These boots...

After flirting with the idea of staying summery forever, I think Sydney weather has finally decided to reboot, refresh and turn on some Autumnal charm. 

Which turns my attention to these boots. That zesty orange, part citrus, part apiarist, I am loving that punch in a gorgeous boot - with a comfortable stacked heel. Perfect for Winter when you don't want to succumb to dreary all black. Well I don't, and it would be hard to given I own very little black clothing. 

What do you think peeps? Hot or what? I'm voting with my feet. HOT! 



Elk Hal Leather Ankle Boot  $210

Frocktober 2015: Day 31 - Frock 1 - Obus

Of course on the last day of Frocktober for the year, I have to go out with a bang. So why not do three frocks in one day? Why not I ask you. 

Here's the first for the morning - an Obus frock (Chazal dress) featuring a Malcolm de Chazal inspired artwork. It's pretty freaking awesome, huh???

You can still sponsor me here, believe it or not. 

Yo! Yo! Yo! Jingling all the way with Bondville

In the last of my Jingling all the Way series, I chat with super Steph from Bondville. Steph's site is this awesome and inspiring hub of local designers, artists and crafters - supporting our Aussie community. She does an outstanding job and always has something creative and cool on the boil. 

I often pop over to Bondville to find out the latest and greatest in Australian design, and find inspiration for cool gifts. 

Let's cut to the chase, let's go!

What do you do on Christmas eve?

We are so lucky to have family based on the Sunshine Coast, so Christmas Eve we are likely to be veging out on a couch under a ceiling fan after a day at the beach. Oh, and wrapping presents. I'm soooo last minute. 

Please tell me your favourite Christmas childhood memory.

My favourite childhood Christmas memory is unwrapping all the decorations to trim the tree. Each piece of tissue paper had to be gentle removed to reveal a nostalgic ornament that my sister and I had made, or been given. It was a lovely long, slow process as many decorations were fragile. Then finding the perfect spot on the tree for each one. I make sure that my girls have the same great experience each year and I love to hear their exclamations: "remember this one!?!" and "oh I love this one!". And... my sister and I wore matching red and green Christmas dresses that my Mum made for us, and that my girls now wear. Too cute.

What did you leave out for Santa? 

A biscuit and a beer. Definitely beer.

What time do you get up on Christmas morning?

As soon as the kids are up, and with daylight savings in QLD, that's 5am!

Favourite part of Christmas?

Relaxing with my family at my parents' house and having 24/7 babysitters - they are amazing with the kids. We get to go on Date Night nearly every night! 

What's on your wish list this year?

I picked up my big Christmas wish list item a little early this year at the Armadillo & Co. rug sample sale. Loving it already! As we travel for Christmas, we have to go very light on presents; also OK by me. But if I didn't have to take hand luggage into consideration, I would wish for a yellow butterfly chair, a Gorman lobster bucket hat, an Eames Hang-It-All from Living Edge, some new Pony Rider cushions, Beci Orpin's Make & Do book or Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi.

What's one thing you'll be gifting/giving this year?

Our family is into US-style BBQ (in a big way), so my husband is getting the Myron Mixon Smokin' cookbook - everyone wins! 


Take a look at Bondville here. 
And follow Steph on Instagram, pronto! 

Christmas Wishlist Blog Hop: For Her

I hate to freak you out. But I will anyway. There are only 42 days until Christmas. I hate to sound like an old timer. But I will anyway. Where did this year go?

Steph from Bondville asked me to create a wish list, and of course - I was in! Gift giving is one of my favourite things, I love coming up with the perfect gift for someone. It feels good to give. Plus each one of these are Australian designed or made. Winning! 

I've started list making. Lists are my best friends when it comes to this crazy time of the year. 

For her - whether she's your sister, your bestie, or your mum (or me, hey, I would be so happy to find any of these goodies under the tree!), these gifts are for someone who has an appreciation for colour, print, or sleeping. 

Clockwise from top left: 

Nancybird Linen Long Scarf - Blue Floral $75: I've got more than a bit of a crush on this print.

Wolley ''You're Tops" print $30: Tell your BFF she's tops. She probably thinks you are too. No you are. No you are. 

Lazybones Frankie PJ Set in Coral Bay $89: Sleep is pretty rad. And these pjs are even radder. 

Jasmine Dowling "Bonne Nuit" pillow slip from The Club of Odd Volumes $49: Please see above.

Laikonik Paint Dot design - set of 2 linen tea towels $49: I love beautiful tea towels. It turns a mundane task into a work of art. Almost. 

Obus Ziggle Spot Sock $12: I'm pretty addicted to these cool quirky socks. Get them while they're hot.

Want more? Oh man. I have SO MUCH MORE! 

Clockwise from top left: 

Elodie 'Colour' bangle no 210 $187: High on my wish list - COME ON SANTA BABY!

The Flower Drum Darling Dahlia tee $49: Best tee ever.

Jadewood X Natashya Manfield Opheya Flora earrings from Natashya Manfield (on sale) $75: The perfect statement earring.

Queen of Hearts Vase Stand by Lovestar from The Third Row $19.95: I love these teeny sized vases. Perfect for three single stems, or some wee little blooms. 

Martha Jean Shapes Ring $29: When I wear something fancy on my hands, I like to wave my hands around. This is totally what I would be doing if I had this ring.

Susan Simonini set of 4 ceramic bowls $140: We could eat red beans and rice in these every day and I still wouldn't complain.

****
But that's not all the Christmas inspiration to have. Some of my beautiful, awesome blogging compadres have compiled their Christmas gift guides too. 

Click over now and drool. And then kickstart your own Christmas gift lists. Go on! 

the red thread

Bondville

Honey and Fizz

Concrete & Honey

Checks and Spots

Sunday Collector

eat read love

Yo Mama! An Interview with Tracey Hocking of Lazybones

Phew! I had to have some time off post Frocktober because I was completely exhaustipated*. Really dog tired!  Exhausted but elated. But I'm back.

And I can't imagine a better way to come back, than with a brand new Yo Mama! This week I'm chatting with Tracey Hocking, the head designer behind one of my long time loves - Lazybones. 

I first bought a beautiful cotton vintage-inspired nightie from Lazybones about 10 years ago, that I wore religiously. I'm not even really a nightie kind of girl, but there was something different about this one, and it was made from the softest cotton. I still have it folded neatly away for when Tiny is bigger. 

It was from this beloved nightie that my love for the Australian label grew. Whenever I've been around Byron, I've always ducked my head in to see what's new with Lazybones, so today's chat is pretty exciting for me!

*****

PMM: You have a teenage son (tricky in itself!). How do you manage the whole parenting/working ratio?

TH: This is an ongoing source of angst for me.  However the teenage years are kind of great because now I am So Embarrassing apparently, I can feel a bit better if I am not always here.  But could not do it without my amazing wonderful husband who does so much for our son.

Do you have any tips for nailing it? Or even sort of nailing it?

Oh dear.  Not sure I can give any tips for nailing it but find that having something to look forward to makes all the difference for all of us.  Holidays to look forward to make those long school terms not seem as bad.

Oh and disconnecting the internet at bedtime…..

Part of the allure of Lazybones is the vintage vibe. Where do you seek inspiration? 

I sometimes wonder what I did before Pinterest…  And the whole internet in general.  An incredible wealth of ideas and images are available to us so readily.  I find the images, blogs and ideas  intoxicating and endlessly inspiring.  We use Pinterest a lot in our design team.  We build boards that expand on our initial concepts for each range. Each of us add to the board so that we get a real sense of where we want to go with a particular item.  

This is even extending to the creative people we work with in other countries now which is really exciting.  And specifically I love all eras from the 20s to the 60s and spend way too many hours looking at all manner of interesting things.

What is the best part of being the designer at Lazybones?

I am the head designer of a small team of wonderful, creative, generous, clever people.  That is the best bit.  Working with them.

And is there a downside?

No.  Oh, well only the fact that I cannot afford to make all the wonderful products we dream up….

Does your son have creative bones too?

Yes he does although he wanted me to say that he excels in creative excuses.

If you had to choose five words that described you - what would they be?

Focused, messy, creative, resilient, dreamer.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee definitely.

How do you take care of yourself?

I walk every morning with my dogs on a quest to spot our resident platypuses.  Lots of stretching and fast walking.

What's coming up next for Tracey?

OMG.  Setting up a shop in LA.  Who would have thought that would be a lot of work?  And be so complex?

***

You can take a look at Lazybones collection here. 

Follow Lazybones (and their LA adventures) on Instagram. 

Check out Lazybones on Facebook. 

Go behind the scenes with the blog.

Take a look at the Pinterest inspiration here. 

Tweet the Lazybones team here.  

This is the 11th interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 
* Exhaustipated was a word an ex-colleague of mine used to use - when she was super tired. I never had the heart to tell her it wasn't a real word. 

Frocktober 2014:: You Can't Stop The Frocks

Just because Frocktober is almost done and dusted - doesn't mean the frocks, fashion and frivolity have to stop.

I am pretty adept at navigating a good frock. This is my third year of Frocktober, and after 93 frocks -  I would consider myself a bit of a frocking expert. (Ok 93 might be an exaggeration, but have you seen my bedroom lately? FROCK!)

Today I'm sharing a bit of a frocking round up. I might not have been to any frocking shops, but I've let my fingers do the fashion-stalking and found 10 that will make your frocking heart BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

So we all know how much I LOVE Australian fashion. I'm an avid supporter of Australian labels and designers, which brings me to something else I really, really love. The Third Row. Diana (the brains and beauty behind TTR) contacted me and asked if I'd love to merge my love of frocks, with my love of independent Australian designers into a popup shop. 

No brainer. I said YES PLEASE! And here it is! I've personally chosen a lot of frocks that I LOVE and I hope you do too. 

1. Lilya Beatriz dress from Style Milk: Loving this simple navy dress. It's great with sandals or heels, and perfect to throw on and feeling frocking fabulous.

2. PAM Scops Dress/Top in Washed Denim from Dagmar Rousset: Two garments in one? Aye carumba, that nails my ever growing washing pile. Oh how I love this.

3. Maria dress in Blue Lagoon from Lazybones: These frocks are so perfectly feminine and easy to wear in cotton - brilliant for summer. The cuts are bang on, and the prints? Aye aye aye!!

4. Natashya Manfield 'Peggy' dress: I love this full-tilt colour, the cut, the fabric, the print. And it's magic to wear it too. 

5. Nancybird Olive dress in 'Anemone': Such an easy cut to wear, and in silk, it's so perfect for our hot summer - that print is super gorgeous and the palette means it works with almost any hue - winning!

6. Obus 'Cheveyo' dress: There's so much to say about this frock. The cut. The pleats. The exposed hard wear (read: the zip). The visual punch. I am pretty well prepared to marry it. 

7.  Gorman 'Take Flight' dress: I have been salivating over this frock for a couple of weeks. I really love the tone of that blue, and the cut is the best thing since sliced bread. 

8. Alpha 60 'Eleta' dress: This reminds me SO much of my Mum - she had a plethora of brilliant frocks when she was around my age, some of them are still kicking around in my wardrobe. And. Pockets. 

9. Secret South 'Sarah' Shirt dress from Style Milk: I am a big fan of prints, it usually means little accessorising required (unless, like me, you LOVE accessorising, and then go for it!). I dig the aztec vibe, and think this is a great work to play frock. 

10.  Gorman Lobster Cotton dress: Did somebody say lobster? Well I may be the only person that's not that enamoured with eating it, but as a print? I want second helpings. 


This is just 10 - but there are LOADS more I have personally chosen - that I am madly coveting now. 


Shop more of my favourite frocks over on The Third Row in the PottyMouthMama PopUp! 

Frocktober 2014:: Day 29 - Shine Bright Like a Diamond (Natashya Manfield)

Big news! Today I hit the $10k! OH EM GEEEEE!!! Thank you to all 164 of my motherfrocking brilliant sponsors. You guys are the frocking biz! 

So today, it feels fitting to go full tilt colour - with this Peggy dress from Natashya Manfield. How ridiculously beautiful is this?! Natashya is an incredibly amazing designer from Melbourne. Check her out. Now. 

If you haven't already donated, I'd be ever so stoked if you still threw a few dollars my way. 

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation receive no government funding and rely on the support of our community to assist in driving research forward.

Don't be shy! Any donation is awesome - and anything over $2 is tax deductible. 

Dress: Peggy dress from Natashya Manfield

Frocktober 2014:: Day 28 - Modern Day (and brunette) Tilly Devine (Lee Mathews)

Calling Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. I'm the new recruit to the Razor Gang. Sans razor. Sans ciggies. 

Full tilt on awesome. Let's do this thing! Only $778.50 to go until I reach my goal! 

Today's frock is by Lee Mathews - the Daphne dress in Tiffany. My oh my! It's the bee's knees! It's Mahatma Gandhi! It's Napoleon Brandy! It's the top!! Pale silk confection. SWOON!! Easy to throw on, easy to wear, and little accessories needed, it just is perfect as is. 

Hair was. Wow. A faux bob, a lot of hairspray. Make up was to the max, kohl eyeball to eyeball a la Tilly. 

By the way - you can sponsor me here - and help fund an early detection test for ovarian cancer. That could be your feel good moment of the day/week/month. Go on. Every dollar helps. 

With only three more dresses after today - I really need you to help me! Please! 

Oh and this is me post-pin curls. Phew! 

Dress: Daphne dress in Tiffany by Lee Mathews 

Frocktober 2014:: Day 27 - Spot On! (Madeleine Charles)

Guess what?! It's the last week of Frocktober! That's right motherfrockers - and only five days left. Which means only five frocks! FROCK! 

Today's is a spotty delight from Madeleine Charles. It's the Paloma coat paired with the Emily Shift dress, and it garnered lots of compliments today! 

Given there's only a few days until it's over for the year - perhaps now is a good time to sponsor me? Go on! Give up a coffee for a day - and donate the $3. It's tax deductible - and every single dollar helps. 

Dress: Madeleine Charles 

Frocktober 2014:: Day 23 - Ethereal Elegance (Lee Mathews)

It's been a long month. And there's still a week to go. 

Today, after exercising in a frock, I was excited to switch into something light and ethereal. Meet the Charlotte dress from Lee Mathews. Silk and lace, it's a cinch to feel good and look smart. I've tried it with my favourite Chucks, but it looks good with sandals, or a neutral heel too. 

It's a great day dress (heck, there ain't no Lee Mathews dress I've ever met that I didn't love) - I can imagine it's going to be a firm staple in my summer wardrobe.

Speaking of wardrobe - Frocktober is not just about fashion. It's about raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. Please help me reach my goal - I'm so close, but still need your help. 

Dress: Charlotte dress from Lee Mathews 

An Interview with Kylie Zerbst - Obus

I've said it many times before - I am really passionate about our local industry. I've always been an avid supporter of independent Australian labels. Back when I was 19, just starting out in PR, I introduced myself to the ksubi boys (way back when it was tsubi) and offered to do their PR for contra. It was a crazy time, but awesome to cut my teeth on an iconic brand. I love being part of that creativity, that buzz. Nothing's changed since then.

It's a passion that feeds into my wardrobe where most of my clothes are mostly vintage, or locally designed. I don't really pay much attention to what's happening on the world stage of fashion (except to marvel at the couture catwalks) because we have SO much awesome talent right here. 

So this Frocktober I aimed to work with local brands that really resonated with me. I almost didn't approach Obus because - let's be honest, they are ridiculously cool. Then I decided to throw caution to the wind and approached. 

I am so happy I did - I got to work with a super cool, quality label - that's locally made, and I got to learn more about Kylie, founder of the label. 

Describe Obus in 10 words

Quality threads for the modern adventuring woman... 

Life before Obus. What was it? 

I was a graphic Designer. I studied at RMIT, then did my masters as well as taught Design... They are broad skills to have and although I've ended up in a different place those design skills are part of my everyday way of working.

Where do you find inspiration? 

Well it just pops out at you whenever it feels like it and sometimes not when I need it - but the idea of Obus is to take our ladies on a journey each season... So travel, the places I visit on my holidays… But also in very ordinary everyday things... Broken umbrellas, flowers, people, small moments and films.

What's the design process for new collections?  

Going around in circles it feels like sometimes… But we get there (somewhere!) in the end.

If you had to choose just one - what is your favourite piece from the Obus collection? 

Ha ha I can never just choose one - The Nathalie Mesh top in citrine... The Spots skirt... The Kachina tee...

Best part of your job? 

I love working on the prints for each collection. On a different level though it feels so good to roll into the Obus studio (which is on top of the Obus store in Northcote) and work with such an amazingly creative and strong bunch of women each day!

Is there a worst bit? 

Of course. Retail can be very tough sometimes, and that's hard on the whole team. It's hard to know how to keep everyone feeling good about what they are working on - because no matter how hard you try sometimes things just don't work. 

What's your career highlight to date? 

Obus opened the show for the Ford Supermodel of the World awards in New York many moons ago. That was such an amazing moment waiting with all of the aspiring young ladies backstage for the announcements, I will never forget the atmosphere! 

What was your creative outlet as a child? 

Knitting, drawing, sewing, writing.

Did you have a dream job when you were growing up? What was it? 

Archaeologist, writer of GRUG books.

Got a song on repeat? What is it? 

Ha ha sorry I can't think of one right now... But something by The Knife maybe.

All time favourite movie? 

Any period drama will do me.

Early worm or night owl? 

A bit of both, probably not always in the best order. Orlo was in bed with me VERY early this morning, around 4.30... So I was regretting staying up until late reading, but I wouldn't give up the cuddles for anything!

Champagne or cocktails? 

Champagne THEN cocktails...

Social butterfly or homebody?

Homebody! My partner Simon and my little 2yo man Orlo are always there... All the fun in the world!!! 

If you could only have one beauty product for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Does lavender oil count?

Last person you spoke to? 

Annie who works next to me in at the Obus studio.

Stripes or spots? 

Spots.

Where to next? 

The next Obus journey is 'Memphis Dreaming'... Memphis inspired prints, colourful sandals and espadrilles, swimwear and loads of great dresses for a beautiful summer...

*********

With special thanks to Kylie, Annie and Obus for supporting me this Frocktober.

Shop the Obus collection now. 

Follow Obus on Facebook. 

So much inspiration on the Obus Instagram feed.

Or maybe follow Kylie on Instagram? Her curatorship is tres magnifique! 

Or get inspired with their Pinteresthttp://www.pinterest.com/obusclothing/ boards

And you can tweet the good Obus peeps too!

Frocktober 2014:: Day 19 - Out Of Africa (and on the home run) (Fabrik)

Can you believe I've been through 19 days already? That's 19 different frocks. 

You might think 'Big deal PMM, frocking up is no big deal.' I thought the same until I started doing it three years ago. And pretty quickly you realise that wearing a frock, and being on public display, and talking about it, and getting people to engage, give their hard earned money, and come onboard. It's bloody hard work. 

Of course - it's all worth it. Every single dollar I raise goes to help find an early detection test for ovarian cancer. Currently there is none. Can you believe it? Ovarian cancer is known as 'the silent killer' because symptoms are vague. We don't know enough about it. 

If you donate to Frocktober, you will be helping wage aware against this insidious disease. One Australian woman dies from ovarian cancer every 10 hours. 

Today's frock is from the fabulous Fabrik. It's a beautiful linen frock that I threw over my head, threw on a necklace, and BOOM! I am out the door.The more I wash it and wear it more, the fabric will become even more beautiful, such is linen! 


As a special offer to PMM readers - Fabrik is offering 10% discount. Just use the code: POTTYMOUTHMAMA. (Available until October 22nd). 

Dress: Linen Hanky dress by Fabrik
Corny Pose: Model's own