Elizabeth June 26th, 2010
How cute are these made-to-order iPhone/iPod cases? They’re made by Etsy shop owner EvelynX, who seems to have a thing for owls like I do.
This little guy is my favourite…
EvelynX also makes cute little owl plushies, and screenprinted moleskine journal covers. Find more at her Etsy shop.
(Come on, payday – I have cute things in my etsy cart!)
Elizabeth May 29th, 2010
I just saw this beautiful little mobile over at Tipsy Society, and wanted to share it with the rest of the world. Isn’t it the sweetest?
Handmade bird mobile, by aet2002
Nobody freak out, I’m not in baby mode. My plan is still to adopt 16-year-olds (so that they’re old enough to clean the pool) and then buy them a tent when they’re 19.
I know, I know. I’m going to be such an excellent parent some day! At least their rooms will be full of awesome etsy finds…
Elizabeth March 16th, 2010
I’ve just discovered these beautiful handmade books by Natalie Stopka, and didn’t think it was fair to keep them to myself. I love all the work that goes into this style of binding, and wish I had the skill and patience to do it myself!
Natalie is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, and makes beautiful sketchbooks and journals using vintage handkerchiefs, fabric and embroidery stitching. No two books are ever the same, and she also welcomes custom orders on her Etsy shop Natalie As Is. I was surprised to find that her prices are very reasonable.
Photographs of her works-in-progress can also be found at her flickr site.
And, as further proof that the Universe distributes talent unequitably, she just happens to be a beautiful portrait artist as well.
I would love to own one of her beautiful books, and be able to fill it with sketches like these!
You can see more of Natalie’s work at her portfolio site, www.nataliestopka.com.
Thanks to Paper Crave for this discovery!
Elizabeth November 14th, 2009
Leona Edmiston – Photo by Josh Evans
I spent a fantastic morning in the city today, dress shopping with a good friend. Our workmate had told us – in fairly evangelical terms – about the great sale that Leona Edmiston was having this weekend, and how amazed we would be with her dresses. So much so that she insisted that I try on the three dresses she had with her at work that day, just so that I could see for myself!
She wasn’t kidding. There’s something about the cut of these dresses that just works. Forgiving in all the right ways, yet completely unapologetic for flaunting curves and boobs. And even better? Leona Edmiston has her own sizing, which doesn’t correspond directly to traditional clothes sizes. It takes your mind off the size tag and forces you to concentrate on the fit of the dress instead.
I hadn’t really expected to spend a great deal more money after last week’s purchases, but I quickly discovered that this was an opportunity too good to pass up! It’s been such a long time since I’ve walked into a dress shop and been presented with so many options that just fit. With the sale ending tomorrow, I knew I had to pick up a few things while I could.
So here’s what I chose:
Shona Shirtdress
Perfect prim and proper in this retro-inspired cotton Shirt dress. This dress features 50′s inspired detailing such as self covered buttons, cuffed sleeves and a nipped in waist that creates a subtle vintage silhouette.
Bridgette Button
I’ll be the first to admit that this dress doesn’t look all that special in the picture, but of the three dresses I bought, this one really stands out!
This Leona jersey dress is a bold daywear piece with plenty of cool-girl sass. This dress has short sleeves with button cuff, scoop neckline and button waistline making this a perfect piece to introduce to your summer wardrobe.
Joan
I bought this dress in “petrol”, which is the colour that Leona wears in the top picture.
This effortlessly stylish dress will become your fail safe choice for any work day or occasion. With a flattering A line skirt, ¾ sleeves and super flattering cut this dress will instantly update your dress collection.
And this next dress came very close to joining the others!
You will create Perfect Park Avenue chic in this Leona dress. The sweetheart neckline and nipped-in waist with self tie are super-flattering. This dress also features an A line skirt, capped sleeves and a concealed back zip for easy wear.
Anyone who knows me well will probably be surprised at some of my choices, because I tend to choose “safer” colours and styles. I’m really excited to have bought some pieces that are bright, girly and summery – my Melbourne black-staple wardrobe was starting to look a bit emo!
The Leona Edmiston sale continues online until tomorrow, so get in quick to get 30% off. However, I strongly recommend heading into one of their stores, or to David Jones, to try on their gear if you haven’t worn it before.
Today taught me the importance of a perfectly fitted dress!
Elizabeth October 26th, 2009
Dear Santa,
I thought I’d start putting together my list early this year, since I didn’t get that pony I asked for last Christmas.
Love,
Elizabeth
Imagine a Rubik’s Cube that actually makes you smarter; an Erector Set that never stops erecting; a Hula Hoop you don’t look ridiculous playing with; Silly Putty that isn’t silly; cram it all in a jar, turn the fun up to 11, and you’ve got BuckyBalls!
Each set contains 216 powerful rare earth magnets that can be shaped, molded, torn apart and snapped together in UNLIMITED WAYS. Make sculptures, puzzles, patterns, shapes, stick stuff to the fridge, invent a new game—trying to find something more useful is useless.
Something tells me that these would be awesome to keep on my desk at work, especially during those long phonecalls to the IT helpdesk!
Elizabeth September 30th, 2009
I love this beautiful wall calendar, by vanhoosedesign at Etsy. I especially think it would be terrific for marking off the days that I go for a run, due to the great linear layout.
I was all set to buy it for myself when I realised that the colour scheme is totally aimed at the Northern hemisphere. I’m sure it’s not that big a deal, but now that I’ve noticed all the warm colours in the middle of the year I think it would bug me every time I looked at it!
Maybe I should think of it as a reminder to turn the heater on in Winter, and the aircon in Summer? Sure, that’ll do!
Thanks to Nicole Hill Gerulat for sharing.
Elizabeth September 28th, 2009
The other day I wrote about the 30 presents I bought for Tim’s birthday this year, and that I found most of his presents online. A bunch of my coworkers were amazed that I knew where to find some of that stuff, and some were even a bit shocked that I was comfortable using my credit card online to pay for it.
It made me realise how much online shopping has transformed the way I shop, and how many people are yet to embrace this modern-day advancement!
Some of my favourite US-based stores still don’t deliver to Australia (are you listening, Urban Outfitters? Anthropologie?), and others charge far too much to ship here (American Eagle, I’m looking RIGHT at you).
This post focuses on Australian and NZ online stores. Later on I’ll write about the many US stores who have taken the time to calculate the true cost of shipping to Australia.
Here it is – enjoy!
#1: FISHPOND – Books, music, movies and games
Fishpond.com.au is Australia’s answer to Amazon, providing an enormous range of books, music, movies and games to the Australasian region at the best possible price. Fishpond guarantees that its prices are lower than Amazon’s, and as they are based in NZ they don’t have to charge GST. How good is that?
#2: PETER’S OF KENSINGTON – Homewares, Cookware, Glassware, Collectables (etc)
Peter’s of Kensington is a Sydney institution, and in 2000 they launched the online branch of their store. I’ve bought a mountain of great stuff from Peter’s – everything from my coffee machine, to my Global knives and my incredible Jamie Oliver Tefal frypan. I’ve spent a lot of money there, but the savings are so massive that it’s all been worth it.They stock major brands, making it easy to “window shop” at a physical store if you ever want to see the item before purchasing it, and shipping is lightening fast and very inexpensive.
(Plus, I actually look forward to my weekly email full of specials!)
#3: COLES ONLINE – Groceries
You might be surprised to see a grocery store on my list, but Coles Online is the reason that I was able to survive in Melbourne without a car for as long as I did. I’ve never been good at buying a carry-bag of groceries every few days, preferring to do one major shop every couple of weeks, and discovering Coles was the answer to all my prayers.Now that I have a car, Coles is no longer my supermarket of choice. However, there is no denying that they do online groceries better than anybody else in the market right now. I’m sure that shopping this way helped me to save money too, as it was simple to sort items by unit price and identify which brand was the best value. Better still, they regularly throw in a bag of sample products – one week it was three cartons of rice milk, another time it was a couple of big bags of dog food.
#4: BISCOTE – Womens clothing
Biscote is a store that I have purchased from many, many times. I find their range of clothing to be really inconsistent, and much of it doesn’t interest me, but I’ve found it to be really good for basics.You can’t argue with their prices, or the reasonable shipping costs, and that’s what brings me back time after time. I’ve bought a couple of great winter coats for under $30, and several marino wool knits for work that are Country Road quality (at a fraction of the price). I only wish that they would update their range more regularly, as about half of the items in their store were there 18 months ago when I first discovered it!
Their returns policy is fantastic, shipping is as fast as it gets, and I’ve found the customer service to be impeccable. Just take your time and pick through their offerings, and you’ll find some terrific gear. Their Hawthorn store feels more like an office, but it is worth dropping in there for more bargains if you live in Melbourne.
#5: RED BALLOON DAYS – Experiences, gifts
Red Balloon Days is a place you want to know about, if you want to find a gift that’s out of the ordinary. They specialise in “experiences” like hot air ballooning, rally car driving, spa packages and getaways. They also have an interesting range of gift boxes.It’s always best to compare their prices with other sites like Wishlist.com.au
That’s Noice is another great resource for Aussies, as they regularly review websites and products that cater to the Australian market.
What’s your secret Aussie shopping obsession? Give me your tips!
| Completed: 73/101 | |||||||||
Keep track as I complete my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge (commencing Jan 1st, 2008).
