frocktober

Every day for the month of October, I will be wearing a dress or skirt to raise money for Ovarian Cancer.

It's called Frocktober and if you would like to donate follow the link here!

I have many dresses and skirts - some new, some old, and I am going to take a picture every day and post it right here ending with day 31 - the day I turn another year older. Gulp.

It's such a great cause and plus you get to be girly in the beautiful spring weather....just needs to get a tad warmer around these parts. Thank goodness for the person who invented the cardigan.

It's not too late to sign up and you don't have to wear a dress everyday - once for the month or once a week. Whatever takes your fancy.

See you tomorrow with dress No.1!

*photo from vi.sualize.us

walk walk walk

Since the start of school holidays I have been doing something amazing. Walking. Not the stroll around the shop meander but a fast swinging the arms kind of walk.

Normally my exercise routine is walking to and from a car, so to be out in the streets walking is amazing myself. Like I am split in two and looking at myself going 'what the?!'

I set the alarm for 5.50am and walk for 40 minutes. I added an app on my phone and it said my route is 3 kms with hill climbs up to 300 meters. I do not know if this is good or bad going but I am knackered at the end and I am puffed so I figure it must be good for my body.


I wanted to do something to shift the remaining kilos that are hanging on for dear life to my body and I have been inspired by Cathy Zielske, Run Like A Mother and Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center. You must check these people out if you need some move your body inspiration.

It's amazing how you have to lose weight to keep losing weight. Meaning you lose some kilos so that when you walk the streets in bike pants and no makeup no body will hit you with a big stick and chase you with pitchforks like Shrek.

I thought that when people burn by in cars they will be looking at my bottom or legs. It's actually quite ridiculous because the only thing looking at me at that time of morning are the birds.

Believe me I would love nothing more than to be under the doona at that time of morning and half way through my walk on the hill I am thinking dark thoughts that involve swear words, but when I am done, wow I feel so proud of myself. Which is also why I am not going to give myself a day off. I am scared if I stop I won't start again so I am just going to keep going.

I have set myself this 3 kms goal to get around my course and feel good enough at the end to increase it. I would love to build up to a jog. But will also have to invest in good sports bra, possibly a mummy bandage so not to inflict any black eyes.

It's only 3kms and to an experienced walker is probably a teeny stroll but for me it's huge. In the first days I was walking like John Wayne but now I am feeling not as sore and my brain feels better. If that makes any sense at all?

photo from vi.sualize.us

catch-up!

It's school holidays here in Melbourne. A two week break before starting Term 4 - the slide down to the Christmas Holidays. 

This will explain my blogging absence as we have been so busy doing lots of school holiday things.

We have been out for breakfasts, we have been out for lunches. We watched the footy grand final and had an indoor picnic. We have bounced on the trampoline and watched movies. We have built dozens of train tracks and dressed Barbie in lots of outfits. We went to the show and Elton and Audrey were transformed into a butterfly and spiderman. We picked our showbags and Ben and I lugged them home. We saw Monster Trucks and motorbikes. We have coloured-in and made puzzles. We have baked and I found lots of floral dresses. Elton and Audrey squished into one sleeping bag and became aliens from out of space.

It's fun just having the time to spend together. I wish it could last forever.

florence + the machine

I can't stop playing Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. I love it......except for the clowns.

There is nothing scarier than a clown.

cute camera

I really like the new Polaroid 300 instant camera. The Myer My Toys catalogue came in the mail last night and it caught my eye.

It's $149 and it takes instant business sized photos.  The film pack is $19.95 and said on the box it's a 10 pack. I don't know if that means 10 photos or packs of 10....or maybe I am a dodo bird. I'm thinking if it's for only 10 photos then that's pricey and to choose your photos wisely....but then for a fun weekend or maybe some home decorating wall collage project then $20 is ok.

I do like it alot. It's fun and quirky.

the lucky store

I received a lovely email from a girl called Hannah and she was asking me about the store in Upwey that I have mentioned before in my posts. The place that I always have fantastic luck in.

I was so pleased for two reasons - I love to share my finds and the upwey store is a treasure trove and also my email comment section works! Yes!

This little store is called the Upwey Beggars Boutique, located at 52 Main Street, Upwey (in the Dandenong Ranges). They are open Monday - Saturday 10am until 4pm. They only trade with cash (you are surrounded by an ATM on either side of the store) and they don't have a website.

The store is a combination of new cheap clothes and secondhand - either sourced from donation or from other markets.

Take your time to go through the store because there are lots of clothes packed in. They also sell shoes, bags and accessories.

Some of my favourite things are the red bag. I found it hidden behind a heap of other bags and it needed a clean. It was stuffed with old newspapers dating back eons ago. I gave it a clean until it shone and it's my favourite bag. I love it's classic shape.

This red coat is so beautiful. It's silk strips that are sewn together - strip after strip to form this coat. Then it's been embroidered with flowers. I think it's incredible the amount of work that has gone into making the light coat and I thought it would look lovely over a simple black dress and heels to wear some place special.

I looked up the label and it's a Lin Van Hek - an interesting woman who writes novels, sings and designs clothes "working in collaboration with women entrepreneurs in the mountain villages of North Vietnam."

It ended up in the store and now it's in my wardrobe. What a beautiful story - to think a lady from a village in Vietnam made my red coat.

This dress was hidden away on the back rack and I pulled it out and loved it straight away. It's got all this white writing and drawing on the skirt part of the dress and it's so comfortable.

This lovely and simple black top with crushed flowers around the neckline was

$10.

 

This crocheted shrug was at the bottom on a bargain bin suitcase. I sat on the floor for an hour and went through piece by piece and dragged it out. It had ugly hanging ties that I removed and it needed a soak in napisan for a couple of days but it came out beautiful. This will look (hopefully) lovely over a white t-shirt and full skirt or a dress. Just a bit of something extra to give a boost to a boring old outfit. This was only $3.

This nautical t grabbed my eye and came home with me.

Another bargain bin top. It has a tie on the side on the hip and is beaded. This also needed a soak and some of the beading had come away but not so badly you would notice. I love it's 40's old style feel and it was only $5. (*Amended - this top was actually from Vintage Groove in Tecoma)

Sometimes secondhand stuff can look a little shabby but you are getting something that nobody else is wearing and sometimes all the clothes need are a little love and care. A trim here or there with scissors, a hem taken up or down, threads cut off, a wash or soak and an iron. After all that and your smell gets into the clothes - the smell of you and your favourite perfume - you have a treasure to call your own.

a little wish list

The Finders Keepers Market is coming up and I am very excited!

Apart from the long list of talented artists who will be there, I am most excited about going to see A Wilderness For You and Me.......

because this is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen. I love it.

It's even got a little pocket hidden at the back so you can carry some money or a card if you don't want to tow around a bag.

I think it's wonderful.

So this market is very close to my upcoming birthday on Halloween (October 31st) and I thought I would put together a little wish list of things that I love - although I am the easiest person to buy for and love and appreciate just about anything....except probably a snuggie.

  

This yellow bamboo handbag would be perfect for Summer. If I can't find a yellow dress then this is the next best thing. It's lovely and happy. From Freckle Wonder.

I love wearing neck scarves. I pretend I am a french woman or Audrey Hepburn about to jump on my vespa and go for a drive around Rome.

This cherry scarf is from Lark - and Alison will be at the Finders Keepers Market too!

A giftcard from Target or Kmart would be fantastic. I have seen many lovely things and I always have great luck at both stores.

These pretty flats from Rubi Shoes are perfect to put on with a summer dress.

I am so taken with Sophie Dahl and her cooking. The shows are on Foxtel and I would love her book.

Deloria Jean always has such beautiful fabric. I think her colour combinations are lovely and would look so wonderful as a sunny quilt.

My favourite thing - the fox necklace.

Happy Weekend to you!

spring flowers

It's springtime and although it's still very cold there are ways to make it feel a little warmer and a little brighter - putting on a dress filled with flowers.

Dress (includes the white and black stripe top) - Target

Cardigan - Rivers

Tights - Kmart

Boots - Rivers

Vintage Bag - Beggars Bazaar

Pendant - Sportsgirl

Brooches - Black Apple

.....and with my favourite people. It definitely feels like spring with them around.

the great boob debate

On the weekend I was looking at blogs and I came across one that was talking about the fashion at an award show last week. It featured Christina Hendricks in her gown and I thought she looked gorgeous but the poster mentioned her bosoms and said something along the lines of she was over her great big honking bazookas and relating her breasts to a cow.

It is not factual but it has been reported on several various websites that her bra size is the exact same as mine. We have these boobs from our gene pool and although we have body issues and have most likely stood in front of a mirror pushing our boobs down, we wouldn't touch what was given to us and we have made the choice to like it or lump it.

Then there is the other end of the spectrum...someone like Kate Hudson. Gorgeous, thin and funny but when mentioning to someone "oh I just saw the latest Kate Hudson movie," you will most likely get the reply "She's so flat chested." Which really has nothing to do with her movie.


Jeepers.

Sadly, the majority of comments come from our very own hood - the sisters. I don't know why other ladies have to report on bits that they themselves have. I don't sit with my big boobs and curse out the flat chested brigade. I think it would be amazing to go bra less or going jogging without having an eye injury, but I don't think that Kate Hudson is any less a woman because her boobs are smaller than mine.

I'm sure she also doesn't look at women with big boobs and thinks they must have a low I.Q. and will get them out at every opportunity.

I am sure most women would think like me, but many don't. It's not the poor men that get the blame for our body image, it's the women. The majority of body image pressure is from the looks and mouths of women and it's kind of mean.

If you have little, small, a hand full, sideways or big boobs, stick them out at your girlfriends with pride. You are not dumb or a cow. You are not less a woman. You are lovely lady with other great qualities besides your fabulous boobs.

*photos of Christina Hendricks and Kate Hudson from vi.sualize.us

mimi

Thursday's are our busy day and I think Mimi (our cute little kitten) knows she won't see us for a large chunk of the day. She has to approve my outfit before we leave the house and give me a cuddle. She is a dear little cat.

Pussy Bow Blouse - Target

Vest - Target

Skirt - Kmart

Tights - Kmart

Shoes - Kmart

Brooch - DIY and Black Apple

Flower Ring - Diva

dresses of the sea and the wind

Versace have some of the most beautiful gowns I have ever seen.
They remind me of the sea and the wind.

*all photos from vi.sualize us