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

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

Cracks

There's no doubt about it, Eva Green is resplendent in her measured portrayal of Miss G in Cracks.
No wonder Miss G's diving students had girl-crushes on her; she's uber-stylish, witty, defiant, exotic, exciting and she let the dorm girls dress up and get boozy in a secret midnight feast.
"You can achieve anything you want, you just have to desire it."
I desire her wardrobe.  And her sitting room.

Cracks is set during the 1930s in a remote girl's boarding school, a place where the minds of adolescent girls are receptive to Miss G's thoroughly modern ideas on womanhood.
She dresses in flamboyant, colourful scarves, silk velvet coats and *gasp* trousers!

She entertains her special girls in her private sitting room by ordering their books to be put away, dancing to gramophone records and holding sway with "tales" of her far-out, glamourous adventures abroad.

Of course, all good things must come to an end and Miss G's triumphant reign as queen of fantasies and dreams is bound to reach a crisis point.  We can see that right from the start.

But I still want her smudged eye makeup and bitten nails, right up until the end and beyond.

I fancied a more vibrant version of the 1930s bohemian style and it all came together when I rediscovered a long, fine, silk scarf while I was unpacking.

It quickly became a Miss G-style head wrap paired with my crumpled vintage haori worn inside out and a wispy-thin silk onsie frippery as a top.

Haori silk linings are always so beautiful.

I had an absolute ball wearing this outfit yesterday, I didn't want to take it off.

Pink haori, 1930s silk onsie, jet beads - Etsy

Scarf, rings, beads, 1970s lurex flares - op shops and flea markets

Oh you want to know about the eye shadow?
It's Neon Green glitter shadow by Callas Cosmetics on Etsy.  I wear it with their glitter glue so it stays on my eyelid and not my cheeks, although there are usually strays that I fail to catch with a tissue.
The diamante-studded eyelashes are from a two-dollar shop and I'm wearing Lime Crime's Velvetine lip paint in Suedeberry.

Frida's always keeping an eye on me, I think she'd love some lime green warpaint don't you?
Baci,
Desiree x

Put Some Lead in Your Pencil

What makes my heart skip a beat?
Green: fresh, verdant, crisp, nature, clean, neutral, moody.

Peach: warm, soft, creamy, sweet, innocent, what-you-lookin'-at?

Shades of green and pinky-peach.
I'm obsessed.

Marina Fini titanium quartz pendant - giveaway from dear Daniel

Vintage pink glass necklace - gift from sweet Miss V of Two Squirrels

Black earrings - gift from lovely Miss A

Bangles, tassel necklace, vintage glass bead necklace - op shops

Rosary and pink spike cuff - retail

1930s satin bra, 1950s cocktail hat - Etsy

1970s lurex flares - Camberwell Market, Melbourne

Shoes - secondhand market

Linking to Style Crone's Hat Attack #5.

I'm also obsessed with these ...

My friend Pip has an online jewellery shop and she let me choose something as a pressie.

I'm completely NUTS about these pink flamingos ... thank you so much Pip!

You can find more insanely scrumptious goodies at Vintage Pip and she'll get them out to you quicker than you can say "tasteful lawn sculptures".

Stay saucy.

D. xoxo