Naught or Nice – Which one are you?

The Ugly Crush

A few tips on how to thrift…

How to Steal the Style of Betty and Veronica

What were you wearing when?

How to Make a Necklace Out of Laddered Tights and Stockings

A Brief History of the Life of Coco Chanel

What are your best features?

Fat Fashion and Positive Body Image

Style and Manners for Meeting the Parents of Your Lover

Enjoy!

Love Carly

xxx

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I’ve been coveting a slashy scarf for a few seasons now and I finally got up off my backside and decided to make one. Here’s a how-to…

What you need -

* 1 metre of deliciously soft, fine jersey stretch fabric
* Needle and thread or sewing machine
* Sharp scissors

Step One

Fold the fabric in half and sew the two ends together. Scarf should look like a big circle of fabric

Step Two

Using tailors chalk, mark out a cutting guide. You can have long or short tassels depending on your preference.

Step Three

Using sharp scissors, cut through both layers of the scarf at 1cm intervals. Repeat for both sides.

Loop around your neck like a circle scarf! These also look great unslashed.

Love Lady

xxx

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Materials

* Fake flower petals – You can buy these separate from bridal stores or just pull apart some fake flowers.
* Needle and thread
* Scissors
* Five metres of soft ribbon

Make it

1. Lay ribbon out flat and pin petals into place. It works better if they are unevenly placed along the ribbon.

2. Sew each petal on individually. Cut loose threads as you go.

3. Wear the neckpiece wrapped loosely around your neck.

Happy crafting!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Alright I’ll tell you… It’s 2002. I’m in a theatre watching a play that my friend is in. All of sudden this tall, gorgeous blond thing walks on stage and my brain goes all ‘Well, hello delicious. Who the hell might you be?’. I’m a sucker for man who can act and he was doing the most perfect Scottish accent – swoon. We spoke briefly after the show and I congratulated him on his performance. My friend Gina who I was seeing in the show was watching this interlude. After he left she came up to me and said ‘Dude. Don’t even think about it. He’s fourteen’. Yeah. Awkward much. I was eighteen at the time so um… ew. In my defense he has been six foot freaking four since he was eleven with a baritone that rivals James Earl Jones. So bite me. Then we kept doing plays together and stayed in contact and then one day, four years later, when it was no longer illegal for me to touch him, we went to see a movie and well…. we will have been together for four years in March. He is spectacular. Totally worth the wait.

What places do you love in Melbourne, esp. for going out for a night on the town?

I love Shanghai Dumpling house and then just down the road is the Shanghai Club where we do karaoke. It’s awesome. Both are just on Little Bourke St at the start of China town. I also love the Toff for cool shows and Section 8 the bar next door to Shanghai Dumpling House. I also love the Westgarth Palace cinema, Mixed Business Cafe in Clifton Hill and Night Cat just off Brunswick Street… and those are pretty much the only places I ever go. Sad.

What recipe are you most proud of and can you give us the step by step instructions to make it?

Easily Smoosh’n'freezin.

It’s a no bake slice that you smoosh in the pan and freeeze. Hence Mr Squiggle naming it ‘Smoosh’n'freezin’.

Ingredients -

70 gms butter

1/2 cup condensed milk

250 gms Gluten free plain biscuits (or if your boyfriend is normal you can use Scotch Fingers or Milk Arrowroots)

1/2 cup of chopped apricots

1/2 chopped white chocolate (or more… I’m usually quite generous with the white choc in this recipe)

1/2 chopped sweet baking ginger

1/2 cup desicated coconut

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 Packet of Milk or Dark melts

You throw the butter and condensed milk in a small saucepan and over low heat. Stir until butter is melted and mixture is all nice and mixed up.

Break up the biscuits with your hands into a bowl. Make sure to leave some chunks for crunchy goodness.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter and condensed milk and mix well.

Firmly press mixture into a lined slice pan. REALLY firmly press the mixture. Only if you want it to stay together. If you want it to be a crumbly mess then don’t.

Spread slice with melted chocolate and place in the fridge until firm. Once you have removed it from the fridge let it reach room temperature before you cut the slice otherwise the chocolate will crack.

This is a great recipe because it’s all in 1/2 cup amounts so you can exchange any ingredients  - I’ve used cranberries, pecans, dried bananas… this recipe is so popular as well. I’ve never left a party without an empty plate when I take this.

If you could wake up with any skill – not superpower, but actual skill, like knitting or something – what would it be? In other words, what would you love to be able to do really well without any practice whatsoever?

Singing. Hands down. I wouldn’t say I’m a terrible singer… I can definitely be given a microphone with out fear of puncturing eardrums but a naturally amazing singing voice would be absolutely number one.

Do you have someone whose blog you read or maybe a writer/author/artist, you love their style, you think they are witty and smart and you just think you could be friends with them, like drinking wine and talking?

Oh great question! Yes. Yes and Yes. Daddy Likey. What Claudia Wore. Seth Godin. I actually laugh out loud when I read these blogs – Except Seth’s. I just silently nod in awe. I could prettily easily eat dinner with anyone at Design Sponge too. Actually, screw it. Let’s just have a big old dinner party and invite them all shall I?

What’s in the Smaggle Pack?

A hand crafted Smaggle made ring and some of my favourite tea, chocolate and lip gloss.

What exactly are you hiding in that hair of yours?

Right now…? You don’t want to know. Previous items include bugs, pen lids (after having my hair in pony tail at school all day I came home and washed my hair and TWO pen lids fell out of it), hair bands that I thought I had lost and we also had a yellow budgie called Buddy who loved to hide in it but sometimes he got a bit tangled and couldn’t get out and Mamma Smaggle had to rescue him.

What does Smaggle mean? why did you choose it as your nom de plume? do your family/friends know what it means?

Smaggle – violent affection. I chose it because it sort of defines me I guess. I’m really feisty and forceful but it’s only because I’m just so freaking excited about everything all the time. Plus it’s just a great word. And Mr Smaggle fought tooth and nail for the domain so we felt it was meant to be. Family and friends know the meaning and lots of them now refer to me as Lady Smaggle.

How would you classify your style? I tend to go off-duty-dominatrix/sexretary at work & blogger-casual in evenings/weekends, et vous?

I’m like an art gallery owner in the office. A gypsy in the jewellers workshops. I’m a kindergarten teacher meets house painter when I’m teaching – the kids are gorgeous but very dirty. I’m a fashion week wanna be when I’m out for dinner and on weekends. I experiment the most in my free time. I don’t really have an identity… it’s a bit bizarre actually.

Would you blog if you had no audience? What would your superhero/alterego look like/dress like? If you could rock one look you currently can’t for whatever reason (i cant rock dresses, because i haven’t the presence of mind to sit like a lady, for instance..) what would it be?

I blogged for three months before I made the site live. It was like a dress rehearsal to see if I could commit. So yes, I have blogged when I didn’t have an audience and I would blog without one again. Although it’s so much for fun with you guys around! I would do sleek sophisticated like Audrey Hepburn or Cate Blanchett. I can’t pull off this look because of my hair and general urchin like appearance, most of the time I look like a crawled out from under a rock. If I could I would wear long silk dresses with no accessories and fitted pants and blazers. I look weird when I try to dress too ‘neat’.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Etsy

Lady loves…

* Writing blog posts in a blank work email template so that when someone walks past it looks like I’m very busy and important. In my first year as a teacher I had a decoy handbag and a cardigan at work that I would leave over the back of my chair so no one would know that I left work after my last class and they would assume I was photocopying or  curing cancer or something. I got away with that one for a full year. It was awesome.

* The Green Smoothie Challenge. Browny got me onto it. Basically you have to have two green smoothies a day and it literally fills your body with vitamins and sunshine. It has also TOTALLY stopped my cravings for sweet food. Mr Squiggle (Mr Smaggle’s brother) had Jaffas last night and I ate four… and stopped. It was mental. I usually eat so many that my gums start to itch.

* Cooking Browny dinner and introducing her to the Wii Fit. We are going to exercise like addicts tonight. Well… that’s the plan anyway.

* Making jewels for the Smaggle Packs that I’m giving away to three commenters on my Ask Lady Smaggle post. I’ve been working with metal all of last year and it’s lovely to break out the beads again…

* My day to a page Moleskine diary where I write down to do lists, thoughts for the day, recipes… I love it. I have filled the full page everyday since the 1st January and by default every entry is dated. Highly recommended.

* Cold soy lattes with ice.

* Being given a sewing machine from a very special lady. Can’t wait to get all seamtress on you guys.

Lady loathes…

* My flawlessly healthy diet losing the plot everyday after 5pm. It’s all crackers, dip, wine and takeaway food from then on. Disaster.

* Mr Squiggle pointing out that I self narrate. To make me more aware of this, everytime I self narrate he adds to it. Lady Smaggle – ‘I’m going to have a shower and then cook dinner!‘ Mr Squiggle – ‘Lady chirped happily as she ran downstairs to the bathroom‘.

* The weather. Summer. Sucks. Balls.

* Not being able to sleep because… Summer. Sucks. Balls. It’s like being incased in lava sleeping next to Mr Smaggle. His body temperature is totally whack.

* Getting a fabulous recipe from my friend only to lose it 5 seconds after I left the house.

* Having to use the toilet immediately after my boss. It’s not that she’s gross or anything it’s just really awkward.

What about you angel face? Anything to share?

Love Lady Smaggle

p.s Don’t forget if you want to ask me something now is the time to do it!

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There’s some weird stuff going on in my blog stats and I’m thinking that Cleo is responsible. I have had like, a bajillion people find my site through typing the address in the search bar. This never happens. So I figure I have quite a few new readers on my hands who are probably wondering what the hell I’m on about.

So for one week, new and old readers can ask me ANY questions that you want and I’ll do a big old narcisstic Guide to Smaggle at the end of it all. Feel free to throw in some interesting questions… In fact I’m offering prizes! Oh yes I am.

THREE lucky question askers will go into the draw to win a Smaggle Pack – including Smaggle made jewels, treats and other delightful things! Oh my! Winners will be picked at random and anyone can enter. Flipping sweet.

I’ll also include a Meet the Smaggles section so you guys can put faces to the names in Smaggle Land.

Oh and if you ‘re too shy to comment or your question is a little embarrassing just email me…

lady(at)smagglestyle.com

Having said that I don’t really need you to ask me why it burns when you pee…

Let the question asking begin!

You have a week kittens…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Oh and while you’re at it add me as a friend on Facebook and follow me on Twitter…

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Image

Why don’t you…

* Make little pom-pom shoe clips to jazz up your favourite heels? Clip them to the toes? The heels? The ankle straps? Just wear one? Or both but in different places?

* Drink green tea all day? From a dainty cup and saucer?

* Ditch all packaging in your kitchen? Replace unsighlty boxes and bags with mis-matched glass jars? For cereal? Rice? Lentils? Re-use condiment jars and bottles and have a pantry fit for a potion maker?

* Lie on the floor all afternoon and read an entire book?

* Get a make-over? Have a gorgeous beautician give you a brand new look? Try something new? Start wearing blush? Consider smoky eyeshadow? Bronzer? Berry hued lipstick?

* Stop thinking of cooking as a burden? Start making healthy and delicious dinners? Lentil curries? Herbed lamb skewers? Spicy vegetable noodles? Pop on an apron and pretend you’re Nigella Lawson?

* Eat only organic dark chocolate?

* Move your body? Take an adult ballet class? Pilates? Ballroom dancing? Be elegant?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Flick to page 32 to see my necklace DIY… and ugly mug! 

And a super huge round of applause to the gorgeous Lisa from Canberra’s Got Style who got a full page spread on her home, her craftiness and her accessories label, Tango and James! 

A massive hello to any new readers! Please introduce yourself! Also massive thanks to Lisa… whose images I stole for this post. 

Also to anyone who has written a comment in the last two weeks I have just replied TO EVERY SINGLE ONE! Just in case you were thinking I was rude…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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What you need - 

* A pair of open toed black stilettos

* A metre of black felt 

Step One 

Measure and cut 2 metre long pieces of felt 8cm wide. Pull each piece so that they stretch a little. 

Step Two 

Place one piece under the sole of your shoe with one side longer than the other. Keep the short side vertical against the inside of your leg. 

Step Three

Take the longer piece and wrap it forward around the top your foot and then back over the heel of your shoes. 

Step Four

Take the remaining length of the long end and wrap it around your ankle, tucking the end in when you’ve finished. 

Not too shabby for a piece of felt and an old pair of heels! 

If you try this please send me photos or links! I love to see it when people try my DIYs! 

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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Here is the finished piece…

First I cut the toes off a pair of old tights and cut down the sides to open them up. 

Then I drew a flower template on cardboard and traced the shape on my stocking material. I then cut out all the shapes. I made 5 sets of 5 flowers but you can do more or less if you like. 

Step 1 – Take a metre of ribbon and find the centre. fold each side upwards to form a square-ish shape. Glue with fabric glue and leave to dry.

Step 2  - Take 5 of your cut outs and lay them roughly on top of each other. Sew them together through the centre of each flower. You can be pretty messy with this step because it gives the flowers more volume. Arrange the flowers on your ribbon as shown.

Step 3  - Sew each flower to the ribbon and sew a crystal or bead in the centre of each flower. You may need to put a few extra stitches in and around the flowers to make them sit flat when you’re wearing your piece. All done! 

Happy crafting! 

I’m still new to the DIY thang’ so please leave feedback! 

Love you guys…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

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