Bizarre Bazaar creatures of the night

 (Scruffy Faux fur vest - by Fahrenheit, Floral Crochet dress - from Glassons, Pleather undergarment tank dress - from Supre, Embellished crochet shoulder Armour (worn as a bib piece) - from Sportsgirl, Silver crucifix necklace - from Sportsgirl, Bow tie drawstring tote - from Topshop, Black clogs - from Sportsgirl, Matte crucifix double ring - from Colette, Beaded arm band - from Lovisa, MAC Retro lipstick)

  

Feeling rather ultra 70's hippie chic meets grunge. I was big on textures that night with the crochet and layering. These shots were taken just over a week ago when Tim and I had one of those more 'failed' nights where nothing was really going according to plan in terms of shooting, yet surprisingly the photos turned out better than expected even with so many complications that day. 

Initially we had set out to visit the Bizarre Bazaar lane-way markets in the city right after Tim had finished work on a Thursday, as well as squeeze in a few shots here and there because it had been awhile since he had taken his camera out for a spin. We ended being lost due to incorrect published mapping directions, delayed GPS responses, wrong and missed turns. We were also stuck in heavy traffic and before you know it we arrived at the markets with only less than a remaining 30minutes of trading. A little annoyed at how our night had lagged on, we ended up skipping the remainder of Bizarre Bazaar and just took the opportunity to take a few quick snaps before our grumbling stomachs were ready to devour anything in sight. Even though it was completely dark by that time, I'm absolutely pleased about how these photos actually turned out particularly after both of us were feeling rather buggered, moody and extremely hungry, and to top it all off his flash was out of batteries also. At the time we weren't bothered making the excessive walk out to the nearest convenience store for batteries for his flash - even though we really needed it, but instead we had to make do with the amount of lighting there was available around that area. However as I've mentioned earlier, we did far better than expected, and Tim managed to pull off a few greats shots without a flash believe it or not.

Eventually our hunger took over the best of us and a decent Korean barbeque feast was all we were looking forward to after a night of so many mishaps. Belly full and satisfied, I'm glad Tim and I still managed to stick out the frustration. I guess sometimes things don't always go accordingly to plan... but these photos certainly have hehe.

Photography by tymothyjames

The Steel Bar Belt

 (Leather, smooth steel bar belt - from eBay)

 (Image source: jayjayne.com)

  (Image source: garypeppervintage.com)

  (Image Source: tuulavintage.blogspot.com)

 (Image source: http://apair-andaspare.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/diy-metal-belt.html)

After beginning to spot the steel bar belt appear all across the fashion blogging world, I fell in love and knew that my future outfits would be incomplete without having one to throw on! There's just something about simplistic smooth metal accessories lately that I feel like I just have to get my hands on - from plain steel chokers, to cuffs, to this belt! 

 

Biggest blogger influences with this belt trend would definitely be credited to gorgeous Sydney based bloggers Nicole Warne from garypeppervintage, Tuula from tuulavintage, and even Geneva from apair-andaspare who had definitely inspired me to also DIY my own version (that's only when I manage to find the time and patience too of course hehe). For now, I'm trying to not get ahead of myself with this belt by overusing it with every outfit lately haha... Although I'm already hoping to find another one in silver too!

The best looks which works well with this belt in my opinion? Usually thrown over light flowy and feminine fabrics such as chiffon, is always a big tick! I'm intending on wearing this belt over particular styles such as tulip dresses/skirts, maxi dresses/skirts, or even cross-over wrap dresses. 

Something about this all essential belt simply screams 'girl power', yet reminds me of something Wonder Woman or other super hero-like figures would often wear - it tends to feel like that when I'm also wearing both my gold cuffs on haha!

Photography by tymothyjames

Real vs. Steal

(Gold chunky choker - by Lia Maria Couture, Replica Prada baroque sunglasses - from Ebay)

I've kept my eye on certain accessories such as these new babies for a long time... and horahh they've finally arrived at my doorstep with my mailman this morning. My late night online surfing habits has it's pro's and con's, but I love managing to come across pieces I've been looking out for at such great prices. I've been searching far and wide for a basic gold chunky chain choker. Although I have come across one that I did immediately love by Coco Liberace, it was far too unreasonably priced for my liking. I knew with my impeccable hunting skills (well I like to think so haha) I can manage to find something similar at a more a reasonable price. Australian retail prices are just sometimes way too outrageous, that even if I had closed my eyes and purchased the item there and then, it wouldn't have been well-worth the purchase at the end of the day. Determined to find the same particular piece, I knew that with today's resources i.e. the internet, anything is possible to be a more smarter shopper.
The result? Thanks to Lia Maria Couture I've only spent a third of the price of what Australian Retailers are selling for the exact same replica!

And is there really nothing you can't find on eBay nowadays? These replica Prada Baroque sunglasses were a total steal online! They were surprisingly much more well fitted for my face shape than I had anticipated... I've already considered purchasing a few more pairs but in white and turquoise leopard... what do you think?

I immediately fell in love with the original Prada Baroque design a while ago, but after my usual visit on eBay I manage to bump into an exact replica for a ridiculously low price - a price that I didn't even need to think twice before clicking the purchase button haha. Knowing myself, I'm a very seasonal person - I tend to change items such as sunglasses and handbags as often as I change my underwear haha.  I love eBay! And who said you can't wear a replica that looks just as good?

Photography by tymothyjames

Little Miss Sunshine

(Vera Moda maki skirt - from ASOS, Suede cut-out crop tank - by Alivegirl, gold smooth double cuffs - from ASOS, Suede platforms - from Rubi Shoes, Faux Ostrich skin envelope clutch - from Landmark, Over-sized turquoise oval ring - from H&M.)

Finally some proper blogging done! I've been holding out a lot on a few of my posts because there's just been a few difficulties trying to collect all the shoots the boy and I have done randomly over the past few months since Christmas. But we're finally getting around to loading some of the photos now, so I'll gradually get around to mixing up my posts a bit finally.

The weather in Sydney had finally picked up, or should I rephrase that, because really the 'sunshine' finally came out to play only briefly over the following weekend. With such a gloomy and wet summer in Sydney this year it's been difficult to find the opportunity to wear something bright and particularly anything feminine and/or flowy. I've been waiting patiently to be able to take my new bright maxi skirt out-and-about of town. Thankfully just over the weekend it was just one of those perfect sunny Sunday's that made you want to take up every opportunity you could, to be outside while it lasted. The boy and I decided to set ourselves a good old fish and chips brunch date at Opera Bar along Circular Quay. Basking in Vitamin D, a lovely refreshing glass of afternoon wine, while enjoying the best of Sydney... it was surely a picturesque location for brunch on such a lovely day. If only the weather could have held up like that much longer.

Photography by tymothyjames

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