Star Stylin' with Miss Piggy

Normally when I talk about fashion icons they are ladies with similar hair color and features as myself.  However today I just has to put this up coz I adore Miss Piggy and love her take on fashion.  

There is just something about her sense of style that seems to always be up to date.  Plus no matter her age Miss Piggy is always dressed to impressed but never over the top ala Lady Gaga.  And of course which other lady can pull off satin evening gloves and chunky rings with 99% of her looks.  So basically you gotta hand it to Ms Piggy as a fashion icon. 

So sit back and have a giggle and his great clip.

Just in time for christmas

Today is the day when I get to see behind the big white barricades at Westfield Southland and get to step into the latest addition to the Cotton On family - their new mega store where all the fashion brands will be under the one roof just in time for Christmas.  

So what you may be thinking but now when you looking at that great dress you can actually try it on with those new shoes you were also thinking about.  Plus you can also great the right lingerie to make sure your best assets are keeping the dress in place.  Ok so this all may be a bit 'first world problems' but hey when your a gal on a ticking clock to pick up that outfit for a girls night its gonna be very handy.    

So you can come and enjoy the exciting first days with jam-packed with fun activities & giveways.
 

Friday November 16

FREE Photobooth from 10am to 8pm 
FREE Rubi Nail Bar from 11am to 4pm 
Promo staff handing out Cotton On Cupcakes from 1pm to 5pm 
FREE Body Active Demonstrations from 5pm to 7pm   
DJ Danny Clayton from 4pm to 7pm 

Saturday November 17

FREE Photobooth from 10am to 5pm 
FREE Rubi Nail Bar from 11am to 4pm 
Promo staff handing out Cotton On Cupcakes from 1pm to 4pm 
Frozen Yoghurt Cart from 1pm to 4pm
DJ Ryan Wood from 12pm to 4pm 

Sunday November 18

FREE Photobooth from 10am to 5pm 
DJ Lauren Mac from 12pm to 4pm 

So if your in the area and in need of some retail therapy go have a look. Hopefully I'll be able to post up some images once I'm through those door early tomorrow morning.

In the mood for some K-pop

Most would say that I have very varied tastes when it comes to music and style, so its no real shocker that I have formed a bit of weakness lately for K-pop (Korean Pop Music), in fact I remember being a bit into J-pop when I was in my early high school years thanks to my Japanese friends.   There is just something that makes me smile and in some cases break out into a dance routine when listening to the tracks.  

 

If your not quiet sure what on earth I'm talking about the most recent cross over from K-pop to aussie mainstream is the song by PSY called Gangnam Style.  I'm not sure why this one went viral and ended up on stations like Nova but maybe it has something to do with the video clip, youtube it if you haven't seen it.  I dare you to keep a straight face when the guy in the elevator dances....and yes my crazy mates have been seen breaking out these dance moves in clubs.  

Apart from PSY I have fallen for a group called Girls Generation, partly because their songs make me smile and partly because where else can you see a 9 girl k-pop band.  I guess it also brings back memories of my J-pop days when you would hear Japanese with the occasional English word thrown in.  Yep it still makes me giggle to hear this.  I also like the fashion and the make up which got me searching through my make up tutorials and lead me to Michelle Phan and her great tutorial on how to do K-pop makeup.  I really like Michelle's clips as she explains each step really well making it easy to follow, plus this is a great base for me to practice my anime cosplay styles.  So in the interests of spreading knowledge I've included her clip below and who knows maybe when I've got the style down a bit better I'll show you my attempts at it.  So sit back and enjoy and thanks to Michelle Phan for sharing this great clip.

The Kittens purr

Personally I like to support local companies especially when they are independent clothing stores based here in Australia.  A few years ago I discovered Kitten D'Amour in Queensland and I have loved their clothing ever since.  Its a great mix of all I adore with their gothic lolita, retro inspired clothing.  One of the best things about their clothing is you can wear it as a complete outfit or take the parts you love and work it into your daily wear.  In fact its actually a store I always make a special effort to get to when ever I get to the sunshine state.

With their collections ranging from sweet and innocent like the picture to the left from their Love and Cherish Collection to amazing dresses for the races in the Rue De Paris and Dearly beloved collections as seen below.   These pieces let your inner Goddess shine through in a multitude of ways and really who wouldn't want to be a Goddess in their daily life.  Plus when attending events you are sure to stand out in the right way.

So do you like what you see so far?  Then make sure you jump on their website and have a look for yourself.   And please make sure you watch the clip below to help you feel inspired

A Green Moon over Melbourne

Here in Melbourne we have one of the oddest public holidays in the calendar, yep we all get the day off to watch 'the race that stops the nation' otherwise known as the Melbourne Cup.  Yes you are reading that right we get a day off to dress up in our finest frocks and hats that only see the light of day once a year if we're really honest while we have a few drinks and watch horses race.  

For most of us its only a little bit about the horses and having a flutter on the race.  Many go (and yes I'm talking about the ladies here) just to the fashions on the field.    It's not all champagne and looking fabulous as the Melbourne Cup seems to have convinced us all, there is one tradition that only long term cup go-ers know....its the weather.  As we are in Melbourne it's not strange to have four seasons in any one day but Cup day has a rule all of its own. 

There are only two weather types if your attending the cup 

1. Blistering heat 

or 2. Pouring down rain.  

So unless your in a marquee its essential to watch those weather forecasts as you don't want to end up stuck in the mud while wearing your new heels that you just had to have for that perfect race day dress.  This year the fashions were a real mixed bag and I guess that hat that Princess Beatrice wore at the royal wedding wasn't enough of a warning to some to really think about their choices.  Personally I like the elegant and classy fascinator or wide brimmed hat and the less avant-guard.  

In the end it rained this year but Green Moon won so its swings and round-a-bouts I guess.  The bubbles flowed and the fashion gave all us gals something to talk about, so overall a good day was had by all especially as I spend my cup day at home with friends wearing silly hats and having a laugh.  I think I like this best as you get to spend the day with out the huge expense, no lines for the bathrooms and a great sound system playing your favourite songs.  

Happy Race Season to you all. 

Gotta Love Vintage

Alright ladies its time to start counting those pennies you've been saving for the The Love Vintage Clothing Show & Sale at Sydney's Canterbury Racecourse Function Centre.  For some of us it means hopping a flight up to Sydney for the weekend (September 14th-16th) but when great fashion calls what else are we meant to do???? 

Come on what is a girl meant to do when she is presented with some of the best vintage dealers from all over Australia selling retro, vintage and antique clothing and accessories, antique and vintage jewellery, linen, lace and textiles and small collectables. Not to mention that there will be vintage fashions on the stage, lectures by guest speakers, workshops and demonstrations of vintage makeup and hairstyle techniques and other fabulous entertainment.  Ok I'm tired just thinking about how much I will have to fit in while there. 

So are you thinking about coming yet?  How about knowing that they are even doing a Mini-makeover – Before & After; with a lucky guest being chosen at the ‘Red Carpet’ event to receive this special treatment on Friday night!  Plus the Friday night ‘Red Carpet’ preview features the Best Dressed Parade with wonderful prizes to be won plus lots more entertainment.  So start working on those outfits ladies.

And for the low cost of Adults $14 (2 day pass $26 and 3 day pass $38) why wouldn't you be there?  You can even book online to saw yourself time waiting in lines when you could be shopping.  So grab your glad rags and we'll see you there in a few weeks.

Forever Dreaming

Right now is a pretty exciting time for fashion as you can pick up some great winter items as well as some pieces that will take you right through the year.  On one of my many window shopping trips this month I somehow found myself being drawn into the high street fashion store Forever New. 

Personally these days while shopping I am looking for key pieces that will last so cut and quality are my main focus.  I've found that when you pick up the right pieces from here your investment will be worth it.  For instance my favorite long winter jacket is from here.  At the time it was around the $150 mark but has now lasted me 2 winters and I still get comments of the wonderful cut and styling of it, so in my eyes well worth it.  Hopefully this winter I'll be able to add to the collection as I'm looking for modern pieces with that vintage style.  Its about the cut and fabric for me this winter.

So for now I thought I'd share a few of my 'lust-have' pieces.  

Lucy Strapless Prom Dress

Mia Striped 2 in 1 Dress

Rhianna Velvet Trim Coat

As you can tell by these pieces I'm looking for that classic female silhouette which can be dressed up or down depending on mood and situation. There are loads more beautiful pieces in your local store and online at Forever New, so jump online and have a look as your bound to find something that makes you smile.  Just remember the golden rule to fashion - TRY IT ON - as you always want to make sure your investment pieces will be worth the time and effort, and trust me its about fit.

Fashion goes out of style but Style never goes out of fashion.

Who doesn't love vintage

In a few days the lovely ladies of Brisbane will be having another great chance to spoil themselves with fabulous frocks, amazing women and all the things that make us Love Vintage.  Not sure what I'm going on about well.... the Love Vintage Fair is in town from Friday 13th until Sunday 15th. 

You are in for 3 days of amazing treats and for an a Adult $14 / Aged & Disability Pensioners $12 / (10 - 16 yrs) $7 / Under 10 yrs free or 2 day pass $26/3 day pass $38 who could resist.  

Apart from great fashion and accessories for sale you can also take in some amazing fashion parades and best of all some wonderful masterclasses with some of the best gals in the business.  

Do you want to know the best way to wear a hat? - have a chat with the gals from Circa Vintage Hats and Bonnie Rose Vintage.   What about some makeup hints and tricks?  The wonderful ladies from the Lindy Charm School will help you there.  Or maybe your looking for some tips on how to be a burlesque pinup well the stunning Foxtrot India will be your guide.  

So have I tempted you yet?  If your still not sure have a look at what's on at the website and by the time you've finished reading the timetable you will be packing your bag and heading for the car. 

With that my darlings I am off to dream of new vintage gowns.

SHOW TIMES:

Friday night 'Opening Evening': 5.30pm – 9.00pm
Saturday: 10.00am – 5.00pm
Sunday: 10.00am – 4.00pm

TICKETS AT THE DOOR:

Gothic Lolita

 

I've always had a weakness for fashion that's a little left of center; and after attending a Cosplay a few weekends ago my love of Gothic Lolita styles is back. Now I just have to figure out how to work in into my daily outfit; not such an easy thing when your stuck wearing a dull uniform most days at work.

So what to do?????  All I can think right now is add small elements that make me smile and don't freak out my customers.  Oddly enough I don't think many customers see me more than a body behind a counter trying to take their money but I'll have a whinge about that another day LOL

However they do seem to notice my nails alot.  Maybe cause I talk a lot with my hands or maybe its because they hate handing over money to me for my skills/products/time.  So I think this is a good place to start.  Currently I have purple glitter tips on my nails which get a comment most days as the sparkles often catch the light in the store.  Maybe its time to up the stakes with some ultra cute pink detailed nails like these (see left), now to just add some skulls into the pattern. 

Or how about this stunning black and purple from the ultra cool and inspiring Nailside blog. Just looking at these designs on this site makes me want to spend the night following the great instructions and get painting. At least this is one thing that doesn't seem to fall under the 'dress code' of my uniform, and yes I have gone through the dress code handbook looking for 'standards' on the small things like nail/hair colour and jewelery.

From Nailside

Right now the idea of dying my hair deep blood red or dark purple/navy is really calling to me.  Hence this pic is really calling to me at the moment.  Its really speaking to me and I can't get this image out of my mind.  So far the plan tomorrow night after work is to chill out with a glass of wine and put my hair in curlers.  Which means no visitors please, nobody needs to see me in that state.  

Ok step one me thinks....I'll let you know how that goes.  Next step I think might have to be some gothic hello kitty style in my accessories, nothing to over the top at this point but enough to stop me feeling so vanilla in this world.  

Which does remind me of a post that hopefully (if I can get all my thoughts in order) will go up later this week.  Now I'm not ashamed of loving a good montage; you know those ones where girl tries on lots of stuff, has her make up done and hair changed - with no thought of the credit card debit- and ends up all sparkles and beautiful.  This has lead me to start watching a few of those 'what not to wear' style shows and as much as I love a good make over its left me feeling like they just want us to conform to the same 'on every rack' of dressing that can stifle your creativity.  Personally some of my style icons are the gals out there who ignore the trends and wear what makes them happy, which of course leads me back to the whole dressing style in parts of japan, USA, Aust and UK.  

Ok I'm getting off track but I think its time to start digging through my wardrobe and find the starting point for tomorrow or maybe friday's 'new' work outfit.  So watch this space as I embrace more of what i love.

Oh yeah and if any clothing stores like VnV, One day in Paradise, Wildlocks, Clockwork Couture etc wanna help me go through a movie style make over drop me a line and I'm there in your professional hands

xpost!!!!

 

How do you get me to fall in love even more with Felicia Day and steampunk?  COMBINE THEM!!!!  After watching this weeks episode of the flog (yep I'm addicted and can't wait till i get home on a tuesday night to see whats up) I have had to hide my wallet so I don't go shopping crazy at Clockwork Couture.

 

So after watching Felicia it was time to hit the  Clockwork Couture website and wow I'm so glad I did.  The clothing is amazing but it doesn't stop there look at this.....

How amazing is this glycerin based soap  and its a  truly a Clockwork Couture exclusive. This rust colored soap is infused with your choice of oils made for Clockwork Couture by an independent blender using any one of our oils.  Skeleton key is vintage and unique. Style will vary. No animal products used.  Soap is packaged in gift worthy label and bag.

Looking for more than just soap and clothing how about these wonderful rings!!!!  

Maybe your after the the Hi-voltage Toric Generator Ring (left); or how about the Dr Von Rosenstein's Induction Principle Ring (centre) or maybe your after something a bit more dainty with the Tea Cup ring. Well lets just say I so want to jump on a plane right now and go shopping.

It really makes me smile to see how many people out there are still making beautiful pieces of clothing that really are pieces of art.  Ok I know your all just scrolling down the pages for the corsets, so here you go with a couple of my favourites.

1. Crimean War Steampunk Overbust Corset

Sweet heart Overbust pattern perfect for long ,medium & short torso female.  I just adore the Antique metal clasp opening and the Tan Faux Leather trim with antique metal chain with button.  It even includes 6 suspender loops at the bottom. 

2. Military Corset with Tails - a Clockwork exclusive

Created for Clockwork Couture us by one of the most amazing corsettiere's I've seen in ages.   This is a high quality tight lacing corset suitable for extended wear. Exclusively for Clockwork Couture, an underbust corset made of cotton denim with hand-sewn soutache on the tails.

Ok so get that steampower pumping and check out this amazing site.  I dare you....

Dreaming of Alannah Hill

With the biggest horse race of the year a few hours away I turn to Alannah Hill for some last minute inspiration. This classic pieces are both perfect for race day as well as being great additions to your wardrobe for any party. Especially with the party season drawing near its a fantastic idea to have a few 'go-to' dresses in the wardrobe. So jump online or into your nearest store for some ultra cute designs.