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Isabel Marant Renell jeans (source)
I'm never the first to jump on the bandwagon for the latest "in" thing, or new trend, as I generally take a while to warm up to things. Sometimes I wish this wasn't the case, as lately all I've been thinking about adding to my small jean collection is these Isabel Marant renell jeans, in black. I've been on a rather vigorous hunt for the last two months, with very little luck. Instead, I am continuously taunted by images of stylish ladies such as Geraldine Saglio (above), rocking these incredibly hard to track down jeans. I suppose that will have to do in the meantime!

 

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Equipment blouse, Karen Walker dress, Chloe heels

Firstly, I want to wish my wonderful mother a happy Mother's Day. This photo is from a few years back when I travelled around Europe and met up with my parents in Paris, before meeting up again in Germany to drive down to Greece. With another trip to Europe looming, I am looking forward to meeting up with my mum again, to do a bit of exploring, sailing, and soaking up the warm summer sun.

Temperatures have been dropping pretty quick this past week so I have been relying on silk blouses and woolen skirts or dresses to keep me warm. This would probably explain why I went a little overboard at the Ashley Fogel sale yesterday, picking up a few knit jumpers to fend off the cold.

Lastly, I can't get those navy Opening Ceremony boots out of my head after seeing them at the Papershoes pop-up store. I love the contrast of the navy suede against the tan sole and heel, and they feel a little like the big sister boot to my Isabel Marant dickers.

 

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F21 jumper, Karen Walker blazer, skirt and coat, Topshop heels, YSL arty ring, Mimco necklace, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag

Last night I was invited to attend the opening night of the Papershoes Pop-Up store in Wellington, at the Service Depot. Papershoes is an online store, which offers shoes from designers such as: Dieppa Restrepo, Bass, Loeffler Randel and Opening Ceremony to name a few, and the pop-up store was the perfect opportunity to get to see some of these shoes in person, as they are designers which are usually not so readily available in New Zealand.

While I didn't try any shoes on (an impending trip to Europe told me it was best to follow the mantra of "you can look but you can't try it on"), I will admit that a few pairs were added to my mental wishlist. Having previously purchased from Papershoes before, I know that should I decide to take the plunge, I will be met with exceptional and personal customer service, something that can be quite rare when online shopping.

 

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3.1 by Phillip Lim dress, Acne cardigan, ASOS jacket, Vintage boots (similar here), Proenza Schouler bag, Karen Walker sunglasses

Over the weekend I met up with Nina to do a little bit of vintage shopping in Newtown, as part of her buy only second-hand or vintage clothing for the month of May. Unfortunately our trip yielded neither of us any gems, although I did manage to find a cat jigsaw that kept me occupied for some time on Sunday night. Our expedition was followed by a spiced apple tea and treats at Baobab - hands down becoming my local in this borough.

While I wish that I was with Nina on her month of no "new" purchases, it appears that my purchases so far are anything but. So much for shopping less, perhaps I really do need to start telling myself "no". Either that or I gather some restraint for the next three weeks of May... yeah right.

 

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Forever 21 top, Karen Walker cardigan (similar here) and skirt (similar here), Pointer loafers

Close to two weeks after ANZAC Day and I'm onto my second batch of cookies. Seeing as my current oven has turned all my other baking exploits into disaster, I was pretty happy to discover that I could bake one of my favourite biscuits in it on ANZAC Day. I know I'm not the first to share this recipe, and doubt I will be the last - but I can say with some certainty that these already go down a treat, either eaten while they are still warm, just out of the oven, or dipped in a cup of tea.

ANZAC biscuits
100g butter
2 Tbsp Chelsea Golden Syrup
1/2 cup Chelsea Raw Sugar (white or brown sugar is fine)
2 Tbsp boiling water
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup rolled oats


1. Preheat your oven to approx 180 Celsius, or 360 Farenheit. I usually take this opportunity to line baking trays with a bit of tin foil (saves you a little bit of clean up later!)
2. Melt down the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a low heat, until all the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture starts to thicken a little.
3. While the 'wet' ingredients are on the stove, pop all the rest of the ingredients into a bowl.
4. Pour the 'wet' ingredients into the 'dry', and stir until it is all mixed together. If necessary add a little more flour/oats.
5. Roll up teaspoons of the mixture, and flatten on the baking tray with a fork.
6. Bake approximately 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Then enjoy!

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image source: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8
Winter essentials. As the temperature continues to drop, I've started digging around for a bit more winter inspiration. Being practically addicted to list making, I thought I'd share my essentials for winter.

Oversized woolen blazers - I love the look of these thrown over all kinds of outfits, and aside from pulling the look together, they can be the perfect cover up for those not so cold moments. I tend to fold the sleeves up ever so slightly, allowing the sleeves of blouses, jumpers or cardigans to peek out.

Leather leggings or pants - Probably one of the more expensive pieces to buy, but I think well worth it. I've spent the past few years looking for a pair, and only recently managed to source a pair of faux leather ones, which are not only convincing but also quite possibly the warmest thing I've ever covered up my legs with.
Loose baggy jumpers - These are perfect thrown over a dress, or loosely tucked into a skirt, dressing up or dressing down a look as required. I find that this can be the best way to make an otherwise 'special occasion' dress a little bit more casual, or appropriate for work.

Unexpected prints - there's nothing more striking than a print when you didn't expect it. I suppose that's why I'm drawn to florals on jeans or pants, printed blouses, or cover ups that have a bit of detailing on them.

Simple, statement accessories - I find myself yo-yoing between images of simple and understated accessories, to arms piled high with an assortment of bracelets, amounting to more than I even own. In winter I prefer to skimp on the accessories, choosing pieces that complement my outfit, and stand out of their own accord.

And, I suppose a leather skirt wouldn't go astray, nor would the obvious thick woolen scarf or heavy pashmina wrapped loosely around one's neck. Let's add stripes in there too. This winter I see myself pairing blacks, greys, navys and burgundys together, interspersed with the occasional camel or blush toned piece.

With this in mind, I've managed to hunt down a few pieces which fit the bill. Like these Helmut Lang leather leggings paired with this J Crew knitted sweater and this Equipment blouse peeking out of the collar. OR this RAOUL leather skirt with this A.P.C jumper, ASOS boyfriend blazer and Michael Kors watch.



 

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Karen Walker dress, cardigan and blazer, Country Rd ballet flats (similar here) and belt, Proenza Schouler bag
I usually tend to form mild obsessions with new purchases, wanting to wear them every day. Or every other day. You get my drift. I'm not sure if it's the excitement of it being new, or just a general want to wear it all the time as it's suddenly become one of my favourite pieces.

Since picking up this jacket last month, I can already tell that it will become one of my most worn pieces in my wardrobe, both in the winter, and in the summer time when it gets a little nippy at night. Oh, and looks like Max came out to say hi.