Royal Wedding: Zara Phillips'

So the pictures are out and the verdicts are already starting to stream in for Zara Phillips' wedding gown. I thought she looked beautiful - exactly how I expected in terms of a simple silhouette with not too much pomp or anything that made her stand out as a Princess Bride. She is after all the rebel royal and she always kept her title as 'Miss' and not 'Princess' so it seemed fitting that her wedding matched that with understated grace and glamour.Turns out I was wrong about the tiara - she did end up wearing one but it was less crown like and almost more like a encrusted headband/headpiece.

Loving the lighting in this photo!



 

So the all important details:
Dress: Stewart Parvin "The dress featured a chevron-pleated bodice, a dropped waist, and a "cathedral-length" train, and was designed to create a "bell-shaped" silhouette". Apparently made of silk faille and duchess satin.

I think I was kind of on track with the strapless prediction, but with floaty ethereal Grecian inspiration with the straps. The taffeta type weight of the duchess satin seemed to add the structure I was hinting at, but without too much volume.

Shoes: Jimmy Choo - yet to see close-ups so I'll comment on these later when I see more pics! I'm imagining a simple satin pump in any case.

Veil: Tulle cathedral length veil with a short blusher - simple, nothing too heavy and without any of the fancy lace embellishments you might expect of a Royal, but I thought this suited her too. She always seemed like more of a tom-boy so to have anything too complicated going on would overpower the simplicity of the outfit.

Tiara: Greek Key tiara - I thought it was quite pretty, nothing too over-the-top which was good. And the fact it matched the Greek heritage of her name seemed fitting.

Make-up: Bobbi Brown <3
So what can I say really but thumbs up from me (but perhaps I'm biased!). Relaxed, modern, simple chic. Perfect for any bride, and lovely for a Princess too!

You know what I love the best? That she's keeping her maiden name. There's something very modern about that and adds to why I think her and Princess Anne are amongst the most progressive, low-key and relatable of the Royals. Love!

The "Other" Royal Wedding

As we speak the "other" Royal Wedding is getting started - that is of course Zara Phillips' wedding to Mike Tindall. I love the British Royals so of course I'll be paying close attention to the nuptials and what everyone is wearing, but I also have a bit of a soft spot for Zara Phillips and her understated, non-chalant way-of-life despite being so privileged. She still sits a far second behind my favourite member of royalty, Charlotte Casiraghi (gosh she's so beautiful!) but that's another story.

Anyway, she's already announced her wedding dress will be Royal couturier Stewart Parvin so I was having a bit of a browse of his website to see what kind of dress she might choose.

I'm definitely imagining something tailored but ethereal, structured but with a sense of lightness. I'm thinking she'll be inspired by these dresses, though I imagine she'll have her own unique spin because she's always been the Princess who did things her way and wanted to be a bit different.

Hang onto your love

Sweet Simplicity

In terms of headpieces - I'm guessing definitely no tiara and I would say she wouldn't really want a veil but probably to stick with a bit of tradition she'll probably have a short blusher or veil which will be light and airy. I actually really want her to do more of a hairpiece - a beautiful hair ornament would be pretty.

We will just have to wait a few hours and I'm sure we'll hear about what the lucky girl chose! In the meantime, I saw this Stewart Parvis wedding gown which I thought was just stunning. Very old Hollywood glamour (Grace Kelly-esque too), but breathtakingly beautiful.

Put Yourself in my Place

Life in Photos: July

I've had an exciting few days involving lots of photo-taking so I thought I might share! I love taking photos, I'm always that person being snap happy in the background (it also means I manage to avoid photos very well which is a bonus!) but I love how they remind you of good times and great memories.

Anyway, I heard some great news yesterday and I enjoyed a nice girlie catch up over dinner at Rockpool Bar & Grill. We sat in the bar area which is the more casual part of Neil Perry's restaurant and of course had the Wagyu burger and the awesome desserts. Yum yum.

Wagyu burgers and fantastic drinks - love the bartenders at rp b&g

Creme Caramel

They're famous passionfruit pavlova (I love meringues!)

On the topic of food, anyone who knows me knows that I <3 ice-cream and we've been having these cute little mini waffle cones at home. So cute and so tasty!

And last but not least, a group of us at work decided to go on a bit of a gambling streak and each put in $10 to get a whole bunch of scratchies. We didn't win anything, but it sure was fun!

Holiday Memories: Bahamas!

Probably one of the more 'exciting' parts of my holiday which I was looking forward to was cruising the Bahamas. I'd never been on a cruise before so thought a short 4 night cruise would be a good introduction and indeed it was! Having been to 20+ of the US states on my last visit I really wanted to make sure I saw something different on this trip and so it was decided the Caribbean was a must-do part of the holiday.

The Bahamas was beautiful as expected and even though we're spoilt here in Australia with crystal clear turquoise waters, there were still some beautiful beaches I went to in the Bahamas which surprised me with their breathtaking colours. This was definitely the 'relaxation' part of my holiday, since everything is included in the cruise holiday so you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to without worrying about handling cash and organising transport. It probably would've been nice to do this as the last part of my trip but overall I'm so glad I did it as I wouldn't otherwise have been able to see so much of the Bahamas in such a short time.

I could post hundreds of photos but here are some which pretty much tell the story of my time on the cruise.

Sunset on the cruise

The next two photos are from the private island we visited on one of the days - the beaches were spectacular and we went parasailing which was a fantastic experience. It wasn't at all as I expected - I thought it would be noisy and windy when up in the air but it's literally like peace and tranquility! You can hear every word of being spoken to you by the person tandem parasailing with you.

One of the days was spent at Freeport where we went Jeeping which was tonnes of fun! It meant we saw so much of the island and the tour guide was helpful in educating us about the history, nature, beaches and everything! Of course we stopped by the beach at the end too to cool off from the intense heat.

And what is a trip to the Bahamas without going to Atlantis? We actually purchased a pass to the Atlantis Resort beach but somehow managed to sneak our way into the Aqua Adventure themepark which was really cool!

So now I'm thinking I just have to make another trip to the Caribbean, but this time for a longer cruise :)

Alexander McQueen Wedding Shoes

Everyone seems to be going crazy about the Royal Wedding exhbition hitting the streets of London so of course I've been looking at the new photos circulating the internet.

We can finally see shots of those beautiful Alexander McQueen wedding shoes and I have to say...while pretty, they aren't as amazing as I first thought. In some other photos I'd seen which weren't as close up I thought they were beaded (with tiny pearls and other amazing embellishments fit for a Princess).

I suppose they were fitting for the occasion - not too over the top but still elegant - but I almost prefer something with a bit more colour so that they can be worn again for other occasions, like the pair below (another McQueen, of course).

On the topic of Alexander McQueen - I've been eye-ing this pair of boots that I first saw when I was in NYC. They are so simple, but are beautifully lush and practical at the same time!

And because I love a beautifully made cake or dessert, I'll leave you a picture of the Royal Wedding cake. Is it not the most intricate amazing cake you've ever seen? I personally would never want something so ornate at my own wedding, but it truly is a piece to admire.

Images thanks to digitalspy and net-a-porter.com.

Life in Photos: June/July

I've had a crazy week at work and Sydney weather has been nothing but torrential rains, freezing cold winds and generally hasn't been a nice place to be. Despite that though I had some good news in the last week - I passed the exam I sat just before I went travelling! Besides the relief of passing it also signifies the end of studying for me which is a huge relief.

To celebrate I'm going to be buying myself something in the near future so stay tuned! ;) In the meantime, here are some iphone snaps over the last month. I actually have a tonne from the US but I'll upload those at some other time.

Sydney Harbour Bridge view from Opera Kitchen

The photo above was actually taken on a freezing cold weekend - my first weekend home after my trip. I was taking some non-Sydney siders to the Opera House so of course we stopped by Opera Kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Even in the cold of Winter it's absolutely lovely sitting under heaters and basking in the sun while taking in the breathtaking view.


OK so I've snuck in a photo from the US - this was the last thing I ate while there. We were rushing to JFK airport and picked up take-away from Counter Burger on the way - this was yummo even though it was cold!

And in celebration of my exam results - this is just some of the stack of books I had for that exam. Yikes right? I've started binning a whole lot and it's very satisfying!

In other news, I haven't done a "What I Wore" post in a while but I thought I would say that I wore to work yesterday my Marcs dress + Louboutin decollete ensemble as mentioned in this post here and I had one of the French girls at work ask me where I got my shoes from! Whenever someone asks me that, I can never work out how I should respond. Do they want to know the brand of the shoe, or physically where I bought them from? I always seem to answer the latter so I answered that they were purchased online from the UK and she responded that she had a feeling I would say they weren't from Australia! I didn't have the heart to tell her they were indeed French...

What would you say if you found yourself in that position?

Couture Fall 2011 - Shoes!

I know I'm a little behind on the Fall 2011 Couture showcoverage, but gosh there are some breathtaking pieces. I thought styles in general were quite pared back this time, which is perhaps more a reflection of the world economy, but I loved how wearable the collections were. Might be more to do with the dismissal of John Galliano, but even Dior was less frou frou OTT than normal. I know it got some bad reviews in the media, but I still thought it was a beautiful collection with some standout pieces.

But more importantly, there were some fantastic shoes on offer! These are some of my faves:

Giambattista Valli

I thought the Giambattista show was fabulous, but the shoes were also so wearable, chic and pretty! This would be a perfect wedding shoe.

The Christian Dior sandal above looks so 'simple' front on, but then the side-on silhouette is funky and fun at the same time. Loving the lilac! I would never wear a shoe like this, but it just suited the collection.

Jean Paul Gaultier

The 'enfant-terrible' himself, Jean Paul Gaultier, has been my all-time favourite designer for years now and the collection didn't disappoint. It was so elegant but unique at the same time. I have a soft spot for the ballet inspired shoe above - when I was 15 and had my first school formal, I wore a DIY replication of the criss-crossed ballet ribbons on a pair of simple black pumps.

How can you not love the two shots below?

And then there is the perennial favourite, Valentino, with classic timeless beauty.

What shoes did you love from the Couture collections?

Images thanks to style.com and vogue.com.au

Holiday Memories: LA

Los Angeles seems to have a bad rep amongst tourists as being one of the more 'boring' US cities. I agree that it is hard to get round unless you have a car and it is indeed a laidback place, but I still found many things to keep me amused even factoring in that I didn't visit a single themepark or movie studio!

I stayed in a fantastic hotel which was having a special promotional deal, plus it was located right near a shopping centre! How convenient!

An unexpected room upgrade meant a spacious room overlooking the pool!

I'm a bit lame so I took a Hollywood Celebrity Homes tour. If I had been daring enough to drive in the US I could've hired a car and done it myself, but I liked being able to sit back, relax and take lots of photos!



Posh and Becks' long driveway

And of course a visit to Los Angeles is not complete without a trip down Rodeo Drive. It just so happened the weekend I was there was Fathers Day so they had their annual car show. Rodeo Drive was packed to the brim with dozens of beautiful luxury cars (vintage and new).

And we took a trip to Santa Monica Beach - it was a bit overcast that day but it was still nice to walk around and take in the sea breeze.

A visit to the Farmer's Market and Grove shopping centre were on order as well. Ate some tasty doughnuts at the Farmer's Market and we were blessed with beautiful weather on our visit so walking around the Grove was really lovely! Made some purchases too (at Crate & Barrel)!

Our two nights in LA were spent eating at two wonderful restaurants (keep an eye out for individual posts about them soon!) but nothing was more satisfying than a trip to In-n-out Burger for some burger and fries (animal style of course!).

Aaaand just because I'm uber lame and a huge fan of Lauren Conrad and The Hills, we took an obligatory trip past People's Revolution (and their house, the Teen Vogue offices and a few other locations too).

Holiday Memories: Viva Las Vegas!

I thought I'd do a quick update about each of the places I visited on my whirlwind holiday to try and remember some of the highlights. Being away for just over 2 weeks (including all the travelling time!) it certainly was a very hectic holiday but of course some relaxation time as well.

My first stop was a short stint in Sin City! Being the start of Summer the heat was scorching, but that didn't stop me from walking up and down the Strip to take in all the fun and frivolity.

Here's a few of the highlights in photo form:

I stayed at the Palazzo because I love their luxurious rooms. I've stayed at the Venetian twice before in Asia and so thought Palazzo for something the same, but 'different' if that makes sense.

Beautiful driveway of the Bellagio

...which is also where I went to see Cirque du Soleil's underwater spectacular 'O'

'O' was indeed beautiful, but I didn't get that 'omg' experience that others seem to talk about. Perhaps expectations were high because of everyone's rave reviews? It's an amazing feat that it involves water and so much of it is wow-ing so I'm glad I went to see it but I had a different experience to many.

Cakes and pastries galore at Jean Phillipe



Beautiful Palazzo and Venetian pools

 Of course I spent a glorious afternoon basking in the sun and pool-hopping, I mean with a pool like that it's just too hard not to!

So that meant visiting Tao Beach, an offshoot of Vegas' famous Tao nightclub (which I happened to walk past on a Thursday night before opening and the crowds queuing were insane). Tao Beach is a pool + bar which is very sceney and cool, but I enjoyed chilling there with some asian inspired food and took a quick dip in their pool (albeit very small).

Now I hear you asking, what about the shopping? I'll do a seperate shopping post at the end, but I sure did take some time to shop during my 1.5 days in Vegas! I even made a handbag purchase, so keep an eye out for that ;) No shoes unfortunately, but at that point in my trip I was trying to be good!

I have a whole lot of pics on my iphone too so I might post those soon as well :)

#5: Mulberry Tillie Tote

Unless you've been living under a rock, you would know that the Net-a-porter.com International sale has started! Now it happened to be launched when I was away and unluckily I was on a red-eye flight to Miami just as it started. I missed out on a few items which I had my eye on, but I did manage to nab the Mulberry Tillie tote in a beautiful tan leather. It arrived while I was away so one of the first things I did upon arriving home was quickly unwrap it and snap some photos.

I had my eye on it in the Sydney store but ideally wanted it in black - it wasn't until I had already ordered it and visited the Mulberry store in New York did I realise it did indeed come in black but it wasn't nearly as beautiful. The gold hardware against the tan just looks so divinely lush - casual and laidback but still sophisticated at the same time. When you touch and feel the leather it's buttery soft which is highlighted more by the summery tan colour. Apologies for the bad photos this time - I was severly jetlagged and just took a few quick snaps!

I'm usually very practical with my bags and go for zip top closures and black, so this is a nice departure from that. Now I've got to try and work it into my work wardrobe! It will be perfect to fit all my work stuff and a water bottle, book and lunch!

I managed to get it when it was £615 but it's since sold-out (perhaps because it was later dropped to £440 which is a bit of a bummer, but I'm glad I managed to get it anyway)

Back to the Real World

So I'm back in wintery Sydney after a short holiday hiatus for 2.5 weeks in the US and Bahamas! It's my last day off before I head back to work and I'm sure tomorrow and the next few weeks of work will be excruciating after a few weeks of study + holidaying. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to come back to Winter when I've been enjoying endless sunshine and warmth. I've returned with a ridiculously dark tan, to the point where I'm sure Sydneysiders must look at me and think I've overdone the fake tan since there's no way someone living here could be that dark in the middle of Winter!

My holiday was of course, amazing, but also hectic. Cruising the Bahamas was a highlight - the beautiful skies and seas, swimming in turquoise waters and generally being able to just chill out. It was great to return to the US for the first time as an adult and taking in all the sights and sounds and packing my days with activities, food, fashion, shopping and catching up with friends.

Keep an eye out for more posts of my holiday - the shopping, restaurants I visited, some of the highlights - but for now here's a snapshot that is helping me to survive being back to the real world!