wednesday shenanigans

It's not often I get dolled up mid-week, but I'm not going to turn down a fun occasion to catch up with + support my friends endeavours! Heading out last night definitely broke up the week for me - a fantastic hump day all round!!

I've worn this outfit before + thoroughly enjoyed it, so why not show it some more love?! ((I think all I actually changed this time was my hair - which I'm glad I wore up as it was a warm night + broken air-con inside the venue!) Handmade dress w/ vintage fabric from eBay, Guess heels, vintage bag/jewellery/slip. I felt very colourful at the event - it seemed black was the unannounced dress code!






Thought I'd share some details with this post - including my favourite tattoo (which reminds me I've got to get around do that tattoo post I promised eons ago!) + I also thought I'd share with you some of the budget beauty products I've been using + loving of late!

♥ Face of Australia - Lasting Looks foundation
♥ Rimmel - Natural Bronzer, Glam Eyes mascara + Nude Delight lippy
♥ Physicians Formula - Baked Collection eye shadows and blush + Felt Tip Eye Marker (this is fantastic, a liquid eyeliner in the shape of a felt tip pen, so easy to use + master!)

Everything above are very affordable + cheap as chips - I have gotten all the products from my local Priceline store. They're my staples + all I'll add if I'm dressing up more is maybe some red lippy (my fave is MAC Morange) + some false eyelashes! There are some great false eyelashes in Priceline: Eyelure + 1000 Hour are my faves. I've also heard that Napoleon will supply + apply your lashes for you for around the $15 mark + I think this service is available at MAC as well.

Hope your Thursday is treating you well + you're getting excited for your weekend adventures! I am for sure - dressing up in Mick's clothes as some sort of homie/gangster tomorrow - not my usual outfit post, but will share the laughs for sure!!

party pants

We all headed out last Friday to dance our little butts off for our lovely friend's birthday! Was definitely a night to remember + a fantastic start to a beautiful weekend!!

One of my fabulous girlfriend's lent me this party frock + I fell in love with it! I was initially going to dress a bit more 70s casual/chic, so it was a nice last minute change to really glam it up! The dress is by Saint Shylo, vintage bag/jewellery/belt, Guess heels + Big W hoops. I love the sweetheart neckline on the dress + black is a bit different than my usual bright colours + I felt beautiful - massive thanks to my generous friend!!








The rest of the weekend was nice + relaxing - a little Christmas shopping, a little op shopping, a little hunting for a gangster party on this Friday (very different look for me!!), a little date with the husby, a little movie watching, a little beach action + a gorgeous Sunday afternoon poolside/picnic/park session with some of my besties. I couldn't be happier!!



Happy hump day to you all - hope you've got a little spring in your step, a little smile on your dial + a little sparkle in your eye!

PS: The finale for the Gold Coast's 50 Best Dressed was in the paper yesterday (haven't had a chance to scan for you yet) + the judges placed me at #14!! I am very honoured! Thank you so so much for all your votes - the public vote was separate from the judge's - I'm not sure of the final listing for that one, but I was informed by the Bulletin's fashion editor that your votes got me into the top 10 somewhere!! Thank you thank you thank you!! Much love to you all!!!

thought of the day | 17th november

The real joy of life is in its play. Play is anything we do for the joy and love of doing it, apart from any profit, compulsion, or sense of duty. It is the real joy of living.

- Walter Rauschbusch

to write love on her arms

Today (November 13th) write LOVE ♥ on your arm to support TWLOHA a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.

Visit TWOLHA to find out more about the movement + their vision.

YOU ARE AMAZING.

LOVE IS THE MOVEMENT.

through my eyes

Sunset dinner date at one of my favourite places, around the corner from home. I love where I live.. what more could I wish for?

Happy friday lovelies - wishing magical weekends for all ♥

thought of the day | 12th november

What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.

- Leo Buscaglia

new additions!

I haven't been doing much purchasing of late - but here are a couple of gorgeous pieces I am eagerly awaiting for the postman to deliver!



♥ About A Girl Silky Floral Playsuit - perfect for summer frolicking!

(PS: use the code Missy for 10% off your About A Girl orders)



♥ Gorgeous vintage cream brocade 50s fitted dress found on eBay.com - swoon!

Happy hump day lovelies!

♥ Keep your lights shining bright ♥

thought of the day | 11th november

Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he inhabits.

- Fulton Sheen

thought of the day | 10th november

Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you.

- Wally 'Famous' Amos

thought of the day | 9th november

In the name of the best within you, do not sacrifice this world to those who are its worst. In the name of the values that keep you alive, do not let your vision of man be distorted by the ugly, the cowardly, the mindless in those who have never achieved his title. Do not lose your knowledge that man's proper estate is an upright posture, an intransigent mind and a step that travels unlimited roads. Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours.

- Ayn Rand

melbourne cup 2009

On Tuesday, I celebrated Melbourne Cup at my local turf club. And I backed Shocking for the winner - yahoo!!

As I mentioned earlier, I went for a lilac/purple + tangerine/orange theme with Luella's Spring 09 collection as my main inspiration. I'll go more into outfit details later, but I'm very happy with how it came together + really loved playing with bright colours on the one day in the racing season when you can really go all out with fun/colourful/vibrant outfits.

There were nearly 400 entrants overall for Fashions on the Field with so many gorgeous looks. I was lucky enough to make it through to the final 16! Took loads of photos on the day to share with you, as fashion lovers, so this is a very image heavy post! (Remember, as always, you can click on images to see the larger versions).




















^ Overall Fashion on the Field winners (L-R) Best Hat, Overall Mens, Overall Womens (Source)




So... my outfit details!!

• I found the lilac Seduce silk beaded dress at Dot Wears a Dress, reduced from $280 to $40, so I knew it was meant to be + it was the building block for the rest of my outfit! It had spaghetti straps, which I didn't like so using the extra material from the hem, I sewed a halter strap + beaded it to continue on with the lovely beading from the bodice.

• I located a 50s skirt pattern at Spotlight + this gorgeous purple floral fabric from a local craft store and my Nan's friend Joyce made it + the interfaced bow belt up for me (I wore a petticoat underneath that I had made for my Magic Millions outfit in January).

• I found the Miss Shop suede purple pumps @ Myer for $79 reduced to $56 so I used my Myer gift card I won from Caulfield Guineas finals + they cost me a total of $6!

• For the bag, I hand-sewed extra fabric from the skirt onto this tapestry bag I found at The Village Markets (using my $200 voucher!) + secured it with an orange rose + a couple of vintage brooches.

• I found the orange vintage gloves on Etsy + I made my Flair Vintage headpiece from scratch!

So overall it was not a very costly exercise, more of a creative endeavour - of which I am very stoked with the final 'product'!!
(To tell you the truth, undertaking this fun project has made me crave that such work in creating/styling was my full time job!)



Thank you so much to my Nan, her friend Joyce, my Mum, my sister + Lisa for your thoughts/ear-lending/sewing skills to help me get this look together - love you all to bits!!




^ Made great use of my Starlettos from Caulfield Guineas day - what a lifesaver for heels on grass!!

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Happy Friday lovelies - hope you all have fantastic weekends!!

PS: I think this is the last week for public voting, so if you have some spare time + wouldn't mind throwing a vote my way for the Gold Coast's Best Dressed, that would be amazing!! Thank you so much to everyone who already has - you are wonderful!

Gold Coast Bulletin 50 Best Dressed (Evening)

On Tuesday the Gold Coast Bulletin ran the 'evening' photos from their 50 Best Dressed competition!



Here are the 'evening' photos that I've scanned in - the galleries for both the daywear + evening looks as well as the voting are online @ Gold Coast Bulletin's 50 Best Dressed.






Remember, you can click on all the photos in my posts to see the enlarged images :)

On Tuesday November 17 they're going to run all the photos again in order of 'best dressed' from 1-50 in the paper & they're taking the public votes into consideration.

I feel so ecstatic to be asked to be a part of this! Hope you like the outfits + if you feel like voting, that would be amazing!




Apparently all your votes are helping as they mentioned in this article today, that I'm somewhere behind the top 5 for the People's Choice award. I'm so stoked with the little mention + want to thank you all so much for supporting me + taking the time to vote - THANK YOU!!

Also, I mentioned the last minute little photoshoot I did with The Bulletin on Monday afternoon - it ran on Tuesday + was on page 3 - very exciting + the photographer was amazing! Here's the article..



This week has been extemely hectic, but I hope to have a post ready tomorrow all about Melbourne Cup! In the meantime, here's a scan of a little write up that's in the paper today + a little sneak peek of my outfit!!



Hope everyone is having a beautiful week!!

PS: so much seems to be happening in my life right now, as a few of you have mentioned. I am extremely humbled + feel incredibly blessed with everything that has come my way! I appreciate your emails + comments + thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing my little world with me. :)

hello monday!

I am definitely avoiding the dreaded monday-itis today as I'm too excited for the races tomorrow! Just heading to my local turf club, but it's always such a fun day! Melbourne Cup is my favourite race day as the mood is fun + happy and everyone rocks out the beautiful, bold + bright colours - a feast for the eyes :)

My sewing/crafty adventures went well over the weekend + my outfit is about 95% complete - very exciting! This year I'm going for a purple/lilac + orange/tangerine colour palette - probably my boldest outfit yet for the races! I realised I'm slowly working my way through the colour wheel as I make races outfits - I wonder what's next?!



^ Yellow + cream for Melbourne Cup Nov '08


^ Magenta + black for Magic Millions Jan '09


^ Cream + nude for Caulfield Guineas Oct '09

Hope a lot of you have a chance to get to the races tomorrow, get frocked up + get in the spirit of 'the race that stops the nation'!!

PS: evening looks come out tomorrow for the Gold Coast Bulletin's 50 Best Dressed so have a looksie if you can + I will scan the spread when I get a chance!

PPS: random event of the day - a photoshoot with The Bulletin in my cream outfit from Caulfield Guineas! Possibly in the paper tomorrow as well - hope the happy snaps turn out nice!

weekend eve!

Hope you all have fabulous weekends!!

Mine's going to be a little a little art+crafty as I make the finishing touches for my Melbourne Cup outfit! I love getting all creative + I'm loving the super bright colours I am working with - very happy + Springlike :)

For this creation I'm whipping up (along with help from my Nan, her friend Joyce + advice from some lovely friends/family) I've definitely been inspired by Luella's Spring 09 collection - one of my all time favourites actually! I love me some colour!!!







images via style.com

thought of the day | 29th october

The very best thing that you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.

- Wallace Wattles

beach+bub+bliss

Saturday was spent by the beach for a little baby shower/picnic that I helped to set up. There's nothing like a cute, comfortable + homely picnic, especially when it's just the ladies! It turned out beautifully - was a gorgeous day + the adorable mama-to-be looked absolutely stunning! I'm loving the last couple of photos I took of her on the beach - what a perfect baby bump - she is just glowing!

(I'm wearing: vintage dress from my mama! vintage/Tree of Life bracelets, Big W earrings, vintage belt, Samantha Wills ring + Temt sandals. Mama-to-be is wearing a Flair Vintage garland which I made especially for her day)