Don’t you just HATE it when you have a house full of stuff that you just don’t need? And none of your friends want it? And you couldn’t be arsed taking it to Vinnies? And it’s just too good to throw away? This awesome new site (made by Mr Smaggle! Squeal!) Yoink lets you list all your unwanted stuff to be ‘yoinked’ by someone who really wants it! It’s a non-profit site that helps everyone re-use, recycle and embrace green living.

It’s too freaking easy for me to bother explaining how to use it so just visit the site and have a wander. There’s free range eggs, car parts, clothes, kids toys, jewellery… it’s awesome.

So you can give, get, not spend a cent and keep your unwanted items from becoming landfill. It’s like Ebay for free stuff!

The Yoink guys are also a running a competition where if you submit one of the first 10, 000 items you go into the running to win a $1000 Amazon gift card!

Oh and the iPhone application is on its way in January… so you can just wander around your house, take a photo on your iPhone and post it straight to Yoink. Couldn’t be easier.

Please spread the word!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

P.S. Oh and please do comment and let Mr Smaggle know what you think!

Photo

Okay so we all know that I’m broke at the moment because I don’t stop bitching about it but the truth is I’m learning to live bloody cheaply here in this big old city. Here are a few things working for me…

* The Queen Victoria Markets – I go every Sunday and buy fruit, vegetables and meat. I rarely spend over $15 and I have everything I need for a full week. 

* A big mofo vegetable stir-fry – We all know I’m a bit of a health nut but at the moment I can hardly afford my avocado and baby spinach salad and low-carb protein shakes. Instead I’ve been making an ENORMOUS vegetable stir-fry on Sundays and dividing it into my beloved tupperware for my lunches. It’s brilliant, filling and cheap. I can feed myself for five days on around $5. 

* Morrocan Soup Bar - If you’re feeling a little cashed up and want a delicious takeaway just grab your own containers (the bigger, the better) and mosey on into this little heaven. Ask for a  takeaway banquet for two. It will cost $15 and it will feed you for days. Although the chickpea bake rarely lasts longer than 5 minutes in Smaggle land. Too delicious.

* Aldi wine – I’m serious. I’m so pov-core that I’ve resorted to purchasing ALDI WINE!!! And to be honest it’s not too shabby. Give the Dearborn Cab Sav a go ($5 a bottle) and the cask of Dry Red ($8) is also rather enjoyable.

* Get a thermos – Take your tea and coffee with you. If you buy a take-away coffee every day for a week and impulse buy a cheeky cookie one day you’ve spent $21. That’s enough for a movie, a couple of magazines, a gorgeous lipstick or when times are really tough your weekly groceries. I know which I’d prefer…

* Shanghai Dumpling House - Massive plates of dumplings for $5 and $4.80 imported Asian beers. What’s not to love?

* Socialise at home – This is a foreign concept to most Melbournians but it’s a SERIOUS penny saver. In Canberra we have a huge lounge room culture because there isn’t really anywhere else to go. In Melbourne you have so much choice but if you have four beers in a pub and a plate of chips when you get hungry and take a tram there and back it’ll cost you around $45. If you grab a six pack and head to your mates place you’re looking at around $20. Cha ching!

* Savers - Needs no explanation. Although I found this thread on the Vogue forum with a reader having a polite dig at the staff for nabbing the best stuff. Well der! If I worked there and had to plunge my hand into a mine of unidentifiable and possibly soiled material and happened to pull out an Allannah Hill coat and a Chanel 2.55 you can bet your arse I’m keeping them. And good on the little suckers who work there – their sense of smell may never recover. 

* The Tan – As much I would love to I simply cannot afford to join a gym. But I’ve been keeping fit with Co-Dependent Smaggle running around The Tan – the track that goes around the outside of the Botanical Gardens. It’s GORGEOUS! And free… Pilates DVDs (that you already own) are also free. They are just deathly boring. 

* Mie Goreng – I’m in no way endorsing these noodles as a healthy meal. They will literally solidify your arteries with fat and salt and render you a vegetable at the age of 30. They are, however, the most delicious and nutrient negative pile of MSG that I have ever encountered. Chop up some vegies and toss them in. It makes you feel less revolting. 

Happy saving my little chickens! Please feel free to add suggestions in the comment – I’m only new here and have barely scratched the surface of cheapness here!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

P.S You can find Mie Goreng in the asian section at your supermarket. The one exception is my local supermarket because my ‘asian section’ contains only taco and burrito packs. Riiiiight. I think we need to have a little chat with the manager about geography. The Mi Gooreng in my supermarket is near the rice. Neither of which are anywhere near the asian section. I just don’t think that grocery shopping should be that difficult. 

This collection conjures images in my head of an exceptionally tall woman wearing candy coloured wedge sandals and bright summer dresses. She keeps ducks in her garden and drinks coffee through a straw. She wears chunky clay necklaces that she made in her pottery class and she studies anthropoly. This woman is unmarried but she has a continuous string of long-haired lovers that call on her at unusual times of the day. She carries a parasol to keep the sun of her face and you can’t tell if she is 20 or 40 years old. Waking up every morning, she decorates her body with frills and lace, wraps ribbons everywhere they will fit and she always adds one more accessory before she leaves the house.

I’m beginning to wonder if anyone would mind if I wore a ballgown to work…?

I’m feeling the need to dress like a birthday present.

Love Lady Smaggle

Photos from Vogue Australia

xxx

The store is called Fruccidesign and is based in San Francisco. Go and have a gander at the store it’s pretty spectacular. I want the bangle to wear when I own an art gallery and I’ll start drinking short blacks and smoking mini cigars…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I want them. I want them in black and I will wear them with fishnet stockings and red lipstick. I will wear them with ankle socks and a pinafore. I will wear them with harem pants and a Bonds singlet. I will wear them naked because the indescribable beauty of these shoes will distract the police from my indecent exposure. I’m currently sweet talking all the Melissa stockists in town so I can get my hands on them the second they arrive in my fair city. I’ve never felt this way about a shoe before. I’m sure it’s a mix of the ladylike court-shoe shape and the slutty rubber. I’m such a complex character and ownership of these shoes will surely serve as an introduction for strangers. “Hi…” The shoes will say. “This is Lady Smaggle.” Pause. “She likes to bake cookies and rob banks.”

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Well Miss Simek is back at it again and has released a new piece that just gets my heart quivering…

It’s called the Powder Necklace, consisting of a tiny little shell on a sterling silver chain with a wee funnel on the clasp. Curious as to what the funnel is for? It’s for filling the shell with shimmer dust and when you tap it gently the glitter falls out of the tiny holes and leaves a delicate sheen across your decolletage. How freakin gorgeous is that? I have been a little scared to purchase one of Miss Simek’s charming creations because I am basically a thumping great giant and these trinkets look delicate enough to be crushed by my steely gaze alone. However Stephanie was kind enough to send me one of the powder necklaces recently and it’s really sturdy dispite it’s delicate appearence. The perfect combination.

I received SO MANY compliments while wearing this little gem it’s ridiculous. It’s really subtle and quite unlike any jewellery that I usually wear but it was a real little attention grabber. I was pimping this necklace all day – I gave out Stephanie’s web address twice! I think there is just something very decadent about wearing shimmer dust during the day and people are always fascinated by jewellery that is more than ornamental. 

Stephanie currently lives in Portland, Oregan and runs an art and music space called Rererato which was once a Hare Krishna temple. She is not only a jewellery designer but also an artist and is currently working on a piece based on science-project inspired photographs. She is such a quirky little devil using the most unusual of ideas to create simple, beautiful and surprisingly classic pieces.

Here are links to a few stores in Australia that sell her range.

http://www.myspace.com/libertineshop 
keithandlottie.com 
sixonesix.com.au

Or if you are internet savvy you can skip on over to her gorgeous website Stephanie Simek and check out her wearables. I love that she has only a few very simple and beautiful designs on offer. It just makes it all the more precious if you are lucky enough to own one…

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S I totally love that this necklace looks just the one Ursula the sea-witch wears in The Little Mermaid!!!

Donna -

Killer Feature: Shoulders and bust

Worst Enemy: Belly, then higher arms

Widest horizontal: Full hip 

Key point: Similar to Niki in some ways, you want to keep the eye around the bust so any upper torso detail to help you. But as your upper arms are not your best feature, try to aim for sleeves that grace the elbow, or have detailing around the lower edges, not the top edge. Lace cuffs, gathered or pleated detail around the wrist is good. Be kind to yourself. It took me years to get my belly back to something I was in the vicinity of happy with after my baby. You get a new life and a new shape, but don’t you just love the I Am Woman Hear Me Roar factor? 
 

Frocks:

You’re lucky because you can have either deep V shapes in necklines or wider sweeping necklines due to having great shoulders and a lovely bust. Collar detail, necklaces and all manner of embellishment, even buttoning features around the shoulder area will work well. Skirt length should be halfway between ankle and knee as this is the most flattering spot. Swishier skirts in your dresses and lighter weight fabrics will offer a feminine air and also create a nice line through the legs. I’m not convinced you have enough waist definition to make classic defined curves, so maybe look for seams in frocks that are above the waist rather than on the waist, as with Ivy. And little treatments like ribbon ties, bows and contrast under bust detail will work a treat to kick the feminine up a notch and make you feel gorgeous. Another idea is to wear those dresses that have wrap fabric ties around the waist, which will also be wearable as the post baby kilos start to fall away. David Lawrence and Jigsaw always do great ones. 

Items: I think tunic shapes would work well as pieces, as long as you remember to treat the upper area with more attention rather than the wrists in this scenario as there will already be a break in the hip area if you wear separates. I know you wanted to know about what jean shapes would work, but really, I would encourage you more towards dresses than items to avoid breaking the body with horizontals. If you do denim, make it dark and look for slouchier boyfriend shapes rather than anything that would taper to the leg too much. And to blur the line where the hip gets that unwanted horizontal, maybe go for darker toned tops rather than really contrasting ones. Again, embellishment at the bust and central shoulder area will make a denim scenario work better.

Avoid: Puffed sleeves and gathered sleeve heads are not your friends.

Brenda –

Killer Feature: Legs, then arms

Worst Enemy: Belly, then double chin

Widest horizontal: True hip 

Key point: Therefore manipulate everything through the torso as cover up, and use the arms and legs as strong verticals. 

You are blessed with great arms and legs. With fashion the way it is right now, the gods of frock are smiling on you. Plus you have permission to buy excellent shoes! Yay!! 

Frocks:

Look for babydoll shapes, shifts and tunics that glide right over the waist.  Make sure all frocks are exactly the right length for you. There’s loads of info about this in my book, but basically you look for the point where the leg starts to get wider, past your best muscles and chop it right there.

Use upper torso embellishment especially through the shoulder area to enhance the extremities at each shoulder. This will send the eye up, but avoid the focus on the chin area. There are great details this winter like pleats, knots and heavy crochet type laces in the shoulder area of lots of shifts, so lucky you! ( Country Road, Duck and Citi are my best tips actually! I share the same body shape.)

Keep everything south of the bust matte and plain so that the only focus down there is those great legs. Therefore, no prints below the bust, no strong colour as well and certainly no sheen.

Items: The same scenario for tops as the frocks, but make sure any pants / jeans you choose are fairly lean in cut because you can afford to do this. Ditto skirts. Keep them close to the body rather than A line or tiered.

Avoid: Statement belts at the waist.

Kelly –

Killer Feature: Bust, then waist

Worst Enemy: Bulging belly, then hips & thighs

Widest horizontal: Thigh 

Key point: Your love of 1950s fashion is spot on. And if your “bulging belly” is really worrying you, then just use shapewear to flatten it across the front, because the silhouette looks just fine to me! Skirts and dresses are going to flatter you more than pants, and you have great calves and fine ankles which should be exposed. 

Frocks:

Fuller A line skirts that hit mid calf are good for you. Choose more stable fabrics rather then light weight or jersey fabrics to give you more support for tummy control. As your bust is quite projected, a 34E, you need to highlight it, without making the grand Pammy Anderson statement. So rely on design lines rather than embellishment or contrast as a good way to go. By this I mean necklines like the sweetheart, the Galaxy style dress neckline, rounded off square necklines and rounded Vs. Having extra “Hello!” factor with patterns or shiny textures at the bust might take it too far. Belts and waist seams will work on you as you have a nicely defined waist. So get rid of the sloppy T-shirt look! As you love the retro look and you need a little lift in spirits, why not play with girly florals and brighter tones until you are feeling better physically? Channel a bit more Doris Day and bit less Lois Lane using sweet feminine styles, buttoning, ribbon and bow details that highlight the waist and rib cage area of the torso. 

Items:I’m guessing shirts are tricky for you with that bust. So wrap knits and tops that feature the necklines listed above are a better option. Puffy sleeves and high arm detail will only congest the area so don’t go there. As I said, it would be a pity to cover your calves, but if you are looking for pants, go for a narrower palazzo pant that glides right over the hips, a bit like a long A-line shape in silhouette.

Avoid: Strong design lines around the hip and thigh, especially belts worn low.

And Miss Selina from Flying Saucer even sent in her silhouette! Here’s Annebelle’s advice to her…

Killer Feature: Waist, then hips

Worst Enemy: Bust small

Widest horizontal: True hip 

Key point:  

If you get concerned about widening your shoulders with any garment you wear, look for vertical treatments around the shoulder line that will mitigate your strong horizontal. This means deeper necklines, square necklines and even strong Vs. Vertically focused collar details, long bows and ties, all of these will create a force to help make your shoulders not look so wide.

Love your tiny waist. Personally I would kill for it!

Colours on red heads could include anything warmer in hue, from ivory through the entire autumnal palette, chocolates, black of course and my favourite, emerald green. Ditch lightweight neutrals as they might drain you, and bright red can be problematic of course, greys might also suck the pigment from your face. When in doubt, warm your make up tones to compensate. 

Frocks:

A-line skirt shapes will also help keep the shoulders seeming smaller. As your hips as slim, you can afford pocket tabs, and other hip detail like embroidery, fastenings, topstitching etc, which will also make your small waist the focus. The best length for you is about ten centimetres below the knee to balance your silhouette. Play up a small bust with textural highlight, pleats, gathers, colour contrast, lace etc. Anything that builds the area will be helpful. And best of all the highlight here will also take advantage of your slim waist. You can’t lose. 

Items:  

Unlike lots of us mere mortals, separates will work well on you as a break at the waist is something you can afford. The current must-have higher waisted pants and skirts will also suit you. Feature belts and strong waist detail will be great and for heavens sake go get yourself some cute 50s style pieces as this era is the one that will work best for you. 

Avoid:

Boat necks, wide off the shoulder garments and puff sleeves.

Isn’t Annebelle a gem? What fabulous advice, I’m so excited for my readers! Do visit her site Your Wardrobe Mistress and check out her book Dress Like A Star. It’s totally worth it I promise! Oh and when you do read her book jump onto Goodreads and Amazon and review it. Let’s share the Annebelle love through out the fashion blogosphere!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I also bought three books with some vouchers that I won at a quiz night. I think the winning question was something about Carrie Bradshaw. Anyways I got three books - Fashion Babylon, Nylon Pretty and Sock and Glove.

I have only time to flick through them but I think Sock and Glove is my favourite. It’s SO CUTE! The book is by Miyako Kanamori and was apparently a cult buy in Japan and it’s been translated to English. It’s a simple step by step book that shows you how to make snuggly little friends out of socks and gloves. I’m going to make a monkey for Mr Smaggle. He likes monkeys. Although the monkey that they have in the book is really angry. I’ll make a nice monkey.  

And Browny really wanted the goldfish

But it was sold out by the time we ordered so she got the long tail bird instead

But we had some postage troubles and strikes and missing packages so we recieved our goods later than expected. But to make up for it Vanda very kindly included an extra necklace which turned out to be the goldfish! Browny was delighted and ever since I have been hooked on Paraphernalia. I could easily have ordered everything in store on my first visit but I obviously wanted to test the merchandise before stocking up. I received the necklaces months ago but alas my blog was non-existant. So here is a massively belated thank to Vanda – I adore her necklaces, they are original, well-made and the most compliment inducing piece of jewellery I have ever owned. And today I went back for more… Bad Lady Smaggle!

I was a little scared to order this one because I wasn’t sure how the general public would cope but I decided I don’t care. I love it and I’m gonna wear it to death!

And she has new stuff now! Name plate necklaces! And they are huge! 6 x 8 centimetres!

I ordered one that says ‘Lady’…

Do visit Vanda on Etsy, she is ever so friendly and helpful. Her work is amazing and her business is growing fast. I seem to recall her mentioning in an email that she is working on a PHD as well… Absolute genius! Something tells me this won’t be the last time she hears from me.

The pearls have me sold. They are such a timeless and beautiful accessory and Filep had taken them out, got them pissed on martinis and let them run wild on the dance floor. I adore the sheer fishnet dress with pearls sewn across decolletage and the stockings are just too damn cool. I love the way he has mixed textures with pearls encased in tulle and string and attached at the neck with what appears to be some kind of rope. I am sensing new trends coming from this – fabric based necklaces and large statement accessories made with leather and crochet. Oh I can feel myself getting all crafty! Do check out Filep’s website, he is trendy little bugger and if you keep your eye on him he will lead you straight into temptation…

Oh and I just received an email from the man himself (soooo excited that he took the time to read my post!!!) and he asked that I credit Maria Mastori his collaborator for the stunning jewellery and also John Leeaneris for the for the fabulous photography. What a beautiful team they make. How special that three people combined their talents so seamlessly that it never occured to me that more than one genius was involved…