Technical difficulties.

Dear computer. Stop requiring updates. It's getting annoying. 

I have tons to catch up on here; sorry for falling behind. Blame my computer. Anyway, this was what I wore early March to a cute date night with boyfie. We were meant to go out for Japanese food and use some gold class tickets we were given, but Hail Caesar! ended up being fully booked (that's what we get for not booking), so instead we went for kebabs at our local greasy diner and a two hour stroll through our newly refurbished K-Mart. That place has really pulled its socks up. So much cool stuff! We found a shiny galloping-white-horses and sparkly-rainbows onesie. Nothing else could really top that.

This dress is from Coco-Latte quite a few years ago. It was seriously about fifteen dollars. I was inspired by Brooklyn to dig out something vintage-cut. The white panel socks came from Shibuya109 in Shibuya. I have the same in black. And the brown t-bar mary janes... I don't remember! But they were bought at Payless Shoes.I really like them. They're a bit quirky. x

Say Fuji.

On the last day of February, I was awake very early to jump on a tram into Richmond for a specialist appointment. Public transport in Melbourne generally just sucks, and takes an unjustifiably long time. Richmond is a 45 min to an hour drive both ways from where I live, but I had to set aside half the day for public transport. I was on the 7:30 tram and arrived back home at 2:30. But it was a lovely day, and a nice day to people watch from the tram window, and it's actually a pretty journey through Melbourne's inner suburbs. So I can't complain too much. Also, my dad was away for the weekend for work, and he visited an apple farm belonging to some friends. He brought back the best souvenirs - a big box full of the freshest, sweetest, crispest pink ladies. I feel like such a country bumpkin (we're not), but fresh home-grown food is actually really exciting.

This knit is from Ally Fashion a few years ago. Its embroidered pattern around the neck is pretty unique and interesting. Denim skirt from Jay-Jays. Stockings from Myer; they're probably Voodoo, I'd say. They're old, but really thick and opaque and silky. Great quality. I'm so keen to wear these brown boots throughout Autumn. They're a brand called Wild Diva Lounge, and I got them in an online sale through BuyInvite or BrandsExclusive. They have pretty good flash sales on those designer sale sites, so it's worth signing up. Brown oxford messenger bag is from Typo. x

 

Gotta catch 'em all.

It's been a pretty boring few days. Boyfie's in Queensland visiting family, and I've spent the evenings reading on the couch at home after work. Or, like today, watching Sailor Moon and painting my nails blue. We applied for our first rental property today as well, mind you, so it's not all couch potato. Just mostly. Hashtag sloth lyf.

I did make plans on Saturday night, to catch a movie and scoff pancakes with a friend (who loves Geelong F.C. and Alice in Wonderland pancakes). We did the same major at uni, so in our time between dining and film-going we discussed film studies, good lit classes and great novels. So easy to kill time with this girl! We were almost late for our movie. Speaking of, if you haven't been to see Brooklyn yet, you absolutely definitely should. Unless you're completely not interested at all in the tale of a young Irish immigrant in Brooklyn in the 1950s, feeling homesick and finding love. Then maybe don't. But it's a breathtaking film; visually dynamic with lovely characters and some really wonderful acting... It's just beautiful. I'd been so keen to see it for weeks, and it didn't disappoint one bit. Go see!

Please take a moment to drool over my pokeball knit. I got it from a stall at PAX Aus 2015. It was expensive, but totally worth it. I refuse to wear it around the house; it gets saved for special fun days out. I don't want to get it dirty. It's made from nice heavy wool, so it hangs all floppy like. And it feels super well made. I did some quick snooping, and it looks like you can get it from a few online retailers, like welovefine.com. The pricing will probably be in USD though, so keep that in mind! I think I paid $70AUD for it. Same black Cotton On jeans. Same little black hand-me-down bag. Grey rip off Keds from K-Mart. x

P.S. While we're talking Pokemon, how exciting is the news that Nintendo will be releasing gen 7 later this year?! I've already decided on Pokemon Moon. Boyfie and I will probably attend the midnight launch at EB Games. We're going to keep ourselves occupied with the re-releases of gen 1 (I've just downloaded Yellow; he's getting Blue) and the new Mystery Dungeon (ordered today and waiting to arrive in the mail). Happy 20th anniversary, Pokemanz! What would my life be without you?

Beside the seaside.

Aaaand then two days later it was back to scorching summer heat. Hot enough, in fact, to hit the beach. Which boyfie and I did, because somehow despite how hot this summer has been, we hadn't managed to get to the beach once. Apparently our beaches are kind of famous or something (wink), so pretty poor form really. Not going to the beach in summer is the pinnacle of un-Australian. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we hit the sand down at Franga for fish and chips on the beach, and some lazy reading in the sun. And the biggest ice creams the world has ever seen. Seriously. My ice cream was pretty much the size of my head. Hashtag value for money.

This black knit thing is from Valleygirl a few years ago. I've always found it hard to wear and style, but it worked for a beach day. Black shorts from Uniqlo. Bikini from Bras'n'Things; I like it because its similar to the Triangl Swimwear collection last year. Same floppy black hat and Ray-Bans as always. Roman sandals are from Famous Footwear. I should wear them more often. Surf's up farkin' CHOMP. x

 

 

Mars power, make up!

Pretty much by complete chance, I ended up invited to my manager's birthday party. In Cranbourne. With a bunch of people I don't know, and that she also didn't know. It happened last week, when she showed me a snapchat of her dressed up as Sailor Mercury, and when I asked what it was for she said her birthday. And then she immediately invited me, and when she asked if I had a costume I couldn't lie, because I do and here it is, and it was too perfect so I couldn't not go, even though I had work that day and that would make us (boyfie came too - what a champ) late. So we went. And we were late.

It was a pretty decent party, actually, even though her cousin (the only person she knew) and all her friends were dressed up like famous movie axe murderers, which was utterly terrifying and made us look awkwardly, obviously out of place. They were nice people though, and they'd ordered - kid you not - fifty pizzas and a tower of garlic bread loaves. I've never seen so much pizza. It was heaven. Despite how weird things got (watching your tiny manager play beer pong dressed as Sailor Mercury tops the list), it was fun - until their dog (they brought their dog to the party) ate rat poison and had to be rushed to the emergency vet hospital. Several hours and much vomiting later, he was fine, and we drove them back to the party, then scarpered for home. Shit got real. The night was not at all what I expected. I'm sure we'll all laugh about it fondly one day.

This amazing dress is an imitation of a limited edition range Living Dead Clothing ran last year. Unfortunately the authentic one was too expensive for me at the time, so I had to get this rip off from eBay. It's pretty good, considering. Rei is my favourite sailor scout. It's impossible not to love Usagi, but Rei is just mint. She's so driven and passionate, and she's stunning. So badass. My wig isn't a perfect match for Rei's hair, but I'll invest in a better one at some point. This one was for my gender-bent Ash Ketchum cosplay for PAX Aus last year. I think it did all right. Sensational red pumps are from Famous Footwear. I also wore elbow-length white gloves from my debutante, but I'd forgotten to put them on here. Mars fire, ignite! x

Maximum Frey.

OOTD featuring Cornflake the bun. This is what I wore to a house party at a friend's place. We had our first taste of the cool autumn weather to come, and I wholeheartedly embraced it. Autumn is my jam. I was very tired and feeling pretty anti-social, but it was nice to hang out. They'd made a yummy punch and a bunch of our mates started a raucous game of Drunk Quest, which I've yet to play but am still keen to. Sadly we didn't stay long enough to witness Maximum Frey - which is when our mate Frey reaches a level of intoxication that requires full nudity, apparently - but I'm unconvinced that it's terrifically sad we missed that.

This is not a Cotton On sponsored outfit, but coincidentally I am a walking advert for Cotton On. Sweater is new, from their autumn 2016 range. It also comes in white, and a maroon version of this grainy pattern. Black jeans are also Cotton On; same ones I always wear. Red booties are from Hush Puppies and I love them. So sassy. Little black handbag is a hand-me-down from my mum. x


*smooch*

Roses are red.

We shamelessly love Valentine's Day. For a lot of people it's a gigantic waste of time - a soul-sucking, money-grabbing ploy masterminded by our great enemy Capitalism - but for us (although it is also all of those things), it's a dedicated day for celebrating how much we appreciate each other. Sappy. Lame. Totally romantic. We celebrate our relationship every month on the 8th with a dinner, and buy each other little gifts and tasty goodies and treats all the time anyway, so we don't even need Valentine's Day. But we like it. We celebrate it. We use it as another excuse to spoil each other rotten, and we make the most of it.

This year we spent the day in the city. My mother bought us a Scoupon voucher for a box of Walker's Donuts (we have a serious relationship with Walker's Donuts), which we promptly redeemed and consumed. Then we visited everyone's favourite pop culture specialists down at Minotaur and bought manga, because why not. The boys were having a rough day - a blue-haired teen vomited all over their carpet, and not five minutes later a man heavily under the influence of something illicit had to be forcibly removed for refusing to leave and getting aggressive. Bad day at the office. From there we did some casual shopping along Bourke Street, then wandered up to Good Games where I napped for a solid hour. We saved a poor discarded rose from a sad and lonely death on the floor of Melbourne Central station and took him adventuring with us, and killed the last of our time at Flagstaff Gardens, because the weather was gorgeous. Then boyfie took me for our surprise Valentine's dinner. We had a seven course... experience? at Hibachi restaurant - miso soup, takoyaki (fried octopus meat), gyoza dumplings, prawn sushi rolls, assorted tempura, fried tofu in sweet and sour sauce, with sake to accompany and green tea ice cream to follow. The food was fresh and delicious; I'd highly recommend eating there if you're visiting the city one night. Just typing it now is making me hungry; I already want to go back. So good. And then we jumped on the freeway and headed to the planetarium at Scienceworks for their special Valentine's weekend show. Sadly the sky was too cloudy to be able to use the telescopes to stargaze afterward, but it was still a lovely night.

I wore this knit especially, obviously. I've had it for a very long time, and honestly I think I'm ready to part with it. It did its job well, but it isn't my style anymore and I wouldn't buy it if I saw it in a store now. It came from one of those affordable, cute Asian fashion stores. Shorts from Uniqlo. White tennis shoes were not my footwear of choice, but I had to switch my black boots out when I realised how much walking we'd be doing all day. I swapped them back again for the planetarium and felt much better. If you celebrate Valentine's Day, happy Valentine's Day! If you don't, I hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours. x

Not a hero.

Oh, god, life got so busy. Massive updates incoming.

Anyway, we saw Deadpool on Friday 12th. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't what it was. The movie is pretty great - cinematically dynamic, hilarious, great casting, good plot without trying to achieve too much (which often happens with action movies, I find, which is why I get so confused). But if you're not into gore - like me; minimal gore please - steer clear of the first twenty minutes. Seriously the most graphically violent NPC deaths in a film that I've probably ever seen. There's one guy and a billboard... I was shocked. But the rest of it is awesome. Ryan Reynolds is a beautiful human. You probably should go see it; everyone should. It's just not at all like the rest of the superhero films, which is 1000% absolutely the point. I should have done my research first so I was prepared. Yikes.

Sailor Chibi Moon tee is sold through tons of good online J-fashion retailers. My fave is Spreepicky (have fun!). Black jeans from Cotton On. Super awesome sparkly gold sneakers from Sportsgirl a few months ago. Bad hair day completely organic (sigh). x

Happy b'day, boyfie.

Boyfie's birthday couldn't have had better weather. It was warm and sunny and we were outside all day, catching up on some vitamin D. Our idea of a good time generally involves copious amounts of our favourite foods, and I'm one of those assholes who feels compelled to photograph everything I eat that looks nice on a plate, so prepare yourself for the onslaught of food pics. You were warned. 

I presented boyfie with his birthday present and mandatory birthday cheesecake, then shoved him in my car and we hit the freeway for Cheltenham, for a come-and-try session at AIM archery. Can archery. Was fun. It was the perfect day for ice cream, but Cold Rock was CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE WORK ON BOYFIE'S BIRTHDAY ONLY, so we zoomed up to Glen Waverley for Nitro Lab instead, which was a good decision. If you haven't tried the Fererro Rocher concoction yet, you definitely should. It's their best invention to date. We'd skipped lunch doing archery, so since we were already there it seemed silly not to share a bowl of Japanese curry (because katsu curry is life). From there, we were supposed to head into the city on the train, but we couldn't be bothered, so instead we headed over to Box Hill to Good Games to look at Pathfinder stuff and play a Magic the Gathering pack war. And buy cute Pokemon cards to use as bookmarks. The day was topped off with cheesecake and a lazy TV night with his parents.

If you want a flattering, well made dress that sports a gorgeous design, look no further than BlackMilk Clothing. Their clothes are a bit pricey, however they offer free express postage within Australia and their pieces are seriously amazing. I love this cherry blossom dress. It is so comfortable and feels so nice on. I actually have no idea where I got this little pink bag from, or when, but I found it in my cupboard and it kind of matched my shoes, so I grabbed it. Speaking of, these obnoxiously neon pink pumps came from a tiny little shoe shop in Keswick, England. We were just exploring the cute little village, and they were a totally unexpected discovery. I had to have them, naturally. I think this might have been the first time I've properly worn them out - I've been preserving them because I love them too much! Raybans as usual. x

Somebody wife me.

Honey, I baked. No really, I did. Last Sunday was the day before boyfie's birthday, and his favourite kind of cake is cheesecake, so it's become a sort of tradition that I bake him a lemon cheesecake for his birthday every year. I'm not complaining; it's ludicrously easy to make. And nobody complains about the same cake every year, because it's damned delicious. It was a pretty crazy day, though, for a Sunday. My Sundays never turn out to be lazy Sundays, like everyone else's. I dashed to Glen Waverley in the morning, braving the Chinese New Year crowds (regretful decision) to pick up an assortment of Japanese sweets for boyfie's birthday, then an old friend from high school (who loves the beach and is a dedicated dancer) visited while I baked the cake. We exchanged Christmas presents - it had been that long since we caught up. And then I had to run to the shops for coffee with my potential room mate. We had a scuffle that needed sorting out. It appears to be sorted. We were supposed to be having a Pathfinder sesh with friends in the evening but luckily that was cancelled, so I could put the finishing touches on boyfie's birthday plans, and relax a little. 

This cute plaid dress is from Boohoo.com and was cheap as. It gets quite a few compliments, probably because it's pretty unusual. It kind of has a Clueless vibe to it; despite its 60s babydoll shift cut, the pastel plaid schoolgirl pattern reminds me of the 90s. It's not a great choice for hot summery days, because the fabric doesn't breathe too well and you end up a bit muggy. But it looks nice and bright in summer. White rip-off vans are el cheapo from K-Mart. x

And then there were strippers.

Saturday I worked the afternoon (lame), then rushed home to hyper-quick get ready for a hen's night. It was one of those days where everything that could go wrong, did. Somehow left my makeup bag at work and had to use cheap, old stuff that clumped all my eyelashes together and smudged black all around my eyes. Couldn't find my phone when I had to leave. Broke my necklace. My hair didn't work (but then, my hair never works). Lost one of the earrings I wanted to wear and had to settle for a not-as-good backup pair . Ended up running late looking for my phone. You know the kind of day I'm talking about. It was not a good time. But I got there, and everything turned out fine, as everything always tends to do.

One of my oldest friends (who loves Disney, and is very good at drawing) is getting married next month. We've known each other since we were born; we met in a baby group, then went to pre-school, kindergarten and primary school together. Even though we diverged at high school (literally went to different schools), we've stayed friends all this time. Due to her love for Disney (and, as it turns out, snowflakes), the hen's was kind of "Frozen" themed (think snowflake fairy lights, blue and silver sparkles everywhere, snowflake icing on the cake, etc), so I dug out my nicest blue dress. I think the paisley kind of worked. And the party was great fun. There was a lot of alcohol, dirty innuendo based party games, phallic accessories (straws, party horns, etc), you get the idea. Sadly I left before the strippers arrived, but I heard it was a real ripper of a time. I've seen photos. I hadn't been to a hen's night before, and can now vouch that they are memorable experiences for those who do not drink the entire night from memory (ie: me, obviously). Also, I won a donut-cake flavoured Lip Smacker, which was in all seriousness one of the highlights of my evening. It smells delicious.

My paisley dress is from Valleygirl last year and was very inexpensive. It's flattering, and quite adventurous for me. I rarely wear blue, or bold patterns. You can't really see because of the light, but I'm wearing the same statement necklace from this post. And the same London Rebel nude heels from last post. Simple, lady-like, and above all comfortable. x

That's amore.

So, after those two crazy days where I wore the same outfit and ended up in the city twice in a row, Friday was a reasonably uneventful day. After work, boyfie and I went for dinner at our local Italian restaurant, for our usual gorging of cheesy garlic focaccia and the signature pasta dish - gnocchi with chicken, bacon, shallots, mushroom, curry, cream, and more delicious, delicious garlic. Garlic is life. Incidentally, I used to work at the restaurant. Hashtag small town life. 

I really dug out some rarely worn stuff for this outfit. The pale pink, floral summer dress is from Valleygirl many years ago, and I'm surprised it still fits. It has a cute little rosebud print and a sweetheart neckline. I don't even know why I don't wear it very often. This bolero/cardigan thing is absolutely adorable, and it's pretty special, too - which is exactly why it doesn't get worn much. The Japanese friend who collects perfume bottles came back to Australia for a year on student exchange, and she lived with us for a little while. We went shopping one afternoon to Bridge Road, back in the glory days, and the Alannah Hill store was having an amazing sale. We browsed in the dreamland that is Alannah Hill for many hours, and ended up buying these matching cardigans. She recently told me she still has hers. It's kind of like a friendship bracelet. I love the heart-shaped pockets, and the diamante trim is really exquisite. I'm always worried I'll lose them, so it stays carefully tucked away in my closet and brought out for special occasions. Nothing more special than lazy pasta at your local restaurant on a Friday night, right? At least it got worn again. Nude heels are London Rebel from Famous Footwear, and they are so comfortable. Definitely would recommend. They're pretty much always available there. x

Small feet.

Hello, internet friend. Long time no post. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. My week was so intense, I pretty much completely unplugged from the world wide web just to be able to juggle it all. And now I can tell you all about it, so let's play catch up.

I actually wore this outfit twice in a row, because life is crazy. Last Wednesday after work I drove into Richmond for the HardieGrant-Edgmont summer roadshow, which a few of us from work attended. It's basically an evening where publishers and authors talk about new books that are due to be published throughout the year, and they often come with free hors d'oeuvres and goody bags (reading copies of said new books). Free stuff is always extremely exciting. It was a good night - sometimes roadshow can really drag on, but this one didn't run dramatically overtime - and they had the best miniature cupcakes I think I've ever had at an event. They come pretty close to beating out Matt Preston's miniature creme brulees at Macmillan's roadshow last year. Not quite, though, now that I'm reminiscing. Those creme brulees were absolutely amazing. Anyway, I drove my colleague home afterward, and we stopped for Maccas and ended up sitting there for hours. I think we were both too tired to leave, to be honest.

The next day - Thursday - I hopped in my car after work and drove to my friend's place (the one who likes Sailor Moon), where I changed (in my car, in the street - classy dame), and jumped on a train to the city. Here I am in a shoe shop at Melbourne Central. Photo-taking opportunities didn't come frequently last week. My friend invited me out to a pre-organised dinner with her friend (who recently returned from travelling the U.S., lucky lady; she also has delightfully curly hair) because I was feeling a bit like I needed a pick-me-up. Good friend is a good friend. Melbourne was busy preparing for Chinese New Year this weekend, so we joined the buzz of Chinatown and dropped into Fukuryu Ramen for delicious ramen bowls, alcohol and matcha soft serve. It was a really lovely evening, and I think I really needed that time with my friend. I don't socialise too often, and sometimes I think being a hermit can make you go a little crazy. I should probably try to get out more.

Peach knit is from Valleygirl several winters ago. I have the same in pale blue. They're comfy and versatile, and often I just swap the colours out of this exact outfit and wear it numerous times, because lazy and comfortable. These intricate, fleur-de-lis-eqsue leggings were from Cotton On the same year. I have a feeling it was 2013. I've worn them almost to death. Peach handbag came from Kate Hill only a year or so ago, pretty much specifically to go with this outfit. Black ankle boots are from Payless Shoes as far back as 2006, because my feet stopped growing when I was eleven (I was not eleven in 2006, though) and somehow my shoes last pretty well. I think this year will be their tenth winter. They have cute buttons down the side that you can't see here. Maybe I'll show you next time. Gold fleur-de-lis (see the emerging theme here?) statement necklace was also Valleygirl, I think, or Temt, a couple of years ago. This style of necklace hasn't gone out of fashion yet, so there are probably very similar designs still floating around. Aaaaand my almost invisible scrunchie (lol, greasy hair days) came from the children's section - like, kindergartener age - at the Pokemon Center in Japan. It's cute. It's pink. It has fennekin on it. I wear it. Don't judge me. x

Beetlejuice.

The first thing anybody over the age of thirty says when they see these pants is "Beetlejuice!". I should probably see the film. I get the reference, but I don't really get the reference, you know? I kicked off February with brunch in St Kilda with a friend (who likes good coffee and dining out) and her cocker spaniel. It was a glorious day, and we made the most of it, playing with her dog in the park and enjoying well-made hot beverages outside a trendy cafe in Chapel Street. Then home again, home again, jiggity-jig. I put Cornflake on her leash and tied her to the clothesline so she could nibble the grass and run around a bit, and spent the afternoon reading in the garden. Considering the rest of the week is work, I'd say that's a day off well spent.

This blouse is from Supre many years ago, and has been worn many times. I've always loved the ribbons at the neckline, and the way the sleeves billow at the cuffs. My Beetlejuice pants are from Sportsgirl, and, thanks to my still not having been to the gym, slightly too tight. Naughty Monkey wedges. Sailor Moon cat bag from last post. x

So long, January.

The last week of January was work, work, work, and house hunting and inspections (still) all of Saturday. Sunday was meant to be a day off, but the supervisor rostered on was sick, so I worked for her. I'd packed this dress to wear to dinner with boyfie after (Sunday was meant to be our fun date day, so we planned to try to make the most out of the rest of it) but we ended up meeting my parents and going to the movies to see Spotlight (about a team of journalists in Boston in the early 2000s who investigated allegations of Catholic priests having molested children for decades). It's a dramatically eye-opening film, based on true events. Worth a watch if you're interested.

This dress is from Modcloth and reminds me of Madeline. I adore it. Plain black cardigan is from Coco-Latte. Cotton tights are basic. Same Naughty Monkey wedges. The Luna bag is Sailor Moon inspired and available through several online retailers (try kokopieshop). I got this one from a seller on eBay. They'll definitely still be available; it was only a few months ago. It's been my favourite handbag ever since. It has ears! x

Nyan, nyan.

When I was a wee lass, I spent a lot of my time writing fan fiction. I pretty much existed there. It was my favourite place for almost eight years. But then life happened and things got tough for a while and I stopped writing altogether. Didn't touch it for five years. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it was like I couldn't remember how. Anyhow, that five year curse (Once Upon a Time is beginning to severely impact my life) was broken this week. I can't even remember why, but I found some of my old writing, read it, and somehow reconnected with it. I decided to try again, and it all came back so easily. The bicycle riding thing. I can't imagine it'll be any good since I'm so rusty, but I know how I'm going to be spending future rainy days.

Let's talk for a moment about this utterly adorable cat sweater. I found it in a department store near Kenkyu-Gakuen station, one stop over from Tskukuba on the Tx line out of Tokyo. I'm not sure why, but I wear it with these tartan shorts from Dangerfield pretty much every single time. It was probably because they worked together the first time. Tried and true, or whatever. Standard over-the-knee black socks are standard. Same black flats that keep cameo appearing. x

'Straya.

Happy 'Straya Day. As boyfie pointed out, it's cool to have a national day, but they should change the date of it. Right now, we celebrate our national holiday on the day the British colonised New South Wales. Many activists fondly refer to Australia Day as "Invasion Day", which is pretty much true, and which makes it all very uncomfortable considering the majority of the young, educated population of Australia is all for equality in every way. It would be appropriate to change the date of Australia Day. It's not fine to celebrate only one version of Australia's history, especially the one that silences the voices of Australian indigenous and minority groups. Contrary to popular belief, we actually have multiple histories stretching much farther back than the last two hundred years. Perhaps if or when Australia becomes a republic it'll be a thing that happens. Maybe it can replace Sorry Day. I'd be okay with that.

This dress is one of my most faithful. I'm fond of polka dots, in case you hadn't realised yet. It also has a super cute scalloped collar. It was from Coco-Latte about five years ago, and cost me twenty bucks. The brown belt came with something else - I can't remember what. Pink frilled socks are from a sock shop in Harajuku's Takeshita-dori, and the shoes are from a little shoe shop in Fujisawa, when I visited on the way to Kamakura with a Japanese friend who likes basketball and trying new foods. They were both inexpensive. I love oxfords and brogues of all kinds. If I wasn't trying to avoid buying new things, I'd invest in more. Hue hue hue. x

Bibbity bobbity boo.

I'm Minnie Mouse, you know, in case you somehow can't tell. I'm going to spam you with photos today. It's been a good weekend. This was my costume for a Disney themed 21st last night, which was super fun. Everyone dressed as old-school Disney characters - Cruella de Vil, Pocahontas, Jasmine... There were some cool storm troopers too though, and a minion or two. I prefer old Disney movies over new, though, 'cus I grew up with them and nostalgia and stuff. The cake was the Disney castle. I have no idea how anybody could make that - it was unbelievable. It was the coolest idea for a themed party. 

This pinup-style dress was from a dance performance back in 2014. It's from Frock Up! dancewear in Mountain Gate. Chunky heels are London Rebel, and I can't remember where they're from; I've had them that long now. Minnie Mouse ears were five bucks from Disneyland in Tokyo, so it was fun to dig them out and wear them again. Take me baaaack. x

More house hunting.

Training at work continues; houses continue to be inspected. We've got three we're applying for now, so fingers crossed we have some success. It was slightly cooler the past two days, too, which is a blessing. Yesterday it actually rained a little bit. It was a crummy day otherwise, though; I had a scuffle with boyfie, which is never fun. I've been feeling a bit isolated lately, too. Friends seem to be a bit hard to find these days. However, I was visited last night by a friend (who studied law and likes Sailor Moon), which was lovely. We played with Cornflake, had tea and fresh fruit, and watched Center Stage (one of the greatest movies of the 90s, in my opinion). Charlie remains, inexplicably, one of the biggest babes ever.

Another thrown-together outfit to rush to inspections after work in. Same Cotton On jeans that will continue to feature this frequently. Also same Naughty Monkey wedges, again only because they were still lying under the passenger seat of my car. This singlet is super cute though. Those fat daisies are adorable, and the 90s-style cut is fun and flattering. I really like it. It came from one of those affordable Asian fashion shops you find in local shopping centres. Would've been about twenty bucks. Velvet Ray-Bans were a Christmas present from my bro a couple of years ago, and they're one of my most prized possessions. x

House hunting.

It's still hot. But there's too much going on this week to be overly concerned about it being the peak of summer. Today we went to two house inspections. We have three more tomorrow, and four on Thursday. But we're definitely going to apply for one of the ones we saw today, which is extremely exciting. I also started training for my new position today, which was a massive information overload. Fingers crossed it gets easier with time. Tonight I'm going to write a cover letter for our application, and draft a review for Shogun by James Clavell (which I've been trying to conquer since 2014 and finally finished yesterday), and eat frozen yoghurt. I'm also teaching Cornflake to high-five for treats. Big week.

This was definitely a I NEED SOMETHING TO THROW ON AFTER WORK TO WEAR TO INSPECTIONS WITH VERY LITTLE TIME TO GET CHANGED kind of outfit. I actually got changed in my car in the staff car park before I left. The flannel shirt is from Coco Latte and was about ten bucks many years ago. It has served me well. It even travelled to Japan. Black denim jeans again from Cotton On. And I threw my Naughty Monkey wedges in the car yesterday, so that's what I had. x

Always.

Alan Rickman is dead. We do not smile today.

In typical Melbourne fashion, the day after a forty-plus degree scorcher is gloomy, cold and it rains all day. Mini shorts and sweat one day, jeans and shivers the next. Often both in the same day. This knit is MINKPINK. Dusty black distressed skinny jeans are Cotton On. Gloriously outrageous sneakers are Gola from a few years back. See you another day when I'm not in mourning. x

Polka dot, polka dot, polka dot, afro.

I didn't go to the gym. I went for pancakes with boyfie instead. In my gym gear. Because life. I was going to go today after work, but temperatures hit over forty degrees here today, and the weather's turned into a serious Australian bushfire threat, so I struggled through heinous peak hour traffic (winds whipping stones into your windscreen, branches across the roads, traffic lights out at major intersections) then scarfed fish and chips with my parents. Because life.

Not sure about this outfit. I love these shorts, but I've never been able to figure out how to style them. Patterns clash with other patterns, and white is difficult to wear with most other colours. It works with singlets, but I don't like wearing singlets as tops because reasons, so I'm always kind of stuck when it comes to trying to wear them. I pretty much only wore this to go pick up the fish and chips anyway, so it's not like anything important happened in this outfit. Shorts are from a cheap store in Sydney under Central Station, near Sydney Central YHA, and probably cost me twenty bucks, if that. This tee is one of my faves, and came from K-Mart a few years ago. It was ten bucks. I wear it a lot. Baggy, cute, polka dots, etc. Necklace (if you can see it) was from a sale at the Lovisa in Sydney's Victoria Building. It reminds me of the egg Harry wins in the Triwizard Tournament in book four, except mine is silver. And reliable Converse are reliable. Thumbs up. x

Sparkle, sparkle.

I actually cheated and wore this outfit twice in two days, because I like it so much. The first was to a cute girly movie date on Monday night with a friend of mine who likes pink and bunnies. We saw Sisters, and it was quite funny. Tina Fey is bangin'. The second was to brunch this morning with another friend (who likes wining and dining, and cake) from back in my hospitality slave days. We realised today that we've been friends for five years now. Pretty sweet. I also did my hair and my makeup today, which is a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of deal. Feel free to admire it. At some point this afternoon I'm going to try and motivate myself to go to the gym (I've even changed into my active wear to give myself fewer excuses to not go) but we're in the middle of another heatwave, and even though the gym will be air-conditioned, dehydration concerns and such. I really should go though. Grumble.

White shirt is a sleeveless, lace-back piece from Glassons a few years ago. It's a staple in my wardrobe because of its utter versatility, and has been on several international trips with me. Such a faithful shirt. White singlet underneath is a basic from Coco Latte. Cost me four bucks. Checkered three-quarters are from Uniqlo. They're super stretchy and comfy, and cost about twenty bucks. The show-stopper here is the cardigan, which is an Alannah Hill piece. Those cool shell-like patterns are actually tiny individual diamantes, each carefully sewn and reinforced; I've never lost a single one. It was a gift from my mum for my 18th birthday (if you're still pondering my age, there's your first clue), and if you know Alannah Hill at all you'll know these cardigans are not cheap. They're so beautiful though, and so flattering. I will never throw this away. Such a lovely, sparkly present. I adore it. Obviously, as before, same Carla Milani flats. 

Also, this blog hit its 100th view yesterday (!!!), so to everyone who's stopped by, thank you! I hope your day today is wonderful. x

Nein, das ist mein hamburger.

Sometimes I'm not so good at the photo taking thing. Here I am looking mildly out of focus. Let it be known that I never claimed to be a professional photographer. I've had my DSLR for two years and still can't remember how to find the self-timer. I also still use the "flash off" shooting option, because I can't work out how to manually turn the flash off every other shooting option, and most of the time I can't be bothered spending time learning. It's like when I studied German in high school. "She has the skills," my teacher would implore my parents at parent-teacher meetings, "She just never does her homework. She could do so much better." Ah, yes. I can see my headstone now: She lived a life of unfulfilled potential. Schade.

Worked again today. It sucked even more than yesterday. I'm about to bust out season one of Once Upon a Time again, to feed a sudden craving. I finished the Sailor Moon reboot, so I need to find something else to fill the gaping void in my social life. This loose sweater is covered in a tiny bow pattern, and came from New Look in England. It's another trophy from that shopping trip I took to the Metro Centre in Newcastle. Jeans are an ill-fitting boyfriend cut from Just Jeans (aka: I ate too much at Christmas and now need to stop avoiding going to the gym). Pretty standard, probably eighty bucks? They're comfy, reliable, and easy to throw on when one is too lazy to wear anything else. Perfect. Same Carla Milani ballet flats from yesterday. x