Freaky Friday Fashionista

Staying in the vaguely Halloween-ish style today, I thought I'd share this stunning editorial courtesy of Yu Tsai for BlackBook. It seems surreal that it's been almost 20 years since Christina Ricci first hit our screens as Wednesday Addams, and even moreso to realise that despite an impressive list of films under her belt, she has only just turned 30. Overachiever alert!

Ricci may have been a bit quiet of late, at least in mainstream circles, but with a Broadway debut just last week (Time Stands Still, if you're interested), I suspect there's much more to come from this little leading lady (she's only 155cm/5 ft 1 - fellow vertically challenged people represent!)

[via DS]

Loosely-Related Halloween Love

As always, I'm a bit late in embracing holiday cheer, but I thought I'd share a little loosely-related Halloweeen goodness for the rest of the week anyway. And what better time of year to ponder the amazing work of Jordan Clarke, and her recent artistic adventures with The 7 Deadly Sins.

The level of detail in each image is astounding...I spent a good while on Zazzle just zooming around each 'sin' and marvelling at all the subtle, cheeky inclusions.

And for a little icing on the sinful cake, you can buy these in card format from RedBubble, and in larger prints from Zazzle too. Needless to say, I'm lusting after each and every sin!

Wednesday Wisdom - Stormy Weather

Flowers never emit
so sweet and strong a fragrance


as before a storm.


When a storm approaches thee,


be as fragrant
as a sweet-smelling flower.

- Jean Paul Richter (1763 - 1825)

[Photography by Martin Bing via DS]

Slow and Steady

Ever have one of those weeks that just drags beyond all comprehension for absolutely no reason at all? I'm having one of those weeks. Today, I said 'good afternoon' about five times before it actually hit midday, and I spent a fair chunk of the day thinking it was Thursday too.

Dear me. Is it the weekend yet?

Tiny Treats

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your weekend was a little more productive than mine, though I am pleased to report that I'm slowly but surely catching up on comments, emails, blogs, the whole lot! And though I'm sure I'm still months behind the blogging curve, I just have to share these adorable tiny treats from Pei Li's Dollhouse Miniatures.

Don't they look delicious? Almost good enough to eat, and definitely good enough to wish that I had my own dollhouse! And just when I thought it couldn't get any cuter...tiny tea!

Awwwwwwwwwwwww!


[via Petit Carousel]

Happy Friday, Short and Sweet!

Have a great weekend everyone! (Told you I'd keep it short and sweet today!)


xx Kit


P.S. Check out the rest of this gorgeous shoot by the very talented Jono Winnel.

P.P.S. Aussie peeps, if you happen to pick up a copy of Frankie Mag over the weekend, keep an eye out for the feature on Daydream Lily, aka Liss Winnel!

P.P.P.S. And while you're at it, spend a little time swooning over Bec Winnel's beautiful illustrations too! Talk about a talented family!

Online Shopping Adventures and Ordeals

DISCLAIMER: This started off as an "Oooh look what I bought" and turned into a bit of a rant. Apologies in advance for my whininess. You have been warned.

Earlier in the week I not-so-subtly alluded to the fact that I was expecting a delivery or three. So here's the confession; the recently stellar performance of the Australian dollar, the abundance of online sales, a suspiciously well-timed tax return, and a waistline that no longer comfortably fits into a large portion of my clothes, all combined into a dangerous Axis of Evil Online Shopping, and before you could say 'Half-Priced Bow Belt,' I'd restocked my wardrobe with a new set of basics (and a few cheap frills too!)

On Monday my Urban Outfitters order arrived, and on the whole I'm pretty impressed. My Lawn Button-Down Shirt (above, top left) is an instant favourite, and I foresee the Ruffle Vest (above, bottom left) getting plenty of wear too. From the two belts I ordered, the Horsebit Stretch Belt (below, top left) is definitely the most versatile.

There are, however, a few niggles. Firstly, the Drop Shoulder Dolman Cardigan (above, bottom right) is very, very oversized. Not chic, effortless oversized, I'm talking "Look at me, I have skinny arms but the torso of a donut-addicted rhinoceros!" kind of oversized. I'm fairly convinced that a smaller size would do little more than exacerbate the problem, so I'm hoping that I either miraculously lose 20kgs so I can somewhat resemble the unenthused model, or simply find an ingenious way to make a belt look good with a cardigan - suggestions appreciated!

Niggle #2. See that cute Skinny Stripe Raglan Tee above, top right? I love it too, but that's not quite what arrived. The cut seems just about right, but instead of narrow navy bands separated by thick white bands, the tee that turned up at my doorstep has narrow navy bands...and narrow white bands, all evenly spaced. The code on the packaging matches the site, but the stripes do not. I know it's petty, but I really had my heart set on the tee on the site so the different stripes kind of bug me...even though I know it will still look great with the ruffle vest.

On to Niggle #3. The bling-tastic Drop Earrings below are very chunky and rock chic, but they're also different lengths. Each chain and string of diamantes is as least one link/diamante shorter on one earring, and it's actually somewhat noticeable when you wear them...or perhaps I just have a sixth sense for symmetry, but when I held them up to my ears, I noticed instantly before I held them up against each other. Looks like it might be time to whip out the pliers and do a little DIY.

The bow belt and bag above are both from ASOS, as are the four items below, but I don't have much to say about those as I've yet to receive my order. I must confess, I'm a little cranky about this. I ordered during what was apparently a very busy sale period for the site, and it was over a week before my order was even processed, at which stage one of my items was no longer in stock. I was offered an apology, an estimated arrival date (3+ weeks later) and a 10% discount code.


I was fairly satisfied with this response at first, even though 10% (on full priced items only) won't even cover the cost of shipping to Australia unless I spend around $200 in one hit, and I won't be doing that any time soon. Well, not until that charming Nigerian prince finally transfers me my lottery winnings, that is. Anyway, moving on.

So then, upon stalking the Vogue Forums, I discovered that a number of people who had placed their order at the same time had actually had their shipping upgraded to express. When I very politely asked ASOS "HereToHelp" why others had received an upgrade and I was left with standard shipping, I was given the internet version of a shrug;

"We've already shipped your order."

So I came right out and said it. Yeah, I went there!

"I wouldn't mind that upgraded shipping for next time."

I even added a smiley face. A SMILEY FACE!

Funnily enough, no response. Nada. Zilch. Zippo.

So at some stage next week when/if my order turns up, I'm going to need to be extremely impressed with everything if I'm going to be a repeat customer. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm a first time ASOS customer that set me apart from those who got upgraded shipping, so there'll be a certain dash of irony if I decide to send my delicious Australian dollars elsewhere on my next online shopping adventure. And there will be more online shopping adventures, oh yes there will.

Onwards and upwards.

As for completely unnecessarily cheap frills, my OPI additions most definitely top the list. I've never been big on nail polish because, up until this year, I've never managed to keep my nails long, but that's all about to change...and I sense a new obsession being born. I was down to the dregs of my very last bottle when this order arrived, so excitement was mixed with a tiny dose of relief.

[L-R: The More The Berrier, Hong Kong Sunrise, Cosu-Melted in the Sun, Tickle My France-y,
Mod-ern Girl, Need Sunglasses?, Ski Teal We Drop, Black Onyx, Brand New Skates]

I can't wait to try them all out, though after doing a little research on some dedicated nail blogs, I've come to the realisation that my nail polish application skills are so sub-par, they might just be too embarrassing to publish. Maybe. And just in case you were wondering, no, that lottery money didn't come through; these bottles are US$5.75 each from Transdesign, with $20 flat rate shipping for up to 9 bottles. Bar. Gain. No more paying $30 per bottle at the department store for me, thank you very much!


Annnnnnd lastly, this UO pillowcase set rates pretty highly on the Frill List too; lovely fabric, nice design and it matches my hand-painted canvas set...though hanging the canvases back above the bed would be a little overkill, don't you think? Or could it work? Perhaps it's time to try a little double-bird-on-a-wire action.

I may have also ordered a swimsuit from Victoria's Secret, but posting pictures (of either me or the VS model) is a little too depressing for all involved, so let's just pretend I never mentioned it. Okay? Good. Nothing to see here, move along.

So there you go. My online shopping adventures/ordeals to date. And possibly the most ridiculously long post I've ever written, so if you're still here, still reading and still semi-conscious, I salute you!

Let's go for short and sweet tomorrow, shall we? Deal? Deal.


xx Kit

Wednesday Wisdom - Idealism

I am an idealist.


I don't know where I'm going


but I'm on my way.

- Carl Sandburg

Love Letters

I knew my week was off to a good start when my doorbell rang on Monday and I heard those two magical words...

Delivery please!

If someone is ringing my doorbell, it means said delivery cannot fit in my letterbox, therefore it's even all the more exciting (even though my brain knows full well that the best things very often DO come in the small packages too!)


But still, I was excited, and the delivery was indeed worth getting excited about...but I'll tell you about that later in the week, because that's not the point of this post. The point is, getting mail is a lovely feeling, and I was reminded of this even moreso this evening. I crawled out of bed after feeling particularly under the weather all day, found my phone (which my cat had conveniently relocated under the bed) and opened my emails.

Just seeing the number of responses to Monday's post was enough to make me smile, but as I sat down a little later and read and replied to each comment, it was so enjoyable and fun and touching.

And then I realised why I hadn't felt like that in so long. I've been terrible in replying to comments and emails, I'm months behind in my blog reader, and I've been very, very slow to visit the many amazing blogs of people who are kind enough to leave comments, let alone leaving any comments of my own.

I'm not sure if it's cool to admit this or not, but I adore getting comments. I try not to worry when some posts remain commentless, but secretly (not so secretly now!) I wonder if I missed the mark, if perhaps I just don't have the knack anymore. So every time I hear the little ding on my phone that tells me I have mail, my heart speeds up just the tiniest bit. I read every comment as soon as it arrives, and it's a lovely feeling knowing that someone took time out of their day to say hello and share a little bit of themselves and their story. I truly appreciate every single comment, not to mention every single visitor.

So it's high time that I returned the favour. I'm going to catch up on blogs, emails, comments, the whole lot. Starting now....Okay, starting tomorrow. I'm still feeling a bit average and could do with a little more sleep. But tomorrow, it's happening!

After all, who doesn't love letters?

xx Kit

P.S. If you have a blog that you think I should add to my reading list, whether it be yours or someone else's, please let me know in the comments <3

P.P.S. Click for cuteness!

[Please click on images for original sources]

Bad Days and Cute Solutions

I had a horrible day last Friday. Not for any especially terrible reason, things just didn't go right from the moment I got up. As a very non-confrontational person, the idea of disagreeing with someone makes me uneasy. The idea of disagreeing with multiple people in front of a shop full of people? To be honest, I'd never really thought about it until there I was on Friday, my hands in the air and my voice quivering as I held back tears.

There's nothing quite like being faced with "customer service" that lies to your face and blames you for their mistake. There's definitely nothing like a so-called manager telling you "Well you should have used common sense," especially when she's advising against the direct instructions that her store supervisor had been given not 5 minutes earlier. And there is nothing worse than the tightening feeling in your chest, the wobbling of your bottom lip, the uncontrollable shaking of your hands, the infuriating welling in your eyes and the desperate inability to breathe.

So I had a panic attack.

In the middle of a packed store, with 4 unsympathetic "customer service officers" looking on with disapproving frowns and raised eyebrows. With customers who had no idea what was going on except that there was a girl in line who could barely stand up, could barely breath, and no doubt looked a little unhinged.

And you know what they made me do, tears still in my eyes, hands still shaking? They made me fill out a form. A form for a cash refund to rectify their mistake. A form for cash I had handed over 10 minutes earlier.

No explanation. No apology. Just a form, and my cash shoved back at me across the counter.

Needless to say, I was a little flustered by the time I got home. As soon as my front door latch clicked closed, I burst into tears all over again.

Then I got my breath back, wiped away the tears, put the kettle on and let the powers of Google cheer me up. First by searching for baby hedgehogs. Then for French bulldog puppies. And then spent an hour trawling through Cute Overload and FU Penguin.

And it worked. An hour (or two) later, I felt better. Actually, I'd go so far as to say that I felt great. So I've decided, through 2 hours of extremely vigorous scientific research, that baby hedgehogs are the solution to just about everything, and when they don't work (which is extremely rare, of course) then there are other cute animals that might just help out too.

The moral of the story:

HEDGEHOGS = THE SOLUTION!

If only it didn't take a very public, very embarrassing panic attack to help me stumble upon my groundbreaking hypothesis. The things I'll do for science!

So tell me, what cheers you up when nothing else will?


xx Kit

Matryoshkas Made to Measure

Oh. My. Matryoshka. How flippin' adorable are these Russian nesting doll measuring cups from Fred? As if I wasn't having enough trouble keeping out of the kitchen (no really, I've been on a scone rampage and my waistline is living proof!)

[M-Cups]

You'd be crazy to hide these little guys away in a drawer somewhere (or 3 separate drawers...my measuring cups don't seem to get along!) so I LOVE that an item that has always been notoriously functional is now utterly adorable too.

And and and...there's even measuring spoons too. You'd have to be a bit more creative in how to display these, but where there's a will, there's a way!

[M-Spoons]

I'm told that perfect measurements and very precise timing are the secret behind making your very own macarons. Yes, I'm talking macarons. So far, I've eaten more than my fair share but I've never delved into the secret French Baking Underworld* of making these pretties myself.

[Soda inspecting my *coughBOUGHTcough* strawberry, passionfruit and lavender violet macarons]

This weekend, I think I just might. I've got my imaginary beret and I'm ready to roll bake. Scones will just have to wait...probably not long though, if my macaron adventure turns out just as disasterous as I expect. Anyway, wish me luck!


What Secret Weekend Adventures do you have planned?

*I like to think that everyone wears berets in the French Baking Underworld. And frou frou skirts and heels. And there's a secret membership handshake. It's like a cult, but cooler. And much, much tastier.

Indulgent Interiors

It's been quite a while since I've indulged my love of interiors, so what better way to get back into the swing of things than with some luxe spaces as photographed by Mel Yates. From bold and crisp through to outrageously lavish, and straight on back to refined yet quirky, this man knows how to capture great interiors.

[Mel Yates for House & Garden, Heal's]

[Mel Yates for The Orangery at Aynhoe Park, Oxfordshire]

[Mel Yates for Elle Decoration]

With clients like House & Garden, Living Etc and Elle Decoration, Mel's aesthetic is quite varied on the surface, but on closer inspection there's a fun, humourous undercurrent that ties much of his work together, from purple neon lighting through to full-sized stuffed giraffes.

Yes. Giraffes. And if stuffed giraffes happen to tickle your fancy, check out the rest of the delightfully over the top interiors of Aynhoe Park.

[via desire to inspire again!]

Wednesday Wisdom - Cheer

A cheerful mind
is a vigorous mind.

- Jean De la Fontaine (1621 - 1695)

P.S. If you need an extra dose of cheer today, have a looksee at my new favourite website...Cute Boys with Cats. I love you, internet!


[Image via here - original source appreciated!]

Dandy Dinnerware

Just about anything that's described as 'dandy' is an instant winner in my books, but these Superior Servers by Ladies & Gentlemen more than live up to my favourite adjective.

Available in three colours that can be mixed and matched to your fancy, there's something subtle and subversive about this idea that makes me smile. Perhaps it's because I grew up with suspiciously similar looking cutlery...and I love the idea of diving into the top drawer and DIYing my own set (though my mother would be far from pleased, no doubt!)

Love love love the Megadoily too. Ladies & Gentlemen are definitely a design studio to watch!

[via desire to inspire]

Happy Monday - Seriously Joyful

Holy waffles, where did that weekend go?! Oh well, time to kick off a new week with a bang. A colourful, crazy beautiful bang, courtesy of You Can't Be Serious photography.

I love everything about this engagement shoot; it gives me shivers and goosebumps and makes me smile from ear to ear, all at once. What a gorgeous couple, too!

The work of Brisbane-based power duo Hailey and Andrew Bartholomew, aka You Can't Be Serious, this is about as close to pure joy as I've ever seen photographed. Be sure to check out the rest of the shoot here!

Happy Monday!

Many thanks to mysweetmuse for delivering this slice of joy to my inbox!

Wednesday Wisdom - Breathe

Live each season as it passes;

breathe the air,

drink the drink,

taste the fruit,

and resign yourself

to the influences of each.

- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)