June Haul

June was a good shopping month for me where I picked up a number of great bargains that I'm really pleased to have added to the wardrobe.  Saying that, the bargains that I picked up were from stores that I never shop from if I'm honest, but decided to check out.  Sometimes in order to change or update your style, its good to take a look around at different shops and try things on before dismissing brands that you think may not be right for your shape or style.

I know that over the past year I've probably only shopped in the same stores and looked for the same type of outfits due to a change in lifestyle {being on maternity leave}.  

Something that I've always enjoyed in the past is working out what my look and wardrobe will be for the next season.  Meaning that I've been selective with what I'll wear for that Autumn or Winter etc and then added a couple of key pieces to update and change my look.

The Cotton On floral top below which was on sale for around $20, is not a shape I would usually buy as I have a large bust and so tend to buy tops with a V or buttons, but with the cut out shapes in the neck it takes the emphasis away from my chest area... so try things on that you may not usually look at if the fabric or colour or shape catches your eye. 

The two sports girl shirts I had been eyeing off for a while but wasn't prepared to pay $90 each of them.... so once the sale came around they were both around $25/$29 each which was fab.  The orange drape top at the end was from Bardot... once again not a shop that I would usually purchase from, but saw this for $50 and it looked fab with a black T underneath and boyfriend jeans and boots! All of these are going to be great for upcoming trip to London.  Lots of colour and versatile for both day and evening wear.

So here is my June haul which I'm loving mainly due to the colour as well as shape changes!

Bird shirt was $89 down to $25 at Sportgirl, blue shirt around the same and drape top from Bardot down to $50 - amazing colours!

laser cut top from Dotti $50

To from Cotton on - on Sale for think around $20

Spike & Crystal necklace from Lovisa for $25

Earring I made myself

Bottom stretch bracelet from Lovisa and top bangle from ASOS

  

Completely in love with this bag from Cotton On - was $25 but when I got to the register it was $10! beautiful Cobolt blue

Stop being sad....start being AWESOME!

The sun is shining, I've been for my walk, I'm feeling {not too bad for someone with the flu} but I'm back on form which is fab!

Over the weekend I wrote a post that was real for me at the time, meaning that you don't always feel amazing every minute of the day and sometimes you loose your mojo...and that's fine, but as long as it doesn't last too long.  My mum used to tell me when I would say ..."I just feel like sitting in a corner and crying" ~ "well then go and have a cry Suzanne and then you're done."  

So when I saw this picture on a friend's Facebook wall I couldn't resist but use it in today's post.  Some days you will feel awful, blue, down and sad but don't let it last too long...... When you get sad....stop being sad and start being AWESOME!!! 

So today {and this one is a little for you Marrs}  I will be AWESOME...for a whole 24 hours and possibly even longer, so look out world! 

 

What's in a number? The age of style

This weekend I had a girls night out that I have been looking forward to for so long, I can't even tell you!  A while ago, I had a few friends over for a Sunday arvo drinks & nibbles and all of the girls started talking about heading out dancing and how we just don't do it as often as we would all like too. So of course we decided to get a date in the diary and head out to paint the town red and hit the dance floor for a good boogie! Brilliant.


So come Saturday, we head out and had an amazing dinner at Borsch, Vodka & Tears on Chapel Street in Prahran ~ if you haven't been, go immediately, the food was amazing with great sharing plates of Eastern European tapas and the cocktails were killer! If you get the chance the Lychee Martinis are a great way to start off any night out!   After dinner we decided to head to Boutique night club on Greville Street for a boogie.  Boutique is known for being a bit dressy and even though I hadn't been before, I've heard both good and bad about the venue.  I know that Friday nights are 80's & 90's and so must try that out one night and might be a little bit more down my alley than the Saturday night crowd...but we'll get to that. :)

Before I go on, I have to tell you that after having 2 bubs in the last 2 years, I discovered recently that I've really lost what I call my Style radar.  That means that I've always known what looks great on me, what colours suit me and how to feel great when I go out.  Not so much anymore!! I haven't been out clubbing in ages and so ended up trying on outfit after outfit after outfit and I probably bought a few things along the way that I definitely didn't need and were not the right shape or colour for me.  

How did this happen, I keep asking myself? 

Did my ability to know what I love and my sense of style leave my body when I gave birth?  I know this is not something new for mums but it's something new for me. 

So back to our night out..... after feeling like I had kinda lost my style mojo, we then walked up to bouncer and the first thing he said to us {a group of girls aged from 27 - 35} "ladies just to let you know that it's a young crowd tonight, so as long as you're comfortable with that".

WTF??

Talk about flooring a chicks last thread of confidence in one sentence!!!  So not only have I lost my style radar, but I now also look old apparently ~ don't worry I am laughing at this stage... slightly out of shock but sometimes that's just the way it goes!

Anyway we went upstairs and yes it was a very young crowd and the thing that really amazed me was how 18-20 year old dressed.  No I'm not going to be old and say that they were scantily clad but rather I was amazed by how dolled up they were.  I was looking at full sequins dresses with hair straight from the hairdress' chair.  These were outfits that I would expect to see at a black tie cocktail party, not in a Melbourne club on a Saturday night.... but there you have it! 

So today had me thinking.... how do you grow older but keep your sense of style and keep yourself feeling young but age appropriate?  I know that there are many blogs out there that talk about this very subject, but today it wasn't about the clothes, it was about the mind set and coming to terms with the fact that with age comes changes that you don't particularly like or want, but as there is no real choice in the matter you have to figure out how to hold onto your sense of style and self as well as work with what you have and make it grow with you and your age.  

I have another girls night coming up in July but as we're heading out for an 80's & 90's night, I think I'll be fine! Next time I head out on a girls night I may choose a venue that makes me feel a bit more FUN and less like MUM!