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

Home Organisation

People who know me in real life (lucky buggers!), will not believe that I have written this post. Me and  home organisation don't normally go together. And yet here we are today. Well, I think, I am as qualified as anyone to talk about home organisation because a busy (*cough lazy) person like me will always find the quickest, easiest way out to make their home look less messy and more dressy. 

I like pretty things. But often because of the amount of pretty things I have my surrounding space doesn't look as pretty as it should. And then living in a rental adds to the complication as I don't want to invest in storage that I will have to lug around with me when I have to move houses that may not even fit or look good in the next property I move into. And changing the sheets on my bed is as DIY as I get. 

So here are a few cheap and versatile solutions I've found that have worked for me...

As soon as you enter my house, the first thing you will see in the hallway is an exhibition of my shoes.

Expandable 2 tier Shoe Rack x 2 (so I can buy more shoes!): $10 each (Kmart)

The red, white & black drawer like boxes are originally Paper Planners from Typo. But I use them for storing shoes...

...because not all shoes can be kept on display! Some need to be tucked away only to be brought out for special occasions.

Paper Planners: $19.95 for Large and $14.95 for Small (Typo). I bought them on VIP night, so a further 30% off each. You can even label the front of the boxes so you know what's in them.

Next, I shall show you my dressing table. The top of my Malm chest of drawers: $99 (Ikea) - used to be the most cluttered part of my room. Just because it was an empty, flat surface I would chuck anything and everything onto it from food to dirty clothes to keys. Then I realised, if I filled the space up with a few things I regularly use and others that are merely there for decoration, I wouldn't be as tempted nor will I have enough room to cover this space up with unsightly objects. So here's what I came up with...

Face mirror (I don't know what it's called but I love it): $20 (Ikea)

Pot (faux) Plant: $7 (Ikea)

White and Red Ramekins used to hold my jewellery, hairclips etc.: $2 each (House)

Makeup Brush Holder which is actually a glass that once housed a scented candle: $2.50 (Ikea)

Scented Candle: $10 (Spotlight)

Large picture frame: $5 (Ikea)

A cute photo of you and your loved one in the colour scheme to match your decor: Priceless! ;)

And for my jewellery that doesn't fit in the Ramekins...

Metal Birdcage Noticeboard used as wallart/jewellery stand: $29.95 (Typo) - VIP night discount 30%. 

And if your bedroom is like mine with not even a nail to hang a wall clock on, you can buy adhesive chrome hooks from BigW or Kmart at around $4.

The key, I think, is finding unique ways of utilising your storage and not just shoving everything you use into drawers but rather showcasing it for ease of use and transforming storage into decor and vice versa.

Hope you enjoyed this little insight into my house and the way I live. :)