What on earth does one do with a 'cape'?!

Image from InStyle

You may think they're slightly ridiculous, but they're big in fashion. And boy do they remind me of Blair Waldorf. Or somebody on their way to a duel.
The cape.

You may wear a cape-styled shirt, like Michelle from Mitch In Heels showcases in her latest post [really, you've never seen someone wearing blue jeans looks so badass!].
Or you might wear a cape-styled coat on top of your outfit, keeping you classy and cosy.
But, I hear you asking - "What am I supposed to wear with it, without looking over the top?"

Well as someone very new to the whole concept of capes, I took up the challenge to style three capes all on my own. Inspired by Michelle; here they are:

I think I like the middle the best, because it's got a sort of vintage look to it, and I like the lighter tones and floaty dress with the dramatic structure of the cape. 

The last outfit I tried to style as something you might wear on a sexy dinner date. I can imagine a woman rocking up to the restaurant in the dark cape and taking it off to reveal a stunning red dress beneath that turns heads. 

Which do you prefer? Can you see yourself ever investing in a cape?  

xZ

Polyvore Rookie

I made my first collage on Polyvore!

I could be shy about it but I'm curious to know what you guys think.

When I first saw people using Polyvore.com, I thought it was boring and only for the seasoned fashion bloggers who live and breathe clothes. But actually, it's fun! I do love the ballet slippers and the rings, as well as the top on the left, so pretty! I just drool over lace. 

Can you imagine someone wearing these outfits?

What do you want me to do, take up underwater hockey??

Image source: Pinkperfume

I often used to joke about taking up underwater knitting as a profession or a hobby whenever somebody asked me what I wanted to do with my life.

Last night, I was gobsmacked when somebody invited me to play underwater hockey.
"They do that?!"
Karen - a girl I had met on the same day at work - replied yes, in fact they do, and said that I should come along that night.
"We meet at 6pm... at the aquatic centre."

I drove home with full intentions of skipping that night but going to check it out the week after - because really, 6pm was half an hour away, I didn't know where my bathers were (actually yes I did, I just felt it had been way too long since I'd worn them and felt comfortable!), and I had only just met this girl and I was feeling shy.
But Mum and my stepdad totally talked me into it, bathers and all. Mum even volunteered to drive me to make it all less daunting.

We walked into the massive olympic pool arena, breathing in the chlorine and cautiously looking around. I spotted Karen, and ran up to tap her on the shoulder.
"You came!", she exclaimed, obviously stoked.

Mum took her place on the benches, while a woman introduced herself to me as Jasmine. She explained the gear I would be needing, holding out a snorkel mask, flippers, a padded glove, and best of all - a cap with built in ear guards. 
I put on the gear, very amused at how I must've looked, and slipped into the pool.

Yep. That's me. Looking like a boss. 

It turned out our instructors actually used to play for the national team. Yeah I know, underwater hockey is actually that big.

One of them was also a school teacher, I found out, because I had told her, "I feel like a six-year-old kid at a sports event" while she was adjusting my mask for me. 

"Oh, sorry! I'm just used to fussing over the school kids," she said. 

"No that's okay," I laughed, "I started it - I was the one that brought my mum along to watch!"

And everyone laughed at me. 

I didn't care that I felt like the baby, it was fun sharing the experience with Mum afterwards.
She mostly saw me kicking about and coming up for air countless times with HUUUGE gasps.

The game is actually really intensive on your muscles and on your lungs. You play with mini sticks, and a heavy weighted puck which can be passed a metre or two, but you mostly just push it around when you're frantically swimming low to the ground. People swim over you and into you, with dangerously kicking legs all over the joint. If you're unfit, like me, you're going to be panting and dying within the first fifteen minutes, being forced to give up some chances at scoring because you just can't hang on underwater any more.

But if you're like me you just try your hardest, and get in a good few saves, as well as one VICTORIOUS GOAL at the end - woohoo!
Except Karen and I had pretty much both driven the puck in - she got confused and thought she was battling someone from the other team. I knew it was only her but didn't stop to let her get the goal by herself because hey, this was my first and only moment! Haha. Aren't we the ultimate example of team work?

Anyway, point of story - I am definitely not the kind of person that just jumps up and goes, "Yeah why not! I'll be there in 5!" in the face of completely new situations.
But that night, I found some sort of boldness, even if only forced into me. And I'm so super glad I did.

Do you have any fun water sports offered at your local aquatic centre? I definitely recommend checking it out! It only cost me $5 to play, and different people are allowed to come each week. It's all for fun, with the chance to meet people without the pressure to make up conversation with them right away.


xZ

A dress makes you feel best

Image from here

I was looking at my friend Narelle's latest blog post on A Marmalade Sky, when I realised - I don't want to spend my first paycheck on a pair of sunglasses at all! I want a lovely, floaty dress to arrive in the post that I can pick out and get really excited about. I can put this dress on and run outside and do some cartwheels and gush about its pretty colour, and how I feel like a fairy princess.
You can't get that with sunglasses. They'll only fall off.

So in light of this inspired decision, I hopped straight onto ModCloth and picked out a few beautiful dresses that I would love to own. This is no easy task by the way - there are A GAZILLION dresses I would love. I merely scanned the sales and selected six to show you...

(1) 

This dress is printed with puppies. I kid you not. 

Now, you may not agree with me, but that is just a bucketload BETTER than all the cat printed items out there. Dogs rule! 

(2)

Definitely the ultimate spring-time dress. Gahhhh I love.

(3)

This one was way too expensive for me, but I love the pastels and the peter pan collar. 

It is the essence of cute and classy.

(4)

You can't really go wrong with a classic cut like this. 

Probably my favourite silhouette, and they say the print has touches of yellow in it. J'adore.

(5)

I usually stick to floaty things, but this straight cut dress caught my attention nonetheless. 

I think it'd be perfect for winter, with grey stockings and a big fancy coat. 

Anyway! I hope you guys like my picks. Do you have a favourite dress, one that gives you a particularly happy feeling? Is there anything online that you're simply dying of lust for?

^ To wrap up all this talk of dresses, I thought I'd throw one of my favourites and take a photo for you.

Off to a study date now!

xZ 

She's a part of the assembly line

On my first day working as a waitress at my new job*, my manager - a funny, easygoing, potty-mouthed man - showed me around the winery and suddenly said, "Hey! Do you want to do some bottling on Wednesday??!". 

I of course, didn't know what this meant at all but nodded excitedly and said "Sure thing!". 

And so I rocked up at 8am this morning and got going in a production line - to bottle over 2000 bottles of Sparkling Nashi Pear wine!

It was fantastic. Really, to explain it to you guys, I'd tell you to just imagine me doing rocket science. =] Yeahhh like that. Mainly I picked up corks and thumbed them through a big tube, while watching the bottles to make sure nothing went wrong, and put the wire caps on top when they came along past me. 

This is all operating on a nifty looking piece of machinery, by the way. It was a small team that we worked in - just my manager, a friendly bloke called Sam, and I. Once the bottles had passed by me, they went on to Sam who picked them from the machine line and put them in another thing which quickly twisted the caps tight. He stacked them in a 'honeycomb' pattern in huge crates.

It all went at a leisurely pace at first, but when Sam's machine started stuffing up and munting all the caps so they had to be replaced, things got hectic. Bottles were piling up on our working bench left, right, and centre. I kept leaning over to take some off the machine line so they wouldn't stack up to a dangerous level around Sam, but still, we were swamped. We had to tell my manager to slow the pace. Instead he came over and fixed the cause of our woe (ie. the temperamental machine) .. after numerous attempts.

After that, we soon hit success and finished our goal of 2000+ bottles (including some freebies for staff, yay!).

It only took us six hours.

Anyway I decided to draw you a simplified model of what we looked like, here it is:

The best part about the whole day is that we were quite simply looked after like royalty. Although, yes technically we worked like slaves.

But the minute we got started, we were brought deliciously hot coffee. Then warm ham and cheese turkish bread toasties. Then scone-like bikkies with sprinkles on them.

When it came to lunchtime, Sam and I both politely declined because we were STUFFED!

So we had a late lunch instead, feasting on what is easily one of the best tasting curries I've ever had.

Anyway I wanted to just share with you what a fun time I had discovering a completely new task, and a very generous workplace. 

If you're interested in doing such work, just approach your local winery and ask them when they start their bottling production. Let them know you're interested in being hired to help. They can probably just hire you for the occasion alone.

Sweet daydreams,

xZ

*A clue-in for newcomers: I'm a waitress at The Berry Farm, which does all its own amazing jams and fruity wines, as well as morning tea and lunches everyday. Gorgeous property, funny and laid-back managers and staff. My very first day was last Saturday. =]

I want...

Like everyone else, I am just smitten with the House of Harlow 'Chelsea' sunnies. They're $150, and as soon as I get paid, I know what I'll be spending it on!

I'm not one to usually pick out expensive things and actually buy them, but I think at least one 'luxury' pair of sunnies in a lifetime is called for. 

I'll probably break or lose them within three weeks ( sob :'( ), but eh.

Actually, last night I had a dream about somebody discarding these $400 sandals I saw on another blog... It was funny, I was just walking about in some kids' hospital type-place and found one shoe, then spent the rest of the time searching for the other. In disbelief that they were even abandoned. But I would've never paid $400 myself. Psssh. They weren't even sparkly. Haha.

xZ

Blood Orange

Hi guys, I wanted to ask your advice on a skirt I picked up from Lion's recently - it's a lovely colour and it was only 40c, but I'm not sure about the circular cut outs near the hem... also, you can't see it in the above photo very well, but that top layer is cut in jagged triangles all around it! Bit bizarre; it reminds me of Halloween!

 With booties

Just wondering if it'd be worth taking off that top layer - although it's a delicious colour - and being happy with the colour underneath?
Orrr I could try adding some sort of panel on top of the circles?
Or I could just keep it how it is :)

What do you think?
If you have any other suggestions I'd be happy to hear them!

xZ