Photo inspiration; Love to decorate at Christmas..

Whilst not the greatest in quality, these two images are still exceptionally cute!

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

It is no longer considered glamorous to smoke. End of rant.

x

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

It is no longer considered glamorous to smoke.

x

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

It is no longer considered glamorous to smoke.

x

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

It is no longer considered glamorous to smoke.

Mothers Day Eve

We're on the cusp of another Mother's Day in Australia & I couldn't help but think of this very cute satirically captioned image that lives on my hard-drive & my desk. I see the humour & love it to bits.

x

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

It is no longer considered glamorous to smoke.

x Sianne

Shopping online; Retro inspired secretary dress with bow

This sweet 1950's style reproduction dress is made custom to order at just $100USD plus postage.

The 'Selena' Dress
$100plus

So very cute & perfect for Winter weather in Australia.

x Sianne

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

Smoking is not longer considered glamorous.

x Sianne

Shopping online; Retro inspired nautical dress

Following on from last week's post about a cute Nautical look...

http://www.getgoretro.com/Fables/SailorPearl.htm

$115

x Sianne

It's Sunday, Stop Smoking.

Smoking is no longer glamorous?

False. She's pretty damn cute.

x

Returning home & watching a few fights..

Today is the day I return home to my Alice Springs & my darling boyfriend after a fortnight of working in Adelaide. I won't deny that I've missed him very much & despite my love of the fast-paced city, I can't wait to get on that plane!

I miss my wardrobe & my own bed & my stable Internet connection.

Also on today's agenda is a rather unique & unusual event for little old Alice - a competitive Mixed Martial Arts fight. The festivities kick off at around 5PM at the Casino with a meal & drinks (cocktails for yours truly) before the fights start up. Sixteen amateur bouts with most fighters brand new to the sport - very much looking forward to it!

That particular topic got my thinking about one of my favourite movies, Fight Club (Masterpiece of 1999), & a very awesome poster drawn by Adam Juresko, available on his Esty site.

I plan to get rather dolled up for tonight & will most certainly share any decent pictures with you next week.

Until next time,

Sianne x

Poisoned idea; Swapping my lunchtime Coffee for an Apple

I was recently challenged by a friend to swap my lunchtime coffee for an apple in order to reduce my caffeine, sugar & milk consumption.. 

On an ordinary 'work' day, I'll drink 2 plain coffee's before work, another will be in my hands as I walk through the door & another on my desk just around lunch time. I've cut down!

Anyway, I've been eating an apple after lunch instead of heading to my local Gloria Jeans & have really noticed the difference in energy levels!

Think 'Snow White' thoughts.

Green apples are clearly superior to red ones & there are plenty of benefits to justify making the healthy switch.

Included for just 50 calories of apple is a dose of Vitamin K, C & Potassium, Antioxidants as well as Fibre. Leave skins on of course.

Also a plus is the natural fructose sugar which gives you a well needed buzz to continue working through the afternoon without the chocolate cravings!

Even Disnery preferred Green Apples, & I love this picture..

Perhaps it was the squishy old apples packed for lunch all through school that had turned me off, but I'm definitely re-converted to having apples as a daily snack.

Have a lovely weekend to one & all.

Crunch time ahoy!

x Sianne

Retro recreation; Nautical dress with bow detail

I'm just putting it out there that this nautical outfit is gorgeous.

I love the silhouette & the oversized bow at the front.

I'd like to recreate the look & have found an abundance of nautical reproductions that can be purchased on eBay. Partner one of these with an authentic high-waisted skirt, red or navy heels & perhaps a refreshed over-sized bow & you're set!

White w/ navy detail
$22.99 plus postage

Navy w/ white detail
$22.99 plus postage

The view from behind!

Little navy wiggle dress.
Recently made famous by Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl.

Screen shot of said Gossip Girl character Blair.

Anyway, the dress is ultra cute as an item but I imagine it would look even more special with a skirt for added length, cinched in belt & a few red accessories.

x Sianne

Photo inspiration; Pretty lady in beige

Stunning dress with gloves, clutch, earrings, bracelet & necklace topping it off.

x Sianne

Photo inspiration; Victorian Fashion Plate

Ooh la la..

There is something about the decadence of Victorian era fashion.

Victorian Fashion Plate
Circa 1874

Claude Monet's 'Women in the Garden' c. 1866

I don't have too much of an urge to collect clothing from this era of clothing.. but I do own a fair few reproduction cameo's that I adore.

x Sianne

Dear mini-dresses; Get out of my sight!

Just a small rant today about the length of skirts & mini-dresses in stores at the moment...

Although there are plenty of pretty florals, floating chiffon layers & beautiful champagne silks available in store, the hem length - or lack thereof - is really rather frustrating.

Yesterday I was out & about in Rundle Mall, Adelaide, looking a new skirt for the Winter. After about 5 hours & many, many stores I was still left empty handed thanks to the constant issue with hemlines..

A knee length skirt is far sexier than bare skin for miles...

It wasn't until just prior to closing time that I found the perfect skirt from a little boutique... It's champagne silk with a black lace overlay & vertical black silk ribbons.

Perfection.

x Sianne

Adore Midori; My first favourite drink

It's a little early to go walking around Adelaide & so I'm still holed up in my hotel room with nothing much to do except for typing... so here's my story for the morning.


Very much like my mother, one of my first favourite drinks is Midori. It's a very pretty bright, green coloured, muskmelon flavored liqueur made by Suntory. It is manufactured in Mexico, though it was originally made in Japan until 1987. 


There is a whole flavour range under the same brand but the gorgeous green stuff is simply the best.


I am, in fact, drinking a bit of it now mixed with lemon soda & orange juice.. nothing better on a Sunday morning!


Here are a few of my other favourite recipe's complete with pictures Midori World. Yes, Midori World.

Midori Illusion
Available as a pre-mix as well.

Midori 15ml
Triple Sec 15ml
Vodka 15ml
Lemon Juice 20ml
Pineapple Juice 45ml
Shake together with ice & serve!

Midori Martini
Not for the light of heart.

Midori - 15ml

Quality Gin - 45ml

Dry Vermouth - just a dash

Stir, strain & garnish. Simple.

Sex on the Beach
Not strong but very fruity & sweet.

Midori - 30ml

Vodka - 15ml

Raspberry Liquer - 15ml

Pineapple Juice - 45ml

Cranberry Juice - 45ml

Pour over ice, stir, garnish & drink.

Japanese Slipper
Often served in a Martini glass.

Midori - 30ml

Cointreau - 30ml

Lemon Juice - 30ml

Shake with ice & strain into glass.

LA Iced Tea
A close relative to my much favoured LIIT's.

Midori - 20ml

Vodka - 15ml

Gin - 15ml

White Rum - 15ml

Triple Sec - 15ml

Lime Juice - 20ml

Syrup - 10ml

You can add Tequilla if you like...

Otherwise shake with ice & serve. 

Not only is Midori amazing in any of the above form, it's also beautiful with just one mixing partner such as Cranberry Juice, Lemon Juice, Apple Juice (any juice really), Tonic Water, Champagne or over ice. 

Time for another!

x Sianne

The glamour of travel; Adelaide

This week I'm in Adelaide & very much missing my boyfriend.

I'll be home in a week & from there I can start uploading pictures again..

Yesterday I was feeling rather cold & flustered out & about amongst the crowds.. So I bought a dress. 

It's blue gingham & wonderful.

x Sianne

Original pin-up girls; Before the paintbrush

Aren't these comparisons sweet... From the original picture to the iconic painted transformation.

I've seen advertisements online to have these types of treatments done to your own pictures..

Definitely something to consider!

x Sianne

Photo inspiration; The Andrew Sisters; Patty, Lavern & Maxene

The Andrew Sisters
Patty & Laverne & Maxene
1950s 

x Sianne

The racing season is upon us in Alice Springs!

Every year the Alice Springs Turf Club hosts the XXXX Cup Carnival at Pioneer Park at the foothills of the MacDonnell Ranges just a few minutes out of town. It's a big event for the Red Centre & I'm looking forward to making the most of it!


There are a few key dates in my diary over the next month; Girls Day Out, Ladies Day & Young Guns Day as well as the main XXXX Gold Cup Carnival at the very end of the month of festivities. Whether I am able to attend all of the above is a different story... but I'm certainly prepared in the dress department!

"The only decent people I ever saw at the racecourse were horses."

James Joyce.

There are a number of fashion parades & similar events to keep me occupied.. I'm in dire hopes of finding fellow dress lovers to make friends with but have been pre-warned that the standards in rural NT are not exactly as high as the Gold Coast... 


Regardless, there is a single milliner's shop in town & this week I am working on the accessories for my dresses. I have a few ideas in mind & am after a rather classic look with a few kooky touches to put my own personal stamp on the look. I'm still waiting on materials to arrive but am hoping to have pictures ready in a week or so! 

In the mean time, I have purchased some handmade accessories from a South Korean store on eBay.. they're rather cute...

Black Cameo Shoe Clips
$9.99

Victorian Cameo Brooch
$6.99

Black mini top hat w/ veil
$9.99

Clearly I wouldn't wear 2 sets of Cameo's in the one outfit.. But I wanted to have both options open.

x Sianne

Adore; The Audrey dress

There is a certain type of dress that every girl should have in her wardrobe.. the Audrey dress.

It's just the perfect cut & the perfect length.

It helps of course if you have an ultra cute hat & shoes to match too.

Love.

Photograph from Funny Face, 1957.

A failed trip to 'The Outback'

Well, last week I told you a bit about my plans to drive from the Gold Coast to Alice Springs on a 2 day whirlwind trip with my boyfriend... It turns out that my bad luck with travel continues! Here is a rough outline of how the trip panned out;

Day 1 - Departed the Gold Coast at 2AM to get an 'early' start and make the most of the day. By 4PM we had driven over 1,400KM's & arrived in a small town called Winton, only to be informed that the roads ahead had been closed due to recent rainfall & that we would be staying in town overnight.

Day 2 - Departed Winton to continue on our journey West, stopping occasionally for flooding closures. In the afternoon we had travelled a further 700KM & arrived in an even smaller town on the border of Queensland & the Northern Territory called Camooweal. Upon the sight of dozens of road trains & cars alike, we knew the road had been closed again & that we would be stuck for another night at the pub.

Day 3 - Spent the day exploring Camooweal's only shop, a petrol station & the grounds around the pub. All other guests were in the same situation as us, so we made friends quickly & enjoyed many drinks as well as a few good games of pool.

Day 4 - With continuing road closures we made the frustrating decision to back-track by over 2,000kms to the Gold Coast. The entire day was spent on the road through flood waters, rain & coming close to hitting wildlife during the night before attempting to have a sleep in the car around midnight... unsuccessfully!

Day 5 - Continued driving constantly through night with many close calls & limited visibility due to more rain. We nearly ran out of petrol at one stage & couldn't find any open petrol stations with food so were relieved to find a McDonald's at around 6AM in the morning. We covered the full 2,000kms within 23hrs & had a long, long sleep through the day to recover!

Now that I'm back in Alice Springs full-time I can most certainly write some more!

x Sianne

Photo inspiration; Model wearing Griffe coat

Model facing car in Paris wearing green yellow coat with dropped shoulders and a spread of burnoose-like sleeves by Griffe, 1951

This weekend I will be traveling from Alice Springs back to my hometown of the Gold Coast to visit friends and then embark on a 3000km driving journey across the country-side with my boyfriend and my Holden Barina. The trip will take us at least 2 days and I’m hoping not to have anything horrible happen to my cute little car – which has never even seen a dirt road!

Stock image of my car... Mine has a full 5 doors!

After packing many, many boxes of clothes & shoes & art before moving house & now having to bring even more household items out to Alice Springs along with my car, I’m beginning to wonder just how materialistic I am… When my house isn’t set-up ‘just so’ or organized in a way I see fit, I find that I can’t sleep properly or get settled. It seems slightly ridiculous that one girl could require so many possessions just to be content.

In my last few weeks of instability I've made a few impulse buys (mainly shoes) & also cut a short fringe or bangs back in... I think they look cute but I'd completely forgotten how high-maintenance they are!

Over the weekend at The Rock Bar, sipping a G&T.

With my boyfriend, wearing a vintage lace bolero.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures during our journey from the Gold Coast to Alice Springs & post an update once we're safely back to civilization.

xx Sianne