From Vancouver with love

Felt magnets - very cool....thanks CP!

It rocks!

A rocking chair calendar.....the Japanese are so creative.

WYSIWYG

This is pretty normal : the girl in the pic was wearing different colour socks on each foot too.

I also saw a girl wearing a fluro green tutu today over black shorts.

And if you are wondering where I see these things, it's where I'm living in Kitsilano area which is equivalent to Mosman!

What you see is what you get.....here in the 'Couve.

A few friends suggested I pair things back a bit in selecting outfits for my trip....'you are going to BIble College you know'. But how could I be myself if I don't dress like myself?

I've been trying to observe what the dress culture is like the past week and there is one word for it - eclectic! You know in Sydney or New York when you generally can spot a person and then categorise their look? It's not possible here.

This was confirmed by my conversation with Jo (friend of CP) & Lisl (housemate and friend of CP). Anything goes Lisl tells me! (Lisl has red ankle boots with stud detailing and these orangey-pink hued patent leather sneakers, for everyday wear)

I almost think if you dressed in designer clothes (for example what you would find in New York) you would look totally out of place here. I did bring one of my vintage skirts (intended to be worn in cool weather with pink stockings) and my Ginger & Smart dress - I think I could whip them out at some stage if only it would get warmer...

Some outfits I've seen do look like they just grabbed a few items off a rack in a consignment store blind folded, but that's OK - it doesn't matter here! : ) (Well, it shouldn't matter anywhere)

Yesterday I saw 2 window washers, wearing kilts - I so wanted to take a picture of them but was too embarrassed.

Delivery of Coziness

Look what I received in the mail today from possibly the one of the most thoughtful and caring people I know - so sweet! A little bit retro and very homey and comfy.

(I've blotted out my name which is printed on the 'teabag' dangling on the edge of the tea mug cozy). Made by KnitStorm.com

Teatowel Love

A dear friend gave me this or my birthday....printed and given with love.

I've framed the gift tag!

Cotton and linen teatowel by Klippan.

Purple Goodness

Purple rubber lace up shoes by Melissa....a gift for a friend.

Shoe Queue

I was clearly in a very dark mood this week (Asics excluded) and went a bit crazy with the shoes. There are usually only ever 4 pairs at the most lined up before they make their way back into the closet. Must work on bringing the colour back - not just to my feet, but to my soul.

The concept of a brooch

This was a thoughtful present from a friend who accessorises in just the right way.

I could be over-thinking it but am yet to incorporate it into an outfit - it's a challenge for me given I don't wear brooches...and this is the very reason why this dear friend wanted me to have one!

Bird Textiles are sustainably designed and made in Byron Bay. They make homewares, fashion and gifts. A number of my close friends love their stuff! If you visit the store - it use to be an old pharmacy - it's pretty cool....AND one of my favourite stores is next door - DavidMetNicole! I should get around to writing about them one day....

Bird Textiles Emporium

380 Cleveland Street Surry Hills

http://www.birdtextile.com.au/

Bring Winter On!

Can't wait to wear these....surprisingly by Zomp. Found by J...of course!

Cream of Canberra

A friend and I went to Canberra to see the 'Masterpieces of Paris' exhibition at the National Gallery of Art.

On my friend's brother and sister-in-law's recommendation we stopped by Cream Cafe & Bar for lunch. I really loved the interior design - you could see much thought was put into the aesthetic. There was an eclectic mix up customers flowing in and out which made interesting people watching. You can find more pics on their website, including the mains which we were suppose to try which we regret not trying.

What seemed like perfect sense at the time to have a light savoury meal instead of filling up on stodgy food before walking around the gallery.....now does not make sense when faced with the prospect of the Blintz (jewish crepes filled with ricotta and sultanas, dusted with cinnamon sugar, finished with a zesty citrus sauce) for lunch or the fact I really wanted to try the Duck Risotto (duck braised in master stock with shallots, chilli, choy sum and shiitake mushroooms).....SIGH......Next time perhaps?!?

www.creamcafebar.com.au/

www.nga.gov.au/Exhibition/MASTERPIECESfromPARIS/

Back to Feet

Feet - is something I know I took for granted until I discovered that my chronic back problems were partly due to my flat feet. Flat feet also cause bunions - partly hereditary and made worse by flat feet unattended.

For several years I have avoided using orthotics given the fashion sacrifice it entailed.

For the past 3-4 years I've had visits to remedial massage and physio to alleviate my back pain.

6 months ago I decided to take up pilates and look into getting orthotics (you can see from the first picture above the orthotic - they are alot less chunky than when I investigated 10 years ago). My back pain is no longer there - I still get the ache in the hips slightly and shoulder/upper back aches but this is more from sitting at the computer all day. In a nutshell I feel alot better than I was.

Pilates requires a once a week commitment to class and some stretches at home - I can handle that.

The use of custom made orthotics on the other hand sent me into a spin.

I have spent months pounding the pavement for shoes I can wear to work which fit my orthotics and are acceptable to my eye and taste. The journey has been long and at times I've wanted to give up. Given my narrow foot the orthotic was less of a problem than finding a shoe that didn't rub or irritate my bunions. My podiatrist was fantastic encouraging me to not give into buying a shoe I wasn't happy with - she was confident I would find shoes I wanted to wear.

First, I found the buttery soft leather Camper flats which I've been living in alot.

Just before Christmas I was scouring the shops for a hopeful 2nd pair of shoes to alternate with to work. Without success....

Christmas sales bought a few new options which I can live with for a while now for work.

Funnily enough, the two new options (on sale!) are patent blue double straps flats by Maloles - a french brand. And the two tone mary janes are by The Corner Shop - an Australian brand made in Italy....got to be happy with that! When I found them, I thought - God knows me well and has provided once again - sensible but fashionable shoes. He He : )

http://campershoes.com.au

http://www.maloles.com/

http://www.belinda.com.au/ (The Corner Shop is an arm of Belinda Seper's stores)

Some gifts...

Some cool gifts from generous and thoughtful friends....they certainly know what I like! Showers of blessings....

The old wooden print stamps are from one of my favourite stores called DavidMetNicole. I've made numerous purchases here including my old work desk come dining table and chapel come dining chairs.....S-O-H-O are the letters which spell out Soho - the nickname some of my close friends at church have given me! Given the Christmas season coming up I could probably use the stamps to print HoHoHo - the nickname they revert to during this time of year!

The Frankie mag is a cool Australian mag featuring art, fashion, music, craft etc. (Might try and post some pages from it later)....

The M-cups are measuring cups (I love to bake) but in a cool Matryoshkas design.

I have such COOL friends who give very COOL gifts! : )

Colour, texture, design...

A lovely birthday treat from a fashion-tastic friend.

This goes with this, and this goes with that..but it's definitely not Sussan!

These are the shoes I mentioned in my previous post.

The Clergeries were a treasure find at Pelle in Paddington and my Pradas (which also don't see the light of day very much) were purchased in New York from the Prada store in Soho.  What a treat to wear such highly esteemed designers on my feet in one day! : )

Dressing up for a wedding

I haven't been to a wedding in a very long time, but I am thankful to the Lord for this particular friend's upcoming marriage tomorrow.  Congratulations Tracey and Ray! 

I am also thankful that I didn't have to buy a new wedding outfit for once!  It's nice to know I have appropriate and reliable staples in my wardrobe.  

The mint and ivory silk dress with the Robert Clergerie ivory heels for the day.

The black art deco beaded dress with the Prada evening shoes for the night.

The mint dress is my bridesmaid dress from my sister's wedding.  I bought the evening dress on sale a few years ago and have never worn it so I am glad it finally gets to breathe some fresh air.

Man and wife...lovebirds

This is for the friends who are getting married tomorrow....I love this card - I love retro orange and brown!

A bit of sunshine

Made me smile

Sponsor a Child

A number of weeks ago I received this World Vision flyer in the mail.  I really loved the presentation of it, especially the colours.

The idea is to separate each 'doll' and give it to friends to encourage them to sponsor a child.  The lure of a free keyring with the hand made doll attached was great way to encourage and market child sponsorship!

  

Choo Choo to Epping

A new train line opened up a number of months ago in Sydney from Chatswood to Epping.  I was pretty amazed at the enormity of the project when I caught the train this morning to work.

It was very early in the morning so only a few other commuters on the train but it was kind of nice to be able to appreciate it quietly.

I may not have caught a train in a while but was impressed with the moveable foot rests (smart move to avoid all those feet on seats), but moreso the very long escalators that made you feel like you were appearing from inside the depths of the earth.  The escalator in the above pic is just one of the two you need to ride up to ground level.

My friend KS tells me that the station design matched the ones in Washington DC.

Just call me an unexpected train geek.