Remember that fancy tea party the other week?  Well here are the outfit photos of what I wore.

It is super, super girly and was particularly appropriate for that kind of event; but it was also almost all vintage! Well at least half.

The dress itself I picked up at the last Way We Wear vintage fair here in Melbourne.  I was told at the time that it is an early 1960’s square dancing dress and it was one of a set of three all in different colours.  The seller even had the matching men’s waist coats and ties that would have been worn to dance with their beau. Awww.

It is made of some sort of metallic threaded, synthetic eyelet lace type material with no give at all so I don’t know what it would have been like for dancing!  Underneath is a baby blue tulle petticoat that has its origins in the early 1980’s and is a bit of a rough homemade job. Not to worry though, cause it did the trick and I love the colour – it was also free!

The stockings I found at Myer on sale and are from the Pins collection by Leona Edmiston There are a little too cheer for my liking but the spot pattern was irresistible.

Shoes – well what can I say? These are incredibly awesome “Japan” shoes from Wittner.  They are incredibly comfortable and you can even run in them with no difficulty should the occassion call for it.

*Please note – I am not attempting to do a pidgeon-toed, ingenue blogger stance here; I was just sliding down the hill!!*

Given that the scarf is all scrunched up tied to my bag, I thought I’d spread her out for a proper appreciation shot.

When I saw this hanging on the rack at Circa Vintage, I leapt for it like a rabid scarf hound! I’ve never seen anything like the print before and new it would be the perfect foil to a collection of many plain coloured scarves.  The bag was a bit of a sneaky sale rack find ($10!) at Equip, that cheap little accessory shop, and while I don’t tend towards small bags there are times that they are really the only chic option. That and it was ROSE print!

The right accessories really make or break this dress as I found out a few times when I just couldn’t make it work. Here’s a round up of the rest-

Headband – pinched from Miss Two

Earrings – pearl bows from Equip

Necklace – ‘Love’ on faux pearls from Equip also

Bow Bangle – Friends of Couture

.. and I think that’s everything!

*P.S: You’ll notice a few changes happening around here.  Please bare with me as I get everything finished and the kinks sorted out. *

Feburary is one of the hardest months to find wardrobe inspiration in for me. Here in Australia it is generally as hot as anything, and it has been for a while. So our enthusiasm for fresh summer looks is on on the wane.  The stores start teasing us with thoughts of Autumn showers, but the sun still insists on frying us to a crisp. This week I’ve taken another imaginary shopping trip, delving into the reaches of my sweating subconcious, to put together some late summer outfits to inspire your days.

Light, bright, Ice Queen chic. Looking like a stylish snowflake will take the heat off!

For party or for play, baby blue envelopes you in a cool breeze as you dream of the sea.

They say that green is the most relaxing colour, and the colour most often chosen by geniuses.  Either way, frogs and frills most certainly go together in this look to take you away from it all.

Red may be the colour of passion, but add lots of rosey pink and it is all girly love. It is summer showers and raspberry kisses with a nice tall sangria as the sun goes down…

To see the details of any of the items in these outfits, simply click on the image and follow the link.

See if you can come up with your own monochromatic masterpiece from what you have in your wardrobe – and NO- black does not count this time!

Feeling inspired yet?

Part of the appeal of cake and it’s various sweet treat friends, is the visual appeal. The perfectly sculputed roses atop a fluffy fondant, it’s soft cakey goodness rising into gentle mounds. But once I’ve eaten it all, I’m a bit sad. Sad to loose the stunning decoration, sad that I’ve masticated it into something unrecognisable on it’s journey to my hips.  But this Christmas I bought myself a special little present that let’s me have my cake and eat it too!

These gorgeous creations can be found at Sweet & Co, but you can also find other delicious creations directly from the artisit.  Try searching Etsy for Decotti,  Mini Food or Desert and you may just find things like these…

It’s the perfect solution for your post Christmas diet. Give up spending all the money on chocolate (for a while anyway) and invest in one of these instead.

I guarantee the smile lasts longer!

Oh the sweetness!

During my recent trip to Singapore I did a lot of shopping… just for something I never usually do. Ha!  Although shopping for me doesn’t always involve spending a truck load of cash, it is more about checking out cool things I love, things that inspire me and things that are just plain pretty, as in the case of this darling shop I came across. I stumbled upon Nana Reve De La in Far East Mall just by chance. In a sea of samey sameness it was a beacon that drew me in with it’s rose coloured song.  My first thought was, ” I can’t believe my buddy Violet has just gone back to Australia! This is her Holy Grail!” So of course in order to share the joy of this super cute store I just had to take some pictures to share.

It was impossible to take two steps in there without emitting little squeals of “Oh look, it’s so cute!” etc.. etc..  The girls in attendance were so sweet.  Given that taking photographs in shops in Singapore is generally a big no no, the ladies were very generous in allowing me to take these shots to share with you on the blog.  There is all sorts of idea theft that goes on in Asia as the copyright laws are not as strong or enforced as they are here in Australia. So it is very important to people to try and protect their businesses, particularly when so much time and effort has gone into creating something so special.

The whole store had such a sweet girly vibe going on. The aesthetic sitting somewhere between Sweet Lolita and Hime Gyaru; but cleverly catering for anyone who’d like a little bit of sweetness for their day.

So much lace, chiffon and pastel colours it was like shopping inside a cupcake ! On first glance you may think that these styles are a bit too over the top and fussy for day to day wear; but think about it. In the harsh summer sun it makes sense to cover up with light breathable fabrics and a beautiful wide brimmed hat, and this was the perfect place to create a summer princess look.  Personally, the outfits on the models above made me think of afternoon tea on the lawns Gatsby style…..

Luckily for Mr.SKM I am a little bigger than the average customer in this store, so it was more of a look and appreciate kind of visit. But there was no possible way I could leave empty handed; isn’t that why accessories where invented? ^-^

After having an indulgent wander through the store, the girls helped me find the perfect little cardigan for a summer’s afternoon. It is sweet, cool and has a suitable retro touch.

… and because I am a sucker for the fancy….

And yes, I had to create a suitable fancy picture post for a store like this.

Singapore.. fun times indeed!

I recently received an email from a place called Reebonz, and having not heard the name before, had no idea what to expect.  And the end of the email in their signature line was a shiny bow tied up and begging me to click.  So I did…

I entered a whole new, sparkly world of luxury shopping that had my heart skipping a beat. It wasn’t just because of the familiar names like Prada, Coach, French Sole, Burberry and Mui Mui; but it was the price tags attached to them! Up to 80% off! “Reebonz is about transporting you into a world of pleasant surprises. A place where discounted luxury is not an oxymoron.”

The team at Reebonz had sent me an invitation to join their exclusive, members only shopping events. It works like this..  Each week the team at Reebonz have special shopping events for their different items including, fashion, accessories, shoes, travel, spa packages and the list goes on.  They also guarantee that all their goods, however amazingly discounted, are brand spanking new and genuine. The events are by invitation only, and run for limited, real time periods allowing you to browse the amazing deals on offer for that selected time. As I write this I am watching a live count down to the end of a sale on this gorgeous piece which is $137 off the original price, one of the many Charles Winston pieces that is up to 60% off on the site!

Yes, there are some very flash pieces here… but there are also some super cute and super cheap ones to fancy up your wardrobe in a hurry.  I think this little Scottie Dog purse would make a great Christmas gift…or perhaps one for me too… we could be twins! Ha

But they don’t just want to tell you what is good, they want you to be involved, so they’ve set up a whole section for you to recommend labels you love and they’ll go out and find them. They are presently working on events with Australian labels too, and I’ve already suggested a few I have my eye on like Romance Was Born, Shakuhachi and Peep Toe Shoes. There is a calendar of upcoming events so you can plan what you’d like to see and even plan for things like Birthday’s, Christmas or even what to do with that bonus cheque you’re expecting.  Of course this is perfect for me as it appeals to both my highly systemized side and my investment dressing mentality. Win Win. Check out some of the new events coming up….

Reebonz have been around for a little while in Asia, but are only just now opening their Aladdins Cave to the rest of us.  I talked to them to find out a bit more about Reebonz and the team behind the site.

Where did the idea for Reebonz come from?
We saw the convergence of several trends such as the increase in online shopping as well as a new group of customers that were looking for luxury.  It led us to our vision of providing “Luxury you can afford” which eventually led to the founding of Reebonz.
What was the inspiration for the name?
The name Reebonz came from the word Ribbons.  We wanted to create this image of people untying the ribbons to unveil the surprise in their present. [You'll see] this idea also reflected in our Logo which resembles a ribbon.
How long have you been around?
Reebonz started its first sale in March 2009.  Relatively young, but the press in Singapore has been kind enough to cover us a few times in different magazines.

What makes Reebonz stand out from other online premiere shopping services? We bring together a wide range of products from all over the world.   Also, we pride ourselves as providing the best price possible for our members, adhering to our vision of providing “Luxury you can afford”.
Is the Reebonz office full of tech savvy fashionistas?
Of course it is! At Reebonz, we keep ourselves up to date with the latest fashion so that we will know what to offer to our members. Also, we don’t have a strict dress code at work so everyone in the office is allowed to showcase their very own unique sense of style. Lastly, you can find us all on Facebook and Twitter.. so that makes us tech savvy right? LOL
Is it hard to focus on work when surrounded by so many beautiful products?
Not so much for myself but I can’t say that for my female colleagues!  Tweets and Facebook updates like: “The leather smell of the bags, so tempting!”, “I want that Coach bag!” are a common sight.
What are some of the labels Reebonz is most excited to be presenting?
We carry a number of popular labels from Europe such as Prada and Miu Miu and from the US, Kate Spade and Coach.
In addition, Reebonz will also be showcasing local designers from all over.
Why should all fashionable Australian’s take advantage of Reebonz’s invitation now?
We have lined up a number of exciting sale events in this month especially for our Australian members.  Further to that, anyone who signs up through Super Kawaii Mama, will receive 10 Reebonz credits (about $8 AUD) upfront to kick start the shopping!

For me it is the little things that make the difference with Reebonz. The attention to detail to make sure that you get just what you expect, by providing excellent images, zoom tools and sizing charts. I hate thinking I’ve bought the perfect bag only to discover that the strap isn’t even long enough to wear it over my shoulder! Add their great customer service, extensive shipping locations and fast turn around times to the incredible designer discounts; and you have the formula for fashion nirvana.

Hurrah! Now that is the way to shop. At your leisure, at great prices and with free money to start you off! Your invitation awaits..