love vintage

Yesterday I met my lovely friend Ali in our wonderful city to go to the Love Vintage Fair at the Showgrounds.

Ben looked after Elton and Audrey and clad in my favourite vintage blue dress, vintage brown Mary Jane's and my favourite new/old vintage bag (that I found last week in Healesville) I set off on the train.

I love the train. I got my seat and settled down for an hour to listen to music on my ipod with a long stare out the window. I could feel my batteries recharging the closer I got the the city.

I met Al and we caught the tram down to the fair and it was wonderful. Oh my giddy aunt! Stall after stall of vintage.

My friend Al had told me the wonderful story about a lady called Charlotte Smith. Charlotte has written two books and I purchased one of them yesterday at the show. It's called Dreaming of Dior and it's about her Godmother's Dress Collection she inherited. An amazing collection from Doris Darnell, over 3000 pieces dating from 1790 - 1995. We got to meet Charlotte and she signed our books. I went to bed and poured over the pages. It's magical. I will have to find the other book down the track because I wanted to save my spending money buying the Op Shop Guide to Victoria. 773 op shops and this will be jammed in my bag every time I leave the house!

We got lovely comments about our outfits which is always nice to hear and one stall lady told me that I needed a hat to finish my look. I didn't think I would be able to find one at the fair because they were on average about $100+ but I found a hat made in Paris sitting up on a lonely wall covered in white flowers for $10. The lady looked so chuffed, really genuinely happy I had her hat on my head. I thought she might leap over the table and hug me....or maybe the wistful look was that she had priced it too low.....I came home and wore it all night in my pj's. I just love it. It's a little hard to see in the photo. A camera is on my wish-list for my birthday. :)

I also found a green and red floral summer dress from the 60's in perfect condition and I can't wait to wear it. It's so lovely.

But the day was wonderful. I got to talk to my dear friend all day. We caught up. We talked about our love for vintage. We moved about our city enjoying our time. We said our goodbyes and I caught the train back to my little family and was greeted with hugs and love and a roast dinner in a warm house. I am so grateful to Ben for always saying "You must go! Go! You need more you time!"

You can't beat a day like that.

oh happy days

It's been so long since I have come here and frankly I look at my blog and think "what on earth have I to talk about?"

Autism.

As much as it's apart of our life and doesn't account for everything about our family, at the moment it's taking over. Like a weed in the garden.

Our little girl was diagnosed with PDD last week. A mild form of Autism. Audrey was officially diagnosed since reviews since last September, and I said to Ben "well I've come along way. When he (the Dr.) told me I didn't even cry...."

I guess Ben and I think that although Elton was Elton first, and then he had Autism, that the practices and guidelines we have in place already won't hurt for Audrey too. Still at the back of your mind you think  "well.......heck."

I know that it doesn't change the way I love my children. They could have parakeets fixed permanently to their heads and I would think they were amazing. They are the most wonderful people I have ever met.......and I half made them!

Sadly though it has nothing to do with how I see my children. It's how they will see themselves. The obstacles and hardships that lay ahead for them. As a parent you want your children to have no pain or anxiety or burden and as much as Ben and I can help them, everything will rest with them alone and it's a hard pill to swallow.

So much about Autism and the help we receive focus's on them when they are only young. But what happens when they are old? What happens if I am not here? Please don't let me be killed in a freak accident or contract a terrible illness because I have to be here. I can't be away from my kids.

So I am going to try and come back tomorrow with a post about something from the old days....something about an outfit or a movie. Just something different.

It's time to kill the weed and make the flowers bloom again.

mojo

To my poor little neglected blog,

I am sorry I can't think of anything to say at the moment.
I have seemed to have lost my mojo.
Please hang in there with me.

Love,
Toni
xxx

ps - Isn't this She and Him poster gorgeous?! I think I will make an embroidery for our wall.