OOTD | Lingering in Laneways

Jess and I had a wander around town last week after a delicious breakfast at Shouk Cafe in Paddington. It's been getting much warmer here in the last few weeks so I've been whipping out the pastels AND the florals; double whammy. I know wore this skirt in a post last year but it truly is one of my favourite garments. 

I picked up the pastel cropped singlet at Top Shop last year mega cheap and am basically wearing it thin. It is so cool and comfortable, its almost guaranteed I make some similar purchases this summer. 

It's pretty exciting imagining all the summer goodies I'm going to discover in the coming months. 

Hope you're all surviving these warmer days. 

Erin xx

OOTD | How They Flow

Ben Caplan band t-shirt (with sleeves cut-off) / Burgandy Maxi Skirt - vintage Laura Ashley / The Jackson Sunglasses by *MKL Accessories - Karmaloop / Loafers - vintage via Shag Vintage / harmonica pendant - Corky Saint Clair / Eternal Lilac 210 gel nail polish by Maybelline New York

Happy Spring lovely readers! It's finally the perfect time of year for my favourite kind of garment: maxi skirts. This particularly gorgeous skirt was found on an op-shopping adventure several years ago and I have been loving it ever since. It is an old Laura Ashley piece made from a lovely crepe silk. I love the way it drapes and how it shimmers in the sun shine. 

The top is a piece of merchandise from a very beardy musician that Jess and I discovered at Woodford Folk Festival last year. Ben Caplan had some glorious shirts and this was my favourite; I love how wave-like and peaceful his beard looks. 

Hope you're all enjoying this beautiful warm weather. It is my favourite time of year. What have you been waiting all winter to wear in the warmer months?

Erin xx

OOTD | Born In The Wrong Era

White Dress - Box Vintage / Pastel Pink Pullover - Ra Ra Superstar / Acid Wash Denim Jacket by Indiana Blues -  thrifted via Lifeline / Loafers - Shag Vintage / White Socks - Target / Sunglasses - Sportsgirl / Gold Bangle - gift

Happy days are upon us. Winter is slowly emerging of a never ending summer and I have finally found my most lusted after wardrobe staple; a denim jacket! I don't think I have been as ecstatic about a clothing purchase since I bought my first pair of high waisted jeans or Dr. Martens. I found this beauty in my local thrift store for $6 which makes the experience even better. This find makes me so glad that I waited instead of forking out the $50+ price that a lot of vintage resellers have on their denim jackets. Is is super good quality and I hope it will be in my possession for eternity. 

OOTD | Dress in Denim

Denim Dress - vintage via Ra Ra Superstar / White STEREO Sandals - London Rebel / Bent Spoon Pendant - Noosa Antique Upcycle Artisan / Glasses - eBay / Gold Bangle - gift with unknown brand / Rose hair-clip - 

Blue denim is one of my favourite fabrics. It makes all kinds of clothes and I like to think I own a fair amount; shorts, jeans, chambray shirts, overalls and dresses (sadly, no jacket). I found this dress last weekend whilst rummaging through Ra Ra Superstar's court yard sale - see haul here. 

OOTD | Made For Walking

Vintage Floral Sundress - Can You Keep a Secret? / Embroidered Denim Button Up - Thrifted / Knee High Cowboy Boots - The Amazing Mill Markets, Daylesford / Sunglasses - Sportsgirl

For as long as I can remember pining for a pair of shoes, I have pined for cowboy boots. I have been waiting, with my eyes wides open, for the perfect pair to come along but because of my large feet it has been a long wait. Finally, while trying not to buy anything too outrageous at the Mill Markets in Daylesford over my summer break I stumbled across these beauties. They were part of a larger collection and, astonishingly, in my size. I know my men's shoe size almost better than I know my women's so I saw an 8 1/2 and crossed all my fingers as I slipped them on. At $60 for shoes in such good nick I couldn't possibly say no. These babies are steel capped and super sturdy and I cannot wait to kick around in them all winter long. 

The rest of my outfit is nearing my last adieu to summer weather. I picked up this handmade retro bargain of a dress for $10 in my last Can You Keep a Secret haul and couldn't be happier seeing the season out in it. The super cute and comfy outfit needed some sun cover and a bit of extra warmth at night so I added a denim shirt of mine that doesn't get out much. I love the embroidery and the scalloping on the sleeves but it can sit awkwardly on some outfits. Fortunately, it suited this 1970s bohemian country attire well. 

Hope you've all been having a grand long weekend.

Happy Easter!

Erin xx

OOTD | Glittery Weaves

Chambray shirt - thrifted / Pullover - vintage / Black A-line skirt - Barkins / Black opaque stockings - VooDoo / Black leather 'GG Rider' riding boots - Greg Grant

I told you so, I really do love an eccentric knit; the brighter the better. This probably one of my favourite and most worn knit purchases and I owe it all to spontaneous purchasing with a voucher to the Woolloongabba Antique Centre that Jess gave me a while back. Its neon pink and purple patterns confused with a spattering blue glitter thread make me so happy just by looking at it. 

At Home | Pre-Loved Kitchen Goodies

If you've read a few of my recent posts you'll know that I have recently moved out of home and am slowly creating my own home. I took a trip to a LifeLine SUPA Store last weekend on the hunt for some kitchen supplies and thought it would be a good idea to share some of the amazing goodies you can find if you really want them. I never go into a session of op shopping with specific items in mind because that it the easiest way to get disappointed. I knew that I wanted more plates/bowels etc and some different shaped dishes to cook with but nothing much more specific than that. I definitely didn't come out with everything I thought I would but I'm more than happy with what I got.

OOTD Tourist Tees, Socks and Sandals

Tourist Tee - Kathmandu, Nepal (gift), Amethyst chain - Corky Saint Clare, "Erin" in Farsi necklace - Gift, Other necklace - Gift, Belt - Thrifted, Ring - Thrifted, Black A-Line Skirt - Barkins, Black ELKA Sandals - Wittner, Basic White Socks - Bonds

If you asked friends of mine this OOTD could easily be classified as my most worn outfit of the month. I have a very limited wardrobe at the moment (travelling = limitations) and after piecing this together have done several repeats of it. What is new, however, are the cute sandals you see featured in the last photo. I found these beauties at Wittner's Direct Factory Outlet store at a fairly cheap price along with another pair of sandals - you'll see both properly unboxed in a few days. 

Good Food, Good Company

It's Sunday and I would normally be bringing you a new recipe but today I felt like sharing with you my review on two of Brisbane's finest (and very different) establishments. My mum came up to Brisbane on Thursday for a bit of an Easter getaway/return-to-home-town holiday. We've spent the last few days together and have done some fine eating in that time. Thursday afternoon we were in the Fortitude Valley and I decided it was high time I tried the hippest new (new is debatable) establishment in the area, Alfred and Constance.

As expected, this new cafe/restaurant/bar combination is a much needed chilled addition to 'the valley' scene. Housed in a classic Queenslander (the typical home built circa 1900 is this tropical state) the vintage-probably-more-retro decor is comfortable and not overdone. For lunch, the food and service is friendly, casual and simply delicious. It's not overly fancy and fiddly, the food is wholesome, tasty and anything but bland - like a meal from your mother (well, I don't know about you but at least from my mother). 

OOTD - Pretty in Pink and Shoulder Pads

Blouse - Thrifted, Skirt - Barkins, Shoes - Christian di Riccio, Nail Polish - Sportsgirl Nailit "Tomato"

There is something strangely enticing about a super femme looking shirt that decides to throw in a surprise pair of shoulder pads. I'm not keen on it everyday but on the days that I feel like my knocked-about boots are too much but I need something to tone down the girly-ness - I love shoulder pads. I found this top in Lifeline during a sneaky shop before last years Laneway Festival with Jess and our delightful friend Honor (who then purchased this top for me as a gift, bless her soul). I've never been quite sure what it was about the top that I had to have. I adore lace, intricate prints that aren't floral, and buttons make me gaga. Most other thrifted garments that come with shoulder pads I remove before I wear but this piece just wouldn't be the same. Not only does it tuck nicely into high-waisted skirts but it also falls really pleasantly over pants and fitted garments. The buttons are also a huge draw for me. The top one was missing when I got it so I dug into my huge thrifted button collection and thought the one you see at the top fitted the aesthetic nicely. 

Also in this OOTD I'm wear two of my all time favourite items. A) the hot pink skirt and B) my flatform sandals. For the last five years I worked at Barkins (an Australian retailer of fashionable women's corporate wear) and have to say it is definitely not my style. But every  now and again some garments would come in out of the blue that I just had to have - and it was conveniently cheap compared to other stores (plus a generous staff discount). This skirt was one of those items. It came in black and hot pink and I had to have both in my hands. I have plans to take them to a tailor and have it remade in every colour on the spectrum, I love it that much. 

The shoes are Christian di Riccio which I purchased from ZOMP in Brisbane partway through last year. I had been searching for a plain yet attractive pair of flatforms (and obviously well made) for quite sometime and hence I was willing to fork out the $140 that I did. They've been worn full-time almost all of Spring and Summer and I hope so much that they last me another few seasons because replacing them will be next to impossible. 

Erin xx

A Trip to Gewürzhaus

My family loves gourmet food. Like, really loves. It's something nurtured by my mother, unknowingly enjoyed by my father, and something my brother and I have never lived without. Whilst Christmas shopping, my mother and I came across this amazing spice shop in The Block Arcade (which is an amazing place to visit if you're ever in Melbourne) called Gewürzhaus. We bought a few gifts for different people, and for my brother, Liam. When he came down for the holidays and received his gift he insisted we return to the shop so he could absorb some more spice goodness. Aaaand, just recently, he requested some more. 

So, today my parents and I trekked into the city to get my far away brother some delicious spices from this magnificent store. Well described on their website: “think of the lolly shop of your childhood dreams, substitute herbs and spices and you’re at Gewürzhaus”. Like I said before, my family gets around the gourmet food circle and this store really is unique - at least in Australia. We bought my brother a delicious array of herbs and spices including a Guacamole blend which smells like Mexican powder form. 

They also stock a rather large range of cute, kitch and incredibly useful kitchenware. If I had any money or a place to put things, I could exit this store with an awfully large armful of goodies. For lovers of cooking fine foods, Gewürzhaus is an unexpected heaven in the middle of the city. Unfortunately, they're only in Melbourne (in three different locations) but they do ship all over Australia and the world. 

According to their website they also run cooking classes to educate people on the beautiful complexity of herbs and spices. Now that would be one nice smelling cooking class.

Erin xx