Up in the Clouds

After seeing the lookbook for Sretsis A/W 2011 collection, "Up in the Clouds", I'm super excited for the main print. It kind of reminds me of the galaxy print in Christopher Kane's 2010/2011 Resort collection, favoured by celebrities:

Carey Mulligan (this girl is amazing!)

Anne Hathaway (in Sydney)

Alexa Chung (nuff said)

As usual, Sretsis puts a cutesy spin on things - this time it's a girl's fantasy land complete with clouds, unicorns and an adorable blowing wind face - if you grew up on Rainbow Brite and Care Bears, you will love this. The blue based colour palette (a soft blue paired with white, or black/navy/ blue) and ladylike cuts ensure keep the overall result sophisticated rather than overly cute. My pick is the shoulder-cut-out Wind Whistler dress (top row, right). There's still a bit of a wait for this collection, which thankfully means time to save!

My kind of Easter

Easter is all about new life (although the chocolate is good too) and I
associate this with delicate lace (dresses and blouse by Lover),
sweet scented candles and garden party embellishments
(flower and bunny ring Matina Amanita for Sretsis)

Happy Easter everyone!

Shop my wardrobe

I've been a bit naughty with the spending lately, so I've had a little tidy out of my wardrobe. I'm selling some great designer pieces, some never even worn. Some of these are up on ebay, and the rest ready to go up soon, but let me know whether you'd like to get in before the masses. If interested, leave a comment with your email and your offer, and I won't publish it. Postage will be $8 for Express Post. Happy shopping!

Lover Muse lace dress, nutmeg, size 8
BNWT $500

Lover Untitled mini jacket, size 10
worn once $100

Lover New Mexico dress, size 8
$50

Karen Walker sweat shirt dress, size 8
Is a bit more of a burnt orange than in this pic
The white part if glow-in-the-dark!
$200

Lover Phoenix dress, size 8
$80

Karen Walker blouse, size 12 (although I'm 8-10 and found it a good fit)
$50

Easton Pearson floral chiffon blouse (lined), size 10
$40

Lover About a Girl lace insert blouse, size 10
$100

Lover leather mini skirt, size 10
$150

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After the Apple - Trailblazer

I have recently come across "After the Apple" handbags, and been won over by the concept for their latest collection, "Trailblazer":

Trailblazer is inspired by a dozen remarkable women who travelled the world with a sense of adventure, across different lands, at different times, in the late 19th and early 20th century. These female pioneers faced epic challenges and unimaginable dangers as they criss-crossed the continents, often armed with little more than an umbrella, a handbag and a good thick skirt.

My favourite bag, The Everyday Bag, is inspired by Nellie Bly:

Nellie Bly went undercover in 1887 into The New York City Lunatic Asylum for Women on Blackwell Island. The Asylum had been accused of committing crimes against humanity. After convincing medical professionals she was insane she was sent to the asylum where she got to experience the mistreatment first hand. After a short time Nellie could not take anymore and was released only to expose the asylum and have them trialed in supreme court. The entire mental health system at the time was reevaluated and funds to improve the patients conditions came pouring in from the embarrassed medical institutions involved. Later in life as a greatly respected journalist she traveled the world in 72 days beating the fictional 80 days for a popular magazine - she completed her journey almost completely unchaperoned which was extraordinary for a woman to achieve in that time.

As well as being an utterly gorgeous bag, I love the romantic notion of it representing a historical character. In fact, the two things I most wanted to be growing up were a writer and a detective, so it seems fitting that this were the bag that most appealed to me. I think it has overtaken the Chloe Marcie as my lust-have bag, although actually, it probably has more in common with the Chloe Darla:

Chloe Marcie

Chloe Darla

Winter lace

This Lover blouse and Sretsis dress (though in pink/ peachy tones) will be in my wardrobe soon. Here's what I'd love to pair them with: Mimco hat, Wittner shoes, Chloe bag, Karen Walker belt.

Weekend Getaway

Work had been pretty stressful for both of us, so my husband and I decided to take a long weekend away to relax. It was just perfect; blue skies, sunshine, and a gorgeous resort. We had taken up one of the Getaway deals, which included a one bedroom apartment, buffet breakfast each morning and free movies.

On the way there we did some shopping. I had my eye on a new season Karen Walker blouse and a gorgeous Lover black lace dress, but instead I was good and bought some Sportsgirl sale goodies:

Pants $20, down from $90; Hat $10, down from $40
And I think I already got my money's worth over the weekend!
Oh, the restraint.

Here are some of the other bits and pieces I lived in over the weekend:

Lover bikinis and dress for casual wear, Karen Walker blouse out for dinner

Each day we had "Happy Hour" on our deck:

One of my favourite sights (and sounds) is waves crashing against rocks.
This place is paradise. The waves crash so big that it's like nature's fireworks:

Hothouse

I couldn't resist Antipodium's lovely bug print silk, designed by Australian-in-New-York artist Craig Redman for their Hothouse collection. Rather than the gorgeous shirtdress that I had been eying off, I went for a cami and skirt that can be mixed and matched with other pieces for further versatility.

Moths with dog snouts, human limbs and glasses = adorable

Worn with Lover blouse

Worn with Country Road cardigan

Worn with Lover cropped blazer

Worn with Tony Mativieski velvet skirt

Worn with Lover cropped pants

Worn with Lover leather shorts

Can you tell I'm resisting winter? More (somewhat unseasonal) new purchases to come soon.