Hawaii - The Outfits

Needless to say, Hawaii had great tropical weather so it was all about dressing comfortably for the hot weather and long walks we did as tourists (one day we actually walked 12ks! That's a half-marathon!). But also going from winter in Melbourne to Summer in Oahu I was loving that I could finally add some colour to my look which I was very happy about. The most challenging outfit to plan was my travel outfit going from a cold and wet 13 degree wintery day and a 10.5 hour long air-conditioned plane ride (I get really cold on planes) to a warm 28 degrees. I'm not really the trackies+runners wearer when I travel. I usually wear jeans and a top and like to add some fun pieces to my outfit. So, for this journey, layering was key and I found the perfect jacket on Missguided.com to put me in the tropical mood whilst keeping me warm....

Left: Grabbing a coffee before take-off at Cafe Vue, Melbourne Airport; Right: Arriving to a gorgeous balmy morning at Honolulu International Airport

 Neoprene Palm Tree Print Jacket: *$43.98 (Missguided)

Black Silk Tank: *$5 (Dotti)

Black Long Sleeve Cotton Top (not shown in photo): *$10 (Dotti)

Embossed Jeans: $49.95 (Zara)

Black Ballet Flats: $12 (H&M)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Handbag: *$70 (Seed)

Polka Dot Neck Pillow: $14.95 (Typo)

Red Trolley Bag: Gift from Dad

Outfit Total: $233.38 (including Neck Pillow)

After a day of Outlet Shopping, dinner at Morimoto

 Dress: *$129 (Country Road)

Brown Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Bangle: *$17 (Kate Spade Outlet)'

Outfit Total: $151

Driving around the island of Oahu, we stopped at this fruit stall for some fresh Coconut Water

Grey and White Sequinned Tank: *$7 (Banana Republic Outlet)

Denim Shorts: $14.95 (Valleygirl)

Red Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Outfit Total: $59.45

She gets a kiss, I get a chip!

 Navy & White Striped Cold Shoulder Top: *$12.95 (Valleygirl)

White Cotton Shorts: *$10 (Cotton On)

Brown Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

 Sunnies: *$220 (Prada from Waikele Outlet Mall)

Outfit Total: $252.95

Asymmetric Hem Beach Dress: *$15 (Dotti Sample Sale)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Sunnies: *$29 (Forever New)

Thongs: Gift (Havaianas)

Outfit Total: $49

Lounging around, Waikiki Beach

 50s-style Red Swimsuit: *$24 (ASOS)

White Cotton Shorts: *$10 (Cotton On)

Hat: *$20 (Kiosk at Chadstone)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Outfit Total: $81.50

Posing for the cam right before boarding the Atlantis Submarine, using our tour brochures as a Clutch ;)

Black & white Graphic Print Overlay: $19.95 (Cotton On)

Citrus Tank: *$19.95 (IDS Fashion)

Denim Shorts: $14.95 (Valleygirl)

Bangle: *$17 (Kate Spade Outlet)

Shell Bracelet: $2.50 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Sunnies: *$220 (Prada from Waikele Outlet Mall)

Outfit Total: $294.35

It wouldn't be a trip to Hawaii without a photo wearing a Lei!

Maxi Dress: *$89 (Sportsgirl)

Gold Chain Necklace: $30 (bought at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort)

Wallet: $36 (Charles & Keith)

Shell Bracelet: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Thongs: Gift (Havaianas)

Outfit Total: $160

* = sale prices

Hope this post has given you some fun summer and travel outfit inspirations! xoxo

Shopping Spree

Another VIP night, some more damage to my bank account. But it's been a while and I deserved it (at least I think so) and I bought things that I'd been wanting for a while, filling gaps in my wardrobe. Here's what I got...

Large Tote Bag from Seed - 20% off

Stripe Maxi Dress from Seed - 25% off sale price

 Black Soft Leather Boots from Santini - 25% off

Tan (more Tan and less brown than they look in this photo) Microsuede Ankle Boots from Santini - 25% off

Denim Shirt from Forever New - 20% off

All set for autumn!

Weekend Dinner Outfit

What do you wear to a weekend dinner out with the beau when it's cold outside? Do you suffer a little for fashion? Or dress for comfort? I do a little bit of both sometimes. Honestly, it depends on where we're going really and also how we're getting there. Since we were going to a nice place and were going to mainly remain indoors shielded from the chilly winds, I decided to brave the cold and wear a skirt (I could've worn tights but it wasn't too bad without them). But also, made sure I could brisk walk so I wasn't in the cold for too long, and only ballet flats could help achieve that. So here's my Weekend Dinner outfit:

Black Silk Tank: *$5 (Dotti)

Black Cardigan: *$24 (Cotton On)

Bow Necklace in Soft-Gold: $19.95 - Portmans

Siri Pleated Skirt: *$23.99 (Forever New)

Red Wallet/Clutch: $30 (Charles & Keith - Singapore Airport T3)

Heather Embellished Ballet Flats: *$58 (Forever New)

Outfit Total: $160.94

* = sale prices

I had well and truly worn out my Santini Blitz Ballet Flats bought almost a year ago and it was my go-to pair for work and play. But I loved the style, comfort and versatility of it. Luckily I found a very similar pair at Forever New - so I grabbed them instantly! Not as comfortable as the Santini ones which were really soft, but it does the job.

Short post today. Will come back with more soon. I will leave you with words that have been motivating me lately...

"Slow progress is better than no progress."

Random Shopping

If you've Liked my Facebook page, you'll know that last week was Chadstone's VIP shopping event - a day of exclusive offers - a day that comes around once every few months - an event that I never miss. But I'd also made plans to meet a friend on Sunday for a day of shopping at Highpoint because she'd been wanting me to see the new and improved shopping centre - which I must say, was a welcome change to my usual haunts of Chadstone and Melbourne Central. So on my very tight budget, I had to spread out my shopping over the one-day-only offers and things that I wanted but could buy at Highpoint. So here are the few random purchases I made across the 2 days of shopping...

From Chadstone:

Forever New Rani Lace Top - $79.99 less 20%

 I love this colour for winter!

Forever New Penny Pretty Cardigan - $49.99 less 20%

 This "pretty" cardigan, you can't clearly see in this picture, but it has sequins sprinkled all over it.

From Highpoint:

Glassons Scoop Neck Merino Top - $29.99 down from $39.99

Even $39.99 is a great price for Merino wool tops. At $29.99 this was an unmissable bargain! Warm and soft. Can't wait to wear it.

Bardot Flocked Sweater - $50 down from $89.95

I thought this was a great buy at $50 - it actually looks quite high-end. I liked it when I first saw it but didn't buy it and then all along our shopping trip I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I had to have it!

Typo Eiffel Scissors - $14.95

I saw these scissors on Pinterest and thought these would be so cool to have as a desk accessory. The link on Pinterest took me to a New York blogger's page. I thought she must have found them at a little vintage store or some place exquisite and unattainable - but the link on her blog led me to Typo! Of all the places! I was ecstatic. Very random, I know but I still love it (I love anything Paris or Eiffel Tower-related) and I'm glad I found these (and so easily!).

Thus ended my Random Shopping spree. Quite productive, I think, and not much damage done.

BARGAIN ALERT: Highpoint Shopping Day - Wednesday, 22nd May. And if you miss that, Melbourne Central Shopping Event - Thursday, 23rd May. Happy Shopping!

Forever New's Travel Collection was My Idea!

I'm not saying I invented Travel bags, definitely not. But you can't blame a girl for wanting to write an attention-grabbing headline ;). However, I would like to think I played a (small) part in it all coming about. 

The Jet Set Collection

No, I don't work for Forever New. I just spend a lot of time and money there. I distinctly remember, a little over a year ago, on one such shopping expedition of mine, being drawn into the Melbourne Central store because the window display caught my eye. It wasn't even really the window display, it was a part of the store (on the right hand side) that's visible from the street and also once you walk in to Melbourne Central and is like a walk-in closet space almost - people who've been there will know what I'm talking about. Anyway, back to the point, so on one of the shelves was this gorgeous looking, vintage style suitcase and perched on top of that was a cute purse. I looked around for a price tag for the suitcase, but couldn't find one. I grabbed the floor assistant, who happened to be the Store Manager and asked if the suitcase was for sale. She said it wasn't, it was just part of the visual merchandising but the purse was. I said to her "That's too bad! You should really sell luggage as well." And she nodded in agreement and said she would pass on my suggestion to headoffice - and in a really genuine way, not in an I-really-couldn't-care-less-about-what-you-think-we-should-and-should-not-sell-but-I'm-just-going-to-say-"I will let Headoffice know"-so-you-get-out-of-my-face-and-stop-wasting-my-time-way. I knew at that moment that my suggestion was going to be passed on. And a few months after that incident, they started selling the occasional wheelie bag. And now voila - an entire Travel Collection (so, it definitely must be doing well).

I'm not saying, I want to take all the credit for this. Surely other people might have given the same suggestion and once they'd heard from a few people, they must have decided to take the idea on board. But I'd like to believe I played a part in it. :) It looks good, doesn't it! I'd definitely buy it.

That's all folks! ;) xoxo

Inspirations from the Roaring 20s

Hello all! For those of you who were worrying about my uncharacteristic disappearance, rest assured, I'm still alive - just not living very much. ;p The usual - busy at work, busy at home, spending ban etc. etc. Which is great when you have a lifestyle and fashion blog! ;)

Anyway, I'm finally coming out of this zone and reviving my senses to sniff out inspiring trends to zhuzh up your wardrobe and mine without burning a (big) hole in the pocket.

Speaking of revival and zhuzh-ing up, the 1920s-inspired trends are making a big comeback with the success of Downton Abbey & the much anticipated (and highly publicised) release of Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of The Great Gatsby.

Flapper dresses are no longer restricted to Gangster-themed costume parties. But if looking like an extra from the sets of Gatsby isn't your thing and you still want a taste of the glitz and glam of Old Hollywood, all you have to do is go to the website of your favourite store and type the word "Deco" in the Search field. You will find at least 3-4 styles, if not a whole panel dedicated to Art Deco inspired pieces.

Of course, I delved a little deeper and found these Deco must-haves from our much loved stores and websites that will make any girl feel like they belong in the upstairs world of Downton Abbey even without having inherited the Crawley fortune. ;)

For the evening

ASOS Needle & Thread Era Silk Midi Dress - $279.04

Portmans Pearl Gem Short Necklace - $19.95

Forever New Annabelle Beaded Clutch - $39.99

Forever New Kayleigh Statement Drop Earrings - $16.99

Betts Kiki Heels in Nude or Silver - $74.99

For the day

Myer Morgan & Taylor Felt Cloche - $79.99

Topshop Embellished Flower Vest Top - $60 Approx.

Lovisa Berry Art Deco Strecth Bracelet - $29.99

Portmans Double Bow Trim Gloves - $16.95

Great finds, right?!! And there are many more. Now we can all look the part and give Carey Mulligan a run for her money when we line up at our local cinemas on May 10th. ;) Can't wait! (And any news on the fourth season return of Downton Abbey, please feel free to post about in the comments below - I know it'll only be back in September, though.)

Chadstone VIP Night - Autumn/Winter 2013

It's been an unusually warm Autumn. Record breaking temperatures, heat-waves, 9 days above 30 degrees! Certainly doesn't feel like Autumn or like Winter is around the corner. But the retailers want us to get started on buying warm clothes in dark, wintery colours and they're using our favourite four letter word to entice us - SALE! So, even though I'm on a saving-spree, I decided to loosen the purse-strings just a little bit so I could get what I wanted/needed but at less than the original RRP. It was hard to think about what I would want on chilly winter days when it was so warm, so I didn't buy much. But my main purchases were:

Forever New Gemma Shirtdress - 20% off $89.99

Portmans Glamour Stud Heel Ankle Boot - 20% off $49.99

That was it for my shopping apart from a few other basics. And then I wandered over to look at the Sex And The City Exhibition that showcases dresses from the show and the movie. Photos don't do justice to the beautiful clothes TV's most stylish foursome wore, but here's just a little sneak peak of what was on display.

Love that Versace dress (centre) Carrie wears in Paris with "the Russian"! It just goes on and on forever. You could only get away with wearing something like that in Paris - or on SATC!

If you do get a chance, you must try and catch the exhibition while it's still showing, that is, until the 31st of March.

That's it from me for today. Au Revoir!

Spend or Splurge

I must have some kind of magical powers or something, don't you think? I'm getting really good at disappearing into thin air! ;) 'Tis the "silly season" after all. And I'm going overseas next week, so its fast-tracked silly season on steroids for me. Anyway, whilst I've been shopping (more like window shopping because I've already blown my budget) online and instores, I've found a few perfect-for-party-season pieces. And since I'm not buying anything for myself anymore, I thought I would share it with all my readers - 'tis the season of spreading joy after all ;)...'tis also the season of legitimately getting away with wearing bright red, gold/silver, green or all 3 together - okay, may be not all 3 together but you know what I mean - of looking festive! So, whether its your end-of-year work party or a Christmas dinner with the family, it's all about being bright and bold but elegant. In my quest to find these perfect outfit, I came across styles for different kinds of fashionistas - the Spenders and the Splurgers! So, here's my very first compilation of a Spend or Splurge list...

The Dress:

Spend: Asos Lace Dress - $76.50

Splurge: Lover the Label Dress - $740

The Clutch:

Spend: Witchery Paris Sparkle Clutch - $89.99

Splurge: Jimmy Choo Candy Clutch in Champagne - $525

The Shoes:

Spend: Forever New Misty Diamante Platform - $89.99

Splurge: Peeptoe Miss Indulgence Heels with Swarovski Elements - $599

 The Jewelry:

Spend: Lovisa Crystal Chandelier - $29.99

Splurge: Kate Spade Fragment Pearl Earrings - $78

Hope you find your inspiration in these! And no matter what you do, say or wear, I hope you enjoy the Holiday Season!!

Another year older but none the wiser.

Welcome to my Birthday party! It was a crappy weekend weather-wise (as it always is on my Birthday) but no winds or rain or hail (or drunk footy-fans after the Grand Final) could stop me from painting the town red! My house was the staging area, where everyone met to share some Champagne, nibbles and cake.

My Birthday Cake: Chocolate Mousse Cake from The Cheesecake Shop.
If the candles say ^that's my age - then that's my age! And no, it's not mispelt,
that's how Mr. Pre spells "Sweetie" :). (The dips were for the chips not the cake, don't worry.)

Nibbles: Chips, crackers, dip and the pink, yellow and peach stuff is Sushi!
Don't those colours look great! 

I found a Groupon Voucher for limo hire (you know it, I can sniff a bargain from a mile away) and I couldn't resist ! So we drove to the city in a 10-seater Porsche Cayenne!

More Champers!

My Neon Pink Heels glowing in the LED lights on the limo-floor

It was G-L-A-M all the way! My friend HB got us into the VIP section at Fusion in Crown. Thanks for that, HB. You are the man!

This was our view from our very own private balcony!

Birthday Outfit

White Peplum Scuba Dress: *$48.95 (Dotti)

Fluoro Waist Belt: $16.99 (Forever New)

Neon Pink Heels: *$149.95 (Wittner - they're now $99.95 - damn!)

Yellow Bracelet:  $19.99 (Lovisa)

Blue Bracelet & Pink Bangle: *$7 each (Forever New)

My Favourite: Layered Rhinestone Bib Necklace: Approx. $20 (Forever 21) 

Gold Clutch: *$22 (Colette)

Outfit Total: Approx. $291.88

* = sale prices

The other fluoro bracelet on my left hand is the one we got at the club as the VIP access pass - trendy huh!

On Sunday, it was still cold but sunny, perfect day for a drive to the Dandenong Ranges. We had lunch in Olinda and Hot Chocolate at Skyhigh, Mt. Dandenong.

See Melbourne CBD in the distance?

All in all, a great Birthday Weekend! A BIG THANK YOU to all those who made it so special! 

xxxx