5 reasons why you should wear black

Interior pic - madeaboutthehouse.com Michael Kors 2013 - upscalehype.com

In 2012 I was adamant that I would steer away from black.  Why?  Well it's a bit of a kiwi stereotype and I wanted to challenge myself and my wardrobe!  Now that we are well and truly into the new year I feel differently.  Black is chic, it evokes so many emotions  including edginess and sexiness and for some reason this Winter I'm looking forward to heading over to the dark side.  So these are my Top 5 reasons (in no particular order) why black IS the colour you should be wearing this season.

5 - Black is powerful and masculine!

Kitchen image - freshome.com and Justin - styleforum.net

Whether you have your doubts about black in the home there really is no question that a hit of black makes a dramatic statement and there is a masculinity and strength to it.  It's a nice way to turn what would be a feminine space into somewhere your husband would feel even more comfortable being.  Oh yes and a black suit on a man is oh so suave!

4 - Black is slimming! 

America Ferrera left - cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.com 

Right - harpersbazaar.com

It can't be denied, the right dress in  black can create the illusion of a svelte and slimmer figure.  Thats not to say that every black dress will do this.  Be careful not to confuse this with just colour alone.  Black cannot work miracles on its own it needs to also be teamed with great tailoring.  Get those two right and boom, style star!

3 - Black makes other colours look good!

Left - triplemaxtons.com Right - whatsmoreimportantthanfashion.com

If black is a place you never venture - perhaps because its 'not in your colour palette' or it evokes memories of a bad girl past, fear not.  Turn those misconceptions around and venture gently by pairing black with another colour, think silver, fuschia, royal blue and white and you'll have yourself a stylish contrast.

2 - All black gives you instant style cred!

Image - ifyouseekstyle.com

Head to toe black is undeniably stylish.  There are times when I have felt undecidedly blah about what I am going to wear and have turned to all black (in various textures) to feel more 'put together' and thats what an all black ensemble can do.  The above example really does showcase the girl on the right - she just looks more put together in all black.

1 - Black is just so hip right now!

Left - devon.greatbritishlife.co.uk Right - Olivia glamour.com

Okay so Olivia can do know wrong in my eyes but how chic and cool does she look above.  All black, lots of texture and a stone cold attitude!  The interior parallel to her above is a great play on the boho theme.  The quirky elements of chandeliers mixed with oak and mid century furniture takes the cool factor up about 20 notches, so cool and unexpected don't you think?

electricalshapes.blogspot.com

Yes, it could be said that I am digging on black at the moment but I'm excited to go to this dark place this Winter.  Even style maven Anna Dello Russo is 'jealous' (above).  Black is edgier and just so cool in my eyes and hopefully I've awakened you to it's many dark charms, if you needed more convincing that is.

Dreamy Bedrooms and Sleepwear

When it comes to sleepwear I must admit that I often go for comfort over beauty. No-one really sees me apart from my husband, which may not be fair on him when all I like to wear is my old, baggy and faded flannel pajamas with my mismatching knitted bed socks.

It was our fifth wedding anniversary recently and I've booked us into a boutique hotel in Greytown - The White Swan for a romantic weekend away. They have these gorgeous themed rooms and we're booked into the Ruby room which is decorated with a Moulin Rouge theme. So this has inspired my search for attire fit for the occasion and I'll leave the flannel PJs at home.

Vintage Glamour 

Vintage Glamour - this gorgeous bedroom and elegant lingerie gown would make anyone feel posh. Who knew you could wear something similar to a ball gown to bed! A bit extravagant for bed, but why not.
Outfit image courtesy of Dollhouse Bettie

French Country

French Country bedroom and casual, classy pajamas.  I love the exposed brick, chandelier and the luxurious feel of this decor. Homely and beautiful. These pajamas combine sexy and comfort, seems like a better compromise from my saggy, sad flannel pajamas.
Interior image courtesy of  Ciao Newport Beach
Outfit image courtesy of Etsy

Moulin Rouge

Extreme opulent fabrics with brocade and velvet, rich red draping, four poster bed, this bedroom styling has the works! Imagine you're in Paris and don this pretty red slip from Bendon.
Interior image courtesy of Zillow Blog
Outfit image courtesy of Bendon

Animal in the bedroom

Something more fun and crazy, go for an out of Africa bedroom with animal print accessories, cushions and throws. This fun zebra onsie will keep you warm and entertain your friends, family and housemates.
Interior image courtesy of Zillow Blog
Outfit image courtesy of Peter Alexander

Oriental 

Believe it or not this cute slip is actually sleepwear! From Bendon it is called the Couture Zephyr & Flore Chemise and has a luxurious oriental garden print that you could almost wear to a garden party. I also like the simplistic zen like feeling of the oriental style bedroom.
Interior image courtesy of Deviantart
Outfit image courtesy of Bendon

They say we spend nearly half our lives in bed, so there is your incentive to make your sleeping space a dreamy haven. And there is no harm in looking good while you sleep either, you will feel good and I'm sure if you're sharing your sleeping space with anyone else they'll also appreciate it.

Sweet dreams...

Image courtesy of The Design Fairy

Image courtesy of dogster.com

Available at Etsy

Doggy Styling

Brian and Sookie with their Dad

My husband and I recently dramatically changed our lives, we got two gorgeous Shitzu/Maltese puppies. So this post is inspired by these cute, fluffy creatures. As soon as you own a dog, you enter this interesting doggy dog world of potty training, chew toys, barking, fleas, worms, the list goes on...

Dogs are no longer just pets but more a part of the family so its important to integrate them into your lifestyle so they enhance your life and don't add extra stress. One of the biggest challenges is to keep our home tidy and stylish, not overrun with doggy stuff and most importantly not smell! So I thought I'd share some ideas on how to incorporate dogs into your life in a stylish way.

Re-purpose an old suitcase(big or small) for a dog bed. Looks so sweet and also has pockets to keep their toys. It's so important to give them lots of toys to ensure they have plenty of options to distract them from your shoes. Image courtesy of  Pinterest.com

Dogs need toys for entertainment and teething, they like to mix it up and have different toys every day. Keep them tidily put away in a purpose made toy box. Image courtesy of Pinterest.com

Incorporate a dog bed into an island bench. Multipurpose and chic. Image courtesy of Pinterest.com 

The luxurious Sofa O' Luxury Dog Egg, a glamorous accessory for the posh pup - image courtesy of pupstyle.com

One of the best ways to keep your house clean and smelling fresh (apart from regular bathing) is to keep your pup outside most of the time. So you need a warm and comfortable kennel so your dog can have a haven in their outdoor environment. You don't have to get something aesthetically displeasing as there are some fabulous options out there. 

No longer do you need a very traditional A-frame doghouse, try modern and contemporary! Image courtesy of Image filesluxury.com

I love this sleek and simple Danish design for a dog house - image courtesy of dreamdogsart.typepad.com

 

Don't want a real dog? Try these cute cushions from Mondegreen cats and rabbits too! I want the pug.

Again if you don't want a real dog, check out these stools. Designed by Masakazu Hori, "Osanpo" is a stool inspired by four different dog breeds: Labrador Retriever, Bulldog, Dachshund, and Chihuahua.  Image courtesy of dreamdogsart.typepad.com. The Bulldog stool makes me laugh.

So not just around the home but you can also show your love for our canine creatures via fashion choices.

I'm loving the Pooch Clutch by by Philadelphia artist Colleen Rudolf. Her purses are "a locally-sourced, eco-conscious, handcrafted, animal-free, made-in-America dream accessory". A portion of her profits goes to help prevent cruelty to animals. You can purchase at Etsy

The Pooch Clutch by Colleen Rudolf available at Etsy

The Pooch Clutch by Colleen Rudolf available at Etsy

Dog print dress from ASOS

Dog print dress from ASOS

Dog print snood from ASOS

Dog print sweater from ASOS

Crazy regal dog necklace from ASOS

Scotty Dog Handbag from ASOS

Check out this dapper dog taking the fashion world by storm, he has some serious swag. My favorite pics below, but see his full and diverse portfolio at Menswear Dog.

He is so complicated - image courtesy of Menswear Dog

My favorite -  his Ryan Gosling look, its uncanny

Dogs are so amazing, here in NZ we actually have the worlds first driving dogs! See the video here. Dogs this smart certainly deserve a home, adopt at your local animal rescue centre

Check out the world first, driving dogs

Finally a couple more pics of my fur babies...

Sookie

Brian

Painted by hand

Olivia Palermo in a handpainted skirt.  Image by habituallychic.com

There is something so unique and striking about handpainted fabrics for the home or the body.  This week we pay homage to this seasons style must-have by selecting a few inspiring garments and homewares that really showcase this trend.

Handpainted Maxi dresses are truly eye catching: above and below - images by ulugustarstyling.net and prettyportobello.blogspot.com

Who doesn't want to stand out in a crowd and in this day and age individuality is very much in-vogue.  As a lover of crafts and DIY I admire any and all things that have a real 'made with love' feel to them.

Bluebelle Gray creates amazing handpainted fabrics and pieces for the home.  How fresh and inviting is the couch covered in handpainted sunflowers! 

Below are just some handpicked and handpainted furnishings for the home that I hope will inspire your creative juices

Midnight Spirographs painting by Sarah Stockstill

Handpainted desk from Pottery Barn

Marimekko handpainted fabrics like Kotona (above) are great stretched over canvas as art or made into soft furnishings like cushions

I love a good feature wall.  No, not the 90s obsession where one wall in every room was a bright colour - yes Mum I remember when you broke out the burgundy!  I actually really love a wallpapered feature wall, what a great talking point.  

These handprinted wallpapers below and above are by one of my fave designers Porter Teleo, such a bold statement!

In fashion, there is a resurgence for hand-dipped/dyed and hand painted designs.  

Emma Stone pulls off a beautiful handpainted dress by Lanvin

Anne Hathaway wore a pink handpainted Valentino wedding dress recently on her wedding day

And just to show you how passionate I am about this handpainted trend I thought I'd give you a glimpse of my recent Sevens costume (remember the Chandeliers), well this year hubby and I did our best interpretation of Gotye and Kimbra which was inspired by their song Somebody That I used to know below 

The real Gotye and Kimbra

The pretend versions: Yours truly and my husband Joe 

By the way this lovely snap was captured by my homebecomesher compadre Mereana!

And there you have it, I hope you enjoyed my post and have been enlightened by the uniqueness and beauty of handpainted fabrics for the home and your wardrobe. If you're feeling creative and were about to throw out a perfectly good purse I have attached this 'totes amazing' tutorial on how to paint your way to a new one.  Enjoy! x  

To make a handpainted purse click here