OOTD: Rockabilly Rocker

 

Outfit Details:

Shirt - Stonefield band shirt

Skirt - Dotti

Shoes - Dr Martens

Scarf - Op-shopped

Yesterday was my first exam for this session, and because I am a mega procrastinator, instead of cramming in my final hours, I decided to do my hair and make up so I'd feel good going in there. I've always really loved the rockabilly scene, but struggled to get up the self-confidence to really try anything too out there. The closest I've ever gotten is buying a couple of seldom-worn 50s style dresses and wearing a cat eye and a red lip, but yesterday was the day I finally tried something rockabilly with my hair. 

I've been wearing this skirt/shirt combo to death since the weather started warming up, swapping out the Docs for thongs on particularly warm days. It's very casual and comfortable, but I feel really confident in it, and confidence is sexy, so what better time to pop on some vintage inspired make up and try out a bold new hairstyle? I think the combination of the 50's style make up, bumper bangs and head scarf with the 90s vibe band shirt, a-line skirt and Doc Martens is really cute and interesting. It adds a bit of flair to an otherwise casual outfit and I felt a lot more dressed up than I actually was all day.

Even though its far from perfect, I'm proud of the way my hair turned out. I certainly gleaned a lot of compliments all day, and think I'll definitely be popping to the op shop for some more cute scarves to make this hairstyle a part of my regular rotation.

I've been really stuck in a rut in the last few years trying to figure out what "my style" is. My sister has a set style, and many of my friends seem to have a set style, but I've always seemed to float between vague semblances of different styles - vintage, kitschy, punk rock, boho. I think I've finally come to a point where I feel confident enough to say "fuck it!" and just follow my gut and wear what I want, when I want. My style is clearly fluid and depends on the weather, what mood I'm in, where I'm going and what's inspiring me at a given time, and I'm okay with that. I'm also a lot more confident to mix styles like I did here, and maybe I'll get up the confidence to go out in full rockabilly regalia when my new petticoat arrives off ebay in the next couple of weeks. 

Look out for more rockabilly hairstyles on the blog soon!

 

 

 This was an outtake but I actually really love it!

 

 

Make up details 

Foundation - Too Faced Born This Way

Bronzer - Arbonne

Lipstick - Arbonne in Runaway Rouge (discontinued)

Eyeshadow - Revolution palette from  Boots in the UK

Eyeshadow - Arbonne in Smoke (discontinued)

Eyeliner - Maybelline Hypersharp Wing Liner

Mascara - Arbonne It's A Long Story

Brows - Natio Brow Kit

 

Wednesday Wish list: Retro Kitchen/Dining

Retro Kitchen/Dining by sunae-reilly featuring yellow kitchen towels

So, now Jake and I have been in our home a few months, we are starting to nut out how we would like our home to look. Jake hates isn't a very big fan of the chintzy, shabby chic, vintage look I love so much, so in the spirit of compromise, he is allowing me to still decorate in a vintage/retro theme as long as I stick to a more gender neutral colour scheme and make it what we call "mid-century industrial kitsch". He doesn't know what kitsch means and I'm not sure he would approve of those salt and pepper shakers, but since I know I'l be the one spending the money to make our place look nice, I like to think I should be allowed a few kitsch and novelty bits and bobs of my choosing! Most of this stuff is from ModCloth. I deliberately chose stuff from an international store so the postage would put me off spending all my savings on everything in one go haha. I would really like to get bits and pieces here and there though, and will mix this stuff in with vintage stuff I already own and stuff I find along the way.

What do you think of this kind of style?

Friday's Finds: The Pyrex Gods are kind!

Last week saw me with a lot of doctors appointments, blood tests and other such goings-on relating to my illness. There was a lot of running around town associated with this and so to break things up a bit, I decided to call into the op shops that are located around my specialist's office. Lately, I haven't had a lot of luck at the op shops as my local ones have inflated their prices a ridiculous amount for anything they think even might be vintage or collectible, but I was lucky on this day to find not one, but three things that caught my eye and were actually cheap enough for me to justify bringing them home.

First was the large Pyrex dish - I don't own any rectangular pyrex and so I had to bring it home with me! It's a little scratched up, but still in pretty good shape for something that  don't doubt was very well used! Then I found the gorgeous little orange and brown, retro Pyrex ramekins for just $1.50 each. There were only three which is a shame because I'm sure they come in sets of four and I would have loved a complete set, but they are cute nonetheless and so I had to have them! Just as I was about to walk out the door, I found that little retro saucepan hidden down on the bottom shelf and I just had to have it! I think I'll use it as a planter on my verandah. Perfect with the floral pattern, right?

Have you had any luck in the op shops lately? Have the Pyrex gods been as kind to you as they have ben to me? I'd love to hear about your finds!

Friday's Finds: Ticking something off the wish list

Remember back in October when I wrote about my ultimate thrift wish list? Well, I recently was able to tick one of those very special items off the list as I came into possession of a set of vintage Nally Ware canisters!

I bought them off ebay for a pretty reasonable price, and they are in good but well used vintage condition. The set is missing the flour canister, but I'm confident I can pick a lonely one up some place or another. I'm convinced they are the perfect addition to my future kitchen, and I can't wait to get my own place again so I can get into decorating mode!

Mod Couples

I came across snaps from this fantastic photo series by Carlotta Cardana on a couple of blogs this week, and once I clicked over to her website and read her description of the photo series, I just knew I had to share some too! It focuses on Mod Couples - couples who belong to the subculture that is passionate about the 1950s and 60s aesthetic and music, and what struck me in particular about this series is what Carlotta Cardana had to say about the styling of it:

"I decided to focus on couples because I am fascinated by the way their identities blend together to produce something larger than the sum of its parts. Within the formality required by shooting with a medium format camera, I don’t “direct” the couples by asking them to pose in a specific way. Instead, I let them assume a pose that feels natural to them. I believe that in the subtleties of their posture, a lot is revealed about themselves – as individuals and as a couple."

She also let the couples choose their own clothing and scene for the photos so that it reflects their own sense of style and "the world depicted in the pictures is entirely the world they have created for themselves."

I've always wished that Jake was into the whole vintage thing, too. I dunno about you, but I wouldn't mind stepping into any of these couples' worlds, would you?

Friday's Finds: My favourite recently thrifted goods

Well, it has been absolutely ages since I have done a Friday's Finds post but now that I'm back into the swing of weekly op shopping jaunts, I thought I'd post a little catch up of my favourite thrifty finds of the last few months before I start with the (almost) weekly feature again.

First off, I finally found some cute vintage linen! Yay! I think I'm going to turn both sheets into clothes of some sort, but the pillowcases will probably make it onto the bed.

I am now determined to find purple stripey fabric like this after seeing this dress pattern. Probably not for use on this actual dress, but I still like both the fabric and the pattern.

This little glass bottle is so cute! I'm actually thinking of putting some kind of liquid in it before I put it on display. Perhaps some kind of oil or something? I really want to actually use it!

Pyrex! I don't love this piece (not a fan of the brown) but I have never seen this farm scene on Pyrex before, so I nabbed it.

Fabric! I'm not sure what I'll turn it into yet, but it is a massive piece and I couldn't pass it up for $2

 Last but not least, my absolute favourite find and a steal at only $5, this Corningware teapot!

Isn't it cute? I'm absolutely in love with it and it's in as new condition. I think it might replace my Willow one as my everyday teapot. It seems much more sturdy and I love that it has a little hanging cage for your tea leaves that hooks into the lid and that the lid locks into place so you don't have to keep one hand on it as you pour. 

Have you had any brilliant finds lately? I love having a sticky at the things people pick up from op shops and garage sales, don't you?

Wednesday Wishlist: Ultimate Thriftlist Edition!

I really want to get back to writing more vintage-related posts on the blog, so I thought that for today's wishlist it might be a nice idea to show you all the vintage items I am always looking out for in op shops and secondhand stores. A lot of these item are really popular at the moment and, as with most good quality vintage, rarely grace my local op shop's shelves but they certainly would be a dream-come-true to own! 

Vintage Canisters

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 Vintage Suitcases

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Mid-Century Furniture

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Vintage dresses

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A Queen-Sized Chenille Bedspread

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All of these items have been on my wishlist for a very long time now and are what I look out for most when thrifting. I recently picked up a double-seized chenille bedspread at a garage sale, but it is just plain yellow and I would love something a little more ornate. I also found the cutest vintage rice canister at my local op shop along with the first reasonably priced vintage suitcase that I've seen, but it was in really bad condition and I didn't have the cash on me for the suitcase when I popped in, as I was only there to fill in time before an appointment. Oh well, I will tick these babies off the list someday! 

Quick and Easy DIY Gifts for a Baby Boy

Recently, a wonderful bloggy friend of mine, Trudie, had a beautiful baby boy. I was so excited for her (naturally, as I amt he cluckiest duck in existence) and resolved that I should make a little care package for her entire family to celebrate the new arrival. Knowing that Trudie is a bit of a thrifty, vintage-loving, hippy mumma, I knew she would appreciate something handmade or second-hand for her little one and herself,  and I was all too happy to oblige, since my budget is somewhat limited lately.

I included an op shopped skirt for Mumma, a cute little onesie I found at Best 'n' Less for baby, and some colouring books for her other two children - Cars for Cohen and Disney Princesses for Sarah to keep them occupied while mum is busy with baby. I also made these cute little singlets for baby Fraser, and I just had to share them with you all, as they were so easy and Trudie seemed to really love them. Over summer I imagine Fraser will get a lot of wear out of them, as it is a little too hot here for little ones right now!

All three singlets were refashioned with bits and pieces I already had in my sewing box, so this made the gifts really cheap for me to make. The dinosaur and whale are just scraps of fabric which I adhered with two step Heat'n'Bond iron-on adhesive. First you iron the fabric to the adhesive, then you trace your template on the back of the Heat'n'Bond and cut around it. Peel off the paper backing, and iron it to the singlet and you're done! There are tons of cute templates on the internet to choose from, as well! The spout and eye on the whale were embroidered on, and I would recommend you make sure your Heat'n'Bond is the sewing-friendy one. I found out the hard way (a bent needle and a pricked thumb) that mine wasn't.

The caterpillar was a little more time consuming to make, but since I had Criminal Minds episodes to catch up on, it felt like nothing at all! I simply chose some vintage buttons out of my huge stash to use in co-ordinating colours and a similar size and sewed them on the singlet, overlapping slightly in a zig-zaggy caterpillar pattern. The smiley novelty button I found in my stash was the perfect touch to this design, don't you think? The antennae are optional, and I embroidered them on.

I really love giving handmade gifts and love personalising singlets and onesies for new arrivals! When I finsished the singlets, I bundled them together with the rest of the presents for Trudie's family and wrapped them in a vintage tea towel which I picked up at an op shop with Trudie in mind a while ago. It's not really my style, but I knew it was hers and just had to get it for her! The whole package was finished off with some retro looking ribbon, and handed over with a handmade card when I visited Trudie last week. I hope that this post has shown you how easy it really is to make a thoughtful, customised baby gift and inspired you to give these simple ideas a go!

House Tour

A while ago, I wrote this guest post, a "real" house tour, for Anna of The Dusty Attic. I hope you don't mind recycled material, because I thought that I might share it on my blog today for those who missed it on Anna's. I warn you, though - I am a real person, and so my house is not the pinterest-perfect thing you see on most blogs. I'm a student with no budget for decorating, doing her best to make her house a home with the limited, second hand things I have available to me. I also am quite a messy person, so this my house on an average day. I say this because on a good day, it can look a million bucks for about 5 seconds, and on a bad day, well - you'd be lucky to see the floorboards! Anyway, I hope you enjoy having a nosy into my house. I love these kinds of posts, so I'm pretty confident that you all do too!

Starting on the verandah, here is a quick glimpse of the view from my third story flat. It's quite beautiful, day or night with the city off in the distance. I only wish I had a better camera to show it off more clearly! If you look in the other direction to this off our verandah, the view is of the mountains in the distance which separate the liveable portion of the country from the desert. It's rather nice being able to pick our view, and hearing the rumble of the ocean is so soothing at night!

Once you walk in the front door, you have landed in our living room! Its quite a nice, large space for such a small apartment, and it gets great natural light throughout most of the day, but especially during the morning. There's nothing like a bit of sunshine to wake you up and brighten your day!

This room is probably the most "decorated" of the lot, so far, as I bought the rug for a steal from spotlight to make the room more cosy, and have sprinkled some antiques throughout to make it feel like home. I also have my Blue Willow collection on display in this room, nice and close to the kitchen because I lack cupboard space in this place, and it looks rather pretty in the cane hutch. Functionality was more important to me when I moved in, on such a limited budget as I was, so the fact that my Blue Willow collection is pretty and functional is a huge plus for me! Another feature of this room, which brightens it up whilst also being functional is my dining table - the biggest DIY project I have ever taken on!

Excuse the black edges on this photograph, I can't seem to find the original, non-instagram version and my editing software isn't cooperating right now for me to get rid of them! This little chunk of the room is my absolute favourite, visually. It was never intended to have a blue and orange theme in this room, but I love the way it is coming together. This antique plate was my mum's and she has graciously let me have it to decorate my space :)

The kitchen in this place is tiny and I hate cooking on an electric stove, but overall the kitchen is functional, even if it does lack cupboard space. The people who were renting this place before us apparently ruined the kitchen, and so we were lucky enough to get a brand new one before we moved in!

The boyfriend, demonstrating the kitchen's functionality and making me a sandwich! I have trained him well ;)

I haven't really found that there is much I can do to inject my personality into this kitchen, as it's so modern and plain (unless leaving dishes in the dish rack for three days counts? It shows my laziness!). I have been displaying these little beauties with pride since my mum gave them to me, though and the big one is used to store tea bags! I'm rather fond of them, as they remind me of mum.

My bedroom is soo bloody frustrating as far as decorating goes! I really haven't bought much for it since moving in, and I have no idea what direction to take it in. All I know is that I'm keeping the bedspread the same, as cream will go with almost everything and I love the rose details.The bedspread is one of the few things I bought new solely for decorating purposes for this house. This room is very plain at the moment, and usually is adorned with piles of dirty washing on the floor near my wardrobe. I'm just stuck on what to do with it to make it feel more "me" without going too girly so that Jake (my boyfriend) doesn't feel uncomfortable, or not at home.

Update: Since posting on Anna's blog, I have decided that to hell with what boyfriend thinks! I am decoratng my room in pastels and he has no say in the matter (not that I really think he will care!) I am hoping to start picking things up here and there over the coming weeks to make this room feel more bright, pretty and "me". You all know that means lace and florals, don't you? I thought so!

This other view of my room is rather depressing. I've been meaning to do this dresser up since Jake's parents gave it to us, but just haven't had the time or the energy for such a project since I moved in. Plus, it's not big enough and I really, actually want to replace it with something more functional. At the moment it is adorned with random antiques and the jewellery box my grandad gave me, but again, I'm not sure which direction I want to take this room in and this will probably change. My dresser is always messy, as I like to have everyday needs within reach. Obviously, a flower crown is an everyday need for a blogger ;)

There's not much to really say about the bathroom... it's lacking storage, but it's in good working order.

And finally, my baby. My precious spare room, which was supposed to be an office/sewing room, but never quite got there! This room is my happy place, my dumping ground, my creative space and the space where everything gets to much and I feel as though I'm ready to drop out of university! I love this little space, even though it never really got to where I wanted it to go. Sadly, I am saying goodbye to this space in a few weeks, with a housemate moving in as soon as she gets her finances in order. I'l be sad to see it go, but I am welcoming the company and the financial relief a housemate will bring. Somehow I have to fit all this stuff into my bedroom, though and that is a scary thought!

Well, thats it! A virtual tour of my whole house done and dusted! It's not the biggest space in the world, and it's far from perfect, but as a first time renter and uni student, I feel so lucky to be in it at all! I hope you've enjoyed my little tour, and I hope that soon I'll be able to keep you posted on the changes that happen to the house as I start getting some decorating done here and there!

The Great Arcopal Haul of 2013!

Well, this post has certainly proved itself a struggle to write, hasn't it? I've had so much trouble with Blogger, first refusing to upload my pictures and then decided that it didn't want to save my draft, but finally, here it is! The Great Arcopal Haul of 2013!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter will have seen my sneak peeks of today's haul, or perhaps just heard my whispers. Indeed, I got very excited last week when I headed out to a couple of op shops in my hometown and was met with the glorious sight of milk glass!

For those of you with no clue what Arcopal is (and here I must admit that a little over a week ago, I would have been one of you) I give you the following. Those of you who do know what Arcopal is, feel free to skip this next couple of paragraphs. I won't blame you :)

Arcopal France is one of the first brand names that had been launched by ARC International and has now been discontinued. The company is famous for other glass and dinnerware brands worldwide like the moderately priced Luminarc, the exclusive Cris d’Arques and prestigious Mikasa. Here is a little picture of the brands which ARC International represent today, off their website.

The Arcopal France dinnerware is a white opal, break proof, tempered glass which has a fire glazed finish. This material is 100% non-porous and is fully tempered to resist thermal pressure and breakage. The Arcopal France dinnerware is five times stronger than china. It is fully tempered break and chip resistant glass. The glass can resist thermal shock as well as impact and is completely microwave-safe, dishwasher safe and break and chip resistant. 

So basically, from what I can gather, Arcopal's milk glass is just the French version of Pyrex. Is is collectible? Well, yes, if you look on Etsy, apparently so. Is it pretty? See for yourself! I have somehow managed to pick up 6 different patterns, with one in three different colourways in the one trip to the op shop! All together, 59 pieces! Plus one piece of actual Pyrex, which I've lobbed onto the end of this post :)

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find names for the patterns which I have come into contact with, however I do know that some Arcopal patterns do have special titles. If any of you know the names of any of the patterns I have down below, please do let me know!

The patterns above and below are, on close inspection, actually different. There are 7 of those pretty bread-and-butter plates altogether, but curiously, only one bowl. I have no idea where the tea cup's saucers are!

These little daffodil tea cups are just so delightfully 70's! I love them! Again, they are missing saucers though!

This next pattern is again, delightfully 70's! Nothing says 70's, really, quite like the combination of brown, orange and floral!

The "Country Scene" pattern, as it is mostly referred to on the internet, is my favourite! I can just imagine a little girl sipping tea out of this cup at Grandma's, delighted that she was allowed to take part in such an adult activity, and feeling ever so grown-up!

And now we come to the pattern I have collected the most of, in three colour ways. Of the brown colour way, I have two tea cups, five bread-and-butter plates, two dinner plates, and seven bowls. Of the blue, I have three tea cups and saucers, and two bread-and-butter plates. Of the gold, I have just the one, lonely tea cup. I quite like the simplicity of this pattern.

Last but not least, I give you the Pyrex, which I have also been unable to identify the pattern of. It is marked PYREX (TM) Ovenware on the bottom, and again, any help identifying it would be greatly appreciated!

Well, there you have it! An Arcopal haul of epic proportions. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it all! Some will go straight into my cupboards, of course, even if I do feel guilty replacing brand new crockery with stuff thats about 40 years old! The rest, I'm not sure what I will do with. I mean, I hardly need 23 milk glass tea cups in my already overcrowded cupboard full of china! I just couldn't bear to leave any of this lovely milk glass behind! When I saw it, it unleashed a greedy, vintage-loving monster!

Pyrex and Arcopal spread over my floor while I decide what to do with it.