Aussie Curves - Sequins

Top - Made by Mum!
Skirt - Target Moda
Sandals - Target
Headband- Diva
Clutch - Secondhand

I nearly did not participate this week as I really don't have a lot of sequins in my wardrobe. I am not keen on them on clothing as I generally don't want to have a lot of hand wash only items in my wardrobe, and sequins are very delicate.

However, as I was getting dressed this morning I spied my headband with sequins. I realised that you don't have to wear a whole dress made with sequins, you just need to be inspired by them in some way. I find sometimes if you like a trend, but don't want to go all out, just having a little accessory can be a great nod to a style without wearing it head to toe.I also added a glomesh handbag, which I figured added to the sequin look.

I really love the print and colours of my top. After I purchased a similar top at Supre my Mum and I looked at the simple cut and decided we could easily make it ourselves. The benefit of doing it ourselves was that it could be made a little smaller, so the top wasn't quite as baggy.

My Mum has made me 3 tops, but in different prints. They are really beautiful. I am hoping that I will get wear out of them through winter too. I can see them layered up with a long knit top underneath and a blazer or jacket on top, or just a scarf.

I wore this outfit to Yum Cha with my Sister and her partner. He had never tried Yum Cha so we decided we must introduce him to the joys of this Asian cuisine. I find it is best not to wear anything too restrictive and tight when going for a marathon Yum Cha session. What I love best about Yum Cha is that you get lots of little dishes, so you can try different tastes and textures. We usually go at 11am, having it as a brunch. My favourites are Pork Buns, Asian greens with Oyster Sauce, and Pork Sui Mai. We also love the desserts, with Hubby and I sharing Mango Pancakes and Mango pudding at the end.

I am pleased to say my Sister's Boyfriend really enjoyed the food too!

What is your favourite cuisine to eat, and what are you 'Must Try' dishes for the uninitiated?

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Aussie Curves - Boho

I have not been sharing many blog posts lately. I have had a cranky Little Man to tend to. At 3 months old he seems to be teething. My placid chilled out boy had turning into a grizzly bear that chews madly on his fist.

He also takes great objection to being put down. SIGH...

I spent all of last week cooped up in the house as I did not want to spend money and it is so time consuming to go out now days. Finally I decided I needed to get out of the house so I arranged to pop down to the shops for a coffee with my Sister.

It was nice to put something on that was not just lounge pants. No foundation though, as my skin was looking rather good, so I just chucked on mascara,blush,  undereye concealer and some gloss. 

Jeans & Boots - Autograph
White Shirt- Kmart Alexia
Knitted vest - Target
Necklace & Bracelets - Very old! I *think* Diva & Equip

The weather has suddenly turned miserable and I am having to think about what on earth I am going to wear during winter. This outfit was one I was rather pleased with and it may get a few outings if this weather keeps up. To me boho means shades of browns, chunky knits, leather and beaded necklaces. It can also mean fun, colourful fabrics, but for today I kept it very simple.

I have been learning how to braid so I experimented with this lovely braided hairdo. I was rather pleased, but sadly it loosened up as I was shopping and fell out. More practicing is needed I think. I have been putting my Daughter's hair in braids. We have always had a huge amount of trouble getting her to let me do her hair,with Abbie preferring to channel her own inner boho, and let her curly hair be wild and free. Until, that is, my Mum had a stroke of genius. She told her that when her hair wasn't done she looked like the trolls in Frozen, but when it was done she looked like Queen Elsa (Abbie's favourite character). Sure enough, she thought on this for a moment, then came to be with a brush and a hair tie. Since then she has happily had her hair braided each day so she can be like a Queen.

I confess, I sometimes worry bout the messages I send my daughter regarding beauty. I don't want her to think beauty requires make up or clothing. Yet, I also want her to look nice when we go out. It is a dilema at times, however I think in this instance I am relieved she now lets me brush her hair and get dressed without an argument.

What does Boho look like to you?

One Pot Sausage Pasta

I was recently on the lookout for a meal that I could make with my dwindling supplies in Fridge/Freezer/Pantry. I have discussed before how I try to stretch out my grocery shopping when possible. I had sausages in the freezer, but no bread or bread rolls for a sausage sizzle. I also had some spinach from my garden that needed using as it was going to bolt.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and realised that with some tweaking it would work.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Heaped teaspoon  garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

6 Sausages

2 cups chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup milk

2 cups Macaroni Pasta

2 cups chopped spinach

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup cheese (Parmesan or Tasty - I used both)

In a pot heat olive oil and add sausages to the pan to cook (I cut mine up while raw, however you could also precook the sausages whole then slice) once half cooked add the onion and garlic. Cook until sausages are browned and onion partially cooked. 

Add in stock, milk, canned tomatoes and pasta. Stir well and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue to cook for a further 10 - 12 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom.

In the last few minutes add in the veggies, stir well and put lid back on for the last few minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve.

Voila! A super simple, one pot meal. I can see this meal being one you can easily adapt. Swap sausage for chicken (You may lose some flavour so add some herbs), Use whatever veggies you have on hand (Frozen pea/carrot corn or whatever is wilting int he bottom of the crisper) and use whatever pasta you have. 

Aussie Curves - Double Take

I was eagerly awaiting this week's theme because I had the perfect 'double take' in mind. Anyone on the Aussie Curves Facebook page will recall my excitement at finding a great bodycon dress at Supre. I have already worn the dress with a Kaftan in the last Aussie Curves challenge. However the dress had so much more potential, so I decided to show how I plan in making the most out of a simple, black bodycon.

In fact, this is more than a double take, Six - take!

Dress - Supre

My excitement in finding the body con was that I knew I had several tops that I wear in limited ways because It didn't always look good with other items. I knew I was going to be able to extend the wearability of items in my wardrobe with this one item. On it's own? This one is not really wearable. It is too thin and clingy, but worn as a base for other wearable pieces? Perfect!

Top - Moda (Target)
Shoes - Target
Necklace - Millers

Peplum - City Chic
Necklace - Lovisa

Kaftan - Virtu
Belt - Kmart

Tunic - Belle Chemise

Skirt - Autograph
Jacket - Crossroads

Maxi - Millers

So how is that for one versatile dress? This id definately a wardrobe staple, so go hunting for a great body con black dress and start experimenting!

Check out how the other curvettes are styling their items

Berry and Lemon Sangria

New Years just isn't quite the same once you have children.

We have found the last few years New Years has been very low key, often spent at home with a plate of antipasto, and a quick kiss before we head to bed at midnight. In fact, most times we snooze before midnight and only wake just in time to watch some fireworks on T.V.

This year, we went to my Brother In Law's place, which is only one block away from our home. This meant we were able to load the kids up into the pram and walk over. This also meant we both could indulge in a few drinks, providing we could still walk (stagger) home later on.

I decided to make some Sangria to share with everyone. I had a look through my cupboards and came up with a berry and lemon flavoured Sangria. I have learnt that the main elements of a Sangria just needs to be wine, juice, soda and fruit. Sometimes it also has some brandy or Cointreau added. I had plenty of red wine in our cupboard. We are not bit wine drinkers, and only really drink very sweet wine such as Moscato. However, we are often given bottles of red wine as gifts. Which means I have a cupboard full of red wine that we will never drink. So making a Sangria was going to be a useful way of using up some of that wine. I also had a homemade jar of Lemoncello. I fell in love with that sweet liqueur while in Italy, and I discovered it was very easy to make! I decided to replace Brandy with my Lemoncello, and use a bottle of Apple Blackcurrant juice I had in the cupboard. Then I just added lemonade, frozen berries and lemon slices, and my Sangria was ready! Yummo!

1 bottle Red Wine
1 1/2 bottle Apple Blackcurrent Juice
1/2 cup Lemoncello
1 bottle Lemonade
1 Cup Frozen Berries
1 Lemon, Thinly Sliced

All the drinks into your punchbowl/Jug/Drink dispenser and give a stir to mix.
Add in the berries and sliced lemon
Chill
Serve poured over Ice with some of the fruit

If using a beverage dispenser you could have some chopped fruit in a bowl next to the Sangria, so people can add some fruit to their drink. Alternatively, you could also freeze some fruit into ice cubes and have that on the side.

- Our Hydrangea and Apple Themed Garden Wedding The Ceremony and Reception

In my last post I shared the finer details of our wedding. In this post I am sharing pictues of our ceremony and reception. I'm going to let most of the pictures do the talking ;)

One secret feature to my dress was that I had fabric from my my Nanna's wedding dress added to the inner lining of my dress. It was a surprise, and she was so delighted on the day when I showed it to her.

So that's it

Aussie Curves - Breaking the Rules

Rules are made to be broken, right?

 I was unsure at first which rule to break, because as I have participated in Aussie Curves most of the 'rules' I used to have i've already broken. I now happily wear sleeveless tops, I purchased my first pair of shorts just before Christmas, I wear whatever colour and pattern combination I like, and I think we have well and truly shown that plus size ladies CAN wear stripes.

 So, what rule do I have left to break? For myself it is more about self imposed rules, especially what shops NOT to shop in. One shop I avoid shopping in is Supre. After all, we all know it's only for skinny girls right?

Dress (Worn underneath) - Supre
Kaftan Top - Supre
Sandals - Target
Bangles - Diva/Lovia/Equip
Belt - Kmart
Earrings - Upcycled from an old necklace

Wrong!

I have been hunting for a while for a tight, bodycon black dress. I had the idea that it could be a very versatile item, as it could be worn as a slip, as a skirt, and just generally be layered up to create different looks.

I had popped into Supre because I had seen some amazing Kimono shrugs there, and knew they would fit me. I was correct, and I picked up a very generous shrug in a XS. While I was in there I spotted some stretchy dresses. I decided to take a gamble and try one on.

Sure enough, it fit. The dress is VERY clingy, and I would not actually wear it as a dress because it is too tight on my tummy. However, it does work as a great slip that smoothes me out nicely.

I tried on a flowy kaftan top with it and that also looked really good.

So for the first time in YEARS I walked out of Supre with a few purchases.

I wore this outfit to a friends 30th at a hotel pub on in the Northern Beaches. I knew it would be the perfect mix of summery, casual and comfortable. I used the belt to cinch the kaftan in a bit to give me a bit more shape. Instead of putting it over the top, I actually ran the belt through the inside of the top, and bought it out through the extra wide sleeves to cinch it in. It meat the top was still flowy at the back, but gave me definition at the front.

I am very excited about the dress. I have already tried it on with several other items in my wardrobe and can see it becoming a bit of a wardrobe staple. My only complaint would be that I find it moves up when walking, so it sits just above my knee. All tight, straight skirts do this to me though, so it is not too big of a deal.

I will be featuring this dress in next week's theme of ' Double Take' so stay tuned! I have quite a few ideas of ways i'd like to style the dress and can't wait to share them with you.

Rules are made to be broken, what 'rule have you broken lately? Check out the 'rules' the other AC ladies are breaking this week. Rebellious bunch we are!