I first came across The Oblong Box Shop at last year's Tiki Oasis. The gorgeous blonde manning the stall was super friendly and I drooled over her amazing line of printed skirts but with 3 weeks left of travel ahead of me and having already spent quite a bit over the festival I decided I better not go crazy. Still I didn't want to lose track of this fantastic shop, so I followed along on Facebook. Fast forward about 9 months later and owner and creator Denialle Von Fitch was looking for someone to help her write descriptions for the items on her website. Of course I stepped right up, and the rest as they say, is history.

 

 

Enter her latest creation, the Palm Springs Swing Collection. Be still my beating heart! I've been to Palm Springs twice now and have loved it every single time. The prints in this collection are reminiscent of the city's incredible mid-century modern design as well as memories of Tiki Oasis. Featuring everything from tiki's in space to shrunken heads, John Waters flamingos, sneaky tiki's, moai's, mid-century pads and even puffer fish, this collection truly offers something for everyone. Just like the novelty print skirts of the 50s, each skirt uses more than 2 yards of fabric, for easy fullness without a petticoat if you wish, which is perfect for the warm Queensland climate.

 

 

The medium weight 100% polyester gives the skirts a soft, comfortable feel and best of all - they don't crush or need ironing! Featuring a size zip and button, the waistband also offers an extra inch of room, allowing you to move the button for a custom fit. With a total length of 26" there's still plenty of room for a petticoat if you're looking to achieve maximum fullness. There's also a hidden right side pocket ideal for your compact and lipstick and large enough to fit a smartphone. Skirts with pockets? TOTAL win in my book!

 

 

But perhaps what sets this line and The Oblong Box Shop apart is that the designs on the fabric are handcrafted by Denialle herself. That's right, the beauty and brains behind the brand illustrates the designs you see on the garments herself! Having greater control over the whole creation process allows Denialle to ensure all her products are perfect. More than simply recreations, The Oblong Box line offers unique pieces that are sure to be a highlight of your wardrobe.

 

Denialle has plans to expand the line to also include dresses, tops, purses and anything that makes a woman feel special, beautiful and unique. Creating the #hellobeautiful movement, Denialle is passionate about reminding her customers every day that they are beautiful. If you're lucky enough to be headed to Viva Las Vegas next week, The Oblong Box Shop will be there. If like me you're simply drooling over your keyboard, get your orders in! Unsurprisingly these skirts sold out within minutes of launch, but you can join the waitlist to grab one as soon as they become available again.

 

 

Things have been pretty light around here lately, content-wise and frequency. Nothing to really sink your teeth into. I’m sorry about that. But I’m also not really that sorry. Usually if things on the blog are feeling light, it’s usually because I’m not. Which isn’t to say that things are bad. Things have just been a bit different lately. Busy and yet not at the same time. Since the end of last year I feel like I’ve been playing catch up with life. I haven’t been going out as much, so when I do go out I choose to relish the occasion, rather than going out ‘on duty’ so to speak. In saying that, I miss bringing awesome content to this space. So this is my commitment to you, to get back into it.
 

Since joining the gym in January I’ve been going 4 times a week, every week. Usually I do two 1 hour cardio work outs and two half hour weights work outs a week. This is the most committed I’ve ever been to my fitness, even having regular personal training sessions! I guess I just realised that I’m not getting any younger (I know, don’t roll your eyes, I know I’m not old) but I figured the longer I left it and the older I got before I committed to these lifestyle changes, the harder it was going to be to achieve. I haven’t had some kind of miraculous weight loss. In fact, the scales haven’t really changed that much yet. But my physical abilities have increased so much and my shape has certainly changed. My clothes fit better and best of all, I feel great!
 

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to become a health and fitness blog. And I still love a cocktail and a juicy burger. I don’t think I’ll ever lose my love affair with food. But I’m learning more about nutrition and understanding what my body needs while balancing that with the things that I enjoy. And that is the absolute key here. Balance. Which brings me back to the beginning. Part of restoring that balance to my life is getting back into things here. I’ve missed you guys! Even when I’ve been here posting, I haven’t REALLY been here and I do feel bad about that. You guys deserve so much better than that.
 

This Saturday I’m off to the Rods& Rockabilly Festival at Hamilton where I can’t wait to wear something from said new clothing line.

I hope to see you there!

Two Tattoo Tuesday's in a row? Geez I spoil you guys! And myself apparently haha Today's tattoo comes from a childhood obsession of mine which I suppose has morphed into an adult obsession of mine - albeit in a slightly different way. You see, when I was little I was in LOVE with the movie The Wizard of Oz. So much so that I would watch it multiple times a day pretty much every day. It must have driven my poor mother mad, but she was such a good sport she even replaced the video tape (yep, video) when I wore it out. As an adult, I'm in love with shoes so I thought this one was perfect!

 

 

Done by Chris Vilches of Old Skool Tattoo and Barber Shop (get a haircut while you're there), Dorothy's ruby slippers are not only a reminder that there's no place like home, but that Dorothy had the power to get home all along, she just had to believe in herself and try! I think that is such a wonderful reminder for all of us, too often we forget just how powerful we really are and find excuses or distractions as a reason not to try something, for fear of failing. I said at the start of this year that 2015 was going to be all about me, finding myself, my strength and my power. And you know what? It's working! More on that in another post, but this tattoo is all about honouring and reminding myself of this shift within.

 

 

Not to mention - SHOES! Duh! Haha After seeing Wicked with my Mum and my sister a couple of weeks ago, I knew it was time to get this one done. This tattoo is on my left leg, just underneath my knee wrapping around to the inside of my leg. Also, (and I never even realised this) as someone pointed out, it matches with my tattoo perfectly, creating a bit of a 'yellow brick road' effect! Pretty cool huh? Chris is a fantastic artist who whipped this out in no time. It's healing beautifully and his choice of design (it needed more sparkles he said - what a guy!) and colours is nothing short of perfect. I am so happy with this tattoo!