I’m pregnant and feeling very “black”. It seems that I gravitate towards dark colours for maternity clothes, something that has been enhanced by being pregnant through winter twice now. But I’m eager for spring, especially since I got some much wear out of my fabulous Sacha Drake dress last summer… I am just itching to bring some colour back into my life.

Here’s what I’m lusting after at the moment…

I am so completely in love with this dress! I first came across Miss Mel sometime last year and have been sharing her clothes on my FB page since then. Just love, love, love it! This dress is so gorgeous – not sure if I could pull off the colour though. Thoughts?

Luna Lace Dress by Kiyonna You can find Miss Mel on Facebook too. 

Thankfully I don’t need to be non-preggers to enjoy some earring bling! I stumbled across this gorgeous shop on Facebook just last week. Some of you may have seen these before but I had to share with you again. They arrived yesterday and I’ve only taken them off to sleep – simply gorgeous & beautiful quality! (I am loving their desk clocks too – so beautiful and unique!)

You can find Ikandi Gifts and Decor on MadeIt as well as on Facebook 

Another beautiful item I can wear while preggers is this gorgeous, bright scarf! It’s the latest of my Sussan purchases & I am loving it – it goes beautifully with my earrings don’t you think?!

This Goes With That At Sussan! who are also on Facebook.

And last but not least in my colour lust are these shoes. I tried them on in New York but I resisted because I felt we’d done enough shopping at the time. Now, of course, I regret it… lucky for me I discovered that I can buy them through Amazon and with free shipping too – it’s like I’m saving money this way!

John Fluevog, Desmond – they also come in black which is also stunning but the blue just feels a bit more special. 

 

What do you think of my choices? Are there any that you would like to have in your wardrobe too?

Incoming search terms:

• australian made earrings
• bling dresses melbourne
• sussan clothing

 

Father asked us, “What was God’s noblest work?” Anna said, “Men”, but I said “Babies”. Men are often bad, but babies never are.
Louisa May Alcott

 

 

You may have noticed an increase in the number of photos and posts about fashion and beauty from me recently. This isn’t purely an exercise in narcissism and the superficial. I prefer to think of it as a belated embracing of my body, my self and my sense of style.

I’m 31 and I want to enjoy life! For me, that means feeling good about the way I present myself. Not purely in pursuit of vanity (though to deny that a focus on external beauty is a bit vain would be, well vain) but because I am tired of buying into the idea that beauty and fashion are only for those who wear a size 10, that feeling an looking good is something I need to “hold off on” until I “lose a bit more weight”.

Bah Humbug!

It’s very convenient that this revelation has come at a time when the colours and styles in store feel very “me”.

Truth me told, I have always had a love-hate relationship with fashion. The hate part being, jumping on the bandwagon of the latest fad, the love part being finding clothes I adore that actually fit and suit me . At the moment I love what’s “in” – the colours, the styles – all of it. I know that for many the latest trends are actually just the look they’ve been wearing for years…the gorgeous boho, vintage style with the cute hair and if you can really pull it off (or need to rather), the glasses. I don’t know if I could pull it off but I really love it. And now, after years of watching trendy friends wear trendy clothes, finally, they can be found in places other than op-shops; in sizes I can wear and I’m excited!

I would never wear all these items, but I love them none-the-less!

 

The Architect said to me last week that when I first came to Melbourne nothing I wore matched – it looked like I had just put on my favourite things.

Since doing a major cull of my wardrobe last year and another one just recently, I have been gradually buying pieces that I simply love. I highly recommend it! Now, it’s so much easier to get dressed as my wardrobe is made up of clothes I love and that fit me well.

I’ve also started paying more attention to accessories have now have a growing number of fun scarves and necklaces and even earrings! Recently I’ve added some great pieces to my “collection” if it can be called that – I love them all!

1. Elk Necklace    2. Saltwater Sandals    3. Blue Illusion scarf    4.Emily Green earrings

My 20s are over, my 30s have just arrived and I’m not going to waste them worrying about what “could” be when what “is” is just so darn fantastic!

Do you like the way you dress? Do you feel fun/sexy/confident? If not, what’s holding you back?

 

Incoming search terms:

• make up stuff for girls
• makeup brushes

 

It was no small irony that a couple of weeks ago an amazing gift pack with the film “I Don’t Know How She Does It” arrived on my doorstep. It was a Wednesday and I had had one of those crazy days you imagine when you think about the whole motherwood-work-runningabusiness thing.

In between arriving 20 minutes late to pick up my beautiful Bear on his first morning of childcare. (Let’s just say I’m very thankful he is too young to remember that and be utterly traumatised by it. Me? not so much) to The Architect being called into an off site meeting half an hour before I was supposed to drop Bear off with him and hand over the afternoon pick up of Bliss and dinner-bath-bed routine (let’s also just say that leaving my baby boy with the office receptionist, as lovely and trustworthy as she is, does not leave me feeling like mother-of-the-day let along mother-of-the-year) it was a strange day.

When I first heard about this film, I immediately wanted to see it. Whether you are a SAHM, WAHM, working mum or something else who hasn’t at some point related to the “doing it all” vibe of motherhood? It’s everywhere. Clever to make a film about it really :)

I expected to feel a bit uncomfortable watching it; since becoming a Mum I’ve had seasons of being home full time, working part time and now running a business and each have offered unique challenges. Through each season I have realised that whether I am working or not, I am the sort of person who will be doing something and having (and sticking to!) boundaries is an ongoing challenge. There was one scene where I avoided my husband’s gaze but mostly, it was fun and lighthearted look at modern day living and I really enjoyed it!

I’m excited to say I have a wonderful gift pack containing I Don’t Know How She Does It and 4 other great DVDs to giveaway to one lucky reader…

 

to find out more, and enter visit my Facebook Page.

 

 

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been dealing with increasing feelings of stress. Some of it is as a result of real concerns and issues and my inability to see a way through them. Some of the stress has to do with my tendency to cope poorly when the stress starts and to let a snowball effect take place.

Either way, the bursting into tears at the Apple store and collapsing into bed at 4.30pm tell me somethings amiss, and I don’t want to live like this. (I did not mean for that sentence to rhyme!)

There’s no real reason for me to share this today except to say that sometimes when I write a happy update on Facebook or tweet, what I really want to says is “Far out I am a not coping right now.” but I don’t, because finding the positive in my day or something positive in the world helps to re-frame my focus. And that’s a good thing.

Other times, like this morning, I sit down and think “crap, I just don’t know where to start” and so I’m not going to just spurt out the positive; to do that would be false.

Many of you know that I’m a person of faith, and my belief in a God who loves me and cares about what’s good for me is not just a comfort but a practical encouragement that the burdens I feel so heavily on my shoulders are not mine to bear alone. Reminding myself that that His care and involvement in my life is a real, lived, experience is where I get stuck when the feelings of stress take over. Faith is not stagnant, but an active experience just like any other relationship. But sometimes, I just feel like that sick, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach is going to take over. I suspect that is a feeling you too may be familiar with.

To win the battle, I need to win control of my mind - to choose trust, and faith as my response and to seek practical ways to cope and respond to the challenges I can see ahead for me. It’s also to choose to enjoy the moments that I’ve been given, that are wonderful…and to make as many more wonderful moments as I can.

Some days that’s a whole lot easier said, than done.

How well do you cope with stress? What do you do to keep the waves of anxiety at bay, or is this something you struggle with too?

Last week I started writing a post about wanting a make over. I was feeling in a rut about my “look” and wondered what do to…

Then I realised something, the secret to fashion is confidence. Change it up, embrace wearing the things you want to wear and be confident. So I did, and it was great!

Simple, right?

I’ve had the same hair for years…and years…and years…so I set myself a little challenge: to wear my hair in pigtails everyday for a week. The first day it felt really strange, but after a few days it felt good, fun, normal!

It’s also helped me make a big hair decision…I’m excited.

Oh, and I’m also embracing pink lipstick.

 

What makes you feel fashionable? What would make you feel more confident about how you look?