I never seem to have any.

I took my car in for a service and got told I needed $1090 worth of damage fixed. Taking away the “non-essential” work brought it down to $790. Booooooo, Hissssss! Plus, my registration renewal is next month and that’s another $600. There goes any money I was trying to save!

Since we had to be at the service centre at 8.30am I didn’t have time to fuss around picking an outfit. I threw on a remix of my “old reliable” combination and felt good in it.

Cotton On Cardigan - H&M Dress - ASOS Belt - Target Tights - Mimco Flats

Spring is practically here, can you feel it in the air? The sun is desperately trying to shine and warm up the pavements, the air is smelling sweet with the new flowers blooming, and I got away with a very thin cardigan and no jacket. Excellent.

Yesterday I paid a visit to my local op shop and picked up some adorable slips. My favourite was a very pale pink one with white lace detailing. However when I looked at it after I brought it home I noticed a medium sized dark stain on the back near the hem. I’ve tried to get it out with stain remover but it won’t budge. How horrid! I feel so sad about it, it really is such a beautiful slip, one of the nicest in my collection. My mother made a snide remark about the potential origin of the stain which upset me even further. Now I don’t know if I should throw it away or just wash it with anti-bacterial solution and keep it.

Etsy seller Shrinkle has many fabulous slips, unfortunately a little out of my budget. Since I buy mine at local op shops I resent having to pay more than about $5 for one!

When I started buying my slips I bought them to wear as dresses, as was fashionable in the late 1990s. However I soon felt they were inappropriate to wear as dresses and delegated them to my sleepwear drawer. I think I have around 13 although it feels like more, I might be forgetting some. I prefer plain ones although I do own a tie-dye one and wouldn’t rule out getting more tie-dye ones if the colours were really exquisite. But recently I’ve been wondering how I could style them to get wear out of them during the day.

♥ Gala Darling ♥

Here Gala is styling her black slip from Urban Outfitters in a very post-grunge way. I think it looks fantastic on her and I’m sure it’s a look I can pull off aesthetically. I love post-grunge, I’ve always been a bit of a 90’s child at heart. All my favourite bands were at the height of their popularity in the 90’s (Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Veruca Salt, etcetc). I kept and still wear my original Doc Martins. Would you wear a slip as a dress? How would you style it?

I am still constantly stressed out by the situation with my business. Some essential equipment I paid for over two weeks ago still hasn’t arrived, and I fear now that it is too late to open on my scheduled launch date of September 9th. At the moment I’m just stuck in this state of limbo where I can’t do anymore work til the equipment arrives, so I have plenty of time to worry about all the things I should be doing and all the time that is wasting. Between this and my dwindling bank account I’m really struggling to stay positive.

I think I need a hot cup of tea and a bikkie to dunk in it!

Tags: Style Inspiration, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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So this is what I ended up wearing out to my favourite fashionista’s birthday affair! She looked fabulous in a strapless pinstripe dress and killer black stillettos. It was a smashing good time at the Element Bar in the city. Cute venue, kind of an industrial/trendy setup, unoffensive pop tunes.

H&M Dress - Jockey Slip - Target Tights - Wittner Heels - Mondo Design Chandelier Earrings

I’ve worn this H&M dress out a few times, I picked it up in New York when I was travelling last year. I stopped wear it though when I saw some photos of myself in it - the pale silver material against my ghostly skin was a hideous combination! So at some point on Friday I had the genuis idea of putting some black under it for contrast. I chose to go with the exposed slip because it had pretty lace detailing.The earrings (which you can’t see very well) are another sneak peek from my store’s range. I fell in absolute lust with them, they have big pear-cut clear swarovski crystals at the bottom and just scream glamour.

At some point while doing my makeup I realised I’ve been using the same mascaras for a year. A YEAR! That can’t be healthy, they’re only supposed to last for about six months. I rotate between three different mascaras depending on the look I’m going for - M.A.C Fibre Rich for soft, full lashes, M.A.C Zoom Lash for bold long lashes, and Maybeline XXL Volume which is kind of like the Zoom Lash only less dramatic. I’ve replaced the XXL Volume and Fibre Rich with a Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara. I’ve never tried it before but I couldn’t really afford to get another Fibre Rich, which I also find a little dry and clumpy. I really want a soft thickening effect for my lashes which are long but fine. I hope this does the job!

And speaking of replacing old favourites, when I got home today I felt it was finally time to replace my old beloved Dorothy Perkins flats with the new pair I bought at the same time which have been waiting in the barracks. The old ones will get delegated to be “driving shoes”, living in the car so I can slip them on when my feet hurt after a long night out of if my heels are too akward to drive in.

Tags: What I Bought Today, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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I know can you believe it? More shoes!

I had a credit note at Mimco which I needed to spend because it was going to expire. They just brought out their new shoe range and since the credit wasn’t enough to buy any of the bags without forking out lots of extra cash, I ended up getting the least expensive pair of shoes in the store. The difference was only a little bit of extra cash so I didn’t feel too bad.

Mimco Thumbelina Cane Ballet Flat in Black/Absinthe

I don’t know how I feel about that funny little green stripe down the back of the heel. I doubt anyone would even see it, it seems pointless. They’re cute and quirky though and I have no doubt I’ll get my fair share of wear out of them. Especially since my Dorothy Perkins Flats are beyond dead. I keep wearing them, I even have a replacement pair stashed away for this occassion, but I just can’t bring myself to let go.

L Leather Biker Jacket - Country Road Tank - Black Eyes Scarf - Mimco Fob Watch Necklace - Insight Jeans - Dorothy Perkins Flats

I met up with my favourite fashionista for coffee today. I was feeling bloated and uncomfortable so I ended up going for my favourite new ‘comfort’ outfit - jeans and my biker jacket. It needed something extra so I threw on this gorgeous scarf which is a sneak peek of the stock I will have in my store! You can’t see properly in the photo but it also has metallic silver threads in it. It’s so gauzy and comfortable I think I will be wearing it a lot over spring/summer.

I’ve got some clothes, a bag and a necklace I’m thinking of selling, would it be wildly inappropriate to list them on the blog for sale?

I also ended up deciding on an outfit for tomorrow night, made up of items already found in my wardrobe. But that is tomorrow’s blog post!

Tags: What I Bought Today, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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I felt like some kind of parisien school girl today with my slouchie beanie (knitted by my mother! merci!) and my kneesocks. I didn’t do that much today, just ran some errands, I didn’t even wear makeup, but I didn’t want to wear jeans AGAIN for the sixth time in a row.

Handmade Beanie - Witchery Cardigan - Bonds Tshirt - ASOS Skirt - Sockshop Socks - Dorothy Perkins Flats - Selfmade Key Necklace

I never thought I’d get the hang of these socks, I’ve put them on so many times with various outfits and then pulled them off at the last minute. But I think I pulled them off today!

Tags: What I Wore Today by Alicia
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That’s right friends, I got my jacket today!!

L Leather Jacket - Bonds Tee - Insight Jeans - Dorothy Perkins Flats - Angi Mac Necklace

Sorry the photos are really over-exposed, but it was cold outside and I didn’t want to stand there and take them again. You can hardly see the tee or the necklace but they’re there I promise! The jacket is exactly what I wanted, it’s supersoft and kind of crinkled, and it hangs open so nicely when it’s undone so you can still see all your jewellery and clothes underneath. I actually don’t plan to wear it done up unless it’s freezing.

I got it on eBay from a seller who seems to have them in “stock”. When you win the auction you can request what size you want and then she relists the item again after the first auction ends. I chose the size “L” and it’s the teensiest bit snug, and the sleeves are the teensiest bit cropped, but it’s not uncomfortable and being soft lamb leather I’m hoping it will relax.

I also received the chambray Mink Pink skirt from Freez yesterday. The elastic waist is VERY firm so even though it is the perfect size for me it cinches quite a bit. Adorable nevertheless!

Love, love, love, love!

Tags: What I Bought Today, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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Today I didn’t really do anything except run some errands in the afternoon. I didn’t get to sleep til 5am so I was feeling really wired and out of it and put absolutely no effort into my outfit.

Cotton On Cardigan & Singlet - KMart Shirt - Jeans West Pants - Scooter Flats

I couldn’t believe how cute this shirt was when I saw it on the sale rack at Kmart, but I’m really struggling finding ways to wear it. I’ve had it in my wardrobe for months but this is the first time I’ve worn it. The velour pants reaallly don’t go with the outfit as a whole (they’d work better if I was wearing the shirt without a cardigan and different shoes) but my other black pants are in the wash. Because the shirt is shirred at the middle it sits too high up for my waisted black skirt, and is so long it kind of looks unbalanced with pants. I do love it though, I’ll think of a way to wear it well.

My mum comes back from England tomorrow night with my ASOS parcel! Yippee! I miss her so much, I’m really excited to see her.

Tags: What I Wore Today by Alicia
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Witchery Cropped Cardigan - Cotton On Singlet - Etsy Skirt - Portmans Belt - Target Tights - Scooter Flats

Seriously, these outfits I post are so uncreative. I wear essentially the same thing every day constructed slightly differently. How am I not bored to death of myself? In my defense all I had to do today was go to the supermarket and have a friend over for a cuppa.

The skirt is a little big so I needed the belt to keep it up, I chose my Portmans bargain belt ($5!) because of the patent detailing which matched my broguesque flats. Do you want to know a secret? I don’t really like patent very much. I like it more this season than I have before because now that it’s “in” people are doing it nicer. But generally - blech. It looks plasticy and cheap. I feel okay in these small patent details, though. Just enough to keep it fresh. I totally forgot to wear any other accessories. Shame on me!

I think I have finally found my perfect leather biker jacket! Hopefully I can buy it in a few days and if it turns out well I will share my amazing source with everyone. I don’t want to share too soon in case something terrible goes wrong! It’s soft washed lamb leather (kind of wrinkled a la Mike & Chris / Rick Owens) with silver hardware. Ahhh lust!

I also ended up placing an order at ASOS for that belt and two cute white cotton blouses for summer which were on sale. They’ll be delivered to the hotel where my mother is staying, I paid extra for express and tracking - which was still much cheaper than shipping to Australia! Cute, no?

Tags: What I Bought Today, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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I felt so much better after I washed and dried my hair last night! It’s funny how simply freshening up my hair colour put me in a better mood!

Today I had an appointment at a showroom to see that supplier’s latest collection and buy for my business. I think it’s obvious to anyone who filled out my survey that my business revolves around jewellery and handbags. I don’t want to say too much without being at risk by a particular website I frequent for advertising, and that’s not really what this blog is for. But I am happy to say the pieces I have chosen in the last two weeks for my business are absolutely gorgeous. I am sticking with a very nuteral palate across all suppliers of classic black, vintage tan, and nude tones such as cream, bone and grey. It’s very exciting.

Dotti Blazer - Witchery Cropped Cardigan - Miss Shop Dress - Target Tights - RMK Heels

The dress actually has long sleeves but it was so cold I had to wear a cardigan AND a jacket. I don’t normally wear much pink but I couldn’t resist buying it. I am such a sucker for anything spring. The dress really needs a belt, though.

ASOS Belt

My mother is in the UK at the moment, surely they wouldn’t fudge the shipping on this…

Tags: Everything Else, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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Today I had a meeting at 11.15am to find out whether I get the go-ahead to start my business! I was told I had to make some very minor changes to my business plan and then I am good to go!

I really wanted to look (and therefore feel) good, I was in a nervous-yet-excited mood, so I wore lots of coral, my red for the summer! Even my hair matches because the dye is fading out!

Witchery Cropped Cardigan & Flutter Tee - ASOS Skirt - Target Tights - Dorothy Perkins Flats - Mimco Crystal Bow & Crystal Stud Earrings - Sportsgirl & Selfmade Necklaces

I really wanted to wear my broguesque flats today but my toe is still really sore, boo! I can’t wait to bust out my heels again!

One of my advisors (the male!!) commented on my hardcore colour co-ordination which goes all the way down to my nail polish (OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It) and eyeshadow (Inglot Pure Pigment #57). What can I say, I know what I like!

Off to meet a friend for coffee and then my very last shift at my old job!

x

Tags: What I Wore Today by Alicia
6 Comments »

I certainly have been a ghost around here, haven’t I? I’ve been reading all the lovely comments everyone is leaving, though - thank you so much!

As you can probably guess, I’ve had a lot going on the last week or so with the end of my course, and preparing for my new business, which is very exciting! I found two great new suppliers at the gift fair on Monday, not as much luck on Tuesday at the fair but I managed to secure a long-sought after supplier later that day. I am really thrilled.

Mimco Crystal Bow - Witchery Cropped Cardigan - H&M Dress - Target Tights - Dorothy Perkins Flats - Gianni Frisone Deco Earrings

I was feeling really grotty and disgusting, the cumulitive stress over the last two months has played havoc with my skin weight and hair. I thought the sack dress hid my stress-bloat fairly well, and I could not figure out what to do with my hair since I’m trying desperately not to blowdry it anymore! I ended up pushing it up into bobby pins and then plaiting the rest. Normally a pair of heels cheers me up when I’m feeling gross but I couldn’t even do that for my ego because I sliced my big toe open when I was building a desk the other day and it’s really tender. These Dorothy Perkins flats are a god-send. They’re disgustingly trashed but they’ve stretched so much that they NEVER hurt my feet. They have holes in them so I guess I’m going to have to retire them really soon. Lucky I bought two pairs!

Today was the first real “day off” I’ve had in a very long time. I spent the early afternoon shopping for some essentials; a new slip from MYER, red eyeshadow from Inglot, and some cleanser from Priceline. It’s funny how a random compliment can really cheer you up out of a bad mood. When I was crossing the road to go into the shopping centre a lady came up to me out of nowhere and told me she loved the red in my hair and complimented my style. I felt pretty good after that!

I picked up the Witchery cropped cardigan the other day to replace the cardigan I can’t find. This one is actually shorter and will be perfect with my tiered skirt which I plan to wear tomorrow!

Remember my sadness over the Scooter boots that sold out? I felt inspired to call their head office today and managed to track down one of the last pairs in my size! They have to be sent over from Western Australia but I don’t mind paying for the postage because they went on sale today!! $150 down from $210! So an extra $15 postage won’t hurt at all. Yippee!

Tags: What I Bought Today, What I Wore Today by Alicia
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