This is a difficult time of year to dress appropriately for.

One day it’s all hot and humid and disgusting and feels like high summer, the next days it’s cooler and you can tell we’re definitely heading into the cooler weather.

Personally I’m not ready to admit defeat just yet and break out my winter coats and jumpers… what you really need is a light knitted wool cardigan to throw over the top of your outfit when the weather cools down.

That way you can still get away with wearing your summer tops and dresses, but avoid feeling the chill.

This Country Road black wool cardigan is one good option, available now for a very reasonable $99.

By Caroline Warnes

The ST550 is Samsung’s much-hyped compact digital camera featuring two LCD screens so you can easily take self-portraits.

With its front and rear LCD screens, the Samsung ST550 is obviously expected to appeal to the Facebook generation - anyone who wants to snap photos of themselves to share with family and friends. As well as a very impressive 3.5-inch screen on the back of the camera (noteworthy in its own right), the ST550 also features a hidden 1.5-inch screen on the front, which reveals itself when you tap it. All of this makes taking self-portraits less of a hit-and-miss affair.

Samsung has obviously taken some inspiration from Apple with the ST550, thanks to features such as the ability to swipe the screen to scroll through your photos when you’re reviewing them. The design is also slightly reminiscent of the iPhone or iPod Touch - this camera is black, shiny and sleek, with orange highlights around the chassis.

The ST550 features a 4.6x optical zoom lens with 12.2-megapixel CCD sensor. Samsung has included a range of manual settings, including focus, white balance, sharpness and so on. You’ll also find the usual suspects such as face detection. The camera produces some pretty decent snaps, fairly standard for a camera that sits just below the $500 mark.

The Samsung ST550 retails in Australia for $449.

Buy a cheap Samsung digital cameras on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

And the winners are:

S. Smart, 3183; E. Crocker, 0832; K. Moss, 4881; M. Lima, 3192; D. Vince, 7025; K. Mackey, 2000; K. Tomaszek, 6230; K. Umback, 3205; C. McKibbin, 5118; R. Leitch, 7054; D. Childs, 5159; J. Dalsanto, 2044; C. Williams, 6215; L. Jilka, 2154; L. Cleary, 2324; J. Jones, 3021; M. Lynch, 2830; C. Brideson, 3140; J. Bennett, 3621.

And the winner is:

J. Bush, 3185.

Good news for shoe lovers! (This of course includes me.)

Peeptoe Shoes is now on Lasoo - plus you can shop online so you don’t even have to leave your desk to get a shoe or accessories hit.

Yes, not only does Peeptoe Shoes make some very glamorous heels, there’s also jewellery, bags and more to be had.

I found this Superb Lock Up Diary when I was browsing the range and it’s so cute for $12.99 - if you can’t afford to splash out on an actual pair of shoes right now.

By Caroline Warnes

Good news for homewares aficionados this morning - Spotlight is taking 20% off selected manchester until this Sunday.

In fact, all of Spotlight’s quilt covers, plain dyed towels, tablecloths, photo frames, pillows, plain dyed sheets, quilts, underlays, decorator cushions and throws are subject to the discount. You must be a Spotlight VIP to claim the 20% discount, but it’s easy enough (and free) to sign up at the website.

Check out the latest Spotlight catalogue for an idea of what’s on sale here.

By Caroline Warnes

Well the weather in Sydney is officially strange and I’m sick of it.

I got drenched on my way home yesterday afternoon after being caught in a downpour with a good-for-nothing umbrella that turned inside out at the first gust of wind.

I’ve been putting off buying a new umbrella until closer to winter because this time around I want to invest in something a bit sturdier that will last me longer than the cheap $10 umbrellas you get at the supermarket. I was planning on finally buying an Oroton umbrella, but a) I’m sick of seeing every second person coming down the street with one, and b) they seem to have put the price up lately and $65 is more than I’m prepared to spend on an umbrella.

So I’ve been looking around for something a bit different. I came across this Fifi umbrella at local site Stella Brella and I think it’s really fabulous. It’s pink, it’s ruffly and it’s $15 cheaper than its Oroton counterpart. What’s not to love?

If pink ruffles are too much for you, it also comes in black, white, beige and red.

By Caroline Warnes

The upcoming Samsung EX1 will be the manufacturer’s flagship model in the advanced compact digital camera category.

Advanced compact digicams are aimed primarily at high-end users, with the ever-popular Panasonic Lumix LX3 perhaps being the best known of the bunch.

Samsung is putting a lot of stock in the EX1’s impressive 24mm ultra-wide angle Schneider Kreuznach lens with fast f/1.8 aperture and 3x optical zoom. The ultra-wide lens is perfect for anyone planning on shooting landscapes or large groups of people. The wide aperture also offers shallow depth-of-field and allows the photographer to blur the background whilst still focusing on the subject, which is especially handy for shooting in portrait mode.

The EX1 also features a high-performance 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor, which is larger than what you’d find in a standard digital camera. This produces better photos in low-light situations. When combined with Samsung’s DRIMeIII imaging processor, you can expect image quality to be high.

Then there is the 3-inch swivelling AMOLED screen, which allows you to shoot from just about any angle you can imagine. The use of AMOLED technology also reduces power consumption, meaning your battery will last longer.

As you’d expect, the EX1 comes with a range of shooting options, including aperture priority, shutter priority and manual shooting modes. You can also use the camera to record VGA quality video (unfortunately, not HD).

The Samsung EX1 digital camera will be released in parts of Asia in Q2 2010, with Australia expected to follow soon after that. Local pricing will be confirmed closer to that time.

Buy a cheap Samsung digital camera on sale in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

I’ve always said I can only take animal print (especially leopard print) in small doses, but I think I can make an exception for the Leona Edmiston Taffy Twist dress.

Yes, head-to-toe leopard-print dresses are generally the calling card of your average cougar-about-town, and even though I’m not quite there yet, I soon will be and therefore should begin adjusting my wardrobe accordingly.

In any case, I don’t find this particular dress to be as offensive as other animal print dresses, potentially because the demure cut lessens the impact of the print. I think it would look best with black tights during the cooler months and black heels.

Plus, it’s my birthday this week and I just received a special birthday email offering me 20% off my next purchase to celebrate this momentous occasion (which I am trying my best to ignore as it is one of the dreaded “zero” birthdays. I’ll leave you to guess which one). I feel it would be rude NOT to buy something with the discount code, right?

The Leona Edmiston Taffy Twist dress is available online and in-store for $129.

By Caroline Warnes

And the winners are:

B. Tai, 2016; K. Mirchandani, 2065; J. Booker, 6107; S. Hansen, 3178; M. Lima, 3192; D. Gecas, 6051; Z. Kaic, 6062; J. Elliott, 4575; M. Legiman, 3028; C. Ellis, 3065.