Technicolour Yawn

When we were 14 my best friends and I loved poring over the different terms for vomiting. Not the classiest of pastimes I’ll admit, but we were possibly the coolest 14 year olds around.

And not that this outfit looks like vomit. Lord, what would you have had to eat to regurgitate an ensemble like this? No, I just think they are great words together and all ulterior meanings aside I think the words work perfectly for it.

Guys, I really did well today. I had 4 separate people at work use the exact term, “You’re very colourful today”, followed by a mixture of smirks and confused faces. Excellent. The CEO also commented “nice tights”. This is not a regular occurrence. I am actually doing a celebratory air punch right now.

I’m not sure if you’ve seen these tights before. I love them. They’re my Vivienne Westwood tights. Well, they’re not really but they remind me of her and I bought them to wear with my Vivienne Westwood shoes. And now I wear them with everything.

And my docs still adorned with a well worn sticker from my days as an indie punk rocker. I don’t wear them anywhere near as much as I used to but I reckon with my recent fixation with dresses that will change.

I’m off on an op-shopping adventure with my friend West tomorrow. Stay tuned for much gushing about all of my fantastic finds.

Dress: Trade Secret
Scarf worn as belt: Thrifted
Tights: Myer
Shoes: Thrifted

Be Seen

The colours in this outfit make me feel all fresh and bright. Kind of Springy, though it’s definitely not Spring. It is very much Summer. It’s 33 degrees today and they’re predicting a storm this afternoon which just rocks my world. I love storms.

I’ve noticed boots and cardigans are back in the stores which makes me all shades of happy. As much as I was looking forward to sitting in the sunshine drinking frozen cokes in a sun dress it just didn’t happen so now I am spending my time day dreaming of layers and curries, snugging with The Man on the couch and other general winter delights.

Maybe that’s why I pulled this semi cardigan out of the closet. Or maybe because I wanted to pair some green with these blues. I’m a big fan of staring at my closet, moving hangers around randomly until some colour/pattern combination strikes me. It also works well when you dump all of the clean laundry on the bed and see what falls together. I guess that’s kind of an aleatoric style of dressing. I can dig it.

I love this necklace. The Man gave it to me a couple of weeks after we got together. The ring link has broken (hence the safety pin) and this isn’t the original chain but I always feel a little bit of extra love when I wear it.

Cardigan: Myer
Necklace: Gift
Singlet: Myer
Belt: Cotton On
Skirt: Target

Yarrr

We overslept this morning but still somehow managed to be ready at the regular time. Which kind of makes me think I must spend a fair bit of time faffing about in the morning.

Someone commented that I don’t look my usual “outrageous” self today and I put that down to the oversleeping thing and also my ever increasing list of injuries. It’s really frustrating trying to add finishing touches to an outfit when you have 2 very important fingers out of order. I’m sure if I’d injured my ring finger for instance I’d still find it inconvenient but the truth of the matter is that your thumb and your index finger do a whole lotta stuff. Grrr.

I have also injured my foot which has resulted in my limping everywhere. Super. I kind of feel like a pirate so I definitely had to wear these necklaces today. And the stripes. I probably should have added one of my bird necklaces for good measure but I was impressed enough that I managed to work the clasps on these guys. And, you know, the whole time thing.

I tried to make myself feel better with a little customised bandage art until one of the girls at work pointed out that ink may not be the best thing next to a wound. Again, super.

Here’s hoping for smoother sailing of the Seven Seas tomorrow.

Necklaces: Gitfs
Shirt: Kmart
Skirt: Myer
Shoes: Urban Outfitters
Bag: Gift
Scarf: Diva
Sunglasses: Myer

Whoa oh oh She's a Lady

Happy Australia Day!  I took these pictures before we went to our Australia Day party because I really can't be held accountable for what went down in the following hours.

Having said that it was all pretty well behaved. BBQ, zinc, tunes. Good times.

I had my first spin on the decks tonight and I'm pretty stoked to say that I commemorated the occasion with "Under Pressure" into "Time After Time". I know, right?

I think this dress is beautiful and I admired it for quite a while before I found it on sale missing it's slip. It's ok though, I can pair it with any of the other number I have stockpiled in my wardrobe. It's certainly a style that I look forward to welcoming back with open arms.

Hat: Myer
Dress: Myer
Slip: Was Mum's
Belt: Valley Girl
Shoes: Rubi

In Between Days

It’s Australia Day tomorrow and I reckon I can sum up our nation’s population today in one of 2 groups.

1. Chucked a sickie
2. Going through the motions at work hanging out for 5pm

I fall into the second category. 

For those of you outside of this giant floating land of red dirt and kangaroos, Australia Day is a public holiday in which you drink beer from 11am (when the JJJ Hottest 100 starts) and play cricket in the back yard, park or street; have a BBQ, and generally revel in the sunshine while shoo-ing flies away from the pavlova. It’s pretty great.

But as it’s fallen on a Tuesday this year we’ve all got to suit up and sit at desks for the 8 hours between the weekend and Australia Day.

I have mixed feelings about this dress. When I bought it there was this funky, half snap belt type thing attached to it that popped undone pretty much whenever I moved. So I took it off. But there are also these little ties in the middle that has holes underneath that I can’t quite figure out. Basically it’s a bit of a weird shape and is too short to wear without tights or leggings. Not sure if want.

I haven’t paired it with florals before though and I like the contrast.

And that’s about all I have to say about that. In my mind I’m already reaching into the eskie for my first cold one of the day, stereo blasting, sun shining.

Sunglasses: Myer
Hair clip: Diva
Sunglasses: Myer
Dress: Myer
Belt: Valley Girl
Leggings: Valley Girl
Shoes: Rubi
Bag: Gift
Scarf: Diva

Yorick

This one is all about the details. It’s casual Friday but I don’t believe that you should dress down unless you feel like it. Often the stress of finding an outfit that I like with jeans, during summer, is just not worth it. So I’ve taken something that I could (and did) wear to work on a regular day and added details that wouldn’t usually be appropriate.

Like skulls.

I like skulls. A lot. You may have noticed. And I do manage to incorporate them into my daily work wear but today I’ve gone overboard. The badge is the real kicker. The rest could kind of go by unnoticed but this glaring badge screams “I’m wearing a skull badge!”

I made these earrings a few years back and they always elicit a comment.

This badge reminds me of an old vinyl and I think it works great combined with this zip belt. There’s another tiny belt hiding under that one because when I go overboard, I go overboard. 

Earrings: Lovers, Saints & Sailors
Dress: Trade Secret
Badge: Junk shop
Zip Belt: Sportsgirl
Thin Belt: I think it came from a pair of pants or a skirt that I bought at Ross 100 years ago
Black Skull Ring: Jay Jays
White Skull Ring: Spotlight
Leggings: Dotti
Shoes: Rubi

Another Time, Another Place

Today I am elegantly reclining on a chaise longue in a spacious marble tiled sun room with the white shutters open. My hair is immaculately styled in finger waves and I am holding the leash of a magnificent panther. Or maybe an ocelot because they’re pretty cute. But more likely a panther as a symbol of my dignity and inner strength.

At least that’s what I see when I look at this outfit. In real life I am sitting at my desk at work under fluorescent lights. My hair is unruly and there is not a wild cat to be seen.

I fell asleep on the couch last night and didn’t plan an outfit for this morning. So when I got out of the shower there were a good 4 minutes spent staring at my wardrobe willing something to appear. 

I am really happy with how this came together. This was the first belt I picked up and I honestly didn’t expect it to work but I was pleasantly surprised.

We had a different winged visitor in the park at lunch today. Not exactly a symbol of dignity and inner strength but a bird's gotta work with what he's got.

Sunglasses: Cotton On
Necklace: Klein’s
Shirt: Jacqui E
Singlet: Myer
Belt: Sportsgirl
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Rubi

Puppy Love

Behold. My favourite Thrift Store find, ever. I found this guy when I lived in Santa Cruz. It’s vintage Givenchy with tiny brown Scottie Dogs on it. I love, love, love, love, love it.

It’s very well worn and I like to imagine how it got to this state. It’s getting more and more frayed and I’ve contemplated taking it to an invisible mender because I don’t ever want to have to part with it. And best of all? It was a buck. A buck! One dollaroonie. 

Which brings me to my point of today. Thrifting in America is different to thrifting in Australia. In America you can find things like a vintage Givenchy tie for $1. And designer shoes in your size for $4 and so on and so forth. In Australia, in my experience, you’re more likely to find out of shape Kmart brand nylon shirts for $8. Don’t get me wrong, there are gems amongst the rough. When I was in High School I found a vintage camel hair coat in our tiny mountain town’s thrift store for $8. This is the exception though. And I think it’s because designer clothing is so much more readily available in America. For example the Rodarte collection through Target. I couldn’t even order any of that online to be shipped here. In Australia if you get something good you wanna hold onto it with all your might because who knows when you’ll get the chance to have something like it again?

I guess that’s what comes with living on a huge island at the bottom of the world.

Sunglasses: Cotton On
Tie: Thrifted
Shirt: Thrifted
Dress: Myer
Belt: Myer
Watch: Customised by Lovers, Saints & Sailors
Shoes: Rubi

Shhhh

Today I feel like a librarian from a creepy children’s story. Maybe one of the Lemony Snicket chronicles. The belted waist and semi-frills coupled with the length and neck on this dress are very reserved. The wild hair escaping from its pins, the spots and a skull and crossbones scarf bring the creepy element. Plus I wear glasses at work so I’m basically a librarian all the time.

I bought this scarf yesterday. Post Christmas I am achingly skint but at $5 I couldn’t let this baby be. I was so excited to find it. My pulse actually quickened. I have a white one and a green one and now this beautiful black one. I won’t say that my collection is complete because that would imply that I won’t buy any more and you and I both know that won’t happen.

Details, details.

Dress: Kmart
Scarf: Diva
Belt: Trade Secret
Shoes: Rubi
Hair Clips: Gift

Come Fly with Me

I’m not gonna lie to you folks, I got off to a wobbly start this morning. I did myself a mischief in the kitchen yesterday afternoon while preparing my carrot sticks for today’s morning snack. I sliced right down my thumb nail and The Man says I was lucky, if I didn’t have a nail there I would have gone right to the bone. Ew.

So this morning I was, well, all thumbs with my Care Bear clad thumb getting in the way of buttons, buckles and salt and pepper shakers. Not happy Jan.

And guys, it’s hot today. It is H-O-T. 36 degrees Celsius. So my main prerogative was to wear something as cool as possible while still remaining decent. This “Corn Husker” (thanks hubby) shirt is perfect because it’s nice and light and still respectable. I’m loving this kerchief with it. Mere words cannot express the joy I find in mixing spots, stripes, checks and prints. I then kept it simple on the bottom with a black work skirt and flats because honestly, who can be bothered with more than that when it’s almost the same temperature as your innards out there. 

End result? I look like a flight attendant. And I like it. Book me a one way flight to somewhere a hell of a lot cooler than here!

Sunglasses: Cotton On
Shirt: Valley Girl
Kerchief: Myer
Skirt: Was Mum’s?
Shoes: Rubi
Hair Clips: Gift

Man Oh Man

I raided The Man’s wardrobe this morning and walked away with his favourite t shirt. It is so light, soft and comfortable. And undeniably cool. This isn’t the first time I’ve pilfered it.

Casual Friday again today and I’ve turned to last week’s blazer. With the pin on the lapel I feel a little like I’m on the Campaign Trail. Only it’s a Frankenstein badge from Tom Gabel’s last tour and not “Stanhope ‘08”. Jeans, black flats - done.

Last night was good fun but I am feeling the effects today like I thought I would. It’s been tough keeping the eyes open but lunch with an old friend was a nice incentive. I am very much looking forward to hanging out at home this weekend, tackling the spare room and brainstorming outfits for next week. 

Hope you have a swell weekend kids.

Sunglasses: Cotton On
Bag: Gift
Blazer: Cotton On
Badge: Tom Gabel show at The Zoo
Shirt: Urban Outfitters
Jeans: Sportsgirl
Shoes: Rubi

In Bloom

I have achieved the perfect balance with today’s outfit. A straight mix of “Love it” and “Uh, that’s a lot of flowers.” It’s pretty much what I go for every day. I’m such a junkie that I actually am put off if I don’t elicit any sort of reaction. My Mum has assured me that most people don’t get comments on their outfits every day but that doesn’t make me feel any differently.

Moving on. All reactions aside, I really like this outfit. When I bought this dress I initially thought “Loud Jewish Woman on a Cruise” and rocked it with a turban. Today though I pulled out the floral leggings from last weeks outfit, belted it and off to work I went. But not before grabbing this awesome necklace. The Man bought it for me from an antique stall at the Valley Markets years ago and every time I wear it I feel like an old Jewish woman. So of course it fit perfectly with the dress.

 I don’t know why these things make me feel Jewish but it’s a fun feeling to be someone else for a day. I am also often a Hippie, a Rocker, a “Corn Husker” (according to The Man) and the list is always expanding. I like not fitting into a specific category and I like when people tell me they saw an outfit that is “So you!” because I like to see what “me” actually is to them.

Finally, it is Sophie’s going away party tonight so it was important to me to wear something that was:

a) Fabulous
b) Comfortable
c) Good for dancing around like a fool in, to some sweet R ‘n’ B

 Sunglasses: Cotton On
Necklace: Gift – Valley Markets
Dress: Trade Secret
Belt: Cue
Leggings: Valley Girl
Shoes: Rubi

On The Fringe

This outfit is not exactly what I had in mind this morning. A big night followed by a few short hours of fitful sleep in the stifling heat that is Brisbane in the summer time and I ended up with what feels like a look that is almost there.

The fringing on this top works well with the beaded jewellery but I think the texture, shape and the bottom half of the outfit let the party down. I tried it with my cowboy boots for a “Cowboys & Indians” look but it just wasn’t quite it. In hindsight I’m glad because today is not a day that I feel like clopping around.

I very rarely feel good in this skirt. It’s high waisted, zips and buttons at the front which creates an unnecessary and exaggerated paunch. Do not want. I really need to get rid of it but when I go shopping I never want to spend my money on sensible black work skirts.

Things I do like:

• The mixture and excessiveness of the jewellery
• The beautiful embroidered pattern on the top
• Having bento lunch dates in the park with my wonderful Husband
• Playing with the dials on my new camera
• Surprise winged visitors

Sunglasses: Cotton On
Earrings: Diva
Necklace: Was Mum’s
Bangles: Gift
Top: Just Jeans
Singlet underneath: Myer?
Skirt: Target
Shoes: Rubi