What a trip to *finally* find this ol’ WordPress log-in, folks!
Now, a LOT has changed in my life (and of course, we are all currently dealing as best we can with this COVID-19 pandemic), so things might not be entirely the same as they used to be here. But let’s give this blogging caper a crack again, eh Katy?
Category Archives: fashion
4 statement earring styles you need this Summer!
Brighter, longer, bolder and bigger.
Sunflower dangles from The Hutt Designs*
There’s no question that statement earrings are having a major moment this Summer. Whether it’s colourful tassels or fun acrylic dangles, I’m obsessed with this accessory trend. I’ve rounded up my favorite statement earrings of the season, and already have a few of these pairs in my earring wardrobe. (Note: the best kind of earring wardrobes come from Bon Maxie and MijMoj Design.)
Size matters but so does comfort, so the latest lightweight earrings are right up my alley – no lobestretch here! Another reason I love a statement earring… they distract from tired eyes or even a bad hair day.
Neutral tassels
Trainee Mama wears Lovisa white tassel earrings, I’m wearing $4 Kmart tassel dangles.
I love a neutral tassel with EVERYTHING – all colours, all prints, it’s all good. I especially love a neutral tassel made of natural raffia. Perfection.
Leather Wrap and Bead Earrings, $39.95 Iskia; Cactus Engraved Dangle Earrings, $15.00 Desert Jewellery; Kashmiri Statement Earring in Cream White, $39.99 Adrift; Statement Tassel Nude Earrings, $4.00 Kmart
Bright tassels
I’m wearing Bright Sunny Days earrings, $39.95 Iskia Designs
Bright tassels are the mac to my cheese. Well, the multi-coloured mac to be precise.
Tegan peach hand-painted leather triangle earrings, $35.00 Kathleen Benham; Gatsby Tassels in Yellow, $24.98 Paula Hall Designs; Carolina Dangle, $40.00 Kenzie Collective; Flower Tassel Earrings in Aqua, $14.95 Sassi the Collection
Tropical and quirky
Now this is my go-to earring style, I love playful styles with a little sense of humour! I’m wearing Lindy Lou Frida dangles* and Sqwark earrings* from Spotting Unicorns. Think palm trees, birds and animals, even undersea creatures!
Sloth earrings, £24.95 Little Moose; Teardrop Tassel Monstera earrings, $40.00 Kenzie Collective; Sqwark earrings, $34.95 Spotting Unicorns; Leaf and Florence earrings, $20.00 Desert Jewellery; Flamingo-Tastic earrings, $50.00 Pop Rock Park
Metallic glam
Bling earrings are a staple in every earring wardrobe, but they’re not the heavy metal ones of decades past. I’m wearing Sportsgirl Black fan earrings, and Shein acrylic palm earrings (old).
Golden Glow drops in white, $29.98 Paula Hall Designs; Iris Mega Glam Statement Dangle in Paparazzi/Stardust, $50.00 Kenzie Collective; Fiesta Earrings, $19.95 Sportsgirl; Copper Luxe Clay Dangle, $20.00 Itty B Studio
See, Summer’s earring line-up is incredibly diverse with something here for everyone, I promise.
Let me know of other amazing earring brands in the comments below!
*Kindly gifted, and only shared because I love them.
8 under $80 – Christmas Party dresses
It’s that time of year again – Christmas Party season!
Every year, November brings with it the search for the perfect affordable and stylish dress to wear to work and social occasions.
These are some of my favorite dresses under $80 (some even under $60!), with key trends covered like off-the-shoulder (OTS isn’t going anywhere this Summer), ruffle sleeve and quirky prints. And I’m amazed, there’s not a stripe amongst them!
Hummingbird dress in red floral, $59.90 St Frock; Poppie dress in green ricrac, $79.99 Adrift; Amy pink pineapple shift dress, $79.99 Style Me Over
B Collection Broderie Bell Sleeve dress, $35 Big W; Mandy Christmas Flamingo Wrap dress, $59.95 Little Party Dress; Arabian Goddess Boho Maxi, $79.99 Erin Louise
Spencer dress, $60 (on sale) Dressy Bessy; Ruffle Sleeve Pattern dress, $59 Chasing Case
The navy B Collection Broderie dress from Big W is the perfect budget option for a work Christmas party, while I love the floaty boho style of the Erin Louise maxi and Chasing Case pattern dress for casual family barbeques by the water. And the quirky Santa-hat-wearing flamingos of the Mandy Little Party Dress are fabulous for ANY festive celebration!
Which is your favorite? I don’t think I can go past the flamingo LPD, or the Amy Pineapple shift! (Predictable, I know!)
Behind the Door earrings really make a statement!
I’ve harped on recently about the statement earring trend that I love so much, but you can’t exactly have giant chandeliers flanking your face every single day. I like to give my lobes a rest with studs I can wear daily, but are anything but minimal! These Behind the Door Signature Glass Studs are cute enough to elicit compliments from fashion-forward teens at work, are sparkly enough to flatlay like a boss, and light enough that I can wear them all day long!
Because I like to know the ‘why’ behind small creative businesses (I think anyone taking that step into running their own business is crazy-brave!), I asked the lovely Ali Beer Smith, creative director of Behind the Door a few questions about BTD and her busy life – she has a ‘day-job’ as well as managing her growing business!
What do you do? What do you make/sell? Behind the Door is a one-woman run small business, based in Woodcroft, South Australia. At BTD, you will find handcrafted and affordable jewellery and accessories for the colourful at heart. One of the main reasons Behind the Door was born, was because I couldn’t source or locate good quality stud earrings at an affordable price that didn’t irritate my ears. Behind the Door is now known for exactly that – our Signature Glass Stud Earrings that are affordable, easy to wear for those busy mums and hustling babes. Each piece is meticulously handmade with love using a variety of materials and settings, sourced both locally and within Australia. Since the virtual doors opened in 2015, Behind the Door now frequents the market scene within Adelaide throughout the warmer months of the year.
Why and how did you sell your first product? The first product that I ever sold under the Behind the Door label was a paid of Lady Marmalade Glass Stud Earrings in a stainless steel setting. She was so excited to buy a piece of my jewellery, and was boasting about it to all of her friends.
Who was your key support during the fledgling stage of Behind the Door? My huz, Wade! What a gem he is. Also my Mama, she even invested in Behind the Door in the very early stages which allowed me to buy packaging to send my pieces out.
How do you manage your time well? Some times I feel like I’m drowning, sometimes I feel like I am slaying at the #hustle! I’ve recently just listed to a Mums with Hustle podcast about this very thing. What I took away from the podcast was to identify 4 main non-negotiable priorities for each week. These are family and friends time, dedicate time to Behind the Door, look after myself by eating well and going to the gym, and be able to give myself 100% to my 9am-5pm job. I know that sounds like so much but a way that I manage my time is to decide what non-negotiables I will do each day. My typical day starts out of getting up and head to the gym or take the dog for a walk. I’m always on my way to my 9-5 job at 7.45am. I like to think I slay that, and then head off home for the day. When I get home, I like to play with the animals for a few minutes and then kick into hustle mode! On a side note, I am a FIFO wife. My husband works away for 4 weeks at a time, and then is home for 1 week. When he is home, family time takes priority of my non-negotiables. When he is away at work, it’s a mix of all four! It’s not uncommon to still find me hustling in the work shop at 1am, however that started to affect my 9-5 job so I had to reassess my routine. I hadan ah-ha moment back in December last year – it is really important to look after myself and take time out for me, so I can give more! If I’m not in the workshop or at my day-job, I’m either out in the garden, playing with my dog and two cats, cooking or soaking in the tub with a fab bath bomb!
If you could have given yourself a piece of knowledge or advice when you started what would that be? Try and shake the guilt of doing what you love and take time out for you!
Which opportunities should you have followed? I applied for a very well known market in 2016 that I was accepted for.. I then decided against it because it was such a big investment. I doubted my performance and products, and I wish I didn’t. Behind the Door ROCKS!
How do you conquer any moments of doubt that threaten to stop your great ideas? What pushes you through? It’s the self doubt and self criticism that catches you out.. a lot of the time! In these moments, I think back to why Behind the Door exists first and foremost. I then think of all the fabulous feedback I have received from so many happy customers all over the world.
Righto, time for some fun stuff…
What is your ‘uniform’? What do you wear more often than anything else? In my day-job, it’s smart casual – think black, black, black… you get me? It’s hard when I have such a colourful heart! In the workshop and beyond, I love a fabulous Gorman piece! I will always have a handmade piece on, whether that’s something I have made, or that of another biz babe!
What is your favourite thing to wear to make you happy? COLOUR!
Thanks so much Ali, just hearing about your passion and your juggle makes me want to support small creative businesses even more!
*I was kindly gifted a few BTD pieces. As always, if I don’t love it, I won’t share it.
Lunabella sleepwear styles make for the perfect pyjama day!
I (and many other people on the Sunshine Coast) were sent home early today due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie, and I found out earlier that we also have a rain day tomorrow. Let me tell you that I for one am delighted that we’ll have a long weekend (and for school students and teachers, a longer than usual Easter holiday). This particular ten-week term has REALLY been a struggle.
Of course the reality of a severe storm advisory in Queensland means that we could be flooded in, or we could get gale force winds, or we might just get a light smattering of rain. Who would know? Definitely not the weather bureau. Regardless, I’m grateful that I’ve been given full permission to enjoy a pyjama day to relax and put my feet up and pretend that there won’t be a mountain of postponed work to come back to in two weeks time.
In case you’re concerned about my nutritional well-being during this weather event, please know that in the Potaty household we don’t feel the need to run out and buy ALL THE THINGS when a storm threatens, because my husband already has a canned goods inventory for possible survival situations. No way we’ll run the risk of being stuck in our car with the river rising around us like some of those poor fools I’ve seen on the news this evening.
So as I was saying, tomorrow is going to be a pyjama day, which means that you will find me wearing some of my latest Lunabella pieces. Honestly, there’s no cuter sleepwear available at the moment, I’m sure of it!
I was fortunate enough to be sent two gorgeous Lunabella sleepwear styles at the start of Summer, and there’s rarely been a night since where I haven’t slipped into the beautiful soft cotton of either of them. The first – my favourite nightie ever – is the Ohana pineapple print nightie, and hello, it has POCKETS. The Palm Springs Sleep Shorts are cute enough to wear out, and confession… they’ve enjoyed a trip to the local supermarket more than once.
At the start of the new AW season, the Lunabella team launched a few more of their coastal prints, and I am now the very happy owner of the South Beach Sleep Camisole, in the sweetest flamingo print you ever did see; and a fabulously tropical banana-leaf set of the St Lucia Sleep Camisole and Sleep Pants – I look like I could just disappear into a Martinique-print wallpaper heaven!
It’s going to be a slower start to my school holidays than I expected, not least because we’ll be cooped up in the house until the wet weather disappears. Here’s hoping the next two weeks will be filled with hopefully warm weather before the hideousness of Winter sets in, cycling around the Coast searching for more new cafes to try, eating out when BB is home from work, staying up way too late binging on Riverdale and Friday Night Lights, and a glorious amount of sleeping in.
You can bet that I’ll try to do each of the above things at least once while wearing some sort of cute Lunabella sleepwear, right?!
Anyone got BIG school holiday plans? Or just chilling in your pyjamas at the local IGA like me?
*Kindly gifted, and only shared here because I love it!
KP and B do the GC
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, and I loaded up my car, kissed my husband goodbye and beat the Bruce Highway traffic to go meet up with Brooke after she finished her Pilates session. A quick hug and back into our separate cars – hers was too full of bike to fit me in – to cruise south on the surprisingly traffic-jam-free M1.
Our first stop was Harbour Town, Australia’s largest outlet shopping centre. Brooke and I were super-excited to include Harbour Town in our GC itinerary as we’d heard about the Premium Mall which had opened in May 2016, with Kate Spade New York, Furla, Michael Kors, Coach, Oroton and other high-end retailers. Did we mention Kate Spade New York? (Hello, my name is Katy, and I’m a Kate Spade-oholic.)
The outlet stores offer anywhere from 30 to 70% off sales everyday, so we were even more delighted when the Harbour Town team generously offered us a gift card each to help us splurge a little. After cutting a few laps of the Centre to make sure we weren’t missing any must-haves, we shopped our socks off and I’m now the delighted owner of this Kate Spade tote, along with one of her gorgeous idiom bangles too! My tip to the wise… don’t accompany Brooke to a Kate Spade store without a good book and a pair of headphones, her indecision is becoming legendary.

Harbour Town also has a dedicated Tourism Lounge which offers complimentary services including tea and coffee (free coffee AND outlet shopping? sweeeeet) and a free tourist-only shuttle bus every Tuesday to Saturday. The only problem I can imagine is that you might buy too much to cart back to your hotel on the bus!
We packed our new goodies in our cars and drove to our home for the evening, QT Gold Coast. This was my first time staying at a QT Hotel after lusting over the Port Douglas hotel on my last few trips north, and I was suitably impressed with the much-anticipated ‘fun factor’.
QT Gold Coast is a retro-lovers dream with midcentury decor and colourful surf-inspired artworks, and quirks like a giant Connect 4 set by the astroturfed pool lawn. Level 1 houses the restaurant and QT Spa, while the ground level is home to spacious reception, cocktail bar and cafe areas, and a split-level loungeroom reminiscent of the Brady Bunch which is used to host their high teas (aptly named Qteas).
We dumped our shopping and overnight bags on our beds, and immediately went down to the pool deck to try a few cocktails. Brooke had previously stayed at QT Gold Coast and had a favourite tipple so didn’t require a menu, but I was torn between a couple, so of course tried them both!

The next morning, we spent some quality time aquainting ourselves with the impressive breakfast buffet (Brooke enjoyed a softserve icecream with breakfast… really) before we packed up, headed downstairs and gave the Connect 4 set a quick workout and then checked out of QT.
Brooke had mentioned taking her new bike down the Gold Coast for our weekend away and enjoying a pleasant cycle along the beachfront, but I’m firmly of the opinion that bikes are for people who enjoy wearing lycra and have a much less sensitive butt than I. I mean, there’s not much joy in panting and gasping, is there?
I thought I’d be the clever one and contacted the crew at Crooze Electric Bicycles at Broadbeach to see if they would be able to help with my ‘I want to cycle along the beach but not get hot and sweaty’ conundrum, and they generously came to the party, loaning me one of their super-cool Noosa electric bikes. (FYI they both hire and sell their cruisers, so you can definitely try before you buy!) Now when I say electric bike, I mean a bicycle that can be pedaled, with options to add a power boost from a discreet electric motor, not a scooter. Obviously I wanted to be able to pedal A LITTLE, in case we rode past cool cycling people who would mock me whizzing by with no effort at all!
Let’s clear a few things up – I am a very reluctant cycler, I don’t feel comfortable riding my old clunker ladies’ mountain bike around the footpaths of my quiet suburb, let alone hitting the streets. But something about being shown the gadgets and gizmos on the Noosa cruiser got me excited, I donned a bright pink camo helmet and off I zipped. Electric bikes are now so technologically advanced and quiet that not even Brooke knew when I was pedalling and when I was nudging the throttle. Sneaky – I like it.
(Sidenote: I got home from my weekend away, waxed lyrical to my husband about how much I enjoyed riding the Noosa cruiser and he’s decided that we’re driving down to the Gold Coast this week to trial them together – a Noosa cruiser for me, and for him, the manlier-looking Cooly electric bike; and then maybe bring a couple home! He loves to cycle, but I’m always letting him down and slowing him down, so this could be the coolest-looking compromise ever!)
Seriously, this was the coolest and cruisiest ride ever. Thanks Crooze team!
We tootled to Mermaid Beach and then along Millionaires Row and Hedges Avenue, real estate shopping and dreaming of the luxurious mansions we could own if we just, you know, knuckled down and saved a bit more, then stopped at BSKT Cafe at Nobby’s to drink ALL THE COLD THINGS before turning around to cycle the 4.2km back to Crooze at Broadbeach. That’s right, we cycled 8.4km, and I wasn’t even puffed.
It was a smashing way to spend a weekend with one of my best mates, and I’m definitely looking forward to going down to the Goldie again this week to enjoy a ride along the beach with my husband!
Brisbane Fashion Weekend 2016 – making a weekend of it!
Inaugural events can be a little hit and miss, but the first Brisbane Fashion Weekend held last month was, in my entirely non-fashiony opinion, a smashing success!
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
Traffic had been pretty decent heading into Brisbane, so I had time for a shower, wash and curl my hair, to give myself a mani/pedi and catch up on some work emails. Instead, I napped, watched the end of Season 2 of UnReal, showered super-fast, then helped myself to Brooke’s plethora of dry shampoo and hairspray options. My fingernails and toenails would have to wait.
On to the main event!
For more comprehensive wrap-ups of the event, I highly recommend you check out the following:
My Summer Picks – That Shop in Doreen
I love small businesses, I really do. I have worked in retail for both small and multi-national fashion brands, and there’s something super-special about a little design and buying team, who choose styles based on what they know their customers will like, because they have a relationship with those customers.
Now, I’m sure you all know that Summer is my favourite season. I mean, I can never really be too hot, as long as I’m dressed appropriately in light and floaty pieces. Samantha stocks some gorgeous styles, so I thought I would share some of my favourite That Shop in Doreen picks with you!
My Summer Picks – That Shop in Doreen
I love the short sleeves on this and the sweet little twist tie at the front. And the stripes (who am I kidding, I love the stripes the most). It’s only $35 and also comes in grey and white, and black and white.
Remember how Justin Timberlake couldn’t stop this feeling anymore? That’s how I feel about all the off the shoulder tops around this Summer. I’m well aware that they require (gasp!) a strapless bra, but they really are worth it. This one also has an adorable fringe around the hem and sleeves!
If you’re looking for just a great basic top with a little bit of extra flair, this is the top for you. I love the jersey fabric, it drapes beautifully and doesn’t wrinkle. I’m a big fan of the grey marle but it also comes in white for those of you who can keep white tops clean!
I don’t know what I wore before I discovered stripe t-shirt dresses? Was I wandering around naked half the time? Who knows! Seriously, this is a fab little number that I have in the navy and white stripe, and wear on repeat every week. Actually, we might as well just call it my Tuesday dress.
I’m not usually one for pink… in fact I don’t have a single non-activewear pink item in my wardrobe, and my mates Trainee Mama and Blonde Ambition have challenged me to change that this Summer. This floaty top is so versatile – it could easily be dressed down with shorts for day, or dressed up with a cute skirt or pair of jeans and heels at night.
Probably my favourite TDIS style at the moment, this Blossom Midi Dress is even prettier in person. I wore it for a long day of partying at the Caloundra Music Festival a couple of weeks ago, and received so many compliments. They say it’s a midi length, but I’m not the tallest giraffe in the zoo, so it looks like a maxi on me.
I continue to put this denim jacket in my cart and then leave it there because it’s going to be too hot for sleeves for the next six months, but stretch in a denim jacket is something that I’m always searching for, and I love the mid-blue wash of this one. If I lived in a cooler climate, this would be high on my wish-list.
Someone recently asked me about the right shoes to wear with Summer shorts and pants for a casual look. I’m a big fan of an espadrille because I think they can be worn with everything from jeans to dresses, and they’re way more casual than a regular flat.
Need more style inspiration? Head to That Shop in Doreen and I’m sure you’ll find a few pieces to add to cart too!
*That Shop in Doreen kindly sent me a couple of styles to try, thank you so much Samantha! I was thrilled with the service and my parcel arrived beautifully wrapped, so I’m more than happy to share the love here.
A favourite Spring outfit
After a Winter of cool weather (ok, 10 degrees is mighty cold for a Queenslander), aren’t we all daydreaming about those balmy days at the end of Spring? This feminine-yet-tomboyish outfit would be perfect to wear on bike rides, to brunches and on picnics…
I wear similar spins on this outfit pretty regularly, adding or subtracting a stripe sweater tied around my waist, a kimono, or mixing up the sleeveless shirtdress to one with a print. Simples.
Do you have a go-to outfit this season?
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The winner of my August email subscriber giveaway was Louise Mc. I’ve emailed you, Louise – so holler me back with a postal address! Congratulations!
What I Wore – Birdsnest for a Winter wedding
Toasty heaters, big steaming platters of roast meat and gravy, and snuggling into pashminas – who wouldn’t be excited for a Winter wedding?
For non-stylists like me, there are plenty (thousands) of styled outfits available to check out on the Birdsnest website, it’s so easy to envisage how your whole outfit will look when worn together – genius!
Lyndall, size 14: The dress is slimline without being clingy. It gives a beautiful shape to my hourglass figure. Sleeve length is classy and the gorgeous neckline is really pretty. Really happy with this purchase. It will be a great dress for travelling too, as the material isn’t likely to crush.
Yes, I would recommend this item.
Michelle, size 16: Purchased size 16 and fits beautifully – very flattering dress. Was for a date so felt very sexy and confident. Thank you!!
Yes, I would recommend this item.
Rebecca, size 10: If you want to feel sexy and elegant at the same time, or need something for a special occasion then you definitely need this dress in your life. It is a perfect weight, has no horrible zippers that snag or buttons to wrestle with. It holds off the shoulder without slipping. It is a flattering length to the knee.It will travel well without too much fuss or ironing needed. Believe me this dress will turn heads. I just love it. Thanks Birdsnest girls!!!
Yes, I would recommend this item.
To Stacey and Jason, our biggest congratulations to a beautiful couple who make each other so happy. BB and I wish you a wonderful journey as you build your new life together. Hugs forevs.
*Birdsnest dress super-awesomely gifted. You should really know by now that I won’t wear anything I don’t love, so consider this piece fantastic, and I’ll be wearing it years from now!