the what i wore project - week 42

ouch this was a strange week, it was filled with both love and sadness. love came from having my son, his girlfriend and another friend come to visit and sadness because i decided to make a decision that would ultimately cut ties with the past and i shared that journey here when i wrote about closure. it's never easy, but with closure you either make a new direction or a new direction finds you.

well the week kicked off with rainy weather and tonight as i write this, i am sick - i think there's a combination of things - the constant change in weather - rainy sunny, hot and cold, it changes all the time, plus the change of food, location and job is all still finding its new normal.  at work i talk about likening how i am doing to a plane ride, there is the boarding, take off and ultimately the cruising altitude where you can sit back, relax and enjoy. i don't think i have hit cruising altitude yet but i know it will happen.

so here's what i wore while i am still ascending to my cruising altitude where the seat belt sign will soon be turned off.

monday it was a spotted corduroy dress i made myself teamed with pom pom necklaces also made by me. the boots are from jo mercer and i posed against a beautiful chest of drawers i purchased in brisbane following the devastating storm last year.

tuesday i decided to show a bit of leg and a comment i got was that i haven't shared my pins much. well it's been to fucken cold to go bare legged, or anything else for that matter, but on tuesday i busted out.  i liken them to snakes, they generally only come out in warm weather. the dress is from coles and the shoes are from jo mercer.

wednesday sucked for me personally, so i decided to pretty up in this dress that i also made.  gees i make a lot of stuff...... the shoes are from rubi, the necklaces are from an op shop, but i decided to pin my flowers (usually reserved for my hair) to them to add another pop of colour. those shoes still have to go - they are far too noisy.

thursday i had made an appointment to go and talk to someone about how i was feeling about a few things.  i think that addressing stuff head on is what can make all the difference between certainty and uncertainty. having constant noise in your head can hold you back and i decided to turn the sound down. i left feeling like i was okay to do what i needed to do - without guilt, or fear or failure, or regret. it wasn't easy, but i made a choice.

it was a hottie, so i wore this great silk cotton green dress that i made, with my silver shoes from jo mercer and necklace from lovisa.  i went forth with courage and an open mind.

hello friday - casual day and after my week, i just wanted to feel light.  this outfit did it - the flowing western shirt, the rolled up jeans and the sockless converse.  even my hair didn't care, cause it was happy to be plaited and to do its own thing.

jeans are from target, connies from dfo, top from second hand shop in melbourne.  i loved the button down top, but sadly, it decided that it would pop a bit of boobage every now and then and it's not the look i go for when someone is picking up papers from the photocopy machine and can see over to my desk.  awkward.

saturday i woke up feeling pretty ordinary and i chucked on this outfit, cause i know it works. i had some time with my son and we did a few things together.  i was feeling pretty crap, but managed to lug myself around town and enjoy the time we had together.  jeans i tie-dyed myself, belt from 2 dollar shop, havaianas from byron bay, old old top, my cap is from target and my necklace came from my first visit to india.

what i like about this outfit is that with a top that has an elastic base, it is great from covering a bit of nutella muffin top cause it gets a bit flouncy.  the belt sucks it in and it just works.

on saturday as part of my moving forward i said goodbye to the past. thank you to my lovely friend who gave me the suggestion to let go a balloon to symbolise the act of letting go.  i wrote all my feelings on it and set it free in order to free me.

on sunday i had gone downhill faster than a kid on a go-cart (gee, wonder why i might have got sick) and didn't have much time with my son, cause he was heading back to brissy, but we did enjoy brekky together before i headed home back to the comfort of bed. i would have spent the day on the lounge, but that mother fucker aint here YET...

i relaxed in my overalls that i got at a second hand store, connies from dfo and a tshirt from somewhere. there was a half marathon here in melbourne on sunday and the streets were closed off, so i jumped at the chance to stand in the middle of it all while it was quiet.

so, in fashion i always beat the sound of my own drum. i don't read magazines, or follow trends, i do my own thing.  many many years ago i was in india and on a visit to a market i purchased a pair of shoes for my sister and i (we have to often buy the same thing for each other) (pictured on my sisters feet a while back) well blow me down if i didn't wander into a store in melbourne on the weekend and spot a pair of similar shoes - they were nice, but they don't have bells on them like ours do or jewels like our do, but they look pretty much the same.

and with that, i guess i called this fashion trend a long time ago...and stand true to every outfit, accessory and look i choose to create each day.

the what i wore project - week 41

i've been in my apartment a few weeks now and i haven't shared much of the view (only on skype when i did a walk around with my sister) but it is quite lovely here on the 18th floor.  it's very different from where i spent my first few weeks in melbourne, but i am so grateful to have had that introduction to melbourne.  it will stay with me.

daylight saving kicked in this week, and it was a bit of a bleary eyed awakening on monday morning when the body said one thing and the clock said another, but the view on monday was lovely and this is what i see from my bedroom.  feels like i am in a fishbowl - it's pretty cool, but i just need my lounge to arrive to complete the look.

the weather dressed to impress this week, for most parts and i lapped it up in my variety of shoes that i picked up last weekend. it's my mission this week to arrange for the rest of my stuff to be sent down. apart from shoes and clothes, i want my pushbike to explore this cycling city plus my balcony chairs and all my sewing stuff.  it's time to get behind the machine again.

it was nice to give the boots a bit of a rest this week and set out in some sandals.  and here's how it went down.

monday i matched my frock with my shoes and off i went.  the dress is one i made myself and i love love love it.  my necklace is from a trip to india and shoes were from novo and cost 10 bucks.  they were the last pair and the shop assistant was hoping to buy them. well i said to her - YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE SISTER.... and handed over my 10 bucks. i tried these same shoes on when i was in fiji for fashion week this year, as i thought they might be nice for the runway, but was scared of the blister factor.  i always get blisters and yet some people never do.  damn.

and my lounge still hasn't arrived.

on tuesday i went for the pink pants and when i realised that they weren't the pink pants i thought they were (the other ones are in storage), i figured that a bit of sparkle would make up for it.  i made these pants and sewed the sequins on one by one.  it's a thing i do. my top was from suzanne grae, the shoes are from jo mercer, the beads are yonks old, but they were needed as i thought the look needed a a contrast of colour.

oh waiting waiting waiting for my lounge.

on wednesday, there was a chill, so i quickly took a snap and jacketed up.  those bare bits on my legs were freezing. my boots are from jo mercer, my vinyl skirt is from huudaverti, this fantastic top is from seed and my necklace is from fiji.

is that my lounge i see? NO!

on thursday i went through the wardrobe and went for these super flare pants cause i liked the 70's feel that they had with the platforms. i made these yonks ago, but they remained unfinished in the sewing box for such a long time, before i gave them life a year or so ago.  i hit the work dance floor with this dolman top from target and a big flower on the hips.  total flower power here.

now, lets talk about the shoes. in my desperation to find shoes (before i went to DFO - the source of the good shoes) i went everywhere in the cbd and ended up at rubi. i wanted to at least have the option of having something to wear in the warmer weather, that didn't blow my budget and i came home with these - the just in case shoe. i don't have an issue with the shoe as such, but what's with all the plastic shoes heels out at present.   high end, and low end, i saw a lot and they make a lot of noise and you do moves on the work hallways.

speaking of noise - i want my lounge and i want it now!

friday, thank god it's friday.  it was a super busy week and i really wanted to wear my white shoes with my jeans and that meant finding the right styling for me so i didn't feel like i was all about the white shoes. i remember when i was younger that white shoes were a thing and could never be teamed with black stockings.  is that still a thing?

anyway, eyes up - i went with my black huudaverti frilled dress and gave it a tropical feel with a coconut shell necklace and some white beads i picked up at an op shop a long while back.

lounge - where are you?

saturday i went with the huudaverti heart frilled kaftan, silver birkenstocks and a sequin belt i made.  god it annoyed me - it wasn't heavy enough to hold the weight of the dress, so in the end i had to lose it.  i found a super place to take my selfie. loved the unexpected flowers and i'm such a fan of graffiti as a backdrop.....

.....unless of course, it looks like a giant cock, which became quite apparent, when i did a review of the pic i decided to post. that is so highschool.  and speaking of highschool, i spent a fair bit of time on the couch back then and would love to do the same now, if it ever turns up.

after the day's outing, i had a night time outing.  i love living in the city, cause i can just use those feety things to take me where i need to go and living near all the art hubs is even better. i took myself off to a cabaret show called limbo.  it was great and i can highly recommend it if you get the chance.

for this, i knew exactly what was going on the body and it was silver inspired.  i wore my vinyl skirt i made myself, my birkenstocks, and a dress (bit short for that) that i deemed to be a top from dream diva here in melbourne and online. i travelled light and took my bardot bag to hold the essentials. i loved this look and it copped a few stares. now really, there was someone dressed up as a stormtrooper in the city, that's what you stare at, not me in my silver studded number.

anyway, there was something about this dress/top that i loved and i am sure i will find a number of ways to style it - even something star wars inspired.

yoo hoo......is that my lounge calling? NO

sunday it felt less warmer than i thought it was.  i need to check the weather each day, as it can be very deceptive.  it wasn't hot, and it wasn't cold, but it wasn't just right. this outfit was made by me and guess what, those shorts aren't pink, they are a cross between neon pink and orange - porange, if you please.

it's been a colourful week and i expect no less next week.  i'm still finding my way in melbourne and some days it feels a little stranger than others and all the time i am reminded of the life and the people i left behind.  i need to remind myself at times about my journey and that only i can make my life what i want it to be, even when it's feeling full or a bit lonely.

this week, my son and his girlfriend will be in town and i can't wait to give them both a big hug.....but will they have somewhere to sit when they come visit, probably not, cause i don't have my freaken lounge.

the what i wore project - week 22, my sister's wardrobe

oh my haven't i had a fabulous fashion filled week - it is true, it was fashion week in fiji - there was so much fashion both on and off the runway.  This event has just had its eighth run and we have been part of it for four years, and as i mentioned in my last blog, i was asked to help out and i got a real understanding of the workings of a major fashion event and in fiji there were so many things that really challenged my structured way of working (not thinking) - but it was fun and if i could sum the week up, it would be like this:
1. sleep deprived (about 4 hours each night since i got here - Adrenalin works wonders)
2. what the fuck (what the fuck is happening here and how can this event even work)
3. chaos (the butterfly effect was in full swing and it both hindered and helped)
4. tuna is not a vegetable

what a week. and i got through it with both style and comfort.

so my sister said it was okay for me to come into the room early pearly of a morning to pick an outfit. after a few flicks back and forth along the clothing rail, i found this dress.  i was instantly in love. it was just simple, yet beautiful with a slight detail on the neckline that just made me feel very lady like but in a way that suited my sense of style.

to kick of fashion week, they did a screening of dior and i - i didn't get to see it, but it was very well recieved and a must see for any designer who wants to understand the the work involved in putting a collection together from start to finish and the pressure that comes with doing so.  (i probably needed to watch, cause it was a rough week, getting to the runway)

monday i wore cheesecloth dress from my sister's wardrobe. she made this one with local fabric and a lace insert that she got down the road and i matched it with those same shoes i have been wearing nearly every bloody day.  i really loved the feel of this dress and will be adding it to my wish list.

this local fijian fabric is what we used in our melbourne show and was made into a beautiful A-line skirt that i just wanted to keep on wearing. i loved it. for the fjfw program, they had a fashion forum for student's who got to hear from speakers who shared their knowledge on fashion design and business to assist in building a career in fashion.

tuesday i wore, tshirt and necklace from my sister's wardrobe, skirt from huudaverti and those same shoes.

today was a 70's inspired charity lunch, and this jumpsuit was the perfect thing to feel both retro and modern.  i took this photo in the makeshift kitchen that is used for their bbq stall and i felt that the outfit and the location were both complementary of each other.

wednesday i wore jumpsuit from huudaverti. my mum picked this fabric and decided it would look good in the jumpsuit.  the necklace is from my sister's wardrobe and i am not even mentioning the shoes.  this was also the day, i decided to invest in a pair of sneakers - pink of course!

oh oh look at this - it must be show day - cause i snagged a fjfw t-shirt and did my best to look important.  there was a lot of stuff to be done, so i needed to dress for comfort.

thursday i wore jeans from target, (mine), shoes from diadora (mine), heart earrings (mine) and fjfw tshirt (mine).   what- nothing from my sister's wardrobe......

but wait, there's more.  it was also our first showing for the event and it was resort wear night.  we got good reviews and you can check out the pics on our facebook

thursday night, i wore dress from my sisters wardrobe (am so taking one of these home), shoes - you know the ones, the brown ones and heart earrings.

thank goodness for these shoes - my feet were so sore from the day before, that i could barely wait to get them off when i got home.  if i had of been able to take off my feet as well and give them a rest i would have.

thursday i wore jeans from target, my tree of life top, and sneakers from diadora.

we had another two shows today in the ready to wear/trendsetters night and i had a beautiful piece of fabric to make a long skirt to wear on the runway. sadly though when i asked for a long skirt, i really got a long skirt. it was about 4 inches past my feet, so i had to go to plan B, which i didn't get a photo of, apart from on the runway.

thursday night, i wore brown kaftan from my sister's wardrobe which was made by huudaverti.

i noticed that down at the arena where the show was held, all the volunteers were wearing shell necklaces, so i thought i would join the locals and follow suit.

friday i wore jeans from target (they need a wash) top from suzanne grae mt ommaney, diadora's from suva and shell necklaces that my sister has collected over the years.

now this is the skirt i was supposed to wear the night before but it was too long.  i asked my mum to make it into this dress for me to wear on friday night.  she just added a couple of straps to it - which we will need to modify cause it was last minute, but it was a hit with everyone who was surprised to see me wearing something else but jeans and sneakers. everyone just wanted to touch the fabric and i can't blame them.  but guess what, i had to wear those shoes again.

this was the last night of fashion week and it was the high end resort, couture and bridal wear night.

friday night i wore skirt that is now a dress made from peacock sequined fabric i got at spotlight, indian style earrings and my whittner shoes.

after having so little sleep during the week, i gave myself a forced lie in.  i am not very good at sleeping in, but i just needed to stay in bed and literally lie there.  damn it felt good and my feet loved it.

sunday i wore just another simple outfit for the day which was my target jeans, tshirt from my sister's closet, my sneakers and the shells again, cause they are an accessory that instantly makes you feel like you are on a tropical island.  Oh hang on, i am on a tropical island....

so that's another week of outfits and i still have another week to go.

i have learned a couple of things this week. the first is that even though fijian people run on island time and it looks from the outside that things may not be happening, a shit load gets done in a small amount of time.

the other thing is that when things are feeling stressed, i encourage you to go outside in the open and scream at the top of your voice FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. it feels great and is cheaper and better than any therapy you can pay for.

well i am about to plan a few days away at the beach. the weather isn't looking to great today, but that won't stop me from having a pina colada and a lie in a hammock under an umbrella, if i have to.

the what i wore project - week 21, my sister's wardrobe

I had grand intentions of trying to update my outfits on the blog each day, but i am in fiji and i am running on fiji time and that means that sometimes the desire to do something and what actually gets done doesn't always match.

What i have been doing this week is helping out at the Fiji Fashion Week office by offering some of my experience in doing last minute things for the show.  It's been quite the eye opener taking a peek into the workings of a five day international fashion event that has over 9 event's on their program.  (Must remember to update my resume).

Here's a look of what i wore this week and out of eight outfits, only three pieces are mine - apart from bra, undies and footwear, which i ensured i wore everyday.  So, what did i wear out of my sister's wardrobe.

I have actually found it quite tricky to wear outfits from someone else's wardrobe.  even though this is my sister and we like the same stuff and the same looks, i have found that not everything i eyed off in the wardrobe actually was going to work for me. We both have boobs, but I have hips and she doesn't so shape wise, we are very different. But like a speed machine, i whipped outfits on and off until i found something that would work for me.

we had to go and see the boss off Fiji Fashion Week for a chat.  My sister is doing the designer relations this year so there are a lot of things to get organised, we went and talked about the upcoming week.  it was quite enlightening.

sunday i wore black pants from target, havaianas from byron bay, a top from my sister's wardrobe that i know nothing about except that it is really cute.

i didn't think i would love this dress as much as i did - but i freakin love it.  the length was great, the sleeves were nipped in with a little elastic, the fabric was awesome, and it had pockets- and i am still trying to fall in love with them.  they just don't suit my body shape when i wear certain outfits.

on monday i wore dress from huudaverti sample rack, shoes from whittner and necklace from my sister's wardrobe - maybe it's from Robert Kennedy Fiji.

tuesday i wore top and tube skirt from the huudaverti sample rack and shoes from whittner. the necklace is from my sister's wardrobe and i am thinking it's from Robert Kennedy Fiji also.

mid week and i was ready for a little sparkle.  this is a fun dress that can be worn either more formal or casual - either way it works. 

wednesday i wore dress that i designed from the huudaverti sample rack and shoes from mollini.  

i must have tried on about 10 tops before i ended up with this one - which is exactly the first shirt i put on when i went into the sample room to pick something to wear. i knew it was the one, but it took about 9 others just to be sure.

thursday i wore jeans from target, shoes from whittner (aren't they getting a workout) top from our first collection in 2012 and earrings made by me for our collection last year.

every morning i get a taxi down to the FJFW office and i have arranged a guy to come and pick me up. he arrived just in time for me to pose with his cab.  i love this pic.

friday i wore this blue spot dress from my sister's wardrobe.  it came from Old Navy NYC in 2013 - i know, cause i was there and i wish i had got one as well.  shoes are from mollini and my mis- matched hearts always on the lookout for opportuities to make an appearance. 

we had to go to model fittings and rehearsals today.  next rehearsal is the real deal at the arena and and it will really start to feel like it is actually happening.  at present, there is still so much behind the scenes work going on that it's hard to believe that in just 2 days they will have transformed this massive sporting arena to a world class fashion event. 

saturday i wore bird shorty shorts and pink top from the huudaverti sample rack, those same shoes from whittner, hoop earrings and the best accessory of the day - 2 pens in my hair - i needed to make a lot of notes.

today was another day at home cutting, sewing and stressing but i am really happy with the looks i have created, even though i have had to do a fair bit of modifications due to time constraints.  but that's the life of a fashion designer.

sunday i wore shorts that are actaully mine, birkenstocks and this cute top from my sister that seems to be a staple of hers.  i don't think i have ever seen a time that she hasn't bought it when she is vising from fiji, - so figure it may be a favourite.  don't know anymore about it that that.

  

there was time to fit in some much needed sconies which were a much needed treat.  i am also hoping to avoid getting dengue or the latest bug called chikungunya - it's all the rage here apparently.  the mosquitos are just insane.

so that is my week wearing someone else's clothes.  it has been fun and i still have another 2 weeks of picking out items while i am here.

i actually really appreciate how much i love opening my own cupboard and picking out my faves, or my go to pieces and i just can't get attached to any of these things because they aren't mine but i am hoping that i will have time to get some things made to bring back to at least fill my empty suitcases.

the what i wore project - week 15

here's a snapshot of the last week's looks and wasn't there a lot of one legged action.  my favourite bird is the flamingo, so maybe i was channeling.

so i haven't quite got the post easter sugar fix out of my system which may have contributed to the length of my last weeks 'what i wore' post, and i still have bunnies and they stand to attention every time i look up at them above my desk.  sorry bunnies, your day's are numbered.

i did mention last week that i had been working on a project all over the easter break and on Monday night we launched our new look huudaverti website. this was such a mammoth task, but it felt really great to have made this important update and i think continuing to grow and change is not only important for a person but necessary for a business.  if we don't continue to evolve, we are at risk of not being prepared for opportunities that may present in the every changing world of fashion.

now i'm gonna get down to business for week 15 of the year.

i had to think about what day it was, because with the extended break, i looked dressed for a weekend, but it was actually monday. every sunday i go for a massage in west end at i do thai massage it started as a bit of an ad hoc thing to do, but it's now a weekly necessity. they also have a little boutique attached and i got this dress from their the small collection they used to have there. they don't have much of this brand left but have just got a whole lot of new stuff in there from other brands. half the fun of sharing my ootd's is now also about finding a back drop where i can feel like i am not just posing against the same wall all the time and this was a great one.  it is behind the lift bakery cafe at highgate hill.  yum yum!

i wore dress from i do thai massage, west end.  the brand is mr & mrs wardrobe from indonesia. shoes are from nine west.

tuesday back to work and i often head up to the sports ground at annerley as they have some fun places for take photos.  on this day, i snuck through the gates of the bridge club and when i saw this little building, i was in love and couldn't wait to go stand up against it take some selfies.  it was amost mystical there, it was a bit chilly, and the light was amazing which just added to the beauty of the backdrop.

i wore, a black thick crepe dress i had made some years ago, but it's still a super fave.  shoes are from novo and my necklace is from robert kennedy fiji.

wednesday - upcycle and recycle - i put on this outfit and wasn't quite sure - was it the shoes, was it too much pink - no, cause you can never have too much pink, was it the pom poms, the sparkles, the velvet, the embroidery.  after a few twirls in the mirror, i went yep, there is too much of every thing, but fuck it, it all works and off i went.  i headed off in search of a backdrop and at the girl guide hall in annerley, the kids have painted on the building and as soon as i saw it, i knew that with everything i had going on in my outfit, that this would work perfectly.

i wore a pink velvet top that i made from a piece of left over fabric which i added pom poms to the bottom. a skirt that i got in india.  it never fitted, because it was so tiny round the waist, but i loved it and ended up cutting it off and making it a short skirt. i added a gold sequin belt that i made and my shoes are from betts.

thurday.  i actually don't read fashion mags or follow any style guides. everything i make or wear is what i put together from my own imagination and today it was red red red.  the annerley sports area has featured quite a lit in my backdrops this week and these great water tanks at the rugby field became the simple highlight for such a strong outfit.  when i looked down over my red top and saw my red shoes peeking out from my red pants, it looked great.

the red didn't stop their, cause i also wore some red eyeshadow and a very very red lipstick from natio called rush.

i wore black singlet from uniqlo, shoes from mollini.  the floral open sided top, red stretch sateen pants and belt were made by me.  the earrings came from fiji.

TGIF - this was the longest shortest week ever and it was the day i needed toast - done my way. i like to toast it, let it go cold, by forming a toast pyramid, then slather it with butter and put vegemite on, but only down the centre.  quite the runway strip going on, but this way, i get the love of the butter and just the right amount of the good old aussie tradition, that is vegemite.

this was also the week i had a personal training session on wednesday and was rendered useless by my robot legs by friday. i needed to get grounded,  and that required a bit of an urban look where i was easily able to perform some stretches as required in the office. my backdrop was under the lychee lounge west end and was the right place for this one. sometimes it's only after i see the photo that i notice all the detail and i love those pipes that are attached to the wall.

i wore metallic top from just jeans, elastic bottom pants from target, metallic converse hightops gifted from my niece, my favourite mis matched heart earrings and a last addition, a necklace from sri lanka.

could saturday be any more fun?  this dress is a party in itself and as i headed into the davies park markets for my usual saturday food fest, i drove past this roll-a-door, that i drive past every week and knew that this had to be the backdrop.  the dress is strong, the back drop is strong and kapow, they both just work.  

this is also the day that my little friend Miss H, from last week's post looked in amazement as i walked into the coffee shop and i have had a dress like this commissioned for her.  she will love it.

i wore layer upon layer dress from huudaverti, slides that i got from rio de janiero, red tear drop earrings, and hair accentuated with beaded bobby pins that i made.

sunday is here again and i frocked up to head out for my morning coffee, before my weekly massage. i look in awe at this giant tree on montague road at davies park west end and took the opportunity to use it as my backdrop. it's an amazing tree and one that i plan on going back just to walk around and investigate it further.  i am not sure how old it is, but it has so much depth an character. it's beautiful.

i wore dress made by me and hand beaded with motifs from india, and beads that go all the way round the neckline. shoes come from venice and i left the house with washed wet hair and some virgin coconut oil on my face and a splash of lipstick.  i felt very smart, but also fresh.  this dress does have a downside though, it has a sheen and it once caused me to nearly slide off my workseat, which would be so unfashionable, but totally funny, if there were no injures.  it comes with a safety warning.

another wrap up done and i love that i am documenting all my looks. this was also the week that we started to get a little chill in the air in brisbane and i decided while doing some more post storm clean up - yes 5 months and still sorting it out - that i would get a blanket out that my nana knitted before she died.  she has been gone nearly 10 years and this has never been used.  how silly.  it's out of the bag now and on my bed, where it deserves to be. 

and with the arrival of the blanket out of storage, it's not going to be long till i need to think about getting the winter gear out of storage and ready to wear.  i am ready for a change - bring on the boots.