Build me up buttercup!

My absolute favourite colour of all time is yellow! I love it in all its incarnations – cheery buttercup (like this skirt) for bright summer days, mustard for the cooler months, pastel shades for a gentle pick-me-up if you’re not in the mood for look-at-me, and who could forget gold for all variety of eye-catching accessories. It’s such a happy, warm and optimistic colour. Whoever said yellow was the colour of cowardice? Try wearing top to toe yellow – now would a coward do that? Pfffft.

***What I’m wearing – cream lace top by Madewell (yes, I have a thing for cream lace tops, I have about seven in various cuts/lengths/lace designs), yellow pencil skirt by J. Crew (Omg on sale right now, and in other awesome colours too! I want the jade one…), suede bow clogs by May (similar here and here), rose and gem necklace by Anthropologie, polka dot wallet by Kate Spade

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like!

When we moved into our home two years back, the quiet leafy streets and beautiful lake nearby convinced us to buy bicycles. We went to this awesome place called Pal and Panther in North Perth which custom made our bikes from refurbished vintage bikes. Mine was duck egg blue and cream and of course had to have a basket, and Jinn’s was a fixie with a red frame and white tires – tres hipster. We had big plans to ride them far far away, mayhap into a sunset or two somewhere, and hopefully even get fit somewhere along the way.

A few months later, I was getting into the car to go to work when I realised our garage door was swung wide open. Thinking that was quite odd, I then noticed something even more odd – the bikes were gone, their locks cut straight through. I called the police in a mild state of panic thinking they would rush out CSI:Miami style to take fingerprints and look for tiny specks of incriminating dust that would lead us to the perpetrators, but was told mildly to “leave a description of the bicycles and we’ll get back to you.” Not exactly the jump-in-the-car-sirens-squealing reaction I’d hoped for.

So that’s it. The bikes were gone.

Thinking I was never going to hear from them ever again, I moped around work, sweeping the floor with my bottom lip…when I received a call from the local police station.

“Is your bike light blue?”

“Yes”

“With cream mudguards?”

“Yes”

“Well you better come in quickly before one of us takes it home, it’s gorgeous!”

So that’s how my treasured little bike made its way back home. I couldn’t have been happier because I knew I’d never be able to replace her. Sadly, Jinn’s bike was never found. But a year later and after a suitable period of mourning he’s managed to move on and so we took ourselves and our two-wheeled friends for a wee test drive around the neighbourhood – just like old times.
***Jinn’s brand spankin’ new bike from Jellybean Bikes, mine from Pal and Panther

***What I’m wearing – patchwork chambray sleeveless top by Cameo, floral trousers by Finders Keepers (gotta love these ones also by Cameo), pink leather shoes by The Horse, sunglasses by Madewell

***What he’s wearing – dark blue t-shirt by Silent Theory via SqueakyTees, light blue shorts by St Goliath (similar), chambray shoes by Pointer via Kaeho, light green backpack by Herschel (colour no longer available), Chicago Bulls cap by New Era, sunglasses by Cheap Monday

Starry starry night…

***1. Charlotte Olympia leather clutch, 2. Vintage Chanel earrings, 3. Galaxy tights by Shadowplaynyc, 4. Ocean Meets Sky by Terry Fan, 5. Astral crown by Giant Dwarf

Vintage Chanel…beyond the 2.55

I too am dreaming of owning my very own perfectly formed Chanel handbag one day. I came close to it on our holiday but choked when I couldn’t decide exactly what I wanted (so many amaaaazing choices – how to choose?) and was also plagued by my guilty conscience (i.e. my husband) reminding me how much I’d already splurged on other purchases.

I’m actually intrigued by all the non-classic forms of handbag Chanel have released over the years. Take this bright red creation for example…There’s something so appealing about a flippantly boyish yet luxe backpack, so many crazy and contradictory ideas combining to make one awesome product.

I also have a penchant for the weirdly shaped ones that make you do a double take because you initially think that it couldn’t be Chanel but the exquisitely quilted lambskin and of course that undeniable logo tell you another story. See? You didn’t think Chanel could be “funky”, did you?

And finally, to mix things up even more, why not check out something that’s not in lambskin? Fancy a picnic with your very own wicker Chanel bag? Or conjure up 1950s glam with a wee bakelite tortoise evening bag? Vintage Chanel is a whole other world to explore (don’t even get me started on their vintage earrings – I may not surface for days!) that I can get lost in for hours…Does anyone else have the same unhealthy obsession as me? If so, let me know in the comments below! Help me prove to my husband that I’m not the only one!

*** All rare vintage Chanel***

1. Quilted lambskin backpack – my fave!

2. Lizard quilted oval shoulder bag

3. Green caviar leather shoulder bag

4. Black quilted wristlet

5. Wicker and leather flap bag

6. Bakelite tortoise evening bag

Roll over Ruck Rover…(+ Little Willy’s)

Perth City has undergone somewhat of an overhaul over the past two years, and in no place is it more evident than William Street, Northbridge. It once used to be a road lined with strip joints and bad restaurants, and I would certainly never have wandered down it alone after 8pm or so (and even if accompanied, at a very brisk pace!). Now the gorgeous old buildings have been restored to reveal their gorgeous late 1800s faces and are attracting more and more lovely new occupants! Tiny shops filled with racks of pretty vintage clothing, hole-in-the-wall coffee bars, and hip new restaurants are now filling up the spaces.

A more than welcome newcomer, Ruck Rover, has moved from its old home in Mount Lawley to join the now trendy crowd along this street. They stock a cute collection of clothing for guys, girls and children, as well as a wide range of gifts that would have nearly everyone on your Christmas list covered. Funky and brightly coloured beaded necklaces for your sister or BFF (I caved and bought one for myself!), polaroid cameras and film for any hipster in your life, sweet diaries that would impress any obsessive compulsive mum, and even homewares for the newly moved out.

I personally left with the aforementioned necklace, some earrings, a bunch of gorgeous greeting cards and the 50th issue of Frankie (yay for Frankie!). The place is dangerous I tells ya. Wandering further north up William Street we somehow also managed to acquire a new print from Outre Gallery by Matte Stephens, and an old Nina Simone record (an original pressing!) from Noise Pollution.

We may have travelled onwards but I hadn’t worn sensible shoes (now there’s a money-saving tactic!) so we stopped by Little Willy’s to enjoy their fine coffee and homemade pink lemonade. Now there’s a perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.


***What I’m wearing – ivory scallop lace top by Madewell, fuchsia petal skirt by Leifsdottir, black and tan wedges by Country Road (similar here and here), earrings by Kate Spade (similar), lip tint by Tarte in Spirited

***What he’s wearing – chambray shirt with dog embroidery by Pigeonhole (they don’t have the dog one anymore but they do have the duck one – here!

Oh Lover

This outfit is a bit more “dramatic” and dark than my usual style but I just had to have this Lover Serpent Lace Dress when it came out earlier this year. I’d seen the gorgeous bright red version on Mirander Kerr but ummed and ahhed way too long about it and then was completely devastated when it sold out. This awesomely moody and romantic teal version was meant to be a post-exam present to myself but I just couldn’t wait so it turned out to be a pre-exam splurge! I wasn’t going to let it slip through my hands again…

***What I’m wearing – Lover Serpent Lace Dress in teal, black suede heels by Robert Robert (similar – these are cooool…), vintage Louis Vuitton clutch, diamond and ruby earrings (similar), my favourite red lippy by MAC (MAC Red), navy blue nail polish and caviar manicure by Ciate (here and here)

Get your festival on…Beaufort Street style!

Wall art by Robert Jenkins

Hope some of you made it to the Beaufort Street Festival! It was a fun day with plenty of different sorts of activities – food, wine, music, art, fashion – seriously you’d have to be some kind of grouch not to have had a good time. Here’s a pick of a few things we did.

It was initially a rather sweltering 34 degrees but it was not long before a sweet breeze picked up and made the heat more tolerable. We ducked into the area hosted by the Ellington Jazz Club to hear Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics play a feisty set – mama’s got one hell of a voice! They just looked like they were having way too much fun on that stage, even with the boys dressed in full suits in the heat!

After thirstily downing a delicious and heat-defying raspberry and apple icy pole (Jinn had lime and mint – jealous…), we wandered further down the street, resisting the temptation of the stalls full of multicultural treats – paella, tacos, goslemme, murtabak, okonomiyaki – yes, we had to be very strong! Someone was blaring Justin Timberlake’s Senorita song…no wait, someone totally aMAzing was singing JT, and completely blowing our minds! He sounded just like him (if not a bit better, i.e. less whiny) and he had a sweet band backing him consisting of a keyboardist and drummer. And they’re all music teachers…whaaat? Yeah, they were advertising a teaching company – sign me up boys! If anyone can make me sound/play like that, I’m in. You can find them here.

Sadly I couldn’t stay any longer as I had a hen’s party to go to, but that didn’t stop me having fun! These festivals/street parties are becoming more common here in Perth in the warmer months and I for one am all for it!

Photo art by Keith Clements

See you there next year!

***What I’m wearing – navy blue playsuit by Gorman, tan embroidered belt also by Gorman, tiny yellow flower earrings by someone that escapes my memory (similar), brown leather sandals by Jeffrey Campbell via Urban Outfitters (similar), tortoiseshell sunglasses by Robert Marc

***What he’s wearing – yellow printed t-shirt by T-bar (similar), Brooklyn Nets cap by Adidas, sunglasses by Cheap Monday via Kaeho

Chevron heaven…

***1. Gorman wedges, 2. Natural and mint clutch via Etsy, 3. Throw cushions by ThePillowPeople, 4. Earrings by Virginie Millefiori, 5. Rag & Bone dress, 6. Fox iPad/laptop skin via society6

Tiny mementoes from NYC

I bought these wee bracelets from Helene Pe at Artists & Fleas in Brooklyn as a teeny tiny way to remember our amazing time in New York. Helene is a French artist and jewellery designer whose quirkiness and eye for detail make her works both punchy but irresistibly delicate at the same time.

Visit her homepage and tempt yourself by visiting her online shop!

***What I’m wearing – black button-down tank by Ecote (similar), cat print trousers with gold zip detail (can’t find anything quite like it but these and these are pretty cool!), bracelets by Helene Pe, sunglasses by Robert Marc, shoes are a $5 find from the Ladies’ Market in Hong Kong (these are cute!)

***What Schnooks is wearing – fur model’s own (similar here and here)

***We do not condone the wearing of fur unless you are naturally blessed! (i.e. furry animals and Greek men)

It’s not easy being green…

 

Oh but yes it is! It’s now heading into summer here in Australia and the colour I’m totally digging right now is green, ranging from the bright grassy variety down to the more understated moody jade type – whichever tickles your fancy! Add the colour to your table top, or to your home as an occasional chair, accentuate a monochromatic outfit with a bright accessory (picture a black and white polka dot dress with a chunky green beaded necklace – here’s one), or be brave and go all out with a green dress or floral onesie!

***1. Kate Spade heels, 2. Jadeite bowls from Terrain, 3. Kate Spade iPhone cover, 4. Fibreglass shell chair from Modernica, 5. Madewell dress, 6. Anthropologie earrings, 7. Cambridge satchel