Too cute! Valentines Day cupcake bouquet

It's just 3 weeks until Valentines Day & I'm already getting rather excited... 

Check out this beautiful red rose cupcake bouquet is by L.A. Bakery, a custom company in the UK, serving Hertfordshire, London and Essex, via Flickr. 

This idea is just so cute, I might need to give it a go myself!

I found this picture on the 'Cupcakes Take The Cake' blog - check them out too!

x Sianne

Photo inspiration; Model feeding a wild deer

Model in lavender & orange outfit feeding a deer.
Circa 1956.

Jumpsuit lovin'; Sailor Romper by Vintage Suits by Mary

An advertisement for these suits popped up on my facebook this morning... how adorable are they?!

Navy stretch twill Sailor Romper by Vintage Suits by Mary
Priced at $100AUD

Priced at $100AUD

White stretch twill Sailor Romper by Vintage Suits by Mary

Product Information
Ahoy there!  Adorable 1 piece sailor suit romper in stretch twill.
Trimmed with contrast soutache braid with stars on back collar.
Comes in Navy, Red, or White

Find them on their website...

x Sianne 

Photo inspiration; Model wearing black & gingham jumpsuit

Model wearing black and gingham jumpsuit with umbrella
Circa 1954

Adore; Cyndi Lauper

I've been listening to a fair amount of the wonderful Cindy Lauper lately. She is a true icon of not just the 80's, but also of the great success female artists can achieve for themselves by breaking the mould & retaining their individuality... just my thoughts anyway.

I take a lot of inspiration from Cyndi's eclectic sense of style & often think about her zany outfits when I'm getting ready to leave the house for a night out.

Whilst born in 1953, she is still so freaking cute today!

Lauper & Lady Gaga

If you haven't yet heard this lady sing, please get onto Youtube immediately!

x Sianne

Etsy lovin'; Lovely collage paper card

Out of the woods collage card

$7.35USD from StoriesDivinations on Etsy

I just love this sweet little card from StoriesDivinations on Etsy. Here is what the artist has to say about the product.

Out of the Woods - Out of the oppressive gloom and into a place where gigantic zinnias bloom...

A very special blank 5" x 7" handcrafted and lined collage notecard with a reproduction of one of my collages made with recycled vintage illustrations and music; hand-trimmed and mounted with care (and acid-free adhesive) and wrapping around luxurious, thick stationary with four deckled edges created in Italy by Cartiere Magnani.

Last year, Cartiere Magnani celebrates its 600th birthday. Among their customers have been many of Europe's reigning families and governments. Other notable customers have included Napoleon Bonaparte, who selected the mill to produce a special watermarked paper for the announcement of his wedding with Maria Luisa D' Austria. (The original mold is still held at the mill.)

Each card is enclosed in a clear resealable packet... Lovely to frame, to give with a gift or as a gift itself...

Just so sweet & also would be a fun craft project...


Sianne x 

Vintage reproduction; Contortionist in tuxedo

Reproduction of a vintage Magica Theatre Poster
$16.98 AUD

I adore this little print of a contortionist in tuxedo jacket top hat and tights performing surrounded by other performing contortionists. It's a reproduction of a Magic Theatrical Poster from Delaware... found in the eBay store, Delwoman's Treasures.


x Sianne

Let's go fly a kite!t

Firstly, let me start by saying that Mary Poppins is by far the best Disney musical of all time. Well, at least it's my personal favourite. Mr Bank's singing 'Let's go fly a kite' is heart-warming end to the film & incredibly cute, so cute in fact, that this weekend my friend Laura & I took off to the park and did just that.

Sunday afternoon delivered nothing less that superb Gold Coast weather & a healthy ocean breeze. There was nothing more fitting to do than have a small BBQ and take Laura's new kite for a test run. Our GF feast of sausages & bread was very tasty indeed, even though our BBQ prowess was lacking. Afterwards though, kite launching exploits began, which involved a remarkable amount of running.

Once we had worked out our tactic & after extending the string a few times, Laura & I managed to get the kite stuck in the upper branches of the tallest tree in the park... It did survive but we'll be keeping a tighter leash on it next time around!

Lovely Laura preparing our feast

The kite is launched

Yours truly playing it safe but having far too much fun

Gentlemen friends taking over kite duties with a much longer string!

Much fun was had by all - and Mr Squid, the worlds greatest kite, will most definitely be making another skyward appearance on Australia Day.

If you don't know the song I refer to above, please do yourself a huge favour & watch the scene now :)

x Sianne

Have your cake & eat it too; Skinny girls are not glamour girls..

A little while ago I stumbled across this picture on Tumblr... Apparently it was an advertisement pulled from a New York newspaper in the early 1950's..

It not only made me smile, but it also gave me a bit of food for thought... I often wonder whether why the mindset around body image has been altered in the past few decades. Why are women obsessed with being thin to the point of being unhealthy? And why is that attractive?

The diet crazed plastic surgery obsessed messages being broadcast in the media are disgusting, which is why I generally choose not to read such garbage as 'celeb' news or watch MTV. I'm much happier without that rot & I'd much prefer to keep my curves that be mistaken for a pre-pubescent boy, thank you very much!

As I question that niggling urge to 'lose a few kilos', I am inspired to take a look at some modern curvaceous screen sirens & entertainment icons to ensure that I'll bake my cakes and eat them too this year.

Katherine Heigl

Kate Winslet

Christina Hendicks

Meryl Streep

Beyonce' Knowles

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Dita Von Teese

Nigella Lawson

Now to bake that cake...

x Sianne

Book love; How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

Hello there!

This post has been a long time coming - as I read the book in October of last year - but finally I have had the time to write my review of this wonderful book, How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World,  by Jordan Christy (Aug 2009).

Book cover - linked to Amazon

As most of you know, one of my very few idols is the lovely Audrey Hepburn. This book focuses on praising ladylike (Audrey-like) behaviour and shuns the lifestyle choices of celebrities like Paris Hilton... & rightly so. This book is timely and oh so needed right now. Young women are struggling with mixed messages and signals from the media and from society at large. This witty little number is the perfect birthday gift for any girl - as a refresher course or an introduction to proper living! 

To give you a taste of Christy's style of writing, this is how the cover reads;

"In a society driven by celebutante news and myspace profiles, women of class, style and charm are hard to come by. The Audrey and Katharines of the world continue to lose their lustre as thongs, rehab and outrageous behaviour burn up the daily headlines. But, despite appearances, guys still want a girl they can take home to their mother, employers still like to see a tailored suit and peers still respect classy conduct. So is it possible to maintain old fashioned virtues in a modern world without looking like a starchy Amish grandma? Christy shows women how in this guide to glamorous style, professional success and true love...the classy way. Full of fun assignments, notable names and real-life examples, Christy offers a new look at seemingly 'old fashioned' advice. She covers diet, speech, work ethic, friends, relationships, manners, makeup and fashionable yet modest clothing, showing modern ladies how they can be beautiful, intelligent and fun while retaining values and morals."

Christy reminds readers on the graces of being a lady. She reminds us that when it comes to make up the key is looking natural. Our behavior, our manner of dress, our language all work together to give others a perception of who and what we are. The makeup hints are outstanding. Many of them I already use, and for readers like myself this book provides a fun revision course and a good few laughs. 

I've passed this book on to friends of mine & it's on the list for a few birthday gifts this year too! It's simply a must & why wouldn't it be? Which of these ladies would you prefer to have for a friend or a sister or a niece or a cousin?

The lovely Audrey Hepburn

The notorious Paris Hilton

You know what to do!

x Sianne

M is for Magazine; Jazzing up an old magazine holder

Over the past few days I've made an immense effort to clean up my craft cupboard & desk.. as well as the boxes full to the brim with craft supplies sitting next to the desk.

It's been a mission but I've also completed a few projects, including my Alphonse Mucha inspired magazine holder. The level of detail & layering in his works inspires me, so I wanted to pull apart an old calendar I owned & repurpose it for my room.

Also used was some vintage rose wallpaper, gold ribbon and of course the staple brown paper as a base.

My much loved Frankie magazine's now have a flash new home.

I have enough materials to make a second holder... and I think I might.

x Sianne

Dreams Poster  by Seb Lester - Available at Soma Gallery

Indigenous Mexican art; cute new keepsake box

Indigenous Mexican art celebrates the skeleton and uses it as a regular motif. The use of skulls and skeletons in art originated before the Spanish Conquest with The Aztecs. I own a few bits and pieces of Aztec inspired art - my most recent piece being this funky little leather & wood keepsake box...

I call him 'Miguel' the styling skeleton.,

He's so adorable!

The colours are so rich and vibrant & I just adore his sweet little hat.


I purchased it from a lovely couple at a vintage sale - who had recently returned from Mexico and had decided to bring more Aztec style art to Australia. I wasn't going to tell them that the alternative scene (better not say 'rockabilly' - might offend some touchy people!) has a huge following for this style of art, especially when it comes to sugar skulls mixed with pin-up models mixed with low brow art mixed with the Southern Californian style Muscle Car scene. It's huge over here! 


Anyway, I'll surely be on the look-out for more gems like this - you just never know what you're going to find at a sale!

Until next time!


Sianne x

Summertime sales and frivolity

 Hello there one and all,

I've had a few queries come in over Twitter & Facebook & I wanted to share with you a few of my 'Sales' purchases made on Boxing Day...

To begin with, my lovely boyfriend saw fit to give me a perfect present for Christmas... a wallet of cash & permission to have an entire day of guilt-free shopping with my best friend, Merran.

Merran & I prior to a few Christmas drinks

We arose very early & were in the car by 8AM sharp, well almost, making sure we arrived at the doors of Myer well before opening time. So early were we, there was ample time for a coffee and banana bread before what was to be an epic day of shopping.

First stop was the shoe department, followed by handbags, wallets, hats, scarves and shawls... Next we made our way over to the mid-range designer sales... I excitedly purchased two lovely dresses at bargain prices, one from 'Hi There' by Karen Walker, the other by 'Princess Highway' by Dangerfield.
The lines for the change rooms were about 30 ladies deep, hence Merran and I made the isles our own personal changing areas & we enjoyed a good laugh with other resourceful gals doing the exact same thing... Great minds thing alike.

After raiding every isle in Myer, Merran & I ventured out into the rest of the shopping centre amongst a sea of people. We visited stores like Cue, Review, Saba, Novo, Nine West, Zimmerman & many, many more... Here are just a couple of my finds - I assure you there is a lot more where these lot come from & I managed to stay under budget! Only just!

Nautical dress from 'Hi There' by Karen Walker
Purchased at half price!

1940's style dress from 'Princess Highway' by Dangerfield
Purchased at 40% discount

Satin party dress from Target
Purchase at 60% discount

Snakeskin loafers by Diana Ferrari

Cute black pumps by Collection

I thoroughly enjoyed being amongst the crowd, which apparently is a nightmare for most, and of course loved spending time with my dear friend.

Now, the picture of the Karen Walker dress simply doesn't do it justice (I blame the 'point-and-shoot camera) so here is a picture of yours truly wearing said dress, next to my darling boyfriend, Dean. He is well aware that I want the same Christmas present every year.

My boyfriend Dean, myself & 'the dress'...

Until next time :)

Sianne

Etsy lovin'; Cute 'Wallpockets' from KitchAndKaboodle

Over the last few days I have spent a lot of time on both Ebay & Etsy to kill some time and list some clothes and accessories in need of a new home.. I've stumbled across quite a few awesome buys & I wanted to share these ultra cute 'Zanesville Wallpockets' featuring little flying ducks.

They don't match my decor, but I hope someone will give them a new home!

Much love! x

Happy New Year!

I wasn't entirely sure what to post for the turn of the year, but I've managed to find a wonderful set of calendar images from 1947, painted by George Petty. 


They're incredibly kitsch but I love them so.  These paintings are wonderful examples of masterful use of the airbrush.. I'm sure you could find a similar calendar in production now.

Please note that all of these calendar beauties are curvaceous and full figured.. so have your cake & eat it too - I haven't dared to think about the calories in my martini's these past few weeks.

Miss January 1947

Miss February 1947

Miss March 1947

Miss April 1947

Miss May 1947

Miss June 1947

Miss July 1947

Miss August 1947

Miss September 1957

Miss October 1947

Miss November 1947

Miss December 1947

Hope you have all kept safe over the holiday period, I know I have more cocktails to consume!

x