C O F F E E & C A P E S .

(Vintage maxi skirt, Cape by Lenko, Akubra Hat, Alexander Wang Bag, Vintage boots, Headmistress feather ring)

One of my friends suggested visiting this cute little boutique on Flinders Lane called 'Lenko' when i was staying in Melbourne. It was so cold that weekend i was contemplating buying a new jacket because i had only brought one with me but as soon as i laid eyes on this velvet poncho cape thingy i knew it was a blessing from above. A double take, some fumbling hands and a quick glance in the mirror later i was happily running down the street feeling like a bohemian butterfly with a pair of new (and extremely warm) velvet draped wings. What made the experience even sweeter was on my way out i was stopped on the street for a fan photo by two very lovely girls. It was quite surreal being asked if i was "Nicole the fashion blogger" and i couldn't believe they had recognised me all the way in Melbourne - i was flattered to say the least!

I'd like to say a very big thank you to everyone who came and shopped for Gary Pepper's very first buy it now auctions. I couldn't believe how quickly everything flew out of the store with over 60 dresses selling in the first 10 minutes of each auction - it was just insane! Out of 100 dresses i now have 11 left and i could never have imagined such a warm and exciting reaction from everyone so thank you! My next collection will be full of tops, skirts, jackets and many more amazing dresses i have waiting to find cosy new homes and will be another trial to test the waters. I have so many amazing things to share with you all so fingers crossed i find some time to shoot/post over the weekend :)))))

M E L B O U R N E .

Just a random collection of photos that were taken over the weekend. A large majority of the time Luke and i were eating so I'm not really surprised most of my photos involve some sort of sweets, food, or coffee - Oh Starbucks, how I've missed you so! Among the amazing amount of Japanese restaurants scattered throughout the city we also found a Korean karaoke bar tucked away in a little back street. Seeing as Luke and i never had a chance to go to a karaoke bar when we were in Japan last year you can imagine how excited we were to finally give it a go! A bottle of wine (or two), several vodka raspberrys and an unlimited amount of bad song choices later, it was 2am and we were wandering through the city trying to find our hotel, humming Coldplay and Seal the entire way home.

The next two weeks are looking pretty crazy here. I'm shooting, editing, uploading and listing my new collection over the weekend, which will be in store this Monday night! Then i have a surprise for all of you that will be in store only a few days later. A huge update for Gary Pepper Pieces is also hitting the store next week with over 20 pairs of lace up ankle boots, rings, and so many new amazing bags - i don't even know how many there are! I'm also busy with re branding my store and hopefully can send off everything to the printers early next week, and I've also hired a second seamstress to help manage the ridiculous amount of stock we have accumulated for the upcoming Summer season. I'm hoping it will help give me more time to finish some of my samples too! Let's just say next week is going to be HUGE...

S A T C H E L .

(Vintage white skirt, Thrifted Marks & Spencer Jumper, Jacket from Tokyo, Oxfords by Orbit, Vintage Satchel Bag)

Wow, what a weekend. I arrived home later than planned last night after a little hiccup of a missed flight and a few extra hours waiting around the airport - I'm hopeless! Exploring the city with Luke, or any place for that matter, is an experience in itself. I like to plan everything out, know where we're going and when, what we're seeing and why, and i try to make the most of every second in a new place by seeing as much as i can. Luke on the other hand, is the polar opposite. He likes not booking accommodation, not knowing what he's doing or where he's going, he likes trying weird food and laughs it off when it's.. well, a little too weird, and just goes with the flow. We were laughing at how different we are sometimes yet we're completely compatible. Over the years i've learned so much from Luke but at the top of my list is the fact that he pushes me out of my comfort zone and really opens my eyes to trying exciting new things. So i let my hair down, relaxed, and explored Melbourne Luke's way. We caught the city tram around Melbourne making split decisions at the last second by jumping on and off at places that caught our eye. It's how we ended up at these amazing stone steps and pillars in the late afternoon and i was feeling more in love than ever...

Like my afternoon, this outfit was not planned. Seeing as the weather decided to drop to freezing temperatures i had to improvise with what i had. I can't even begin to tell you how soft this fluffy grey jumper is and i actually wear it to bed (i can't believe i'm telling you this..) so i just layered it with the only jacket i brought with me which kept me incredibly warm all day. As for the bag, it's one of three purchases i made over the entire weekend! I found it at a little opshop for a mere $10 and it kind of reminds me of a mix between the Mulberry Alexa and the classic Hermes bag, or is that just me?

Either way, i'm utterly in love with this bag nearly as much as the day i spent frolicking around Melbourne with it and Luke. Vintage never ceases to amaze me. More photos are coming, i promise :)

melbourne.

Four little words sum up my weekend: Melbourne, i adore you. I still can't believe how long it took me to finally make my way down there but after seeing how beautiful Melbourne is, i'm sure i'll be down there again very, very soon. The days unfortunately flew by all too quickly and i hardly got a chance to take any photos of our stay. Thank you to everyone who made a lovely suggestion, i think we covered alot of ground for just two days! We had an amazing breakfast & coffee date on Degraves Street, wandered down Flinders Lane and had a look at Retro Star (which provided alot of inspiration for my future en devours, it's bursting with amazing vintage!), made our way over to Camberwell Markets where i found some amazing pieces including a gold Escada jacket for the store, had japanese and gelato on Brunswick Street, Italian for dinner on Lygon Street, and watched the sun set from St Kilda wharf late Sunday afternoon. By Monday we were so exhausted that i think i used up all my remaining energy just running to the newsstand to buy FAMOUS so for the rest of the morning Laura and i just laid underneath a tree on the riverbank waiting for our flight out which was wonderful. Nothing like being in a new town with one of your oldest friend :)

Even though Melbourne is renowned for it's shopping, I didn't really buy a lot. I think i came home with just a few bits and pieces including a Woodford & Co tee and a pair of white oxford flats that i've been trying to find for nearly a year, as well as some cute vintage pieces for the store- how could i not? The highlight of my trip was defiantly St Kilda wharf on sunset. Even though i live over the road from the beach we really don't have anything like that around here. The feeling of being so far out to sea, the view, the atmosphere, the sun! It was absolutely amazing and extremely peaceful, i could have sat there for hours and hours as everything looked so magical in that light, even the fisherman! I will now feel a huge pang of jealousy every time i post something to St Kilda and wouldn't be surprised if i try to fit myself into their express post bag.

I stand by what i said before, Melbourne, i adore you.





{Shirt & Leather Shorts: Vintage. Tee: Sportsgirl. Rings: YSL/Samantha Wills}

planning.

I'm here! Finally arrived in Melbourne this morning and can't wait to explore what this place has to offer, i've only heard amazing things! The trip has already started off pretty funny. I sadly discovered this morning that the 15 year old at macdonalds had forgotten to give me maple syrup with my hotcakes (how does that happen?) which laura thought was just hilarious. After i woke up from my delirious 5:30am state I got my revenge when i discovered she kind of had a fear of flying and 'surprised' her when we were landing :)

We plan on going to camberwell markets tomorrow morning, hitting up Fitzroy road and Brunswick, then dinner with a setting sun over the wharf at St.Kilda which i've heard is absolutely stunning. If you guys have any suggestions on where to go and what to see, good shops or amazing places to eat, please let me know! Any suggestion would be wonderful as i'm only here until monday.

But our first stop? Starbucks for a caramel mocha frappachino and warm plate of banana bread, yes please :)