There was a very special tea party to attend the other week. A tea party you’ll see and hear more about a little later, but first up its all about the outfit.

Lolita styles are not something I’ve really added to my wardrobe.  I love the colours, the frills, the prints; but I also know that for me they just don’t work head to toe.  So as usual, I’ve taken the elements of what I love about the style and worked it up to create something very ‘me’.

The whole outfit was so much fun to put together and so much fun to wear.  And the hair? Well that is the result of setting small pin curls for 24 hours then letting them go wild!

The skirt is by Japanese Gothic Lolita brand Body Line which I actually found here in Melbourne at the One Day in Paradise store.  I loved the pink and black striping as well as the cotton lace detail and tulle underskirt.  Apparently it can be worn with petticoats underneath too, but it had enough volume for me as is this time.  The print is all fruits and icecream with little flecks of glitter here and there too, as well as black satin ribon woven through the hem of the lace.

Where did it all come from? Surprisingly, other than the skirt, I already had all these other pieces in the wardrobe.  It just required a fresh set of eyes looking through the drawers to pull it all together.

Outfit Details

Pink Fascinator and Pink and black bow (minus the little tiara) - Hoplessly Devoted on Etsy

Mini Tiara hair clip (worn in fascinator) – Paragon Department store Bangkok

Black satin shirt – Cue Winter ’09

Skirt - Body Line

Red Opaques – Columbine

Shoes – “Japan” by Wittner

“Love” necklace – by Equip

Pink cake ring – Sweet & Co.

Lashes- Eylure at Priceline

Lipstick – ‘Strawberry’ Loreal Sheer Delice Gelee.

Sponsored by Nuffnang

Mr SKM is not the only special man in my life.  There is another.

He snuggles me at night, he is always there when I need him and doesn’t mind when I dress him up in a sailor suit.  He is rather furry but that only adds to his charm.  Bosco (Eduardo Raul Fernandez to give his full name!) is my 7 year old Maltese cross Shitzu.  He is the child I had before I had children, and is just about the most perfect dog you could ask for.  He is a brilliant companion, always does what he is told and has never caused me one moment’s trouble, unlike his pink haired companion Lola you all saw for Valentines.

But Bosco has special needs these days.  My poor puppy suffers from Retinal Atrophy which means that in the space of 12 months he went completely blind; and while he is still young in years this condition mean a serious change in his behaviour and needs.
With a house full of children leaving toys around and an aesthetically obsessed owner,  poor Bosco spends much of his days trying to navigate the changing mine field that is our home.  So now, where he used to run and play a lot, he sits most of the day in a sunny spot and whiles away the hours feeling the sun and the breeze.  And here is where the problem comes in for him.

He just isn’t as active as he used to be.  Even though he isn’t yet an old boy, he has the lifestyle of one which means that weight gain and joint health are real risk areas for him.  In Australia 40% of dogs are overweight, and overweight dogs aren’t more cuddly they are simply unhealthy. So when Pedigree contacted me and offered to send me some of their new Mature and Healthy Weight specialty dog food, I realised this was the perfect opportunity to help Bosco conquer one of his daily challenges.
PEDIGREE makes a Light & Mature product that is specifically forumlated for less active and overweight dogs.  The product contains 30% less fat to reduce calories and has added glucosamine for joint health in senior dogs.  I was excited to give it the taste test with Bosco as he doesn’t show much interest in food as a rule.  It could be that trying to fight off sneaky magpies that take advantage of his weakness is all just a bit much, but when presented with the new Pedigree Light & Mature, those birds didn’t stand a chance!

Because being overweight is just as bad for dogs as it is for us people, Pedigree have teamed up with The Biggest Loser to help us and help our dogs.  They have some brilliant nutrition tips for dogs, as well as advise on getting fit and staying health together. (It also has some very cute puppy pictures)  There are some great basics for dog care and also guides to help you both survive the holiday season padding free!
I’m really excited to see the change that Pedigree Light & Mature will make to Bosco and his ability to cope with his body’s changing needs.  Getting back a healthy, happy dog would be the best holiday gift ever; and you’ve got to look after those special men!

Thanks Pedigree Light & Mature!

I’ve been asked many times how I tie my simple headscarf.  The one I wear when I’m setting my pin curls and still want to be able to go out on errands looking half way decent.  So today, I have a simple video tutorial for you, taking you through three simple and easy to achieve looks with a large square scarf.

There are so many I could show you, but don’t want to overload you by creating a whole two hour tutorial! So here are the first three ways that can be adapted to suit your own style.

This is in high definition, so remember you can click to make the image full screen for better detail.
Enjoy!

*For those of you viewing in IE, I’m experiencing a few technical glitches with the site at the moment. Please bare with me as we attempt to repair the damage.*

I simply could resist the title, as cheesy as it is!  With the upcoming winter on everyone’s mind’s here, the Great Boot Hunt begins.  Every mag you pick up has list and list of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of boots, but none of these were really working for me.

I knew what I wanted but, like always, knew it would be a difficult find.  I spent ages trawling the various online boot sources, but nothing really got my full attention.  It wasn’t until I popped out to the local mall to come back with groceries that I spied these and had to try them on.

They were almost perfect and met all bar one of my criteria.  They are over the knee, but not too restrictive, and they have great (removable) buckle detail that gives them a slightly military feel.  They have a fantastic heel that is stable enough to spend the whole day in without drama, and they fit nicely around my calves.  I have a high instep so it is often difficult to find boots with the right style of opening that means I can actually get them on, and the side opening zip that comes right down to the instep works perfectly.  The only con for me on these is that they aren’t leather.  I would have been happy to pay much more for these if they were a top quality, leather pair of boots; but they looked so good I was prepared to forgive that shortcoming.

They are the amazing “Mali” boot by Novo.  I haven’t found them listed in their online store sadly, but it seems that they are available in the shop.  It may be that they are too big and costly to ship, but either way I’d always recommend trying on boots first.  They appeared on the LMFF runway last week too which you’ll see here.

I love their versatility to work with so many different looks and aesthetics, from cute to goth, I’ve been wearing these a lot!

Outfit Details

Dress: Red Berry(several years ago)

Chocolate opaques – Voodoo

Boots – “MALI” by Novo Shoes

Mint Pashmina – The House of Cashmere

All images by Candice DeVille.

As our long summer days draw to a close and Autumn is well and truly here, these pictures remind me of a perfect afternoon.

Sun, family and fun.

It was the perfect day out.