Frances Baker Blog

I've moved!

2011-09-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Just as I am writing this post I am realising how sad I actually am to be leaving this little blog behind. It may not have been perfect, but I do love it, and it has done many a good thing for me.
But it is not the end! Sometimes you just need change, and even if it makes you a little sad it is also terribly exciting! I have a brand new website, designed for me by my wonderful sister Katherine, and I would love it if you would come visit me there, and hopefully update your RSS feeds too if you like it!

www.francesbaker.com.au

P.S. Until I get a chance to fix it, it won't work unless you put in the www. at the start. Just lettin' ya know!

Gocco!

2011-09-05T02:10:00.000-07:00

Melbourne smells good today! Spring has definitely arrived.
I'm still busy getting ready for the market. Last week Katie Louise and I spent a busy evening at my sister's place using her Gocco to print up some business cards and suchlike to hand out on Sunday. I can't believe it's less than a week away! I am getting tired but am still happily glued to my sewing machine, though all this spring weather is making it pretty hard to want to stay indoors for anything.

Circle Skirt Sew Along

2011-08-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Despite being insanely busy over the next few weeks I have decided to try and take part in Casey's circle skirt sew along. I couldn't resist! It's such a fun, simple project, and it will be a nice opportunity for a sewing break from all my other sewing at the moment.

I'm still dreaming up a plan for it, and will have to hunt down some appropriate fabric, but here is some of my inspiration..

I most definitely want to make my skirt the colour of Frankie's beautiful skirt here. I love this photo so much, peachy orange and green is one of my absolute favourite colour combinations.

I love the hang and length of this skirt from Fancy Fine.

I do also like the idea of a nice gypsy skirt, with a sash at the back. I'm a bit torn as to whether to go with a patterned fabric or not. (Skirt from here.)

I really like the idea of enormous patch pockets like this skirt from Fancy Treehouse. They look so great, plus they're handy!

This beautiful dress of Hannah's makes me want to pretty much copy the design verbatim, only as a skirt instead of a party dress. It's the best. It's pretty different from my other inspirations, so not sure if it'll win out, but part of me just wants to make a floaty floral blue skirt so bad!

This photo of Frankie has been in my inspiration photo for soooo long. Such an amazing little dress. It makes me desperately want to incorporate some embroidery or applique into a design, which I have been meaning to do for a long time. I don't know if this circle skirt will be the right project for it, considering how little spare time I have right now, but it's nice to dream!

You can follow the sew along here.

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Designer Market

2011-08-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Thanks very much to everyone who came along to North Melbourne Market on Sunday! My sister and I had such a lovely day, we met some really great people, saw some very stylishly dressed customers and got to hang out with some friends who came along for a visit.

I have another North Melbourne Market coming up in a few weeks, and one I'm very excited about. Katie-Louise and I will be sharing a stall together at the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week event NMM is hosting on the 11th of September. This is quite a big deal for me, as it is going to be the first time I am going to have my very own handmade clothing for sale (previous NMM stalls I did with my sister and Sarah have been pretty crafty oriented). I have been working my bum off the last few weeks, and there is sooo much still to do, the next two weeks are going to be pretty hectic! But I am incredibly excited about it and I really hope everything will pull together on the day.

I spent the day on Saturday with Katie-Louise, sewing up a storm. Katie has already made some most beautiful velveteen garments to sell, including an amazing red velveteen dress with a giant bow on the front. I swear I am going to have a hard time not buying that one myself! You should totally check out the dresses she made recently for Audrey-Grace boutique too, they're pretty incredible.

If you are going to be in Melbourne on Sunday September 11th I hope you can stop by, it should be a really lovely, they are organising a catwalk and bands and treats galore. Come and support some local designers!

Market This Sunday! (And stuff I've made)

2011-08-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our last Apple Cart stall at the North Melbourne Market for a couple o months. You should totally come along and say hi! Here is some of the crafty stuff I've been working on...

Embroidered needle books.

Bow hair clips.

This isn't really for the market, it's a patchwork cushion for my bed. But I'm working on a tutorial on how to make it, I hope to post it soon!

Me eating a mid- sewing snack with a most unattractive expression on my face (I'm good at those).

summer dressmaking

2011-08-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

Katie Louise and I were recently discussing our shared tendency to plan a bunch of sundresses and other sewing projects leading into summer, only to get bogged down year after year in Christmas gift sewing/ parties/ summer outdoor living/ life in general. We decided this was a most unfortunate trend, and that it really would be excellent to be able to sew our own summer wardrobes this year. So, in order to motivate ourselves we've decided to plan out a number of projects we can work on together, and hopefully document our progress online (to help keep us accountable, see?)

Our list of projects we'd like to tackle is rather long, we might be a little too ambitious considering our busy schedules, but it seems once Katie and I start imagining things there are just too many creative possibilities we want to try! Anyway, here are a few project ideas we are thinking of, along with my own inspiration ideas for them. (You can see some of Katie's summer wardrobe musings here.)

From Fancy Treehouse

I can never get enough full skirted, simple bodice dresses with cute little details like this one. Particularly if they are made from a material I can just thrown in the machine after sweating in them. I do have a tendency to pick favourites with sundresses and tend to wear them to death a bit. In summer I always find myself wanting to be comfortable and unfussy in the heat.

From Always Sometimes Anytime

I love the pattern of this fabric, the cutout on the bodice and also this girl's hair... I would really like to experiment with some dress patterns with cutout details.

Sencha blouse from Colette Patterns

Funnily enough Katie and I have both had the Sencha blouse on our to make wish-list for some time! I think this project will definitely have to happen, as soon as the pattern comes back in stock.

Picture from here.

I have been wanting a colourful little 60's-ish crop top since last summer, or since I saw someone wearing one in Mad Men, I think. I'm not sure what first inspired me, but I just like the idea of being comfortable on a picnic in my crop top and shorts.

This adorable dress worn by the lovely Kennedy Holmes made me desperately want a little sundress with pompoms on it. I'm not sure those are actually pompoms but that's what I thought they were at first glance so now I want pompoms!

Picture from here.

The biggest challenge (for me personally) I would really like to take on for summer is to make my own bathers. I have a rather large bust and have an incredibly hard time finding swimsuits that are structured enough to give me any kind of support or comfort when swimming (or even walking just around to be honest!), let alone look cute! I think if I can combine some bra construction techniques with lycra I could be onto something? Definitely worth a shot.

I absolutely love Anja's incredible bathers! So awesome!

I'm kind of embarrassed to be referring to the Notebook here. To be honest I resisted watching it for ages because I knew it would be terribly corny. When I did finally watch it, it was incredibly corny, but I loved it! Anyway, I'm actually just including this picture because I absolutely love this bathing suit and the use of contrasting patterned and plain fabric in it.

Wow, that doesn't even cover our list and I've already got a lot of potential sewing hours there, bring on the sewing bees!

summer soon

2011-08-07T02:24:00.000-07:00

I am really most taken with the Obus Summer 23 collection. It's inspired by Frida Kahlo. (Yay!) It has plaits. And lots of colour, and pattern. I am always extremely drawn to colour and pattern, it is what really gets me going about clothes. Although this isn't my usual palette, I tend more towards forest-y tones. I could most certainly see myself wearing a bright floral bikini this summer though. With a mismatched floral beach bag. Mismatched prints are pure visual joy to me! I am also quite enamoured with the big floppy hats and hair pompoms.

Speaking of Summer, I was quite weirded out by the lovely warm summery weather we had in Melbourne this week. I mean, There were people walking round in sundresses!! Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying the unexpected vitamin D exposure as much as the next person, but climate change is scary. I want the seasons to stay the way they're meant to be. Growing up in the mountains, watching the changing seasons has always been something that fills me with joy and appreciation for life, even if the seasons here aren't as exaggerated as many other places in the world. It makes me so sad to think that there might come a time I don't get to see that anymore! The rain is tapping on the windows outside now and soothing my soul. I do however feel like the seasons have already changed so much since when I was a kid, and I have to say that I am so ashamed to think that my own existence on this planet that I love has such an impact on it. I am sorry this post has turned rather serious, but Siri recently made the very good point that current affairs very rarely enter the radar of the vintage/fashion blogging community, and I want to go on the record as saying that this is an issue that is very close to my heart, as I am sure it is to many of you too! I also want to go on the record in saying that while I do have very good intentions when it comes to reducing my own footprint, I don't always manage to follow through, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that either! Is anyone else feeling as bewildered as I am?

I am looking forward to summer and floral bikinis as always, I just wanted to say, don't let it come too soon.

organza workshop

2011-08-06T02:22:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I have been having a number of sewing dates with the lovely Katie-Louise. I can't tell you how much fun it is to have a friend who shares the same passion as you! Thank you blog world for helping me make these friendships I've always wished existed (the internet really is a wonderful thing).

I have already mentioned on this blog how much I love creating and the social activity of makin' stuff with other people, but these afternoons of sewing geekery are just the best! So far our days have been filled with blog talk, broken up with the occasional historical podcast, in between discussions on design decisions and the best techniques to use. AWESOME!

This week I have been helping Katie work on a toile/muslin for a dress she has recently been commissioned with. After going through the pattern making and toiling process, we started yesterday on a (fingers crossed!) final version made in black organza underlined with a soft black cotton. We both consider ourselves to be much more comfortable working with our non- slippery woven cottons and wools and making more 'constructed' pieces (perhaps we are more flou than tailleur? :P ), so we were a bit apprehensive about working with slippery organza. In the end though, I actually really enjoyed the care needed in attaching the organza to the underling, and Katie did a beautiful job in creating some lovely soft pleats in the front.

After putting in all the work to make this pattern, we've decided we need to find the time to make some pretty organza numbers for ourselves. I'm thinking some pastel coloured floral organza could be perfect... I can't wait for the next sewing day!

emerald green

2011-08-04T00:38:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a rather grainy image of me standing in Chinatown with that coat I was talking about in the last post. It really is the loveliest shade of green, and so snuggly!

The other photos are of the view from my window. I really love living up high in the city and being able to look down at the street. I also love that there is a tree outside. I'm looking forward to spring for when it leafs up, maybe we'll even get blossom! It will probably come in handy too in summer to hopefully give us a little shade, as I imagine this little apartment is going to get mighty toasty.

mornington

2011-08-03T00:26:00.000-07:00

Photos by Sam!

A few Saturday's ago, my boyfriend and I took a day trip down the bay to the Mornington peninsula. It's not bad for op shopping down that way, there's plenty of little op shops to try in the towns going around the bay. Mornington has a couple of good ones, and not to mention mammoth Savers in Frankston.

I got quite a lot of vintage fabric for my stash, and we listened to summery tunes in the car and pretended it was summer. Then we went down to the wintry grey beach and ate fish and chips and Sam chased some seagulls. All in all a pretty excellent day.

On the way home we stopped at the amazing Vintage Shed in Tyabb. There is so much stuff to sift through there! I was trying not to spend to much money but ended up walking out with a beautiful green 60's coat. I just can't hold back with green!

Tomorrow I have a sewing date with Katie-Louise. I am helping her with the most beautiful dress she's working on, I'm so excited!

peachy

2011-07-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Images by my awesome best friend and sister Kate!

One of the things I am liking most about having my weekdays back is being able to walk around my favourite suburbs on weekdays. The backstreets of Brunswick are just so nice on a Wednesday morning, just that little bit more quiet than a Saturday.

This Wednesday my sister and I went for a lovely walk around after a trip to Savers. Katie took so many beautiful photos! I particularly love her kitty images :) We ended up at one of my favourite cafes for an afternoon treat, Each Peach. There's just something about the cheery yellow interior and the sun streaming in, and the rows of pies and cakes on the counter that makes me feel so good, it's the best thing on a winter's afternoon! Plus I am obsessed with their pumpkin pie.

The first image is of me trying on a snood (is that what its called?) in five boroughs. Now I am trying to convince Katie to make me something similar.

Edit: A commenter just pointed out that a snood is a net that you put around a bun. (Thank you!) I'm not sure what that little hat thing is called, but I want one :)

we did it in north melbourne

2011-07-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

We had another successful market day this weekend! Perhaps slightly less organised than last time... we may have forgotten the table. Not that it was essential to our stall or anything. (We had to go back and get it.) But otherwise, STRESS FREE! Plus this time we met another blogger, the lovely Edie (who is having a rather excellent giveaway at the moment).

I was going to write a longer post about it, but then I saw my sister's post which is so much better than what I was going to do, so I am going to suggest you read it! Plus she took some lovely photos. Except for the one above, that's not lovely. But I made the face, so whatever. She put it on the internet. I'm embracing it.

market this sunday!

2011-07-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

If anyone should happen to be in the area and need something to fill your Sunday morning/afternoon please do come along and say Hi to us at the Apple Cart stall! There will be free zines and baked goods aplenty, and crafts and vintage as per usual. Hope to see you there :)

waiting

2011-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

I am still waiting for the new Jane Eyre to be released in Australian cinemas! It's so unfair, I feel like it's been months since I first read about it's release on certain Northern Hemisphere blogs (which only made me even more excited and impatient, were that possible!) Apparently it's not due to come out here until the 11th of August, can this be true! Grr. Whatever. In the meantime I have been making do by stalking the internet for screen caps and pouring over the interview with Mia Wasikowska in the latest Lula.

Today is my first day of working/being at home and I am loving it! So far I have spent quite a few hours on the internets (there was some serious feed reader catching up to do) and also a bit of time gazing out my apartment window and daydreaming (whoops! I am on a very busy street corner so there is an awful lot of people watching to be had.) But there is also plenty of sewing and productivity going on! Does anyone have any suggestions for working from home? A few months ago Gertie posted this great comment from a reader with heaps of tips on working at home. I particularly like the bit about lunchtime napping! Personally, I'm a bit worried about turning our tiny studio into a sewing disaster zone, which won't exactly be ideal for my boyfriend when he gets home...

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments on my last post, I will definitely be taking all of your suggestions into account! If you ever have anything in particular you'd like me to post about please ask away, it would be fun :)

a diary of the seasons

2011-07-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

I am in love with this beautiful shoot styled by Siri, particularly this image. It's making me dream of Summer like crazy! I seem to be in a constant state of seasonal confusion ever since I got into blogs, seeing as so many of my favourite bloggers are from the Northern Hemisphere. Gah! Suddenly I can't stop dreaming up designs for sundresses and crop tops.

So I have some exciting news to share in that I quit my job! I haven't really written about work much this past year, and that is because I hated it. It was corporate, and boring, and full time. It took up all my time and left me dreaming of all the great, creative things I could be doing were I not there. Enough said.
It seems that ever since I started blogging, or even since I left high school, I have been constantly dreaming of pursuing my creative interests, and constantly distracted by other things (some fun, some not so fun). First I was studying, then I was overseas, then I was working full time because I was poor from being overseas. I think its finally time to give into my dreamy brain. There are too many things I want to do with my hours on this earth to spend them in an office!

So now I have a part time job, two days a week, and I am pretty excited about what I am going to do with the rest of my time! My number one plan is to focus more on my sewing, for the market stalls I am doing with my sister and Sarah, but also on making clothes. I am going to start doing some sewing with Katie Louise Ford, which I could not be more excited about!! I also hope to eventually have a go at selling some of my own stitching online.

My other plan is to put a lot more effort into blogging! I always seem to have the best of intentions with this site, yet do not get around to posting nearly enough as I like, which I hope I can blame on lack of free time. I definitely want this to change! So I wanted to ask you, my readers, what would you like to see more of in this space? I think I would like to take more of an online journal approach to blogging, as many of my favourite blogs are ones that give the lovely little details of their homes and lives. I would also like to have a go at putting up some tutorials as I have more time to sew in daylight hours and can actually photograph what I am doing, if anyone is interested? I would definitely like to document my projects themselves more too! I just clicked on my 'sewing' tag, and wow, I don't get around to posting much of the stuff I've made! So what would you like to hear from me? My (mis)adventures in the kitchen? More pictures from favourite places around the city? Op shop discoveries? Do let me know, or feel free to ask me any questions or anything you like, I would truly love to hear from you guys :)

xx Josie

daytripping

2011-07-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

All photos by the amazingly talented Hannah!

This weekend was incredibly busy for me, but also rather exciting. On Saturday Katherine, Sarah, Hannah and I went for a country drive down to Daylesford (which is by far my favourite place in Victoria) to take the country air and scout out some potential locations for a photoshoot we are planning. It was pretty amazing for me to be discussing something like that with such talented people. I feel so lucky to have such great friends who actually want to collaborate with me on fun projects such as Apple Cart and this. Thanks guys!
Anyway, aside for hunting for the most picturesque locations we could find, we also paid a very necessary visit to some country Op Shops, and had a long lazy lunch at Cliffys. I eat at Cliffys every time I go to Daylesford, its so darn cosy and I just can't get enough their amazing cakes.

On Sunday I had yet another exciting day when I finally got to meet up with the lovely Katie of Katie Louise Ford. More cakes were consumed as we went to Hopetoun Tea rooms, something I've wanted to do for sooo long, so thanks Katie for finally getting me there! I had such a great time talking about sewing geekery and fashion and blogging and uni and much more besides, and I was having so much fun I completely forgot to get any photos of Katie's amazing outfit or even the beautiful interior of the tea rooms. Oh well! Katie is really inspiring to me, it's so great to see a local independent designer with a vintage aesthetic and handmade approach doing so well. Plus, her seamstress skills are amazing! (I was lucky enough to see one of her pieces yesterday, and it was most perfectly put together.) I'm really looking forward to getting to know this lovely lady better.

I feel like my life has taken a very inspiring turn lately, mainly due to the wonderful and talented people I have been lucky enough to be spending time with. For some reason, being around creative people who are doing what they love makes me feel like maybe I could do that too. Its also just so very fun to have crafting and sewing buddies, nothing like a crafternoon, some yummy food and beer and a chat!

gels

2011-06-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

Playing with double exposures and colour gels on the Holga is so much fun. Even more fun though is the unpredictability of it. I love it when you get a film developed and you get unexpected surprises like that first shot.

our first market stall!

2011-06-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Taken by Mum

At this point I only have this one photo of our little stall, but there will more to come! We had so much fun yesterday at the North Melbourne Market, thanks so much to everyone who came and said hi, it was wonderful to see so many friends and meet so many lovely people.

One such lovely person was Claire, of Jemima and Geraldine, who's blog I have been following for some time and who just happened to have a stall up the corridor from us. Claire is from the Dandenong Ranges where my sister and I grew up, but I met her for the first time yesterday. I love it how blogging helps make connections like that! She is just as lovely as in her blog, and had quite the impressive collection of vintage for sale.

It was so great to see our little creations make their way into the world, and also to be surrounded by so many creative, crafty types. Not to mention the amazing food! (I am such a hopeless cause when it comes to sugar, but seriously, red velvet cake popsicle coated in white chocolate? Whaaaaaaatt awesome?) I think I am a little bit hooked on marketeering!

North Melbourne Market

2011-06-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's a couple of days late, but happy solstice to you all! I am jealous of you Northern Hemisphere types with your summer solstice, it's chilly here in Melbourne. We celebrated midwinter with a sticky date pudding, which is my ultimate winter comfort.

Well, fingers crossed I will have some time for some last minute sewing the next few days, because this Sunday my sister, my friend Sarah and I are having our stall at the North Melbourne Market! If anyone is reading this in Melbourne and should happen to come along, do say hi. We will be giving away baked treats while they last! There will also be crochet and tote bags and vintage and other bits and bobs. The market is always really lovely, and I am really looking forward to it!

the mummers' dance

2011-06-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school I was obsessed with Loreena McKennitt. Like, weirdly obsessed. As in I seriously COULD NOT STOP listening to her. I was a bit of a weirdy.

I think it was in part that I loved her awesome version of The Highwayman, which had been my favourite poem ever since that scene in Anne of Green Gables where Anne recites it with such dramatic prowess in that amazing white dress (Those books are another youthful obsession of mine). I think I also just wanted to steal her amazing red hair (to be more like Anne! Der.)

Anyway, for some reason, whenever I am feeling particularly inspired by the changing of the seasons I get a craving to listen to Loreena again. I don't know why but her music just seems very seasonal and nature-y to me. So lately, with the wintry weather we have been having in Melbourne I have been loving the feeling of snuggling up with a pot of soup on the stove misting up the windows and listening to some moody celtic inspired tunes.

My reawakened passion is most likely due to this memory jog from Hannah...

If you like world music-y music I would highly recommend giving her a listen, it's evocative stuff!

for a sunday morning

2011-06-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Snuggles, cinnamon and brown sugar on porridge in bed, reading books and blogs and listening to music. My favourite winter morning activities.

super imposed

2011-06-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

My personal favourite looks from the Opening Ceremony Resort 2012 Lookbook. I really love the styling in this shoot so much, and am developing a bit of a girl crush on that model too.

Those awesome hairstyles remind me of how I used to attempt to do my hair in year 7. Those were the days! I really want butterfly clips to make a comeback now...

making things in small spaces

2011-06-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

Market bunting.

Chilli pie.

Sarah.

Adzuki bean brownies.

Addressing zines to mail out.

All photos by Sarah.

According to Barthold Georg Nieburh (I had never heard of him until today) "creating is the essence of life." I would say that I agree with this statement. I certainly had an awful lot of fun spending this entire weekend with friends, makin' stuff for a market stall we will be holding at the North Melbourne Market this month.

It was the first time we've had a bunch of people spend an extended period of time in our new studio apartment, and even though it is unbelievably tiny I have to say I rather like it. It feels so cosy with all the people and the making and the mess. I think I am a fully converted small space dweller! (Although I often miss the countryside... but there is plenty of time for that later on!)

When I was in Chicago, sheltering in Borders from a storm (which we later found out was a tornado!) I read a wonderful book from the people behind Apartment Therapy called The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces. I found it incredibly inspiring to see how creative people with tiny dwellings had made their small homes functional and comfortable with the bare minimum. I think small spaces force you to focus on what is essential to your lifestyle, as you have to make choices about what you are going to fit (in our case we had to choose between an armchair or a small dinner table, and it was dinner table all the way! Hello craft desk and dinner parties). Also, there's something about small spaces that bring back that feeling of being a kid in a cubby house. Anyway, it's cosy, and I like it.

This weekend was made particularly cosy by warming chilli pie, and amazing adzuki bean brownies made by Sarah!

meet me at mikes

2011-06-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken by Pip :)

Lovely Pip over at Meet Me at Mikes posted a really sweet review of our zine last week! We were so excited when we saw it. I really like the cute pictures she took of it too. Thanks Pip!

In other news, my sister, my friend Sarah and I have decided to hold a stall at the next North Melbourne Market! We will be selling handmade items of various types (my sister is quite the talented crocheter, and Sarah does amazing illustrations), as well as a decent sized collection of vintage that has been insulating my wardrobe. We just had a long weekend here in Melbourne for the Queens Birthday (wha?) so we spent the entire weekend crafting, drinking too much wine and eating adzuki bean brownies and chilli pie. A most excellent weekend!

queen vic

2011-06-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

Our new apartment has one excellent feature: its proximity to Vic Market. I've always wanted to do the main part of my shopping at markets and get fresher produce, not to mention a nicer atmosphere. But I have to admit I'm usually way too lazy with my shopping. I generally end up deciding on my way home what I want for dinner, stopping off at the supermarket, and getting distracted by various snacks along the way!

We really have no excuse not to shop at the market now though, and we try to go every week. I can't believe how much cheaper it is! And the organic section is really lovely too. I find it really gets me excited to cook, seeing all that lovely produce laid out and thinking of all the yummy things I could make that week.

Living in the city hasn't been entirely good for my shopping habits though. With a supermarket basically across the road, its so very tempting to make late night expeditions for ice cream! My weakness for sweet treats will surely be the death of me (and my skin).

Captains of Industry

2011-06-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

Captains of Industry is such an incredibly good idea. It's a Gentleman's Outfitters, comprising of four little enterprises: a Barber, a Tailor, a Shoemaker and a Cafe. It's for gentlemen, but that doesn't stop me hanging out there in the cafe and soaking up the glorious goodness of the decor and the whole damn concept of the thing.

I really don't know how to describe how much I love this place. I think it's very much about the whole vision of a singular destination to get your complete look. A tailored suit, some handmade shoes and a stylish coiffure, accompanied by a well made coffee and an educating read (really appreciate their choice in magazines). Its pretty much making me wish I was a man right now.

Just when you think it couldn't get any better though, you walk up the little stairway from the alleyway entrance and realise you're in a big, light-filled room with huge windows that look out over Elizabeth Street. I think sitting at the benches in those windows might be one of the best places for people watching in Melbourne? I could be right. Last Sunday we stopped in there for a cup of tea after our trip to Vic Market and had some amazing mars bar crackle things at the cafe, and it was so lovely to sit up there and read and watch the different people come and go.

P.S. I just discovered this old Three Thousand review, which describes it way better than I have if you're interested.

carlington

2011-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

One blog I can never get enough of for inspiration is Stay Fancy Free. I love following along as Tara-Lynn documents growing her business of handmade knitwear, as well as her creative processes and inspirations; she seems to find the most amazing ballerina images! I bought this beautiful chunky Carlington scarf from Yarn Over Movement around Christmas time, and have been hanging out ever since for the weather to get cold enough for me to use it. With the first day of winter here in Autumn I was pretty happy to have something so cosy and comforting to wrap up in. It feels so special to have something handmade like this.

Speaking of yarn, my sister is a crochet addict. She took me to an amazing wool shop on saturday called Morris and Sons, upstairs on Collins st. I didn't buy anything, being a bit hopeless with needles designed for anything but a sewing machine, but I loved looking at all the beautiful colours and nagging my sister to make me things with them!

all twisted

2011-05-30T04:52:00.000-07:00

Has anyone reading this been reading this long enough to remember when my hair was like this?

I was inspired by all the beautiful bloggers with amazing hair (Hannah and Rhiannon, to name a couple of impressive manes) to grow it out to a length where I could actually be creative and do stuff with it (I also seem to remember a particularly convincing post by Siri about the joys of long locks).

So now I have reached a semi-functional length, about at my shoulders. Long enough to finally do something with! But as it turns out, I kind of such at hairstyles (see evidence above). I know there are hundreds of excellent hair tutorials out there, and I was wondering if anyone knew of a style that is simple to pull off, a bit edwardian or 60's inspired, and suitable for someone with shoulder length hair?

I just noticed that both the old and new photos involve navy jumpers and plaid. I guess I have my favourites!

sunday breakfast at trunk town

2011-05-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! I do hope you're still there, though with all my appalling absences this year I most certainly would not blame you if you aren't. I guess that would mean I am saying this to no one? Pretty sure Mum still gives this thing a look though. Hey mum!

But look, I am posting! Just like I said I would! And I have such good intentions this time to be a good and attentive blogger, I took enough photos this weekend for a good week's worth of posts. Perhaps a little overenthusiastic? I did have a pretty lovely weekend though. I'll start with what I did this morning...

By the way, when I said I'd been away because I was moving house for the second time this year, thats because my boyfriend and I lucked out and got a rad (and TINY) apartment in the heart of the city. That's right friends, The C.B.D. Crazy right? It was definitely not planned or expected, but it's pretty fun so far. I have loved living in the inner suburbs of Melbourne since I first moved out of home, and now I have even greater access to the spoils of my lovely city I hope to share my continuing discovery of it with you, my (present or not present?) readers!

So back to the story. This morning, we stepped out of our apartment block into a busy, and already wintry and chilly Melbourne-town, and headed straight down the road to check out Trunk Town, which has been on our things to do list for awhile. Trunk is a little complex-type-thing on the corner of Exhibition and Little Lonsdale Streets. It includes a beautiful old heritage building (can't be knocked down, hence a cute little lot with a garden in the middle of the CBD), which houses a bar, a beer garden, a honey garden (where apparently there is a bee hive but we couldn't find it), and a diner which serves breakfast and burgers and suchlike. To cut a long story short, the decor is cute, and the food is yummy without blowing my mind. I had a pulled pork sandwich though which I was pretty excited about cos I haven't had pulled pork since I was in the states. The service didn't really win me over either, though I think I might be a little spoilt there after having experienced the amazingly friendly, lovely creatures of loveliness at the always awesome Grigons & Orr.

Trunk was still a pretty great way to start my Sunday though. I think breakfast is by far my favourite meal to eat out, so expect many more posts along these lines in coming times!

in recent times

2011-05-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

In between moving house and starting a new job, I visited an old steam railway and fed max some cake!
Tomorrow night I am going to my sister's house to eat something delicious and staple zines. We still have a couple of hundred left to staple! I think we may have been a little overzealous with our production run, but I would be sad if we gave them all away! (back issues perhaps?)
I am celebrating a very exciting moment tonight. After almost two months of not being able to sew (due to being stuck in tiny apartments full of half moved in, half moved out boxes) I am finally about to set up my machine again. Projects ahoy!

apple cart on five thousand!

2011-05-21T01:14:00.000-07:00

Well, this is slightly old news...
...not really surprising considering the shameful gap between this post and the last! I'm sorry about that, I just started a new job and moved house for the second time this year, so things have been hectic to say the least. I'm pretty excited about getting back into things though.
Anyway, so my exciting news is that a few weeks ago, the zine my sister and I compiled/edited together (Apple Cart) was reviewed on five thousand! We were pretty chuffed to say the least (I may have jumped up and down in the middle of Bourke St when my sister rang to tell me).You can read the full review here.
If anyone is interested in getting their hands on a copy of Apple Cart, it's free! You can order a copy here.

fitzroy solves my fabric woes

2011-04-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Merowyn and Hamish's lovely Melbourne blog.

I imagine I am probably rather late to come to the party here, as being a bit of a homebody I tend to be a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to changes around the city. Nevertheless, I was extremely excited the other day to discover the new (to me) fabric store, appropriately named The Fabric Store, on Brunswick street! I'm sure it is at least new since I got back from overseas, it's not like I never spend time in Fitzroy, and I would hardly miss a fabric store; I seem to be able to spot them in my peripheral vision.
Anyway, If you are like myself and always hunting for a new way to feed your sewing obsession/insulate your overcrowded storage cupboard with more fabric, The Fabric Store is a pretty exciting addition to fabric shopping resources in Melbourne. They source their fabric from designers internationally, and also get sampling lengths from manufacturing runs. Even better, they have a strong focus on natural fibres. That equals a rather amazing range of fabrics for you and me to choose from! I was even more impressed, once I found out these facts, to see that the prices were not, in fact, overly pricey. Certainly not so pricey as lovely but somewhat snooty (in my opinion) Clegs. I can't wait to go back once I have started my new job and have some money in my pockets again! It will be a lot of fun.

caught

2011-04-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

Playing with an open shutter on my boyfriend's camera, you can leave secret messages only to be revealed when the film is developed... muahaha!

cityscapes

2011-04-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Views of Melbourne from two different directions: Carlton Gardens and Southbank. While I have spent a great many hours in the gardens over the past few years, I don't really go to Southbank very often. I always feel like it's too corporate and touristy and yek, at least along the waterfront. But standing there, watching the sunset, it really was very pretty.

cookie comfort

2011-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

What with being unemployed at the moment and all that jazz, I have been baking almost every day. Keeps the mind limber and the blood sugar levels inappropriately high.

I have made Nigella Lawson's apple and cinnamon muffins, and her amazing raspberry and lemon muffins (I replaced the plain flour in those with wholemeal, to lessen the naughty, then added white chocolate chips, to put the naughty back in.) Those raspberry ones are definitely on my list of all time favourites, perhaps I will share them here at a later date? Today I am contemplating making some of Joy's incredible lemon poppy seed muffins. mmmm.

I am also being resourceful, what with being unemployed and broke, and using up random supplies from my pantry. For example, this weekend I had less than half a block each of white and dark chocolate in the cupboard. Not enough to make brownies from the dark. Not enough to add more white choc chips to another batch of those raspberry and lemon muffins! These little cookies solved my terrible dilemma and came out delightfully chewy-crunchy, with plenty of choc-nut variation to keep you entertained. Just the way I like them.

Choc- Macadamia Nut Cookies
Recipe adapted from the Australian Women's Weekly Old Fashioned Favourites Cookbook

250g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cups (335g) plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
100g each of dark chocolate, white chocolate and macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius/ 160 degrees celcius fan-forced. Grease biscuit trays.
2. Beat butter, extract, sugars and egg in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to large bowl; stir in sifted flour and soda, in two batches. Stir in chocolate and nuts, cover; refrigerate one hour.
3. Roll mixture into balls approximately equivalent to two tablespoons (or one if you don't like a nicely over sized cookie). Place balls about 3cm apart on trays. Bake about 15-17 minutes (check them, there's nothing worse then an overly crisp cookie!) Cool on trays.

Cookies can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container.

Chinese Fur Trade

2011-04-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

Warning- this video is very graphic and depicts cruelty to animals, please be aware before you decide whether or not you want to watch it.

It is very unlike me to get serious on this blog, but my friend recently shared this video. It nearly brought me to tears, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Since this blog is more or less (on and off!) fashion and style related, I really feel I cannot leave this issue of one of the most disgusting aspects of the fashion industry undiscussed. I feel it would be dishonest of me to ignore it whilst it is at the forefront of my mind. Also I think it is important to share this video, so as many people as possible can be aware of what is going on in the fur trade.

I am not a vegetarian, I am not against the farming of animals for human consumption, so it would be ridiculous of me to denounce the fur industry on that count. I do, however, think as a consumer it is certainly not ridiculous to expect that the animal products we consume should have been produced with as little cruelty to animals as possible. Where I have the knowledge to be able to do so I try to avoid products that I know are ethically questionable. For example, I avoid cage eggs at all costs! Whilst I have never supported the fur trade by any means and have long had a vague awareness that there were concerns with the treatment of animals within the industry, the appalling cruelty to animals depicted in this video really shocked me, I had no idea it was this bad!

Thinking about the issue, I have completely reconsidered my approach to fur. Whilst I have certainly never considered buying 'new' fur, I have been known to covet the occasional vintage fur garment: I own two vintage fur caps and a detachable fur collar, and one of the coats I recently bought to sell on etsy has a fur collar as well. My thoughts about vintage fur have always been that firstly, I am not encouraging contemporary production of fur as I am not supporting today's fur industry. I also, as with all vintage, am aware of the fact that by caring for and loving these old (sometimes disintegrating!) fur garments I am recycling/ avoiding waste and preventing them from ending up in landfill. However, it has since occurred to me that just because I know it's vintage, others who see me wearing it might not. Could I be unwittingly supporting the fur trade in appearing to support some 'trend' for wearing fur?

bows and business

2011-03-31T03:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I moved into my boyfriend's shared apartment until we can look for a new place together. Our room is pretty small considering that is where we tend to hang out most of the time. I thought it would be cramped, but I am actually really enjoying it, particularly now the weather is starting to get a tiny bit crisper some nights, the small space feels so nice and cosy! (It helps to have a cosy friend to share it with, to be sure!)
Today, after sending out some more job applications and contemplating just how many batches of muffins one can reasonably bake in one week, I discovered this nice blank wall in the loungeroom. It made me think that perhaps, with no promise of any wage-paying work in sight, I shall use the means I have- free time and a reasonable stockpile of vintage and fabric- and sell some of my clothes.

connie & max

2011-03-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Some more photos of my lovely cats from when we were at my parents place. Sorry for the cat overload, we took way too many cat photos while we were there. They are such little characters, and I always love seeing Max, who we had since I was in primary school. He is getting old now, and has lost a tooth, so every now and then he'll give this little toothless face that makes him look like a pirate. Cute!
I have recently been made redundant, and it's the strangest feeling. It makes me all confused about how to spend my days. My boyfriend leaves in the morning, I send off my daily round of job applications, make calls, and then what? I only just moved house recently and haven't set up my sewing table yet, and I don't really have the heart to get started on a project. I think there are times in life when the only thing to do is to make muffins!

flower girl

2011-03-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the skincare tips, they were very much appreciated, my skin seem to be slowly clearing up now!
During my stay at my parents place I spent an entire afternoon playing dress ups with my mum's impressive vintage collection. She has possibly the best kind of collection- she doesn't wear vintage herself, but she does a lot of op shopping (thrifting) and buys vintage clothing that she sees purely out of appreciation for the items. She ends up with amazing items like beautiful 1940's beaded evening gowns, 50's cocktail dresses, and full length 30's nightgowns like this one I'm wearing, all of which she keeps well cared for and preserved in my now unused childhood bedroom. And did I mention the hats!?
I wish I had more time to come out to the hills to op shop with mum because she has far more success finding vintage than I ever do in the city. Lucky for her, as she collects vintage everything- the kitchen is full of colourful aluminium cups and vintage glassware and crockery, and the house is full of mid century furniture. It's beautiful!
Photos by Chimby, featuring kitty superstar Max.

forest face

2011-03-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Some more photos from our trip to the mountains. I love the surreal feeling of the Australian bush, and I think the Holga captures it so nicely!
Friends, I wonder if I could trouble you for some skincare advice. The last week or so I have been sick with a nasty cold that made me really dehydrated, and as a result my skin on my face has become dry and red raw. I have blotchy red dry patches that I can't seem to get rid of! I have stopped using my facial cleanser and am using the simplest of moisturisers, as well as some vitamin E oil on the driest parts, but to no avail. Does anyone know of any products/remedies/diet changes that might help? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Photos by Chimby.

Mountains

2011-03-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Some lomo shots from my recent trip to my family's house in the hills. I have been wearing this dress a lot lately, its so loose and comfortable, and perfect for weird, not quite autumn days that are chilly one minute and sunny and hot the next.

Grigons & Orr

2011-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Recently we took a little trip to Grigons & Orr in North Melbourne- an old style milk bar that also doubles as a cafe. I believe 'milk bar' is an Australian term, so please let me wikipedia that for you! They have been wiped out in a lot of suburbs by supermarkets, 7/11 etc. I sure loved my local Milk Bar growing up, mainly because if we went there, I would probably be lucky enough to get an after-school paddle pop out of it, or at least a chupa chup!
Anyway, needless to say, I'm sure I'm not the first person to get a bit giddy walking into Grigons & Orr, it's so excessively cute! My friend Chimby and I instantly ordered musk sticks straight out of the jar, and I got an awesome smoothie- berry, topped with basil! I was pretty tempted to get a milkshake, but large quantities of milk and my stomach do not mix well. There were also a heap of amazing looking cakes on the counter, and plenty more nostalgia-inspiring sweets.

This photo is kind of unrelated, but it's pretty! It's the view of the city from North Melbourne station.

Photos by Chimby.

Apple Cart Zine

2011-02-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

For the last six months, my sister and I have been putting a zine together. It really wasn't as epic as it sounds, it just took six months because we are poor and it's kind of expensive to print, plus we are disorganised/ have clashing timetables/ are really really busy, so it was hard to find the time to work together on stuff.

But now it is finished! (Well, we still have about 400 more copies to staple, but I am very much ready to call it as good as finished!) It's called 'Apple Cart', and we are rather proud of it. You can read some rather lovely things about it here. You can also see our blog where we put random stuff that is loosely related to it here.

To rip off a description from our blog, Apple Cart is ...the creation of two sisters and a paste up artist from Melbourne. Desirous of an outlet for our own bursts of creativity we decided to put together a project which would allow our friends to get involved as well, the aim being to compile an eclectic collection of personal works and projects...

We are planning to distribute it by leaving it in various cafes and bookstores and such around Melbourne. The thing is, we're a bit sad that people who live outside Melbourne who might be interested in reading it won't have a chance to do so. So I was wondering if any readers of this blog might be keen to have us post them a copy? Or even better, if anyone might like to have us post them 10 or so, so they can leave them in a conveniently placed cafe in their own town for others to peruse?

We are not sure how feasible this plan is, taking into consideration that posting overseas might be rather expensive (see aforementioned lack of funds) but I just thought I might put it out there, to get an idea if anyone might be interested!

EDIT: If you want a copy of the zine posted to you, you can now order it here for the price of postage!

chinatown

2011-02-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of some clothes I wore.

So this wasn't really an unusual occurrence, as I eat in Chinatown a hell of a lot. But it was a special occasion, with special company, and most importantly, I have photos! We went to Hutong Dumpling bar, which was a first for me! I don't really think I can go back now either. There are so many restaurants I love in Chinatown, but Hutong honestly blew them out of the water. The dumplings were, by far, the absolute best I have ever tasted. And I really love my dumplings!
Photos by Chimby.

muncheonette

2011-02-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we went out for a most glorious and lazy breakfast at Luncheonette in Kensington. I've never been over to that part of the world before and man, I've been missing out! Such a cute area.
The cafe itself was even cuter than the houses around it though, between the awesome decor and the two puppies at the table next to us I was pretty much in heaven.
More importantly though, the food was INCREDIBLE. (Bear in mind that I am not prone to inappropriate use of capitals!) We had some seriously delicious maple baked beans with sourdough, and some baked eggs with chorizo and rocket, which came out still sizzling, sitting on a wooden board with some sourdough. I do believe the nice guy who served us may have referred to it as a 'board of goodness'- a description I give my most unconditional approval!

hannah=amazing.

2011-02-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

Wow.

laziness is nice

2011-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Summer is rolling along; the weirdest summer ever too, with 40 degree (celcius, that is) days occasionally, and lots of boring, rainy or overcast days in between. We have been making the most of it however, with lots of time spent lounging around and catching up on films, cooking up some delicious treats, sewing, and reliving some awesome childhood memories with a rediscovered form of entertainment for my tram trip to work!

The dress above was a summer sewing project from about a month ago, using some fabric I bought in an op shop for 50c. I used my home drafted bodice pattern again, the dart detail is still lost in all that pattern, but I wanted a quick project and I knew it fit.
The other dress below is a vintage find from awhile back I originally brought to wear to a friend's 21st. I wish i had more occasions for it, i love it so much! These photos were taken on my lomo by my sister.

beach weather

2011-01-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

There hasn't been as much beach weather as I would personally hope for in Melbourne this summer. Right now it's damn hot outside though, and looking back at these pictures is making me reeeeally tempted to jump on a train down to the bay after work tonight. Some fish and chips on the sand and my night would be perfectly complete!

my garden is a disaster but I don't mind it

2011-01-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

I am sorry it has been so long since my last post. Christmas, New Years and summer itself has turned out to be very eventful for me, with lots of strange, sad and unexpected but also exciting and good changes bringing in the new year. For example, my boyfriend and I broke up. But on the other hand I have lots of exciting plans lined up this year.
Here is a dress I made to wear on Christmas day, so some time ago now! Rest assured it has received a great deal more use over January.
It is based more or less on this and this dress combined, with a little length to make the most of the floaty chiffon! I underlined the lace on the bodice in both some of the chiffon, so the seafoam colour would show beneath the lace, and then some silk organza for strength. That was all experimentation on my behalf, I had no idea how it would work out, but I have been very happy with the results, the bodice has held its shape beautifully after tons of wear. I also added a waist stay for extra stability, and finished the bodice edges with bias binding.
The parts I was most excited about though were the rolled hemming I did with my fancy schmancy rolled hemming foot, and the hand picked zipper, a technique I tried for the first time on this dress and am officially a convert to! (You can read about the technique here).
The bodice pattern I drafted myself, and you can't really tell but there are darts in a sort of starburst coming up from the waist under the bust. It's a nice detail but is totally lost in the pattern of the lace, so I think I will have to use this pattern again with a plain fabric to show off the darts.

Photos by my sister Katherine!

Scarf Dress

2010-12-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

I have a dress that is rather special in my eyes. I originally found it at Wolf Vintage on Lyon st. Before that, it was bought in Japan. It is handmade I think, but the best bit is that the bodice appears to be made from an entire silk scarf cut up, carefully positioned to have a big image of a woman in a hat smack in the middle!
Even better, the skirt has a landscape running across it with deer and trees and bunnies. Between being made of a deliciously light and airy silk, and having a very comfortable cut, to me it is quite a perfect dress!

Summer Thanks.

2010-12-02T20:06:00.000-08:00

Recently I've really been missing travelling, Josh too. I know it's probably a bit pathetic after we've been back almost six moths, but wow I had such a good time. In particular, I've been thinking a lot about our time in the South, which I think may be one of my favourite places we visited.

Anyway, to cheer ourselves up a bit, Josh and I planned to cook up a bit of an American feast with some of our favourite Southern treats we got addicted to over there. And when I realised it was Thanksgiving last week, it seemed the perfect reason to make an all out American themed feast. So last weekend our friends came over for a little summertime Thanksgiving!

Roast chicken- not quite sure how to tackle southern fried without a deep fryer. Josh really outdid himself with a delicious sausage stuffing though! (hehe sausage stuffing).

I love corn bread. When we were in the States every time we stopped at Whole Foods I would always get some of their corn bread with my meal- that stuff was good. The best we had though I think was at Jestine's Kitchen in Charleston- served warm with butter and honey! This one we made was unfortunately a bit dry and burnt to the pan.

Mac Cheese! I live with an Italian, it's so funny how far American Mac cheese is from the Italian dish. But I love it!

Sweet pie. I made Siri's Boozie Pompkin Pie, which I've been wanting to make for months since I first saw the recipe, and man was it delicious!

Ginny gin gin. I bought that dress in New York! Just keeping with the American theme.

She -She Sheree

2010-12-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

These photos are the work of my talented friend Sheree Porter, who turned a year older today! Unfortunately Sheree is leaving me for the chilly climes of London, which is terrible for me, but great for her. (It seems everyone is in London these days!) If you are in London however and in need of a Fashion photographer, Sheree is your woman!

Medusas

2010-11-29T15:32:00.001-08:00

I love this awesome collage art by Javier Pinon. I also really love his series on floods. I've been really interested in collage in art since the work of Stephen Eichhorn was being posted on a number of blogs back in August. It's a technique most of us will have done before as kids but these artists create such amazing imagery with it. Beautiful!
This week I am very busy with friend's Birthdays and work and Christmas planning and so forth. I guess it's always like that this time of year. I just wish the weather would stay properly hot here in Melbourne so it might start to feel a little more like Christmas!

Rain and sun.

2010-11-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

Some photos from around town which I recently posted on my new blog which I share with my dear friend Elisa. I particularly like Josh's various silly faces. (If you can't pick Josh, he's the silly faced one. Ha!)

Peachy

2010-11-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to take a leaf out of the books (or blogs in this case) of some of my favourite sewing bloggers such as Casey and Gertie and do a little project debrief on my latest sewing creation. Here are some rather silly photos of the dress I made, taken just after I left an interview and was feeling a bit giddy and relieved, so excuse the goofy grin.
I made this dress using Vogue pattern 8573, only I altered it a bit to make it a lot more fitted, adding a waist seam, and some darts.
I saved up and bought this lovely apricot/peachy wool from crazy old Job Warehouse, and I love it to bits. Also, after reading all about underlining on Gertie's blog and also in the Vogue book of Sewing I decided it was something this dress definitely needed and so I invested in some silk organza. I really think it made a wonderful difference to the way the dress hangs (even though it's a bit crumpled in these pictures from sitting on hot muggy trams!) It's a little added extra between the dress and the lining itself. Other new relatively new techniques to me that I used were stay tape on the neck and raglan sleeves, and a waist stay.

See what I mean about silly pictures?

My biggest disappointment was that I read about this technique for inserting a zipper directly after I had done mine on the machine. Looking back I really think it would have made a massive difference to the look of the back and the way that turned out. Also I'm not sure I inserted the waist stay correctly- see the way it clings around there a little bit?

Nevertheless, I worked really hard on this dress, I learned a lot, and I love it.

By the way, thanks to the various sewing bloggers who feed my desire to learn new information and techniques, you help fuel my sewing geekery and it's great!

My favourite part- the collar that ties into a bow!

Kitchen shelf decoration.

2010-11-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

I have always been a fan of indulgent cooking and baking, stuff that is messy ("rustic"?), full of grease or bubbling baked fresh fruit or butter or meltey chocolate or cheese, stuff that crunches, and stuff that oozes. Preferably served in some chunky old ceramic dish.
These are some cookbooks that I have been eyeing for some time, that promise to deliver appropriately indulgent moments. The first two are without a doubt inspired by my trip through the South and my resulting obsession with all things Southern and country. I remember pouring over Screen Doors and Sweet Tea in some Borders during a driving break somewhere or other in America, and afterwards all I wanted to do was sit on a porch somewhere and eat cornbread. (I LOVE cornbread! Totally obsessed, never tried it before America, and I think it is a great tragedy that Soul Food is so little known/served in Melbourne. nom nom nom....)
Loretta Lynn's Country Cooking is by Loretta Lynn. I'm sold. (BIASED.)
How to be a Domestic Goddess has been on my wishlist for the longest time, since it first came out even, but I just very rarely have money to buy cookbooks if I'm perfectly honest. Still, I had a chance to cook out of it at a friends house a little while ago and I'm convinced it's a classic. I just love Nigella's gloriously wordy descriptions of the dishes!
Now I have made myself hungry and am off to hunt for sweet treat satisfaction...

Fit for Marion

2010-11-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

I simply cannot believe the amazing-ness of this stunning 1930's find Francesca just listed on her Etsy. (I do believe she may well be one of the luckiest and most skilled vintage hunters I have ever encountered.) Can someone responsible please go and buy this dress and love it and look after it and give it lots of special outings? It deserves to be worn and adored.

Summer is almost here!

2010-11-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had an interview to get into a new course. (I am officially addicted to study. Only this time there won't be slaving over essays, but over the sewing machine instead!) It was very nerve racking, and I worked pretty hard on my folio. But it's out of my hands now, and afterwards I finally got to wear the dress that I made for it. I put a lot of effort into it, I will try and post some more photos later (depending if they come out as they are on actual film).

I used some sewing techniques I read about on Gertie's fantastic blog (thanks Gertie!), and I was very pleased with the results. I love learning about sewing so much, and even if I don't get in I will just keep trying to teach myself however possible. Making something with your own hands is just so very satisfying. I've loved sewing and crafting since I was a kid, and I just can't ever quite get enough!

I wear a lot of brown.

2010-11-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

Or at least I tend to in Autumn and Winter. Once an old man told me I was a symphony in brown, which was extremely flattering of him, but somehow the phrase conjures up imagery of a very loud poo!
These are a little out of date now what with it being Spring here and all. My sister took these photos a while back as filler images for an assignment where she had to design a clothes catalogue. (She's actually just finished her course, and is now a fully qualified graphic designer! I'm very excited for her.)

Dressed for doing things.

2010-10-20T18:05:00.001-07:00

Dreaming of working on the things that I love...

(Sorry about all the uncredited images, I'm just posting some stuff I've been saving to my desktop! If you'd like something credited or removed please don't hesitate to contact me.)

An Authoress and Bohemian

2010-10-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Final image from Shorpy, other images from all over- I've forgotten where! If you'd like your image credited or removed please do n't hesitate to contact me.

Do you ever pretend you're someone else when you're getting dressed? Creating a new identity? A big part of my understanding of fashion is that it is costume, as every single item of attire we place on our bodies is an unnatural addition, a costume if you will. Playing with the semiotics of dress, it is possible to convey any number of messages and moods. You can use it to try and convey a pure sense of your own identity, reinforce your identity to yourself. Or, if you are feeling playful, you can create a new identity all together. It's playing dress ups!

pictures and memories

2010-10-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

A silly day with my sister. We didn't get much done, but we ate some amazing pizza.
I love seeing cats around the streets and in peoples gardens. They are exploring the little jungles.
This last image is from a roll of film I took in Portland and only recently got developed. I really like the way this shot came out! Sometimes all I can think about is how much I just want to go back to living on the road.

Picnics and the Springtime

2010-10-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Picnics are my favourite thing to do, by far. They basically combine my love of food, sunshine and sundresses. Also good friends and a nice beer help.
This photo is of my dearest of friends, and a lovely old dog we stayed with back when we were in Portland.

I love moss. I think its because I'm obsessed with texture. I hate the way it feels though.

The alley near my house.

Kittens and Cats

2010-10-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

My parents went away on holidays a little while ago so we got to have my cats at our house for a week! It was so lovely having their little munchkin faces coming to greet you when you got home. They are most photogenic too I find!

In My Day

2010-10-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Victorian terraces are a common sight in Melbourne, and I rather like them and their iron lace work. You see them everywhere, apparently because there was a land boom in Melbourne at the height of terrace popularity, so everyone wanted to build them. Also, my boyfriend explained to me that while terrace houses were a typically working class housing (though they're gentrified as hell now), iron lace was generally a decoration only affordable to the upperclass. Melbourne's terrace's have their lacy look however as iron lace happened to become affordable at the same moment of Melbourne's land boom, so everyone wanted to add that little genteel touch to their brand new terrace.
Tramlines in the sky.
I love this old used bathroom wares place near my work.
On my street. This house reminds me so much of some of the houses I saw in the south, it makes me happy. You don't see that many houses with columns in Melbourne!
At the train station.

In the Yarra Valley

2010-10-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister and I had a wedding to go to in the Yarra Valley. It was so glorious to get the first proper taste of Spring and countryside and airy dresses and sunshine. I think the Lomo was made for sunny days, it just captures the bright colours so nicely!

Libris Lunaria

2010-10-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Francesca has a beautiful new print shop on Etsy. It consists solely of prints chosen from the public domain. It's the loveliest idea. The only problem is, I pre-ordered a print, and now I can't decide which one I want! I like them all. Specifically though, I can't decide whether I want something horticulture related, a little fox, or some alphabet teeth. Apparently there are children's illustrations still to come too, and I'm just not quite sure how I will choose!

Flannel Schmannel

2010-10-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Untitled by joser146_2007 featuring a flannel dress

This was one of my responses to the competition Clever Nettle had going a little while back, and while the competition was Autumn themed for you norther hemisper-ers, this is an outfit I'd very much like to wear right now in Spring.

Making and Eating

2010-09-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

This week we are working real hard to get the zine all printed up! We are running massively behind, but thats ok. My sister worked so hard and put together a beautiful layout, and it was ready to go, but a number of things got in the way, namely complete lack of free time, and wonderful creative people doing exciting and busy things like finishing degrees in graphic design or photography! When we do get time though it's lovely fun, and we are now planning to head up to Canberra for the Australian Zine Fair at the end of October so thats something great to work towards (maybe putting that down in writing will help us commit to making that happen).

Working full time at an office job is taking me way too long to adjust to (I'm very pathetic, but it's so boring! I feel like I'm selling my soul, ha!) So it's really wonderful to have a creative project in the works, and working with my sister is very inspirational, she's quite the talented lady. (you can see some of her work on her tumblr.)

because I could

2010-09-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

I know it was last minute, but I got paid on Friday, so I gave a little money to Hannah. It ain't much, but it's a bloody great sounding project, and helping each other out is what makes the world go round in my opinion.

Spring in Melbourne

2010-09-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been working a lot at a boring day job, taking drawing classes at night, and taking pictures on my way to or from places of the things I wish I had more time to appreciate! Spring has definitely arrived in Melbourne (even though it's raining outside right now!) and everything seems particularly beautiful. My new suburb is really coming into its own- lots of little houses with jungly front gardens full of blossom and funny cats creepin around...

What we see and what we seem are but a dream, a dream within a dream.

2010-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

I really want to take a drive out to Hanging Rock one weekend very soon...

Each Peach

2010-09-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

This Saturday my sister and I went to a paper factory all the way out in Preston to get paper for our zine, only in a classic move we forgot to check whether or not it was open on Saturdays.
Turns out it isn't.

Never mind! We actually ended up having a lovely Saturday as to console ourselves over our own stupid-ness we went out for tea and pie with our friend Tommy at Each Peach on Lygon street. It's the cutest little cafe with a focus on organic foods, and I had the most delicious pumpkin pie, it was definitely right up there with the ones I tasted in America. Most gooey and custardey and sweet and delicious!
I do think a nice cafe is one of my preferred places in the world to pass a lazy hour or so, particularly if there are good friends and teas and a people watching window involved!

We finished up the afternoon with a stroll through the backstreets of Brunswick and Coburg. I do believe Spring has finally arrived in Melbourne! I'm so glad. Melbourne winters are nothing to complain about, and I haven't even been here for all of this one, but for some reason I am craving the warm weather at the moment. Our risograph photocopier for the zine is out in the garage at my house, and I can forsee alot of chilly nights out there in the next few weeks if it doesn't warm up soon!

Interview with Rhiannon

2010-08-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hello again blog! I am terribly sorry for being such an appalling blog-keeper this last month (or so). Turns out settling back into the non-travelling lifestyle as not as simple as one may expect. Never fear though, I return to you with renewed enthusiasm and plans for your upkeep, and I will try my best not to ignore you ever again! (ha!)

Today I have a special post. My sister and I are putting together a zine at the moment (I don't really like the word zine, but unfortunately that is how best to describe it!) and lovely Rhiannon was kind enough to do an interview for it. She said some really great things I think, so I've decided I should restart my blogging life by sharing it here as well, in anticipation of us actually finishing the zine itself! (Watch this space...)

Photo by Drew Tyndell from here.

I discovered blogs rather late in the game. My mum had a blog of her own before I even really knew what a blog was. I thought they were something jetsetting political journalists wrote in their spare time, it certainly didn’t seem like something just anyone could do.

Then, a few years back, I discovered liebemarlene.com. I was complaining to my friend about how sick I was of fashion magazines and how I struggled to find fashion journalism I could relate to, and she wrote down a list of blog URL’s for me. “Watch out” she said, “it’s addictive!” She was completely right. Once I started reading blogs, I couldn’t stop. It opened me up to a whole new world of inspiration, creativity, and even friendship.

Rhiannon Leifheit’s beautifully kept style blog Liebemarlene is testament to why independent media is awesome! Documenting her daily outfits and and the things that inspire her, Rhiannon has established her own conventions in how to talk about style and fashion. Like so many talented style bloggers , Rhiannon’s outfits are always brilliantly put together. What makes the blog so approachable though is the way her sweet, self-effacing and funny personality shines through in her writing and in the evolution of her personal style. With photography and graphics by her equally talented boyfriend Drew, the blog looks amazing too, further highlighting the professionalism of Rhiannon’s work.

Luckily for me, Rhiannon was super nice (as always) and said she would do an interview for this zine, so I got to ask her a bunch of stuff I’ve wanted to ask for ages!

What is it that you like best about blogs as independent media?

I like the honesty of it when it's done right. I like blogs that aren't completely driven by advertising or corporations, where bloggers aren't afraid to voice their own opinions. It's usually the behind-the-scenes, can't-be-printed-in-magazines content that's the most interesting.

How do you use independent media yourself for both gaining and sharing information?

I think mostly through the blog world-by reading other fashion blogs and street style blogs and keeping up to date with other bloggers and designers via Facebook and Twitter.

I love that your blog often features labels from Australia and New Zealand! What would you say is distinctive about Aus/NZ fashion to you?

Well, I don't know if I'm a good person to ask, but for me Aus/NZ labels usually stand out because they have this weird ability to turn out pretty, bordering-on-girly fashions in a cool and laid-back way. They don't look too serious, and they're so cheerful! But I think that could just be because Americans have this view of New Zealand and Australia in particular as being really laid-back, every day's-a-vacation sort of places, and I totally buy into it. Plus every time I think of Australia I get that Kinks song in my head, and it's beautiful.

So is that maybe why you personally are drawn to Aus/NZ labels?

Well, kind of what I was saying before . . . mainly that lots of Australian and New Zealand labels are so good at designing the girly, vintage-inspired kinds of clothes I like best, only in a really tasteful way that's never cutesy or overly retro.

Do you have any particular favourites at the moment?

Twentysevennames' latest collection was especially up my alley because it had '60s and '70s hippie elements that somehow looked very modern and now.

Rhiannon in Lover! Photo by Drew Tyndell from here.

Your blog follows your changing style inspirations, but I love that throughout it you can get a really strong and consistent sense of your own personal style. If there was one label that you feel you could fill your wardrobe with and that ultimately represents your style what would that be?

Lover--I guess it's really no big surprise that it's Australian! I don't know if their stuff represents my style; it probably really represents what I want my style to be. Something less cutesy, a little more mature and a tiny bit edgy . . . Mostly I love how they can make so many beautiful dresses . . . I love all the details, the Victorian collars, the '70s sleeves . . . When I think of the perfect dress, I usually think of a Lover one!

What do you think about approaching fashion and clothing as a means of communication and self expression? Do you ever try to project something personal like a mood or idea through an outfit?

Yeah, I definitely used to get into it more, but what I wear always affects my mood and sometimes even the way I act. If I hate an outfit I have on it's no good. Wearing pants and shorts puts me in the worst moods. But dresses make me happy, and I think it's because my favorite ones are romantic and remind me of silent film stars.

So are style and blogging your favourite means of creative expression? What other creative stuff do you like to do in your free time?

Yes, I think so! Blogging takes up lots of my creativity. I love doing other things like baking and knitting, but I'm not very creative with them since I'm a by the pattern or by the recipe sort of person. But even just making things puts me in a good mood.

Finally, knowing that you love a bit of baking, what is your all time favourite sweet treat!?

Chocolate cake---favorite food of all time!

Home!

2010-07-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived back in Melbourne yesterday morning, and I am now feeling somewhat dazed and jetlagged and generally annoyed at the transferral from the loveliest of summer climes to rainy Melbourne winter. Still, it is good to be back, and I have so much to post about last few weeks in the States. We saw so much and met many great people (including the lovely Anja!). For now though I think it is best to avoid composing any more sentences until my brain regains the ability to hold a thought!
By the way, the majority of photos I have been posting from the trip were taken on a lomo Diana mini, which is insanely simple, point and shoot fun. Its not amazing but I still rather like it, and I found the simplicity, cheapness and fun aesthetic quite well suited to holiday snaps.

Last Southern Memories

2010-06-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Some of those Charleston moments I was talking about- cupcakes, creepy cemeteries, seaside walks and awesome Southern delicacies!

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston

2010-06-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

I've been extremely slack about posting about Charleston, but I knew I would get around to it eventually. We had such a great time there! I the end, I think I preferred Savannah as a city, it was just so beautiful to walk around. But in terms of what we did and saw we had a lot more fun in Charleston. We visited a fantastic historical town house (the Aiken Rhett house) that I think is probably one of the best museum houses I've ever visited in terms of giving a strong impression of what life was like for the occupants in days gone by. We also ate what was hands down the best Southern cuisine of the trip at Hominy Grill.

These photos are from the Magnolia Plantation, just outside Charleston. I think it was maybe one of my top Southern experiences. The garden was in the romantic style, and had a swampy, wonderland sort of feel to it. It was really amazing to explore, and we saw plenty of gators and a raccoon whilst walking around (most exciting for we Australians).
We also took a tour of the house, which even though it was not the original antebellum structure was still pretty fascinating. After the Civil War the owner decided to replace the house that had been burned with his hunting house, which he took apart and floated down the river to the plantation. Inside you can see the changes each generation made. I particularly liked seeing the improvements made in the 20's, and hearing about the crazy 20's parties that were held there (where they danced the Charleston, of course!).

Boston

2010-06-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Me, Josh and our newly added road trip companion Elisa have just left Boston where we passed a nice couple of days. I was really looking forward to visiting the beautiful landscapes and seascapes of New England, without having too much of an idea of what to expect. I'm not sure Boston was the best place to gain a sense of the region, but I still am so glad we went as it meant I was able to meet up with Meaghan and her boyfriend Mike! It was really great to finally meet Meaghan after reading each other's blogs for so long, and to discuss travel and clothing and Canadian-Australian affinities. I had such a great time with them and it made me kind of sad we couldn't spend more time getting to know each other.

Now the road trip continues as we are finally heading back west- this time across the top of the country, via Chicago, Portland OR, then straight down the west coast just in time for our flight home from L.A. Ahh!

Tourist

2010-06-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

We overcame humidity, heat, and a disgusting cold and managed to make our best touristic efforts in New York! Actually, we were pretty terrible tourists, we didn't see the Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge or anything like that, though we did kind of see the Statue of Liberty from afar (we were hoping to get closer but missed the boat). We spent an awful lot of time in galleries, taking in all that the Met and Moma and MAD had to offer, and went for a boat ride in beautiful Central Park. Mainly though we just walked and walked and walked around as many different neighborhoods as possible. I think it really is a fantastic city for people watching.
The other highlight was that our dear friend Elisa arrived from London, to join us for the last month of our trip!

I have become obsessed with wearing socks under my saltwater sandals. They remind me so much of sandals I had as a kid that I can't help taking it that little bit further and wearing them with little white socks, it makes me feel kind of goofily happy for some reason. Plus it's rather comfortable for lots of city walking. I think I want to take it further and wear them with overalls and other childhood throwbacks.

Vintage Shopping

Silly Elisa

At the Cupcake Cafe in Chelsea

Sock love.

New York.

2010-06-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Outside the hotel in Fredericksburg.

Sorry for being such a dreadful blogger, after leaving S.C it kept getting crazy- the worst moment being not being able to find anywhere to stay on Memorial Day weekend (that's what you get for being a clueless tourist and turning up at the beach without any plans on a massive holiday). The best moment was watching the Secret Service go way overboard trying to unchain a 16 year old girl from the White House fence (apparently it required over 35 officers and the fire brigade). Visiting the Lincoln Memorial was also a Washington highlight.
Now we are in NYC and it is crazy hot, humid, and really busy. This city is so big and overwhelming. There is just far too much to see, are there any things we must not miss? So far my favourite day has been just walking around Williamsburg and watching all the summery city people, but the Met would be a close second.

Bonaventure Cemetery

2010-05-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Aside from our trip to the bakery, the other thing we actually made an effort to do in Savannah (as opposed to lazing around in beautiful green squares and drinking tea/coffee/beer) was to head out to Bonaventure Cemetery, which Sarah and Patrick told us about when we visited them in Atlanta.
The only other cemetery we have visited on this trip was Pere Lachaise in Paris, and this couldn't have been more different! The Spanish moss and humidity gave it that distinct Savannah atmosphere, plus it was far less built up and way more overgrown. I actually found it a tiny bit creepy. It was really amazing though and a great place to explore.

Back in the Day Bakery

2010-05-21T06:25:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the separate recommendations of both Rhiannon & Drew, and Vanessa, Josh and I were lucky enough to know we should visit Back in the Day Bakery whilst in Savannah. It is probably the best bakery I've ever visited. So many beautiful wares of the cupcake and pie and slice variety, and the most delicious cookie I have ever tasted. I left on a sugar high, feeling a pretty large in the waist, and extremely satisfied.
Now we are in Charleston and there are so many more amazing culinary venues to discover.(Hominy Grill! Thanks to them I am now a true soul food convert for life!) Looking forward to further explorations.

Savannah

2010-05-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Savannah is I think one of my new favourite places. I've really never been anywhere like it. The mixture of beautiful Southern architecture, lots of green open squares dotted around the city, and Spanish moss dripping from every tree makes it all most atmospheric. Plus there is an amazing cemetery and an extremely delicious bakery, but more about that later.

More Southern Houses

2010-05-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

So beautiful, I'm obsessed.

Athens, GA

2010-05-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Athens is such a great town! Something Josh and I have found a little hard to adjust to in American cities is the car culture and urban sprawl, so that to find the nice bar or restaurant or vintage shop you have to get in the car. It seems so weird not to just walk or jump on a tram or something. There may not be any trams in Athens, but the small center of town has some lovely streets that are perfectly walkable and full of great bars and restaurants. The barmy weather has been perfect for sitting on bar stoops with a beer; one of my favourite activities on a summer evening.

Getting Around

2010-05-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

I just got a new roll of film developed. Looking back, I feel like we've already seen so much of the South already, and we still have a couple of weeks to go! I don't know if it's just the great weather at the moment, but i'm finding this Southern spring/summer to be glorious. Josh and I keep joking that we have been so overexposed to Disney films etc. as children that the American countryside has been imprinted on our brains as the nature of dreams. It's so surreal, I keep expecting deers and bunnies to be prancing through the fields. It truly is beautiful though.

I've been overseas so long I feel like I'm living in a bit of a dream world, and I can't really believe that only a few months ago I was in Amsterdam, staring at cyclists in the snow. I can't help but wonder how I am going to manage to adjust to being back home and having to start over again from scratch... certainly not complaining, but it will be interesting.

Photobooth shots from around Europe

2010-05-15T15:58:00.001-07:00

Madison

2010-05-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

From Atlanta we have continued our lazy way through Georgia with a day in Madison, which definitely lived up to our stringent small town expectations! It was the kind of sleepy, cute little town I was more than happy to stroll around in, drink sweet tea (more) and have a picnic involving pie.

I have been wanting a pair of button up overalls for a while so I was really glad when I found these in a Value Village. They make me feel a bit like a kid, but in a good way... so very comfortable.

Every time we get to a cute town here I keep taking photos of all the beautiful houses. I think I will just have to make a scrap book of them all. I guess it's because I'm so taken with the prettyness of the white and the iron lace and the columns, and the whole idea of sitting on a swing chair on a porch and watching the world go by. They have such a distinctive look to them, so very different from anything at home, it feels really American (& Southern) to me I guess.

There was a bee... Josh found it amusing.

Southern Dining in Atlanta

2010-05-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

This morning was our last in Atlanta, but before we left we had to make a stop off at Carver's and try some delicious southern food. It was such a fun experience, the place is in an old gas station that hasn't been so much 'converted' as just had some tables moved in (they store food on what looks like the original gas station shelves right there on the restaurant floor). The result is more character than you can poke a stick at, and it utterly suits the hearty food. Josh and I barely managed to finish the enormous serves, but we got to try collard greens, bbq pork and southern fried chicken, and fed our new found addiction to corn bread (yummy!) and sweet tea.

Our other southern food experience for the weekend was at Ria's Bluebird (both places were recommended to us by Rhiannon and Drew, thanks guys!) We went to Ria's for breakfast on Sunday and and it was such a treat. Just to keep with our theme we both chose the 'southern breakfast', and they were beautifully presented and delicious, and I got to have a sweet potato cake as a side while Josh tried grits.

So now we are contemplating opening a restaurant in Melbourne when we get home to sell southern food; Josh will cook the meals, and I will make pie and cookies and wait tables wearing an apron like this (a different one every day)!
Seriously though, throughout this trip we have been constantly joking about opening some small business or other when we get home; a café, a clothes shop, a caravan serving drinks and vietnamese sandwiches. Now our return date is more or less approaching and we are starting to wonder whether or not we could actually make such a thing happen...

Atlanta, GA and blogs

2010-05-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

American Acquisitions... including my dream coat and a delightful drop waisted white dress.

This weekend Josh and I continued our trip across the great state of Georgia with a few nights in Atlanta. It ended up being a really lovely weekend, and we met up with two of my favourite bloggers which was great fun and also very inspiring.

On Saturday night we met up with Rhiannon and Drew for a drink and had a blast, talking about clothes and travel and old movies (I was informed of the existence of Turner Classic Movies, and am now insanely jealous. Australia needs something like that so badly!) It was also really quite fun to talk about our trip to someone else than just each other, it helped us realise that we have actually seen a crazy amount of stuff since we left home last September.

Today we had our second blogger meetup when we travelled up to cute Marietta and had a lovely lunch with Sarah and Patrick. They had so many great tips for us about places to go in Savannah, I’m even more excited to go there!

The whole thing got me thinking about blogs, and what I want to do with my own. I’m sure I’m not alone in finding that it’s not always easy! Blogging is such an open media form with so few defined conventions, which is really what makes it so awesome but also what makes it challenging: there are seemingly endless possibilities for how you can approach it. I often find it hard to decide exactly what I want to talk about, and how I can say it that will reflect my personality.

Anyway, I definitely haven’t been very good at keeping a decent travel diary on this blog and after this weekend I realise that’s a shame, as we have seen so many inspiring things that I could have been sharing around. I know that what I love most about reading blogs is seeing other people’s creative endeavours and inspirations, so I guess this is a roundabout way of saying that I am going to try and keep up with this blog much better. This trip has really got both me and Josh really inspired, with lots of ideas bouncing around in our heads, so I guess I maybe do have something I really want to write about!

Dahlonega, GA

2010-05-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

After an amazing New Orleans Jazz Festival experience, we are continuing our road trip up through the south. At present we are in Dahlonega, Georgia, a cute town, though not the nicest small town we have visited in the states (Calistoga CA! I wish we'd stayed longer- a cheap and pretty inn above an amazing brewhouse full of friendly locals, vineyards, picnics from heaven and the best lazy bike ride of my life! That town could do no wrong.) We have plenty of lovely, history filled towns coming up though, and the spring weather makes the country drives even more pleasant. But I have to say, despite being used to the blistering climes of Melbourne summers, I'm finding the South somewhat humid and sweat inducing. I've really been enjoying the airy sheerness and loose fit of this dress I carefully selected before leaving London (that is, blew my budget under the pathetic excuse it would make a good 'souvenir'). It's actually very light blue, though you can't really tell. It's more obvious in that over-saturated image from the last post. I don't normally wear pastel blue, or pastel anything, but for some reason I am very drawn towards pastels at the moment. I think it must be all the rococo palace interiors I saw in Europe!

Austin, TX

2010-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, did we like Austin. We loved the Airstream trailers that are dotted throughout selling cupcakes or vietnamese rolls or any other goodies. We loved the thrift stores, and the vintage stores (especially New Bohemia Vintage, so lovely). We loved getting served beer and dip during a movie in the Alamo cinema. We also loved the flagship Whole Foods store (food heaven!! why oh why do we not have a Whole Foods in Melbourne?) And we loved seeing bands at the Continental. We loved many other things, (swimming in a fresh spring water pool, eating barbecue Texan style, trying on beautiful hats in Hatbox to name a few) but I fear this may become a rather annoyingly list-like post to read!
Now we have managed to drag ourselves away from blue cheese burgers and sweet potato fries (at Galaxy cafe- lots of fun) and are on the road again. Next stop, New Orleans Jazz Festival!

Stockholm, Copenhagen, Austin.

2010-04-20T22:35:00.001-07:00

Well, if this blog has any readers left I will be most surprised, as I have been a truly terrible blogger! My only excuse is laziness, and distraction. Since my last post we have traveled across Scandinavia, spent a week in London, and arrived in USA for the second, road tripping stage of our journey. We have already traveled up through California before heading east, and by tomorrow night we will be in Austin!

The thing which pleases me most about now having a car at our disposal is the fact that provides me with somewhere to stuff any good bargains I might come across. Hence I intend to thrift my way around the states, (hopefully giving a whole new start to my depressingly repetitive travel wardrobe). So hopefully I will manage to give some more interesting updates in future...

But before I move on I just wanted to say a few words about Scandinavia, in particular Copenhagen and Stockholm, definite highlights of this trip (despite only being able to afford crackers to eat.. expensive kroner!). These cities give the impression that almost everyone and everything is pleasing to the eye, in a smooth, stylish and even cute way (even the money in Denmark has love hearts on it!) I really appreciated in particular an excellent exhibition on the history of Swedish Fashion at the Nordiska Museet in Stockholm. I was interested, given the simple stylishness that is often associated with Swedish design, to learn that brightly coloured and patterned folk costume plays a very important role in Swedish fashion. The exhibition also gave me the impression that there is a democratic nature to much of Swedish design- to create beautiful, functional and particularly accessible clothing for all.
Overall, my interest in Scandinavian design has been strengthened and I definitely want to learn more!

For now however, it's on to Vintage shopping and music listening in Austin. If anyone has any tips for good places to visit I would love to hear!

Sitting at Rosenthaler Platz

2010-03-13T05:08:00.000-08:00

Fern Andra

Asta Nielsen

Asta Nielsen

I'm afraid I have once again failed to post for what must now be two weeks (or more!) My only excuse is that in that time I have managed to visit Bologna, Munich and Prague, and am at present spending a glorious ten days in Berlin. I was inspired to make a return to the world of the internets by my trip to the German Film Museum, which I realise in looking at my previous post will make it appear as if my trip has consisted mainly of film archive visits, something that I will certainly have to rectify (not promising anything though, dirty hostels may provide free wifi but are not the most pleasant places to spend hours on the internet!)

The Film Museum in Berlin is different from the Italian one in that it focusses only on German film history. The result is that it gives a great deal of detail on specific stars and figures in German cinema. There are two or three entire rooms dedicated to Marlene Dietrich, including one which contains an impressive collection of her original outfits and costumes. There are also rooms dedicated to Fritz Lang, and another to 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari'. The part I enjoyed most though was the room on German silent cinema, which has a great deal of information about German silent film stars, as well as a reel of footage from their various films . My favourites were Asta Nielsen, and Fern Andra (who also happened to be quite the enterprising woman and would promote her own films by spreading ridiculous scandals about herself).

The room also featured a number of hand coloured silent films. I couldn't find the same ones that were played there but I liked the look of them so much I've the last twenty minutes looking for other ones on youtube. I love the surreal effect it creates.

Italian Stereoscopics

2010-02-12T04:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long absence. Since my last post I have been through Spain, down into Morocco, and now we have come up to Italy. So many exciting sights have been seen! It is not without regret however that I have also given up on fashion for the time being; what with constant packing and unpacking, and lugging my pack around it was all just too hard. The clincher though was discovering the realities of European winter and snow (its cold, and wet!) which caused me to purchase the ugliest pair of shoes I have ever seen (attractive snow shoes and affordability for poor travelers are two things that do not go together it seems).

My disappointment in my own attire though has certainly not dampened my interest in that of others however, nor my ability to be inspired by fascinating artifacts of the past, and so I thought I would share some of the highlights of my recent trip to the wonderful Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin in the north of Italy. It has to be one of the best museums I've visited on this trip (and that's a fair few). It was so well laid out and engaging, and had so many interesting things on display. My favourite part however was the 'cinema archaeology', which looked at such precursors to cinema as Magic Lanterns (old projectors that used candles to project 'magical' images'), boxes that had panoramic scenes of foreign lands, and early stereoscopic viewers that show photos in 3D when you look inside.

I really like the idea of people going to fairs and looking in these magical boxes or viewers at the 'magical' images inside. I think I felt the same excitement looking in one stereoscopic viewer, which had a slide show of images that depicted an Edwardian wedding and the couple's married life. Seeing the photos in 3D made them seem so much more real for some reason, like I was looking into a real Edwardian room. The detail was so impressive too: every button stood out, and the clothes were so beautiful. I wish I could reproduce the photos here!

Amsterdam

2010-01-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Well I completely fell in love with Amsterdam! It was a beautiful winter wonderland under the snow, full of bikes and canals, friendly people, great bars and cafes and cute shops. We were staying in a really cute area out of the center which may have helped. I found it so refreshing to be in such a liberal minded place, and also to feel a bit of cheery friendliness which I was craving a little after the somewhat 'brisk' Parisian attitude. Highlights included the noord organic produce market on Saturday, eating awesome dense brown bread, frequent hot chocolate stops to warm our sightseeing souls, FOAM photo gallery, the Patron Bar, bacon and banana pancake, and the Anne Frank museum which is one of the most accessible and moving museums I have seen.

Parisian HIghlights!

2010-01-07T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here a just a few simple photos of my Paris highlights. I have to be quick though, my friends and I are catching a very early bus to Amsterdam, packing, cleaning and organising still need to be done!
My favourite moments were probably spending my birthday roaming around with my two best friends, eating way too much baguette and cheese, visiting beautiful Versailles, having breakfast at Les Coqueliquots des Abesses in Montmartre, bagels at the adorable Cafe Twinkies on Rue Saint Denis, and the Art Nouveau and impressionist exhibitions at Musée D'Orsay.
Sorry posts are so short at the moment, I'm afraid its all I can fit in!

Happy Everything!

2010-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Christmas and New Years! I am terribly overdue, travelling and blogging are even harder than I thought! I spent a lovely Christmas with family in country France, the top photo is from a walk in a beach side town in Brittany. Now I am in Paris, where we celebrated New Years. Every day has been packed full of things, and hopefully I can find time to share some of my favourite sights from this week very soon.

Last nights in London

2009-12-19T09:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I finished my degree yesterday. Its quite exciting and relieving too I have to say! And with that my time in London is over, tomorrow we're taking the boat to France for a French Christmas with some dear friends. Here are some photos from our trip to the beautiful Christmas market in Hyde Park, which definitely got me in a Christmassy mood, despite study!
I'm sorry if this blog becomes increasingly travel-diaryesque. I do feel like it's still fashion related, because wherever I go I keep getting inspired by the different styles and sights I see.
One final thing, if any one has any tips for what to do in Paris for New Years, it would be very much appreciated! (Or if anyone would like to meet up or make contact there, let me know: my boyfriend and I love to meet locals when travelling)
I hope everyone has a lovely lead up to Christmas!

Yes Natalie

2009-12-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

(Cheeky Elisa)

Last night I was given an excellent excuse to avoid studying, as I was invited to the launch of the Prints Charming range of tights by Yes Natalie. Having checked my email only a shortly before the event I had no idea what to expect, but I'm so glad I went! The tights were so lovely, and Natalie (pictured up top) also had the cutest little fur and velveteen muffs for sale. Plus, there were delicious cupcakes and mince pies! It was held in the nicest little boutique called Swanfield, which was upstairs at Kingly Court, a little court full of cute boutiques and shops that I had never noticed before, despite walking past several times. I sure will miss London and the way that there are constantly new things to discover...You can see Natalie's blog with lots more of her cute designs here.