Spent the day in the workshop – this is pretty typical ‘at the jeweller’s bench’ attire…

* Skirt from SES about ten years ago

* Tights from Coles

* Top thrifted

* Scarf from Sportsgirl

* Cardigan from Stock Jeans

* Clogs from Funkis (I LOVE these… OH&S approved. Hells yeah.)

I’m off to Underbelly Night! Although we are actually watching So You Think You Can Dance…

And a massive thank you to everyone who commented on the new Smaggle segment Can I Get a Consensus? yesterday! I think it’s a keeper!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Photo

I know you’re all incontinent with excitement. There’s a brand new segment here on Smaggle called ‘Can I get a consensus?’ where I’ll ask a fairly broad question and get a majority opinion. I feel that this may well curb some douche like behaviour on all of our parts as well as encouraging a lil’ thing I like to call logic which I believe is better than puppies. Here goes…

Last week I was at the gym on the stepper and I’m a real set-the-machine-to-interval-for-forty-minutes-and-knock-over-five-hundred-calories-while-reading-Vogue kind a gal and I was there at peak hour when the twenty minute rule applies. There are three steppers at my gym and I have never, ever seen anyone using any of them, I like to think it’s because I have the brut strength and graceful agility of a Charlie’s Angel and no one else stacks up… but… whatevs. I used the stepper for my usual forty minutes and when I went to clean the machine there was a woman standing next to it waiting for me to finish, presumably so she could use it next. She gave me the FILTHIEST death stare, despite the fact that there were two other available steppers for the whole forty minutes that I was occupying mine.

My question is… does the twenty minute rule apply while there are other machines available? Should I have stopped my workout at twenty minutes then resumed it on another stepper? Or stopped it completely and used the treadmill? Should I compromise the enjoyment of my workout for a rule that should only be applicable if all machines are occupied? Am I being selfish? Or logical?

Feel free to add any similar stories or to agree/disagree. This is what the whole segment is about! And email me at lady(at)smagglestyle.com if you have a question that you would like to have featured.

I can’t wait to hear your opinion!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I’ve heard mixed reviews about my dear Whitney Housten and her Australian tour but the concert couldn’t be anywhere near as bad as the day I’ve had. I’m off to the concert to sing my blues away!

* Dress from Maxine’s on Brunswick St
* Tights from Coles (they are currently selling 120 denier! Get in quick before winter!)
* Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes
* Ring Smaggle Made
* Necklace from Roomy Smaggle
* Thrifted obi belt

Have a great night!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Why don’t you…

* Drink something different? Vodka and dry ginger ale? Merlot? Whisky on the rocks? Have a fabulous signature drink unlike anyone else?

* Buy you and your best lady matching jewels? Go to the markets and buy two matching wooden bangles? Two woven leather bracelets? Two jade rings? Take this quaint playground tradition and put an adult spin on it?

* Give things away? Those gorgeous sandals that you never wear because they make your feet hurt? That beautiful necklace that you bought but never wear because it’s just not quite right? That hat that doesn’t go with anything? Let go of the sentimental value and pass them on to someone who will love it AND wear it?

* Get regular haircuts? Every six weeks? Not only when you really need one?

* Allow yourself to buy anything that you desire but only if it is utterly perfect? A beautifully fitting cream dress? A deliciously slouchy grey wool hat? The ultimate chunky black wedges? Don’t settle for anything less than amazing?

* Wear a delicate charm on a very fine chain?

* Have a ridiculous amount of pillows on your bed? All different shapes and sizes? Put them in a pile, curl up like a cat and read a divine book?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

etsy

Lady loves…

* Weekends of bliss – eating sushi, holding Mr Smaggle’s hand, movies, market shopping… sigh!
* Afternoon naps.
* Shamefully… Degrassi the New Generation. It’s so bad it’s delicious.
* Mineral water. Always.
* Going for runs on my lunch break… it means I can come straight home after school instead of going to the gym.
* My students. Last week I was teaching them emotions. I was giving them a scenario that might make them use their ‘angry face’. I said ‘What about when you come from school and you’re REALLY hungry and you go to the cupboard to get a muesli bar and the box is empty? Does that make you angry?’. One of my students (autistic) shouted ‘I HATE WHEN THERE’S NO MUESLI BARS!!!!!’. It was awesome.
* Feeling well again. I don’t do sick.
* My new clogs. Totally cute and OH&S approved footwear for the workshop. I heart Funkis.

Lady loathes…

* Jewellery techniques that aren’t formulaic. I love strict recipes, time limits and specific instructions. Comments like ‘just chuck it in some acid and take it out right before it explodes’ don’t sit so well with me.
* Waiting. For toilets, to be served, for trains to arrive, for people to arrive. I hate waiting.
* Not being able to do theatre. I just can’t commit to the seasons because I live between two cities. I’m starting to go a little nuts…
* Insomnia. I get it like once a year and I’m a total princess about it. Of all the mental ailments that I’m lucky enough to not be cursed with I truly believe that insomnia is the worst.

What about you pie? What do you love and loathe today?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

I was feeling under the weather today so I chucked a sicky from school. I’ve been going mad not being able to exercise because I can’t breathe through my nose so I went to a Body Balance class. It was perfect. Then I did some designing for my exhibition at the end of the year. I made the mistake of visiting the mega mall up the road that consists of three giant stores – Bunnings, Storage World and Office Works. I just really love tools, boxes and stationary and emptying my bank account buying those things.

* Shorts from Country Road
* Top thrifted in Canberra
* Shoes from Nine West (my first pair of these snapped clean in half and I’ve been waiting for the replacement for weeks. Mr Smaggle brought them from Canberra on the weekend. Thank god. I can’t live without them.)
* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle
* Wheelie Bin Necklace from Roomy Smaggle
* Men’s watch from Fossil

Oh and just to let you guys know my internet connection in Melbourne is questionable and it usually lasts just long enough for me to write a post, visit my favourite blogs and write a few emails which is why I’m being slack on replying to comments. Rest assured I do read every one and love you for it!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Today was one of those days… feeling a little sick, a little cranky and a little average. Can’t complain too much though because I’ve been really healthy in general recently.

* Dress from DFO in Melbourne
* Cardigan from Valley Girl
* Pants from Bonds
* Shoes from Funkis (I am so close to ordering more of these shoes… but I can’t decide which ones!)
* Head scarf is a belt from a top
* Earrings from Diva
* Men’s watch from Fossil

Well that’s it from me today. I’m going to lie down now…

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

Roomy Smaggle had a bad weekend. She has a friend, lets call her Tina who invited Roomy out to be her wing woman*. The object of Tina’s affection accidently fell for Roomy and told Tina so. Ouch. Poor Tina. Or so we thought…

A few evenings later Roomy and Tina went out for a debrief in which Tina literally tore Roomy to shreds. Obviously she couldn’t attack her for stealing the affections of her intended. It was an accident. With the wounds still raw and no logical reason to hate Roomy she attacked her in every other way. She launched this tirade of negativity about Roomy’s life, job, integrity, friendships, career aspirations and relationships. Roomy took it all in, didn’t make a fuss and then came home to me in search of an explanation.

I know exactly what happened. Roomy is spectacular. She is a physically gorgeous German/Japanese mix, with the fastest metabolism I’ve witnessed on a living person. She looks like she spends the better half of everyday doing squats and eating brocolli and I can assure you she does neither. She is also an incredibly talented designer, jeweller and glass artist with enviable knowledge of the history of art. She has amazing dress sense and is literally sex on the dance floor. She has long dark hair, beautiful eyes and skin. She is also the most generous, loving, energetic, positive and life affirming person I’ve ever met. I’m sure Tina felt the same way until the object of her affection jumped on the Celebration of Roomy bandwagon. Then all hell broke loose. Which, unfortunately is not an uncommon response.

In my opinion we should crave extraordinary people in our lives. Surround ourselves with excellence, intelligence and talent so that we are constantly inspired and our souls are fed. This all sounds great in theory but it’s human nature to want what others have that we ourselves are lacking. I find the jealously plague is particularly strong amongst us humans when it comes to natural gifts like physical appearance, talents and inherited wealth. It can create obstacles in the strongest of friendships.

The question is… are you man enough to handle it? Can you be truly, deeply amazingly good friends with spectacular people? I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy getting up at 6am to go to the gym and have Roomy wander into the lounge room in tiny shorts sporting perfectly firm thighs and devouring her standard breakfast of Tim Tams and Doritos. Want to know what I do? I tell her to shove it. The sore spot is out in the open and there is never an opportunity for my jealously to become mis-directed and turn into something it’s not. Hating her for something that is out of her control is not okay. Telling her is what makes it all better so the jealousy doesn’t bubble away inside me and come out in the form of ‘Actually that guy is out of your league… I think it’s because your hair sucks’.

I have a friend at school who has a really average boyfriend. Like Aldi kind of average. She is incredible so I don’t really understand the connection… but I can’t help but think that she dates people like this on purpose. So she is always the amazing one in the relationship. The thought of that terrifies me. Imagine marrying someone dull simply because you need to win the popularity contest all the time? The same applies to friendships. Why would you surround yourself with average people because spectacular people make you feel inferior?

And that’s what I said to Roomy. I told her it’s hard work being friends with her because she is so into life all the time she makes other people feel lazy, dull or uninspiring. I told her that people need to be man enough to be friends with her and those are the only people she needs to care about. If Tina had just said that she was sad that her guy liked Roomy everything would have been fine and I guarantee she would have walked away from the situation feeling much better than she did. Instead she chose to go to the dark side leaving them both feeling like crap**.

Basically, if someone has a myriad of natural talents, beauty and perfect comic timing bestowed upon them it’s not their fault. You can be uber lame and cut them out of your life and spend time with people who collect rocks***. Or you can man up… and party with the A team****.

Are you man enough?

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* This was a really, really dumb idea. NEVER employ a hot Asian wing woman. The girl is clearly an idiot.

** All is well again with Roomy and Tina. Apologies were made and were graciously accepted. I told you Roomy is awesome.

*** No offense to people who collect rocks. I was merely using the term as a flowery throw away line.

**** Unless they are total knobs in which case you’re better off with the rock collector.

I’m so ridiculously happy it’s the weekend! My week was great but tiring. I’m teaching a kid who has a phobia of people using computers (I’m serious…) so he belts the shit out of anyone using a computer in the classroom and my teacher assistants and I have spent all day training him not to do this. Meaning I got pinned to the floor (by said child who is very strong, very male and very seventeen years old) at twenty minute intervals throughout the whole day. I pretty much wrestled for 6 hours straight… that means I can skip the gym right?

* Dress from a shop called U Cutie off Puckle Street in Moonee Ponds. I had to cash my pay cheque (hello 1985!) and found this gem today. I like.

* Shoes from Marco Gianni in Canberra

* Coin necklace from Poppy Smaggle

* Wheelie Bin necklace from Roomy Smaggle

* Earrings from Girl Props

* Mens watch from Fossil

I’m currently waiting un-patiently while Mr Smaggle sends me updates as to how delayed his flight is going to be tonight… we are having a date. And he is running really, really late.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx

* Pants from DFO Melbourne

* T-shirt from DFO Melbourne

* Shoes from Funkis

* Earrings gift from my brother

* Men’s watch from Fossil

Off for a day of teaching!

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx