Birdsnest & other favourites

I'll admit, the combination of returning to Australia after a 18 month US and UK shopping bonanza, along with being pregnant has dulled my shopping/fashion addiction somewhat (hear that sound? It's my husband sighing loudly with relief) but yesterday I was inspired by a trip to Cooma to the headquarters of Australian online fashion treasure trove www.birdsnest.com.au. 

The tour was arranged by one of my very favourite bloggers; Amanda from HerCanberra. Shopping, a goodie bag, style updates, a yummy lunch and the chance to meet some fellow style-a-holics, it was destined to be my kind of day.

Cooma is a small regional  town located just over an hour out of Canberra, it’s an unlikely location for a fashion empire and while the main street is home to the one and only retail outlet of Birdsnet, you can shop to your heart’s content on their amazing website.  My favourite features; a huge range of Australian and overseas brands, an excellent filtering system and the styled outfit area which cleverly does all the hard work for you.

Shopping for clothes whilst 8 months pregnant is admittedly difficult on a few levels (not being able to see my toes being one of them) but I did manage to pick up a few new items (yes, the stripe obsession continues).

mink pink stripe long sleeve tunic (buy it here) & mink pink stripe dress (no longer available online)

While it’s nice to know there is a great Australia online fashion option (Birdsnest offer next day delivery to most parts of Australia if your order by 1pm) I still love my international brands (you can check out my original Best of British online shopping blog here). Here is a quick recap of some of my favourites (plus a few new ones). These sites have been tried and tested since returning home to Australia and offer either free or reasonable shipping and returns.

Nextdirect.com

Ahhh Next.. My husband loves telling the story of bumping into the Next delivery man at a local coffee shop one day, he not only knew my name but also my address, and led out us to his van where he had a few parcels for me he was due to deliver that day. Next now offers free and speedy delivery to Australia (in my experience, under 5 days) and an easy returns process. Excellent quality and hard to beat prices for stylish ladies, mens and children's wear as well as items for the home.

Marks & Spencer

In my opinion you can't beat Marks & Spencer for quality. Whilst not always the most fashion forward, they make up for this with fantastic and affordable basics; especially underwear and a brilliant children's range. Currently free shipping to Australia (usually £15).

Andotherbrands.com 

Two of my all time favourite UK brands are Oasis & Warehouse. They succeed in offering stylish, well priced pieces for those of us in our 30's that no longer have the desire to show our midriff, but aren't quite ready to embrace our inner nana. I'm so excited that they now ship direct to Australia (along with formal wear wonder Coast). As an added bonus they and also offer sale items, a great option for picking up out of season Northern Hemisphere bargains.

Happy shopping!

Checking in

I have to say, deciding to continue my blogging style journey while pregnant was not one of my smartest ideas. There are very few women who look glamorous at 7, 8 or god forbid 9 months pregnant and I am most certainly not one of them.

However as I haven’t checked in since my birthday back in January, I thought it only fair I post an update.  So I am now 34 weeks pregnant with just 6 weeks to go. These photos were taken on Saturday; we went to a BBQ with friends. I'll admit I made more effort than I have been of late and seeing as I didn't feel as whale like as usual, I harassed the husband to take a few quick snaps.

shirt/ LC for Kohls / stripe singlet / witchery/ jeans / motherhood maternity/ flats / nine west

I’ll admit, second time around pregnancy has been tougher than first, the awful morning sickness has been replaced with unrelenting insomnia and while I'm forever grateful for the blessing that is this baby, the excitement of the arrival of your first child seems to propel you through the negatives of pregnancy, while second time around, with an active toddler to entertain, the level of enthusiasm and anticipation isn't quite the same.

Style? Fashion? I'm at the point that if it fits I'll wear it. Jersey is my friend. Tracksuit pants and pyjama’s are my very best friends.. Till next time xo

The Maxi

As many of my regular readers will know I've always been a sucker for a maxi skirt, lately though they're becoming a little difficult to pull off. It's fine if you can wear them with a long top like I did here, but if they are the belted style you are faced with the dilemma of wearing them either above the bump (Harry high pants anyone?) or below the bump (is she pregnant or has she just eaten too many pies?). Oh how I miss my waist!

maxi dress/ Jeanswest/ beads/ Sussan / metallic flats / Novo

Luckily, I've found a great summer alternative; the maxi dress. This one is from Jeanswest and as it isn't specifically maternity wear it should see me through quite a few more summers. It’s a beautiful print, can be dressed up or down and I'll let you in on a little secret… a bra not is necessary! What more can you ask for?

We spent our afternoon having a quiet birthday catch up with friends at The George, a lovely English style pub fast becoming one of our very favourite’s places in Canberra.

So are you a fan of the Maxi? I can't live without mine!

Birthday Blogging

It’s my birthday today, I’m 35!

Birthdays are a great time for reflection, I’ve always liked that mine falls just after New Year as it gives me the perfect time think back over the years past. Last year I had a wonderful birthday in the UK, my girlfriends turned up for ‘coffee’ with wine in hand and we celebrated long into the afternoon, this was followed up a few weeks later by a particularly boozy birthday cocktail party.

This year I’ll be lucky if I sneak half a glass of wine, but I have had a lovely day with my kind and considerate husband and my beautiful, cheeky son Max. This morning I opened my presents from not only them; a sewing machine (sewing is the new black, so I’m told!) as well as thoughtful gifts from my ever organised mum and my sister Andrea (who has just embarked on an exciting journey of her own, read about it here) plus gifts and thoughtful messages from dear friends all over the world.

necklace/ Sportsgirl/ top / Witchery/ jeans (maternity) /Jeanswest

Out for lunch with Max

The three of us headed out for a lunch. Canberra is still new to us so we wandered until we found a funky café/bar and enjoyed some international style tapas for lunch.  After lunch, I was pretty darn excited to locate a Canberra stockist (albeit rather expensive) of my VERY favourite fashionsita magazine, Grazia UK.

To make my day just that little bit sweeter (and to make up for said lack of wine!) Jason and Max have spent the afternoon making me a caramel mud cake. They asked me to choose a recipe from a baking book I received from my mum, and it’s been a full afternoon endeavour, I think I may have managed to pick the most complicated (and time consuming) recipe in the book. Estimated time of eating is now 7pm!

Look closely, that's the (far superior than its Australian sister) UK Grazia!

Caramel mudcake in the making

By next year, my 36^th (eekkk!) things will have changed yet again as this ever growing baby bump will be a precious new edition to our little family.

Hope you are all also having a happy Thursday!

Heat wave!

Happy New Year!

Unless you've been living under a rock (or maybe in the far cooler Northern Hemisphere) you'll know that most parts of Australia are in the midst of a heat wave. It doesn't take a genius to work out that 'heat wave' and pregnancy are not a nice pairing. I'll admit that  I struggle with summer style at the best of time (give me jeans, boots and a jacket over a leg baring skirt any day) but with 39 degree outside today the only option was for lightweight and cool. 

singlet/ Topshop/ skirt/ Country Road/ beads / Susans 

 bag / JC Penny

metallic flats/ Novo

I’m 23 weeks now and when I got dressed this morning I thought I was looking fairly good, quite possibly not even that pregnant, that was until I saw these photos and realised in reality I’m actually getting quite huge, add to that yesterday’s revelation that I am now fitting a DD bra (my husband is thrilled) I’m somewhat terrified.

How you are coping in the heat?

Baby love

Those who follow me on facebook will know by now there have been some changes in the Parsons family. We are expanding!

I know the blog has been awfully quiet of late and whilst I’m not claiming morning sickness of Princess Kate proportions, sadly I did have 10 long, nasty weeks of constant nausea, occasional vomiting and general nastiness. Let’s just say it was enough to put anyone off getting dressed up and parading in front of a camera each day and coupled with (yes another) international move, blogging has taken a very firm back seat for a while.

It’s now December and we are happily setting into our new home and new life in Canberra, Australia and I just recently hit the momentous half way mark in my pregnancy, I’m now 21 weeks!

singlet top/ sportsgirl /skirt /french connection/ wooden beads/ old

One thing I’ve learnt already (which I had clearly placed in the same amnesia  filled corner of my brain as those horror filled birth stories) is that dressing well while pregnant is HARD. At our 19 week scan a few weeks ago I watched the sonographer struggle with what she described ‘a moving target’ and I liken this to my struggle each morning to walk out the door looking stylish and presentable. The bump (and erm.. associated cleavage)  is constantly changing and growing, making staying stylish so difficult. One day, a top can look fab, it shows just the right amount of bump, then a mere week later, tight and uncomfortable and relegated to the post pregnancy pile.

So please, whether you are pregnant or not (some style rules are universal!) I’d love you to follow me for the next 20 weeks and beyond as I continue my Style Journey.

  

My favourite jeans

Today I thought I’d pay homage to something very special to me… a discovery that changed my life for the better. I'm talking about Gap* jeans. 

The pair I'm wearing below are nothing special, just a medium wash ‘boyfriend’ style but they belong to an ever growing collection of Gap jeans, I've got them in pink, blue, grey, black, with ankle zip, dark wash, light wash… The reason I love them so much? They fit perfectly, they are affordable (today’s pair for example cost a purse friendly $59), they never create an unsightly muffin top, they are super comfortable, they never need shortening and their styles and cuts are always bang up to date. 

jeans / Gap / ballet flats / Nine West

cardigan / Loft / singlet / TopShop / beads / Glassons

Over the past year I've been slowly but surely adding to my collection, sadly there are only two Gap stores in Australia (now that is CRAZY!) but rest assured.. I have plenty to keep me in denim for the next few seasons.

  

  Do you have a fail-safe favourite denim brand?

* It may be hard to believe but Gap did not pay me for this post :-)