Right now I am sitting at my desk at work, tears and mascara are streaming from my right eye and I can barely read what I am typing. My contact lens has scratched my eye and blinking hurts, looking anywhere but straight hurts and the constant rubbing and dabbing at tears has created a raw red right eye next to my well groomed left one.

I truly can’t stand wearing my glasses, I’ve talked about my dislike for the blasted things on this blog before, but its days like this when I feel like I might give up the contacts in favour of the frames due to the sheer agony of just being able to see (sort of, everything is a bit blurry at the moment).

My dodgy eyesight was diagnosed when I was about 15. My first glasses were just for reading the blackboard and I carted the glasses case around with me all day, while they were still a novelty, and wore them often. They were Mambo and I thought they were very cool. Silver frames, straight back arms instead of the traditional curved over the ears and best of all, I could read the board! And then a friend told me how I looked like the female version of a guy in our class who had similar glasses and all of a sudden, I didn’t want to wear them at all anymore. (Note: this was right after I had blonde foils put in my hair for the first time and she told me she thought they looked grey. We are totally besties now though.)

 My eyesight continued to fail me but I refused to wear the glasses, until there came a time when I got my learners permit and the thought of causing some kind of horrible accident just because I thought I looked like a boy seemed rather silly. My dependency on artificial eyesight began. The more I wore the glasses, the more I needed them. Soon I was wearing them to watch TV, at the footy, school, driving, just being able to see my family across the dinner table. 

 Then a miracle occurred. Contact lenses. At just 16, I procured my first set, a vivid memory of being taught by the optometrist assistant as to how to use them the ‘right’ way. She violently cut all the nails on my right hand, showed me the most awkward manner to hold your left arm above your head to lift your eyelid while inserting the lens with the right hand, pointer finger and emphasised the ‘rules’ of contact lens wear. Did you know that contact lenses have an ‘inside out’?

In the past ten years, contact lenses have been my favourite fashion accessory. When I get up in the morning, can’t read the alarm clock and reach for my frames, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror – all bedhair and thick black frames – and can’t help but think that glasses just don’t suit me. This is contrary to all the people who tell me how much they think I look fab in glasses, although considering they only come out once or twice a year I am sure it’s more a novelty than anything else.

Over the years, I have gone through lots of frames – plastic burgundy ones and slimline black ones to today’s thick black ‘creative-esque’ type ones. I’m still yet to find a pair that I would be happy to wear every day, so until that day comes, I’ll continue with the contacts, painful or otherwise, simply because I just can’t do glasses all the time.  Or maybe one day I’ll be able to afford laser surgery. In the meantime though, I might just have to get used to things looking a little blurry.

Image One: Albert Maysles by Barton Perreirra Reader Glasses – 1.5 Sail Red $350.00 at Barneys New York
Image Two: INITIUM – Black plastic and metal optical-lens glasses $234.00 by Initium Eyewear at farfetch.com
Image Three:Clear Round Glasses $30.00 at Topshop

Bloom Cosmetics Warehouse Sale
Friday 4 (12 – 5pm) and Saturday 5 (9 – 5pm) June
Bloom Head Office – Upstairs     
15-21 Cotter Street, Richmond Victoria
Note: Cash Only        

As you have probably read, Saturday night was an early one for me but after such a brilliant Friday night, I couldn’t help but be just a little grateful. Friday nights for me used to be an hour train ride out to the suburbs followed by a DVD and a bottle of wine with my housemate; always a fitting end to a working week; but since I moved to the city, Friday nights have taken on a life of their own.

The after work activities in the city are endless and with so many places to visit, wine and dine, I couldn’t think of anywhere I could rather be on a Friday night. This month seems to be especially pleasing as the weather has a brisk feel but still allows outdoor dining in any of Melbourne’s fabulous laneways.

Our Friday night started at the Red Violin, on Bourke Street. You may recall I have been before and thoroughly enjoyed it. This time was no exception. Two of the most divine cocktails later, named for The Red Violin and a wonderful combination of Chambord, Absolut Vanilla, Midori and Malibu Rum shaken with cranberry, pineapple and lychee liquour, we settled into our night with that unique buzz that comes from drinks with friends at the end of the week.

We snaked our way back down Bourke Street to Melbourne’s GPO building for the opening of Twitchett and Tonge, a new retail store in the shopping precinct. The knitwear label, developed in 2006, is located on level one of the GPO and as we headed up the escalator the music and laughter could be heard. There was definitely a party on and the store was so busy with friends, friends of friends, media and VIPs, I didn’t even get a chance to look at the clothes! But there was champagne and there was cheese so who am I to argue? I’ll visit again this week because what I saw had me intrigued and I do love a good knit!

Heading back out to the streets, we ended up in Hardware Lane, a foodie strip for Melburnians and visitors alike. A favourite haunt is the Aloi Na Thai restaurant where we sat in the street (not literally, we had a table) under the heaters and chatted and laughed for the following hours until it seemed like a good idea to head home (or risk actually being in the street).

Visit Twitchett and Tonge at Melbourne’s GPO to see gorgeous pieces from the current season or buy online from the entire range (Chloe Dress, now $229)

It’s Saturday night. About 9.30pm. I’m all dressed up – make up like I should be on TV, hair in curls, a dress, tights, the works.

And I just got home.

Yes, home. From my night out. As in, I got ready at 5pm, went to the function and now I am home. Lot’s of people won’t see anything wrong with this. Lot’s will actually think this is a really good night out with the added bonus of being home and in bed at a reasonable hour. For me though, not so much.

Tonight’s event was a 30th birthday for a close friend’s husband. They have children, their friends have children, and a BBQ at home was a lovely way to celebrate his birthday. It was a great night, we laughed and chatted with friends of friends, enjoyed some fabulous homemade cakes and salads (not together) and were able to have a drink and still get home in one piece. If I am honest, its really quite nice to be able to take off the heels at such an early hour and sit on the couch (Hitch just started) wrapped in a blanket.
 

While reminiscing with my girlfriends tonight, I began to think about when we were 16 and could sit outside all night on a cold May evening, probably wearing significantly less that we were all wearing tonight now that we are grown up and ‘sensible’. We could talk for hours about the most random of things, we drank much less than we do now (or at least I did) and yet the cold was never something that bothered us.

I have decided that youth kept us warm. At 26, I have decided I am officially old. I spent today shopping, where I decided that I don’t think I can ‘do’ shopping malls anymore. There are too many children, too many teenagers, too many clothes Made in China. I love the family atmosphere of a BBQ, but I have decided I like the city nightlife and bar scene better. I have decided being single ain’t all bad and I should be grateful for an early night in.

I prefer quiet (or, relatively quiet) city laneways to shop in, sipping latte’s by the lake at brunch and bespoke Australian designer clothing. I want Saturday night dinners with fine wines and open fireplaces. I love kids – but I love the ones I can give back more.

So my night in starts now and will see me in my PJs on my parents couch, dolled up in layers of mascara and hairspray, wrapped in a chenille blanket and relishing the quiet, the warmth and the painlessness of my feet.

The weather in Melbourne is getting cooler and its time to start layering up and thinking about extra singlets, tights under jeans, cosy jackets and scarves. I myself am a big fan of the scarf, in all colours of the rainbow. On a dreary grey Melbourne day when the population of our city is cloaked in black, a pop of colour from a scarf will separate you from the crowds, and keep you warm!

Today my scarf of choice is magenta pink, a crocheted number that is longer than I am tall and a good 10cm wide. It’s a gorgeous knit, but it does leave pink fluff everywhere I have been – on my black dress, on the seat of my car, on my chair at work. I was kinda hoping to channel Carrie Bradshaw from the first Sex and the City film but have since realised her scarf is red (and so am now desperate to head out and pick one up in that hue!)

Scarves come in all shapes and sizes, can be wrapped around your neck as many times as you can manage or hang loose (although never hang them evenly, it will make you look short!). I prefer the bulky ones with a high up ballerina-esque hairdo and some killer boots, over the knee suede flatties for me today.

You can pickup some relatively cheap scarves at our favourite High Street stores – Sportsgirl, Forever New, Dotti, Portmans and even Target, but  here are a few of the more impressive tidbits from the wonderful world of the web.

Stella McCartney Hand-Knit Scarf, $565.00 by Stella McCartney at Bergdorf Goodman

Fendi Zucca Logo Knit Wool Long Scarf, $210.00 by Fendi at Forzieri

Check Scarf, $265.00 at Burberry

Wouldn’t it be brilliant if you could look at shoes all day and then walk away without the lure of purchase, without the guilt of having bought (or not bought) a particular pair? While researching the Titanic exhibition this morning, now on at the Melbourne Museum, I stumbled across a real hidden gem. A museum exhibition. Of shoes. SHOES!!

Entitled Paragon shoes, the exhibition is a selection of iconic Melbourne shoes and features a selection of 34 Paragon shoes, representing almost 100 years of Melbourne’s fashion history.

Paragon focused on women’s shoes, drawing their inspiration from the latest Paris, London and New York styles. The display includes items such as a peep-toe crocodile skin shoe, ultra high heel and a court shoe that resembles a masked face, exploring the history of shoe fashion through the Paragon story.

For almost 100 years Paragon Shoes, a family business, designed and created shoes in Melbourne. Their shoes were sold throughout Australia and New Zealand, and at its height the company produced over 100,000 shoes per year. The Paragon Shoes display offers visitors an insight into local Melbourne manufacturing, fashion, and design.

As you can imagine, I was rather excited – and I was already excited about the Titanic bit! You can access the Paragon exhibit on your Museum ticket: Titanic is in town until October, the shoes just til September. These boots were made for walking to get thee to the Museum!

Titanic Exhibition: Adult $25, Concession $18, Child $16
Paragon Shoes Exhibition: Free with Museum ticket
Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia
Phone: 13 11 02

Image One: Paragon Shoes Advertising Sign, Museum Victoria (Photo: Rodney Start)

I often open my wardrobe and claim I have nothing to wear, which, considering I could clothe a third world country, is slightly untrue. However I find I never have this problem with shoes. Heels of all shapes, sizes and heights, toes that are rounded or pointed, open toes, strappy ones, buckles and oh my, the colours!! I am very lucky, and possibly somewhat compulsive, when it comes to shoes – they always fit and (I like to think) look fantastic. Shoes truly are my lifeblood.

But then, like the agony that comes from ‘once on the lips, forever on the hips’, the shoes pinch, or rub, or twist and cramp your toes like some kind of new Japanese torture device. When I put fashion before function, I am putting every limb in my body at risk of being broken, every tendon at risk of being torn, every chance arthritis and corns will one day be the bane of my existence.

Arghh. The dramas I face. Walking home after a long day in heels at work, I often wonder if, given my street is no where near Flemington, it would be okay to walk home in bare feet? Tipsy Toes regularly comes to the rescue, a brilliant product that débuted in 2009 at the Spring Racing Carnival and were chosen by the VRC as an official merchandise item during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. These delightful feet (and shoe!) savers have appeared on A Current Affair, Sunrise and in Shop Till You Drop, Grazia, The Age and Marie Claire online, just to mention a few.

But what exactly is it? Tipsy Toes are the premium lightweight flexible fold up shoe that are a must have accessory, not just for a season, but for LIFE. Purchase online at www.tipsytoes.com.au and at selected stockists, the shoes are available in S, M and L and in a range of colours – Black Noir, Bright Spark Silver, Snow White and Snow Leopard. A perfect addition to your purse as you run out the door, preventing hobbling back through that same door hours later.

Win a year’s supply of Tipsy Toes!
All you need to do is “like” Tipsy Toes on facebook and tell the girls how, in 25 words or less, you will wear your Tipsy Toes.
Entries are open until 30 June 2010 and winner will be drawn and notified on 1 July. Winners details will be published on the Tipsy Toes shoes blog and facebook page.

100 Cromwell st, Collingwood

I’m pretty sure I’m getting fat. This can probably be attributed to all the chocolate I’ve been getting into recently, the $1.20 promotional Freddos at work, 49c Wispa Gold bars and endless Easter eggs (yes, I STILL have Easter eggs!) but since I am actually looking for a person to blame (who isn’t me), I’ve decided to blame Yumi.

Who is Yumi? Yumi makes dips. Really yummy, really good, dips. And in particular, one that Miss J introduced me to while we were in Sydney that I have become scarily fond of.

Sweet Potato and Cashew Nut. Nom nom nom.

The stuff is brilliant. As Yumi’s ‘product tasting notes’ declare; ‘the dip is a delightful taste sensation, one of the lighter dips in the Yumi’s range. It combines subtle fresh tasting coriander and finely chopped cashews in a base of sweet potato for a mild chunky and delicious dip.’  

In Sydney, I enjoyed it on crackers. Back home, I put it on bread and included it in a sandwich. Then after telling an aunt about this ‘delightful taste sensation’, she came up with the best yet – stirring it through pasta.

I had it for dinner that night, hot. I had it for lunch the next day, cold. Could this dip be the most amazing, versatile, ingenious product available?? I think it would work with steak or chicken, maybe with vegies – I’m yet to think of a dessert option but I’m sure it will come to me.

Pick one up at your local supermarket and try it for yourself. Or any one of the other (I am sure) yummy flavours available.

www.yumis.com.au

I like clothes. I like cake. Clothes. Cake. Clothes. Cake. Clake! Argh!

Last Saturday night Miss K of the Dream Delight Inspire blog and I attended a party at the Cecylia boutique in High Street, Armadale, to celebrate the one year anniversary of Cecylia’s own blog and the opening of her store.

Cecylia boutique stocks some fabulous international labels that are not stocked anywhere else in Australia, and some Aussie designers that are not stocked extensively elsewhere. They are also the largest Repetto shoes stockist in Melbourne! Cecylia boutique also has an added bonus – serving tea and cupcakes to fashionistas – clothes and cake! Genius!

Miss K and I met the lovely Cecylia and her hubby (and their adorable puppy Theodore!), Miss Jess from the What would Karl do? blog, Ashley Zukeman, star of Channel Ten’s Rush and a few other photographer and fashionistas friends.

We perused the lovely labels on display: All Dressed Up; Felder Felder (as worn by Cecylia with to die for red Chloe pumps!); Gail Sorronda and Karla Spetic, among others, and Miss K won the fashion quiz with the prize of a gorgeous All Dressed Up keyring that can double as a bracelet!

Lot’s of lovely people and fabulous food, as well as divine threads – definitely my kind of store! Cecylia is headed to Paris in the coming weeks on a buying trip for Spring Summer so we can expect more of the same. Visit http://cecylia.com.au for Cecylia’s shop website and blog or call in to Cecylia, 1113 High St Armadale.

Pictures thanks to Cecylia