Hop Nation

Now more than ever it's important to support local businesses through these trying times and we are doing all that we can to help the Aussie companies we love, friends' businesses and of course local breweries. For the last year or so I've been absolutely in love with Hop Nations The Damned Pilsner and then early this year I fell for The Punch, a Mango Gose. 

So when Footscray based Hop Nation announced they new hard seltzers I instantly had to get my hands on them. Luckily we could drive over and pick up our favorites and some of the new 'Ray's with contactless pickups!

'Ray' $17.00

'Ray Hard Seltzer is a brewed alcoholic sparkling water, with real fruit and no added sugar! An amazingly refreshing drink with fewer calories but still giving you a great flavour. 

RAY HARD SELTZER - WATERMELON & MINT - $17.00

RAY HARD SELTZER - PEACH - $17.00

RAY HARD SELTZER - LEMON & LIME - $17.00

Hard Seltzers are becoming a fan favourite due to the low calorie count and brilliant burst of flavour. That nearly guilt free drink you can set on all afternoon and never feel full of carbs or suffer from a sugar crash. So I've taken it upon myself to try all 3 flavours and report back to you on all the brilliance of these new arrivals. 

Why the name 'Ray? Well they are based and made in Footscray so it's a clever little play on the suburb! 

'Ray is available in 3 delicious flavorless Watermelon and Mint, Lemon and Lime and my standout favourite Peach. Each can reflects the flavour with a soft colour and simple yet elegant text. No bells and whistles needed for this drop as it's effortlessly perfect. 

RAY HARD SELTZER - MIXED 12! $40.00

Crystal clear, super refreshing and full of real fruit flavour these babies are so easy to drink you'll forget that they are actually 4.5%. The fact that these are full of natural flavours makes the real taste of each pop even more. 

I'm honestly sick of fruit imitation lolly water and all of the nasties packed within. With 'Ray I'm not worried about calories as they are lower in sugar than most of the other drops on the market. 

I've tried all 3, and my absolute favourite is Peach followed closely by the Lime and Lemon. While the Watermelon is lovely I'm just not a huge fan of melon flavours. The soft pop of flavour is like a marriage between a fruit ice tea and sparkling water - so in my opinion absolutely deelish! 

I'm keen to add even more fresh or frozen fruit into the mix in the future. 

You can snap these up at your local bottle shop, directly picked up at their Footscray brewery or order online. At $17.00 per 4 pack and a mixed case of 12 for $40, these are worth it and you get to support a locally made product at the same time! 

This was our haul once we left their shop. As you can see we could not just leave with one product so a few of my favouirtes were purchased and the new Dreamfeed for my husband.

If you've tried these please comment and give me your faves.

Festive Splendor

One moment we are celebrating Halloween then the next I'm styling and shooting Christmas ranges! This year has flown by so fast but now is the time to snap up all of those festive season pieces to create the perfect look for your end of year parties, work functions and all family events.

 

 

Erstwilder has just released their Festive Splendor  Range and I'm loving the traditional look of many pieces and the quirky styles on offer.

 

Winter Wonderland Earrings - $39.95

The Night Before Brooch - $39.95

Miz Smitten Kitten Red and White Flower Crown - $25.00

Hell Bunny Nicola Dress - £55.99

 

There is something absolutely magical about the shape of a snowflake. An iconic pattern we all love but in nature, completely unique. This festive season there are three stunning snowflake pieces for you style with your Christmas looks.

 

I feel in love the Winter Wonderland Earrings as soft colours really pop with my dark red hair and these stunning snowflakes are my favourite piece for this season. Made from a mixture of cream and white resins which adds more depth to the design and these earrings are absolutely beautiful. You can pick up these as well as a solo brooch and stunning statement necklace.

 

 

I've paired these earrings with a sweet pastel cuckoo clock. Last Christmas I snapped up and loved the darker version of this piece. Clocks make amazing brooches and the shape, colours and charm details on this piece are absolutely adorable.

 



 

What I love most about this piece has to be the versatility of the design. It works perfectly when paired with all of the festive pieces but can be worn all year round on it's own. The 3D elements and sweet flower charms also make me swoon.  

 

Christmas Miracle Brooch - $39.95

 

I'm so excited about this piece!! I've always adored the look of Christmas wreaths, candles and all of the winter themed pieces on table settings. But being in Australia we have a stinking hot summer Christmas and I never get to celebrate with any of those pieces. Now I can wear a stunning representation of such an iconic festive visual no matter what the weather is.



 

 

Each different coloured piece of resin has been thought through - from the flame to the rough look of the pinecones, the green leaves to the wax. Each piece really pops! 

 

 

This piece really is rather magical and, I'll definitely be wearing this and others accessories on Christmas Day.

 

My bright and bold flower crown was created by Miz Smitten Kitten. I have an addiction to her amazingly detailed custom crowns but wanted something a little more toned down for my Christmas themed shoots. I love how this works with my hair and shines when paired with the jasmine background. 

 

 

I've paired each look with my stunning new Christmas Mini Dress from Hell Bunny which I shot in full last week. The full review of this piece and the amazing shots (crown included, earrings and many more festive outfits) will be live over the weekend!

 

Safari Chic

Erstwilder's latest release takes us to the deserts, tropical rain forests and vast savannas of Africa. The stunning Out Of Africa range features some of your absolute favourite African animals created in brooch, earring and necklace form.

 



This collection has created some of my absolute favourite brooches to date as they've created some of the cutest little critters.



 



Young Warthog Brooch - $39.95

When I first saw the Out of Africa range, I gravitated to so many different animals but after growing up on films such as The Lion King  a Warthog was top of my list.

This adorable young warthog reminds me of Pummba, and I'll be signing Hakuna Matata whenever I wear him as the creators of this brooch state - he's renowned for such a philosophy.

Again Erstwilder are rocking those adorable long lashes and look at that snout! It's so cute you just want to tickle it!

 



 

Zesty Zebra Brooch - $39.95

Zebra stripes have been a part of my wardrobe for many years so it's only logical that I also need a Zesty Zebra to add to my stripped collection.

What I love most about this piece is the unique design. For zebras or horses the mane is usually 100% attached to the head and sometimes gets rather lost in the resin or design. But the spare space between the two in this brooch really makes it pop.

 

 



Now I've paired these with a bold leopard print but when you wear this piece with solid colours it's even bolder and stronger.

 



Finnicky Fennec Fox Brooch - $39.95

I'm forever as sucker for a fox brooch and the Fennec Fox is one of my absolute most loved animals on earth. Those huge ears, soft pale fur and sweet little peepers make me swoon and I've always loved this little creature.

The little upside down heart feature around the nose and mouth is a super sweet feature and just look at those whiskers.



Erstwilder have created the perfect version of the Fennec Fox with Finnicky and I'll be wearing this piece non stop.

 

Plus for the entire month of August they will be donating $2 from the sale of every design within to the African Wildlife Foundation! Reasons like these plus many more are why I absolutely adore the team at Erstwilder HQ.

A Kaiju Candy Christmas

This year has absolutely flown and this time next week it will be Christmas!!! I just adore everything about the festive season (with the exception of overly silly carols) and I'm a sucker for Christmas themed accessories. So when Kaju Candy released their amazing silly season themed accessories I had to snap up my stand out favourites.

 

I honestly feel like everything Donna creates pairs perfectly with my taste and even more so this Christmas as they include a few horror, fantasy and kitschy creatures. 

 

 

Xmas Gremlin Brooch - $45.00

 

One of my absolute favourite Christmas traditions is watching Christmas movies leading up to or on Christmas Ever. One the top of my list is Gremlins! When I saw the previews for both the Christmas and the normal range featuring these cute little guys I literally yelped and knew all must be part of my collection.

 



 

 

Kaiju Candy has captured the cuteness and crazy expression of this green meanie perfectly and the and his little Santa hat makes this my number one Choice for the 25th of December. But I have a sneaking feeling that I'll be wearing 2 or 3 on the day!

 

 

Whoville Brooch  ball version - $43.00

 

Sticking with rather evil yet adorable characters we have a Grinch themed brooch. Now normally people select the whole body or face of the Grinch and everything looks so basic or terribly token. Buy my girl Donna has crearted an iconic and bold visual with the hand and bobble brooch. 

 

 

I've also added a little more colour to this look with some more sparkly drop earrings from KC and I love how every single piece has that added sparkle. They capture the light and really pop. While I can't find these specific earrings online you can snap up so many other styles via the website. 

 

 

The pose of the fingers has been perfectly captured and you can tell instantly that this is that mean old Grinch's hand. The chain has also been styled perfectly so this hands without any fuss and pairs with tops, tees or cardigans.

 

 

Vintage Krampus Snow Globe Brooch - $43.00

 

Now let me introduce you to the biggest brooch I've ever owned and one of the most detailed and magical piece to ever be released from this label. Krampus is such a hit these days so Kaiju Candy has created a super sweet and adorable version of the evil folk law character.

 



 

Who knew that a half demon, half goat could be one of the cutest characters of the Christmas season? The detail and size of this piece make it so very unique and the choice of red as the main snow globe shape make this a bold and perfect piece to wear. I've styled these items with my winter 2017 Dangerfield cape and a matching beret to give more of a winter vibe. 

 

 

 

I just love the way the bright red, blue and gold pops on my forest green plaid cape and I can't wait to style this with an outfit leading up to the big day.  

 

 

 

Toy Soldier Brooch - $37.00

 

An absolute classic decoration and to this traditional Soldier brooch is the perfect. The Nutcracker in  German tradition, the dolls are symbols of good luck, scaring away bad spirits. So I love the concept behind this accessory and the story it tells. Plus what's not to adore about this adorable little fella?

Yes winter snuck back briefly on a super hot summer day for these images. I've been dreaming of white Christmas's for many years and a little filter will have to do for now. 

 

Lastly a purple and teal version of the other earrings how previously. This year I've been absolutely nutty for big, sparkly and bold drop earrings and these two KC pairs will be on weekly rotation. The colours pair perfectly and I love how they work with my own red locks.

 

I can't wait to wear a mixture of these on Christmas day and base my entire look on these pieces.

 

 

 

 

Creep Heart

Are you ready for the cutest, quirkiest brooches known to mankind? Let me introduce you to Creep Heart! An Australian based accessories and art store filled with some of the sweetest and spookiest designs ever to grace brooches, pins, necklaces, earrings and more.

I've been smitten with their designs for a while now and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a few of their most sweet designs. Now if you follow me on social media you will be well aware of the fact that I love pins and moto jackets. It's becoming and addiction and each of my motos has a specific theme. Designed by Ella Mobb, Creep Heart is a mix of haunting and romantic styles, featuring adorably spooky characters. I always get so excited when I can review and recommend brilliant local creatives and designers and I'm so happy to be sharing Ella's work with you!

A few months ago I scored this adorable red plaid jacket from Target, a gift from my awesome mother in law and when my Creep Heart order arrived I knew these would pair perfectly with the fabric. So this jacket instantly became my Creep Heart Moto!

‘Bunny Bun Teapot’ Brooch - $29.95

‘Tattoo Rose (Pink)’ Brooch - $29.95

‘Kitten Mail’ Brooch - $29.95

Perfectly crafted and illustrated, each piece draws you in and you will fall in love with each of her little characters. Made from made from layered acrylic which creates an almost 3D effect. The detailing is amazing and every little feature draws your eye to the creature or object. From a tea toting bunny rabbit to a mail delivering kitten, how could you not instantly fall for these adorable creatures? Each animal is adorable and even her floral pins and accessories are amazing. I honestly wish I had 1000's to spend on her webstore as I'm loving her phone cases, printed artwork and all jewelry items. 

                 

Be sure to check out Creep Heart's Instagram account and facebook to find out all of the latest news and sneaky previews of new stock. I'm eagerly waiting for her Halloween themed goodies to arrive as my horror Moto has a space ready for some new cuties!