And Miss Carter Wore Pink

With the vast majority of op shops charging ridiculous prices for very average wares, it's always a relief to find some genuine gems at your local. Reece and I slipped into our local St Vincent de Paul store today where I snagged a Bettino Liano top for $5 and four gorgeous books for $1 each.

The books were the real score to me. I've found myself desperately hoarding tangible books in the face of the digitalisation of literature. No kindle for this girl. 

Alongside sweet copies of The Secret Garden and What Katie did I found these adorable picture books from the 70s. The collection of Australian poetry is a great example of Australian children's books and illustration. The pictures have a great balance of cheekiness and whimsy and the choice of poems paint a beautiful picture of Australia. The Edwardian book captures me in every way. The title is amazing, the illustrations are gorgeous and the writing isn't watered down for children.

Alice xx

Lace Lover

This is one of my favourite Italy purchases. I think that about most things I bought in Italy. Let's call it a top fiver. I need more dresses with this much lace, it's probably my favourite fabric. Or a top three contender at least. Hey, I'm really bad at making decisions, sue me.

dress: La Poeme - Florence, tights: from my mum, shoes: op shop, cardigan: target 

I wore this for - among other more mundane things - a girls night at the movies with my mum and sister to see Magic Mike. Could there have been less of a storyline if they tried? But that's not why anyone went to see it is it? 

Alice xx

Comfy Denim

It's taking me a while to slip back into my style after heat saturated Italy. While I've been feeling a little uninspired lately I really liked what I wore today. By the end of the day I was curled up in Reece's hoodie and slippers, safe to say I was tired.

jacket: Armani Jeans, blouse: op shop, scarf: op shop, shorts: cotton on, 

tights: asos, boots: rivers, helmet ring: ModCloth

This jacket is one of my favourite Italy finds. In a vintage store charging a hundred plus euro for slightly outdated topshop dresses I managed to snag this baby from Armani Jeans for forty. It's so soft and comfy, I could live in it.

It took me ages to get a decent photo of my ring. I ordered it from ModCloth before I left and I was waiting for me when I got home. I love it.

Alice xx

Friendly Fashion

I must confess to a little bit of panic setting in as a result of my recent pledge to shop more ethically. I saw my days of carelessly throwing things in my shopping cart - be it a physical or online one - floating out of reach. However I've been scouring the internet for some more eco friendly choices and I've been pleasantly surprised.

I discovered that Australian brand Bardot are registered with Ethical Clothing Australia. Meaning their products are made in Australia under good conditions and for fair pay. The same can be said for Cue. For a full list of brands see here.

I was also excited to discover that my beloved first stop for online fashion asos have an ethical conscience as well. As well as being dedicated to ethical and sustainable fashion, asos offer the green room, which features ethically conscience brands including their own asos Africa.

So I'm off to buy some friendly fashion, with out my bank account hating me!

Alice xx

Moral Musings

source

As I've mentioned before, I tend to avoid wordier post because I fear sounding preachy or contrived - something that turns me right off when reading other blogs. But here goes.

I tend to think of myself as someone with a strong set of personal morals. I'm a vegetarian, I have a sponsor child, I studying nursing, you catch my drift. In the wake of Italy and the sort of soul searching that comes part and parcel with over seas travel, I've decided I need to try and apply these morals more broadly in my day to day life.

One aspect which seems glaringly obvious to me is my choices as a consumer, namely of clothes. I avoid leather as a vegetarian but an aspect I'm not always strict with is where the clothing is being made. I always try to shy away from clothing made in China, but I have been known to cave for an especially cute jacket or dress. I feel it's time to put my foot down. I wouldn't cave in for a steak just because it has a really nice sauce.

And so I have made somewhat of a pledge to myself to only buy sweatshop free clothing so to speak. I feel products made in the country of the brand ought to be sound, such as American Apparel. And of course vintage or op shopped clothes are free game. It may mean paying a little more and buying a little less, but I don't think that's a terrible thing. It's a small step towards living a more ethically sound life. When I am financially sound and in my own home I hope to shop organic and have my own chickens, but for now I can be critical in my choices as a consumer. After all, how you spend your money dictates the kind of world we live in.

If you've held on this long, thank you. I'd love to hear of any great local brands or how you try to live a more eco friendly life.

Alice xx

Italy in Retrospect

 On Thursday morning I boarded the first of four flights which would deliver me home to Melbourne. I waved good bye to oppressive heat, cobblestones, gelato, great coffee, wine and olives. 30 odd hours of travel later and I was looking eagerly through the plane window at a glittering Melbourne skyline. I remembered to stop off at duty free and waited impatiently for my luggage. An hour or so after touching down, I was back in Reece's arms.

 Italy already feels a little like a dream. A hot, laughter filled, awe inspiring dream. Though it's amazing to be home, and I was very much ready to return. I think it's impossible to travel for any amount of time with out finding yourself somewhat changed. For me it was more of a reaffirmation of who I am and what I want to achieve. The course I completed whilst there called for a deal of self evaluation and re iterated to me my own personal code of ethics and how I would ideally like to live my life.

 I made many new friends and grew to understand myself a little more. I saw amazing examples of dedication to faith. I'm not a very religious person myself, but the art and architecture people create to express there devotion is incredible. I saw palaces and gardens, monasteries and museums. I found beauty at every turn and lived alongside an amazing race of people.

taken by a friend

 And now I'm home. A little browner, a little wiser, a little more worldly. And looking forward to my next adventure.

taken by a friend at the Misericoria museum

Alice xx

Last Look

Today is my last full day in Florence. Tomorrow morning I begin the long trip (consisting of four flights) home. It's been an amazing experience, but I'm ready to jump dramatically into Reece's arms and stay there for a good while.

This morning/afternoon I wandered around the city, saying good bye to my favourite spots and taking myself out to lunch - where I sat next to and made friends with an Australian of course. I am now faced with the task of packing. There may be a bit of sitting on my suitcase involved in order to get it closed.

I'm thinking about doing a reflection post on my time here, though I tend to feel I sound contrived in those wordier posts and end up deleting them. We'll see how that one pans out. For now here are some shots from my trips to Verona and Milan yesterday and the day before.

Juliette's balcony.

Juliette. I touched her boob.

Pretty Verona (Veronan?) street.

Milan kind of reminded me of Melbourne...

Milan's gothic duomo.

Legit castle.

Alice xx

Baboli Gardens

Today (Sunday) was my first official day on my own until I begin the trek back to Australia on Thursday. I was tired, grouchy and homesick. In an effort to remedy this I put on a pretty dress and vintage Armani jeans denim jacket I bought yesterday, packed up my camera and a book and headed over the river to the Baboli gardens. After a tearful phone call to Reece, I snapped some photos of myself, meandered around the sprawling gardens and lay under a tree to read for a few hours.

dress: la poeme, jacket: vintage armarni jeans, shoes: H&M, sunglasses: bill bass

Florence has a good 2000 years of history and culture under it's belt. Australia has only been a country for just over 100. The Medici's were a family of bankers who, give or take a episodes of banishment and a brief spell at a republic, presided as the ruling family of Florence. The palace is open to view rooms reminiscent of Versailles and the gardens themselves are a maze of hedges, statues, fountains and old buildings. It's not hard to picture Victorian-era members of the family strolling about in their finery.

Alice xx

Still Here

Italy has been a haze of classes, lectures, visits to museums, churches, monasteries and picturesque towns. The heat is insane. The food, the wine and the gelato are out of this world. Our course has now finished and the great friends I have made have scattered across the globe. Some back to Australia, others on to other parts of Europe. I am here in Florence for another 5 nights. I have day trips organised to explore Verona and Milan as well as some time to lie around and prepare for the 24 odd hours or more it will take to get home. Here are some snaps from a recent trip to Siena and San Gimignano.

top: lucy in the sky, scarf: vintage (bought in Italy), sunglasses: bill bass

 

Alice xx

Venice in Vintage

On Saturday a few of us headed off to Venice for a day trip. We opted for a bus tour, which in hindsight wasn't the best decision we've ever made. But Venice is an epically beautiful city and it's hard to stay disgruntled, even if you arrive an hour later than expected, the promised gondola ride only lasts 5 minutes and the sleazy assistant tour guide spends the whole time chatting up the American girls.

the bridge of sighs in the distance

I wore a dress I bought at the vintage fair, it's too fun a colour for it's own good. I hadn't intended on buying anything while we were there, but I stumbled upon a hand painted mask and a pair of glass earrings I just couldn't leave behind. 

dress: vintage via fair, sandals: rivers, bag: fashion police tote via the iconic

 

All photos of me are thanks to my housemate for the trip, Mim

Ciao

Alice xx