Woodlands of December

I originally had a different post write up planned about the christmas-like joys of getting mail order purchases but right now it seems a little bit more fitting in the spirit of the last month of the year to get a little reflective on you guys.  This year was kind of crazy, with a major rollercoaster ride nearly everyday of the month and really figuring out where I'm at and now that it's almost over, I guess I've finally gotten the perspective I was looking for.  I just started blogging pretty much three months ago with a long hiatus in between and now that I'm starting up again, I feel like I have more direction of what I want my blog to represent and to become so hopefully you'll start to notice some changes around here.  So here's to a little self honesty, a little bit of soul searching and splash of holiday colors as we look to 2013 (and to my first every NYC trip as a official YMA Fashion Scholar of 2012 to attend the ceremony!  More gushing to come on a later post).  Btw, the giveway is still going so if you haven't entered....

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

That face above is probably the best shot ever on this blog. Awkward unintentional movement shots with grimacing FTW. AARGH just finished my accessories sketch and realized that I left out the sunnies. :( To be fair, those lasted about five minutes before I remembered that soul searching requires a best mate, a pack of KFC wings and choc berry krushers next to a lake.

green lace swing dress - korean brand: online / gold cuff, chain cuff pair - 3 set: Cotton On / 

watch - giveaway/ boots: Glassons

x

Anni

I GELIEVE In GIVEAWAYS

A while (read, in September) I contacted the lovely Amanda of GelivableGifts and was thrilled to bits when she offered to sponsor $10 credit to her Etsy Shop.  Then college kicked in and then scholarship and sewing late and night and living on coffee kicked and it left me here, now in December, finally ready to announce.....MY VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY!!! COMPLETE WITH BAD PUN TITLE!  Exciting stuff guys SERIOUSZLY.  In case you didn't catch my previous post here (or need a refresher), GelivableGift offers super quirky, cute and best of all....FAN-oriented jewelery and accessories so you can shout out your geeky obsessions while looking fabulous.  

  Since I last checked, a couple of new pieces have been added that have caught my attention and best of all, can all be bought with the giveaway credit, you could probably buy atleast two with some cheaper pieces and are affordable enough to nab a few for Chrissy even if you don't.

This arrow spike necklace was inspired by the kunai (daggers) used in the Naruto anime and come in four different colors so you can pick the tint that you like best.  Personally, I'd go for the brass and silver with my wardrobe - the brass would look great with military inspired grunge looks and the silver would be a great way to add edge to a classy peplum playsuit or even to dress up a crisp white shirt dress. I've been loving hand jewelry lately and I absolutely love these two Hunger Games inspired looks.  I'm not a huge, huge fan of the movies (the books are much better...movies failed to do true fashion justice) but I adore the two ringed design just because the two rings are separate and so much more practical then those four-fingers-attached-to-each other designs. 

I'm a little over cute to be honest, with all the recent twee and influx of peter pan collars mean that I can see adorable little bunnies on rings and my heart really doesn't melt at all----DAMN it.  Who am I kidding.  This is so freaking adorable only a serial killer wouldn't appreciate this.  Heck, even Dexter would totally rock this.  I swear.

Ok, technically this is not a specific Game of Thrones reference but seeing as I'm a obsessed nutbar about that show (and Kit Harrington has the prettiest damn kissable lips), this feels like one to me.  Would channel my inner Khaleesi by pairing this with a bustier and harem pants and gladiators for festival season and a draped maxi for walking along beach sand dunes.  

Welcoming all PotterHeads.  Just look at this beauty....and it's only $5.  I don't think I need to explain that this could be worn with well, LIFE. 

This little piece is one my favorite new additions.  Mixing a very decorative fairytale like glamor with a little steampunk grunge, this take on the ear cuff is perfection.  Best of all, there is a hidden earring stem/clasp so it'll make sure the cuff stays on. I have the kunai ear cuff from GelievableGift seen here and they are gorgeous and really comfortable to wear. For the princess: if you've never quite gotten over Disney (I haven't) and still dream of that day Prince Charming will come, consider this little piece.  The carriage itself is gorgeous, I love the marbled texture of the body and best of all it opens up with enough room to leave a little note inside as well.  Gift idea, solved!

Amanda's done Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, Deathnote, One Piece, Naruto, Alice In Wonderland, Steampunk, Titanic, Nightmare Before Christmas...but what would you like to see next?  Follow me on GFC, heart Gelivable Gifts on Etsy and geek out about your favorite fandom in a comment below and you could get a extra present this christmas.  

x

Anni

strawberry graphics used in design is from kjnnt/freedigitalphotos.net

Solar Power Suit

Isn't it crazy how time flies?  It only feels like yesterday was the lazy days of January muddling through summer heat to get to that very first plane ride that would take me to the US in March and now it's almost come full circle.  The thing about reflection is that everything seems a lot more clear when you look back on it in retrospect, but I guess things are always easier after you've gone through stuff.  Memory strolling aside....I've been crazy excited to shoot this particular piece ever since I nabbed it at a Valleygirl 50% off sale last Thursday.  I dipped my foot into the peplum trend in winter with a lovely green skirt but I hadn't really found a top I liked because while I appreciate how gorgeous minimalist black peplums could be, I wanted mine with a little more jazz.  When I saw the range of beautiful floral digital prints Valleygirl had on a series of peplum dresses, tops and perfect skorts I had no choice but to give in a buy both a dress and a top.  Little overindulgent?  Hell yeah - but when you see the print on this, you'll understand.  Thanks to my mom's amazing wardrobe, I'm fortunate enough to be the owner of a series of adorable matching suits with oversized blazers and perfectly tailored high waisted shorts but I have yet to buy a more casual summery set for myself. When I realised it was going to get chilly when I went out with my family for dinner, this became the perfect opportunity to create a suit set by matching pieces I already have. Went for denim on denim and a blazer to keep the suit aesthetic, but I picked more casual pieces (read: sister's borrowed blazer and super comfy BDG shorts that will withstand pigging out on sushi) to keep it young, fun and pretty casual.  No suit set is complete without a collar, so first I layered a trusty peach floral high-low hem blouse under the peplum itself, creating a waterfall effect with the layered ruffles. Not only did the mix of florals really bring out the richness of the peplum, it was also my cheat for the back cut out of the peplum. I frantically scrambled through my knickers beforehand trying to find a bra that wouldn't peep through, realized I'd left it in my dorm room a million miles away, debated not wearing a bra before realizing the fabric wasn't quite sturdy enough and it was getting nippy (no pun intended)....and then figured out I could layer a really sheer blouse underneath without getting bulky. GENIUS. I don't usually wear thinner strapped shoes just because I have essentially, small fat feet which I get stupidly conscious about but for some reason, this pair just works and makes them look oddly graceful which is very, very new to me.

denim jacket - sister / peplum top - Chicabooti:ValleyGirl / floral blouse - Switch:Farmers

shorts - BDG: Urban Outfitters / green metallic wedges - Shanghai 

In other news (apart from how much this almost suit rocks), super, duper excited to announce two secured giveaway coming straight at all you lovely, lovely people in about....hmmmm...two days! 

x

Anni

Simply Ad(u)rable

Confession: as much as I love Auckland sunshine and being 10 mins away from the beach, I kind of am missing fall weather. Missing the wind in my hair, how good pumpkin spice latte smells (hate how it tastes, a caramel macchiato girl for life), wrapping up in a good cozy jacket... so when it ended up being a little chillier and wetter today, part of me was like "Damnit - how will I shoot in this crap weather?" and the other half was like "JACKET<33!" It's been a while since I've dressed up as girly as this so this was a little bit of nostalgic fun.  This gorgeous lace top and skort are technically my little sister's (although our wardrobe is pretty interchangeable really) and I'm very, very tempted to steal the top to wear through winter in a slightly more sophisticated combo with a gorgeous vintage purple fur coat and (imaginary) sleek leather pants of my dreams.  For now though, I'm keeping it simple, cute with a touch of oversized corduroy.  Apart from the fact that this blouse is utterly gorgeous, one of my favorite parts is that lace over lay isn't fully attached at the bottom so I can tuck in the shirt and leave the lace out for a little bit of a surprise peplum effect.  And of course, my new boots make another appearance -  told you guys you'd be seeing these babies for a while.    This particular coat was a brand new find at a flea market about a year ago for $10. I love the almost khaki color, corduroy is one of my all time favorite fabrics and I love the double button lapels and the slight bulk it adds to any silhouette.  It has a very vintage military feel (think parachuting/aviation)that could definitely be played up with a pair of fitted jeans, high boots and sleek turtleneck and it doubles down as a more grown up piece to tone down super girly looks like this one.    When I play with textures, and in general I tend to keep it simple with accessories. This particular choker is one of my favorites, quirky, elegant and kind of timeless - it's a small detail that always makes a outfit that much better for me.

  green corduroy jacket - market/ white lace top, pink skort - MISSFOX / boots - Glassons

By the way, any great market finds lately?  Drop me a comment and share yours with me because I'm dying to feast my eyes on some #supersundaymarket deals. 

x 

Anni

(girl) Scout

I know, you guys were expecting the whole Moonrise Kingdom which is usually my thing but in the spirit of the overarch-ing summer-of-boyhood vibes I'm feeling I actually put this together thinking of Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird.  I've been a little bit obsessed with Scout visually since I saw the 1962 film in a 5th form english class and absolutely loved Mary Badham and it came back to haunt me in the miniature tweenwear collection I designed for a scholarship and...in this outfit!  Not sure why, but somehow this all came together in a odd Grease x Scout crossover but I love it.  Nothing beats a little tomboy chic when your feet need a little rest from heels (or when you left all your heels in your dorm closet because you magically rapid packed in 30 mins on your last day). I've wanted a denim jumpsuit for so long and when I finally got this one it was like love at first sight.  I did originally want to redye/bleach it into a more acidic looking aurora print similar to galaxy print only with a much lighter pastel palette but I've been re-embracing minimalism in certain ways and I quite like it how it is right now.  Just to toughen up the playsuit, I threw on my favorite leather jacket that has been a staple for about three-four years now and paired it with new ankle boots I scored from the Glassons outlet for about $15 which I will probably wear religiously until they break because they are equal parts beautiful and comfy. 

When it comes to accessorizing, my staple is always a short necklace or collar paired with simple wrist cuff.  As much as I love rings, they are ridiculously impractical when working with my hands. 

leather jacket - Scrapbook:Wildpair / denim playsuit - MedFashion:Taobao / boots - Glassons

x

Anni
(and a imaginary jar of cookies to anyone who caught the ham ref)

Godamn Kids of Summer

Surprised to see me?  Honestly - me too.  After a hella hectic quarter (read: a lot of work, a couple of fun nights, more work, changing majors and very little sleep) which definitely paid off, this poor little blog has been a bit sadly neglected.  Well, that's all going to change because this little blog is coming back to life especially now that I'll have a bit more time on my hands thanks to being on winter break and back home in NZ!  Not to mention, I have a couple of very exciting collaborations I'm getting ready to announce and...two giveaways coming your way as a little bribe-apology for being a bit of crap blogger.  Ever since a growing love for everything Mad Men, menswear, and a extremely fun gender-bender ball, menswear inspired looks have been my default for the last month or so.  Late fall = crisp white shirts with rolled up sleeves, cuffed jeans and car coats, like a boss dapper gent.  Now hopping on a plane to the other side of the world has dumped me on the verges of summer and I still can't quite let go of the menswear look, so I suppose I'm regressing from all polished back down to high school punk.  Forget men, summer is for the boys.

I'm going to be honest - I love my Glassons letterman I scored last year but there has always been something kind of awkward about wearing it in the US where kids actually wear these for non-fashion related purposes.  So whenever I hit NZ soil, letterman jacket...holla!  I threw this on for day of discount bin diving at Dressmart (hello Ladakh sample dresses for $10!).  Went for a little acid-punk with some screenprinted snakeprint, leopard spotted highwaisted shorts and black sheer tights, topped it off with my favorite letterman layered over a longer black basic cardigan and leather walking booties for a mix of classic prep and best-night-ever-trashy....ahh the anthem of summer ;)  

By the way, now that I've got a little more time and experimenting more with my cam - what do you think of this shoot?  This is the first shoot I've ever done where I've deliberately messed with the settings to really emphasize the vibe of the outfit. Love it/Hate it? Drop me a comment and I guess I'll find out.  :)  

letterman jacket - Glassons

snakeprint tank - Charlotte Russe

leopard print shorts - BDG cheeky cut, UO

black cardigan - somewhere.  

shoes - shanghai

x 

Anni

Sound Check

I actually wore this on Wednesday but life (which should actually be non-life thanks to a ridiculously intensive workload) has kept me pretty damn busy.  I'm going to be doing weekly updates of the projects I do for my classes, so look out for a blog post sometime this week/early next week on what I've been up to/has been sucking away my life.  This is the second lovely piece I snagged from Modcloth - I ended up going for a M size as it was the only one left and because this lovely shirt-shift dress would probably look a nicer on a looser fit.  The officially named the 'Sound Level Headed Dress' is kind of brilliant and I promise you that I am not getting paid/sponsored to say this whatsoever.  The end of summer has still been pretty damn hot and the fit and fabric are oh-so-easy-breezy in summer heat, the slight high-low hem of the dress means I can show off that leg and avoid wind flips in the back, not to mention I've never had a geometric dress quite like this.  On top of all that, the neon accent edges are a really cute touch which I didn't expect because the color was a little richer on the website, but not unwelcome as I have no hints of neon in my closet.  The little crop cardi is surprisingly a great deal from F21 which was neat little find - I love the retro pattern and although I could definitely work it in a more preppier style, I went for a little throwback color blocking for the day. 

My default for accessorizing - rich berry hued lipstick, statement necklace and sturdy cuff.  

I was also extra excited for this look because my other amazing, amazing purchase came through - namely, these mint gingerbread man print wedges from ASOS which I first spotted on Lauren from Horrible Lauren here.  I did find them a bit exxy though, so I kept them on my waiting list and lo and behold with the massive back to school sale, plus a extra 10% deal at the checkout I was sold and these were ALL MINE.  They are still on sale at ASOS here so snap up a pair if you hear the call ;)

Sound Level Dress- Modcloth

Crop cardi - F21

Necklace - EQUIP, Bracelet - Cotton On

Gingerbread wedges - ASOS

x 

Anni