Happy

Today, I want to share an idea that has had a big impact on my happiness and quality of life. I've seen this concept mentioned by others many times in the context of exercise or time management or work/life balance, and it is probably not new to you, but it's value has only become apparent to me since I started implementing it. Here it is: You need to schedule the things that are important to you into your life, just like you do with work. Exercise: put it in your diary. Time with the family: put it in your diary. Friendships: yep, write it down. I have started doing this and it has made me so happy. I now have dinner with my kids and their partners once a month. I meet my BFF every fortnight. I catch up with my Uni girlfriends monthly. All those relationships are important to me, but it was not until I started scheduling time for them that they got the space in my life that truly reflected their value.

                                                            Coat:Veronika Maine
                                                            T-shirt:Sportscraft
                                                            Jeans: Jag
                                                            Boots: Wittner
This week, I went out for dinner at Bourbon Street with my Uni posse. I have always wanted to visit New Orleans so it was fun to have a little taste of it and try things like beignets, which I had only ever  read about, especially since there was also a live jazz band playing. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the temperature: it was cold and windy and I realised that I needed to move "winter coat" to the top of my shopping list.

This is what I ended up with. I had originally been keen to get a colourful coat, but the shape of this is so beautiful that I decided I would go with black and use a scarf to add colour. I have realised that scarf collars and wide lapels are the perfect shape over a flat chest. They provide volume and warmth as well as some visual interest, and they prevent the rest of the coat from looking too straight. I have seen this in moto-style leather jackets too,  and although that look is a bit too casual and hard-edge for my style, I do admire the look on others. I also like the way that the asymmetrical closure allows the coat to be zipped right up to my chin. That will come in very handy in August, when the cold winds really bite.

The other coat I contemplated was an A-line swing-style coat. That also worked well on a straight body, but in the the end the wide lapels, extra length and multiple styling options of this coat won me over. I am having a dinner date with my husband tonight, so I am looking forward to being toasty warm as I enjoy spending time with him.
Do you have any life hacks that have made you much happier?

Happy by Pharrell Williams

Mother and Child Reunion

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers who read this! My mother lives interstate, so we were not able to spend the day together. However, I did get to spend time with my own children. My sons are a source of great joy and pride for me and I always enjoy the time we have together immensely. They have both grown into such interesting, thoughtful and funny men, and I am so pleased to see them happy, settled in relationships with beautiful young women and making their own way in their lives. We have a meal together every month. The boys bring their girlfriends and my husband and I get to catch up on all the news and plans and happenings. This weekend we went to Moga, a Japanese restaurant and had a wonderful meal and a fun time catching up.

                                                             T-shirt:Veronika Maine
                                                             Jeans:Country Road
                                                             Crop:ScanlonTheodore
                                                             Boots: Wittner
This is what I wore to our lunch. None of these items are new, but I have not worn them together before. The jeans and long-sleeved T are both items I had in my closet before my surgery and you have seen the crop before in my summer outfits from this year. I find myself almost always wearing neutrals these days, so wearing a combination of three different colours was quite a departure but one that I felt good in!

As you can see, this is really a variation of the uniform I posted last week, but with a crop in place of a blazer. I love the bright pop of colour the crop provides: I struggle with the cold and dark of winter and wearing a warm and happy colour helps me feel a bit better about the season. I'm hoping that a bit of bright colour and some lipstick will be enough to carry me through the dark months. That, and my lovely boys!
How did you celebrate Mother's Day?

Mother and Child Reunion by Paul Simon

Women In Uniform

The idea of having a "uniform", a set formula that is worn every day with the only variations being in colour or fabric, is one that I have been reading articles about for a couple of years now. I can see a lot of advantages to this way of dressing: it would take the guesswork and indecision out of getting dressed in the morning, shopping would be simplified  and it would make wardrobe capsules about a million times easier to create. The concerns that prevented me from developing my own uniform have been the fear of forgoing the creative aspect of fashion that I enjoy so much and also not finding a combination of items that I loved and felt comfortable enough in to wear every day. I think that may be about to change.

                                                                 T-shirt: Cue
                                                                 Jeans:Uniqlo
                                                                 Cardigan:ScanlonTheodore
                                                                Booties:Wittner
I realised recently that when I am choosing warm, comfortable outfits to wear at home, I seem to invariably gravitate towards  a long-sleeved T-shirt, either in wool or cotton. I love the coziness and ease of these tops, but I really don't like how I look in them.

Then I put this new crepe knit cardigan over the top, and I felt instantly fabulous! The thickness and drape covers my chest, the shoulder pads add structure and the tie waist and angled hem provide the femininity that I missed when I wore jeans and a T-shirt on their own. I have worn booties here, but I also like this outfit with tall boots worn over the pants for the days when it is cold and wet.

I have 5 pairs of skinny pants in various fabrications, colours and patterns, so I have been experimenting with the skinny pant/long-sleeved T-shirt/cardigan or jacket/boots formula today and have been pretty happy with a lot of the combinations. I was a bit concerned that this uniform would only work with this cardigan, as it is such a beautiful shape, but to my surprise I have had some success with several of the jackets in my closet. The key seems to be a strong shoulder, good chest coverage and some element of waist definition. I am looking forward to experimenting more with clothes in my wardrobe that will slot into this formula and I am excited about finding a version of a uniform that I feel good in. Do you have a uniform? How did you come to choose it?

Women In Uniform by Skyhooks