red carpet countdown

It's nearly time for the holy grail of red carpet shenanigans - the Oscars. Be still, oh heart of mine. Please let there be fabulous on the day. With purple the colour de jour I'm expecting it to rein supreme, but for me, I'd love to see someone rocking this silver jersey Halston number. Allow your eyes to feast upon perfection.

I love jersey, and it's a fabric I never see enough of in the stalls. Maybe I need to ramp up my sewing skills this winter...

good shopping karma

You know my theory about good op-shopping don't you? The secret is to drop off bags of really good quality items to donate, wander around not looking for anything in particular, and, before you know it, something fabulous will appear.

I'd gone through my bookshelves and had three massive green bags filled with books. My first thought was to sell them at a second-hand book store {where I virtually exchange as I head out with almost as many as I've taken in} but then I realised that the Salvos could do with the money more than me.

So off I trotted, on a soggy monday afternoon, dropped off my books and proceeded to wander through and find gold.

See that pretty green and pink fabric up the top? That's a rather fabulous cotton bedspread that now resides on the daybed in our living room. Eventually the plan is to buy a new foam cushion for the coach and I'll ask my mum to cover it in this pretty floral. It's delicious and only cost $5.

The second is a beautiful white cushion cover, with the most perfect white cotton crochet edging. It set me back $1.

Finally we have a regular pillow case with the prettiest embroidery. I'm going to chop a little off the top to make a typical square cushion. 50 cents. Seriously.

My aim is to have a pile of pretty mis-matched pillows scattered on the daybed - and the only way to happen upon mis-matched is via chance. You can't go out shopping for it.

Now, I've still got a massive box or two of books here - including a couple of old Donna Hay cookbooks I no longer want. Surely they'll generate some lovely karma indeed!

let's blame the white rabbit...

So, I'm a day late posting my shoe of the week. Sorry! To make up for it will you accept my offering of these utterly exquisite Oscar de la Renta. For you.

on the shelf

Know what I need? Shelving. I've been dwelling on it for sometime now and think it's time to act. I'm going to file away some images of what I need then draw up some plans and then move into action. Don't you think that anything would be possible with a room like this one?

Mainly because of how perfect the leadlight window is in this picture. I adore leadlight and always gaze admiringly when I spy it in a home. My mum and step-dad create gorgeous leadlights - and have made some amazing pieces for the mudbrick home they're building. I think leadlight's just the most amazing way to sneak a little colour into a home - and let's face it, a little colour's always appreciated.

wet, wet, wet

Hi, sorry I'm late! I woke to a soggy morning after a torrential downpour last night and I've been on Canteen duty at school all morning. I had a deliciously lazy day yesterday where I did absolutely NOTHING. I even had an afternoon nap - bliss. So now I'm all recharged and ready for a productive week.

You?

bag lady

Kaz over at thetruthaboutmummy tagged me - curious to check out the contents of my handbag. Coincidentally this coincided with my desire to clean out said handbag so here you have it!

As you can see I have a scary amount of lip gloss, lip stick and lip balm. Ten in fact. They're generally summer shades, except my gorgeous YSL glossy red and guerlain sparkly red slick. Mmmmm. I've also keep some Clinique City Block Sheer in there in case I need a foundation look in a hurry, one bare minerals id shadow in a deep smoky blue - and two eye shadow brushes for some reason. There's also a daytime mascara just in case.

Perfume: Coco Mademoiselle. Mmm.

A Chanel eye shadow palette in a pretty pink and green.

Address book and pen.

My gorgeous Cath Kidston phone {and Cath Kidston emery board, and lip balm... love her!}

Sunglasses {Colette Dinnigan three Christmases ago - still fabulous}

Car and house keys on a Tiffany keyring {30th birthday pressie - still going strong - thanks Bella Mumma!} A spare pink Eiffel Tower keyring in case I have to take a key off {you know, for the mechanic or something...}

A tape measure {for when you're out shopping and spy a piece of furniture!}

Mints - of course! And a pack of pretty tissues. And spare hairbands - in my gal's school colours - just in case! Wallet - a big Oroton one, sensible black after years of red. Think I'd like a bright one next time - this one hides inside my black handbags! Blotting papers - a saviour in this humidity!

What's missing is handcream and a notepad - obviously they've been transferred to another bag. I love Jurlique rose or lavender handcream - deliciously moisturising but not sticky.

Want to play? Let me know, I'd love to sticky inside your bag!

joyeux anniversaire

Just wanting to send out birthday wishes to the Divine Ms M. Hope this day is utterly fabulous and can't wait to have a girly night in celebration next week!

being yourself

You know I love Helena Bonham Carter. I adore how she's got such a strong sense of personal style and doesn't even nod in the direction of following the Hollywood ideal. Here she is at a screening for Alice in Wonderland {yes, I have been remarkably quiet on that front haven't I? Don't worry - I've been internally squeeling with anticipation}.

I think we all need to take a leaf out of Helena's book. She dresses in a way that obviously makes her happy and, aside from stopping us from being naked, shouldn't that be what fashion is about? Bugger sensibility - let's embrace fabulousness. I vow to always ensure that at least one item on my person will make me grin broadly. I'm going to raid my dress-up box and make-sure that at least one drool-worthy item makes it out the door every day.

Let's have fun!

back in a tic...

So, in Paris there will be an auction of garments actually designed by Coco Chanel.

Chanel really do know how to clear out their closet in style...

fabulously friday

So here we are, the weekend already. You got plans? I'm headed off with my gal to the school disco tonight where a friend and I will be sitting at the door collecting the money. Fun! Then tomorrow night we're off to friends for dinner, where apparently duck is on the menu which makes me sooooooo happy.

We might squish in a bit of gardening and getting stuff done around the house in between social engagements... I think I need to bring a few real flowers into the house too. I'm loving this pretty image of this floral-infused kitchen nook. Imagine the baking that must go down in such a glorious room.

Today I've got two articles to finish and send off so I'd best get cracking. Enjoy your Friday - particularly if you're off to see George Michael {cos I'm not jealous, oh no...}

be prepared

I find it very, very, very difficult to believe that it's already Thursday. But it is. Seriously. I'm not even on nodding acquaintance with organised this week. My French homework isn't complete, {and my lessons are tonight!} the garden needs watering, I haven't planned dinner for tonight and it seems as though there's a pile of to-dos with my name on it. So I'm going to separate the 'urgent' from the 'essential' and work my way though.

I'm sure it'd all be much easier if I'd sat down to a pretty Cath Kidston breakfast table like this one... Maybe I'll just pretend I did - think that'll work?

adorably edible

Hello prettiness! I've been feeling generally blah today. My migraine has subsided but has left me with a lingering nausea and general urkiness. So I needed to see something pretty to cheer me up. How happy would you be if you were a pastry chef at Laduree? Can you imagine the joy of creating little lovelies such as this? I have no idea how you'd attempt to eat it - either delicately with a cake fork or just dive in and expect a buttercream goatee...

My frustration at my illness is also compounded as I've also spent the past couple of days leaving messages and sending emails with no response. I feel like I'm standing on the edge of a canyon shouting "Is anyone out there?" but without even an echo in reply. The responses will come though, I'm now just having to insist on training myself not to expect a response to an email. I can't help myself - if I receive an email I respond, even if it's just a "Thanks!" to show that it's arrived. But, as I now acknowledge, plenty of people don't. And that's okay, that's their choice. I just have to trust in the reliability of mine and their server and believe that it's okay, that it's arrived as expected and that they'll get back to me if needed.

And move on.

And find a pretty cake like this to gaze adoringly at...

bed time

I thought I'd give you a pic of a pretty bedroom today mainly because I'm spending so much time in mine. I went to bed at 8.30 last night thanks to a migraine, and today it's decided that it hasn't spent enough time tormenting me so I'm going to back to bed to make it sod off.

How cute is that side table?

pork in my belly

Those of you who love pork {you know who you are} will have to sigh in rapture with me over this. It's a slowly roasted loin of pork served with apple chutney.

Sounds about four thousand times yummier than the plain old ham sandwich I had for lunch.

Is it nearly autumn yet? Honestly if I have to cook one more meal with salad I think I'll die of boredom... I'm keen for slow cooking. I want to bring out my le crueset and create something rich and flavoursome... Actually the sky is looking rather grey and ominous outside {that'd be because I finally hung out the beach towels I've been wanting to wash for a week}.

I'm itching to cook up something with garlic, with wine, with herbs...

sew sew

Oh, how I wish I could sew with confidence. I'm not a natural seamstress. My mum sews magnificently and so whenever anything got tough {zippers, button holes, circular seems...} I'd hand any projects over to her.

But now I have a task. A task I've put off for the last two weeks but can no longer ignore. I need to sew the ribbons onto my daughter's ballet slippers. Eek. And my mum's in Melbourne and I can hardly ask her to fly up to do the job.

Now, while you'd think that hand sewing would be easier, you'd be wrong. My stitches are huge, clumsy and the ribbons would be off before the first pirouette. So instead, I've got the machine out, the ribbons are waiting and I'm going to have a coffee for strength and sew those ribbons on for my pretty ballerina.

mile high club

When it comes to Robbie Williams what's not to love?

i see red

You know how I love a red carpet - and these are a few of my favourite looks from the BAFTAs. First of all, let me say how in love I am with Gabourey Sidibe. She's rocking that gorgeous champagne frock and boy, does she give good interview. Saoirse Ronan looks so pretty and age-appropriate in this delicately-ruffled frock that I can almost forgive her Atonement {she was great, film made me cranky!}.

Audrey Tatou carried off a candy-pink frock with scarlet accessories. Yep, it's pouffy - but she can do pouffy - she's French and she's teeny. Joely Richardson's gown was such a breathtaking shade of blue that I still nearly burst into tears just looking at it. So tremendously elegant.

Tom Ford? Well, he's Tom Ford, hence no wrong can be done.

Kate Winslet looked fab as always. The cutouts in her Stella McCartney dress actually worked for me, and I loved her long, loose curls.

Now, bring on the Oscars!

oh my

Triple perfection here on the red carpet in Venice.

My desire to view A Single Man is fast reaching obsessive levels...

ma vie en roses

I do love a pretty rose, and a pretty pink rose, on a pearl chain - with ribbons would have to steal my heart. This Lanvin necklace set my heart-a-flutter when I spied it over at net-a-porter, so I had to share...

perfectly pretty

Despite the fact that her clothing sizes are out of whack, and that since moving production off-shore the quality tends to be less than it used to be, I've swooningly fallen in love with the new Alannah Hill collection. Seriously, how beautiful is this image? From the candy floss pink hair, the bed of blowsy roses, the combo of purple and red, those gloves, those frills, those lips, that headpiece...

Excuse me while I sit in a corner and have a total smitten-fashion moment...