Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wardrobe Diaries: The Schoolboy Blazer












































Confession time, I adore everything about schoolboy blazers, from their fit and fabric to their little gold buttons and accentuated shoulders. Unlike other blazers what's so great about the schoolboy type is how easily they transition from casual wear to business wear. I threw on some fun coloured pumps to break up an otherwise tonal look. Please tell me I'm not the only one who matches my lips to my shoes.

Perfect fit aside, these blazers also take me back to my school years where I was stuck wearing a navy wool Ralph Laurenesque schoolboy blazer (more Harry Potter than Gossip Girl) everyday for the entire 6 years of my secondary education. At the time I couldn't wait to break free of my stuffy uniform. Who knew years later I'd still be wearing the same thing. This leads me to wonder.. will I still be wearing skinny jeans when I'm 80? I'm sure I'll be gaunt and sickly enough to pull them off a la Alexa Chung.



{ zara blazer similar version by j.crew . target tee . bettina liano jeans similar version here . zizi for florsheim pumps now on sale . clutch thanks to boticca . zara brooch . lipcolour violet crush by estee lauder }

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Inspire Me: In light of Sandy

{ image via }








Sometimes I come across an image so compelling it would be a crime not to share. While usually I only ever post photos that I have personally taken, today is an exception to my own rule.

Some of you may have already seen this photo today floating around the internet. As the entire East Coast of America bunkers down in the face of Hurricane Sandy, the Sentinels standing guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery continue on with their task. For them it is not a job but the highest of honors. To the rest of the country it is a message. The Sentinels live by their creed which in part says "Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability". The Tomb of the Unknowns have been guarded continuously 24 hours, 7 days a week since the first guard was posted in 1937. No amount of inclement weather, terrorist attacks or anything else will cause the watch to cease.

While this photo dates back to September 2012, it's important to note that today, right now this very instant the Old Guards are still there manning their post. They have the option of seeking refuge within the Trophy Room which overlooks the tomb but I have a feeling these dedicated men will remain guarding the tombs.

If you have never witnessed this in person, I highly recommend that you do. It is an incredibly sobering experience and will put into perspective all those minor trivial things in life. 

To all those in Sandy's path, stay safe!


Monday, October 29, 2012

Happy 100



Goodness me, 100 posts already? This definitely calls for some bubblies. When I first started blogging a short 6 months ago, never had I thought I'd make it to 100 blog entries. But here I am now still blogging away (and loving it too might I add). Thank you to all my wonderful readers, I am ever grateful for your continued support. Here's a recap of some golden oldies for anyone new to {camo meets couture}. Now about that glass of bubbly...




Sunday, October 28, 2012

Featured: IFB LINKS À LA MODE


A big thank you to IFB for featuring my Fine Feathered Threads outfit (pictured below) in their weekly line up. Here is the original outfit post just in case you've missed it. There are some great reads in this week's line up. Click on to see what the other bloggers are up to.
















LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: OCTOBER 25TH


  Edited by: Jess of Fresh Jess The bloggers are hard at work this season! This week’s roundup goes well beyond your usual outfit posts. What have IFB’s independent designers and stylists been cooking up in their studios lately? What off-the-beaten-path trends have you been exploring lately? Who is inspiring fashionable Halloween costumes this season? Which bloggers and designers are other bloggers fancying in recent weeks? All of these answers and more await you in this week’s Links a la Mode roundup. There are some truly unique and interesting voices being heard this week. Keep it up IFB!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday's Fancies

Before I started blogging I rarely ever took my DSLR out with me. The only times I could justify lugging the heavy black device around was if I were on holiday or at a special event. These days I am rarely ever an arm's reach from my trusty camera. Thus is the beauty of blogging, it has forced me to rethink how I go about my day. I hope you're enjoying my friday's fancies series as much as I enjoy putting them together. Here are some fun snaps from this week. Enjoy!


Wearing breton stripes with red lacquer nails while packing away an entire box of macarons. I should probably take note from the French and practice that whole "eat in moderation" thing they're so well known for. 



I'm not sure if Monsieur Hermes would approve of me using his fine silk scarves to cover my unwashed messy hair. But I'm thankful for beautiful accessories like these that turn any bad hair day into an excuse to wear head scarves. 



Notice how the red light and red clock hands speak to each other? The best part was finding out that the clock was intentionally not working so the hands could remain in the vertical position. It's little details like this that reflect the true character of people and places. 



There's something about walls covered in greenery that I just adore. They remind me of old palace grounds and fairy tales. I especially love how this building is an old warehouse and is as far removed from fairy tales as can be. Little things like this just brightens my day.  



How adorable are these succulents! I think I may have found the perfect Christmas present. These little bag plants are original, unique and oh so lovely. I even feel inspired to try and diy these (which rarely ever happens when there's sewing involved).  



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Inspire Me

















































I did have a fun little recipe post all primped and ready for today when the most amazing thing happened while I was out at lunch. There I was minding my own business walking down the street when I gazed into an unknown boutique window and saw the most beautiful scene. Crouching on the floor was this lovely lady with hair cascading down her black, dressed in all-black with leopard print shoes trimming away at the hem of this beautiful lemon yellow dress. For a moment I stood transfixed, in front of me stood a scene that embodied everything I ever imagined couture tailoring to look like. The tailor ever the bit as chic as the garment she was working on in a setting even Ms Francis Elkins would approve of.

The boutique in question turned out to be Snowball Maison de Couture. A mother and daughter team who dreams up exquisite frocks and hand-made accessories. Now if only I had an event to go to... Click here to visit their e-boutique.


Monday, October 22, 2012

Can't get enough of: Strappy Cap Toe Pumps


Inspired by Garance Dore's 'I Die' series, I thought I'd start featuring my own collection of lovely little things that make life just that much more wonderful.

To kick off this series, say hello to my new cap toe babies. While cap toes pumps are nothing new, it was the double ankle strap detail on this pair that caught my eye. These are made in Italy by Lucchesi, I scooped them up from a little boutique here in Melbourne, Australia. Much searching online has failed to yield anymore insight behind this brand or it's full product line. All I know is, they make fabulous shoes and I want them all!  

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Wardrobe Diaries: Fine Feathered Threads












































In an ideal world this is what I would wear everyday- a fabulous frock, beautiful baubles, towering heels and a cozy knit casually thrown over. My very own rendition of Breakfast At Tiffany's. If there's one thing I took away from that film it's that there are no rules in fashion. Who says you can't wear evening wear to the grocery store or lingerie at the park? I wore this outfit for no particular occasion and that's what I love most about it. Some days you just need a little glamour in your life.




{ wearing: alice + olivia dress also loving this skirt version or splurge on this . j.crew sweater . vince camuto bootie also loving the burgundy version . aliss & ena necklace . boticca clutch c/o . lipcolour blackberry by revlon }


Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday's Fancies

Happy Friday! Hope everyone's been having a wonderful week. Mine has been eventful to say the least. This week I discovered that if your iPhone accidentally ends up in the washing machine it may not necessarily be the end of your world. Mine went through an hour of soak, wash and spin and amazingly came out alive. That's right, you heard me! After a day of charging, my iPhone miraculously came back to life, even my sim card was still operational. Talk about value for money! Here's a look at some of the other less eventful things that went on this week. 


Forget Pinterest, there's so much beauty in the mundane, one just has to open their eyes to see it. I cannot begin to describe how happy I get whenever I come across beautiful little details hidden amongst the everyday. It's little surprises like that, that lifts the human spirit. 



I bought my very first pair of Karen Walker sunnies back in 2004 and ever since then I've had a soft spot for her line. Enter 2012, the latest addition to my KW collection these quirky black, white and fluro yellow cat eye sunnies. When my mum first saw these she thought I was wearing a pair of movie theatre 3D glasses. I guess they're not for everyone. What do you think? 


Isn't everything so much better when it comes in little wooden crates? I came across this adorable vegetable stand at a local farmers market. And even though I wasn't in need of any root vegetables, the allure of the wooden crate was enough to draw me in and empty my pockets.  




This was how we spent last sunday. I think the girls were on that hammock for a good hour. Talk about low maintenance. 



Imagine biting into a delicious fresh baked pain au chocolat, except instead of chocolate you bite into a melted slab of toblerone! My sister introduced me to these delicious little pastries this week and I am hooked! Best part is, they are readily available for purchase at any supermarket. Well, that is unless they're sold out which happens more times than none. 


Thursday, October 18, 2012

Vanilla Scones with Strawberry Cream























Forget the steam engine, the industrial revolution, or heck even the English language. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest Great Britain's greatest contribution to the world will always be their afternoon tea ritual and subsequently all the delicious nibbles associated with it. Okay, so I probably exaggerated a teensy tiny bit but the fact of the matter is, I really really like afternoon tea (and morning tea). There's nothing better than taking some time out in the middle of a busy day to just sit and enjoy a quiet spot of tea with homemade scones.  It's one of my greatest indulgences and a daily ritual I uphold with the utmost importance. It's right up there alongside wearing underwear and brushing my teeth (yes I have a problem).

Now when it comes to the world of scones, they exist in every form imaginable. Savory, sweet, citrus, cheese, raisins, pumpkin, potato, bacon, onion, the list goes on. But my favourite way to have them is the traditional way- plain with clotted cream and jam (strawberry jam that is). This recipe is a slight variation on the basic scone. The use of cream rather than butter results in a scone that still remains soft even when cold (fellow scone aficionados will understand the importance of this statement). I also find by adding fresh strawberries to the usual cream and jam mixture to give the scones a little tartness and a better bite. Try it out next time, you'll see what I mean.




Vanilla Scones
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
4 cups plain flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200C degrees and line tray with baking paper. 
2. Sift flour, sugar and a pinch of salt into large bowl.
3. Combine cream, milk and vanilla extract and add to dry ingredients.
4. Using a flat-bladded knife, slowly 'cut' the mixture together. The key is to combine but not over mix.
5. Roll out the dough onto a clean surface, knead until smooth and flatten to approximately 25mm thickness. Note, kneading too much will result in a tough texture. 
6. Use cookie cutters to cut each scone out and transfer to prepared baking tray. Lightly sprinkle flour over each scone.  
7. Bake for 10 minutes or until scones have risen and are slightly coloured. Cover with a tea towel and leave the scones on the tray for 10 minutes.

* Recipe yields roughly 20 scones 5cm in size. 



Strawberry Cream 

1 handful of fresh strawberries sliced
2 tbsp strawberry jam
2/3 cup of double cream 

1. Spoon strawberry jam into bowl and stir till softened.
2. Add cream to jam mixture and lightly swirl to combine. Do not over mix. 
3. Add sliced strawberries to mixture.
4. Pile onto warm scones, prepare to scoff down the lot. 

* You can substitute fresh whipped cream for double cream. 




Sunday, October 14, 2012

And I'm back!

It's so good to be back. This past week has been the longest break I've taken away from the blog ever since I first started {camo meets couture} some 6 months ago. As entitled as it sounds, living without internet has been excruciating (3g on tiny iPhone screens don't count right?). It's amazing how seamlessly integrated technology is with everyday life. Meanwhile, I've been eagerly counting down these past few days till I get to watch my favourite shows, read my favourite blogs and browse my favourite (online) stores again.As disoriented as I've been, some good has actually come out of being "disconnected". For instance, I've found myself a lot more productive and inspired in the kitchen. I've even finalised a few mock-ups for {camo meets couture} business cards. Although why a blog would need business cards is still beyond me, but hey all the cool kids are doing it. I'm also proud to announce that I've finally made my very first ebay purchase. I may still be an ebay rookie since my sister did all of my bidding but that's not the point. The important thing is that I now have a new pair of Karen Walker sunnies to add to my collection!Here's a peek at some of the new content I've been busy working on during my little involuntary break.   


































{ wearing: j.crew denim jacket . witchery oversized stripe dress . target scarf . j.crew chunky gold bracelet . michael kors pave bangle . nordstrom bangles }

Monday, October 8, 2012

Wardrobe Diaries: The Colour Of Love


When I first put this outfit on I received quite a few stares from my husband and my sister. But I ignored them because I just loved how romantic this outfit looked. I feel like I escaped from a modern day Romeo & Juliet. Perhaps it's the billowy sleeves or the luxurious fabrics or the red and cream paired together. Whatever it is, I just feel like I should be sitting in a quaint cafe furiously scribbling in my sketchbook... or silently strolling by the Seine hand in hand with the love of my life stopping now and then for a stolen kiss... or waltzing my way home to the dim glow of street lamps and clickity-click of my heels... or... or perhaps I've just been watching Midnight In Paris one too many times (curse you Woody Allen!). 







{ katie may wide leg trousers . elie tahari silk blouse . tory burch mini robinson tote similar here and here . target heels }

Friday, October 5, 2012

Life thus far...

I am so overwhelmed by the wonderful response I received from my last post. Thank you so much for all your kind words, they mean more than you can imagine. After all that party planning craziness, this week I took a much needed break away from blogging (and pretty much everything else) to just unwind and relax. Sometimes all you need is a little break from your usual routine to appreciate how wonderful life is.

Having been in Melbourne, Australia for a month now, it's about time I got around to posting photos of my trip. The truth is, having grown up here I sometimes forget that I am on vacation. Before I left I had all sorts of plans for places to visit and things to eat. But in reality, once I had settled the girls into their new home away from home, a routine began to emerge and pretty soon life became mundane and I forgot I was on vacation. It's been almost five weeks since I first got here and I have yet to skim the surface of my vacation to-do list. Luckily for me there's still plenty of time. For now, here's some snippets from life here thus far.





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