♡ welcome to my life ♡

We took the tram from Crown to Nicholson Street, and when I walked into The Plaza I felt like I was in a dream! Being all dressed up and surrounded by like-minded people is incredible as it is, but to be in such an interactive and beautiful space made it so much more unreal! From photo booths, to food trucks, to a live DJ, even a Priceline beauty-vending machine, VAMFF had it all and I couldn’t be more in love. 

Delicious food - Chicken Bao w/ Spring Rolls + Salad = AMAZING!

My favourite parts of The Plaza were the gorgeous, unique & interactive photo-booths and backdrops! They were a great way for me to have fun while taking super cool interesting photos of my outfit.

Swingin’ Good Time - My gorgeous mum + I at the Mercedes Benz photo-booth

Angel - Gorgeous wings painted by the oh-so-talented Mads Francis

Speaking of my outfit, here are the details!!

Top: Forever New

Skirt: Unknown (I found it in a small store in DFO South Wharf on sale!)

Shoes: Spend-less Shoes

Necklace: Lovisa 

Clutch: Colette by Colette Hayman

Front Cover - Cosmopolitan’s photo-booth made me feel pretty famous (note: I wasn’t actually on the front cover of a magazine! One can dream though...)

After the fun we had at The Plaza, it was time to step inside the gorgeous Royal Exhibition Building to see Premium Runway 4! Below are some photos I snapped of some of my favourite outfits - all designers will be written below each pic!

We Are Kindred

Wild Horses

Isabelle Quinn

Finders

We Are Kindred

Talulah

S.Wallis

Talulah

Overall, the fashion show was absolutely incredible, and better than ever before! My mum at first had her doubts when I tried to convince her to come with me, but she was also amazed by the experience! I definitely recommend snatching up some tickets next year, as it never fails to be the event I most look forward to every year!!

Grand Finale - PREMIUM RUNWAY 4 Presented by SHOP Til You Drop, Supported by Priceline Pharmacy

I said this last year, but I’ll say  it again; I had such an amazing time at VAMFF this year, and I really hope I am able to attend again next year - I’m sure they will find a way to somehow top the experience I was blessed with this time around!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, I’m sorry it has taken so long for me to post something (5 months to be accurate) but VCE is pretty hectic! I’ll definitely try to be as active as possible on my Instagram though, so keep an eye out!

Stay fabulous! ♡

- Sonia xo

You may have already seen this tee in one of my blogposts before. I actually got this top quite a while ago, but since I went to see 5sos live on the 29th of September this year, I've been wearing it more often. It has little hand-drawn doodles of 5 Seconds of Summer related things, such as lyrics and cartoon penguins. I’ve also decided to wear my black bomber jacket, because even though its already spring, Melbourne weather is too unpredictable!

I decided to pair them with these high-waisted, stonewash jeans with slits in the knee. They’re super comfortable (as all Topshop jeans usually are) and the colour is a bit of a change from my go-to black skinny jeans.

These adidas sneakers were a lucky find that my mum snatched up for me. She found someone selling them on Facebook, and they just happened to be exactly my size! I love that they don't have the rubber shell toe, because when I tried the adidas original superstars in store, they made my feet look a bit like I was wearing clown shoes, and the silver adds a bit of shine to any outfit.

T-Shirt: MXL Outfitters

Bomber Jacket: Big-W

Jeans: Topshop

Purse: Avon

Keyring: Cotton On

Sunglasses: Cupcakes Eyewear

Shoes: Adidas (second-hand)

Now onto the accessories! 

My mum bought me this adorable pink purse from Avon, which I’ve added to it a tri-colour pink and white pom pom that I bought when I went to the city with my friend, Jess.

My awesome new black sunglasses were sent to me from Cupcakes Eyewear. They look so stylish, and they have heaps of other designs on their website; http://cupcakeseyewear.com. I chose these ones because I have never owned any all-black sunglasses before. These ones make me feel a bit like a rockstar, which is always a good sign!

Last, but certainly not least, this adorable necklace is from Jess Brettle The Label. I love this necklace as the blue adds a perfect pop of colour, while the metallic silver and the black contrasts so well, plus it has an adjustable cord. She has many more designs available on http://JessBrettle.etsy.com, so it’s definitely worth checking them out!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! I’m not sure if I will be making another one until after school ends, as exams are in late November and I will be very busy studying. I will still most likely be active on my Instagram though, so keep following!

Stay lovely,

So as I said, last weekend I bought this cute cardigan at the op-shop. We went with mum (who went for the first time) and had a look around. There wasn’t much, until I came across this cardi. I loved the print when I saw it, but I questioned the actual shape of it. It was buttoned up when I first it - which I thought wasn’t very nice looking - and it had shoulder pads. I almost put it back when I though I should try it on first.

As soon as I tried it on, I loved it! The shoulder pads weren’t too full on, and it looked much better when it was un-buttoned. And the best part is that it was only $4! 

T-Shirt: Bon Label

Cardigan: Unknown (Op-Shop Find)

Purse: Mimco

Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: Big W

I hope you liked this outfit! Let me know in my Instagram comments, what is the best thing you’ve ever found at an op-shop or a garage sale?

All the love,

Shirt: Ice Design (Op-Shop Find)

Jacket: Target

Purse: Mimco

Watch: Mimco

Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: Big W

I found this beautiful jacket while shopping at Target. Whenever I go to Target, I almost always go straight to the clearance section. This time, we went to the clearance section last, but when we did I couldn’t find much. That was until I saw this jacket! If you know me well, you would know that I don't often purchase full priced items. This was a problem, because when I picked up the jacket, there was no sale ticket on it... and it was $59!

I was ready to put it back, when I thought I would scan it just incase. Luckily I did, because it turned out to be $20! I definitely scored myself a bargain!

So, my tip for you all is to scan prices before you put the item down. You never know when there might be a great deal!

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I couldn’t wait to share photos of my new buy, so I hope you all liked it as much as I liked putting it together :)

All the love,

Shirt: Ice Design (Op-Shop Find)

Necklace: Emeldo Design

Earrings: Melbourne Vintage

Sunglasses: Rubi Shoes

I went op-shopping a few weekends ago and I didn’t have much luck, but I did pick up this grid shirt from Ice Design. It was only $2 so it was an awesome win, plus it was brand new! It’s amazing what people give away to op-shops, and I definitely recommend checking one out when you get the chance!

Now, how awesome is my shiny new jewellery addition from Emeldo Design? I just received it in the mail the other day and I love how cool and unique it is! Be sure to check out http://www.emeldo.com/ or @emeldodesign on instagram to see some more gorgeous jewellery!

Be sure to check out my pinterest here to see some of my fashion inspiration, as well as inspiration for my makeup, nail art, future house and more!

I hope you all liked this post as much as I liked making it! Also, thanks to my sister Gloria for taking these photos :)

All the love,

You might be wondering where I got the photos that are on my wall from...

I just recently received them in the mail from Pocket Prints, an app that allows you to choose photos from your camera roll, Facebook, Instagram or another preferred photo app, and have them delivered to your door!

There are heaps of different photo options to choose from, but the options I used are 10x10 squares, 12.5x12.5 large squares, 7.5x7.5 mini squared and 8.2x10 retro prints! My favourite option is the retro prints because I don’t own a polaroid camera, but they give the same border effect as a polaroid and you don't have to risk taking a bad photo because you can choose a pre-taken photo!

I definitely recommend using the ‘Pocket Prints’ app next time you need to print out some photos :)

The painting of Kyle Jenner on the left was sadly not painted by me - I wish I was that artistically talented! It was actually made by an artist I found on Instagram, Kyra Kendall (@kendallkyra), who paints loads of gorgeous water colour paintings! I actually won this painting in her advent giveaway and I’ve had it hanging in my room ever since I got it in the mail. I absolutely love it!

The “Yes! Yes! Yes” print by Georgia Perry, and the ‘Dogstalker’ print by Ana Albero are both collectable art prints from Frankie Magazine. The ‘Dogstalker’ print was in an old issue of Frankie, so it’s no longer available, but the ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!” one is in the current issue, so be sure to keep an eye out!

Another thing you might’ve noticed are the necklaces hanging on my lanterns. The lanterns are from Typo and I’ve had them for a while now. They’re great for when it gets dark and I still need to study, plus they add that extra pretty touch to my wall!

The sun choker on the left is from Lingi Hut, the two necklaces next to it are from Luna Loves Boutique, the next one is from the night markets in Surfers Paradise, Queensland and the last one is from South Market. I have a few more but I’m waiting to collect even more and make a blog post showing you all my collection!

My weekly planner is from K-Mart and it is featured in my ‘Back To School Haul’ Youtube video. The glitter jar next to it was made by yours truly. It’s made with glitter, glitter glue, food colour and water and I use it as a form of stress relief. As the glitter falls, my breathing slows down and I instantly feel more relaxed. It’s so easy to make and is definitely worth it! If you try it out, post a photo and tag me in it so I can see! :)

On my desk are also some of my favourite Girl Lane products, my Quay sunglasses, my amazing smelling Tilley Australia candle and a jar full of random pens and pencils that I use. By the way, the reason there are so many blue pencils is because those are the colours I am currently using on a page in a colouring book!

My marble mug is from Target and the magazine on my desk is the one and only Frankie Magazine! I also forgot to mention my beta fish, Horton - who says “hi” to you all haha!

I hope you have enjoyed this mini desk tour! Let me know what you think by commenting on my Instagram photo or sending me a message/ask!

All the love,

We got there at about 7pm even though it started at 5pm, so when we got there there was no line. We walked in and got our wristbands, and went straight towards the Great Hall, where Ella Thompson (pictured below) was singing at the time!

We listened to her until she finished (she was a great singer, may I add) and then went to a photo booth. The photos didn’t turn out great but it’s a cute little memory I can put on my wall!

We then decided to walk around the Andy Warhol – Ai Wei Wei exhibition, since it was emptier than the last time we saw it and dancing isn’t really our thing. We sat on some bean-bags in one of the rooms full of projectors for a while, took videos of each other dancing around and most of all took heaps of photos all throughout the night! We also had really good pizza and milkshakes while we were there and made little stickers at the workshop with Esther Olsson!

Here are all of the photos from throughout the night:

I will definitely be going if they have another art party next time and I definitely recommend snapping up tickets as soon as they are released, because they sell out very quickly!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post! Stay tuned for a video sometime next week <3

Gorgeous sunset + awesome architecture!

Front row was pretty awesome :D

Emma Mulholland

Emma Mulholland

P.A.M

Emma Muholland

Eugenie

Elissa McGowan

Pageant

Eugenie

Elissia McGowan

P.A.M

P.A.M

Eugenie

Emma Muholland

Emma Muholland - if you couldn’t already tell, this was my favourite designer; such creative and unique outfits!

Post-runway dessert...

... and coffee! What a great night :)

After school, I invited a couple of my close friends to a birthday picnic - which was set up by the lovely Grace (thanks babe) - where we ate heaps of food and played on the playground like the normal teenagers we are :) Even though I told everyone not to bring any, I got heaps of awesome presents, which I thought I would share with you all!

The first thing I got was this gorgeous lush set from my fellow-blogger babe, Nithya. It contains the Sakura bath bomb and the Pop In The Bath bubble bar. I didn’t open them for photos because I want to keep them sealed until I get the chance to use them!

From Kara, I got a Kim Kardashian perfume set. It smells really pretty and the bottle looks so cool! An awesome addition to my perfume collection.

Another thing I got was these matching Amethyst earrings and necklace from Jessica. They are both so gorgeous and now you all know what my blog name means - my birthstone!

The next thing I got was this cute pencil case/makeup bag/purse from Alyssa. It’s blush pink and in those tiny holes, there’s foil sparkles that can be seen from certain angles... So pretty!

The next thing I got was this Von Treskow bracelet and earrings from Alana. The earrings are little ‘trees of life’ and the bracelet has black and silver beads with a little charm. Love it!

The next four things are from Amber. She made me a personalised mug with a heap of our inside jokes on it. She also got me an amethyst-charm keyring, a cute typo pot plant (which she removed the fake plant from and replaced with a real one because I’m a plant mother and I don’t accept fake ones, hahaha) and Ro’s Argon Body Conditioner from Lush. I’m in love with them all!

Steph and Kyra gave me this Typo voucher, which I actually used to buy 3 t-shirts from the cotton-on denim event I went to (you can find the picture on my instagram) which I wear ALL. OF. THE. TIME! 

The next thing I got was this Kikki.K notebook with a matching pen from Emilie. I use the notebook to write down my daily activities and anything exciting that happens! 

Claudia got me a lush tube called “Great Balls of Bicarb” which contained all of these amazing-smelling bath bombs! In order from left to right, they are called: Dragon’s Egg, Avobath, Sex Bomb, Blackberry Bomb and Honey Bee. Love them all!

I also got these earrings and ring from Grace, but she bought it for me when we went to a vintage warehouse sale a few weeks later. They are so gorgeous though!

The last thing I got was actually not a birthday present, but a gift from overseas. It’s a little wooden box and wooden earrings from Columbia. They were given to me by my Uncle Ritchie and his girlfriend Maria. I wore them to my birthday because they are so cute!

Oh and I also got a box of Ferrero Rochers from my Nanna!

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I’m sorry it was so delayed, I just haven’t had the chance to finish editing all of these photos until now.

All the love,

Top - K-Mart

Skirt - K-Mart

Purse - Forever New

Socks - Gorman

Shoes - Lipstik Shoes

Necklace - Rokali Designs

My top and skirt were actually gifts from Santa! I was very excited to find them all wrapped up because I have been wanting an outfit like this for too long. I don’t think I will ever stop wearing it, especially the denim skirt.

I bought these socks a few weeks ago when I went shopping with my friend, Amber. Every time I see Gorman, I almost cry because I know I can’t afford any of the amazing clothes from there, but last week there was a sale on socks and I found these adorable ones! As soon as I saw them, I had this outfit idea in my head and fell in love. I’ll be honest, if I didn’t know about Gorman and someone asked me if I would ever spend $16 on a pair of socks, I think I would’ve laughed in their face... I guess blogging changes you hahaha!

My shoes were bought 2 years ago but they actually still fit me. They are rubber heels from Lipstik shoes and from memory they were about $5 on sale!

My purse is a gorgeous grid purse from Forever New, which my Nanna bought for me.

Lastly, my necklace is from Rokali Designs. They have the cutest necklaces and they are all handmade! Check it out here.

I hope you enjoyed this post, If I don’t post again before next year I would like to wish you all a very happy new year and a great fresh start! This year has been so unbelievable full of so many new opportunities and experiences, and I am so happy to have shared them with you all! Stay tuned for exciting new things next year <3

1. Be Prepared

The first thing you need to know is what time you are going. Check store opening hours to make sure they are open long enough for you to shop. Personally, I find that waiting for the afternoon allows more people to leave, making it easier for you to shop but you might also end up with the leftovers rather than the good stuff. The best thing to do is come early, prepared to hunt down the best buys.

Also make sure that you know exactly what you’re looking for if you are looking for something in particular. If not, keep an eye on any ads or catalogues that inform you about the Boxing Day deals that might give you some ideas. 

2. Be Patient

If you do go during the peak shopping time, this is a must. People can be brutal and harsh but if you act super nice, it’s a possibility that the grumpy, tired people will want to stay away from the ray of positivity, or simply fall into it which would make them positive!

3. Be Quick

If you like something that happens to be super cheap, don’t leave it there just so you don’t have to carry it around. Grab it the second you see it. From my previous experiences, boxing day shopping isn’t like TV and I have never seen people snatch out of other’s hands. If you grab it, it’s your until the second you put it down.

4. Be Ruthless

Not to other shoppers, not to workers but to yourself. If you like something, don’t feel bad about it and put it back. If you do put it back and regret it, run and get it back ASAP! The worst thing to do is to not buy something but then regret it forever. In saying that, if you really don’t think you will ever use/wear/make something and its not extremely cheap, you’re probably better off just putting it back. If this happens and it is cheap though, you can buy it incase and if you really regret buying it you can sell it on eBay or gumtree or give it to someone that would like it!

5. Be Prepared - Part Two

Make sure you have enough money. I don’t recommend coming to the shop with a few dollars in your pocket because I know whenever I do that I leave with a couple or no things and pure disappointment. Save any money you can before boxing day so you don’t leave with regret.

Also, If you don’t find anything on Boxing Day, don’t be too disappointed because there are also great sales during the first week of the year, so keep an eye out!

6. Have Fun

I don’t go Boxing Day shopping just for the bargains, I go because I enjoy shopping and I find it fun to come home with my own late Christmas gifts! 

So, I hope this post helps you all with Boxing Day or any other crazy shopping sale days!

So without further ado, here are my favourite christmas jokes that I have heard/found over the years. Some aren’t totally christmas related but mention snow which occurs in other countries around christmas time haha!

What do you get if you cross Santa with a duck? A Christmas Quacker!

What do reindeer hang on their Christmas trees? Horn-aments!

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite!

What do snowmen eat for lunch? Iceburgers!

How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas? Fleece Navidad!

What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations? Tinsilitis!

What's green, covered in tinsel and goes “ribbet ribbet”? Mistle-toad!

Knock knock! Who's there? Hanna Hanna who? Hanna partridge in a pear tree!

Two snowmen were in a field, one turned to the other and said "I don't know about you but I can smell carrots”

How do you find Will Smith in the snow? Look for the Fresh Prints**

Hope you found at least one of those jokes slightly amusing! -Sonia xo

. Many people know exactly what they want, but I’m one of those people that wants so many things throughout the year, but suddenly has no clue when it comes to December. I’ve put some a LOT of thought into it and chosen some things that I would love for Christmas! I’m not expecting all of these things but at least one would be lovely, even if that means using any money or vouchers I receive. The thing I want the most out of this wish list is the Pandora Princess Tiara ring! Fingers crossed :)

What’s on your wishlist this Christmas? Let me know here!

Enjoy!