Movie Date.. with a gal pal.

I recently went out for dinner and a movie with a Mum from my Mummy group. It was a rare treat for both of us. Your life definitely becomes consumed by your little one when you become a Mum. Although both my Husband and I have made  a point of ensuring we get some time with each other, but also by ourselves. It is so important to not lose yourself when you have a child. I think many times, women especially, lose their identity a bit. They become 'Mum' , sometimes 'Wife', but forget themselves.  

My friend and I decided to go see a movie, in Gold Class, share a cheese platter and go out for cake and coffee after. We watched the Australian comedy 'Mental' Oh My Word - HILARIOUS! I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you have an affection for quirky Aussie humor  We both cackled and roared our way through the movie. 

Afterwards we gossiped while we enjoyed a coffee and a piece of red velvet cake. Sharing our trials and triumphs as Mothers, Wives and in other aspects of our life. It is a friendship that I certainly cherish. 

Dress - Big W

Jacket - Crossroads

Shoes - Kmart

Necklace - Lovisa

Belt - Came with another dress

I wanted to wear something a bit special, but still a little casual. My skater dress from Biw W was perfect for this. I really love this dress as it is a thick knit but still light enough to wear into the warmer months, with 3/4 sleeves so my arms are covered. The best part about it is hat it can be worn to work, dressed up for going out, and dressed down for the movies.

The denim jacket really helps make the dress more casual. I also really love wearing brown with black. It always seems to lighten it up a bit. I popped on a brown belt, and a pair of brown canvas wedges

The wedges are also a total steal at Kmart for $15. The are really comfortable and fit my wider foot. I bought them in black too, and plan on going back for a red pair first chance I get.

I felt comfortable but still a bit special in the outfit. I must also add, it felt like a real treat to be able to go out with just a small handbag containing a phone, wallet and lippie! Ah, such luxury!

Tell me, do you make sure you take time out for yourself and catch up with a friend? What is your favourite place to go with a gal pal?

Aussie Curves - Picnic!

PICNIC! One of our favourite things to do is go on a picnic. We (The sisters)  love everything about them. The fresh air, the relaxation, the yummy food.

It is funny how things change though. In the past if I thought about what I would wear to a picnic it would almost always involve a pretty dress or skirt. Picnics were for going out with Hubby, eating antipasto, and cuddles. However, now I am a Mum my first thought for picnic is 'will I be able to run after my daughter in it?'. Invariably this often meas picnics involve cropped pants or jeans.

I think most of my pictures lately have featured me in a pair of pants, so this week I thought I would go back to my 'former life' and pick out something feminine. As usual my Sister and I must be on the same wavelength as she turned up in a lovely new dress.

Sister Pear (Janna)

Jacket - Crossroads

Top - Kmart

Skirt - Old Navy (Last season)

Shoes - Diana Ferrari

Necklace and Ring - Lovisa

I really wanted to wear something soft and feminine. However it must be comfortable and easy to chase after my daughter in. That's when I remembered this skirt. It was brought back from Hawaii by Nerida last year as a gift . It is perfect as it is midi skirt (Mid calf length) so it is long enough to be able to bend over and pick up my Daughter and move around it without having to worry about any flashing! It is a really lightweight fabric making it perfect for the hot weather. I also love that it is the type of fabric that doesn;t crush too much but if it does it looks like it is meant to be. This skirt is perfect for my shape as the elastic band can sit at the smallest part of my waist, making my look smaller in the middle. The floral pattern is a large print, so whilst it is colourful and busy on my bottom half (usually a no no for a pear!) it works because the print is large. 

My lacket is the crossroads one that I create a mood board for in this post. I love love love the way the jacket adds a bit of a casual twist to the outfit, and also covers ly arms a bit. I can see this jacket having a very heavy rotation in my closet this spring/summer. 

The necklace and ring I am also a little in love with. I purchased these with a gift card I was given for my birthday. I have been wanting a nice rose gold coloured necklace for a while. I actually love rose gold so much that the engagement ring and wedding band are rose gold. I used to tell my Husband (Then boyfriend) that I was not overly fussy about quality or size of the diamond when he proposed but that it MUST be rose gold. No pressure or anything. You better believe I held the engagement ring up to the light when he proposed just so I could be sure. Ha Ha!

Sister Apple (Nerida)

Dress - Avella Big W

Shoes - Big W

Sunnies - Salvos

Necklace and Ring - Borrowed  from Sister Pear! Ring Equip, Necklace unknown.

This dress looks great in the photos, but it actually looked even better in person. Nerida was very excited about this dress, she has even lay-byd the same dress in green and blue from Big W. She chose this dress as it is a really comfortable jersey strech fabric. It is really lightweight, but still think enough to not be too clingy in the heat. 

The cut of this dress is perfect for Nerida's shape. She had a similar one from Old Navy (also purchased n Hawaii!). This works because it is fairly straight in the body, but then has the tie waist to give it a bit of shape. The dress has short sleeves so it covers the arms a bit without needing a cardi or jacket over the top. The orange band adds a pop of colour to the outfit while also drawing your eyes downwards to the legs. 

The sunnies were a great $2 find at the local Salvos. We went on a bit of a thrift store hunt, which we will share our spoils with you soon. 

The necklace and ring add a bit more colour to the dress. The necklace had some dark orange beads so they actually seemed to match the dress, while the turquoise added a pop of another colour. The ring just tied in with the necklace. These were borrowed from me. Possibly one of the perks to having a sister is that you get to raid their accessories! 

You may notice that our picnic took place in my backyard. We actually took advantage of the nice weather and gathered together the family and had an mpromptu lunch. Who says you have to go out for  picnic? Grab a rug, some goodies and your picnic basket and enjoy a picnic in the backyard! 

Plus, if you have wifi you can grab your laptop/ipad and check out what the other ladies are wearing in the picnic challenge. Go ahead you know you wanna!

Denim Jacket lovin'

I have been on the hunt for a denim jacket. I haven't owned one for a few years, and kind of forgot how versatile they can be. However, as I have been blog hopping a lot of awesome plus sized fashion blogs (mostly courtesy of Aussie Curves) I started seeing some ladies rockin some awesome denim jackets.

What I love most is that the options are endless. A denim jacket can be worn with so many outfits. I tend to wear a lot of cardigans during Spring/ Summer to cover my arms. A denim jacket is a good alternative to this.

I knocked up a Polyvore inspiration board to show how  denim jacket can work so easily with different outfits:

Floral dress / SO CUTE STRIPE MAXI / Skirt / Skirt / Crossroads / Sara Coloured Jeans / SHORT SECRET STRETCH PANT

Pants

A  denim jacket goes perfectly with the current coloured pants trend. You could add a white top and colourful necklace. You could also wear a patterned top, but use the denim jacket to break up the colour a bit.

Classic black pants and denim are also a great match. Take your work pants and make them into a casual outfit just by adding the jacket.

Skirts

I can really see a denim jacket working really well with a striped skirt. You can add a plain coloured top for a bit of colour blocking, or white ant black to keep it simple. Add a chunky necklace for a bit of colour.

Dresses

A denim jacket can be used to tone down a floaty dress. You can take a fancier, floaty dress and add a jacket. The jacket instantly makes the dress seem more casual. I can also see a denim jacket working really well with a maxi dress.

I purchased the crop denim jacket shown in the Polyvore inspiration board. I am thinking it will be perfect for summer. It is lightweight, and short sleeved. It has a bit of stretch as well, so it fits perfectly.

I am still on the quest to find a long sleeved denim jacket. I plan on hitting up the op shops soon to see what I can find.

Tell me, do you have a denim jacket? What is your favourite way to wear it?

- Sister Pear XX