Be Inspired.

When pretty floral dresses are seen with pixie ankle boots and when mini skirts are worn with doc martens combat boots, you know times have changed and new age has come. What was deemed impossible, is now possible. What was seen as inappropriate, is actually now regarded as trendy.

Therefore, whoever said 6" platform pumps "has" to be worn with a pretty dress?

Here's my outfit inspiration for the day - what I would wear if I was a rich celebrity (Vic Beckham's style) on my day off going to meet the girls for lunch/day out and was spotted by the paparazzi.
Beautiful classic chic with some colour blocking accessories!

Top L-R: Charlotte Olympia pumps, Alexander Wang white shirt, Tiffany and co. ATLAS watch
Bottom L-R: Mulberry Alexa bag in green, Claudia Lobao Goldtone Druzy and Wood ring, Alexander Wang cropped boyfriend's jeans

Sigh. One can only wish....

Baby, let's ride

Last week the boyfriend and I went for a drive to local beach area, it was a beautiful sunny winter day (albeit extremely windy)! Love long drives <3

Masterchefs : Cooking Challenge

Okay, ignore the title. Masterchefs? Nowhere near, in fact, let's rename it to "cooking enthusiasts". I give us an A+ for effort however, lots of area to improve on. First and foremost, buy the right ingredients.

I would consider my household to be traditional Vietnamese, that is, my kitchen has no "western" utensils. Be sure to find plenty of chopsticks and woks etc in the kitchen however, a teaspoon, measuring cup and so forth are still myths and legends and we have a long way to go before I can start experimenting with recipes. Thus, I am extremely glad a few girl friends and I are occasionally holding these random (albeit fun) "cooking day" whereby we select certain recipes and attempt to replicate them. Today was our second cook off and I would proudly say it was a success :)

On the Menu:
1. Pea and Prosciutto soup (with sourdough bread on the side)
2. Dukkah-crusted salmon (served with asparagus and garlic rice)
3. Apple Strudel
4. Macaroons

The soup and salmon recipes are courtesy of Good Taste Magazine (Woolworths) and the apple strudel's recipe is from www.taste.com.au

Here are some images from today's cook off:

The grocery shopping - $110 roughly all up

Masterchef Kat preparing the soup - stirring the leek and prosciutto

Masterchef Ayie preparing the macaroons

The salmon (fillet) after crusted with the dukkah and ready to go into the oven

Blending the peas + ingredients for the soup

The apple mixture (caster sugar, granny smith apples, cinnamon) for the strudel

Masterchef Charmy preparing the pastry for the strudel (breadcrumb and olive oil spray)

Steaming the asparagus

The final product of the soup and salmon :)

The apple strudel with vanilla ice cream (icing sugar on top)

run away with me

Women, fortunately are born into the world with no fashion limitations and boundaries. Although our predecessors would disagree and persist that women are not supposed to dress like men, fashion these days pushes these preconceptions as we see the likes of Tom Ford designing women tailored suits, Chanel casting aside their traditional classic chic image and edging towards a more masculine look in their recent Fall RTW 2011 collection and so on.

Thus, I am very grateful for the creation of loafers for women - why not ditch those uncomfortable heels, the worn-to-death ballet flats and opt for a pair of loafers? They would go well with any occasion, wear it with a pair of jeans, summer shorts, leggings, skirts, vintage dresses etc etc - you get the point.

I am personally in dire need of a pair of loafers and currently tossing between a pair of Tod's or Bally.

Salvatore Ferragamo

Louis Vuitton

Miu Miu

Tod's

Tod's

Tony Burch

Monkey Magic

Located on the bustling, busy Crown Street of Surry Hills lies Monkey Magic, a modern Asian fusion restaurant. Perhaps the name is derived from the popular Asian TV Series "Monkey Magic" due to the combination of "popular" Asian dishes from around the continent.

From the set menu I had last night $55 per person:
1. AMUSE BOUCHE  - no picture, it was the size of a typical sauce bowl and has a rather tangy/ spicy flavour, hard to digest as it was a tad too salty. I guess it's hard to add "Asian" flavours to something traditionally French.
2. EDAMAME - this should have been given as a complimentary dish rather than part of the set menu
3. CUTTLEFISH CAKE - presentation reminds me of a typical salt and pepper squid dish rather than "cuttle fish"? I think the chef is a little confused as it was clearly calamari I was eating and not cuttle fish.
4. SUSHI AND SASHIMI - Average, sushi train quality dishes
5. RICE PAPER ROLL - It's hard to replicate such a famous, well-loved Vietnamese dish - rice paper rolls should be authentic and traditional otherwise it's risky attempting to change the concept. 
6. Choice of main, I chose the slow-cooked pork belly - Average presentation and tasting. 


I guess overall the experience was okay, what the food lacked, the ambience of the lofty design and yummy cocktails made up for it. What I enjoyed most was some of the commentary in the drinks menu under each of the cocktails description - a lot of sarcasm and humour. 

Sass & Bide Black rats leggings, Dolce and Gabbana Miss Sicily Lambskin bag, Asos tan pumps, Fur Scarf

influencing you.

Exciting times ahead for me, however, there will also be plenty of sacrifices and life-changing decisions.

First change, I will be relocating closer to the city and whilst my poor mother is trying to figure out how on earth she is going to fit everything in the (possibly) smaller property, I on the other hand is day dreaming about my perfect future home....and wardrobe.

I like the space and chairs more than the actual layout of this wardrobe. Mine will be a lot more crammed and the I will ensure every inch of the room is exhausted.

Exquisite modern design of the bedroom, I love the fact that the bed appears low but still sitting on a platform.

Contradicting my love for modern interior design, I love Moroccan-inspired interior designs.

The dining room - I tend to lean towards the French/ Victorian renaissance classic design.

Constant Cravings

This week's constant cravings reflects my current disposition, the cold winter nights and the stay-in-my-snuggy-all-day gloomy weather.

Fashion Cravings:

Acne Pistol blue ankle boots - amazing!!! I am currently loving my new tan suede River Island ankle boots however, would love to add this to my collection. 

Alexander McQueen Military Coat

Chloe Sally Bag - okay, not so much the design but I love the mustard colour, will brighten up any dull day

Food Cravings:

Warm apple and cherry strudel - perfect winter dessert, I endeavour to replicate the recipe I found for this on Taste

Laksa - a winner on any rainy, cold day. I personally prefer just the plain tofu laksa with several spoonfuls of chilli sambal sauce mmmmmm

On Trend : White

White is often regarded as a  hard choice of colour to pull off as there are factors such as:
1. "Should I go for the sheer-peekaboo-underwear look"
2. "I Need to find the right underwear to go with these white shorts"
3. "arghhhh where is my nude bra?"

These are constant dilemmas I find myself facing when opting to wear white - errr is my dress see-through? Should I be wearing a thong? How about seamless underwear?

My questions are answered as I look at the following images and embrace the current winter trend of white - really should be thanking the Middleton sisters for this, thanks Cate and Pippa! I am absolutely LOVING this current trend!!! Here are some of my favourite "white" looks from Fall RTW 2011 (because it's currently winter in Australia so this season would be more fitting).
 

Alexander McQueen

Stella McCartney

Stella McCartney

The Row

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent

Oscar de la Renta

Witchery White Shirt Campaign
Witchery and Madison Magazine are also teaming up to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) in an attempt to raise awareness on the serious issue of Ovarian Cancer.
Witchery is holding a "white shirt campaign" whereby if you purchase a white shirt in Witchery, 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the white shirts will go directly to the OCRF.

Learn more about the course and how you can help here:
http://www.witchery.com.au/2011-witchery-white-shirt-campaign/w1/i6017638/