Perth people, is it just me or is this weather messing with your minds too? The sunny days we had last week had me rushing out to find some cooler (in both senses of the word) clothes My current uniform of fleece zip up tops, mom jeans and hiking shoes just aren’t cutting it out here in in the west. I’m getting points on compassionate grounds due the fact that I’m wearing my ensembles whilst pushing a pram but at the rate Baby SSG’s going, he’ll be walking in the next few months so I’m going to have to pull myself together pretty quick smart.
The clothes I bought in such haste last week were still languishing in their plastic bag several days later.
I’m clutching at straws here but do you reckon that cutting the tags off my purchases and hanging them up will somehow appease the weather gods and get them to let that WA sun shine again? It’s worth a try, we’re halfway through September already and spring is too lovely to waste with soggy days.
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| mydaily.co.uk |
Predictably, my search for style inspiration began (and ended) with Victoria Beckham and outfit she wore at her S/S show at New York Fashion week recently. I’m still a long way off making tailored cropped pants and a crisp button down shirt part of my daily wardrobe but the monochrome theme hasn’t been too hard to recreate for a SAHM’s wardrobe.
I was pleasantly surprised with the current stock at Cotton On. For a while there, I had a horrible thought that perhaps I was getting too old for Cotton On. It’s a feeling that creeps up on you when you find ‘Festival Fashion’ as a sub category on an online clothing retailer’s search function. Fortunately, those of us whose lives don’t involve epic weekends at music festivals are still well catered for with a wide range of separates available in greys, black and white that look more expensive than they are.
I don’t know when I’ll actually get to wear what I’ve bought but in the meantime, here’s a few photos of my spring starter wardrobe (courtesy of cotton on’s retail website).
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| Aida viscose T – 2 for $30 |
I have the Aida T in grey and white. I love the drape and long length. Perfect for wearing with my skinny jeans and Supergas. The viscose fabric also has the added advantage of not needing much (if any) contact with an iron to retain it’s crease free silky look.
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| Collette jersey dress – $24.95. |
What’s not to love about nicely priced Breton stripe? The Collette dress isn’t as short as it appears in the photo above. At least if you’re as tall as I am (five foot sixish). I might have to bypass the beanie though… could look a bit more ‘wharfie’ than ‘Festival’ on me.
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| Ari cardi – $19.95 |
The Ari cardi is pretty light weight. A great trans seasonal cardi that looks fine unironed with a few artful crinkles.
| Cotton On scarf – $5 with any purchase. |
A trip to Cotton On wouldn’t be complete without at least one purchase that pays homage to a fashion house’s iconic pieces. This time, it was a black and white McQueen skull inspired scarf. So all was not lost with my Cotton On haulage. At least I got to wear my scarf yesterday. Is it a Perth thing to accessorise your neckline with a loosely wrapped long, sheer scarf? I’m fitting back in already!
Just when you thought you were safe from more of my fitness preaching….
My outdoor training program has been derailed with the weather these last few days.
But I’ve found something new and fun to do indoors. And it’s not just putting the kettle on the hour for yet another fortifying mug of PG Tips.
Say hello to my kettle bell weights! I bought mine from World Fitness an Australian company with great real person customer service. The kind who answer your emails quickly and get your stuff shipped out to you very efficiently.
At the gym, I was really surprised at just how many exercises you could do with kettle bells. I like how they’re easier to control than dumb bells too. This article may be of interest if you’re thinking about adding some kettle bell work to your own fitness program. I especially liked the bits about increased strength without an increase in mass and the major calorie burning properties of working out with them.
I’ve been following the workout featured in this YouTube video.
The instructor and the model demonstrating the exercises are good fun, give clear instructions and also describe the benefits of each move as the workout progresses. One circuit takes me under 10 minutes and you’re meant to do four reps for a complete training session. The exercises are easy to follow and I really felt that I’d used every major muscle group in my body by the end of it.
Okay. I promise to stop with all the exercise from home propaganda.
Are you a home workout fan? What’s your favourite piece of home gym equipment?