I had the most perfect Melbourne weekend starting with a trip to the gallery to have lunch with Roomy Smaggle which resulted in much giggling and sexy note swapping with the cafe staff. I also saw the Ron Mueck exhibition. Everyone needs to see this, it’s exceptional. Following that I had an impromptu date with Mr Smaggle’s bestie drinking tea and chatting then had drinks and dinner on Brunswick Street with Co-Dependant Smaggle. I’m like, so cosmopolitan right now.

* Dress from Maxine’s on Brunswick Street. This store is a hidden gem. It looks like a hippy shop but there is more than meets the eye. Trust me.

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra.

* Wheelie bin necklace from Roomy Smaggle.

* Flower necklace from Browny.

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle.

* Men’s watch from Fossil.

* Scarf from Sportsgirl.

Right now I’m trying not to move lest I sweat in this hideous heat. Then tonight I’m off to hang with the Underbelly crew to watch So You Think You Can Dance and The Biggest Loser. It’s our Sunday night crap fest.
What about you lover? What have you been up to?

Also, if you’re a Canberra reader don’t forget to enter my giveaway!

Love Lady Smaggle
xxx

I’m a self proclaimed summer hater and despite my irritation at people who state the obvious I’m allowed to indulged because a) I’m pretty and b) heat hurts me more than anyone else so here goes – It’s so bloody hot!!! I’ve spent the last week settling back into my Melbourne routine which includes Monday night swim/sauna/spa/gossip sessions with Roomy and Co-Dependant, lots of tea drinking, cooking and cleaning. I even spent a glorious Saturday evening drinking vodka on a gorgeous balcony in the city. Melbourne is treating me well this time around…

* Dress from Sportsgirl
* Shoes thrifted in Canberra
* Necklace from Roomy Smaggle from Greece

Spending the afternoon cleaning, going to the gym, doing some research for work and some sketches for school.

What are you up to tonight?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

P.S Melbourne and Canberra ladies be sure to check out Yoink in the Brunswick area in Melbourne. I just cleaned out my cupboard! If you’re from Canberra and want something just yoink it and let me know and I’ll bring it to Canberra at Easter.

So guess what? Mr Smaggle’s Yoink iPhone application got approved and released today! Which means that you can yoink anytime you like. As a matter of fact I yoinked this bag. Yes I did.

* Dress (top?) from Tree of Life

* Tights from Barkins at DFO Canberra

* Men’s watch from Fossil

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra

*Earrings from Bijoux by Bouvier

* Bag from Yoink

I normally don’t give a crap about Mr Smaggle’s projects because most of the time they’re really boring so unless they involve fashion, ponies, Johnny Depp, or Johnny Depp riding ponies I’m like zone out. But I really, really like this one. So I’m sharing.

You can download it for free from the app store now.

Oh and while you’re at it, if you have a petrol head boyfriend he might like this one. It’s pretty funny.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* Dress from Barkins at DFO in Melbourne

* Tights from Barkins at DFO in Canberra

* Shoes from Funkis

* Brooch from a boutique in Thredbo

* Earrings by Bouvier from Bijoux

* Men’s watch from Fossil

I’m off to have lunch with a friend, spend the afternoon crafting, then to the gym to test out my new and hideous sports bra and then off to visit the Smaggles. Pleasant day…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Today I got up early…ish. Did some writing, spent some quality time with the Wii Fit, who by the way, I am not longer speaking too because he makes me have guilt. Then I went and did some bead shopping and made some some delicious truffles for dinner at the Smaggle’s tonight. It’s becoming my signature dessert.

* Dress from Ebay years ago. I love it.

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra.

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle.

* Earrings from Girlprops.

* Men’s watch from Fossil.

* Rings from Mlebourne, Mamma Smaggle and a director of a play I was in around ten years ago.

* Head scarf from that place that sells socks from a table in the mall.

How was your weekend my dear?

Love Lady Smaggle
xxx

I would like to know who, in your opinion, has taken the greatest fashion risk in past 12 months and totally rocked it? And what was it?

Hmmm… interesting question. I can’t think of anything in particular that was a huge risk although I loved the L.V Bunny Ears but I never saw anyone wearing them off the cat walk except Madonna and she looked like a freakin’ idiot. In terms of fashion risk takers in general here a few people that rock my sartorial world Daphne Guinness, Tilda Swinton, Queen Michelle, Susie Bubble and Vivienne Westwood.

Best place/area in Melbourne to shop for affordable but still stylish clothes? Annnnnnd … in your opinion, top ten staples/must haves for a rounded wardrobe?

I don’t really shop much in Melbourne because I’m insanely busy but the DFO there is fantastic. Co-Dependant Smaggle and I clean up every time we go there. I love Alice Euphemia, IDS, Brunswick Street in general but particularly the Alannah Hill outlet and a truly divine store called Harem. For not affordable but flipping pornographic clothes go to Gorman. That shop is beautiful. Avoid Chapel Street – I’m disappointed every time I go there. High street in Westgarth and Northcote are great too for little boutiques and cute things.

My top ten?

* As many dresses as you can get your hands on

* Scarves

* Tights

* Comfortable heels

* Boots

* Cardigans

* Good underwear

* A gorgeous winter coat

* Big earrings

* Eye shadow in natural colours

What do you like about living in Canberra (besides the obvious family/friend/life partner thing)? Anything that drives you crazy about the nation’s capital?

Oh I love Canberra! I grew up here. I know where everything is, the roads are wide and easy to drive on, I know where to get the best Bi Bim Bab in the city and I know which restaurants to avoid. I have been a part of some incredible theatre there and I had a wonderful, creative and awe-inspiring childhood there. Obviously the fact that a good majority of my favourite people live there helps a bit too. Things that drive me crazy would be that there are so many areas that could be used to give Canberra more life but it seems to be happening quite slowly. The lake would be incredible with bars, shops and cafes but developers seem to have a mind block with building there. I hate that people hate Canberra but I know why. It’s a difficult city to visit but a great place to live. I also have contacts in Canberra – if I want a job, an artist to collaborate with, wholesale beads or a part in play I can get it. I’m finding Melbourne to be a bit difficult in that regard and also there is so much more of everything it’s hard decifer what’s legit and what’s not. It’s always easier to live in the city that you were born in but if you stay there forever you’ll never appreciate it.

I don’t want to know everything about you in stalker-ish detail as I like random disclosures, that air of mystery and the way you often channel the divine Miss Vreeland. But I would love the Smaggle-made swag – so ….. the kaftan hour – is it now like, so over? Also – your thoughts on the kimono.

The kaftan hour is definitely not over. Never will be. Kaftan is in your heart. I love the kimono – Roomy Smaggle is Japanese and we often have evenings in our kimonos drinking brown rice tea and watching Scrubs.

Hello! The thing that got me attracted to your blog was “Why don’t you?” which was one of my favourite old columns in Cosmo magazine (I have no idea if they still have it).
So my question is, was that your inspiration? If so, good job. And I like your ideas better.

No way! My inspiration came from the divine Ms Vreeland who wrote ‘Why don’t you?’ columns for Harpeer’s Bizarre when she was the editor. I assume Cosmo got their inspiration from her also. I remember a reading a few of her ‘Why don’t you?’s in a book and then I found a whole book FULL of them and I was so sad when I finished the book because she’s dead now and obviously wouldn’t be writing anymore so I thought I’d just write them myself. Glad you like them!

What character from the ORIGINAL cast of Beverly Hills 90201 would I be?

By the way for everyone else it’s Grant from Ink and Leather who is asking this question. Jackie. Kelly’s mum. She’s a total queen who loves shopping, dining out and men. Plus I have a feeling you may be a closet alcoholic. Just a hunch.

What is your guilty pleasure music?

All of my music is guilty pleasure music. I love Whitney Housten (seeing her live in March. Squeal!), Cher, Michael Jackson and musical theatre soundtracks. At any given time I’ll either be singing ‘Beat it’ or ‘La Vie Boheme’ from Rent or singing the entire score from Les Mis – playing both Val Jean and Javert. I’m a musical disaster. Let’s stop talking about it now.

Please keep doing what you’re doing & don’t ever become a sellout?

Okay! I’ll try not to. What exactly constitutes a sell out though?

I love your posts where you talk about fitness and your ridiculously healthy lunches and exercise sprees (i like exercising vicariously through you  ), would you tell us how you developed a healthy balance between life and being healthy throughout your life until now, and any exercise/diet tips etc?

I’m a really busy person and I lose the plot if I don’t take care of myself. Here are a few tips that I live by -

* Generally speaking I don’t eat carbs. I rarely have bread and pasta. If I eat any carbs it will be rice or crackers  - my two big weaknesses in the white refined cards group.

* I eat vegies all day, everyday. I have carrot sticks, celery sticks and a big salad for lunch. I also have green smoothies and fresh vegetable juice as snacks.

* I rarely eat packaged food on a day to day basis. The one exception is canned tuna.

* I try to exercise every day but if I don’t exercise for one day I try to do a whole hour the next day to make up for it. I HATE cardio but I make myself do it and I love pump classes and strength work. I’m an ex-ballet gal so I love to stretch and tone.

* It’s important to eat for well being not weight loss. I struggle a lot with my weight. I always have. I find that it’s easier for me to resist sugary, refined foods if I think ‘I’m going to feel really sick if I eat that’ rather than ‘I will gain weight if I eat that’.

* I keep a food dairy where I track my calories and exercise everyday. It’s sounds obsessive but I have terrible genes and if I stop concentrating on what I put in my mouth and taking responsibility for it I gain weight really, really quickly.

* I’m not too strict about my ‘rules’ because I hate fussy eaters. If I go to friends house and they serve me rice I’ll eat it but I’ll go easy on dessert and work out a little harder the next day.

* I believe in eating like cave men. I think if you can hunt it, catch it, pick it or grow it then you can eat it. Which is why I don’t eat Mars Bars. Or McDonalds.

* I make my lunch everyday. It’s easy once you make a habit of it.

* I always pack my gym gear and schedule in classes. I drive there before I can even contemplate not going.

* I rarely weigh myself because my weight is bizarre. I fluctuate in a horrifying way so I go on measurement and how my clothes fit me. Otherwise I get unhealthily obsessed about it.

* All bets are off in Friday nights when I have a glass of red in my hand.

I’m a new-comer to your blog and you may have revealed this while you lived in Canberra but…do you spend more time north or south of The Lake?

South side bro! I’m a Kambah gal from way back. I used to work at the Kambah Village newsagent. My parents and Mr Smaggle are still technically Southsiders in Barton and Griffith but we spend most of our time in the city and in Manuka.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Just taking my outfit shot quickly before I start making dinner. Chilli con carne! Mr Smaggle freaking loves it.

* Pants from Witchery (which have started fitting strangely recently, I feel like my hips have gotten longer or something…)

* Top/Dress from Cowboys and Angels (RIP – Best clothing store that Canberra ever had…sob!)

* Beaded bolero thrifted in Canberra

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra

* Earrings from Girlprops

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle

* Men’s watch from Fossil

Oh and a big MASSIVE thank you to all the amazing people who have left questions… I’m so excited about answering them all. I’m loving all the cool weird ones about whether I would prefer to be a pirate or ninja and whether I have special mug for coffee that I go all Hulk over if someone else uses it… keep them coming lovelies! And to all the people who read my blog and think they know me – I challenge you to come up with a question that you don’t know the answer to! Come on… you’ll go into the draw to win a Smaggle Pack…

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S Aussies – Ghost is on T.V on Friday night. Cancel your plans. We’ve got a date with Patrick.

Double the daily style today! Lady wears…

* Vintage dress *insert smug smile*

* Shoes from Nine West

* Mens watch from Fossil

* Earrings from Girlprops

Browny wears…

* Top from Review

* Skirt from French Connection

* Shoes from Miz Mooz New York

* Sunglasses from Morrissey

* Earrings from Gorman House markets

* Bangle from China

Browny has been looking pretty sharp this week so I might just include her in a few daily outfit shots… you don’t mind do you?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* Shorts from Country Road – I’m almost regretting this purchase. I need to stop forcing pants.

* Top thrifted in Melbourne

* Shoes thrifted in Canberra

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle

* Silver flower earrings from Mamma Smaggle

* Mens watch from Fossil

I’m off for a family BBQ tonight… your plans?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx