Leopard & Stripes

My two favourite patterns are leopard and stripes, so in my book when worn together it's double happiness. I reach for these Zara leopard print trousers more than any pair I own and they seem to go with anything and everything (my partner may not agree with me here, but I think that's just a boy thing).

Forever 21 Top | Zara Trousers | Madewell Heels | J.Crew Necklace | Mulberry Bag | Ray-Ban Sunglasses

Splurge vs Steal: Watermelon Clutch

In summer, I hate carrying a heavy bag so favour a clutch to hold my phone, wallet, keys, lippy and the like. I’ve got all the neutrals and blacks covered so this season I’m after something fun and these quirky watermelon clutches are just the thing. My budget doesn’t stretch to the Charlotte Olympia version, particularly for something fun and faddy, so this Chip Chop! one is perfect.

Charlotte Olympia vs Chip Chop! 

Fish Tacos

I love tacos and usually just do the standard mince variety at home but when out I always go for fish so last weekend I thought I'd try my hand at fish. I used panko breadcrumbs as I find these make a lighter crispier coating. If you can't find panko in your supermarket (try the international section) you can use regular breadcrumbs. These were seriously so good I made them the next night too!

For the fish:

1/2 cup flour 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and pepper, to season

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups panko bread crumb

500g firm white fish fillets (ling, blue-eye), cut into strips

Oil, to shallow-fry

10 Tortillas

Cabbage, finely sliced

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 chillies, finely sliced

Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

200g sour cream 

2 limes

Hot sauce (Cholula or Tabasco)

Combine flour and spices in a shallow bowl or plate and season with salt and pepper. Place eggs in a separate bowl and panko crumbs on a separate plate. Dip the fish pieces first in the flour, then the egg and finally coat with the crumb. Repeat with all pieces and chill for 15 minutes.

Toss cabbage, spring onion and half the chilli in a bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, the juice of one lime and a dash of hot sauce.

Pre-heat oven to to 150°C.  Heat oil in a frypan and fry the fish in batches until golden. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining fish. 

Enclose tortillas in foil and warm in the oven as you cook the final batch of fish.

Top tortillas with fish, cabbage, sour cream and hot sauce. Serve with lime wedges, extra chilli and coriander.

Leopard + Peplum

Leopard print has always been (and continues to be), one of my favourite prints. Like stripes and polka dots, it always makes me happy. I could never have a blah or boring day when I wear these pants.

ASOS Peplum Top | Zara Leopard Print Trousers | Madewell Heels | J.Crew Necklace | Unbranded Clutch

Easy Twisty Bun

It's been a little while since I've done a hair tutorial. I snapped this just before I cut may hair a couple of weeks ago but will endeavour to do some mid-length hair tutorials in the coming weeks.  To do this style, you need 2 hair elastics and bobby pins. As usual, I find this works on day or 2 old hair. Freshly washed hair will be too flyaway.

STEP 1 Section your hair in half and tie each section into high pigtails toward the back of your head.

STEP 2 Separate a pigtail in two pieces. Twist each piece in opposite directions and then twist the two pieces together (you can do a plait if you find this step too tricky or have fine or freshly washed hair). Secure at the end with a bobby bin or elastic while you repeat on the other side.

STEP 3 Shows your two twisted ponytails before you twist them together

STEP 4 Remove your bobby pins or elastic from the end of each pigtail. Then wrap your pigtails together and secure with bobby pins. Once you have your hair pinned securely, use your fingers to slightly loosen the twists for a look that's a little more undone. Spray with hairspray to hold.

Confetti Dress

I wore this to a show last week while the weather was a little warmer. I don't tend to wear a lot of black as I feel it's very ageing when worn close to my face, but I loved the little 'confetti' print on this too much to pass it up.

On another note, loving that Sons of Anarchy and Boardwalk Empire are back on TV. I always find Boardwalk a little slower to get into but Sons left me more shocked (disturbed) than normal - the school shooting, the Marshal doing that weird naked dancing in the mirror after shooting up and Jax landing in bed with that old madame. I'm not sure where it can all go from here? It's also at a point where I spend more time looking into my hands asking 'can I look now?' than watching the screen!

Also, I've only just realised that GFC is still working on blogger (I'm such a novice). I shut mine down but it's back on the sidebar if you wish to follow via blogger.

Alpha 60 Dress | Madewell Heels | Balenciaga Bag 

Overnight Oats

I have been making these no-cook overnight oats for years. They're a great breakfast standby as you make them the night before and they keep a couple of days covered in the fridge. You can eat as is or add fruit and nuts to the top. This quantity serves two so you may want to double it if you want to have it for a few days.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup yoghurt (I use vanilla for sweetness)
2 tablespoons of sultanas
1/2 - 1 cup of milk (or enough to just cover the oats)

Mix the oats, yoghurt and sultanas in a bowl. Add enough milk to cover the oats slightly. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with your favourite fruits and/or nuts.

Aqua Skirt

The start of this week saw some really warm weather which meant I could ditch the tights and bare my legs.  Sadly the sunshine only lasted a couple of days but it gave me a taste of things to come. This vintage aqua skirt was a steal on etsy and is a firm favourite which I can't believe hasn't appeared on the blog before now. I buy a fair bit on etsy as I'm partial to a vintage dress but one of my recent purchases from the US has gone missing in the post. Devastated as it contains a vintage YSL pencil skirt which I'm hoping fits as nice as this one. It's been just over a month since it was shipped, so here's hoping it finally arrives this week. Has anyone else had a parcel go missing that eventually turned up? Also, must mention that my hair looks extremely blonde in this photo - it must be the light as it doesn't look this peroxide in person.

Vintage Skirt | Zara Tank | Banana Republic Cardigan | Urban Outfitters Heels | Mulberry Bag 

Hello Spring

Ah, September! Such a lovely month as we start feeling the promise of summer and long sunny days. We've been spoilt in Melbourne the last few days with temps already hitting 26 degrees, so I've added the following to my ever-growing most wanted shopping list for Spring/Summer...

1 Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray - In summer I put away the curling iron (although this will be hard this year given my Movida obsession) and simply spray a little salt spray through freshly washed hair and let it air dry. I use a number of sprays to get texture but this one is my fave. A cheaper alternative is Fudge Salt Spray.

2 J.Crew Crystal Wildflowers Necklace - Wildflowers are perfect for springtime and it just wouldn't be a wishlist without a J.Crew crystal necklace.  

3 Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - I don't wear a lot of make-up, particularly in summer, but a dusting of this shimmery highlighter on the tops of cheekbones and temples looks lovely on tanned skin.

4 Ray-Ban Sunglasses - Timeless and tortoise shell sunglasses - I won't be able to keep them off my face.

5 Zimmermann Stardust Sunray Playsuit - Perfect for throwing on over your bikini or dressed up at night with some heels and a clutch.

6 Essie Watermelon Nail Polish - A refreshing raspberry red perfect for fingernails and toes.

7 Zimmermann Celestial Frill Bikini -  Loving the cut and floral print of this skimpy little number.

8 Sambag Leather Sandals - Can't go past a pair of tan sandals - they go with almost everything in your wardrobe.