Black Nails

Here are a few 'beauty' shots. Inspiration: Nails- The Kardashians, Hair- I really, really need to get my re-growth done, Earrings- black chandeliers, Flower- Sex in the City. Eyeliner- practicing my 'Cleopatra' eye make up for my Sister's dress up party on the 30th (also Halloween), Glasses- were my Sisters from when she saw Final Destination in 3D (lenses have been taken out), Poses- me being a dork... ;p 

Barbie

"I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie world. Life is fantastic, wrapped in plastic" -  Aqua- "Barbie Girl" 


My last entry about shoe/ heel obsession got me thinking of what other obsessions I have, or have had... and yes, you guessed it... Barbie! 


I have two sisters, both younger, and both my parents grew up with brothers, therefore we grew up as a stereotypical girlie girls. Pink was my favorite color, I loved boy bands, I had a pair of 'dress up' heels and yep, I played with Barbies. 


Personally, I believe playing with Barbie is a great way for children to use their imagination and to better 'practice' communication. I know that there are many discussions around Barbie and body issue, however, I don't have abnormal issues with my body, apart from thinking that I have fat thighs (but who doesn't?) 

Barbie has been there for girls for over 50 years. She was in a long term relationship with Ken for over 43 years. Ken and Barbie were like Peanut Butter and Jam (aka Jelly), Lindsay Lohan and Partying, Spaghetti and Meatballs, they went hand-in-hand. Barbie also got pregnant, had a family, a dog/ cat, had a tone of BFF's, a Porche, Celebrity friends (inc. Spice Girls & Britney Spears) and had the most amazing closet!! Oh, and did I mention that Barbie is now dating a guy named Blaine who happens to be Australian! You go girl!! 


I  have so many Barbies (approx 50+) including 4 Ken's, Geri Spice, Sporty Spice, Baby Spice, Britney Spears, Cinderella, her siblings (Stacie, Kelly and Krissy), her friends (Teresa, Kelly, and Tracy), Mermaid Barbie, Gymnast Barbie and many, many more! They are all stored in a box in the garage (we don't exactly have a basement or attic). Crazy right?!


But the funniest thing happened, I was having a conversation with my boy regarding Barbies, when he sheepishly confessed that he has a box... or two... of GI Joes stored in his garage. Could it be possible for Barbie and GI Joe to meet? 

"GI JOE And Barbie, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes Love, second comes Marriage, third comes Triplets all in a carriage."

When I visited NYC in April last year, I dropped into Toy World in Times Square. Once I walked into the Barbie section I wouldn't leave, until my bf dragged me out kicking and screaming. It was Barbie heaven! I believe that you never truly can out grow your Barbie collection. Look at Paris Hilton- she is rumored to be playing Barbie in an upcoming movie. How classic!

Barbie has made millions out of merchandise, cars, clothes, houses, movies and other Barbie branded products. I think I also had the Barbie books. 


I truly can say that I idolize Barbie in some way or another. Not in a sickly copy-her-style way, but rather in an appreciate-what-you've-been-through kinda way. 


When I have girls I will definitely be bringing out my Barbie's for them to play with, and if I have boys.... well, I guess my boy had better dust off his GI Joe collection. 


I hope this inspires you to dust off your Barbie's or at least add a little bit of hot pink to your everyday outfit. I think we all need a little bit of Barbie in our lives!


xx

Falling head over heels

I love heels as much as the next girl, trust me I really do. Every time I'm flicking through a magazine I will automatically look at the shoes in any photo shoot and find out where they're from and how much they are.... is that normal?  


I am only 153cm and have the nickname 'Tiny Dancer'. But ask me how many times I wear heels in a week and my answer would be "once if I'm going out, and only at night". Now ask me how many heels I own, answer: "I've lost count, my family calls me Imelda Marcos ".  Crazy, I know, but upon further investigation I discovered that 9 out of 10 of my friends have a love of heels that they never or rarely wear. One friend has the cutest leopard kitten heels that she has never worn out of the house. Another friend has a pile (yes you hear correct 'a pile', no boxes, just 'a pile') of heels, with a few sandals and sneakers thrown in for good measure. We then discovered that she's not the only one in her family to have this 'small' obsession with shoes, but her sister, mum and even her dad have a large collection of assorted shoes. 


I asked a friend why she loved shoes, in particular heels, and she told me something I will tell myself every time I make a shoe purchase, "Shoes will never make you look fat." Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is so true! I don't know about you, but I've never gone up a size in shoes (I'm a 5 1/2) and I've never had to ask my bf if my feet look fat in these. 


So now I have decided to reorganize my shoe collection and start dusting off some heels to wear out. You never know, maybe you'll see me strutting around town during daylight hours.  


Let me know your story, do you have a heel or shoe obsession?


xx

Irving Penn

"A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it. It is, in a word, effective."  - Irving Penn

RIP: 1917 - 2009 

Mood Board- October

Black Beauty

Classic pieces inspired by Collette Dinnigan, Miu Miu, Dita Von Tesse, Silent Films, Irving Penn, Champagne, Diamonds, Audrey Hepburn, Tiffanys, New York... 

Garden Princess

Floaty Feminine pieces inspired by Stella McCarney, Peter Alexander, Givenchy, Camilla Belle, English tea, the country side, Paris, Mink, cupcakes, Daisies, classical music ...

Mystical 
Bright Bold pieces inspired by Alexander McQueen, Wizard of Oz, Viktor & Rolf, Elle Macpherson Intimates, deep sea, coral, burnt orange, poppies, cosmopolitans, Marc Jacobs, swimmers.... 

I find that creating mood boards can inspire you to try new approaches to fashion, especially as there are so many labels and every second one 'look' is in and another 'out'. Designers and fashion buyers use mood boards to ensure that their collection is consistent.

Enjoy xx

Young Designer Markets

As I was at work the other day I noticed a lovely elderly lady come in (as you do). She had short bright orange hair, about my height (which is 153cm- yes I know... tiny, right?), wearing a beautiful floaty floral kaftan with black sleek cigarette pants! And to top it all off she was wearing the cutest tort reading glasses with one square frame and the other a circle! She happen to let me know that she was in her mid 60's- bless! Well, we got chatting, as most may know I love a good chat, and she mentioned that her kaftan was from a young upcoming Australian designer that she purchased at the Young Designer Markets (YDM). How fantastic!

Upon further investigation I discovered that the YDM is held in South Bank Parklands, Brisbane, on the first Sunday of every month. It has a selection of fashion and accessories, jewellery, homewares and arts by Brisbane's upcoming designers. Not only do you bag some beautiful, unique pieces but the prices are quite reasonable. In some instances you're getting one off pieces and you never know you may see some of the labels on the runway very soon!

See you at South Bank!

xx

House Clothes

How to look good at home

I was helping my mother clean out her closet when I noticed that the pile of 'around-the-house-clothes' was getting larger by the minute. She was tossing all the clothes that I said no too into this pile, which believe me was quite a lot. This got me thinking... around the house clothes shouldn't just be the clothes you choose to do your cleaning in, but semi decent clothes that you would be able to wear out in public without looking like a homeless person or the cleaning lady. 

Here are some items you should consider binning or donating to your local charity:

• Reefs or Crocs- these should only be worn by adorable babies or toddlers, definitely NOT anyone over the age of 4. Instead choose Havaianas or jelly sandals. 
• Tight slogan t-shirt (e.g. I kissed a Vampire and I liked it) Instead choose loose vintage inspired t-shirts (think Madonna or classic rock band logos)
• Clothes that do not fit- this can go both ways, if it's too big or too small. Stick with what fits you best as it will obviously look the more flattering. 
• Saggy or unflattering underwear- what looks good underneath makes you feel good on the outside (note: please bin these as charity shops will not sell these items)
• Shoes- if they are falling apart, smelly, don't fit... or just plain ugly- BIN IT!
• Actually come to think about it, bin anything that doesn't fit, smells, broken, ugly (e.g. if you're friends go 'agh!' when you wear it) and that you haven't worn in over a year. 

Around the house clothes should consist of basic t-shirts that fit, casual harlem pants or casual shorts, a pair of Havaianas, good underwear, a headband and minimal makeup. 

Remember to still keep outfits flattering and to wear a bra as you never know when someone may drop in for a cup of sugar. 

xx 

Traveling on a budget

Travel like a Celebrity on a Waitress budget

I have just spent an awesome week/ weekend in lovely Sydney and on a fantastic budget! I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, ate at some pretty nice restaurants, stayed in a four star hotel, went shopping and had a load of fun! “How did I do this?”, you may ask. Well, apart from the fact that a) my boyfriend lives in Sydney b) I’ve also lived in Sydney and therefore know where to go for ‘budget’ activities and meals, I am also a MAJOR budgeter. I love researching cheap activities, places to eat, tours, sightseeing, shows etc. I get a great feeling from SAVING! This means more $$ to put towards clothes shopping. 

So I thought I'd list a few 'hints and tips' on budgeting when traveling within Australia (I guess this could also apply to traveling in general). 

• Research, research, research 
• Set a realist budget and stick to it

Flights:

• Use webjet.com.au as a guide to flight prices but book through individual airline websites (e.g. if you see that Jetstar is the cheapest, book on Jetstar's website.) This will save you the fee that Webjet charges.  
• Between 12- 1pm Weekdays- Happy Hour at Virgin Blue 
• Carry on bags- saves you an extra $10 - $20 pp. If there is 2 or more traveling I suggest to purchase 1 checked luggage that you can all share. 
• Bring your own water, food and something to keep you entertained during the flight- water usually costs $3.50 at the airport!!!

Accommodation:

• Sunday nights are 'cheap nights' (except for long weekends)- so ask your work if you can take the Monday off
• Sites: lastminute.com , wotif.com , ubid4rooms , readyrooms.com.au , hotels.com.au, hotelclub.com.au
• Lastminute.com and wotif.com both offer Mystery Hotel packages, which will tell you the star rating, area, facilities and what the packages include- this is fantastic if you a) know the area b) like surprises (I recently booked a Secret Hotel package with Lastminute.com in Sydney for only $99 per night at a 4 star hotel and included a bottle of bubbly- well it turned out to be The Menzies, which usually costs $180 per night! Yay me!) 
• To make sure you get the best possible rate call up the hotel and ask for 'best rate guarantee' 

Types of Accommodation:

• Backpacker/ Youth Hostels: is great if there is a large group of you and you don't mind sharing facilities. Also great way to meet people between 20- 35 from all over the world. 
• Camping: pitch a tent, light a fire and get those marshmallows out! Great for romantic getaway, family trips, and exploring the wilderness. Majority of campsites offer onsite BBQs, bushwalking tours, clean facilities and swimming pools
• Family/ Friends: visit long lost relatives, family friends, old school friends .... you get the picture. Get in touch and let them know that you'll be in the area- if they don't offer a place to stay they will almost certainly offer for you to come over for dinner.  Remember to bring a bottle of wine or a gift with you to say 'Thanks for letting me stay'. 
• House swap: do you own a house? If so check out this website Home Xchange Vacation, Think Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in The Holiday
• House Sitting: check out when your friends/ family are going away and offer to watch after their house while their away. Or you could check out House Minders, there is a small fee but you get to stay at someone's house virtually free! WOO HOO! 

Eating out: 

• Lunch is cheaper than dinner
• Buffet Breakfasts- check if your accommodation includes complimentary breakfast. 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!' Also you can always sneak a few muffins or fruit in your purse for later.... shhhh!
• Supermarket- check out your nearest supermarket and pack some snacks in your bag for when you get hungry. If there is a kitchen in your accommodation try cooking up a meal or two... this will definitely ensure you save some mula for a couple of beverages later. 

Transport:

• Car Hire websites: vroomvroom.com.au, drivenow.com.au or standbycars.com
• Hint: instead of paying excess for car hire get out travel insurance instead. Check it out at travelinsurance.com.au, this will also cover you for hospital, theft, life insurance etc.
• Public transport: great for sight seeing, and super cheap because you can get weekly tickets and concession cards 
• Taxi: be careful late at night and know where you need to go before you get in, you'll be surprised at how many taxi drivers don't know where the city is! 

Entertainment:

• Events & Festivals: check out what events/ festivals are on in the area, most are free. 
• Markets: local crafts, home-grown food and performances- what a great way to enjoy the day
• Museums, art galleries, monuments, parks ... most places offer a 2 for 1 deal or are free!
• Board games: crack open Monopoly or even Scrabble and let the games begin! 

Other:

• Corporate deals: check with your work to see what corporate discounts they have, they are free for companies to join and if they haven't already got one why not be proactive and look into it yourself! Trust me, you'll make a lot of friends in the company. 
  
• eNewsletters: subscribe to newsletter for holiday websites, car sites, airlines, hotels etc. Hint: to stop your inbox from filling up, create a separate email account for subscriptions. 
• Coupons/ Dockets: check the back of your supermarket receipts or check out hotdockets.com.au or entertainment books for great savings on dining, accommodation, flights, tours, theme parks etc. 

Hope that helps you as much as it has helped me! Happy holidays! 

xx