Merry Christmas from a little woodland playhouse

This is how I spent most of Christmas day - enjoying Little Miss A's new woodland playhouse.

Merry Christmas to everyone and see you in 2011.

xxx

Hello! Goodbye. Shoes

Yesterday I checked out a vintage shop I had never been to called Lost + Found Market. I only discovered it after complimenting a girl in a shop on her lovely novelty pattern skirt. I like to compliment people on their clothes if I like them, I know it makes people feel good and it makes me feel good if someone bothers to voice their admiration.



This place is great, inside it is set out in separate concessions varying from clothes, shoes, jewellery, furniture, crockery, magazines, you name it they will probably have it, I spent a little too long in there and my parking ticket ran out but luckily there were no parking inspectors on the beat.

Oh and I bought these lovely men's Italian leather shoes. I find it quite hard to find vintage shoes in my size - I have quite big feet. These are in great condition, with a slight heel. They are probably not best for the sort of weather we are going to be experiencing this season but they will be ready to go when Autumn arrives.



I bought these Tatty Divine earrings a while ago but as you never see my ears these days I thought they might look good on my collars.

If I were ever to get a tattoo (which I toss up every year or so and then decide against it) I would like to get a little blue bird like this.

Hello and goodbye shoes, until the weather gets cooler.

Dress: Etsy (in a previous post)

Shoes: Lost + Found Market Label: Calzaturificio di Varese

Earrings as brooches: Tatty Divine

Christmas cards all made and sent

This is our Christmas card this year.

I always like to make them, it is often cheaper and makes not receiving ANOTHER bog standard Christmas card in the post a little more special.



Instead of using the Gocco printer I decided to make a lino print.

As inspiration for the image I scoured the Internet for 1950's inspired Christmas images, this is what I came up with - Rudolph, instead of the typical snow related image which just doesn't seem right in our hot climate.

Tiki and hair dye terror

On the weekend there was a huge warehouse sale held by a Melbourne retro/vintage shop called Retro Star. Everything was $5 and $10!!! Needless to say I was there early on the first day and had another peep on the Sunday after the crowds had died down.



I purchased only 2 items for myself (I have learnt become very restrained when it comes to vintage as I look very carefully at the condition and some of the dresses were in poor condition with cigarette butt burns and rust stains), and 2 cowboy shirts for Mr Ed.

This dress was my favourite and in perfect condition, with every sequin in place!



I'm not a huge fan of Tiki design but this has a certain charm and muted palate.

And these shoes were a surprise, my size exactly and recently reheeled cuban heel dance shoes. Who would have thought I would have 2 pair of heels in my cupboard?

I can't wait for the next sale in 6 months - look out youngen's.

Oh and you might notice my hair colour has changed. This is supposed to be medium brown!!! Now this doesn't look like medium brown to me, more like ... almost black! Oh well I will just have to wait for it to grow out, I am getting used to it...slowly.

Dress: Retro Star (Label: Erika Dress)

Cardigan: Temt

Shoes: Retro Star

Belt: Oasis

Brooch: Borders (yeah really!)

Cleaning the house kinda day

The back lanes - these were once sewerage gutters for the houses they back onto...nice.

Today I've been in a bit of a cleaning frenzy, you know the type where you start with, hhmmmm that sink needs a bit of a clean and then you realised you've cleaned the entire bathroom in a good dress! Well that happened to me this morning and this is why I have now changed into this sack of a dress.

It's a great little tunic dress made of a thin indigo denim.


Another outing for the hat

So I took a brief break to take a few photos, unfortunately the house whose window sill I normally rest my camera on was home, so I had to find another ledge. With no luck I had to settle for the ground and by hand. I really do need a tripod.

Dress: H&M years ago

Christmas has arrived

We put our tree together on the weekend, well Little Miss A threw a bit of tinsel on and I fixed it all up in the evening. I'm pretty happy with it even though it doesn't have lights - we thought it best not to in case a little certain someone comes along and decides to pull it down.

The decorations we have had for a long time, although this year we bought some more baubles and bells.



I have been working on a little head band that I may wear on Christmas day. I just took apart some Christmas decorations, wired them all together, wound some ribbon around it and Vwalla!



I think it needs a little more work.

Heels?!

I've had my eye on this pair of sandals for a good couple of weeks, wondering if I should spend that amount of money on a pair of shoes I might not be able to walk in.

Here are the little beauties: My clog sandals


The heel is only 5cm but it is a lot to me

You see I have never worn heels, I'm quite tall already so I didn't see any advantage to wearing heels. But today I went into the shop and they were half price so I tried them on and hey! I could walk in them!



And jump in them!



Remind me again why I was wearing so much clothing in 31 degrees!

Top: Dear Gladys

Skirt: Zara

Scarf: Thrifted

Hat: Dangerfield

Shoes: Rubi Shoes

A morning at the convent

Yesterday was a very hot day (31 degrees) so we headed out early to buy a Christmas tree and some new decorations (I'll take some photos of our little tree and show you soon, it's so cute).

Then for morning tea at Abbotsford Convent and a 'chino' as Little Miss A calls it.



The convent is no longer a functioning convent but now houses many artists studios, a school and a few cafe's.

*Damn, forgot to take a photo of the building



The grounds owned by the convent are what you would describe as part cultivated, part rustic in that it is left to its own devises which I like.

This dress is a very simple design and again handmade (not by me).

Family portrait in the gazebo.

Isn't it great when there are places to rest your camera for the timer that are at a decent height.

Dress: Pocket Vintage Clothing Etsy Shop
Cardigan: Gorman

Belt: Supre

Hat: Dangerfield

Shoes: KMart

Out on the town - Friday night

Last night I went out for dinner with a group of friends from my mothers group (we met through a council scheme to get new mothers together to give support to each other) A few have fallen by the wayside but 6 of us met for a drink, some delicious food and a chat. It was a lot of fun and we got 2 plates of desserts for free because they messed up our order - who can complain about free dessert!!



I wore a dress Mr Ed bought me for Christmas 3 years ago. It doesn't get much of an outing (I don't go out much) but I love it and decided to add a studded belt (I always wanted to be a rock chick) and black nail polish.



I don't know what to say about the details on this dress accept that I have never seen another dress like it.



Waiting for the tram.

Dress: Frocks and Slacks (Label: Jacqueline Lechat, Made in France, CANNES)

Belt: KMart

Cardigan: Temt

Shoes: KMart

Red through the rain

Another day of rain: run to the lane, take a few photos...



...and then the rain really came down!



Through the haze of tropical rain, I stood under a very small sill against the wall.


This is what I see if I don't have my glasses on: like looking through a haze of tropical rain.

I have started wearing this little hat I bought a while ago for $5. It won't protect me from the sun (we haven't seen much of the sun recently) but it keeps my hair from frizzing in this humid weather.

At the moment I have a black scarf covering the permanent checkerboard material around the crown. This won't do for too much longer so I plan to make a trip to the haberdashery to by some felt and maybe make some leaves like the ones on this wonderful hat I am starting to get hat envy, there are so many cute hats out there.

Dress: Vintage Garage
Cardigan: Savers
Belt: Oasis
Hat: Dangerfield
Scarf: Pop Boutique
Shoes: KMart

I've ventured outside

So on the day I decide to venture out to take a few pictures it decides to rain hard and all morning. But as I saw a clearing I dashed out the front door and across the road to a little alley, which happened to have a torrent flowing down it.



My shoes filled with water, time for a new pair of shoes.



And a new umbrella, one of the spokes broke during one of my frenzy's to get it up.

The lavender is really coming on in our front garden. I have been beheading the flowers and it has made a huge difference to it's size and the amount of flowers it produces, and the butterflies it attracts.

I don't think I can make that many lavender pouches?

These little flowers have also been popping up and covering the front garden, if only the newspaper man wouldn't use them as a target every morning.

I love this denim jacket, it is one of the most expensive items I have bought!!! Yes!? I bought it about 8 years ago at the Levis store in London and it cost me £120. I had a well paid job at the time but even so, I felt very guilty afterwards.

Dress: Cassie's Attic (label: Altogether)

Jacket: Levis

Scarf: TopShop

Shoes: KMart (got to go)

Umbrella: ? (got to go)

Badge: The Gentle Waves (bought it at a gig years ago, didn't think much of the show but I liked the badge)

I don't like purple

Little Miss A enjoying a jump

For some strange reason I dressed Little Miss A in similar colours as myself, now I normally steer well clear of the mini-me, lookey-likey duo combo but I couldn't be bothered to change either one of us.

This skirt I bought years ago and it is the only purple item of clothing I own - I don't like purple.



But the pattern on the fabric won me over, wonderfully stylised trees and flowers straight out of a 60's fairytale book.

Solo jump

Me

Top: Thrifted

Skirt: Numph (bought years ago)

Scarf: Thrifted

Shoes: Rubi Shoes

Little Miss A

Top: KMart

Cords: Savers

Shoes: KMart