Esme and the laneway

red and blue and heat and famous towers

2012-01-31T21:19:00.000+11:00

Endless hot days, sleepless hot nights. Sun dresses essential. I genuinely need more..! This one is perfect and it really needs some friends..! It's by Bernie Dexter. I've seen another great dress in this print which I really want, but would it be weird to have two dresses in the same fabric?

And I want to say a hello to my new readers! I can see that you are here. I also want to say a thank you to you all – my posting schedule has been a little out of whack these past few days and you have stuck around. You're the best! How about you introduce yourselves with something you love at the moment in the comments? I'll go first: ummmmm... I am loving pale lilac nail varnish and plenty of blusher. Your turn! x

winter shoes (in the middle of summer)

2012-01-29T17:25:00.000+11:00

I know it is the middle of summer. We are absolutely roasting here in Melbourne. But I also know that I'll be needing some good, reliable winter shoes before too long (hear that, summer? You can back off a bit now) and I'll need some shoes that aren't peeptoes. I love these platform shoes from Jeffrey Campbell, via Modcloth, soooo much. Super chunky, super comfortable, super shiny... what's not to love?! I actually love their not-super-shiny-but-super-all-the-same matte black cousins, and have been looking online for those, too...

summer days

2012-01-26T11:50:00.000+11:00

dress :: tara starlet

silk head scarf, book :: opshops

Every summer I am torn between pretending to be the outdoorsy type, riding my bike and enjoying the sunshine – under several coats of sunscreen, of course – and being the more natural to me indoorsy type, reading my books and avoiding the too-hot heat – and that sticky sunscreen.

I don't actually wear glasses but if I did it would be thick black cats eyes, or thick black NHS specs. I loved nerdy glasses long before I discovered Jarvis way back in my early teens and it's the kind of love that never dies. (Ahh.) I found this great pair in an opshop and knew they'd be perfect for posing in!

This book is amazing and is by one of my favourite authors ever... but more about that another time!

review: Sweet Pins seamed stockings

2012-01-25T09:44:00.001+11:00

Believe it or not, buying seamed stockings in Melbourne is not always easy. They are often sold out in both big department stores and small boutiques, and personally I find that some of the more easily available brands don't always hit the mark when it comes to quality.

So, I have teamed up with Sweet Pins to bring you a review of some seamed stockings… and they are easy to buy online! Hurrah!

I will of course wear these in outfit posts, too, and tell you which ones they are each time, but here is a straightforward review of the four types of stockings I have had the pleasure of trying. I hope you can cope with my non-professional words (stretchy! springy!) when I describe these things, but I think you'll get what I mean.

Calza Pennac Trasparenze Calze Collants (cosmetic/nero)
Ah, the modern vintage classic and the ones we love to wear – the pale-and-black contrast seams! Love these. Nice stretchy, springy material that keeps its shape, and not the kind of dry, tissue paper-like fabric some stockings are made of. Feel pretty resilient, too. Seam is a good width, and I like the heel detail. The welt and the toes are in the pale colour, rather than the more usual contrast; this might be good if you like wearing peep toes (you know, with the smaller hole for your toes) with your stockings. Good value for money. I would definitely buy these.

Calza Pennac Trasparenze Calze Collants (nero) (black/black)
These seem (or should that be seam? See what I did?) to be the black version of the cosmetic/black contrast ones above, but the fabric is a little different. Still springy and stretchy and firm and everything good, but somehow more… hole-y? The gauge in the weave (?!) is larger, which wouldn't be a problem… except I caught my engagement ring on them on their first wear, before I'd even left the house. I think that initial 'snick' is familiar to all of us who wear stockings. One snick, one teeny tiny hole… and one ladder ten minutes later. The seam on these is quite thick, too. That said, these are still good value and are an affordable black/black stocking for evening looks.

Gio Classic Fully Fashioned Stockings (cuban, black) (black/black)
Oh. My. God. these are absolutely amazing. I've never worn new, as in modern made, fully fashioneds (weird looking word, but well, that's how I'd say it!) before; all my vintage deadstock stockings have of course been fully fashioned (I found quite the supply at one stage, for a few bucks a pop, still brand new in their original boxes, huzzah! But that was a couple of years ago. And now they are all snagged. Boo!) so I am used to wearing stockings that don't cling, but rather follow the curve of your legs. I like that, including the slight wrinkling you can get at the ankle and knee – but not to Nora Batty levels, obviously! I probably wouldn't have considered buying these for myself – the price, could I justify what would seem like such an indulgence, aren't the retro-seamed styled ones more or less the same, etc – but wearing these has changed my mind. They are incredible. Seriously. The cheaper, non-ff just do. not. compare. The soft, fine fabric, the silky feel, the detail in the welt and the key hole… I've never really got into stockings beyond their visual appeal, but these have changed my mind. Forever. Wow. Just… wow.

Wow. Wow!

That's all.

Oh, wait, I should give you some hints on sizing. I tried the 8.5", the smallest on the site. I'm 5'4" and wear an AU6 (sometimes AU5) shoe. I would go down a size if possible, as they are a bit big in the foot, but I don't think the site carries them/the brand makes them, I'm not sure which. However, this does not put me off. Not one bit. Back to the wow... ahem.

Trasparenze Jessy (cosmetic/red)
I've always wanted to try a red seamed pair of stockings, but was a bit wary of them looking a bit too much. I needn't have worried. I think these look great and give a nice bit of colour, a nice break from getting too traditional or strict with vintage style. They're fun! These ones are again in that nice stretchy fabric, and have a lovely smooth look to them that really makes your legs look great. I love the stripy welt, too! In fact, the stripy welt might just allow for these to be worn as long socks, rolled down a little, the stripe adding a nice detail to some looks, a la the fabulous Sarah Sophie Flicker. The one down side I felt with these is that there is no heel detail, the line just starts/stops. The toes are in the cosmetic shade too. This isn't a big problem, as I wouldn't wear these with sling backs, but it is good to know. These are great value, easier to wear than you might think, and yes, I would absolutely buy them again!

new year resolutions... only a little bit late

2012-01-24T10:30:00.000+11:00

Ok, I am almost a month late, but I don't really mind. I've never been sentimental about dates and see no reason to worry about that now. Like most people, I like making New Year resolutions – and I do usually stick to tradition with this, and do it closer to, well, the change of the year – and, if you follow me on twitter, you'll know I got a few ideas in early. Here they are. At least the fun ones. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to talk about more important things… perhaps that can be another resolution!

So, here they are, in no particular order...

Wear glittery shoes
Presumably aided, at least subconsciously, by Miu Miu's beautiful glitter booties (I want! I want!) I have decided to wear glittery shoes – or, rather, find more occasions that call for the wearing of them. Yes, I could wear them to the supermarket and to the post office and to the pet supply store to buy kitty litter but really, I want more glamourous occasions for twinkly toes.

Go dancing
A few years ago, a few of us went to swing dance classes for beginners. I could barely get to any of them, because of the long hours I was working at the time, and most of us drifted away after a few weeks for various reasons… except one. This one now dances in a troupe, travels the country, does aerials and generally has a blast a lot of the time. I might not be doing aerials any time soon (or ever) but I am going to overcome any shyness and self consciousness about my basic (oh, so basic) dance skills and go to socials. And dance. And enjoy it. So if you see me at one of these events in Melbourne, ask me to dance! I will smile a lot and almost definitely won't step on your toes.

Make a circle skirt
I often talk about how I'd like to sew, in fact far too often, considering I don't actually go on to make plans to actually do it. But this year I will. I want to make a circle skirt, and hopefully will get one finished in time for this summer. They're supposedly super easy, I have a sewing machine, and I'll make the time. And the skirt.

And that's it… so far. And you? What are your plans for this new year? I think 2012 is going to be a great one!

polka dots and ankle socks

2012-01-22T09:44:00.000+11:00

shorts, blouse :: op shops

socks :: sportsgirl

shoes :: joanne mercer

As much as I love my vintage frocks, I do still love some good op shop goodies, too. These shorts were part of a shirt 'n' shorts set and I cut up the shirt to make a collar; I have it somewhere and, after "resting" it in my wardrobe for 18 months or so (I didn't have the right jumper! And now I do) will probably wear it fairly soon.

I must admit, cutting up a silk summery top seems like madness to me now, but I would only do that if it wasn't right for me as it was, and it was really ugly from memory. Let's hold onto that memory. I'm starting to wonder if it was actually awesome. No. It was not awesome.

But where was I? Right. These polka dot silk shorts are nice and swooshy and are almost, I believe, a skort, and are great for bike riding on hot days. I shortened them a little when I got them but they are still a long way from short shorts and don't reveal too much leg. I like them with this blue blouse, which is another op shop find. This blouse will get a good few wears this summer. And pale blue and red... a favourite combination!

gingham, dresses, summer and vintage

2012-01-20T11:25:00.000+11:00

dress, silk scarf :: vintage

shoes :: betts

And then it was hot again... I am trying so hard to get into the hot weather we are having when we aren't having cold weather – it seems to be about three days on, three days off at the moment – but this year I am finding it really hard to acclimatise. Barely 30C can feel too hot. I guess that's what happens when you don't get a chance to really get used to it. So, to help my efforts along, I have been looking at pictures and listening to the music (very happy, really enjoying it) of Brigitte Bardot. I might even watch a film or two at some point. While I am still researching BB in the name of health and good living, I can report I have come so far with it I can spell Brigitte without getting it wrong. No more superfluous "g's" and unwanted "d's" from me!

When I think of BB (and now, of course, I don't need my new-found Brigitte-spelling knowledge) in summer, I think of gingham dresses. I wasn't always attracted to gingham and felt that it could be a bit of a picnic-blanket-meets-raggy-doll nightmare, but living in a hot country has really turned that around. I now have two gingham dresses, both full skirted, both early 1960's, and both with tiny squares. I think I am now ready to progress to larger squares. It's quite the journey. Watch me go..! I would like to add more gingham dresses to my wardrobe for this summer.

I have found a new spot to take outfit photos. Do you like it? It does mean standing on a box, but honestly, who hasn't stood on a box to take a photo of themselves? No? You should try it! I can personally recommend it.

plans for the new year and hats

2012-01-19T08:58:00.000+11:00

One of my new year resolutions is to wear more hats. I love vintage hats, especially tilt hats, and all wintery hats, and I look forward to seeing what I find over the next eleven and a half months! This vintage bow headband – and it has a veil! – is a good place to start.

vintage grey dress and collars and buttons... and jackets and gloves!

2012-01-16T22:05:00.001+11:00

dress, jacket, tie, gloves :: vintage
EDIT: as is something of a tradition, I forgot an item! The cape is Asos, and, after months of looking at it online, I found it at an op shop :)

Our cold spell continues... I didn't think I'd be wearing this dress for a good few months, but I got to take it out for the first time last week. It was, in fact, cold enough to need layering... welcome to Melbourne's summertime!

So, I started out with my new vintage dress. I love this style, with the collar and the buttons... it's becoming a bit of a thing for me!

But I've been in a neck accessory (necksessory?) mood this week. So, I add a stripy tie from another vintage dress and jacket set.

And then that jacket goes on top.

Believe it or not, it was actually cold enough for gloves!

And there was rain, so I needed a cape. And needed to make a serious face, too.

But not for too long.

And that's it! It's warmed waaaay up again now, and I am back in sundresses and accossorising with sunburn and mozzie bites. But for once, I don't seem to mind too much. There are some good things about summer, too..! And those bits are for next time x

yellow and black and bows

2012-01-15T11:12:00.000+11:00

yellow jumper :: topshop
black emabellished bow :: asos
skirt :: tailored by Top Runway, a couple of years ago now

So, I share my summer dresses, and we get a week of cold weather! Nevermind. It means I got to wear some of my Christmas presents (from me, to me, happy Christmas to meeee) and enjoy the opposite of all the flouncy, florally girlyness that summer so often demands of me. And I like a good contrast.

I bought myself – wait, I'm counting, with fingers – three jumpers and two cardigans over the past month, to really fix up a fair sized hole in my wardrobe. It was perfect timing, because the ones I like are on trend (terrible term, I can't wait for it to be passe) at the moment. Fashion can be your friend!

This one is from Topshop. I had been looking at it for a week or two, and was chuffed when it went on sale. The contrasting collar can have a very 1930's feel, especially when a bow is added. I can see a few different things being added over time!

my collection: vintage summer dresses

2012-01-13T08:58:00.001+11:00

I recently gave my wardrobe a good sorting out. I want to have it in perfect order, but I'm not sure which is the best order yet: by colour? style? type? At the moment I have it in groups: skirts, blouses, winter dresses, and summer dresses – vintage and new.

As we are (supposedly) in the middle of summer, here are some (most) of my vintage summer dresses. It takes a while to get a good collection of perfect-for-you vintage, and so this is just where I am so far. It is something I will just have to work very, very hard on, of course!

These are 1940's print nylon dresses. They are amazingly practical, as you can just pop them in the washing machine and they dry very quickly. I love the colours in these, and the very stylised floral-and-bows pattern in the mint dress is just so '40's!

this 1940's beaded dress was one of the first vintage dresses I got. The bead work is all intact, and I love the shank button details along the shoulders and at the back of the waistband. Unfortunately the buttons are also functioning closures, and I need help putting this one on – buttoning your own shoulders is harder than it sounds! It was me trying to do the shoulder buttons up myself that popped one of them off, but I finally sewed it back on the other day and now it is good to go. The weather just needs to play nice... ps the clicker in my hand is the camera remote control :)

Now let's skip forward a decade or so, because 1950's and early 1960's summer dresses are perfet for hot days! I am not sure how this has happened, but I don't have enough floral summer 1950's full skirted dresses in my possession. It's very trying. I must do something about this!

And finally, we'll skip back again to the 1940's, to my current favourites: print rayon dresses. I just love these, and hope to wear them all year round. The one in the middle is more of an acetate-type fabric but I think it fits in quite nicely here all the same. I will be adding more rayon ones soon; in fact, a new one is drying on the clothes line, almost ready to wear!

pearly cardigan and furry collars

2012-01-12T10:47:00.000+11:00

Here is a cardigan I am happy to add to my wardrobe. I have been complaining about not being able to find good cardigans for far too long! There are definitely pluses about retro looks being in fashion at the moment.

This is the perfect vintage-style, cropped and fitted cardigan, and the faux fur collar is detachable, too. It's from Asos and I got it on sale, which gives it an extra tick of goodness. Of course, being used to the high quality that vintage offers means that I am going to add a grosgrain ribbon to the waist band to help it keep its shape. But I'm not complaining about that – I love my new cardigan!

I thought I wouldn't be wearing it for a few months, but our summer has been replaced with winter – there has been snow! – so I will get to wear it now. Happy.

grey buttons, summer dress

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000+11:00

dress :: veronika maine. c 2006

When I was sorting out my wardrobe the other day, I came across this dress. I bought it around five years ago, and it's still in perfect shape – and I still love it! It's funny how you can feel that your style may have changed over the years, but ultimately there are still things that you love during those years and beyond.

As much as I loved the style of the '40's – '50's back then, I didn't wear it, but I fell in love with this rather 50's/early '60's style dress as soon as I saw it. The buttons got me. They are functioning, too! I can't say I have a use for them yet, though... Anyway, this dress was perfect for a warm but windy day; the full skirt is not full enough to be blown up and away!

I also decided that pink lips and nails was nice with the greys and greens – and a nice change from my usual red, too.

Do you find you have things in your wardrobe that you love for years?

some more vintage stripes

2012-01-10T16:02:00.000+11:00

vintage dress, joanne mercer wedges

This is from a few days ago, when I wore this 1940's candy cane stripe dress to a local vintage shop. I've had this dress for a few years and still love it. The cotton has just gone beyond that point of delicious softness and is now tearing like tissue paper, so this might have to become a pattern quicker than my coral-pink-big-white-buttons dress. The style is perfect for summer! I got a great vintage party dress and a 1960's swimsuit at the shop, which is unusual for me; I hardly ever buy things from real life shops these days. Maybe this dress is lucky!

holiday cheesecake

2012-01-10T08:13:00.000+11:00

This week I was going to make a summery cheesecake – with either summer berries or citrus fruits, I hadn’t quite made up my mind yet – but after the holidays I decided a rest from eating cake was welcome. At least for a week or two.

Still, looking at cake isn’t such a bad thing at all. This is the cheesecake I made for a family dinner (for over 40 people, I lose count of exact numbers) just before Christmas Day. It was for everyone, but made with one special person in mind who has some particular requirements about what they are able to eat. Lemon cheesecake is their favourite, but it has to be made as simply and as plainly as possible.

This is a really quick and easy way I use to make cheesecakes. I'm already looking forward to the summery one!

Digestive biscuits (thanks, Nigella, for the tip!), butter, vanilla sugar. Wooshed to crumbs and pressed into a greased cake tin. It's absolutely ok to lick your knuckles clean if you wash your hands afterwards.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, more vanilla sugar, egg yolks and, of course, lemon juice. Pour over the sandy base. You don’t have to tell anyone that the blade fell in too and made a bit of a mess. Eat any dribbles because it is important to know what the cake will be like. (It’s ok, we use happy hen eggs from my mother-in-law’s back yard.).

Bake for around 45 minutes, checking after 35. This Dulton Co timer came my way a few weeks ago, and to be honest I didn’t think I’d really use it much. It turns out I use it all the time – much better than my somewhat vague, although somehow always successful, “…oh, it’s been in for about, say, 20 minutes,”… I didn’t always remember to check the clock before popping things in… a gentle alarm is actually very helpful.

And that’s it. Delicious cheesecake. It went down a treat. Of course, pictures of it would have been nice, but we’ll have that with the summer one. Soon!

candy stripes and full skirted dresses

2012-01-06T21:00:00.001+11:00

vintage dress, shoes from next, bag c/o mimco

Just before the end of last year we had some family round for dinner. This is what I wore for shopping at the local markets in preparation for the big feast. I am back to loving full skirted dresses, it would seem! Of course, I am a huge fan of buttons as decorations and so this definitely helps in my renewed dress love.

Thanks to John for taking the pics! x

see me here, see me there

2012-01-04T18:51:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year! I hope you had a great night and are having a good start to what I think is going to be a fantastic year. We've had a busy time with family stuff and sweltered through 40C, but things have both calmed and cooled down a bit now, so I can get back to more regular blogging. I'm glad, I've been missing it!

I am now on instagram, and am completely hooked. I love sharing little on-the-go images; it's so great being able to share snapshots of things as they happen, and give a peak into everyday life. I like being able to keep a record of things like this, too. My instagram user name is laneway_esme, and you can keep up with them by following my twitter, @Laneway_Esme, too, if you like!

vintage dress with big buttons

2011-12-30T14:03:00.000+11:00

late 1940's, maybe early 1950's dress

bracelet :: lovisa

floral wedges :: betts

This is one of my absolute all time favourite dresses. I got it a while ago, and I can't believe I haven't "worn it on the blog" before. Yesterday we had an afternoon to ourselves and so I quickly got these in – thanks John for taking these pics!

I would really like to make a pattern out of this dress, and make a lot more, in different colours and fabrics and so on – everything about it is so perfect, but I don't know how much longer it will last. The fabric is getting tired, and there is only so much you can do about that. Sad sad times. More sad times because I haven't a clue how to go about making a pattern from it. Something to look into, I think!

I have had some comments lately that I want to answer in posts, like the one about pale skin tones and vintage style. I think it is important. I am a bit flat out with La Familiar at the moment, but in about a week I will have a little more time to do it properly. Not too long to wait, I think, and anyway, we are all surely still eating and drinking and making merry, aren't we?! x

holiday shopping and hair do's

2011-12-29T10:51:00.000+11:00

jumper :: asos

Yesterday I had the option of going on a long, all-day fishing trip or staying at home. Guess what I chose? I had a lovely, lazy day all to myself, and did some of those things you always mean to do but never quite have the time/inclination/bothered-ness for. I gave my pantry cupboard a thorough cleaning. Yep, exciting times! But, oh, you should see the order in there... I also watched Follow the Fleet (1936) and tried a lot of different hairstyles, which did give me a little more joy.

I tried out a few 1930's and 1940's styles, as I am finding the new length works pretty well for both. In fact it is working really well for 1940's styles, which is a nice surprise, as I thought it might be just that bit too short, but instead I'm finding the curls hold really well, and are far more manageable. This is exciting times! I've also been looking at different setting patterns, as I find that the direction of the pin curl is obviously much more important now, in my shorter hair.

I've also been doing a bit of post Christmas shopping – yay, sales, and double yay, from my couch! I have got a couple of things online that should be here soon. I also managed to squeeze in (oh, I tried so very hard) some pre Christmas shopping, too. I have been on a mission to get some jumpers. I don't often see ones I like, so having certain styles in fashion at the moment means I am making hay. This is one of them – I wanted a black jumper with a white collar for the longest time, and now? I have one!

I had wanted this to have a few more pictures, but yesterday was one of those days when I just couldn't get the photos in focus. Maybe I spent too much energy on the pantry. I will also share my hair adventures (hairventures?) with you as they come along! x

christmas day evening

2011-12-27T21:48:00.000+11:00

Christmas for me involves lots (and lots and lots) of days of celebrating with family. We started on Christmas Eve day – the morning – and were home for Boxing Day. No sales for us though. Just some much needed sleep.

It was absolutely lovely, and, after all the build up, even more enjoyable than I had hoped. These are from our Christmas Day's evening, a much smaller party than Christmas Eve's one, with just eleven of us. Fried cheese (I can't say its name, never mind spell it; I must get it written down for me) with vanilla-and-pepper figs is delicious. Yum.

We also had terrible storms on Christmas Day. We were lucky and escaped with just two leaks in our roof and, magically, thankfully, no broken windows. We then ended up driving through the storm – well, I suppose it was a white Christmas of sorts, although I don't think hail stones were quite what were in mind! Not everyone was as lucky as us. I do hope you and your homes are all ok.

I also hope you've had a wonderful few days, too! x

the day before the day before Christmas

2011-12-23T21:22:00.000+11:00

So, Christmas is more or less here, presents are (hopefully) bought, possibly not wrapped, food is prepared, champagne is chilled, and nerves are suitably taut. I decided that this would be the best week to paint our bedroom, which I might or might not regret now, at least timing wise, but I do love the colour. I went with "pale spring", really rather appropriate when I chose it back in, um, spring, but it looks great and I am really happy it is finally done. I'm going to have plenty of plants in here to keep this one company!

Yesterday evening I picked up our fruit and veg. We use an amazing service that has boxes of local, organic produce, and it's always a surprise what we are going to get, as it is only what is in season and good at the time. I quite like this delving into the unknown. I walked home with my basket (bear with me, it was part of my country village lifestyle fantasy, but it was too heavy for the basket and my metal wheely nanna wagon will replace rustic nirvana next time) in some late afternoon golden sunshine. I then made a cheesecake before eating a basil salad and some fresh asparagus with butter and pepper, watching the end of the sunset through the window.

Thank you SO much for the lovely comments about my hair; and I was kind of nervous about posting it, too! I absolutely do want to try red hair, so we'll wait and see... anyway. I probably won't post it unset, but this here was not set the night before, and the day before I had my first go at this length with smooth, sculpted waves – lots of brill cream and lacquer – and this is what it did of its own accord. I am quite pleased, really – still plenty of bounce to work with!

We are going to be with family for Christmas Eve day and Christmas day proper, so I probably won't be able to post or answer questions and emails for a day or two. Still, I am sure you will be busy with your own Christmases, and I hope they are good ones! Have a great time, and I'll see you soon x

lime crime lipstick review – glamour 101

2011-12-22T14:08:00.001+11:00

A couple of months ago I took a big step: I got a lipstick that wasn't MAC.

!!!

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know that I am rather devoted to my Mac matte lipsticks. I love the velvet-like finish of Ruby Woo, and Russian Red is great for everyday.

But late one night, browsing the web, I saw, again, the price difference of MAC lipsticks between here and the US – US$12 vs. AUS$35, at the time. It's a pretty big difference, non? And frankly I made a scowly-pouty face and shut down the window.

I'd heard so many amazing things about Lime Crime that I thought I'd take a look. To be honest, so much continual praise actually makes me a bit wary; I think it can be a bit too easy to say something’s great because everyone else says so, and no one wants to feel left out. I don't want to jump on the me-too bandwagon for no good reason!

Anyway, I went straight to the lipstick section, and of course loved the vintage-styled, Veronica Lake-esque image. I chose the Glamour101 opaque wine lipstick. Described as a brown-based retro red, the blurb tells us that the lipstick is vegan friendly, highly pigmented with a creamy texture, and it is promised to last for hours.

And this all sounds pretty good to me!

So, how did I find it?

In a word: fantastic!

The delivery and packaging: it arrived really quickly, and the cost was reasonable. The packaging is definitely distinctive! I never would have thought that purple and unicorns and twinkly holograms would be my thing but I actually quite like it. Plus it makes it easy to find in a drawer/at the bottom of a bag.

The colour: is a great red, definitely strong but not as vibrant as some of my other ones. This makes it great for everyday wear. I find it is actually slightly blue based, and I wouldn't describe it as wine coloured, but more of a, well, red. That said, it does have some peachy, berry undertones… and now I feel like I'm talking about actual wine. Let's quickly move on to…

The texture: it really is creamy. The sound of this did worry me a little, as I’m used to matte lipsticks that are most definitely not creamy, that last all day and refuse to budge for something as minor as, say, a three course meal plus drinks. I have actually found this creamy texture really comfortable, and quite moisturizing, too. It also doesn't smudge too easily. It does, of course, come off a bit after eating or drinking, but usually it comes off pretty evenly, and a quick reapplication gets it back to perfect.

The finish: has a little shine without actually being shiny. A nice smooth, creamy look, it lasts all day and does stay put. In fact, the one con I can think of is that it is a little bit hard to remove..! I take mine off at the end of the night with paw paw cream or cold cream, tissues and a face cloth. It takes several goes. I don't think of this as a big problem.

EDIT: a reader asked: is the shade darker or lighter than Mac's Russian Red, and did I use a lip liner?
I found the shade maybe marginally darker than Russian Red, and a bit less vibrant. It is still a red, though, and not a dark or wine red. I did use a lip liner (and should have mentioned this, sorry, I completely forgot!) and used the same one I use most days, MAC's Cherry. I find it works perfectly with this lipstick. Hope that helps! :)

The verdict: well, I am proudly in the converted camp. I think this is a great lipstick, and it’s become my go-to red for both everyday and evening wear. Considering I use it this much, it is lasting really well. Everything, from supporting an independent business, to the colour, the quality, and the price, is perfect for me. I can now make some happy pouty faces, and I will definitely buy this again!

EDIT PART TWO: please tell me if there is anything else you want to know. I am quite new to doing reviews and want to be helpful! Do let me know if you think there is something I can add/do differently that would help you :)

hello short hair

2011-12-20T14:55:00.000+11:00

I got my hair cut last week, and I am so happy with it. It's amazing to have hair that is manageable – and curl-able – again! I think this is a perfect length for me, as I can still do rolls. What I am really looking forward to, though, is trying some 1930's styles out.

Here I have just done a simple set, and brushed it out – fluffy, bouncy and long lasting curls! I love it SO much! I am enjoying it being black again, for now, too... but I think platinum blonde might just be calling me...

australian woman's mirror, 1938

2011-12-19T16:25:00.000+11:00

Yesterday, while looking for my 1950's star hat, I found my 1930's copy of the Australian Woman's Mirror – Tuesday March 29, 1938, to be precise! I found my star hat, too, but that is something I would like to show you another time.

Today I have been sanding a room that I will start painting tomorrow. As anyone that has ever sanded knows, it's not exactly a glamorous task – not at all! – but it is necessary and I can't wait for the fun bit – the painting. I am also going to dye my hair later and then show you tomorrow. I am so, so happy with it!

Anyway, when doing exhausting, tedious work, tea breaks are absolutely a must, and so I went through my old magazine and thought I'd like to share it with you, too.

I just love these old magazines, as much for the adverts as for the articles and stories. Fashion illustration from the first half of the last century fascinates me, and I especially love the one and two colour graphic style from the 1930's to the early 1950's. Aren't these gorgeous?

Of course I love the fashions in there, too. I am going to frame that back page with the illustration of the three ladies wearing hats. I want all three styles – which one is your favourite?

say hello to heroes and villains

2011-12-18T09:50:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday night I went to a great Christmas party at Heroes and Villains, a new retail design collective in North Fitzroy. There's lots of beautiful work there by local, independent designers, from clothes to bags to accessories to prints... a pretty good place to find some Christmas gifts! And why not say hello to them, too?

enough of my long hair!

2011-12-16T10:51:00.000+11:00

It was long (har har) overdue, but I have said goodbye to my long hair. As much as I may have wanted long, flowing, mermaid locks, I felt I had instead ended up with something more like seaweed. I am so happy with my new, shorter 'do, and am having fun with it – it's so nice when you feel your hair is doing what you want it to do.

topshop in melbourne – launch party

2011-12-15T22:01:00.002+11:00

dress :: trashy diva

shoes :: topshop, online, about a year ago

Last Wednesday night I was chuffed to be invited to the Topshop launch party. Yes, I know, last Wednesday, I am not exactly on top of things time wise! It's just that time of year... and I have lots of nice posts to come, too!

Anyhoo. I have been waiting for Topshop to come to Australia for, oh... how long? I think so long that I had accepted that Topshop would always be, to me here in Melbourne, that website where at least I could buy some of their stuff, and hey, they shipped to Aus! And it wasn't exorbitant! I had learned not to be too down and out here down under.

So, when news broke that we were getting an actual store here I was pretty interested. I could now try on the shoes; I could see what the quality of the clothes was like before buying – because everything can look good in photos – and I would, presumably, have access to stuff that never made it to the online store. Hooray!

One thing I have realised over the past few weeks is that I really don't have enough party clothes. Seriously! I have actually been sensible collecting day dresses and so on, so I have plenty of nice things for everyday wear – but what about after hours? As problems go, I think this is a good one – and one that will be most fun to remedy.

It did, however, mean that by the launch, I wasn't entirely sure of what to wear. (Yeah, I know, big decisions, right?) I'm obviously not a mainstream fashion girl, but did I want to look like I belonged, even in some small way, at a mainstream fashion party? I genuinely like the sparkly shorts trend at the moment – so 1930's showgirl! – and really do want some shorts, but I don't want to feel I am wearing something simply to blend in. Anyway, the night before I had been at the vintage book launch, and loved wearing, and being surrounded by, vintage finery. It's what I am most comfortable in; that's why I wear it. So I decided to again enjoy my vintage style fully – well, ahem, apart from my hair, it dropped out, very sad – and wore my Trashy Diva dress. I was probably the only girl there in a 1950's full-skirted style dress with a late 1930's-early1940's inspired print.. and I loved it.

Here are some pics from the night. Of course I am absolutely kicking myself for not actually doing any shopping. I honestly have forgotten how to buy things in real shops – but that's another post for another time. John did better than me, and bought an amazing bird print shirt. I might just have to steal it one day. (I'm only joking, Johnny! Or am I?) I enjoyed some delicious apple cocktails and admired many pairs of shoes and several pairs of fantastic shorts. The heavily embellished ones in the picture were amazing, and I really, really, want a pair... and of course they are now sold out. Damn! There are some almost-as-amazing and definitely-more-wearable-more-often black velvet high waisted ones that I absolutely have to go and buy. It would have made far more sense for me to try and buy on the launch night, but they are worth braving the queues for next weekend!

matching my nails to a vintage dress

2011-12-14T06:57:00.000+11:00

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending a vintage book launch for Erin McKean's The Secret Lives of Dresses. It was perfect timing, too, as I had been missing the vintage world and it was wonderful to be surrounded by my favourite kind of glamour again. L'amour, glamour...

Some of you noticed in this post that I had pink nails, with one green nail on each hand. It was to match my 1940's wagon print dress I knew I would be wearing later! I don't think I've ever been quite so matchy before..! I also wore a pair of vintage fully fashioned stockings, and my topshop cream tbar platforms.

I look quite unhappy in these pictures and I swear I wasn't – except look how much those curls dropped! Boo.

I love the prints that vintage has to offer; from 1950's dresses to more modern skirts, there was plenty to look at and enjoy. And I am still enjoying all things sparkly..!

sponsor esme and the laneway

2011-12-13T08:01:00.000+11:00

source: last doll standing

Hello! The time is finally right for me to start accepting sponsors here on the blog. You can place an advert in the sidebar (on the right) and, if you like, I can do a spotlight post for you, too.

Interested? Just email me for rates and stats and more information!

summer inspiration, part one

2011-12-12T10:10:00.000+11:00

I am pretty sure I have mentioned once or 37 times that I really don't like summer as much as the other seasons. It's too hot – especially here, where 40C days are quite normal – and it tends to last for ages here, too. While I might be complaining now that I am wearing wool jumpers on days that are officially summer (oh, the outrage!) I do remember that on the first few days of our last winter I was wearing summer clothes and looking forward to the temperature dropping.

The thing is, I just feel more comfortable in winter clothes – or at least in some layers. I just don't think I suit summer especially well; I'm not a bronzed type who looks good with beach-toussled hair and minimal make up. Nope. I am the pale type that likes to hide from the heat with a good book and the air con blasting. I've learned to accept, and like, this fact over the years, too. However, that doesn't mean I can skip summer and hot weather completely, and anyway I have taken a liking to comfortably hot days recently! Comfortably hot being days of 30C to, say, 36C… and we'll get plenty of those.

So while we are still rouging up in jumpers and complaining to each other that this summer is sooo coooold – with occasional days that have been sooooo hot! – here are some pictures that are inspiring me for summer. As you can see, it is somewhat varied, with 1930s, 1950s Dita and then some modern, vintage inspired images from Lawrence, too. And I think the sun just came out... it is definitely warming up here! What inspires you for a new season?

1930's shell dress

2011-12-11T11:28:00.000+11:00

vintage dress, shoes :: zu online, chunky bracelet :: lovisa

You may remember a little while ago I showed you a nice pink and yellow parcel I received? Well, here it is! It's a 1930's pink dress, with black and white sea shells (love!) and the original black celluloid buttons and belt buckle.

I also tried a different way of setting my hair, which suddenly feels too long and too out of control – not in a good way. The new set gave me good curls that lasted most of the day but I am definitely long overdue a hair cut. I am just deciding how short to go..!

modcloth blogger of the moment – and a namesake dress

2011-12-09T21:28:00.000+11:00

As you know, Modcloth have asked me to be their blogger of the moment! I am absolutely thrilled – it was so out of the blue. I didn't expect it at all!

But thanks to Melbourne being completely uncooperative weather wise, I only wore my namesake dress for the first time today. After a week of several layers of wool, leather jackets and even vintage fur (it's new-to-me, it's beautiful and it deserves a post of its own!) the temperature has suddenly soared (uncomfortably high; typical!) and so I got to wear my polka dot dress. At last! I had planned to get some nice photos outside, you know, somewhere green and lush and lovely. But here I am hiding from the heat with the doors closed, eyeing off the air con... but you can still see how good the dress is!

I love the collar; it really reminds me of those 1930's sailor inspired outfits. It's a flattering, comfortable style, too, and I am rather fond of it – so thanks very much, Modcloth! You can find the Esme and the Laneway Dress here.

I also put together a favourites list on Modcloth too – which was such a task, as I am sure you can imagine. I actually want everything on there, but this and these in particular keep demanding my attention, and I really do think they just have to be mine. They are both SO perfect!

So, thanks again to Modcloth – such an honour! I am SO chuffed! xxx

new shoes – but something's different

2011-12-08T19:06:00.001+11:00

These days when I think of buying new shoes, I automatically – instinctively – think of high heels – and one of my first places to look is on Asos. Lately I have been questioning that, though. I now have several (many?!) pairs of high heeled shoes – almost all platforms, to be precise – and as much as I love them, I have been meaning to get a bit more sensible again. It's been a blessing and a curse that chunky, ankle strapped platforms – and in colours, no less! – have been enjoying a moment in the fashion sun. The thing is, until fairly recently I made sure I had plenty of flats, too, for getting about day to day, but somewhere along the line, over the last 18 months or so, that good habit became one I accidentally dropped. Now don't get me wrong, I love my big enormous heels and wouldn't wear them if they weren't comfortable, but for all day trekking? No. I need more suitable shoes for that.

This past weekend I decided it was time to take action! I actually clicked through to shoes > flats… strange new territory. I love brogues, and have done for years, and so finally took the plunge and got myself a pair – they've been in fashion for a while now, and so are only going to be so easily available for so long… better to do it now before I miss out. I went for these dark red patent leather ones; masculine styling with feminine touches at the same time. I look forward to wearing them this summer, and next winter too – and I think my feet will thank me!

And you – do have have go to styles? Are you drawn to heels, like I am, or maybe the same style dress again and again?

rain drops and headscarves

2011-12-07T08:06:00.001+11:00

One week into to summer and it is starting to warm up! At least a little. This is from the weekend before last, when it was not exactly summery... one of those rainy and dark grey but still really bright days that mean I can barely open my eyes without my sunglasses. This is turn means that I get to make silly faces when I try it. I had a party to go to later that evening, so I wore a headscarf over my pincurls – dry hair during the day, and, hopefully, curls later. Of course it poured on the way to the party and I got absolutely soaked and so had straight hair all of five minutes later, but what can you do? At least I can say I tried.

This 1970s purple polka dot dress has been getting a fair bit of wear lately. Tt's been perfect for these cooler days. I have a few similar-but-not-identical long ribbed socks that I've been wearing as stockings, too; I am just so tired of wearing tights and it just seems to wrong to need to! Bare legs are almost here again...

A bee took a fancy to John and settled down on his lapel. Bee refused to leave and hitched a ride with us over a main road and round a corner, and it took some vigorous jacket-shaking to send him back on his own independent path. Maybe he felt he fitted in best on the tweed.

make up: the perfect powder

2011-12-06T08:07:00.000+11:00

The other day I happily received a present – from me to my good self. Well it is the season and all that. I was looking for a new face powder, somewhat halfheartedly, I must admit, hoping to find something very budget friendly so I could spend my monies on more important things, like overseas travel, and shoes. I had a few tip offs for a certain brand whose other products I love and whose price was definitely right, but unfortunately the colour wasn't. The fairest shade was a bit too dark and too orangey, and was noticeable on my skin – my face would be an orange on a white stick. Not a good look.

I have been wearing powder everyday lately, as I love the velvety, super-matte finish, but of course it needs to be the right shade. So when I just happened to be passing a Mecca store the other weekend, and as makeup shopping – especially for fancy, nicely packaged brands – is one of my favourite things, I thought I'd pop in for a quick lap. And I am so glad I did. I found this fantastic powder by Nars, a brand I'd heard good things about for years but had never tried myself. It's super fine, has a light feel whilst still providing good coverage over my foundation – I was after a powder to add a layer of colour and coverage, as well as matte-ifying and setting everything – and is the perfect pale shade. I find it tends ever so slightly to the yellow, rather than pink, side of things, which I personally find more flattering. Giving is just as good as receiving, right? Happy Christmas to me!

long olive green skirt and black and silver glitter

2011-12-04T10:27:00.000+11:00

hair flower, bracelets :: lovisa
blouse, cardigan, skirt :: verious op shops
socks :: uuummmmm I can't remember!
shoes :: zu online
bag :: c/o mimco

This is what I wore on the Wednesday in the previous post. I'm still really enjoying maxi skirts – especially on up-and-down, warm-ish-cold-ish rainy-sunny-rainy days. I also felt like something a bit more sparkly, a bit less colour-y in my accessories – and you have to respond to these whims, don't you! Slouched fine gauge merino socks kept the chill from my feet. My desire for sparkly things that started a year or so ago just keeps slowly growing... Thanks again to John for patiently taking these pics in a hurried moment walking back to the car! x

SO:ME PARTIES

2011-12-03T18:15:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday we went to a couple of parties south of the river. First up was one for SO:ME Space, an undercover space with a selection of shops, by the South Melbourne markets in, well, South Melbourne. I loved so much of what was on offer; a really good mix of interesting, well made things. There were bikes, jewelry, clothing, bike ephemera, illustrative art works, books... awesome. The food and drink was pretty lovely, too – I had an oyster shot and while I usually like my oysters au naturel, this one was great, too! I would have loved to have stayed on a bit longer, but I had already promised to go to another party at The Olsen down on Chapel St.

This party was for One particular Telecom company that had, it turns out, released a dubiously named product earlier that day. I won't go into details as to be honest, I find the name completely inappropriate with a great big dose of cheeseball on top, and it has had plenty said about it already. Poor naming decision or publicity genius? Still, I'm one to at least try to see my glass as half full, and I did enjoy some lovely company and the bright summery colours in the crowd. And in my absolutely-more-than-half-full glass there was an equally colourful purple cocktail; I'm not sure exactly what it was but it was delicious, as well as very pretty!

We couldn't stay long at this party, either; next stop was my mother-in-law's for a cup of tea and some heartwarming sustenance. (We have been spending more time with family lately, and this is something I would like to share more with you soon.) Some homemade biscuits and some homemade cake felt like the perfect way to round off our evening. Sometimes, just sometimes, a cup of tea is just the best way to finish up a party.

modcloth blogger of the moment!

2011-12-01T21:59:00.000+11:00

I am super-excited to tell you (who don't know yet!) that I am Modcloth's blogger of the Moment! I was absolutely thrilled to be asked; several of my favourite bloggers have had the honour but it was something I never really thought would happen to me. I am SO chuffed that is has!

Here is a sneaky peek of my namesake dress. Now, thanks to some slow postage here (well, I guess we can thank Christmas for that – and pressies are no bad thing!) and some uncooperative weather (this is less good), I haven't got a picture of me wearing it yet. Today is officially the first day of summer here, and I wore... my leather jacket. I had to zip it up. Melbourne is freezing at the moment! I can't wait to show you the dress in real – alebeit via a screen – life. I had planned to wear it in warm weather, but let me have a think..!

dark red wedges and a dark red bow

2011-12-01T08:30:00.000+11:00

Last Friday the Mr and I had a romantic dinner for two. It was a nice way to celebrate being in Australia for eight (eight!) years, even if we were a few days late! Late, late for a very important eight..? Anyway, this is what I wore on a hot-cold sun-never-really-rose kinda day; an Alannah Hill silk dress, black jacket via an op shop, vintage dark red semi circle bag, seamed stockings and dark red wedges from Rubi. Thanks to the Mr for patiently taking my photos! Yes, I used to take my own pics in laneways once upon a time, but carrying a tripod to a dinner date? I'm not there yet.

(Everyone wants to know what it's like to walk in these outrageously high shoes, and the answer is completely fine – in fact, they are very comfortable. They kinda bounce!)

It was a fantastic meal and I will share pics of what we ate (eight?!) next time.

melbourne tweed ride

2011-11-30T08:55:00.000+11:00

On Sunday me, John and a friend went on the Melbourne Tweed Ride. I have wanted to do this for such a long time, and I was chuffed that it was finally happening. Being unsure of the weather, I went for the vintage dress option rather than tweed, and, while that suited the elements – pretty cold morning, nicely warm lunchtime, very hot afternoon – typical, Melbourne! – I must admit I do wish I had suited up in tweed too! As in my case the wearing of a bike helmet renders good hair impossible, I simply enjoyed the ride, and photographed the amazing turn outs of my fellow tweed riders!

It was a pretty good feeling to be riding along, at a leisurely pace, with such a group of great bikes and dapper types. I can't wait for the next one! I have some far more tweedy outfits in mind ;)

elke kramer – fan necklace

2011-11-29T19:28:00.000+11:00

I bought this Elke Kramer necklace several years ago – long before I started the blog – and wore it almost daily for a really long time. I look forward to wearing it again this summer. I've been looking for a matte black necklace for months, and then realised I had what I wanted already. I love the intricate, Victorian-esque detailing within something so simple and light. I have a thing for articulated things, too, so this one ticks many boxes for me.

lady jayne – hair

2011-11-26T19:24:00.000+11:00

I was recently given some Lady Jayne hair pieces/extensions to review for you. I say recently, but it was in fact a little while ago; I have been a bit slow in getting on to it for you because it is my first foray into the world of adding bits of hair onto my already generous mane!

This is just a little taste of what I have been doing with them. The first one was just for a bit of fun – I've a curly blonde bob, yay! – but the second one (below) is something I would definitely wear. It is quite easy to do too, and I will show you more soon :)

green polka dots and a party

2011-11-25T11:28:00.001+11:00

green polka dot dress, belt : opshops
floral wedges : betts
pink flower : sportsgirl
cardigan : forever new (getting old)
bag : mimco (which reminds me, I must get a lighter one for summer)
bangle : lovisa
lipstick : MAC girl about town

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a party for Rubi shoes on Flinders Lane. I didn't know much about the label before I went, and was surprised at the number of shoes that were really very tempting. Obviously any form of fast fashion is going to bring up questions of ethics but if you can toe a neat line through it all you are doing better than me! Definitely a thought for another time. Now we are going to look at pictures of the night. Accessible shoe heaven! There was a black pair of tbar platform heels that I might just have to go back and get. x ps thanks to John for taking the photos of me!

Delicious cocktails, good company, purdy shoes – definitely not a bad way to spend an evening in Melbourne...

lovely claire from harbourmaster

a new collection

2011-11-24T12:27:00.000+11:00

I have recently started to wear jewellery. Or, more accurately, accessories. Bangles, to be precise.

I spent so long – the last few years, at least – not wearing much in the way of accessories that it has been a little strange to get back into them. I used to wear a few pieces on a regular basis. A couple of necklaces made by local Australian designers, occasionally a brooch. Simple, statement pieces that I enjoyed owning and wearing. They were worth the relative investment.

And now, over the past few months, I have really started to like wearing accessories (uh, is there a better word for this?!) again. I love the look of bold, colourful bangles and bracelets, especially when stacked. It is relevant in a vintage sense – for example, bakelite and wooden bangles were popular in the 1940s – and anyway, it just looks good! I'm not a vintage purist, and simply enjoy wearing things I like.

I especially love the coloured, carved bangles, but to be honest, I wasn't sure if it was a passing fad for me. For someone that likes maximalism in prints as well as plain colours – it's got to be time to lay the term colour blocking to rest, but you know what I mean – together, I prefer to dress fairly plainly. I like to attach things to my hair (flowers! bows! birds! yeah!) my hair, but fear an overload of bijoux (there we go, twee to the max) from head to toe. There can be too much of a good thing. And what if I bought all these pricey bangles and then left them gathering dust on my dressing table – or, even worse, hidden and forgotten in the back of a drawer?

So, I decided to try it out cheaply first. I bought some things from a cheaper chain to play with. Of course, I tried op shops too, but never found anything good – broken plastic beads weren't really what I was looking for. I also wanted to start with things I actually liked – somewhat important – and was really happy with what I found in local high street shops. Chunky bangles happen to be on trend (hilarious term) at the moment, so that helped my search greatly!

And now? I wear them almost everyday. I love them, and feel like something is missing when my wrist is bare. And while I still love my fast-fashion bracelets, I will be looking out for beautiful pieces, made, ideally, by local designers to wear, too.

red skirt, stripey vintage jacket

2011-11-23T18:46:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday. Cold, wet and windy. So windy I needed to wear a scarf over my hair, and the skyscrapers had fluffy white hats pulled well down over their ears.

And I promise that one day, I will wear this jacket with its matching dress. One day. One day soon. x

jacket, silk scarf :: vintage

skirt, jumper :: thrifted

OTK socks :: topshop

boots :: melissa

my new wallet

2011-11-22T08:21:00.000+11:00

wallet from mimco

After years of looking – and I mean several years – I finally found a wallet to replace my old, well loved but well worn one. That one was in a cream leather, and got dirty so quickly I knew I couldn't make that mistake twice, even though I loved the look of it. This one, in patent leather, will be easy to keep clean, and the sunny yellow colour will make me happy to take it out of my bag – or maybe remind me to save for sunny holidays! The narrower shape is perfect, too, for fitting into smaller handbags. And it has about a million little pockets inside, which is exactly how many I need. I like to be organised.

vintage red dress, flowers and a party

2011-11-21T07:58:00.000+11:00

vintage dress (1940s), hair flower from sportsgirl, socks from forever new, shoes by zu, bag by mimco, bangles by lovisa

Every now and then I find something that is just so right for me. Yes, ok, it tends to mean dresses, sometimes it's shoes, but it is really nice to have something that you feel so completely comfortable in. Something that feels so right.

This vintage red dress is one such thing. Another 1940's printed rayon dress, the colours, the print and the style are exactly – exactly – what I want. I feel it expresses something for me perfectly.

I wore it for the first time to a party at Domain Flowers. You may have noticed that I am rather fond of flowers! Being surrounded by beautiful arrangements is heaven to me. As is being surrounded by lovely people.

Cecylia in vintage.

Iolanthie in fantastic self made flower band – they're the best kind!

Jane in Chloe.

Kyra – in a stunning necklace by Ghost & Lola.

good morning – Saturday breakfasts

2011-11-19T09:43:00.000+11:00

Good morning! I really look forward to the weekends, and having a nice breakfast. I love going out for breakfast, but I like having it at home too – with a takeaway coffee brought round just in time, of course. On a sunny Saturday we had avocado and rosemary feta with poached eggs and sourdough. And parsley on top. It's so amazingly good. Om nom nom.

I think this weekend will involve mushrooms and thyme in garlic oil. What are you going to have?

how I... create a faux bang

2011-11-17T14:08:00.001+11:00

EDITED! Take Two!

As promised, here is my tutorial for creating a faux bang! The music was Over You by the amazing Roxy Music, but of course it couldn't last. It was nice while it did. Now we have Kingdom of Swing by Benny Goodman, which is great, too.

I use a rat (ugh, greeeaaat name, ha) and got one of those nylon ring ones from a hair supply shop. I just cut it and sewed up the ends. I will show you what I am talking about in my next hair tutorial video! I've found that using a bit of hair gel makes things a lot easier – it keeps all my little flyaway hairs that are just desperate to sail out at the sides stay put. I only need around 3 pins on each side, but did find I needed to use more when I started wearing this.

I find this works equally well on my hair whether it's curled or naturally straight. The front section of my hair has a curl in this because I slept with the front rolled up (in a different style) but it doesn't need to be curled first – straight works just fine too!

Any questions, just ask! Let me know how it goes if you try it! :D

hello hair-lo!

2011-11-16T16:36:00.000+11:00

Hello lovelies! Just a quick post from good ol' photobooth to tell you I have filmed two vintage hair tutorials and will get them edited and then post them asap. The tuts are for a faux bang, and a back roll!

But now I must literally run out of the door! I will be catching up with replies tonight – in particular regarding finger waves and too-big dresses – and if you have any questions etc please just pop them in a comment or send me an email! Thanks so much for your patience! Kisses!

Oh, and if you haven't already: don't forget to enter the glamourflage giveaway!

dots and bangles

2011-11-15T22:37:00.000+11:00

Yesterday's outfit: a new-old dusky pink polka dot blouse with a pussy bow (I haven't worn one for a while!) and a pale pink pleated semi-sheer skirt, wide black belt, all form op shops, and black and tan espadrilles from Next.

And... bangles! These are from Lovisa. I love chunky, colourful bangles at the moment. In fact, I am going to do a post on them – and jewelry in general – in the next few days! Right now, though, I have to check out my new iron. Yep, 10.30pm on a Tuesday. Rock and Roll!

Have a good night – or morning, or evening! – and I shall see you soon! x

give away – glamourflage

2011-11-14T20:16:00.001+11:00

COMPETITION CLOSED

The winner is: Bella Blithely !!! Congratulations! Email me your address and your prize will be on its way to you! x

Hello! I am very happy to tell you I have another Monday giveaway for you! I have teamed up with the fantastic people at Glamourflage to give you a chance to win some very glamorous skin care goodies! The gorgeous pin up style packaging really caught my eye (funnily enough!) and I was really keen to try it out.

Up for grabs are the Sexy Sadie body scrub, the Vera Vamp body cream, and the Amazon Ann Sunscreen SPF30+. I have been using these all week (not the same ones for you, obviously!) and they are lovely to use. The body cream has a nice, light scent and was good even on my sensitive skin. The scrub was a surprise for me – a good one! I haven't used a mechanical scrub for ages and did raise an ever-so-slightly concerned eyebrow at the thought of using it on my arms, which are super sensitive and require special attention. I am VERY happy to report that the scrub is fantastic on them, and they are smooth and silky and ready for baring for summer! And baring skin means sunscreen, of course! I use a sunscreen on my face every single day (yep, in winter too) but I don't really enjoy putting the all-over ones on my body... sticky! Yuck! But it must be done, and the packaging sweetens the deal for me. It's actually great to use, too, in that I haven't found it as greasy as a lot of sunscreens. I love the little box it comes in, too, and it takes pride of place on my dressing table – easy access! No more forgetting – and red shoulders – for me! Yay!

So, to enter: simply visit the Glamourflage site and then leave a comment here telling me what is your favourite product, and who is your favourite glamourflage gal! Open to Australian residents only. Closes Thursday 17th November midnight, and I will draw the winner randomly and announce them here. Good luck! :D

vintage dress – novelty print wagons

2011-11-13T14:17:00.001+11:00

I have a new obsession – novelty prints from the 1930's and 1940's. This palest pink rayon dress has a swirling wagon print and I love it! I wore it yesterday for some shopping in the city. Thanks to John for snapping these!

vintage dress (1940s), bag from mimco, shoes from next.com., bracelets from lovisa – and I will post about accessories and jewelry very soon!

I love the old buildings in Melbourne, and the great shops hidden away upstairs. Look at the view!

Coffee and rosehip tea were absolutely necessary. Shopping (this time for John) is thirsty work. Thirsty, enjoyable work! I actually prefer shopping for other people!

We got the train home, rather than the tram. It was a revelation; getting the train is about a billionty times better than the tram. I love the view from the train, too. It's a great way to see another side of inner Melbourne.

This dress is definitely a new favourite. The rayon is so amazingly comfortable. The only down side is washing it; I hand washed it once, and while I am chuffed (and relieved!) that the colours didn't run at all, it did shrink the tiniest bit. This time it was a good thing as the dress was a little big for me. Now it is comfortably perfect. One more wash, and will it shrink to be well fitted? And then sung? And then what?! Time will tell..! I loathe dry cleaning, but I might just have to suck it up in this case. Anyway, that's a small thorn. I am going to have to find me some more great print rayon dresses!

Peony Melbourne, haute parfumerie

2011-11-11T19:53:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday evening I had the pleasure of visiting beautiful Melbourne perfumery, Peony. We celebrated the launch of Black Jade, a long awaited recreation of the fragrance of Marie Antoinette, by Lubin.

John and I drove towards a beautiful clear blue sky, with some seriously ominous, massive black clouds behind us. After a hot and very windy (oh, my poor hair, oh woe etc) day there was a big storm coming... Melbourne is being very tropical at the moment. Still, I got to enjoy the earlier sunshine and the dash later that night to the car was actually completely dry – good timing!

my floral wedges. My post-cold-ravaged self didn't manage an outfit shot, or shots of anyone else for that matter, sorry!

stormy sky, in the car. I was the passenger, obviously.

what you can see: black blouse from an op shop, vintage belt from a 1940's dress, and lots of YSL touche eclat!

We were treated to a wonderful evening of champagne, gorgeous food and an array of dazzling – literally, some glittered! – cakes. The centre piece was a stunning floral and feather multi tiered cake created by Domain Flowers, and I enjoyed the best macaroons I've ever tasted, made by Let Them Eat Cake. Thank goodness they are on the other side of town to me, or those little yummy, colourful discs might just replace my vegetable intake!

It was lovely to see some familiar faces and to meet some new ones – it's always so nice to meet people you "know" online in real life! With me were fellow Melbourne bloggers and all round lovely ladies Phoebe of Lady Melbourne, Iolanthe of Ruby Slipper, Kyra of Pybus PR (special thanks for a great night, and a special mention of lovely Nish, too!), Ceceylia (and lovely, talented Chain, and tiny Theodore! Oh, wow, Theodore is too cute, and I am a cat person! Babycat has competition..!), beautiful Alicia of Sea of Ghosts, Gaby of Hopeless Lingerie and Cheryl of Busichic. Top ladies all round and great company!

I am so chuffed to have been to such a beautifully put together event. It really was fit for a Queen!

long mustard skirt, vintage jacket

2011-11-10T22:23:00.000+11:00

It's always the same; every time, around this year, I start thinking about Autumn things as well as Spring. I can't help it. It's the London girl in me!

I recently thrifted this long mustard skirt and I just love the colour and the cut – it swooshes around amazingly! Which is, you know, very important in skirts. Last week I wore it for its first outing, and matched it with my 1950's cropped jacket. I love this jacket, too; it is part of a dress and jacket set and I can't wait to share the full thing with you!

Do you get unseasonal at this time of year? Tell me I'm not the only one!

some nice things out, some nice things at home

2011-11-09T22:20:00.000+11:00

While I slowly got over the last bit of my cold – the tedious bit – yawn! – here are some nice things recently: some nice food and drinks out and about in Melbourne last week, and some nice things at home, too. Great coffee at Captains of Industry, and the perfect boiled eggs with soldiers at Pope Joan's. We shelled green beans from my mother-in-law's garden and they were delicious with a little olive oil and garlic and salt and pepper. And this is the colour I painted the inside of my built in robes; it makes me happy every time I look at it! Of course it is about to be buried under all the stuff that goes into wardrobes so no more flowers and calm, empty shelves. Simple pleasures are sometimes the best!

long black skirt and vintage silk head scarf

2011-11-08T08:15:00.000+11:00

vintage Pierre Cardin silk scarf, wool jumper, blouse and long skirt: op shops // leather bag: mimco // red wedges: joanne mercer

This is from last week, when we were doing some stuff to the house and had to go to Bunnings. Wearing a headscarf over pin curls has been something of a revelation; having finally worked out how to secure one to my head in a way that makes sure it stays out over night, I now have the joy of silkier curls! I am also rather taken by it as a hair do for such salubrious outings as a midweek afternoon in Bunnings.

I have a cold now (achoo!) and I can now see that it was coming when I look at my face in these. I am practically over it now, though, so never mind! I will do those hair tutorial vids asap :) And thank you, John, for taking the pictures! x

Obviously there are one or two things I would change about this – I'd like a smoother, softer blouse under the jumper! I will be on the look out for more blouses on my op shop trips. Still, I got to try an idea for a casual outfit and I was pretty happy it!

win with mimco – a give away!

2011-11-07T11:27:00.002+11:00

I got a wonderful parcel in the post the other day, from the lovely Mimco. I am always so excited when I hear from them as they make the best parcels ever! Their ideas are always so clever, and so beautifully executed too.

And I can share it with you! I have two Mimcollective membership cards to give away, each with a $50 voucher attached. For your chance to win, simply have a look at the mimco website, tell me what your favourites there are and leave a comment on this post. I will draw two winners randomly.

**You must be living in Australia to enter. Prize can only be used in Australian boutiques or at mimco.com.au. Contest closes 9PM Thursday 10th November. Good luck!**

UPDATE: Competition now closed.

The winners are j. and J Lai! If you both email me your addresses I'll post your prize out to you! Congratulations!

pink and yellow parcels

2011-11-04T11:11:00.000+11:00

Something lovely arrived for me in the post the other day... and it matches the dust we made when sanding doors!

I have some exciting things coming up for you next week – yay!

hair waving and dinner at our friends'

2011-11-02T19:42:00.000+11:00

This is from a couple of weeks ago, when we went to have dinner with two friends. They are both amazing cooks and put on such a feast – and they top their previous efforts every single time. It's our turn next to cook for them... oh, the pressure! :D I don't know exactly what we'll do for them but I am thinking oysters and lots of champagne!

Knowing that I would be eating well (read: too much, far, far too much) I wore a forgiving 1940's style print dress. I love the floral print of this dress, and the way the turquoise flowers pop against the dark red background. I got it a few years ago, and it was one of my first ever custom made, vintage-inspired dresses ever. Now, while I LOVE the print and the style, there were a few things I didn't know then that I do know now; namely, that I am petite. I didn't realize that I actually have small shoulders and a shortish torso, and so this dress is a bit big in the body for me. I didn't wear it much for ages because of this, but have found myself drawn to it again. I will post about it properly soon, I'm sure – I want to ask the clever sewing ladies out there if they have any tweaking advice!

And the white kitty here is Pudd. He is Babycat's brother – or half brother, we think. Same mamma cat, same litter, but cats do wonderous things. Isn't he adorable?! When we lived all in the same block, Pudd would run upstairs and miaow at our door every morning to fetch Babycat, so they could go and do playing. Oh, happy days... they haven't seen each other for a couple of years now but I am entirely sure that they will remember each other, dim as they are. (It sounds mean, but it's true. Anyway, they are endearingly dim. It's cute.) I think a kitty cat reunion is on the cards..!

some 1930's inspiration

2011-11-01T21:04:00.001+11:00

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While we are on the subject of 1930's beauty, I wanted to share these images with you. I think they are so beautiful! I'd like to share more inspiration pictures – if you are interested, of course! Do let me know if you are.

Tomorrow will be Floorboard Sanding, Wall Painting, Wardrobe Door Prepping and Shelf Putting Upping day chez esme, so I might not be able to film the hair tutorials as I was hoping to. And I have had two days of great set hair with the best curls I've had for months, too! Boo. Still, I'll see what I can do :) I will get them up asap.

Also, I want to say thank you for taking the time to fill out the Nuff Nang questionnaire on the right, if you have! And if you haven't I would really appreciate it if you could. It only takes a few seconds – it's only about three questions – and it would be a great help! x

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1935 Beauty Book: Make Up for Types

2011-10-31T15:37:00.000+11:00

As promised, here is some of my 1930's Beauty Book. Published in 1935, it is a big heavy book full of tips and advice from that beautiful glamorous era... I just love the 1930's. Here is the advice for "Make-up for Types"; for blondes, brunettes and so on. I am not sure if I fall into the category of Black Hair or Brunette, so I will just pick my favourite bits from both – and use them if I feel like it! It's also a really interesting read from a social history point of view but we'll stick with the lighter bits today! What type are you? And do you use any of the suggested colours?

vintage watercolour dress, blue and purple

2011-10-29T09:42:00.000+11:00

dress: vintage, early 1960s // shoes: topshop.com // hair flowers: sportsgirl // bracelet: lovisa

This early 1960's dress arrived just the other day – and just in time for Friday's hot weather. You know how it was really cold on Tuesday, and wool dresses layered over slips and opaque tights were worn? Well, by Thursday it was hot hot hot! And on Friday, I was happy to wear this vintage full skirted dress. I love how my new(ish, now, I 'spose) purple flowers go with so much – and when I bought them, I was wondering just what I'd wear them with... just goes to show, you can be surprised sometimes!

party chez Che!

2011-10-28T15:31:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of going to a party at Che, a boutique eye wear store on Smith Street, Fitzroy. I love – LOVE – vintage glasses – even before I first laid eyes on Jarvis and Graham waaaay back in the early 1990s I loved those big black NHS frames, and I still do, despite their latest hipster status. I love black cats eye frames even more. I would happily wear glasses rather than contact lenses. And you know what? I actually have dodgy vision, but it's only in one eye (will I ever tell you which one? Maybe one day! Perhaps you've seen me squinting cross eyed, and now you know why...) and it's something that can't be fixed by glasses. It's a cruel world. Cruel!

But back to the fun times! Here are some shots from the night. Some of these pieces are original vintage from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s – and they are pretty damn cool. Come to think of it, I read so much that I am pretty sure I could do with a check up..!

It was lovely to see some other lovely Melbourne bloggers there too – lovely Cheryl of Busichic and Carly Smaggle. Hello!

There was tea and bubbles available – I went for bubbly!

Two lovely people who helped make this happen – that is the owner on the right. Lovely chap who knows a lot about his craft!

The ones above with the silver frames are from the 1940s.

Perfection part one above; perfection part two below!

And I am afraid I broke the fashion party rules and actually ate one of those pretty cupcakes. They taste as good as they look. Yum!

vintage plaid dress, blue and black

2011-10-27T08:21:00.000+11:00

So see how the last few posts have been about hot weather? Well, Melbourne's weather being so uniquely Melbourne-y, the temperature dropped, overnight, and we had a day or two of winter coldness. Honestly. It is hard to keep up at this time of year!

This early 1960's dress arrived the night before the coldest of the cold days. It's my first wool plaid dress; I went to a convent secondary school and the uniform included a kilt, and that put me off for oh, only over a decade. If you saw my old uniform you'd understand. Still, I loved the look of wool plaid vintage dresses, especially the later 50s and earlier 60s ones, so I knew I'd try one eventually. I also knew it would have to have some kind of detail, and this one does! I love the band that comes around the front of the waist, and oh, look – a bow! Ha! Believe it or not, it's wasn't the bow that got me, but the contrasting band detail (does this have a name? It's almost like a cummerband, but it's only at the front) really makes it special for me. It was so nice and warm, too – ok, I love vintage fitted wool plaid dresses! I have a hunch I might just be stocking up on a few for next winter... which I am already thinking about. Oh dear.

I will try to get some more head-to-toe shots in next week. They do tend to be helpful if you are doing an outfit shot! We have been re-sanding the floor (insert silent scream of frustration here) so with everything moved about, I can't fit me in! I will also do some posts that I'm not actually in at all as I think we have had quite enough of my face for a bit. I have some vintage beauty books I have been wanting to share with you. I don't have a scanner but I can work around that. Would you be interested? My favourite one is from 1935 and it's pretty awesome!

tropical print on a hot day

2011-10-26T09:02:00.000+11:00

hair scarf, top: opshops/second hand shops // green cropped pants: scanlan & theodore, old old old old old // shoes: next // bangle: lovisa

This is me from that same day a few posts ago – what I changed in to on that hot, windy day after changing out of that 1940s pink dress.

My hair more or less survived having a dress pulled over it! It was my go to wind proof hair style last week. It doesn't move. Well, not much. It had already been under a lot of stress at this point, and I think it stood up to it really well!

I recently got this 1980's top from a second hand shop. I really like it's bold bright print, which reminds me so much of the summery looks of the 1940's. I like the shoulder detail, too. The green pants are Scanlan & Thoedore, and I got them years and years ago. I started wearing them again earlier this year, as they are perfect for warm weather, and bike riding – and windy weather too. They are a little big and the top curves up in the middle and this equals belly button exposure! I never thought I'd be weaering something not on my waist but there it is!

These are the shoes from both outfits. They remind me so much of 1940s casual beachy sandals! I was very practical for once in my shoe colour choice and got the brown and black combo – they go with everything. They are also incredibly comfortable and I love them! Perfect for day to day wear.

We are sanding the floorboards in this room at the moment, which is making any photo taking pretty tricky at home. We should be finished... um, next week, if all goes to plan! Fingers crossed ;)

Lady Melbourne's 1000th post party!

2011-10-25T11:02:00.000+11:00

Tuesday, not the most exciting day of week. Poor Tuesdays. But I've always found that the weekend feels the furthest away on Tuesday. So, here are some party pics to remind us of good times!

Last Wednesday I joined Lady Melbourne to celebrate her 1000th blog post! I have known Phoebe for a few years now and it has been wonderful to see her blog go from strength to strength. She has worked so hard and really deserves it!

The party was lovely. Unfortunately I had to dash off quite early for a dinner but I had a great time while I was there! Everything was so nice! Beautiful cupcakes and beautiful flowers? Flamingos and birdcages?! Perfect!

the party girl!

I FINALLY met Carly, aka Lady Smaggle – after how many years?! Chuffed!

Claire of the harbourmaster's colourful eyebrows are amazing. I am going to have to try this. Check out her tutorial for them here!

I love how at bloggy events the camera is such an accessory! The lovely Miss Bias looked amazing!

I didn't manage to get an outfit pic in before I left (running too late). But I loved the birdcages and if you squint a bit you can see me!

I have a thing about flamingos. They are just so good!

me and the party girl (image courtesy of lady melbourne – thank you!) I am wearing a vintage (late 1950s) dress, my Joanne Mercer red wedges and a hair flower I got from Sportsgirl a while ago.

Congratulations Lady!

pale blue polka dots and red shoes (and more hot windy days)

2011-10-24T08:20:00.001+11:00

So, another hot and windy day! This dress is a recent op shop score and was perfect; the skirt doesn't go up over my head! It did, however, fill up with air every time the wind blew which I thought was pretty entertaining, really.

EDIT: dress and hair scarf: op shop, shoes: joanne mercer, socks and hair flower: sportsgirl bangles: lovisa

pink vintage dresses, full skirts, windy days

2011-10-22T00:30:00.000+11:00

As much as I love this late 1940's dress, it is not ideal for windy days... as I discovered a couple of days ago on a typically hot and super windy Melbourne spring day. The back roll and hair scarf was far more wind proof!

Kate Sylvester: The Secretary

2011-10-21T10:38:00.000+11:00

Kate Sylvester from Garth Badger on Vimeo.

I love this. The Secretary, Kate Sylvester Autumn Winter 2012 Collection Show.

our friends' wedding

2011-10-20T09:45:00.001+11:00

Last Saturday two of our great friends got married. The wedding and reception was at Matteo's in North Fitzroy. Best way to do it, I think – I am taking notes for my own wedding!

The bride was the most beautiful bride ever. Gorgeous hair and earrings, and a beautiful lace dress with amazing buttons down the back.

The groom looked so immaculate and smart, and even had a piece of material from the wedding dress in his pocket. What a wonderful detail!

And he had amazing lego cufflinks, too. More wonderful details! It was SO him, I love it.

I love seeing what other guests are wearing, too. This burnt orange dress was stunning.

The bathrooms had these birds on the walls. Yes, I take photos in the toilets. I know, I know. But I love these birds, and I want them in my house!

A fellow contrast seam stocking wearer on the night. She looked great, and came up and said hello. We bonded over shoes. She was lovely!

I love sparkly things in hair 'dos.

Pom poms – or pon poms, which I've heard is the correct term!

So much delicious food. I like having my food, and fresh, chilled champagne, bought to me at regular intervals. Yep, I could get very used to that.

When my friends take sneaky pictures of me eating, they do manage to make it semi-flattering.

Well, some of the time. It was a ginger chocolate mousse. It was the best mousse I've ever tasted. Can you tell?!

And then it was time to jump into cars and taxis and head further North for the after party!

green lace and hair flowers

2011-10-19T08:05:00.000+11:00

I went to a wedding on Saturday evening and this is what I wore. It made me realise I don't have all that many cocktail dresses. Hmmm. Might have to sort that out. My Mr quickly snapped these as we were on our way there, in the beautiful sunset. I also was at the opposite end of the hair neatness spectrum to Monday's post, with some rolls and plenty of hair flowers!

1950's mint green lace dress :: vintage, op shopped (this is a RARE thing!)

feather fluffy :: alannah hill

cream t bar platforms :: topshop

contrast seamed stockings :: errrrrrrmmmm, voodoo? I can't remember!

vintage blue dress, pink buttons, red shoes

2011-10-18T10:18:00.001+11:00

Yesterday I wore my 1940's blue dress with pink buttons. It was one of those days where it starts of pretty cold, and by the afternoon gets pretty warm. Melbourne does those days so well.

++ edit ++

1940's vintage dress :: etsy

red shoes :: joanne mercer

I initially wore my hair in victory rolls, but they just weren't doing for me. Out they came, and the wavy look that replaced them felt much better. Sometimes I like my hair neat, sometimes I like it less done. I have had a good few days of neat rolled hair, so it was time to let my hair down, literally!

ps even I am shocked by how pale my legs are! I'm not actually wearing white tights..!

my green bedroom – progress

2011-10-17T10:06:00.000+11:00

As you all know I have been painting our bedroom. It has only been our bedroom for a couple of months now, and we are prepping the floorboards previously hidden by carpet, too! Big work. Plumbing issues in our neighbouring bathroom are slowing down work on the floor, but the painting is slowly coming along. I am just really super picky with getting the colour just right! We have three samples up so far, and they are all close, but not quite perfect. I have learned from being here a while how much this particular light affects the end result. This room gets early morning sun, lots of shade from all the big leafy trees outside the enormous (full wall!) window, and not much direct sunlight at all. In fact it's a pretty dark room, despite that huge window. I want it to be cosy and calm, without being gloomy... it's tricky! Here is where I am up to. I am using that little vintage wooden and velvet picture frame as my inspiration...

floral dress, floral bangles... and floral wedges

2011-10-14T21:02:00.000+11:00

So I think it's fair to say I quite like floral prints, then! This was meant to be a post about the dress I was wearing yesterday, but when taking the photos I somehow managed to make the hair gel on the dressing table behind me the one thing in focus. Oops. Here are the details, though.

I have been satisfying my recent craving for for bijoux, trinkets and baubles lately and got some bangles and bracelets. The three here go with my vintage maxi dress perfectly. As do the new hair flowers.

And my new shoes! Floral wedges! I finally found the perfect floral wedges, and I am SOOOO happy with them!

my everyday makeup, vintage and pinup inspired – video!

2011-10-13T21:37:00.001+11:00

Hello! Here is a video of my everyday makeup, which is inspired by classic vintage and pinup looks. This is what I use:

concealer, foundation – laura mercier (worth every cent)
face powder (loose) – T Leclerc
eyeshadow – sportsgirl (cheapies and goodies)
eyebrow pencil, liquid eyeliner, mascara – australis (cheap and really good!)
blusher – Christian Dior (and I am looking for new, matte blushers in lots of colours!)
lip liner, lipstick – mac, cherry and russian red

I hope you like it!

I always do my makeup before I do my hair – just from habit, really – so next time I will share a video on how I do my hair. I will do the hairstyle I had a few posts back, with rolls/victory rolls/call 'em what you like. See you soon! xxx

++ edit ++

music :: That's a Plenty by Kid Ory

red roses – a winter dress

2011-10-12T14:57:00.001+11:00

Hello! This is what I wore yesterday, when I went for a lovely lunch with a lovely lady and then went for dinner at my Mother-in-Law's. I quite liked eating out for most of the day! You can find out a little bit more about this dress over at Much Love Anna, who is taking part in Frocktober – a great cause!

Now I am going to do some house work (yawn) prepare some great food, eat some blueberries and pineapple (yum) and film something for you (yay!) – see you soon!

painted nails: red and purple

2011-10-10T10:58:00.000+11:00

So, just like I said in my last post, I have been back to painting my nails. And I've been painting up a storm! It's so nice to have colourful fingertips – and toe tips! – once again.

One colour just ain't enough at the moment. I've a new, terrible habit of popping into Sportsgirl to buy "just one more nail varnish" which of course means I already have a few. Damn it that I am giving them a free shout out (d'oh!) but as I've said before, their varnishes last a while on me, and they have some really good colours in at the moment.

And who doesn't like a bit of matchy-matchy form time to time?!

Blackmores Nails, Hair and Skin supplements – a review

2011-10-09T09:58:00.009+11:00

When I was offered the chance to trial Blackmores Nails, Hair and Skin supplements, I was pretty keen to say yes. I keep my skin care routine simple, and while I love make up and lotions and potions, I don't expect that much from most of them. I think good skin, hair and nails comes so much from what you eat, and not just what you put on them.

I eat pretty well (and I am a great believer in a little of what you fancy doing you good, too!) and, after a recent doctor's check up, I know my vitamin levels are good. I sometimes take iron and Vitamin D tablets to keep things tickety boo, but I am also wary of going too far; I think getting carried away on vitamins just gives you expensive pee.

That said, I have always wanted to try this kind of vitamin supplement, but I’ve always hesitated and then put the bottle back on the shelf. It's quite a lot of money for something not instantly fun, or tangible… such as shoes, for example! There are no guarantees they'll work. And twice a day for, well, it can take "... up to 12 weeks" to see any difference… that’s a long time to wait. What if I don’t even remember to take them..?!

But the one reason – the only reason, really – I’ve been wanting to try a skin, hair and nails (let’s save my fingers and call it an shn!) supplement, for some time now, is simple. I know two women, both of whom, like me, have celebrated their 30th birthday, who have the most beautiful skin. Great hair and nails, too. But it’s their great skin that really sticks in my mind. They both take an shn supplement.

And while I know that good skin has a lot to do with good genetics, anything that helps is a good thing!

My skin is not too bad, but it’s far from perfect. My hair is pretty good, despite its constant mistreatment. It’s my nails that need all the help they can get.

I naturally have very thin, brittle nails. I look after them (and my hands) and use a good hand cream several times a day, but while they grow pretty quickly, they break very easily. My mum had amazingly strong nails. So much for genetics, then! Over the past few months my nails have taken an absolute battering – sanding, painting, and general diy is not good for hands! – and winter always wrecks them, anyway.

So it was my nails where I was really hoping to see results.

I decided the best way to do this trial justice was to photograph the progress once a week – give or take a day or two! – for six weeks, and then show you!

So, week one: this is the first day I start taking the tablets. Look at my poor nails. Dreadful. Dry and splitting and short. Sanding floorboards does not help matters. Halp!

Week two: Masking tape application and removal, more sanding, painting. I’ve taken two tablets a day, and my nails are the same as before.

Week three: same same. I keep filing them down to get rid of the splits. No point in longer nails if they aren’t perfect. Still no improvement. I know it’s meant to take a while, but I’m getting over it. Remind myself to be patient.

Week four: staining the floorboards. My nails are still short, but they are in much better condition. It’s only now I start to think there may be a change happening, but I can’t be sure. Maybe I am just paying them more attention?

Week five: for the first time, I think there is a definite improvement. My nails are less dry, and aren’t breaking so easily. Really pleased! It’s good for motivating me to keep up with the tablets, which I only sometimes forget to take..! Fig jam in a pretty jar gives me a good opportunity to take a picture.

Week six: my nails are actually nice. Even after some digging in the herb garden and replanting some mint! I haven’t worn much nail varnish at all over the last six weeks, to really give my nails a chance to improve. They are now longer, healthy, and harder to bend. Yay!

Week seven: after six weeks of tablet taking, my nails were looking great… and I went and jammed my hand in a door and broke off the middle one! Ha! Bad timing, bad language... But, reduced middle nail aside, there is a huge improvement. My nails have never been this good. Even my loved one, who was very skeptical to begin with, is super impressed.

So, now what?

I can honestly say I found these tablets have made a HUGE difference to my nails, and I am going to keep taking them. Apparently it can take around 3 months to really see results, and I want to see how good they will be! I am genuinely surprised at the difference so far, though.

***It should go without saying, but any review I do on here will ALWAYS be completely honest.***

my new red shoes

2011-10-07T20:07:00.000+11:00

These are my new red shoes, the ones I am wearing in yesterday's post. They are amazing almost-wedges with ankle straps. I love the little notch in the wedge!

I got them from Joanne Mercer – yes, a real live shop, in real life! I don't do much real life shopping (other than op shops, of course, and that is hardly the same thing) but I really enjoyed it – I got really good service. Sometimes it is nice to interact with people when you buy stuff...

I am also happy to report that they are amazingly comfortable to walk around in, all day. Perfect shoes! I will wear them a lot this summer, and hopefully next winter, too!

hair in a back roll, red shoes, and flowers...

2011-10-06T21:26:00.000+11:00

Today I spent Thursday a little differently to how I usually do. And much better than normal it was, too. I met up with my loved one for coffee, and saw some more lovely faces, too.

I wore my cream maxi skirt, a black floral blouse I got the other day, my new red shoes and some new hair flowers. And a newly op-shopped cardigan. A lot of new-olds, then! I love the print on this 1970's blouse. It reminds me of late deco floral prints. I love the black, red, light blue and cream colours together, too.

Melbourne looks great in Spring, and I think new hair flowers are most appropriate. Especially when they match my pedicure exactly.

I LOVE my new red shoes. I ended up walking a lot more than I had planned to today, and I am very happy to find that they are really, really comfortable! I also love my back roll, too. I have re-found the joys of hair rats, and I see a good bit more use from them to come! x

progress (and green check pants)

2011-10-05T10:12:00.000+11:00

Hello, dear readers. I didn't mean to be away for so long – over a week! – but the past few weeks have been something of a trial, to put it mildly. But the worst bit is over, so hooray to that. I am now feeling thousands, a million times better and looking forward to all sorts of things again. It is so nice to have dead weights lifted from your shoulders.

But enough about that. This is from yesterday, when I did some chores, and then some fun stuff, too, including shopping. One of the things I got was this new hair flower. I can get a bit tired of things in the usual reds, pinks and whites. I like some more unusual or unexpected colours, too. My cat seems to love it more than I do, and, having chased it around the living room last night, sat and looked at it for a good ten minutes this morning.

scarf, belt, pants: op shops :: top, hair flower: sportsgirl :: cardigan: forever new :: bracelet: lovisa

Something that has been quietly doing my head in lately is the fact that so much of my stuff is packed away at the moment. Remember how we were doing our floorboards? Well, thanks to the plumbing complications that actually kicked the whole thing off, we now need to get part of a wall replaced and blah blah blah expensive and time consuming big work. This means that a quickish job has turned out to take much longer, and all my scarves, belts, jumpers and so on aren't to hand. So my thin black belt it was, and will be for a bit longer! I am getting some paint today, so there is some progress happening at home. I can't wait to get the painting done and everything nice.

So. The black belt was decided for me, and the black and white polka dot scarf matches nicely and gives some much-needed sun protection too. Melbourne is in that sunny-but-cold-but-maybe-warm-later-who-knows stage, weather wise. It does not make outfit choosing all that easy! I love these pants, and want to wear them more often, especially when I ride my bike (Melbourne is windy, and bike riding + windy + skirts or dresses = not good!) and think they are perfect for spring, too. I wore them with a silk top, that cardigan and my go-to heeled brogues. Good, and casual.

vintage dress and matching jacket, with buttons

2011-09-27T15:49:00.001+10:00

Thanks so much for the lovely comments on my last post – and I almost didn't put it up! Only because they are pictures in my bathroom. The light in there comes from the windows near the ceiling, which is very high in there, and that's why my roots are a-glowin'. That and the fact that yes, I need to get mah hair did! If anyone wanted to make mine red for me I'd say yes in a flash. It's a big job...

I have been having a lot of fun lately with what I 'spose are 1940's hair dos, not that I am trying to be era specific or anything like that. I am just enjoying having big hair, rolled up high! In fact my hair was so high today it was getting bashed around on the roof of my car... oh dear. Still, it survived.

And I would LOVE to make a video on how to do this hair style! I am planning on doing a no-talking one, with music; we don't need me talking all the time! I've seen quite a few videos like this and love them, and in this case it would be perfect. I love the videos that the wonderful Elsa Billgren does. Check out her makeup and hair ones. Great, aren't they! Speaking of makeup, I have been sitting on a makeup idea for a while, and think it's time to hatch it! Now I'm committed, I guess I should say watch this space..! ;) I'll give you a clue: it is about vintage makeup styles. I want you to join in. I think it will be fun!

AnyHOO. This is me last on Saturday. I got up really late, ironed a 1940s floral dress, decided it was too cold for it, and wore this 1940s/early 1950s one instead. It is new (to me), so this is the first time I got to wear it. I love it – those buttons down the back of the jacket make me so happy! Yep, buttons on jackets can do that..! I love small details.

(It's funny how brown can be such an overlooked colour when it comes to dresses. I think brown can look dull on the hanger/in a picture, but it's a great colour to wear. Anyway, chocolate is brown, and chocolate is nice! Good logic, right? I often find myself ignoring black clothes; they either look boring on screen (because I can't see the details) and I assume that anything old and black is, in fact, going to be old and washed-out-dark-grey. I hate washed out black. It makes me sad. But I find brown really flattering (in fact, it looks great on lots of colourings) and it is a good basic colour too. I am looking for some turquoise, green and blue bracelets that will look great with all sorts of colours, including brown.)

I bought this dress knowing that the white peter pan collar (I know, I know, I am ADDICTED) wasn't quite pristine. When it comes to fabrics such as cotton I am pretty fearless of stains, as a good soak in Napisan lifts almost anything. Almost. It can also make things disappear for a bit, only to return even darker when you next wash it. As I'd soaked this and then hand washed it in regular washing powder (I have a thing about my clothes always smelling laundry fresh) (no, really, I sniff them to be sure)(yes, it's terrible for vintage clothes, but so it goes) I found this to be the case for me. Still, it is a lot better than it was! Almost perfect. The other problem with soaking can be that colours run. This dress was colour fast for the first few hours, but then I noticed some of the reds from the brown dye were seeping into the white collar. Boo. We shall now refer to the white collar as a soft ecru.

When I wore it, I knew I wanted to let down the hem, but I think it's always good to wear something first to make sure, and so I can decide how much. There was plenty of fabric up in this hem so I have now lowered it around 6 inches back to what looks like the original length, to a nice spot just below my knees.

So, on Saturday Mr Esme and me went shopping for fancy dress costumes (I was Captain Brucebeard and he was Lady Pancetta – there might be photos) at the Savers in Brunswick. I hadn't been there for a while, and I was SHOCKED by the prices. Still, we got what we needed, and then I got what I wanted, too – a sugar hit in the form of two macaroons. I'd already squashed one of them on the short walk back to the car, so decided to have them both there and then. Nom.

And just after my lovely Loved one took my photo, he pointed out the name of the house we were next too..!

loop-di-loo (1940's hair do)

2011-09-24T17:30:00.000+10:00

Hello! This is how I wore my hair on Wednesday. I had a forties dress to go with it all lined up, but it got really cold so my 1950's jumper stayed on. Words cannot describe how much I want to get my hair colour done! Either back to black, or ginger-y red. I am thinking I am going to have to be raven for a while... unless someone wants to do the red for me!

pin curling video

2011-09-22T19:59:00.002+10:00

Edit: the whole video is up now! I am going to blame that technical boo boo on elves.

So, here it is, as promised: a pin curling tutorial for beginners!

Don't you just LOVE that still image when it isn't playing (I'm sure this has a name but I've no idea what it is)???!!! I've NO IDEA why it chose that, other than for amusement. Ossim! Also, I promise I stop wriggling about after the first few seconds ;)

This is a really quick and easy way to curl your hair. There is nothing tricky about it! And you don't need any special products. You just need:

– a lot of bobby pins

and, erm, that's it. Oh, and a hair brush!

This is just a really simple way to curl your hair, with no setting patterns, no millions of pin curls going in particular directions and nothing too demanding.

This is the best way I know to curl my dead straight, very thick, very fine and very heavy hair. I'd be chuffed if hot rollers or curling irons worked – but no such luck! This, and rag curling, is the only way I can actually get any curls to last more than ten minutes, and this way of pin curling gives me two, sometimes three days. I know a few of you will have similar hair, so if you have been struggling to curl your hair too, do give this a try!

If you do this, please let me know how you go. I'd also love to see some pics of the results too, so if you like, send them in!

my new vintage dress – 1950's, buttons, peter pan collar... and a capelet!

2011-09-20T18:15:00.000+10:00

I have a new vintage dress! This one is from the 1950's, and has my favourite details: a white peter pan collar, buttons down the side, the amazing tailoring and fit and fabric us vintage lovers get spoiled by... and it has a matching capelet!

After yesterday's amazingly warm weather, it has been freezing cold today – so tights and a cardigan and a jacket were needed. The little cape was not going to keep me warm enough. This jacket is part of another 1950's dress set – and I will show you that another time soon! For now I am happy playing mix and match. I needed to wear my sparkly cardigan under it – that is how cold it has been today!

And so I am in our old bedroom, which is going to become a sort of study and wardrobe (clothes racks!) room for me. A dressing room! I know, I'm pretty lucky with that. There are other compromises, though, believe me, involving multiple bikes that live indoors with us. Right now, this room also has a whole bunch of other stuff in it that usually lives elsewhere, and I can't quite fit the camera in the corner there and for some reason could barely get a pic in focus for the life of me, but that's ok. I am busting to get some spring cleaning done, so this can be a starter of the before pics – and the before is pretty scary. I can't wait till it is finished and I can revel in the after, with everything tidy and in its place!

And I need to clean this mirror, and find homes for the stuff in those laundry bags...

This morning I finished editing my pin curl tutorial video..! At least I think I have finished. I keep chopping bits out to make it as short and concise as I can. It is pretty basic (do NOT laugh at my editing! Well, ok, just a little bit – you won't be able to help it, really) and I would LOVE to have it set to music or something like that. Still, I think this is the best way to explain things, talking and showing as I go. I will probably post it tonight, after taking a few deep breaths and maybe a few deep sips of wine first!

Now I am having a cup of tea, trying to keep warm, and getting ready to cook some delicious salmon with fresh dill for dinner, maybe with boiled potatoes and some parsley from my wild parsley tree that is getting a bit ridiculous out there in our herb patch. That way dinner will be warm and filling but still remind us of the spring that is sort of springing at the moment. It's so close now. And then I can wear my capelet with my dress and no tights and not freeze. Good times. I am staying in with the Loved One and making important future plans, and being generally cosy (a much nicer word than lazy, yes?) watching some great films from a wonderful friend out in SA. I hope you have a lovely night too, whatever you are doing! See you very soon!

black bows, alterations, sparkly cardigans and cats

2011-09-19T13:09:00.001+10:00

This is from last Wednesday, when me and Joyce went to the Mad Men exhibition at Chadstone. I am wearing a vintage blouse, a sparkly cardigan and a winter dress that I finally got round to altering… just in time for spring. Hmm. The black bow, from Asos, made this outfit, which I like to think of as 1940's-boarding-school-girl-runs-away-to-the-400-club. In fact, I think I want to come up with absurd names for outfits more often!

But the black bows press studs don't work too well, so by lunchtime it had to live in my handbag. I guess that's Asos for you. It's an easy fix, but I would prefer it if the things I buy new actually worked. Too much to ask for? Perhaps. Anyway, without the bow the outfit lost its panache. The bow itself is pretty good though, and I like the little beads on the ends.

So, just what did I need to do to this dress? If we get a day cold enough for me to wear it I can tell you… and actually show you this dress, too. It's a great dress, and would look even better if I had red hair!

This is before the bow fail. Here I am getting ready, with the assistance/disinterest (I think we know which one is applicable here) of Babycat. Don't you love how cats love to help us out? Please forgive the old photos in the mirror trick; sometimes it is such a faff to set up a tripod when you are in a hurry. Of course, the payback from the photo gods is that you can't pick up details, like the front roll in your hair. Well played, photo gods! But picking up details in black hair is pretty damn hard at the best of times. Oh how I wish I could go red..!

the clothes of mad men – in real life

2011-09-16T08:32:00.001+10:00

On Wednesday I went with Joyce to see come of the Mad Men clothes in the Icons of Style exhibition at – whoa – Chadstone Shopping Centre.

Yep, I went to a shopping centre. And not just any shopping centre, but the biggest one in the Southern Hemisphere. At least it was a few years ago. I've no idea if that stat is still true and I've no interest in checking it because, well, I don't really care! Shopping centres are not my favourite things.

BUT on with the show. It was really interesting in seeing these clothes, these costumes that are so familiar to me, having watched MM up to just past halfway of the third series before running out of episodes on DVD and then running out of enthusiasm to track more down. I do like the show – and the costumes, of course! – but I think at that point in my life I had reached early 1960's fashions overload!

My favourite of the exhibition is Peggy's black and white check dress with the button details. The print might be a bit too loud/large for me but this is the kind of mid-century vintage dress that is right up my alley. I'm a sucker for button details! On the show, Joan is my favourite character, clothing wise. All the clothes were displayed on standard modern mannequins – you know, very tall, thin limbs, strange proportions, tiny heads – and they just didn't do Joan's dresses, so fabulous on Miss H, any justice. Loose on the bust and hips, it showed just how important the fit of clothing is – and the importance of people, and personalities, to make them come to life.

I didn't shoot much of the men's suits because who cares about them?! Well, that's not strictly true, of course. But on those modern mannequins, the details weren't really shown to their best advantage. Perfectly fitted suits need to fit, well, perfectly, to their wearer's body – that's the point of tailoring!A fedora here, a tie pin there, it's all just stuff without a character making it their own.

What's your favourite dress here? And who's favourite Mad Men character when it comes to clothes? Tell me! I'd love to know.

flower head band

2011-09-14T23:28:00.000+10:00

On Monday me and my loved one had a day off. We went for a really nice breakfast at Cafe Rosamond in Collingwood (actually, isn't that bit Fitzroy?), saw some farmyard animals (o hai, sheep working the neon trend) and then went vintage shopping on Smith Street. I saw a great 1940's crepe dress, but it wasn't my size – who says all vintage is small?! Rubbish! – so it didn't come home with me. We then watched old films back at home. A pretty nice relaxing day in Melbourne, then.

I thought I was over flower head bands (hair bands?) but no. I want more! With spring here, they seem just right. I made this one on Sunday, and want to make a dark red one next. And maybe a grey one, too...

The dress is late '70's/early '80's and from an opshop, as is the belt; the socks are... topshop? and the shoes are the same shoes I have worn a million times before and I'm still not sick of them.

In fact, I've rather made a point recently, with myself, when it comes to shoes. I've only really been wearing two pairs, with occasional swaps with one or two other pairs. And I have more than four pairs of shoes. I love shoes! I had wanted to buy less pairs, but nicer quality ones (hello, See by Chloe) because I don't really need so many to chose from. I thought I'd miss the variety but I don't think I have... that said, I saw two pairs I want in the shops, and have a third pair on the way from the US. I'm not on a super-strict shoe diet just yet!

my new make up essentials

2011-09-13T13:40:00.000+10:00

I recently added these to my everyday makeup routine. They are all amazing, and the best I have found of each so far. My happiest discovery is the Laura Mercier foundation – perfect colour, perfect coverage. Fellow blogger Ayr L'oxide recommended it, and as she has the most flawless fair skin I have ever seen, I knew she must be on to something! Shame about the not-so-perfect whopping great price, but when it comes to foundation, I know I have to pay for good quality. Luckily the great Australis eyeliner and mascara are so cheap, then! The Laura Mercier concealer is almost perfect, too – but it is good enough for me. It has the best texture and gives great coverage, but I just wish it was a tiny bit lighter, with maybe a little less pink pigment..! If only.

I recently asked on twitter what you thought was the best way to do makeup posts, and two great points really stayed with me: before and after shots, and step by step start to finish details. I think this makes so much sense! I love seeing how other people do their makeup, whether it's everyday or something a little more special, and I would like to share that too. Product shots are all very well and good, and I love to see what you use, too, but how they are used is the best bit!

weekend in the country – day one

2011-09-12T19:58:00.000+10:00

This is the first day of our two day weekend adventure. First things first – a good breakfast to get started. Strawberries and pears and yogurt on muesli. Then it's time to pack (I left it to the last minute, nothing new there) and to make myself up...

and decide if I should be with or without lipstick? The pin curl I put in my fringe/bang had not gone well and needed a bit more work.

And I decide on red lipstick after all! It's not a long journey but we were already really hungry, and so some road trips noms were needed: sushi! Oh, and a picnic bar. Yum!

The house in the country side is beautiful. We were staying with six other people, ranging from good friends to people we had never met before. They were all lovely, but I'd offered to cook for everyone in a moment of optimism earlier in the week..! I had lots of help preparing things, and then... it was all down to me! It went really well. Phew.

And then what else is good for weekends away? Fires going in the massive fire place, cheese and wine and talking all night. Awesome.

weekend in the country

2011-09-11T19:32:00.000+10:00

Hello! I hope you had great weekends. We went away with some friends to stay in a country house. It was amazing and I feel really rested and relaxed now, which is, you know, nice.

This is me in the back garden of the house – there was so much land there! And so many trees. Beautiful. I have more photos form my time there but this is just a quick hello, and what I was wearing, of course! I felt quite 1930's sporting country getaway in my 1970's skirt but more about that tomorrow. So much to tell you. But not just yet. Soon! Good night!

comfort

2011-09-09T08:43:00.000+10:00

On Wednesday I had one of those days where you just get out of the wrong side of bed. It didn't help that after so many warm, sunshiny days, it was cold and grey and dull. And I'd said I didn't want winter to end just yet! Well, I've changed my mind. It was even colder in the house. I couldn't decide what to wear, because everything seemed wrong and everything was annoying and I had a load of things to do and I had a headache and this was supposed to be my day off, dammit! All I wanted to do was sit on the couch in my jim jams, watching old films with Babycat purring in my lap, drinking tea and eating the occasional biscuit. And this is what I did till almost lunchtime, but those things I had to do really did need doing.

One of those things was going off to the markets to buy food for the dinner I am cooking for eight people this Saturday night. So I dragged my unsure-of-my-outfit self off to the markets, dragging my nanna wagon behind me, and felt very sorry for myself because it was all such a drag.

I'd just bought some cheese at the deli when I heard the lady next to me ask for 500g of fresh ricotta. I love fresh ricotta. My mother-in-law loves it, too, and in fact she was the one who got me on to it with home made jam on thick toast. It was somehow instantly comforting. I was tired of being so grumpy – it's no way to spend a precious day off! – and thought it was definitely time I pulled myself together. I bought some fresh ricotta, and some fig conserve, too. The rest of the market was already more fun; I finished getting things for the weekend, and got some beautiful looking salmon for later. As soon as I got home I had my ricotta and figs for lunch and instantly felt a million times better. Even the fig conserve's lid is cheery – I love that red and white check pattern! Comfort eating at its best.

1950s pink dress (complete with pom poms... yes, really)

2011-09-07T15:41:00.000+10:00

This is what I wore on Monday. It was five days into spring and we had beautiful warm, sunny weather! Now the blossoms being out doesn't seem so wrong. It's very cheery, really!

I got this dress a couple of months ago, wore it once and then kind of hid it at the back of my wardrobe. Well not literally – who has wardrobes that have backs? I've never understood that term – but I did stick it at the end of one of my clothes racks. Saying that makes it sound like I have loads of clothes, and I don't – I wish! – I am just using racks (two, from Ikea, both a bit wonky, but that's ok) while we do our floorboards/paint walls/generally make the bedrooms impossible to live in.

But I'm getting off the point. What I am saying (slowly) is that I just, well, went off this dress. Not just this dress, but 1950's full skirted dresses in general. I just got a bit bored with the style. It felt so obvious. I do like 1950's dresses (which is a good thing, as I do have a few of them), but I love – love – 1940's ones too. And the style of the 1930's. And some Victorian and Edwardian things... oh, and some modern things, of course, too. I don't just mean modern vintage repro, either. I love some modern clothing too. I don't think I even need to mention my love for modern shoes.

All this means that my style is not era specific, but really quite varied. Every now and then I wonder if this is such a good thing – is it all too hotchpotch? It would certainly be easier to only like, say, one particular vintage era, or to be a dedicated trend slave. But then again, only wearing things you like is, I think, a great freedom to have. It does mean you need a fair bit of wardrobe room (or more racks from Ikea! Erm, oh, and more money to burn – yeowch!) but it is, for me, much more fun.

So this dress here is pink and pretty cute, and girly, and even has little white pom pom trimming. It has a white collar and cuffs and a full, pleated skirt. Sometimes I can go for months and just not feel cute and girly at all. Pink dress? No way! But after a bit of a break from it I suddenly wanted to wear this dress again – the sunshine and the warmth, and my mood, made it seem right. It is now a bit more in the centre of one of the racks... which I guess is as good a compliment as I can give it when I'm not actually wearing it. Because I think I will wear it a lot this spring.

Here, I am wearing it with a belt form a 1940's dress, and modern shoes, bag and sunglasses.

Darnell Collection vintage fashion parade

2011-09-06T11:30:00.002+10:00

I joined the line about 10 people from the front, and within minutes it stretched all the way down towards Flinders St. We were all queuing for a vintage fashion parade of the Darnell Collection – and there was a lot of us!

I had heard about the Darnell collection for years. It sounds too impossibly good – over 5,500 vintage pieces, dating from, I believe, the 1720s, all the way to almost modern times. And it is growing. The custodian, Charlotte Smith – author of the books Dreaming of Dior and Dreaming of Chanel – inherited the collection from her godmother back in 2004. From having an interest in wearing one or two of the dresses, to falling completely for it all as a whole, Charlotte has been working with her amazing collection, storing, cataloging and supplementing, and then bringing it to the world.

I had the pleasure of seeing just a tiny bit of this collection on Saturday, where, as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, Charlotte gave an introductory talk and presented a fashion parade at Fed Square. With me was fellow blogger and all round top chick Joyce of Cyclestyle and Mel: Hot or Not, and, more recently, Tot: hot or not.

Charlotte's warm and engaging talk told us that the collection started back in 1937. Charlotte's godmother, Doris, then in her late teens, began to wear her mother's and grandmother's clothes. Over the years, people would give Doris their vintage pieces, along with handwritten letters about both the garments and their own lives. Doris kept all of these letters, and in doing so gathered an amazing amount of personal, social history. It is this connection to past lives that Charlotte, too, finds interesting, and is something I think many vintage lovers can relate too. I know I do.

After a wonderful talk by Charlotte, it was time for the parade itself. Seven outfits were showcased, including day wear, evening wear and one wedding dress. They were all spectacular – and all beautifully accessorized.

I want to make a special mention of the models. Now, I have done this kind of modelling (walking for an audience) a few times, and I can tell you that it's absolutely terrifying to step out in front of a crowd to casually yet oh-so-gracefully present your look. Here, for this parade, each model began her turn – solo – by walking down a loooooong flight of stairs.

In high heels.

With everyone watching.

The stuff of nightmares, then.

And they handled it with aplomb. They all did an incredible job, and looked stunning. I cannot speak highly enough of them all! It turns out that I'd met one of the models, Bianca of Miss Bias, just the week before, at Lady Melbourne's blogger networking day. You did a stellar job, Bianca – you were a star!

The outfits themselves were, simply, amazing. The parade was focused on Dior's New Look style – the fitted waists and full skirts that were so welcomed by a postwar public in 1947, and remained popular well into the early 1960s – and Hitchcocks's heroines. They were all absolutely beautiful, and somehow refreshed my love of vintage. I may have just bought three vintage dresses since. Oh dear.

I must warn you, this is a picture heavy post! But can you blame me, under the circumstances?! I tried to photo them as well as I could, but of course wanted more time, more daylight and another lens – isn't that always the way? – and here they are. There was so much more I could have snapped, and this is just the tiniest peek, really. I hope the Darnell collection returns to Melbourne soon so I can see more!

That was the parade... and of course, it was a great photo-taking moment! I wonder if they are bloggers too?

And then, the details...

vintage dress, early 1950's

2011-09-05T10:07:00.000+10:00

Good morning! I hope you had great weekends. Here I am on Saturday, when I went to see the vintage Darnell collection parade hosted by Charlotte Smith. It was absolutely amazing! I will post about it soon, but first I need to go and get some coffee. Happy Monday!

The Manufactory

2011-09-02T08:44:00.000+10:00

When I went on a bike ride a couple of months ago, I discovered a lovely new little shop. The Manufactory looks pretty much like I how I'd like my house to look: cool old industrial vintage bits and pieces with lots of fresh flowers – and, of course, bird cages. I have two. No one, except Mr Esme, knows about this. This is because they are hidden away in storage. Boo.

In fact we have quite a few nice old things, and I always like to have fresh flowers, but I haven't quite put them all together yet. I think it can be really hard to get things just right, as these things can so easily look contrived, or saccharine, or just too cluttered. Having two rooms (out of four) out of bounds is not helping at the moment.

But progress is being made: we painted the floorboards of our old bedroom two night ago and the colour looks really good. I took pictures and can share them very soon, as promised – along with a million other things! It's nice to have so much stuff to share, but, honestly, I need more hours in the day!

I don't really go to shops very often (except for op shops; I don' t think that counts) and so it is nice, when I do make the trip, to find something interesting. I know there are a lot of great independent shops in Melbourne and I would like to visit them more often. It's nice to get real life inspiration – and I am going to shamelessly steal one particular idea in these photos! You know, sometime in the distant future when I have my rooms back! x

ties and kiss curls

2011-08-31T21:09:00.000+10:00

Usually, when I post daily outfits – or anything for that matter – I like to have things as picture ready as possible. Not picture perfect – I'm never picture perfect, and never will be – but, you now, I try to at least pretend that hai! I'm ready for my close up!

But life gets in the way, really, doesn't it. Real life. I know that I have often done at least part of my day before I get a chance to take any pictures, so my hair is a little ruffled and my makeup is not only-just-applied fresh. But that's ok. I think a bit of realism in this escapism world of blogging is not always a bad thing. Note the shiny black bin liners here; the glamorous way I store some things while we paint our floorboards.

So, in this case, I'd already been out and about for the morning. I even went to a shop (something I hardly ever do) and tried on dresses. I rarely try things on. Not properly. Definitely not if it involves pulling something over my head, because that means it gets pulled over my hair and my makeup too. Faff. But today, I did it, as vintage dresses need to fit. And vintage dresses sometimes have tiny head holes that really mess everything up! I'd sorted my self out enough for the trip home (sans any new dresses, sadly) and then took some pics.

But something was just, well, not quite right.

See, my cat knows it – she does not care for my hair.

As I had to go out again later, I thought I should see what I could do. Maybe a hat? I've been busting to wear my new-old bottle green beret, but it hasn't really been cold enough. But… bad hair is still bad, even under my hat.

It was obviously time to get the hairbrush. As I'd had gel in my hair earlier (and there was a lovely bit of finger wave-like action involved, I promise you) I knew that the only answer lay in more gel. And, to go with my slicked back hair, which was going with my shirt and tie, how about a little kiss curl? These have never really stayed put on me before, because I had never used gel. I am now not only over my gel aversion, I am converted. Love the stuff. Kiss curl stayed put. Gelled kiss curl is invincible! And I have spent enough time already to worry about the little fluffies at the side there. This time, I can live with that. Next time, I might be a little bit closer to picture perfect. But probably not.

black leather pencil skirt, glittery cardigan

2011-08-30T10:29:00.001+10:00

For pretty much all of August we have had really warm weather. August is meant to be cold – it is winter, officially, after all – and September is often freezing, too. And while about a month ago I was feeling the drag of having had several cold months already, at least when it came to getting dressed, I am not tired of winter yet. Not by a long way!

I think most people get a bit tired of whatever season it happens to be when it comes to thinking of what to wear. Except, of course, those people who just love the heat and never want summer to end.

I'm definitely not one of those people. I love cold weather dressing, and although I don't love standing bare footed on chilly floorboards while getting dressed, I adore the layers, the tights, the scarves, the hats... and I am being denied! I have ties to wear with shirts and jumpers and wool skirts and berets, but it is just not, well, wintery enough here.

Yesterday we had a cold day by our recent standards – I didn't need a coat. A cardigan over a blouse was enough. Don't get me wrong, I love this in spring, but please, let me have my cold fun times until October!

glittery cardigan : forever new

peach pussy bow blouse : op shop

black leather paneled pencil skirt : op shop
rust coloured tights : forever new

shoes : jeffrey campbell

Don't I look just so damn serious?!

I got this black bracelet yesterday, and put it on straight away. I love how matte it is. I have been looking for a matte black necklace too – quite short, really chunky – that I absolutely need to wear with a number of things. I just can't find the right one anywhere!

Now, I have a confession to make: I haven't done my hair all week. Shh, don't tell anyone! Seriously, though, I wanted to try wearing it au naturel, just to see how it felt. (And it felt pretty uncomfortable when it got snagged in my cardigan's glittery bits!). I do quite like wearing it straight and simple, now that it's so long, but I am already excited about actually styling it again. Today, I think a front roll is going to happen, and there will definitely be some finger waves soon..! Which I'll blog, of course! (I might have to find a different spot for photos, though, as my plain mint green wall is our old bedroom is pretty jpg-y...)

FFBday

2011-08-29T18:37:00.000+10:00

Thanks very much to the barman that took this photo. Left to Right: Lady Melbourne, me, one of the nice QSR cafe chaps, Carly, Jo, Cheryl, Bianca, Ebony, and Ayr.

Last Saturday, I headed into the city for the first FFBday. Hosted by Lady Melbourne, FFBday is a Female Fashion and Creative Bloggers networking event. It was great to meet other Melbourne bloggers, share tips and swap stories about this wonderful blogging thing that we do. We also had a special guest drop by – Imelda! It was great to finally meet the Style Tyrant himself.

I'm looking forward to the next one! Maybe I'll have some business cards to add to the collection that Cheryl's amazing Busi-man is clutching?