Photo inspiration; Model feeding a wild deer

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

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 

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

Vintage buying; Springtime dinner sets

Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;

John Howard Payne

I'll soon by moving interstate and, along with all the other preparations, I have started looking at lovely second-hand dinner set to make my new house feel much more like a home. 

Whilst I'll most likely find something in a local antique store, (can you really trust overseas postage to keep porcelain intact?), here are a few I've found and drooled over on one of my favourite sites, Etsy... (pictures are linked to original source)

Springtime dinner set; $199USD

Tea cup set; $15USD

Matching dinner plates; $17USD from same seller

Czech royal blue tea set; $16.50USD

April flowers 5 piece set; $195USD

Chinese floral 10 piece set; $175USD

Have a wonderful Thursday..

x

Pick of the pack; Ruffles from Etsy.com

It's now been one week since my birthday, and I wanted to share with you one of my more recent passions (and a sneaky present to myself), the fabulous ruffle collared dress.

I've most recently purchased this dreamy number, at an absolute bargain, for my birthday dinner and subsequent party. It's a beautiful silk / rayon blend and the original floral lace detail is in immaculate condition. It arrived in the mail from Texas just 3 days after posting (who knows how!) and is a perfect fit!

The Birthday-girl dress

The birthday girl in said dress, with charming boyfriend.

The ruffle collar can be incredibly flattering to a pear-shaped figure, which I happen to have, and conveniently covers the arms enough without leaving too much to the imagination or making one appear bulky.

I have one other handmade ruffle dress in my wardrobe, of a more modern design, and I have a feeling I might be buying more online through Etsy.. check these five wonders out;

Yellow Broderie Englaise ruffle dress, now sold

Pretty in pink lace ruffle sleeve dress
$20USD from florasvintagecloset

1970's floral ruffle maxi dress
$22USD by fancypantsvintage

White chiffon ribbon nautical dress
$42USD by fluffypinkbunnies

Navy & white polka dot dress
$31USD by vintagesensibilities

Orange peach swiss dot formal ruffle
$15USD by anotherseason

Until next time x

Fashion Feature; Dotti; Never underestimate a chain store

Once upon a time, before being able to afford boutiques and before discovering eBay, I shopped almost exclusively at chain stores. One of these stores was Dotti - cheap, cheerful and a useful one-stop-shop for my girlfriends ever changing wardrobes.. I've recently heard that their clothing lines are cute again so I wanted to showcase some in-trend pieces. 

The best thing about chain stores is the price - it might not always be the best quality (not to say that this is always the case) but if you're buying a piece for one season only then you may as well do it on a budget!

The Lace Broiderie Dress
Okay, the name of the garment annoys me slightly.. maybe a little more than slightly. Failure to complete the term 'Broderie Anglaise' properly gets on my nerves. Regardless, this sculpted strapless number is perfect for this summer's romantic trend. The fitted bodice and high waistline are slimming and cool to wear. I personally have been wearing this style for years - it never goes out of fashion when worn with the right accessories.

The Lace Broiderie Dress by Dotti
Priced at $69.99 AUD

The Roses and Diamonds Top
Perfect for work or play with gorgeous chiffon, ruffles and sparkle this top is ultra feminine and bang on trend this year. Dress it up with a pencil skirt, fishnets and a shiny jacket or go casual with jean shorts. You can create this look at home if you've got some plain singlets and skills on the sewing machine however for $39.99, Dotti has the look in store ready for you.

The Roses and Diamonds Top by Dotti
Priced at $39.99 AUD

Contrast Bow Belt Short
Although you can't be sure without trying these babies on, my best bet is that they give some extra room for the thighs, hooray. Cute sewn in cuff at the base of the short as well as a reasonable length leads me to believe that these are a perfect buy for the fashionable lass. One thing I hate seeing in the summer-time is skanky girls with half their butts hanging out of teeny-tiny sad excuses for shorts - not pleasant gals!

Contrast Bow Belt Short
Priced at $49.99 AUD

Floral Lining Blush Blazer
It's refreshing to see so many soft pinks making their way back into chain stores. This jacket is ultra flattering with a single button hitting you at the smallest part of your waist. I have reservations about the print on the cuff however it's a pretty damn cute piece and perfect to dress up a cotton dress on a cool evening or introduce florals to your wardrobe if they're not usually your style. Wear it with a belt to break up the colour if it's too much for you.

Floral Lining Blush Blazer by Dotti
Priced at $79.99 AUD

One of the best things about the Dotti collection online is the uber cute model. It's nice to see a healthy girl with the ability to smile. Here are some of the styling idea's.

All of the above images were sourced from http://www.dotti.com.au/

x Sianne

What is it about coffee that we love?

Every morning, rather religiously, I turn on the kettle and wait to make my morning coffee before dealing with the day ahead. I don't think it would matter what was going on outside - rain, hail, shine or cyclone - it's best to avoid me until after that first cup of heaven has been drunk. 


I honestly don't care what type of bean has been used, whether its instant or carefully brewed.. I just want my caffeine and quick! Whilst research has found that caffeine can be highly addictive, drinking up to three cups of coffee a day has no affect on the area of the brain involved with addiction, dependence and reward... three cups is not enough! These scientist are obviously tea drinkers.


This brings me to some pictures I found of some gorgeous ladies in the 1950's enjoying their coffee...

Model in floral kimono style wrap, magazine clipping circa 1953.

Model in simple florals. Magazine clipping, circa 1953. 

I adore this beautiful black and white polka dot twin set.. 

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you enjoy your coffee (or tea if you please) and have a wonderful day x Sianne

Fashion Feature; Whiteowl on Etsy

This week I’d like to share with you the delightful collection of jewellery from Whiteowl on Etsy.

The pieces are a magical combination of new textiles combined with old (many materials are rescued from estate sales, flea markets and even the designers own Grandmother!).
You can help but adore the photographic presentation of the store. I love the thoughtfulness and care that has clearly been put into creating both necklaces and earrings for sale from just $20AUD (approximate).

Here are a few of my favourite pieces;

Botanique Lace Necklace Priced at approximately $36AUD
An oversized garden of dusky grey lilies hangs asymmetrically from a duo of vintage copper chains

Emmaline Lace Necklace
Priced at approximately $36AUD
a dramatic spray of lacy blooms, dotted with petite aqua beads and hung from antiqued brass chain.

Circe Lace Earrings
Priced at approximately $24AUD
lovely stylized ivory lace blooms contrast with antiqued brass chains and sway from extra long antiqued brass wire

Price of postage from Whiteowl is exceptional if you don’t mind and orders are turned around in 2-3 working days. What more could one ask!

I’d also like to mention that the designers have a cute-as-a-button blog you can subscribe to for updates and tips on the latest flea market trends so be sure to sign up.

x Sianne

Solution to a bad hair day

Surely I can't be the only person subject to the stress of terribly misbehaved hair... this morning I slept in with only 15 minutes to get ready & fly out the door - lets just say my hair refused to cooperate so a 'plan b' was required.
Whenever this happens, fortunately it's not a frequent occurrence, I'm faced with the predicament of which is more important, food, make-up, underwear or hair. Going without any of the former is less than ideal but when it comes to hair there are at least a few ways to fashionably disguise the issue!
Sometimes I opt for an oversized bow, or a cute scarf but my preference is of course a hat.

A bit too much for work, yes, but purrrfect for a day out!

Take note of the striped 50's fabric turban

Loretta Young in a gorgeous hat with flowers

Now if only I could justify a more significant investment in my hat collection!

Sianne

Friday Fashion Feature

This week I have chosen to feature an Etsy store, rather than just a specific product, the store is called Whichgoose and the products are absolutely adorable!

What does whichgoose sell? Mega cute accessories, most of which feature flowers & leaves and all that romantic stuff as well as home decor through another Etsy site. These pieces are more for the brave fashionista, you'll be sure to get a lot of looks!

The creator of all these magnificent vintage inspired floral accessories is a 27-year-old gone with the wind lover who recently left her job as a graphic designer to make crowns on Etsy full-time - I'm very glad she did.

I thoroughly recommend taking a look around on the site, I'm still deciding which pieces I want to buy... the buttery fly hair comb has stolen my heart.

Daisy chain crown priced at $50

Cocoon butterfly hair comb priced at $30

Pink lace hair piece

Pink lace close-up

'Til next time x Sianne

Friday Fashion Feature

Hello there & happy Friday!

Just a quick fashion feature to end the working week, this is something I would like to see more of in this little blog. This week's product again comes from TOPSHOP UK.

Product: Knitted Floral Cardigan

Price: £35.00 (Plus postage of course)

Colour: Blush

I love this item as it blends the good old comfy cardi with modern vintage style.

The print is adorable but very wearable & clean - I’d most likely wear it with a simple summer dress.

If the postage wasn’t so high between UK & Australia (Who could justify the extra $25?) it’d be mine.

Instead, I’m going to scour our shops for a look-a-like!



Sianne