Stylista Mama | A lifestyle blog for a stylish motherhood

Monday, April 1, 2013

What I wore: Get the HauteLook

What I wore (anniversary dinner): PINKOWL - sleeveless graphic print dress in jade $22 - French Connection belt - L.A.M.B Italia platfrom sandal $94

When I think of how to best describe my personal style the words that pops into mind are classic and romantic with a bit of trend thrown in from time to time. My style is greatly influenced by the American look and I naturally gravitate towards the designs created by style makers Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Diane von Furstenberg.

HauteLook reflects that aspiratonal West Coast, casual chic aesthetic that appeals to me so perfectly, so it felt very natural for me to road test and share with you my experience using the HauteLook shopping site.

First thing, first, HauteLook is affiliated with Nordstrom, so if you have spent some time in the U.S you may have gone into one of their department stores - HELLO fashion mecca! HauteLook holds that same Nordstrom essence; there is no shortage of good quality and stylish numbers available on a daily basis from this site.

This isn’t a place where old fashion from seasons past go to die, what you get will still be on trend and very much still in demand. Speaking from experience depending on what sales go up each day you will need to be super quick to snap these deals up!

You can expect to see status labels that provide a mix of new, upcoming brands and investment pieces. Some of my favourites I have seen featured on the site so far include: Missoni, American Apparel, BCBGeneration, Rebecca Minkoff, L.A.M.B, Mara Hoffman, 7 For All Mankind and Rachel Pally.

There is not only clothing, but shoes, accessories, stuff for the home and kids.

Some points to highlight:

· Due to the high demand of products, whatever you put into your cart is only yours for 15 minutes till it is released back for sale again. This means you need to act quickly and complete your order. If you like to mosey over your potential purchases you need to keep this in mind.

· You can order a maximum of four products from each sale event.

· Delivery is pretty standard for international shipping – expect to pay around $30 on a $200 order.

· You must be a member to get access to the sale events. Sign up here.

This is a sponsored post by HauteLook.

For more information on how I work with brands, please see my disclosure policy.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

10 tips for staying sane on the evolutionary path

I love when an extraordinary email hits your inbox. It's something powerful when a bunch of words make your heart beat a little faster and you feel that flutter in your belly. I am sitting here on my laptop trying to deal with some feelings of overwhelm by responding, clearing out and sorting my inbox, all while trying to watch The Rachel Zoe Project and thinking about all the other tasks I've been putting off. Then I came across these words (back from 2010) that made me stop and think - maybe the universe is trying to tell me something!

Have a read, tell me what you think of these tips and leave me a comment below. If you love this too, share it with your friends xx

Source: Pinterest

10 tips for staying sane on the evolutionary path

1. Allow the magic to outweigh the pain

There will be challenging moments, that is true whatever path you take. But, as a creative spiritual person you have the advantage of having access to magic, joy and beauty. When the challenges come up remember the magic and let it outweigh the pain.

2. Call upon your spirit guides

There are many unseen forces ready to help you, love you and believe in you. When you feel overwhelmed, call upon your spirit guides and ask for help.

3. Tell the truth

This can be tough, so the best place to start is in your journal. Write down your true feelings, thoughts and deeds. Be honest with yourself this will help you stay sane. This will also take a huge load off so you can focus on what is really important to you.

4. Connect with a trusted friend

There is nothing better than connecting heart-to-heart with someone. When you are feeling like everything is going crazy call a friend that you can share your heart with.

5. Laugh your head off

Laughter really shifts the low vibration into a high vibration fast. Rent a funny movie and laugh your head off. This will really help put things into perspective for you.

6. Take care of yourself

Self-care is critical for creative spiritual people because we are so sensitive. Make sure you are eating well and getting enough sleep. This will help you feel strong and solid so you can face the challenges that arise.

7. Get organised

It is easy to go crazy when everything is a mess! Get organised, tidy up and then your mind can be clear.

8. Get a mentor or coach

I’m a big fan of this. I seek out people who are thriving and I ask them to help me step into my next level. If you want to grow and expand you need guidance and support.

9. Let go

Sometimes things are going crazy because you are trying to do too many things. Look at everything happening in your life and see what you can let go of. This can lighten the load and brighten your spirit.

10. Carve out time to be creative

Just because things are going crazy that is no reason to stop doing the things that bring you joy. Make sure you allow enough time and space for your creative spirit to PLAY!!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Mum's got style: Autumn bump

The leaves are falling, your belly is growing and your finding it hard to work out what to wear. As your body continues to change, so to do does your wardrobe choices (or lack there of). Suddenly, almost overnight you're left with the distant memory of an amazing wardrobe that use to fit.

It's time to put away your havaianas, dust of your boots and remember that these body changes are just temporary. Embrace it, say thanks to your amazing body and get set to style up your bump.

Tips for maternity style:

It's all about layering - wear thin layers in breathable fabrics like cotton and jersey, so you can remove and add them as you need.
Keep it basic - the thing about buying stylish maternity wear is it can get expensive. It's best to keep to buying the basics like a nice wrap dress in a block colour, black leggings, boyfriend style cardigans, basic tees.
It's best to invest in accessories - splurge on cute accessories that you can use over and over like scarves, leather boots, jewellery etc.
A bag beyond baby - so baby bags aren't the cheapest of things to buy but if you choose a style like the baby tote featured below you can use it forever.

1. Pea in a Pod nursing maternity toga dress $99 // 2. Mimco 'Stolen Treasure' scarf $79.95 // 3. La Mer Collections oversized Tuscan link watch $112 // 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs preppy nylon Eliz-a-baby bag $355 5. Blue Juice 'Eye Spy' cape $79.95 // 6. Riptide Neutrals boots $79.95

Friday, March 1, 2013

3 things we can all learn from Jennifer Lawrence

So yes, I am a bit behind the eight ball this week. I just watched this and this on YouTube and have to say Jennifer Lawrence is my new girl crush. Now I don't mean girl crush in the way that I love her sense of style or the way she looks (that too), but what I love is her personality - I can't get over how down-to-earth she is.

I think we can all learn something from this girl, like:

1. Not taking yourself too seriously. It's important to be able to laugh at yourself.
2. Being yourself. Don't hold yourself back to please people or uphold an image that you think you need to portray.
3. If you fall down, pick yourself up.

So there you go.

If you haven't seen Silver Lining Playbook, make sure you do!

Did you watch the Oscars this week? What did you think of Jennifer's PR efforts? Did you like her relaxed, laid back attitude or do you think she should have taken a more poised approach to her post-Oscar interview?

Friday, February 15, 2013

How to deal with a life shake-up: be your own hero

A couple of months back I was interviewed by CLEO magazine. I talked about a pivotal moment in my life after dealing with a major life shake-up. Here is my story that inspired the article in this month's CLEO...

I spent much of my late teens and early twenties as a sad, angry and bitchy person. I was that girl that would let the most pettiest thing ruin my whole day.

I use to really take these things to heart, I'd pick conversations to pieces and take these daily experiences internally on a real personal level which they didn't deserve. I worked in customer service so dealing with an upset or aggressive customer, a passing comment from my boyfriend, feedback from a coworker, a bad eyebrow wax or even a little road rage would just absolutely grate at my mind. I let these so called "bad" moments set the feeling for the rest of the day.

Being this way meant that the people close to me had to walk on egg shells. My nearest and dearest got sick of having to hear about my terrible, latest incident. I remember my dad saying to me that I acted like I had the world on my shoulders.

It took being dumped by my boyfriend to realise I had forgotten who I was and wasn't dealing with my emotions. I found I had ended up alienating myself from my family and friends. This wake-up call made me realise that I needed a major attitude overhaul.

How did I do it? By just opening my mind to seeing the glass half full rather than empty, this started a domino effect that created a dramatic and positive change in my life.

I started reading self help books and doing daily affirmations which helped improve my confidence, my relationship with my family and helped me revive old friendships.

Through taking some small steps I began to feel like myself again. I met a new guy (who I am now married too) and I moved into a career that got me excited about getting out of bed in the morning.

This whole break-up experience and self-realisation isn't something I am very proud of, but is something I am glad I went through to help me appreciate all that's good in this life.

Today, I'm happily married to that wonderful guy, we have a gorgeous toddler, I love life and I am doing things that make me happy (like this blog).

It took me a while to realise that the whole time I had everything I needed, plus more. I just needed the life shake-up to realise it. Everything I am and needed was already inside of me. I just had to wake-up and save myself.

It's only when you open your eyes and look around, that you realise that life is truly good.

What helped me get out of my 'woe-me' rut?

I set myself the challenge to change my negative emotional habits and the beliefs that were holding me back. This is what I did:

I fell in love with myself again. I learnt that you can't rely on someone else to make you feel complete. It all starts with you. You cannot rely on a man (or woman) to make you feel better. Love yourself first and feel that you're enough, just on your own.
I did things that made me happy. I revisited old hobbies. I started taking dancing lessons and got performing again.
I met new people and avoided those who pulled me down. I pushed myself to go out and met new, like-minded people. I made sure I surrounded yourself with fun, supportive and positive minds. Trust your instinct and distance yourself from the nay-sayers.
I got to know the self-help isle of my library. Read up on how to create a life that you want and topics such as spirituality. The books that put me on my path were Nice Girls Can Finish First and Career Girl.
I opened my heart to positivity. Putting out those positive vibes makes you attractive to people and opportunity. It's like a chain reaction, once I got myself out of that toxic way of life I found I was more in-tune to seeing opportunities and I took more chances.
I looked for what was positive and good in every situation. I hated dealing with cranky customers, but on the other hand I was lucky enough to be educated and have the opportunity to work and earn money. Millions of women in the world don't get that luxury.
I didn't sweat the small stuff. It's really annoying when people cut in line when you're somewhere like the deli, but what's an extra minute in the scheme of things? Nothing at all. I stopped letting small things worry me.
I stepped back, took a breath and then acted. Make an assessment on whether the moment is something to get cranks about first to avoid making a rash decision or saying something you'll regret.
I focused on my physical wellbeing. I got active again, I started dancing and playing Netball with friends (which was a good stress buster too). Eating well was also something I worked on.
I practiced gratitude daily and listened to positive affirmations. Think about and be thankful for what you've got, rather than focusing on what's missing.
I got some some worldly perspective through travel. This is a great way to see how fantastic your life is. There are people out there who have nothing but they're still happy.
I didn't suffer in silence. I reached out to my family and friends to help me work through things. It's really important to surround yourself with people who will support and cheer you on.

Remember: You're the key to changing your life: no one can do it for you and it's up to you to take the first step.

Read the Cleo story here.

Have you had a major life shake-up? What happened? How did you come out in the end? What did you learn?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A new wardrobe for under $300: the career edit

Can you buy a new on-trend career wardrobe for just over $250? Including the clothes, a bag, shoes and accessories. Impossible right? Wrong.

I set myself the challenge to find you great looking pieces that are affordable and available to buy online. The looks start at just $60 for a head-to-toe outfit. But what is great about this edit is that the items start at just $6, with no individual item costing more than $40.

Here is what to buy and five different looks that you can replicate for the working week.

Have you scored a workwear bargain recently? Do you have a go-to piece that you absolutely adore? Leave me a comment below and don't forget, if you love this post to share it by hitting one of the social media icons below - facebook it, tweet it and pin it!