Smaggle

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If you could have dinner with one deceased celebrity, who would it be?

I’ve dabbled with choosing Elvis Presley, Isabella Blow, Coco Chanel, Michael Jackson, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe… there’s no shortage of fabulous celebrities to cast as my fantasy dinner companion.

However I cannot go past my dear Diana Vreeland. Editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, fashion curator of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, muse of Coco Chanel, friend of Kenneth Jay Lane and responsible for the careers of many actresses, models and ‘It’ girls including Lauren Bacall and Edie Sedgwick. She completely revolutionised print media and inspired extraordinary changes in the fashion industry. We would eat peanut butter sandwiches (her favourite), sip on tea and talk about design, fashion, journalism and film.

What about you? Which dead celebrity would you choose?

And why?

Love

Carly

xxx

Very busy Saturday morning spent working and drinking coffee followed by an afternoon of body maintenance (in which I used depilatory cream for the first time and completely and accidentally balded my nether-regions), an evening of fashion and frivolity with Grant from Ink and Leather, a glass or two of red with my family and finally mid-night potato gems with my man.

* Dress from Metalicus – this is the most versatile piece I own. I actually wore it yesterday to my meetings with nude flats and a cardigan.

* Obi belt from Department of the Exterior

* Shoes from Nine West

* Bracelet from Bourgeois Pig

* Kenneth Jay Lane tiger bangle from Mr Smaggle

How has your weekend been muffin face?

Love

Carly

xxx

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Why don’t you…?

* Have a signature dessert flavour? So you can flippantly say ‘Oh bring me something caramel!‘ at the end of dinner? Or ‘Anything peppermint my darling!‘.

* Wear a ring on every finger? Or just one on each pinky?

* Choose a country for your outfit theme today? French in boat necked stripes? Danish in bold prints? Finnish in clean lines?

* Hang a giant flag in your living room? Instead of expensive wall paper?

* Own pink shoes? Flats and heels?

* Dress in forest colours? Chestnut? Pine? Mahogany?

* Add a leopard print scarf to your outfit?

* Curl your hair? Or straighten it? Make a fuss of your appearance? Just because it’s Wednesday?

* Wear a belt over your dress?

* Wrap all your gifts in newspaper and tie them with twine?

* Buy an enormous take away coffee and spend the afternoon window shopping?

Love

Carly

Does anyone remember the old days in the blogosphere where people profiled other style bloggers? We used to do it a lot back in 2007 but then I think the market got so saturated and everyone got overwhelmed and started ignoring each other. I can’t remember the last time I linked to another blogger just because I love their blog, not to promote a post of interest. I realised recently that my list of favourite style bloggers hasn’t changed in three years. This is why I love… STILL love… B. Jones Style. She used blog at The Vintage Society but started B. Jones in 2009. After Style Bubble and Style Bytes I think she was the third fashion blog I ever followed.

Her style is clean, classy and perfectly accessorised. She is neither over-done nor under-done.

B.Jones – after three years and a name change I still love your style!

I Still Love Your Style is a new segment on Smaggle where I profile style bloggers that I’ve profiled in the past. It will be a tribute to the fact that fashion fades but style is forever.

Love

Carly

xxx

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I’m an absolute sucker for an Irish accent. I don’t even care if I can’t understand what the guy is saying I will want to put my mouth on his mouth. And my hand down his pants. Many, many of my fellow dirty Australian women agree with me.

My question to you is… what do you think is the sexiest accent in the world?

I would like to know the origin of your own accent and your gender too please!

Let the games begin! I can’t wait for the results of this one.

love Carly

xxx

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Last night, mid way through an extraordinarily long drive I asked my road trip companion to list his top ten things of all time. The list could include people, food, feelings, events, films, music, objects – anything. The only hard and fast rule was that each item had to make you euphorically and ultimately happy. Here was my list, in no particular order…

1. Sleeping/generally spending time in bed
2. Mr Smaggle
3. Ice cream-esque desserts – sorbet, gelato, frozen yogurt
4. Acting
5. Good health
6. Red wine
7. Sex
8. Les Mis – The Musical
9. Beautiful accessories
10. Existential harmony

It was such a great list to write and we both took the task very seriously.

Would you care to share your list? It’s actually quite difficult and extremely eye opening. Good luck!

Love Carly

x

Today was spent writing, designing and (thinking) about packing for my trip to Canberra.

* Jeans from Jag (I just had one of my favourite readers Nadist comment on how much she loves my devotion to dresses and skirts and I’ve worn jeans twice this week! For shame.)

* Dress thrifted from Salvos (at least I wore a dress with the jeans both times!)

* Scarf Smaggle Made

* Nude flats from Trennery

* Cardigan from Valley Girl

* Waist tie from Metalicus dress

* Earrings by Marco Gianni at Bijoux

And thank you to everyone who replied to my Can I Get a Consensus? What do you like about Smaggle? post. I’m just about to reply. Also don’t forget the Smaggle Shop is only open until Friday. Get in quick!

I’m off to have dinner with friends and a well deserved glass of cab sav…

Have a beautiful evening! What are your plans?

Love

Carly

xxx

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Why don’t you…?

* Keep a pair of vintage gloves in your glovebox? Wear them every day? To save your hands from the ageing sun?

* Wear scarves tied around your head in summer? With the window down?

* Get crafty with your car seats? Dye them? Embroidery? Make some from scratch in Marrimeko fabric?

* Keep Evian face spray in your car? For those flustered moments in traffic?

* Sprinkle vanilla oil under your car seats?

* Keep a supply of mints? And an emergency lip gloss?

* Use house paint to stencil a design on the side of your car? Pink fleurdelis? Art deco grey? Perhaps a creamy scroll design?

* If you’re a lad have a jaunty driving cap? With a matching scarf?

Happy driving!

Love

Carly

x

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Today is a special day for me. It’s my three year blogaversary. Today is even more special because I thought my blogaversary was on Saturday but it appears that I don’t know how to use calendars and apparently it’s today. Score.

I was asked recently by Reckless Daughter to respond to the question ‘What do you like best about your blog?’.

*groan*

Generally speaking I love to talk about how awesome I am. All you need to do is have a little skip through the archives to witness my gross self appreciation. I go to the gym, epic win! I complete an assignment, mini-wave in celebration of me! For some reason though I’m a little weird about congratulating myself on my blog. It feels a little, for lack of a better word… masturbatory.

However in the interest of celebrating three years of (mostly) consistent blogging I’ll get over my weird phobia of blog self-praise and make a little list…

I love…

* My banter. I think my writing style is conversational, friendly and engaging.

* How many doors Smaggle has opened for me. I’ve been featured in Cosmopolitan, Cleo and Bust magazines and made many contacts with creative geniuses.

* How unusual my statistics are. Not to go into too much detail but my blog is really, really sticky. Once my readership increases it rarely drops even by a few people.

* My readers. They are intelligent, inspiring, positive, life affirming and incredibly respectful.

* How my blog makes people smile, stand a little straighter and feel a little more amazing. Even if it’s just for a few minutes a day.

I do want to take this opportunity to thank three people who were pivotal in the success of Smaggle.

Mr Smaggle – For being my site administrator, by maintenance man, my tech talk translator and for holding my hand the whole time.
Mama Smaggle – For tirelessly editing new posts on Smaggle. Every day. For three years. The woman deserves a medal.
Browny – For taking every outfit shot from 2007 to 2009 – anyone remember the blue walled Browny days? Love.

So… my question to you is – What do YOU like best about my blog?

Love Carly

xxx

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Sundays have an unsubstantiated good reputation. I spend all week looking forward to Sunday and when it arrives it’s usually a giant melancholic disappointment. Working is difficult because I feel I should be taking advantage of a rare day off but resting has never really been my forte. There’s also that pressure to use your free time wisely because Monday morning is looming in the not too distant future. Here are a few suggestions to get you through those jittery, restless Sundays.

Do a one hour clean

Set a timer for one hour and clean as much as you can in that time. When you are feeling a little low, a tidy house is a nice little cheer injection.

Make yourself a beautiful lunch

Free yourself from the shackles of your Tupperware contained weekday lunches and make something special for Sunday afternoon. Maybe a big sandwich? Or a gourmet pizza?

Go for a walk

Get out of the house, grab your iPod, get a coffee and pound the pavement.

Read a book

In bed. Go on, I dare you.

See other people

Sunday should be a day for socialising. Meet a friend for a gelato or go shopping. Bake some scones and go visiting in the afternoon. Misery thrives on loneliness so make sure you keep it distracted with the company of lovely friends.

Clean your room

Top to bottom. Dust, vacuum, organise your cupboards and put fresh sheets on your bed. You will sleep like an angel and the week ahead will be delightful in your beautiful boudoir.

Try to spend your day in the real world

Stay away from blogs, social networking sites and internet shopping haunts on Sunday. It’s really depressing to realise you’ve just spent 2 hours aimlessly stalking people on Facebook. It’s okay to waste time on Sunday but waste time reading ancient fashion magazines, or painting your nails. Not watching smoking babies on Youtube.

Happy Sunday! Let me know how it goes… I’m off to clean the kitchen!

Love Carly

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