There is only one thing happening here all weekend – Preparing for the big 5th Birthday party of Miss 4! She officially turned five last Wednesday but has decided not to get any older until tomorrow with all her friends here. Hence, I have spent all day today and the better part of the week, preparing this extravaganza of pinkness.  There will be balloons, cake, lollies and all the other pre-requisites for inducing comas in five year olds.  The big news of the day is that we have a Unicorn coming!  This means that I have just unglued my fingers after creating his horn.  I won’t spoil it with all the details, but I will give you a blow by blow account after the big day.  So until then I shall continue icing my kitchen bench and hoping some of it ends up on the cake!

About the way I look right now...

Please be entertained whilst I continue my cooking madness…….

Links à la Mode : June 25th

• 39th and Broadway: Ever wonder who really determines how your clothes fit? An interview with a technical designer
• alixrose: You have the perfect outfit, but whats the one thing that can keep it from becoming fabulous?
• A Typical Atypical: A deep dive into the reasoning behind shoe obsessions
• Awakened Aesthetic: Affordable ways to bring urban fashion into your decor without getting tacky
• Bobbins and Bombshells: Fashionable History – A look into 1920′s swimwear and bathing suits.
• Bonne Vie: When Bloggers Unite – The Hotel Max Edition
• Decline Designs: Defining Your Personal Style – Having “Go-To” Outfits
• Fasshonaburu: Digging through a high end sales to find purchase-worhty pieces, and tips on how to not go over budget
• Fashion Consciou$: Fashion Flashback – Return of the culottes
• Fashion Pulse Daily: The evolution of the gladiator to the “mandiator”
• Freya: A little gown guide for your summer wedding
• hkShoeGeek: Harnesses – A collection of favorites for every style and price range
• Idiosyncratic Style: A guide for casual wedding attire
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: You just don’t compare…
• Retro Chick : Mary Queen of Charity Shops – Now it’s all over, some final thoughts
• Shoe Daydreams: Are you on board with the latest trend – Over The Knee boots?
• Tatiana Supports the Arts: Indie Designer Spotlight – ALEX&RA, designed by Alexandra Cipparone
• The Bare Skinny: Not everything has to be black and white – inspiration for adding color to your wardrobe
• The Coveted: Shu Uemura’s inspired lashes
• Unfunded: Respect your elders – Rock the vintage!
• Work Chic: Chic hosiery options if you still have to wear them in the summer heat!
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It has been a rainy and sniffly week for me here, so I have spent a lot of time planning things to cheer myself up. I have come up with so many project that I may need to hire the services of the Seven Dwarfs to complete them all! The inside of my studio is now filled with supplies; musk pink silk roses, five meters of magenta plaid taffeta and paint swatches that look like the inside of a lolly shop.  So let’s see what’s on the agenda.

Heading into Williamstown for The Way We Ware Vintage Fair – the perfect shot in the arm for my winter wardrobe.

Planning the world’s greatest birthday cake for the big event this week.

Sketching and planning a pink princess play area for this misses.  I need to source the perfect chandelier for this one, as even though I know they have already had their moment, when you’re five, so long as it is pink and sparkly its Da Bomb!

Working on a fabulous new Style Inspirations series for you all!

1. The princess bedroom, 2. The three chairs, 3. Dining Room Chandelier

Links a la Mode

So what is on your fun agenda this weekend?

I’ve been all enthused this week. I get a bee in my bonnet about certain things and just can’t let it go.  Then it becomes and all consuming obsession, as you saw earlier in the week, that turns into me wearing a blue sequined sweat shirt – should I have managed to get my hands on one! Such is the delight and hazard of blogging for a living; I can never think of something I don’t want next.

So this weekend I plan to indulge some of my fantasies and play dress ups!

Give myself a DIY  manicure that is completely impractical but totally gorgeous!

Decorate a box for Miss 4 to keep all her hair things in and keep them out of my fruit bowl!

Use exclamation marks in a gratuitous manner!

Go present shopping for Miss 4′s upcoming birthday. I’ve been asked for a Nintendo DS, new bike, iPod, mobile phone and a unicorn pony with wings. An old fat pony with a stick on horn and wings looks more likely!

Finish reading my book while drinking hot chocolate full of raspberry pink marshmallows

Beg, borrow or make a pair of these!

1. Tarina Tarantino's Tokyo Hardcore, 2. Tarina Tarantino Tokyo Look Book detail, 3. Tarina Tarantino Pink Head Mod Hello Kitty Mini Mascot

Links a la Mode

Whether it is snowing or sunny down your way, put your feet up and ENJOY your weekend!

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Oh some lazy days.  Just what the Doctor ordered and this time I really must stick to the plan. I am one of those people who all too often falls into the trap of believing that having “down time” equates to laziness of the bad kind, and hence schedules up every moment of the day. But this weekend I plan to smell the roses and only give myself a bit of a “relaxing calendar” to make sure I don’t just keep on working! So here goes…

Sleep in.  A sleep in for me is anything past 7.30 in the morning. If the clock hits 8.00 then that is excellent.  Anything past 8.00 and I must be in a hotel somewhere away from poky little fingers.

Read my favorite blogs. There are so many old friends, and so many new ones.  Now if only I could find an easy way to leave comments from my RSS Reader … (all suggestions on that one welcome).

More mending of vintage garments. No this isn’t work. I  like to do this and plan outfits around each garment as it becomes wearable again. I suppose it is like breathing life back into something by intent.

Shop for some delicious food and plan something gourmet for a treat. One thing I am not is a gourmet cook. I generally don’t cook anything that requires more than 30 minutes work so I need to find something that is big on taste and impact while short on time.

Read. I am currently reading The Thoughtful Dresser by Linda Grant and so far…. WOW. BUY THIS BOOK NOW! I intend to send her a personalised thank you letter.

Treasure Hunting. I will be hitting up my favorite markets to see what treasures await me and my imagination.  Not that I need more treasures, but the fossicking and chatting with stall holders does one good.

Gore-met Food.

Links à la Mode : May 28th

• A Typical Atypical: How to wear the fashion of the eclectic makeup style of the the Dresden Dolls
• Agent Dreamer: An interview with Izzy of The Dandy Project
• Capitola Girl: Modern wood designs for summer accessories
• Decline Designs: Defining your personal style, part two – the essentials
• Dirty Laundry: Monochromatic style exploration
• Fashion Grail: A few modifications for one of Sienna Miller’s go-to looks
• Fashion Matchmaker: Fashion at the Cannes Film Festival
• Felicia Sullivan: Score ten amazing summer pieces for under $100
• Pop Your Fashion Pill: 4 DIY necklaces in 30 minutes using safety pins: No scissors, pliers or hooked used!
• Retro Chick: Showcasing Kristinit for this month’s Ethical Design Spotlight
• Style Symmetry: Eyeliah celebrates her 1,000th post with a snazzy reader giveaway
• The Coveted: Who Knew? Over 50% off American Apparel deals on Amazon
• The Demoiselles: Translating boyception – how they perceive our style
• Unfunded: The many ways to play with ShopStyle ranging from shopping to blog content
• Vulgar Moon: How to enjoy the comfort of sweatpants while still looking good
• Style on the street: My outfit and a style advice for the next Fall-Winter
• Yes Please Mademoiselle: Introducing french label ‘The Kooples’.
• Felicia Sullivan: Score ten amazing summer pieces for under $100
• Fun, Flat Broke and Fabulous : 7 Questions to ask yourself before you buy.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Essential WordPress Plugins for Fashion Bloggers

Enjoy your lazy days!

This weekend marks the ten year anniversary for Mr SKM and myself. Yes, we should have planned something special but we always seem to forget when it is coming up!  So our something special may have to be the luxury of a weekend at home with no major commitments.  That in itself is holds so many wonderful possibilities and the chance to do something that, as parents, doesn’t happen often.  Be spontaneous and do whatever we like!  Still, like a typical Virgo, my spontaneity will be paradoxically structured around the following:

Upholstering a vintage dressing chair in marshmallow pink fur for Miss Four.

Starting some new sewing projects from a pile of vintage patterns just received from my buddy in LA.

Making scones.

Contemplating a completely new hair cut – would it still work for my diverse styles?

Creating a new hair adornment from various things I have been collecting.

Listening to my favorite crooners and divas.

Trialing my most fabulous new glasses on the public.

Image by Melingo Wagamama

Links a’la Mode for Your Weekend

• 39thandbroadway.com – Bringing an End to Fashion Knock-offs– Finally!
• Agent Dreamer – Designers I Heart: The Dark, Majestic Femme
• Agent Lover – How to Throw a Swap Party
• Awakened Aesthetic – An Instant Classic: Black & White
• Breakfast at Saks – Erika Hendrix – An Urban Romance
• BRICK MY LANE – Mrs Obama and fashion = respect
• Clutch 22 – How to negotiate a price-match including a video experiment at Nordstrom.
• Decline Designs – Defining Your Personal Style, Part One: the Concept
• Dirty Laundry – How to Refine Your Self-Portraiture
• dramatis personae – Developing Your Wardrobe Palette {part 4}
• Felicia Sullivan – Step aside, Kerastase. Phyto is the new reigning queen of haircare
• Hong Kong Fashion Geek – Fashion Geek’s tips to scoring big at warehouse sales.
• Independent Fashion Bloggers – The New IFB is Here!
• Krislyn Diaries – DIY: cool summertime do’s
• Mystery Creature – how to follow fashion with a vintage twist
• Retro Chick – Do’s & Don’ts for the Perfect Wedding Guest Outfit
• Style Symmetry – How to be a Guest at a Clothing Swap Party
• THE COVETED – shu uemura is in the Pink
• The Demoiselles – Fat or Thin… You’re Still Getting Old
• The Recessionista’s Blog – Choosing a Swimsuit: Summer Style Tips
• Work Chic – You still can still be a chic mom to be in the summer heat!

Happy 10th Anniversary Mr.  SKM!