A . D R E A M . S T A T E .

(The Babushka Ballerina Dress)

This time last year I'm pretty sure I was jumping up and down on the side of a cliff (here) with a few foil love heart balloons, ready to welcome the new year and to celebrate my blog's first ever birthday. Well, seeing as this is my last outfit post for 2011 I thought I would carry on the tradition and put a little more effort into this special end of year post. This year I opted for a red lace and pleated dress by an up and coming designer from Queensland called The Babushka Ballerina, which we shot on a picturesque dry lake down in Tasmania. It catches the wind perfectly and with a slight breeze becomes full of volume and resembles the petals of an open rose. The perfect dreamy dress to help my mind wander into its usual whimsical and unrealistic state.

So with another year drawing to an end and another year full of your incredible love and support, I just wanted to thank each and every one of you - new and old readers alike - for taking the time to visit my blog. Whether it be once a day or once a year, a comment, a tweet, or a 'like', it all matters to me so thank you over and over again. So many amazing opportunities await us in 2012 and I just cannot wait to see what this exciting new year will bring for us. I have a feeling it's going to be our best year yet. So as I said last year, here's to a new year full of light, love, happiness and health, with no fear and absolutely no looking back. Wherever you are in the world, whatever you inspire to be, always remember to do what you love and do it well. Leave them all behind. Happy New Years Eve everyone!

Photos by Luke Shadbolt.

G I V I N G .

Every year I spend my Christmas break visiting my family in Tasmania. It's such a nice and refreshing break from this crazy online world, being able to escape and have some time offline with the people I love. With no reception and no internet it really helps to put everything into perspective and to asses what I really want from this life. So this post isn't dedicated to an outfit, a designer, or a new purchase, but instead to the best present I have ever received (and one I plan on giving each year) - the gift of life. My sister-in-law added these to our presents this year and I thought it was so perfect I wanted to share it with you all. If you owe a few belated Christmas presents or have a birthday coming up this is one of the best presents you can ask for. A mere $5 can buy water purification tablets for a family, $15 can buy vitamins for young children, or $30 for something a simple as a warm blanket. It's crazy how a few dollars can provide basic necessities that we take for granted every single day. You can purchase various gifts from World Vision HERE. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas with the people you love, and I can't wait to finish 2011 with you in style! x

D A Y D R E A M E R .

(Michael Lo Sordo Skirt/Top, Zara Jacket, Asos Ring/Clutch, Stylists Own Cuffs, Thrifted Heels)

There's nothing like a beautiful ethereal print to get you into the summer mood. I absolutely fell in love with Michael Lo Sordo's SS 11/12 collection so choosing one item seemed near impossible. This beautiful pink and peach smoke print was the perfect whimsical piece to help me daydream about the warmer months to come (that is if it will ever stop raining) and to feed my obsession with crisp whites at the moment. A breath of fresh air and a nice change from the usual colour blocking, I can't help but feel like I'm floating around on a cloud whenever I wear this skirt, or anything by Michael Lo Sordo for that matter. I got goosebumps when I saw his look book and now envision my daily outfits to incorporate at least one piece of his clothing each time. Unfortunately my memory card was wiped so I lost half the images I wanted to include in this post. It seems my mind really is somewhere else right now and all I can think about is the exciting bright future that lays ahead. 2012 is drawing oh so close now.

O V E R A L L . H A P P Y .

(Vintage Denim Overalls, Marcs Top, Steve Madden Loafers)

Usually when I shoot new stock for the store I try to jam in about 100 pieces per day. This doesn't really leave me any time to leave the studio to shoot separate outfit posts, but seeing how adorable these denim overalls were I just couldn't resist. Feeling young and happy in this cute denim number, It only seemed appropriate to go all out and use a smiley face balloon as my main accessory. Not a serious outfit post, just one that brings a smile to my face and a good break in between shooting new stock today. Over 300+ vintage dresses are being uploaded into the store between now and the new year, along with some of my favourite vintage finds to date including a whole lot of metallic foiled pieces in both dresses, tops and jackets. I have three pairs of vintage denim overalls (including the pair you see in this post) in sizes XS, S and M available in store on Monday. Wishing you all a very happy weekend!

I V O R Y .

(Bec and Bridge Dress, Vintage Belt, Stylists Own Gold Cuffs, Asos Clutch)

A feminine maxi dress is the perfect staple for summer here in Australia. Easy to throw on if you're quickly leaving the house and even easier to wear in the evening with a few gold accessories. I couldn't help but channel some old Hollywood glamor when I spotted this Bec and Bridge maxi dress. Red nails with a matching bold red lip, side swept hair and a delicate clutch always seem to compliment this timeless staple all too well. This ivory maxi dress is made from a slinky fabric and feels somewhat like a second skin, which is super flattering and falls perfectly from the waist down. The mini pleats add a touch of elegance which helps compensate for any uncoordinated dancing you do later that night. This is just a sneak peek at my latest post for Harper's Bazaar so be sure to head over to Style Network to see the rest of the photos!

You can read my latest post for Harper's Bazaar HERE.

M I D N I G H T . B L U E .

(Brian Lichtenberg Dress, Samantha Wills Bangle, Thrifted Heels, Asos clutch)

It's safe to say I haven't worn a one shoulder number since I was at a school disco in year 7. The craziest part is it was an off the shoulder top that was bright blue and covered in glitter, just like the dress you see here but on a whole new level of hideous and cringe-worthy. It was cropped with cut out holes down the side and.. well, I'm not even going to go into detail because I'd rather forget about it to be honest. Perhaps this is why it's taken me eleven years (no joke - It's been eleven years!) to venture into the world of one shouldered pieces again? I'm not entirely sure what drew me to this dress in the first place. Binding cocktail dresses aren't exactly my cup of tea and I think one shoulder pieces can just look weird most of the time. But I suppose maybe that's why I liked it? I love how satisfied you feel when you wear something people don't expect of you, or even something you don't expect of yourself. Plus it helps if it's a stunning piece by Brian Lichtenberg which has been doing the celeb rounds and was seen on Rosie Huntington Whitley in Transformers. Perfect for the Louis Vuitton party I went to last week. My fear of one shouldered glitter pieces has now been cured. Thanks Brian.

B I N D I .

(Sara Phillips 'Bindi' Skirt, Topshop Shirt/Heels, Vintage Bag/Necklace)

I just couldn't help but shoot some more close up photos of this amazing Sara Phillips skirt. Obsessing over the unique print and even more so over this talented Australian designer after previewing her new Autumn/Winter collection the other day. There's something very Mcqueen-esque about these prints and I just can't wait to show you Sara's creative and innovative prints in her next collection, which will be dropping in stores next February. Here I styled this 'Bindi' silk skirt with a few colourful pieces and a matching bold fuchsia lip to show how versatile this piece really is. Also added the faux crocodile clutch to give this outfit some interesting texture and of course, to match the reptilian vibe I'm so utterly in love with.

P I E R . 1 9 .

(Vintage Dress/Necklace/Bracelet/Snake Belt, Thrifted Heels/Clutch)

It's ridiculous how the mind starts to work when you're a 'blogger'. Every corner, street, meadow, or in this case pier, becomes a photo opportunity and you find yourself taking time out of your schedule just to shoot a few photos. Luckily for me my there was a 3 hour gap between my friends wedding on Sunday so Luke and I quickly took these photos out front of the reception. Trust me, I wouldn't have taken these if there really wasn't anything else to do besides freezing and shivering outside. This dress has been sitting in my wardrobe for over a year now but it was only until I turned it backwards that I felt the need to wear it. Now with a plunging front and split up the back it seemed a whole lot sexier which as you know isn't my usual cup of tea. No idea why I felt like revealing myself at a wedding of all places but at least I finally got some wear out of one of the few vintage pieces I've kept for myself since starting my online store. Added some touches of gold with a few vintage accessories and a gold snake belt to compliment the subtle gold lining along the hem. In hindsight I should of taken a coat with me but at the time I thought a faux fur clutch would keep me warm. I think I was nearly as confused as my backwards dress that day...

L O U I S . V U I T T O N . M A I S O N .

Last Friday I had the absolute honor of attending the opening of the Louis Vuitton Masion store on George Street in Sydney. Being only the 13th of its kind in the world, the Louis Vuitton Maison is spread out over three beautiful levels and is Australia's largest stand-alone luxury store. Full of exquisite and breathtaking pieces, this store is home to $6 million dollars worth of jewelry, each with its own story and inspiration behind its design. Trust that my favourite piece (the jeweled statement necklace above) is worth a cool $1.5 million dollars alone. Cate Blanchett was described as "part of the Louis Vuitton family" and was there to show her support by cutting the ribbon to officially open the LV Maison store, which just so happens to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Louis Vuitton in Australia. I didn't know it was humanely possible to illuminate the way Cate does in real life, but apparently it is. Besides its incredible decor and mouth watering collections, the most fascinating part about this store is the VIP room located on the very top floor. Here you will find Haute Maroquinerie, the luxurious service where customers can custom build their very own Louis Vuitton bag. Only the second store in the entire world to receive this exclusive 'Made to Order' service, customers have the option to choose what leather, shape, size, colour, lining and hardware they desire to suit their own personality and taste. Designed to be a 'dream of a process', each bag takes between six to twelve months to make in Paris and comes with your initials iron stamped on a leather patch inside. Considering there are eight different types of fine and exceptional leathers, including shiny or matte crocodile or alligator skin, available in a range of twenty-six colours and over eighty thousand shades of silver and gold hardware to choose from, I think someone as indecisive as myself would have to spend a week in there just to choose what colour I would want the lining to be! That being said it would be a process I'd be more than happy to undertake for such an iconic and timeless piece such a Louis Vuitton bag.

A special thank you to Matt, Natalia and Sophia from EVHPR for making this happen, and also to Amanda Gay, Phillipa Jenkins, Yves Carcelle and Jean-Baptiste Debain from Louis Vuitton for taking one day to new heights of surreal. This experience is definitely in my top three. Ever.