Thursday, January 31, 2013

From Find to Fabulous!

Don't you love it when it all just falls into place?

Need a dress? Find the dress. Dress arrives. Dress fits - better even! Day of Dress wearing dawns. Day is Fabulous!

From Find to Fabulous !

Cheers






Grab some Green


You know you are addicted to a colour when you go searching for it, and it alone............. 
 
 
 
 

 
...............because it is always time for some green =)




Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Quickie Must Buy - Urban Outfitter Batwings T's

You absolutely must get one of these tops for you, your friends, and even your Mom (Mum!) - they go with everything, drape beautifully, and come in black, grey, green, purple and red!  They look expensive in person and I am going back for more.


Three Kinds of Crazy - Which Workplace?


The way I see it, there are three kinds of corporate workplaces:

Modern & Young Orientated - ( or as I call it Gen-Y cruisey smoochy-woo )

This is your sneakers, too cool for school workplace - super fun to begin with, super hard to be a boss!  Or god forbid an owner - the more you give, the more you are taken taken taken.  Phrases like 'what's in it for me', and "but I'm on lunch!' and 'gosh I hope we go somewhere better for the Christmas party than last year!'.  Workers often deign to turn up, and are genuinely surprised when expected to turn up on time and put in a full days work - all whilst bemoaning the lack of Facebook access at their desk.

{via}
 
 
Old Fashioned, 1970's Chic
 
Get to your desk, do your job, do not pass go, do not collect $200.  You are expected to mind your Ps & Qs, your boss can get angry at you and perhaps even yell and it is considered normal.  Pay reviews occur as the GM deems necessary, which is as little as possible, and you are made to feel every single day that you don't work hard enough, and you should be extremely grateful that you have a job at all.
{via}
 
Benchmark
 
Yes, I have worked in one of these.  Most employees and the management team are on the same track - success at work, and a reasonable work/life balance.  Mistakes are unavoidable, but examined as they occur and consequences generally match the original output.  HR exists but isn't used as a beating board, but as a valuable function of the business.  People work hard, and occasionally get a fun reward.  Reviews are conducted yearly but pay increases aren't expected but worked hard to get, and negotiated for.
{via}
 
 
Why I am writing this?
 
The Benchmark Workplace used to be the norm - and now more and more of my contemporaries are trying valiantly to work in the first 2 discussed - and are bewildered, frustrated and sad.  And it goes hand in hand with much of the bewilderment we all feel about many things.
 
What can we do ?
 
Those of us with influence, with a voice, who aren't afraid need to be braver,stronger, and refuse to be lured by the sometimes higher, seemingly 'easier' money of the Gen Y Workplace, refuse to bow to the Old Fashioned Workplace, and CREATE the Benchmark Workplace that was becoming so prevalent in the 1980's and 1990's.  Have a voice, have an opinion, vote with your feet, and if you are a boss, be a role model, even if it is hard.  Especially because it is hard.
 
Peace out.
{via}
 


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Style Crush - Julie SariƱana aka Sincerely Jules

OK, so I am starting this 'series' with my absolute top Style Crush - because you don't start with number eleven now, do we?

Jules @ Sincerely Jules epitomises every single thing about style that I humbly adore - it just looks flawless, easy (for her) and so authentic.  She isn't channelling anyone else, she is embodying what suits her but more than that, she is taking crisp, clean bites from a higher inspired place.

Yes - she is tiny and everything looks good on her BUT she isn't super tall (I don't think?) and she doesn't have the classic 'coat-hanger' body of the high-enders.  Her hair is messy (in oh such a good way) and (dare I say it ?) - she doesn't look 'sparkley clean' - and I mean this in a gritty sense - and hence the authentic, realness that comes through.


http://www.sincerelyjules.com/
Jules looking gritty @ Sincely Jules

I sometimes wish she wrote more text, talked more about where her inspirations came from, how she mixes expensive with ASOS, but when I am looking for a spoon and spaghetti comforting style-eating, it is Jule's blog I go to.

In an Asos top @ Sincerely Jules
I also think Jules single-handedly started the Isabel Marant craze!
Jules looking amazing in the simplest things @ Sincerely Jules




Monday, January 28, 2013

Outfit Quickie - lunch in Freo

Casual lunch in Fremantle - what's not to love?
Floppy black hat from City Beach, grey batwing top from Urban Outfitters, shorts (old), necklace from Equip, sandals from Novo.





Sunday, January 27, 2013

Outfit Quickie - afternoon poolside w. cocktails

Ok - what do you think of this for a fabulous warm to hot afternoon by a friend's pool, post Australia Day?

Cool Indian cotton top, denim vintage cuffed shorts, turquoise necklace & fun cowboy-inspired hat! Flat brown Indian leather sandals and a slouchy tan rattan bag complete the 'on-somb' :)
G&T here we come!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Hangover from h*ll

Oh dear - full of good intentions to post my shorts refashion but my day was derailed by a very unexpected and UNFAIR hangover. Damn you delicious orange-colored Irish cider!

Did you know that the paler the drink the less likely you will get a hangover? I am not a big drinker but as I have gotten older, my ability to imbibe without regret & pain has decreased on the exponential!

This is apparently due to 2 things - additives and dehydration. So what do I normally indulge with?

Gin and low cal tonic. Yum. The tonic rehydrates me as I drink, and good midshelf gin has few additives. Equals zero hangover for me!

Of course - be sensible too: have snacks, drink water, and try to stick to 3 or 4 drinks tops. Yes, I'm a saint :)

So anyhow, all I can give you is this former sage advice and this picture of my tootsies in jammies.

See you soon!



Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sneak Peek - Too Short-Shorts!

Love those shorts?  Grabbed them because they were an absolute bargain ?

BUT - got them home and they are hideously short?  Like, for a 10 year old ?

There has to be a way to fix this:

Yes - I know I'm bright, but I am channelling Wendy's Lookbook!
 
 
Tune in shortly to see - they came out just swell!

Do Bloggers tell the truth?

I saw a blogger with camel toe today.  Real, genuine camel toe.  At various angles.  A real famous blogger.

And the comments?  They were gushing in their praise, stupendous in their awe - which makes me wonder:

"Besides 'Anon', does anyone tell the truth in comments?"

Is blogging just for other bloggers, so we are scared to tell the truth?  Manners may prevent me from publicing shaming (!) the camel-toed blogger, but if I had thought it was a genuine oversight, perhaps a discreet email to point out the, well, lumpy truth ?

I am a truth-teller from way back so maybe this is all just normal?

What do you think ?


Here's a picture of my Jacaranda Tree to look at while you ponder

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Beauty Myth? - Eye Cream

OK, I was very lucky as a young lass, my mother was a housekeeper for a lady who headed up a very large, very well know high-end cosmetic brand - and this was back in the day when you could probably count prestige brands on one or two hands....

So I grew up using cream, potions & lotions that were way out of any (normal) teenagers pocket money budget (remember ladies, this is pre-strawberrynet/pre-orderanythingfromtheinternet) and the one piece of advice I remember getting at a very young age was 'start using eye cream as young as possible, and use it every day'.

So I have.

Now, I don't necessarily use a high-end cream all the time anymore - I tend to mix them up, kind of like shampoo, and I have to say I am very wrinkly-free around the eye area for my age. :|

I have been trying to find a closeup photo of my eyes, but that is proving quite difficult!

Here's just one of my recent engagement party instead!

 
OK, so I am in my 40's and I have been using eye cream since my very early teens - but I have never used the 'gentle pat' method.  I have always used the 'smear and spread' method - yes, that is the technical term ;)
 
So anyhow, the 'myth' is that the skin around your eyes should be touched with a feather touch only - I think my under eye area particularly responds well to a firm massage-like application.
 
What do you think?
 
Disclaimer - I am not a beautician (der fred) nor do I have any authority to give skin care advice.


ASOS code for Australia

Code for 20% off is ASOSFESTIVAL.

Also, there is a code for $30 off for orders over $150.  Go to www.retailmenot.com .

Good luck !
Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4650211/?claim=82ayb5zxkwq">Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Greetings and Salutations.....


I usually start the day with a Facebook check, news check, Twitter check, email check, more news check, and then when I have my coffee (OK, during coffee 2 -3) I read MY BLOGS via Bloglovin'.  The capitalisation and bold of my blogs denotes the seriousness and importance of this event.

I love blogs.

I love reading about you.  I love the peek into your world.  I love the clothes, the DIY, the fashion, the funnies.

Some of you I really like.  Alot.  Not stalker-alot, but alot.  Some of you confuse me, some of you wear things that make me go hmmmm but most of all I just love the never ending variety and share factor of it all. 

Anyhow:  I really really like this thing in the interweb thingy that lets me connect and enjoy myself without any input from anyone else.  So here I am, finally using the blog that I signed up for in 2005 - yup, you heard correctly folks, 2005.


So lets see what happens next...........