Big Mess, Cool Shiz

Sooo I've up-ended half the house experimenting and playing with some new fascinator ideas...now these ones MUST go in the shop! (and I'll keep one for me, coz they are so darn CUTE, if I do say so myself). After ringing all around the city( and travelling halfway across it) I FINALLY found the most beautiful ruby red velvet and went to work making these...

Aren't they cute! I LOVE the look of strawberries. Forgive my serious need for make-up in this photo, I'm having a lovely time at home, sipping chai soy lattes and sewing myself some strawberries so haven't had to look all perty today :). I'm going to make all different styles of these...big, small, floral and strawberries, tulle and strawberries, navy and red, I'm all inspired, so stay tuned!!!

Modern Pin Up Hairstyle~ Flat Reverse Rolls

For all of you girlies....this is another of Lisa Freemont's videos, for reverse victory rolls. Not only are they always easy to follow but I'm always mesmerized by her newest hair-cut, AND those fabulous BRIGHT red locks...enjoy!

Gorgeous Fascinator

You all know how much I love a good fascinator, but this baby takes the cake....it has little pearl PEAS!!!
The rich green velvet mixed with the most amazing blues and purples, aaaaahh swoon!

The blog is very pretty though I wish I could speak Spanish, check it out here

Cheeky Charlie

Yes that's my handbag he's perched on, of course only after removing the contents.

My Signature Scent

Free!!!!!!!!

Well I've done something spectacular, something I have been meaning to do for such a very long time...I always thought I'd be a lot more organised though.

I quit my job, I quit the job that I have wondered why I'm still there for the last 7 years, for a little while there I'd even convinced myself that I was the career choice that I wanted and was looking into how I could do teaching or management or what-not, CRAZY!!!

I completed the first instalment of my NLP training and came out of there going "WHAT THE F$%# AM I DOING!!!" I gotta get outta here and get on with it!
So I decided I'm out!

I decided the Wednesday night after being back at work 2 days after holidays that I'll hand in my resignation Friday, I have Thursdays off, so printed it out and braced myself and then handed it over Friday.

It felt AWESOME, not because I hate my job, in fact I love it, but I feel so proud of myself for being so brave and decisive! And that a new world of possibility and allows me to pursue all of the things I've ever wanted to do.

Right now I'm culling most of the house and putting it on eBay to free up some space to start my business...I've already taken advantage of Sister in Wonderland having a verge-side collection so that's freeing up some space in the storage downstairs now to get stuck into the spare room!

Now eBay has a new way of doing listings so I've had to master online photo hosting and now html listing...lucky I started this blog or I'd have NO idea what I'm doing...I relish in learning new skills and with Google at your fingertips NOTHING is impossible! :)

I've always thought that I've always been "all about ME!" but the more I look into this, I haven't been when it really matters. I've been saying 'yes' to things I really don't want to do and getting no added benefits to those who do the right thing by themselves and say "no", and anchoring a "yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir" mentality that you HAVE to do things that you don't want to do to get ahead... and it's just SO false!

Plus I've been reading Tim Ferris's book The Four Hour Work Week and I'm all inspired, this guy's writing is easy to follow and IT MAKES SENSE in a "derr/aaha" kind of a way that makes me look at everything I do and the reasons that I don't do and say to myself, "really what have I got to lose?". Sadly yet also immensely liberating...nothing!

I'm all inspired, all I have to do is find a way to replace my income, I'm resourceful and I don't actually feel concerned about finding a way to make money at all, the options are limitless! Then to fill my non-business hours with things that I want to accomplish, I indulge in thoughts of a walk each day, waking when my body clock allows, having time to prepare healthy meals, hanging out in my garden, dancing all the styles that I wish, crafts and sewing. They seem so simple but what matters is that it matters to me!  Also better health as my body has been lifting for 7 years, it kind hurts a bit by the end of the day plus working from home you don't catch kiddy bugs. So for now they are the things that I most look forward to, the flexibility and some calm for a while...then...

GO TIME!!! Then the fun begins, then I go nuts finding arts, singing, dancing SOMETHING that fills any number of these burning desires that keep me awake at night!!! The always seemingly difficult career options that I never thought to just wing it and pursue so really should have never made judgement at all as to how difficult they should be in the first place! Yes I found that sentence hard to follow too, meh but can you sense the passion! hehe

So all in all PROUD as punch, EXCITED and a little bit 'a feared' so that means I've made the right choice, coz if your not a teesy bit scared your still working within the same perimeters of the boxed thinking that got you there...ahhh I'm breaking FREE!!!

Hullabaloo!!!

So we've survived our first ever Hullabaloo. For those of you playing at home it is the Lindy Hop exchange for Perth, people for interstate and overseas come to join us in dancing MANIA.

                                   Thursday night was "Western Night" at the Victoria Park Hotel

Say 'Yeeeha!!!' at our officail Hullabaloo 2010 opening dance. The registration desk will be open so come and pick up your passes and shirts. It's a 'Western Night' so think like John Wayne or Cat Ballou, throw on a hat and mosey on down to the Hullabaloo corral and enjoy this goregous 1930's art deco lacale. Drinks on the balcony, take in the breaze and dance the night away to great tunes spun by our selection of DJs. 

 Friday was lunch at Little Creatures....quickly scoffed because Mum and I were busily finishing off my ball dress. Chilli Mussels YUM!!! Best in the city!

Drop in to Little Creatures Brewery in Fremantle for lunch or a few drinks. LCs is a favourite with local and out-of-town dancers during Hullabaloo and so we thought we'd add it to the official schedule so everyone can pop on down. Maybe take your out-of-town guests on a tour around Fremantle...always worth a look.

Friday night was Nautical/Pirate themed after the Mustang at the Perth Dingy Club, there is ME off to the left in the red sailor top and high waisted 30's skirt.

Ahoy there mateys! Plot a course for the Perth Dinghy Club for a night of 'dancing treasure' at this 1903 venue. Located right on the edge of the Swan River you can dance up a storm to our swing DJs inside or out on the balcony above the river. Be it sailor or pirate or nautical goddess of the sea...you are all welcome here aboard HMAS Lindy Hop.

                          Saturday was classes starting at 10 o'clock until 4 in the afternoon....

                                            Then the Hullaballoo Hop at the Perth Town Hall

Get your tickets and come on down to the gorgeous ZPerth Town Hall, built in 1870 right in the centre of the city with a huge wooden dance floor! The Hullabaloo Hop brings you a night of swing dancing, live music, fun and craziness! Cut a rug into the evening to the sounds of awesomely swingin' 17 piece Oz Big Band and be sure to join in on Hullabaloo's cray Jack n Jill contest for a chance to win a Hulla social pass for 2011! 

Then dancing till early morning at the Film Noir Late night Dance...no photos of this one too knackered and was just happily dancing blues and drinking red wine out of a Pringle's cup, classy!!! With no glasses, beats drinking out the bottle!

An all night dance featuring your favourite thing-swing- in two DJd rooms:our Lindy Hop room offering bursts of Balboa beauty, and the other- a blisful Blues room. It's a chance for Hullabaloo hard-core dnacers to swing the night away, chill out or, if your feeling hungry Fast Eddie's is a short walk away and is open 24 hrs. 

Sunday was the Casablanca Hullabaloo Ball...FINALLY got my dress finished, VERY impressed!!! I made the hat too, I'm going to try my hand at making more of these for my store because it was so much fun. 

Take a trip back in time to 1930s Hollywood. When Bette Davis and Jean Harlow captured men's hearts and Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart made the ladies swoon. Bogart and Gable were the men of the hour and when Crawford and Garbo were the ladies to be. Featuring on of Perth's premier swingin' groups- Denise Dale and the Speakeasy Six. 

Sunday night 12.30 until 5am Monday morning was Thriller themed...

Just like a Hitchcock movie-it's time tobe thrilled by the sounds of DJs from all over the country. Then join in on our exciting Solo Charleston competition for some fun. Dance early into the morning and relax with friends. The DJs will be playing tunes til the early hours of the morning so fear not if you don't get your fill of dancing at the ball. 

Monday was a Relax and recovery Picnic in Kings Park in which we played giant jenga, and lots of circus tricks.

Enjoy a lazy afternoon picnic to recoup from the previous nights' dancing madness in the relaxing surrounds of Perth's jewel of the city-Kings Park. BYO drinks, food, bocce sets, chairs, blankets etc and chill out with friends.

Monday Night was  a Frankie Manning memorial dance at Kulcha on the coffe strip ing Fremantle...

Our Frankie Manning Memorial Dance. Dedicated to the most beloved Lindy Hopper of all time, who sadly passed away this time last year. Enjoy the last Hullabaloo shindig with a live swing band OTT Chicago Swing and marvel at old dance footage from the 1930's and 40's which will be projected throughout the night. Have a fairwell dance with your friends or just wind down on the balcony. A chance for everyone to hang out under the Hullabaloo banner for the last time and dance a Shim Sham for Frankie.

The most fun and the most hard-core dancing we've ever experienced!!! Can't wait 'till next year!!!