Emma aime ... Chicstar.com

I adore the 1940's and 50's pin up style clothing but often find that repro pieces can be on the expensive side and having no sewing skills whatsoever unfortunately I can't make my own. Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Chicstar.com. Chicstar have some wonderful pieces for sale and the prices are amazingly low. I especially adore this Vintage Sailor Pencil Cotton Dress which bear remarkable resemblance to the Betty Page Clothing Captain Pencil Dress but for a fraction of the price

Chicstar also offer budding designers the chance to submit their designs. If the designs are accepted you receive a free prototype of the item of clothing and if the design is put into production you get $500 credit!

Chicstar have many gorgeous items that I covet and once I have some spare pennies I will place an order with them. Here are the items I want!

Chicstar.com by emmerv on Polyvore.com

Check out Chicstar.com for fashion at fabulous prices dear readers ... x

Fairytale Fashion: Snow White - Part 2

Here is my Polyvore set for my Snow White outfit:

Snow White by emmerv featuring ASOS necklaces

I will bring you the photos of my version soon!

Fairytale Fashion: Snow White

Last week I had bad stomach pains that resulted in me ending up in hospital on Tuesday night so this week I have been taking it easy and recovering. While convalescing I've been doing a lot of reading especially the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. I've always loved fairytale princesses especially Disney's Snow White with her gorgeous 50's style hair, alabaster skin and red lips.

The Gorgeous Rachel Weisz as Snow White

I love this great Snow White costume by mon2rtk on Etsy:

I have been trying to put together my own Snow White outfit but finding the items of clothing I envisage for the look has been harder than I thought it would be but I hope bring you pictures soon.

Bring some fairytale style to you fashion dear readers ... x

Sweet Treats Good Enough to Eat

Strawberry Cupcake Pendant by beadpassion on Etsy

As a child I was into my crafts and I had a Fimo set that I used to make cute flower and ladybug jewellery with. As an adult I'm back into my cute jewellery especially the 1950s style flowers or cherry jewellery. However being on a budget a lot of the pieces that I see today on Etsy or other similar sites leave me thinking I could make that and save myself they money! So i finally bought myself a Fimo set.

Chocolate Kiss Sweet Box by evenemi on Etsy

Whilst searching on Etsy for cheap Fimo sets I noticed the recent trend of cute dessert and sweet inspired jewellery. I didn't realise just how big it was until I saw the post on Super Kawaii Mamas blog - Diet Without Giving Up Cake. I just adore these and for me i can really have my cake and eat it as due to my diet restrictions I can only have sweet treats on rare occasions and when I do most cakes and the like look a lot better than they taste. I am going to experiment with making a few of my own and I'll bring you the results in future posts!

Have a sweet treat today dear readers ... x

ADVERTORIAL - Buyster.com.au

I received my free clock from buyster.com.au today after a bit of a mess up with TNT. Buyster were extremely quick and efficient at getting the clock sent out to me but unfortunately TNT messed up the delivery so I've only just received it. I can't fault Buyster for this though as their customer service department were extremely helpful and friendly and were a pleasure to deal with!

Buyster sell a range of homewears at great prices from a host of buyster online shops including kitchenware, furniture, lighting and many more. Buyster online stores are incredibly easy to use and makes online shopping a pleasurable experience. Once products are ordered buyster advise of a delivery time and if you are not happy with the item for whatever reason they have a 30 day no quibble return policy.

Now for the wonderful NeXtime - Marylin Wall Clock that buyster sent me. Today a huge box appeared on my doormat. I was a little surprised by the size of it but then I didn't realise the clock was quite as big as it is. It is a beautifully made glass clock that feels sturdy and great quality.

The clock features:

Retro mono colour picture of Marylin Monroe
No graduations or numerals on the face
Black hour and minute hands (no second hand)
Dimensions: 43cm diameter

Buyster offer this clock for the great price of $55 plus delivery.

Check out buyster.com.au dear readers ... x

Daily Outfit

I was worked at the creche on friday then headed over to "the office" (aka the pub) for a couple of drinks with the girls of the UN Convention (our groups nickname as we're all from different countries!) I wore the dress that I bought when I went shopping with the Purple Fairy at Market City last week.

Dress - Passion

Shoes - New Look (UK)

Elasticated Headband - Supre

Hair - Bumpits

Emma aime ... Sultry Sally

I may have mentioned in previous posts that since being diagnosed with polycycstic ovaries I have to be very careful about what I eat. I make sure that everything that passes my lips contains less than 5% sugar and fat. Unfortunately this means I miss out on some yummy treats and every girl needs a treat now and then.

I was browsing in my local fruit shop and deli and found the solution - Sultry Sally chips. Not only are they 95% fat free but they are also low in sugar which makes them an ideal treat for me! They come in four delicious flavours Salt and Vinegar, Thai Sweet Chili and Lime, Sea Salt and Cheese and Onion.

As if this wasn't enough the packets have these fab pinup girls on them. Packets retail at $3.99 for a 125gm packet. Check out the Sultry Sally website for stockists.

Happy snacking dear readers ... x

Emma aime ... Sherlock Holmes

Hello dear readers,

Sorry I haven't posted for a little while. I've been feeling rather exhausted since my sister went back home so Ive been spending a few days convalescing trying to recover somewhat. I have been so busy in recent weeks and have done some fab things I've yet to tell you about so I thought I'd update you a little.

It was the hubby's birthday on 4th January so we went to see the new Sherlock Holmes film gold class. We had a great time snuggled up in the comfy recliners drinks and nibbles at hand. We both loved the movie. I thought Robert Downey Jnr was fantastic as a eccentric and egocentric Holmes. My only gripe was that I didn't feel Jude Law was right for the part of Watson. Don't get me wrong he played the part very well but I always imagined Watson as a kind of Colonel Mustard figure and the hubby who has read the book was inclined to agree.

This film appealed greatly to us both as the hubby loved the action although for me in some of the fight scenes the action was so fast you couldn't really see what was going on but this was the style of the movie. Being a martial artist the hubby especially loved the scenes where Sherlock describes how he is going to take down his opponent before carrying out the fight.

For me being into style it was the dress and overall style of the film that really appealed.
Rachel Adams who played Adler had some gorgeous outfits in the movie and this has inspired me to tryout a Victorian look out for myself. There are some great sets on Polyvore but my personal favourite is this one:

Irene Adler...Dangerously Alluring by T.Rece featuring Balmain shoes

I did plan on making my own set but the one above by T. Rece is better than anything I could have come up with. The only addition I would make is to add this fab Crimson Exposure mini top hat for sale on Etsy by Bubbles & Frown.

Having been inspired by all things Holmesian I'm off to read the books. If you are likewise inspired and are in Blighty why not check out the Sherlock Holmes Museum which is of course situated at 221b Baker St, London. The Museum is open 9.30am - 6pm for £6 admission.

The film is out in all good cinemas now so check it out for yourselves!

Its elementary my dear readers ... x

The Cost of Designer Accessories for what They're Worth

I apologize for the rant in advance dear readers but...

Just before we moved to Australia in 2007 I decided to invest in a new pair of sunglasses. I went into my local opticians, David Clulow and looked at a few pairs but settled on a pair of black Prada ones for £150 against the advice of my hubby who recommended I buy another pair of Oakleys. Oakley have a years guarantee for their glasses, a great customer service department and if videos on youtube are anything to go by they're practically indestructible.

I was under the impression that a designer brand would offer good long lasting quality but how wrong I was. This year I got a small scratch on my glasses which I fully admit was completely my fault as I have on many occasion just thrown my glasses in my bag and not put them away properly in the case. I took my sunnies into Sunglasses Hut (who incidentally are owned by the Luxottica Group, the same company as David Clulow opticians.) to ask if they have details as to where I can send them to be repaired. The assistant advised me that repairs would probably cost more than a new pair of glasses. It seems that Prada sunglasses have to go back to Millan to be repaired and Prada do not cover the cost of P&P. It is only when they have recieved the glasses and assessed the damage that they can give you a quote for the cost of repairs. It seems crazy to me that I would have to fork out to send my sunglasses half way around the world and then may be given a quote for repairs that is more than the glasses cost in the first place!

After being advised about Pradas repair policies I have been extra careful with the glasses and now keep them in the case when I'm not wearing them but just this week I noticed small spots all over the lenses. At first I thought water or something must have splashed on them. I tried to clean it off with soap and water as advised in the leaflet that came with the sunglasses however on closer inspection it seems that the outer layer of plastic is peeling off.

I always thought that if you pay for a designer brand you're paying for quality but in all likelihood I probably could have bought a pair of fake Prada sunglasses and they would have been the same quality as the real thing. It seems these days that when we fork out our hard earned cash were paying simply for the label.

Whilst trying to find out where to send my Prada glasses for repair I stumbled upon an interesting piece of information. It seems Prada sunglasses are made and distributed by the Luxottica Group. Luxottica own Oakley, Raybans and alot of other prestigious brands. Luxottica are also licensed to produce Chanel, D&G, Versache and just about any other designer brand of sunglasses you can think of.

Gone are the days of fashion houses who make and distribute their own products in small boutiques! It seems nowdays everything is mass produced cheaply and labels stuck on at the end. This may be an exaggeration on my part but it just leaves me wondering where does a girl go to find real quality accessories these days?

Any advice dear readers? ... x

My First Advertorial!

I'm very excited this week dear readers as I have approached by a company called buyster about doing an advertorial. Buyster host a range of websites selling homewears from bar stools, bedroom furniture, kitchenwear, lighting and even bunk beds

Buyster will be sending me a fab NeXtime - Marylin Wall Clock to review so look out for that soon! Meanwhile why not check out some of buyster's fab items for yourself.

Happy buyster-ing dear readers ... x

January Sales?

Hello dear readers
First an apology, sorry my posts have been a little few and far between the past few weeks. My younger sister has been over from England for the last three weeks so we have been busy seeing the sights and many of Sydney's beautiful beaches and one not so nice one (ahem Bondi ahem!)

By some terrible bad planning on my part we found ourselves in the QVB on the first day of the January Sales and the place was absolutely crazy! Some shops even had people queueing outside to come in and grab up some bargains.

My sister being a bit of a fashionista wanted to hit the sales so I took her to our local Westfield.
I hate going to the mall at the best of times as I get claustrophobic in large crowds but this was just horrendous.

Being on somewhat of a budget I stick to the high street shops looking for some bargains.This year I was disappointed to say the least and in some stores frankly horrified at the hideous items that were supposedly on sale. A lot of the pieces I wouldn't take if they were given to me.

The high street stores seem to be awash with 80's style fashions, tiny skirts and ugly neon singlets and every shop could be any other as all these shops seem to sell exactly the same things. There seems to be no diversity whatsoever! I just about remember the 80s the first time round and it was bad enough then so I can't really comprehend why someone would want to bring this look back!

I did manage to find one item that was worth buying. In Jay Jays I came across a pair of high waisted denim shorts that aren't hideously short like most around these days for $20! I plan to pair them up with either a 50s style shirt that ties at the waist or a gypsy style top. I will bring you pictures!

And so dear readers I ask if you do know any high street chains or shops in the Sydney area that do the style of clothes I like (that being 40's and 50's style) at reasonable prices please let me know! As for the time being I'm feeling very disenchanted and don't want to see another mall in a long time!

Happy shopping dear readers ... x

Happy New Year - 2010

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years Eve. Mine was a great night and I had the hangover this morning to go with it! Above is a picture of me last night. I did curl my hair in hot rollers but with Sydney's blasted humidity it dropped in about 10 minutes so I'm looking a bit frazzled.

Now I'm feeling like a human being again I have been thinking about my resolutions for 2010. I want this years resolutions to be fun and rewarding and not feel like a task so I'm not going to push myself to hard or judge to harshly like I have in previous years. So these are the resolutions I have come up with:

1. Take more risks in life - I won't be jumping out of moving vehicles any time soon but I tend to err on the side of caution with most things in my life and I'm not really one to try new things. This year I'm going to try more new things. I've already started this one in a sense as my hubby is currently teaching me to snorkel. It's been a mixed success so far as I don't like swimming underwater and I feel claustrophobic in the mask but i will persevere. The hubby and I also have a paragliding trip booked that should be great fun!

2. Reach my goal weight - The hubby and I got Wii Fit Plus as a Christmas present and its great fun! I lost 20kg last year which brings my BMI from the overweight into the ideal range but this year I'm going to work on getting an ideal BMI of 22.

3. Study Childcare - Although I can't do my childcare diploma this year I can get the textbooks and start reading up to improve my knowledge ready for when I take the course next year.

4. Continue to grow this blog - This year I will bring you more blogs on a whole range of exciting subjects. I promise there will be more photos as I have a better camera now although to be honest I am rather camera shy and I hate the way I look in pictures! I also promise to bring updates of things I have promised to put in my blog and then promptly forgotten such as the picture of my Halloween costume from last year that I still haven't posted!

Whats your resolutions for 2010 dear readers ... x