Wednesday 25 September 2013

Evening city skyline

I love where we live. We're very fortunate being so close to the city and it's only possible in a place like Brisbane. Anywhere else in the world, we wouldn't be able to even come close to affording it.


So pretty!


 
 
We were out walking fat dog last night and this chopper was doing manoeuvers for Riverfire which is on this Saturday night as part of the Brisbane Festival - we can see some of the fireworks off the Story Bridge from our balcony so we're having some friends over for a BBQ :) xo

Navy and silver-blue

Oh my goodness it is so hot today - I opened the curtains and just about died! Fat dog was hiding under the bed because it's cooler under there. I have promised to take him to the groomers for a shave in a week.

I had originally planned to wear jeans with a little black peplum jacket today but the temperature put paid to that idea. So I modified my outfit to ditch the jacket and jeans, keep the top and pair it with cropped trousers instead:

Top: Diane von Furstenberg
Pants: David Lawrence
Heels: Bally
Bag: Hermes Birkin

The top is navy silk by Diane von Furstenberg. I really like DvF, the designs are always quite feminine, particularly the tops and so I  have quite a few. This blouse is light and airy, not fitted, and exactly what the doctor ordered for a humid day like today. The pants are cropped cotton, so nice and cool, and overall I was quite happy with how my re-jigged outfit turned out! xo

Tuesday 24 September 2013

LBD and ivory jacket

Goodness it's a busy week - I have a very important lunch meeting today with a girl I'm hoping we can bring on board to work with us.  It's really hot today so I initially had planned to wear a full suit but opted instead for an LBD with a raw silk ivory jacket:

Dress: Maxmara
Jacket: Bi La Li
Heels: Bally
Bag: Hermes Birkin

 
 
 
 
 
I bought this Maxmara dress nearly 5 years ago and it was my very first purchase from Matches in the UK. It's such a classic cut and shape, the detailing is always fresh and I find it very versatile. It's suitable for a working lunch paired with the ivory jacket to lift the black.
 
I've taken the LV bag charm off my Birkin. I like to change things up every now and again and I think it looks more mature without the bag charm. I can pop it onto one of my other bags to spruce it up for summer :) xo

Monday 23 September 2013

Monochrome Tuesday

I chose a monochrome look for today:

Top: Stella McCartney
Skirt: Carl Kapp
Belt: Cue
Heels: Louboutin Simple 70s
Bag: Hermes Birkin

It's quite warm this week and I have a lot on today. This top is quite structural and very comfortable - the jersey fabric is divine but it's very loose-fitting/boxy around the waist so I use the belt to cinch it in and give me some shape. This is a great work outfit for me - it is comfortable, cool but still very professional. Have a great Tuesday everyone :) xo

Sunday 22 September 2013

Introducing the fat dog...

I thought it would be fun to introduce our dog, who we call 'fat dog' for obvious reasons.


Stop blogging and rub me!



Isn't he a cutie? He's very much an unknown mixture and he looks completely different when he's fluffy to when he's been to the groomers.

We think he has Basset Hound and some King Charles Cavalier but what else is anyone's guess :)

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Monday morning calls for a shot of colour to brighten things up - this skirt by Dolce et Gabbana always puts a smile on my face:

Top: David Lawrence
Skirt: Dolce et Gabbana
Heels: Louboutin Simple 70s
Bag: Hermes Birkin

Have a great week everyone :) xo

A day at the polo!!

So today I went to the Jeep Australian Open Polo Championships. One of my lovely girlfriends asked me a couple of weeks ago and I was thrilled to be a part of it.

I love polo. I'm not super into racing meets (too much pretentious hipster-ness/wannabe A-list juxtaposed awkwardly with obscene amounts of alcohol consumption - no thanks!) but I really enjoy polo. It's relaxed, chic and athletic in a way that is accessible for the average bystander. You can usually take a picnic and set up a nice lunch or alternatively pay for a marquee ticket.

I had a couple of outfits in mind. One of the things that separates polo from traditional racing, at least to my mind, is the dress code: 'race-wear' has  been misinterpreted to such a degree that most people now wear dresses more suited to midnight in a nightclub than trackside at 11am. Polo is feminine, chic but practical - definitely no stilettos or too-tight/too short skirts. You'll probably have to climb over some barriers at some point in the day to stomp the divots, so keep it practical and enjoy the day.

I set up two options, accessories kept constant with two different dresses:

Outfit 1:
Dress: Tibi
Wedges: Miu Miu
Bag: Bally
Aviators: Tiffany & Co

Dress: Country Road
Coat: Bi La Li
Wedges: Miu Miu
Belt: YSL
Bag: Bally
Aviators: Tiffany & Co

 
 





In the end and with M's guidance, I went with my first choice which was the Tibi colour-block dress. I didn't bother with the little raw silk ivory jacket as the day ended up being quite warm. It was fabulous to catch up with all my friends, watch the chukkas and do some people-watching.

I hope you all had a lovely Sunday :) xo

Friday 20 September 2013

Wearable Weekend: Stripes and Denim

It's such a beautiful time of year in  Brisbane at the moment. The weather is gorgeous and the skies are a clear blue. There's nothing more wonderful than waking up to a day like this:



I have a date tomorrow with some girlfriends at the polo so M and I decided to have a quiet Saturday. We spent the morning doing some chores, walking the dog and then caught a ferry into town for lunch with my lovely mother at New Shanghai, which is this wonderful restaurant in the city.

Top: Marcs
Jeans: JBrand
Flats: Nine West
Bag: Prada
Aviators: Tiffany & Co

For a relaxed summer lunch, I settled on my new(ish) navy and ivory striped jersey top from Marcs with jeans and flats. I love the colours of this outfit: the navy of the top  and jeans works beautifully with the teal leather of the bag and contrasts nicely with the mustard-coloured flats. I'd have loved a bright red pedicure to go with it, but it hasn't been the best week for beauty appointments!

I will be posting about my efforts to choose an outfit for the polo later on but right now it's time for a nap after a scrummy lunch with waaaaaay to much food :) xo


Drunken chicken with cold noodle
+
Shredded beef with sweet soy and steamed buns
+
Fried rice
=
Food coma!!
 

Thursday 19 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Thank goodness it's Friday, am I right?!

It's been a tough week, for work and family reasons. I'm looking forward to a lovely relaxed weekend, some quiet time with M and a bit of fun on Sunday at the polo - I'll put together a post tomorrow about all my accessorising efforts.

Today I am wearing a new top by Nina Ricci - I ordered it on TheOutnet on Monday. As you know I adore navy and this top has a combination of structure and embellishment with the zip that keeps it interesting. It's a wool crepe which is potentially a little bit warm for our climate but certainly wearable.


 
 
Top: Nina Ricci
Pants: Witchery
Heels: Louboutin Declic 90
Bag: Hermes Birkin


I paired the top with these navy and white check trousers which I love - they're sort of preppy and summery and I find them really versatile :) xo

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

It's supposed to be very warm today:32C! The sunshine is beautiful and I thought I'd wear a dress:

Dress: Hugo Boss (old)
Heels: Louboutin Simple 70s
Bag: Hermes Birkin


It's a bit hard to tell on the pic (sorry, I would have taken one in better light but M was still asleep and I didn't want to wake him) but the dress is actually navy - divine! I  love navy, it works really nicely with my hair and always makes me feel so ladylike :) xo

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Manicure madness!!

I get my nails done once a fortnight with gel. I've had gels on almost continuously since I was 26. Similar to getting my brows waxed, getting my manicure done is an essential part of my beauty routine - I've never been able to get polish to last longer than two days and I don't have time to be endlessly re-doing my nails. Gels are the perfect solution for me: done and dusted in a quick appointment and then I don't have to think about my nails for two weeks.

I keep my nails short and generally alternate between a clear/translucent pink-nude, a bright fabulous red, or a classic French manicure.

 

 
 

I got a bright red mani last time, the weather has been so gorgeous and I just felt like a lovely pop of colour to evoke the coming summer. The thing I notice about red nails is sometimes it affects what I feel like I can wear - something I would never even think of with a clear or French gel. I also tend to wear rings less with a red mani because I like to let the nail colour be the feature: when I have rings on with a red manicure, it sometimes feels like the jewellery is competing with the nails, if that makes sense.

This week I decided to revert to a French mani - we're off to the polo this weekend and I want to wear a colour-block dress with pink and white accents so I thought it would suit nicely :) xo




Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Such a busy morning this morning, we had an early patient appointment, but I snuck a quick pic before I left the house:

Top: David Lawrence (old)
Skirt: Donna Karan
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Bag: LV Alma in Epi Cannelle

It is shaping up to be quite warm for the rest of this week and I wanted to wear something practical, comfortable but still stylish with a nod to the fact that we are indisputably in Spring now. I love the colours of this outfit: the nude and pink offset the black perfectly.

Monday 16 September 2013

House and Home: Statement wall colours

Our apartment is a space I'm very proud of - it allows me to work out all my pent up interior design ambitions. It has a fantastic layout starting with a small entrance alcove, which enters into the main dining/living area, with the open plan galley kitchen looking out towards an entertainer's balcony. The two bedrooms and bathrooms (an ensuite for the master bedroom) are off opposite sides of the living area which is very clever as it creates two 'wings' of the apartment, if you like. So it's all very private if you have guests staying and no awkward running into each other in your jammies in the middle of the night!

We went for dark timber laminate floors, grey carpets in the bedrooms and a combination of light and dark furniture. For example the sofas are all ivory leather and we have coffee, dining and side tables in travertine marble (*sigh* so pretty) but then we also have some dark pieces like the cube bookshelves and console table along the main living room wall. DĂ©cor is definitely a mix of high-low. I prefer to save money where I can (more money for fashion, no?) and frankly, some things are more fun when you do them yourself! Case in point: changing the wall colour.

Painting a room a different colour or simply painting one wall in a room as a feature is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to freshen up your home. All you need is the paint, some plastic drop sheets, a couple of rollers, tape to protect your ceiling/skirting boards and a brush or two for the edges/corners and a spare afternoon to take your home from this:




To this:



Work in progress...

Ta-da!!
 
We went from a lovely very pale pink/white/ivory to a bold blue that lies somewhere between a royal and a navy, with petrol tones in certain light. No, I'm not a colour expert, that's just what I think it looks like :)   I love how going for a very bold colour has accentuated the neutral palette of the rest of the apartment and makes the art on the wall really pop!

Tricky reflection shot



What colours would you put in your home to brighten things up? xo

Sunday 15 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Back to work! We had such a busy weekend, without necessarily achieving a lot! We had a friend over for a BBQ breakfast on Saturday and went to another friend's place for dinner that night. On Sunday we met up with my siblings and partners for a coffee before ducking off for a quick lunch of dumplings in the city. Then we whirled back home on the ferry and madly did chores for the rest of Sunday - exhausting!!

This morning it dawned grey and cool with a forecast of rain so I decided to wind things back to a slightly more casual look. I really don't like wearing skirts or dresses when it rains - you get splashed and drizzled on, even with an umbrella.


Top: Adam
Blazer: Witchery
Jeans: JBrand
Heels: Bally
Bag: Hermes Birkin


I'm going to try and start getting someone to take my pictures, so I don't get the weird selfie angles all the time :)

Have a good Monday everyone xo

Thursday 12 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

It's Friday!!!

Seriously, this has been a crazy work week: not only has the weather been up and down but also work itself was very demanding. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend :)

Today it's nice and sunny and I thought I'd go for another colour-block look:

Top: Tibi
Skirt: Carl Kapp
Belt: Cue
Heels: Bally
Bag: Hermes Birkin 35


This top is silk so it's nice and cool and I love the colours. The belt is really (really really) old but still does a great job cinching my waist. On reflection, the only thing I might change about this outfit would be the shoes - the pencil skirt and cinched waist really references the 1940s look and the pointed-toe shoes are not quite right. I'd be better off with a round-toe pump like my Louboutin Simple 70s. Oh well, lesson learned :) xo

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

It was so warm yesterday and the heat continues today: 30C and sunny!





I decided to keep things cool and light:

Top: David Lawrence
Pants: David Lawrence (new season)
Heels: Jimmy Choo
Bag: Prada
I bought these pants on the weekend, they're a really lovely soft cropped trouser for summer. I love how the silvery-blue colour of the pants is picked up by the scrummy blue leather on my bag :) xo

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Relaxed dinner: Tuna pie

One of the best things about M's and my relationship is how well we complement each other. I am more passionate, he's more relaxed. I'm very much a planner, he's more spontaneous and laid-back. I love to cook. And he loves eating what I cook :)

He's a bit old-fashioned in his tastes too - he loves his mum's cooking (her cooking is pretty awesome so it's understandable). So when he's having a rough week or we just feel like a bit of hearty comfort food, one of my favourite things to make is a tuna pie:


Look at that yummy crust on top!!

Cooking for me is an expression of love for my friends and my family - I know I won't be the only person who feels that way about it :)

What do you love cooking for your loved ones?

xo

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Wow, well scratch everything I said yesterday about overcast weather - today dawned bright and sunny and according to the forecast, we can expect temps of up to 32C!! That is very warm for spring.

So in keeping with the sudden warm temperature, I decided to wear something light and chic today to stay cool:



 
Dress: Tibi
Blazer: Witchery
Heels: Jimmy Choo
Bag: Michael Kors

This fabulous colour-block dress by Tibi is one of my favourites and I'm wearing it at least once a week at the moment. It's hard to see in the pic (I will get better at pics, I promise) but the skirt is white, the top is black and the sleeves and a bit of the top at the back is a salmon-y pink colour. Today I've paired it with a blazer by Witchery to keep it work appropriate, and I've put nude pumps and a chocolate bag with it.

I love how a light silk dress can be so amazingly versatile, if the cut and pattern is perfect. I would wear this dress to work, to a party, to afterwork drinks, to a brunch, all with different styling and accessories: it just works THAT hard.

Have a lovely day everyone and try to stay out of the heat :) xo

Monday 9 September 2013

What an organised closet looks like...

Is there anything better than an organised closet? I think not...




Shoes, glorious shoes...
More shoes. No judging!

Yeah ok not actually my closet but hey, uber organised!
Don't think I'm being smug - this is my closet after a big (BIG) clearout and no, it definitely won't always look this pristine. But I love the fact that occasionally, you can have a really awesome looking closet like you see in fashion mags.

Our apartment has built-ins, not custom wardrobes and there isn't as much or as efficient storage as I would like. I find shoe storage difficult because I don't have custom racks and the shoe racks you can buy at places like Ikea leave everything open and I find shoes you're not wearing super often can get quite dusty - not good for Givenchy black suede, amiright?! And while some go down the 'store in their original boxes' route, I don't really like it - sometimes the boxes are damaged when you get them, also it's just not a very uniform look. Gal loves her symmetry!

Solution: Net-a-Porter boxes! Each has room for one pair, or two if they're flats or loafers. Kept with their original dust bags, nice and secure and the only thing that needs an occasional dust is the box itself! Now I don't have just Net-a-Porter boxes in those pics - sometimes, I do keep the original box, if it's in good condition. This enables me to fit three boxes per shelf on the shoe rack (the NAP boxes are a bit too big to fit three across). I write the contents on the front of the box using a fluoro pink post it (classy I know) and so when I went looking for my Tod's tan loafers, I just did a quick scan of the top of the boxes et voila!

Are you a storage nerd too? xo

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

So clearly the weather gods thought I sounded a bit smug in my post yesterday about our fabulous blue skies and sunshine and they decided to send me this:

Boo!!

Sorry, grey days really get my mood down...well, they're ok if you can hang out in bed all day eating and watching movies in your jammies but if you have to go to work, not so much!

Anyway, it was pretty chilly this morning and there was a breeze about so I decided to layer up with this outfit:

Dress: DvF
Blouse: Joie
Shoes: Louboutin Simple 60s
Bag: Hermes Birkin

This DvF dress is a nice black jersey and while I typically wear it by itself, this morning I decided to try and layer up for a more versatile look. The first blouse I tried was a disaster - just my opinion, but I felt like I was auditioning for the Sound of Music - maybe the blouson-style sleeves just weren't working. The second blouse worked much better. This is the blouse from Joie that was also in a post from yesterday. It's so versatile and the colour works so nicely with black (not to mention my red hair) so I actually ended up buying two of them on sale to maximise longevity. I would wear it once a week.

Sorry about the small pics, I'm going to spend a bit of time this weekend researching how to get better pics and make them larger without losing resolution etc etc. I'm sure there's a very obvious quick fix but hey, I'm a total newbie at this and I'm learning :) xo

Sunday 8 September 2013

Working Week: Outfit of the Day

Before I get into my outfits too much, I think it's not a bad idea to set the scene for my working week.

I run a medium sized private company in the health industry. I don't want to be overly specific because I don't believe it's necessary and this blog has nothing to do with my working life - if anything, this blog is kind of an escape from my working life! Basically, I work in an office and I have a great deal of freedom in what I wear.

What I wear to work varies from day to day. If I have a lot of meetings, I will tend to go for a very traditional look: black dress or pencil skirt and blouse, black pumps, suit jacket or blazer and classic handbag.

Black and marigold:
Skirt: Carl Kapp
Blouse: Joie
Shoes: Bally Clea pumps
Belt: YSL black patent square buckle
Bag: Anya Hindmarch Carker

Other days when I might be running around to various appointments or just overseeing the day to day, I like the fact that I have the freedom to scale things back to a fairly simply, practical look: neat blouse or top, comfortable black trousers and flats or loafers.

Marcs navy and ivory jersey top
Country Road black skinny trousers
Tods tan loafers

Michael Kors Skorpios hobo in chocolate leather

My feet look very far away in this shot...

Today I have a fair bit of running around to do outside  of the office but no meetings so I'm actually very relaxed. These shoes are classic Tod's loafers which I have had for years but haven't worn for a very long time - I love it when you get to bust something out of your closet that you haven't worn in ages :) xo