When a bargain falls in your lap... SNAP

Received some new Sretsis dresses in the mail today, bought over the phone from Zara Bryson in Perth on a whim because they were having a huge 70% off sale!

You may recall how I really wanted one of the Poppy silk print dresses, but was unable to track one down. It was like a living fantasy to find one on sale. Pictured below, belted and unbelted. Glad I sized up because it's oh-so-short and the cut is flowing so it suits being a bit oversized.

Wasn't going to buy the Dandelion dress (left) because I have the blouse and skirt in the same print, but the colours and cuts are so different that I'm glad I bought it. Pretty dress and a mega bargain to boot! I sized up again and it's a tad big, but not noticeably so (I hope).

Very happy with my purchases. Most exciting sale I've come across for awhile.

How many LBDs does a girl need?

I bought these heart suspender tights from ASOS (while purchasing the Emma Cook blouse I posted about - keep your fingers crossed for me that it fits!).

I think they will look good with my Lover lace sleeve dress, pictured above. Kind of like the styling by Gail Sorronda, left. Except the more I look at the Gail Sorronda dress, the more I want that. Is it too similar to the Lover dress?

How many LBDs does a girl need?

As well as the Lover, I have the Sretsis dress (left, and ok, the lace skirt is navy) and "Hi There" by Karen Walker belted dress (right).

Karen Walker 'Salzburg USA'

Apparently this collection is due to start dropping very soon. These are some of the pieces I'd love to have in my wardrobe. I already have so many amazing dresses that lately I have been on the lookout for cute, quirky, versatile separates. But I do think that a casual jersey ruffle-back dress would be a perfect addition for upcoming Spring/ Summer weekends. The perect piece to throw on to go to the beach, the pool, etc. Aah will the cold weather ever end?? It's not even Ekka time yet...

Some pieces available for pre-order at Pitbull Mansion or Maximillia

Richard Nicoll: King of Spring

I'm usually more an Australian designer fan, but recently the Brits have been catching my eye. First there was my aforementioned affection for Emma Cook, now I'm falling for pieces from past-season-Richard Nicoll (lucky for the "past-season" part; no way could I afford his stuff brand new!) I first noticed Richard Nicoll when I saw this dress pictured in a magazine:



And the other pieces from the Spring 2009 collection are also lovely:



And I wish I could have this whole outfit from Spring 2010:

On the weekend I was lucky enough to find this dress from Spring 2008 BRAND NEW for $200, down from $1320. (I know, how was it even possible that this dress was still hanging around unsold?!) Mine is a bit longer and a lovely peacock blue (pictured below). It's very sheer, so underneath I'm wearing a navy bodycon dress from Morrisey that my husband surprised me with about 8 years ago, back when he was still my boy rather than my Mr and before bodycon dresses made a big comeback. Apparently he bought it for about 90% off at under $30, so this is quite the bargain outfit. I know I've said this many times already, but I can't wait until Spring so I can wear it!

Foxy

Love this fox print top by Emma Cook. In fact, love a lot of stuff from Emma Cook, but this is particularly cute. Like the matching pants too. On sale at ASOS. Should I do it?

Ahh Sweet Sunday...

Does anyone else love Sundays? They're always so relaxed and fun. This Sunday was particularly so, and all organised by my lovely husband. As a surprise, he took me out for lunch and to the movies at Portside. This is what I wore:


It's the type of outfit that shouldn't work, but for some reason it did. I think I need to do a post on clashing prints.

Jacket: Sportsgirl
Dress: Sretsis
Brooch: gift
Belt: Faith
Navy tights
Navy loafers: Wittner

I also wore my new Matina Amanita for Sretsis bee ring. It's amazing. Here it is with my ladybug and rosebud rings from the same collection. They came with a little book that shows how you can stack all of the rings together in various combinations so that it looks like you have a miniature garden on your finger. There are orange CZ stones along the wings of the bee and little yellow CZ stones on the back of the ladybug, although you can't really see it in the pic.

Lover "Untitled"

Finally some online pics of the new collection. I have long been a fan of Lover's easy-to-wear designs. Their clothes are usually classic and tailored, but with a bit of a twist, making them easy to dress up or down. It's as though their clothes have been designed with my lifestyle in mind: going to see a film, a play or a band, checking out an art gallery, going out for dinner or quiet drinks, rather than crazy escapedes or formal affairs.

The new collection looks to be no different. Designers Susien Chong and Nic Briand have conceptualised the collection around the idea of an artist, from what she might wear in the studio to gallery openings. Their usual black, ivory and blush colour scheme is joined by splashes of colour, such as the coral colour above, a sapphire blue, mustard and olive. It has the laid back, wearable feel of their 1+1 collection, but with a few more stand-out pieces as well. My picks:

• velvet slouchy 3/4 pants in faded sapphire blue or mustard
• ivory damask high neck mini dress (similar cut to the Witches Circle dress from the White Moon Rising collection), with waist tie
• blush pleat detail mid-length shorts
• Tilly lace blouse (shown above) in black or ivory
• sapphire blue/ olive silk shirtdresses and slouchy playsuits

My recommendation: start saving now!

To keep or not to keep...?

I bought this blouse on sale for $30 from Veronica Maine. The colour caught my eye and I do love a good puff sleeve. But I'm finding it hard to style without looking too ladylike. I think it's because it's a shiny fabric, and plain rather than patterned, which is unusual for me. Here's my attempt at some quirky ensembles:




















































Aqua skirt and check skirt: Sretsis
Black skirt: Karen Walker
Heels: Country Road
Headband: Mimco
Brooches: various gifts







What do you think? Is it too ladylike for my style? Should I be starting to dress more like a lady anyway?

Patience

My new Sretsis Flora blouse has me impatient for Spring, my favourite season. So I have taken some of my dream outfits for Spring and modified them for winter. This should help tide me over.

Lover leather shorts + Sretsis jacket, black tights, black flats = perfect for a winter Sunday brunch and markets.

























Tara Jarmon floaty silk skirt + Lover marine leather jacket, Country Road stripey scarf, navy tights, navy flats = lunch and art gallery day out in winter, or even a casual dinner ad movie.

Bluebirds

My husband and I had our wedding last year in September. We had somewhat of a Spring motif, with birds, butterflies and bugs.


I'm looking forward to recreating this feel in my outfits this Spring. I seem to have some sort of attraction to blue birds in clothing design. Here are three outfits for this Spring:









1. Blouse: Sretsis (this came in the mail the other day and is so delicate and silky) Skirt: Minkpink

2. Blouse: Sretsis (The start of my Sretsis obsession. I couldn't afford it back then, so was delighted to find it on ebay recently) Skirt: Lover

3. Blouse: Karen Walker Shorts: Lover

I'd lend each outfit a nautical touch with these Wittner rope trim flats.

Grey walls + polished floors

The product of two weeks of renovations. Love the results. Just moved the main furniture back in. Now to get decorating...