Lace Detail & Dressy Shorts

Cami - Forever New, Shorts - Dissh, Watch - Rosefield Bowery, Bracelet - Butterfly Silver, Sandals - Famous Footwear.

It's getting hot here in Brisbane. It was 29 degrees today, and Spring has only just begun! I was actually considering bringing a cardigan into the city for uni today, but I'm glad I reconsidered. I got these shorts from Dissh earlier this year, and I've been looking forward to wearing them again ever since the cooler weather hit - they're just super cute and fun, and I love how they can dress up an otherwise casual outfit.

I also made a pretty amazing discovery the other day - Starbucks Australia finally has my all-time favourite drink on their menu, the Pumpkin Spice Latte! I grabbed one on the walk into uni today and it was every bit as delicious as I remembered!

I haven't been very active here of late, and I just wanted to address that quickly! I've been lacking motivation, and I think that's largely because my blog has been heading in a direction that I'm not passionate about. You've probably noticed an influx of beauty posts - which don't get me wrong, I love a good product review every now and again but it's not what I'm passionate about - along with other random posts that are all over the place. When I started this blog, I wanted it to be predominantly about my personal style as well as travel, with the odd lifestyle post thrown in here and there. That's what I'm really passionate about, and so I'm going to be moving toward a more 'streamlined' genre of style, travel and lifestyle from here on out. I hope you'll join me as my blog evolves to, well, what it was always intended to be!

x Chontelle

'Spring' into Spring

Spring. It's here. The cold season is officially behind us and as the weather warms up and everyone begins to emerge from hibernation, it can be a struggle to get back into the swing of things.

It can be easy to fall into the 'winter trap', losing both inspiration and motivation as the gloomy weather takes hold, bringing your mood down with it. All you want to do is curl up in bed, under your (several) blankets, with a hot drink and the television remote until the heat finally returns. It can be impossible to get out of bed many mornings and it's easy to feel uninspired, lazy and just, blegh. 

Sometimes you just need a little push to regain motivation and bring some life back into your life! Here are some of my top tips to help you do just that!

De-clutter. Also known as a 'Spring Clean'. Honestly, clearing out your space, getting rid of all the junk, sweeping up the dust and re-organising everything to create a space you want to spend time in - there's no better way to start the season! Clear space, clear mind!

Set some goals. Figuring out what you want to work towards is the first step in dragging yourself out of a winter rut. Setting goals gives you something to aspire to achieve and work towards. Do you want to lose 5kg? Start a blog? Spend more time with your friends? Save up for a holiday or some new shoes? Think about it, and set yourself some goals.

Make a vision board. This is such a great, fun way to gather the goals you've set, find some inspiration, and put together a visual representation of what you'd really like to set your sights towards. Ever since I started making vision boards, I honestly believe that the things I've been wanting in life have begun to manifest themselves in some way and it's really helped me to stay on track for what I want to achieve. You can stick inspirational quotes, pictures of dream travel destinations, a graduates cap, the apartment you'd love to live in, a number of blog views you'd like to reach - anything important to you!

Get outside and smell the roses (or whatever flowers are blooming near you). Being cooped up inside all winter can really put a damper on your mood. Get up, get dressed, and get outside - the fresh air will do you a world of good as you take in that spring feeling!

Catch up with friends. I'm sure we're all guilty of letting relationships fall through the cracks over winter, especially when the desirable alternative is to stay home in your p.j's and sleep. Get on your phone, Facebook - whatever, and organise to catch up for lunch or shopping with some friends. Reconnect with friends, have some social interaction, it'll be fun - promise!

Update your wardrobe. Who doesn't love a little retail therapy? Not me, that's for sure. I find that one of the best ways to welcome spring with open arms is with some new spring wardrobe pieces. Now I'm not saying you should spend all your money on things you don't really need and if you don't then you'll feel gloomy and uninspired forever, not at all. If you've got more important things to spend your money on then that'll always come first, and maybe you simply don't want anything new - but a few affordable pieces can really help you brighten up and feel good. Whatever works, right!

Begin a health kick. Chances are, you've been indulging in some naughty, hearty foods throughout winter and your body's feeling a bit sluggish and weak as a result. Now is the perfect time to...
and, bonus - you'll have a head start on that 'summer body' everybody strives to achieve (in the two weeks before summer arrives that is)!

What are some of your favourite ways to put some 'spring' into your step? Let me know in the comments below! 

Thanks so much for reading, and Happy Spring! <3

xx Chontelle Louise

Spring City Brunch | #OOTD

My Outfit:

Scallop Hem Check Top - Dotti

Denim/Suede Feel High Waist Shorts - Sophie Charlotte Italy

Baby Blue Leather Look Shoulder/Handbag - Laurentino

Black Ankle Boots/Booties - Spend Less Shoes

Spring has officially sprung today in Melbourne, so what better way to celebrate (while on my week-long uni break at that!) than a weekday brunch outing? For the first time in months, it was actually warm enough (for some of the day anyway) to go out in a short-sleeved shirt, so I took the opportunity to wear my new scallop hemmed top from Dotti (on sale for only $19.99!!) that I picked up at Southland Shopping Centre yesterday. Definitely loving this purchase, the top is super comfy and looks really stylish - I could easily dress this up for a day in the office or dress it down to run up to the shops.

I paired the top with my favourite shorts that I picked up from Sophie Charlotte Italy when I was on holiday in Rome last October (about 45€, so around $75aud). They're such amazing quality, so comfy & look amazing on, I just love them! I wore some thick black stockings underneath because, well it's not that warm yet guys!

I decided to add a slight pop of colour to my outfit seeing as though it is Spring now, in the form of my gorgeous Laurentino shoulder/hand bag ($65 on sale). It's got the nicest sort of crumpled-style leather look to it, cream lining inside, two separate zipped pouches, and an abundance of outside pockets for phones/cameras/spare change - you name it! I got this for my birthday just over a month ago and it's honestly my favourite bag now! I finished the look with these cute black ankle boots/booties from Spend Less Shoes. Confession, they're actually not mine! I found them in mum's shoe closet (yes, shoe closet) with the tag still on ($39.99 for anyone interested) and kind of took them over!

This outfit was perfect for a semi-casual day shopping and wandering around Chapel Street and a lovely brunch at Mr Mister Cafe (blog post here).

What do you think of this look? Let me know below, and happy Spring! (or Autumn/Fall, to all my northern hemisphere readers)!

xx Chontelle Louise