It's Beginning to Look a lot Less Like Christmas

Aaaaahhh, it's nice to relax. Christmas is done and dusted, don't get me wrong I LOVE Christmas, the carols, the crafts, the search to get the "perfect" gift for everybody AND see their faces when they open them! I just love it!

I had heaps of pressies to buy...Mr in Wonderland and I both have split families...we had fun this year buying (and making) things for our many "the person who has everything" types...so if it made us giggle and it reminded us of you...well, you got it for Christmas :)

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This PastaSaurus was part of my "Dad-Dad's" (couldn't say Grand-dad, it stuck) present, when we were wee he used to give us piggy back rides and call himself a Pome-a-Saurus (he's English) so now that we are all grown up, he can be a PastaSaurus :)

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Part of Dad's present was this cool tin toy, it winds up and has little racing cars that go around it!

He also got one of these because I thought it was funny...a "Stiggy bank"

My Nanna and Grandfather got my version of these...

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I made three little baby blue pots and planted little mounts of moss, then moulded and painted a big, red, clay cherry in the middle of each...only thing is everyone kept walking up and saying "err what is it?". Obviously an obsession for cupcakes and kitsch that is not shared, hehe, I often forget that I'm strange :)

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 Mr in Wonderland's Godparents got wheely bin stickers and a cookbook called "Legless-Desserts to get you in the spirit"-filled with VERY alcoholic desserts! Plus the front cover is flocked and so pretty!

Gotta love nutters and their gift giving...I shall be more organized next year...then you'll get some REALLY weird crap! :)

I also got some pretty groovy gifts...Ashliegh in Wonderland is about to be a .com, yes Mr in Wonderland got a domain for me, I am officially a NERD!!!

6 different red lipsticks...lol

A little PINK video camera, it can go underwater...gonna get some tutorials up here! 

A fabulous bunch of truffle goodies, truffle oil, macadamias in truffle honey, truffle salt, truffle dukkah...oh my SO yummy, we're in truffle heaven!! I keep finding things to put them on, they are so "morish"!

Yummy hamper goodies, vintage hankies, sparkley skirts, ooh and tins that look like a retro fridge and radio, oh SO many lollies and choccies!!!

And my Dad gave me some money for some new swing shoes after searching everywhere for a pair, lucky too because I'd just bought two new pairs off ebay... so thanks Dad, you bought me these...

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A gorgeous pair of Bleyer wing-tips called Rock n Roll

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and a red patent and black leather pair called Suzie

Winter Wonderland

On Saturday night we went Sarah and Jarrod's "Winter Wonderland" Christmas Party. There were 80 paper snowflakes and 50 paper birds, lovingly hand-cut by Sarah and Jarrod. Fairy lights and 100 candles lit the room...and the feast was phenomenal! We were invited via poem to dress all in white, it was truly magical.What a fun night, here's the eye candy!

Here is the gorgeous poem invitation....

And the menu, doesn't it sound delicious...I can assure you, it was!!!

 

Moocher Meltdown

Well The Moocher Meltdown was a blast, stupid, stupid camera (or me) decided to run out of batteries, I thought about it all afternoon, "now should I get some more batteries"...oh well they'll be much more dancing in the future...just a bit sad as Mr in Wonderland did so well. I'll make sure that I am mightily stocked up on batteries for the swing camp, i promise.

 

  

 

I really wish that I could pinch some videos of the other performances...ooh wait I can, click here to see more. Now to view it you may have to be on Facebook...

Swinging every spare second!

Well I haven't been on top of the whole witing a post every day thing because we've been dancing most of the end of last week and all through this week. Saturday I went to the Club Splanky Christmas Caberet which was a blast and I really should have taken more photographs but here's a couple...

It was loads of fun, the cabaret performances were fantastic. It is run by The Perth Swing Dancing Society, check it out on their website

Monday night we went to a "Jumpin swing night at The Deen" run by

Roger Schmidlin, the man who bought swing to Perth who is a fabulous dancer and all round nice guy.

Tuesday night we did our classes, we do them through Swing Zing, we're getting ready for our performance at the Moocher Meltdown TONIGHT! Sophie's school is run in Fremantle, Applecross and Leederville. A new "swing specials" class is going to be run next year which I'm really excited about with classes in Shim Sham etc, special moves and such, on top of the normal classes.

Wednesday finally got the chance to get on the computer and register for the Swing Camp, aaaaahhhhh excited out of my brain!!! Then Adam and I practised for tonight and then practised some different moves from YouTube, haha obsessed much!

And NOW tonight we are going to the Moocher Meltdown, all the classes are performing a routine they've been putting together for the last few weeks. I will be recording our dance...you'll get to see it soon.

Vintage Finds and Fun

This is what I wore to work, check out my trying to be funny Rosie the Riveter pose (impossible I found, to take the original pose whilst holding the camera yourself, hehe). Did you know the very last living model for Rosie the Riveter died January this year, at 85 years of age. She was paid $6 for the picture, which I find somewhat amusing considering ladies nowdays are happy to pay almost a $1000 to replicate the photograph for themselves.

O.K latest news...I got to wear my new swing dancing shoes to class Tuesday night and they are perfect! Also I got put up into the Level 3 class, yay, which was so much fun...but I was so dizzy for the rest of the night, oh so many spins. We perform next Thurday night and have a bit of a drink and a boogie for the Christmas wind up. Oh and Swing Camp (as in the dance not the other sort hehe) is coming up fast, Margaret River wine, chocolate and cheese plus round the clock dancing, ooh can't wait!

Secondly, I have found a new vintage clothing (and bit and bobs) store in Fremantle called Broken Doll Vintage and Retro, I sped down on my lunch break after one of the girls from work told me it existed! It's in Atwell Arcade on Cantonment Street, the arcade near Moulitata's (my favourite). It is a little store but they have quite a good collection of original clothing, great dresses, belts made out of vintage ties, purses and handbags and shoes. I spotted a fab little straw picnic bag with coloured raffia detailing which was ever so cute, and flicked over the price tag, then caught my breath...$85, wow, their rent must be high! I'm not fond of "Retro" at all (in fact, blerk!) so some of their stuff was not my cup of tea, they do have some 50's bits and bobs but I didn't see a lot earlier than that if that's more your thing, like me. Plenty of kitsch however, which is the shizz. Check it out, it's always exciting when a new vintage store comes on the scene.

A new part of Mr in Wonderland's Xmas present arrived today (don't tell him) they are a bit smaller than I expected but they are just the most perfect colours. They are 50's/60's picnic plates or t.v dinner plates, I also have a set of iodised cups in a red leather case that have always been on display and really should be used and a fabulous 50's multi-coloured lambswool blanket that i picked up form the store Red Feathers and a Hula Skirt to go with them. I am on the look-out for an old thermos or one that looks the part and an old metal esky to make up a picnic set, for all of our adventures and a shared interest in eating! It's a fun present we can have together, for wine festivals and watching bands and such.

Look at this blanket, it is so thick and warm too, perfect picnic blanket.

Also i bought new fabric...yesterday I popped in to Red Feathers and a Hula skirt again and found a fabulous piece of bark-cloth and a gorgeous 50's sheer fabric with pink hydrangeas on it...

These will be in a clothing project soon. I also signed up for one of their classes making Tsumami Kanzashi flowers. They look like this...

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These will look great in our wedding bouquets, It'll blend in Mr in Wonderland's love of Eastern culture too. I'm just excited that I'm going to know how to make these, they're gorgeous!

Not long not 'till Christmas, in fact today I might dig out some of our decorations and make the place look a bit more "festive"...have fun!!!

Wonderland Must Go!!!

Ok, so here it is...I have a confession (to myself really, others have known this for a long time) that Wonderland is too full of STUFF! I have been forever telling myself that one day I'll start getting rid of stuff, but then I start and as any collector will understand that the stuff is not "chuck-away-able".

It's too good, it's rare, it's collectable! 

Some goes to the donation bins, but some things I want to pass on to a collector. So I declare here (to remain accountable) that Wonderland MUST go (or at least 2/3's of it). I shall list EVERYTHING that doesn't really have a place, I just liked it...I bought because it's worth more than I bought it for...or things that I already have 2 just like it!
I declare that I shall list (Ebay) at least 2 items per night until it is gone, with you all as a witness, it shall begin TONIGHT!

And just because he's so cute...here is Charlie looking so smiley tucked up on "his fort" (the elevated part of the sofa(s) where the arms meet).

We're Sewing a 50's Dress!!

Well my Mumma and I are making this...

Well Mum is teaching me how to do this while I frustrate the bjeebers out of her being so...meticulous shall we say.

That's the pretty fabric we're using instead of calico, because it was around the same price and I'm too impatient to make a "mock-up". That's Mum, she wouldn't let me put a photo of her because she's wearing a Charlie Brown t-shirt...so I've just told you haha! Here she is showing me how to put the pattern so that the fabric runs straight.There is so much fabric in a circle skirt, you can see they went nuts with fabric in the 50's after rations in the 40's.

During the war EVERYTHING was rationed, even fabric, as it was used in the military, so the skirts were much less "full" to accommodate it. You even mended your underpants and made new ones from all sorts of things.

"Why Betty what a fabulous dress you wearing", "Why thank you, it's the tablecloth we ate dinner on last week, the napkins have made the children underpants for the rest of the year, once these run there course I'll be plaiting them up for a mat in the bathroom":) Such a great concept I think!

There are many fantastic magazine articles from that era about mending.

My favourite showed you how to mend the worn front of a man's business shirt by cutting a replacement piece from the long bit at the back...now get this, you then mend the hole with any old fabric(as you can't see it once tucked in) then sew the matching fabric to replace the front and away you go...oh my I'd be muttering obscenities under my breath if I heard "Oh honey, I've worn out the front of my shirt again". Dead! DEAD!

The other I liked was how to make boys pyjamas, cut from the pants or top of "Father's pyjamas".

 

This is me pinning the pattern, excuse the face...I have pins in my mouth!

This is Mum's old cardboard cutty-outty thing(and our mess), you can't find these any more in shops, if you find one in your travels, give me the heads up, I REALLY want one! So yes we only got to the cutting stage, then had some wine and it was all over! We'll get back to it in the next couple of weeks!

I've got a pile of patterns I've been buying up...

This one from 1959, has all the pattern from the cover inside, all unmarked...remember people knew what they were doing back then :) Even this cover is oh so cute, the fabrics, the cute "Little Golden Book" looking boys and a carousel horse!

This one is from 1957, I bought this one because I'd been eyeing off a dress at the Retro Market very similar to this yellow dress but in the most amazing blue brocade...Mr in Wonderland said "That looks like it's going to fall to bits, can't you just make one like it", I huffed and mumbled something about it being beautiful vintage and irreplaceable...but then thought yeah he did have a good point. The seams were about to go and it wasn't really my size...well if breathing was going to be an option, and it was terribly expensive for the condition it was in. Aaahh but the brocade...there was no arguement, it was beautiful pale and deep blue, never to be found again...but I let it go and sulked all the way home. That was until I found this pattern on ebay...I called out to Mr in Wonderland "Babe, I just bought the pattern to that dress at the market"...he calls back "oh good on you, well done!"...ah he's a good egg! :)

Dear Santa,

Firstly yes i realise that half my wish list is other people's junk, respectfully Santa that doesn't bother me a bit!

*I'd like some vintage slips in navy or red, or pink....or any colour really other than beige.

 

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*Tupperware-but only the old sort...in PASTELS!!! I think it's from the 60's, it just comes in the best colours! Plus markets, garage sales and ebay are stacked full of the stuff!

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*Alannah Hill gloves-now these are simply delicious and I adore them but they are much too expensive for me too justify buying for myself...even if you find a similar pair, red leather, I will enjoy wearing them on my scooter immensely. Similar pairs...

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*These heels are made out of plastic that smells like bubblegum...hmmm I know. These are like grown up jellies...made by a brand called Melissa designed by Vivienne Westwood, the collection is called Anglomania Lady Dragon or something along those lines. Size 7.5 preferably an 8 :) LOVE them in the blue with red heart...the peach with black heart is a close second.

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*This Alannah Hill bag I have been eyeing off for AGES, though any of her bags are beautiful...second hand only, her new ones in store are overpriced and not nearly as nice as her past collections. Look alikes would be just as nice....think red, pink, bows and frills...too easy!

* Brightly coloured pyrex...casserole dishes, pie dishes, princess bowls. I love the single coloured ones but also have a weakness for dishes with cherries and strawberries.

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*Old copies of Australian Home Journal...with patterns, from the 40's and 50's, the 60's ones are fun to read but leave me with patterns that I want to make but do not have the figure to pull off. Any magazines from the 40's/50's really would be great!

*I love plastic flamingoes...I REALLY want one(or two)of these or even better a 50's CONCRETE one..but they are rare as rocking horse poop so I'll understand if I have to wait till next year

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*This little necklace comes in white, pale green, pink, pale blue.....in all honesty I like all of them....

 

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*Some vintage buttons would be lovely too...the pretty patterned kind and in beautiful bright colours....in glass jars so I can look at them!

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Hmm while I'm at it...I'd like tickets to Melbourne, Mr in Wonderland to learn to cook and a payrise....oh that's right your not a genie. :)

Hard Working Vintage

If your like me and love those Canteen bandanas, you'll find this great look to use them.
I love this style for giving the house a good scrub, cleaning out the shed, when I can't be bothered washing my hair, when I'm sick of having helmet hair from my scooter...the list goes on.
This look also translates to a super hot jeans/t-shirt combo...I like a good white singlet, black suspenders combo or visa versa.
Plus I love the gal in this clip, she cracks me up....enjoy!!!!

The Nerdy Shall Inherit the Earth

I have become a more nerdy style creative version of myself this last week or so and have created something that I thought I would never be able to make. The internet really is a wonderful source of information...I found forums and YouTube videos, each time that I came into trouble I found exactly what I needed to complete the next step. I searched and gathered inspiration from all of my favourite blogs and started....then got carried away...and hooray FINISHED!!!! (This is how I complete most things yeah?)

  Each of these pictures, was a normal size, flipped, cut, sized, changed colour...VERY fun, though tedious to begin with. The crazier the pics became, the more fun it became.

So there we have it, certainly far from perfect, but one very bright, fun, Mad Hatter-ish, Mary Poppins-esqe, vintage-y blog header and one very proud ME!!!

Now I'm going to learn to make linked buttons :) Very cool!

The posts will speed up now I'm not using every waking hour studying "How to use Gimp to make a blog header"....I promise! xxx