Baby You're the Best

Look at #2 Son looking all flash and cool for his Year 12 formal.
We all know how many hundreds of dollars parents lay out for their daughters to look special on their big night out.
It's mind boggling how much cash and energy is spent on looking super-spesh.
But you know, I think it's way cooler how my son looked at his watch at 3pm and announced it was time for a shower, had a shave, got dressed and stepped out the door smelling amazing and looking a million bucks.
Later he told me all the girls were falling asleep by 8pm because they were exhausted ... gosh all that spray-tanning, hair-do's, makeup, nails, blah blah blah ... it takes it out of a girl.
All the boys looked fresh, cool, and proud to be looking good.
Mama was proud too.
So she wore a 1930s silk nightie.

Besties since preschool.  That's 13 out of 17 years folks, almost a lifetime.

It was treat time on Sunday and Advanced Style was a treat for the eyes and the soul.
We laughed, we cried.
It was wonderful.

On Monday, it was all business in the courtroom.
And in the bathroom.
And waiting for hours outside.

Hold your precious ones close my friends.
Love Desiree xoxo

It's So Easy ... Sometimes

Wonderful, drenching rain means tea, crusty old movies, hot scones and sewing.
Thankfully we've had plenty of it all here so I'm feeling rather smug and happy.
And bloated.

This is one of the three-skirt bargains I picked up from the Red Cross op-shop last week where I bought three skirts for $10.
The waistband on this one was too small so I unpicked it, added some fabric to the waistband, re-did the gathering to fit my waist, then sewed it back on.
The next day I got a blood-bomb and my waist shrunk a couple of inches. 
WTF is that about?
So I unpicked the sodding thing, re-made the waistband, re-gathered the skirt and sewed the fucker back together.
This skirt is lucky I love it, despite it reminding me of the 80s when I didn't have a pre-menstrual waistline like saggy elastic.

These two don't have to worry about such news-dominating issues.

1970s Coffey movie t-shirt - Creative Markets
1950s tapestry handbag - gift from my beautiful sister, Merilyn

Fishnet t-shirt - online sale

Skirt - Red Cross

Shoes - vintage market

Jewellery - Camberwell Market and op shops

Tights - both from Sock Dreams

Getting as much wear out of this wee dear until my waistline explodes again.

Some skirts are kinder than others and there's really nothing more comfortable than a Franken-Skirt.

It's a t-shirt in a skirt and if you need to rustle one up in a flash, here's how:

Grab a guy's t-shirt (bloke's t-shirts are WAY cooler than chick's ones).

Cut the sleeves off.

Slice the top off.

Sew up what's left of the armholes.

Grab some stretch fabric and cut a rectangle that will fit around your waist and stretch over your hips.

Sew the ends together to make a circle.

Fold the circle in two, wrong sides together.

Zig-zag the waistband to the top of the t-shirt, stretching the band to fit the skirt.

Put the skirt on.

Do a dance.

Here's some music.

Sequin top, Marvel t-shirt - op shops

Gold lion necklace - gift from lovely Miss Ada

Boots - second hand from local boot maker

Leggings - Black Milk

You're welcome.

Love Desiree xox

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday.

Dime a Dozen

I've been in a style funk for a couple of months now.
In limbo for this long, my it's no fun.
Then our local Vinnies and Salvos recently shut up shop for a couple of weeks and reopened in vastly improved, bigger premises just a few doors away from their original digs.
Days later, I was strolling down the street and spotted a new shop, Pop Up Vintage.
Clearly the planets were aligned and it was time for a jolly good rummage to whet the appetite.

I've been wearing cast offs since I was a kid and I can't recall an occasion when I didn't get excited about wearing someone else's clothes.
I learned to sew at a young age and was sewing most of my own clothes by 16 then once I started working I loved treating myself to new gear.
But I always returned to second hand clothes and to this day, I get more of a thrill from finding something odd, used and inexpensive than prancing about in clothes from over-priced, pretentious boutiques.

During the 90s, I wouldn't have been seen dead in saggy floral frocks like this, even when they were popular here in Brisbane.
It was strictly black all the way for me back then, which I still love, although these days my black outfits are usually highly decorated.
But ever since I grabbed this fine cotton frock from Pop Up Vintage for $12, I've worn it nearly everyday.
Just goes to show it's never too late to change your mind about style.

 

Cotton frock - Pop Up vintage shop

1960s beauty case, Demonia shoes, jewellery and 1940s fur cape - op shops and markets

Tights - Sock Dreams

The black sequin 80s top was a closing-time $10 bargain from Camberwell Market in Melbourne during our recent adventures and I found the cotton stretch skirt at the Red Cross shop.

When I took it to the counter I was told if I bought two items I'd get the third for free, so I found two more skirts and paid just $10 for the three.

Bargain-ous!

I haven't worn tube-style skirts since my Madonna days in the 80s, so I'm cracking open yet another time capsule.

1980s sequinned top - Camberwell Markets, Melbourne

1950s leopard-print beret and 1970s beaded bag - Nelly of Vintage Wishes

Fishnet top - online sale

Skirt - Red Cross op shop

Jewellery - all op-shopped

1970s leather boots - second-hand from local boot makers

I've unpicked part of the waistband of this fab 80s taffeta skirt as it's too small.

I can't wait to finish it as I love it!

It's the second of the three-skirt bargains.

The kilt was the third of the three-skirt bargains.

After my recent wardrobe purge, I realised I'm low on skirts and a Scottish kilt for three bucks?

Yes please.

This is my favourite t-shirt in the world.  

I have no idea what will happen when Miss Camel Toe goes to t-shirt hell, but it's not worth sweating over.  

She only cost me a few bucks, so it's no great financial loss, yet Miss Camel Toe has attitude and understands me.

Green leather jacket - Camberwell Market 
Black t-shirt - online second hand shop
Bangles, earrings - op shops
Pink tights - Sock Dreams
Shoes - market
FREEKY necklace - custom made by Phussy

I trawl op shops and second hand markets for ideas when I'm in a style funk.

What do you do?

Baci,

Desire xox

Dressing Blind

You're forgiven for thinking I've been sewing in the dark, or at least choosing my colours while blindfolded.
In the case of this little number, surprisingly neither is the case.
It's my Franken-top, made of leftover cotton fabrics from other projects, using a pattern I op-shopped for 50 cents.
I'm so pleased with it and it's so comfortable, I've been wearing it every other day.

If only I paid as much attention to my roots as my sewing projects eh?

The Stylist and I went to see Maleficent just over a week ago, well before we needed to pile on lovely warm layers.
It's school holidays now, so we can operate at a slightly slower pace for the next fortnight.
After the screening at Southbank I took the lassie for a wander over the Brisbane River to have a sticky beak at Brisbane's heritage-listed Treasury Building.
It now operates as a casino and we couldn't go inside to check out the beautiful interior together because of age restrictions.
So we snapped off some pics and made a bee-line for the nearest stationery shop to top up our stocks, then escape the people-herding confines of the CBD.

If you're here in Oz, I hope you're enjoying the cold snap.
Welcome winter!
Linking up to Patti's Visible Monday.
Love, D x

Face the Day

Yesterday I watched an interesting episode of Stylelikeu's What's Underneath Project, a series in which interviewees remove layers of clothing while deeply personal questions are posed to them.
Dominique's statement that she could never determine if she was capable of leaving the house unless she was wearing baubles and a boa, rang true for me.
I didn't have anything particularly challenging to achieve that morning, yet I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything done if all my colours matched perfectly, nor if I was wearing griege.
To me, THIS does certainly not go with THAT ... no two outfits are ever the same.
If I've been experiencing particularly rapid-cycling mania, which has been happening a lot lately, I need my comforts.
For a quick pick-me-up my comforts are: red lipstick, liquid liner, big earrings, big rings, bangles, scarves, huge headwear, big footwear, hair dye.
If I have more time or I'm worried about blowing a gasket, I have other friends to help me through a rough patch: glitter eyeshadow, masses of necklaces and more rings, 1930s nightie-frocks, layered hosiery, furs and repeat. Twice.

Miss Camel Toe did a fine job of helping me through the day.
She's my hero and I love her so much, I don't know what I'll do if she ever runs away.

To quote Rog, "being in your body is a good place to be because it's the only place you can be".
So I guess if person's body and mind are at war with one another, there is no room for fast, faddish fashion... one must find a way to peace.
I found my peace in layering a Japanese haori jacket over leather shorts, my Miss Camel Toe t-shirt and a 1930s scarf-tying experiment.
That was yesterday, today is today and I cannot predict what I need to wear to feed my soul tomorrow.