Day 1: Melbourne Shopping Report

Cool lightbox on Hosier Ln (outside Movida)

Purchases: Nil (does a French manicure & pedicure count?). Was not feeling my best (thought I was coming down with a cold, turned out to be hayfever), and the weather was so hot...I also had limited time today as I was playing chauffeur to hubby, who sat an all-day exam, with a break in between.

Today's Outfit: Akira blue silk/wool dress (oh so comfortable) with Chloe silk blouse worn open and upside down, Havaianas slim thongs in Champagne and Chloe lambskin bracelet bag. I had more a chic outfit planned, but decided to dress for comfort due to the hot weather, and saved it for the evening. When it cooled a little in the evening, I changed into my Rachel Roy draped dress & Christian Dior Extreme Python sandals, I plan to repeat this outfit this weekend for a Moroccan dinner, so will try to take a pic this time...

Breathtaking moments: At the Belinda store on Malvern Road - spotted the Dries Van Noten silver sequinned skirt, a few sizes too big, so did not even try it, but it was a beauty to behold. The stock was very limited, so that was pretty much it. Also quite loved a drapey bronze/gold necklace at Kirrily Johnston. At $280 (and having exceeded my budget for this month, and probably the next), I sadly had to leave it in the store...am still thinking about it though.

Shops covered:

High Street, Armadale: Falke (new store - first one in Australia! Baulked at the merino wool tights at AUS$89, must buy them online for almost half that price), Kirrily Johnston, Scanlan & Theodore. Very sad to find that one of my favourite stores, The Frock Exchange, was no longer in existence.

Malvern Road, Hawksburn: Belinda, Empire Rose, Little Joe by Gail Elliot, Trelise Cooper, Willow.

Food: Found a trendy cafe around the corner from where we were staying (on Yarra St, off Toorak Rd), and had a quick lunch before hubby had to return to his afternoon exam session. My lunch: grilled asparagus with truffle oil, poached egg, mascarpone & smoked salmon. Dinner was at our favourite restaurant: Movida

Left: San Jacobo de Cordoniz- Hunter Valley Quail, partially boned, crumbed and filled with Jamon and Mahon cheese

Right: Viera - Roasted Scallop with Jamon and Potato Foam (this and the Wagyu steak tartare, which we did not order this time, are our favourite dishes here, absolutely delicious!)

Cecina: Air cured Wagyu beef thinly sliced with a truffle foam and poached egg (so amazing! luuuurve truffle anything...)

Carillera de Buey: Slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez on cauliflower puree

Costilla con sobrasada: roast lamb cutlet encased in a catalan pork and paprika pate (I was tossing between having this or churros with hot chocolate for 'dessert', but was so curious to try this, so lamb it was...)