These are a few of my favourite things...

If you read my blog religiously you will know that I live in New Zealand (in the southern hemisphere) which means that it's summer - although the weather today hasn't been very good... Anyways, there are only 17 days of summer holiday (vacation) left and for the next 12 days I will be away from the blog, so I will leave you a plus-sized post with some of my favourite things.

The Karen Walker hoodie on the left is one of the things I bought this morning while shopping. The only thing I love more than shopping is shopping when there are massive sales on(did I mention that I saw a pair of Stuart Weitzman heels marked down to $150 from $650? Oh if only I could walk in 5" stilettos...) This hoodie was on sale for $171.50 (NZ dollars) down from $245! You can buy this at My Catwalk, however it is slightly more expensive there. I also heart the Louis Vuitton S/S 07 collection, aren't these barrettes cute? I also liked the LV earrings except they came in a set of three different ones (I'm not too sure about mismatching earrings, but could this be a trend?). You can find these at eLuxury.

I just learnt a new word - 'Jute'. I used to refer to it as the rope-y strawy thing wrapped around the heels of some shoes, but now I know the real name for it. Right now, jute-wrapped wedge heels are in every shoe shop in Auckland and they're probably going to be pretty big for the northen hemisphere spring too. I know I'm contradicting myself by putting monogrammed shoes here but these Gucci wedges are so stunning, you hardly even notice the ugly double G logo. You can find these at Saks. In my humble opinion, the Prada spring handbag collection is pretty blah, but this bag is so... I can't even find words to describe it. Why am I so captivated by it? Is it the quirkiness, the patterns or the bright orange leather? It's just so very lively and exciting. This bag is also at Saks.

Today while I was shopping, I tried on every pair of flat, open shoes in every store in Newmarket (Auckland's #1 shopping destination) but they all felt really weird. So instead of spending $100 on a pair of ones I'd wear once get blisters and then put away in my wardrobe, I bought another pair of Havaianas for $30 (NZ dollars that is..) These are the only rubber flip-flops (jandals/thongs/slip-slops/sandals/whatever you call them) that I have ever worn that actually don't rub. I also have a pair in pink, but these black ones are far more practical. On the right is the "Miss Marc" canvas tote. Marc has hit the nail right on the head again! I especially love the zip pocket at the front (it's where her lips are).

Now lets just hope the weather improves...

Gucci Oh Gucci

Random fact of the day: The founder of Gucci was called Guccio Gucci. I've never really understood what attracts people to monogrammed bags in ugly colours, the one thing I do understand, however, is that the same people that tote Gucci monogram bags are often seen with Louis Vuitton ones as well. Maybe this is why the Gucci design team decided to make their spring handbag collection so similar to the Louis Vuitton Miroir line. Maybe they're hoping that a certain socialite will be seen carrying Gucci bags on Australian beaches...

On the left is the Gucci bag and on the right is the Louis Vuitton bag (modelled by Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian).

Oh and did I mention that Paris' bikini is rumoured to be a fake?

We're Breaking Free!

High School Musical was a hit when it came out and for a while before it was released onto NZ tv screens, I wondered what I was missing out on. However when I actually saw the movie, I wondered what was so great about it. Some people were so obsessed! Now they're doing a sequel and as always, second anythings (books, movies...) are always worse than the first. The crazy people over at Shop Intuition are even selling a High School Musical bag, with Zac Efron's face on it...

It's selling for $27 but even if it was on sale for 50cents I wouldn't buy it!

Golden Globes 2007

A night full of clapping, acceptance speeches and stylish dresses - what's not to love about the Globes? Right now I'm being a true female and multitasking by watching the show live, typing this post and searching for red carpet pics from E! Online - so not as easy as it sounds! My favourite three looks are:

3. Cameron Diaz - I almost thought she was Nicole Richie for a split second, the once bubbly blonde has joined the masses of a-listers to go brunette.
2. Sienna Miller - There's just something about this dress and the way in which Sienna wears it. Very glamorous!

And my favourite look of the Golden Globes 07 is:

Emily Blunt - This Devil Wears Prada actress looks amazing in this dress. She can expect lots of great things in her future.

Genie in a Bottle

Or rather fragrance in a bottle. Christina Aguilera is going to be releasing a signature scent later this year, unlike other celebrities including Ashanti, Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyonce and of course, Britney Spears. I wonder if this perfume will be elegant like the new Christina or "Dirrty" like Xtina, either way we still have to wait for autumn (fall) before we see any signs of it... When Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B fragrance is released (also autumn this year), it will be very interesting to see which platinum-blonde-red-lipped star's perfume will be more popular.

Who's who?

Things I "Dig"

Having discovered my new favourite online shop, I thought that I just had to show you some of the best pieces. The shop is called FashionDig and it is full of vintage clothes - including lots of designers (some of which are Haute! For example, I found a gorgeous pair of Gucci ankle boots for $100). There are interesting (and amusing) things to be found here, such as these....

Left to right: "Stripes rule the dress" $28, "Martini Sunglasses" $120, "U.S. Flag Sunglasses" $99

Sorry about the bad quality pics!

Lindsay for Miu Miu

I confess that I never associated Miu Miu with Prada until about a year ago when I finally found out that Miu Miu was a diffusion line. Since then, my opinion of the brand has never been the same. Instead of being a brand with adorable dresses and tacky-cute shoes, it is often seen as Prada's younger sister. The brand is entering it's 15th year and it seems that Miuccia Prada is trying to shed their old image by raising the prices of their garments and recruiting Lindsay Lohan to be the face of their S/S 07 campaign shot by Mert&Marcus. At first I didn't think that Lindsay's image would suit Miu Miu, but then again, maybe they were trying to reach out to a new type of customer - the pre-teens and teens, although being a teenager myself I don't find the so-called "Teen Queen's" style remarkable and she definitely isn't classy enough for the high fashion brand. She's just another celebrity turned into a pin thin, leatherfaced Rachel Zoe lookalike. Jessica Simpson was originally in line for the campaign but was replaced by 'LiLo' because of the fact that Mert&Marcus don't get along with Jessica.

However, when I first saw the campaign I thought someone had confused the threads on The Fashion Spot but no, it is Lindsay. There were a lot of naysayers before it was released but I think that it has changed a lot of people's minds about her. The only thing that I dislike about this campaign is that she is so obviously photoshopped. It really doesn't look like her.

Are you ready to see the ads?

What do you think of these?

The Metropolitan Museum of WHAT?

I'll bet you associate The Met with art - paintings, prints, sculptures. I'll also bet that you didn't know that the world famous museum sold gorgeous accessories! I remember when our class visited the Auckland City Art Gallery to study pop art, we visited the gift shop and they had this yummy smelling lipgloss in pop art inspired tins... If only I had a spare $5 on me that day! You can find all my favourite picks from The Met at the online store here.

Put on your dancin' shoes and get ready to be singin' (and dancing) in the rain with this adorable umbrella. If you ask me, this $25 find looks more MJ (Marc Jacobs that is!) than Met.The elegant pin on the left can be worn at formal occasions, or dressed down with a pair of jeans and a jacket. It's so Tiffany! It costs $100.

I heart that watch! It's so different to the mass of pink Guess watches that I see at school everyday. This watch is cheaper than them too - only $60. Carry all your books in one of these interesting totes - which only cost $24.95!

See! Museums aren't all that boring after all...

Need sunglasses?

No, this isn't a post about sunglassess - but you might need them to protect your eyes. The title is the name of the shade by OPI which is rumored to be the next Chanel Black Satin. It's part of the new collection ("OPI Brights") with the most amazing fresh, lively colours for spring. 'Need sunglasses?' is a yellow nail polish btw. Orange is set to be the second biggest shade and all the other bright colours (including greens with yellow tones) are also going to be appearing on every manicured nail in the magazines that you read.

Shade names from left to right: Need sunglasses?, Totally tangerine, Azure for sure, That's berry darling

My verdict? Go for it! These shades will sell out faster than you can say 'OPI'.

Juicy Ballerina

I can actually imagine that printed on the front of a Juicy Couture tee, especially after I saw these ballet flats from their new S/S07 shoe collection.

The bag comes with the pair free - or rather the pair comes with the bag. Whilst the shoes are absolutely gorgeous, the bag somehow upstages them. I feel that the 'Juicy Couture' scribbled all over the shoes detracts from their beauty. They cost $150 from eLuxury, but the gold ones have sold out *sob*.

Juicy ballet class anyone?

Model Names

I'm sure many of you are just as guilty as I am of model name mis-pronunciation, but how was I supposed to know that Werbowy is pronounced Ver-bow-vy or that Tiiu is Tee-you? Well, heres a list of how to say some model's names... (the words in uppercase are the syllables you put the emphasis on)

Left to right: Cintia Dicker, Gemma Ward, Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr (click on pics to enlarge)

Gemma Ward - Very easy to say! JEM-mah WAR-d
Daria Werbowy - DAR-ee-yah Ver-BOW-vy
Iekeliene Stange - Ee-kel-EEN-ah Stange
Anja Rubik - AN-ya ROO-bik
Tiiu Kuik - TEE-you KU-ik (if you say it fast, it sounds like quick)
Natalia Vodianova - Na-TAH-lee-ah Vod-ee-ah-NO-va

Let me know if you have any more and I'll add them to the list! Oh and please correct me if I am wrong...

Recycled Chic

I found a site with eco friendly bags today! And they're actually cute, especially this one made out of recycled candy wrappers. They come in anything from newspaper, to barcodes to Luna bar wrappers. They even recycle movie posters (click here see the post from StyleDash about them). The one I posted below is my absolute favourite from the confetti collection, extremely sweet (no pun intended), functional, unique and eco friendly. A lot more than I can say for certain designer bags... And the price? $148 (but it's on sale for $128 right now) from Ecoist.

Did I mention it was made out of recycled candy wrappers?

I Heart You

I know Valentines is a long way off but it's never too early to show some love. If you have been to Fred Flare's website recently you will have noticed that they have a whole new category for Valentines Day. Whether you buy these cute gifts for yourself or just to hint to your other half is up to you. Here are some adorable V'day picks:

On the left is possibly one of the most expensive items at Fred Flare. Weighing in at $100, it contrasts against all the cheap plastic jewelry. I just adore this necklace! Tinkerbell and Swarovski all in the same piece... wow! On the right are the Dooney and Bourke rainboots which are interesting- hey, you gotta stay cute even when its raining! This particular "cuteness" comes at a price of $95.

Oh how I adore the Marc by Marc Jacobs heart print jumper from Shop Bop... Me thinks it would go nicely with the rainboots, but maybe thats just me being a bit nutty. And the gorgeous locket from Macys is one of my definite favourites!! Too cute - even if it does cost $60!

Crocodile Dundee

Everywhere I go I either a) I see someone wearing Crocs b) come across a store selling Crocs or c) go onto a website where everyone is talking about Crocs. The other day, my father announced that he was thinking about buying a pair because "they would be good for sailing". Puh-lease, get some real deck shoes Dad. I don't understand why everyone is still so smitten with Crocs - are they like those dogs with the squashed faces, so ugly that they're cute. Or am I missing out on something, are these really comfort over style? Y'know, I think it's just an epidemic. But I wish it would die out already, these things have been around for ages now!

In case you didn't know what the original crocs look like, here is a pic of them:

And the other stuff...

Oh, but alas! Crocs are trying to target a new market, fashionistas. I will admit that these are a vast improvement from the others, but it still doesn't mean I'd be seen dead in them. And as for the Beach Crocs, is not having sand stuck between your toes worth tossing those glam wedges for? I absolutely adore the t-shirt on the right, it's from IHateCrocs.com and sums up how I feel about them. Oh and btw, the shoes are made out of recycled six pack holders!

Lookie! Mickey Mouse shaped holes... These are the Disney Crocs for kids on the left. Might I just add another thing that really annoys me - people wearing socks (yes, SOCKS) with their Crocs.

The next thing you know, theres a designer doing a collaboration. I'll bet that that's going to happen! Sigh...

Faux Fashion

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wore a red coat and longed for a Fendi Spy bag to match. This little girl was unable to afford the Fendi Spy bag and there were no local markets for her to go to buy a knockoff...
That's how it used to be, before the introduction of online stores dedicated to selling fakes! Some people love being able to buy the latest designer gear at a lower price, even if the products aren't real. On the street, it is near impossible to tell the difference between a real Lacoste polo and a low-cost one. On closer inspection, the stitching is never the same quality and there is less attention to detail - here are some tips on keeping away from faux items (especially useful when buying off eBay):

Left: real -- Right:fake
Tip #1: Often faux bags will be shapeless, whether it be caused by the use of inferior material or simply by lack of attention to detail, it always pays to compare your product side-by-side to a photo one from a trusted retailer (try Neiman Marcus, Saks and other department stores)

These bags: The real Balenciaga should cost upwards of $1000. This particular fake costs $49.99 and apart from a few similar features, the bags are like chalk and cheese.

Left: fake -- Right: real

Tip #2: The colours will almost never be the same. In the fake bag, the colours are faded compared to the real bag on the right and the fake leather is often a different shade.

Tip #3: Never be fooled into thinking a bag is real just because it is expensive. This particular fake costs $85 but there are ones that can cost hundreds of dollars and therefore people think they are real. Never trust people who claim that their bags are cheap because they are "wholesale" or imperfect stock. Many designers don't sell anything that isn't 100% perfect.

These bags: The real monogram Speedy 30 costs around $1910 and this fake is $85 but it is not uncommon to find some knockoffs retailing for $500.

Left: fake -- Right:real

Tip #4: Fakes hardly ever have logos because of copyright laws and if they do, the logo is never exactly the same. On the inside of real sunglasses there should be a copyright logo (you know the one - the 'c' in a circle) and some sort of indication as to who the designer is and where they were made.

These sunglasses: The real Dior Cannage sunglasses come in a lot of colours (these red ones were the only decent quality photos I could find - funny isn't it? I can find good photos of fakes but have to look for hours to find real ones). Dior actually makes Cannage sunglasses in the white and pink colour. There is a difference in lens colour too. I was shocked to see how similar these are, especially as I just got a pair of the real ones! The real ones will cost over $150 and these fakes are around $30.

One last word before I go...

Think before you buy, is this item too good to be true? Use your common sense!

Remember - the only time when fake is good is when its faux fur!

Coco Is Dead!

I'll bet you didn't know that Coco Chanel's real first name was Gabrielle. I'll bet that you also didn't know about the jewelry line 'Coco is Dead'. Basically each piece has the double C Chanel logo and has blood or some other thing related to death. Cute in a grungy way. You can find them at Alex & Chloe's online store

An interesting tribute to Gabrielle, really.