Style Inspiration: Yellow clutch

After spotting American Apparel's new leather pouch bag I am officially obsessed. I'm on the lookout for a vintage version in canary yellow to add a pop of bright colour to my outfits this summer and I love Judy Aldrige's version below...I've spotted a few on Etsy but none that are quite big or slouchy enough.

 This vintage Liz Claiborne is the leading choice at the moment, at only £17 + shipping it's definitely an option but I think I'll keep looking! NHG x

Images: Atlantis Home, Fashion Squad and Etsy

The Vintage Emporium, Tyabb

I first heard about The Vintage Shed on one of my favourite Melbourne blogs, The Design Files, back in January and knew that it was a must-visit for my Melbourne trip. I did not expect to spend over two hours there rummaging through some of the best vintage I've seen in a long time...and the best bit is that it's actually affordable! After speaking to the lovely owner it's apparent that there is a lot of love for vintage here, and she wants to ensure that the prices remain accessible to everyone, which is so refreshing to hear.

I walked away with a sail boat necklace for $12 (see picture below), a little velvet jacket with gold trimming for $35 and a glass vase to add to my vintage jar collection in the shape of the Eiffel Tower...so kitsch that I had to get it! My friends bought some lovely vintage jars and baking bowls in gorgeous pastel shades.

The Vintage Emporium stocks vintage clothing and accessories for men, women and children ranging from the 1940's through to the 1980's plus a small selection of vintage homewares. The shop is made up of 14 dealers all specialising in vintage fashion with staff on hand to assist with customer service & styling. While you're there don't forget to visit The Vintage Shed (on the same property) showcasing over 60 vintage dealers specialising in vintage homewares and bric-a-brac. I will definitely be visiting again when I move back to Melbourne to decorate my home! NHG x

Visit The Vintage Emporium at The Vintage Shed, 93 Mornington - Tyabb Road, Tyabb, Victoria 3913
Open Thursday - Sunday 10am - 5pm

 

You can take the girl out of Melbourne...

It's true, you can take the girl out of Melbourne, but you can't take the Melbourne out of the girl. Case in point: here I am wearing a black leather dress in the middle of an Australian summer. Why, you ask? Because I'm Melburnian and that's just what we do!

I'm not sure why Melburnians wear so much black but it's become a well-known cultural trait of my city...I think perhaps it's the fact that Melbourne (in comparison to other Australian cities) has temperamental weather and is known to go from 40c to 18c in a couple of hours, even in the midst of summer. I also think that our strong European roots, particularly Italian, has had a huge impact on the way we dress!

Did you know that after Australian and British born, Italian born is the 3rd most popular country of birth in Melbourne? There's your fact of the day! NHG x

P.S I'm 'oh so tired' in these photos. Jet lag is horrendous flying east!

Outfit: Leather & lace dress, Topshop; vintage black & gold cardigan, Etsy; necklace, Mulberry; wedges, Zara; lipgloss, Vanity Fair by MAC; nail polish, Essie in Pansy (hands) and Strawberry sorbet (feet). 

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NHG bakes: passion fruit meringues

Today I went to visit my grandparents down on the Bass Coast of Victoria. A trip to see my grandma would never be complete without a baking session and I have many fond childhood memories of sitting on an orange stool in her kitchen watching her bake for hours on end.

I have been estranged from my mother since I was a teenager, so I owe a lot of credit to my grandma for teaching me to cook as a young adult too...

One of my grandma's famous recipes is her lemon meringue pie and I've managed to conquer it a couple of times in the last few years. But ever since I first tasted the passion fruit meringues from Ottolenghi in Notting Hill, I knew I had to attempt them! Passion fruit is my absolutely favourite fruit and in turn my favourite cocktails and desserts are all passion fruit based.

My grandma has her own sweet pastry recipe from her 1965 edition of  'Cookery - The Australian Way' book, so while she made it, I popped up the street to fetch some eggs (this is known to some as cheating). I then adapted the passion fruit meringue tart recipe here which also borrows from Australian chef Bill Granger's passion fruit curd recipe.

Apologies for all the shadows in the photos, Australians are obsessed with sky lights and I'm no photography guru! Just a side note but I used passion fruit in a can and I've never seen this in the UK...obviously it's best to use fresh but passion fruit are not always easy to find. I'll be bringing a stash with me back home to London! Happy baking. NHG x

 

Valentine's Day in Melbourne

Hello from my hometown of Melbourne! I'm off to the beach so I'm going to keep this short and sweet... Yesterday I spent the day in St Kilda to celebrate Valentine's Day at The Stokehouse with Notting Hill Boy. The Stokehouse is a Melbourne institution and offers gorgeous views over the bay while you enjoy the best in Australian culinary delights. If you're ever in Melbourne I highly recommend it!

I finally got to wear my new River Island leopard print maxi dress which has an amazing leopard necklace attached to it...it's like a halter/necklace all in one. I've teamed it with my beloved Mulberry Bayswater bag, Chanel sunglasses and black cutout wedges from Zara.

My lipgloss is from the new Peacock collection by MAC...I can't ever travel through Heathrow without visiting them. I purchased two colours, the coral colour below is Exxx-hibitonist (crazy name, amazing colour). NHG x

See The Stokehouse here 

Wardrobe Essentials - Part 1

One of my absolute favourite blogs at the moment is A Pair & a Spare who captivated me for a whole evening with her Wardrobe Rehab series. It really got me thinking as I don't really plan what I want to buy and to be honest, it's got to stop.

Here's the deal...I'm a big online shopper and if I see something I like, I buy it if it's within budget. In saying that, I don't have a wardrobe exploding with clothes as I literally gave away everything I owned 3 years ago and arrived in London with a 40kg suitcase! I also pride myself on constantly purging my wardrobe of unwanted clothes and regularly donate to charity shops or sell on Ebay, as I can't stand clutter. 

BUT...packing for Melbourne this weekend has made me realise that I have a wardrobe full of prints and I'm missing a lot of key basic pieces. So I finally made a list (hurruh!) and went shopping to start the process of filling the gaps in my wardrobe.

Below is my unfinished shopping list so please let me know what your must-have pieces are as I'd love to know! I promise to show you my key pieces on here soon...NHG x

Notting Hill Girl's shopping list:
Black maxi skirt (purchased American Apparel chiffon maxi featured below)
Grey t-shirt (purchased Cos t-shirt featured below)
Nautical Breton top (purchased Cos 3/4 sleeved top similar to below)
Black flat ankle boots (purchased Mea Shadow boots from The Outnet)
Black jumper dress (purchased from Cos)
White/cream blazer - vintage or new
Black skinny leg jeans
Black t-shirt 
Gold ballet flats
Silk collared shirt
Black leather skirt
Thin wool cardigans (I only own a black one)

Image credits top to bottom: B.Jones Style, Golestaneh, A Pair & a Spare and afterDRK