the sunday session 6 - chop chop

WTF - it's the sunday session and i am already at wednesday! first up, here's all my spunky looks from the week and i am out and loud calling them spunky. there's a few pieces from the huudaverti sunset collection which i am loving to wear and share pics of, along with pieces i made myself.

i also ran into Connie - i don't know her, but i stopped her and said how fab she looked and insisted she post with me.

she was all no no no, but i think she's a pro, as no sooner was the camera pointed, she decided to hide her walking stick.  she's a fashion shark.  loved her.

for me personally i was again torn between 2 looks.  my huudaverti shirred skirt (cause it felt amazing and gave me sky high legs) and my jeans and plaid shirt, but i am going to have to debrief on the jeans and plaid number, cause it was one of those outfits that just made me feel amazing. not that i don't feel amazing in huudaverti, but the reality is that i am huudaverti all the time - the woman who wants to stand out in the crowd.

i am someone who just loves to create and am always looking for ways to do things differently - that relates to my work and of course my fashion - call it process improvement. and there was a lot of process improvement in the plaid shirt that's for sure.  i bought the shirt back in 2012 from coles at fairfield in brissy and it featured on my blog post - guess whose mum. that's a blast from the past.....and haven't i come a long way, especially in the hair growth area.

and the shirt is back, better than ever in 2016.

casual friday is the work day of the week when i can wear jeans - i love jeans. and on this particular friday, i didn't feel like wearing just a t-shirt, but wanted something a bit more structured and if you follow my instagram, you will see that i very rarely wear anything with collars and buttons.  it conflicts with my sense of freedom.

as i was getting dressed, i saw the shirt and thought, gee, i would love to wear it, but it's summer and the sleeves are bulky - being men's and all - i decided to just cut the fuckers off.  trick was to cut on the sleeve side, so it left a nice clean finished edge. the shirt went on, the buttons got done up and i felt pretty dang fine.  to move it from masculine to femine, i added the red high heels, some fun earrings and popped my hair up.

so apart from enrolling in the next level of salsa dancing i didn't do much apart from have to deal with a couple of ninkumpoops on dating sites - like this guy...

and this one- class act. hiding behind an online profile is no excuse to degrade any woman and i for one, won't stand for it.  it's totally uncool and i have to wonder how they treat the women in their lives and how they want the women in their lives to be treated by other men.  scary.

let's bring it back to the fashion, it's far less hideous.

sometimes we have stuff in our wardrobe that you may think is no longer fashionable, but why not think outside the norm and find a way to give it a new lease of life.  it's amazing what some safety pins, or some knots, ribbons or even a pair of carefully placed scissors can do to give an outfit a new twist, as i did witth some of these looks.

 

go forth and explore the possibilities. pull it up, pull it down, turn it round, inside out, and let your fashion creativity shine. ciao fashionista sistas!

the sunday session 5 - ciao bella

can i just say straight up, that i loved all of my looks this week and i am going to zero in on one of them to do a bit of a debrief.  I actually want to talk about a few, especially the pink dress.  OMFG. the pink dress is hot and if i had it in multiple colours, i would wear it day after day after day.  but that's not the one i want to talk about....

in my quest to be "dateable" i am looking for all sorts of ways to signal my availability and by the amount of 30-somethings who contact me online, clearly i am F%&k-able, but that's not what i want. Well maybe i want a bit of what they want, but i want more than just what they want....

i am on a learning journey that's for sure, learning how to navigate the world of singledom as a nearly 50 year old, vibrant, fun, colourful woman.  thing is, i am not a frumpty dumpty and i am not going to just jump because some ninny says "hey" what is that anyway "hey".  in my day, it was what horses ate and maybe still is, unless they have also gone paleo!

i enrolled in a laneway learning (thank you work colleague for pointing these out). cheap as chips, with a variety of offerings and when the perfect italian date session came up, i was all over that. who doesn't want to have some latino love and given i speak enough italian to get me in and out of trouble, i felt it would be for me.  so i shared with my friend elena and we booked in and went along.

first challenge was picking the right tram stop at dockside.

i got there early, as there was a big storm warning present and figured i'd either cancel, or beat it and beat it i did, cause it never arrived.  since the big storm of 2014, i cannot be too careful.

as i was so early, i decided to check out the taco truck. wa wa wa waaaa. i had high expectations, but their vegetarian item was very lacklustre.  2 tiny fried bean tacos and a bunch of dry cornchips. maybe the fish and chicken ones were better, but for the cost and experience, i was very disappointed and i don't disappoint easily.

so our class started and we got down to business and learnt the plusses and minuses of dating italian men.  at least if it get asked on a date by an italian, i will now to be at least 5 minutes late, to smell amazing, to know how to tell if he wants to be friends or lovers, to know that i am not going to be miss right, but just miss right now, and to never talk down his mother. ever.... it was a lot of fun and we got to drink martini straight up.......ooooh nasty. some things are never meant to be done dry.

i then strolled home thinking what i could do to become more like monica bellucci who was featured in the class.

 

all she had to do was pop a bottle of martini in her bag, dark glasses, red lips and she was like the pied piper of italian men. i'm gonna try that, first stop tomorrow is BWS for a cask - cause i am that classy.  but i don't want to be mistaken for a wino so i'll pop it in a brown paper bag, move over monica, competition has arrived, cause janijans is here.

anyway that brings me to my outfit of the week - the shirred top and shorts, cause this may have been my monica bellucci moment.  hubba hubba.

so i am part of huudaverti a label started with my sister a few years back but i am also a blogger and fashion sharer from way before we started that, so i have this kind of awkward as to how i split between the two.

well yesterday, i was jan, the 49 year old single woman going out for a drink and i happened to put on a huudaverti outfit and found this amazing shadowed wall to take a pic.  OH MY GOD.  this outfit was a first for me - firstly because i hate to wear strapless, but also because when i put on the shorts, top, shoes, lipstick, shells and did the hair, i felt like the non black wearing version of monica bellucci.  it was bizarre, i had this sex appeal that was something i had never felt before. i don't know whether it was me, or the outfit, but i can assure you it was a head turner and one that i felt very at home in. thank you huudaverti for these looks and thank you to me for styling it in a way that made me feel amazing. (the shorts and top are is available to buy should you want to embrace your own monica bellucci moment)

so where to now? well back to to the cask and to work on my sex appeal i guess, and to another week of outfits that i will put together to share with you all, cause that is what i love to do.  ciao belli!

the what i wore project - week 43

so this week, i think my fashion has been overshadowed by the arrival of one very very hot pink couch and the love of not having to sit on my 39 dollar ikea chair any longer.  i loved that chair, but my arse didn't and to be honest, i was lacking colour in my life in the home decor front. that chair is now relegated to the balcony where i can sit out there an enjoy the fresh air and a vino.

my plan is to put on my pinkest of pink outfits, open a bottle of pink bubbles (great suggestion from my sister) and snap a pick of me blending in with the pinkness.

next countdown is the arrival of my second taxi box which arrives this week and i am busting to crack that bad boy open.

here's what i pulled out of the cupboard this week and there's a shock factor element in there - all black.

hello monday, i dressed like i was the sun in this orange frock that i made.  the obi belt was gifted to me and the shoes were a new much needed pair of flats to keep me on the low down till my other stuff arrives.  they are from famous footwear. as my paid job is in mining, it's been a while since i have been able to wear opened toed shoes without getting a safety share.

so a thing happens when i walk into the office - i get the top to toe sweep from people and people dropping by to see what colourful outfit i am wearing.  how funny is that.  fashion is becoming a talking point.  maybe it was before i arrived, but it seems to be a lovely discussion to be having each day.  how's that for bringing people together.

on tuesday, mumma wanted to dance and she went all satin shiny.  as i was getting ready, i just had ra ra rasputin pop into my head (boney m) for the younger readers and i was doing my boney m moves across the floor and decided to google them.  there was a recent boney m segment on rage the other day and i have to say, they were disco and i felt disco and if i had a hundred bucks to spare i would have wandered over to the crown to see them.

this head to toe sweep was made by me.  the shoes are from jo mercer on sale, the belt from a $2 shop  - buckle turned to the side for extra effect and my anklet was purchased on a beach in rio.  i love this outfit and the pants were loved by both the men and women who probably wanted to wear them....can you blame them!

go for gold wednesday had arrived and i rummaged through the wardrobe to find this beauty. the denim skirt and belt were made by me and the top is a huudaverti number.  the boots got an airing cause surprise surprise, the weather was turning.

thursday  threw everyone into a tizz and why, cause i wore all black (in no way a reference to a possible rugby world cup outcome - but it could be.....)  but it was all black from the outfit to the nickers and bra.  the only thing that wasn't black was a necklace and my socks which were flouro green.  a taste of things to come. i had people coming to me in the office asking if i had turned all melbourne. hell no, i just decided to wear all black.  don't know that i will be doing that again soon, cause it freaked people out.

my all black outfit was my pants from country road, top from seed, men's shoes from tarocash, some old necklaces i made.  (tip. when you use magnetic clasps you can join and join as many necklaces together as you like to make one super necklace.  or not)

hello friday and i should have been excited that it was the last day of the working week and the arrival of my couch.  i no sooner got to work when i became violently ill throwing up green ectoplasm that would make any ghostbuster proud and was rushed to the doctors.  you know when you reach a certain age that things leak from other places in excitement, well i am happy to say that none of this happened as i was chucking into a toilet, then bucket, then bag as i made my way to the doctor. keep up the pelvic floors ladies, it pays off.

i'm not sure if the universe was sending me a message that some shit i was dealing with was doing me no good, or the avocado i ate just didn't agree with me.  whatever it was, it was green and it wasn't pretty jan....and it resulted in a shot in the arm that made me drowsy for the next 24 hours. i also needed to pay redelivery on my couch cause timing was everything.

i however looked great in my jeans from target, boots from mollini, black t and my poncho from tree of life.

saturday arrived after mild sedation had worked its magic.  i went forth with caution and contempt. caution cause i wasn't sure if i was okay and contempt for that bloody fringed jacket. oh man, it just loves to be involved in everything - the seatbelt holder, the gearstick, the handbag, the glasses, the door, everything.  i love it though, but what to do....maybe i will cut the fringing down a bit on the arms, cause that seems to be the problem area. aren't arms always a problem area?

the shorts were made by me, shoes from famous footwear, singlet from uniqlo, jacket from dream diva and the earings - aren't they amazing. gifted to me from my sister back in 2006 when she was living in sri lanka.  she figured i'd be the only person she knew who could pull them off.

well look at mumma on sunday, feeling all like the ugly duckling who turned into the swan. i bought this top a long while ago when i had a few more curves than i do now and i put it away cause it just didn't feel right, but how cute is it and the image is on the back as well, giving me swan arse, if that's a thing.  uncovered it yesterday and made it my must wear item today.  teamed with my target jeans and cap, connies and my vintage bag that i picked up yonks ago, i felt great, all things considering.

so the weekend was filled with highs and lows.  the high of getting my couch after 8 long weeks and the low of still having to move through some excess baggage that i don't want to carry around but for whatever reason has haunted me.

so through this i shall once again find the silver lining and move forward in both the fashion and the life stakes.  hope that everyone has a great week to come.

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 39 - it was birthday week

this week i delved into my bag of tricks and had to manage the weather which was nice then cold, then cold, then cold, then nice then nice then nice.  Every weekend has been pretty amazing though in the weather stakes and that is making the melbourne train all the more fun to ride.

i was reminded this week when i went to get summer shoes out of my wardrobe, that all of my summer shoes are still in my taxi box in brisbane - apart from a pair of birkenstocks (not work wear) and one brown wedge sandal - yep, there is only one..... and with the weather warming up so rapidly, this will be problematic soon, so i will be happy to take donations to help relocate these so i can feel the freedom of the toe wriggle of sandals. but until that happens it's boots, day in and day out,which is fine, cause the weather can turn in an instant so it pays to be dressed for all eventualities.

monday it was short sleeves for me.  this dress is from one of my fave places in suva fiji and i teamed it with a bold necklace from fijian designer robert kennedy. i am not afraid to put things together that you wouldn't normally think would work and that's half the fun of expressing my individuality.

tuesday it was long sleeves - the weather was cold and it required a little something to brighten the dark skies.  i went with basic black, leopard and some red contrasts to bring the look to life.

wednesday was my 49th birthday.  i can hardly believe it - 49 - i love to keep a really youthful outlook and i think that my love of fashion and its endless possibilities has a lot to do with it (and the desire to never be an old fart) i like to keep a mindset of being open to change and this keeps me from becoming locked into a path of same same.

the skirt and belt was made by me, boots now 10 years old and top comes from Dream Diva.

i often get told that i don't look my age and what is age supposed to look like anyway?  but i will thank resilience when times are tough, being humble and grateful, coconut oil, when the skin feels dry, water and white wine, laughing and smiling, a vegetarian lifestyle for nearly 20 years and a positive outlook on life, regardless, living in the moment.....and bright lipstick.

on thursday i wanted to wear my target vinyl skirt and the weather was also nice enough to just wear this great poncho. someone at work commented that it was what is known as plastic silk in india.  i think she's right.  

the poncho comes from our label huudaverti (which i am excited to announce) will be showcasing at LA Fashion Week in October, as part of the Fiji Fashion Week showcase.

ahhh casual friday and again it was lovely, jeans and a short sleeve T were the order of the day. I did a rolling updo and added my fave flowers to my hair.  These flowers are a big hit in the office and perfect for an environment where plenty of people have bad allergies.  they can look, but don't need to sniff.

the top was made by me, jeans are from target, boots from jo mercer and flowers from sportsgirl.

so i love it when the weekend comes round, cause i get to go exploring and find different places to take my ootd photo.  there are some routines that i am missing - one is not having a coffee place that i can go and start the day at - and i am so over bonsoy and two is not having a lot of choices for backdrops during the weekday, without carrying my little tripod round with me all day.

this great dress is from huudavert and it's actully split from the underarms to the hips.  i teamed it with my 10 year old boots, sequin belt made by me, t-shirt from suzanne grae and necklaces.  round beads are from and op shop and the flower is from Fiji.

speaking of photos, i did my second PHOTOH group class as well. it's a slow burn getting to build a network in this new city, but one step at a time.

sunday i was a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. i donned denim, sequins and western boots all in the name of styling it my way.  i know that double denim can be a sin, but what's the verdict on newly faded denim....

i also took the opportunity on sunday to do 2 other good things.
number one - was have scones for breakfast. they were good, but not as good as mine and i don't think it will be long till i begin some baking.  people, don't skimp on the cream or the jam FFS.

number two - was getting a hair cut.  i have had a great hairdresser for the past 4 years and my challenge was to find another one - but bingo, i have, at the south melbourne markets and it only cost me 29 bucks and having some of that old hair energy cut off feels brilliant.

my skirt is from Dream Diva, boots are from the wrangler store at DFO Brissy, my vest is by Lee, and bought at Big W, but sequined by me.

and since declaring that on sunday i was a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, it seems only fitting that i end my post with donny and marie osmond....there is plenty to love here.