Jeanswest Prima Denim Skinny Jeans and Colourful Prints and Bags

Wearing my Jeanswest Prima denim skinny jeans again, and adding some colour to my winter outfits with prints, as it starts to warm up a little here. Also my first wearing of my new Happiness Boutique necklace and a bit of a review.

What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers

Cardigan: Kmart striped maxi cardigan
Necklace: Happiness Boutique turquoise and coral pendant necklace (C/O)
Cami: Atmos&Here 'Isla' ruffle cami in floral print (get 40% off with code 'AUG40')
Jeans: Jeanswest prima denim super skinny jeans in absolute black
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs metallic mouse flats
Bracelets: the usual
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Swing bag in canary yellow

Why I wore it:

This was not the best outfit to showcase my new necklace, (this one on instagram is better) but I thought the colours paired nicely with the print in the top. I was looking for a tank to wear and saw this cami I hadn't worn in ages, so decided to wear this and have a little bit of print mixing with the striped cardi. Wore this out to take baby T for his first Sizzler meal...and quickly realised half way through lunch that skinny jeans are a bad choice for a buffet restaurant with all that food! Perfect place to take a hungry toddler though, he had so much food to taste and try.

You've probably read about Happiness Boutique on lots of other blogs already! I like their mission statement of 'being happy and spreading happiness every day'. I also like their range of accessories, they have lots of colourful and cheerful pieces with free worldwide shipping. They also have a reward program to help make loyal customers happy.

The necklace is nice, it's lightweight, stands up to a toddler tugging on it and it's adjustable so it's easy to wear. The only issue I have with the Happiness Boutique is the shipping. They sent the necklace to me on 17th July, and 2 weeks later were chasing me up asking if I had it yet. I didn't get it until the 10th August, so just over 3 weeks.
It's a little longer than their estimated time of 6-14 working days, but I wasn't expecting a free shipping service from Germany to Australia to be on the quick end of that estimate anyway! Just something to keep in mind if you are ordering for a special event, you might want to order early. My necklace is now sold out as it took a while to arrive, but it was called the 'turquoise and coral semi-precious stones pendant necklace'.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers, striped maxi cardigan, botanical print cami, black skinny jeans, gold mouse flats, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag.

Other ways to wear: maxi cardigan with a dress, botanical print cami with a maxi skirt, skinny jeans and a plain shirt, mouse flats in the office, Rebecca Minkoff swing bag with a maxi skirt.

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More colourful printed camis and kimonos under $30:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Choies red vintage pattern kimono

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tee:  Cotton On Denny boat neck long sleeved top in grey marle
Jeans: Jeanswest Bindi skinny 7/8 jeans in indigo luxe
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga giant hardware Day bag in 2009 tempete

Why I wore it:

My inspiration for layering up a kimono came from an instagram post that @beachstylemum did a while ago, near the start of winter. I thought the kimono over a long sleeved tee looked like a great idea, just took me a while to get around to wearing it as I wanted to wait until it warmed up a little more. My long sleeve tees are great, but they aren't the warmest. The weather was perfect for it on this day.

Loved the simplicity of this outfit - and it kept me comfortable all day with all the running around I did. All I had to do was run some errands in the morning and go to the post office to send a parcel to a friend. I got to the shops, got the stroller set up, went to put baby in it...and realised I'd brought every bag except the bag with the present in it! So had to drive all the way home and all the way back again, haha! At least it wasn't a long drive.


Last worn: printed kimono, grey tee, skinny jeans, Converse, Balenciaga tempete day bag.

Other ways to wear: printed kimono with gold jeans, grey tee with a lace skirt, skinny jeans and pattern mixing, Converse and a maxi skirt, Balenciaga tempete day bag in the office.

Linking up with Passion For Fashion, Friday Favourites, Casual Friday, Flashback Fashion, Fashion Friday, Fab Favourites, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Hello Monday also here today.

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Marc By Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby Pretty Nylon Diaper Bag : Review and Contents

First up, Shopbop are having a handbag sale! Get 20% off classic bags with code 'INTHEBAG'.

Shop the classic bags on sale at Shopbop.

The sale ends on 20th August so you have to be quick! A handbag sale is a perfect way to start a post about a handbag.


I've been using my Marc by Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby bag every day for over 14 months now, so felt it was due a review post. I thought I'd do what I used to do in the early days of my blog and share some more videos from my youtube channel.

When we started shopping for baby things, we checked out baby bags in every baby store, but hubby and I weren't too impressed with the options. They looked too small, too girly or both. We had always joked that I'd get a designer baby bag, so after a few weeks of unsuccessful baby bag hunting in person, I went to Shopbop! They have a great selection of baby bags.

Shop more baby bags at Shopbop

I read every review and did further research on ones that looked promising. A big part of that research was looking for youtube handbag videos, which is often my first stop before buying any bag. I like to know it can hold everything I need before I buy.


Of course I settled on the Marc by Marc Jacobs Eliz-A-Baby bag, which is available in grey or black at Shopbop. I let hubby pick the colour, and then as soon as I had a coupon code, I bought it.

As I like to know what fits inside a handbag, I did a 'what's inside my bag for a newborn' video after using it for a few months to help others considering the purchase.

Now that baby T is a toddler, what I carry around every day has changed. I also bought some cute travel pouches that I use to organise the bag a little bit more, so everything has place and it is easier to find. I recently did an updated video showing what is inside the baby bag right now.

If you are looking to organise your own baby bag, or even your regular handbag, Shopbop also has some very cute pouches you can use. If you prefer decorating the outside of your bag, they have that covered as well!


Overall, I love the Marc By Marc Jacobs Eliza-A-Baby bag I bought last year. I'd highly recommend it. After constant use, you'd expect a few irritations to develop. In saying that, the only problem I have with this bag is that it holds so much, it's easy to over stuff it and make it too heavy to carry when you're holding a toddler too. Of course it's a positive as well as it means I can throw my things in there on days I don't want to carry my own bag!

Pros and Cons of the Eliz-A-Baby bag:

Positives:

• It's HUGE and holds a lot (I chose the 'pretty' version of the bag over the 'preppy' version because it had the softer sides and looked easier to keep adding things to)
• There are different ways to wear it (handles and a cross-body strap) so it's easy to wear while holding a toddler
• It's easy to clean
• The handles haven't stretched out with use
• The bag is so light, being made of nylon
• The material has held up really well with no scuffs or scratches

Negatives:

• It's easy to just keep adding things to the bag and make it too heavy to carry effortlessly.
• If you don't buy it on sale, it can be a lot more expensive than other bags on the market.

This post was created in partnership with Shopbop. Occasionally, Away From The Blue blog may receive vendor or brand sponsorships for mentioning their products or services. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

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Shirt Dress, Shift Dress, Cardigans and Ankle Boots.

DH and I are at the 'spending every weekend attending open houses' phase of house-hunting. Below are two simple outfits I've worn to do so. As they were so similar, I thought I'd post them together.

We take turns each baby wearing while we go through the houses, so I need to wear something that's easy to wear with a toddler strapped to me, not too casual, and with a layer that I can take off and on as it heats up. I went with dresses both times as they are instant outfits, which is what you need when you have to fit in 5 open houses in one morning and you're running late!

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal and cashmere skull scarf
Dress: Atmos&Here Polly navy polka dot shirt dress
Shoes: Asos airtime leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

As soon as I put these pictures on the computer I realised I should have worn a belt with this, oh well. I was comfortable and decided not to wear a belt so it would be easier to strap the baby carrier around me. I've worn it without a belt before and its looked fine, I just think with this cardigan a little waist definition would have been nice.

On the plus side, it warmed up nicely through the day and I ended up taking the cardigan off by the time we got to the third house, so I didn't wear it like this all day. I do like the colours of everything together, just feel a belt would have made it look nicer.


Last worn: purple cardigan, taupe skull scarf, polka dot dress (as a top), Asos Chelsea ankle boots, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wear: purple cardi and a maxi dress, skull scarf in the office, polka dot dress with Converse, ankle boots in the office, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and skinny jeans.

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Shop more shirt and shift dresses under $70:

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What I wore:

Sunnies: Rayban new Wayfarers
Jacket: gifted Kmart striped maxi cardigan

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Dress: Zalora Basics faux leather placket red shift dress (on sale!)
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

I wasn't 100% happy with this outfit either, although I do like it more than the one above. I was trying to decide on something to wear to add a bit of interest and picked this necklace. I think a shorter necklace or a scarf would have worked better with the placket detail on the dress though.

This striped maxi cardigan is new-to-me! My mum brought it over one day and asked if I wanted it, of course I said yes. It's not too warm which is great as I'll be able to keep wearing it as it warms up and we move into spring. I like boots and tights but I'm looking forward to the end of winter too!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, Zalora red shift dress, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC. First time I've worn the cardigan.

Other ways to wear: red shift dress with bare legs, ankle boots and a maxi dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC and a maxi dress.


Linking up with Mix It Monday, Modest Monday, Turning Heads, Real Mum Style, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Wardrobe Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing, Pleated Poppy, Style Me Weekly, Wednesday Pants, What I Wore, Oh Hey Girl, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday today.

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