Sleep Is For The Weak:: Annelise by Sussan

It seems insomnia has taken a hold of me. I've spent many sleepless nights this week looking into the darkness. Listening to Matt sleeping. And wishing, hoping, praying that I would fall asleep quickly too.

I am like a crazy zombie.

So sleep is top of mind this week. When isn't it? Last week I told you how much I love sleep, this week I'm telling you how much I am missing sleep.

Sleep. Where for art thou?

So it seems perfectly apt to be telling you about this beautiful new collection by Annelise for Sussan.

Designed using antique laces and prints foraged from around the world, the collection is as perfectly vintage as it is timeless.

How could I resist sharing these playful images with you? It's like they've been ripped straight from a vintage magazine, and they made my heart go bompity bomp!
 

These cotton voile pyjamas are high on my Christmas wish list. Santa, yes please!

And this chemise fits so beautifully. It feels so luxe on, I've been swanning around the house in it.

In store and online now
Prices from $9.95

Four Ways With Three Sussan Pieces + A Giveaway (Sponsored)

 This post is sponsored by Sussan

(top left: I added a necklace, head scarf, oversized sunnies, and some casual sneaks for a modern twist on a 50s bird; top right: I call this Librarian Chic - a vintage coat I snaffled from the markets, some beads, arm party, head scarf bright shoes, et voila! Now where's my Dewey system?!)


We all know I LOVE colour in my wardrobe. And that I LOVE to dress up. I don't know if I blogged about it, but I've pretty well evicted every piece of black clothing from my wardrobe. It does nothing for me. Unless it's my black jeans, but everything else? Charity.

Why? Because black washes me out. I'm a fair skinned lass. And my own private psychology is that colour lifts me. I love colour. I love wearing colour. I think it's fun.

Every morning when I dress, I celebrate colour, print, pattern, and texture. Not with balloons, cake and champagne, but by banging them all together in my outfits. Most days at least.

Sometimes it might not work - but heck, I have fun trying.

So the challenge this week? Create four different looks with three key pieces. The new Summer collection from Sussan lends itself perfectly to this challenge - and my mandatory - colour. High voltage! Really, it wasn't a challenge, it was more of a blast (except now my neighbours are wondering why Matt is taking my photo so many times in so many outfits on one day. Weirdo alert). 

this is what I'd wear on a casual day in the office - throw on some heels and bright lips - and out the door I go!

The knit: Colour, comfort and I'm there. Add a spot. BOOM!

The jean: Cropped and cute to boot. The spots tip me over the edge and give me a cute attack!

The shirt: A relaxed shirt that can go work to weekend.

going from work to meet with friends for dinner? a soft chambray shirt is made more feminine with some razzle dazzle, and the cropped pants get an evening twist with a heel.

And to celebrate the coming of colour (and Summer) Sussan and I are giving away one x $100 Sussan gift card. 

To enter - visit Sussan, leave a comment and tell me what your favourite piece is and why - and BOOM! You're in. One winner will be drawn at random. 

Please ensure you leave your name AND email address. Must be an Aussie (sorry everyone else). Entries open Monday 12th August at 10:30am, and close Sunday 18th August at 11:59pm. 

ENTRIES CLOSED - MARGIE RAHMANN, YOU ARE THE WINNER! EMAIL ME (lexipmm (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize!! We will have your Sussan gift card sent out to you.

Coveting:: Sussan

If anyone sees this dress - don't buy it. 

Because I want it to be mine. 

Let's take a look at the back. Sigh. So, so good. 

I am just crazy for the sequins, the cut and the pattern. 

Ok then. I'll share. 

New season Sussan. In store now. 

Day 9:: Frocktober - Florals And I Lost My Voice. Again.

This morning I woke up to something exciting. No voice. And that, in case you didn't detect it, in all its rank-ness, was sarcasm.

How many times this year have I lost my voice? Too. Bloody. Many.

But onwards I went! And what better way to lift my spirits than with a pop of colour and a pomp of florals - ahh yes, my very favourite Sussan shift. Now that's more like it. 

And yet, still no voice. Who knows, tomorrow it might be back and I can, like, actually enjoy a conversation with someone. Wouldn't that be fancy?!

Today's outfit:

- Sussan shift

- Vintage coat

- you know very well where the belt is from

- Country Road ballet flats

If you felt the urge to sponsor me, well you can do so here. And we can kick ovarian cancer to the kerb, together. Did you know there's no screening test for ovarian cancer? Pap smears don't detect it - so we need to raise money to research it. Every 10 hours one Australian woman dies from ovarian cancer. Let's change that!

Massive thank you to all my sponsors who have donated already - you are, each and every one of you - GEMS!

Florals + Brights = WINNER!

Bold floral prints, bright colour, print and pattern clashing. Never has a 78 year old Australian woman looked so beautiful. Because that's how old Sussan is. Pretty hot right?!

And so the love affair continues.

As soon as I saw this dress on Sussan's Facebook page - I knew I had to have it. A Warhol-esque print in a timeless shift - perfect to slip on for work, and a great transeasonal piece - just throw on a cardi! Never before has a dress procured so many compliments (this one's a similar shape, or if you too really love the print, you can get it in this shirt).

And Tiny loves it too (we were both wearing bold florals so we had to be photographed together.)

If you're into frocks, you should most definitely try this one - it has a beautiful ombre of cream to a very pale petal pink at the hem. And it has POCKETS!! YES! I love frocks with pockets! I am still unconvinced I don't need this one.

Being a big fan of being comfortable, I had to try on these pants. Talk about comfortable. I probably could have gone down a size, but I like the less fitted feel - and don't tell anyone - but they have an elasticated back which is perfectly suited to long lunches (which I never seem to go on - but it doesn't stop me dreaming). Couple it with this punchy hibiscus knit - well hello ladies! I am not one to shy away from the bold and the beautiful, and this marriage of print and colour is a marriage made in heaven (and ridiculously comfortable). Plus that hue teamed with my pink lipstick - yes please!

I could bang on and on about the new Summer Collection from Sussan - but without doubt, they've filled a void in the fashion terrain for women who want smart, accessible fashion.

If you've not been into Sussan for a while - the time is nigh.

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Epilogue: I have discovered that my husband really detests taking my photo. I asked him to take these shots for me, and he resisted at first, then succumbed to my charms. However I did have to ask him to reshoot given he was in such a hurry to have it over and done with, they were all blurry.

He likes drawing me. But hates photographing me. I've come to the conclusion that: when he draws me, I have to sit very, very still and not talk. But when he takes photos of me, I talk and I move.


 

* This is a sponsored post.  I was given a $100 Sussan gift voucher, and then I went a little nuts and paid the difference. And yet I am still dreaming about what lies within Sussan. Honesty is my only policy. I tried it. I liked it. I wanted to share.

Excuse Me. Look Here. Now.

More shots from the Sussan catwalk. Loving the relaxed style suiting. The modern take on the pussybow. And those sequins. I am mad for some sequins. I should have bought a Bedazzler back in the day. But no matter, this charcoal sequinned skirt would make me just as happy. Modern day mermaid for the win.

Sussan, you are very, very clever.

Sussan Summer Sneak Preview (Try Saying That 10 Times Fast)

This last week I had the great joy of flying to Melbourne as a guest of Sussan.

I flew down in the morning, and knew I was on a Sussan flight when I walked up to my gate and discovered a bevy of women all dressed in the new Summer collection. They were excited. I was excited. We were all excited together - and the other guests were none the wiser except for that certain buzz in the air.

We landed in Melbourne and a cab driver walked over to me and asked me if I wanted a cab. He wasn't in his car. And I agreed. And then imagined he was going to kidnap me. So I asked him if he was a real cab driver and he said yes and so all was ok. Phew. Glad we've got that sorted.

During the day I meandered the streets of Melbourne like only a waif could. But more on that later.

That night we went to see a sneak preview of the new Sussan Summer collection. The room was a-buzz, electrified by the 200+ excited women (and one lone man sitting front row- I salute you sir).

If you've not stepped into a Sussan for a spell, the value they place on customer service is exemplary. The staff know the ranges back to front, front to back and upside down.
It's here I should tell you: This was not like fashion week where it's totally not cool to crack a smile.

When the models walked down the catwalk, they smiled. And the crowd? They cheered! It was such a fun evening.

This new collection is fresh, fun, and loaded with bright and bold colour. There is so much to love - so many pieces to covet. As a working-in-an-office mum, Sussan has just made it that much easier to mix and match outfits (which the ladies in store are SO good at), plus there are so many great pieces that are supremely wearable, frocks that you can throw on - or suiting that doesn't look too corporate. I do not do corporate! I do fun! I do colour! I do bold prints and pattern and awesome. Sussan is all that.

I can say all of this because I'm newly converted. And I've been enjoying spending time in their stores being inspired. It's a bold new step - and you have to hand it to the team at Sussan. They're turning the beat around and I'm dancing to it.

I took lots of snaps from the catwalk - an have loads more that I'll be loading on to my Facebook page this week.  

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. Sussan paid for my flights and accommodation. I attended their Summer launch. I loved it. I wanted to share.

Hellz YEAH!:: New Sussan

Draw your chair up nice and close to the computer, because you have to listen up.

There I was this afternoon, just checking out what was happening on Facebook (not much) until Sussan popped up in my feed.

All I heard was a blasting chorus of 'Halleluljah!' - and I was hooked. (Or maybe I imagined it. Either way, it was hot.)

And what was that I spied? Pops of yellow. A glimpse of a neon yellow lining coupled with stripes.

Hot. Or HOT!?

Remember when I did that sponsored post with Sussan? Well that jacket is definitely, hands-down my favourite piece in my wardrobe at the moment. And the jeans? I wear them all. The. Time. I get loads of compliments on both pieces.

So you're thinking - yes, yes PMM, another sponsored post. Well hellz no! This is me, telling you out of the pure goodness of my heart, giving you a royal heads up - hot foot it into Sussan. I love the look of some of these jackets that are going to be SO perfect for work. I don't do corporate. I do do colour.

Here are my top 5 picks from Sussan from this new injection:

1. Printed pant - get onboard to one of the hottest trends right now. These are fab!
2. Sequin top - I love sparkle - morning, noon or night. Gimme gimme sparkle.
3. Lady Cape - big loving the colour and look of a classic trench - with a modern twist. And it's called a lady cape. For all superhero women.
4. Textured crop jacket - for months I have been looking for a jacket to wear to work. Something that looked smart, but not too corporate. I think I just met my match
5. Tailored blazer - in this sunshine yellow. Well I can just pretend it's not pouring with rain and frizzling cold when I put this on. Maybe this one's the answer to my jacket dreams.

Sussan:: A Fashion Collaboration

If you're looking for more of a fashion fix, check out some of the other bloggers who went shopping at Sussan in this video. I love that it gives you an idea of the breadth of the collection - and how it looks on real women, and how different people style things differently - making a new story altogether. 


I must give credit to Norlin at Baubles, Bubble and Bags for putting this video together. Thank you Norlin! 

Winter Fashion Fix:: Sussan For Under $250

I had such a fun time this week visiting Sussan, armed with a $250 gift voucher, and a hunger for something new and exciting. 


I didn't intend to, but all up I think I spent close to three hours in the store. I tried on so many outfits and then tossed up what would work best for Lexi PottyMouthMama. Worker bee and mama of two.


Finally, after much umming and ahhing - and pulling more and more items off the racks, and the super attentive customer service pulling more sizes, more colours, I finally settled on this jacket. Because I kept coming back to it - and I think it's going to be one of those reliable pieces that I wear over and over again.


It's a seriously great cut - genuinely I can't wait for Winter to roll on so I can wear it as much as possible. It's feminine and all-encompassing, and includes a whole bunch of colours that will work back with so much in my wardrobe. 


I teamed it with these coloured jeans (COLOURED JEANS!) - that are called 'Opal'. I'd call them 'Petrol', but no matter, they are so rad, suck me in, cover me up et voila. 


And then of course the accessorising. There's so much you can wear with this coat, these jeans, in the Sussan catalogue it's teamed with a soft grey knit and a scarf - FTW! But I paired it with a white tee - everyone has one of these - and my 50 cent necklace from a flea market. Not everyone has one of these, but everyone deserves one of these. Because it's so rad. Once I had a guy in the chicken shop ask if it was real. For one thing, I haven't been working out so much that my neck muscles could carry that much gold; for another thing - dude, I am not minted. 


And then ballet flats, a head scarf, and oversized sunnies - and let's call it the 1940s mash up baby. Power to the ladies. 


I could have gone absolutely beserk in the store - because there are so many good pieces, and they're incredibly wearable - and incredibly good value, and truth be, I lay-byed a top because life will be better with it. Trust me. It will. 


These are my other top picks from Sussan for Winter - because let's pretend I am your personal stylist and I've just done all the legwork for you:
- Salt and pepper cardi
- coloured hosiery - holy cow - they have SUCH a great selection you must tap that if you're like me and you love coloured pins
- black velvet tunic
- scarves. scarves. scarves.
- let's talk about pyjamas. Sussan pyjamas won my heart long ago. I love them. Season after season, they are the bomb and then some. Trust me. I'm an expert.

* I received a $250 Sussan gift voucher and happily wrote this post about their new collection. I am all about affordable and fashionable shopping, which is in sync with Sussan's style mantra. Sussan offer free shipping for online orders over $150.