I will be honest. I'm not much of a handbag girl. Once I buy one (usually a cheap one from somewhere like Temt or Sportsgirl), I tend to use it until it pretty much falls apart. However, recently I have had to travel between two houses quite a bit, and as I am quite disorganised at the best of times, I do usually forget something important. So, when Borne Naked asked me to review their product, I thought that I would see if I could lift my organisation game!

The liner itself is quite big, about the size of a clutch bag (it's the size 'medium' on the website). Because I prefer to carry quite large bags, it was used more of a pocket containing the essentials than an actual liner that I could transfer between bags, although when I was in a rush, it was easy to just grab out the bag and shove it (...delicately) into another bag.


Here's my 'essentials' that I put into the liner...
♥ Wallet (from Dotti, it's already looking a bit used, does anyone have any recommendations?)
♥ Glasses case
♥ iPhone & headphones
♥ Napoleon Perdis foundation
♥ A pen (usually there are a lot more floating around in my bag)
♥ Sportsgirl sunglasses
♥ My name badge, for work (I work for one of the concession brands in David Jones)
♥ Deodorant
♥ Body Shop lip balm (I've been using this one - the brand, I mean, not the same tub - since high school)
♥ Headphones
♥ Keys (owl keyring from Sportsgirl, Paris keyring was a gift)

Phew! And this is only the 'essential' items. They have to compete with myriad magazines and books, like the Frankie one pictured (I HATE going out without having something to read), stones such as amethyst that I bought in Fremantle ages ago, crumpled up receipts and movie tickets, uni notebooks and handouts... and so on.



I didn't think it would be a necessary product, because I don't switch bags that often, but I was pleasantly surprised at how convenient it was to have all my essential products in one compartment. When you're staying at someone's house, it's a pain to get there and realise that you've forgotten your makeup or deodorant, and having it all in one bag made it a lot easier to find, and to chuck in my overnight bag. I also tend to absentmindedly take off my jewelery and put it in the depths of my bag - putting it in  a clear case made it MUCH easier to find the next day!


I was sent this for review by Borne Naked, I don't think I would go out of my way to buy one if I hadn't been sent it. It's useful, but I just don't think I switch bags enough to warrant the expense. I will continue using mine, though, and if you're more of a bag girl then I would definitely recommend it!

Rating: ♥♥♥1/2 / ♥♥♥♥♥. A useful product that I can definitely see myself using, but probably more suited to someone who changes bags more regularly. I thought the sizing was a little off - it was too big to go into the clutches I own and a little bit smaller than the bags I regularly use. Beautiful packaging (I love the pin-up girls!), and if you go to the website you can actually pick the size which would suit you the most. I would probably recommend a small, the medium is a bit bigger than what I would need.

p.s And in case you were wondering, this is my bag! I got it on sale from Sportsgirl, and unfortunately I am already on the lookout for another bag. This one has studs, as you can see, and the fabric covering the pointy, sharp backs of the studs is completely useless - I've lost count of how many scratches I've gotten from this bag! I think that when a bag MAIMS YOUR HANDS, it's time to move on.


{Disclaimer: I was sent this product to review for Borne Naked. All opinions are my own & not influenced by the company.}

Today I woke up feeling really down, for no particular reason. To be honest, I think it is just stress about uni and work building up, as well as a really nasty case of hay fever, which makes everything seem a bit more foggy and just, well, blah.

Nothing that a cup of hazelnut coffee and a cupcake won't fix, though.

















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I have never been very excited by summer. It gets SO HOT in Perth that I would basically rather lie under the airconditioner in my pyjamas, rather than actually get dressed (the effort!) and go outside (the stifling heat!). However, this year I have made a resolution to actually make an effort - so I don't go without outfit posts for three months - and have been compiling a wishlist to help me get inspired.

1. Shorts
I have always been a bit self-conscious of my legs, so have shied away from wearing shorts for most of my life. But this year I thought, eff that, and bought a gorgeous pair of Hi There by Karen Walker navy blue, nautical inspired shorts that fit like a dream. This has intensified my lust for shorts and in my "research" (internet shopping) I found these pairs that would be very happy in my wardrobe. I have wanted a pair of leather shorts for ages (although I'm not sure how practical they would be in 40ºC heat); these shorts by Sparkle and Fade are perfect - they're not too short or too tight. The Shorts of It draped shorts by Modcloth would be so incredibly comfortable and also fit the bill of not being so tight. I can see them being paired with a simple white tee and clogs for an effortless look. The Kimchi printed shorts look like they would be so flattering and it is such a simple print it could be paired with almost anything on top. And finally, the Lover scalloped short from Princess Polly captures another style that I've been lusting after for ages. I love the neutral tan colour, too.


2. Wedges
I love wedges and feel like they suit summer perfectly. The Jeffrey Campbell Flower of the Hour wedges, available from Modcloth, are fantastic for spring and the floral print makes such a chunky shoe seem a bit more feminine. The pair by Seed Femme features a kind of worn-looking leather and (having tried them on in store) I can vouch that they are incredibly soft and very, very comfortable. I have been lusting after a pair of clogs since my Rubi shoes ones unceremoniously broke beyond repair on a walk home from the pub, and I think these Funkis ones would fill the void nicely. I absolutely HATED clogs when I first saw but they've grown on me now and I am desperate for a pair that doesn't break! The Tunnelbana Heel from Modcloth would be perfect under maxi dresses and for summer occasions are a bit more formal.

3. Maxi Dresses
I love maxi dresses for summer; they're such an easy option to throw on and still look dressed up. It takes me a while to find one that doesn't make me look shorter, but once I do, I hardly ever take it off (in case you're wondering, I've found great ones at Witchery, Jay Jays and from op-shops). The Sportsgirl beaded maxi is great for nighttime - the beaded neckline looks very Sass & Bide inspired. The Navy Pipeline Maxi Dress from Button'n'Thread Boutique is a kind of unusual shape for a maxi - it looks a bit more elegant and Bianca Jagger, Studio 54 inspired, rather than simply 'beachy bohemian princess', like the vibe most other maxi dresses exude. The Very Vital Maxi Dress from Modcloth is just that - very vital! The stripes are flattering in all the right places and it's a bold choice for spring/summer.


4. Accessories
I won't go into too much detail here because they're pretty self explanatory - but all of them exude spring or summer to me in some way. Butterfly headband by Which Goose, turban and sunhat from Sportsgirl, sunglasses all from Girl Props (the first two pairs are making their way to me as we speak!), Refraction necklace by Drown from Alegorie, Quite Contrary earrings from Modcloth, Lulu Guinness tote from ASOS.

I wore this to an interview for an internship position. It was quite hard to decide what to wear, considering it was a 26ºC day, but luckily my Modcloth order came last week. I wore the Sesame Candy dress (I got it on sale and it's all sold out now, unfortunately!) and it's perfectly light and simple for summer.


This dress fits beautifully - I adore Modcloth, but I find it really hard to get dresses that actually fit my bust size. The brand is Nick & Mo, so if you ladies with bewbs come across any, snap them up! The only problem I have with the dress is that it's linen, so it pretty much crumples as soon as you put it on, as you can tell by the photos. But, I couldn't go past the gorgeous colours and the fact that it has POCKETS!




I was hoping for a bit of a break after the craziness of last week, but I still have two major essays due in the next couple of weeks (major as in, 40% of my final grade). So, no relaxing for me just yet! I do have some posts lined up, though, so you guys won't be left Gin in a Teacup-less like last week!


I really like this last picture... but it also kind of makes me look like a creeper lurking in your back garden. Which I don't, I promise. OR DO I? (No. No I don't.)

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Sorry to be AWOL on you this week, it was production week for the uni paper (which I take part in for one of my units) and even though my role wasn't as big as last time, for some reason I felt extra busy the whole week. I think it was because I've taken on more work hours as well. So, SORRY! Real life gets in the way sometimes. Hopefully these tunes will make up for it somewhat...

♥ Stornoway - I Saw You Blink
These guys are playing at the St Jerome's Laneway Festival and so I was even more excited to get tickets (it was the best festival I went to last festival season, by far!).The whole album is very earnestly sweet but this is my favourite track.

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p.s It would be hugely appreciated by me if Gin in a Teacup was nominated for the 2threads Fashion Awards! All you have to do is nominate it here, for the Best Fashion Blog category. Thanks!

I've never been very good at accessorising outfits. With some people (well, those people frequently featured on Jak and Jil and The Sartorialist), it seems that they can instinctively pick the perfect finishing touches to their outfit. I am not very good at this. Instead of picking classic, "investment" accessories, I look for more unusual pieces - even if these means buying brooches featuring green plastic kangaroo heads, necklaces with an anatomically correct heart, and rings that take up the entirety of my finger. Since I finally have space in my room to display them all, I thought I'd share my favourites with you.






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Fashion blogs, I am sorry. I have been neglecting you for something much more... delicious. And filling. I'm talking food blogs. Ever since I got the Australian Woman's Weekly cookbook for my 21st, I have become obsessed - obsessed! - with cooking. And not just your run-of-the-mill cake mixes. I'm talking pastitsio, banoffee pie, scones, pasta carbonara... It's getting out of control.

I've been bookmarking cooking blogs like a woman possessed. I've yet to stray from my beloved AWW cookbook, but here are some of the sites making my mouth water and tummy rumble...

1. Bake It In A Cake
A really cute blog all about - you guessed it! - baking stuff into cupcakes. This particular picture is from a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Did you just drool a little bit in your mouth? I did. If you have a look around the site, you can find a number of things to bake into a cake, including Halloween Oreos, fortune cookies, Count Chocula cereal, and... broccoli?

2. Six Kilos of Pumpkin
I might be a bit biased, since this is my sister's blog, but I can vouch that the recipes she makes are all quick, simple, cheap, and delicious. This particular pizza above is from a recipe for a pumpkin, fetta and walnut pizza. It is amazing. I was actually a bit off it for a while after having it so often - the title 'Six Kilos of Pumpkin' is actually accurate, from when my sister "accidentally" bought too much pumpkin and then had to find creative ways to cook it so we could make some room in the fridge/freezer/tiny apartment.

3. Smitten Kitchen
This might be one of my favourite food blogs. Smitten Kitchen has beautiful photography and actually manages to make the blog really personable, which I think would be hard when you have a food blog. I mean, food doesn't really have a lot of personality. The above photo is of eggplant salad toasts, which I would love to make if I ever woke up at a suitable breakfast eating time.

4. This Fellow
I am cheating a bit here, as this isn't strictly a food blog. But, you can find some delicious recipes on here, like this one for chocolate cake (one of my all time favourite comfort foods). Plus, it is written by Keiko Lynn's boyfriend, who has been admired many a time for his adorableness. Win-win!

5. Bake-It

This is another person I kind of know in real life (IRL OMG!!) but unfortunately I have not gotten the chance to sneak much of her cooking. I did manage to get one of these cookies - they were made for the Macbeth in Space: A Romantic Comedy pantomime, which I know way, way, way too much about for someone who was not actually IN it - and I have forever rued the day that I did not try and sneak more. The recipes on here all look delicious and it even has cocktail recipes from time to time (well, if you put up a cocktail recipe, I won't say no to making it in obscenely large quantities and drinking it).

There you go! Five beautiful food blogs to whet your appetite. If you have any more you can recommend I'd love to hear them!

x

p.s Cat Wall, this post is totally for you & your love of food blogs/pictures of food/food. IRL REFERENCES LOLOLOLOL

Hello! This is what I wore for a lazy day working at home and a teeny bit of shopping in the afternoon. My mum is visiting from Bunbury, so this morning we went out to a delicious breakfast at the Dux Cafe. I always get the vegetarian breakfast because it includes a gourmet hash brown (there IS such a thing), mushrooms, spinach, and haloumi cheese. Yum! Unfortunately today I couldn't enjoy it as much because I have the worst hay fever I've had in a while. So, I spent a majority of the day relaxing with hot drinks and episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, and went out to get some new work clothes in the afternoon.


Last night I went out to dinner at Pancho's with the girls I used to work with. One of them is leaving to go to Melbourne and it is really sad to think she won't be living around the corner from me anymore! The $5 margaritas helped numb the pain, though. And tonight I am hopefully going out to birthday drinks and to see a band in Northbridge.

Hope your weekend is splendid, too!

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I completely forgot to post these photos, but this is what I wore to the One Movement festival. Sorry to show you the same dress so soon, but it was a rather last-minute outfit - as I mentioned in my Sunday Songs post, my sister's boyfriend had a spare ticket and I was lucky enough to get it the morning of the festival! I was actually a little bit cold, I guess the summery weather in Perth couldn't last for too long.


I guess I should explain the random balloons in the photo, my best friends got them for me on my birthday and they are miraculously still full, almost two months later!


It was a really great festival - it's only the second year it's been in Perth. I was surprised to see it was quite empty, though, and most of the people there got in for free. I think it has a bit more of an 'industry' vibe and less of a 'let's go to this festival and get munted' kind of feel to it, along with the lack of major international acts. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have gone if I'd had to pay for a ticket (even though I would have been pretty devastated to miss Ben Kweller!) but it had such a good vibe and really friendly atmosphere. I will definitely be heading back next year!

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EDIT: After some recommendations from some of my favourite bloggers, I have decided to use Nuffnang ads on my blog. Don't worry, it won't change my content and I will still fully disclosed if posts are sponsored in any way.  If you have any more questions feel free to email gininateacup@gmail.com. Thanks!

At the Unwrapped markets a while ago, I was helping out at the stall opposite Little Gracie's. The stall was incredibly busy, and I could see why once I got a chance to look at the beautiful clothes on offer! If you have ever even glanced at one of my outfit posts you can probably guess that I am a fan of girlie, romantic, vintage inspired dresses, and these fit the bill perfectly. It's pretty amazing that the designer, Ebony Harding, only graduated in 2009 - her label is already incredibly popular in Perth and was nominated for the 'Designer for Tomorrow' at the WA Fashion Awards.

Here are some photos from her 2010 s/s collection, charmingly titled 'A Tale of Boy Meets Girl'...

Yesterday I was lucky enough to go to the One Movement music festival for free, thanks to my sister's lovely boyfriend! It's more of an industry showcase than a music festival, and it was delightfully cruisy and a great start to the music festival season (not that I can afford to go to any, I'm holding out for the Laneway lineup!).

Anyway, this week's Sunday Songs is appropriately One Movement themed. These were my favourite artists from the Saturday.


♥ Hungry Kids of Hungary - Let You Down
I have to admit that I only saw this band because Emma said on her Twitter that she was going to see them. I am lucky that she has great music taste, these guys were great! There were so many awesome Australian bands, it made me very happy!

1. I'm not a vegetarian, nor do I have any immediate plans to become one, but I have become addicted to Quorn food. This is the (eerily authentic tasting) chicken, cheese and spinach schnitzel, lovingly documented for your viewing pleasure:

2. I have mentioned before on this blog how much I like pugs, so I was overjoyed to get these pug bookends. Until I find some books worthy of their awesomeness, they are just chilling on a shelf in the lounge room.

3. The day of the vintage market, my mum and I had breakfast at The Pantry Door in North Perth. It is a ridiculously cute cafe that I highly recommend! I got the spinach, feta and mushrooms on toast.

4. I didn't get a proper outfit photo the day of the markets, but I took this after I got home. I'm wearing a shirt-dress I got from Sportsgirl (and which you can see in this post). My room is pretty messy (understatement).

5. I was lucky and got a beautiful bunch of flowers last Friday for an anniversary of sorts. ♥

6. I am really excited to see Reel Big Fish! You know that I have an undying (if ill-advised) love for them, and I was sure that they wouldn't tour for a while after coming here for the Soundwave festival last year. But I shall be grooving along when they come to Perth in December.

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I had the day off today and instead of doing something like starting my final assignments or cleaning the house, I thought that it would be a good day for a picnic. So, last night I made some things from this cookbook, popped on one of my favourite dresses, called up one of my favourite people and we went down to the park around the corner from my house.

There were homemade sausage rolls...

scones with jam & cream (that were extremely DELICIOUS, if I do say so myself)...

carrots...

and of course, outfit photos!



This dress is pretty perfect for spring because although it's a summery style, it's made of what is most likely polyester, so it gets mighty gross and sweaty after about two minutes on a hot day. But, it is one of my favourites - it was one of the first proper vintage dresses I ever bought.
And yes, the hat is totally ineffectual for actually protecting me from the sun, but I like it anyway.

It was a very lovely day indeed. Also, I will be guest posting on my sister's food blog with the recipes for the sausage rolls and scones, so pop down there if you are interested in yummy food!

And now I am going to make an indoor tent, to have an indoor picnic and eat the leftover food. YES I TURNED 21 TWO MONTHS AGO WHAT OF IT.

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