Kitty And Buck

Giveaway - Moheda Dolly Clogs

2013-06-19T21:53:00.000+10:00

Perhaps you spotted these lovelies in my outfit post earlier this week? Today you have a chance to win your very own pair! Moheda-Toffeln are offering one lucky Kitty & Buck reader a pair of their Dolly clogs in their colour choice. I am wearing black, they are also currently available in Navy, Red, Cognac and Leopard Print!

Moheda-Toffeln is a family business that has been making clogs in Sweden for several generations. I love the fact that they are a family business, and making their products locally. This is my second pair (I have a pair of the "Betty" in red too) and they are comfortable to walk around in, even with the little heel. There's something about handmade products, they just have a little more quality and care put into them.

If you'd like your very own pair of "Dolly" clogs, all you need to do is enter using the rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kitty
xo

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Spring In Japan - Cherry Blossoms in Ueno Park and a Capsule Hotel

2013-06-19T01:19:00.001+10:00

As I have mentioned in previous Japan posts, we had a lot of Spring-time showers while we were visiting. Today was no different. I should preface the story with our experience the evening before. Being a bit of a tourist, I decided against my better judgement to spend the night in a "Capsule Hotel" I dragged poor, long-suffering C along on my hare-brained scheme. We both decided it would be a 'cultural experience'. There is a reason why Capsule Hotels are nicknamed "Coffin Hotels" I don't think it's necessarily the shape, either. I think it's the concentration of nicotine and hostile salary-men that inhabit the place. We checked in at the room-vending-machine in the smoke-choked lobby. An older Japanese man with nicotine stained fingers flicked a raffle ticket across the desk, and a key for the shoe lockers in the lobby. The house rules were: Shoes stay locked in the lobby. Exchange shoes for slippers. Exchange the shoe-locker key for the human-locker key. Curfew is 3am.

I made my way up the the ladies dorm and was shown the door code, and told to make sure I kept the door locked behind me. Once inside, there was a row of about 20 capsules deep, two high, stacked either side of the aisle. A few pairs of slippers scattered outside various capsules showed that someone was home. My capsule was on the bottom row (I HATE the bottom bunk). I had to crawl through the concertina door and squiggle around to get inside. I could sit up, but the ceiling was only an inch or so above my head. There was a broken locker to secure my belongings, a little exhaust fan and a coin operated television with a set of earbud headphones alongside it. A couple of English girls were having a very quiet slumber party. We whispered a few words to each other along the lines of "This is so weird" and "Why are we doing this?!" C and I then met in the lobby for a little dinner outing before retiring for the night.

My experience sleeping in the coffin was not the best night I've ever had (and I have slept on many a floor, couch, concrete...) Someone crawled into the coffin above mine at about 3am and I lay there petrified that I was going to be crushed inside. The exhaust fan did little to circulate the air and the heat was absolutely stifling. The walls were nicotine stained, and although it was non-smoking in the dorms, the thick stench of cigarette smoke permeated the air so I could barely breathe. C had an even worse night, with drunk salary-men swearing, grunting and smoking inside the dorm. We were very bleary-eyed when we emerged in the morning and decided to take in the fresh air of nearby Ueno Park to try and cleanse our lungs and capture some cherry blossoms before the rain soaked them to pulp on the cobbled paths.

Ueno park was gorgeous. We explored a temple and had our fortunes read by this dragon. We tied our fortunes to the fence, after photographing them for posterity. (They were good!)

We wandered the park and witnessed the Hanami (flower-viewing party and celebration) clean up from the previous evening, and the junior staff arriving to mind spaces under the cherry blossoms for their colleagues' party that night. The blue tarps are used to claim a spot, and we saw many people settling in to shiver through the day to secure the best seats in the park. They played Uno and drank from thermos cups to keep warm.

We walked until we could no longer feel our fingers or faces and the relentless drizzle threatened to soak us through. There was a lot of Ueno Park left unseen, but that gives us an excellent reason to return!

Kitty
xo

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What I Wore - Bookstore Blues

2013-06-17T22:00:00.000+10:00

We took in the warm winter sunset whilst browsing the 2nd hand book stand on the street. C found a wonderful book full of old children's stories, illustrations and music lessons.

Dress // Modcloth (similar)

Black Knit Top // (old) Dangerfield (similar 1 // 2)

Black Dolly Clogs // c/o Moheda

Tights // (old) (similar - We Love Colors Neon Blue)

Polka Dot Sheer Socks // Tabbisocks (Japan) (similar)

Heart Elbow Patch Coat // Modcloth

(old - but here's some heart elbow patch tops: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 / 5)

Camera Bag // Besty Mustard - Jo Totes

Ice Cream Cone Ring // Freegia in Harajuku, Japan

Kebane Earring // Aquvii in Shinjuku, Japan

Skeleton Hand Hair Clip // Harajuku, Japan

Butterfly Brooch // Gift from Isabel Knowles

Wooden Bead Bracelet // Yakushima, Japan

Kitty
xo

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Wordless Weekend #27 - The Moss is Powerful - Yakushima Pt 5

2013-06-16T23:24:00.000+10:00

Before we set out on our hike, Kentaro told us that we were lucky, because of recent rainfall, the moss would be "very powerful". I hope you enjoy my moss pictures, and perhaps share my obsession with the lush green foliage :) The above image is a macro shot of some moss, it looks like a diorama, I love it!

Kitty
xo

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Interview with Sketchy Notions

2013-06-16T00:41:00.000+10:00

Chelsea from Sketchy Notions is one talented lady. She illustrates the most beautiful watercolours, makes gorgeous books, and sells her wares online, all the while enjoying her love of traveling. I've asked her a few questions today about running a small business, working while on the road, and of course, her true love (location-wise!), Italy. Not only is Chelsea inspiring and talented, she's also a total sweetheart, I know you'll love her!

You make a living as an illustrator and bookmaker, which affords you the freedom to travel as well! How do you find working 'on the road'?

I love working on the road, and I actually prefer it! I love to move around and see as many new places as possible. When I'm home or in one place for too long, I start to lose steam with creating. The more I see, the more I sketch and make!

You have studied and worked in Italy, and you're currently based in California. Where do you think your next destination will be?

I will always want Italy to be my next destination! Italy will forever be special to me and I will never get enough of it. Ideally for my next adventure, I'd love to go to Portugal, Morocco and Croatia! They're all new places I've been dying to sketch, but also conveniently located pretty close to Italy!

What is your favourite medium to work in? Where do you find inspiration and what is your favourite subject to illustrate/paint?

Watercolor is my favorite medium to work in, I always have a travel set of Windsor Newtons with me. I find inspiration everywhere, especially when travelling. I love visiting book shops and libraries in new countries. There are so many inspiring illustrators out there in the world! I like to paint a lot of different things, everything from sweet little birds for my children's books to quiet little alleys and giant cathedrals.

How do you balance work and leisure when you're in travel-mode. Or what are some challenges of being self-employed?

Sometimes it can be little hard to stay focused on a project when the sights are so pretty. I'll usually give myself designated hours every day or non travel day to work if I have a commission, then the rest of the day for sightseeing and sketching.

It can also be challenging keeping the travel going when commissions dwindle or the Etsy shop is quiet. I'm still working on being completely self reliant on my work, but I'm lucky that I can supplement the slow times with teaching art lessons and workshops!

What is the next project you have planned for Sketchy Notions?

For the next big project for Sketchy Notions, I'm working on self publishing my own children's books! As well as expanding my products and paper goods to incorporate my sketches and illustrations. A slight re-branding is in the works as well to tie together all the new stuff and the Notional Notions goodies too. I have a lot of ideas and things planned out so it's going to be a busy year!

I am so excited to follow Chelsea along on her creative adventures, and perhaps live vicariously just a little bit. When I grow up, I think I'd like to be a traveling artist (!) If you'd like to find out more about Sketchy Notions, you can check out the links below. Feel free to stop by Chelsea's blog and say hi. Oh, and I almost forgot! You can get 10% off in her shop, Notional Notions with the code KITTYBUCK!

blog // shop // facebook // web

If you're wondering if you won the giveaway that Notional Notions had going last week, I'm just in the process of contacting the winner, so I shall let you all know soon :)
Kitty
xo

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Instagram Miscellany

2013-06-14T01:15:00.000+10:00

Today I am guest posting over at the lovely Ciera Design Blog. Since my guest post is all about my favourite photographers on Instagram, I thought I'd get you to check them out over there, and over here, I can show you a little peek of what I've been up to lately.

1 // Fresh flowers from our local florist for some weekend cheer
2 // Nico using a pillow. It melts my heart!
3 // Party time :)
4 // Admiring my lovely Japanese socks
5 // Nico with her favourite toy, Mousel. She lays on him like he is an egg
6 // The blue winter sky. I love how the sky looks different, depending on where in the world you are
7 // Winter branches
8 // Maggie getting all excited about the Catnip that she has demolished
9 // My afternoon snack
10 // Out the window during my lunch break at work
11 // An exotic new plant I have grown
12 // At the gym, emptying my brain (trying)

I've just been lucky enough to receive a hand-me-down phone, which has a much better camera than my old phone. Once I get it updated with all of my data (seriously, WHY does it have to be SO hard?!) I will be presenting my Instagram friends with a less grainy experience. I hope! In the meantime, the grain adds character :)

Feel free to keep up to date with my Instagram happenings @KittyAndBuck

You can let me know in the comments if you did and I'll look out for you.
Kitty
xo

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Freebie! And A Thought For The Day

2013-06-13T00:11:00.000+10:00

Don't even ask me how long I've been planning to do this for. A long time, OK? There are no excuses that you haven't heard before. I have finally gotten around to creating a nice little desktop download that you can grab for your computer, tablet or phone. I'm in a fatalistic mood tonight, hence the theme. I hope you like it, feel free to share this link with your friends.

Download: Desktop // iPad // iPhone-iPod // iPhone5

(free for personal use only - not for distribution or sale without written permission from Kitty & Buck.)

I apologise - my Flickr account has decided it would not like to play today. I hope Photobucket serves you well :) You can click on the image you'd like, which will maximise it, and then right click "save" or "set as desktop".

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Pinterest Persuasion #4 - Beth | {local milk}

2013-06-11T22:38:00.000+10:00

Take a look at my first few Pinterest Persuasions if you'd like the backstory behind this series. This time I'm featuring the lovely boards of Beth | {local milk}. She has an incredible amount of floral pins, beautiful photography and a definite style. I also like her naming system, the little descriptions below each board name are so evocative. I have chosen some of my favourite boards to share with you today.

{florals & minerals}

flowers, rocks, plants

{wear}

accoutrements & aesthetic inspiration

{ephemeral} all that is lovely, fleeting and young

{sylvan} of rustic things: woodland reverie & pastoral woolgathering

I hope you enjoy checking out more of Beth's collection on Pinterest. You can find my little hoard right here. I love finding new collections, so feel free to link to yours, or any of your favourites in the comments and I'll be sure to take a look.

Kitty

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Wordless Weekend #26

2013-06-11T00:08:00.002+10:00

From a day trip to Katoomba. All photos by C. (It's a long weekend here, so technically it's still the weekend)

Kitty
xo

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Found #63

2013-06-07T22:30:00.000+10:00

I'm forever looking at light fittings to put in the music room. I never commit to one, usually because I need to get really organised and book the electrician, buy the lights, make sure they're suitable for Australian voltage. Sigh. It's all to hard sometimes ;) Yet another one that caught my eye is this lovely "Godfrey" copper pendant.

via: Lightly

Helen Jones uses charcoal and black pigment to create these beautiful, moody drawings. Lost at sea, menacing clouds and the odd beacon of light shining through.

via: Helen Jones Art

Jana & Bodie are a Tasmanian based brother and sister accessories design team. They use sustainable Tasmanian timber, hand paint it and voila, pretty things to make your outfit complete.

via: Jana & Bodie

Do you love the "smell of rain" as much as I do? It's not actually the rain that smells, it's the combination of oils from certain plants and bacteria in the dry soil activating from the moisture and it's called Petrichor. Regardless of all of the scientific talk, you can apparently get the smell in a bottle.

via: Blushie

This dress is so pretty, I love the contrast shape in the bodice ans straps. And the bright white buttons and belt! Are those pockets I spy? Perfect!

via: ModCloth

via: Note To Self Blog

I'm always on the look out for design advice and inspiration, so I love Note To Self Blog. This week's advice column is encouraging creatives to... /gasp/ think about their motivations for aesthetic and design choices, rather than copy what is pretty. It's useful advice, not only for designers, but for anyone in the business of creating something. Hello bloggers. Check it out!

So, it's a long weekend here, but it's a busy one. I'm still considering whether or not to attend the Blog Society launch here in Sydney. Is anyone heading along? That's on tomorrow actually. On Sunday, I'm so excited to be heading to see a talk with James Nachtwey. And on my extra day off on Monday... hm. I'm not sure yet. I was hoping for a little day trip last weekend but we got rained out. So perhaps on Monday? Do you have any fun plans?

Kitty
xo

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A Visit From Your Future Self

2013-06-06T23:36:00.001+10:00

In my feeble attempt to keep a blogging calendar, I had a note in my schedule to write a post about being thankful today. As hard as I've thought about it, I'm suffering a serious case of the grumps and I'm finding it hard to write a happy, reflective post. I don't think I can share the details right now, but there are a few things going on that are providing quite the challenge. Thankfully I have the sweet support of C and my family and friends, and I know once this little period is over I will be stronger and happier than before.

It's easy when you're feeling a bit hard-done-by to throw a big ol' pity party for one. But I'm going to do my best to look outward and appreciate the good things (and there are a lot!) I was reading one of my favourite blogs, Silly Grrl, and she had a link to this article by Laura Simms called the "The 'I'm not far enough along' Antidote". I get this feeling a lot. I see people who seem to have it all together, they have their dream job, a wonderful group of friends, a beautifully cosy home and a wealth of opportunity at their fingertips. Obviously this isn't the whole reality, and comparison is one of the worst ways to bring yourself down. Laura asks her readers at the end to share what the "me from three years ago" would be amazed to know now.

So here goes:

In the next few years, you will live in London and meet new friends from all over the world. You will play music in London, Paris and the USA, travel through 27 states in America, and have an amazing adventure in Japan. You will become engaged to the guy of your dreams, who also happens to be your best friend. Even though you thought you'd work in retail, or perhaps an office, you managed to get through university, and became an art director and professional designer. In between all of this, you will run the dancing school that you attended and loved since you were 6 years old. You can also talk to people without blushing, sometimes.

I'd love for you guys to do the same thing in the comments too! It's really helpful to reflect on your achievements, especially when things are depressing, or you feel inadequate. Life is a big journey and you need to stop and smell the roses sometime!

Thanks to Laura and Sarah for inspiring this post!

Kitty
xo

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Giveaway with Notional Notions

2013-06-06T00:00:00.000+10:00

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to Chelsea from Notional Notions Etsy Shop. She has gathered together a lovely prize pack for one lucky Kitty & Buck reader. Chelsea is a talented illustrator, printmaker and generally creative lady! Check out her Etsy shop for more good stuff, or her blog to learn a little more behind the scenes info. If you'd like to get your hot little hands on this awesome handmade prize pack, simply enter the giveaway using the rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kitty
xo

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Spring In Japan - Yakushima Pt 4

2013-06-04T23:05:00.000+10:00

I have more beautiful pictures from Yakushima today. Can you tell that we fell in love with this place? It was just so beautiful, I have to share it with you! All these pictures are from C's camera, and he took all of them, aside from the one of himself ;) I'll be sharing my snaps soon. First though, let me tell you about the rock. Kentaro (who we were staying with) told us to try and make it to "The Rock". We actually had no idea what the rock was, but we figured we had time to get there, the estimate was a 4-5 hour round trip hike, and we had 5 hours. We did have to rush the second half, because on the first leg we stopped every ten steps to take more photos, look around, and just breathe. The only thing that got me to the rock was seeing big tour groups of /ahem/ older people (when Japanese people have grey hair, they tend to be pretty old) trudging back down, after having seen "The Rock". But it was really tough going. The last 350m was almost like climbing a ladder the steps were so steep. And after being unable to find somewhere to buy lunch in in our rush to change buses (my fault for missing out bus stop), we had only eaten some Calorie Mates. I had to stop a few times to prevent my untimely death! I thought I was pretty fit. Apparently not as fit as Japanese pensioners. Boo.

As you can see the rock was just that, a slab of stone perched atop the mountain. I ventured out, in my little scooting position, because I really wasn't expecting that sheer drop and no safety rail! Other people were not so cautious, getting right to the edge, and then jumping up in the air so that they could have 'floating' photos. It turned my stomach, I was so scared someone was going to fall off. Luckily, we didn't bear witness to any untimely deaths, though apparently there are a few each year. So if you go, please be careful! Bottom scooting only, OK kids?

As we were descending from the rock, we came across these lovely guys. Our friend with the cap on was looking at the rock and saying "o-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta" which roughly translates to "ouch" < the more 'ta's the bigger the ouch, so this was quite a big 'ouch'. He did not want to climb on top of the rock and had a fear of heights. We tried to coax him up, but he peered over the top and scooted back down. He was really funny and sweet. When we arrived back to the base, he was there with his friend and we had a lovely chat in gestures and random sounds :) He's holding my Kitty & Buck business card in the photo above! The other young guy was travelling around Japan on his motorcycle. He offered us a drink from his water bottle when we were back from the hike awaiting the bus. We gratefully accepted his offer, only to find out it was saké! He explained that everybody was taking pictures of us because we were "a hot couple"!! Cue awkward blushing from C and I... He was a real character, and we were sad to see them go. If you are reading, Konnichi Wa!!

This is me, triumphant and exciting to be going downhill! And C basking under a thousands-of-years old cedar tree. The path passes right through it :)

As we were walking along, C spotted this tree stump covered in leaves with little faces cut out of them. They are representative of Kodama, tree spirits. C made one, in the picture above on the right, which joined the little family. As he was creating these, a giant monkey scurried down a tree and approached us on the path. It watched us for a minute, then turned around and casually wandered away. Phew.

Aside from seeing monkeys, we spotted quite a few wild deer. They were really docile and sweet. I loved their heart-shaped tail feathers too! So cute!!

I went on a moss-safari.

Sometimes this river flows over the path so that you cannot cross. Thankfully, we had lovely sunshine and were able to make it the entire way around the trail. It was the most beautiful day and we couldn't wipe the grins off our faces... ever.

Kitty
xo

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What I Wore // Monochromatic

2013-06-03T23:53:00.000+10:00

A variation of this outfit is pretty much my uniform lately. Some tights or leggings, a couple of layers of black tops and dresses and a jacket or coat. It's pretty comfortable and warm too! It's getting CHILLY! It's always nice to dress up my little combo with some interesting accessories. I thought monochrome was fitting for the drizzle and gloom we've had lately, so I popped on my grey tights, black and white sweater, grey coat and studded shoes :)

To top it all off, C found this cat patch I bought in Japan, inside a book the other day! I'd totally forgotten about it (how could I?!) Its so adorable, that grumpy cat face with a party hat on. I just pinned him to the coat so I can wear him on lots of different outfits ❤

Paige from Pink Lemonade sent me this gorgeous silk rosette headband too, which, even though it's a lovely mauve, works perfectly with this monochrome look. And anyway, my hair destroys the monochromatic illusion a little anyway! Sorry about my messy hair, it was SO windy and rainy and generally miserable this past week. Funnily enough, we had a little bit of flooding on the weekend but our water went out. The bitter irony.

My magnificent photographer's feet even make an appearance this time :)

Black Sweater with Lace Collar // ASOS (sold out - similar)

Bodycon Dress // Urban Outfitters (old) - similar

Black Shirt Dress (on top) // Saxony

Grey Trench Coat // ModCloth

Silk Rosette Headband // c/o Pink Lemonade

Braided Grey Bracelet // c/o Pink Lemonade

Charm Bracelet // Guess (gift) - similar

Grey Solid Color Tights // We Love Colors

Studded Flats // I ❤ Billy (old) Similar here and here

Owl Ring // Local markets

Black Onyx Ring // (Belongs to C - old)

Embroidered Cat Iron-On Transfer - Cookie Boy (Japan)

Kitty
xo

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Wordless Weekend #25 - Yakushima Pt3

2013-06-03T00:20:00.002+10:00

These images are from Yakushima, Japan. We went into the mountains to hike the forest that inspired Princess Mononoke, the Studio Ghibli film. All photos in this post are from my lovely fiance, C. Enjoy. See more Yakushima pictures here and here. And all of my Japan posts here.

I wish I could convey how beautiful this bark was. So polished and detailed.

You'll see my moss-collection soon ;)

I have never, in my life, seen water this clear. Yakushima hiking is pristine.

Wearing my proper hiking attire.

Princess Mononoke-land.

The path was marked by pink ribbons so hikers didn't accidentally follow a deer trail.

Yaku-Magic.

All photos by C.

Kitty

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What to Wear: To a Wedding?

2013-06-02T13:28:00.000+10:00

My sister is getting married at the start of July, and I think I need a new frock. Right? I've been looking online for something to wear, but I'm not sure I've found the perfect outfit yet. What do you think of these dresses? I'd be happy for you to offer suggestions in the comments too! Keep in mind it will be winter! So I need to wear a coat as well...

The last three dresses are not ideas for the wedding, but definitely on my wishlist!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

Kitty
xo

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Found #62

2013-06-01T00:48:00.000+10:00

These printed porcelain bracelets from Erin Lightfoot are so gorgeous. I really like the design on the Marksman Bangle, which is produced in a limited edition of 75.

via: Erin Lightfoot

This dress from Emily and Fin is exclusive to ModCloth and oh so pretty for a fancy picnic. I love the extra pleats of fabric in this skirt, I think it would be really flattering, I wish they had a photo on a person. I bought my sister an Emily And Fin dress last year and it was really nice quality too :)

via: ModCloth

Do you remember the Lovely Letters Project? I met Rin through my penpal hosting duties and noticed some time ago that she sells some of her penpal papercrafts in her Etsy store. I LOVE her confetti tape, especially this "Cotton Candy" edition.

via: Papered Thoughts

On the topic of paper, letters, writing, how about these pencils from Paper Pastries? Goonies never say die. If you're crazy and don't want the Goonies pencils, there are 9 other themes to choose from.

via: Paper Pastries

Odessa has a beautiful look book for Spring 2013, I love the pretty flowers and bright colours. This blouse is gorgeous. You'll have to check out the series to see the cute Nico-Cousin-Cat too :) (One of my cats is Nico, just in case you haven't met her yet)

via: Odessa

via: Grits And Moxie

Jennifer from Grits And Moxie is such a lovely, down-to-earth gal, I always enjoy checking out her blog. This week she wrote a great post following the changes in her life over the past year, and assessing her motivations, goals and lessons learned. Thanks for sharing Jennifer :)

My weekend plans are pretty loose right now. Hopefully we will catch some more of the Vivid lights in Sydney and I might take photos this time! Aside from that, cat cuddles and sleep-ins may be in order. I've been a little sleep deprived lately. Are you up to anything more exciting that nanna-naps?

Kitty
xo

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Feature Shop // Down That Little Lane

2013-05-31T00:58:00.000+10:00

Today I'm really pleased to introduce you to an online store that I'm pretty sure you will fall in love with the moment you lock eyes through your screen. Down That Little Lane (DTLL) is run by Tessa, an English born lady who now calls Sydney home. I've asked her a few questions so you can find out about the store, and get some advice from Tessa if you are a small business looking to sell your wares.

Down That Little Lane is an online marketplace for quality handmade goods. How did it all start?

Down that Little Lane is not just about being handmade as many items are designed by our creators and then produced for them but it IS all about unique items and pieces you won't find in many local shops. I am a person that likes to find unusual gifts and I started DTLL as a place to share the smaller businesses I had discovered whilst doing that, the ones that made my little heart thump, the ones I felt should be shown to a bigger audience.

What is the philosophy behind Down That Little Lane?

To support small businesses and help them grow to a much larger scale. The get to know the ones I longed to know more about with every delivery that came to my door over the years and our mission statement is “We aim to attract an elite community of fine product makers and suppliers and become the best on-line multi-store in Australia” I think this reflects our commitment to selecting every seller by their high-end, independent and niche products.

How do you source and select vendors for the marketplace?

There is not a single way I do NOT source.. I am constantly asking someone where they got that amazing bag, I read so many niche blogs, follow amazing designers in all sorts of places and generally get drawn to anything out of the ordinary on my travels.

Can you share some of your current favourite products/stores in Down That LIttle Lane?

Oh now that is not fair.. I love them all but on my hit list for purchases in the next few weeks are...

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Do you have any advice for handmade sellers looking to succeed in this competitive online environment?

Make sure you have something different about your designs, be original and don't copy others. Believe in your talent and don't spread yourself too thin by marketing yourself everywhere, choose the right audience and really go for it and publicising those avenues.

Thanks so much for sharing your fabulous business with us Tessa!

If you are looking for a gift for a special someone (that includes yourself), check out DTLL, it's full of fun, beautiful and practical bits and pieces for guys and gals :) Also, if you follow on instagram, you get special access to weekly giveaways! (That's in addition to the fortnightly giveaways run on the DTLL home page - more reasons to check in often)

find Down This Little Lane around the web:

shop // facebook // pinterest // instagram // twitter

Kitty
xo

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May Sponsor Giveaway - Advertise your blog or shop!

2013-05-30T00:00:00.000+10:00

Each month, my sponsor team gets together to offer a collection of prizes in one big giveaway. This month we have some great ad space for one lucky reader to use to promote their blog or shop. Let me introduce you to the blogs who will be hosting your ad if you're the lucky winner!

All this for one lucky winner! How awesome is that? It's a great way to get some extra eyes on your work. All you need to do to enter is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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What I Wore - Cecil Sweater and Shooting Stars

2013-05-28T22:56:00.004+10:00

How adorable is Cecil? He has the best wistful smile that I've seen on a furry critter all week. I was pretty excited to receive him in a package from Lonely Kids Club, complete with my very own "Kitty" drawing. If you like Cecil, but you're not quite prepared for his fleecy embrace, don't worry, you can get him on a t-shirt too, along with a whole lot of other stuff at this Sydney based label. I'm not sure that this blouse is the perfect match, but I think it works OK. I might go on the hunt for a more appropriate collar-partner soon.

Today we have the final style in the Jessica-T printed tights range as well, aren't they adorable? As I mentioned in last week's post, you can currently snag these at a big discount when you purchase along with a pair of shoes at Jessica-T. You get a pair of tights and a pair of shoes for just $29.95, with free shipping within Australia. If you'd like to see the other styles, check out the "Big Heart" and "Heart Beam" outfit posts. I love the asymmetric smattering of stars on these, aren't they cute?

I normally have a little story or something to tell you about in my outfit posts, but for some reason today I just don't know what to tell you. It's all work-work around here lately. Although C and I did manage to get out to the Opera House on the weekend to see the live performance of the Blade Runner soundtrack. Oh my. I do love the Opera House. And Blade Runner. And music. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the Vivid Festival this weekend, is there anyone else in Sydney enjoying the winter lights?

Limited Edition Cecil Jumper in Burgundy // c/o Lonely Kids Club

Bodycon Dress // (old) similar here
Polka Dot Blouse with Double Collar // (old) ModCloth

Printed Star Gazing Tights // c/o Jessica-T

Tabbit Bootie // c/o Blowfish Shoes

Dino Might Brontosaurus in Bronze Necklace // ModCloth

White Skull Ring // It's a mystery, I found it on the ground

Kitty

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Meet my fabulous May Sponsor Team

2013-05-27T22:23:00.001+10:00

I'd love for you to take a minute or ten and read all about my May sponsors, they're an attractive bunch, and they're talented, sweet and friendly too! What more could you want? Please be sure to show the love by visiting their links and following along if you like what you see.

This month I decided to ask a little question to my sponsors, like I used to, to help you get to know them a little better. The big question is "What is your favourite flower and spring activity?" Since it's getting cold here, I thought I'd live vicariously through those of you enjoying the spring weather!

shop // instagram // facebook // pinterest

Down that Little Lane is an on line multi store where you can find unique and bespoke gifts... Well over 500 boutique stores stocking the either handmade or just the less commercial pieces you always hope to find. DTLL is a community that supports smaller individual stores, a place to share the delightful things.

✿ My favourite flower would be an orchid or a lily and my spring pastime is my all year around pastime of running bush tracks.

Kitty - My favourite product // Contented Raincloud Felt Brooch - It took me ages to pick an item, there is so much great stuff in this store! This raincloud brooch is adorable though :)

blog // instagram // pinterest

Hi! I'm Toni, a 27 year old blogger from Sheffield, England. I run a personal/lifestyle blog called Lemon Freckles where I share things about my life, loves, crafts and things I find inspiring. Come by and say hello!

✿ My favourite flowers are daises, they just seem so happy!

I love having picnics in the spring, nothing better then friends, food and the outdoors.

Kitty - My favourite post // An Afternoon - It's so much fun having a peek into someone else's day :) Also, I love antique stores in England!

blog // twitter

I love to write! And this blog is where I can share all of my other loves, my adventures, challanges and projects. I'm a nature dweller. I particularly adore anywhere where there is wildlife and water; beaches, rivers and lakes (Man, I love lakes). I enjoy ornithology, vegan cooking and collecting books.

✿ My favourite flower to have around the house is the peony. But to see growing in the wild I love blossoms, it's so beautiful seeing a whole tree full of little white flowers! I'm really loving pressing flowers at the minute, spring is when all the wild flowers erupt so its fun to collect and press them.

Kitty - My favourite post // Recently - Featuring some lovely photos from a walk along the canal and some cute drawings too!

blog // twitter // bloglovin' // pinterest

My name is Mo and I'm a New Orleanian, vegetarian, animal lover, pizza addict, bicycle commuter, women's college graduate who currently works in the film industry.

✿ Peonies! I love, love, looooove peonies!

And what better springtime pastime other than planting flowers for your garden! I love getting dirty while helping produce something so beautiful.

Kitty - My favourite post // Wednesday Wish List - A lovely collection of Mo's finds, I especially like those "Cat Lady" brooches :)

blog

The Vagabond Studio is an eco-friendly lifestyle blog dedicated to inspiring others in living creative, peaceful, more sustainable lives. Shai is a full-time student of Political/Social Philosophy and Peace Studies, Mommy to two (plus two), and peace activist who loves sharing her knowledge and tips with the world.

Kitty - My favourite post // You're Not Wrong, Just Different - A nice piece challenging you to look at conflict and worry in a fresh way.

blog // twitter // facebook // bloglovin'

Hey guys! My name is Maria and I blog over at Little Tree. I am a tiny lady obsessed with vintage, thrifting, and anything fashion related. I have a passion for anything creative, and after just finishing my last semester of fashion school, I am ready to see where life takes me.

✿ I love sunflowers & orchids. My favorite spring pastime is definitely having picnics in the park!

Kitty - My favourite post // Coming To An End - A lovely post about finishing school and what blogging means to Maria.

shop // twitter // facebook // pinterest // instagram

HANDMADE LOVING! UNIQUELY COLORFUL PATTERNS FOR YOUR LEGS!

Yep that's Uptights for you! Limited edition quirkily elegant leggings, bike shorts and skirts, designed and individually handmade in Australia (with love) in my Sydney based studio.

Uptights focuses on designing uniquely inspiring prints which extend the realms of reality into kaleidoscope birds, pac- man grandpa pajamas and floating green eyed cats, to name a few. Be sure, when you wear a pair of Uptights fashionable, yet immensely comfortable leggings you'll stand out!

✿ Umm its got to be Hyacinth flowers. So pretty and sweet! I love spring picnics in the park with friends followed by a mini soccer game:-)

Kitty - My favourite product // Purple Rain Print Leggings - Leggings inspired by Prince, that's a-for-awesome in my book :)

blog // facebook // twitter // tumblr

Hi! My name is Violet. I'm just a silly girl that loves to take pictures and document the wonderful things in life. I am a wedding/portrait photographer living in Indianapolis, IN and love sharing everything from crafts, food, fashion and photo-sessions with my readers. Come say hello!

✿ My favorite flower is definitely the Forget Me Not....everyone assumes it's Violets ;)

My favorite spring pastime is traveling and exploring while we are having the best weather of the year and I also LOVE garage saling. It's something I've grown up doing every spring.

Kitty - My favourite post // Strawberry Lemonade Recipe - Get in my mouth. Now.

Thanks for sponsoring during May, it's been great having you all!

Kitty
xo

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Wordless Weekend #24 - Yakushima Part 2

2013-05-27T00:52:00.001+10:00

In the forest on the hiking trails of Yakushima, there are free cabins you can sleep in. They are chillingly cold, and likely haunted by yokai and yurei. I took these photos during a short pit stop on our hike.

Kitty
xo

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Found #61

2013-05-25T01:01:00.002+10:00

I was reading the news today and it mentioned that some kind of weather system is floating about that will make our winter wet miserable. Usually we have 2 seasons in Australia, generally hot / wet and cold / dry. The cold and wet combo I can do without, thank you very much. It puts me into an ironic mood where I feel like wearing my sunshine shoes to counteract the misery. These "Hello Sunshine" kicks from ModCloth could add to my sunny shoe collection for the coming dreary months.

via: ModCloth

I spotted the illustrations of Marcos Chin some time ago, and I quite enjoy his style, it reminds me a little bit of the Japanese artist Suehiro Maruo, but maybe less intense! The colours and perspective in this illustration are great and I like the shadow too :)

via: Behance

Danish home decor brand Miss Étoile has the most dainty range of cute dishes with little faces, polka dots and much more. Ooh-la-la!

via: Miss Étoile

This nautical style bag on Etsy is just perfect. I love the combination of colours and the simple shapes, and maybe I also like the breezy photo it comes packaged in :)

via: CORIUMI

I know this seems counter-productive, strapping a notebook to your iPhone, but hear me out. Sometimes the tactile nature of paper and pen is just necessary to get an idea out. And sometimes, just sometimes, your phone battery won't last and you might get stuck in Japan at a strange subway station with no idea how to get home. The written word, in these situations, can serve as your life preserver. Sometimes a drawing of a map is better than a photo of one. Just sayin'

via: dodocase

via: Betty Means Business

Do you follow Betty Means Business? I find Betty aka Kate's posts useful, informative and to the point. After my little chat about not recording every moment this week, I came across this post, 3 Ways To Be Original, which nicely follows on from that idea, so I thought it may be a good idea to share.

You still have 2 more days (until the 26th May) to get 25% off ad space, you can read more details in my call for sponsors post. The XL ads are sold out for June, but you can lock in the discount price by reserving for July if you want to grab a great deal.

I'm not sure how it is the weekend already, I can't even think straight about everything I have to catch up on. Do you ever have a break and find it impossible to get back into a routine? I've found myself struggling to keep up with emails lately, so I apologise if I owe you one. There are a few exciting things happening and I'm just trying to stay on top of it all. The Vivid Festival started in Sydney tonight, so I'm hoping on Sunday that I will have a chance to capture some images like we did last year. (Vivid Festival Post #1, #2 and #3) Aside from that, it's just a little design work, garden work, house work, wedding work (my sister's!), sleeping work and gym work I think. I might do some eating work too. Jeez, everything is work-work-work right now. I just want to do nothing sometime! I'll let you know when that actually happens... I hope you've got some relaxing planned?

Kitty
xo

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Spring in Japan - Yakushima Part 1

2013-05-24T00:02:00.000+10:00

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Japan was visiting Yakushima. Being an island located between the southern tip of Japan and Okinawa, it's a little tricky to get to, but so worth the journey. If you're a Studio Ghibli fan, and know the film Princess Mononoke, the art director for the film based the sketches for the landscape on this island, and spent much time here preparing the look for the film. It is a beautiful place, covered in mountains and Cedar forests, with some trees estimated at being 7,000 years old. The island is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.

We stayed at Shikinoyado-Onaida with Kentaro and his fabulous family, if you ever make it to Yakushima, they are the sweetest, most hospitable family (and great cooks too!) and I highly recommend staying there. On our first night, we brought a small treat as a gift for the kids and they were so thrilled, C was treated to some magic tricks and and game, and I had my portrait made! So CUTE! Kawaii :) By the way, this charismatic Zombie Child is a load of fun, but also polite and courteous to guests, we had the best time with the kids so they felt like we were family, especially after he produced ¥100 from an unusual place in one of his magic tricks ;)

Yakushima has a reputation for raining 35 days in a month. Somehow we completely lucked out and the 2 nights we spent there, we were treated to warm weather and clear skies. I think someone exaggerated... We had one full day to hike on the mountain, so we chose the 5 hour round trip that included the 'Mononoke Forest' which is a Primordial forest, and the inspiration for the film designs. But I'll share that with you in the next post, for now, enjoy these pictures of the island and our beautiful accommodation Looking back over the pictures, I am so incredibly eager to go back. What a peaceful, beautiful place, so in sync with nature, and such great food!

I had to include the crocs picture for the sake of honesty, after I mentioned it in this post.

Kitty
xo

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What I Wore - My Heart on My... Knees - UPDATED

2013-05-22T00:34:00.000+10:00

Do you ever have those moments when you wish your camera could capture what your eyes see? It happens to me a lot. We had the most incredible psychedelic sunset when we were shooting these pictures, and no zoom lens, no tripod, no nuthin'. The sun was a blazing orange ball in a fluorescent purple haze, it was incredible. Some people approached us, as the sun rapidly descended below the trees: "Did you get the picture?" they asked breathlessly while grasping an iPhone - their only available camera. Not really, I replied, but we can keep it in here, pointing to my head. They probably thought I was strange, but sometimes we just have to remember beautiful things instead of recording them. The sunset was amazing, take my word for it.

On an unrelated (related to my outfit, not the sunset!) note, how adorable are these tights I received from Jessica-T? I loved them from the moment I spotted them in the Lost Nebula look book. You can see me wearing the Heart Beam tights in this outfit post, and the star gazing tights will make an appearance here very soon! I should also mention my anchor top too. I wasn't sure about it when I saw it in a thrift store in Japan, not because it isn't adorable, but just because it's a bit of a weird shape. Tuck it in though, and voila! A soft, comfy, cute vintage shirt, ready to sail the high seas.

Chambray Skirt // American Apparel

Anchor Shirt // Thrifted - Tokyo, Japan

Printed Tights Big Heart // c/o Jessica-T

Jana's Bow Flats // c/o Jessica-T

Cardigan // (old) Dangerfield

Brooch // Thrifted - Katoomba, Australia

Fox Ring // Sea of Bees via Emerging Thoughts

Telescope Necklace // Gift from C (Similar here and here)

Swallow belt // (old) ModCloth

Bow Handbag // Irregular Choice (Gift)

I thought I should mention a special deal that Jessica-T have going right now, for just $29.95 you can score one pair of shoes (your choice of style and size) and one pair of tights (your choice of design) plus free postage within Australia. The regular price of this sweet combo is normally $74.85 - this special is a huge 60% off! You can see I had to share :) Here's another picture of a different shoe style (Jacqui's Cut Out Flats) with the Star Gazing Tights. If you'd like to take advantage of the offer, and you aren't in Australia, you can still get the great price, plus shipping. Head over to Jessica-T for the offer.

Kitty
xo

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