Lemon: THE colour of the season

Above

Thurley

YB J’aime by Yeojin Bae

Thurley

Images thanks to Jennifer Estrada

Pretty Peplums at Scanlon & Theodore.
Image thanks to Jennifer Estrada.

Fancy Florals. Accessories by Christine.
Image thanks to Jennifer Estrada.

The amazingness that is Gwendolynne.
Images thanks to Jennifer Estrada.

Thanks to Matt Wise at Wise Jewellery who sent me this gorgeous love ring. I will not remove it from my finger – so in love with it!

Wise have an amazing selection – available in their Sydney store or online (ships worldwide) – Matt is a very talented artist!

Love ring, $40, from Wise Jewellery

Those of you who perhaps haven’t been reading about my life for the entire past three years will probably not realise I haven’t been a city dweller for all of my years. I have in fact only resided in the inner city suburbs for a little over three years and before that I was nearly an hour away, in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne (often referred to by friends and collegues as New Zealand, given it’s distance and my daily commute).

Zonzo Restaurant at Train Trak Winery

One of the benefits of living that far out (okay, maybe the only benefit?) is that its fabulously close to the Yarra Valley and all the delights of the wineries and restaurants and weekender type activities of the hills. 

And while it might take me a little longer to get out there these days, it’s still well worth the drive to visit the kind of places where you one day dream of attending a wedding, to sip wine that has been grown and created (is that what you call wine making?) on the premises and to indulge in far too much amazing food.

Train Trak vines (with a little help from Instagram)

My most recent visit was to Zonzo, a winery and restaurant in Yarra Glen. Nestled among the vines of Train Trak winery, Zonzo offers an Italian experience in the Yarra Valley, serving food on shared tables and enhancing the dining experience with spectacular views of the vines and lawns.

I popped in on a Sunday afternoon and while the temperature outside was particularly chilly, Zonzo had a welcoming feel with open fire and fogged up windows that made it feel homely. We drank Pinot Noir and feasted on gluten free pizza (one of the best bases I’ve been able to try!) and shared salads.  

Train Trak Pinot Noir and Gluten Free Pizza

You can visit Zonzo at 957 Healesville – Yarra Glen Road Yarra Glen 3775, or visit their website http://www.zonzo.com.au to check out what else they do (like weddings, functions, corporate stuff, dinner with the family etc etc). They are open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch, and Friday to Sunday for dinner.

I’m looking forward to heading back in the warmer months to toast with a Sav Blanc and dine outside!

And just to finish – I am totally in love with this picture from their website!! Too cute.

So we know that floral is BIG this season, and I truly wish I could pull off this double floral ensemble, but how about just taking the blazer, or the shorts (and it comes in pants too!) and fitting it into your current wardrobe? Work the blazer with a summer dress, the shorts with a cool white tee or the pants with a black shirt to work. 

You can find these on trend pieces at none other than Tar-jay – yep the red bullseye logo has hit the mark with a capsule collection in collaboration with Grazia. With floral and mint so popular on the catwalks this Spring, Target has both covered, and at a price point that won’t make you pick one or the other.

Grazia for Target is available now. 

It’s no secret that I like heels. Very, very high heels. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me ‘How on Earth do you walk in those?’ I would certainly be able to afford far more shoes, and I wouldn’t have to come back with stupid retorts like ‘I put one foot in front of the other’.

Now I (and most females on Planet Earth) know that walking in heels is not easy. It takes balance, calm and some super calf muscles, not to mention an ability to bear pain like no other (I haven’t felt my feet in years, a la Rachel Green…) but all of these things take time and practice – and i’ve been in training for ten years.

Totally hilarious meme thanks to Pickled Nonsense, who has clearly experienced my pain.

But last Friday saw my very first very nasty Heel Related Injury (HRI). 

After years of listening to my mother and boss and friends warn me about the height of my heels, I finally gave them a reason to worry. I have the bruises to prove it.

Where did it all go so wrong? One minute I was gracefully coming down the stairs, the next I was a shaking mess in a ball on the floor at the bottom – although my first thought (while breathing though the pain) was ‘ohmigod, please don’t let anyone have seen that! And please let my shoes be okay!’

Fashion before function – battle scars

I can only assume I didn’t place my foot entirely on the step and while the heel got traction, the platform front didn’t and I was head over heels headed towards the floor. And I’m not going to lie – it hurt like all get out. The feeling that something was possibly broken, the flood of adrenaline made me want to vomit and the sheer will to not cry in front of a room of 900 women (oh yes, I don’t do these things in halves!). I still get chills.

And so I picked myself up off the floor, cringed while I straightened my legs and slowly made my way across the room to my table. The swelling picked up over the next few hours and by the end of the day it was becoming near impossible to walk. 

Getting back in the saddle – the wedding outfit (Dress by Gary Begeni, Shoes by Tony Bianco)

But as a testament of my dedication to the shoe (and fashion in general), I woke up Saturday morning ready to get back on the horse – I strapped on heels again and carefully applied fake tan to hide the bruises and went off to celebrate the wedding of friends (congrats to Steve and Claire!).

I will say however that I have learnt my lesson and am simply grateful that all my bones came away from the incident in one piece.  

Note to all : PAY VERY CAREFUL ATTENTION WHEN ON STAIRS IN HEELS!! 
(This has been a fashion safety message, bought to you by Sarah’s Style Emporium)

I think I need to add another item to my working from home 101 list. Avoid internet shopping websites at all costs.

This past week has been quite bad. Well, the week was good (sort of, there was a skiing debacle) but in terms of entering my credit card details and pressing submit, I am in all kinds of trouble.

ASOS Fluoro Skinny Waist Belt in Pink, $6.51 (free shipping), from ASOS (now SOLD OUT)

Between MagNation, ASOS and The Iconic (oh, and did I mention I visited Paris 99?), the postman is wearing a path to my front door.

Antipodium Sporting Chance Pullover in Glow, $149 (free shipping) from The Iconic (also available in Grey and Black)

It used to be that facebook and twitter were my daily distractions. Now I spend most of the day on these websites, online shopping has become my ‘tune out’ time – a break to peruse the wares of the world instead of reading about what my friends and industry peeps are up to.

ASOS Boyfriend Watch in Copper, $35.78 (free shipping), from ASOS

And in the same way watching what people were doing on facebook while sitting in an office used to incentivise getting out there and joining in the activity, my inability to take a lunchbreak where I stroll down the street to Zara has spurned a love of delivery to my door shopping (I am totally increasing productivity by not having to find a car park in the city, right?).

Vogue US September Issue, $34.95, from MagNation

So, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few of this weeks parcels.

River Island Zig Zag Textured Skater Dress, $28.46 (free shipping), from ASOS

Bring on Spring. Enjoy.