2014 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Thursday 18 December 2014








So with only a week till Christmas, I thought it was about time to share my 2014 Christmas Gift Guide!

I know I'm cutting it a little close, but I still have a heap of Christmas shopping to get through! I’ve probably gotten about half my gift list sorted, so it looks like I’ll be in amongst the mad throng of shoppers this weekend. If you’re like me and are still looking for last-minute ideas, I hope this helps you out!


I'm particularly loving the new 'Personally Yours' range at Samantha Wills - the Love Letter and Hidden Message Necklaces would make perfect sentimental gifts for mums, girlfriends, sisters or daughters!
Bohemian Dreaming Clutch, Love Letter Necklace, Live Laugh Love Necklace and Bohemian Bardot Mood Ring - shop hereherehere and here.

Benefit Pretty Parfait Set - In my opinion, Benefit is way up there with adorable gift sets - browse more here.

Hand designed phone cases from Nunuco - check out their Christmas Collection too!

For that one too-cool-for-plain-socks hipster friend we all have... basics couldn't get any happier.

Once again professing my love for Unbirthday Bakery - these Cookies & Cream flavoured Chocolate Gems will be sure to brighten up any Christmas or New Year party. And if you haven't yet decided on a celebratory cake for this festive season, you've definitely come to the right place!

For the prettiest finishing touch on your gifts, you can't go past these elegant cards and tags from Jess at Studio Silva - shop here.

White and gold. Polka dots. Enough said; Thank you, Robert Gordon!

Some of the prettiest lingerie you will probably ever see - shop Silent Assembly by Kay Cohen.

The Mode Collective's Black Croc Clutch - keep an eye out for restocks of their monogrammed purses and clutches!

Finally, my most recent fascination: Bellabox.
I'm not sure which I love more - receiving a surprise package every month, or the chance to keep trying out a stack of mini-sized beauty faves...
If you feel like treating yourself, take $5 off your first box here - or treat one of your girlfriends (or guy friends, for that matter) here!


So that's it for now -
Happy shopping, and have a very blessed Christmas & New Year :)

Love you all!

x.

CHILD'S PLAY

Wednesday 10 December 2014



Oh, hello!!

Yes, I know, it's been way too long!
Somewhere in between final exams, working, Christmas parties, 21st birthdays and attempting to revamp my room in time for the new year, six weeks of bloglessness have just whizzed past!

So let's catch up, shall we?

First things first, I'm finished with uni!
As some of you would already know, I studied Commerce, which is typically a 3-year degree. I've had some of you ask if I enjoyed my degree, and to be honest, I really did! Sure, there were days where I would've given anything for a sitcom marathon in place of CAPM derivations and the workings of Mr. Fama and Mr. French, but at the end of the day, I did love the course I chose and I wouldn't go back and do anything differently.

I know some of you have just finished Year 12 and may still be feeling undecided about your next steps from here - but take it from an older sister figure: Don't worry! As hard as it may be to believe (and I do remember being 18 and feeling like I had to have my whole life plan mapped out), you still do have plenty of time to figure out what it is you want to do. If there's anything I've discovered over the past few years, it's that career paths (and really, life plans in general) are never really as straightforward as I used to think. The important thing, in my books, is that you put yourself out there, try different things to get as much experience as you possibly can - and always bring your best in anything you do. Between figuring out what you want in life and discovering what actually makes you tick, I'm sure you'll find your way :)

So this brings me to my next point, which is that the main reason for my lack of updates is that I've just started a new full-time summer job! I'm so thankful to have landed something that involves a good combination of both my Commerce background and my fascination with the interwebs and social media land. Absolutely loving it so far, and will hopefully share a little more in the months to come - but in the meantime, please put up with me as I get into a new rhythm of shooting and posting!

Last but not least, as 2014 is soon coming to a close, I've been spending a bit of time thinking of new and fresh content for you guys next year. I'm so appreciative of all of you - you've all been so supportive of what I've been doing thus far, but I think it's time to step up my game and venture into new ground! I might start with getting on this Twitter thing... been procrastinating for way too long. So keep those eyes peeled, and if you have any requests or ideas of what you'd like to see on CHICACHIA, @chicachia is the way to go!

Oh, and I got my green P's today. Hello, 100km/h.
I've also been craving Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. Another round of therapeutic baking tomorrow night, perhaps?

I think that's everything on the list!
Checking in again very soon for something special and Christmas-y. Until then, take care, loves!

x.

Wearing: ALL ABOUT EVE Tea Party Cropped Cami and ALL ABOUT EVE Tea Party Pull-On Shorts via Glue Store's Twosies Collection 

CHICACHIA TURNS ONE

Tuesday 28 October 2014







Hip, hip hooray; we turned ONE today!!

A year ago, I woke up and decided to head to my local party store, grab a bunch of balloons, snap a photo in front of my garage door (spot any similarities?) and revive my on-off relationship with Blogger. I never would have imagined that the past twelve months would have been as amazing as they have , and I have every single one of you to thank for it! Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement - to this day, it still boggles my mind that there are people out there who would care to be a part of my little world and share this journey with me! What started out as a casual weekend hobby has become one of my greatest loves, and I'm so grateful to have gotten to know so many of you along the way.

At the end of the day, I'm just your regular 21 year old, heading out into the world with big dreams and my fair share of awkward moments. #keepingitreal
I'm so excited to take you with me on the rest of this journey; so here's to many more midweek musings, outfit posts and food photos!

Now on to the winners of my #chicachiaturns1 giveaway....

Congratulations Jennifer Cheung, Jenny Copping and Kimi Pellosis!

I'll be in touch with you ladies over the next few days, and those gift boxes will be making their way over very soon! :)

Sending you lots and lots of love.
Have a fab week, everyone!

PS: Thank you THE PRESS SITE for dressing me & Nikki for this crazy amazing birthday cake!!

Wearing: LILYA Lana Dress
Cake: Meringue Mountain courtesy of Unbirthday

x.

SS14/15 EQUIP & BOOHOO

Monday 20 October 2014









Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of dropping by eQUIP and BOOHOO's gorgeous SS14/15 showings and got way too excited for my own good. I fell in love with so many new pieces - from totes and wristwear to #THEBOOHOOEDIT's floaty kaftans, basic striped tees and reinvented denim cutoffs - and can't wait to see them drop in the coming weeks!

Thank you Tailor Maid for having me, and for one of the yummiest fruit juice concoctions I've ever had ;)

x.


BONDS SUMMER STYLE

Monday 13 October 2014




This morning, I woke up and realised there are only 72 days 'til Christmas. 
Say whaaaat?!

Summer is well and truly on its way and we've definitely been feeling the heat in Sydney the past few weeks. These BONDS pieces sure do bring that beachy summer vibe and I'm looking forward to lounging in these comfy soft jersey tees day and night! 

I headed to Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel with two of my girlfriends last week - and gurrrl, that seafood...
If you live in Sydney and you haven't already been, you need to get it on your summer to-do list and get down there. 
And in case I haven't convinced you enough already -- 


Wearing: BONDS Tee, BONDS Shorts

x.


GIVEAWAY: CHICACHIA TURNS ONE

Sunday 5 October 2014


So as promised, I have an exciting announcement to make...

On the 28th of October, this little blog of mine is turning ONE!

Looking back on the past year, I'm just so blown away by the love and support all of you have shown me in some way or another; and I'd like to say a very big THANK YOU and celebrate this milestone with a massive international giveaway!

I'll be giving away THREE prize boxes - each filled to the brim with a selection of things I have personally handpicked for you from 8-10 of my favourite brands! Most of these items that I have selected are things I already have, use and love, and would love for you to enjoy as well. From adorable homeware items, to summer essentials, jewellery and even stationery - trust me when I say you definitely don't want to miss this one!

In the lead up to picking these THREE WINNERS, I'll be snapping a couple of cheeky photos, so be sure to keep an eye out on Instagram and Facebook to get a few sneak peaks of what could be coming your way ;)

Details:

ON INSTAGRAM:

1) Be sure to be following @CHICACHIA
2) Regram this photo, tag me and don't forget to hashtag #chicachiaturns1
3) You're done! For extra entries, head over to Facebook...

ON FACEBOOK:

1) Be sure to like CHICACHIA
2) Like this photo, comment and tag 3 friends
3) All done!

3 WINNERS SELECTED & ANNOUNCED ON THE 28TH OCTOBER 2014

All the best, babes!
Love you all!

x.

DREAMER MCDREAMY

Wednesday 1 October 2014





Sometimes you just need to find your biggest oversized tee, get that topknot on, and go pose against graffiti walls.

My first slogan tee ever and I can already tell it's going to be one of my summer staples.
It's such a great feeling getting your hands on a piece you know you can throw on and feel good in pretty much any day. Now I've got something to turn to when I'm in that awkward place of needing to duck to the shops, not being bothered to get dressed, but not wanting to look like I rolled out of bed at three in the afternoon.

In other news, there's something really exciting happening in the next week or so, and trust me when I say you do not want to miss out on this one! Keep your eyes peeled and watch this space!

Go make some dreams happen, you champions.

Wearing: boohoo DREAMY Tee, Leggings (similar here), Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield Lady

x.

"FLORALS? FOR SPRING? GROUNDBREAKING."

Sunday 21 September 2014






Miranda Priestly may not be particularly impressed, but I'm sure loving every bit of floral goodness on this new MINKPINK SS14 number. Having survived two of the most hectic weeks of semester so far, yesterday was one of those rare Saturdays that could have involved a long guilt-free sleep in and zero textbook activity. Instead, I thought it'd be nice to spend the day around Surry and Newtown, catching up on a few photoshoots and of course, picking up some of these. First up, though, a stop at The Paramount Coffee Project for lovely, airy interiors, insanely crispy onion rings and a really good Vanilla Malt milkshake.

On a completely unrelated note, I've just run out of hair conditioner and I'm torn between re-purchasing and trying something new. I take a really long time using up conditioner, and so I only really have to deal with this about once a year - but then there are a billion scents, and coloured bottles to choose from, and let's not forget about those catchy blurbs, mind you, because taking a shower is boring stuff and a girl's got to have something cute to read -- and so unless they've started making them in mini 25ml bottles instead of bottomless 250ml ones, I just don't know if I'm ready to make that sort of commitment...

Wow, I need to go to bed.

Oh, and for those of you who have commented on this skort, it's going for less than half price so jump on right now and thank me later ;)
Have an amazing week, babes!

Wearing: MINKPINK SS14 Top, ASOS Striped Skort, Windsor Smith Chunk Sandals, Dainty and Bold Infinity Rings, Local Supply Sunnies

x.

CHICACHIA X FRILLY SKIRTS ; LOST IN TRANSLATION

Sunday 24 August 2014










First time doing a photoshoot collaboration with another blogger, and I'm so glad it was with this sweet girl! I met Camille for the first time just a few months ago at a blogger brunch, and she is absolutely such a joy to know! You can always count on her to leave you more than a few encouraging comments and heart emojis (teehee!) and I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon chatting, "eating sushi", jumping around, practising for a Pantene ad and getting the giggles with this one! 

We both picked out these adorable tees at MINKPINK's Lost in Translation launch two weeks ago, and decided to go matchy-matchy for our shoot. The leather jacket situation, though, was completely coincidental: gotta love telepathy! I'd never been to Chipping Norton before, but this park that Camille and Ramon scouted out was just beautiful. It was a little muddy from all the rain we had earlier in the week, but that's no big deal when you come armed with wet wipes, huh Camille?

Special thanks to Ramon, our very, very patient (!!) and talented photographer for the day. 
Be sure to check out both their blogs: Camille at Frilly Skirts and Ramon at STREET PEEKED. They're both such a creative pair, and I can't wait to work with them again!

It's not even ten but I think I might call it a night!
Enjoy your week, loves.


Wearing: MINKPINK Tee, Topshop Joni Jeans, Lipstik Eamon Boots, H&M Leather Jacket

x.

PALAZZO

Wednesday 20 August 2014







Some days, you just feel ultra-productive.
Today was one of those days.

Having afternoon classes definitely has its perks - namely being able to sleep in on cold, rainy mornings, but it sure takes discipline not to waste the days away, huh? This week, I've been trying to get myself into a new schedule which will hopefully work better for me in terms of making the most of hours off work and class. Getting myself onto a bus and off to uni five hours before I actually need to seems to be paying off in terms of getting solid blocks of head-in-textbook time, though I will admit I occasionally need to be motivated by a cherry Danish and a large English Breakfast (two sugars and milk, please).

I purchased these statement trousers at least a year ago, but somehow completely forgot about them and only pulled them out two weeks ago! The wait was worth it, though, because I completely fell in love with them all over again. It's like how some people *ahem* hide money around their room as a surprise treat for their future selves...
Can we also just take a minute to talk about this set of adorable PISIDIA pods?! I had a bit of trouble choosing between Ash and Mulberry - so I ended up going with Mustard; logic obviously being my strong point here. If you know me, you'd know that when it comes to my bag, I throw in everything but the kitchen sink. We're talking ALL the essentials, way too many bus tickets, and about two kilograms of other nonsense. It can take a whole minute of awkward fumbling for me to find my house key, and if you happen to drop an earring in there, don't even bother 'cuz you ain't gonna find it for another week. To get to the point: these multi-sized pods are seriously making my life a whole lot easier.

I'm thinking of doing an updated and more detailed 'What's In My Bag' post soon, and perhaps also sharing how I now compartmentalize and organise my bag with these little pods - so if that's something you guys would like to see, drop me a comment here or on Instagram and let me know!

Much love, stay safe & warm!

Wearing: Giordano Plain White Tee, Atmos & Here Wide Leg Pants via The Iconic, St Frock Runaway Waterfall Cardi, PISIDIA Pods in Mustard


x.

BRUNCH TALES

Monday 11 August 2014







As some of you may have noticed over the past few weeks, I'm slowly stepping up my brunching game and have had no qualms documenting my progress in little squares all over Instagram. As a result, a handful of you have sent through messages asking about my favourite cafes (which, by the way, were lovely to receive, seeing as I always get a bit too excited whenever one of you sends me a message over the magical interwebs...)
Now I don't profess to be an expert by any means - and don't even get me started on the term 'foodie'- but I like food, food likes me, and I thought it'd be fun to share some of my favourite recent picks. That being said, I should warn you that this is all coming from a girl who, up until very recently, thought boysenberries were poisonberries, and so if you're expecting paragraphs of gastronomic mumbo-jumbo, I'm afraid I will almost certainly disappoint.  

Brewtown Newtown had been on my 'to-go' list for quite some time - and yes; yes, it was all because of those cronuts; yes, the glazed one that I had lived up to its reputation; yes, it was all sugary and flaky and yummy; yes, I would go back for another, with another nice pot of tea. If you're like me and you love a mid-afternoon sweet treat, I'd say you should at least give this a try. My lovely USYDians, you have no excuse. Resist the urge to nap on the Law Lawns and go get a cronut. 

Take a short stroll up from Central station and you'll find Devon Cafe. Lisa had that monster of a truffled-topped toastie - it's called 'The Ultimate Toastie' for a reason, and I opted for their Korean fried chicken burger. Definitely different, but definitely yum. This morning, it was all about Three Williams in Redfern. I tried their Peanut Caramel Shake hoping for a little more caramel and a little less peanut, but it turned out more like a milder (and significantly more liquid) Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Peanut butter fans, I think you'll like this one. I played it safe with crispy bacon and a chilli egg on brioche, Lisa had a 'reeaaaaallyyyy good' bibimbap pulled pork narnie, we topped it off with a crunchy brioche French toast to share, and rolled out of there in serious food coma.

Next week, we're thinking Italian.
I'm thinking plates of pasta coming to an Instagram feed near you. 
And on that happy note, I'm off to complete about a hundred pages of textbook readings.

Goodnight!

Wearing: BOOHOO knit, ASOS pleated shirt, Topshop jeans, ZU Malik Boots, Oscar Wylee Brooke Sunnies

x.

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