Kate Trips the Light Fantastic in By Malene Birger

Just look at Kate. I know. I am dead set excited too. Kate has discovered the Magic that is Malene! Hopefully this won't cause a worldwide shortage and make it difficult for the rest of us to get our mitts on her frocks.
You can just tell this linen arrangement will sell out. I wonder if she purchased it from the flagship shop in Downtown Marylebone in London? Here's a visual in case you need one:

Gee I loved that shop. Or the Mother ship as it is referred to round these here parts. Or maybe they just send a bunch of outfits to the palace for her to try on? I'm not sure how these things work. My talents lie elsewhere.

Loving Kate's Canadian wardrobe.

Stuff.

I ordered my Missoni bugaboo hood whatsy and the blanket. I love it and can't wait for it to arrive. I ordered mine from Bubs Baby shop. They're only getting a few so if you want to jump on the Missoni bandwagon, you'd better Run Don't Walk.
The blanket colours are excellent.


Here's a soothing Zsa Zsa image. She was so glamorous.

Malene Birger doesn't just design Superior frocks, she says Smart Stuff like not being able to relax when surrounded by Squalor. Me too Malene! I can't think properly when surrounded by mess and disorder, so I've been having a general tidy to distract myself from all the bad stuff happening in the world like the Live cattle trade to Indonesia and the sad news that the policeman shot of the coast died and the depressing fact that 2 more Australian soldiers have been killed in Afganistan.

Actioning some mindless domestic minutiae can be calming during life's trying times I think. Meanwhile Willow tells me that Carla Bruni's having a baby (is it twins?). Carla has very nice hair.

Blogger is letting me down emotionally and physically and will not let me post comments on other blogs Dammit. I wanted to comment on A Farmer's Wife Blog, because her daughter ("Farm Girl") wants to be me and is Hardcore Channeling Niece FF!

Because I always bake when directed to do so by The Universe, I've got a cheesecake in the oven. Here's one I made before so you'll have a visual. I feel the sour cream topping's essential don't you?

Nothing else to report. Except you might want to sign this petition. It's about banning Live Trade. Apparently New Zealand already has. They gave women the vote pretty fast too. Very progressive those Kiwis.

xxxx

Parties and Parenting

I went to one of the nicest birthday parties I've ever been to the other night. I was dying to go out 1 billion/10 (Cabin Fever) and the Babysitting Gods Smiled made sure my sister was at the ready. I wish I'd taken more photos of the food, flowers and balloons because the attention to detail was Impressive. And so were the speeches. Anyway. This was me:

I wore Ye Olde faithful Malene Birger and carried a YSL Ymail clutch in my paws. I threw on Koala Berry by OPI which was nice but By God that stuff is Quick to Chip.

Apart from thinking about feeds and sleeps (I know- it's Glamour 24/7 Round Here) I've been turning my mind to Parenting In the Long Run. Someone once said to me that all a kid needs is love. I obviously want my son to live a happy life and to be loved and give love. But I want to ensure he is also au fait with Boundaries and Discipline. I want to teach him the life skills to enable him to function properly in the world. I don't want to raise a lazy, slothful, bored and boring child who can't Action the Basics and never wants to go outside. I want him to have manners, to say hello to people when he meets them and to contribute to the running of a home and family life. I don't want him to be spoilt and I want him to be curious and interested in other people. I'm definitely going to teach him to cook and use an iron and a washing machine (you know my views on teenagers who can't make toast or other basics like say an omlette or pasta) A close friend of mine once said her biggest challenge was shaping her children's minds and teaching them about Life. It's a lot to ponder...

Part 2 of Australian Story looks promising tonight. As does Q and A. Enjoy your Cocktail Hour, where ever you are.

xxxx

The Shopping Gods and Other Stuff.

I am loving this rainy cooler Saturday scenario. I went to brunch with M at Anouk. Possibly for the last time in a while. When I got home I started perusing phone-book-sized American Vogue.
I wore this Ginger and Smart top thing. You know how some people subscribe to the removing- an-accessory-before-you-leave-home theory? Well I'm not one of them.
Say what you will about me, I'd never ever knowingly under-accessorise.
So I threw on 2 necklaces.
To quote my friend L, "More is More"

Since I've been pregnant, I've only bought 10 items of clothing (feast your eyes on them here) I've loved my Maternity Wardrobe (I know. I'm shocked too), but I've begun turning my mind to what I'll be kitting up in once I am No Longer With Child. The Shopping Gods Directed me to hop online and have a look at some high end discounted designer clobber. I do as I'm told.

I like this See by Chloe bag:and I'm partial to this See by Chloe cape. I do luff a cape. Too hot for my climate though.

This DVF orange dress is Frocktastic, especially with the beading.

and this would be good for summer

If this Moschino smock wasn't so prohibitively 'spensive I might've bought it.

and Old Malene Birger never gets it wrong

and this Moschino top is pretty cute

Anyway, because I've embraced Frugality with every cell and fibre of my being I didn't buy anything, but it was quite soothing to browse the possibilities.

All this rain'll be good for the garden

I wish my bromeliads would flower all year round

I'm getting so excited about seeing what the baby will look like and I've been cross referencing my own baby photos. This is me at my christening with my Godparents in the early 70s.

Speaking of baby related things, I'd like to say I bought my bugaboo after careful market research but the truth is I thought it looked nice and my sisters had them. Little did I know about the Struggle and Admin and degree in physics that would be needed to collapse and put it up.

But Bugaboo, I will not let you beat me Dammit.

I've recycled some of the baby shower Fat Bird bunting and used it to decorate the nursery. Look:

and I'm using the chic cream travel cot lent by my friend K to store cushions. So handy.

Normal clothes, I miss you.

And we're through the Looking Glass because in prep for the Big day I am polish free.

Do you own one of these?

I got it to go with these frozen meal arrangements that I've been shoving in the Chang Hong freezer (China's most popular fridge brand!)

The Shopping Gods know I'm being frugal so they kindly sent this $20 frock my way

it's from Willow's favourite shoppe Zazzy. The sequins are nice.

xxxx

Maternity Clothes. Let's Live the Dream People.

I was wondering why I didn't hate all my maternity clothes and want to burn them like other women did. I don't know the answer to this question. Anyway, I wanted to see all my outfits in one post, so if you are in a hurry or couldn't be bothered looking at Maternity Clobber, just skip to the end now.

EDITED TO ADD: I've gone back and said where everything's from in case anyone wants to have a go at sourcing something similiar for their pregnant selves.

Ginger and Smart top, Jeans West jeans and this frock is 3.1 Phillip Lim

Promod dress from St Malo Brittany (France not Spears)

Malene Birger from the outnet

proper maternity dress from queenbee.com

Gap maternity frock borrowed from Amber

Temt dress I already owned from 2007

Target dress

proper maternity frock from queenbee .com

dress I borrowed from Amber

Honkers top from some crazy mink coat shoppe on Park Road in the Midlevels

Diane Von Furstenberg top from my friend Kate B

crazy caftan that I already owned

Day Birger et Mikkelson that I already owned

Mint by Jodie Arnold that I already owned that was from frockshop.com

Target maternity smock

By Malene Birger that I already owned

Target smock borrowed from the Zsa Zsa

By Malene Birger that I already had

YSL- already had this in my wardrobe

By Malen Birger

twinset that I already had

Chloe top- already owned this

faux furry vest from Sogo in Causeway Bay Honkers

el cheapo Coat from Noooooosa

Nanette Leporesmock thing that I already had

cardy from a shoppe in Honkers (can't recall which) and a scarf from Sogo in Honkers

Sonia Rykiel from netaporter (from 2008)

By Malene Birger top from a shoppe on the Gold Coast called Christiansen Copenhagen

This was a silk Gaultier twinset from about 2007 and the leopard frock I already had from about 2004

Ali Ro top from bluefly and Missoni scarf that Iom Christiansen Copenhagen that I already had

Victoria Secret dress bought online a few years ago

Topshop tock (gift from my sister) and a Pucci dress I already had

Sportgirl caftan from 2003 and See by Chloe dress from a few years back

twinset from the olden days

Diane Von furstenberg dress that was already in situ in wardrobe

Chloe dress and Goat cardy that already had

By Malene Birger dress (bought this from outnet) and old frock from la la latrobe

By Malene Birger dress that I already had

old Sportsgirl top

old Max Azria dress from bluefly

cheap dress from Noosa.

Big W dress and el cheapo chainstore frock

Phillip Lim

By Malene Birger from the flagship shoppe in London

Target dress

old Castle Starr dress

Target maternity smock

by Malene Birger smock from the outnet

By Malene Birger dress that I already have

Target dress, bought this for the pregnancy

By Malene Birger dress from the outnet

I still think the maternity stuff sold in shops and online is pretty horrible, but you can do a lot with non specific smocks and tent style arrangements. Heavily discounted Malene Birger worked well for me, as did chain stores and really piling on the accessories. I will also miss my el cheapo black skinny maternity jeans from Jeans West. I found it much easier to Maternity Clobber It Up in a Cold Climate (like London in November) than high humid summer.

Happy International Women's Day Everyone.

xxx