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Things I Love Thursday 5/11/2015

Oh Thursday, how I love thee.  Not only do you signal the tail-end of the working week but you’re the perfect opportunity to sit down and count my blessings.  This week I love:

  • The Making of a Man by Maxim Februari. I devoured this book in an evening and I’ve been telling everyone about it since.  It’s written by transgender philosopher who talks candidly about his life as a man and his transition into masculinity.  It gives some excellent discussion points about transsexuality and it’s a fantastic and thought-provoking read.

Halloween hair. #halloween #dailyoutfit #bighair

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  • Big hair for Halloween.  I watched Ghostbusters the night before Halloween and I felt it only right to pay tribute to my favourite character: Egon Spengler.  I miss Spengler’s crazy do’ from the cartoons, and I felt that this massive pompadour was a fitting tribute.
  • Jaffa cake.  Delicious.
  • Bare feet and red toenails.
  • Four day weekends!  My boss decided to close the office on Monday.  Tuesday was a public holiday for Melbourne Cup Day so I got a delicious four days of relaxation.  It was just what the doctor ordered.
  • Scottish accents.
  • Re-watching some of the classic Disney films: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Pinocchio
  • Finding the most perfect present for one of my friends for Christmas.

  • Gorgeous op shop trunk.

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  • This stunning carved trunk I found at the op shop. Sadly it had already been sold so I couldn’t take it home for myself.  It would have made the most perfect home for my winter blankets.  Ah well, I hope it’s new owner has something wonderful to place inside it.
  • Turkey and cranberry baguettes

  • The best part about this vintage babe? Pockets! #thrifting #vintage #dress #pockets

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  • Finding this beautiful floral dress at the thrift store for just $4.  I haven’t worn it out yet, but I promise that I’ll post pictures when I do. It’s made of cotton and it’s so light and cool.  I can imagine that I’ll wear this to work a lot once Summer hits.
  • The final count-down to Christmas.

What are you loving this week my darling?

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What I wore 29/7/2015

I had an epiphany when I was typing the title of today’s post.  Since the very beginning of my blog, I’ve called my outfit posts “Daily Outfit”.  And when I started blogging that was definitely true.  Once upon a time I used to post an outfit shot every day.  Now I’m lucky to do a couple of outfit posts in a month.  So I made the decision to rename this post series “What I wore”, because it feels more real than “Daily Outfit” now.

So anyway, this is the outfit I wore to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday.  We went out for a lunch of seafood and soft drinks and it was fantastic.

I am wearing:

– Black and white floral dress from Target

– Leopard-trimmed cardigan (a gift from my parents)

– Seamed stockings from Dangerfield.

– Black patent leather heels from Nine West

– Black cat earrings from Sisunyak on Etsy.

It felt quite right to wear an outfit that was a mixture of ladylike sweetness and rebellious detailing to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday.  My grandma is an amazing and surprising person.  She’s has a pretty rough year, as my grandfather passed away last year and she’s been on her own for the first time since she got married. And she is absolutely thriving.  Grandma spent most of her life being a wife and mother and putting her husband’s needs first. And now she has jumped at the chance to embrace her independence and explore the things that she’s always wanted to try.  She has thrown herself into loads of new hobbies and has made plenty of friends.  She got a job at an op-shop.  And for her birthday she bought herself a house as a gift.  In the last year she’s really embraced the desire to live a life that makes her happy and has pooh-poohed anyone who doesn’t like her choices.  I really look up to her because she is one tough cookie who still manages to be sweet and kind to those who mean the most to her.

I’ve been having such fun styling my hair since i got it cut.  One of my favourite ways to wear it is to braid along the border of my shaved side.  It shows off my short hair to perfection but has a hint of feminine loveliness to it. On this day I swept the rest of my hair into a fancy backroll.

I finished my outfit with a swipe of my new favourite lipstick: Entourage by Lipstick Queen.  It’s part of the new Velvet Rope collection and it is to die for.  Not only is it very heavily pigmented and a gorgeously vampy shade, it is practically indestructible.  I think this is the longest-lasting, non-drying lipstick I’ve ever tried.  It’s gorgeous.

I was very pleased to pop on this sassy ensemble to celebrate my Grandma’s birthday.  I felt quite cute and a bit tough as well with my leopard print accents and my shaved head.  I love the duality of elements in this outfit, as I think it’s such fun to mix sweetness with sexiness and have a bit of both at once.  Don’t you agree?

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Things I Love Thursday 22/1/2015

Wow, it has been a massive week and I have so much to share with you.  I feel pretty blessed at the moment.  It’s just been one of those rare times when everything seems to be falling into place.  I just have this feeling that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be at this point in time, and that all the bad stuff that’s happened in the past has led me to be the person I am at the moment.  Now that I’m done with being corny, let’s leap into Things I Love Thursday!

 

This week I love:

– Settling into my new job.  I have my own desk in a quiet corner of the office with a window.  I answer the phones for one hour each day while the receptionist is at lunch, and other that that I barely have to talk to anyone.  I just do my work quietly and happily.  It’s an introvert’s dream.  Plus I get to use a dizzying array of stationary and I’m doing work that I actually enjoy.  It’s brilliant.

 

-Going to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and coming back to find this cheeky critter wrapped up  in my blanket!

 

-Also, Ringo’s new love of sleeping in my suitcase under my bed.

 

– Fresh salads eaten down by the lake.  Lunchtime picnics for the win!

 

– Re-watching The Office on DVD and discovering a bunch of episodes that I’ve never seen before.

 

– Finding three pairs of awesome and comfortable shoes in my size, for $5 each.

 

-Finishing these hand-knitted socks for my etsy store.  I’m making them in a bunch of different colours. Socks were always something that I felt too scared to learn how to make.  But now that I’m confident knitting on four needles, they’re a breeze!  I don’t even need a pattern anymore!

 

– Daily chats with awesome gentleman who share my love of British comedy, Game of Thrones and TMNT.

 

– Planning for Galentines Day.

 

– Getting a haircut.  It’s not a drastic change, but it felt like a big step.  I got some long layers put into my hair and I kinda love it.  To begin with I felt as though I’d lost half of my hair, but now that I’m used to it I love the movement that my hair has.  Although styling it is proving a bit challenging.

 

– The discovery that Disneyland holds a “coronation ceremony” for each new princess to welcome her into the royal court.  I watched a few on Youtube and I think that Princess Merida’s was my favourite.  I thought it was brilliant that she rode her own horse in the parade, rather than being pulled in a carriage like all the other princesses.

 

– This Jurassic Parks and Recreation trailer.  I wish this were a real thing.

 

What do you love this Thursday, nerds?  Let me know in the comments.

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Daily outfit 13/1/2014

Several months ago, I was given a cute vintage pin-curling tool from my friend Miss Fairchild.  I haven’t felt motivated to set my hair in months, so it’s just sat in it’s cute little box until now.  But last week I had a night to myself and I decided to give it a shot.  And I was so happy that I did!

This little beauty cut my setting time in half.  It only took me about ten minutes to curl my entire hair, when I’d usually spend between twenty and thirty minutes arranging my curls.  Plus, my setting pattern actually stayed pretty neat, rather than being a total hodge-podge as it normally would be.  The tool also made it so much easier to keep the ends of my hair neat while setting, which is something that I’ve always struggled with.

I did have a bit of trouble brushing the curls out though.  The tool allowed me to make much smaller and tighter curls than I can do by hand, and so when I released them from the pins there were millions of ringlets cascading from my head.  I began brushing and immediately panicked because the whole lot frizzed up lie mad.  I looked like I had a terrible 80’s perm, and my hair took up seven times as much space as it normally would.  Ahhhhh!

But the thing with pin-curls is that you have to persevere.  Sometimes the brush-out process can be lengthy and tricky.  This type of set tends to frizz, and you need to be firm with your curls in order to tame them.  Eventually, with plenty of brushing and a bit of pomade and spray, I managed to create these lush curls.

This is one of the nicest pin-curl sets I’ve ever done.  The curls are much more uniform in shape and size, so they formed perfect waves when the brush-out was complete.  I can’t wait to use my Sculpture Pin Curler to create some more precise sets.

(If you’re interested in learning more about pin-curling, you might like to check out this post about creating pin curls or this video I made about my pin-curling tips)

I decided to wear my pretty curls with some of my Christmas loot.

I am wearing:

– White lace blouse by Koko (gift from my parents)

– Black harem pants from Target

– Grey Tony Bianco ankle boots (thrifted)

– Vintage Jet brooch (gift from my parents)

– Sapphire ring (inherited from my Great-Aunt Anne)

I was originally going to wear jeans, but it was far too hot.  So I opted for cotton harem pants instead, which was a very smart decision.

I have noticed that every Christmas and birthday for the last four years, Mum has always bought me something white and lacy.  Perhaps it’s her way of hinting to me that she’d like to see me get married soon (in addition to, y’know, flat-out telling me so all the time).

I wore this outfit to go to the movies to see St Vincent, which was absolutely fantastic. Not what I was expecting at all, and truly great.

Did you get any clothes for Christmas?  Have you worn them yet?

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Daily outfit 18//4/2014

I’m so pleased that it’s Friday.  Not only is it Good Friday, but it’s the beginning of a long weekend.  I get four days off work for Easter, and I am so excited.  I’m planning on going to church (several times in fact, there are quite a few mass services over the Easter weekend) and spending loads of time catching up with family and friends who are in town for the holiday.  I’d also like to make a start on some spring cleaning that’s been hanging over my head for quite a while.

Today is also Fancy Friday,  a weekly event dreamed up by Dapper Dolly to encourage people to dress up at the end of the week.  Fancy Friday gives Casual Friday a kick in the pants and lets glamour and gorgeousness reign supreme!

Today I was feeling a bit of a punk princess vibe.  I know that I’ve worn this dress for Fancy Friday before, but I can’t help busting it out again. It really is one of my favourite wardrobe items.

I am wearing:

– Silver ear cuff

– Diamente stud earrings (inherited from my Nana)

– Black pearl necklace (inherited from my Nana)

– Black lace corset dress from 7 Angels.

– Black and white cardigan from Cotton On

– Black and purple 1/2 and 1/2 tights from Ambra

– Comic book platform heels from Betts

I had hoped to wear my hair in a sleek ponytail today.  However it simply wouldn’t cooperate.  Every time I smoothed one piece down, another strand would pop up in another spot.  I decided to abandon the idea of a sleek do and just go with the messy texture my hair seemed determined to maintain.

Instead, I played around with this funky triple-decker bun.  I really liked the way my hair turned out.  Next time, I think I’ll really define the parts between the buns, tease out my hair even more and make it into a kind of faux-hawk style.

I’m so pleased that it’s cool enough to wear tights again. I do love a bit of fancy legwear, and it’s wonderful to be able to dip into my hosiery collection once again.  These half-and-half tights are an old fave of mine, and they’ve lasted remarkably well through four years of regular wear.

I hope that you all have a wonderful long weekend.  What do you have planned?

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Daily outfit 14/3/2014

Well, it’s Fancy Friday yet again.  Today I was feeling the bombshell vibe, so I decided to shimmy into a pencil skirt and add a generous helping of polka dots to my outfit.

For those of you who are new here, Fancy Friday is a concept dreamed up by Dapper Dolly.  She encourages bloggers and readers alike to dress up on the final day of the work week to bring on the weekend with a bang.

This morning when I was taking my outfit shots, I momentarily forgot that I was wearing heels, and didn’t take the extra height into account as I snapped up the first few pictures.  I accidentally cut my hairdo out of the photos.

Luckily I realised my mistake pretty quickly, and re-adjusted the camera.  Whoops!

I am wearing

– Red polka dot shirt from Target

– Grey pencil skirt (thrifted)

– Cream Tony Bianco pumps (thrifted)

– Nude stockings from Target

– Pearl ring from Fayebella vintage

– White bangle (thrifted)

– Babushka earrings from Diva

– Red hair bow from the top of  a Bailey’s bottle. (No joking!)

I felt super-cute in this outfit.  I always have a bit more bounce in my step when I wear these ultra-feminine vintage styles.  I think I just feel more confident with the way my body looks in these styles.  I also have so much fun playing with my hair, putting it up into cute twists and curls for vintage looks.

I wore this outfit to do some shopping and blogging.  I love dressing up to do daily chores, because a great outfit makes even the most mundane task seem fun!

I was in the mood for some serious victory rolls today.  I kept my makeup fairly low-key, swapping my usual bright red lippy for a more sheer version.  I’m wearing the Chinatown Chase lipstick from Lipstick Queen today.  It’s a beautiful, sheer watermelon-red that’s really nourishing on your lips.  It’s one of my favourite lipsticks for low-key looks.

Are you wearing something fancy this Friday?

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Daily outfit 11/3/2014

Some days call for relaxed, laid-back outfits.  Like this one that I wore to go driving with my Dad.

I am wearing:

– Black and red striped v-neck shirt from Cotton On

– Black camisole from Target

– Black maxi skirt from Target

– Green smoking slippers from Rubi Shoes

– Pearl ring from Fayebella vintage.

– Gold crucifix (inherited from my Nana)

I’m having a bit of a love affair with fishtail braids at the moment.  They’re super-easy to do and they look just a wee bit more interesting than a regular plait.  I feel so pretty when I wear my hair like this.

My driving lesson was less than stellar.  I made quite a lot of mistakes, in one case veering onto the wrong side of the road.  I’m having a lot of trouble controlling my speed when I’m turning, as well as stopping in the right place when I come to an intersection.  I always brake way too early and then I have to inch up to the white line.

I felt pretty disappointed that I didn’t do well today.  The last few times I’ve been driving with my instructor I’ve done really well.  I think I wanted to show Dad how much I’d learned, and it bugged me that I didn’t do as well as I have in the past.  I think there are a couple of reasons why I didn’t do as well. Firstly, this was the first time I’ve driven in months, and my skills are rusty.  Secondly, I was driving  my Nana’s car for the very first time, and it took me a while to get a handle on where everything was in the car and how sensitive the pedals were.  Finally, I had just started my period and I was feeling a little bit fuzzy. Oh well, at least I gave it a shot and now Dad and I have a list of things I need to work on .

Never mind, I’ll just keep on smiling and give it another shot sometime soon.

I’ll leave you today with a gorgeous quote that I’m stuck on at the moment:

” Courage does not always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying “I will try again tomorrow”.

– Mary Anne Radmacher