Who Ate All the Pies?

Blame Debbie Harry.
I'm sure eyeing her off with Batman popping out of her chest made me hungry. 
She was responsible for my actions on Christmas Eve and the next few days, when I ploughed through three dozen fruit mince pies.
It had nothing to do with the fact The Phoenix spend Christmas Eve in hospital.
No effect at all on my episode of nerve-charged gluttony.
Nah, no way.

The drama had nothing to do with my jittery last-minute splurge on beautiful hand-crafted cushions from a local craft and retro wonderland.

Or spending the day prancing around the neighbourhood in new-arrival vintage underwear.

Or stealing desperately-needed hugs from our new family member Lily, baby to new mama, The Stylist.

Snaffling up INCREDIBLE handmade cushion from Recycled by Wendy sold at Creative Treasures on Christmas Eve actually did take the edge off a tad.
Debbie joined her new friends, which I have named Elegant Ladies A-Teetering and Nana's Best Linen Gets the Chop.

Floral headband - more at Sassy Vamps!

1930s deadstock satin bra and Edwardian cotton petticoat - Morag's gorgeous Etsy shop, Auvergne Memories

Sunnies - Etsy

Bangles - thrifted

Vintage jet bead necklace - Dandelion Vintage

Oval-shaped vintage brooch - gifted by my beautiful sister, Mere

Pin-up girl brooch - gifted by the goddess Sarah Misfit

Silver necklace - gifted her holy hotness, Helga

Green zipper brooch, Hindu goddess bag, Day of the Dead necklace - Creative Treasures

Earrings and green necklace - craft markets

VW Melissa Wings - Amazon

Number One Son flew in from Melbourne just as it was all action stations and the ambos were carting The Phoenix off.
The last thing he was worried about was being seen with his mama wearing her underwear on the outside so he could grab a couple of last-minute gifts.
Dear of him.

Lily helps The Stylist with essential hair-dyeing, tattooing and nail polishing duties.

Then she flops out with her happy wee mama on a silk cushion - naturally it's the best spot on the bed.

Setting up a cage for # Three Son's much-longed for Christmas gift, a budgie named Leon.

"So this is a playpen for me right?"

The wee lassie dishes up a dusk Christmas dinner wearing a cute vintage apron I found as a last-minute stocking-filler in a local op shop.
The bulk of our gifts were second-hand treasures or handmade by talented artists and crafters.
I was so impressed that the family are starting to follow my example and seek out amusing, meaningful gifts that don't cost a fortune.

I'm also impressed no one turned their noses up at my extremely simple home-cooked meal.
It was healthy, tasty and put smiles on the faces I love.
That's all that matters.
It was all I could manage anyway and that was after a three-hour kip BEFORE cooking started!
Christmas can be awesome or it can be shite, but it can be awesome if everyone understands it's time together and can be a day of respite for those who are struggling.

The Stylist spotted me gushing over this fabric a while ago, found it in cushion-form at the West End market and bought it for me as one of my Christmas presents - I love it!

The Phoenix blew my mind with these two sets of Pre-Code movies.
That's 11 nights of vintage raunch taken care of!
I'm hoping to do a bit of catching up on blogs during the next couple of weeks, I just want you to know I love y'all **sniff**.
It may take a while, but it's not coz I don't care.

Baci milioni,
Desiree xoxo

Back to Wonderland

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I'm sending you warm kisses for your loving support of my post about overcoming body-part hatred.
Thank you so much for your kind words and messages, as I wrote in my post, it's taken me more than 20 years to reach this frame of mind.
Some wrote that what I showed was not so bad, which is true, but watching my tum develop multiple thick purple welts from a tender age felt rather traumatic at the time.
I didn't know it would happen and I had no idea if or how long the marks would take to fade.
Nothing prepared me for what my torso would like post-pregnancy so hopefully I've done at least one woman a favour by showing a "post-babies" belly.
Thank you wenches!

Friday was the last day of school for the kids and The Stylist had her ballet break-up party that evening.
We ended up delivering flowers to her teacher, Miss Sandra, then going straight home as the wee petal has had way too much excitement and was exhausted from all the end-of-school-year activities.
Gosh they really do wear them out at school at this time of year, not only is it really hot, but they have countless performances and do's to attend, plus it's Christmas!

This mama stayed cool.

Floral headband - DIY, more in my shop Sassy Vamps!

1950s cotton bolero - Etsy

Swimsuit - Black Milk half-price sale

Skirt - DIY

Doc Marten's - retail

Garter-as-bracelet, bag, bracelets, bag, necklaces - thrifted and gifted.

I've used up my entire fabric stash for my patchwork curtain project, which I'm very, very happy about.
Using up all those pieces of fabric I've been hoarding for ages (some for 20 years!) to inject more colour into our home, feels wonderful.
I went in search for more scraps and found treasure!
Vintage sheets, pillowcases and a tablecloth.

Never fear, the beautiful cotton tablecloth will never see my shears, it's going straight onto the kitchen table.

The Noddy sheet is very faded and has rust spots so I'm not worried about using it for patch working, but I was pretty nervous about cutting into the ballerina and purple floral cotton sheets.
The Stylist suggested that since we'd bought a pair of each, we could keep one of each intact and use the other for patchwork.
Yeah I know, duh! I think I need to change my meds.
I'll keep the remainder for other precious DIY projects - the sight of a ballerina as bag-lining, and a purple floral patch-pocket or two are bound to bring on a smile.

I found this print on hardboard, a beautiful wee laddie by Monet.
He'll be making sure the dancing couple don't scratch the grafofoni records.
The mink cape was a gift from my darling Kitty of Kitty's Vintage Kitsch.

I found this linen tray mat and love the home-making tips.

I've been eating nasturtium flowers since I was a wee one.
I was one of those kids for whom poison books were written - I was always eating everything that grew outside.
To this day I can't walk past the local plant shop without harvesting the begonia flowers for a snack, much to the horror of my kids.

I wonder if anyone has ever died after following instructions on a tea towel?

Everything in my favourite op shop, Aid for the Blind, was half price!
I grabbed the sugar bowl, heavy teapot, trays and cotton embroidered bag for a song. 

Oh let's do that Monday morning happy dance again shall we?

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Baci,

Desiree xo

Bikini Kill

To mark the hottest December day in 11 years, it's time to face one of my own personal demons.
I've had a two decade-long hate-hate relationship with my belly.
And at age 44, I'm calling "last orders please" on this body-part hatred.
Time for a bikini shoot.

Last time the mercury hit 39 degrees in the month of December, was 2001.
Number 3 Son was a bouncing nine-month-old scallywag and The Stylist was several weeks off becoming a human bean.
It's been more than 20 years since my tum's seen the light of day.
Four HUGE babies resulted in weird stretched-out tummy skin, a distorted belly button and a phobia about showing off my torso.
I show my belly off to the kids who, like most children, have always been fascinated by any kind of body "weirdness", before they recoil in horror.

First-time belly exposure calls for a killer 1970s bikini.

Hell, I can't believe this is happening.
I'm actually showing you the part of my body I fear the most.
I know I'm not the only one to "fear" their body parts.
It's familiar terrain; the earliest I can remember the feeling was at age 13.

I have stretch marks, pocked and stretched-out skin, a distended belly button and other "flaws".
But there is an opposing point of view.
I also have beautiful, funny, joyful, healthy children who are encouraged to explore their talents and be fearless yet cautious.
I will always have someone to cuddle until the day I die.
They will always have a mama who loves them despite their flaws.
No BODY is perfect.

It's so easy for us fling positive phrases about like "love your body" or "it's the beauty inside that counts".
But concerns about our body are fuelled by edited images, before-and-after celebrity and diet pics.
They creep in and viciously chip away at our self-confidence.
Today's revelation is hopefully one small step for womankind:).

Silk scarf, bracelet, vintage lace slip and 1970s bikini - thrifted

Necklace - gifted by Helga "Hot Body" von Trollop

Earrings and shades - Etsy

Arse-squeezes all round me-thinks!

Desiree xoxo

Take It Easy

There's no point getting your knickers in a knot over Christmas shopping.
Especially on a 33-degree weekend.
For many, there's the temptation to flee to the nearest shopping mall, seek sanctuary from the heat and tick some crap off the Christmas list.
Shopping mall?  You must be bleedin' kidding!
I'm not giving those thieves my precious pennies.
These days, there are far more interesting and entertaining choices.
A market or two, op shops and local craft markets are more my style this Christmas.
The key is to pace yourself, stop for a well-earned cool drink, count the pennies you're saving and keep your sanity.

The Stylist and I visited the West End Vintage and Designer Markets on Saturday afternoon and picked up a few bits and pieces for some special people.
And for each other.
It must have been quite an entertaining sight for stallholders to watch these two customers doing some covert shopping for one another.
Of course, I can't put any pics up here until after Santa's visit, but I can show you a couple of things.

I bought myself this skull necklace with a silky tassel from Hattie ...

and this cute badge probably made from a 1970s tea towel.

The Stylist found some bargains for special people with these delicate and tiny cactus plants.

Swimsuit - Black Milk

1970s shorts - vintage market

Shoes - Solestruck sale

1970s bag - gifted by Erica Louise of Recycled Fashion

Bangles, rings, metal pendant and earrings - thrifted and craft market

Shades - Etsy shop, Mysteres Masquerades

We joined the sensible people cooling off under the shade of an ancient and beautiful Moreton Bay fig tree.
Bliss.

This lovely lady brought all her glorious 1970s stock with her from LA, where she lives six months of the year.

I fell deeply and passionately in love with this 1950s cotton swimsuit which was far too small for me ... wah!!!

Yesterday we braved the heat again and went to a flea market where I spotted this print on hardboard.
Although I was tempted to buy it, the print was very faded and this is the best pic I could get of it.
Any ideas on who I think it looks like?

I'm linking to Visible Monday this week.

Desiree xo