Camilla, todays fashion eye candy

Camilla by joslene featuring a halter dress


I have fallen in love. With a fashion icon!
When I entered the Camilla boutique last night at James Street it was like stepping into a fantasy world. The colours, the clothes......magical. Such beautiful liquid silk fabrics used in such a simple design that is just perfect.

These kaftan's & dresses are not cheap but just the experience of feeling one, sent me into a frenzy. I have no idea where they manage to find such a perfect fabric but I think it was made in fabric heaven.

I am now putting "owning a Camilla kaftan" on the top of my bucket list.

marie claire James Street Up Late

Fashion heaven!

That is my new name for James Street, Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.

Seriously, all of the most fabulous designers in one street!

Here is some of my fave shops on James Street

Camilla is my number one.

Ok, Camilla….the most beautiful kaftans, dresses & tops that I have even seen! The fabric that are used for this clothing line are simply stunning. They feel like liquid silk between your fingers. I could image slipping on one of these stunning kaftans & feeling like a million dollars. The colours are a range of vibrant, beautiful, eye catching to the more peaceful, serene pastels that I have ever seen.

And of course, bubbly & sushi!

There was street entertainment & even a Caribbean band.

Who doesn’t love to have a little boogie while shopping?

There is the fabulous Mecca Cosmetica. You could not walk past this beautiful shop with the most amazing window painting.

Shoes, clutches & all that sparkle…..

it must be Nat-Sui.

(whose goodies bag was fabulous!)

Looking for beautiful & unique things for your home?

James Street has the shops for you!

sass & bide. Need I say anymore?

Check out this fabulous window display from Frock shop! It is a dress made from pages of marie claire!

It was amazing!

There was something fantastic in every shop!

My favourite part of the night was meeting the ever fabulous & always beautiful Jackie Frank, Editor of marie claire magazine Australia.

When I got home & jumped online (as you do), I found that as she had promised, Jackie posted a photo on twitter that she took of us out the front of the marie claire pop up shop

It was a fabulous event!

Thanks to marie claire & James Street for a fabulous night.

Thought for the day

Oh, how true!

marie claire James St up late outfit

marie claire James St up late outfit by joslene featuring a snakeskin bag

This is the inspiration for the outfit that I will be wearing to the marie claire James St Up Late fashion event.

I will be keeping it sweet & simple

Up late with marie claire and James St

Guess where I am going this week?

I’ll give you a hint!

                                                          marie claire James St up late

I am so excited! A night of fashion!

I could not possible go by myself so I am taking a date. One of my friends is coming & I know that she loves fashion just as much as I do as we have been asking each other “What are you going to wear?” since I found out about this event!

I am thinking that I will wear my black tuxedo/blazer jacket, black skinny jeans, white t-shirt & loads of aqua accessories. I even got my hair cut off so gone is the “Mummy in a hurry ponytail” & hello new short sleek do.

Are you going to this fabulous event?

I will be doing a full round up here on Friday & sharing some of my fave new season fashion looks from the night.

Perfectionism

While I was getting my hair done at the hairdressers, I flipped through a magazine (or 10) & came across an article about Perfectionism becoming procrastination.

Oh no, I think I have this!

Some days I will think so hard about how I am going to do something that I just end up procrastinating & getting nothing done at all.

In the article, (I should have written down which magazine) it said that a lot of perfectionism comes from when we were kids. Were you always struggling to keep your parents happy with your grades? Did you ever bring home a B on your report card and get asked why it wasn’t an A? Did you get 90% on a test & asked why you didn’t get 100%?

I know that while I was in high school, I gave 100% to my school work, I won many awards but sometimes when I would come home with an award that said I was a silver, I was asked why I did not get a gold certificate.

I also see & hear myself doing this to my girls & I need to break the cycle because some days I feel like I am drowning in perfectionism while I am procrastinating.

Why is it that perfectionist think that it is ok to not acknowledge the hard work they have done but only acknowledge the unachievable?

I need to ease up on my kids. I need to let them know that as long as they gave it their best, that is ok by me.

I mean, if all of our kids grow up to be Doctors & Lawyers, the world will become a very strange place when there is no one left to be creative.

Superwoman, Some days I need to remind myself that I am not

Do you sometimes try to be a superwoman, supermum, a superwife….just try to be everything to everyone? Why is it that we think that is ok?

{image source}

I think that I need to use the word NO a little more often.

I need to say, “I forgot.” & not apologise.

I need to say, “No, I haven’t.” and be ok with that.

I need to admit that I sometimes screw up & that is ok.

I need to know that once in a while, dinner will taste like crap or not even be edible, & that is ok because no one else can cook in this house & they should be happy that there is 2 minute noodles in the cupboard.

I need to say that is ok if the kids have tuckshop because I can’t be bothered making something from scratch, I am sure they will survive.

I need to say, “No, I am too busy.”

I need it to not worry me if I have forgotten to ring, send or email. Before the internet was even a major part of my life, it would never have been an issue.

{did you know that the earth was even here before the internet?}

I need to let the little thing slide.

I need to just go with the flow a little more.

I need to put into practice all the things that I let others get away with & never give it a second thought.

Why is it ok for everyone else but not ok for me?

Why is it that we as women hold such high standards for ourselves & yet we let others go with the flow?

I feel like shopping, virtual shopping!

I love to shop! Don't we all?? But I found a new way to get my shopping fix & not spend a cent! I now go "virtual shopping" on POLYVORE. Oh how I love POLYVORE!! Check out all of this hot buys I found that are all under $50!!  

feeling a little pretty by joslene featuring a cropped blazer



Floral shirt
$22 - amazon.com

Alice In The Eve cropped blazer
$36 - generalpants.com.au

Dorothy Perkins aqua jeans
$44 - dorothyperkins.com

Barefoot Tess flat heels
$49 - macys.com

Topshop clutch handbag
$32 - topshop.com

Mango sheer scarve
£18 - mango.com

Volcom fedora hat
$15 - tactics.com

Lulu Guinness dome umbrella
$50 - luluguinness.com

A modern woman wish

I have come across something very inspiring.

It comes from kaileenelise.com

I love it!

I think that I will print this, frame it & put it near my kitchen bench where my girls & I talk about everything.

I hope that I can live by these rules & my daughters will too.

I mean, who doesn’t want to spread glitter everywhere you go???

Nothing is a chore

This morning I cooked a beautiful breakfast of French toast for myself & the girls, mowed the lawn, I did 3 loads of washing, rung my Mum, rung my husband, booked a table for Kiara's 13th birthday, paid the bills, posted 2 blogs & all of that was done before 10am.

I often get asked if I ever sleep, yes I do sleep but I enjoy everything I do so nothing feels like a chore.

I love to cook breakfast for my daughters because I know that I am giving them the best start to their day. I love knowing that they go to school ready to learn & they have enough energy for them to concentrate. It only takes 10 minutes to cook them something. Some days they even cook for themselves.

Mowing the lawn is my exercise. While I am exercising I also know that I am showing my family that I have pride in our little house.

I really do enjoy doing the washing. I love going out into the yard to hang the clothes in the sun & smell the fabric softener. My husband has even told me that when he has been away for a week or more in the truck, he can open the door & smell the beautiful fabric softener.

Paying bills reminds me just how lucky I am that we can afford to pay our bills. Changing the way that I used to think about paying bills has made it so much easier to part with our money.

It is the simple things that are often the sweetest ♥

A challenge to myself, makes me want to walk

One thing that I love to do is walk.

I do not like to walk by myself, there is no fun in that! I like to walk as a family.

The girls, the pooch & I all put on our sneakers & head out as often as we can.

We do not walk for the purpose of exercising.

We do it to spend time together away from the house & the best part is that it is free!

{but the exercise part is a big bonus!}

We also like to take photo’s of beautiful flowers or even get lucky enough to pick some.

These were some of the beautiful flowers we found yesterday & a bunch of sticks to use for an Easter project.

The girls love to also look at the beautiful things in nature.

Kiara takes her mobile phone everywhere & she also took some photo’s of beautiful flowers to use as a screen saver.

This morning when I had breakfast, it was lovely to have these beautiful flowers in a vase on the table.

It made me enjoy my breakfast that little bit more.

Now the challenge part.

I have set myself a challenge.

The challenge is to find or take a photo of something beautiful on our walks. It is the simple things that are often the sweetest ♥

Do you like to go for a walk & do you take your family with you?

Living sweet & simple.

This has become my new motto for life.

Living

adjective

*having life     *true to life    *still in use   

Sweet

adjective

*pleasing to other senses    *gentle    *kind

Simple

adjective

*not complicated     *easily understood

I believe that we only have one life so why not enjoy every single moment that we have got.

To put it simply….

Why save your most fabulous things for a special occasion, is today not special?

I believe that every day should be celebrated.

It need not cost the earth to enjoy your life.

Light a candle & watch your mood change.

Turn off the TV & put on your favourite music.

Get off the couch & go for a walk.

Stop & admire the beauty of a flower & smell it’s perfect scent.

I believe that all women are beautiful but it is the ones who know their purpose in life that seem to shine more brightly.

If your purpose in life is to be a Mother, then make sure that you are the best Mother you can be by making time to cherish yourself.

The same rules apply for all women, we must cherish ourselves before we can give to anyone else.

"Find inspiration by noticing the infinite beauty in the everyday things all around you. The petals of a flower. The eyelashes of a baby. The rainbow of colours in a sunrise and sunset. The breathing of your four-legged friends. The infinite flavours of each bite of food. Beauty and inspiration are everywhere.' ~Paige Burkes

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More to come!

Right now, this blog is still under construction.

Please check back soon for more info about Living sweet & simple.

 

Thank you