Do The Twist - The Butterfly Twist

I adore things that come in small packages. When I got this as a gift I was so excited to find out what was in the bag. Butterfly Twists?? Don't you just love not knowing what you are going to get? I very rarely get surprised, and this was such a pleasant one.

So I opened up my little black bag and there inside, were a pair of pumps, folded into themselves.

The whole idea with these beauties is that you carry them in your handbag and when you need a break from your heels - Voila!!! Wear them at the office and keep your heels for your boardroom meetings or for when you go out to meet your clients. I keep them in my gym bag, and after my Wednesday runs, which are followed by an hour of yoga, I swop my sneakers for my butterfly twists :-) 

The wonderful thing about this range of ballet pumps is that they are so so fashionable. Check out https://www.facebook.com/ButterflyTwistsSouthAfrica . I'm a sucker for all things comfortable, and the feeling I get wearing these is the closest to foot heaven as I'll get whilst I'm still alive! And the plus on these flexy pumps is that I get to look cute whilst being comfortable - Now that's fab! 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Fab Finds at Steve Madden

I picked up this gorgeous dress with gold stud detail at Mango whilst on my Nigeria trip. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by Lagos. As much as it may not be Johannesburg, there's just so much to love. 

Embelished clothing is a hot trend right now. These embelished loafers are by Steve Madden. The combo above is a demo of how you can wear the dress a little more casually than say, if you were pairing it with a gold detailed platform heel. These loafers are versatile and can work with different outfits. That's definitely one thing to consider when you're buying a pricey pair of shoes - Can you incorporate them with your other wardrobe items? If the answer is 'No', maybe consider buying something that's less costly.

Steve Madeen has a sale at the moment - Buy one pair and pay 50% for the second pair. I had initially gone in to find Wellington boots as they come handy in Lagos during the rainy season, especially when you go to the market. Here are the Welly's I found. Also available in Black  and Silver. The Zip detail at the back is what had me sold. Super hot!!!

Details:

Sleeveless dress with gold stud detail: Mango

Embelished Loafers: Steve Madden

Wellingtons: Steve Madden

What I wore in Lagos

I was in Lagos for a four day stay to visit my hubby. The best thing was that the weather was fabulously warm, aside from a bit of rain. I was so glad to temporarily escape from the Johannesburg winter.  It was a very relaxed trip so my wardrobe was mostly smart/casual. Here's what I wore...

Details ~ L to R:   1. Striped sleeveless top - Forever New; Faded jeans - Edgars; Loafers with studded crown detail  - Jet. 2. Floral dress - Mr Price; Patent nude sandals - Woolworths. 3. Hounds tooth patterned sheer blouse - Edgars; Coral stretch skinny's - Woolworths. 4. Black tank - Edgars; Black and white pants - Mr Price; Patent black sandals with diamante detail - Woolworths.

It's probably a good idea to start preparing for your spring wardrobe now, especially since this winter is not so cold. The two new items I bought prior to my trip were the striped black and white sleeveless top from Forever New. It has some sublte black embelishment detail which  reflects light, so the top is great for evenings too. The back of the top is sheer.

This sheer houndstooth blouse is from Edgars. Its quite s trendy item at the moment so you will most likely find it in most clothing stores now. I spotted a similar one at Woolies the other day.

And the pyjamas? I wore my cotton Hello Kitty cotton pjays which are so tiny, I could fold them them into my handbag if I wanted to. I have been obsessed with Hello Kitty since I was a child and thank God I have three girls I can live through vicariously! When people ask me, 'Do you like Hello Kitty?' I always respond - 'I don't like Hello Kitty - I am Hello Kitty!'

As for the toiletries, most of them were travel size which is great because you can leave them in a toilet bag thats ready to grab whenever you need to go on a trip.

All in all Lagos was different, but great. From September onwards Lagos will be my home base. I realised that there will be lots to discover in terms of fashion, fabrics and accessories. 

A whole new world awaits!

Fab Hair - The Side Braid

I'm growing my hair naturally and what better way to do this than to have it braided. Occasionally I wear a lace front wig, but braids are far more functional, especially since I'm in the gym five days a week. Braids can get boring though, so I tried out something different - a side braid.

I've taken pics from different angles so that you can redo this look if you like it. Its quick, easy and different. You can even rock it with your weave or your own natural hair if its long enough. Have a fun time experimenting :)

Post-Partum Depression - Seek Help for a Better Mind

I’ve been having a lazy day at home. Yay! Yay! And more Yay!!! My four munchkins are in Gaborone with my mom and dad for the school hols, and Hubby is in West Africa for work, so I stayed at home and did absolutely NOTHING!

Now you know if you are in front of the telly and you are watching your fav channel, you will watch the same thing over and over again thanks to the repeat patterns on DSTV! But alas, nothing in this world is in vain. Everything happens for a reason. I'm watching Tia and Tamera and Tia is going on and on about post-partum depression. Right now I’m watching the same episode for the third time and it's hitting home. It’s very easy to think that you go through things alone and that’s because when things happen to you it can be so intense you forget that your’re really not that special and it might affect millions of women in the world. 

I just saw a scene where Lisa Rina tells Tia that when she had post-natal depression, she was suicidal and she remembers asking her husband to hide all the knives in the house so that there was no possibility of harming herself or her child. I got goose bumps listening to this, because it was so similar what I have been through. At the time I didn’t just feel like I was sad or weepy. I really felt like I was going insane and I wasn't able to control the horrible and harmful thoughts that came to my mind.

So yes, I have had post natal depression and it’s something that can take you to a very dark place. I remember seeing a psychologist and crying my eyes out. She gave me some mind excercises to do at home, but that helped me in no way. She was against medication because I would probably have to stop breast feeding and she was personally against this. I went back home and was extremely frustrated. After a week I went for a second opinion and my doc prescribed me an anti-depressant. And I lie to you not, in three days I was back to my old self because my hormones balanced out. I got so much flack from everyone because I had to stop breastfeeding. A friend of my parents even went to the extent of going on the net and printing me info on why it’s important to breast feed your child. I actually get sad thinking about that because everyone considered the baby, but no-one cared to think about what I was going through. And let it be known, that although my children have only been breast fed for a month (because I have re-occuring depression, especially when my hormones get imbalanced due to pregnancy) ,there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of them!! I have four strong, healthy children, and that’s because I fought for a healthy mind.

So listen, if you are going through this, I know that everyone expects something from you and you don’t want to disappoint anyone, and you also don’t want to under-perform as a mom. I just want to tell you that if you are not okay, then your baby is not okay. You have to be real with yourself, stand your ground, and throw other peoples’ expectations out the door because admitting that you have post-natal drepression and getting help does not make you a lesser mom than any other mom out there.

When it comes to your own welfare and that of your child’s you have the right to make the decisions and do what’s right. As a woman and as a mom, the power is yours. Believe that and own it!

Here are the contacts for the Postnatal Depression Support Association South Africa (PNDSA) – you can go to http://www.pndsa.org.za or call 082 882 0072. Remember, you hardly regret the things that you do, but usually the things that you don’t do. You can also contact your GP to get help and for referral to a psychologist or psychotherapist.

One for the Weekend: Casual-Chic

Hello Fab EDG’sJ TGIF!!! Winter’s chill has been whispering the past couple of month and now She's here! Yes the REAL winter is here and the mornings and evenings are Freeeeeeeezing! Our heaters are on, our electic blankets and humidifiers are plugged in and our coats and bomber jackets are back in our closets!

I’ve put together three looks with bomber of puffer jackets, which usually prove to be the warmest cover for the outdoors. Sometimes though, it can be challenging to wear a bomber or a puffer and not look overly casual. Here are some chic ways to do it. It’s imperative for Fab EDG’s to combine functionality and style!  Hope you all love the weekend looks J

Details ~ Belted quilted jacket: Foschini

Basic Poloneck: Fashion Express

Camo Skinny: Fashion Express

Pump with Toe Cap & Metal Hardware: Charles and Keith

Colourblock Tote: Charles and Keith

Gloves: Foshini

Details ~ Nutmeg cord bomber:  Jacket Foschini

Cowl tunic jumper: Fashion Express

Cobalt cord Jegging : Foschini

Quilted Knee Length Boot: Charles and Keith

Medium shoulder bag : Charles and Keith

Details ~ Puffer jacket:  Fashion Express

Grey and white top with stud detail: Fashion Express

Denim skinnys: Foschini

Faux suede buckled ankle boot: Charles and Keith

Blue handbag with strap detail: Charles and Keith

Coulour block snood: Fashion Express

 Have a fabulous weekend!

Mulligan xx

Wednesday for the Working Girl - Bring your Wild Side to Work

I’m sure many of you have never thought of leopard prints as ‘work appropriate’, but as I said  in my post yesterday, it really does depend on the treatment of the outfit. There’s a time and place for everything and there's no-one who knows your work dress code better than yourself J

 If you are thinking about wearing animal prints to the workplace for the first time you might want to consider the following tips:

©       If you are in a very conservative and strictly professional environment try to keep animal prints for social occasions.

©       If your work environment encourages creativity, but you still need to keep some level of professionalism, go for animal prints in more muted colours or wear smaller pieces, for example, a thin leopard print belt or a python print scarf.

©       Always remember to stick to one item of animal print per outfit.

Here are some ideas on how to rock your animal prints to work.

Details ~ L to R:  Black ponti short blazer- Fashion Express; Animal blouse- Fashion Express; Poni pencil skirt- Foschini; Black heels with gold toe cap- Luella; Black blazer with animal print lining- Fashion Express; Grey cowl top- Fashion Express; Skinny trousers- Foschini; Pointed court shoe with toe cap & cut out detail- Charles and Keith.

Sometimes all you need to do is accessorise, especially if you're a bit fearful of wearing prints to work. Animal print accessories could be just what you need to add some pizzazz to your ensemble.

Details~ L to R: Pony Skin belt- Fashion Express; Pointy pony skin and leather pump- Luella;Burnt Orange choc animal print scarf- Donna-Claire;  Black and grey animal stole- Fashion Express; Cut out court shoe- Charles and Keith; Pumpkin leopard woven scarf- Donna-Claire; Skinny grey snake print belt- Foschini;