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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!