drawings

I am so utterly pleased with how this concept turned out! I love collaborating with people who can draw and letter (because my doodles look like dog poo and my hand writing is a nightmare) and today I’m so glad to introduce to you guys the lovely Daisy from NotebookDaisy on Instagram. Go visit her Facebook and Instagram to see more of her beautiful work now! She likes drinking green tea and spending too much money on lippy. So we’re basically the same people but she’s much more better at drawing ha! She has this very cool series on her Instagram called the little alphabet people which I definitely think you should check out and also bug her to keep making more – I think she is only up to Chastised Charlie.

I don’t like fashion (why you are a fashion blogger?!) but I love styling. I was having a bit of an epiphanic moment a couple of weeks ago when I realised that nup I don’t want to be a brand whore. The reason I write a blog is to be creative and personally I believe creativity flourishes more when you have limitations. For me, this is my smallish closest. I don’t think you need a ton of clothes to be stylish, you just need to know how to be creative and work with what you have and what is a bit terrifying to you. I also encourage outfit repeating, anything you think you look on point in, you wear it ten times and then you wear it again because if it is a good outfit, why not ?

I love this double denim day to night look. I think it would be the perfect quick car switch that you could achieve in less than 5 minutes. The base is the denim shirt and boyfriend jeans and then it is all about the accessories. For a day at uni or running errands I would go with some print mixing – stripes and polka dots are always a win, my white converse and a brightly coloured bag. For night, I would just button up my shirt and tuck it into my jeans. Add a blazer, pussy bow, pumps, statement earrings and clutch and you’re almost ready to go … Finish off with red lippy of course, flip you curls to the side and you’re ready to boogie.

I hope this post gave you some inspiration today and if you have any more styling queries or other day to night looks you would like me to do … I am up for the challenge so hit me with your best shot.

I hope you guys are ready for a rather chatty post this hump day. I’m starting a new series on Style Smorgasbord called SS Brunch and today I’m delighted to introduce Juliet from TheJulietReport on Instagram. The idea behind these posts is just to feature other voices and personalities on this blog so you don’t get sick of me and my puns all the time. We’ll talk about all kinds of random stuff and then open the floor to you guys as well so you can join in the conversation too! As a trial, we’re keeping everything lighthearted today but in the future, I would love to delve into some other issues too. And what better meal to pour over our chatty concerns than brunch!? So without further ado, lets give a hand to SS BRUNCH WITH JULIET! I fell out of my chair when she agreed to draw something for Style Smorgasbord and I hope you guys hop over to TheJulietReport for more of her work.

Karen: I thought I would wrap up my holiday posts with several travelling questions so tell me, what’s your favourite city to holiday in? Juliet: Even though I have been there about five times already I still always dream about New York. I feel a special connection with New York. There is always so much to do there, it is a very inspiring place. Karen: That reminds me I need to put Welcome To New York as my phone ringtone, the opening tune is the best!

tjr4

Karen: I feel like packing your carry on has almost become a science nowadays. There’s all these special compartment bags you can get and bottles that meet security guidelines … I tend to love overpacking reading material and then abandoning it for in flight entertainment … and then falling asleep! What are your personal in flight essentials? Juliet: I love to keep busy so I have to take my drawing equipment, a new book, magazines, skincare, especially lip balm and a refreshing face spritzer.

Karen: This is a bit of a strange one but I recently got my passport photos taking so I was wondering on a scale of one to ten (one being hate), how much do you like your passport photo? Juliet: Two. It isn’t a very flattering photo. I don’t think it even really looks like me.

Karen: When you step off the plane, are you a Kate Middleton or Miley Cyrus (i.e. polished and fresh or half dead haha)? Juliet: I’d like to think that I’m a Kate Middleton. I always choose style over comfort. Karen: Unfortunately, Miley for me. I just slap on a hat and sunglasses and hope I’m incognito lol.

Karen: Tell me about your creative process, do you draw at a particular time of the day? What materials do you use? Juliet: I have always been curious and always love to share what I know. Most of my inspiration comes from my world, the things I do, the people I know and the things that I am interested in. It always begins with an idea, a thought, or a feeling. Depending on where I am or what I’m doing, I usually just keep notes on my phone to remind me, or I take photos of things I’d like to draw. I draw all the time, I draw when I wake up, on the train ride to and from work, at my desk, at cafes on my lunch break. I am a little bit obsessed with drawing, I can’t stop. I love to use watercolour but at the moment I am having a lot of fun with using Copic Markers. Karen: That’s amazing! I can totally see it come through your work as well 🙂

Karen: When I first came across your feed, one of the things that struck me about your work was the little captions underneath. I personally think they’re charming, witty and relevant but what’s the significance of them? Juliet: The captions are usually things people have said to me, sometimes they are from things that I have read. I never know what they will be until I hear it. It can really be anything that I connect with, anything that makes me think, or question what I already know. The quote usually comes first, however sometimes if I see something I’d really love to draw, I then find a quote that will go with it. Karen: That is so interesting because for me, I always shoot my photographs first and then the caption or title comes later!

Karen: My readers would like to know your biography … or at least a little about you – what do you do, how you roll? Juliet: I was born in Perth and moved to Melbourne about eight years ago. As I mentioned, I’m super curious so that means I have tried many different things. I have studied, accounting, journalism, makeup artistry, fashion and textiles merchandising and currently I’m in my third year of a Fashion Design Degree. I have worked as a barista, in fashion retail, I worked in Finance for ten years and now I work as an Assistant Designer for a Menswear label and as a Freelance Illustrator. I love doing new things, I love spending time with my friends, I love reading, going to the movies and drinking coffee. Lots of coffee please! Karen: Wow, that is really something, thank you so much for sharing!