DIY dream

I was asked by one of my readers the other day if I like to DIY when it comes to fashion and the resounding answer was YES!

I absolutely love to customise my style as much as possible, from simply changing over buttons, to reconstructing an oversized vintage bargain.

This is one of my favourite DIY outfits. I absolutely fell in love with the print of this (what was oversized) vintage dress, so I brought in the seams and customised the hem-line.

Inspired by this fabulous Louboutin DIY, courtesy of the wonderful ...love Megan, I also had a field day DIY(ing) these Target stilettos and finally, the belt, a left-over piece of chiffon.

I'm wearing:
Dress: Vintage
Shoes: Target - DIY

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Luxe vintage

I reworked this gorgeous vintage dress which i picked up from a local thrift store for just $6 and am thrilled with the results. Vintage dresses are my fashion weakness and I adore the beautiful detail and craftsmanship in this piece, from the lace, to the gilded flower, to the tulle petticoat!

It's less than 3 weeks until I start the first leg of my overseas travels. My first stop - Santa Monica. I have two months to see the sights of North America, before heading off to Hong Kong, Vietnam and then Europe - I can't wait! Please keep sending through your amazing suggestions, I look forward to meeting up with as many bloggers on my travels as possible.

Now on to more important matters, the lucky winner of the Hayley Kate design is the beautiful
Diamonds and Champagne congratulations and thank you to everyone who entered.

Have a great week!

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Hammer time

What a perfect Christmas - I've spent the last few days over indulging in the company of family and friends, which has been fabulous.

Even though it is quite hot here in Australia at the moment, I adore my MC Hammer pants, so I whipped them out for holiday drinks with my fiancé and good friends. My fiancé liked my outfit so much, that this afternoon, after a perfect day at the beach, we headed out into the sunshine for a quick shoot.

I hope you have all had a lovely festive season so far - I can't wait for New Year celebrations.

I'm wearing: DIY singlet, DIY shoes, handbag strap worn as belt, thrift leopard sunglasses.

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Clouds of cotton candy

I am absolutely head over heels for my new 'Clouds of Cotton Candy' dress - it sums up my style and personality perfectly. You know you’re on to a winner when your best friend, mother, fiancé and 17 year old brother all comment on your outfit!

I've spent the last week recovering from the removal of two wisdom teeth - not much fun at all, so as soon as I started feeling better, I couldn't wait to get out into the sunshine and take some photos of my dream dress.

The attention to detail in this piece, from the satin-wrapped corset boning, to the whimsical layer upon layer of the softest, hand-dyed tulle is simply perfect - I think i'm in love!

I hope you are all enjoying the festive season. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my family enjoying great food and even better company. I would love to wish all of my gorgeous readers a safe and very merry Christmas.

Dress: Ouma by Monique Martinez

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I love a sunburnt country

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of drought and flooding rains,
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me.
Excerpt: I Love a Sunburnt Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1906

I'm wearing: Vintage dress and DIY shoes, inspired by the fabulous ...love Maegan

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And the winner is.....

Thank you to everyone who entered my fashion giveaway. A big congratulations goes to Coco, of Not So Naked, who has won a custom made dress from the fabulously talented Alice Wark.





There is a story to these photos. I was leaving work, when I stumbled past this fabulous jacket in the window of my favourite vintage boutique - best of all I picked it up for only $10. I then headed home to find that my DSLR remote control had finally arrived. I was so excited to test it out, that I jumped straight in and out of the shower, threw on my beloved tube skirt, and snapped away (in the backyard, no makeup, and hair still wet!).

Also a big thankyou to June Paski, who sent an "Awesome Blogger" award my way. Here are 7 new things about me.

1. I play the piano and saxophone
2. I’m a huge foodie and love eating out at restaurants
3. I play tennis and was a state representative swimmer
4. I love to sing, but am terribly shy about it
5. I have a huge vintage dress collection
6. I love foreign and art house film
7. A dream of mine has been to travel the world (which will happen next year!)

I'd like to pass this award on to: Lulu Letty, Zanita, the Sydney Girl, Come Over to the Dark Side, KIRAFASHION and Style Sophisticate.

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Party time, excellent

As promised, a few happy snaps from my birthday celebration over the weekend. Despite the recent heatwave, it was a cold, wintery and windy night, but still great fun!

Apologies for the lack of outfit shots - I’m wearing a vintage black blazer and vintage dress (worn as a mini-skirt) from my recent ‘Fields of Gold’ post. I’m also wearing the most fabulous DIY shoes that I can’t wait to share with you in a separate post.

Finally, don’t forget that this is the last week to enter my fashion giveaway to win a custom made dress. Increase your chances of winning, by blogging, twittering or facebooking the competition. Entries close this Friday.

Good luck!

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Lets be friends

Just a quick post as I get ready for my (belated) birthday party tonight. Despite the much cooler weather, I'm really looking forward to it - will post photos soon.

Friend in Fashion is now on facebook so lets be friends - find me here :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

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Jet setting

Over the weekend my fiancé and I locked in our travel plans for next year – a 12 month around the world adventure! We will be travelling to every continent, with our first stop being the United States in March.

Now comes the exciting part of planning what cities to visit.
International friends, please feel free to suggest any must see places, I should include in our itinerary.

I can’t wait to explore the sights, sounds, tastes and most importantly the fashion the world has to offer and sharing my adventures with all of you.

I’m wearing: vintage cardigan, tan loafers, handbag strap (worn as necklace)

Don't forget you have until the end of November to enter my giveaway for your chance to win a custom made dress or skirt - enter here.



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Birthday weekend

And so it's my birthday and the middle of an unseasonably HOT November. In-fact a record breaking heatwave of more than a week at temperatures over 39 degrees Celsius!

Over the weekend my fiancé and I kicked off by celebrating in a gorgeous vineyard with wine, cheese and a friendly game of croquet. The outfit - Children of the Sun sundress, fedora and paisley canvas shoes - nothing particularly experimental, but in this weather, less is definitely more!

I also enjoyed a day of shopping and a fabulous Moroccan family feast, with every evening of this week spent cooling off at the beach.

I was very spoilt by the family, receiving lovely gifts of clothes, jewellery and perfume. I look forward to celebrating with friends this weekend.

Don't forget you have until the end of November to enter my giveaway for your chance to win a custom made dress or skirt - enter here.



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Fields of gold

Earlier in the week I picked up the most gorgeous vintage dress – I fell in love with the colour and lace detail.

I was also lucky enough to receive the most fabulous early birthday present from my darling fiancé – a brand new Nikon D5000 SLR camera.

This is my first SLR and I couldn’t wait to start experimenting. Over the weekend we headed out to take these shots.







I’ve come up with a few more ways to wear pieces of the dress, which I will feature in a separate post.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway. Readers have the chance to win a custom made dress or skirt throughout the entire month of November - enter here.



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Race update

After much deliberation, I decided upon a vintage white lace shift dress, with black detailing and embellished satin pumps for my Derby Day outfit. My friend looked stunning in her black asymmetrical cocktail dress and ruffle platform heels.

I am in the process of finalising details for my first giveaway, and it’s a beauty, so stay tuned for details to follow later this week.

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Off to the races: Derby Day

I’m off to the races this weekend to enjoy all that Derby Day has on offer - the fashion, sunshine, champagne as well as the ah, racing.

Traditionally a black and white affair, here is my outfit shortlist.

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Miranda Kerr

My current girl crush is Miranda Kerr. She is gorgeous and I just love her style. Whether she is on or off duty, she always looks so effortlessly chic!

Here are a few of my favourite Miranda looks.

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P.S. How amazing is the first Alana Hill dress + Willow jacket in the last photo!

Images courtesy Miranda Kerr Fan

Happy snaps

As promised, here are some happy snaps from my engagement party a couple of weeks ago. It was a great night, and I was ecstatic with the Camilla and Marc, silk and lace dress (Alabama). I styled with nude patent pumps and black bow headband.







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Spring has sprung

I had these gorgeous carnations left over from my engagement party last weekend and thought they would compliment the fabulous ‘Farrah’ maxi dress perfectly.

This dress is a part of Children of the Sun’s 2009 Summer Collection and definitely brings out the flower power in me!

On a side note - would you believe I didn’t capture one photo of the entire engagement party! Thankfully my good friends did, and I can’t wait to share soon – so stay tuned!

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Bows and vintage lace

My fashion weakness has always been feminine vintage dresses, so I was delighted to find this beautifully delicate number. The lace overlay is so intricate and just so pretty. The dress is gorgeous worn as a maxi or cinched knee length. I can’t wait to get some serious wear throughout summer!

A vintage belt, and bow headband pull the outfit together and complete the look.

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Ways to wear: tube skirt

Another tube skirt to add to my collection. I love the colour, fit and best of all the price - $20!

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On the prowl

Mission – organise an engagement party in four weeks.

Venue – check, guest list – check, catering – check, outfit – ???

The last few weeks have been spent frantically trying to organise an engagement party.

Finding an outfit for the special occasion is proving more difficult than I had anticipated. I am on the hunt for the perfect cocktail dress/outfit and heels, something, feminine, and unique. So I am throwing it out to the fabulous blogging community, any ideas or suggestions would be more than appreciated. The more pairs of eyes the better :)

I am looking for something white/cream and I can’t get enough of tulle at the moment!

Jeans: Target
Shoes: Shoebiz

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Labels I love: Children of the Sun

Since my first Children of the Sun (COTS) purchase last year (Summer Favourite All Year Round) I have been hooked on this super sexy and feminine label. The unapologetic use of vibrant colours, bold prints, simple fabrics and fabulous cuts make for stunning, and importantly wearable fashion. Best of all, COTS is well priced, ranging from $50 - $150 Aussie dollars.

Described as reminiscent of old-school music festivals, 70’s movie stars, and exotic overseas holidays, COTS’s 2009 summer collection of skirts, tanks and cropped jackets certainly lives up to this reputation. Stands-outs for me have got to be the gorgeous dresses – from the stunning yellow ‘Farrah’ maxi to the body hugging, tie-dye ‘Frankie’.

For overseas readers approaching the cooler months, COTS’s winter collections are characterised by the most gorgeous oversized chunky knits - a must see!

Show some love and check out more of the collection at the COTS facebook fan page.

Bring on the Pina Coladas and balmy beach nights!
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