Making my space beautiful

I am in the process of turning my spare bedroom into my own space. It's where I sew, it's where my wardrobe is, it's where I spend a lot of my time.

 

The following is my mood board for artwork. I'm in lust with Birdy&Me's artwork. It is beautiful & delicate & girly. Find Kelly's beautiful prints at http://www.birdyandme.com.au/ & make sure you follow her on twitter & Instagram to see more of her amazing work! And the best part? Prints are so affordable! ranging from $50 to $100! It's hard not to fall in love with her work. xx

All I want for.... Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup is a few weeks away, and personally it's my favourite time of the year! Whilst I don't live in Melbourne that doesn't mean I cant appreciate the fashions from the comfort of my lounge room, or the work Cup party every year.

I love anything that requires you to wear headgear, a royal wedding, race days, alas probably even mining would pique my fancy if I get to wear a hardhat (not the same I know but still, a hats a hat).

Therefore I have found some wonderful pieces for Melbourne Cup this year, I'm all about bringing the drama. So lots of leather, lots of feathers, dark colours with bright & bold accessories. My picks for this year are (& a big thanks to Warehouse & ASOS for their amazing clothes):

And let's not forget the headgear.... Girls go big & proud! I know I will be

And most of all..... Enjoy your Melbourne Cup I hope you all pick a winner with your outfit & your horse.

A&C xx

Friday Mood Board - brought to you by the weekend

Nearly the weekend - it's time to swap those work clothes & bare some skin in this warmer weather. 

It's time to celebrate summer & show off your tanned back.

Make sure you buff, scrub & fake it before you pull it on!

And I'm not talking about short with cutouts and backless, but something feminine & graceful!! Take some hints from the celebs & wear something long, or with sleeves and with a higher neckline. You'll be a knockout!

Monday - bought to you by the little white dress

It's Monday morning & I want to fill my morning with something beautiful.

Enter the little white dress........

Happy Monday friends x

A new shoe rainy day

Today is typical spring weather. Not really sure what it's going to do, sunny & muggy one minute, raining & storming the next! 

And I must admit after going out at lunch time I got a bit of the spring blues - you know the feeling, it's a beautiful day, your trapped wearing a stuffy work outfit, not to mention being trapped inside. And you just know by the time you're ready to leave it would have started to rain, get cool & dark. 

In order to combat my blues, and to wear out in two weeks time, I have purchased myself a pair of Sistar Shoes. These are the second to add to my collection & I must say - the first pair I own which are silver closed toe swarovski covered 12cm heels get me so many compliments, that when I saw they were having a sale (discontinued today & full website from tomorrow) I decided to have a browse around. 

I have been lusting after red swarovski covered open toe ones for so long it's not funny (Dorothy anyone?) but when I saw they have a pair in discontinued, mind you with a punk edge, for the bargain price of $100 I was sold. And possibly a little bit in love. 

The skies may not have cleared but my mood has!!!

Please stare with awe at my new purchase:

And to grab yourself a pair (alas none of this are left) and on sale head to www.sistarshoes.com.au!

The unpracticalness of the sneaker wedge

Judge me if you wish however, I for one am a sneaker wedge convert. I have purchased a pair of Isabel Marant sneakers (actually two pairs - please don't tell my husband) a pair of Miranda's (cream, red & blue) and  pair of shiny silver. 

And I love them. I personally want to put them on my feet & never take them off. I also have been tempted to wear them to the gym. Don't heels help define your calves? 

My current decision was possibly my best idea yet. I wear my sneakers with my black leather pants & a loose singlet (well it is coming into summer) and I have decided I look cool with just the right amount of sporty-ness thrown in. 

Then again this could be a 30 year old trying to reclaim her youth........

Scarf it

Recently I have gotten into the whole scarf wearing phenomenon. It's taken me a while. And to start with I had trouble adjusting it so it looked right & not wonky & all round weird. But now that I have it down pat I want it permanently glued to my body!!

I have recently purchased (on sale!!) a beautiful bright orange silk scarf from Sheike of all places. I saw it in the window & went in to investigate, I ended up getting what was $65 for $20. And for a few weeks it just sat in my drawer. I tried pulling it out a few times, but each time I felt like it wasn't working for me, didn't go with the particular outfit. I couldn't understand how all these famous people managed to wear these with every outfit & so perfectly styled. 

So I decided to relax my approach & just go with it. Insert a silk pair of animal print harem pants, a simple white singlet & bright orange scarf - and hey presto!!! It works. 

The tip here is to not get too crazy with a scarf. I see a lot of people wearing them all sorts of weird ways but my thoughts are that a scarf is to go around your neck. Don't let it hang too long (personally I don't let mine hang at all but is loosely done up around my neck) but most of all experiment! I have also recently (I'm a little behind I know) discovered Bay & Fyfe - and am currently obsessed with being able to stock them. And if I cant stock them then I wish to purchase all of them for clients & myself.

www.bayandfyfe.com 

AND REMEMBER - head to www.facebook.com/ariandcharli and like to win yourself a celeb inspired bandage dress & to check out our new seasons stock!!!

The smell of Spring

Ahhhh finally after a very long cold Winter, which let's be honest Summer last year was mostly Winter weather, the sun is finally beginning to shine & it's starting to warm up. The gym let me tell you has not been this full all winter - I can normally walk it & have my pick of machines, now I have to wait (so unfortunate). But the best part of this time of year? The boyfriend blazer!

It's still too cold to go bare shoulder of a night, and sometimes during the day - so the blazer is the perfect accompaniment to your outfit. 

Currently I am rocking a whole range of floral blazers. I love them. I love to mix prints, I love to match prints with bold colour or to wear matchy prints together. I love the new fitted blazers, but I especially love the easy fit boyfriend blazer, worn over a pair of stove pipe jeans or a pair of BM leggings. With everything from pastels to brights going around it's hard to not wear one with every outfit!!

We are also currently running a giveaway on our FB site - www.facebook.com/ariandcharli - giving away TWO celeb inspired bandage dresses - one to our new fans & one to our fans who promote our page!!! So log on & like for your chance to win win win!!

Work uniform vs the everyday wardrobe

As a women in the workforce (I also work in a boutique accounting firm as the Practice Manager) I have started to come to a realisation. I have two days off a week & am spoilt for choice no matter what the occasion, however come Monday morning I have the same two skirts & pair of pants & 5 shirts I wear every single week. Why do I spend so much money on my weekend wardrobe when really my everyday wardrobe should be my work clothes? I don't find work clothes any less important, as a matter of fact when I go to my corporate job I like to look the part, nor do I find work clothes boring to buy, but I just cant seem to bring myself to purchase a new working outfit. 

When I look at clothes I often take into consideration where I would wear them (casual weekend, lunch with the ladies) but I will not do a double take and think of gee I really need a new shirt / jacket / skirt / pants for work. 

Is it just me? 

So I'm going to change my attitude. I promise myself I will not purchase myself another iota of clothing that isn't something I can wear to work. From today on I will be purchasing myself a whole new range of pants / shirts / skirts to bring me into Spring & Summer. I will be buying pieces that not only can I wear in my professional role but also my time talking to clients at Ari&Charli. I will look at accessorising my working wardrobe and buy a beautiful new pair of shoes to go with the new clothes. 

I am liking bold prints, and cigarette pants. Therefore I am going to find clothes inlines (ASOS have a great variety) as well as retail shops around town. My working wardrobe will be these:

Teamed with some white boyfriend style white shirts, and this season's black peplum top and some point toe black heels. I am also thinking loud, bright colours for work dresses:

As my main wardrobe colour has always been black I find anything that easily goes with a black can remain a statement piece for a long time.

Also the above teamed with a Fiorelli Caplet Grab Bag -

I will be ready for either job knowing I am looking my best but also ready for a call up to go for coffee with the ladies....

See work wear doesn't have to be boring at all!

All about me

I have decided today to dedicate my blog to me. I'm feeling good about myself today. I had my hair done the other night & am no longer the normal balayage that EVERYONE is rocking. Instead I have my bright orange / red hair, which p.s. I will be toning at home for the next 5 weeks to ensure it does not fade between hairdresser appointments (SOOOO important!!!). Mister & I are also off to Melbourne for the weekend this afternoon (my fave city). So I thought I would do a blog on what I am choosing to wear for the weekend.

Travel clothes - always important!! 

Today I am rocking my cotton ASOS grey blazer, teamed with a cheap singlet top. A highlighter yellow & gold statement necklace. My black milk St Peter's Cross leggings and a pair of flat ankle boots (super important because I always manage to make the security scanner beep).

I have also taken my wardrobe staples - black leather pants, black tops, Black Milks, and of course my 200 denier tights to wear underneath. Now all I need is a rain coat and an umbrella.........

Other things I am loving today are:

My napoleon nude lipstick. I really love lipstick but sometimes you want something a little bit subtle. And I have to say it's a great day to day colour.

Wish me a happy time in Melbourne :D

Wishing for an 80's hair day

Today is a bad hair day. It's flat & lifeless & basically un-styled. And I'm at a point where I just don't care. Thankfully I have a hair appointment tonight with my beautiful hairdresser who will blow style it & remind me why I chose to grow my hair after having a pixie cut for so many years. 

However, today whilst dealing with my ugly hair (actually an all round ugly day) I realised I missed 80's hair. I think I miss the whole 80's actually. I miss big hair, actually massive hair. I miss the glam makeup (for men & women). I miss beauty spots. I miss the whole lycra look (even though I am trying to bring it back by only choosing to wear my Black Milk leggings everywhere). And I miss hair bands. I miss their loud music, with lyrics that made no sense, or sung about women wearing not much. I also miss the original Supermodel. The women were slim but still had curves, supermodels these days surely cant be role models to our children and young can they? Supermodels had boobs, the only thing jutting out of models these days are their bones.

In ode to the 80's I leave you with the following pictorial. And to why we should definitely bring them back!!! 

On a side note - I will be spending the weekend in Melbourne. Expect lots of pics of what people are wearing early next week :)

Being a fitness model is the new black

So I dress a lot of women who have lost weight. To be honest, besides clothing sales, my main income is from these women, who want their look to reflect their new confident, sexy self's. And to be honest I love this kind of work. I love helping women evolve into what they want to be. I love dressing women to their shape, and accentuating their best features. However, I have realised with the slew of these new fitter women that there has emerged a new trend. 

Fitness modelling. 

I have been doing some research, after I kept hearing about the new goal, after hitting their weight loss target is to be a fitness model, on The Book, and I have concluded that every third person is now a fitness model. It's made me wonder how they ALL survive, and whether they can all get jobs as fitness models? I have liked a few Facebook pages, and whilst I follow a fairly strict clean eating model, these girls are clearly a whole different ball game.

I have also come to the decision that the wardrobe of a fitness model is gym clothes, bikini's and baby oil. I think I can make gym clothes, and probably bikini's but the real money will be in selling all three as a package :) 

I am also wanting to speak to someone who is. I would like to advise ladies on healthy lifestyle changes. Like I said I follow a clean eating guide but would like to speak to the people that these ladies obviously admire as their lifestyle is a lot more intense than my gym 4 times a week. Hopefully someone will reply & help me out. 

I really don't understand.....

This sunglasses fad. I don't. I challenge anyone to tell me that they look great in them. Because I'm going to say after seeing them on countless stars, that they don't. They just look plain ridiculous. 

It's not very often I say I don't like something, I tend to work in trends with other more timeless pieces, that way I don't have to buy a whole new wardrobe every 3-6 months to keep in with the fashions, instead just key items. 

But these..... I just cant bring myself to wear them. Why would I want to wear something that makes me look like mini mouse? What is the purpose of the pull up lenses? 

Personally I blame Lady Gaga.......

Horrific!