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Chokers and neck ties have been so extremely popular this season. Whether it was the thick velvet band around the neck or the thin leather strap wrapped around twice and tied at the front both have been very prominent for street style. The good part about this trend is that its not limited to the warmer months and no doubt I will be continuing it into winter as well. Instead of spending your money on an expensive pre-made version in store why not make your own. All you need is a thin (or thick depending on which look), piece of velvet ribbon which you can easily find at your local craft store. Just measure around your neck to get the perfect length and trim on an angle so that it doesn’t fray. Either pin it at the back for a tight look or tie it in a bow below your hair. Simple!

Off the shoulder tops are flattering on all body shapes and luckily there is a huge variety out there. ITs such an easy to wear trend and definitely adds a little something extra to your casual looks. This is definitely a trend that we will be able to carry on through Winter with so many long sleeve and knit options available. Try some of these street styling options when looking for ideas:

Vintage band tees are back with a vengeance. This is an easy trend to get into because not only are a bunch of stores selling them at the moment but you can also find some bargains at op shops, market stalls and maybe even your parents wardrobe. Not only are they easy to source but they are also easy and comfortable to wear. You can wear them with basically anything. Dress them up with skinny jeans and a pair of black heels, or down with a pair of cut offs and sneakers.

This season has had some major 70s vibes going on. From flare pants to over the knee boots it seems that the 70s are back so why not play it up a little. Flare jeans are great to pair with a cute little flowy crop or even an off the shoulder style. Even pinafores (like this Cord Pinfore from Glassons) or button up A-line skirts in Denim, Mustard and Burgundy with a floral patterned tie up top or even something with a bell sleeve. The great thing about a lot of these styles is you can definitely carry it on into the winter. When putting together an outfit don't be afraid to mix colours and patterns, try mixing something you wouldn't usually and it might surprise you what comes from it.  

Fringe and Tassels are very popular at the moment which is very fitting for the 70s vibes. Its easy to find a piece you can basically find fringe on anything at the moment including bags, shoes, keychains, necklaces (even dresses and skirts) Its definitely worth investing in a piece to carry through all of the seasons this year. And of course I cant forget to mention lace up heels. In both the over the knee style and some of the more simple shorter looks. Although they look like a lot of work (especially if you saw the three people lacing up Kendall Jenner's for the MTV movie awards) there are always little cheats out there. For example there are much easier ways to go about it. For example a lot of the high street options have zips on the back. Its definitely a style worth checking out. (Flat options also available)

Flippin' my blonde hair back.

When I was younger I had the lightest and thinnest blonde hair but unfortunately as I grew older my hair started to get darker and ridiculously thick. After going to a heap of different hair dressers and having some terrible hair cuts I finally found solace in one of my old friends who had become a hairdresser. I am one of those people who really like to change their hair colour often, depending on my mood or whats trendy at the time.

I had been thinking about going blonde for a while but wasn't confident in how it would look and how healthy my hair would be. After months of deliberation I decided to finally take the plunge. Going into the process I knew it was going to take a long time but what I didn't realise was that it would also be a painful process. I chose to go for a scalp bleach instead of foils because its much easier to apply and because of the thickness of my hair it would take so much longer. Six tingly hours later it was done! I went and got a full scalp bleach three times before reaching optimum hair colour and am so happy with the final results.

Even after the lengthy process and products used I still found my hair was still very thick and healthy. The blonde bob is definitely my favourite out of all the colours and cuts that I have had over the years. In contrast with my dark eyebrows its definitely something that I didn't think I was going to be able to pull off but I am so glad that it has worked out. I am always excited to experiment because I have such thick hair I know that it will always grow back.

Here are some of my other experimentations over the years:

and of course the final result of my blonde expedition:

'John Wayne ain't got nothing on my fringe game'

Or in this case Fringe and Pompom game. I literally cant even deal. Some may say that my collection is actually getting out of control but I disagree. As far as I am aware there is no such thing as too much fringe in your wardrobe. Even as I sit here writing this post I find myself trawling the internet for new suede fringe bags and accidentally bought one - see River Island black fringe tote below. (It was on sale, how could I not?) One of my first ever online purchases was a black double layer fringe bag that I got off Ebay for something like $18 dollars. I hadn't really shopped online before and was so excited when I received this goody in the mail. It was such a classic timeless piece to add to my wardrobe and even now they are still selling similar styles at places like H&M. Definitely a highlight of my fringing career. 

River Island Aztec Fringe Tote

River Island Black Fringe Tote

Although when I originally bought that bag I was definitely going through a very grunge 90s faze I still think fringe can be worn in a classy way throughout most fashion genres. The River Island Aztec print tote is my absolute favourite bag to date. A grunge carpet bag with suede fringe and studs, what more could you possibly ask for. There is something about a huge bag that you can just throw comfortably over your shoulder that is a big winner.

I love a bit of DIY because a lot of the time when shopping I often see some earrings and accessories with tassels and pompoms and I think 'I could make that myself'. You will definitely save yourself some money as well. For example, I was watching a crafty christmas special on pay TV just before christmas last year and the lady was using this magical thing called a pom pom maker. Often when I think of making pom-poms (and yes I think of this often) it always looks like so much effort and time involved for a quite unpredictable outcome. So of course after seeing this I jumped online in a frantic search for them. It seems that they are not sold in Australia and I had to order them from a site in the UK. And guess what. They have finally arrived and are just about the greatest things ever.

I don't think my obsession for Fringe and Pompoms is going to end anytime soon. So for now I will just keep learning little tricks as to how to create my own unique pieces (like these earrings below) and hopefully share them with you in the weeks to come! 

Lets get ill, that's the deal.

Anyone that knows my brother and I know that we like to have a great time with all of our friends. Whether its throwing parties or just going out, it is always going to involve lots of dancing and laughs. Even though I know all my friends complain about having to do shots when they are with me, deep down they are actually having a great time laughing at my brother and I. For this post I thought I would share some of our party planning basics that have lead to some really great nights such as my 21st Birthday and New Years Eve Party. 

Number One - Always, always, always have a good selection of food. I often hear people saying when organising a party 'Oh we don't need much food, people don't really eat when they are drinking'. WRONG... people just don't THINK about eating when they are drinking. If the food is there it is definitely going to be eaten. I don't know one person who isn't excited about food when they are drinking. I often find when i'm getting ready to go to a party I forget to eat dinner. Usually because we are always in such a rush getting dressed and ready to go. We all know that drinking on an empty stomach ends badly for everyone. Start the menu with some cheese, dips and crackers. From there we like to do some hot food including cheerios, nuggets, meatballs, spanakopitas (a spinach and cheese pastry that will blow your mind) and our newest addition - the pizza scroll. For all recipes and food related tips you will have to ask my mum, she has all the secrets. The Elliott rule of thumb for catering a party is that when you start to think you've got enough food your only halfway there. 

Next -its time for some tunes. Finding the perfect balance in a playlist for a party is something that i know most people struggle with. Now i'm not claiming to be a genius on the music front, in fact far from it. But if I do know anything its that my brother can throw together a killer playlist. A great mixture of modern and classic party tunes with a bit of s-club thrown on top to really get the party started. When playing music at a party you really want to try and get the perfect balance with the volume. You want it quiet enough so that you can hear the people next to you talking but loud enough that you can recognise the killer tune and bust out some harmonies if you feel its the right moment (4 or 5 drinks in usually). Whatever music you do decide on just make sure you think about the people you are inviting and what sort of atmosphere you are hoping to create. If your looking for a playlist to help you get started with your own here is a link to my brother, Alexander's, party playlist on Spotify. (It's constantly changing and updating) https://open.spotify.com/user/gunwalloe300/playlist/5GFts9cWPY2aOT1DW9maVp 

And last but not least, when inviting people, depending on the occasion, we like to keep the invitation relatively open. Especially in the case of our New Years Eve party because we often find that people have no plans until the day of and the more the merrier. We started by inviting our core group of friends and from there they were able to invite some people to come as well. This was great because it brought some new people to the party which opens up so many more opportunities for conversations and to get to know different people.  It will often become boring if you are always going to the same parties with the same people all the time and knowing that because your closest friends invited them that they can take care of them if they become a crazy drunk is just an added bonus.

Final piece of advice, don't spend the whole night stressing about everyone else. Enjoy yourself, eat lots, drink lots and dance until you cant dance anymore. You aren't embarrassing anyone but yourself if you stand in the corner and don't get out there and enjoy it. I know I always do!

Family Christmas!

Christmas is my favourite time of the year. The decorations, food, shopping, presents, food, family, carols and food. I mean what is there possibly to complain about. The past couple of years I have worked in retail and I know what you are thinking, here comes her rant about annoying customers doing their christmas shopping but to be completely honest I think it just makes me love Christmas even more. Talking to people and hearing about their christmas traditions and seeing the gifts they buy just makes me get into the Christmas spirit. Christmas Day is always the best day of the year for me. There is nothing more perfect then spending the day eating, drinking, relaxing and celebrating with your Family and sometimes even friends. So this year I thought I would share our celebrations with you.

It always starts in the morning with Mum in the kitchen cooking up a breakfast feast while my brother and I put on some classic Christmas Carols and dance around the house singing loudly. Sometimes we will try out a new Christmas album but we usually stick to the old faithful Hi-5 Christmas one. (Say what you will it is positively brilliant) The tree is dressed and the house is beautifully decorated - and by decorated I mean tinsel everywhere you could possibly put it (my dad taught me well). My grandparents arrive and this year a good friend of mine is joining as well.

Time for Presents! I take on the role of Santa and I start handing out the presents. Mum will always be the last one opening presents because she gets too distracted watching to see what everyone else got. Thats one of my favourite things about her. My brother will always receive something lego related, for Mum there is always a cookbook and me, well it's usually fashion related. Then its time to get the roast in the oven and start prepping for the rest of the food. Christmas for me would not possibly be the same without my mums cooking. I know you are going to think I am bias but ask anyone who has eaten some of her magnificent food. It truly is delicious. Even though its Summer for Christmas we always cook a big roast including pork, turkey and all the vegetables. (Ham too!!) After dinner we are all in a food coma and all thats left is to roll to the couches and relax. There is no better way to end the day then in front of the TV with my whole family watching Love Actually.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Heartless Beach

My family and I have been going on a beach holiday every year for about fifteen years and I thought to myself its finally time I came clean about my true feelings about the beach. (and basically just do a lot of whinging and moaning) But the truth is... I really don't like the beach. I mean don't get me wrong I love the water and the sun but you know what also has those? A lovely pool! Here are a few of my issues with the beach:

First of all: Sand - It just gets everywhere. No matter how much I try while laying out my towel I always end up with huge piles of sand all over it. I sit down in the middle of my towel next thing I know I have sand all over my arms. When did that happen. I didn't even touch the sand. Oh my gosh now there is sand on my face. WHY WONT YOU LEAVE ME ALONE SAND! Don't even get me started on ridiculous people who don't know towel shaking etiquette.

Secondly: The Ocean - Unknown things rubbing up against me under the waters surface. Seaweed, branches, shells, leaves, jellyfish, fish, rocks, SHARKS!! And then the irrational fear of after getting out into the deeper water and then not being able to put my feet down because I don't know what is on the sea floor below me. I was floating the other day in the salty water enjoying the tiniest bit of serenity when I put my feet down to walk back to the shore and all of a sudden my foot hits a sharp rock on the ocean floor. SUPRISE! (because we all know how much salt water burns in a fresh graze)

Thirdly: People - What goes through peoples minds when they choose what swimmers to wear to the beach, I think people definitely forget about their body types and just wear whatever they want. I don't want to be a bitch but lets be real, some people just should not wear bikinis! Especially when there are so many other things they could be wearing that suited them better. In Australia it is certainly not hard to find a good selection of swimwear. There are also plenty of styles to try this summer including but not limited to one pieces, swim dresses and high waisted bikinis. Separates are an easy way to purchase that way if you find the perfect pair of black bottoms your set for the whole summer to mix match any top you find. Showing more skin by wearing a skimpy bikini doesn't make you the sexiest person on the beach.

One thing that I do love about the beach is the amount of pretty things you can buy. For Example, you need outfits to wear over your swimmers when you head to the beach or are hanging poolside. My favourite this summer is a super cute Zebra print jumpsuit I got from H&M. Perfect to throw on over your swimmers and super comfortable. Beach towels are also very pretty at the moment with lots of new and different styles around. I got a round Aztec print towel for my birthday while my mum opted for an orange Turkish towel this summer. I mean nothing can really be that horrible if you are wearing a cute outfit.

Im going to leave you with one piece of advice that my dad always shared with me. When swimming in the ocean always make sure there are a few people further out then you. That way when the shark eats all of them he wont be hungry by the time he gets to you!!

Birthday Balmain

One of the hardest fashion decisions you will ever have to face is picking the perfect birthday party outfit, especially for someone like me who tends to overdress for most occasions anyway. It definitely had to be something show stopping whilst also being unique and never seen before. I tried on a whole heap of dresses and skirts in the process. Dont get me wrong they were all beautiful and elegant outfits but nothing like what I had in mind. When I expressed this dissapointment to my family my mum offered up the brilliant advice of maybe changing it up by wearing pants instead. Pants?  PANTS! Thats it! So brilliant. Not often when you think cocktail attire do you think a classy pant look. And I knew from that moment that I going to be a classic black wide leg pant.

After doing some research I found that the Balmain Collection for H&M was coming to Australia on November 5th. The collection was incredible! Such beautiful detail and amazing quality for such affordable prices. I knew this is what I wanted to wear. I lined up at six am on Thursday with my bestfriend/housemate, who was definitely not as excited as I was, to see if we could get the top I had been dreaming of. Usually i'm quite morally against lining up for anything but after seeing the collection online and loving this designer for a while now I thought that if im going to line up for anything this would be it. I grabbed some dresses to try on after realising the top I wanted had already sold out and we went into the changing rooms. It quickly started to become apparent that these dresses were not going to fit over my booty and so my friend went off to see if any of the girls in the change rooms had the top. Due to her snooping and absolute pure luck she found the last one in a size 14 being tried on by a size 8. She finally gave up and handed it over and all my Balmain dreams had come true. This also became my first ever designer piece.

When searching for the perfect outfit it is often hard to keep a clear picture of what you want. Don't settle for something laclustre and dont forget to check out online stores as well as local retailers and boutiques. Often you will find something different or even another idea to add to the list. Don't be afraid to try something different. Im not usually a pants person but this outfit suited the occasion so perfectly. Its okay to step out of your comfort zone and match two different pieces together. Don't feel like you have to spend hundreds of dollars. You can always rewear something that you already own mixed with a new item.