It's Started!

Silky vintage slips worn as frocks, warm northerly breezes, finding a cool spot in the heat of day and cool showers ... these are some of the things I love about summer.
And this week I discovered the perfect non-alcoholic tipple to battle the heat with:  tiramisu frappe ... icy, crunchy, not too sweet and zingy!

Slipping on one of my vintage slips on a sweltering summer day is a sweet pleasure I've come to look forward to since starting my wee collection a couple of years ago.
Where once upon a time I grappled for cool-dressing ideas, these days I turn to breezy rayon or silk slips and nighties.
They skim the body and let the rivulets of sweat run dry ... eeeeew I know, but they can be hand-washed in cold water and are dry in half an hour.

Yesterday I received a beautiful card and Tibetan prayer flag in the mail from Forest City Fashionista, mementos of her recent trip to NYC.
There must have been some special magic in that envelope, as when I returned home I spotted The Phoenix returning from his first solo stroll since I met him.
Your good wishes and prayers must be working, he is battling his illnesses like a warrior ... it's a daily fight, sometimes minute-by-minute.
Yet to think he strolled down to the waterfront, snapping beautiful pics of the scenery, the sea ... I see my man returning.
Thank you Shelley and all the rest of you bloggy beauties!

Oooh look at this tired face ... I needed some sparkle yesterday so a bit of curl and glitter did the trick.

Miss Simmonds Says has been asking me for a 1920-30s hair tutorial after seeing a couple of my finger-wave pics.
I'm not quite ready yet as I'm still practising, but I also do curls and these are the tools I use for them.
I give my hair a squirt with Miss Lindy's excellent setting lotion, before rolling my hair tightly in the hot sticks for at least half and hour.
Take them out, then spray with firm hold hairspray.
The curls come out as firm and bouncy.
The curls above were created using my curling iron that I bought for five bucks at an op shop.
The wand is tiny - no wider than my little finger, so I get super-tight curls that last a couple of days.

1940s rayon slip - eBay

Earrings - by Mallory Knox of Create Beautiful Beads

1950s tapestry bag - gifted by my lovely sister, Mere

VW Melissa shoes - Amazon

Sunnies - Etsy

Bangles and rings - thrifted

A parcel from the glorious Sarah Misfit arrived today, she's my swap partner for Lakota's Christmas Swap Party and I let out a squeal of delight at the goodies!
Look at the giant crochet Christmas stocking!
She also sent me a super soft bolero that looks and feels like a soft snowball, I ate the mango liquorice with minutes and I'm just thinking about cracking open the chilli chocolate  while we watch Midsomer Murders.
Hot pink tights - GAH!!

Darling Sarah wrapped everything up in parcels wrapped in uncut sewing patterns and crochet wool:).

And LOOK what The Stylist got!  This beautiful 1970s evening frock - she absolutely loves it and spent the afternoon swanning around the house, draping elegantly about the place.
Thank you darling Sarah!

Here's a pic of The Stylist at her school's Christmas carols celebration tonight ... everyone sang beautifully and it was such a treat.
I hope you're having a wonderful Friday my lovelies.
Baci,
Desiree xoxo

Mercy It's Hot!

Too hot for words ...

Headband - more at my shop Sassy Vamps!

Shoes - gifted by gorgeous Georgie of Dickensian Dandy

Black and metal necklace - gifted by lovely Aminta

Scrabble ring - gifted by Nelly of Vintage Wishes

Skirt, bag, bangles, earrings, pendant - thrifted
Swimsuit - Black Milk

Too hot to stand in the sun.

Too hot for a skirt.

Too hot for anything more than lippy.
Sweaty hugs to you!
Desiree xo

In The Mood

Waddya do when it's been family party-party get together time, you're run ragged from funnage and lack of sleep and there are sick kids in the house?
Watch Poirot re-runs, eat leftover pork roast sandwiches, drink copious pots of tea and practise some finger waving of course.
Duh!!

I'm in the mood for making up a couple of rules.
Rule #1: Never let a hair and/or make-up playtime sesh go to waste.  Dress-ups are compulsory.

  Rule #2:  If your knickers are spangly, wear them on top of your pants.

Earrings - gifted by Two Squirrels Vintage

Leopard and glitzy brooch - handmade by hornbag Helga

Corset - Etsy

Knicker shorts - Etsy shop, BOODWAH

Leggings - Black Milk

1920s tailcoat and VW Melissa shoes - eBay

Vintage collar, brooches and bangles - thrifted

Rule #3:  If you have vintage corsets gathering dust, you're not impressing anyone.  Tart 'em up, put 'em on.

Rule #4: If it's chilly, get real and put a fecking coat on.  See Rule #3 - you're not impressing anyone.
Oh I've taken Citizen Rosebud's pledge to shop second-hand first and I'm feeling well smug and impressed with myself.
Think about it, make the pledge and grab a badge for your blog.
You know it's the right thing to do.
I'll leave you with a bit of 1940s nostalgia.
I love how the dancers in this cheesy film manage to keep their excitement under control and their smiles just-so.  
If it was a "real" dance, surely all the hot prostis would be losing their scanties doing the jitterbug - or is it just me?
I hope you've had a full dance card this weekend!
Oh I simply must link up to Visible Monday ... have you?
Baci,
Desiree xoxo

I've Got the Painters In

No really, we've got an actual painter-guy in to paint our ceilings.
But although the results are looking good, it's still a right pain in the arse.
It's not like I can push all the guff into the middle of the room and throw a drop sheet over the mess, it's a great flippin' huge-o job of lugging shite from room to room.
Getting this t-shirt in the mail today helped though.

Georgie from Dickensian Dandy tapped into my carni-gal desires when she put me onto the Etsy shop, Carouselink, thinking I might like their gear.
Well yes I did like very much and corset-print t-shirt?
Don't mind if I do!

Wow!
Thumbs up for the nice-rack illusion-print.
Juicy ... my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.
I was a very good girl in October, sticking to my Buy Nothing New Month pledge.
It actually wasn't all that hard ... the op shops just got an extra pounding and since it coincided with my ongoing patchwork curtain project, the fabric bins were well plucked.
Still, a super-soft t-shirt with the perfect neckline and sleeve-length, designed and made by a Nashville indie artist was a welcome buy.

Pink sparkly heart-shaped sunnies are one of life's necessities and essential to keeping your pecker up in times of domestic upheaval.
I remember the first time I saw Citizen Rosebud and Sarah Misfit rocking heart-shaped sunnies, I nearly fainted with desire and envy.
Those chicks know just the right buttons to push!

These pics were taken at the local chippie after The Stylist's ballet lesson - the lil' darlin'.

T-shirt - Etsy shop, Carouselink

Sunnies - Etsy shop, Mysteres Masquerade

Leggings - Black Milk

Ruffle shorts - some online retail shop I can't remember

Granny bag - thrifted

Doc's - retail

Oh and I love the back print:).

By the way if you're in Toronto, check out Georgie's wares at the One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale, then report back to me after you've decimated her awesome stock of top hats, jackets, waistcoats, tail coats and dandy trousers;).
See you when the paint dries!
Desiree xo

All Fur Coat and No Knickers

Throughout my few years with The Phoenix, who spent a couple of decades living in Yorkshire, I'm often found doubled over at the bawdy, pant-wetting slang he enjoys crafting into his vocabulary especially for me.
One of my favourites has to be my post title, which describes a woman who looks elegant but is a bit of a "sleaze".
My favourite kinda gal.
When I relate to him tales of my London years, he usually manages to somehow work in "those shandy-drinkin' southern wankers" into an otherwise polite response.
Don't bother getting your "baps" in a twist my southern beauties, gettin' "mardy" is about as "useful as a chocolate teapot".
Ooh he can be a "reight coin" that one.

We're all here for one reason and that's to have a perve at some nice clobber innit?
The feather stole is the final treasure in the parcel of joy from Terri of Rags Against the Machine.
A rich purple colour, I'm simply stunned at that glorious woman's eye at frocking up a wannabe circus bint.

Forest City Fashionista introduced me to the Ontario-based crafty beaders, Create Beautiful Beads, who custom-made me this pair of humungous Johnny Cash earrings.
Ooh he's smokin' baby!

 Let's see if this puts some lead in your pencil.

Headband - made by me

Pearl collar - flea market

1930s silk nightie - Etsy

Shoes - thrifted

"Fookin' 'ell I've got a reight lob-on luv".

Speaking of lob-on's, I got a large one when a parcel from the super-gorgeous Helga von Trollop arrived today.
Among the pant-worthy goodies were this necklace and earrings.
Oh but you were looking at the tart in the vintage frilly knickers and pink nightie though weren't you?
Yep, those were the first items I tried on.
More deliciousness in another post.
Thank you darling Terri and Helga!

Classy.
Top-shelf.
All the way baby!
Arse-squeezes all round darlinks.
Desiree xo

Don't Get Around Much Anymore

It was a nightmare.
I called it Ugghh ... this nasty, grotesque corner of horror in our lounge.
It made me depressed.
I mean really, the curtains alone have made me want to put my head through a window throughout the whole time we've lived in this three-bedroom rental house.
It was home to the telly and my sewing machine was perched on the edge of the 1940s dining table hidden under mounds of mending.
Then there was the brain-blending jumble of computer gibber and oh much ghastliness.
The Phoenix has regularly described the lounge as "an explosion in a mattress factory".
Well said.

 A plan formed several weeks ago starting with patchwork curtains, thanks to the ever-inspiring Vix's tutorial.

The Phoenix was briefly hospitalised last week and upon his return, I was wired like a Jack Russell on crack.
I got to work.
I'm sorry I haven't been visiting you and commenting much lately, it's been a nut-house here.

TAH-DAH!!
The effort was worth it.
I'm still rather speechless at the difference.
We now have a cozy wee warm spot that catches the morning sun, a lovely reading nook and telly-watching possie.

I like to stretch out on the couch and gaze at my handiwork.
Sometimes I pop out at night, switch the light on and marvel at my domestic skills.
Don't be fooled though, there are mysterious mounds of clothing, books and boxes of cables scattered throughout the house.
Ssssssh ... they're next to get bombed!

I bought this poster at Camberwell Market for $1 when we got married in Melbourne last year.
Last week I snaffled an op-shopped frame for $3.
Good things come to those who wait - a perfect fit!
Isn't it funny how we ended up buying a gramaphone player for our anniversary?

 I also attacked the wall above the sofa with prints and masks I've had in storage for far too long.

 I'm wearing more treasures from Terri of Rags Against the Machine's parcel of joy that arrived last week.
A cream satin wee two-piece that I love to bits!

Sailor collar and stars ... dreamy.

 And I'm wading my way through the gorgeous Lula magazine I won in Miss Tallulah Porkchop's giveaway!
Miss Porkchop is taking a wee break from blogging, but never fear, you can still catch up on posts you've missed, there's so much fabulousness to feast on.

The Phoenix bought me Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children for our anniversary and I'm nearly finished.
Sandy of Bella Morte convinced me I needed to read it.
So just do it. K?

 Sequinned headband - made by Helga von Trollop's fair hands

Rose clip - Circa Vintage

Earrings and bracelet - thrifted

Suit - Terri

Leggings - Black Milk

VW Melissa Mary Janes - shopped by the wonderful Jet at Idee Fixe

 And because this domestic slut has done something amazing, I'm linking to Lakota's Tah-Dah Tuesday.
Baci milione.
Desiree xo

I Got Stripes

Can't recall ever wearing red, white and blue.
But after darling Terri of Rags Against the Machine sent me a parcel of joy, I'm wondering why I haven't joined the club until now.
How Terri managed to shop for these treasures with a broken wrist, I'll never know!

She sent me this fabulous skirted leotard that was once probably for ice-skating or maybe gymnastics, but I like to believe it was a nifty wee number worn by a tight-rope walker.

Cross earrings - craft market

Leotard - gifted by Terri

Leggings - Black Milk

Shoes - from a West End tattoo shop

I've been a complete drudge all week, even The Stylist told me quietly she was surprised to see me without my usual slap.
I rectified the situation today by making my first attempt at finger waves using wave clamps and curling the "spare" ends with my tiny curling iron.
I want to practise my technique because I'm feeling confident about nailing it.
We had to dash out between raindrops to take these pics, to prevent my hair-did from completely collapsing.

Rainy days are wonderful for dress-up playtime.

Pausing for thought: "Yes my hair IS rather fabulous today."

Another gorgeous item in Terri's jumbo-sized parcel was this cotton striped jumpsuit.
I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
It's so comfortable, I adore the buttons, leg and contrasting elbow cuffs and it has pockets - always a bonus!
Oooh looks like I'm going all out American here, congratulations y'all for getting through an exhausting election, hopefully you also made it through Hurricane Sandy in one piece.

You may have spied the HMV gramaphone The Phoenix and I treated ourselves to in celebration of our first wedding anniversary last month.
It's about 100 years old and we bought it from my darling Kitty of Kitty's Vintage Kitsch, who supplied us with a stack of 78s and delivered the lot to us this week.
The darling flashed her spotty knickers at me on the way out and dammit I wasn't even close enough to steal an arse-squeeze!

1940s sunnies - flea market in Auckland, NZ

Red star earrings - thrifted

Jumpsuit - from Terri

Shoes - Solestruck sale

There are more fabularsehole goodies to show off from Terri's amazing parcel ... I'll show them off in another post:).

Thank you for all the very, very kind birthday wishes to The Stylist, she feels very special that so many readers took the time to wish her all the best.

Oh, plus there's a pretty cool interview over on Wardrobe Oxygen that makes me feel like a freakin' superstar - Alison is so kind and her blog is a great read!
Oh and since I'm having a wonderfully disgraceful time, I'm linking to Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday:).

I hope you're all having a bloody gorgeous weekend!

Molti baci,

Desiree xoxo