The Damage Has Been Done

Happy New Year! In 2010 I will try to spend wisely on investment pieces and I truly believe that I started this early with Boxing Day sales.

Behold, the Nine West gladiator sandals I fell in love with in my must have items for a Bali getaway post. These Roman sandals were reduced by 50% to $49.50.



I have been constantly on the lookout for a new evening clutch. Recently I was debating over this Oroton clutch. It's cute but required a lot of "hand-holding". The clutch is a very particular item in any female wardrobe. It needs to be large enough to fit your phone, keys and lipgloss without looking like you're lugging around a brick.

However when I visited Gucci I soon discovered another 50% sale on selected items. The Gucci Borsa clutch is perfect size with a very handy wristlet. Its subtle enough to go with any evening outfit, without being overbearing. I selected the dark blue over the musty pink, simply for its classic look. The gorgeous English salesgirl advised me that the interwoven GG signia is comprised of sapphire and virtually unbreakable. I won't be testing that out with a hammer anytime soon though...





Kookai's basics were also vastly reduced and you can never go wrong with a few more singlets to easily amp up your summer wardrobe or even your Big Day Out outfit (which is still a work in progress).

My Balinese Birthday Part 1 - Ku De Ta

Seminyak Beach - patterns made by tiny beach crabs.



Rice paddy opposite Seminyak Square shopping centre.


I've been rather busy over the festive season and have been planning out my posts on the incredible Balinese Bithday I recently experienced. I've never been to Bali before and there are always so many expectations before you visit highly frequented tourist spots - everyone you meet is telling you about where to go, what to do and what NOT to do.

What I noticed when stepping off the plane? Bali smells like frangipanis. The pungent aroma follows you around, from your hotel to the streets. It lingers on your clothes and on your skin.

My first impressions of Bali were the mix of urban space, rainforest and of locals and tourists whizzing around on motorbikes. The image of an Australian surfer with tanned, leathery skin with his surfboard strapped to the side of his motorbike is firmly imprinted in my mind.

We chose to stay in Seminyak which is a beautiful area of Bali, far removed from the overtly touristy Kuta yet also a bit more "upmarket" with its boutique shops and cluster of beachside resorts.

On the first day we walked the streets of Seminyak, saying hello to street dogs and feeling the humidity tighten our chests. It was just a little hard to breathe after walking all the way from Softel Seminyak to Seminyak Square!

We did make it to the very popular chic beachside bar Ku De Ta. Upon entering Ku De Ta my plastic bag was removed - I'm hoping for security reasons but it perhaps also didn't go with the decor.





Style & Ambience: A massive tree out the front is lit with colourful lanterns. Upon walking up the steps into KDT, the interiors are dark and woody and opens out to the large courtyard framed by palm trees and a clear view to the beach. Needless to say, it's a big trendy place to be seen.

Drinks: The best way to watch the sunset is with a Sunset Martini. Vodka is married with lychee liqueur, fresh lychees, lemongrass syrup and apple juice - with a stick of lemongrass to swizzle! Cocktails are priced similarly to Australia - expect to pay between $16-$20.

Crowd: Australians were everywhere, girls are all wearing pretty sundresses and boys in designer tees and board shorts. Sunglasses are a necessity.

Tip: Come early to get a table or sun lounge. We arrived around 5.00 pm and we hovered by the bar, before perching on the sundeck. A lovely Australian couple chatted to us and offered us a seat at the table. We swapped Bali stories - like the fact my mum had visited before I was born! And they recommended must see locations like Ubud and Tanah Lot. I love meeting other travellers as well as locals whilst overseas... It adds to the allure of a place.

Wish I had these items in my suitcase for Bali

1. French Connection kaftan

2. Ninewest Maizen gladiator sandals

3. Jeepers Peepers Black Grace sunglasses

4. French Connection exclusive to ASOS bandeau bikini

5. One Teaspoon tie dye oversized beach bag

6. Mink Pink denim shorts

7. House of Baulch Caramel Bow choker

8. B Store Straw Fedora hat

9. Nookie Beach Easy Street Jumpsuit


Packing for a short getaway can be incredibly difficult. Do I take one bikini and a monokini or two bikinis? It's tough. If I had all the above items in my bag it's all I'd need for my Balinese Birthday.

I'm trying not to overplan my trip but on my must do list is:

A Balinese Massage at a Day Spa

Watch sunset with a cocktail

Visit Ubud

Go shopping in Seminyak

See Uluwata and/or Tanah Lot

Turn 24 =)

Summer Staples

Heatwaves are striking all the capital cities except for Perth. Though the sun's out and there's only a slight chill to the seabreeze, I'm still apprehensive about going for a swim in the ocean when it's only 25 degrees. Whilst waiting for hotter temperatures before I brave a bikini and the beach, I'll stick to summer dressing, which is always light and breezy.

My summer wardrobe staples are consisting of:

1. New shoes - what's in the box?



2. Bronze gladiator style stilettos. Charles and Keith $53.00



3. A pretty peplum dress for evening cocktails. Valleygirl dress $29.95



4. A playsuit for looking chic at a summer music festival. ASOS Boned Playsuit 40.00 GBP



5. OPI nail polish - Teeny Bikinis South Beach Collection $24.95

Fillies on the Field

Dress: Body & Soul
Belt: Target
Sunnies: Ray Ban


My late godfather used to call me a filly. A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. That's a piece of trivia for the million dollar question.

Recently I went to Ascot with my visiting relatives for a day at the races. This can only equate to the triple Fs - Fillies, Fascinators and Food.

The buffet at the Terrace Restaurant was pretty good - a fine selection of roasts, salads, sushi, vegetarian lasagna! I did appreciate the lovely desserts comprising of fruit tarts, eclairs, poppy seed cake, swiss rolls and heavenly brownies. Yes, I remember more items on the dessert buffet because I think I ate more of those...

My horse in Race 5 My Cherie did pretty well, I only pick them according to their names and after consulting the cheat book. Hardly a winning combination but my aunt did win $95 from a $2 bet. Oh if only gambling had a high return like fashion.

Alas I like my investments where I can see it - hanging in my closet.

It's been a long night in New York City

Listening to John Mayer songs always makes you feel better after a rough day, week or even year.

Can't wait for Battle Studies to come out!

It's Spring

Spring means floral dresses, red Mac lipstick, sky high wedges and lots of sunshine.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Dress: Claude d Alban
Sunnies: Rayban
Shoes: Chinese laundry

(Mind Ruski's bowl in the background, it does match my shoes though!)

Big shoes to fill

This summer heels are higher, strappier and more spikier than ever. In all the shops, sandals are a blazing force of colour from hot pinks to turquoise blues and even rainbow coloured, like these from Nine West.



I am still feeling inspired by the two B's - Barbie and Blair Waldorf.

The below Christian Louboutin's were especially created for Barbie's 50th birthday.



Even prettier in pink are the Paquita 120 sandals, the same ones recently worn by Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl.





They are a bit of my price range, retailing for 457 pounds.

More affordable and still very pretty in pink are the Charles and Keith heels below.



Statement shoes like these are best offset with a different coloured outfit to avoid the Elle Woods in Legally Blonde look!

Vintage Barbie Exhibition

Every girl remembers their first Barbie doll. Mine had lovely blonde tresses and a swimsuit that changed colour when it got wet. The early nineties Barbie doll had very important accessories, like a hairbrush and mirror.

Last week I attended the opening of the Vintage Barbie exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA in celebration of Barbie's 50th birthday. She looks pretty good for 50!

The vintage collection is owned by Neil Taylor and spans from 1952 to 1973. The immaculate dolls feature Barbie as a doctor, glammed up in ballgowns or casually dressed to go shopping. Her best accessory though is of course Ken! Keep an eye out for army Ken in his camouflage gear, he's a charmer!

Neil is even giving free appraisals of Barbies at selected times. If only I knew where my Barbie doll now lives, and if her swimsuit still changes colour!

Blair Waldorf's College Wardrobe

I love Gossip Girl. Everything is just drama and more drama with back-stabbing characters with perfect skin. Lately my own life has been feeling like a GG episode, so I can't help but wish I at least had the wardrobe to fit with the soap opera lifestyle.

I've always admired Blair Waldorf's style for her elegant, timeless classic chic look. She can go from demure to minx in one outfit change in one day.

Her college wardrobe still has the odd headband - even though Dan's declared "lose the headbands, its college!" to Blair in the latest episode of season 3 "The Freshman" - but she holds together a strong, streamlined polished look even though she's surrounded by student hippies/greenies/poets at NYU.

I love the below striped blue and white dress she wears in the last scene with the hot pink stilettos.





It's very similar to a French Connection dress that I've been eyeing, but not exactly the same. Apparently the above is a Co-operative Designs dress...now if only I could find one!

Stylist Eric Daman chats about his inspiration for Blair's wardrobe below. Who says fashion isn't an art?

Fashionable Fridays

Fashion Friday's are held each month at the Parmelia Hilton's Globe restaurant. This month Manning Cartell was the featured designer at the fashionable lunch which was part of the Perth Fashion Festival.

With a glass of Moet & Chandon and a scrumptious barramundi fillet for our mains, we watched the models show off the latest from the summer collection. I loved the dress with the zip ruffles skirt - not very practical though to sit down on!

The collection was full of bright patterns, a gorgeous flowing maxi dress, sizzling short mini dresses and asymmetrical cut jackets.

A highlight though was my goodie bag which contained a MAC mascara, L'oreal hair mousse, an in-season pass to 500 Days of Summer and a $10 Myer voucher amongst other things.





Dress: French Connection
Necklace: Tiffany
Shoes: Sachi (not in the photo but I do love them!)

The Lake House - Daylesford

A few weeks ago whilst in Melbourne I went on a little road trip to Daylesford with my girlfriend, Wei Yi. Escaping out of the city, we set our friendly GPS navigator and headed north west. As our surroundings changed from high rises to houses to wide open spaces, we breathed in deep the country air.

We lunched at the Lake House, which was a lovely bright and airy restaurant beside Lake Daylesford. Kookaburras eagerly waited for their raw steak fillet lunch on the deck. The waitstaff feed them regularly every day!

I highly recommend lunching at the Lake House. The service is faultless and the food is simply divine. Most of the produce is local, sourced from the Macedon/Daylesford region. The dessert tasting plate pushed us near to the edge, but it was heavenly.





Amuse bouche



Spicy pumpkin soup



Sashimi entree



Rose!

Liquid Desires at NGV

"One day it will have to be officially admitted that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of dreams." - Salvador Dali

I have a penchant for Surrealist art and particularly the way in which the definite line between dreams and reality is blurred.

I remember studying Surrealism at school and deconstructing Salvador Dali's melting clocks. In 2006 I visited the Tate Modern in London and viewed Surrealism: Desire Unbound. My favourite exhibit was the Lobster Telephone - it's bizarre, it has sexual connotations and...it's a lobster!

The Lobster Telephone is one of the surrealist artworks in Liquid Desires at NGV.

Liquid Desires looks at Dali's body of work spanning his entire career. I was amazed by his artistic diversity - film, television, advertising, fashion design, theory, photography, publishing and his exploration of new ideas and mediums.

I would've loved to have seen more "clocks" in Liquid Desires, but perhaps I'll come across them in another Dali exhibition somewhere else in the world. Adding to the list of things that I must do in my lifetime - see The Royal Heart at the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueras, Spain.

Incomplete Weekend

Whilst checking out some of Lisa Mitchell's music videos I came across this older song called Incomplete Lullaby which feels like a summary of how I feel at this very moment in time.

Mitchell's debut album "Wonder" was released on Friday and her songs have had a lot of JJJ airplay. I remember Mitchell from the Australian Idol days where she and Dean Geyer shared the stage, took songs and made them their own and experienced their own personal Idol journey with a montage to prove it. She's a lot more mature now, but still has this innocent aura that surrounds her and her music. She seems so delicate and her voice doesn't have a massive range. I suppose that's the appeal of her music, it's utterly charming and puts you into daydream mode where girls wear pretty floral dresses and boys wear bowler hats. Mitchell is a really talented songwriter and her lyrics are sublime.

Cheap Thrills

Little known fact about me , I used to work at Valleygirl in my final year of uni. I saw hundreds of clothes being put on the racks, tried on and sold. I would be privy to change room secrets, giving advice to teenage girls, mothers, the occasional grandmother. Honesty is the best policy, so yes you can justify buying a $30 dress that you'll only wear once.

Years later, Valleygirl still gives me cheap thrills. Yes, it's a chain store which means that you can never guarantee that there won't be another five girls wearing the same dress as you. However, you can mix and match and buy a complete outfit for under $100.





Like a bodycon black mini with a silver zippered back. This $29.95 dress is tight-fitting, so breathe in!



Uber cute cropped jackets for only $59.95. Great for tran-seasonal wear when spring finally arrives.





For what I like to call the Boyfriend Shirt look, this shirt is on sale for $24.95. Perfect with black leggings and flat boots.

Tres cheap chic!

Dreaming of...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deku/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Sun drenched day by the beach listening to waves hit the shore and then watching a glowing sunset.

Although I'd also be happy with hitting the snowfields...which is a complete opposite.

Really all I'd like to do is pack my suitcase or backpack and fly away on a jet plane and leave it all behind.

ASOS Bargain Hunting

It's July! This year is flying by and I'm not even sure how I feel about it.

I'm eagerly awaiting my very first ASOS order - all items are on sale and postage was only 3.95 pounds. I stalk items on ASOS a lot. It's a bit of a problem. But I've finally put an actual order through!



ASOS Bandage Skirt, 13.50 GBP
This skirt is hot and would look amazing with my black ankle boots!



ASOS Pink Button Knit Top, 7.50 GBP
I think this is a great work top, a pink top is always good to throw on when you feel like a mood lifter on an otherwise uninspired Tuesday morning.



French Connection One Shoulder Ruffle Jersey Dress, 33.00 GBP
I've had my eye on this number for awhile, so glad it's on sale! It's a very flattering dress that works well on any body shape or size, easily dressed up for night or with a jacket or cardy for daytime wear.

So exciting...especially since I haven't ordered anything online in what seems like forever!

My Top Ten Hottest 100 Songs Of All Time

This is my list, mostly comprised of modern classics with some golden oldies. Good songs remind you of a certain period of your life, you may have been happy or sad at the time, but the song simply makes a strong impact on you whenever you hear it.

Coldplay - Yellow
This songs reminds me of being a young teenager and is so full of hope and optimism. I think it defined my generation. That's a cliche but when I heard this song live earlier in the year, surrounded by people singing it word for word it was utterly heartwarming.

Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
It's true. We do. Cyndi knows it and when you want to have fun, you have to sing this holding a hairbrush.

Alex Lloyd - Lucky Star
I probably only started listening to triple j a lot when this song was on high rotation. I was living in my grandparents house at the time and the line "contraceptive rubber bands" always got to me. Think about it.

Amy Winehouse - Rehab
I love Amy for this one song. No, no, no! Perhaps the opposite of good girls having fun, this epitomises the bad girl who can't find her halo.

Beatles, The - Let It Be
I chose this one Beatles song over all the others because it's softly reassuring. It slowly starts off and then reaches a crescendo. If the Beatles say it's going to be ok, it's going to be ok.

Ben Folds Five - Brick
An incredibly sad song for listening to when its raining and you feel absolutely down. The whole narrative behind the song is what's so powerful about it. It's such a tearjerker!

John Mayer - Gravity
This is one of my fave John Mayer songs because of its bluesy qualities and woefulness. But the lyric "just keep me where the light is" is still optimistic. Classic Mayer.

Josh Pyke - Memories & Dust
Oh Josh this song is sublime. It's so full of singer-songwriter earnestness that when I hear it I feel happy. When do I get to see Mr Pyke live? Soon I hope.

Waifs, The - London Still
Another rainy day song from my teenage years. It's so emblematic of the typical Aussie in London/overseas that its always on my playlist when I'm travelling or feeling wanderlust. I love how it captures the sensation of never leaving a place and what it meant to you at the time.

MGMT - Time To Pretend
I first heard this song at the end of the Skins season two series. It's wild, it's rockstar. It's basically saying we're young, we do stupid things and there's nothing wrong with that. One day we'll have our shit together. Maybe.

The Proposal Review

The Proposal looks like your standard chick-flick, rom-com storyline. Boy hates girl. Girl hates boy. Girl is boy's boss. Girl blackmails boy into marrying her so that she doesn't get deported to Canada. Boy and girl are forced to spend a weekend together, fall in love and get married anyway.

Okay, so its not your usual storyline. But it does have Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in it. I have a soft spot for Sandra Bullock, she does the sarcastica humour rather well. And as for Ryan Reynolds...he has a scene with his shirt off. Do I need to say any more than that?

Nevertheless The Proposal had a lot of funny scenes in it and is a breath of fresh air from the no-brainer rom-coms of late. The only thing that perhaps stretches the imagination a little is the chemistry between Reynolds and Bullock. He's a little younger than her, she's a bit highly strung. But isn't that what a good chick flick is meant to do? Make you believe that true love between any couple, despite all odds working against them, is possible.

Ladies who lunch in leopard print

Sometimes I wake up on Saturday morning and feel like the weekend holds so much potential. It's the feeling of absolute carefree, unstressed weekend wonderfulness that I would simply like to bottle up.

After a spot of shopping, I had a lovely lunch at the Subiaco Hotel on Saturday. I've only ever been there for drinks and never for a proper meal.

I ordered the squid fritters with ginger wine, mushrooms, spring onions and sweet potato and had the NV thorn clark SA sparkling. For dessert I shared a sticky date pudding with caramel sauce and ice-cream. It was divine!

The servings are fairly small though, as I only ordered an entree, I could have fitted in a main but I wanted to save room for dessert. Yes, I'm rather bad like that.

Nevertheless the Subi has great service and a relaxed and pleasant ambience. It's a nice place for a formal occasion or for a whimsical lunch for people watching and gossiping.

The only annoying thing was that I saw someone wearing the same leopard print top as me. Is it a compliment or a fashion disaster? Oh well, at least I had a cardy on.



Top: Valleygirl
Cardigan: Giordano from Kyoto, Japan
Leggings: Voodoo
Bag: Gucci