Summer Nail Colours

I've pretty much worn the one nail colour for the last 3 years - pathetic I know but I'm lazy and found the coral pink Natio polish to match just about everything I wear Summer or Winter. That said this Winter I noticed how my faded tan didn't suit the colour so much anymore and opted for darker shades for Winter. I desperately want to get my hands on Dior Vernis black plum but can't find it anywhere. I have however started to get ready for Summer 09 purchasing Dior Vernis in lychee reflect and MAC peppermint patti and seasonal peach as pictured below. Now all I'm looking for is a TIFFANY blue that doesn't look tacky.......the search continues

My Wedding Dress Tips - Learned Through Trial and Error

1. Shop around - wait for sales or buy second hand. Bride online is a good website to look for a dress and categorises by state and price. Most sellers are willing to negotiate on price also. A dress that costs $2500 retail generally will sell second hand for around 50% off....you can get some good bargains by buying second hand and if you think about it money saved is more money to spend on your reception, honeymoon or your new house :)

2. Think outside the square - The dress you wear for your Wedding DOESN'T have to be an actual 'Wedding Dress'....retailers (and perhaps the entire bridal industry) definitely cash in, in a big way. Mention 'Wedding' and prices go up by around 20%. Some of the best Wedding Dresses I've seen aren't Wedding Dresses. They've been ball gowns or designer (and non designer) dresses. Think Lisa Ho, Alex Perry, Colette Dinnigan etc. Lisa Ho long dresses retail at around $500 - $900 whereas a Wedding Dress costs between $2000 - $4000 + brand new.

3. Avoid Shapewear - Okay this applies if you have a traditional corset back style Wedding Dress. The corsetry works best with your skin - NOT shapewear undergarments. The corseted bodice will give you a nicer shape bare on the skin rather than over a whole lot of nylon and lycra undergarments - trust me and ask any professional dressmaker/alterationist. If you're wearing a figure hugging sheath without a corset then perhaps shaping underwear will be fine. But remember - the excess (if there's excess) has to have somewhere to go - not a good look if you buy the wrong style/size

4. Buy a good strapless bra - Finelines has a great one that can be bought at Raffaele Ciuca, most bridal couture stores and Myer, Bras n Things etc. You want one that doesn't give you that 'back fat' look and that is supportive - it may not be pretty but under the dress it will give you better shape and support. An escaped boobie is not a good look in the Wedding pictures. For girls who buy dresses with straps a strapless bra is still good because there's no chance of the bra strap showing under your dress.

5. DO get a bustle made on your dress if you have a long train - It is an absolute pain in the butt having your guests step on your train at the reception - or like me if your groom does, constantly! bustling it up means you can move more freely and prevents damage and ripping to your dress.

6. DON'T buy your dress too small unless you are CERTAIN you will be able to fit into the dress on the day - Remember all those clothes sitiing in your wardrobe that you hang onto because you WILL fit into them one day?? Well Wedding Dresses aren't immune. If the dress is only marginally small that's fine but if it's 2-3 sizes too small forget it. It's a huge waste of money and means you will be even more stressed out by having a deadline to lose the weight. Conversely it makes it hard for the poor dressmaker as they have to 'guess' or approximate your measurements as there will be several fittings generally over a month to 6 weeks. If you're like me you buy your dress 2 sizes too small: 6 weeks to the Wedding and it's still more than a size too small so you freak out and buy another (way expensive!!) then towards the end of the 6 weeks the dress is actually TOO BIG but too bad you have a new dress and it's too late to have the 1st altered anyway.....(lucky for me I managed to sell the 1st dress for what I paid....so no loss but a whole lot of stress)

My favourite Dresses

TOTEM - Made in Brazil from Bird Motel

Witchery Silk Print dress

Cooper St Dream Weaver Ruffle Frock

Love this Cooper St dress. Really hoping it's not one of those dresses that look hot....but only on someone else. Reality? I'm not 5'8....I'm not stick thin and I'm not blonde.....are these the elements that really make this dress work? let's hope not....waiting for sassiparella to get it into their online store and THEN we shall see...

MOGIL - Silver engraved 'message' bracelets

I only found these a couple of months ago at Australian Flavour and was devastated to find them sold out. The ones below are my favourite - truth, integrity, humility & 'don't look back'.
Not massed produced I was disappointed as I like key signature jewellery pieces and had I married rich or had a better paying job my signature pieces would be from the likes of Tiffany, BVLGARI and Cerrone.....but alas Nursing pays the bills but doesn't allow for real luxury.

Shoe Clean out

I'm having a huge shoe clean out and can't bring myself to sell these babies. Peep toe shoes miss fish in metallic purple multi and miss rock chic in tan......

Followed by miss henri and miss paraguay..... I HEART PEEP TOE *sigh*

Loving the new shoes coming into peep toe shoes for Spring/Summer....need to make room ;)

MELISSA & VIVIENNE WESTWOOD COLLABORATION

LADY DRAGONThese gorgeous shoes that were first released November 2008 have been re-released 3 times and have sold out for the fourth time from the May shipment.
So cute and just a touch quirky these smell like bubblegum and are mostly comfy as the plastic sort of stretches with your foot - though not permanently - it does shrink back. Being plastic these are so easy to wipe clean.
The cons - they do make your feet sweat being plastic and make your foot slip around a little, and I still got blisters from mine.

Farewell My Lovelies....

I have had these shoes for about 4 years - I forget what Season they debuted but I went to alot of trouble to get my hands on them. Sadly they failed my current wardrobe rule of 'no wear in 6 months' and I regretfully sold both pairs.

It wasn't that I didn't love them - being 5'2 heels are a big part of my shoe collection but being a practical girl flats are usually what I end up wearing....AHEM or truthfully to be exact - my swarovski crystal thin strap black thongs :(

Embarrassed - definitely but let me explain. I have classic ballerina toes - scrunched up, probably with bunions erupting and open toe shoes (ie. thongs) are what I'm most comfortable in. Ask any ballerina come rain or shine thongs are pretty much what they wear when they're not in pointe shoes!

Anyhow back to my MARC JACOBS babies......so sad to let them go. They really only failed my wardrobe rule because I didn't want to wreck them.....ironic isn't it. But as a final farewell they deserve a place in my blog......

MOE MOE Design

I stumbled across this gorgeous little jewellery designer on the web through Australian Flavour

Taken from MoeMoe design.com.au:

About moe moe design

“I’ve always had a passion for a more unconventional beauty and design; whether it be jewellery, clothing, architecture, home wares...even people!” With the debut launch of her distinctively quirky jewellery range; Moe Moe Design’s creator Emma Neumann has translated her passion for un conventional design into affordable pieces for us all.

Several years ago before knuckling down and finishing her Commerce degree Emma took off and did the obligatory backpacking world tour. “My passion for quirky jewellery suddenly became a survival tool. I was in Spain and I was broke. I set up a stall in some markets near Barcelona and sold my own hand made jewelry. I really enjoyed th e work and I managed to fund the next stage of my travels!” It’s really only a natural progres sion that all these years later Emma would ret urn to the jewelry trade.

Undoubtedly the key element setting Moe Moe jewelry apart is the surprising application of colourful motifs onto brushed metal pieces. It is co mbining a conventionally industrial print method int o jewellery design. “My personal style is a hard on e to explain but is definitely reflected in the eclectic mix that makes up my ra nge. It is also very natural for me to combine industrial elements like t he metal substrate to bring about a slight industrial chicness into my products.” Emma’s family are well established in Australia’s heavy industries and she has been working there in a PR and Marketing capacity for the last few years. It is from here, that she has gathered a lot of inspiration to combine industrial elements into her products.

“I wanted to make unique products that were affordable and it is great to see that people have understood my ‘slightly off centre” expressions of unusual but beautiful adornment. I am genuinely surprised and delighted by the success so far of my debut range!”

Witchery Tribute - Great Classic Fashion Pieces

So this is what my third post in 2 days about Witchery - a little obsessed? yes definitely. I've always been a huge fan ever since Witchery did a major overhaul and got a new design team which I suppose was circa 2000/2001.

Their leather goods - though some might argue are pricey have always lasted and I still have clasic bags from Witchery that I've had since 2002. 7 years of everyday use and apart from some darkening due to ageing they are still in excellent condition. And really.....$250+ for a classic edgy leather bag is nothing. MIMCO's start around the $350 mark and although they are unique to anything else on the market I find they date and I'm not comfortable carrying the bag that I thought was so hot last Season. - The only exception has been my honey tan button bag with the old plastic buttons.

Witchery has always been my first shop to go to for understated basics. I love their detailed tanks and structured dresses and this Season I'm in love with their coats - none of which I've bought yet but I'm definitely looking forward to the Spring collecion of lighter weight coats in flowing fabrics such as silk and viscose blends with a sheen. I'm dying to get my hands on this trench coat which features in July's key looks:


Back on to the theme of basics with a difference I just bought this frill detail longlseeve top to wear with dark wash skinny jeans under the trench coats I already have:

As much as I try I am not a flamboyant dresser. I can style an outfit but can never really pull it off I'm more comfortable with edgy basics - classics I guess. I would say I'm a CHANEL girl - mostly blacks and whites, mostly demure whilst trying to look sophisticated and not 5 years old!

Some more favourites from Witchery's current Season:

Peep Toe Shoes Miss Chaille Latest Shoe Obsession

My current obsession with Fashion at the moment is lace....done badly it can be very very ugly but done well it can be totally sophisticated, sexy and not at all trashy.
I don't have very many items of lace clothing but recently bought an Elly M lace overlay tulip miniskirt from Mossman at DFO Essendon. The lace is just divine in a gorgeous pattern. The lining is a sort of chartreuse/olive satin and the contrast is just delicious!

I guess the trick with lace - or any other 'texture' is not too overdo it. I saw a girl wearing lace detail shoes, a lace skirt, lace stockings with lace detail on her blouse. The only thing that didn't have lace in it was her trench coat (which was very nice and structured).

That said I fell in love with peep Toe shoes Miss Chaille (peeptoe) and miss paris (almond toe pump). I bought them both and have vowed not to overdo it. The Japanese vintage lace is so fine - yet I've had a fiddle and it seems strong - really hoping the lace doesn't tear on either of them.

I've worked out that this gorgeous Witchery structured shift dress would look gorgeous with either of the shoes - and since I already own the black I'm now off to buy the silver!

It Has Returned! The WITCHERY Gina Bag

I was browsing WITCHERY'S online store when I found that the Gina bag was coming back.....this is the 2002 cult (Botkier copy) bag that I have in walnut in the oversized version - which by all accounts (ask my husband) is huge!. I can't wait to see if they bring out the oversized version cos you can bet your butt I'll be getting in and buying it in ALL available colours!

Harem Pants

I can't get over how comfortable and flattering the right pair of harem pants can be. I was totally against this style when they got popular as I'm 5'2 and a little curvy and I figured I'd look even fatter than I am! So I ended up buying a pair of Sportsgirl jersey ones with a foldover waist - they are as comfy as tracksuit pants and I have to stop myself wearing them as such around the house. My husband asked me the other night why I was wearing my tracksuit pants with heels and a jacket when we went out the other night.......

My next stop is a pair of silky harem pants. Have to say I am totally against those drop crotch style that make you look like you have a nappy on.....not good

Chainstore Fashionista

I've never really owned much high end designer clothing or shoes and over the last 6 months have had a hugely bulging wardrobe of mostly chainstore fashion buys that were fabulous when I bought them but in 2 weeks I was over them - never wore them and are sitting in a huge pile with all their tags attached. Smart chainstore doesn't accept refunds or exchanges for change of mind. Methinks people like me are why. Impulse buyers who have a reality check either when they get home or shortly after........what a waste of money