the double horizon

a few years ago we went to fiji and before i left to go on holiday, i was doodling in a meeting - it was obviously very boring, cause i had time to draw this whole picture.  what i didn't pay attention to was that i had drawn a double horizon and when i was asked about it, i said i didn't know why i drew a double horizon. it was what it was.

when we went on our boat cruise on a boat i'd never seen or to a place i'd never been, imagine my surprise when we came into an area that looked like this.  a double horizon. it was the first one i had ever seen and i felt like i had walked or should i say sailed, into my own picture. it gave me goosebumps.
i have always listened to my inner voice and used my gut feelings for things and i think that has been such a great way to navigate through my life - i just go with what feels right.

i now have these pics in my office so i can always be reminded of what it means to know that sometimes, if you aren't sure of something, to listen to the inner voice, that often knows what you should or shouldn't be doing.

the what i wore project - week 23 my sister's wardrobe

well my three week adventure in fiji is over - boo to that.  it has been fun and challenging and of course fashionable thankfully to being able to share my sister's clothes.

i did do something that i have never done before and that was to share a pic of me in my swimmers, not once, but twice.  not a big deal i hear you say....well i agree, but for many people it is probably not possible due to the commentary that may come with it, that may impact negatively on their well being.  i have been thin and i have been fat and i have been thin and i have been fat, but the one thing that remained the same, is the essence of me - the fun spirit, the kind heart and acceptance of who i am regardless of what this day, week, month or year may bring or whether i am wearing a size 12, 14, 16 or 18 and at nearly 50 years of age, i really don't give a fuck.  being happy right now is what matters.

so here is what i wore this week and i was happy to have a couple of things from my own wardrobe to wear. what a busy week this was.

oh my god - this dress.  i wore a couple of cowl neck outfits while in fiji and i had forgotten how totally fun they are and this dress even though it was a bit snug, felt totally totally sexy.  I loved how the top part of the dress had enough fabric to sit nicely over my tummy and teamed with the tube style skirt it was just a brilliant look and feel.

monday i wore dress and necklace from my sister's wardrobe and my birkenstocks.

monday was also our first opportunity to just sit and relax following the hectic previous weeks. we headed out for dinner and my first pina colada of the trip and it was actually chilly.  i also decided to sit in the back of the pajero on the way there and back and why not - we can't have this kind of fun in australia any more.

monday night i wore my target jeans and birkenstocks and t-shirt, cardigan and shells from my sister's wardrobe. i have no idea where any of those things came from.

this dress was to be part of my collection that i showed on friday night, but as sometimes happens at a fashion show, models just don't show up and it never made it to the runway.  i decided to bring it from runway to real way and this was the day we also headed to the beach for some much needed fun and relax.

tuesday i wore gold dress from huudaverti.

so it made total sense to post me in my swimmers since this is what i would be wearing most of the day. i have to be honest, it was weird, but at the same time there was something quite liberating about it - one of those sports illustrated moments, but not quite.

wednesday i wore swimmers from target and the warm tropical water of leleuvia island fiji.

i wasn't able to just wear my swimmers all day though as i had to put on a cover for when i went to eat or hang around the island.

wednesday i also wore kaftan from i-do thai massage and sand between my toes.

another day - another swimsuit and i was kind of getting into the swing of things with the swimsuit shots.  i love and hate this swimsuit.  love it because it is leopard, has a really nice cut to it at the front, but hate that the back of it just felt a little bit to small across my butt and it don't think that has anything to do with my butt - just the shape of this particular suit.

thursday i wore swimsuit from target.  i have found for me, that target seems to have a number of suits that really give me all that i need in a swimsuit - the shape, the support, some fun styles and they are actually wearable. this one nearly hit the mark on all thing, but i wont be put off by the lesser coverage on the rear - after all, i was still wearing more than any brazilian man or woman would wear on ipenema beach.

of course, i couldn't just run around in my swimmers ALL day, so i picked up this great little frock in suva.  I have one store that i always go to on every visit, that seems to have one or two things that i just need to add to my wardrobe and this is another of those pieces.

thursday i wore dress from the pacific store, suva.

we also traveled back to suva that afternoon and surprise surprise look at my sister and i....

thursday afternoon i wore the same as my sister, but in reverse.  the shorts were mine but the top was hers.

i had a couple of days left on my adventure and was in wardrobe raiding mode.  my sister and i went to the local fabric store and grabbed some new fabrics to work with and on the way back, they had to stop and get some vege. I jumped at the chance to set up my tripod and take a snap at this local vege stand.  and yes, people thought i was odd.

friday i wore jeans from target, havaianas from byron bay, belt was my own and this sparkly top was from my sisters wardrobe and she actually wore it on the runway when we showed at FFFweek 2013. This is another example of why we make the clothes we do - they are timeless.

well for my last day in suva, i decided to go for the metallic look and found this skirt and top in the huudaverti sample room.  i felt a bit weird being in suva wearing an all gold outfit - which was quite short - so i added the green skirt underneath, a woven belt and an earthy necklace.  i found that this combo just took the outfit from being too glitzy to being more wearable in the daytime.

saturday i wore gold skirt and top from the huudaverti sample room, green skirt, belt and necklace from my sister's wardrobe and my own birkenstocks. 

i had a super early start for my commute back to brisbane.  needed to be out the door by 4.30am and that meant being packed up an also having an outft on hand to wear. i was happy to be back in west end at my favourtie coffee place, seeing everyone and was expecting it to be a cold day - but thankfully it was just perfect.

i barely had time to sit down and i was being papped (not smeared thankfully - that would be awkward).  i think that this pic was all about my beautiful necklace though and rightly so.  the noise it makes is incredible.

i had arranged a taxi driver who gave me lifts a few times in suva and he was right on time to collect me every time and for the airport drop off as well.  from my sister's house, it takes 3 roads to get to the airport. one to the town where the airport is (its a long drive), one to cross the river and one to the airport proper. well in the dark at 4.30am, this guy took me off the main road, down darkened streets and when i asked why, he said it was because the main road was too dangerous at that time of the morning - too many trucks driving badly.  okay i can accept that.  we then made it to the main main road, and he turned off again, down another darkened road and i was thinking what the fuck now.  i was feeling a little weirded out about it. he had been good so far, but where to now and why all the dark back streets - petrol of course - from a dark, out of the road gas station where a guy was there locked in an office for safety and once we had filled up it was full steam to the airport. safe and sound.  i shouldn't have doubted - but it pays to have a plan and at 4.30am - i had nothing but trust.

sunday i wore jeans from target, birkenstocks, old top from suzanne grae and shell necklace made by fijian designer robert kennedy and from the tappoo department store which can be found across fiji, and my bag is from witchery.

so now i am back after a hectic first week, a fashion filled second week and a totally relaxing third week and i am looking forward to catching up on some of the things i have been missing.  the gym is one and since i haven't done any sewing since we had the storm last november, i am planning on getting my creative on very soon and whipping up some new things once i get around to unpacking the new machines.  

i also have to do a big big clean out as i am going to be moving house soon, so i am planning on setting up an ebay store to start selling some of the items i have loved and collected over the years. this is a first for me as well.

this is the beautiful island we stayed at just off suva.  it is tiny - takes 20 minutes to walk around in low tide - if you aren't distracted by the shells, what you see on the beach or just taking in the surrounds.  

and i am leaving you with the panorama of leleuvia island.  it is truly paradise, in every sense of the word - the sand is soft, the water is warm and clear, the hammocks are comfy and it is just so relaxing.

well, it's back to my own wardrobe now and the cooler weather.  can't wait to start putting together some more looks.

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 - my sister's wardrobe day 1

in my last post i mentioned that i didn't really bring many clothes to fiji and yesterday, i was quite content schlepping round my sisters house until we had to go to model rehearsals in the arvo and  that was when i had to take my first trip into her wardrobe.

where do you start in someone else's wardrobe - you like what you see, you don't know what the really good stuff is, the colours are different, the shapes, the size - there is a lot to consider.

so yesterday I went with a safe option. A dress i hadn't seen before, but a fabric i was familiar with.

The reason i am familiar, is that i got this fabric in australia to make something to wear when my sister and i walked our very first runway in fiji.  For the original, it was a kaftan which i ironed on swarovski crystals to give it a bit of sparkle under the lights.

For yesterday's choice i was instantly drawn to a dress she had made from the same fabric.  It has butterfly sleeves and has such a nice shape and feel.  I teamed it with my new metallic birkenstocks, some silver hoops, freshly washed hair - thank goodness and my lovely new lashes and went off to model rehearsals to see the ladies who are going to be walking for us at the show.

we came home to find that the kids had washed the dog - with the jif. they denied as much as they could but the truth came out. the dog was sparkly clean as jif is used for maximum cleaning with minimum scrubbing.

So the dog is actually totally fine - it's had no adverse reactions, or itching and even fronted up for a blow dry today to finish the job.  i think the next step needed is to cut these crazy dreadlocks off her hind legs.

my nephew also discovered my camera remote control and set about taking pictures of anything and everything.  who am i to stand in the way of such creativity.

and after a rather hectic first day in Fiji, it was time to head out for model rehearsals and see how our group is looking.

And i guess the question i ask myself now, is what am i going to wear tomorrow.

the what i wore project - week 20

this week was and still is action packed.  not only was i heading off to fiji for our fourth showing at fiji fashion week, but i had to finish all my work work, before i could leave to go to fiji for my fun work.

as my departure date grew closer, the list of things i needed to finalise grew longer.  things such as finalising my fabrics for our collection, last minute shopping in the form of chocolates, crumpets, soy milk, vegemite, promite, getting some strategic waxing (really, you want me to put my leg up where - this is hair removal, not a bloody yoga class) and the list went on. i also had to go and have my first ever try at having some fake eyelashes put on. This wasn't like a slab of lashes, but individual ones as i am so in love with the ones that a colleage has, that i decided to try my own.  Now, i haven't taken this lightly - i don't even pluck or wax my eyebrows, so doing this was quite the commitment, but they do feel long and lovely.

what was hilarious though was that during this relaxing time with the therapist, we were chatting about make up and i explained that apart from a bit of lippy, mascara and some eye shadow, i thought had reached my full make up potential about a year ago. but no, i am doing a bit more now - my red stila eyeliner is now a must have item. i didn't even know how to put eyeliner on until about 6 months ago but a lesson from mecca cosmetics fixed that. i just was never that into all of this stuff, regardless of how razzle dazzle my outfits may be. a simple face wash some coconut oil when i remembered was pretty much my routine.  anyway, i am doing a bit more in the make up department and when i told her of this, she offered the compliment that i have started looking after myself....actually i said, i have always looked after myself, so with that faux pas, she proceeded to ensure my transition into falsies was quick and painless and one that i am happy with.  the fact that my sister said i have drag queen lashes, doesn't deter me at all. it just makes it all the more fun.

so this week i am only showing 5 looks that i wore and the reason for that is that i am now in Fiji, as of Friday night and i literally have no clothes.  i bought the bare basics. a pair of shorts, swimmers, 2 tops, pj's, what i wore on the plane a dress to wear to an event and a pair of pants.  not much for 3 week's vacay, but that is okay, because i am going to raid my sisters wardrobe or the huudaverti sample rack and just make up some new looks each day.  i just had too much other stuff to bring, so figured i would just leave my clothes back home.  genius! but it is a little weird not quite knowing that you can go to your fall back faves if you need to.

well, here is what i wore pre-fji for my busy busy week at work and what because a very chilly brisbane.

Monday i wore this heavy cotton drill dress with classic art. I made the dress with fabric from spotlight and the boots are from jo mercer.

Tuesday i wore an animal print tube skirt from huudaverti, really old black top from temt, boots from jo mercer, vest from uniqlo melbourne and western belt from wrangler dfo.

Wednesday i wore gold denim skirt from huudaverti, black top from unknown, boots from jo mercer and lee denim vest from Big W that i sequined the heart onto the back of.

Thursday i wore something to keep me warm as it was bloody chilly so i dressed for the cold weather apart from the shoes - but that's a brisbane thing. this red velvet suit if from sportscraft, my jumper is from harris scarfe, shoes from betts and belt made by me.

i refrain from wearing anything suit like as i just don't want to be responsible for causing anyone to drop what they are carrying, or fall over at the sight of me in such a constructed look.

Friday i wore something comfy to travel in.  jeans from target, shirt/dress from tree of life, poncho from davies park markets, birkenstocks and a smile of someone who is about to go on three weeks leave.

i got to work super early on thursday - it was cold and clear and i decided to take a pic of our beautiful city that is brisbane.

so tonight i am in suva, staying in a little bure at my sisters house.  it is cool, raining and even though it is just 2 hours difference, from home, i am feeling tired but very excited about going into her cupboard tomorrow to see what i can dress up in. my trip was uneventful, unlike my last one when i got the final boarding call at brissy and i hope to try and update my looks everyday. however with fashion week just around the corner and a collection that is still in progress, i will be on high alert for the next 2 weeks.  then it will be true holiday time.

bula.