Paisley St Claire

DIY Converse

My sister has a collection of about 8 pairs of hightop Converse gym boots and 2 pairs of the sneaker style. My son has a navy pair, which my husband hates because he has so much trouble getting them on him. At the moment I have a black pair - very conservative.

I had my first pair of Converse gym boots when I was 12. They were hot pink. Eventually I customised them by painting purple flames flaring up from the heel (a la hotrod style). It seemed like a good idea at the time... it was the 80's. Now you don't have to paint your Converse to customise them - Converse will make ones specially for you. Converse's website has a feature that allows you to choose every little bit of your shoe, right down to the stitching colour. You can choose from their regular hightops, lowtops, canvas, leather, whatever. Here is what I started off with:

Then you step by step choose a colour for each part of the shoe. You can even personalise them by getting a word or name printed on the heel or on the side at the back. My only wish is that they had more patterns and graphical prints. Here's my masterpiece:

There's nothing conservative about those babies!

The price is pretty much the same as an off-the-shelf pair. However, if you're outside the US you'll have to get them forwarded to you because, like most US companies, Converse only ship to within America.

I'm in love with... Loeffler Randall

I think I'm in love with this yellow top. I can't stop thinking about it and any time I see something yellow my heart begins to flutter.

This Loeffler Randall Silk Bib Blouse (US$265) from Saks Fifth Avenue is going on my wishlist. I like the mini dress (US$395) too, but unfortunately, I no longer have the legs for it.

Pretty in Pink iPod

How pretty is the new iPod Nano?

Its available at the Apple Store for A$279.

Pet Accessories (Part 2)

Well, I think you've had enough time to recover from Pet Accessories (Part 1) so here comes Part 2.

Clockwise from Top Left: Coco Bow Dog Bowl US$39.95 from Wrapables.com, Iguana Pet Dish US$89.95 from Modern Tails, Bamboo Veneer Wowo Pet Feeder US$119.95 from Modern Tails, Wowo Single Raised Feeder US$169.95 from Modern Tails,  Infinity Dog Bowl GBP45 from Mungo & Maud, Alessi Tigrito Cat Bowl Light Blue A$116.00 from Peters of Kensington, Designer Dog Bowls from A$29.95 at Central Bark, Big Pooch Dog Bowl (US$99.95) and Booster (US$59.95) from Wetnoz, Striped Dog Bowl US$50 from Jonathan Adler, Speckled Blue Vintage Cat Bowl GBP7.50 from Mungo & Maud, Double Wooden Dog Bowl GBP105 from Mungo and Maud.

    

What can I say? There are now countless fashion accessories for your pet, from necklaces, shoes, ties, hats, hairclips and even backpacks for your cat. All of fabulous accessories come from the Accessory department of Modern Tails. Its weird to see shoes that come in sets of 4.

Luxury traveler, red chair, caravan and modern home all from Dog is God.  Limited edition retro camper van (US$5000!!) from Tag. Luxury dog houses by Doggy Dream Homes. Life is certainly good for some pets! 

Happy Australia Day!!

Tomorrow is Australia Day, so today I'm giving you my top 5 online stores selling Australia fashion and accessories.

Australian Flavour has heaps of cool Aussie labels. Dress by Limedrop, necklace by Zoemou and shorts by Mother Maria.

Probably the best collection of Australian designer fashion, My Catwalk. T shirt by Sass & Bide, Skirt by Sass & Bide, Jacket by Life with Bird. Check out My Catwalk's free Sass & Bide T shirt offer.

ytba (yet to be announced) gathers together an eclectic mix of emerging Australian designers (including me). Necklace by Dapple-Grey, dress by Papershaker, dress by Bim Kenesis.

Brand new store Clothing Store Online serves up a menu of fresh Australian talent. Skirt by Fine Cloth,  Baby T by Baobab, Dress by Love from Ko.

Everything a beach-lovin' Aussie girl could want is at Bird Motel. Peacock dress by One Teaspoon, red dress by Mermaid Sister and kaftan by Tigerlily.

Enjoy the long weekend! See you Tuesday.

Mural, mural, on the wall...

Ditch those plain walls in favour of bold retro wallpaper or very cool murals.

These gorgeous interiors feature Harlequin wallpapers which are available at decorator shops all over the world. I found these at Wallpapershop.com.au. I've dealt with them before and they are really friendly.

Who knew murals could be so cool? These are from Wallpapershop.com.au.

Get instant street-cred with these murals from Urban Outfitters.

Esra Roise

I struggle to draw a stick figure. Esra Roise on the other hand, does not. These drawings are astounding.

Esra is a freelance illustrator based in Norway who, among other projects, has illustrated several children's books. Visit Esra Roise's website to see more.

via Happy Cavalier.

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger. A sad loss for his family and Australia.

Eleisha Nylund

Amazing contemporary jewellery by Brisbane designer, Eleisha Nylund. They are 'price on application' so visit her website to contact her.

New Purses and Bags in the Shop

This post is a little late today as I've been flat out adding more purses and bags to the website. Here are a couple of snapshots of the new stock.

Clockwise from Top Left: Nikita coin purses, Lola handbag, Estella purse, Sophia gathered clutch all in fabric 5104. You can find all items that have this fabric by entering 5104 into the search field at the top right hand corner of the Jaime Beattie website.

Bright purses. Clockwise from Top Left: Rania maxi-clutches in stripe fabric (BXR5296) and spot fabric (BXR7002), allover print maxi-clutch Maxie (BXM6003), multicoloured spot Catania clutch (BCL7006) and Nikita coin purse (BCP7006).

Some new bags have also been added. Top Row (left to right): Brigitte bags - BAL6052, BAL6051 and BAL6017.

Second Row (left to right): Zaida bag in cream Eiffel Tower fabric (BHL5046) and Madeline bag in a navy spot fabric (BHS5103).

And finally, some gorgeous new styles from our upcoming collection. Lola (top row) is a frame handbag featuring a kisslock closure, shaped handles and a combination of print and plain fabric. Sophia (second row) is a  feminine clutch featuring a softly gathered front and solid colour back panel.

There are plenty more new items so hop over to the website and check out the New Items section. Some of the cuffs and all of the necklaces have sold out already, so don't delay. If you see a sold out item that you really want, just send us an email and we will see if we can make one specially for you.

Grumpy Old Man?

The pillow on the left is called 'Grumpy Old Man Pillow' and it was made by Milwaukee based designers Magic Pony Farm. For those who don't recognise him, the man on the right is John Howard, he was the Prime Minister of Australia for 12 years.

The resemblance is remarkable! Any John-Howard-lovers out there should snap this pillow up quick smart.

The Grumpy Old Man Pillow is available at Magic Pony Farm's etsy store for only US$30. The part I love the best is MPF's description of the pillow:

This silly old man would be a funny addition to any living area. Just picture him in the morning scolding you for wearing a too reveling outfit or demanding that he get to read the newspaper first.

I can just imagine a Young Liberal cuddling up to this at night.

Picture credit: Photo of John Howard by Mike Stone

Weee, Doggie! Pet Accessories (Part 1)

I must admit that when I thought of the idea for this post I expected to find a couple of fancy dog collars and a 'luxurious' cat bed. Oh boy, I discovered that the life of some pampered pets is much better than mine! Thank goodness my two dogs are not computer literate, otherwise there'd be an uprising. Prepare to be amazed...

Yes, that's right, wigs for your cat.  I'm not sure how you get a cat to keep a wig on but it sure would be fun to try it. This unique idea is from KittyWigs.com. The wigs come beautifully packaged in their own little retro beauty case for US$50 (postage is free in the US or an additional US$25 if you live elsewhere). Check out the flickr photo pool to see real pets wearing their wigs. Here are a couple of my favourites:

I'm not going to linger on pet clothes for too long. Personally, I find it a bit weird... wigs fine, clothes weird. Try googling 'pet clothes' - there's a whole other world out there. Here are some stylish numbers:

Clockwise from Top Left:  Tiffanie's Little Blue Harness from Pawsitively Posh, Racing Gear from Modern Tails, Posh Pearls from Pawsitively Posh, Paris Dog Party Dress from Modern Tails.

There's no old blanket in a cardboard box for these pets. Clockwise from Top Left: Ellipse Pet Bed US$799.95, Modern Tails; Toile Dip Front Cuddler US$64.95, Modern Tails; Toile Round Bed US$109.95, Modern Tails; Iguana Claw cat scratcher US$84.95, Modern Tails; Antoinette Garden Pet Bed from US$59.95, Wrapables; Bone Applique Bed US$149.95, Modern Tails; Wowo Dog Pod US$649.95, Modern Tails.

Stay tuned for Pet Accessories (Part 2) where we delve into pet dining, jewellery and homes. Have a great weekend!

New Accessories in the Shop

I've added some more 'small' accessories to the Jaime Beattie shop today.

There are new headbands, wooden bead necklaces and cuffs. Get 'em while they're hot!

New purses and bags will be in the shop soon.

Book Plates

Have a look at these delightful book plates from The Paper Princess. They are as adorable as they are useful.

The bookplates come in sets of 32 and are customised with the child's name professionally printed - so you don't have to worry about your handwriting. Conveniently, the bookplates have adhesive backs and come in a handy little tin. What a great idea for grandparents to keep a stash of bookplates and slip them into the books before giving them to their darling grandchildren. Sets of bookplates are available from The Paper Princess for US$24.99 and they ship everywhere.   

Hello Sailor!

There's no shortage of nautical prints in Peter Alexander's current range of sleepwear for men and women. And I like it. The collection features adorable anchor prints, stripes and spots in crisp white and royal blue.

My favourite is the Sailor Knit  Short with white button detail.

Top Row (left - right): Sailor Knit Short (A$29.90), Sailor Tank (A$29);
Middle Row (left - right): Sailor Short PJ Set (A$49), Sailor Spot Slinky Nightie (A$59);
Last Row (left - right):  Men's Sailor Sleep Short ($35); Men's Grey Marle Sleep Shorts ($35).

Peter Alexander pyjamas are available in PA Stores,  stockists worldwide or online (they ship everywhere).

Kid Pirate

I recently discovered Kid Pirate. They make cool t-shirts with cute characters in regular and plus sizes.

They also make matching necklaces and allow you to choose the type of chain and chain length.

Best of all, everything is really cheap! The t-shirts are all under US$20 and the accessories are mostly US$5-10. Check our Kid Pirate's website for more cool accessories and badges.

Heavy Metal Baby

Oh my goodness, this is the funniest! Rockabye Baby! have converted the likes of Metallica, Led Zepplin, Nine Inch Nails, The Ramones and Green Day  into lullabies for babies.

   

Some of the covers might be a bit scary for little kids though.

There are heaps of bands to choose from so visit the Rockabye Baby! website to check them out and hear samples of the tracks.  You can buy directly from the website or I found them on the Kido website (Australian). My personal favourites for getting little bubs to sleep are The Reminder by Feist and Coco by Colbie Caillat.

Cocktail Rings

I love cocktail rings (statement rings, righthand rings, whatever you like to call them). They are one of the easiest ways to show your personality or mood without any effort at all. Here are some rings - some divine, some fun, some unusual, some a little bit kooky.

Top Row (left to right): Crystal Ball Ring by Kenneth Jay Lane (US$98); Modern Cushion Statement Ring by David Yurman (US$1100); Art Deco Crystal Ring by Lee Angel (on sale US$129); Queen Bee Ring by emitations (on sale US$199).

Middle Row (left to right): Resin Pyramid Ring by Alexis Bittar (on sale US$65); Vitalize Ring by Mark Vaarwerk (AUD$260); Argent Disco Ball Ring by Kenneth Jay Lane (AUD$139); Reba's Faux Black Onyx Ring by emitations (US$99); Zebra Ring at The Carrotbox (US$42).

Bottom Row (left to right): Black Onyx Cable Ring by hollywoodstyle (AUD$79); Pave Buckle Ring by David Yurman (US$1400); Black and White Rectangle Rings by Dinosaur Designs (from AUD$50 each); Mindy's Black Widow Spider Ring by emitations (US$135).

Top Row (left to right): Square Ring by Giles & Brother (US$75); Topaz Ring by Pianegonda (US$450); Oversized Bloodstone Ring by Stephen Dweck (US$350).

Middle Row (left to right): Green Amethyst Ring by Euphoria New York (US$3390); Large Aqua Chalcedony Oval Ring by David Yurman (US$3100); Chunky Thirlwell Ring - Green by Sarah Thirlwell  (US$70); Skull Candy Ring - Blue by Lady Luck Rules Ok (AUD$38); Oversized Turquoise Ring by Viktoria Hayman (on sale US$117).

Bottom Row (left to right): Fraggle's Frog Cocktail Ring by emitations (on sale US$225); Kimono Ring at The Carrotbox (US$16); Large Fernando Ring by Malababa (on sale US$20); Double Crystal Ring - Emerald by Kenneth Jay Lane (US$105).

First Column (top to bottom): Ribbon Ring by Yarborough Jewelry (US$88); Marilee's Fox Cocktail Ring by emitations (US$300); Tagua Ring by SURevolution (on sale US$32.50).

Column 2 (top to bottom): Ruby Glam Cocktail Ring by hollywoodstyle (AUD$54.95); Carved Tiger's Eye Ring by Stephen Dweck (US$350); Handmade Cocktail Ring by Kevia (AUD$175); Thirlwell Ring - Pink by Sarah Thirlwell (US$70).

Column 3 (top to bottom): Handmade Stone Ring by Kevia (AUD$160); Tagua Ring by SURevolution (on sale US$22); Abstract Gem Jewels Cocktail Ring by Marc by Marc Jacobs (US$58); Jaisalmer Coin Ring by John Hardy (US$895).

Last Column (top to bottom): Batu Kawung Quartz Ring by John Hardy (US$795); Large Tiger's Eye Ring by Stephen Dweck (US$395); Tummy Ache Ring by Amy Burhoe (US$40).

Aussie Kids

There are plenty of Australian online kids stores popping up and its refreshing to see that they stock independent Australian kidswear labels as well as the the big name brands.

Blink Designs kids' range consists of t-shirts, singlets and soft toys all of which are hand printed in Melbourne. I think the sailor is adorable. The range is incredibly affordable - all of these pieces are under A$35 each. You can order through Blink Design's website or check out their long list of Australian and online stockists.

Kids' silhouette prints by independent Australian designers. Left: 2 piece set, onsie and singlet by Eggheads; Centre: t-shirt and skirt by Surface Art;  Right:  blue and pink onsies and t-shirt by Cumbungi.

Oobi is not exactly a small label anymore but they certainly make some of the cutest clothes of any Australian company. I love their little girls clothes. I had a dress almost exactly like the green one above when I was little. It was my favourite party dress. Oobi say their mission is to create beautiful, charming and slightly whimsical fashion that pushes the boundaries of what people usually expect from childrenswear. They even design and print the cotton fabrics themselves. I think their detailing is perfect.  Cradlerock has an extensive collection of Oobi clothes or check out Oobi's website for stockist details worldwide.

Botanical Art

I've been thinking about putting some little framed prints in the corner where I have my computer. Its a communal space so I want something that is appropriate for the room. I figure you can't really go wrong with botanicals. I'm considering framing some Angie Lewin cards to make a series of pictures. You can buy boxed sets of Angie Lewin cards here. Below is my round up of affordable Botanical Art. 

Linocut and Wood Engraving prints by Angie Lewin.

Limited edition prints of original colour ink paintings by Ola Design.

Delightfully dotty prints from Jelly Beans.

Magnumfied On the Move by Mindy Wilson and Feeling Jazzy print by Browington Forest.

I adore these fabulous bright prints by Yellena.  I had such a hard time picking some out for this post - there are so many great prints. I really like this one below as well. Its so earthy and retro.

 

You can buy Yellena's prints at her Etsy store and you can read about her work on her blog. It seems that her original work sells pretty quickly so it may be a good way of getting a heads up on new pieces.