"Bonne année" as the French say...

NYE in the city can be pretty crowded and therefore a rather grim affair. In fact, I haven't ventured into town on the 31st of December since 2000 (along with the rest of Sydney I think). I remember that I had to walk 5km home at 4am as there were no taxi's (well duh!) and I lost a gorgeous gold strappy stiletto somewhere along the way (I grizzled about that right through until February too!)

These days my beau and I spend NYE either travelling somewhere else - like last year to NZ (we were in the little french provincial township of Akaroa, south of Christchurch - It was minus 1 degree's) - or with a group of old friends guzzling champagne and eating BBQ seafood.

This year, friends, champagne and seafood are on the cards...but I highly recommend travelling outside of Sydney also. Our trip to NZ was amazing, even with the chilly temperatures. And you can always find a cosy local pub to see the NY in. Celebrating at least one NY with stranger's in a far away place (or even in New Zealand!) is essential!

Other things to do include:
Romantic dinner at home with just you and your loved one. Candles, French Champagne oysters, lobster and a rich dessert - take the phone off the hook and turn off your mobile...romance is the perfect way to see the New Year in!

Got Kids? even if you haven't, Taronga Zoo is a great spot to see the new year in and to watch the fireworks too. Their Roar and Snooze sleepover program is supposed to be pretty cool for kiddies and adults alike.

What ever you decide to do, HAVE LOTS OF FUN AND BE SAFE.

And make sure you glam up, even if you are at home with friends.

What better occasion to frock up than a celebration of all that has come to pass and all that will be?

New Years Eve for me means new beginnings and new adventures...You gotta look your very best for that!

Bonne année

Happy New Year, Friends!

xox

Sale Guide

Check out Missy Confidential for all the best fashion, accessories, jewelry and beauty product sales around Sydney (and the rest of Australia) this month. She also lists on-line bargains and loads of special offers via her web sites!
This web site is QUALITY information at your finger tips!

So...not long now folks!

At last I can safely say that we are in the final stages of testing our little online boutique. I've had a break over christmas from uploading images and entering all the info...so I still have quite a bit too finish there and of course, there's still a few bit's n' pieces to fix up like the Style File pages and the Design Forum...not too mention alot of the images may actually need re-sizing again

But we are close my friends!

I believe that the site will be live within the next 2 weeks (as long as I work day & night to have it looking spic).

The hold-up is really this....I'm a VIRGO. I can't stand things not being 100% right.
The smallest details are painstakingly scrutinized
Images are re-sized again and again.
Text is re-written over and over.
I'm driving myself a bit batty actually!

Particularly since there obviously will be changes along the way - I know I will find easier ways to do things, I will get feedback from people about things that work and things that don't work, I will find new things to include ....and so on

BUT right now - I just want it to look great and be bug free!

Season's Greetings

I'm heading down the south coast for a few days of R&R.

Have the best christmas!

Happy Holidays!

P.S bowerbird vintage is in the final testing

stages now and it looks like we will be open for business mid Jan!

More on that when I return...

Woohoo!

The LBD and Other Classics

Although I love colour, I also have a number of little black dresses in my wardrobe that I always find solice in wearing on FAT days and I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR days. My favourite at the moment is a little lace slip by SarahJane. Very comfy and stylish too.

It got me thinking though about other classic wardrobe pieces - fall back items is another way of describing them:

Here's what I think every girl should invest in for her wardrobe (and by "invest" I mean buy good quality)

LBD (or 3). The one above is by Vivienne Westwood. It's approx $1000 on Net-a-porter if you've got that kinda cash sitting around. An LBD should be all above the quality of the fabric and the cut of the dress. Westwood's incredible craftmanship and detail make this dress 'to die for'

Black Pointed Toe Stilletto. To go with your little back dress of course! They also look amazing with jeans and a blazer, black pants or a great pair of tailored shorts

White Dresses ( long and short). Long or short - a white dress on a hot summer evening is the perfect outfit. Accessorize with tan!

Metalic sandals - When you can't decide how dressy you need to be for the event your attending metalic sandal are the best bet. Think 5 inch heels too much for the bbq at the inlaws - but wan tto impress? go the sandals. Classy without making you feel overdressed!

Black Straight Leg Pants (high waist preferrable). Everygirl needs a pair of perfectly cut black pants. Just like the LBD, they can get you outta all kinds of strife. I found a great pair at Cue this season. But if you can afford to spend a bit more, do it as a pair of well tailored pants will last for years and in term of cost per wear you'll be ahead!

A ligh weight cardi in a plain colour. Cashmere if you can afford it, otherwise a nice light brushed cotton is good too. I think the best colour is a nice light grey because it goes with so much. My cardi goes everywhere with me!

Leather Bag (no fakes allowed). Black is probably the most practical. Or brown. I personal love an Oroton bag. My staple is a aqua blue slouch bag that I bought from the Oroton factory outlet store about three years ago! I still use it most days.

and finally,

Beaded Vintage Evening Bag (big enough for all your essentials)

Great pair of sunnies (invest in one pair of great classic style sunnies)

and a really nice lightweight pashmina or scarf (comes in handy for many things - honest!)

Perfectly Imperfect

I am no longer afraid of storms,
for I am learning to sail my own ship"
-Louisa May Alcott

The image of Molly Ringwald making her own prom dress in Pretty in Pink defines my 1980's childhood.

My parents didn't have much money nor a great deal of interest in "acquiring lots of useless stuff". So, while other kids wore the latest labels and bought the coolest gadgets with their pocket money, I spent my time in Op shops trawling for treasures I could cut up and make into something that [I thought] would give the cool kids a run for their money.

Back in the 80's in small town NSW, being an individual came with it's fair share of torment (It's a rite of passage of course - still alive and well today no doubt!) and I remember desperately wanting to fit in and be part of that group of girls who all the boys gravitated towards at lunch time.

While other kids got dropped off at the school gates in their parents shiny new holden's and ford's, my rather eccentric mother drove a 1966 bat-winged Peugot 404. I used to walk to 5 km's to school everyday because of it.

But you know what? I'd give anything to have that little car now. I didn't realise at the time of course, but worrying about what other's think of you is a terrible waste of energy...and developing your own style is incredibly important. It helps define who you are.

..Those hours I spent secretly trawling Vinnies sparked a life long love of vintage clothing that I've managed to turn into a career and a lifestyle. Having luckily inherited some of my parents eccentricity and devil may care attitude to life, I have had the courage to step outside of what might be considered the "norm" and do something that I truly enjoy.

And although it's a bumpy ride riddled with plenty of pitfalls and challenges, I'm living my very best life - perfectly imperfect!

Please Please Please

Be carefull on the roads these holiday's my friends.

Three generations in one family died yesterday after their car jack-knived on the Kamilaroi Highway heading back to Sydney. Five people were in that car - all of them perished. Please be carefully, be safe and stay focused if your travelling any great distances.

Lets Talk About Sex

I miss Sex and the City...

Luckily there's a movie coming out...in May next year...so only 5 months to wait for a top up.

in the mean time, click here to check out the SATC trailer for it - Oh, the fashion!!!!!: http://movies.aol.com/movie/sex-and-the-city-2008/30247/main