vintage tea

Remix!

2011-03-09T20:59:00.000+10:00

Last night I went from work to dinner with my sister and her husband to a cafe called Suburban in West End.

Dress. Basque Myer

Given this is now my favourite work to dinner dress, I thought I'd remix it a little for this occasion.

Shirt, Katies

Dinner was really lovely, sitting al fresco and enjoying the beginnings of a Queensland transition from Summer to Autumn.

Necklace, Diva $5

How awesome is this necklace? For $5 I'm a happy girl!

10

2011-03-03T18:38:00.000+10:00

10 years ago yesterday I went out with some friends. My eyes met the blue eyes of a tall young man across the dance floor. We danced, he bought me a drink, he asked for my number and then he disappeared into the night.


Dress, Basque Myer Shirt, Target Necklace, Diva

Yesterday that tall young man and I celebrated the 10 years we've spent being a part of each others lives.

Mr Man was waiting at home with a Ferrer Rocher bouquet, and whisked me away to a surprise location. On our first anniversary he took me to The Summit Restaurant on Mount Cootha. We hadn't been back since. And it was there that he took me last night.

We talked of old times, we shared a bottle of wine, and a beautiful three course meal.

Its not our usual 'date night' by a long shot. We're more gourmet pizza and a DVD types. But something about the setting, sitting and chatting, and being so grown up was just perfect. We might not do that again for another 10 years but it was magic.

Feelin' it

2011-03-01T18:42:00.000+10:00

Hands up who's hot! Yes here in Brisbane its very very humid and hot today. Storm coming soon I hope! You can see in my photos that its wearing me down this constant humidity. Why the cardigan you may ask? Because my office doesn't understand air conditioning.


Basque Dress, Myer Cardigan, Sussan Belt, free with jeans Necklace, Links of London

Mr Man and I did a movie double up on the weekend. We saw I Am Number Four and The Green Hornet. Both were quite good, but we did have a mad dash between movies as one finished right as the other one started. The Green Hornet was my first 3D movie, and I don't quite understand the hype. Plus because I wear glasses, wearing the 3D glasses OVER my normal ones was really uncomfortable.

Important day tomorrow! Outfit and info will be posted!

Colourific

2011-02-26T11:14:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday was the lovely Kitty Kat's hens weekend. It meant a full day of girlyness, then some night time fun up the coast at Mooloolaba (one of my very favourite places!).

Piper dress, Myer

On Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of car pooling with the hen herself, and being summer in Queensland, it was blue skies as far as the eye can see, and insanely hot and humid. For our drive, the esplanade and lunch I bought this lovely dress especially.

It's bright, beautiful and very light cotton. Didn't stop me feeling so hot I didn't know what to do with myself, but it did help.

We had a lot of fun on the hens, and I will share what I wore for the night time festivities on another post, but for the most part....what happened on tour....stays on tour!

Home free

2011-02-23T09:54:00.000+10:00

Well, yesterday I spent the WHOLE DAY in my pajamas. (Except for throwing on an over-shirt to check the letter box). It was glorious. Well, it would have been, except for the being sick thing. Silly head cold in my way! Strangely though, its only when I'm sick that I feel justified to do absolutely nothing. And its a sneaky pleasure.

Denim skirt $12 Big W, Shirt Target, Singlet $10 Sussan

Today, while still not well enough to go into the office, I am well enough to put real clothes on. And again, wearing casual clothes on a Wednesday when if I wasn't sick I'd be at work feels very naughty. So I went with the absolutely most casual thing I could find. My big fat book and I intend to make the most of today, congestion or no congestion!

V Day

2011-02-16T19:06:00.000+10:00

Dress, City Chic, T-shirt, Kmart

Well, unless you've been in a cave on the moon with your fingers in your ears and your eyes closed, you'd be aware that Valentines Day was this week. Monday in fact. Mr Man and I felt we were comfortable enough in our relationship not to worry about it this time. And we didn't. Except for Mr Man jumping out from behind a door to frighten me with a yelled 'Happy Valentines Day Honey' when I came home from the gym in the morning.

You can think we're sad for not celebrating if you want to. I don't care. Instead of being stranded with heaps of other people all hitting restaurants at the same time, we had dinner out Tuesday night (which for us means ordering gourmet pizzas and coming home to the couch), and didn't have to queue or wait or pretend to be lovesick teenagers. We could undo the top button of our pants and it was cool.

But today, was different, and I wore this dress.

Due to dress code restrictions at the workplace, I had to put a black tee under it. No spaghetti straps allowed in the finance world!

Bubble

2011-02-14T16:13:00.001+10:00

A long time ago, Mr Man discovered my love for Michael Buble. And promptly renamed him 'Bubble'. Mr Man is not a fan. Probably something to do with the crooning, and his tiny stature...and maybe my adoration...
Being a fan however, you can bet that I was at the Michael Buble (or Bubble) concert on Saturday night with some girlfriends.

And yes, I did get the shirt!

Did he sing? Oh yes. Was it awesome? Damn straight. Could I have been any further away from the stage? Maybe four rows behind me before seating ran out. Thank god for binoculars and big screens. Loved the end, when he ditched his mic and sang without assistance. OK so I had strain to hear being at the back, but it was still magic. And even if I have to sit at the back, you can guarantee I'll go next time he's hear too!!

Seeing spots

2011-02-09T18:31:00.000+10:00

I love this little dress, mostly because of the limitless number of things I can do with it trans-seasonally. Like today, its very hot and I needed something simple as I took my second ever gym class at lunch. Cream singlet, jewelery that I can shower in, and a cute red belt and basic heels has done the trick.

Basque Dress, Sussan Grae belt,

Next time it could be a black singlet underneath, or a cardigan over it all with a wide waisted belt, a red singlet, or a statement necklace, bright heels or opaque tights in any color of the rainbow!

Its one of those fantastic remix basics that I can always fall back on!

Breaking the ban

2011-02-07T18:37:00.000+10:00

So, as I mentioned on Friday, I'm in the middle of a shopping ban, which I broke, to buy this little dress.

Basque dress, Myer $27

I needed a pick me up (and yes, I do realize shopping is not the best thing for this), and decided there was no harm in looking, which became no harm in trying on, and it wasn't long before I had three little dresses from the 75% off all ready reduced prices rack over my arm and into the change rooms.

The first dress, I had picked up in a size too small, because they didn't have my size and sometimes with that brand the smaller size is great. I skinnied into it (it was a black and blue maxi with a big v-neckline) and couldn't zip it up over my bust. Sigh. It was discarded.

Then this one, which is from the petites range but still my size. I was in love with the ruffled neckline. And happy with the fit. Hmmm...against the ban.

The next dress was a little pink work number, but I didn't really like it, so that left me thinking.....maybe...if I put the maxi dress on with the zip done up, I can squidge one boob in at a time....it has been known to work...right??

And that's were things went horribly wrong! I got stuck, unable to reach the zip and free myself, unable to pop my boobs in where they were meant to be. ARGH! Thankfully, I stayed calm, edged away at the zip, and didn't need to beg some stranger for help. But it taught me a valuable lesson. If you have bigger boobs, sometimes, it just ain't gonna happen!

The Ban

2011-02-04T16:20:00.000+10:00

On the 18th of January I decided to instigate a Ban. A Shopping Ban to be specific. I was shopping pretty much every day and it was getting overwhelming.

This kind of explains the lack of posts. Shopping ban has not made me a happy girl. I love shopping! And its left me deploring my wardrobe, and scrabbling with remixes.

But as a result of not shopping, I have had money for EXPERIENCES. Lunches and dinners with the girls, movies, and drinks and dinner parties, pre-paying for the lovely Kitty Kat's Hens weekend...so whilst I'm not saving, I have been having a great time. Guilt free.

I still have until the 17th of February till I can shop again, and I have been starting a list. Things I want, things I need, things that are just cool.

Have I broken the ban? Well, kinda. I ran out of powder, so yes I replaced it. And today I picked up a black dress, reduced from $169 to $27. But for me, two purchases in over two weeks.....that's pretty amazing!

Bargain

2011-01-27T18:01:00.000+10:00

Its a hot one in Brisbane today, so while I've taken 'just gotten home from work' outfit photos, I can't post them. I'm all hot and wreaked looking. A cute work dress was definitely the order of the day. And my $7.47 bargain from Target was the go-to dress of choice. I can't wait to share it with you, on a non-sweaty, fresh looking photo!

Australia day

2011-01-27T14:09:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was a public holiday in honour of the awesomeness of being Australian. And finally, it was a proper hot, sunny, endless blue sky day. I'm afraid I don't have any photos of the day, but it did involve a BBQ, a backyard game of cricket and for some reason miniature remote control helicopters. I'm also enduring a somewhat guilty feeling about drinking American beer on Australia day.
It was a 34 degree day (although the forecast said 30, but our weather station at home told us 34), so light, loose clothing, and lots of sunscreen were the go. I totally recommend Nivea Sun Light Feeling Sun Lotion for your body, and the Clinique Super City Block 30+ for your face. A day spent in the sun, and all I have is a light golden tan, with no icky greasy feeling from lotions. Perfect.

Stripes

2011-01-25T16:31:00.001+10:00

Last night I went to dinner and a movie with some girlfriends. It was great, apart from a group of eight being split across the restaurant (yes we should have booked), and the film not being quite as awesome as I'd hoped. (It's OK Paul Rudd, I still love you).
After a minor freak out about personal safety on the train home late at night (and Mr Man bravely coming to my rescue), I was feeling pretty wiped out when I set out for work this morning. Cue one of my favourite Christmas presents from my Mum this year. Stripey platform Guess flip flops.

When I was a kid I had a pair of plain white platform flip flops and I loved them. Until I left them behind from band practice (yes I was in the band....two in fact, school band and the city band). Devastated when I never got them back. It may have taken many many years, but this replacement pair with its pretty charms is exceptionally satisfying.

Dinner party

2011-01-24T08:46:00.000+10:00

Saturday night Mr Man and I went to a dinner party. It felt terribly grown up, and yet because our hosts are so amazing, we had a wonderful time too. Perhaps too wonderful, the hangover hasn't been fun.

I know my friends, so I wanted to look casual, but nice, and plucked this little sale dress out of my wardrobe.

Dress $17 Target

It was the little things that made it such a wonderful night, never having an empty glass, a beautiful three course meal, jugs of ice water, and having stayed the night, waking up to find towels had magically appeared for us in the morning.

Shoes $49 Betts

I'd love to reciprocate and have our friends over, but while I love to cook for people, I get too frazzled to keep the experience going all night! P and S are definitely the greatest hosts ever!

Friday favourites

2011-01-21T06:52:00.000+10:00

I've been thinking about this one a lot. And I'm choosing to focus on some of the smaller things, as opposed to the fall out and clean up from the floods.....for the most part.

Number one: The candyfloss pink nail polish I've been sporting this week. I picked it up cheap from Diva (a two for one deal) and its been fun.

Nail polish $7.95 for 2 at Diva

Number two: My new organiser, which has been travelling EVERYWHERE with me. I love the pretty blue, and thanks to some gift vouchers, it was very cheap.

Kiki K Large Time Planner, $79.95

Number three: A new discovery this week. Starbucks Skim Mocha Hazelnut Frappucino. I'm in love.

Number four: My long awaited Victoria Secret delivery. It should have come last week, but with the flooding, got delayed and turned up Thursday afternoon. So very very happy!

Number five: Getting back into outfit posts and blogging. It seems like the strangest start to the year, but hopefully now we're back on track!

Happy Friday!

First day back

2011-01-20T06:44:00.002+10:00

Monday was our first day back in the office, and you know what? Apart from the mild hangover it felt pretty good to catch up with my girls.

Hat, Just Jeans $9.95

We were advised of a more 'relaxed' dress code, which I couldn't quite work out what that meant, so threw on business pants and a singlet, figuring it could work both ways.

Singlet, Target $12

My little gold peep toe flats were a $5 bargain on the weekend, and made it easy getting around.

Pants, Ann Taylor

The hat? Well, it was lying on the dining room table when I went to take photos, so I just threw it on for your benefit!

Sunday session

2011-01-19T06:37:00.002+10:00

Sunday night, we went to the pub for a few 'quiet' drinks with some friends and a fabulous steak. I wore another Jacqui E find, bought on the same shopping trip as last time, and felt pretty cute. (It was actually Mr Man's pick for me to wear).

Only trouble we had, was a few quiet drinks turned into Cooks nursing a hangover at her first day back at work. But it was all in good fun, and I think I handled it stoically thanks to berocca and a big bread roll sandwich for lunch.

Next time? Less beer, more water.

Date night...before the flood

2011-01-17T18:34:00.000+10:00

The Sunday night before all hell broke loose in Brisbane, Mr Man and I went on a date night. It was I think meant to be a movie and a meal, but Mr Man ordered the biggest darn bucket of popcorn I've ever seen in my life. So we just had bacon sarnies later on at home. We saw Gulliver's Travels, and it wasn't bad. Very watchable.

The day before I'd been shopping with my gorgeous friend Summer and bought this very easy to wear dress from Jacqui E. A bit more expensive than my usual purchases at $55. But I was pretty happy with the outcome!

The necklace was a Christmas gift from my mum, and I love it.

Week of wet

2011-01-15T14:12:00.000+10:00

Wow. What a week. And yes I realise for some people the clean up will take an awful lot longer. You could say I've been lucky. Very lucky. So how did it all happen?

Monday: G-man, good friend and colleague gets the news of flash flooding in his home town of Toowoomba. He's completely cut off from his wife and two children and takes comfort in the fact that if he can't get there, at least they and his home are safe. His car, not so lucky, and we watch footage of the street he parked in and the ensuing damage. G-man stays with Mr Man and I for the night, and is in constant contact with his family.

Tuesday: G-man and I head back into the office. Me to work, he to try and source a way home. Its raining hard and consistently. Friends that work in neighbouring buildings start sending messages that they've been evacuated and to leave as soon as I can. My mum rings and insists I go home. G-man can't find a way home. He's still stranded. The big bosses meet repeatedly, and decide to send us all home. A friend in Burpengary messages to advise her brothers house is underwater. G-man and I head back to my northern suburb, stopping to pick him up some clean clothes as stores close around us. Its 2pm. The media are running wild on the story, so we put on a movie and I paint my nails. Inappropriate natural disaster colours, but it kept me distracted.

Wednesday: This is the day the waters peaked. G-man and I spend most of the day glued to the 24 hour flood updates, stunned. We promised ourselves we wouldn't buy in emotionally, as the media here is prone to overplaying scenarios just to make audiences cry. We play some chess to distract us from the media.

In the afternoon we walk up to the 7-11 for an ice-cream, and a walk around my suburb. Everything seems so normal, that after a day watching the rest of the city it seems so strange. Mr Man concedes that maybe we should do another food shop because food shortages are a real possibility with all roads into and out of Brisbane cut.

Thursday: G-man and I do said food shop. One of the guys at the supermarket starts telling me about how little they have, and we do the best we can. No point getting stressed when there's no bananas so Mr Man gets grapes instead. Our supermarket guy points out that's the last box of grapes, and that's it when their gone. We spend the afternoon at the local mall, and G-man picks up some clean clothes. Management from work call all day trying to work out how to get him home. In the evening G-man and I worked out a convoluted flight path for Friday, but, to our amazement, the Toowoomba bus line has worked out a way through, much longer than usual, but it starts Friday afternoon. Amid whoops of excitement we book him on it, knowing within 24hours he'll be back with his family. But at this point, our promise not to get emotionally drawn in is tested. The story of 13 year old Jordan Rice, who drowned after he told rescuers to take his 11 year old little brother Blake first. Blake survived, but before rescuers could return, Jordan and his mum were swept away. This shakes G-man badly, as the father of an 11 year old son, he found it hard to cope with.

Friday: We need to kill time until the bus leaves. I take G-man out to Sandgate to look at the debris washing up on the beach. Its sobering to see, and yet amazing to see the volunteers out at work clearing it all away. By 4pm we have G-man on the bus, and later that evening I get the message that he's home.

Saturday: Everything feels very very normal. Mr Man has worked all week as his workplace was unaffected and none of the roads between there and here were cut. Normal sounds can be heard in neighboring houses and streets. But not that far away, an enormous clean up is commencing.

On hold....again

2011-01-12T07:40:00.000+10:00

Hi gang, just a quick note that this blog is temporarily on hold....I live in Brisbane and work in the CBD, which has been evacuated due to flooding. It seems a bit insensitive to be taking outfit photos while people are losing their homes, possessions and in some cases lives.

Rest assured, I'll be back before you know it!

Welcome back...

2011-01-06T09:55:00.000+10:00

..and welcome to 2011. I've been pretty quiet the past two weeks (OK, completely quiet), but that's because I took a break. From work, from blogs, from everything and escaped to my parents with Mr Man up the coast. And due to torrential flooding in Queensland, we got stuck there. No damage, just no way home for a few days. Then we came back. Had a great time at a rooftop NYE party (wearing my first work Christmas party outfit) and came back to work on Tuesday after 10 glorious days off.

And I learnt....this stuff is great.

KMS Flat out anti-humidity spray $28.95 from hairdressers

I used it NYE, and with our stormy, rainy, dodgy weather it kept my hair free of static, fly aways and smelt really really nice. (Yes, people smelt my hair and commented. Weird but true).

I have 'so far' avoided any major shopping despite the sales. Except for this little guy:

Owl ring $5 on sale at Lovisa

This fantastic bangle which my sister immediately went and bought when she saw it (it says LOVE on the opposite side),

Promise bangle $5 on sale at Lovisa

and this pair of shoes. Which I only bought because my cobbler is unavailable until Monday and I need black heels for tomorrow.

Black denim heels, $10 London Rebel

Here's to another year, another list of resolutions (some of which I'll keep, some of which I'll break) and another chapter in blogdom!

Friday favourites

2010-12-24T09:56:00.000+10:00

Its a Christmas Eve Friday favourites! Hooray! Now given this is a week with both Birthday celebrations and Christmas preparation, I have more than five favourites. But I'll just pick five for today.
Number one: This beautiful solid gold bangle from Mr Man for my birthday. I haven't taken it off yet from the moment he gave it to me.

Number two: My GHD, a birthday gift from my sister. (Second hand though, who can afford the real ones??)

Number three: This cute birthday badge, that Mr Man snuck in with my card. I did indeed wear it all day long.

Number four: My new little friend. This was an unexpected gift from my beautiful friend Kitty Kat. We both adored it in the shop, so I was elated when he made his way to me.

Number five: My Christmas tree with all its presents underneath, waiting with baited breath to be opened!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Party no. 3

2010-12-23T07:53:00.001+10:00

Friday night was Mr Man's work party. I wanted to look nice, but at the same time, not go over the top. I picked up this little dress at Target for about $20. I've been hitting their sale racks hard recently, and once again it's paid off.

Mr Man loved it, and although it is a size small, I felt great (but still a smidgen overdressed). These photos are taken pre-lipstick, as I was waiting for a last Mr Man kiss before applying.

And of course my favourite photo was overexposed. Shame.

Sigh.

2010-12-22T09:45:00.000+10:00

Yesterday was my birthday. Well, mine and my twin sisters. And even though I'm now 28 I still get excited about it, and demand cards and presents and most importantly cake. Mr Man knows that cake is non negotiable on this day. Being a Tuesday we still all went to work, but there were presents from Mr Man in the morning, coffee out with work, a big lunch with my sister, dinner out with Mr Man, cake with his family and finally a trip round the biggest Christmas light display I've seen.

Unfortunately the Christmas light display was a last minute unknown, so my 5 inch sunshine yellow espadrille wedges were a bad idea. (Love them, super exciting gift from my mum care of the Victoria Secret website!) Fell off them repeatedly on the uneven ground, and looked like one of those silly girls that wear unsuitable shoes. Which I suppose I was, but not deliberately!!

So apart from sporting a really sore foot today, my birthday was a triumph success of overeating and celebrating!

Feeling festive

2010-12-20T19:53:00.000+10:00

So Thursday was one of those days, where I put something on that I'd bought special as its Christmas time and wanted to dress a little festive, but when it came down to it, I panicked. That's right. I was fairly well convinced that despite umming and ahhhing over this dress in two different Target stores and trying it on a couple of times and then going back and digging through every single sale rack I could find, it maybe looked a bit dodgy.

This is me, not sure and taking 'check it out' photos

Mr Man was of no help, laughing at my panic with a casual 'its too late now, you've bought it'.

Making sure the back is OK...

So after he left for work I took these photos. They made me feel much better. So did the plethora of compliments from colleagues. Nice.

Feeling pretty chuffed with myself

Festive work dress? WIN!

Friday favourites

2010-12-17T15:36:00.000+10:00

What a week! Its been hectic to say the least between work, and trying to finalise Christmas shopping now that Mr Man has decided we're buying for everyone, not just their kids.
Favourites for another Friday are, in no particular order....
Number one: This fancy smancy snow man that Mr Man bought for me. Its the only Christmas decoration I have up at home, and its pretty darn cute!

This is him in red....

Fading out of blue....

And finally green!

Number two: Picking up a dress from Target, marked down from $59 to $7.47. Bargain? YEAH!
Number three: Getting an email advising we can be in casual dress all week next week at work. Tricky? Yes, but given its my birthday next week, I'm very happy with that!
Number four: Spending an entire afternoon standing on my desk stringing up Christmas decorations. I may not have decorated at home, but I've gone silly at work.
Number five: Normal Brisbane weather, humid all day, and a ripping good electrical storm in the afternoon.

Now I have a couple of outfit posts backed up, I'll try to get them out this weekend! Happy Friday!

Hawaii 5-0

2010-12-12T14:31:00.000+10:00

Last night Mr Man and I went to a party. Yep. Together. And it was dress up. AND HE DRESSED UP. I'm stunned and amazed. 4 years ago I had a pirate party for my birthday, he didn't dress up. 2 years ago we went to a T themed party. He went as a 'Tradie' and just didn't get changed when he came home from work. I didn't think that counted.

This party was Hawaii themed, so I picked up a Hawaiian printed shirt for him and some lei's and away we went. Only downside was the torrential rain we'd had all day, which turned the party into an ankle deep mud bath.

Once upon a time I would have laughed and just gotten on with it. But I guess now I'm a total princess. It was uncomfortable, wet, and too many kids screaming around the place. I guess our friends all got middle-aged, and suburbanite without us. Not that we're crazy party folk, but at no point did I feel we could sit back, relax and really enjoy ourselves.

Upsides of the party? The amazing whole pig on a spit, the fantastically good pumpkin curry (vegetarian option), and catching up with some friends we hadn't seen for a long time.

Maybe next time we catch up we'll got to a restaurant though....less mud that way!

Friday favourites

2010-12-10T07:26:00.000+10:00

Its Friday! Hooray! Favourites this week, in no particular order!

Number one: This super cute party dress I picked up last night. Not sure when how or where I'll wear it, but I think its super!

Number two: Tuesday I had a job interview. Surprise! Yes I did. And I wore a brand new dress suit which made me feel sexy and professional all day. Loved it. I know, I know I should have taken a photo. No fear, it will come out again soon!

Number three: On Monday, after volunteering, I went for drinks, and then to a Chicks at the Flicks screening of Morning Glory. Nibbles, free goodie bag, damn good company. That was definitely a highlight this week!

Number four: The slowly dawning realisation that I have not bought a pair of shoes this week. Put this one in your diary folks. That's AMAZING!

Number five: My new glasses! Of course!

Happy Friday all!

K's big birthday!

2010-12-09T19:26:00.000+10:00

Today was my very dear friend K's birthday. A gaggle of us went out for a girlie lunch, sipped wine in the sun, and had a lovely hour before schlepping back off to work. Outfit for said girlie lunch? Still office appropriate but a bright watermelon t-shirt is an instant mood lifter. Instant.


Last nights buy, Kmart t-shirt $9

Of course it helps that my super hip new glasses were waiting for me at work to be added to the ensemble!

Still can't work out.....

It turned out to be a nice way to celebrate how wonderful K is, and we all really enjoyed it.

This silly picture taking gig....

I did pick up two very cute little dresses at Target last night, and am working on some outfits in my head as we speak!

Over sized cardie, Suzanne Grae
Skirt, Target
Necklace, Diva

Happy Birthday K! Hope you had a lovely day!

Glasses

2010-12-09T13:44:00.000+10:00

Quick quick post because I'm excited. Today when I got to work there was a little package waiting for me on my desk.
It was the glasses I ordered online a few weeks ago, arriving slightly earlier than I'd expected. I'm thrilled. They are indeed Wayfarer lookalikes, as I won't drop the money for another pair of RayBan's till my sunnies need replacing.

For the record, they are prescription. I actually do need glasses, even though most photos show me without. (Hey I'm vain, what can I say?). No one's laughed at me yet, for which I am eternally grateful.

Christmas spirit

2010-12-08T14:20:00.000+10:00

OK, so maybe I'm a little slow at getting my Christmas tree out, sorted, put together and decorated. And maybe my brain skirts around the idea that Christmas is coming really really soon, and Mr Man hasn't asked me what I want yet. But I did get into the Christmas spirit on Monday, and I really enjoyed it. For a couple of reasons.

Me and an almighty pile of stuffed toys.

Instead of work, I went and volunteered to help the Salvation Army. My employer gives all employees two days a year to go and do charity work on full pay. Its nice. I like to save one up to do something at Christmas. One year I did gift wrapping at a local shopping centre (mall?) and took home lots of paper cuts, but an awesome amount of gift wrapping skill.

So what did I do with the Salvos this year? I helped unwrap, sort, organise, and allocate all the donated gifts that come in through the Kmart wishing tree. I will admit, the unwrapping was a massive kick back to childhood Christmas mornings. Ripping open paper and ogling the toys inside was great. Then we organised into nice big big piles. Really big piles (see picture of me with lots of stuffed toys). Then we got a list, which had a list of the sex and age of the children in the family that needed presents, and I got to go round and choose them.

This pile is nothing compared to how many they will get during the Christmas period

I did one day. The Salvo's will be doing this every day till Christmas. Its an amazing effort, and very humbling to see how generous people really can be.

Saturated saturday

2010-12-05T06:50:00.001+10:00

Today I wore a dress I bought back in October, but haven't managed to wear yet.

Dress, Foxy Fox
Cardigan, Target
Belt, Witchery

I'm not sure I'm happy with it, but I went out to two different destinations and got home without seeing anyone pointing and laughing....so I guess its OK.

Still not really sure....

First stop was DFO (a factory outlet, that doesn't quite understand the meaning of those words), where I picked up a pair of Country Road shorts for $9.95 (regular retail is $99.00) and a present for a family member, of which I will say nothing here!

Warming to the idea....

Next stop was Chermside Westfield. Which was a mistake. Rainy Saturday a few weeks out from Christmas? Bad idea Cooks, bad idea. Still I picked up my dress suit from lay by, and some cranberry and Camembert moneybags for tonight and after a stressful escape came home reasonably unscathed...

Love this belt from Witchery!

Work party

2010-12-04T06:37:00.002+10:00

Finally the photos from my work Christmas party (nearly two weeks ago!) have been circulated amongst us staff. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the photos, which I guess is what happens when you leave it to someone else!

This is me upon arriving,
I've cut Mr Man out, because he doesn't like blogs!

We had a great night Mr Man and I, and it was nice to have an excuse to get dressed up together.

Captivating conversation over dinner.
Check out my Sportsgirl statement necklace ($8.00)

Dinner was lovely, with much swapping around on the alternate drop, and dessert definitely the pick of the meals (Bailey's mousse? Yes please!)

Later I got pulled up as a nominee for messiest desk...which is a half truth....

Love this dress, picked it up on Black Friday
12mnths ago, in a little cheap shop I can't
remember the name of! Although if you like it,
I saw it on Modcloth today for $54.99, which I didn't pay!

...and this is me being totally freaked out that someone else's desk is so messy it has bugs on it! EWW!

Apparently yes, someone has bugs in their messy desk.
And no, its not me!

One more Christmas party to go this year!

Friday favourites

2010-12-03T09:20:00.000+10:00

Well its been another busy week, which isn't surprising. Here's the favourites for the week!
Number one: Business trips. Monday saw me up super super early to fly to Sydney for a one day only visit to that office. It was fantastic getting to meet my counterparts.
Number two: Now that its officially December, my first Advent Calendar in years. And now I'm a grown up I can have one with decent chocolate in it!

Number three: Again, on the Christmas theme, my reusable Starbucks tumbler with a candy cane straw!

Number four: Finding out I have a third Christmas Party to go to.
Number five: Finding out my friend the lovely E is pregnant with her first child. Congratulations honey!

Ruby red

2010-12-02T09:18:00.000+10:00

Its finally December, which according to Mr Man means I can start celebrating Christmas. He hates that stores start putting up decorations in September/October here, so we make a stand and hold out till now.

For the first time since I was a kid, I have an advent calendar to count down the days (the one I eat on my birthday is always the sweetest!) and to celebrate the season for the 1st of December I wore my ruby red shoes because lets face it, they look super festive!

Shoes, Steve Madden

They're getting a little old now (I did buy them in 2007) but I still love them!

Party time

2010-11-28T20:57:00.001+10:00

On Friday I left work early to go home and get myself dressed up to go to a Christmas Party. My friend K was unable to taker her hubby due to illness, and I was really touched that she asked me to step in. We had a great time, good food, good company, and danced till they threw us out!

Dress, Marshalls

Of course there was a couple of people that drank too much and got too messy, but I'm glad I'm older and wiser now, and got to enjoy the rest of my weekend without a hangover!

Friday favourites

2010-11-26T12:05:00.000+10:00

Well, its been another hectic week, and I daresay it will only get worse the closer we get to Christmas!
Here's my favourites for another week:

Number one: Glitter eyeliner. New discovery....new problems to overcome in application and setting, but the end result is totally worth it. Sportsgirl had these babies for $2.95 each with an additional 20% off. Win.

Number two: My new shoes....finally a pair of summer appropriate wedges. So excited with these babies!

Number three: My second Christmas party, which is tonight. The lovely K's husband isn't able to attend with her, so I've been asked to step in, and I couldn't be happier!

Number four: Finding a cute as a button pair of earrings at the bargain price of $4.99. These little birdies are so so adorable!

Number five: My friend Kitty Kat's beautiful birthday present, and lovely lovely bracelet from her mum, that she'll be wearing for years to come. Classically stylish, just like Kitty Kat. Definete highlight of the week.

Happy Friday everyone!

Head-tastic!

2010-11-25T11:44:00.000+10:00

Back in 2006 I went through a brief love affair with headbands. They were very very boring, very wide, and block colours. I looked like an Alice in Wonderland wanna-be.

Now in 2010, I seem to be doing the same thing, but thankfully, they headbands I've found are much prettier, with lace, and crystals and bows and I adore them! Even better is the fact that accessories seem to get discounted regularly, which means they can be snatched up at great prices!

Portmans, $4.95

Portmans, $9.95

Christmas party

2010-11-22T13:45:00.000+10:00

Saturday night was my work Christmas party at the Marriott hotel in their grand ballroom. All in all, a lot of fun was had, but I seemed to spend an amazing amount of time doing my hair, and fussing over my makeup before we went. I'd had a lot of help with putting together my accessories, and will showcase them here over the next few days. I'm still waiting for work to post the photos, but for now I do have a caricature that I can share. Not sure if it really looks like me though!

Friday favourites

2010-11-19T16:11:00.000+10:00

It feels like its been an enormous week. Hence no posts since Monday. I'll try to capture it here along with some Friday faves.

Number one: basics. On Monday I bought two very basic work shirts from Target for $11 each. Perfect for those 'OMG I just can't make this work today' days....we all have them!
Number two: going for a jog along the river at lunch time. I did this with Sis this week. We needed to coordinate more as we both wore black shorts and green shirts, and that looks weird, but it was a great stress burner.
Number three: pretending I don't care that I'm not fiscally responsible and buying my first pair of Mollini's.

Number four: Thursday night shopping and dinner with the girls. K, Sis and I had a great time, and the changing room has never been so much fun. We even roped every other girl in to giggle and compare finds! It was brilliant. I did put a divine dress/suit on layby. Its on layby because I never pay full price, but when I do, I must budget, and layby.
Number five: Knowing that the fun doesn't stop on Friday, because I have my work Christmas party tomorrow night.
More photos next week. I promise!!

Here we go again

2010-11-15T18:28:00.000+10:00

And here is Monday again, starting us round on another week....

My Monday included, realising I hadn't done the ironing and scrabbling for a clean, mostly unwrinkled shirt....

Blouse, Target

Skirt, Jacqui E

A run to Starbucks for a Toffee Nut Latte (limited Christmas release flavour....and my favourite) whilst ignoring the 'get to know you' morning tea for newbies in the office...

Playing silly with....

...my camera is fun right?

A shopping trip at lunchtime for no reason at all....

Necklace, Fiji 2008

Love these girly ruffles

And some preplanning for my Christmas Party this weekend...what to wear?

Friday favourites

2010-11-12T07:49:00.000+10:00

I can't believe we're here again! Did you guys see Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere is on a version of Friday favourites too? Yeah! So here we go:

Number One: A favorite from Monday's impromptu shopping. These awesome cute coral coloured shorts for our Aussie summer. At $11, you can't go wrong!

Number Two: On Wednesday the girls and I walked up to the markets, and on the way stopped in so K could buy a pair of shoes. Sis and I did a twofer (two for a bargain price) and picked up these beautiful flats.

Number Three: My sunglasses. I love them. They go everywhere with me. Prescription Ray Bans. Yes.

Number Four: Borrowing clothes for special events. Having a twin sister the same size as me has really broadened my options. Thanks Sis!

Number Five: The most exciting thing heading into an Aussie summer.....my new air conditioner. Oh yes.

Well, I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be working out the best way to spend my Westfield voucher!!

Remember

2010-11-11T19:39:00.000+10:00

It's Remembrance Day today...and yes, in my travels I did purchase a badge, although not a traditional poppy. I picked up a slouchy hat badge instead. Its the hat Australian Army soldiers wear when their not wearing a helmet. (And when helmets were finally issued during the course of time, a lot of soldiers kept wearing the hat instead of the 'safer' helmet. I love Aussies!)

Its a little blurry...my apologies. We did stop for our minutes silence, and lucky location as from the office we can look over Anzac Square and watch the service.


Blouse, Target Pants, Basque Shoes, DKNY

Afterwards though...I met the girls for shoe shopping and lunch at Vapianos. The food, company and conversation was fantastic, but I'm not a fan of how your order there.


Bag, Coach Sunnies, Prescription RayBans

If I go out as a group, I want to spend more time as a group, and less time split up into queues.

Proving that I'm very good at....

...messing around and not taking....

...sensible photographs!

Still, we had great fun, and it made the rest of the afternoon fly by. Squeeze in a quick gym session, a couple of glasses of wine and my chicken parma for dinner, and by all counts, its not a bad day.

One of my three prized Coach bags. We don't have a stockist in Brisbane...

Borrowed gold

2010-11-11T08:23:00.000+10:00

On Tuesday I borrowed a dress from my sister. It’s something that I’m considering wearing to my work Christmas party, but there is a problem about finding a bra that will work underneath it. I think sometimes designers make beautiful dresses with unworkable backs just to be mean…..

Anyway, this is the email conversation with my sister that ensued after I raced to her office and grabbed the dress and showed it off to the girls in my office….

Me: Kitty Kat is straight onto finding backless bras LOL, she and E think the dress is lovely.

Sis: Just remember whose it is.

Me: OH yes, I’ve told everyone its mine. No I haven’t. I’ve told everyone its yours and you’ve never worn it. If I can’t find a bra, or its ridiculously expensive, I shall wear something else.

Sis: It’s a good plan J I like it J

Me: Me too =) I like it when there’s a well thought out plan.

Secretly there’s a little part of me that thinks she doesn’t want me to wear the dress! But, again, the underwear thing is proving tiresome….

No outfit post for yesterday I'm afraid....I was way to wiped out and exhausted to look decent (and dry shampoo is not as fabulous as people would have you think!!)

Blueberry remix

2010-11-09T21:02:00.000+10:00

I love this little blue dress, you've seen it once before, and I love it because its so easy to wear.


Cardigan, Tommy Hilfieger

This time I swapped in a white cami and pearls instead of the black, and initially I wanted to wear this cute Tommy Hilfieger cardigan, but Brisbane is far to muggy and humid for that today so I went without.

Belt, Sussan

I am a little excited though, as The Westfield Insider (a facebook page) is sending me a $50 gift voucher for commenting on their site...so many options....

I am getting a little bit disturbed by my self timed photos....I'm either too busy fidgeting to get a good shot, or too busy thinking 'what on earth?' to not pull a silly face!

Shoes, Mud from Off Broadway Shoes

I even tried to get my shoes in this time...given that I have a huge collection, they don't seem to be getting much air time!

These are terribly sensible work shoes, I'll try for something more sensational next time!

Monday-itis

2010-11-08T19:44:00.000+10:00

Like most people, I'm not a fan of Mondays, unless I'm on vacation, or its a public holiday....

Cardigan, Target

This outfit was only attempt two this week. I must be getting better....

Trousers, Anne Klein
T-shirt, Kmart

Mr Man poo-pooed my first outfit, and I'm glad he did....no point asking for an opinion if you don't want it to be honest. Mr Man bought me this cardigan (lucky me!) but I still haven't quite worked out how to wear it!

Necklace and earrings, Diva

This was the change out result, and it works.

Bring on Tuesday, or maybe Thursday when its girls lunch day!

Saturday sit-about

2010-11-06T09:58:00.000+10:00

Yesterday, I was pretty disappointed. Mr Man found out that due to unforeseen circumstances he'd need to work today. I'd been planning a long day of sleeping in and lazing about with him, and was pretty miffed it wasn't to be.

So, I went shopping, and picked up this little black dress and cute short sleeve bolero cardigan. Together they came in at less than $30, so I was starting to feel better.

Dress, Target $13.50
Cardi, Tempt $14.95

Love the pretty bead buttons!

Then after seeing how well my sisters nails turned out, I stopped in and picked up my own coral coloured nail polish, with plans to spend the day giving myself a pedicure and manicure.

Rimmel 60 second nail varnish
Clear and Instyle Coral

I love this Rimmel nail polish, not only because it dries really quickly, giving me less time to muck it up, but I love the wider brush. Suits my lack of coordination down to the ground!
So this is me, commencing my Saturday of absolute girlyness...

Friday favourites

2010-11-05T13:26:00.000+10:00

Hmmm....its been a long week....but here are some favourites that kept me going.

Number one: tangerine nail polish...not mine, but my sisters and it looks fantastic for summer.

Number two: in our house, quite often come Friday night we're both to exhausted for cooking, and perhaps had too many to pick up takeaway. Our favourite fall back is a Bacon Sarnie (read: Bacon Sandwich). But this week, instead of Friday night Bacon Sarnie night, we had Thursday night Bacon Sarnie night, and it was awesome!
Number three: one of many, but in particular, this Guess bag Mr Man bought me for a birthday a couple of years ago. I've used it pretty much everyday this week, and I still love it as much as I did when he bought it for me.

Number four: finding a new blog to follow. Satisfying way to procrastinate at work! and finally Number five: that space of time on a Friday evening, where you've finished work, and your at the longest possible point before you have to go again.

Hooray for FRIDAY!

First ever remix!

2010-11-04T05:58:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I got up early, put on a preplanned outfit (OMG! such organization!) and went to work early feeling like I'd really gotten it right in preparation for an important meeting this afternoon. It was a great turnaround on yesterday where I tried out three different outfits and still got it wrong!


Cardigan and dress Target, shoes DKNYC

Unfortunately, the meeting was rescheduled to Friday which means 1) I have to pre-plan another outfit I love as much and 2) I have to wait for the meeting. I'm impatient....I don't wanna wait!

This is however my first remix! But I have to admit, I love this cardigan, it just feels floaty and feminine. A nice girly tone down on those studs.

Wednesday wishes

2010-11-03T11:50:00.000+10:00

Occasionally, like everyone else, I have a week that really doesn't seem to go well, and lots of things just plain old go wrong. So, today, to cheer myself up, I've resorted to a favourite habit, and looked at photos of days when things have seemed so very very right.

A couple of weeks ago now Mr Man and I took an extra day off for a three day weekend, and went camping on the beach. Not stylish at all, but it was a glorious three days of water, sand and sun (OK and a little rain, but mostly sun). One morning we even woke up to a whale breaching in the water straight out from our campsite. Magic.
The last day we decided spontaneously to climb up to the lighthouse. I chose to ignore the advice for drinking water and sensible shoes, and as you can see, I was still wet from a spontaneous swim we took with no towels in the truck.

It was the first time I'd been up to the lighthouse, and it was a much smaller than I'd imagined. Certainly no reclusive lighthouse men live here!

The view of course is magnificent. If there's one thing that Queensland does well, its long, long stretches of beautiful beach!

Well, hopefully, if like me your having a bad week, thinking of fun times will help get you through. I certainly feel much much better now!

Monster mash

2010-11-01T12:27:00.000+10:00

Saturday night we stayed up and watched some dodgy old horror films in honor of Halloween. I realise of course that Halloween was actually Sunday, but it feels wrong staying up late on Sunday nights, and puts me on the back foot for the rest of the week. Check out the three different popcorn flavours we tried out, Kettlecorn, Buttersalt and Macadamia Deluxe....I have to admit, the Macadamia one was fabulous!!
Melbourne cup tomorrow...I have my sweep in, but which horse will win??

Monochrome

2010-10-29T14:12:00.000+10:00

Its finally Friday! I can't wait for the weekend and hope the sunshine holds out. Lunch break today involved picnicking in the park with the girls (very brave in white pants), and a quick run to the movie store for some old schlocky horror films for Halloween. Hopefully, drinks this afternoon will make the week just melt away!

White linen pants, Hot Options, Target
Black lace top, Basque, Myer
Plum cami, David Lawrence

Mr Man bought me these white linen pants a few weeks ago. I feel very lucky because he rarely goes shopping, unless its my birthday, which it wasn't!

Silver cross, a gift many years ago

I was given this cross as a present when I was a teenager, and still love it. Its been a long time since I've worn it so it was nice to bust it out again!

Silver studs, Prouds

I bought these studs with my Dad when we were Chrissy shopping for Mum. I love how simple they are, and the chunky shape.

Wrap bracelet, Jeans West

My sister and I both bought one of these last summer, and its taken me ages to work out how to wear it, but I think it ties in nicely with the outfit (pun intended!).

Friday favourites

2010-10-29T09:24:00.000+10:00

Number one: Dressing up my work area for Halloween. Us Aussies have never really gotten into this one, but this year has been much more full on, and as a long time fan of Disney's Ichabod Crane, I gotta admit I love it!

Number two: My new fringe, of course!

Number three: Impromptu shopping trips with the girls, even when I've made a point of trying not too!
Number four: Unassuming accessories. I picked these tiny star studs up with my Dad Christmas shopping for my Mum last year. There so easy to wear and I've worn them a couple of times this week. I do need to remember not to sleep in them as they can be a little poky!!

Number five: Girls who manage to take photos for their blogs using a self timer and a tripod (or in my case, precariously perching their camera in random places). Much in awe, because my photos look extremely amateur hour, and theirs are so polished!

Shopping

2010-10-28T14:21:00.000+10:00

Today, after a weak attempt at a the gym I went shopping (again!) with the girls. It was a lot of fun, given that we're all different sizes, with different tastes and budgets. The lovely A picked up the cutest Cue dress I've seen in a while, and I absolutely adored a David Lawrence shirt dress, but even on sale it was out of my budget. I did buy two little summer dresses from SES which was a much much more economical option! One is the same as K bought, and the other my sis bought one too, so will need to liaise with them about who wears what and when!
Keep an eye out for outfit posts they'll be coming soon.

Slice-tastic!

2010-10-27T09:11:00.000+10:00

Nearly two years ago a girlfriend had a sleepover at my house and cooked zucchini (courgette) slice for us for dinner. I've never forgotten how good it was, and often hung my noise over hers when she brings it in for lunch. Last night I had a crack at it myself, but Mr Man needed some meat added to the mix, so some sliced chorizo and shredded BBQ chicken got thrown in.

Blurry, but tasty fried chorizo

Mr Man got stuck in before I could
photograph the final product

A tasty mix of tasty goodness!

You can check out the receipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5546/zucchini+slice and to make it like mine, just add some chorizo and shredded BBQ chook!

Clutching

2010-10-26T13:41:00.000+10:00

In an attempt to minimise the amount of random stuff I carry around all day, I've downgraded to a clutch today. It also means the majority of my store loyalty cards are missing to help minimise the chance of an impromtu shopping trip!

Equip clutch

This one I bought to use as a bridesmaid at my twin sisters wedding and I love it. I even threw on the same pair of shoes (gold, leather, wittner heels) as a nod to the awesomeness of that day.

Equip clutch, Witchery tee,
Target skirt, Wittner shoes, Diva cuff

And after a firedrill in my building at work, and walking down 19 flights of stairs, I decided this tasty tasty bagel treat was well and truly earned. Thanks K for a lovely lunch treat!

Going

Going!

GONE!!

On the road again

2010-10-26T09:19:00.000+10:00

Sis and I spent the weekend roadtripping up the coast to our folks place for some R&R. Feet on the dashboard, tunes on the stereo, no hubbys, partners, commitments or schedules and it was great. Mum booked me in to her hairdresser and I finally got the fringe I was looking for the weekend before, but my selfsatisfying hairdresser never gave me. I love mums hairdresser, and from now on, will be roadtripping each time it needs tidying up. Who would have thought hairdressers are better in small towns than the big smoke? But there you have it, its true!

The weekend did of course culminate in a last minute shopping trip (my last for a few weeks, my purse can't take anymore!) which meant a few new pieces for the wardrobe, and a new work wardrobe for my sis. Loving the collar on this blouse, very girlie for work.

Friday favourites

2010-10-22T15:34:00.001+10:00

Its my second Friday favourites post! Hooray!

Number one: My brand new Stellar trench coat. Fantastic bargain buy, and lightweight enough for spring. Love it!

Number two: Studs. On dresses, shoes, accessories, anywhere. I've wore two different dresses this week featuring stud embellishments, and my studded sandals. Love them!

Number three: Sunshine. Its been a long time coming to Brisbane, and I don't want to work, I just want to bask in it all day!!
Number four: Having a cobbler I can rely on when shoe related incidents occur. Panic and distress are minimized!
Number five: When concert tickets arrive in the post.
Number six: Dressing up for a cause!

Have a lovely weekend, I'm off on a girlie road trip with my sis!

Thursday blues

2010-10-21T17:03:00.000+10:00

Greenpeace held a protest in the city today and we watched as the police spent hours trying to negotiate an end to the proceedings. It made me stop and think about what things I'm prepared to protest for, and given how many answers there are I'm not going to complain.

Dress Target, Cuff Diva

Lunch time took me on a fast paced shopping expedition with A and my sis for A's big date tonight. We found some great things both on and off sale, but I had to dash off halfway through to make meetings at work.

Earrings, Equip

I went with something very easy to wear, to keep it simple and easy given the very busy day I've had!

Wednesday wipeout

2010-10-21T08:01:00.000+10:00

Wednesday, honestly started well, but ended badly....My lunchtime shoe shopping expedition with a girlfriend was rained out, my sole peeled off my beautiful Fiorelli shoes, I caught the wrong train home (and express!) and had to sit around a scary outer-burbs station to wait for a train to get back again.

Dress, Target

I'm taking comfort in the fact that I wore a dress I love,

Studalicious!

I have a wonderful cobbler who should be able to fix my shoes,

Earrings, Diva

it's now Thursday, and the sun is shining....so maybe its not all bad?

Forgive my photos, I'm still learning!!

Made in Dagenham

2010-10-20T08:54:00.000+10:00

Last night I went to a preview viewing of Made in Dagenham with my sister, and we had a great time with Great 60s fashion, a plot with some power and a few very poignant moments.
Sadly, and perhaps shallowly, it has definitely encouraged me to break out the fake eyelashes and liquid eyeliner!
When it hits a cinema near you, take your girls and check it out!
Made in Dagenham

Terrific Tuesday

2010-10-19T14:06:00.000+10:00

Today seems to be a pretty good day. The sun is (still) shining, Brisbane looks fantastic, and perhaps, maybe Spring is actually here to stay!

In order to soak up the rays to maximum lunch hour potential, I roped in a friend to go for a walk along our riverside boardwalk, photo of our sunny fun below.

How are you making the most of a perfect Tuesday? Let me know!

Monday mayhem

2010-10-18T16:12:00.001+10:00

So what things get to you about Mondays?

This Monday has been a bit hit and miss for me, running late for the train, for work, trying to blowdry without a fringe when I'd been convinced Saturday's haircut would provide one, meetings, timeframes, deadlines!

Still, Brisbane is having a second lovely day, and I'm determined to enjoy it! Rain is due back (again) tomorrow, so I'm wearing an Ann Taylor summer skirt, and black Witchery top to make the most of it!
Best I could do is a dodgy sketch though, so enjoy!

Sunny Sunday

2010-10-18T14:01:00.000+10:00

It's been a long wait in Brisbane for a day without rain or gale force winds, but Sunday provided just that. Wide blue skies and sunshine prevailed. Laundry was the order of the day, but Mr Man and I managed to sneak in a Sunday afternoon nap, basking in the golden light sneaking through the blinds in our bedroom. Throw in our pizza and gelato pick up for dinner and it was a perfect day.

I've been very remiss with photos I know, stay tuned, more to come!

Big 3.0

2010-10-18T06:56:00.000+10:00

Saturday was my mans big 30th birthday, and his best mate and I had organized a last minute surprise party with his family and friends. I booked out a space at a tavern near our home, and some platters of finger food to keep the party-goers fed. It was the first time we hadn't had a party at home, and I much preferred it. No last minute housecleaning, noone tracking through the house, and apart from Mr Mans hangover, no clean up either!

Watch it!

2010-10-15T14:22:00.000+10:00

Today I went shopping with my sis to pick out a watch for my man's big 30th birthday.

Given that it's also casual Friday at work I picked something functional, but smart to wear. Jeans are the order of the day when busting out a frenzied lunchbreak lap of the mall, and I love these ones that I borrowed from my sister at the beginning of the Australian winter and have never returned. They're super comfortable, the right length, and a great colour.

Both tops are from Target, on sale and cost very little. My long beads are from Big W (yes bargain basement) but I do get compliments every time I wear them.

Say goodbye to that long straight hair though, tomorrow it gets shaped up!

Friday favourites

2010-10-15T08:16:00.000+10:00

Fridays are a great chance to look back at the week that's been, and pick out some favourites to share!

Number one: my lovely Leona boots. Are they really mine? Yes. Yes they are.

Number two: Disneys Beauty and the Beast was released on DVD and blu ray on Wednesday. Purchased, watched, adored!

Number three: on her run through Munich duty free, my sister picked up MAC Bad Fairy nail lacquer. I'm in love.

Number four: chunky hazelnut chocolate. Every girls best friend!

Tomorrow, I get my hair cut....Happy Friday!

Welcome!

2010-10-14T14:21:00.002+10:00

Welcome to my first ever post!

I've been thinking hard about what to tell you, and in desperation reverted to my sister, who advised me to tell you:

Something about who you are and why you've developed a love of putting together the perfect outfit, for the perfect price? And then maybe an example of a recent awesome buy? Oh, and a list of the blogs that have

inspired you to start your own.

So. Who I am? I'm a 27 year old living in the Suburbs of Brisbane, and working in the CBD. I love coordinating what I wear, eyeing off the other very smartly dressed young ladies in the city for ideas, and doing it all at bargain prices. Because lets face it, if I had the money to buy labels at face value, I probably wouldn't need to go to work!

A recent awesome buy? That's easy. Leona Edmiston black suede ankle boots. Retail price $795. My price? $117. I LOVE these babies!

My blog roll has started, with baby steps. Cupcakes and Cashmere is where it all began, and I found the others from link to link to link.

Keep watching, photos and fun to come soon!