Getting ready for the winter months

Part of me is a little bit sad about summer coming to an end, but the other part of me is so excited to get into a new season of clothing! I find winter so much easier to dress for and love being able to have staple pieces in my wardrobe that I can mix up with a few different accessories to make it look like a whole new outfit.

So I thought I'd share with you some of my tips for winter and what I think are must haves for the colder months!

1. Invest in a decent coat
I absolutely adore jackets and coats. In my opinion you can never have to many. I love structured tailoring- I find it very flattering on pretty much every body type. That being said this winter I will be taking out some of my coats from last year as I think they will continue to stand the test of time!

One of my personal favourites is this military inspired coat from Forever New I purchased a few years ago. Despite many fashion editors saying double breasted coats are a go-to piece for winter I find them difficult to wear unless they are buttoned up (which I hardly ever do) and feel they overwhelm a lot of figures. What I like about this coat is that it gives the illusion of being double breasted without the excess material. Classic military looks like this continue to be fashionable each season, it's a trend that won't go out of style, and one we see popping up on the runway each winter.

2. Learn to layer

It can be absolutely freezing outside but as soon as you walk into a room the heated air conditioning can make you swelter. So you need to learn to layer. I make sure that when I layer, I can take pieces off and still love what I'm wearing. Whether that be by putting a chunky sweater over a form fitting top or adding a belt around a cardigan if you don't want to look too bulky there's plenty of ways to make that happen.

Make a knit look more interesting by adding a patterned shirt underneath and letting the collar peek out. Or make a cropped sweater warmer by wearing it over a button up. One look I like is wearing a faux fur vest over a long cardigan or fitted top. The options are endless!

3. A good pair of boots are the key to keeping warm.
I think it's important to have a comfy pair of flat boots and a pair with a heel for the more dressy occasions. I love that with boots you can wear them with pretty much everything, whether that be a nice pair of jeans, with a dress and stockings or leggings with cute socks.

4. Accessorise it up
Ahhh the scarf! One of my favourite additions in the winter. A scarf not only keeps you warm but it adds a little something-something. Invest in a few scarves and you can update any outfit. I love a little pop of colour or print a scarf can bring to the table.

5. Look after your skin
I know this isn't quite fashion related but your skin regime needs to change for the colder months. Winter does little favours to our skin, from sore eyes to cracked lips, exposure to the harsh elements such a biting winds and dry central heating creates a range of problems. It's important to keep up the SPF as your skin is still vulnerable to ultra-violet rays and invest in a heavy moisturiser as the wind strips the skin of its natural moisture.

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2015 Bucket List

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I can assure you I have been extremely busy but now it's time to fill you in on what's been happening!

At the start of February, I came up with the idea of creating a bucket list for 2015 of things I want do. I've decided that this is going to be my year. I'm sick of waiting around for things to happen/not happen, so from now on I'm going to do what I want to do.

With that being said, the first five things on my bucket list involved the water, sunshine and a bit of courage. So with summer coming to an end, I made the quick decision to jet set to the Sunshine Coast- the ultimate destination for water activities and good times. I'm a grade A planner so I had each day mapped out from start to finish. Weather permitting, all was set. The week before we left Queensland went through a pretty dangerous cyclone, so I was a bit skeptical, but so pleased when we arrived and it was a beautiful, sunny 30 degrees.

One activity I wanted to try was stand up paddle boarding. I read it was great for increasing general fitness and also improving your core strength, plus it was fun! It was a bit tricky at first, but I got the hang of it. It's quite relaxing actually!

                                                           

One major extreme sport on my bucket list was scuba diving! I've never done it before, so therefore not a certified diver :( but I was lucky enough that Underwater World allows those without their certificate to swim with the sharks!!!! This was probably one of the best things I've ever done, I will remember it forever. Inside the tank were sharks, stingrays, massive gropers, all kinds of fish and underwater life...it was pretty magical and I highly recommend it!

I've also always wanted to ride a horse on the beach and through the water.
I found Equathon on the internet and saw it had great reviews, so I booked in a session. We had to take our car onto a car ferry to get to the island where the horses were. Finding the place was an adventure in itself, but totally worth it. I was quite surprised that when the lady knew I could ride she said to me 'Ok off you go, do whatever you like!' It was so exciting to have no restrictions and do whatever I wanted, so naturally I went flying down the beach with my horsey pal and had a great time. The horses were very well behaved, it was a gorgeous sunny day and so much fun. The beach was deserted so we had it all to ourselves. I think the picture really says it all...who could not enjoy that!

             

All the food we had was delicious and by the end of each day we were exhausted from all the physical activity we did. I made sure that each day we went down to Coolum Beach for a swim. The water is divine, so warm and welcoming- I could have swum in it all day, every day. 

So, after four days in the Sunshine Coast I can tick the following off my bucket list

- Scuba diving

- Jet Skiing

- Stand up paddle boarding

- Riding a horse on the beach

Not bad in my opinion! 

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A little new year cheer: Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibition

                                 
















To take full advantage of my holiday this summer, we decided to take a short trip to Melbourne to get away from the house for a bit.

We stayed at the gorgeous Crown Towers in Southbank. I'm all for a view and it was incredible; sitting on my bed I could see the beautiful city lights, it was even better at night. 

One of the things I really wanted to do on my stay in Melbourne (aside from shopping, which I will share in my next post) was visit the National Gallery of Victoria which hosted the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition. Gaultier is a French Haute Couture and Pret-a-Porter fashion designer.

His first individual collection was released in 1976- he has long been known as the enfant terrible of French fashion. His creativity and mastery of tailoring made him a stand out in his field. In 1985 he introduced man-skirts and produced sculptured costumes for Madonna during the nineties, starting with the infamous cone bra. He regularly caused shock by using unconventional models, like older men and full-figured women, pierced and heavily tattooed which earned him both criticism and enormous popularity. 

The exhibition was one of the most incredible displays I've ever seen and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Melbourne. When you first walk in, you are overcome by a number of figures dressed in Gaultier ensembles.

What is striking though, is that it is hard to tell whether the models are real or mannequins. On closer inspection you can see they are in fact mannequins, but they have used digital imaging to make them appear real- including moving eyes, lips and eyebrows. Pretty freaky actually! Then there is Gaultier himself welcoming everyone to his exhibition. You continue on to a number of creatively decorated rooms filled with past collections, including a rotating catwalk and outfits from floor to ceiling. Take a look at some of the photos I snapped. 

                                           

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Christmas Haul

How is Christmas over already!?? It just came and went so quickly but I had a fabulous day with my family. I got spoilt rotten.

I wanted to share with you all some of the amazing presents I got this year. I'm a very lucky girl!

Clockwise:

New York in Style

GHD V Gold

Kikki K 2015 Diary

Tea Cup

Fujifilm Instax Mini 8

Kikki K pen set

Clinique Foundation

Miss Shop Nail Polish Remover Wipes

OPI Quick Dry Top Coat

OP Correct and Clean Up

Hannibal Season 2

The Walking Dead Season 1

MAC mascara
Country Road Olena Silver Pouch
Mackage crossbody bag
Natio professional makeup set

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HOLIDAYS....CELEBRATE....

FINALLY the holidays are here. I'm so excited to have two weeks off work to just relax and do whatever I want.

Christmas is just around the corner, the hot weather is here and it's time to enjoy some time off so I thought I'd share with you what I've been up to recently in pictures. The plan was to spend time at home with the family (my cats included of course) and do a few different things here and there. Nice job Perth, nice job.

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DIY Christmas Crackers!

I'm starting to get into the Christmas spirit and this year decided I wanted to make something special and unique for a few of the work girls. Everyone loves a Christmas cracker but I always get disappointed in what you get inside, so I created my own!

What you need:
* wrapping paper (cut to A4 size)
* craft glue
* paper rolls
* ribbon
* cracker snaps
* Christmas surprise gifts

1. Cut out two 7.5cm x 21cm strips of paper and paste on an A4 wrapping paper- around 4.5cm from each edge

2. Cut the toilet roll in half and wrap both halves together tightly with wrapping paper. Leave about 8cm of paper on each end. Tape the cracker snap lightly under the edge of the toilet roll.

3. Gather one end of the cracker and tie a decorative ribbon around it. Fill the inside of the cracker with your goodies. I chose yummy chocolates and a great mini OPI nail polish!

4. Gather and tie the other end of the cracker with the same ribbon and your done!

         

  

                                       

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Sunny Western Australia

I'm very lucky to live in a beautiful place called Perth in Western Australia. It's almost summer time and the gorgeous weather is finally here! So yesterday I took my brother's dog Louis for a walk around the river. Have a look at the path we took. Swans, dogs, sun, para sailing...what more could you ask for on a Sunday afternoon.

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