28 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Green earrings for the Green Party

Prettiness makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Like - as the saying goes - I swallowed a kitten. Prettiness and helping a good cause makes me feel extra warm and fuzzy inside, like I swallowed a whole herd of kittens. Which is not only grammatically incorrect but bound to cause some serious digestive problems.

These Green Leaf earrings (made by talented Kiwi Kim of Cupcakes and Mace whose cupcakes rings I've previously featured) are not only gorgeous, their purchase also supports New Zealand's Green Party:




NZ$16.00 from the Green Party website, I'm thinking these would make great gifts for my overseas family.

27 May 2010

World MS Day


My pretties, I am so sorry for being a bad, bad blogger. My mind has been so scattered lately for some reason that's not entirely apparent, then my pregnant best friend was admitted to hospital with pre-eclampsia and I got the flu and I've just not had inspiration strike. Hopefully once this flu clears I'll be back at full (daily) strength but in the meantime I wanted to take time out from blogging about prettiness to point out that today is World MS Day.

If you've been with me for a while you'll know that just before Christmas I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. While I'm now in remission (with the exception of occasional vision problems) I live every day with the knowledge that another episode could be just around the corner (or not, MS is an irritatingly nebulous disease) and while I'm mostly just getting on with life and enjoying all the prettiness it has to offer some days quite frankly it scares the hibbledee-jibbledees out of me.

So much of MS is still a puzzle. While some things are certain, like the fact that women are more prone to it than men and the further away from the equator you live the higher your chances of having it (so, you know, yay for me being a girl AND being born in the south of the South Island of New Zealand!) theories on its cause - and possibilities for its cure - come and go.

So today, even if you can't support your local MS Society financially, I ask that you spare us and the wonderful people who work on our behalf a thought. And if you can donate to the cause - well that would be super awesome!

Selina xox

17 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Hen and Chicks Lasercut ring stack from LicketyCut jewellery

Hello my pretties, and apologies for being so frequently absent lately. My motivation has been rather low lately as my mind has been pondering the Really Big Questions, like "What is life all about really?", "What do I want to do with my life?" and "How many pairs of black shoes are too many?". The answers to those questions are (in order): "Shoes, d'uh!", "Buy shoes" and "Is this a trick question, there is no such thing as too many shoes".

So, with steely determination to be disciplined, dammit, I am back with a pretty for you. Which isn't actually shoes. Because I like to keep you on your toes.



LicketyCut (on Etsy) make gorgeous lasercut stackable ring sets like this Hen and Chicks one shown (which is US$12.00). There are several other sets available, including a ramen noodle set, a Star Wars set and a spouting whale set. I want to buy the spouting whale and hen and chicks sets, put them on together and let them have at it. It'll totally be like Jaws. But with a whale. And chickens. Cool.

Hey I've just realised, if you remade Jaws with a krill-eating whale you'd have to call it Baleen! Which is so not scary. Unless you're krill. In which case you're totally quaking in your boots.

Not that krill wear boots. Or watch movies.

Yeah.

09 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Office Giggle Strap Mint Patent Leather Shoes

As our UK trip looms ever closer (1 month 25 days 15 hours and 42 minutes as I type this, not that I'm counting or anything) I'm in quite the conundrum over what to pack. I mean let's face it, I'm going to be doing some serious shopping while we're over there and I'm thinking it would be best to pack light for the trip in order to leave room for all the pretties I'm going to buy.

One of the bulkiest items in a suitcase is of course shoes, so my plan is to wear my trusty Reeboks (which I actually bought last time we were there in 2007) on the plane, then when we arrive I'll open my suitcase, throw my hands in the air and gasp "quelle surprise, I has no shoes!", at which the Eccentric English Boyfriend will take pity on me and escort me to the nearest branch of Office where I'll start with these beauties:


Strappy and minty and pretty - I'm in love. The Giggle shoes are £58.00 from Office, who do ship internationally if you're not lucky enough to be jetting off on a UK holiday in 1 month, 25 days, 15 hours and 27 minutes.

Also, note to self: when concocting evil plans to con The Eccentric English Boyfriend into buying shoes for me don't chronicle them in my blog which he sometimes reads. Oops.

08 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: No Tail dove brooch from Bijouled

You know the one thing I don't have in my rather large jewellery collection? Brooches. Aside from a pin that says "I support the SPCA" that is, which doesn't really count even if it does have a very cute labrador on it. As cute as labradors are (don't tell my dogs I said that) it's not really the sort of thing one wears to complete an outfit.

This brooch would definitely add a touch of whimsy to the right ensemble. Also, don't you just love the word 'ensemble'? Saying it makes me feel all chic and fashionista-y. (Yeah. I'm easily amused.):


 The dove brooch by No Tail is available for £12.00 from Bijouled in the UK (who ship internationally) and comes in several pretty colours - I'm particularly partial to the pale green one above.

Ensemble, ensemble, ensemble ... Now say it with a French accent: on-somm-ble. See, you totally feel fashionista-y now, don't you? No need to thank me.

03 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Nutcracker dress from FairyGothMother

When I was a wee urchin I wanted to be a Prima Ballerina when I grew up. Now that I'm grown up I want to be a Vampishly Sexy Woman of Mystery. In this dress I could be both*:


I love the embroidery on the skirt. And that red! Va-va-voom! The Nutcracker dress is £50 from FairyGothMother (although it's currently sold out).

* If I was to be totally honest my chances of being either a Prima Ballerina or a Vampishly Sexy Woman of Mystery are precisely nil. I could never be a Prima Ballerina because I'm a complete klutz with no sense of rhythm and as much grace as a medium sized rock. I'll never be a Vampishly Sexy Woman of Mystery because, well, same reasons actually.

02 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Violet Bellflower bracelet from Ruche

I just love the colour of the delicate wee flowers on this bracelet:


This is also a very good example of what good photography can do for a product, isn't it?

The Violet Bellflower Indie Bracelet is US$23.99 from Ruche, who are based in America and ship internationally.

01 May 2010

Your daily dose of pretty: Ivory spot dress from Miss Selfridge

You know those times when you see a dress, fall head over heels in love with it and have to make it yours even though you know with absolute certainty you'd never find the right occasion to wear it? Yep:


Look at the back!




It's so very pretty.  But I can't imagine I'd ever find a need to wear it. So, here's my idea - I buy it, put it on and dance around the house with the vacuum cleaner pretending to be a young ingenue. Then I catch my heel on the cable, careen wildly around the room before tripping over the dog (the small one, not the big one) and getting carted off to hospital where my beautiful new dress is shredded with a pair of emergency room scissors.

Yeah, that didn't end well, did it?

If you lead the sort of life that requires a dress like this it's £45.00 from Miss Selfridge, which is definitely one of the stores I'll be visiting when we go to England in 2 months, 2 days, 15 hours and 48 minutes. Otherwise they do ship internationally.