More scarf envy....

I love the way some people can pick up a scarf - merely a scrap of cloth - and make it look effortlessly chic.  I love the way this person has picked up a scarf and made effortlessly chic look Big Day Out cool!
Ahhh.  If only there were somewhere you could go - some sort of accessory class - where they could teach you all those little things......like how to tie a belt in the latest style, or how to assemble your scarf into something that even slightly resembles stylish.......

xxo

Lights out....

It was the last night of lights in the Wellington Botanical Gardens last night.  They really turned on (excuse the pun) a magical affair.  The weather held out, and everyone had a wonderful evening - both old and young.

BDO People...

While the day ended with the plastic cape as clear winner for "most worn" fashion item, there were many colourful exceptions throughout the day....

The lead singer of the band Wolfmother posed for pics in his bright pink dinner jacket.....

while shorts where everywhere, in every imaginable colour!

xxo

Big Day Out, Auckland 2011

Ok, so this may be how the BDO ended up, but there were some happy moments throughout the day too.

I'll share a couple....

Iggy made the day for a handful of lucky punters when he invited them up on stage to dance....

...you've never seen such happy faces as those that came off 5 minutes later.

Nick Cave played with his band Grinderman.  I think everyone I spoke to agreed - he was incredible, and he and his band played a blinding set!

Yes, despite the incessant, torrential rain......

...(which in fact added to the effect, when the song 'Grinderman' opened with the lyrics

"I'm the Grinderman

in the silver rain...")...

...it was definitely still a really fun day out!

xxo

Tatt's lovely....

I have never been brave enough to get a tattoo myself - and not because of the pain I imagine that I imagine must be involved when a needle is repeatedly jabbed into your flesh.  No, that has nothing to do with it!  The real motive for my fear is that I simply have never been able to think of anything I want etched into my skin for the rest of my life!  I guess I like the idea of fashion, in that it is fluid, and you are able to change constantly....to re-invent your "look" with each new season.

That's not to say, however, that I dislike tattoos - on the contrary, I love them.  I only wish I was a little braver, and then I too could sport something as beautiful as this dragonfly, peeking out from beneath two of my favourite prints!

xxo

On Auckland and Angels....

Well, I just got home from Auckland, where it rained pretty much the whole time I was there.  But Big Day  Out was great!  More on that shortly....

It seems like many lifetimes have passed since I lived in Auckland, but it was comforting to find that some things, at least, haven't changed - it was lovely to sit outside Melba in Vulcan Lane, sheltering from the storm and drinking an enormous latte -

 a generous gift from the coffee angel!

xxo

Not a Country Road, Wellington....

I've just been getting drowned at the Big Day Out in Auckland, but more on that later.....  For now, here's a shot I took of some kids.....I don't recall why really.  (I think I was actually trying to shoot the road they were crossing, if I'm honest).  But when I looked at the picture later I was surprised to see a Country Road bag - a real icon from my childhood.  Back then, Country Road was only just available in New Zealand, and these bags were a MAJOR deal!  They were THE bag to be seen with on the beach or at the pool, & they were marvelous at what they did - spacious enough to hold everything, with room left spare!  But as with most things from the 80's/early 90's, they slowly disappeared into the clothing bins and attic spaces of NZ.

To my astonishment, I have recently seen them all over the place....  It's lovely - like spotting a childhood friend across the street.  You may not feel its appropriate to go "coo-eee" and cross over, but it brings back fabulous memories nevertheless;  not to mention, it's comforting to know they're still out there somewhere....

xxo

Blue Nudes...

Personally, shopping for shoes has always been a somewhat depressing prospect.  A trip to Sydney when I was younger (many many years ago) highlighted the sad fact that little Wellington was woefully lacking when it came to any footwear of style.  Lately however, things have started to look up.....with the arrival of Soles by Nude!  This brand, stocked at Ultra in Manners St (R.I.P Manners Mall :-( ), offers a stylish array of shoes, sandals, and wedges, at not-too-depressing prices!

Hurray for Nudes, I say!

xxo

The Legend that's G'n'R...

Guns N Roses are one of those bands that have always, somehow, managed to remain "cool"!  It's funny isn't it....you never really know who has longevity and who doesn't!  I can't tell you how many people I have watched blaze a trail through adulation, acclaim and renown......only to disappear into ignominy and obscurity.

Not G'n'R!  Their star is little tarnished by the years since they last played....

But still.....................
boy do I feel old when I see something like this*!

xxo

* How wonderful to see a whole new generation discovering, and embracing, a band that was such a defining element of mine :-)

Denim worship #3

Denim looks pretty good this way, too.  This guy was camping near us recently, and he was clearly Scandinavian - I like to think he was back-packing....a romantic lifestyle I would give ANYthing to be able to experience.....

....unfortunately my packing is getting worse, not better, as I age.  I am fundamentally incapable of fitting everything in one bag!  (I am actually fundamentally incapable of fitting everything in THREE bags, if the truth be known.)  As much as I admire this life, I know that within three days my whole trip would be ruined when I awoke wanting to wear something, only to find I hadn't packed it!

On top of that, I have never learnt to play the guitar - a very large part of my back-packing fantasy!

xxo

Denim worship #2

It's been really refreshing to see all the different ways people are wearing their denim over the past few years - it's not just for jeans!

xxo

Got the denim blues...

Silly really, I know, but I don't think I ever quite got how pretty denim is.  I always saw it as just....well.....denim!  I never saw what a gorgeous blue it really was.

And denim now comes in such a varied array of blues, there is surely something to suit everyone?!

xxo

(Matching shoes - now that's love!)

The Art of the Tousle...

See this??  Hair, casually pinned up, with just enough left loose that it looks stylish?

The knack to achieving this has long eluded me!  Oh, how many times have I watched someone casually twist their hair up into a beautifully mussy chignon, with nothing more than a chopstick/pencil holding it in place!

So why is it that my hair  only ends up looking disheveled, unkempt, unloved.... rather than the 'Artful Tousle' I so desire!

xxo

Earn your stripes...

Of course, if spots aren't your thing, you could always try stripes on for size?

(And the best accessory of all for summer dresses?  Gorgeous summer skin!  Always make sure you have some sunblock handy!)

xxo

...over spots!

And red seems to be one of the favourite colours to sport your spots in!

xxo

Everyone's going dotty...

No, florals are not the only prints around!

xxo

NY 2010/11!

Happy New Year from the vineyards of Martinborough!