Seventeen years ago, this August 18th, I sat down at my computer, heart pounding, and pressed “publish” on my very first Inside Out Style Blog post. I had no idea that moment would spark a journey reaching millions of women worldwide, each seeking the same thing: clarity, confidence, and the courage to be seen as…
We live in a world overflowing with advice—snappy soundbites, TikTok tips, and expert hot takes on everything from avocado storage to how to manifest your dream life. But every now and then, a piece of advice lodges itself in your heart and becomes part of your operating system. Back in 1999, Baz Luhrmann’s iconic spoken-word…
Leading up to the new year, I spend some time thinking about my “word of the year” or “focus word” that I will use as a guide to help me make decisions for the forthcoming year. It’s much better than New Year resolutions which are mostly broken within the month of January. Instead by having…
Happy World Book Day! Let’s Crack Open a Universe of Style Have you ever stopped to think about the magic a book holds? It’s a portal to countless worlds, a repository of wisdom whispered across centuries, and a wellspring of inspiration waiting to be tapped. As someone who spends a good chunk of my time…
Have you thought about how the early messages you received about style may still be impacting your style and your confidence? Childhood memories often hold a treasure trove of experiences that shape our perspectives and behaviors in unexpected ways. In a recent reflection, I found myself delving into the nostalgia of hand-me-downs and how they…
It’s that time of the year – the New Year is almost here and we farewell 2022. I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you for coming here, reading and commenting on my posts, joining my programs and sharing your style journey with me. After the past 3 years of Covid impacting my life heavily…
Wow-what a year 2021 turned out to be. It started off feeling like we were getting on top of Covid and living a more normal life again here in Melbourne after our long 2020 lockdown ended towards the end of that year. Of course, things never stay the same and viruses don’t care how I…
I’m excited to be sharing with you here the latest copy of the AICI (Association of Image Consultant’s International) Global magazine, in which I’m featured in an in-depth interview. AICI is the image consultants professional association and I was awarded the 2019 AICI Jane Segerstrom award earlier this year when I was in Chicago at…
I’m often asked by up and coming image consultants and personal stylists how I’ve managed to achieve all that I have done, This blog with its thousands of posts, image training programs, books, videos, 16 Style Types …. what are the secrets to my success? And my answer always is – baby steps. I just…
I’ve just spent 4 days at the AICI Global Conference in Chicago along with 300 other image professionals from around the globe. It’s a time for learning and growing and connecting with others in my industry, many who have become friends over the years. These women and men have become my AICI family. When you…
Many of my long term readers and clients have met or virtually met my dog Cleo over the years. She sits next to me in the banner on this blog and spent her days in my office nudging me every few hours, knocking my hand off the keyboard requesting attention (and frequently a treat from…
This post is brought to you by Ford Kuga I think my life is kind of dull and mundane. A rather ordinary life. When I think about it, I’m a mum, self-employed image consultant, blogger, and trainer. Have a husband, and we’re currently renovating our house. Now there is always more to do than I…
One year ago today I started on my 5:2 Way of Eating (I don’t call it the D word) and today I’m around 15kg lighter and a whole lot healthier. I’ve written about how I’ve done it and what it is here. When I started, I was on cholesterol medication (my whole family is on…
Hard to believe but I’m now 6 weeks post my reduction, and I’ve forgotten what it felt like to have larger breasts (my shoulders and back do still feel like there is less strain on them than there used to be). I’m now allowed to go back to higher impact exercise (though I haven’t run…
I’m writing this sitting in my hospital bed, the night after my breast reduction surgery. I’m still mentally coming to terms with what I’ve done, after a lifetime of overly large breasts and in many ways my breasts have defined part of who I am (just as I was a brunette and am now a…
Today is the day, all going to plan, I’m having my breast reduction surgery. Many women find it a strange thing to do, and many women pay to have their breasts enlarged. Sure this is a first world problem, but I live in the first world. Since I was a teenager and my breasts rapidly…
There’s been a lot going on in my life this past week. Not only have I had the funeral of my wonderful sister-in-law who died recently of Ovarian Cancer (which kills one woman every 10 hours and researchers desperately need more funds, you can donate buy purchasing a dress from Verilyusing my affiliate links). I…
As my regular readers would be aware, I spend many hours, days and weeks writing blog posts to give you sets of rules to work with to find out what works for your unique body and all its glorious features. Many may think that I’m obsessed with rules and believe that we should all stick…
Some of you have started to notice and comment that I’ve lost weight. It’s interesting that nobody noticed the difference in my appearance until I’d shed around 10kg (22lb). Last October I realised that my weight had been creeping up for 3 years, and given my middle age, being the weight I was when I…
Do you love a cold glass of white wine on a summer evening but you don’t always have one already chilled in the fridge? You don’t want to add ice as it dilutes the wine, well, my favourite summer snack can be used to chill your wine! What is it? Frozen grapes. We’re having a…
As 2013 draws to a close, with only hours to go, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the coming year. A new year is a time that many make resolutions to move their lives forward in a more positive direction. I don’t make resolutions, but I have for…
