About Lady Smaggle – Questions 21 to 30

I would like to know who, in your opinion, has taken the greatest fashion risk in past 12 months and totally rocked it? And what was it?

Hmmm… interesting question. I can’t think of anything in particular that was a huge risk although I loved the L.V Bunny Ears but I never saw anyone wearing them off the cat walk except Madonna and she looked like a freakin’ idiot. In terms of fashion risk takers in general here a few people that rock my sartorial world Daphne Guinness, Tilda Swinton, Queen Michelle, Susie Bubble and Vivienne Westwood.

Best place/area in Melbourne to shop for affordable but still stylish clothes? Annnnnnd … in your opinion, top ten staples/must haves for a rounded wardrobe?

I don’t really shop much in Melbourne because I’m insanely busy but the DFO there is fantastic. Co-Dependant Smaggle and I clean up every time we go there. I love Alice Euphemia, IDS, Brunswick Street in general but particularly the Alannah Hill outlet and a truly divine store called Harem. For not affordable but flipping pornographic clothes go to Gorman. That shop is beautiful. Avoid Chapel Street – I’m disappointed every time I go there. High street in Westgarth and Northcote are great too for little boutiques and cute things.

My top ten?

* As many dresses as you can get your hands on

* Scarves

* Tights

* Comfortable heels

* Boots

* Cardigans

* Good underwear

* A gorgeous winter coat

* Big earrings

* Eye shadow in natural colours

What do you like about living in Canberra (besides the obvious family/friend/life partner thing)? Anything that drives you crazy about the nation’s capital?

Oh I love Canberra! I grew up here. I know where everything is, the roads are wide and easy to drive on, I know where to get the best Bi Bim Bab in the city and I know which restaurants to avoid. I have been a part of some incredible theatre there and I had a wonderful, creative and awe-inspiring childhood there. Obviously the fact that a good majority of my favourite people live there helps a bit too. Things that drive me crazy would be that there are so many areas that could be used to give Canberra more life but it seems to be happening quite slowly. The lake would be incredible with bars, shops and cafes but developers seem to have a mind block with building there. I hate that people hate Canberra but I know why. It’s a difficult city to visit but a great place to live. I also have contacts in Canberra – if I want a job, an artist to collaborate with, wholesale beads or a part in play I can get it. I’m finding Melbourne to be a bit difficult in that regard and also there is so much more of everything it’s hard decifer what’s legit and what’s not. It’s always easier to live in the city that you were born in but if you stay there forever you’ll never appreciate it.

I don’t want to know everything about you in stalker-ish detail as I like random disclosures, that air of mystery and the way you often channel the divine Miss Vreeland. But I would love the Smaggle-made swag – so ….. the kaftan hour – is it now like, so over? Also – your thoughts on the kimono.

The kaftan hour is definitely not over. Never will be. Kaftan is in your heart. I love the kimono – Roomy Smaggle is Japanese and we often have evenings in our kimonos drinking brown rice tea and watching Scrubs.

Hello! The thing that got me attracted to your blog was “Why don’t you?” which was one of my favourite old columns in Cosmo magazine (I have no idea if they still have it).
So my question is, was that your inspiration? If so, good job. And I like your ideas better.

No way! My inspiration came from the divine Ms Vreeland who wrote ‘Why don’t you?’ columns for Harpeer’s Bizarre when she was the editor. I assume Cosmo got their inspiration from her also. I remember a reading a few of her ‘Why don’t you?’s in a book and then I found a whole book FULL of them and I was so sad when I finished the book because she’s dead now and obviously wouldn’t be writing anymore so I thought I’d just write them myself. Glad you like them!

What character from the ORIGINAL cast of Beverly Hills 90201 would I be?

By the way for everyone else it’s Grant from Ink and Leather who is asking this question. Jackie. Kelly’s mum. She’s a total queen who loves shopping, dining out and men. Plus I have a feeling you may be a closet alcoholic. Just a hunch.

What is your guilty pleasure music?

All of my music is guilty pleasure music. I love Whitney Housten (seeing her live in March. Squeal!), Cher, Michael Jackson and musical theatre soundtracks. At any given time I’ll either be singing ‘Beat it’ or ‘La Vie Boheme’ from Rent or singing the entire score from Les Mis – playing both Val Jean and Javert. I’m a musical disaster. Let’s stop talking about it now.

Please keep doing what you’re doing & don’t ever become a sellout?

Okay! I’ll try not to. What exactly constitutes a sell out though?

I love your posts where you talk about fitness and your ridiculously healthy lunches and exercise sprees (i like exercising vicariously through you  ), would you tell us how you developed a healthy balance between life and being healthy throughout your life until now, and any exercise/diet tips etc?

I’m a really busy person and I lose the plot if I don’t take care of myself. Here are a few tips that I live by –

* Generally speaking I don’t eat carbs. I rarely have bread and pasta. If I eat any carbs it will be rice or crackers  – my two big weaknesses in the white refined cards group.

* I eat vegies all day, everyday. I have carrot sticks, celery sticks and a big salad for lunch. I also have green smoothies and fresh vegetable juice as snacks.

* I rarely eat packaged food on a day to day basis. The one exception is canned tuna.

* I try to exercise every day but if I don’t exercise for one day I try to do a whole hour the next day to make up for it. I HATE cardio but I make myself do it and I love pump classes and strength work. I’m an ex-ballet gal so I love to stretch and tone.

* It’s important to eat for well being not weight loss. I struggle a lot with my weight. I always have. I find that it’s easier for me to resist sugary, refined foods if I think ‘I’m going to feel really sick if I eat that’ rather than ‘I will gain weight if I eat that’.

* I keep a food dairy where I track my calories and exercise everyday. It’s sounds obsessive but I have terrible genes and if I stop concentrating on what I put in my mouth and taking responsibility for it I gain weight really, really quickly.

* I’m not too strict about my ‘rules’ because I hate fussy eaters. If I go to friends house and they serve me rice I’ll eat it but I’ll go easy on dessert and work out a little harder the next day.

* I believe in eating like cave men. I think if you can hunt it, catch it, pick it or grow it then you can eat it. Which is why I don’t eat Mars Bars. Or McDonalds.

* I make my lunch everyday. It’s easy once you make a habit of it.

* I always pack my gym gear and schedule in classes. I drive there before I can even contemplate not going.

* I rarely weigh myself because my weight is bizarre. I fluctuate in a horrifying way so I go on measurement and how my clothes fit me. Otherwise I get unhealthily obsessed about it.

* All bets are off in Friday nights when I have a glass of red in my hand.

I’m a new-comer to your blog and you may have revealed this while you lived in Canberra but…do you spend more time north or south of The Lake?

South side bro! I’m a Kambah gal from way back. I used to work at the Kambah Village newsagent. My parents and Mr Smaggle are still technically Southsiders in Barton and Griffith but we spend most of our time in the city and in Manuka.

Love Lady Smaggle

xxx