solo exhibition of Linda’s
work and will feature a number of rare and unique early pieces which
embody a particularly dynamic period in Jackson’s career during which she
was defining her visual and design language.

QV Lunchtime Style Series of live workshops at QV Square, is presented
by Melbourne’s most fashionable to give you tips to take home today’s
trends from fashion to home décor.

Windows by Design presented by the City of Melbourne and supported by
Peroni and Harper’s Bazaar, partners key Melbourne retailers with local
design talent to develop incredible window displays. Curated by Alex
Zabotto-Bentley and his team from AZBCreative.

For more information on the2012 Cultural Program please visit the LMFF website.

L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival tickets are available through Ticketek or online at lmff.com.au.

Packing pains. Again.

There's something magic about packing for a summer get away.  Floaty colourful things are a go, bright nail polish a must, the fake tan isn't out of place, a small clutch bag fits all the necessities (ie. a credit card and a tube of Maybelline Coral Crush lipstick).  

Despite painstakingly planning my suitcase for months before jetting off to Paris, as I've mentioned a hundred times over, I packed completely and frustratingly wrong.  On Saturday I'm off for a week back home to Queensland with a lot planned in a short 7 days... family lunches, catch ups with friends and a quick getaway to Noosa.

I did a huge cull of my wardrobe over the new year break and listed a bunch of things in eBay for 99 cents (some of which I paid over $700 for once upon a time when I had disposable income a plenty.) If you're interested check out username:bk6076

I am completely uninspired by everything in my wardrobe and fortunately have some pennies to spend on a couple of things on my lunch break tomorrow.  I want an amazing printed statement dress and a loose silk blouse.  I've left things to the very last minute so tonight I'm handwashing delicates and ironing in the stifling heat.  Serves me right.  Not to mention my obsession with making sure the house is spotless.  There is nothing that will ruin a post holiday feel than coming to back to a dirty house.

Couple of things are ready to join turquoise and bronze accessories, white shorts and a linen dress in my suitcase:

Studded Witchery Sandals

Witchery Leopard Clutch

Tinted moisturiser and a bright lip.  And nothing else cosmetics wise.  Gulp.

A fun flirty dress, like this Country Road Snake Print number.