December 2008

PHOTOGRAHIC EVIDENCE 8-DEC-2008

This weekend involved resting my poor shoulders after they were needled for a few hours, enjoying the beautiful flowers my mother sent me, having coffee x 2, watching a colourful parade pass in town and general relaxation. There was plenty of sunshine in the mix too!

Further shading on my tattoos (both shoulders)!

They're so beautiful, a simple jam jar was all they needed.

One of my favourite cafes, Sheinkin, has a light feature comprising of many hanging naked bulbs.

Sheinkin make great coffee too! Flat whites, mm.

Sunshine, dancing, singing and an ox on Queen Street.

Reslau, another AKL cafe.

I also stopped in at a book store and bought a 2009 moleskine to geekily plan out my objectives for the next year. Haha, I am such strategist, right down to my language. Anyway, the majority of it was very restful!

How was your weekend? What was the most inspiring thing you saw?

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VIEWFINDER: NOKIA MAPS

I love this ad for Nokia maps! Yes, they are a big bad global brand but really they are quite lovable, creating very interesting communications pieces – have you seen the 4th screen manifesto?

This one is for creative kids of all ages… I especially appreciate the gloriously inky marker at 0:27 – it makes me want to go lie in the shade of a nice big tree with a sketch book for the afternoon.

Swish, scritch, scritch!

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TEN EASY WAYS FOR WOMEN TO LOOK SHARP – PART 2

Here are the next five recommendations in the list of ten easy tips for ladies to look stylish, fresh and sharp. Part 1 of the article discussed the merits of sunglasses, the many uses of Vaseline, headbands, gigantic bags and scarves. Ready? Let’s go!

6. PRETTY FINGERS, SENSATIONAL TOES

If you don’t have the time or the inclination for acrylics/manicures, it’s best to still keep your nails trimmed and tidy. For consistently good-looking nails I recommend a simple buff and shine with a clear coat – no colour.

Don’t believe the hype, chipped nail polish looks terrible! If you are really keen on some sort of shiny shellac, my favourite trick is to use a clear glitter polish. The random glitter pattern makes it less obvious you’ve done a less than stellar job, and chips are well hidden. It works well for toes too!

Other suitable alternatives are nude/pearlescent colours, which both cover imperfections and wear well.

7. GIRL IN THE PEARL EARRINGS

Whether worn with a vintage band t-shirt, a crisp suit or a cocktail frock, in every situation they serve to give you a look of distinction and poise. Simple, yet dashingly effective.

8. TUCKING IN WHEN YOU’RE TURNING OUT

It’s amazing what tucking in does for your image. It simply radiates an aura of consideration and professionalism – for who tucks in their shirts now days? Organised professionals, who would be unfavourably looked upon if they didn’t look their best.

Here’s a few examples of casually framed waists – tucking in also creates defined edges for the eye, giving a streamlined impression:

Lyell

Photos from the Sartorialist

9. STAND TALL

Improving your posture can hide a multitude of sins. It makes you look instantly more confident, healthy and secure. It unfortunately may also take a while to retrain your body if you are chronically slouchy. Think Simple Now has a detailed guide to posture, which will aid you in making a change.

Here are two helpful hints in the mean time:

- Try taking up yoga. Not only does it help strengthen your back muscles, it inspires more awareness of your body all the time, making you less willing to slouch.

- Imagine a string running from your toes, up your spine, to above your head. Now pull the string up, lifting your entire form upwards.

In addition to making a conscious effort to stand up straight, getting a professional bra fitting will make an immediate difference. Buy a couple in your real size – it will make such a tremendous difference in your shape. I’m sure you will be astonished!

10. WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT

A common tip given to goal setters is to keep your dreams where you can see them. This also applies to those whose ambition is to look sharp with little fuss! Make up – and make up remover – should be placed somewhere you can reach them easily and can swiftly work through your routine.

I keep my makeup laid out in a drawer, which I can simply pull out and grab what I need easily – there are no lipstick-smeared bags to rummage through! I also keep cotton pads and a bottle of makeup remover right by my bedside so no matter what state or time I come home in I can take off “my face”. Removing your make up daily is one of the most highly recommended beauty tips so make it easy for yourself – avoiding clogged pores and irritated skin is definitely a sharp move!

Hair adornments and fashion accessories should also be kept in site and well organised to inspire you to use them. How about trying one of the following?

- Put nails on the back of a wardrobe or bedroom door to neatly hang necklaces from.

- Jewellery can be stored in compartments; sorted by colour, material or occasion! Or for a prettier look, use a dainty glass cake stand for easy perusal of your collection.

- Keep scarves on a hanger designed for ties – organised in one place.

- A few small decorative bowls can be filled with hair ties, bobby pins and clips. Keep these, your hair straightener, hairdryer and products all in one “zone” to make the process faster.

For bonus points, why don’t you write out your dream or goal on an index card taped to your mirror, or for the more adventurous, written in cherry red lipstick!

I hope you find the tips collection useful, and do check out part one (tips 1-5) if you haven’t already. Again, if you have any super style ninja moves, please do share them. Here’s to sharp sassy looks for all! ❤

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10 Easy Ways For Women To Look Sharp – Part 1

Recently I read an article on Lifehacker describing the Top 10 Easy Ways to Look Sharp – and promptly noticed a few protests that it was mostly male orientated!

I agreed and decided to create a fresh new list of ferociously sharp tips for ladies to look stylish. These are hacks as well as a few great tips that will let you sail through every day. Every time I’m faced with 5 minutes extra time to snooze I’ll take it, so you can trust these ideas have been carefully tested. Let’s get started with the first 5!

1. THE EYES HAVE IT COVERED

Get a pair of sunglasses that suit your face and wear them religiously. The reason for this is twofold. First, glasses give you the aura of being a suave, cool person who can accessorize. The second function of sunnies is to protect your eyes. More glasses wearing means less Shar-Pei-esque wrinkles in the future = and less squinting now. Squinting is never sexy.

Chloe Myrte acrylic sunglasses

Your sunglasses can be either classic (think faux tortoise-shell, over sized frames) or cheeky (think lolly coloured wayfarers). Bigger will protect the skin around your eyes more but cheeky, is well, fun! Some eye protection is better than none so you’re okay, whatever your choice. If you need advice or inspiration, wander over to Eye Heart Glasses and look at Jo’s expert picks.

Ray Ban pink wayfarers

2. A TOUCH OF GLOSS

Vaseline is the wonder balm, seriously – first up, use it on lips for shine if you have no time for lipstick. I always seem to wake up with scraggly askew eyebrows after a night’s sleep; use it to tame your wayward eyebrows before you dash out the door!

In a pinch, a tiny slick of Vaseline applied to your eyelashes will give them a shiny waterproofed, lengthened look. You can also use it to micromanage out-of-control hair when styling; a tiny dab works well to tame fly-aways!

3. HEADBANDS FOR THE WIN

I will say straight up that headbands don’t have to make you look like a little girl. They come in a wide variety – skinny brushed silver, wide black patent leather or sweet fabric ones – as seen here on Brigitte Bardot.

Alice bands in particular are your saving grace for days when your hair just isn’t behaving and you need to look swish in seconds.

Alice Bands

I simply brush my hair back and up towards my crown, give it a once over with hairspray and sweep the headband on. After that, another spritz of hairspray will keep it all in place. Perfecto, for the rest of the day! You can also use this as an up-do, putting your hair in a high pony before putting on the band.

4. JANE AND THE GIANT BAG

An over-sized bag is an essential wardrobe foundation for those who favour laissez-faire personal style but still want to look sharp. This may come in a) leather – or a damn good fake for those of you not on board the leather train, but be aware pleather does not age well. Or b) canvas. Your bag should be one of the following colours – navy, ivory, brown (preferably chestnut) or black. If you are rocking the canvas you can venture towards brighter colour palettes like eggplant or cherry.

Serena tote and Kiah bag - both from Country Road

The bigger the better! Why? Because you can obviously fit more guff in: your DSLR, the book you’re reading, tissues and your 570 plastic cards. This doesn’t have to be an everyday tote but it’s brilliant to have something that will do in a pinch that you can just dump stuff into. It also does the double duty of making you look tiny in comparison – the big bag theory. This is an illusion that really works – hurrah!

5. FAST WITH A SCARF

Scarves are your saving grace on a day with not enough time to get ready. You probably have a large fashion imagination but just not that much time – so chuck on that boring black tee you’ve already worn this week, wear your usual denim if you have to, and put on a scarf… voila! French blogger Betty, from Le Blog De Betty, is an inspiration when it comes to rocking a variety of pretty scarves.

Indeed, I have an extensive collection of scarves (am currently wearing black linen shorts, a black t-shirt and an eye-popping coral scarf) that save me time and time again. They give you an instant splash of colour, added textural interest and a practical disguise for that occasional coffee stain. Easy.

Right, there you have it lovelies, the first five tips to streamline your style! Let me know how these go and if you have any life-saving tips please share them in the comments. It’s the goal for all girls really, maximum sharpness in style, minimum effort – more time for fun.

Please step this way for Ten Easy Ways For Women To Look Sharp – Part 2 – the next 5 brilliant tips.