Fun at The Kidstore

Nelly and I were lucky enough to be invited to the launch party of the new season of clothing at the kidstore at Chadstone last week.

It was a 30 degree day so we were more than happy to be heading to an air conditioned shopping centre as no matter what, home never feels as cool as a shopping centre.

I stupidly forgot my pram so was suffering a dead arm before I even made it into the store and was beyond grateful when the PR ladies and also the staff from the kidstore offered to hold Nelly for awhile, giving me time to browse the new stock.

It's all so colourful and fun, exactly what kids should be wearing.

I like kids to look like kids, not adults, and this stuff suits that mantra perfectly. 

Nelly already has a bit from the kidstore and it washes and holds up very well.

If it cant be thrown in the washing machine and drier, I don't buy it.

If it needs to be ironed, I also don't buy it. 

There was so much to choose from, I was like a kid in a candy store.

Too many options, a complete first world problem.

Nelly and her duck face. Oh my goodness.

We were given a voucher to spend on clothes or shoes from the new season and the below is what I picked out.

I wanted everything. Nelly has such an extensive wardrobe already that I have been attempting to restrain myself of late.

 I absolutely love the shorts and want them in adult sizes.

Somebody is excited about her new tee.

For once, something came home from an event that The Husband can enjoy.

After the event we had to swing past Woolworths and I had Nelly strapped to me. 

A man gave us a funny look so I returned his funny look with a raised eyebrow and he blurted out "I'M NOT SOME WEIRDO, I'M A 37 YEAR OLD CLUCKY MAN!!!" and ran off. So bizarre! 

I wasn't implying he was a weirdo at all, just returning his strange look. 

For all I know, Nelly was probably giving him one of her menacing looks, ha. 

Nelly is freakin' obsessed with this stool. 

It is her new best friend and her enemy all rolled in to one.

She goes from kissing it to punching it, all in one movement. 

What are your favorite stores for childrens wear?

Do you prefer kids to look like kids, or like mini adults?

Do you have a best friend who is also a stool?

Filling in time by eating.

I've been filling in my days by reading, baking and eating.

The Husband has gotten used to me cooking now so I am not sure what is going to happen when The Baby comes and everything goes askew.

I'm getting a bit bored during the day, even Foxtel is starting to get repetitive and I have become a regular at the local library, borrowing books and then speed reading my way through them.

Saturday I made Banana Pancakes and Sunday I made Apple and Cinnamon pancakes. Don't stress, after I took this photo a nice dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream entered the scene. 

I baked these mini breakfast muffins using The Cake Mistress' recipe, here. 

Fruit & oats feature heavily and they were delicious. 

The Husband doesn't eat breakfast unless I force him, but then he complains that when he does eat breakfast he gets hungry during the day whereas if he doesn't eat it he can go until 5pm without eating which is just plain concerning to me. I figure, even if he is eating muffins with sugar in them on his way out the door, it's gotta be better than nothing. Surely?

I also used this Peanut Butter & Choc Chips cookie recipe from The Cake Mistress (found here) but I accidentally bought buttons, not chocolate chips. I did the first batch with the giant buttons and then smashed them up for the second batch.

I rolled my cookie dough into massive balls so they wouldn't go flat, and low and behold, they were awesome. 

I've revisited my youth and have found saladas again.

I'm also eating my body weight in cheese, and let me tell you, that's not a small body weight.

Interestingly, cheese was one of my first pregnancy cravings and it has returned in full force these days.

I'm balancing out the cheese with fruit. I wasn't lying when I said I was filling the time with eating. 

I'm freaking sick of laying on my waterproof protector. It makes me so hot, even with a sheet over the top of it.  

My friend Celeste has started her own business, a fashion online shopping website 'Crowded Closet', I am so proud of her! 

You can visit the website for great clothes at great prices, follow her on Facebook or Instagram. 

Wondering who the gorgeous model is? Celeste of course!! 

It's too hard to get dressed these days, forget doing my hair. I swear my hair is matted from being in a permanent high pony tail. 

Keeping it glamorous at all times. 

In other news, my ankles are back. Turns out that putting your feet up for 20 hours of the day really does work in reducing swelling. 

I know you all must be sick of the baby related posts but it's all I have at the moment as I don't really venture out any more.

Random Pregnancy 'Fashion' So Far.

Yeah okay, perhaps that heading is a bit of a stretch.

I don’t really do fashion, I just wear whatever smells the least in the morning, ha, I kid... kind of.

I’ve found maternity dressing to be painful, mainly because I am rather partial to nipped in waists and full skirts on a dress. I am embracing stretch though, and waving farewell to zips.

Here are some random iPhone photos that I have taken in the past few weeks.

12 Weeks

Target Maternity Dress

Zara heels

I figure will be able to wear this dress the entire pregnancy thanks to the drawstring waist. 

It's very comfortable and  I actually quite like the green and blue colour blocking going on here! 

13 Weeks

Supre dress

Target maternity tights 

Myer necklace

Comfortable, and I like stripes over my bump - I think you will figure this out soon. I don't know why though.

I don’t know why I am always cross eyed when looking down at the phone. Perhaps I am always cross eyed.

13 Weeks

Target skirt (I am sensing a Target pattern here, but I refuse to spend more than necersary on maternity clothes which I will be burning afterwards - I just cannot do it.)

Cotton On top

Bardot Blazer

Bali Necklace 

These skirts from Target are not maternity but I sized up and got a 10, so with the elastic waist band they are working for me now. 

They seem to be pretty easy to wear too, throw on a singlet and a necklace and bam! out the door.

It just looks like I have a gut here. That is awkward.

14 Weeks

Kooaki Dress

Zara heels

I am living in this dress. 

It comes in pink, grey, blue and green and you can bet your bottom dollar that I am getting them all.  

It is so comfortable, I could sleep in it. It is also long which makes me and my ugly knees happy.

I feel like when I wear a dress above my knee that people are judging me for being a slutty pregnant woman.

Of course, I was stunned when I realised that Kookai's largest size is a 2. Weird. 

I wear a 2 in pregnancy so that my belly has enough room to grow, and just cannot comprehend that this is the biggest size. 

15 Weeks 

Valley Girl dress ($20 bargain - yes please!)

Zara jacket

Sandler wedges

The nautical look makes me very happy. My shoes were totally inspired by Kate Middleton. 

15 Weeks 

I got this dress from Country Road and then returned it the next day. I had a pregnancy brain freeze when I purchased it, considering I knew it did not fit well. 

After posting it on instagram (sneakily not wearing it as had not announced pregnancy yet) people said it looked like a hospital gown so I am glad I returned it.

Sigh. 

The colour is magnificent though.

The same night that I got this dress I got 3 more dresses and a belt, all which were returned the next day when I realised that I hated them all and had a little body breakdown. 

16 Weeks 

Leona by Leona Dress

Sandler Wedges

Well, this looks a tad different from the last time I posted about wearing this dress when I was 6 weeks pregnant haha! You can see that blog post here. Look, I even had collar bones back then! 

The waist band on this is getting a bit snug around my rib cage so I think I only have another month or so to get wear out of this, if I am lucky. 

16 Weeks

Fancy that, the Kookai dress is back in action but this time with a red ribbon around the waist. 

Well, where my waist used to be! 

As you can see, I only have 3 pairs of shoes in rotation at the moment haha. 

Same Outfit but Different??

Do you ever feel like you are wearing the same outfit to work twice in one week?

That’s how I felt when I wore this outfit to work on Wednesday, realising I wore a very similar, yet different, outfit to work on Monday.

I also had compliments on my hair yesterday and the only response I could give when asked if I had it cut and dyed was “No, I just washed it…” perhaps this is a hint that I should put in more effort. My hair is at such an awkward length right now, killing me.

I’ve been slapping on some BB Cream (I use the Garnier one which is really too oily for me, but am hanging out for the Jane Iredale one to come in) and this is seen as me putting in effort these days.

I picked up this necklace, and a black version in a market at Bali for about $2.50 each and now I am regretting not buying more considering how cheap they were, and an easy way to brighten up an otherwise plain outfit.

I’m trying to embrace accessories and necklace more often these days.

This outfit consists of:

Bardot Blazer (I must have had this for a good 5 years now, probably due for a dry clean)

Bonds Singlet

Target Skirt

Zara Heels

Bali Necklace

Herme

I love that if you chuck a blazer over anything, it is instantly work appropriate. Hurrah. 

I didn’t notice that paper towel on the floor until I looked back at these photos.  When we have the lid on the bin in the bathroom, people just seem to throw their used paper towels around, instead of opening the little flap. Drives me insane. Seriously, if you drop it – pick it up!!! 

I went and had my nails done with cotton socks last night, and I swear that my cuticles are not this brown nor this wrinkly. Just take my word for it.

Am not sure what color shellac this is, but it is bright and is slowly growing on me. 

This is the outfit that I wore on Monday.

Bardot Blazer (same)

Zara Shoes (same)

Bettina Liano top

Target Skirt

Random belt

I guess in essence it is the same outfit, but whatever.

I can never wear the same dress to work in the same week, I like to try and space it out by at least a fortnight but sometimes get a little lazy.

It took so long to break these heels in, if there is one brand that has uncomfortable yet cute shoes Zara definitely takes the cake.

I had these in the orange but sold them on eBay because I couldn’t bear the thought of going through the pain to break them in. 

Matchy Matchy

I think everyone leaves the house at one stage in their lives, and realises that they are completely matchy matchy, and not on purpose.

I picked up this Leona by Leona Edmiston dress for about $50 last week from Myer and promptly took it upon my self to christen it. 

I had an awesome blow dry by Luna at Miss Fox to set off the look. I need my hair to be bouncy and well groomed on a daily basis from now on. 

How can I make this happen?

I wore it with tights and my Zu boots.

The Husband did deem it inappropriately low cut though.

I wore it to work a few days later and wore a cami underneath it, much to his pleasure I am sure. 

So anyway, I leave the house, put up my umbrella and it hits me...

I am matchy matchy beyond words. 

The faux missoni dress has been foiled by the real missoni umbrella.

Oh well. 

Live and learn.... to love being matchy matchy!

Are you matchy matchy on purpose?

Purple Rain & Winners!

Sometimes my mind just wanders away.

I was staring blankly at this blog post trying to decide what to name it. After 1200 odd blog posts, you really do run out of things. I may even have to number them when I really lose originality.

I am giving the ol' 'Shop My Own Wardrobe' thing a whirl and so far it is working out for me. 

I got this dress whilst in Thailand (I just have to interrupt this to say that The Husband is sitting next to me mocking me saying 'I got this dress from RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH' like an annoying weasel) and pretty much forgot about it.

I wore it for my 21st Birthday dinner and then my sister Jo wore it to our engagement party, but apart from that it has had no love. 

Bathroom selfie. Nothing new. 

It is perfect with stockings and heels for work. Success.

I love the fluttery sleeves. Like a butterfly I tell you.

The only down fall is that I have to wear a lame minimizer sports bra with it, otherwise it doesn't sit right.

The above pictures are a tad dark, but this is the dress when I wore it for my 21st and with flash.

Not to mention how tan and small I was. We had just come back from Thailand, what a successful tanning trip that was.

Anyway, I'm off to continue shopping in my wardrobe rather than your typical brick and mortar stores. 

I'm on a budget you know. 

Have you been shopping in your own wardrobe? Give me tips on how to turn summer clothes into winter clothes. 

*I have had this blog post sitting in my drafts for 2 weeks now, sorry about that!!

The winners of the 5 pairs of Pedi-Sox are.....

MissMizchelle 

babybluez

Maz

Jazminella

Jaydes Junkion 

I have contacted you all via email, comments or twitter :)

Designer Soles - Review

A couple of months back I was contacted by Secret Solini - Designer Soles and was sent out a box containing their red soles product.

My first thought? Okay, way to rip off Christian Louboutin.

If I am going to do a product a review, I tell the truth and am not at all influenced by the company. 

The Secret Solini Designer Soles are basically a sticky contact paper type of product, which is applied to the sole and heel of your shoes to add color or pattern. 

The product comes with 3 x stickers, 1 x blade for cutting said stickers and also a sterilized towelette to clean your shoes before applying the product.

I instantly had flashbacks of applying contact to my school folders in high school. What a disaster that was.

I decided to use my black Windsor Smith patent black heels to apply and test out the product.

I wiped the soles and heel with the alcohol wipe (noting that there was only one wipe, yet enough stickers to do 3 pairs of shoes).

I was unable to take photos as I used the blade, as I needed both hands.

One hand to apply and smooth out the sticker, and the other to trim it along the base line. 

I don't know if I am just relatively unco, but I found it difficult to achieve a perfect cut line. 

It took a few times of re-applying to smooth out bubbles that were created under the sticker which lead to me getting frustrated and sighing a lot. 

Like I said, they instantly made me think of fake Christian Louboutins.

I do not approve of blatant fakes, of any item.

I remember when Peepshow Shoes used to have a red sole and then a lawsuit had them change to purple soles. 

I was thinking that perhaps they could be perfect to re-sole my Louboutin's, rather than using a Vibram sole but I have changed my mind. 

The red is not the exact same, but close enough that nobody would notice the difference. 

I must say, it is a clever idea for a product, and I do like the other colors and patterns, just not the red.

The pink polka dot are my favorite, and the baby blue sole would be perfect for a bride on her wedding day! A great way to include 'Something Blue' without it being too obvious under your dress.

You can purchase the Secret Solini - Designer Soles on their website, here, for $14.99 for one pair and $29.99 for three.

What are your thoughts on the Designer Sole product? Genius or Too Much Effort?