When I was in Melbourne last year, I popped into Sportsgirl with a bad back (exacerbated by 6 hours of walking everyday) and tyrannised the lovely, patient shop girls with my irritable attitude and air of defeatism. Don’t worry, I did apologise later and explain why I was in such a black mood. And they were very nice about it, grabbing me items so I could sit in the changing rooms and pop painkillers.
As I was leaving the store, I saw a cute rabbit trinket plate on their gift table, so I told Mr. J to fetch it for me. Only $12.95AUD! So pretty. You can stick rings on the ears, and bigger items like necklaces and earrings sit in the dish.
This hot porcelain piece has pride of place beside my bed. I am notoriously lazy at the end of the day, so being able to dump my stuff on the plate before I go to sleep is very convenient for me.
But it’s interesting to see how other people use their trinket plates to decorate their homes, so I thought I’d include a few examples. From minimalist to maximalist, it seems to look great in every decor situation! When I need more jewellery storage, I will definitely be looking at another white china dish…
Photo Credits: Heart Shaped Glasses & Thai Tales
“For me, the fabric is nearly secondary. I believe first in shape, architecture, the geometry of a dress.”
- Pierre Cardin
{House Of Harlow 1960 Gunmetal Four Point Triangle Ring, $40 USD.}
I decided this week I was going to pull my best/unseen jewellery out of storage and try to teach myself how to photograph jewels. The end result looks a lot better than the previous collection of cocktail rings I shot way back in 2009! I’m not a professional hand model, so if you have a problem with my mitts let me know. So I can slap you across the face, pimp-style.
The House of Harlow ring was an interesting find. I was supposed to be shooting two family portraits for Christmas on the same day, but they were all taking a while to get ready so I decided to sneak out and take a look at the NZSale Warehouse Clearance Sale. I don’t bother looking at the clothes, I only go for the accessories. Annoyingly, they keep these items right by the tills, so you have to slowly fight your way through the massive queue just to take a peek at the glass display cabinet. But my patience was repaid once I laid eyes on this art-deco inspired bauble. And only $15! I was rapt with the thrill of getting a fantastic bargain.
My only regret was I was in such a hurry I didn’t pick up the multiple sets of House of Harlow earrings that were also for sale for $15. A real headdesk moment there. But such is life…
{Coral Crystal Ring, $25AUD @ The Quick Brown Fox}
I came across this ring while doing a quick browse through the local stores situated near Balaclava Station in Melbourne. I wasn’t feeling the love from any of the clothes, and I was just about to leave when i spotted the accessories cabinet and decided to take a peek. Lucky I did, or I never would have found this exquisite piece! It’s an absolutely humungous and unwieldy mother of a ring, so it’s for special occasions only. And I couldn’t believe how much I paid for it! Australia really is a fantastic country, and i would love love love to return to Melbourne for a longer stay.
That’s all for now, I would have done more but the photography part was mentally draining. All the lighting, angles, getting my hands positioned right…such a headache. But I’m determined to document the best of my jewellery collection for all of you to collectively drool at!
{Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner, Eartha Kitt}
Ah, the good old days. When animal print was associated with glamour and seduction. Sadly, modern styles just aren’t as elegant as the fashion of yore. Can you believe Jackie Collins once said, “My weakness is wearing too much leopard print.” Hmph! I disagree with that sentiment. My weakness is that I don’t wear enough leopard print! And that’s the truth.
{Kate Sylvester’s Lee Dress, $475 @ 47 High Street}
I’ve been deeply inspired by Kate Sylvester’s new collection, and would love to win the lottery and buy the entire collection. But everyone wants to be The Secretary and I doubt a mere peasant like myself could afford such garments even if it was on sale. Yeah yeah, first world problems…amiright?
It makes me sad to lust over unattainable objects, so I decided to take a picture instead to remind myself that some beauty is only meant to be admired from afar.
P.S Check out all the handprints at the bottom right of the shot. You can tell people have been pressing their face up to the windows, gazing in envious wonder at this beautiful silk dress…
{Zabanna Web Ring & Studs SOLD OUT, Diamond Spike Earrings $65 @ Onceit}
This month has been all about investing in jewellery. Even though I have some very beautiful dress earrings, the majority of my day-to-day stud earrings come from chain stores. And life is too short to wear cheap crap.
So all my Diva/Bling/Wild Pair jewellery is going into storage (to give to my family or charity) and I’ve been poking around the sales to find designer sterling silver jewellery. And once again Onceit comes to my aid, offering me goodies on a virtual platter. I’d never heard of Zabbana before, and looking at their website makes me regret my ignorance. I mean, just look at this awesome Bread Tag Pendant! Not a big fan of the bags though, sorry. Too much hardware.
So I picked the Diamond Spike Earrings first because they look sexy and dangerous (and also the only item that didn’t sell out immediately). And the Web Studs and Ring I managed to get into my shopping cart through sheer luck and perseverance. I figured even though it’s nice to mix up different types of jewellery, it would be nice to have a matching set. It’s probably the only matching set I have, to be honest.
Of course they’re not quite mine yet, they’ll turn up at the end of the month. I only can only hope there’s nothing missing in my order, unlike last time!
{Misty Lang’s Trust Tunic @ 7 Remuera Road, Newmarket}
When quasi-celebs like columnist Wendyl Nissen get the shit stick in Ponsnobby, what hope is there for a positive shopping experience for regular shoppers? No wonder everyone is migrating to international online shops . Why wouldn’t you when there are no queues, no snarky shop assistants, and no hidden costs?
But should we give the physical act of shopping the flick? I don’t think we should give it up entirely. One, it gets you outside walking around. It’s the best exercise a fashionista can get! Two, just because you don’t find clothing that fits doesn’t mean that you won’t find some great accessories lurking around. I once went into a store that had absolutely nothing for me clothing wise, yet I found the cutest coral crystal cocktail ring sitting in their display. And three, even if you find absolutely nothing of value you can still be inspired by the advice and style magic of helpful shop assistants (who are as rare as hens teeth). I know I wouldn’t have started wearing bright colours this summer if it hadn’t been suggested to me by a lovely boutique owner (who shall remain anonymous as I want her all to myself).
So when you’re looking for something in particular, try a Google search. If you want to cast your net wider, then hit the pavement and be inspired by independent boutiques, consignment stores, or even (gasp) a good quality chain store!
I think it’s a good compromise, no?
“What a subject: her nose is too big, her mouth is too big, she has the composites of all the wrong things, but put them all together and pow! All the natural mistakes of beauty fall together to create a magnificent accident.”
— Rex Reed on Sophia Loren
