The Bookworm Presents: How to Hepburn - Lessons on Living from Kate the Great

How to Hepburn - Lessons on Living from Kate the Great by Karen Karbo is part biography and part female empowerment manual. How to Hepburn examines Kate the Great's personal style, film and theatre roles, complicated relationships, personal philosophies and unorthodox choices. With chapter titles such as 'If You Obey All the Rules, You Miss All the Fun' and 'Confidence Is More Important than Knowledge' Karbo shares an insight into Hepburn's no nonsense, go getting attitude towards life. This is a fab little book that instills the message that Kate gave to be yourself and make your own rules!

Sponsored Silence for Japan

Just a quick note to let you know I completed the 24 hour sponsored silence for Japan. It was pretty difficult at times but if you compare having to be quiet for a day to what the people of Japan have been through it is nothing and really the least I could do to help such a worthy cause. Thanks everybody for supporting me and sending your money and love to the children of Japan. For anyone who still wants to sponsor me please go to www.justgiving.com/Emma-Pavitt

My New Healthy Routine

With just 3 months until my wedding I want to lose about 5 kilos so I look the best I can for my wedding day. With that in mind I have decided to post a weekly update of my weight loss to keep me motivated. Week 1 Weight - 60kg Bust - 34" Waist - 29" Hips - 39" Thighs - 23" Arms - 11" In order to lose the 5kg I plan to: ♥ Not eat anything after 6pm ♥ Have my largest meal of the day at lunchtime ♥ Do at least 30 minutes exercise (most likely on the wii fit) every day ♥ Return to the healthy diet that the doctor gave me for my PCOS (in a nutshell don't eat anything over 5% sugar and 5% fat)

What Emma Did - 27th March 2011

This week I have been:

♥ Going back to the docs for my arthritis blood test results (which were inconclusive)

♥ Booking my yearly skin check (I cant emphasise enough how important these are in Australia especially if you are very pale, freckly or moley like me!)

♥ Going to Paddy's Market to get my mums birthday pressie (I can't tell what it is as she reads my blog!) and picking up a cute red parasole for $6 and some Chinese stress balls for $10 at the same time.

♥ Gathering support for my sponsored silence

♥ Trawling Basement Books (I love this shop!) and picking up a copy of How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great by Karen Karbo (I will review this in the week!)

♥ Having some very yummy and cheap Chinese at Market City food court

♥ Organising a night out with the hubby after I get back from the Blue Mountains as he cant come with! (I'm thinking we'll probably go to see The 39 Steps)

♥ Planning a new exercise and healthy eating routine as my new Heyday dress is too snug and its also only 12 weeks until the wedding. 5kg to lose me thinks!

♥ Pulling out the Wii Fit, dusting it off and doing half an hour and being pleased to find my fears were unfounded and I haven't put on any weight!

♥ Catching up with the UN girlies at the pub on Friday

♥ Having the purple fairy, my niece, nephew and gorgeous great niece over for a cup of tea and so the purple fairy and I could raid my wardrobe for the French fairy's party outfits!

Weekly Buys

I thought this might bring you a new section in which i share with you my purchases for the week. It probably wont be a regular thing on Sundays though as Sundays are generally reserved for my 'What Emma Did' posts so most likely it will be Thursdays when i get paid. Anyway enough of my waffling. This week I bought:

Vintage Knitivo Fair Isle Red Sweater with Neckline Design - School of Vintage on Etsy

I think this will probably be big on me but it will be nice and snugly for the UN's upcoming weekend away in the Blue Mountains.

1960s Pendleton Wool Red Plaid Swing Jacket - Popup Vintage on Etsy
Another buy for our Blue Mountains jaunt. I wanted a jacket that will look good with my trousers from Heyday. I saw Fleur wearing her longer pendleton jacket then saw this one at a bargain price and had to snap it up.

Freddies of Pinewood Indigo Side Zip Ladies Jeans - Spindrift Records on EBay

I've been wanting to get a few pairs of Freddies of Pinewood Jeans for a while so when I saw them new on Ebay for this price I snapped them up. They'll be perfect for casual day times in the mountains!

My Silence for Japan

Hi guys just a quick one to let you know I have set a date for my sponsored silence. It will be Wednesday 30th March 2011 and the hubby is going to adjudicate to ensure I stay silent all day! Please sponsor me here and help the victims of this terrible Japan disaster!

Autumn Style Resolutions

It occurred to me that while I had been shopping for pretty summer dresses Autumn has snuck up on me and now it has appeared with a bang. We've had three days of disgustingly grey and rainy weather and I am ill prepared when it comes to a decent autumnal wardrobe. So with this in mind I have come up with some personal Autumn style resolutions

1. I will buy a quality pair of waterproof shoes that are inclosed, keep my feet dry and are comfortable whilst at the same time being stylish. I absolutely loath having wet feet its the one thing guaranteed to make me grumpy in no time at all and last autumn I spent my shoe budget on many pairs of cheap ballet flats and consequently spend many rainy days miserable and with wet tootsies! This year I vow to learn from my mistakes. I have my eye on a pair of 1950s style oxfords and also Melissa's Ashanti Boots in black floc which, lets face it, are the most stylish pair of wellies going! I also adore Miss L Fire's Ellison Boots which with their fleecy lining will keep my feet roasty toasty.

2. I will invest in a good winter coat. Last year I picked up a gorgeous purple mac that looked fab on but was not warm enough for winter months and as the majority of my wardrobe is red, white and blue didn't lend itself to many outfits. This year I want a wool (or cashmere blend) 1940s, or that style princess coat.

3. I will buy wool knitwear instead of bulk buying cheap acrylics that do not keep me warm and therefore lead to a very miserable Emma all winter!

4. I will plan a few go to outfits for those horrible days when you feel like you cant be bothered. Winter is my least favourite seasons (to put it mildly) and leaves me feeling lethargic and a little blue. Given the opportunity I would probably hibernate until spring or migrate to warmer climes but as this isn't the option this winter I will ensure I always look good in my signature style to lift my spirits on those drizzly days rather than reaching for those easy to pull on leggings and slouchy jumpers!

Advertising on Emma aime and Product Reviews

The beady eyed amongst you will notice that I have made a new page of information for potential sponsors. I would like to post more product reviews on the blog so if you have a product that you feel fits with the feel of the blog please check out the 'Advertise' page and email me!

What Emma Did - 20th March 2011

This week I have been:
♥ Enjoying the gorgeous wagyu burgers at Rockpool Bar and Grill (see my review over at SFC)
♥ Going to see Heston Blumenthal Out of the Kitchen
♥ Going for an absolutely delicious but very late valentines lunch at Quay (see my review over at SFC)
♥ Booking tickets to see Terry Pratchett at the Opera House
♥ Planning our weekend in the Blue Mountains for the French Fairy's 1940's themed 40th birthday
♥ Shopping for both winter clothes (that I'm, very short of!) and summer holiday clothes for our Fiji holiday

The Devastating Japan Disaster

I sure you're all well aware of the mass devastation that Japan is facing following the huge earthquake and subsequent tsunami they have been hit with. The situation seems to be worsening everyday with a very real threat of radiation leaks.

I have to say I admire the blogging community for the way they have rallied round to lend their support to the victims. I was very much inspired by two blogs Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged For Japan With Love campaign and their day of blogging silence on 18th March in order to raise money for shelter box USA - a charity that supplies shelters and emergency supplies to victims of this terrible disaster.

I have decided in order to do I what i can I will be doing a 24 hour sponsored silence. I will spend the day in silent contemplation for all the lives, houses and loved ones lost. Being a child care worker child welfare is a subject very close to my heart so I decided to donate all money raised to Save the Children's Earthquake Tsunami Relief. If you would like to sponsor me please go to here. I will keep you updated on how the event goes!

What Emma Did - 13th March 2011

This week I have been:
♥ Going to the docs as I have been suffering with painful swollen hands
♥ Heading into the city for medicals for our visas
♥ Eating huge schnitzel sandwiches from Malibu
♥ Going out for a yummy Indian meal
♥ Picking up our new cute red phone from the post office
♥ Creating a cute canopy above our bed
♥ Finally receiving my new blue polka dot swimsuit from Lady K Loves after a few months wait as the red one that I wanted was out of stock

Daily Outfit: Heyday Outfit

Remember way back when I order those items in the Heyday sale? We'll here is the outfit post that I promised ages ago!

1940s Style Ladies Swing Trousers in Moss Green - Heyday
Natasja Tie Top in Elly May Pink - Heyday
Shoes - F&F for Tescos (years ago!)
White rose earrings - Bexterity
Lipstick - Revlon Just Bitten in Frenzy

Finding the Perfect Longlast Lipstick

I just adore my red lipsticks, a quick slick gives instant glamour but the hubby refuses to kiss me when I'm wearing my red lippy for fear of ending up looking like Coco the Clown so I have been on a quest to find the perfect long last lipstick. First I tried L'oreal Glamshine 6 hours in Timeless Ruby, a gorgeous ruby red with a red glittery shimmer. I simply adore the colour but application is not easy with the teardrop shaped wand and once applied it has a disgusting sticky feeling to it. As for lasting 6 hours well it barely lasts 6 minutes and the hubby absolutely refuses to kiss me if I wear this one so it doesn't solve my little conundrum.Secondly I tried Max Factors Lipfinity which had much better staying power but seemed to flake off after a while.

Next I tried Revlon's Just Bitten in Frenzy after seeing it on Super Kawaii Mama's blog which seemed to last through a cup of tea and a greasy pizza and is a nice texture. Being an applicator pen it is to apply get a clean edge. More importantly the hubby will kiss me when I wear this one!

Imelda May at the Gaelic

The hubby and I headed into the city on Saturday night to catch the fabulous Imelda May at the Gaelic. The tickets said doors open at 8pm so the Mardi Gras crowds we got there on time only to find out that Imelda wasn't actually on until 10.45 so we headed to the bar grabbed some drinks and managed to find a comfy sofa which made a good viewpoint to listen to the other bands from. The poor hubby who had no sleep for the past 24 hours and was coming down with a cold was doing his best to stay awake. At one point a female staff member came round and told him he had to stay awake or she would have to 'call someone' I guess being Mardi Gras they thought he was probably drunk or on something!

The evening was a little deadpan at this point but once Imelda May hit the stage the atmosphere certainly changed. She was simply electric. Her performances were high energy and the vocals were flawless from gritty rockabilly tunes to beautiful ballads sung with that lovely Irish lilt.

Imelda is touring Australia so check out her website here for dates in a city near you

And as for my outfit I didn't manage to get a photo but I wore the black swallow cardigan that I made way back here with an electric blue pencil skirt and my hair in the pomp shown in my last outfit post. I think this hair style has become my go to style for days i'm in a rush!

What Emma Did - 6th March 2011

Hello dear readers, its been a while since Ive done a 'What Emma Did' post so I thought I'd update you on everything I've been doing since I posted the last one. Recently I have been:

♥ Moving to our lovely new unit and getting unpacked
♥ Making multiple trips to Ikea to get new furniture and bookcases we need for the new place
♥ Going to the Opera House to see The Ultimate Rock and Roll Jam Session
♥ Booking our wedding/ honeymoon in Fiji
♥ Planning the new outfits that I want to buy to take to Fiji with me
♥ Buying these gorgeous Melissa shoes after wanting them for ages!
♥ Getting this cute dress from eBay to go with my new shoes
♥ Re-reading the fab 'A Guide to Elegance' after rediscovering it when I unpacked all our books
♥ Applying for our new visa and filling out a mountain of forms and collecting all of evidence required
♥ Going to see the fabulous Imelda May at the Gaelic (I'll post about this soon!)
♥ Watching Season 3 of Secret Diary of a Call Girl

New Homewear Buys and the One That Got Away

I've been checking out 1950's style homewears on ebay recentely and have fallen in love with Eames era furniture. When we moved into our new unit the dining table set we got from ikea had a kind of Atomic/Eames look to it so it started a bit of a theme for the living room.

Norden/Nordmyra Table and 2 Chairs - Ikea

Here are my recent atomic look buys:
Royal Dux Pelican Figurine - Ebay Retro 60/70s style phone - Ebay

Nest of Tables - Aldi and heres the gorgeous Crown Ducal Bowl that sold for just $20 on Ebay and I missed out on because I forgot to bid! It would have made a perfect fruit bowl for the centre of my coffee table so now I'm on the lookout for another one.

50 Followers Giveaway

Dearest readers,

To celebrate reaching 50 followers I am hosting another giveaway. This time I will be giving away this gorgeous Betty Page Purse from Bexterity. In order to enter you can:

For 1st entry Leave a comment on this post

For 2nd entry Twitter about the giveaway

For 3rd entry Write a post on your blog about this giveaway

I will draw the winner on 3rd April so get your entries in now!

The Bookworm Presents: A Guide to Elegance

I first came across references to this book when I read Kathleen Tessaro's novel Elegance so when I saw its beautiful Tiffany blue cover on a bookstore shelf I knew I had to buy it. The book, first published in 1964, is written by French style guru Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux and is a classic style bible for timeless chic, grace and poise - every titbit of advice today's woman could possibly need, all at her (perfectly manicured) fingers.

From Accessories to Zippers, Madame Dariaux imparts her pearls of wisdom on all things fashion related - and also offers advice on other crucial areas in life from shopping with girlfriends (don't) to marriage and sex.

Something no girls handbag should be without this season the ultimate guide to looking good and feeling great.

Daily Outfit: 50's Nautical

I forgot to add it in the last post so here is my outfit that I wore to the Ultimate Rock 'n' Roll Jam Sessions.

Dress - Primark
Cardigan - SES
Shoes - Novo
Belt - Rock and Roll Dancewear
Earrings - Bexterity
Table and Chairs - Ikea
Sunglasses - Prada
Lipstick - L'Oreal Glamshine 6 Hour in Timeless Ruby