Patchwork kids....

I thrifted this patchwork maxi skirt a little while ago. I was particularly taken by the ruffles and flounce-y details at the back of the skirt and the hems. Crazy prints? I'm so there. Ridiculous posing? With bells on, dahhlinkkk.

Hope you're all having a fab week thus far.....aren't you glad it's already (nearly) Thursday?!?! I am, work has been chaotic crazy this week.

cropped tank, target. skirt & belt, vintage. shoes, forever new. earrings, sportsgirl.

Shop It.

Forget SATC (Sex And The City), SATP (Shop African Tea Party) is now open for business.

Head over to http://shopafricanteaparty.blogspot.com/ to check out the offerings for sale. Keep checking back as I plan to update the blog fairly regularly with new and vintage clothing, shoes, jewellery, bags and other accessories. Any Qs about items? Email me at anikaboolean@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the relevant post.

*Please note/allow for delayed email response time due to time differences and the fact that I have no hotmail access at work. But don't worry...the store operates on a first come, first served basis regardless.

Happy Shopping!!

Spring has sprung...

...and yes, the 'cheese factor' of that title is intended. It's been so long since I felt the warm sun on my scalp/back, I'd forgotten what that was. So when we heard, on Saturday morning, that it was going to be a 25 degree day, Stuart and I headed out to coffee at a new cafe near my house and then to the beach. The cafe in question? Voyage. They use premium coffee, milk, ingredients....hence the rave write-ups in local papers and the fab coffee. Yum.

Seeing as they're set-up pretty much on the beach (all you have to do is cross West Coast Highway and you're there), we headed over afterwards. There's nothing quite like the feel of the sun on a black tee. Or sand between your toes. Ahhh, heaven. Bring on summer.

tank, supre. cropped tee, staple from cite. jeans, lee supatube. earrings, sportsgirl. rings, diva and DIY. bag, vintage. suede studded shoes (in bag), forever new.

If this ain't love....

.....then I don't know what love is.

Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte S/S 2010

pc: jak & jil

fringing and beads

Sometimes all you need is fringing and beads.

Behold this beaded scarf from some random, hole-in-the-wall store in the city.

Gotta love the benefits of working in the city

(err...or not, given how much I'm tempted to spend money)

And the ever-present DIY studded boots.

I love these babies.

sweater, sportsgirl. jeans, valleygirl. shoes, DIY rubi. bag, vintage. earrings, random goth shop.

Anthony Capon: Project Runway Australia S2 winner

Got a thousand things to do, but had to celebrate my fave Project Runway Australia Season 2 designer winning :)

Anthony Capon.

25 years of age.

Avant Guard. Innovative. Original (think Romance Was Born with a sophisticated level of design cohesiveness) with a great eye for detail and flair.

Truly one of a kind.

I've been a staunch supporter of this creative fellow since Day 1. Everything he designs is avant guard yet wearable and, dare I say it, so meeee (I'd wear everything that came down the runway). Incredible and I want!!!

Here's a selection of his fab collection:

The blue flowers that blossomed as the show progressed, linked all the stunning outfits (I loved the watering can Anthony had on his head too.....enriching the flowers and outfits....perfect :).

And the winning party frock that will be displayed on Rosemount wine bottles (I die!)

pc: project runway australia

.The.White.Tee.

The sheer white pocket tee. An elusive dream for me. Until now. I saw the Sass and Bide Vie ones recently but was still left a little underwhelmed by the sheerness. Until Supre mass-produced its version of the Kain/Express tees (too expensive/not available to ship to Australia respectively). This sheer oversize pocket tee is genius. And a sheer (har-har :) $22 AUD. Perfection. I bought two, and think I should have got a few more.

Worn this weekend with the tee as a constant.

Can I say it?

(sorrrry :P)

Sheer Genius ;)

white sheer pocket tee, supre (click on link for deets).

1st outfit: ruffle bralette, cotton on body. jeans, lee. bag, vintage. boots, camilla and marc. armwear, thailand; diva; live; atlas divine. rings, markets; DIY diva.

2nd outfit: jeans, lee. boots, DIY rubi. cardigan, vintage. armware, thailand; diva; live; atlas divine. rings, markets; DIY diva.

Sharper Shoulders

If, like me, you're enamoured by the concept of the 'sharp shoulder' a la Balmain, then you'll be pleasantly surprised by the less pricey takes on this trend of the season.

First up, the take on the power shoulder by Stolen Girlfriends Club

(p.s. how much do we love their new collection! No idea what I'm talking about? Check it out.

I'll be paying a visit to Subway DC tomorrow to see if the new arrivals are in)

$465.00 AUD

Then, this gorgeous cropped, skinny fit version by An Ode to No One.

(truly a skinny fit and a SHARP shoulder....bonus? the cool bow on the back)

approx $385 AUD

And last but not least, this subtle take on the sharp shoulder by Queen's Wardrobe

(subtle until you add your own shoulder pads to the mix and then we're talking serious business. Perfect for work if you leave out the optional shoulder pads)

$100.30 AUD

So which would you get??

auburn, red, red-red, chestnut

I've been thinking about dyeing my hair again. I dyed it an auburn red a few months back and it's finally faded to a lovely brown. Time for a re-dye however. I'm debating whether to dye it red-red or just a lovely chestnut brown....hmmmm, the options.

Taken last weekend at our annual Father's Day Brunch

This week has been crazy. Work has kicked my arse, so much so that I have been coming home and just lounging. No energy to blog. Or to try to do anything semi-productive. I have however been lusting after a fair few shoes......the Maurie & Eve Platinum Punk Wedges (that I've paid a deposit for (just awaiting their arrival in my fave Billie & Rose store)), the YSL cage knockoffs by Siren (now instore), and these babies....

Cesare Paciotti for Ohne Titel

pc: Jak & Jill

Cannot stop thinking about these. They're so different, so structurally delicate, and soooo out of my price range. To add insult to injury, I'm physically restraining myself from purchasing yet another pair of heels until I sell some of my unworn shoes, and then only buying shoes that I reallllly like and that will be a sound investment. Still, I'm like a junkie on crack-cocaine.....can't stop twitching fingers.....

Going to help my sister do some thrifting tomorrow. Should be fun....love a good rummage in quality vintage stores! I promise to comment on your blogs soon, thank you muchly for all the love <3

Maurie & Eve do it right..

I've been chomping at the bit trying to wait patiently for these babies. The Aussie version of those Balenciaga ankle harness boots. The Sam Edelman Zoe knockoffs are pretty, sure, but these Maurie & Eve Platinum Punk Wedge boots are just that little bit more. Kicker. I debated over which pair to get about two months ago and then quickly realised that I preferred the Maurie & Eve pair (so much more punk-rock) and would save about $200 AUD. Which could be spent on the infamous Ode To No One jacket p'haps? Or to use at Topshop in Bali. Yep, you heard me....Topshop in Bali. Where I'll be in December :)

If you're from Perth, Billie & Rose (all three stores: King St, Mt Lawley and Freo) will be getting the shoes some time this week. If not, try your luck at http://www.mycatwalk.com.au/. Free shipping and returns. Although these babies sold out within the hour. Eeep. Re-order, me thinks (and....confirmed by a friend who works in retail).

Cannot wait.....yum.

We're in trouble, trouble...

Spent the weekend....on a double date that Stuart and I set up for friends. Buying craft items to make a dead parrot outfit (a la the Monty Python dead parrot sketch). Making aforementioned outfit. Kickboxing in the park. Coffee bean tasting and evaluating. Taking Dad to brunch for Fathers Day. Wearing a caffeine overdose for a fair while. Catalogueing more of what I want to sell.


What did you get upto this weekend?

1st outfit: skirt (worn as dress) and leather jacket, vintage. belt, forever new. boots, asos.

Change-Shopping-Awards-Leopardlove

As you may have noticed, my blogger template appears different. I'm in the middle of playing around with the default templates, editing parameters to my hearts content. It's not done yet (I want to modify the header, change the background colour, change widths of the post and sidebar sections, and decrease the size of the wraparound) but please do let me know what you think I should do or aim for, or even if you liked it how it was and I should revert back! I decided it was time for a change.....I'm looking for a more professional finish.

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I've also been getting my act together and snapping pictures for my new blog: shopafricanteaparty. I know the idea of a blogger trying to sell wares is a staggeringly unique one....but I have too many shoes, vintage preciousness, accessories, clothing and other randomness that just sits there and that could be loved by someone else.

To summarise:

*prices will be reasonable, yay!

*there will be frequent giveaways, and all you'll need to do is be a follower of africanteaparty

*payment will need to be by Paypal: shoot me an email with item of interest, await invoice, make payment, and once it clears I'll post the good(s). [More clarity to be provided with regards to it all closer to launch]

I will update this blog once it's all in motion.....stay tuned!

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The Seeker bestowed upon me this gorgeous 'Golden Heart Blog Award'. It's Spanish, its sexy, and I'm honoured to be so highly thought of by this gorgeous lady with a fabulous soul and innate sense of style. Do check out her blog.

I'd like to pass on the award to these gorgeous girls:

A Daisy Chain Dream

Couture Carrie

Fashion Chalet

Fashion Distraction

Stompface

The Sydney Girl

We Were Damsels

Sharon Rose

More importantly, I want to thank you all for your lovely comments and kind thoughts....you guys rock (p.s. I promise to reply to comments sooon).

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Last but certainly not least of all, I recently received my highly anticipated and awaited Camilla and Marc leopard print boots. I kid you not, I'm wearing them as I type. These babies are officially my favourite pair of shoes. They're all sorts of platform-high goodness, they have that incredible leather smell, they are hand-made, they have the finest fuzz-haired surface, and to top it all off they make your legs look ridiculously good. Seriously. Grace from Camilla and Marc's flagshop store in Paddington, Sydney (ph: + 61 2 93311133) was a delight and looked after me all the way. Thanks so much, Grace!

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Hope all is well with you guys. Thanks for all the comment love, I promise to reply soon :)