Create your own Christmas countdown

When you get to a certain age I think you do perhaps get a little too old for the Christmas calendar, and I think at 19 I have possibly reached that age. However this did not stop the longing for a christmas treat countdown.

One of the things I really look forward to each christmas is my mum's gift of three Ferrero Rocher's that she give me every christmas in my stocking when I was younger and no matter how much I begged I would never get a bigger packet, so this year Jake and I decided to create, well not really create but rather buy a box of 30 Ferrero Rocher's and each have one a day from the tenth as our official christmas countdown. The only thing that makes it hard is that the chocolate and hazelnut combo is absolutely delish and very more-ish unlike the cardboard chocolate used in traditional calendars!

In unrelated news I have just joined Nuji, what is Nuji? Well for those who don't know it's a very addictive "social wish list" where you favorite items from thousands of shops and follow people and stores whose own favorites and items you love. Plus you are able to earn points which give you discounts up to 20% off on any of their participating retailers, see: Urban Outfitters, Good as Gold, Opening ceremony!!! Need I go on? Just a warning though it's very easy for time pass rapidly while enjoying the delicacies on the site, mmmm so add me and we can be addicted to it together!

Lots of Love

               Audrey Megan

New York, I miss you....(Part 4)

Phew up to part four, soon I'll be able to tell you about all the exciting things that have been happening to be recently but I'll never forgive myself If I skip over New York there was just so much that happened in the 19 days we were there and tomorrow it'll have been a month since we left. So as a Fashion Student I was soooo excited to be able to go to New York which I heard had excellent fashion sense and I was looking forward to the shopping especially. But I had to say I was somewhat disappointed in Manhattan especially, Don't get me wrong Barney's and Chanel probably had wonderful clothes but I'm not really in the right economic situation for that. I actually found most of my clothes in Brooklyn and Soho, possibly not a surprise to New Yorker's but the myths that come out of New York had me believing different. Majority of the fast-fashion store over there like New Zealand sold... crap with the exception of Urban Outfitter's but that could be debated whether they really are fast-fashion as they bring in clothes from many different brands and so it's not them pumping out hundreds of the same designs. However in Williamsburg in Brooklyn we found the best shop ever it's called In God We Trust and all there clothing is made in America plus everything is just soo nice and great quality. I got such a gorgeous dress from there in black with a open back and mustard green silk for the collar and the sleeves. No doubt it'll end up on a Sunday Best post soon!

We also went to the Doc Marten's store in Soho we I experienced possibly some of the best customer service I've ever had. The first week we went there and I finally got around to replacing my tired old pair of Chuck Taylor's with a pair of made in England Vintage 1461's and this very cool guy who had mad hair served me and then the next week we went back to the same store where Jake got a pair of made in England burgundy 3989's which are actually pretty spectacular and anyway this guy remembered me down to the pair of shoes I'd brought, impressed much.

Soho is also home to the Taschen shop which publishes many, many amazing books on art, fashion, photography, Design etc, etc. And Yay! It was their 25th Anniversary which meant that they were having a huge sale and I manage to pick up 100 Contemporary Fashion Designers for a mint and it is absolutely amazing although so far I haven’t had too much time to actually sit down and read it because Jake and I are in the middle of moving out of our current apartment and into a new one!

Oh and I also forgot while we were in Soho on one of our many shopping and exploration trips both Jake and I were spotted by Fashionista and put up on their website Jake's is here and mine's here!

Only one more part to go, and then I'll stop rabbiting on about New York I promise.

Lot's of Love

                   Audrey Megan

When did tacky become chic?

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Sitting with coffee in hand browsing through Internet shopping a reoccurring thought came to mind: At what point did tacky become chic? Now before you all go, whoa, whoa! Back down there Audrey, I'm not attacking the craze... Well, not quite if I’m honest the majority of "Tacky Chic" I look at with distaste, although I do believe tacky chic can be done well. For example I find that Lady Gaga pull's it off quite well, but this maybe as she carries an air of class. Whereas Katy Perry tends to not, due to her (excuse me) but supposed willingness to "put-out." Yes, Lady Gaga does also flaunt her sexuality however I find it to always be in a much more self-empowered way in relation to Katy.  

The classy tacky is incredibly hard to replicate, and of course it's near impossible when everyday life isn't in the same context in which Gaga lives. The internet has of course been onto this so-called new trend, for a while now so I’m hardly commenting on anything new, and I’m not against the internet's exploitation of this it's a great money maker I’m sure. However it has managed to increase the number of 90's style imitator’s as well as over-priced plastic shoes and mustache themed everything.

Jeffrey Campbell

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I have a preference for the classic's, although I wouldn’t been seen dead in a pair of Doc's I like the original’s much more than the new patent floral designs that are made in China, and I much prefer real to faux be it leather, fur (I know, horrible person) or label's. Speaking of label's and more specifically high end. One tacky chic designer who come's to mind is of course Jeremy Scott whose latest collection doesn’t disappoint in terms of tacky chic. True to form he uses a rainbow palette and mixture of unconventional patterns. Jeremy Scott does not appeal to my better sense's and yet he pull's model's from the top of the ranks and make's mega buck's selling imitation Coca-Cola bottle dresses and sunglasses patterned coats. So am I the only one who doesn’t get it? The last clothing snob left?

Jeremy Scott Spring RTW 2011

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Sometime's I feel like I am, but then I remember I'm wearing my mum's old pig patterned jumper, that sometime's Jeremy Scott does get it right and that there's alway's Chanel.

Jeremy Scott Spring RTW 2011

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Chanel Spring RTW 2011

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Lot's of Love

                   Audrey Megan

The Summer Shoe Situation

I own not one single pair of summer shoes and the NZ summer looks set to be super hot. Don't get me wrong I love shoe shopping as much as the next girl and have been known to blow many a pay check on a pair, however my shoe collection, as does my wardrobe get a huge clear out twice a year and this year it seems that whatever shoes I did wear last summer got thrown out like last night's dinner. 

Now I find summer to be the hardest season to shop for and by having petite feet, summer shoes the hardest to find. So for the last few weeks I have been trying to find a decent pair of summer shoe's but alas, I fear it may be a bad year and so I had to drift from my preferred brands and look elsewhere. 

I could find no attractive yet flat shoe and due to the fact that I have to walk a lot a high heel definitely wouldn’t cut it, so after weeks of looking I had but resigned to my fate of staying indoors all summer. Until I walked into the winter sale section at Overland, (a shop where I would normally never venture) and found these little leather beauties. 

The heel's not too high and they are pillow-y perfect to walk in. Plus with $50 off how could I say no? They are absolutely perfect especially for the transition into summer! Now I just need the perfect pair for my perfect summer dress!

Lot's of Love

               Audrey Megan

When you go out for one and come back with ten

I LOVE City shopping, I know, I know, I went op-shopping the day before but I couldn't help myself! Yesterday I went into the city center to shop. It is of course rare to find $4.00 cardigans there so I went armed with the intent of only purchasing ONE woven brown belt and food for dinner ... and I came back with DVD's a new dress, underwear and a new pair of stockings, alas none of this without considering a brilliant red pair of Vivienne Westwood Mary Jane's for $280, it's a pity they were one size too big, they were beautiful!

I got very caught up in my favorite shop Aeon which had a buy one get one free sale! SO when I saw this dress (at only $40.00) I couldn't help myself it's amazing, velvet, stretchy, and hides all in its texture!

The hard part was choosing my free gift because she has so much that I’d love to have anyway I walked away with these vintage boxed stockings. They're your typical nude thigh highs but the best bit is their sweet little box!

Complete with emblem!

I wish stockings still came wrapped up like this! Oh, the glamour of years past.

For my Art and Design class we had to make a short film about a particular site we got given, (and thanked it's not worth anything)! So at about one am I dragged myself downtown to video in the cold for ten minutes!!!  And added the ambient sounds of my favorite city! Well, hopefully soon to visit favorite city!

 New York!

Lots of Love

        Audrey Megan

Coffee, Rain and Cardigans

What makes the perfect day?

Well, I can't give you the exact recipe but today was pretty darn close. The sun was out, I was wearing my favorite polka dots and lace tutu underlay on my way with my boyfriend to Pranah Café. A cute little vegan / vegetarian coffee shop in New Town. We got there just in time to get the last table, and had a super delicious lunch with Chai Latte's and healthy, yummy, cruelty free meals.

I got a delicious tofu burger, and oh not that I eat McDonalds anymore but, café burgers always, always surpass anything they manage to slap together... Furthermore the rainforest has a tendency to stay reasonably intact. My boyfriend's meal which is closer to the front were vegetarian quesadillas’' with jalapeno’s, mmmm nom nom nom.

I wish we'd taken more photo's today, because New Town has the cutest selection of Op-Shops and secondhand book shops, and I found the cutest cranberry coloured cardigan with scalloped edges from Opportunities for Animals, for a mere $4.00 and just as well because as soon as we stepped out, New Town being in Wellington poured down and the wind whooshed up the street, I have never been more thankful for my tutu under-shorts!!

I guess the rain has the possibility of being a bad thing, however the dairy man undercharged me for three Whittaker’s bars (milk less!!) Therefore I think making the day an almost success...

So I guess that's what my recipe is,

Coffee

Rain

Cardigans 

And maybe something else a bit sappier!

Lot's of Love

Audrey Megan

P.S. If you've got a recipe, I'd love to hear it! Comment below!