Outfit

After an unintentional break of one and a half weeks from blogging, I am ready to post again. That might not seem like a long time but it is for me; blogging is always the one aspect of my life I've kept up with regardless of all the other changes in the last few years. I have been feeling rather uninspired lately and I feel frustrated that I have such a terrible camera (am I the only blogger still using a very basic digital camera?) but don't have the money to buy a new one and probably won't for quite some time. I will have to do the best I can. This is an outfit I've been wearing frequently in recent times. Many people comment on the obvious festive nature of the look (I was even called a Christmas elf at work) but since I don't like Christmas that isn't why I'm wearing red and green. I just like these colours together and I love bold combinations (orange and purple is another good one).  This is a new top from Kitten D'Amour. I am absolutely in love with it. I also have it in black. It comes in red, blue, black and emerald. I would love to have all the colours but I thought purchasing more than two of the colours would be taking it too far. At $60, this is rather affordable compared to most pieces from Kitten D'Amour. It is also very suitable for everyday wear; in comparison most Kitten D'Amour clothes are more suited to formal/dressy occassions. This top is perfect and I love it so much. The lace and bows are adorable, and it is a flattering shape in a comfortable material. Best marks Kitten D'Amour for this top! 

The shoes were also a rather exciting find. There are a few pieces that I've noticed are common to own in the blogging world. I like that because, although we are spread out all over the world, owning some of these more common pieces makes me feel like I am part of the group. These include many of the Bernie Dexter dresses and the Jenny dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing. In that category I would also include B.A.I.T footwear. I have wanted to own a pair for a long time but was turned off by the high postage charges directly from the US. I tried and locate Australian stockists of B.A.I.T footwear and eventually came across Pretty Dress and bought the pink tbar Ione heels. I was so amazed that I also wanted to add the black version and the mustard yellow pair to my collection. However, that website has only a very limited selection of B.A.I.T footwear so the search continued. However, I became lucky when I found out that Kitten D'Amour now stocks B.A.I.T footwear. Again the selection is not extensive but they had the black Ione shoes that I had been searching for for quite some time. It's amazing to think that these international shoes I'd been trying to track down for so long turned up in a local store in Sydney. I knew they had to come home with me and I' very pleased to have found them. They go with everything and the vintage element is perfect. 

It's holidays and I've still got another 5 days off from work. I'm already feeling lonely and bored. I wish I had friends and I wish I could enjoy things that most people do. The lack of routine and the loneliness makes me slip back into feeling extra depressed, even if it is for only a week of holidays. At the same time I don't feel ready to face another demanding year of full time work either. But I do hope you all had a lovely break and I look forward to seeing what you received for Christmas!  I have a few exciting pieces to show you including my new laptop which I am posting from for the first time right now. 















Kitten D'Amour Girl Crazy Lace Jersey Top in Emerald
B.A.I.T Footwear Ione Heels in Black
Custom Made Red Velvet Skirt

Linking to: What I Wore Wednesday

Outfit

The Scarlet Lace Peekaboo Dress from Kitten D'Amour is definitely my favourite dress at the moment. You may recall that I posted it on my wishlist a few weeks ago here but I never expected to end up owning it.  It retailed at $329 and, although completely stunning and excellent quality, I certainly cannot justify spending that amount on a single piece. However, the dress finally came on sale (which was surprising because such a small number of the Kitten D'Amour collection ever comes on sale). At 40% off, and being my dream dress, I simply couldn't resist adding it to my collection. I know I'll wear it many times in the future including to a wedding in January and also on Christmas day. The dress itself is so beautiful and delicate. I adore the tie bow and the lace overlay. I love it more than words can explain. My experience with the delivery of the dress was very disappointing, however. I had intended to wear it to an event last Friday. I ordered the dress from the Kitten D'Amour website and inquired as to whether it would arrive in time. I was assured it would and placed the order on Tuesday of last week. I paid for express post just to be sure. However, it didn't arrive in time and I was very upset I couldn't wear this dress to the event. The dress was apparently posted on the Wednesday and didn't arrive until the following Monday. As a regular customer of Kitten D'Amour and, having paid express and inquiring beforehand, I just expected more. Kitten D'Amour are all sweet and over the top with the customer service when everything is going well, but when it comes to admitting their share of responsibility, they are not quite so friendly. My email expressing my disappointment has been completely ignored at this stage. I understand it may not be the biggest deal in the world but when they hold themselves out to be helpful and also since they charge so much for their clothes, I do expect better. I love the pairing of red and green for any time of the year so my emerald glitter pumps were the perfect choice for the dress. I've worn them for my last three outfit posts so you can tell how much I adore them. 

In much more important news, the Sydney siege absolutely broke my heart. I cried so much and it's all I can think about. Of course it's devastating anywhere around the world but when it's so close to home and when you can recognise the locations on the television, it makes it even more impacting. It hurt just that little bit more to find out that one of the victims was a sucessful barrister. That's not to say it wouldn't have been tragic in any profession, of course it would, but the connections I have to the legal profession caused me to shed that extra tear. To think one of the victims worked right near the law courts where I myself got admitted as a lawyer just two months ago is chilling. I was in a meeting on Monday morning when I first heard about the siege. Even though I don't work in the CBD, it was scary to think of what events were unfolding just across the Harbour Bridge. I rarely go the the CBD but I was there on Saturday morning because I wanted to visit Tiffany & Co and I walked straight past the cafe. So many people do every day and that's what makes it so tragic; an event like this unfolds just by the simple act of going to get coffee on a Monday morning during work; it's unspeakable. The legal profession is now denied a genius but more importantly three young children have to grow up without their mother. Not to ignore the other victims too; what an incredible man who died a hero, loved and respected by all. As for those who escaped, how does one begin to carry on with their life after such torture. Why do the most innocent of people have to pay for the problems of the world. 

Scarlet Lace Peekaboo Dress
Mimco Red Carpet 100 Pump in Emerald Green

Linking to: What I Wore Wednesday, Eccentric Glamour

Outfit

It's hard to believe I haven't posted this dress on my blog before; it's had many adventures with me and is certainly one of the best. Orange is a colour Ive come to love in recent times despite it being the one colour I'd never wear for years. I now have two orange dresses in my collection; the other one is the polka dot dress which I posted here. The white floral lace detailing was a good way to balance out the orange given that it was my first orange piece in many years. As you can see, my emerald glitter heels are making an appearance again; they are more versatile than one might initially think. I'm going to make them make with as many outfits as possible. The glitter sparkly hair bow was purchased from a little store near where I work. I go there so often that I'm on pretty familiar terms with the couple that work there. I have a bit of a love for Babushka Dolls and have gone back for four sets now. I always say it's lucky there aren't many good shops where I work or my spending could get me into a lot of trouble. The Forever New bag is a recent purchase from the sales. It's a truly amazing bag and even has leopard print lining. It's also really functional because the storage component at the front is also replicated at the back. It's also a very stylish and beautiful bag. 

I fear you're all going to hate me after this post but I truly dislike Christmas. For many years I haven't been a big fan and thought it was overrated. But these days I hate it even more because it reminds me of all the aspects of my life that I miss and that makes me sad. Like when I was a child when the family was much closer and before I knew what being depressed felt like. I miss the family that are no longer with us that used to make that time of year so special. I just miss feeling happy. On another note, this year I lost one of my greatest support networks in my life. I would say it's their fault, they would say it's mine but the details aren't relevant for now. It hurts to no longer have a relationship with what used to be such a huge part of my life. This has absolutely destroyed me and made me feel more worthless than ever before. There's a significant part of my heart which breaks every single day. I fear Christmas and the holidays will just be a painful reminder of that. This isn't to say I have no one in my life because that certainly isn't true. I'm sure there are people in much worse situations that make the best of it. But I am never able to as the feelings of negativity get me every single time. 















Mimco Red Carpet 101 Pumps in Peacock Green Glitter
Review Dress
Forever New Black and Gold Bag 
Glitter Hair Bow 

Linking to: What I Wore Wednesday

Current Loves

Hi everyone. Just a quick post tonight to show you a few of my current loves.  I've been trying to track down a My Little Pony dress for awhile now but they always sell out in my size; it looks like I'm also a little too late with this one which recently appeared on the Modcloth website but I will keep watching in case it comes back in my size. I'm really drawn to the orange cardigan. It's a colour which impresses me a lot more these days. I also love the eyelet design because it's really unique. The green glitter clutch bag is the matching design to my emerald glitter heels which I posted here and the combination would just be perfect. I also really want the sparkly wallet but it's so so expensive. I don't have a proper wallet; I tend to just throw all my cards into my bag because I can never find a wallet I like. I'd love to have a decent and more expensive wallet for once. The jewellery box is super adorable; I love how it resembles a Tiffany & Co box. It would be the most amazing decoration to have around the house. I received my first pair of B.A.I.T footwear the other day and I was just as impressed as I'd hoped I would be. Now I want them in other colours like many other bloggers have; my favourite is the mustard yellow version below. My wishlist is endless right now. What are your current loves?

Photos from: Mimco, Kitten D'Amour, Forever New, B.A.I.T Footwear, Alannah Hill and Modcloth. 

My Perfume Collection

I'm surprised I haven't mentioned this before but I am super in love with perfumes and I adore them almost as much as I do clothes! I'm very pleased with the collection I have built up for the last few years (partially thanks to my mum who often buys a new Marc Jacobs perfume for me at Christmas) but there are definitely a few others I would like to add such as Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream and Miss Cherie Dior. 

Marc Jacobs Lola, Marc Jacobs Oh Lola, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight, Marc Jacobs Dot, Marc Jacobs Honey, Prada Candy, Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue, M by Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift Wonderstruck, Britney Spears Curious 



I'm sure it goes without saying that I am drawn to the Marc Jacobs perfumes because of the pretty and beautiful bottles; they easily become decorative pieces for around the house. I also love the scents. My favourite i probably Marc Jacobs Lola; I believe it's a very sophisticated and long lasting scent. I like Marc Jacobs Honey since the scent is still evident by the end of the day, and I favour Daisy but have been running low on it for some time so tend to use this one sparingly. 



In terms of my non Marc Jacobs range, my favourite is definitely Prada Candy; it's just so beautiful and unique. I like Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue for similar reasons but it also reminds me of a particular time in my life (of when I was first gifted Light Blue) and since I miss those times it can often be a difficult reminder. It's interesting and crazy how such strong emotions can be enlivened from a perfume.

The first perfume I ever owned, unsurprisingly, was curious by Britney Spears. I received it from a family friend for my 18th birthday and it meant so much as I'd never owned anything like it before. In contrast te latest addition to my collection is Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight which I purchased myself in a recent sale in Priceline I never thought I owned enough variations of the traditional Daisy. Overall I like that my perfume collection was mainly gifted which makes it increasingly special. As you can tell I didn't try to describe each scent as thought wouldn't have made much sense. I've heard scents being called woody and playful before but what does that even mean? For now lets just admire the bottles.


So what are your favourite perfumes and do you like to collect them?

Outfit

Here they are- my new emerald glitter pumps styled in an outfit post. I wish they showed up better in the photos; you'll have to take my word for it that they are amazing statement shoes. I really wish I owned the matching emerald glitter clutch bag from Mimco but it is way too expensive. I am a firm believe that expensive/statement pieces should be used often rather than reserved for best so my sparkly shoes won't be sitting around in a box as I will create the occasions to wear them. In fact I even wore them to work yesterday. I would wear them with pretty much any colour combination or pattern and I especially can't wait to pair these lovely shoes with my Scarlet Tie Bow dress from Kitten D'Amour which I posted here.  For this outfit I wanted to combine green with the primary colours; I love how bright it looks with one piece in each colour. The Hello Sailor To from Kitten D'Amour must be one of my most worn items in the last few months; I posted an outfit with it here. Sailor/nautical theme has always been one of my favourites and there are so many looks that can be created with it. The velvet red skirt and yellow wool blend coat are two of the pieces which my friend had made for me in Hong Kong. I adore them both so much. I wish I could get the skirt made in every single colour; velvet is just the best material ever.  As for the coat (which I wrote about here), it's such a unique and quality piece. I also love coats that look like dresses. I'm sure you'll see much more of it on my blog.















Mimco Red Carpet 101 Pump in Peacock Green Glitter
Kitten D'Amour Hello Sailor Spot Top
Custom Made Yellow Wool Blend Coat
Custom Made Red Velvet Skirt 
 

New In: Emerald Glitter Pumps

Hi everyone. Just a quick post today; it's been an extremely busy week for me so I haven't been as present in the online world as usual. I have been very naughty and purchased some rather expensive shoes which are the Red Carpet 100 Pumps from Mimco in  Peacock Green Glitter. I would never pay this amount for a pair of shoes but I absolutely could not resist. I never see shoes which make this much of a statement in the shops; I am often frustrated by the conservative range of shoes that are available. These shoes are absolutely stunning and perfect. The most beautiful shoes I have ever seen. I adore glitter and there are definitely not enough glitter products around. I tried to make my own glitter heels a few years ago but they didn't look as good as a store bought pair and I was scared about all the glitter falling off! But I think eventually I'll try DIY glitter shoes again because I'd love to have glitter shoes in every colour and especially in pink. The stand out feature of these heels is also the gorgeous emerald shade. Wow. I'll be wearing these shoes for the first time tonight for a Christmas party which is a cruise around Sydney Harbour. 







Mimco Red Carpet 101 Pump in Peacock Green Glitter

Outfit

My ace of hearts bag which I received courtesy of OASAP is currently my favorite bag. I've read on a number of blogs recently, to the frustration of many, about the tendency of bloggers to positively review items which they received for free often to the point where reviews can no longer be relied upon. However, I can assure you this is not the situation here. Even though I did receive this clutch bag from OASAP, it's so amazing that I'd definitely recommend purchasing it and I even want to get it in black. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures but it's slightly larger than most; when I opened the package I immediately commented on the more practical size. While all clutch bags are still relatively small, this one can at least fit my makeup, money and phone. It's very refreshing since there are way too many clutch bags around that can't even fit a phone. Also, how adorable is the design? It's so sweet and beautiful. 
It feels like I'm just carrying around one big playing card all day. 


Is it just me or is this outfit a little Alice in Wonderland inspired? Both the ace of hearts bag and the Picnic in Paris dress remind me Alice. This dress is the newest addition to my collection and is from Kitten D'Amour. As I mentioned in my post here I just love the silhouette of the Kitten D'Amour dresses; the full skirt and fully lined netted underlay is difficult to replicate elsewhere. But Kitten D'Amour dresses are so expensive and I can't afford more of them so I really want to think of alternatives. I wish I'd known about this design when I had the opportunity for clothes to be custom made in Hong Kong. Then I could have sent this dress over and had it replicated. I also love the combination of patterns in this dress; the touch of polka dots is perfect against the dominant cherry/daisy print. Also if you look carefully, the blue section in the bodice is a small check print. The one issue I worry about with Kitten D'Amour is seeing someone else in the same dress. It hasn't happened yet but a few people have recognised where it's from. Although each piece is made in limited quantity at Kitten D'Amour, the fact that it's an Australian brand with a very specific style, makes it an obvious choice if one is in the market for the particular dresses it offers. What is your favourite outfit to wear at the moment?

The most frequent question I get asked on my blog (and the question often arises outside the blogging world too) is about my hair. I feel like I'm always needing to justify the fact that I have it in the same style every single day. The reason is because my hair is extremely thin and I don't have a lot of it. It's also the most awful texture; not straight and not curly, it's so random it just does it's own thing. My current hairstyle makes it look like I have much more hair than I actually do and makes me feel much better about myself. Before I discovered my current hairstyle I always felt my hair was letting down the rest of my appearance. The previous style in had (you may remember I had my hair cut into a bob in the earlier days of my blog) required too much maintenance since I had to straighten it every single day. In the end my hair couldn't take it and became so destroyed from the heat. It also took too long- there is no way I have time to straighten my hair every morning before work as I am always in such a rush. The stress of wearing my hair down isn't worth it and it makes me feel really self conscious. On average I'd probably wear my hair down once or twice a year (this is often for Melbourne Cup or if I go to the races and I'm wearing a flower crown and feel like there's already too much sticking off the top of my head to also justify a high bun). But no you probably will never see me with my hair down. To be honest I can't understand the judgement I get around my hair. If having the same hairstyle each day makes me feel better about myself then I believe it's worth it. For all of you who want to know how to do this style, I will hopefully write a post about it soon. I hope that answers your questions









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Kitten D'Amour Picnic in Paris Dress
Poker Heart Clutch Bag c/o OASAP
Wittner Layne Heels

Linking to: What I Wore Wednesday, Confident Twosdays

Current Loves

Review 'Gelati Check Dress' 
I walked past the Review store a couple of weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with this beautiful dress. I desperately wanted to buy it then and there but I simply didn't have the money. For now I will admire it from afar but one day I hope to add it to my collection. I love the combination of pink and blue. I have always liked tartan and, although I adore the more traditional colour combinations, it is often lovely to see more unique tartan combinations too. I'm sure it goes without saying that I love the vintage style silhouette, the timeless nature of the impressive quality of Review dresses; a potentially very justifiable purchase given all these factors. 

Marc by Marc Jabobs Mouse Flats 
I love Marc by Marc Jacobs flats; not only do they look amazing but they are extremely comfortable too. I wish I could own hundred of pairs of these shoes. I have the mouse flats in silver and now I want them in this beautifully vibrant shade of blue; they would add so much to an outfit. Mouse flats, kitty  cats flats and all adorable shoes like that are just the best. 

Pinup Girl Clothing Disney Princess Tote Bags
My favourite here is the Ariel version but I was very sad to see that it's been sold out for some time now. I have joined the wait list but who knows if it will ever come back into stock. The Belle version is a pretty great alternative. At the moment I love fashion items that are Disney Princess related; I am continually searching the Internet but frequently feel frustrated that there's never much out there for adults. I truly regret not getting an Ariel printed dress when I had the opportunity to have clothes made in Hong Kong; I intended to but ran out of time to find the material. Ariel brings back the most special childhood memories for me; my mum made me the most amazing Ariel costume with the red hair included. 

The Little Mermaid Pencil Case
As above. This would satisfy my desire for Disney Princess merchandise at a very affordable price; at only $10 there is no reason why this shouldn't join my collection.  It would like to use this as a makeup bag. 

Review Cardigans
At the moment one of my favourite activities in my free time is to customise cardigans with beads, embellishment and sequins etc. I have written about this many times before. I am very fussy about the types of cardigans I buy; they must be good quality, of a certain material and are preferably of the cropped variety (the last point being particularly difficult to accommodate). So I have taken to using Review cardigans for my sewing projects. Even though they retail at $99.99 there is always a sale. I bought one for $38 the other week. They are also half to a third cheaper than Alannah Hill which are the only other cardigans I generally buy. I have so many ideas for these cardigans at the moment. 

Kitten D'Amour Lace Peekaboo Dress
This dress is from the same collection, The Scarlet Collection, as the dress from my last outfit post. It's so elegant, classy and beautiful. A number of months ago I was browsing the Kitten D'Amour instagram page and saw a very similar dress to this; I absolutely fell in love with the red lace combination. Shortly after I read that Kitten D'Amour decided to bring out a very similar range due to the popularity of that previous collection; within a couple of weeks of admiring the one instagram picture, pretty scarlet dresses kept showing up in store and online. It was amazing. I thought I'd obviously better limit myself to one dress from the new beautiful red collection. It was a difficult decision but I went for the piece in my previous outfit post because it is much more versatile and wearable. I feared that if I bought this dress it would far too often be sitting in my wardrobe reserved for only special occasions. But I will continue to admire and wish for it. 

Kate Spade Handbag
I really want to save up for a designer item and I definitely believe a bag would be the best choice. This all started when I borrowed a real Chanel bag (well documented here, here and here) and I wondered whether it would be at all possible for me to buy one of my own. My spending is out of control at the moment and I'm soon to implement a budget for clothes spending which has failed countless times in the past. Based on that calculation I worked out it would take about three or four years to save up for a Chanel bag. I felt sad about that length of time and the possibility that I wouldn't buy any other clothes, shoes or bags during the time I was saving. So I thought a Kate Spade bag would be a great alternative. Although it's not quite as exciting, in many ways it will have the same impact on me.   

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Forever New Brianna Prom Skirt
Although I own a number floral skirts I am particularly drawn to this one. The colour scheme is very pretty and reminds me of a water colour painting. I tried it on in Forever New a couple of weeks ago but just didn't have the money to buy it. I liked it a lot more on than in comparison with just the pictures. Skirts from Forever New are often ridiculously short to the point where I'm turned off buying them and, even outside FN, it can be difficult to find skirts which elegantly sit just above the knee. The classy length was the main selling point of this skirt for me. I, like many other people, love them with crop tops; I am still looking out for the perfect crop tops to buy. 

 
What are your current loves?

Also I just started using Lookbook (yes, just a bit behind the rest of the world). It would mean so much if you showed me some love on there; I'm so unpopular right now.. It has been lovely to randomly come across a few of you on Lookbook. My link is in the sidebar.