brain freeze

I don't know if it's because -

a. it's nearly the end of school for the year
b. I have to bake 3 dozen cupcakes and make cookies
c. we have a full calendar of Christmas parties
d. we are going to Perth for Christmas holidays
e. and there are 4 birthdays to celebrate between now and then
f. and I still have to write Christmas cards 
g. and I had to write a list to organise my other list.....

but I have a serious case of brain freeze on my ye olde blog. Something will come to me soon. I hope.

*Picture (hopefully not us on the plane to Perth) Gary Larson The Far Side

chiffon

When I get married to Ben again (I will ask him this time) I want Audrey to be my Bridesmaid, Elton to be The Best Man and I want to go back to The Little Church of The Fountain in Las Vegas. The scene of our first wedding.

I also want to wear a vintage knee length dress in chiffon. I love chiffon.

Some of the prettiest chiffon dresses I have seen are on Etsy.

Like the dress above from Simplicity Bliss.

This lovely lemon dress from Naomi's Vintage

Blue Goddess from Trini's Treasures

Yellow gown from Coral Root

Yellow roses party dress from Roly Poly Vintage

Pale Blue Gown from Becky Drolen Vintage

Gee....I hope he says yes!

enamel brooch

I found this lovely enamel daisy brooch from a store called Cheeky Vintage Closet.

There is something really special about enamel brooches. I don't know if it's the weight, or the shine, the colours or that they don't usually come in 100% perfect condition - with a few chips here or there.

Maybe all together it adds to the charm of the brooch. They sure are lovely.

Vintage Dress - Pineapple Mint

Belt - Target

Cardi - Cocolatte

Shoes - Payless

Enamel Brooch - Cheeky Vintage Closet

Happy Weekend to you!

fantastic mr fox

I saw this fox necklace on A Wilderness For You and Me and I loved it immediately. I think it's wonderful.

It even has a hidden pocket, so if you go out dancing or something and don't want to take a handbag, you have your cash on you but are hands free.
 
Genius!

Fantastic Mr Fox necklace - A Wilderness For You and Me

Dress - Savers

Cardi - Cocolatte

Loafers - Target

Belt - Target

The French cooking was a success! I am trying to forget how much butter went into the cooking. Oh boy! Our arteries. But it was a whole new taste sensation and the house smelled like a French Bistro. We are having left-overs tonight. 

julia and me

Gosh I am crazy about this lady - Julia Child 

I have watched Julie and Julia (not keen on the Julie part but LOVE the Julia bits) about 10 times now and it inspired me so much. So after my raving for weeks about Julia, Ben gave me Mastering The Art of French Cooking for my birthday.

I have read the extensive entry to the book and have popped on the pearls and today I am attempting Poulet Poele A L'Estragon and Gratin Dauphinois.

Casserole chicken bathed in butter and taragon with brown sauce and cheese potatoes.

I am not going to skip bits and do it my way, I am going to do exactly as she says and see how it turns out.

As Julia says, "it doesn't matter if it's not perfect. Never tell anyone it isn't." Or something like that.

Just look at her! So happy!
I hope I look this joyful when I am cooking. Wish me luck.

the full circle

Television now.

Very much completing a full circle and coming back around from Marlo, Lucy, Laverne and Shirl are Emma and the Mad Men ladies - Joan, Peggy and Betty.

Gosh the clothes are wonderful!

Cardigans, enamel brooches, headbands, full skirts, wiggle dresses, pencil skirts, blouses, ascot bows, kitten heels, dainty clasp handbags, gloves, ballerina flats, belts, cardi clips, bows and bracelets.

It's all so beautiful and classic and feminine. I love this style and even though the two shows are set in completely different times, the fashion works.

I think what I love the most about classic style and dressing is when I see the older generation out and about. They dress so beautifully. The men in pants and belts with shirts with buttons. Tucked in and ironed to within an inch of the clothes life.

The women have shoes that have probably lasted them years and years but are still perfect. They carry hankies and wear brooches and smell like soap and old perfume. They have mints in their handbags and carry themselves like a movie star.

They have style.

middle of the road

On the way to classic status but not quite there because of time, are the next batch of my favourite tv fashionistas.

I used to love watching The Cosby Show just for Denise Huxtable.

I went through the phase of loving the pork pie hat. Rolling my jeans leg. Wearing baggy sweat shirts with skirts and sneakers. 

Lisa Bonet was amazing and changed her hair in nearly every episode.  

I loved Charlotte's clothes in Sex and The City.

So lady like and feminine with a touch of housewife and Elizabeth Taylor.

Carrie - SJP.

Have to throw her in.

Many pieces I didn't like for personal taste (I mean I love her confidence and her fantastic legs but I could never wear a shirt and heels with no bottom and walk home through a crowded city) but I couldn't not love how she (team of stylists) put it all together.

I adored the last season of Sex and The City for her wardrobe, especially the clothes she wore when she dated Alexader Petrovsky. Romantic full skirts with oodles of whimsy. I thought she looked her best here.

the classics

When I was a girl I used to come home from school and curl up next to the heater and watch tv. I would grab my pillow and sit as close to the tv as possible. We had the run of the tele until the news.

The tv shows that have stuck with me after all these years, not only because they made me laugh and were so good, was also because of the great women in the lead and also the fashion.

Such as Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy, with her beautiful red hair. She could wear the anything - from pencil skirts to full skirts, blouses to cardi's and always so beautifully accessorised.

The opening credits in That Girl is perfection. Marlo Thomas running down the street with her flip hair and her A-Line shift dress.

And just take a look at her boyfriend Donald! Such a snappy dresser!

I have always wanted to do a That Girl and run down a street somewhere and twirl. I am not very well coordinated so it might not end very well.

Laverne and Shirley. I love those crazy broads.

Laverne with big L's on her clothes and Shirl with her neck ties. They came on right before Happy Days and I loved seeing what they had on.

There are so many other fashionable ladies from classic tv but none that have stayed with me after all these years.

You go girls!

toni's tips #100

Mums...are you sick of walking around cleaning up your children's drink bottle or cup spill overs on your nice furniture? Are your coasters not cutting the mustard? Do your children even know what a coaster is and prefer to use it as a Frisbee?

You don't even have to have children. Maybe it's your boyfriend/girlfriend with dripping problems.

Well the next time you are scooting around your favourite secondhand store, grab yourself some trays. I prefer the metal trays but any will do.

If you place these around your home and train your people to put drinks or food on it, then you only have to clean the tray and not your furniture. 

Vintage trays come in the most wonderful patterns and prints and you can also use them to hide peeling paint on walls by proping them against the wall, or superglue some string to the back and glue a peg to the front and you have an instant notice board.

Toni's Tips #100 - trays. Not just for carrying around food.

I sound like one of those ShamWow people.

Happy Weekend to you!

(all tray pics from my home)