Today I went to a cafe to meet up with a friend who recently had a new baby. It was a lovely morning for it - sitting under umbrellas with the warm spring breeze and hot sunshine.

I’ve been eagerly waiting for the weather to warm up so I can finally wear my new white tulip skirt, which I picked up at Soon Lee, in Singapore. I love it! It’s so cute!

I’m also wearing black singlet top from Country Road. And shoes from Nine West. Blue shoes make me happy!

When I was in Melbourne, my husband took a week off work to look after the boys. I was terrified that they would drive him crazy, particularly because it was THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS that week.

So before I left, I arranged a series of playdates, babysitting, park dates, and sleepovers.

They were so busy, they hardly noticed I was gone! It was a breeze! Everyone had such a great time! The boys were wonderful! And my husband actually enjoyed himself.

I was so pleased, in fact, I was glowing with pride.

I came back to a relaxed and happy household - and it felt so good. OK the house was in a mess, but I didn’t care.

I must admit, even though I had a fantastic time in Melbourne, doing all the stuff I love – deep down I had a huge hole in my being.

Life was not the same without my husband and my two little monkeys.

Read my whole story of Making Baby 3.

[Post Edit]
Wow! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has emailed me, sent messages through Facebook, wrote on my Facebook wall, and then Flickr and Twitter! It’s incredible, wonderful, and absolutely mind boggling to know that so many people out there are thrilled for us!

It’s still early days right now, but we are literally floating with excitement and happiness!! Thank you everyone for your love and well wishes!!

Main streets: Swanston Street, Collins Street, Little Collins Street, Bourke Street, Little Bourke Street, Flinders Lane, Flinders Street.

Bourke Street is the pretty much the epicentre of Melbourne CBD. As a shopping experience, it is very mainstream with Myers, David Jones, Sportsgirl, Portmans, MNG, Adidas, Sussans and much more.

Collins Street is where you’ll find all the high end designer labels, such as Tiffany’s, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Polo Ralph Lauren, to name a few. There is also Country Road, Kookai, Nine West, Saba, Cue, Le Louvre with brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Stellar McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Elie Saab.

Little Collins Street has FCUK, Zu, Oroton, Bettina Liano, Zomp, Arthur Galan, Scanlan & Theodore, Jigsaw, Witchery, Satch.

There are some cool lanes off the main streets and arcades that are jam packed with shops. Some must see ones are Scott Alley, Manchester Lance, Howey Place, Cathedral Arcade, Block Arcade, Royal Arcade, The Walk Arcade.

The GPO is gorgeous. On the corner of Bourke Street and Elizabeth Street, you can find all the big name Australian fashion designers and more. Akira, Wayne Cooper, Zimmermann, Karen Millen, Hussy, Lisa Ho, Mimco, Gorman, Ben Sherman, Metalicus, Veronika Maine, to name a few.

Melbourne Central is a very large shopping mall in the city, on the corner of La Trobe Street and Swanston Street. It has over 300 shops and it seems to be crammed full of people.

QV is another large shopping mall in city, on the corner of Swanston Street and Lonsdale Street. It too has heaps of shops, eateries and very busy!

Discount Factory Outlets (DFO) is also in the city, on Spencer Street (cnr Bourke Street). It’s a huge collection of discounted clothes and shoe shops in one air-conditioned, undercover mall.

You can cover heaps of shops in a very efficient amount of time, and stop for a bite to eat. You’ll find Marcs, Pilgrim, Review, Guess, Peter Alexander, Veronika Maine, Nine West, Country Road, Portmans, Just Jeans, Dotti, Tony Bianco, Sandler etc.

I recommend allowing 3 or so hours to cover all the shops in the DFO mall.

Overall, for shopping in Melbourne City , I recommend to start at Degraves Street and walk through to Centre Place. Then start working your way along the grid of the city.

Must see shops in the Melbourne CBD:

Scarlett & Sly
Shop 13, Centre Place, 258 Flinders Lane.
A little shop full of good looking, affordable clothes and accessories.

Kinki Gerlinki
Shop 22, Centre Place, 258 Flinders Lane.
Very cute shop with colourful, bold clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.

Alice Euphemia
Shop 6, Cathedral Arcade, 37 Swanston Street (Cnr, Flinders Lane).
Gorgeous clothes and jewellery. Everything is Australian made and designed.

Genki
Shop 5, Cathedral Arcade, 37 Swanston Street (Cnr, Flinders Lane).
Super cute accessories, kids clothes, and great gift items. All in bold, cute, retro Japanese, kitsch style.

Little Salon
Shop 1, 353 Little Collins Street.
Nice independent designer gifts, accessories, homewares, art, jewellery.

Corky Saint Clair
Shop 3, Cambell Arcade, Degraves Street Subway
VERY nice independent designer jewellery and gift items. Has clothes too.

The Cats Meow
Shop 9, Cambell Arcade, Degraves Street Subway
Great range of independent designer clothes, handbags, accessories and jewellery.

Fashion Incubator
Shop 238, Level 2, Melbourne Central, 211 La Trobe Street.
Hosting 20 or more young emerging Melbourne fashion and jewellery designers, this a great place to pick up completely new and innovative clothes and accessories.

……………………………………………………….
FITZROY

All of Brunswick Street, Gertrude Street and Smith Street is a fantastic shopping experience, especially if you’re looking for a more laid-back, groovy, arty, independent vibe.

It’s a great area to explore. The place is bursting with boutiques, homewares shops, groovy cafes, random shops, vintage shops, and discount outlets!

I recommend starting at the North end of Brunswick Street, corner of Johnston Street, and work your way down. There are just zillions of little independent shops and boutiques.

On Smith Street, north of Johnston Street, you’ll find various discount sportswear outlets such as Nike, Adidas and Fila.

Fitzroy is a lot more spread out. I found that the boutiques are dotted all over the place, so make sure you wear good walking shoes because you have to do a lot of walking!

I recommend dedicating 3-4 hours to cover the whole area. Which is fine, because there are heaps of places to stop for a delicious snack and coffee.

Must see shops in Fitzroy

Douglas and Hope
181 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Lovely clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery, accessories, gifts, toys.

Meet Me At Mikes
63 Brunwick Street
A Quaint Australian family run shop of homemade craft, vintage gifts and accessories.

Shop Sui
227 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Fantastic selection of clothes, accessories, jewellery, hats, retro toys, homewares, stationery, and wonderful little gifts.

Robio
73 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
T-shirts, toys, gadgets and great gifts.

Incube8r
321 Smith Street
A fantastic gallery of handmade jewellery and accessories, supporting local crafters and designers. Fantastic place to pick up unique gifts and jewellery.

……………………………………………………….
PRAHAN, CHAPEL STREET

Chapel Street is massive. The shopping experience is pretty much one long stretch of shops after shops after shops.

I recommend to catch a train or tram to South Yarra Train Station, which is on Toorak Road. Walk towards Chapel Street and there is already a great selection of designer boutiques and shops to see.

The whole vibe of Chapel Street is much more upmarket and mainstream. Most of the big name designer labels are pretty much what you will find in the city, but the shops are slightly smaller and the service is more personalised. The shops are spaced closely together so there is less walking in between, but the road is so long that there is a huge area to cover!

There are also a lot more smaller local boutiques, selling more affordable (but still trendy) clothes, shoes and accessories.

North end of Chapel Street you’ll find Seduce, Alannah Hill, MAC, Pierucci, FCUK, Ojay, Gant, Arthur Galan, Marcs, Pilgrim, Adias, Wayne Cooper, Scalan & Theodore, Collette Dinigan, Karen Millen, Review, Sportsgirl, Gorman, Mimco, Country Road.

As you walk South, the shops get more ordinary – with Coles, JB Hifi, fruit and vegetable shops etc.

Today I took a tram over to the highly recommended Fitzroy area – in particular Brunswick Street, Smith Street and Gertrude Street. (So many of my readers said I HAVE to go there! Thanks guys!)

If you’re visiting Melbourne, I highly recommend you grab some Grid Urban Maps, which can be found in hotel lobbies, boutiques, cafes. They are free, pocket sized, and cover all shopping and tourist precincts. I would have been lost without them!

I really enjoyed Brunswick Street. It was bursting with boutiques, homewares shops, groovy cafes, vintage shops, discount outlets. There is so much to see! Some parts were upmarket and stylish, but it all had a very cool, laid-back, arty, grungy, independent vibe.

And I adored Smith Street, which runs parallel to Brunswick St. It was a melting pot of sights, smells and textures. I loved the way there were dodgy looking internet cafes next to a Vietnamese butcher, next to super stylish lighting shop, next to a Lebanese bakery, next to a nursery, independent designer jewellery shop, and a bustling cafe. The variety is quite an experience!

Unlike the city, where all the shops are crammed closely together, Fitzroy is a lot more spread out. I found that the fashion boutiques are dotted all over the place, so make sure you wear good walking shoes because you have to do a lot of walking. I recommend that you dedicate 3-4 hours to cover the place. Which is fine, because there are heaps of places to stop for a delicious snack and coffee.

There are a few very cool and quirky little shops on Gertrude Street. Definitely worth checking out.

One in particular is Shop Sui. Run by a very cool lady, Sylvia, her shop specialises in a deliciously diverse range of products – from retro Astroboy posters, to funky leather handbags, to gorgeous handmade baby hats, to designer stationery products, to cushions, jewellery, stuff toys and much more! You must check it out!

I loved the way her shop was set up, and I spent ages browsing through every nook and cranny! I bought some gifts for my sons too.

Lastly I headed over to a great little cafe, Cavallero, to meet up with the always stylish, Lady Melbourne.

I love her site, her sense of style, self portraits and photographic styling!

It was such a pleasure to meet over a cup of tea, chatting about fashion, blogging, clothes, shopping, Melbourne, giggling over the quirks of fashion blogging and fashion photography.

All up I spent about 6 hours on my feet. Walking, meeting people, looking at shops, taking photos, taking notes.

That evening, I did more walking. I met up with a good friend for dinner at Trotters Cafe on Lygon Street. Had yummy seafood pasta and apple crumble. Then strolled around until my feet couldn’t take it any more!

I took a walk around the lovely grounds of The Grand, looking for a nice spot to read the morning newspaper. Despite the austere architecture of the hotel as seen from the front, there were lots of pretty and stylish touches hidden within the building. This was my favourite, the central courtyard.

Today I checked out Melbourne City as a fashion and shopping experience.

Over the next few days I’ll be visiting several famous shopping districts in Melbourne. At the end of my trip I’ll compile them into one post, Places to Shop in Melbourne – describing and featuring them all, including all the must visit shops!

I’ve spent heaps of time researching, asking around, gathering local knowledge, and creating a 4-day tour plan for myself so I can experience it all personally.

I must give a big shout out to Nadya who helped me tremendously in my preparation! She was absolutely wonderful and generous in sharing her shopping knowledge with me. She literally listed dozens of streets and districts and - off the top of her head - knew exactly which brands and boutiques could be found on each street!

Anyway, the perfect start to experiencing the classic Melbourne vibe is on Degraves Street, a little laneway between Finders Street and Flinders Lane (near the iconic Flinders Street Station).

Melbourne is famous for it’s wonderful, old architecture and fabulous lane ways. Degraves Street and next to it, Centre Place, definitely capture the essence of Melbourne Culture, with people spilling out of cafes, tables on the cobblestone road, the smell of excellent coffee and piping hot breads, colourful boutiques with gorgeous wallpapers, quirky little Italian shops, amazing wall art… I loved it!

I spent the whole day walking around the CBD! From Gucci to Chinese supermarkets. There was so much variety and I had a blast discovering it all! Argh, my feet are so sore!

Being me, I was specifically looking to find a boutique in the CBD that was uniquely Melbourne - something a bit quirky, arty, grass roots and not main-stream.

The Cat’s Meow is a boutique underneath Degraves St, in a tunnel called Campbell Arcade, which leads to Flinders St Station. I must admit, the tunnel was pretty dodgy, it was very old and run down. But there were several very cool small shops down there. I spent ages checking them out, and I was very tempted to buy stuff, so it’s definitely worth a look.

I met up with the women behind the boutique, Karen and Kylie, and had the nicest chat to them about their shop. Both are fashion designers with their own labels, who started the shop in 2002. It caters to women who are seeking original, everyday, alternative high-end labels and garments, most in “real women” sizes.

The stuff that caught my eye: Really nice tops from Dogstar, lovely print dresses from Surface Art, and great tshirt prints by Hamb and Non-Fiction. I bought a little handmade purse with a gorgeous print on it (to store some lip gloss and other small things floating around my handbag).

I really enjoyed being in their shop! It had a very nice, unpretentious, friendly, warm and “homegrown and proud of it” feel about it.

The Grand Hotel is the newest addition to the exclusive hotel label, MGallery. All the hotels in the collection are outstanding in a particular way. They might be in a breathtaking location, have exceptional architectural design, or have a remarkable history – which in this case, The Grand certainly boasts of an amazing 120 year history.

Courtesy of Accor Hotels, I am staying in an absolutely amazing room. I must admit, I’ve never stayed in such a large and luxurious room before. I’m terrified and thrilled at the same time.

At first, I gingerly crept around, thinking eeek!, and didn’t dare to touch anything. Then I decided to JUST GET OVER IT KAREN – and had a nice hot bath, sit on the couch, with a big fluffy white robe, feet up, eating a fine dinner brought to me by the excellent room service.

Yes the service was truly wonderful!

When I checked in, I didn’t tell the receptionist that I was here to review the place. I felt like an undercover agent.

I asked him various casual questions about this and that. I tried to be a bit particular and difficult. Then I asked him a lot of hard questions about the new hotel branding, the history, the hotel features. I even asked about his own career in hospitality and his future plans.

The guy was fantastic. He was charming, warm, personal, and every question was answered clearly and concisely, with good humour and genuine excitement.

He took me on a tour of the hotel. I was so impressed with the character and style of the building. It used to be the Victorian Railways Administration Building, with high ceilings and gorgeous Victorian features. I adore historical character in buildings. Check out the original French tiles in the above photo, beautiful!

Most hotels you stay in, you don’t even think about the actual hotel building and the story behind it, it’s all about the latest and greatest features and fittings. But when you walk around the corridors of The Grand, it’s hard not to be struck by a strong sense of history and presence. It is very cool.

Well, it’s the end of a long day. And I have an early start tomorrow, I can’t wait!

I’ve been hit by a gardening bug! The other day, I spent the afternoon reconditioning my vegetable patch, planing rows of cherry tomatoes, lettuce and snow peas seedlings. I also refreshed some of my potted herbs - basil, coriander and oregano.

After that, I had a good workout turning the compost heap and worm farm. Ah the smell of rotting vegetables!

For some reason, my sons really want me to grow carrots. I’ve never grown carrots before, so I’ve plonked in a row of baby carrots, not sure how well they’ll do though. Must try broccoli next.

When I was 5, I had the most amazing kindergarten teacher.

She made such a strong and positive impression on me that I remember thinking at the time – I want to be a teacher, just like her, AND I want to be an artist, just like her.

It’s funny how some of my strongest passions now, were formed at such a young age.

Which brings me to my thought for the day.

When asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my 5.5year old will say with absolute certainty “A policeman.”

He’s been saying that for the last 2 years of his life.

And I often find myself wondering whether it’s just a BOY THING?

Or if in fact he’s got a seed planted in him, and only time will tell if things will turn out that way.

Ah the days are getting warmer, the flowers are blooming, and my mood is getting more colourful each day!

I love this dress! It’s so simple, vibrant and feminine. Especially love the little flower petal skirt layer. And the crazy coloured print.

I’ve been looking for more bright coloured clothes for spring and I’m loving the bright pink.

I also tried on another dress over at my Doing The Karen Cheng Facebook group.