sent to print

"I spend a lot of nights watching our magazine come off the press. It’s a different world out there. Intoxicating ink and enormous machines. I spend most of my time there shouting over the noise and trying to resist the Tim Tams they keep stocked for me. But in the end, it’s always worth it."

Christine Thornton

I love this quote that just went up on the RUSSH blog from their creative director Christine Thornton (incidentally featured in the first issue of new magazine Stonefox, which is amazing, as Talisa will tell you). I'm the same. It's a true media-nerd that takes some kind of bizarre pleasure from the smell of glossy paper, the way that text is centred in a page, the changes across a masthead, the thickness of a bound spine. I think I would love to work at a publication that is small and tightly knit, like RUSSH, where, when the magazine is finally sent to print, that comforting whirr of big machines would start up and get about its business of putting everything together while you, with mere hands and eyes and thoughts, sat back to watch it all go by. I think I've spent most of my life shouting over noise, such as it is. The noise of my family, the noise of my friends, the noise of loud restaurants and big trucks and beat-laden music. I think I'd like to spend the rest of it shouting over the noise of enormous machines and eating tim tams and sending things to print.

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give a little get a little


one - breakfast, lunch, tea by rose carrarini and sophie dahl's from season to season
two and three - rose bakery details
four - Sophie Dahl detail and Diptyque's wardrobe block
five - Prawn and avocado ceviche recipe and Michael Kors watch
six - beautiful birthday peonies
seven - antique chinese box and figuier candle
eight - thank you cards

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is that I was totally spoiled on Friday. I received some absolutely beautiful presents (with some still on their way) and I am feeling so warm and smiley and loved. My brother gave me the second Sophie Dahl cook book – From Season to Season – and I can’t wait to laze back one day and read it. Longtime readers of the blog will know that Sophie Dahl is one of my biggest idols, she has a wonderful turn of phrase and an enchanting writing voice and I really love her recipes. She uses a lot of seafood because she’s a vegetarian (pescetarian?) and seafood is my main food group, so what’s not to love? I can’t wait to try out this prawn and avocado ceviche which seems ridiculously, devilishly easy. Perfect for a balmy summer eve, no? 

I also received the Rose Bakery cook book – finally! finally – filled with saturated, simple pictures of every day life at the cafe. I love that alongside the recipe for the famous carrot cake and tartlets there’s shots of crumpled butter foil packages and discarded vegetable cuttings. These absolutely stunning peonies in the sweetest of pinks came from Sydney's best florist, Poho and really are a gift themselves. Peonies are my favourite flower and these are the favourite peonies I've ever received. They came in a brown paper package tied up with string along with this limited edition Figuier candle. It's a special christmas version with green wax and a thick green glass body. The scent is so subtle, just like Philosykos. So between peonies and Figuier my room is smelling bloody marvellous and add the Diptyque 34 wardrobe block to the mix, which is a really masculine, wood-and-leather kind of scent, and is the most luxurious thing ever. I've already hung it up in my wardrobe and can't wait for everything to take on the smell of 34 boulevard saint-germain, 75006.

The antique Chinese Box is the perfect keepsake treasure trove and came from my neighbours, who graciously let me have a party in our shared garden with reasonably loud early-00s hip hop and mango dacquiris. And oh, how could I forget that michael kors watch... How I have adored thee from afar! It's a tiny bit ghetto fabulous with all that blinging gold, but it's the perfect thing to add to a simple outfit. A family friend gifted it to me very generously and I haven't taken it off since. In between some lazy brunches and summer time reading I've been writing thank you notes while watching SVU, natch), on these cute note cards I found in my mum's forgotten stationery drawer. I love the look of hibiscus, totally summery and recall naff hawaian shirts and all that. I can't believe how many things I received from my silly little wish list. Royally spoiled, I have been. And it's not even my birthday yet! I can't quite believe it. So I thought it was only fitting that i announce the winners of the mimcollective giveaway. Miss T and Hayley, congratulations, when you get a chance send me an email with your postal address so I can get your wonderful prize off to you. I love giveaways so much, there'll be a new one of the blog very soon. And you're going to love this one, you really are.

And the bad news? Well. Because of the rain no-one bought any cameras, so I don't have any pictures. The only one I have is of a topless waiter... that's a long story. But don't worry, I plan to wear my dress again (I better, all things considered). And I swear I'll get a picture next time!

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the quiet before the storm


This is it. Tomorrow is the big party. I'm sorry I haven't been posting as much but I've been so busy I've hardly even sat down all week. That is true. I'm so excited and so nervous and so eager and I can't wait to put on my dress and I just want to be 21 even though it's not even my real birthday but oh, it might as well be and I really just cannot keep the smile off my face! I'm not going to let anything rain on my parade. Except, well, actual rain. And November was supposed to be the driest month? Oh well. What can you do. Just hike up your dress and hope for the best. I hope there'll be pictures to show you next week sometime...

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hot weather likes...



When I took these pictures it was blazing hot and it was very clear that summer was rearing its ugly head but now the grey clouds have swooped in and it's raining! That's Sydney, isn't it. The worst thing is that the weather forecast is showing rain for this Friday - the day of the birthday party - I'm going to cry if it rains. Anyway. Here are some of the things that go perfectly with summer weather. 

one and two. a skincare routine. here's mine courtesy of Aesop and Grown. I got the yen for having a grown up, big-girls top shelf after reading Into the Gloss. And now, thanks to a well-timed staff incentive at david jones and a teensy bit of a windfall I have one. Rachel is so right, there's something about that tangy, zesty smell and that old-school packaging that brightens up your day. When a bright summer sun gets you out of bed early in the morning, Aesop products and grown body wash (which I first learnt about in the recent issue of RUSSH, pictured) will put a smile on your face. I've stuck to this routine so far which is really good for me! Normally I get sick and tired after a few days and revert back to cold water a la Jane Birkin.

three and four. Sonoma honey spice breakfast muesli, diptyque philosykos and a big, light wrap scarf. I really identify with the smells of figs, of cinnamon-spice and beautiful, high quality organic cotton. All three of those smells make me smile and remind me of sunny weather, whether it be my favourite perfume, my favourite breakfast or my favourite cover up. There's something so very glamorous and yet so very simple about throwing a wrap shawl on. This one is one of my favourites, it's by fouta and it's from The Corner Shop. I've recently taken to throwing it on over whatever I'm wearing, either completely wrapping it around or just draping it over my shoulders. It has the most glorious, clean, cotton smell. I've always wanted to wear a shawl a la Meryl Streep in Out of Africa, too, (which you all know I love dearly), somewhat in the manner of this. I think there's something very lovely about that tie, but I've never been able to perfect it. A shawl like that, a bowl of muesli and a spritz of philosykos. What else is there? 

five and six. Me and Ro jewellery, photographed against Vogue UK's Jane Birkin feature in the October 2011 issue. I've received some beautiful early early birthday presents recently and they are probably the best things going on in my life right now. My delicate jewellery collection is swelling dramatically and I love it! This Me and Ro tiny flower pendant is a mix of gold and silver, which I think is rather modern and very beautiful and is definitey one of my favourite things (remember my tiffany and co lock pendant?). It sits just at the base of my neck, and I've been wearing it by itself and totally simple, with this beautiful Me and Ro silver ring (another gift from the greatest of friends!). It is so thin and is adorned with a little flower. I've taken to wearing it as a memory ring on my first knuckle somewhat akin to this catbird one, or the way decade diary wears her rings. Hot weather doesn't want you to wear too much jewellery - it's too cumbersome. It prefers one or two very simple pieces and a big tee shirt and very little else. And that's fine with me!

X

ps. don't forget to enter my Mimco giveaway!

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botanica



In just under two weeks time there's going to be a fantastic Secret Squirrel sale and you're invited! There'll be 30-50% off the current collection - Botanica - as well as special samples from next season's collection Art Class (which Talisa and I got a sneak peek at last week at Under the Wing, and let me tell you, it's all kinds of amazing). The sale is at Pigeon Ground, which is pretty much the coolest place in Sydney. It's a vintage clothing and record store and other cool bits and pieces that has a fantastic atmosphere. It's on this quiet street at the back of camperdown that my mum used to live on when she was at Sydney Uni, and one day when we were in the neighbourhood we walked by her old house where she cooked her first three-course meal and she got ready for her first med ball and she lived with her best friend for 3 years. Afterwards we wandered into Pigeon Ground and spent ages thumbing through old Life magazines and perusing the clothes and knick knacks and eventually we left with an antique battered suitcase (me) and an old Fleetwood Mac record (mum). It was a really perfect day. And I'm sure wednesday the 30th of November will be too - other than being payday and the last day of Spring, it's also the day of the Secret Squirrel sale. I have my eye on the Tuberose top and the Foxtail skirt. Better start saving now!

X

ps. don't forget to enter my Mimco giveaway!
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mim collective giveaway



It's taken me absolutely forever to get around to this - I'm sorry guys! But I'm excited to announce that the team over at Mimco have sent me two MIMCOLLECTIVE cards loaded with $50 worth of Mimco rewards for two Capture the Castle readers. The MIMCOLLECTIVE is a Mimco rewards program that provides you with points and special offers every time you shop. The more you shop, the more goodies you can unlock. The $50 loaded onto the card can be spent in-store or online, I'm eyeing off the Travellers Fine Wrist bracelet (dainty and delicate, no?) and the Simple Glamour Earrings for a little bit of fun. All you have to do to enter this giveaway is follow Capture the Castle on bloglovin or google connect and leave a comment to let me know. There will be two winners and I'll send out the gift cards after the giveaway closes next Thursday 24th November at 7PM. Good luck, and you can always sign up to the MIMCOLLECTIVE yourself here!

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ps. sorry again international friends, this one is just for the aussies.


GIVEAWAY CLOSED. WINNER TO BE DRAWN SHORTLY!
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pleasure seekers


One of my great finds on the interwebz today was Sous Style, a site set up by Pippa Lord, the pictures editor at Elle US for all those fashionistas (shudder, I hate that term, but it seems right here haha!) like me who are also really, ludicrously into cooking and home decorating. The Martha Stewarts or Nigella Lawsons of the fashion world, if you will. There seems to be an awful lot of them out there, if you think of all the food porn that dominates blogs now (shini, I'm looking at you, in the best possible way). It actually reminded me of something that Rachel said to me the other day (as we were in youeni and I was chowing down on spanish eggs and a muffin, so it was quite fitting in retrospect) about how food and entertaining are what people are really interested in now in photography. Well, Rach, you better check out this site! You would actually love it. I guess it was only a matter of time before people began combining food and fashion and the home in a meaningful way.

There are two great things about Sous Style. Firstly, the design, which is charming and tongue-in-chic and full of cute little taglines like "Cook with me", "chew the fat", "male mondays" (yes, please!) that were surely inspired by Into the Gloss. It's a super sleek site, easy to look at and the pictures of cool girls all over the world cooking, eating and welcoming you into their homes are really inspirational. Tick, tick, tick. The second reason why Sous Style is great is a little bit harder to explain. The whole manifesto behind the site is really fantastic, I think. The about us page sounds a bit Goop-y, with its catch phrases like "we believe in the imperfect perfect" and "we don't know all the answers but we're curious to find out" but, when you think about it, it's kind of true, isn't it? The idea that a fashion girl would be interested in more than just coffee and cigarettes isn't a new one, but it's yet to make any real inroads into popular culture. I really like this idea of imperfect perfection, I think it rings true to my style - most of the time, anyway, I guess the rest of the time it's just imperfection full stop - and I think this nonchalant, easy-going, laid-back kind of attitude comes from the fact that Pippa Lord is actually a Melbourne girl. We Australians do tend to take quite a relaxed approach towards all aspects of life - especially style, food and homewares. The admission by Pippa that the sous style girl makes mistakes in the kitchen reminds me only too readily of all the moments when I've burnt cakes, added too much salt to a pasta sauce or completely fucked up a pavlova because I didn't separate the eggs properly. As my mum always said to me, don't worry, mistakes are normal. Just put it down, and start again. 

In one of the earliest posts on this new site (and there's a heap of good stuff up there for a little fledgling bambi of a page) Pippa quotes Jonathan Van Meter describing Charlize Theron. He "once described Charlize Theron as an “unrepentant pleasure seeker” who is “not afraid of a steak or a shot of tequila"". This is the type of girl we all want to be, no? The Sienna Millers and Charlize Therons of this world with their raucous laughter and pleasure-honed bodies who slurp pasta by the bowl-ful and down beers with the best of them. Celebrating this idea of enjoying food, and the home and style is one I can certainly get behind.

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grey


It's a teensy, tiny, little sliver of a bit cold today, so naturally out comes the shearling and a big smile on my face. I would love to be living in Paris right now, drinking coffee in a cosy sweater and an oversized shearling vest, in a beautiful apartment with timber floors and high, white walls. But hey, you can't have everything in life. It's enough to get to wear my favourite, favourite winter clothes every now and then in the hot months when it turns grey. That is truly one of life's great pleasures, no?

X

ps. I compiled a list of my top ten things that I love this November for one of my favourite Australian brands, Benah. It's over on their blog if you want to have a little geez. Some of them you must be sick of hearing about already (serge lutens, anklets, brvtvs), but I've got room 10, guilty pleasures, aesop and mymu espadrilles on there too. Check it out!
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crafty

images: vogue us, vogue australia, harper's uk, harper's australia,

Stella Tennant in floaty Chanel Haute Couture, Repossi rings, vintage Jackie O and JFK, the alligator backpack from The Row, fabric swatches from Isabel Marant Etoile's resort collection and a few other things. Still working on my daily diary/inspiration notebook.

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shoe shoe

style.com

Is this maybe really good? Or is it bad? Or is so awful it's delightful, to use Stevie's turn of phrase? I mean, obviously the knit is fine, I really like the the colours and the mish-mash pattern. And the polo shirt and loose baggy track pants are nothing new. That muted red is kind of lovely, isn't it? And all together, it's ok, right? And the sunglasses are eco-friendly, which is nice for the environment. You see I can convince myself up to a point and then I just get to the shoes and suddenly I'm stumped for an argument. I should hate them. I have made strong, vocal arguments against sliders, especially in 90s teen flicks such as 10 Things I Hate About You where alleged figures of female desire like Joey (note the use of the word alleged) wear them in a decidedly un-ironic fashion and it completely stumps me. Are they acceptable footwear now? They're comfortable, yes. But aren't they just for wearing in the shower at the gym? I think I hate them but then I keep looking at them and I start to question my initial reaction. I mean, the question I normally ask is would Ashley Olsen wear them? And I have to say, I think she might. I love how the two designers who showed sliders as a legitimate shoe choice this season were Christopher Kane and Stella McCartney, two designers on the opposite ends of the spectrum to the other. Stella Mac with her wearable clothes and yummy mummy posse and vegan leather bags, Kane the blue-eyed boy with his almost-vulgar-but-not-quite frocks and his rags to riches story and his awesome relationship with mentor Donatella Versace.

The shoes make me think of something Sarah Mower said recently. "I know for certain when something's good when I get a physical reaction to it - like goose bumps, a shout of laughter, even feeling a bit nauseous at the newness in front of you. I know it sounds weird but that 'sick' reaction is what I had when I came across Christopher Kane at Central Saint Martins in 2005. He was doing something so borderline vulgar with his neon-bandage collection, but I could see he was frighteningly talented."

There's something in that, I think. So often we can fall into a rut, especially with sources of stylistic inspiration. It's not good for us to consume the same images over and over again - that's why I follow Hawai Five O screencap tumblrs along with the usual fashion ones - we need diversity in order to stimulate our brains. And who knows when something from some non-fashion place might inspire us, hello Hawain prints, Stella? You shouldn't just surround yourself with things that you love. I like that Sarah Mower has a very physical approach to fashion. It's the kind of thing you hear most often from art critics. You know it's good art when it moves you somehow, whether to tears or laughter or awe - or equally as important, disgust, shock and even nausea. I understand what she said about Christopher Kane. It's the same way I always feel about his collections. He constantly takes the staid staples of fashion - plaid, florals, knitwear - and twists them about upon themselves, subverting them with sexual ferocity and belly-button rings. I like him a lot as a designer. Not to wear, but to be moved by. 

These shoes are one of those "moving" moments. Kane had some on his runway, too, and they were less utilitarian - less Stella, natch - with their bling and their beads and their satin. Kane has said that he's sick of seeing a towering heel with a mini, and would much prefer one of his comfortable, chunky sliders instead. It must have been one of those horrifying moments for the Mowers and the Wintours and the Alts of this world, a look that could turn the most hardened fashion gal to nausea. But that's what good, no, great design does, right? It moves us in the face of, to use Mower's phrase, newness. I love that this look is as fresh and new on Kane's runway as it is on McCartney's. It's plucked fresh from a Natalie Imbruglia video clip, but still, there is an undeniable newness to it. There's been nothing like them in fashion - high fashion, that is - in the past 5 years. And they feel kind of right for now. That initial gut reaction of "what the??" moves seamlessly into a a head-cocked, lip-biting kind of thought process where it becomes evident that this is just the logical progression of the whole clog debacle of 2010. With a big, wacky knit and a loose pair of trousers they might just be right. The touch of wrongness, of tackiness, of the ugly to perfect an outfit - like midi skirts, like anklets, like shoulder pads. So awful they're delightful, you know.

I'm not saying I'd wear them. But they do move me.

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in a row



This time next year I'm predicting you won't be able to move without running into a girl wearing matching dainty gold chains on her ankles. It's the Ashley Olsen effect. A year or two after they first start wearing things - from extravagant furs to backpacks via birkenstocks and 90s-mum-style the rest of the world catches on and it becomes a trend. Fashion forecasters (I always thought that would be a very cool-girl kind of job to have, don't you think?) have nothing on the Olsen Twins. Going out with wet hair a la the olsens is even becoming a bit of a thing. Apparently. Well, if you want to get some of that Ashley Olsen magic now you can get one of the pieces from the Ileana Makri for The Row jewellery collection, available exclusively on net a porter. Ileana Makri of the evil eye anklets that Ashley is never seen without, Ileana Makri of whom Yasmin Sewell is a major fan, yes, the same Ileana Makri with the fantastic eponymous jewellery line, all sparkle sparkle and octopus salads on an Island somewhere and wearing nothing but an Acne white shirt. I've always loved her designs even though they are slightly out of my price range. My mum always said that investing in jewellery is a worthwhile venture, and when I have the means I fully intend to purchase a couple of Ileana Makri delicate bracelets and a statement rings. I only hope that she continues to design for The Row. Her luxurious and modern yet totally understated brand of haute-jewellery is a perfect match for the Olsen twins and their range of forever-clothes. I like the idea that you can be wearing something like a dove grey cashmere sweater and a long jersey skirt and a pair of simple sandals but you can have two of these gorgeous anklets and the whole outfit will be lifted into a completely different realm. That's the Olsen Twin midas touch, isn't it? Everything they touch turns to fabulous.

Oh! And exciting news! The croc backpack is back in stock on NAP. Thank God. I thought I'd missed out there.

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still the one




I'm still attracted to the simplicity and sophistication of wearing just one piece of jewellery. Maybe, just maybe, if you're feeling extravagant you can spring for two - like two solitary rings on the first knuckle of both your index fingers - but the aim is to keep it down to the singular. Because it is singular. It's confident and it's grown up. It's late-night dinner parties instead of early morning stumbling out of clubs. I love - and I mean LOVE - Geraldine's single silver bracelet with diamond. I love how it must run up and down her arm it's that loose, sometimes tucking beneath the folds of her baggy knit, sometimes hanging down over her wrist. Lovely. A plain pendant is the perfect foil to the kinds of things I've been wearing recently; loose shirtdresses and baggy organic cotton tee shirts. that's the only way to stay cool in this horrible humid Sydney weather. And by laying down the cuffs and the big, chunky rings, you can give your arm a rest too, keeping it loose and languid with a long chain or delicate bracelet. I think this delicate jewellery obsession is here to stay. 

Now, who wants to split a BRVTVS order with me? I'm in love with the Cleopatra necklace and the Calpurnia bracelet, among other things.

X

ps. If you love delicate jewellery as much as me you might think about entering Decade Diary's latest giveaway (I did haha). She's giving away a gorgeous Catbird threadbare ring. What ho, what ho!
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giving

Rittenhouse tank, Serge Lutens perfume, Isabel Marant bracelet, Van Rycke bracelet, Canon s95, Diptyque Mimosa candle, me and ro necklace, smythson diary, isabel marant necklace, benah lola clutch, karen walker sunglasses, nars schiap lipstick, michael kors oversized watch

I can't quite believe my 21st birthday party with a best friend is a little over 2 weeks away. That has crept up on me and I'm astonished. As you know, I've got the dress and the bag. I'm going to wear my Benah ryder sandals for shoes - it's a garden party and I don't want to sink. And I'm just not a heels girl. That's that. It's been fun to run around doing party things like buying glassware, picking caterers (we settled on the much-loved vietnamese offerings of Miss Chu), drinks and music and decorations and the like. It's going to be beautiful, and I can't wait to take a million pictures to share with you all. I've never had a party before, not really, which is why I'm very excited. My birthday's not actually till December - Christmas eve, remember? - but I've been compiling wish lists anyway. Mostly just because I'm procrastinating, but also because the gifts have already started trickling in. At the moment I'm enchanted by the high-necked, low-sleeve baggy singlets from Rittenhouse, the Benah Lola clutch which I'd use as a purse and travel wallet, the canon s95 so I can take some better photos for this poor little blog, gorgeous delicate me and ro necklaces or a slew of isabel marant jewellery (especially the take me with you necklace and the arapoho necklace). I threw some karen walker sunglasses, that ubiquitous michael kors oversized watch and a smythson diary in for good measure. Not on the list but something I've been having a think on are some pretty little thank you cards, too. I like these ones from French Navy.

Regarding the Serge Lutens Five O'Clock Au Gingembre fragrance, I first smelt it a few years ago now in London and completely forgot its name. I knew it smelt a bit cakey - as in afternoon teas, sugar, musky and woody... I knew it was a little bit gingery. But I couldn't remember exactly what it was called. Then I wandered into Mecca Cosmetica the other day and had a little browse in the perfume section (I was checking out Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose for my mum), and then I saw it. Five O'Clock Au Gingembre. I gave it a little spray and there I was, back in the wood-paneled surrounds of Liberty, red-cheeked from the cold, falling in love with this lovely gingerbread house of a perfume. I was right, it is cakey, the description on Mecca Cosmetica says it is designed to smell like an English afternoon tea. It has a sweetness to it that is mellowed in the bloom with a smooth, milky vanilla fused with honey. It's all warm cooking smells, dainty ballet flats and lace sleeves shaken back as a hostess reaches for the tea pot. It's a real winter fragrance, and since at the moment I've only got Diptyque's Philosykos (a summer scent if ever I smelt one), I could use one of those.

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a bit of earth

“Now I have seen you I think she said sensible things. Play out of doors as much as you like. It’s a big place and you may go where you like and amuse yourself as you like. Is there anything you want?” as if a sudden thought had struck him. “Do you want toys, books, dolls?”

“Might I,” quavered Mary, “might I have a bit of earth?” In her eagerness she did not realize how queer the words would sound and that they were not the ones she had meant to say. Mr. Craven looked quite startled.

“Earth!” he repeated. “What do you mean?”

“To plant seeds in–to make things grow–to see them come alive,” Mary faltered. He gazed at her a moment and then passed his hand quickly over his eyes.

“Do you–care about gardens so much,” he said slowly.

“I didn’t know about them in India,” said Mary. “I was always ill and tired and it was too hot. I sometimes made littlebeds in the sand and stuck flowers in them. But here it is different.” Mr. Craven got up and began to walk slowly across the room.

“A bit of earth,” he said to himself, and Mary thought that somehow she must have reminded him of something. When he stopped and spoke to her his dark eyes looked almost soft and kind. “You can have as much earth as you want,” he said. “You remind me of some one else who loved the earth and things that grow. When you see a bit of earth you want," with something like a smile, “take it, child, and make it come alive.”

Frances Hodgson-Burnett, The Secret Garden 


I know, I know, another children's book. But with plans for my garden party in full, secret swing, and these pictures from friends of friends which just fit so perfectly with this beautiful passage from one of my favourite books as a kid, I couldn't help it. I think that just as we should have a room of one's own, we ought to have a little bit of earth, too.

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today


Same same but different. I had kind of forgotten how great this Carly Hunter vest is, tucking it away behind coats and all. I got it out in all its glory today and it was definitely fun. I paired it with an APC breton I bought in Paris in June and have never worn - I don't know why - maybe because it's black/white and not navy/white as I originally thought when I purchased it. Anyway it looked fantastic with the black lining of the vest and my black Maille skirt. I added my matching Benah kodi cuffs for a little bit of colour. This vest is so perfect with a long sleeved shirt underneath it. I'm not sure what it is about tee-shirts - or maybe just my ones, which tend towards the oversized variety - they kind of bunch up under the armholes. But long sleeve shirts have enough fabric around the sleeve to work. This is probably my favourite transitional outfit, so easy, yet really fun. Everyone always loves the shearling and compliments me on it - I think next season Carly Hunter is going to have a rush of orders for the vest  (I know I had a real hunt to get my hands on one last season).

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ps my hair is getting ridiculously long (I only have the front strands down in this pic, the main bulk of it goes way past my waist!). Any sydney recommendations for a good reasonably priced hair dresser would be welcomed!
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under the wing




pics 1-2 me, the rest - talisa via badlands

EDIT! Talisa's pictures are up!

We went to Under the Wing today and my goodness. It's going to be a good winter. Wine colour Dress Up turtlenecks, drapey Secret Squirel jackets, oatmeal and denim at Thursday Sunday and, of course, Carly Hunter shearling. With my eyes already on some Amy Kaehne goodness, and the beautiful two-tone sweater from Thursday Sunday. I tried it on today at Under the Wing - it's beautiful. Boxy and oversized and comfy as hell. I also love the shapes of their linen tops and pants. Very Stella Mac, no? The colours of the new Dress Up collection are great, all burnt and rusty, perfect jewel tones for winter. I love the 70s turtlenecks and the wide legged pants. There was also plenty of corduroy, which is the way to my heart (not pictured). Secret Squirrel is also looking amzing for next season. It's a very drapey, fluid line, which you don't often find in winter, but it sit really well in icy colours like ivory, blush and a very cool blue. These were paired with separates in navys and charcoal blacks. I especially liked all the drapey collared pieces - they came in shirts and dresses. And then. Oh! This coat from Carly Hunter. Wool sleeves and a shearling body with an oversized collar. Just like my vest, just like it. I'm so glad shearling has stuck around. It's the best thing for winter, ever. You can look very superior swanning around town in shearling, cozy and rugged up. They're also doing a black version of my vest, which Talisa had her eye on, and it's definitely nice, a real glamorous, cozy piece perfect for winter. But oh this jacket! It's already in my sights for next season. Just another thing to add to the list!

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man watching

the sartorialist, of course. who else?

Clearly I'm having a bit of a thing with menswear at the moment. Not just wearing it, but also taking inspiration from it. It started after a girl at work handed the Esquire guide to style to me for perusal and I was struck. Nothing like this really exists for women - not if you think about it. This guide is a no-nonsense exploration of all the quintessential things for men. How to tie a tie, exploring different suits and fabrics (when is seersucker right? what should you wear to black tie themed events?) exposing the meanings of different handkerchief folds... It's fabulous. Women don't get such a serious how-to, not when it comes to fashion. We have to deal with jokey guides that thrust endless amounts of LBDs onto us. I would much prefer a style guide that explores shirt lengths, rolled sleeves or no, different jean cuts, how to wear shoes in, how to tie a scarf, how to pack a bag etc etc. Wouldn't that be something? 

So it started there. Then lin posted this quote from Josh Charles - my teenage crush circa Dead Poets society and, later, S.W.A.T (don't judge) - where he talked about feeling comfortable in clothes as the ultimate. Are we the same person? Then Mr Porter kept thrusting beautiful editorials with attractive men into my inbox, and I was struck by how amazing - and yet how simple - they all looked in chinos, sweaters and desert boots. Their Journal tab is incredible, and, need I say, begs the question why Net a Porter doesn't do something just like it. I know they have the magazine, but it's not as good as the Mr Porter journal, with its different themed features. "The Classic", where favourites like the Cable Knit sweater or the Burberry Trench Coat are explored throughout history, or my favourite, "The Knack", where all those tricky things about, well, being a man, are broken down. How to be a good dinner guest? Consider it done. These are life skills, and I'm not going to apologise for swotting up on those articles with reckless abandon. The NAP mag is great, but it's got nothing on the Mr Porter journal. 

So what is it, exactly, about menswear that is so inspiring? It must be, because there are women like Elle UK's Donna Wallace who dress completely head to ankle (not shoes, though) in items from the boys department. For me personally it's been about quality. I think, like Christina Brinkley pointed out, menswear is often about the highest quality materials, the best fit and the most comfort. Womenswear often sells poor quality things that don't fit well for exorbitant prices. Comfort is often the lowest on a long list of priorities. Also, menswear is about creating a point of interest in small details. Details such as the sliver of ankle between a too-cuffed pair of jeans and the top of a pair of boots. A tiny bit of grey marle tee shirt hanging out over a belt. Simple colour combinations in interesting textures. Excellent, excellent layering. Sometimes I think womenswear focusses on the big reveal when actually the tiny, almost insignificant touches are the most magical. Long time readers of this blog will know I feel strongly about that. It is truly a skill, but it's one that stylish men have in spades. Who else could make an outfit with a single square of fabric, folded neatly and tucked into a pocket? 

Menswear has given us countless wardrobe innovations. Shirts. Slacks. Hats. Suits. Sportswear. Brogues. Parkas. Vests. It's hard to contemplate the modern woman's wardrobe without it - mine included. But something I'm going to be doing more of is dissecting the menswear looks on the Sartorialist, rather than merely paying attention to the attractive of the men featured (woops, my bad). Likewise to Mr Porter. There's something very inspirational, yet under the radar that's going on at both of these sites. I'm still not quire sure what it is. I don't think I'm going to start shopping only in the menswear departments (unless it means only shopping at acne for the rest of my life, because the acne mens department is better than the womens hands down any day). But little things like showing a sliver of shirt underneath a cardigan, or cuffing my pants too high? They just might be my point of difference.

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