Cozy Comforts

1.      Vince Crop Sweater- $260.00

2.      Michael Kors Fisherman Cable Sweater- $120.00

3.      Rebecca Taylor Cable Knit Pullover- $350.00

4.      Free People Cropped Fair Isle Pullover- $118.00

5.      Diesel Kasumi Sweater- $225.00

6.      Topshop Knitted Ladder Jumper- £40.00

7.      Acne Pleated Back Sweater- $290.00

8.      Topshop Knitted Large Spot Jumper- £40.00

9.      Free People Precious Pointelle Poncho- $148.00

I can never seem to keep myself warm in the Winter months.  No matter how many layers I put on, some part of me still ends up freezing. (Usually my little toes.)  Even though you will never catch me in sweat pants, I do love to cozy up in a nice knitted sweater.

Happy Happenings

{i am a bird necklace at bliss}

Things are starting to get hectic now that Christmas is less than a month away.  My working days are getting longer, the days are getting much shorter and my Visa bill is starting to add up.  At least there is plenty of shopping to be done and gifts to be bought.  Here are a few things that are going to keep me sane until Christmas.

{new sparkly shoes}

{firetruck moustaches}

{christmas is starting to creep into the city}

DIY Days

{wall mounted vases}

Not too long ago, my friend came across this website that has an incredible amount of DIY projects.  We spent hours searching through the site and picking out all the projects that we wanted to do.  Here are a few of the projects that I am going to start on since now the weather is getting dreary and staying inside seems to be the better option.

{picture display}

{string and nail art}

{magazine chair}

Mo Madness

1.      Beardsley Beard Shampoo and Conditioner Grooming Set- $27.50

2.      Warby Parker Colonel Monocle- $50.00

3.      Urban Outfitters Toddland Manstache Wallet- $24.00

4.      Funky Ink Cookie Cutter Set- $15.00

5.      Arbitrage Clothing Movember Cufflinks- $65.00

6.      Peterson Sherlock Holmes ‘Professor’ Pipe- $285.00

7.      Captain Fawcetts Moustache Wax- £8.40

8.      Toms Movember Highland Men’s Botas- $95.00

It’s that time of year again, where having a patchy moustache is accepted for a month and the Movember growers have almost reached their prime.  I have put together a list of Moustache Season goodies for people who may unfortunately be unable to grow a good  fuzz but still want to support Movember.  You can also pair these items with your already marvellous mo to enhance it and make it just a little greater. 

Keep up the good work men!  And ladies, only one week left!  Don’t forget to donate here.

Holiday Gift Guide

1.      Nicole Jane Polished Aluminum Stag Bookends- $149.99

2.      Cake Desserted Island Supreme Body Mousse- $22.00

3.      Pottery Barn Shoe Ladder- $118.69

4.      Rosanna Petite Treat Cupcake Stand- $17.00

5.      Yanko Design Animal Shot Glasses- $28.00 Each

6.      Diptyque Verveine Candle- $65.00

7.      Essie Cocktail Bling Nail Polish- $8.00

8.      Emily Post’s Etiquette Vol. 18- $29.69

I love the holiday season, it is by far my favourite time of the year next to Summer.  Nothing beats spending time with family, holiday baking and especially holiday shopping.  When it comes to gifts, I am not particularly picky.  However, my closets have been getting rather full lately and I am running out of space.  So this year I have decided to steer clear of clothing and stick to items that will be useful to me in other ways, like my growing book collection and my new found love for perfectly painted nails.

Other Means of Inspiration

{twiggy}

Art has always been a hobby for me, I grew up in a household that has a strong artistic background.  My father used to paint and luckily, he passed down some of his talent onto me.  I used to draw a lot when I was younger but I never thought of painting; it seemed a lot more difficult then just placing a pencil to paper.  However, my mind changed one day when I found my fathers old painting kit and an extra canvas; I haven't drawn another picture since.  It did take me a whole year of painting until I made the conclusion that I should combine two of my favourite things, painting and fashion.  These paintings are what came out of that miraculous idea.

{marilyn monroe}

{audrey hepburn}

{coco chanel}

Strawberry Short Cake

A little while ago, my mother had a luncheon and asked me to make a cake for the occasion.  I decided to veer away from my usual richly sweet iced cakes and chose to bake a strawberry shortcake.  Strawberries are probably without a doubt my favourite fruit even though I rarely incorporate them into my baking.  I used a recipe from one of my cook books; I found this recipe which is very similar to the one I followed.  The whipped cream and strawberries balanced the out the denseness of the cake perfectly.  This cake was a hit at the lunch and has inspired me to bake more with strawberries.

Magnetic Nails

While reading the October issue of Vogue last month, I came across an article about magnetic nails.  The way this polish worked had me so intrigued that once I took one look at the pictures, I knew I had to purchase it.  Created by Nails Inc, this polish has magnetic pigments that get pulled to the surface of your nail with a unique magnet.  I found the polish at Sephora in three colours for $18 each and decided to get the silver.  As soon as I got home, I painted both mine and my mothers nails.  We were amazed with the results and how simple it was to do.  The polish dries quickly and if you move the magnet around you get different angles of the swirl, it is like magic!

{nail polish with magnetic lid}

{paint one coat and let dry}

{apply a generous second coat and place

magnet above nail for 10 seconds}

{et voila!}

Rainy Day Classics

1.      PVC Spotted Umbrella- $35.00

2.      Forever 21 Loose Knit Infinity Scarf- $11.50

3.      Coach Buckle Gloves- $128.00

4.      Topshop Joe Jacket by Goldie- £79.00

5.      Hunter Boots- $150.00

Once the rain starts in Victoria, it doesn't stop until Spring.  We really don't get much of a Winter, the only noticeable season change from Fall to the Holiday season is just a drop in the temperature.  However, if we are lucky, we will get a few days of snow in either December or January.  Although I think the sound of rain hitting the roof is the most relaxing noise, our winter months are rather dreary; filled with dark clouds, dodging puddles, and dismal days.  Most people believe that this weather also puts a damper on fashion, that is why I have pieced together a few rainy day jewel toned classics to add some colour to your Fall/Winter season.

Crazy for Coco

As much as I love my job, working at a boutique does have one downside.  The slow period, where you have nothing to do and zero customers due to either the weather, the season or just the day.  Usually, these slow periods do not last too long and tend to speed up when I am just about to teeter over the edge with boredom.  But as the days grow longer and shorter, these periods seem to be coming more frequently.  With this, I planned a counter attack, Operation Death to Boredom, to save myself from mindless internet games and watching people try to fit into ridiculous parking spots on the street.  My plan of attack started with reading a magazine, which fought off the boredom fearlessly for a few weeks, but as days passed, its resources grew weaker and boredom would not back down.  This time I decided to pull out the big guns and I took a trip to Chapters.  After spending quite some time in the Fashion section trying to make a decision on which book to purchase, I finally decided on Coco Chanel, The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie.  (I made a list of the many other books that I wish to read in the near future and sent it off to my mom in hopes of a few Christmas presents).  I set up fort in front of the fireplace in a big vintage chair and battle 2 of Operation D2B commenced.  This book turned out to be just what I needed, the nuclear weapon in my boredom world.  It has knocked boring right out of my vocabulary and it spun me wildly into the world of the marvelous Coco Chanel.  It goes into great detail about what went on in her eccentric mind and her mysterious life that led her into money, heartbreak and fame.  The book is filled with rare photographs, interviews and stories that will make you feel like you were once apart the fashion legends life.  I highly recommend this book to any one who loves Chanel, fashion or even just a good read.

Reunited

{photo by eric neff}

The past couple of months have been hectic in more ways than one.  Throughout the Summer, I was happily occupied with a shopping trip to New York, working my new job at a local boutique and doing photo shoots around town. Now that things have died down, I will have more time to bake, shop, and do the things that I love but, unfortunately, have been too busy to do lately.

Many changes (for the better) have taken place in my life in the past little while and these changes will continue on into the future.  I have decided to return to my blog (and this time I mean it) while I impatiently wait for the excitement of the future to unfold.