Nosy Neighbours, Styling Ideas to Steal

I haven't posted for a while, I've had my sister over from South Africa and it's been 10 years since I saw her last, and most likely to be 10 years before I see her again judging by the reports of a hideous flight back.

As it's school holidays and very hot, my daily styling has mostly involved jandals and shorts so fashion posts are a little few and far between.  

"So Stylie" also applies to interiors and as I'm always taking photos of other peoples homes, I've decided to share with you the clever ideas I come across.   These photos form a scrapbook, especially capturing the ideas I'd like to use one day when I have my own home to decorate.  

The photos below, I took at a friend of my mums, when my mum did a little house-sitting.  I couldn't resist capturing some of the clever displays and crafty decor ideas they have used. I had been inside this home once before and remember how vibrant and alive it felt.

Living in New Zealand I also love seeing how people incorporate the culture in their decor and there are some distinctive examples of NZ style in these photos. The owner also shares my love of all things Mexican, Dia de las Muertos and Frida Kahlo.  

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RanchoRomantico has some very gorgeous cushions if you're a fan of  Frida.

Clever display ideas to Borrow

Home is where the Heart is

Love this Clock especially against this wall colour

Dia de las Muertos

Great example of mixing Contemporary with Vintage

Outside is equally as vibrant, and I love the addition of the orange birdbath, whether that was intentional or not I'll have to investigate.

As it was just after Xmas, there were still some very subtle and stylies Xmas touches around the place.

Happy New Year 

If you see anything you like please let me know and I will try and find out where it was purchased from.  Remember Sharing is Caring.

Santas Hangover Cure

I love holidays, it gives me a great excuse to visit Whakatane, the place that once was home to our family and where all 3 children were born. My parents now live there and we have just had a long awaited family reunion with my sister, brother-in law and their two teenage sons after not seeing eachother for over 10 years. Whakatane is a small town that has many attractions, live volcanoes, gorgeous beaches, it's the sunshine capital of NZ and the people are just lovely, friendly and warm. One regular event on the Cultural Calendar, is "Santa's hangover cure", now more politically correctly named "The Holiday Variety Concert.

It appears that Whakatane, is not only the Sunshine Capital but it also has a huge pool of talented musicians, singers and dancers, and thankfully the performance still had a bit of naughty and nice, even if the new name doesn't!

I wish I had bought a programme, to remember all the names of the people who's faces I recognised. One face I did recognise was local mortgage broker Trish O'Hagan, who belted out "Burlesque" with such gusto that the interest rates were at an all time high in fishnets and there were certainly lots of other assets being fixed upon!

I will conclude however, that my two favourite performers would have to be a young girl who sang with such purity and possessed a unique resonance in her voice, that she was almost mimicking the melody of the Tui she was singing about.

The other being Dave Mc Meeking who's day job involves anaesthesia, but no one would dream of going to sleep during his stellar performance of Roger and Hammersteins Soliloquy.

W.I.W.T - For this very auspicious occasion, I'm wearing hot pink tunic style dress from Emerge, pink chica booti jeggings, and my ever faithful snakeskin sandals. My mum is working some "Advanced Style" in black and red with a homemade necklace

S.O.S - Save Our Style

Is there anybody out there needing help, are you secretly sending out a Fashion S.O.S but no one is listening? I don't think you're alone. Being Stylie is an opinion, it's like art, not everything appeals to all people and I believe there are many out there who are fed up with frockin fashion and all the do's and don'ts, it gets too confusing and expensive to keep up with. I wear what makes me feel good about myself, my clothes talk to me, but to be honest, I have had many years where I didn't hear what my clothes were saying, but now I know... they are saying "play with me.... have fun and be adventurous". So now in my forties I listen with my heart and wear them with my soul.

So as it goes, I'm feeling like I'm a bit of an Island here at "So Stylie", no one's come aboard on my voyage into Blogland, a few nibbles but no bites. This leads me a cunning plan, another method of luring you in. This isn't PHISHING, it's FSHN S.O.S.

I love fashion, and I love helping people, so with Save Our Style I am hoping to do a bit of both. I'm throwing out a fashion lifejacket, if you have a bit of a fashion dilemma and you are not sure what to put together with what of your current wardrobe items, I can give you some ideas, and constructive critisism, but it won't cost you a penny, well maybe one for your thoughts afterwards!

If you'd like to take a photo of some of your favourite and not so favourite items and send them to me, I will style some outfits for you and maybe we can get some other peoples thoughts too. It's your choice then whether you choose to sink or swim with my advice.

If you send photos please try and take them with a plain background and preferably individually. You can arrange them to look interesting, but best not to "wear them" maybe keep that for the big reveal.

Ok so who's ready to send out and S.O.S? All you need to do is follow by email (bottom rhs of blog) to SoStylie, I will in turn send you an email address to send your photos to. Please include accessories, Hats, Bags, Shoes etc.