Ray-Ban Junior at OPSM

RayBan Junior sunnies- thanks to OPSM
Tee- Seed Heritage (here)
Vest- Target (old, similar here)
Jeans- Kmart (similar here)
Shoes- DC Rebound Unilite shoe (here)

If you've been following this blog for a while you'll see that I am rarely without my RayBan aviators, be they silver, blue, gold or orange I love this style.  So how could I resist a matching pair for my mini-me!!  I know I am a tad biased but I can hardly deal with his cuteness in these pics!

But the key message here is really about protecting your kids eyes.  According to OPSM Senior Optometrist Peter Murphy "Eyes need to be cared for as much as skin.  UV damage is cumulative and irreversible so it is important to protect children's eyes as early as possible".

Some tips from OPSM to help protect your kids eyes:

-Make sure sunglasses block UVA and UVB rays
- Choose sunglasses that fit your child's face well
-Sunglasses should be large enough to shield eyes from most angles
- Add a wide brimmed hat
- Don't be fooled by cloudy days

OPSM have bolstered their kids sunglassess range across all stores including RayBan classics, the Wayfarer and Aviator styles, available in kid's sizes priced from $59.95.



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Tee & Me

Sunlover pants- thanks to Tee & Me

Lace Trim, blouse- thanks to Bohemian Traders (last seen here)

Basket weave cuff- thanks to Najo Jewellery

Sandals- Zara (old, similar here)

Earrings- Sportsgirl (loving these)

Necklace- Sportsgirl (old, similar here)

Sunnies- RayBan (here)

These are some of my favourite shots that I've put up on the blog, we managed to catch the afternoon light at the right moment.

Now to these pants, the comfiest pants EVER, but also fun and pretty!!  By Tee & Me, a small business from Caringbah NSW, also makes pretty harem pants in kids sizes for little ones aged 1 to 12, so you and your mini me can look beautiful and feel comfortable together :)

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TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil - now in Melbourne!

This week I had the absolute pleasure of attending TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil, currently in Melbourne.  Oh my glob!! THE most incredible spectacle; I can simply not recommend it strongly enough.  I think the show has quite a broad appeal as well so take the whole family.

I also had the added bonus of a behind the scenes tour following the show, and an insight the amazing costumes and the design process.  Absoluty incredible!

The show, written and directed by Robert Lepage, is a journey into the story of evolution. TOTEM starts with the organic life in the primordial ooze. Featuring Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons, primates and men in suits, among others, the show depicts a world of archetypal characters who, in their own way, witness and act out the perennial, existential, questions of life.

Australian Kym Barrett, costume designer for TOTEM, was inspired by real animals, plants and birds as well as traditional cultural and tribal designs to source her fanciful, inventive concoctions.  To recreate such a broad range of textures, colours and markings found in nature, Kym concentrated on the treatment of fabrics rather than on the fabrics themselves: advanced printing techniques, fluorescent pigments, mirror fragments and crystals allowed her to “paint” on canvases as varied as Lycra and leather, with results that constantly interact with and adapt to the show’s ever-changing lighting.

Backstage, after the show we met The Crystal Man who opened the show, representing the life force.  His costume was dazzling!! Covered in about 4500 reflective small mirrors and crystals on a stretch velvet leotard the costume weighs about 4 kg.

We were also able to see the costumes featured in the opening marsh scene close up.  The patterns and colours come from real fish and frogs, including the most poisonous frog in the Amazon jungle.  The textures of the fabrics are also a close match to the skin of fish and frogs found in nature. The end result resembles a community of human amphibians!!

We also had the pleasure of meeting the stunning identical twins who performed the foot-juggling act.  Each of their costumes are adorned with 3,500 crystals and the two headdresses each encrusted with a further 1,000.  It was astonishing to find out that each of these costumes was worth close to $30,000!!!!

The Cosmonaut was another performer we had the honor of meeting.  The body-hugging Lycra suits glow dramatically in the dark, but as soon as the stage lights kick in, their look is completely transformed. We got to see the glow in the dark effect in the last act, which was one of my favourites.
 

Some other fascinating things we learnt during our backstage tour included that the 750 costume pieces seen on stage in TOTEM (and the exact same amount of back-up pieces traveling with the show) are all very carefully looked after.  After every performance the costumes are washed, and daily tasks include repairing and maintaining all pieces, double-checking all elements impacting the performance (falling sequins, loose beads, etc.).  Each costume is custom fitted to the bodies of the artists and handcrafted at the Cirque du Soleil International Head Quarters in Montreal. The average lifespan of the TOTEM costume pieces is 6 months.  Only 6 months!!

A few more interesting facts:

• Since its Montreal World Premiere on April 22, 2010, TOTEM has been performed more than 1,600 times in 28 cities across Australia, Canada, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.

• To date, more than 3 million audience members have been mesmerized by a performance of TOTEM.

• The production features a cast of 46 acrobats, actors, musicians and singers from 17 countries (Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States).

• The cast is supported by a dedicated team of 64 technicians and employees from 7 countries (Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States).

The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world.  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they have met their mission with TOTEM.

For more information head to www.cirquedusoleil.com

TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil is playing until March 29 under the Big Top at Flemington Racecourse, before heading to Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

To read one of my fellow Melbourne bloggers, Candice DeVille's review head HERE.

- Photos from the show thanks to Cirque du Soleil, all other photos by me

White dress

 

  

 
 

Prairie mid length dress- thanks to St Frock

Basket of dreams cuff- thanks to Najo Jewellery

Earrings- thanks to Najo Jewellery

Sandals- County Road (similar here)

Lace bra- Cotton On (similar here)
Sunnies- RayBan (here)

With this simply white dress I gave up trying to hide my underwear and went for black bra that didn't mind being seen.  Needless to say on the hottest of Melbourne days this dress is perfect, also available in black from St Frock.

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