Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy holidays!


Hi lovelies! I'm going to take a the next little while off to spend time with my family over Christmas, but before I go I wanted to wish you a wonderful Christmas and holiday. Whatever your plans, I hope you eat, drink and enjoy being extremely merry!

I will be back before the New Year, but to keep you company while I am gone here a few lovely links....



Sophie's video reminded me how incredibly lucky I am to live in beautiful Sydney.

+ I love these pretty 'Love and Peace' gift tags

This short film of the Design Files Open House is pretty incredible.


Also, don't forget to enter the Vision Direct giveaway to win a $150 gift card!

Wishing you the happiest of holidays,

Rachel xx


P.S Congratulations to Antonella the winner of the Leah Alexandra giveaway! You will be receiving an email shortly :)



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Win a $150 sunglasses gift card

Hi lovelies! Today I'm super excited to be partnering with online sunglasses store, Vision Direct who are generously giving away a $150 gift card to one lucky reader. 

It's so easy to for a fabulous pair of sunglasses to instantly transform an outfit and now that summer is here, a good pair of shades is essential. 

Here are a few looks that have been inspiring me lately...
Beach chic :: 1. Silk tank // 2. Sandals // 3. Marc Jacobs sunglasses // 4. Shorts

Classic neutrals :: 1. Leopard shirt 2. Skirt // 3. Prada sunglasses // 4. Clutch // 5. Shoes

Casual chic ::  1. Dress // 4. Converse  // 3. Wayfarers // 4. Clutch

To be the lucky winner of the $150 gift card, all you have to do is tell me: when it comes to sunglasses, which style are you?

{How to enter}
+ Be a follower of Little Bits of Lovely through GFC
+ Visit the Vision Direct website + check out their Pinterest street style board and tell me in the comments below, which style of sunglasses are you?

{For additional entries}
+ Tweet about the competition
+ Follow Vision Direct on Facebook + Twitter
+ Pin your favourite pair of sunglasses on Pinterest with the hashtag: #littlebitsoflovelyvisiondirectgiveaway

The giveaway will close on Sunday 30th December at 11:59 AEST. The winner will be announced on 2nd January.

Good luck!

Rachel xo

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Last minute {lovely} holiday gift guide


Hello my dears! If you're like me and still looking for inspiration for those last few gifts to buy, I've put together a last minute guide of a few lovely things that would make the perfect treat for someone special! 



Have a beautiful Tuesday + don't forget the Leah Alexandra giveaway ends tonight!


Rachel xo

Monday, December 17, 2012

Thoughts for a new week :: laughter is timeless


Happy Monday lovelies! This lovely reminder made me smile today; it is true what they say: the best things in life are for free.

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week,

Rachel xo

P.S The Leah Alexandra giveaway ends tomorrow! 


Saturday, December 15, 2012

Happy Weekend + lovely links


Happy weekend lovelies! I have a super fun weekend planned with Christmas drinks and brunches, some Christmas shopping and today it's my Mum's birthday so we're off to celebrate tonight. I'm also going to try and squeeze in some shopping to buy a few pieces for Summer that I've had my eye on. What are your plans friends?

Here are a few lovely festive picks from this week....

+ I love this holiday wrapping idea with tinsel.

+ These DIY layered trays would make a lovely gift.

+ Sweet Paul has some other fun DIY holiday ideas.

+ These Pistachio Truffles look divine and are the perfect Christmas treat.


Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Rachel xo

P.S Don't forget to enter the Leah Alexandra giveaway before it ends on Tuesday!


Image


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Emerald {green with envy}


Did you hear the news? Pantone announced that their colour for 2013 is Emerald. I have to admit, Emerald is not my favourite colour, but I do think it makes for a striking and often elegant statement so I think just maybe it just needs some time to grow on me...

What do you think of Emerald?

Rachel xo


P.S Don't forget to enter the Leah Alexandra giveaway to win two of her stunning jewellery pieces! 


Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Leah Alexandra Giveaway!


Happy Wednesday lovelies! Well, Christmas has arrived early around here and I am thrilled to be giving a lucky reader the chance to win two pieces from Leah Alexandra's  jewellery collection.

I discovered Leah's work only recently {you may remember I featured it here} and ever since I have been crushing over her beautiful and incredibly stylish pieces.

Leah spent many summers on the sandy shores of Cape Cod and recounts how her life drawn to water provided her with the inspriation for the collection. What I love most about Leah's pieces is how incredibly versatile they are - I could imagine wearing them out on the town with a glamorous evening dress, yet I could just as easily imagine wearing them with jeans and a t-shirt; genius don't you think?

To win both of these pieces all you have to do is:
1. Be a follower of Little Bits of Lovely through Google Connect  
2. Leave a comment below telling me how you would wear these pieces if you won.

For additional entries you can Tweet about the giveaway or Pin your favourite piece using hashtag #littlebitsoflovelyleahalexandragiveaway. Make sure you leave a comment below for each additional entry you make.


Entries close 11:59pm AEST Tuesday 18 December and the winner will be announced on Friday 21st December.

Best of luck darlings!

Rachel xo

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Top 10 :: Summer style essentials

If I could pick any 10 items for my wardrobe this Summer, here is what I would go with...



This season is all about lots of bright colours and playful prints. Stripes are always a classic and its fun to mix them with prints too. Wardrobe staples like the maxi skirt and blazer I know I would wear all them + really go with just about everything.

What's on your wish list this season?

Rachel xo






Monday, December 10, 2012

Thoughts for a new week :: imperfection is beauty


Welcome to a new week lovelies! I can't believe its only two weeks until Christmas and then not long after that we'll be welcoming 2013. I can't wait. There are some exciting things coming up for this little blog in including a refresh of the design, which is currently underway, plus in January I'll be introducing a new contributor.

Also coming up are not one, but two {super cool} giveaways before Christmas that I can't wait to share with you!

So here's to a new week + embracing all of the craziness that happens at this time of year,

Rachel xo 



Image credit: Pretty Stuff

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Love her style: Ulyana Sergeenko

Hi lovelies! Sorry I have been MIA this week…my new job is super busy right now and have been getting back into regular bootcamp sessions; plus my sister just got back on Tuesday after a month in India. Anyway... I just wanted to pop in and share the fabulous street style looks from Ulyana Sergeenko, whose quirky, yet perfectly chic style I'm loving.








I'm such a fan of her gorgeous 50's style skirts - she completely rocks this look, don't you agree?

Hope you're having a lovely week!

Rachel xo




Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6




Saturday, December 1, 2012

Happy weekend + links


Welcome to December lovelies. The first official day of summer was ridiculously hot in Sydney, like 37 degrees hot, so it was hard trying to keep cool today. This time of year means Christmas parties, drinks and overdue catch ups, so I feel a bit like this weekend is the calm before the storm. I still have loads to do before the end of the year, but I'm also eagerly awaiting the arrival of 2013. So I'm resolving to be as organised as possible this month so I can enjoy all of craziness of the holiday season. 

On to some rather exciting news... I'm thrilled to let you know that I have joined the Life InStyle team as a guest blogger and my first post is now up. You can take a peek here. I'm in amazing company with the other bloggers this year so I encourage you to hop over and visit the Life InStyle blog to check them out.

Here a few of my favourites from this week...

+ Garance Dore has opened an online boutique selling her famous and very lovely illustrations.

+ A very exciting announcement from Net-a-Porter is that they will soon be launching a print edition of their magazine. This is going to be good.

+ I loved Jaimi Brooks' super pretty home tour over on the Glitter Guide

+ The Design Files second Open House is on this weekend in Melbourne at a beautiful home in Windsor; I would have loved to have been there but will have to rely on the website and the recaps to follow.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Rachel xo


Image credit



Thursday, November 29, 2012

5 essential pairs of jeans

I wear jeans a lot; ok so pretty much everyday; but I do mix them up and I now seem to have accumulated quite a few pairs over the years. I love them mainly because they are comfortable, but also because they can dressed up or down accordingly. 

Given my jeans repertoire I thought I'd share with you the 5 pairs that I wear regularly and form the basis of my closet....


{1} Black skinny jeans. So classic and very chic. Need I say more?

Favourite picks: Zara; J Brand, Current Elliot.


{2} Boyfriend jeans. I admit I was apprehensive at first about Boyfriend jeans, but after I tried on my first pair I was hooked because they are so incredibly comfortable. They are perfect for running around on the weekend, but they can easily be dressed up with heels for a more glam look.



{3} White jeans. Parisian Chic cites white jeans as being an essential wardrobe item + confirms they should definitely not be limited to summer. In the cooler months pair them with a navy sweater + ballet flats for a classic, yet ultra chic look.



{4} Straight blue dark jeans. A good classic pair of straight dark blue jeans will take you everywhere. Pair with a blazer for a more tailored look or wear more casually with a t-shirt or sweater.

Favourite picks: Zara; J Brand; DL 1961.


{5} Distressed denim jeans. Another favourite of mine that are currently in high-rotation at the moment. I love taking style cues from Emmanulle Alt who looks fabulous in her distressed jeans, pairing them with a tailored blazer + t-shirt.



Am I alone in with my jeans obsession? How many pairs do you own? 

Rachel xo 




Image sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Most coveted


A round up of everything I'm loving right now...


{1} How lovely are these My Chatelles loafers? You can create your own perfect loafer on their site and choose your preferred colour and details. Hop on over at take a peek.

{2} I love the piping down the side of these fabulous Isabel Marrant jeans.

{3}Being such a fan of monochrome I couldn't resist this gorgeous Claire Vivier clutch.

{4} This green onyx necklace with navy silk necklace designed by Leah Alexandra is such a timeless piece I know I would wear again and again.

{5} Jennifer's blog, The Daily Connoisseur is one of my daily reads, so her new book is top of my wish list.

{6} How charming are these zebra trays? Love.

{7} Polka dot + gold? Yes please!


Happy hump day lovelies,

Rachel xo






Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Runway to Red Carpet :: Emma Stone wears Burberry


To be honest I've not paid much attention to Emma Stone's style before, but that was until she caught my eye wearing Burberry to the recent the CDFA Awards. 

I adore the peplum top, and the glittering forest green pencil skirt is glamorous yet  so perfectly chic, don't you think?

Are you a fan of Emma Stone's style ?


Rachel xo



Image credit



Monday, November 26, 2012

Thought for a new week :: success is not final


Welcome to a new week lovelies, I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend! The weather has been so warm and sunny here, you can tell that Summer is on its way. 

This quote by Churchill is such a lovely reminder that really, at the end of the day, being able to keep on going is the only true measure of success.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,

Rachel xo



Image credit: Quality Magazine, Germany via Pretty Stuff

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Happy weekend!


Wow, it's the last weekend in November of the year, can you believe it? I'm looking forward to catching some summer rays this weekend + catching up on a few unread books I've been meaning to read including Joy Cho's Blog Inc; plus I need to start on my Christmas shopping - have you started yours yet?

Here are few of my favourites from this week...

+ This Fig & Ricotta Crostini recipe looks divine.

+ If you're like me and into all things monochrome right now you need to see this incredibly stylish home.

+ Serena (whose blog Pretty Fluffy turned 2 this week!) shared these spot on 10 tips for blogging.

+  Manolo Blahnik was announced as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement award at this Years' British Fashion Awards (being held on Tuesday).

+ Erin Gates has launched a new {and fabulous} collection with Jill Rosenwald. I am seriously crushing over that black + white lamp.

****

And given this weekend is one of the biggest sales events of the year, here are a few Black Friday + Cyber Monday deals too good not to share...

+ Lemon + Lavender is offering a 10% discount on her gorgeous range of stationery and cards with code SENDLOVE (23th-25th Nov)

+ Gaby is offering 15% off everything in her etsy shop with code BLACKFRIDAY (ends 26th Nov)

+ Made by Girl is offering 20% off store wide with code TURKEY20 (23rd-26th Nov)

+ The Zush is offering store wide savings; enter code HOLIDAYS2012 to get an extra 15% off your order. (23rd-26th Nov)

+ Design Darling is offering 15% off all orders over $100 with code EARLYBIRD.

+ J.Crew has 40% off everything, plus an extra 15% for orders over $100 off with code GIVEANDGET (ends 25th Nov)

+ The twice annual {and always amazing} Net-a-Porter sale is on with savings of up to 50%. Definitely worth a look!

+ Shopbop's Big Event has savings starting from 20% off when you spend $250 or more with code BIGEVENT12 (ends 26th Nov)


To all of my US friends I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and are eating yourselves silly!

Rachel xo


Image credit: Taylor Swift for US Harper's Bazaar, December 2012

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Monochromatic style musings







There is something about monochromatic style that I can never get enough of. I love how each of these ladies have shown that monochromatic doesn't necessarily translate to boring. In fact, I think it quite the opposite - would you agree?

If only these pieces would find there way into my closet...Especially those fabulous booties!



Happy Thursday lovelies!

Rachel xo



Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

An afternoon at Harrods

I'm going to skip a bit ahead in my travel adventures so I can tell you about a fun afternoon of shopping I had at Harrods in London and a couple of splurges I made.

I had high hopes for my first-ever trip to Harrods; it was one of those shopping destinations that I had heard so many people talking about over the years and after seeing the infamous Harrods bag carried by many a stylish lady, I was determined to be let in on the secret of the world's most beautiful department store.



It was even more important for me to visit the store given my family history: my late grandmother was a senior fashion buyer for Harrods in the 1930s, where she had worked her way up from being a Clerk at the age of 14. It was through working at Harrods that she met my grandfather, who was in the rag trade business and was selling his pieces to Harrods.

They say fashion comes full circle and in this case I think it very much does. 

I had planned to make a few splurge purchases on my trip and knew that Harrods would be the perfect place to make them. Not only do they stock every major designer label a seasoned shopper could wish for {including the likes of Chloe, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney + Mulberry} the store itself is luxurious and everything from the overly helpful staff, the decadent bathrooms {complete with perfume for you to use}, and the plush decor made my shopping experience everything I could have hoped for...and then some.
Wearing Zara jeans; Paul & Joe t-shirt; Helmut Lang Blazer; Jimmy Choo pumps; Mulberry del rey bag.

The Blazer

I wear blazers all the time - to work, on the weekend, shopping, out with friends - what I love most about them is their versatility. So investing in a timeless blazer that would never date was high on my list. I tried on several but kept coming back to this perfect-fitting Helmut Lang blazer. 



The Classic Pump

I found myself in shoe heaven after discovering the both the custom designed Manolo Blahnik + Christian Louboutin shoe boutiques on the first floor at Harrods. I was tossing up between a stunning pair of Mary-Jane Manolo's {yes, just like the one's Carrie lusted after in the Vogue shoe closet}; Louboutin pumps or a pair of Jimmy Choo patent pumps. I decided to go with the Jimmy Choo's as they are such a versatile shoe that I knew I could easily wear with jeans, a suit or a cocktail dress, plus they are super comfortable {if that is even possible?}.

I have to say that since I have gotten home I have worn the blazer on numerous occasions; so even though it was expensive I know the cost per wear will be very low. The shoes I haven't worn quite as regularly, but I know have a classic pair of pumps to pull out on any given occasion.

If you are ever in London I highly recommend visiting Harrods; it truly is a beautiful place to shop; and if not, well their online store is only a click away!



Rachel xo


Monday, November 19, 2012

Thoughts for a new week :: start where you are


It's often easy to make up excuses about why something can't be done 'right now' or why the timing is ' just not the best'. I love this quote because all of these excuses we so often make are thrown right out the window. Such a simple, yet powerful message.

Happy Monday lovelies,


Rachel xo