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

The Growing Pains of Sybil

Meet Sour-Puss Sybil.
She's looking rather lovely in her best frock and pearls.
A rosy glow to her fair cheeks, a dab of lipstick, but not too much, Mother won't allow it.
Not after the fruit punch incident at the Fair Maiden's Ball last spring.
Aunt Bea said it was a disgraceful start to the season and now Father won't let Sybil out unchaperoned.

She has a full year to wait before she comes of age and her trust allowance starts, meanwhile, she has a good-sized chip on her shoulder the size of that on her portrait frame.
She never had good aim and pewter candlesticks are not as hard as silver.
Drat her brother's poker losing streak.

So poor Sour-Puss Sybil has been sent to stay with Aunt Dotty at the seaside.
Aunt Dotty is the only relative who would take on Sybil and now it's clear to the young lady why.

Aunt Dotty refuses to let her grey hair show, instead dyeing her hair platinum blond.
Scandalous for an ageing crone of 46.
She insists her under garments are too pretty to hide beneath frocks and she boldly wears her slips in public without a care.
She sways between humour and oblivion to the stares and whispers when she steps out with her pretty, yet silly, niece on her arm.

Aunt Bea can barely utter her younger sister's name without having a coughing fit and she's carefully cut Aunt Dotty's photographs out of the family album.
There's talk of a man, but no-one's seen him and it's said she wears his image on her ears.
If he's as handsome and wicked as he looks in the photograph, it's no wonder she's keeping him all to herself.

Finally, there's the bare legs in summer with purple toenails if you please!
Sybil can barely contain herself from asking her Aunt why she wears wings on her strange shoes and a woman in her 40s should at least be wearing a slip and stockings.
But Aunt Dotty insists she IS wearing a slip and one day women young and old will swap the silly stockings for artificial tanning to disguise evidence of summertime bites.
Meanwhile, Sour-Puss Sybil, who was once adamant that Pongo's parties were "simply the thing", spends most of her evenings these days with a furrowed brow, awaiting whatever evening's entertainment her Aunt will produce.
What will it be?  A seance?  A late-night trawl of dubious nightspots?  Cake for supper?  Knife-throwing or dance lessons?
Perhaps in time, Sybil's scowl will disappear.  Time will tell.

No I'll Call You.

I raced home to take a look in the mirror and see what the fuss was about.
While I was out, people had been falling over themselves to compliment me on my outfit, especially the shoes and dress.
I told everyone who was interested, my frock was actually an 80-year-old nightie.
One lucky woman well into her 80s was even lucky enough to cop a feel.
So I thought I might share what caused all the commotion.
Seriously don't know what the fuss was about.
After all, #2 Son, who is 16, didn't look at all embarrassed about me collecting him from student reception after his maths exam today. Couldn't resist ;).

1930s nightie, sunnies, fish skeleton earring - Etsy

FREEKY necklace - custom made by Phussy

1970s bag, bangles, rosary - op shops

Heart earring - DIY

Shoes - VW Melissa

Frankly I've been such a hermit in recent months (no thanks to the meds), it feels unfamiliar to talk to strangers freely like I once did.
Yakkity-yakkity-yak to anyone who looked vaguely interesting ... heehee.
Today was rather overwhelming but dammit, Helga is right ... "better to be looked over than overlooked".
So if this positivity keeps up I may be clogging up your reader feed with more dress-ups and droning.

Lily found the coolest spot in the house, one where she could enjoy the cross-breezes.  She's just had a flea treatment and in a calmer mood ... no more "mama why is I so itchy?"

Walk the walk, talk the talk.

On Friday night, The Stylist nearly fell over in a dead faint when I handed her the barber scissors and asked her to tidy up all my messy mistakes.
I swear her face was a picture to see.
Full of joy at such an onerous "adult" task.
I think she did a wonderful job.
Then we got dressed up for the season two finale of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
It simply had to be done.

Manic Panic boa - gift from luscious Suzanne

Lace rabbit ears - shop in Melbourne's Chinatown

1950s sequin and bead top - op shop

Sloppy kisses just for you.
Desiree xo

There's a War in My Mind

There are a number of ways to grow older.
I've chosen an unfamiliar path, an exhilarating one I feel most comfortable travelling along.
Until now.
It's not an unfamiliar feeling.
I vividly recall the unwelcome surprises adolescence visited upon my body ... changes I wasn't ready for and lashed out at without success.
It happened again during pregnancy and post-birth with #1 Son ... stretch marks like welts disappearing into secret places.
More physical and emotional changes went with the second, third and fourth big babies I carried, birthed and fed.
Then a lull, a time when walking, running, yoga and most of all dancing, became my joys.
Then I gave up alcohol and watched my bloated face disappear and cheekbones reappear.
More recently I've liked the creases around my eyes and neck ... now they are deeply etched and I realise yet again, I am unprepared for the next stage of permanent physical changes that come with ageing.
The creases and lines are there on "good" days and "bad", while although menopause hasn't even started knocking at the door, it's something I'll need to start thinking and reading about.
Dear reader, this is not a fishing expedition.
I need no reassurance.
I'm just putting it out there ... I'm talking about ageing, toying once again with the concept, getting accustomed to looking older than I did a few months ago.
And as always I tell myself and anyone who will listen, if we're lucky we'll get to live to a ripe old age.
Life is beautiful.

Yesterday I took my neck crepe to the Salvos where The Stylist snapped off a few pics of her happy but extremely tired Mama.
Fatigue seems to be a permanent state for me these days.
Again ... not complaining, it's just a fact of life.

Black sequin beret, 1950s layered slips, Papua New Guinea bilum bag, necklace and earrings - op shops

Leather jacket - retail sale

Layered tights - Sock Dreams

Miss Camel Toe t-shirt - Ms Mink

Shoes - Dolls Kill sale

Later that day, I took The Stylist to a birthday party where she dressed as Bat Girl.
I guess that makes me Bat Mama here.

Careful of those hooves!

Like Mama's, they've got some real leverage and she seems relieved at being taught to accept growth spurts as a means to becoming stronger.

I hope growing up is easier for my sons and daughter, than it was for me and my peers.

When her cape didn't work out, I chopped the back off one of her brother's t-shirts, leaving the neckband intact so she could pull it over her head.

And I painted a pretty lame upside down bat and told her it was asleep - heehee.

My knitting skills are at the uber-beginner stage, but I made these two pairs of fingerless mittens for our cold mornings.
They're brilliant for using with touch screens.
Here's the super-easy tutorial to make them.

I thought I'd show you my hair in the wave clips I used to create today's 1930s-style hair-do ... with extra pinkage!

1930s Hair with Wave Clips from Desiree on Vimeo.

I do hope you've enjoyed a spectacular weekend, every one of you!

Baci,

Desiree xx

Hi, I'm Candy and I'm a Stripe-aholic

Everyone has a favourite fabric pattern.
Mine's stripes.
You could say I have a healthy fascination of stripes.
Squirrelling away clothing with my favourite bold print so no-one really knows how many stripy things I have, is not an addiction.
It's more of a tame hobby.

Clashing stripes ... yessssssssssss.

Boo!  What are you doing Mum?
The Stylist is back at school and raring to go with all the excitement an energetic ten-year-old can muster.
First up is the school fete, which is bound to result in more indoor plants and hopefully some fab trash and treasure bargains.

Ooh there she is again, playing tiggy with Lily and she flung her cardigan into the bushes where it got COVERED in prickles.
It took us ages to pick them all off but it was a chance for us to discuss ways plants disperse their seeds.
I miss having a garden.
Not much point in starting one though, the new landlord and owners of the next door vacant block will be tearing down the fence and all the greenery within the next fortnight, while the house is set for demolition in the new year.

Vintage military blazer and silver star necklace - op shop

1930s silk PJ top - Etsy

Leggings - Black Milk

Pink sparkle necklace - gift from gorgeous Krista

Doc Marten boots and sunnies - retail

Bag - craft market

Our comfy old chair is looking worse for wear but she's looking much better since I graced her with this glorious, soft crochet blanket from Aid for the Blind for just $8.

Sometimes I could hug the lovely people who choose to donate their clean, unwanted treasures instead of throwing them away.

Thank you, whoever you are!

Lily asks, "Do I look pretty on this?"
I usually pick up lovely, grannified coat hangers at Vinnies for 50 cents whenever I'm there and the wonderfully tacky necklace was 50 cents in Aid for the Blind.
The Salvos had this fascinating book detailing stories of women who have overcome abuse and found strength and female empowerment in becoming circus performers.
Back to the subject of bargains, have you seen my Goodies for Sale on my Facebook page?
No?
I'll make it easy for you then.
Visit Pull Your Socks Up! and nab a treasure or two.
Oh and I'm linking up to Jane's Shiny T Tuesday  "Getting Square" party ... I figure the blanket qualifies me this week;).
Hugs,
Desiree xo