MORE tough love

So I am clearly on some sort of stud roll at the moment, because after acquiring aformentioned stud belt I also came to own the most gorgeous silver stud cuff and a lovely hardware-adorned dress (birthday present from Mum so might not count as Stuff That I Bought, but I did choose it plus, hey, it's my blog).

I bought this gorgeous Samantha Wills cuff from one of my favourite stores for jewellery, Mushu on Crown St. Pricey, but the kind of thing you rationalise with a cost per wear ratio and the knowledge it may someday be a family heirloom (a little dramatic, but I had to convince Boyfriend it was worth the outlay). My wrists are the only part of me that are truly skinny, so I jam that sucker up my forearm and admire it every morning on the bus trip to work. It comes off as soon as I get there because it just bashes against the desk and gets in the way, but I love the half an hour I get to spend with it to and from work every day.

Price: $75

From: Mushu on Crown St, but also available at Samantha Wills online store

Why you need it: Because it is pretty. Why else do you buy jewellery?

Picture credit: Samantha Wills website

So not only did I get the gorgeous cuff, but I also got a really cute dress for my birthday. You know when you walk into a store, see something and just know instantly that it will be yours. Before I had even gotten to the change room I was picturing where I would be wearing it, what bags and shoes it would be teamed with and would I be able to wear my stud cuff or belt with my stud dress (the answer is no...one stud piece per outfit).

Don't Ask Amanda do some really lovely, functional, and very wearable pieces and they are my brand of choice whenever I venture into a General Pants store. Not only that, they are affordable and good quality too, which should always be important factors when making wardrobe purchases. I'm not going to lecture, but you should have a good balance of quality basics, investment pieces and cheaper trends. Do I sound like a fashion magazine? I have probably just read too many of them. It is my job after all.

What was I saying? Oh right; dress. Isn't it lovely? It has had a few spins around the block already and does the trick nicely. Thanks Mum!

Price: $99.95

From: General Pants

Why you need it: Everyone needs an LBD and this puts a quirky spin on a basic silhouette.

Picture credit: General pants website

Tough love

Did you know Supre in the city were closing down? The big one in the Gowings building? Well, they were but now they aren't. Fascinating.

So I went down there the other week to grab some basics at a bargain price (side note: not so bargain-y). I normally only wear Old Navy tanks, but the Supre ones are alright for layering, so why not, eh? Plus their leggings are fine for the gym. Anyway, whilst perusing the wares I came across the belt! Yes! Back story: there is a girl who works on my level with exceptional dress sense. For many weeks she was accessorising her cute skirts and ballet flat outfits with a very cool studded belt that has an unusual clasp. Where did she get that awesome belt? I would often ask myself, probably from ebay or somewhere exotic like NYC. Nope. Turns out it was Supre. Darn her! So now I am torn between "aha! I know your secret" and "I am part of your cool inner sanctum accessorising from Supre as well". It's a fine balancing act.

I wear mine spun around so that the clasp is at the back and it's all studs all the time across the front. Business at the back, party at the front. I bet no one else has ever thought of something so original.

Price: $18. Seriously!
From: Supre
Why you need it: For total studded awesomeness. Toughen up a floral skirt of LBD.

picture credit: supre.com.au

Wine? Wi-not (see what I did there...)

So I have decided to dust off the old blog and give her a second chance at life. Why have I just made my blog female? I'm sure it could work as a male too? Actually, maybe not. Female it is. So what has been going on? You know...a bit of this, a bit of that, some travelling and a whole lot of shopping (I'm doing my bit for the economy). But it isn't all splashing cash and being frivolous. Times are tight and it's important to be able to find bargains whilst still spoiling ourselves. The bargains are there to be had if you know where to look. And here is my example: To celebrate our 4 year anniversary, Boyfriend and I wanted to get away for a weekend for some "quality time". Not exactly sure what constitutes quality time, but any excuse to get out of Sydney is fine by me.

So I logged on to www.lastminute.com.au, picked my destination of choice (the Hunter Valley) and landed the most amazing accomodation for half the regular price. We were fortunate enough to snag a room at The Vintage. We had a great apartment with full bathroom (huge bath), 2 TVs, full kitchen, BBQ and great view. My only complaint? Dodgy pillows (perhaps if I had taken my own; see previous post). But that can totally be overlooked. Apart from an excellent apartment, we did the usual round of wineries and a couple of decent meals. In bullet points for ease of consumption...

Excellent: Margan Restaurant in Broke. Recommend for lunch. Simply amazing food. I cannot rave enough about their lunchtime tasting plates. We shared gnocchi and some beautiful fish as well as salad and their own wine. Perfect.

Also excellent: Scarborough Winery (see picture). My absolute favourite winery in the Hunter. They do a glorious tasting where you sit at one of their tables overlooking the valley (kangaroos optional) and they set your placemat with the 9 different wines they are sampling that day. You go through each one by one and enjoy the complimentary cheese and crackers. I am utterly in love with their Botrytis Semillon.

Not so excellent: Mojo's on Wilderness. A terribly overrated and overpriced restaurant. The food was good but way too expensive for what it was, and the wine was almost 3 times the cellar door price for a bottle - there's markup and there is highway robbery.

All in all an amazing weekend away. Next time you're going to the Hunter, pop into Scarborough and grab me a bottle of Botrytis please. Thanks.

Price: from $291 for The Vintage

From: lastminute.com.au

Why you need it: to get out of Sydney for the weekend, enjoy some wine and relaaaaax