My wardrobe is whole again.

As mentioned previously, my much beloved knee-high flat boots are falling apart. I wore them practically everyday last winter and into spring. I loved and still love them so. However, they are broked. So I must move on.

The love of my boot life:

Tony Bianco Petal boots $249.95

I was super super lucky to get them as a birthday present from my mum last year. We'd gone boot hunting together, I found and fell in love with these but couldn't justify the price tag. I'm a girl that doesn't like spending heaps of money on one item. Op shops and sales are my friends. Sneaky Mum surprised me!

So fairly heartbroken when I discovered that they were broken. Plus, half my wardrobe was now broken. I needed that boot to take me into winter! To bring life and comfort and warmth to my thick black dress and colourful cardis combo. To take my summer dresses further into the cold than they'd ever been before.

The hunt for the new boot was on. My heart wasn't in it though. Nothing could replace my Tony Bianco Petal boots but another Tony Bianco Petal boot. I couldn't do that.

So you can imagine my surprise, while listlessly wandering my local shopping centre, when I stumbled across these:

Dotti Downtown Boot. Was $79.95, NOW $49.95

Identical! Almost.

I walked out of the store, then back in. Out and In. Should I? Shouldn't I? I'll at least ask for my size. They never have my size. They have my size?! Wow. They fit!

Bingo!

My wardrobe is whole again.

Snuggly time!

It's so cold! All I wanna do is crawl into bed and snooze the day away! Just like my lucky lil puppy here! Isn't she adorable?

Instead I'm trying to keep warm in all my winter woolies, most of them handmade items that I've collected from op shops. I seem to have a thing for pink and/or white woolen jumpers.

I've been wearing them with jeans and flats or casual shoes lately because my beloved knee-high boots are falling apart, meaning less dresses, tights and warm woolen knits. There goes my winter uniform! At least these are all super snuggly :)

Bouncing Bunny

I successfully transformed bunny into a bouncing bunny brooch! He had his first outing the other day. Too darn cute! :D

He'll be bouncing around on my bosom (such a fantastic word!) much more this winter :)

Maxi.

Amanda Brohman

I'm loving the maxi skirt in winter trend. I gave it a go today, wearing a black cotton maxi skirt, my blush pink knitted jumper with a collar, black tights and heeled Mary Poppin shoes.

I can't wait to play with my other maxi skirts and knits. Some inspiration:

Diary of a Fashion Addict

Twitch Vintage

The Style Voyager

Miss Pouty

Style Pantry

Atlantic Pacific

Time to play dress ups! :D

Brooches

I always admire people who can wear brooches, and wear them well. I'm going to give it a go this winter. They seem like the perfect thing to wear on a big warm jacket or on a scarf. I've been particularly inspired by All This Happiness, who is very much in love with her Mr. Seahorse and Mr. Fox brooches.

This is my current collection. The top two are from the market while the bottom two were op shop finds.

This glamourpuss I found today, at the op shop I volunteer at. I've had my eye out for something with some super sparkle and flower formed, mostly as a gift idea for a friend. But I may have accidently fallen in love with this one. It may also be a bit too ostentatious for the friend in mind. At least that's what I tell myself!

Meet Helga. I picked this one up when I first started volunteering at the local op shop. What fascinates me most about this brooch is that on the back the wonderful golden frame is continued and stamped with "Western Germany". I couldn't help myself. My sister has the sister brooch, which features a different face. I also have the matching necklace, which feels horribly plastic but that's also why I like it. It has a bit of kitsch charm about it.

I wish I could share a close up of Poison Girl brooch, but I'm having some internet difficulties. Let me assure you though, she is gorgeous :)

And this guy? This cute isn't a brooch. Yet. I have plans to transform him sometime soon. I picked him up at the Flower and Garden show. I believe he will look very cute resting on my woolen jumpers.

Orange.

Firstly, thank you for all your wonderful feedback and comments on my last blog post. They were all really warming :) I was feeling so warm and fuzzy from the comments and feeling like hot stuff in my outfit yesterday that I nearly nearly went for the outfit post. But chickened out. Sorry ladies.

Instead, here is some pictures of my dress. My new second hand dress. I picked it up from the local Salvos, going for half price.

$4.50 for this baby!

Here's a close up of the pattern. I can't wait to play with all the other colours in the dress.

And my very cute handbag that I got from the Flower Show last week:

I visited my supervisor yesterday and she was very impressed with my research progress! A wonderful confident booster :) And left me with the compliment that I was very good at doing pretty and girly :D

Dress addiction.

Ladies, I have a problem. A very serious problem.

I have a dress addiction.

I've just been cleaning up my wardrobe and counted 47 dress. A-huh. Completely and utterly ridiculous. Not to mention squishy!

I can tell most of the dresses are heartbroken to hear that summer in Melbourne is well and truly over. My dresses need to be worn! So I'm fixing myself a fashion challenge: to wear as many dresses as much as possible. Time to play with cardis, boots and tights again!

Eucalyptus dress.

Country Road dress, $10

How I love a good op shop find! I found this Country Road mini-dress at a Brotherhood of St. Laurence op shop last year and I'm still head-over-heels in love with it. The fabric is sleek and shiny, with a wonderful gum leaf green tone. It doesn't fit quite right over my pear-shape frame, but I love it all none the less and think I look hot to trot in it :) Confidence is everything, right?

Hair did.

Finally got my hair done. I was sick of the psychotic nature of my normal hairdresser, so I tried a nearby Biba salon. The hairdresser was wonderfully chatty and kind, but the whole process took 4 hours. Bit too long in my world, even for a cut and colour.

Anyway, this is the crumpled up picture I went in with for colour inspiration:

So I was essentially after a mousy blonde brown colour-wise. I figured it was close to my natural hair colour, it wasn't too much of a drastic change but would lighten it just enough. Enough to feel like a big change anyway. Which I felt I needed.

The results:

Without flash.

With flash.

I'm half and halfing about it all. Mostly satisfied, just getting used to it still though. So nice to finally have my fringe blended into my hair after having months of growing out this mass of hair. Now it's easy to wear it as a side fringe if I so choose, or just blend it with the rest of my hair. Horrah! :)

Fragrance

L-R: Happy Spirit by Chopard, E' Clat D'Arpege by Lanvin and Chloe by Chloe

I'm a lover of perfumes. I'm particularly fond of fresh florals, although I do also like those with sandalwood undertones. My mother and sister on the other hand, loves the sweet citrus smells.

Anyway, I thought I'd share with you the three favourites of my collection.

Happy Spirit by Chopard

This is the strongest and heaviest scent of the three, so I only wear it when I'm feeling dramatic. It initially reminds me of incense, with woody smells under a floral burst. It lasts well throughout the day and I have received many compliments for it.

E'Clat D'Arpege by Lanvin

This is my absolute favourite of the three. I've been wearing it pretty much everyday for the last... two years? Maybe longer. It's floral, subtle and classy. I feel neat and feminine when wearing it. It doesn't feel locked into a season, which is another reason why I love it. It's perfect in summer when you want just a hint of delight and warm enough in winter to dress up any outfit. Love love love love love.

Chloe by Chloe

I love the sweet rosy scent of Chloe. It captures youth and warmth, with a sprinkle of cupcakes and bunches of roses. I've been squirting this one on a lot this summer. It's light and breezy, which is what I love for summer. I am cautious of it possibly being too sweet, which is what deters me from wearing it everyday. I do enjoy it though :)

What are your favourite fragrances?

Modern Anne Boleyn

I really enjoyed creating my own 'Dress like a Modern Marie Antoinette' post last year, so I thought I'd create another on another of my favourite royal women, Anne Boleyn. They do take a lot of effort to create, however I'm considering making it a monthly feature. What do you lovelies think?

You either love or hate Anne Boleyn. It seems it's always been that way. Hated for stealing King Henry VIII away from the beloved Catherine of Aragon. Hated for poisoning the mind of Henry and the consequential Reformation.

Personally, I love her. She seems to have real pizazz! I especially love Natalie Dormer's portrayal of her in The Tudors series. Beyond that, I find her easily the most complex and fascinating of Henry's six wives.

Have a calling to seduce Johnathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII? I know I do. So let's follow Anne's guide...

What made Anne stand out from all the other beauties at Henry's extravagant and entertaining court?

Hair

Majority of the ladies of the English court had blonde hair and blue eyes. Unlikes these, Anne had luscious dark hair and deep dark eyes to match. Even those that hated her had to admit that these were her most beautiful traits. She either wore this trademark hair out and flowing or carefully pulled off her face in a tight bun to reveal her stunning dark eyes. If you're fully committed to 'Going Anne', consider dying your hair a dark raven colour.

Another of Anne's trademarks was her French hood (as seen below on Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl). It distanced herself from Catherine of Aragon who mostly wore the English hood (as seen in the first portrait of Anne Boleyn). Anne probably also saw the French hood as a connection with the fancy and fashionable French court, where she had spent time as a young girl. As a Modern Anne, try wearing a thick headband or scarf around your head instead.

Jewelery

Unlike Catherine of Aragon, Anne loved to splurge on beautiful things. Including jewelery. Anne was easily identifiable at court with her string of white pearls which held onto a golden "B" with three pearls dangling below. Have a go at making your own - there's plenty of guides if you search on Google. Or, stick to a lovely string of pearls.

Big golden broaches can add to any outfit. You might also like to invest in a locket to keep an image of Henry close to your heart, always.

Clothing

Colours: It's difficult to determine what Anne's colour palette was when it came to fashion. Due to her perceived calculating, manipulating and evil character, she is often portrayed in dark, rich colours. Think royal reds, amethyst purples (the colour purple being reserved for royalty in the past), poison apple greens. You may even like to play up the fact that she was later called a 'witch' and stick to blacks.

Style: There are two ways you could go about this. Either stick to the modesty (*cough cough*) of the era and cover up with long flowing skirts. Or you could insert Anne's coy character into your clothes with shorter skirts and tights. Ensure that your delicate bosom is on show with low, square cut tops.

Behaviour

Anne was reportedly a furious flirt. She loved to be loved, and to do so she would flirt with all those around her.

It's not easy to flirt and maintain the amusement of a horny king however. Especially when you're courting a man for seven years and holding off the thing he wants most: sex. So how did she entertain the king? She was a fabulous and graceful dancer. She also had wit and humour and was reportedly very skilled in musical instruments. And didn't mind throwing a tantrum in front of the king. Don't know how that'd go down today!

Hair choices

I want a hair change. My hair is getting too long, my fringe that I'm growing out continues to frustrate me (why won't it grow?!), the colour isn't right and I can't stand it any more!

Helpful hair magazines: "101 Hairstyles", "Hair" and "Sophisticate's Hairstyle Guide"

I've been hunting in magazines (the ones above, and many many more) for a picture of exactly what I want, but I'm not sure what I want. I'm always attracted to curly hair and red hair. But do I wanna go blonde? Reddish? Or stay brown? Or maybe even a copper colour?

I love the idea of going a red, but it's such a pain to keep! And I'm wondering if I should try out a perm on my naturally dead straight hair. Should I let it grow longer? Or should I get one of the super cute lazy bobs that I'm loving in these magazines? Would that cut suit me with my three manic cowlicks that dominate my hairline??

My current hair colour, with the highlights of camera flash

To make it all the more frustrating, I've woken up and had a good hair day today! My hair looks okay with my skin, it's falling in all the right ways... Grr. Fed up with hair!

Golden Globe 2011 Gowns

I love a good occasion to dress up! And if I can't dress up, then I love umm-ing and ahhh-ing over what everyone else wore. I've picked out my three favourite dresses of the Golden Globes to share with you all :)

Image Source: Gossip Centre

Mila Kunis

Always a stunning beauty, she shone in this gorgeous emerald gown. Everything is right. Her hair, her dress, her jewelry. I'm green with envy (oh yeah, you love a pun!)

Image Source: Just Jared Jr

Sarah Hyland

Stunning on Modern Family (which I love!) and even more stunning in this lovely gown. Such a beautiful colour palette. Gorgeous hair-do too :)

Image Source: Vogue

Scarlett Johansson

Another nude colour love. I think if I went to the Golden Globes, this would be the dress I'd wear. I love the sparkle, I love the sleeves, I love the train and shape. In searching for pictures, I read some non-love for her hair-do, but I think it looks great with the dress :)

Savers Saving

For once, it was not I who instigated our venture to Savers. My boyfriend, having just moved into a share house where apparently only one of the three other occupants cooks, needed plates, cutlery and tupperware and suggested a visit to Savers.

I was more than happy to join him :)

Just Jeans Dress, $12.99

I remember seeing this dress in the shops and trying it on a few times, umming and ahhhing over it. It was $70 then. Now, it's mine for $13!

Belly Basics, $14.95

A lovely red wine velvet dress, short and with long sleeves- perfect for winter! I just realised though, with the brand name... it's probably designed for pregnant lady proportions. Really, though, who will notice?

Laurentino dress, $9.99

This last dress was a spur of the moment grab. It had been disregarded on the wrong rack and I picked it up, held it up to me and thought 'why not?'. Again, the colours are much prettier in real life :)

I'm hoping some of my second hand goodies can make some people happy tomorrow: my sister and I are holding a stall at a trash and treasure market. Very much looking forward to it! Very exciting!

Easy breezy dress

I don't often wear this dress for some reason. I guess it's the maxi length; usually I'm a knee length dress kinda girl. Today though, this dress is perfect. It's a hot 34 degrees here today, with bit of a breeze. The air just flows beautifully through this dress, giving it life and keeping me cool. What more could you want? :)

Here's a close up of the material, because I feel the beauty of this dress is not truly captured in my pictures. It screams a lovely green when I wear it and the light shines through it.

Dress, as always, from Tree of Life

The Summer Dress

This dress has been my favourite this summer.

That dress.

Ever find yourself having one of those terrible days when nothing seems to look right? Or you just feel off?

Every now and then, I find myself having one of those days. And it's those days that I reach for that dress.

That dress covers all the wrong lumps and bumps and highlights all the good things. It can easily be dressed up for a night out, or down as a simple summer dress. It's saved me an many an occasion. And, only $18 from the Tree of Life!

I'll be wearing it tonight to see in 2011. Still not sure what I'll be doing, but this dress will save me again tomorrow night :)

Christmas Dress

Christmas is fast approaching - too fast! I've be wondering what to wear, but have since found the perfect dress :) It blossoms out beautifully at the bottom, which I love.

PeaceAngel dress from Tree of Life, $49.95

Can it get much more Christmassy than that? :) Which is great for me - I have four Christmas celebrations coming up! It's going to be very busy over the Christmas period.

Dress detail: a lovely Christmas bow on the back

Think Pink.

I went a little pink crazy last time I visited the local Brotherhood of St Lawerence opp shop. I thought I'd share my pink obsession with you.

Blush pink blouse with pussy bow, $5

Rich dusky pink hand-made woolen jumper with frilly collar, $7

I just love the collar and colour!

Hand-made woolen jumper with loose turtle neck, $6

I have deemed this one my 'Fairy floss jumper' and have already (bravely) worn it out and received many compliments on it :)