Fresh flowers are lovely, I have a whole garden full of them. But there is something about being given flowers that I find bitter sweet. That whole fading beauty thing; knowing that as pretty as they may be that moment in time you just don’t get to hold onto it.  I know is a big part of the appeal for so many, but I find it hard to get past. I’ve tried buying and arranging fake flowers but  just can’t get quite the same sentiment of beauty from them; that is until I found myself with a selection of stunning vintage flowers in their original lustre ware vase!

Mr SKM bought me this beautiful vase filled with flowers at the Camberwell markets a little while back. The flowers have a sort of velveteen finish and soft pastel colours that compliment the vase perfectly. But it has started a whole new addiction… lusterware!  Luckily for me, this isn’t an expensive one with all sorts of pieces still available in Op Shops, garage sales, markets and even the odd raid on Nana’s house.

Pretty, no?

Today on Lustable I find the perfect handbag sized, wicked perfume!

Sponsored by Nuffnang - For the latest Super Kawaii Mama post, simply scroll down.

When I was growing up, shopping for clothes was an entirely different landscape to the one I see now.  The was no fast fashion, no hyper tween styles, no super cheap imports and absolutely no way that most people could afford to buy something new every week, especially not a 14 year old with her first job.

We had to learn to plan out what we wanted each year, which as a teenager revolved mostly around what didn’t fit me anymore and the one item I’d need to ensure that my ‘cool’ status was up to date.  Mind you this was only ever really one item, and its cool factor would last for a whole year in most cases.

They don’t make them like this for this kind of price anymore!

Fast forward to the 2000’s and shopping for fashion is a completely different experience. I can now go into a store where not one single item is over $19.95 RRP, and to me, this is a tragedy on so many levels. It is no wonder that the skills of a good shopper are getting lost in the hunt for a bargain.

30 Days of Fashion is a new initiative being launched by the Commonwealth bank to help re-educate us in the ways of the savvy shopper.  With some of the best fashion commentators in the country on board, Commonwealth Bank is getting us talking about how to really invest in fashion, and it isn’t filling your wardrobe with junk from a $5 bin.

Most women I know don’t have a proper shopping budget. The level of organisation we have when it comes to forking out for the latest thrill is limited to how much is in the bank account at any one time and how much of that we can spare. Of course, the problem with this is that it leaves us vulnerable to the quick fix, the cheap and easy and it means that the $1000 handbag you’ve always wanted will forever remain out of your reach. It’s time for some change I say.

Here are my tips for making the most of your money and creating the wardrobe you’ve always wanted.

Have a yearly budget – this doesn’t have to be hard and fast but if you have a figure that you are working to, you’ll know just how much you should be saving each week, what sort of investment you can afford on each piece and how hard you need to then make each piece work to pay its way on your shelf.

Know your style – there is no point in spending $500 on a pair of skinny denim jeans for me just for the sake of a fashion experiment.  Occasionally when you’re tempted to shake it up and experiment with a new style that you haven’t before, the best way to do this is without committing the big $$. But to avoid wasting your hard earned pennies on something that may very quickly end up on eBay, borrowing or renting these pieces is the best way to go.  If you’re lucky enough to have a friend the same size as you, see if you can borrow the item from them for 24 hours and test out its street cred potential.

The other alternative is to rent. There are some great new businesses out there that are renting out more than just evening dresses. You can rent jeans, bags, shoes all manner of fashion. And for a little cash you can test out your new look without leaving yourself open to a bad case of buyer’s remorse.

Know the basics and find the gaps – While most Fashion writers will tell you that the basics are great jeans, black pants, white shirt etc etc.. This very much depends on your style. For me, jeans would be a total waist of money and a black trouser suit equally so. But what are my basics?  Keep a notebook handy near your wardrobe and every time you think, ‘drat I wish I had a blank blank to go with this’, write it down.  Soon enough the missing link will become apparent and you’ll also know just how often you find yourself wishing for that certain item. It gives you a quick reference point to go back to when your next shopping date arrives.

Invest in Fashion. – To me this means a few things; firstly always buy the best quality you can afford. With vintage, this becomes a double delight as you not only find quality far cheaper than buying a new equivalent, but the level of quality standard you’ll find is far greater than most modern equivalents in the same price point.  For instance, a couture 1940’s suit may set you back $450, but buying the modern equivalent with the same production standard is likely to come in closer to $2500.

Look after your pieces well and they will reward you.  If you’re buying quality and you find that after a year you are no longer wearing that piece, you can sell it on for a good return.  Good labels that are well made hold their value far better than a high street bargain.

I could go on and on about this, but let’s have a look at what the industry insiders have to say.

Now the challenge is up to you.  I want you to tell me which of these industry insiders have the best advice and what are YOUR best tips for fashion savings?

Tell me and you could WIN a $200 Westfield Gift Voucher to put towards your next fashion investment!

Competition opened to Australian residents only and will run for the period of two weeks from the live date.

When I was visiting a friend last week she showed me a beautiful pair of enamelled bluebird earrings she’d just inherited from her mother. Tiny, perfect and just so vintage charming. There are certain images that strongly evoke a feeling of the 50′s and this is one of them. The Blue Bird of Happiness isn’t something we see so often these days, occasionally on Christening jewellery, and Sailor Jerry tattoos, but other than that, she’s all but disappeared from the realm of modern accessories.  For a little while there I saw loads of bird imagery in necklaces, wall decals and all manner of hip interior pieces; but an actual ‘blue’ bird not so much.  So I’ve been hunting.

As usual, Etsy has a gorgeous selection of vintage blue bird pieces, from linen to jewellery.

And a quick search on eBay uncovers some real stunners.

No hunt for vintage jewellery would be complete without a visit to Ruby Lane.

It is this last little guy with his Disney eyes that has stolen my heart though. Might be time for an early Christmas present, after all, these are heirlooms!

This week the big Ultimate Rock n Roll Jam Session you’ve heard me talk so much about, kicks off in Melbourne!  So as you can imagine I am running around like a crazy person for the next few weeks.  There is always so much to do, but oh so much fun to be had; and I want you to come and have some fun with me! The show officially opens this Thursday night and runs right through until Sunday 19th December, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get down. However…

This Friday 10th, (and next on the 17th) is 50′s Friday!! A chance to break out your fancy frocks, shine up your cars and come and enter the Best Dressed contest!  This isn’t just one for the ladies, but one for boys, girls, and cool cats of all varieties.  So come down to the Comedy Theatre and join me for a night of fun. Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster, BUT for one lucky reader and their partner I have a DOUBLE PASS to 50′s Friday for you! All you have to do is leave me a comment in the next 24 hours telling me why you have to be there, and the best answer as chosen by me will win that double pass!

If you’re extra clever you may just be able to snag another double pass for the winning Tweeter. Just tweet out a link to this post and the winner will be chosen by random number draw by 8.30am tomorrow! You can follow The Ultimate Rock n Roll Jam Session on Twitter here and add the hash tag #turrjs to your tweet so you make sure I can see you.

Right, well I’m off to start fancying up some special girls for Friday night’s secret fun!

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang

You know how sometimes things are one way in your head but something completely different to everyone else? I do, and that’s just one of the reasons I flipping love Cougar Town. It’s one of those guilty pleasures I have because there are just so many moments I sit there killing myself laughing, as Jules does something she thinks is uber cool only to have the rest of us shaking our heads.

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If you haven’t heard about Cougar Town yet (where have you been?), you’re missing out.  From the creator of Scrubs, the show is based around Jules (played by Courtney Cox), who after seventeen years is recently divorced and trying to get back into the dating game. She’s still looking ridiculously hot as the mother to a teenage son and fills out innumerable spandex jersey dresses throughout the duration of the show.  And while she has a very sexy, very single neighbour across the street to impress, she also has an ex-husband with an IQ of a thirteen year old boy hanging around. (See – drives a golf cart everywhere!)

Now, while I can’t relate to her single and seeking status, there is something far more engaging and hilarious I can. Those stupid day to day things we do that land us in all kinds of embarrassment.  The question of, just what is worth shaving your legs for? Is wine an acceptable accompaniment to cocoa pops on a particularly bad morning? If I leave a suspect 3am message on your answering machine, should I leave another 10 to explain why I did that?

Now given that I have absolutely no embarrassing dating stories to tell you, I’ll tell you what happened to a friend of mine when she went out with a new man and decided to get all sexy..

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After picking up a very cute pair of new knickers, pink gingham with frilled trim that did up in little bows on the sides, she put on her new purchase with a beautiful dress and headed out with said new man.  After a few glasses of wine at dinner, she nipped off to the bathroom, where re-tying those side bows on her pretty knickers was a somewhat acrobatic feat in her every so slightly tipsy state. Nevertheless, she persevered thinking of just how cute they’d look later that evening if all went well.  She powdered her nose and headed back to the table to meet her date.  Only to trip midway through the restaurant as the bows loosed and she was left with a trail of frilly gingham tangled in her stilettos and a pair of very red cheeks!

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It’s that mixture of cringe worthy moments we all know and some great examples of what not to do when dating, which make Cougar Town such a crack up. Although you may not find it quite so funny if watching it with you current partner and he looks at you and says, “ Ha Ha! That’s just like you!” (Note to Mr.  SKM: My victory dance is WAY more coordinated than that!)

Cougar_Town_S1 – Click for a sneak peek at the show!

Cougar Town has just become available on DVD through TV4ME, the place to get your hands on all those titles you’re secretly addicted to.  That way you can have all those laughs on hand when you most need them and no fights over who gets to pick the channel that night.

Want to win a copy of Season 1 for yourself? Then leave me a comment telling me your own funny dating story.  Make sure your comment has a valid email address so I can find you again too! You’ve got two weeks to get you’re your entries in so fess up!

(Contest open to Australian residents only)