It’s the end of the weekend and I’m utterly exhausted. The weekend was spent spoiling the shit out of Mr Smaggle for his birthday. I also slept for an obscene amount of time. 

* Hammer pants from DFO in Melbourne

* Singlet top from Country Road in Melbourne

* Cardigan from Valley Girl in Canberra

* Earrings from Bijoux in Canberra

* Shoes Doc Martens from DFO in Melbourne

* Singlet by Metalicus 

* Brooch Smaggle Made (It’s a black chip board square with a diamante ‘MJ’ design on it. I’m going to wear it for thirty days to mourn for my beloved Michael Jackson who I’ve been listening to non-stop for the past few days.)

This evening I’m going for a chilly jog around the lake, cooking an old fashioned meat and veg dinner for Mr Smaggle and getting ready for a busy week. 

What are you up to my love?

Love Lady Smaggle

P.S The winner of the armwarmer competition will be announced tomorrow! Good luck! 

Sorry kittens, for the ridiculous absence and horrifying lack of outfit shots. I’m so crazy busy and rarely near my computer but I’m going to try to be a better Smaggle. I promise! 

This weekend was BRILLIANT! I spent Friday night at a gallery drinking free wine and mingling with this incredible Russian woman who was a witch but was wearing head to toe Issey Miyaki. I would like to be her when I grow up. Yes I would. Then I spent the evening at an asian karaoke bar flirting my arse of with a transgender (self proclaimed) ‘man with a clam’. Mr Smaggle was rather amused. I also ate McDonald’s for the first time in like 4 years. It was magnificent. 

Saturday night was spent having a delicious girly sleepover with Roomy Smaggle at one of our friend’s houses and my days were spent tearing my hair out over making jewelled rings for an exhibition opening in Canberra while simultaneously watching 90210 season six. The rings are modelled above by the gorgeous Roomy Smaggle. 

I’m off to teach winter themed art to my special kids today. Sigh! 

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

In a few weeks I’m heading back to Canberra to visit my nearest and dearest. I’ve got my tickets booked and an airport chauffeur organised at both ends. The only thing still plaguing me is packing and believe me, I never used to have this problem. I would just fill the biggest suitcase I owned with everything I could possibly need and I’d check in the bag at the airport. I would then spend hours waiting at the other end trying to get to my bag while being knocked in the head by other women’s beef-headed boyfriends and worrying that with every second I spent waiting it was costing Mr Smaggle an extra $20 in parking. Until I made a decision that changed my life. I don’t check luggage anymore. I only take a small carry on. I can hear you screaming ‘But you’re Lady Smaggle! You should have the biggest suitcase IN THE WORLD!!!’. Not so my little poppets. Let me share with you a few packing secrets that I’ve discovered…

1. Roll your clothes. I know that every grandma and backpacker you have ever met has told you to do this but if you haven’t tried it yet you’re an idiot. Like those dickheads who refuse to watch Titanic. It is a serious space saver. 

2. Completely plan your outfit for each day. Actually try it on and make sure you have everything you need. Doing this eliminates the ‘just in case’ syndrome that causes women to pack too small jeans that they haven’t worn in years ‘just in case’ they need them. 

3. Be frugal with shoes. I know that was a mean thing to say and I’m sorry but it’s true. Pick one pair of dressy shoes and one pair of casual shoes and make sure that they match every outfit that you’ve packed. It helps if they are the same colour. 

4. Choose a full set of accessories and make sure they match everything that you’ve packed. You really can cope with only a few bangles and one pair of earrings for four days. That statement wasn’t directed at my readers by the way. I’m using positive affirmations to convince myself that this is possible. 

5. Depending on where you are going you can plant a supply of basics at your location. If you regularly visit your parents, your sister, your best friend (or in my case, boyfriend) you can keep a few things that you need there. I have a second set of most of my toiletries at Mr Smaggle’s house. This not only saves room in my tiny carry on luggage but it also prevents me having an embarrassing argument with the burly man/woman at customs because he/she is trying to steal my hairspray. 

6. Look up the weather in advance. If you know you’re aiming for 30 degree heat, be a man and don’t pack a jacket. Honestly. The weather bureau is full of super intelligent people and they are rarely wrong about the weather. I’m a compulsive weather checker and as a result I’m rarely dressed inappropriately. 

7. Pack an evening bag in your bigger handbag. It fits easily and you’ll be so happy you did this when you have to go to an unexpected party and you don’t have to lug your massive slouchy shoulder bag with you. 

Happy packing pumpkins!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

The last week of work countdown continues!

* Top from DFO in Canberra

* Skirt thrifted

* Shoes thrifted

* Necklace Smaggle made

* Sunglasses from DFO in Canberra

This evening I’m going to walk up a big arse hill and then I’m going out for dinner with Browny and then we are both heading to a pub to see our friend’s gig. I swear I’m going to pack soon… I’m booking the removalist for Friday so I won’t have much choice soon!

By the way it’s 34 degrees celcius here today. I’m melting.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Christmas decoration from Etsy

Why don’t you…

* Take special cupcakes around to all your friends on Christmas eve? Kiwi and lime cakes with minty green sprinkles? Pistacio and cream cheese with sponge cake butterfly wings? Sprinkled with pink sugar?

* Give tiny bottles of pink champagne to your girlfriends? Tie pink ribbons around the bottle neck and tuck fresh rosebuds into the bow? Bottles of boutique beer for the fellas? With tiny neck ties?

* Spend an evening making thoughtful and personal Christmas cards? Pictures of ballerinas and scraps of tulle for your favourite dancer? A letter full of beautiful quotes for a budding author? A card made entirely of stamps for your friend who collects them?

* Wrap boxes of handmade truffles in vintage scarves? Tie them with scraps of lace and fabric flowers? Give them to spectacular older women? Your fabulous university lecturer who introduced you to Keats? Your ex-boyfriend’s gorgeous mother who you secretly still have lunch with? Let them know that you think they’re grand?

* Give a personal gift voucher? Good for one afternoon tea with handmade biscuits and pink lemonade? Good for a girly evening of cocktails and dancing? Good for an afternoon playing video games and drinking beer? 

* Donate to charity? For each of your friends buy a thoughtful gift for a child and put it under your local giving tree? Send your friends a card saying that you are sharing their Christmas fortune with people who really need it? 

* Be a Grandma and buy really practical gifts? Snuggly winter slippers? Sensible hand cream? Good quality socks? Give gifts that people will actually use?

* Give away your talent? Sing a special song? Sew a gorgeous dress? Frame one of your photos?

Just a little Christmas taste on the first day of December… I get seriously giddy this time of year!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Help! I have to post my application for NMIT this week (eek!) and I need some help in short listing some of my stuff. Here is a small selection of pieces that I am considering for the application. They will be  photographed more professionally for the application so this is just for an indicator of what people like. 

Chandelier earrings (these sit like a mini chandelier with the pearl hidden in curtains of shell beads) 

Michael Jackson charm bracelet

Shell and tortoiseshell wire wrapped charm bracelet

Bead woven earrings 

Bead woven rings

Tool belt necklace 

Swarovski crystal bead woven bracelet 

Chain maille bracelet

Cloisonné and crystal earrings

Would you be a kitten and pick your three favourite pieces? And tell me why you like them?

Love (your very stressed) Lady Smaggle

xxx

 Is anyone else getting sick of seeing my stocking necklace yet? It’s been linked to on Style Bubble, Urban Outtfitters blog, Nylon Blog (nearly freakin DIED when I saw this because Nylon is like the American Frankie), Highsnobette and several other sites where the authors have actually posted their completed necklaces! Although, to be honest, I’m getting kind of sick of it. I’m getting Smaggle rash. If anyone wants me I’ll be on my yacht…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Like any gal who lives in sub-zero temperatures I have a rather extensive collection of tights. Consequently I also throw many of them away when they get holes and ladders in them. I have zero patience which makes me rip them on too fast. This, coupled with a nasty habit of crawling around on the floor make my poor tights rarely last longer than a season. I was so upset when my yellow tights bit the dust recently and I decided it was far too soon for our relationship to end. So I shredded them to pieces and made a necklace out of them. I’m a heartless wench. 

 I just cut the legs off the body of the tights and cut the toes off.

Then I cut each leg open and cut them into strips, roughly 1cm wide.

Then I tied each end to an earring finding making sure that each layer was longer than the last. This sometimes meant tying two lengths together and trying it on to check that it was falling correctly.

Then I tied shorter pieces of stocking at irregular intervals along my strands. I also bought a DIY stud kit and put studs all along the strands and ties. I sewed a few silver charms on it too. 

Then I added a clasp and chain so I could wear it at different lengths. If you’re going to make this yourself I suggest that you wear it often through out the process of making it so you can gauge the shape and length of it. The total cost of the piece was $1.50. The tights, earring findings and chain were all junk that was lying around my house and the stud kit cost $1.50 from a discount store. Even if I had to buy the findings and chain it wouldn’t have cost more than a couple of dollars. 

This is the first D.I.Y post for Smaggle so if you have any questions just comment! 

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I’ve had a few emails asking for close-ups of ’smaggle made’ jewellery so I thought I would give you all a peek at what I made last night…

These are for a benefit supporting Burma.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Not that anyone really needs instructions on how to do this but I have been cruising through the blogosphere today and I found this lovely picture of Natalie Portman over at Coquette…

And now I have decided that I want one for myself. Well not actually a dress but some sort of oversized white garment with twig like spatters across it. Then I started getting all kinds of craft panic. What paint do I use? Will the paint wash out? There were too many questions for me to cope with so I made a cup tea and went through all my craft books. And I hit the jackpot baby! 

This book is so hilarious. It’s full of manic looking childen wearing primary colours and smiling like hyenas while holding assorted craft items at awkward angles. It was published in the early 90’s so the projects are pretty daggy but there are some useful tips. For instance they recommend using latex housepaint for splattering on t-shirts. And I know everyone will think I am weird but I am going to say it anyway. I really, really, really want the mountain against the night sky hoodie. It so… Art Attack!

This is an art attack. This is an art attack. This. Is. ART ATTACK!!!! If you’ve never seen Art Attack you totally don’t get what I am talking about and if you have the catch phrase it really doesn’t work without the visuals does it?

So this weekend I am on a mission to find the perfect t-shirt to get all Jackson Pollock with. And there is also a section in the book on tye-dying. Mwah ha ha ha! Watch out Mama Smaggle I’m about to make a big mess…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

P.S Sorry for the teeny tiny photos. My work computer is being all weird and wants to choose the size of my pictures. For some reason it decided that the ones in this post were going to be small. I’ll try to fix the problem as soon as I can!