Ashliegh in Wonderland

New Pretty-50's outdoor setting

2011-09-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

Look what I am now the proud owner of...isn't it AMAZING!!! Purchased from eBay for cheap as chips because it needs a bit of restoration.

Hurray! The set is complete, I pick it up in the next few days, it will match beautifully with my scrolly bench seat my Mumma bought me for my birthday. Each slat will be a different colour in red, baby blue, pale yellow, pastel green and pink! Now to figure out trailers and cars with tow balls and all those other lovely things that you forget to think of when blinded by furniture infatuation!

This setting is even prettier than any of the settings I have fallen in love with til now... ECSTATIC!

New Lolita Dress

2011-08-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well I've finally found a pic online of the cutest dress this world has ever seen, and I mean sickening cute!!!
I found it a while back at a vintage market for a steal! I've become increasingly obsessed with the whole "Lolita" style dresses and skirts. I wouldn't go the whole piggy tails and platforms, but I would go a cutesy dress covered in fruit and icecream sundaes! There's bows, red and pink stripes, confectionary....seriously what more could you want? There's heaps of Japanese brands that sell these dresses for around the $200+ mark so I'm thinking that Angelic Pretty must be like the Alannah Hill of Japan :) Still, they are adorable! So here's the one I now own...

This is the style but it's in red and pink like.....

this!!!

And looks exactly like this!

Pic from here

ooh and I love her red and pink glasses...

Seriously what's not to love about clothes you buy from stores that look like this...

Isn't it "hard to keep down breakfast" cute...I LOVE it!!!

Girly Girl Sneakers

2011-06-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Now my world has been frantic since starting my full time job, plus two catalogue delivery runs and dancing stuff so yeah wooo crazy. Having said that I have quite a lot of energy compared to when I worked before it seems. I credit it to the Paleolithic diet we have now and some cool pro biotic that we are trying out. We've been trying out all sorts of weird and wonderful things based on the researching of Mr in Wonderland. The past week we have been using coconut oil instead of olive oil for cooking because apparently you shouldn't cook olive oil at high temperatures. It comes in a tub and tastes like that chocolate "Summer Roll", and strangely enough is very tasty with scrambled eggs :/

So back to my point...as you guys know I love my pink...and pink and red colour combos make me swoon. Well I've come across Valentine's Day themed kicks by Nike. Apparently each Valentine's season they bring out a limited edition style...in PINK and RED!!! One pair even has red and white embroidered polka dots. I have no idea why I hadn't seen these earlier! So seriously these are the go for the gym frequenting girly girl. Ebay would be my first hunt for past season styles, but there's also plenty of websites selling them. Check them out!

And I'm now the proud new owner of THESE from eBay...They are Air Force 1 Valentine's edition, I love the pale pink, candy pink and cherry, the contrast stitching on each section and red soles! LOVE LOVE LOVE, I can't wait for them to arrive now! :)

The Ella Revival

2011-04-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

So I've fallen off the edge of the world for a little bit, dunno why really but I lacked the motivation to write really, definitely not that I haven't had anything to write about...it's been crazy busy! :)

So yeah, where to start. Firstly Mum's operations were a huge success and she's on to the next stepping stone of chemo and radiation. She had a big bandage around her head from the last operation and even though she felt bloody terrible, amused herself by wearing a pretty pink Alannah Hill scarf tied over it, ready to get the frog outta there!!! My Mumma is a crazed lunatic for Alannah Hill, her wardrobe is 90% the pretty pinks, reds, greens, browns and a million pairs of Alannah Hill boots, many the same style....in every colour that they come in :) She always has a new "Larni", she spent many hours eBaying in bed, buying new treasures :)

Mum had her last operation, which we had named "The scary operation" on Thursday, we went to visit her in the Intensive Care Unit for a quiet celebration after a long roller coaster of waiting for test results, hospital trips, three operations and week-long stays for each, then let her sleep and went home to catch up on three months sleep. But we were woken by two policeman knocking at the door at 12.30 at night asking if I owned a scooter. By this time, I just laughed, bah, seriously, now? I remember asking if they'd set it on fire( I've heard this happens a lot with pinched scooters), grabbed some shoes and walked down the road to check out the damage.

Oh my "Ella" was smashed to bits, the guy that took her was drunk or high as a kite and dropped her a few times in the 500 metres he got up the road before he was surrounded by 6 police cars and two sniffer dogs. The officers were a bit shocked by my reaction until I explained, "Seriously after the day we've had, this is so bleep, it's hilarious!". One officer told us that the thieving bleep had been brought out of the lake by the sniffer dogs, mud all down the front of him saying "I didn't do it!" haha!!! We couldn't go into the bushland to see the extent of the damage that night because of the sniffer dogs, she got put on the back of a tow truck and taken away, after a week we went to pick her up and she looked like this...

This didn't look so bad, but as we pulled her to bits to see the extent of the damage...oh dear!

Here she is on the back of the truck from the depo

With all the bits that he'd broken off her in the basket on the back :(

The Ella Revival begins!!! Kraig and I had great fun pulling her apart, less so in seeing the extent of the damage...check this out!

This is meant to be straight...

These were without a single scratch, let alone with cracks and pieces missing :(

But there is a something great from all of this, because she was in such great condition from when I bought her new, there were lots of things that I wanted to do to change her but never had the heart to do it because she looked so new. I've always wanted that seat to be black, so I've finally sprayed it with vinyl paint and it looks FANTASTIC! :)

Another amazing thing happened, after hearing about my Mum in hospital and then the scooter pinched that night, the dance school Swing Zing, put on a fundraiser for me to get my scooter fixed up they raised an amount of money that I almost burst into tears on the spot, but I quickly composed myself because I wanted to remain at least a bit anonymous. It was SUCH a wonderful surprise.

So I've spent a lot of time researching wreckers all over Australia to find parts... Scooter Wreckers was AWESOME!! I sent them an email and they got back to me the next day with quotes for parts, very impressed!!! They can just post the parts that you need. Two Wheel Wreckers, here in Perth, I sent them an email, waited three days, called and they said "yes we received your email" I asked them for some parts and to their credit they DID get access to a scooter even though they only deal with motorcycles but when I said "so you just send me the quote to my email" he said that they delete them so I doubt if I hadn't called, that I would have received a response. I don't like doing business with people that don't bother with the little things in service. I DID expect the 5 minutes (if that!) of your time it would take to write "sorry we only deal in motorcycles, not scooters" and would instead happily recommend their business to my motorcycling friends, but after this....not so much. But Scooter Wreckers, without a doubt, and I'd rather pay for postage to give them my business.

On a whim I searched Gumtree and found a guy selling parts of a Vmoto Milan for $150, I rang him to see what parts he had and he said $100 take the lot...and so I did! When I arrived and started digging through, there was nearly a whole scooter plus extra bits and bobs and guards, AWESOME! All the pieces that I needed were there. The funniest thing is that the guy he had bought all the parts off had painted this dodgy matt black paint job on it and from where it had scratched off, I could see it was originally GREEN....AAAAAAAHHH! really? again that is so bleep, it's funny! :)

So this scooter is called Sammy Davis Jnr, as it looks like this guy was trying to make some kind of Rat Rod and Sammy was in the Rat Pack.

So now I'm on the search to get Ella painted, I am a little bit hooked on this Flake paint that looks like glitter...but I'm also thinking cherry apple red and duck egg blue, my FAVOURITES. This will be the most expensive part so I'm saving as much as I can at the moment to go towards it :) But the Ella Revival is going much better than I had imagined, thanks goodness.

I've quit the newspaper round and now have a junk mail round...similar amount of work for 3 times the amount of money, you can't say no to that really :) And I have a new job at a Early Learning Centre just up the road from me. I have 25, 3-6 year olds and two assistants in the room and I'm really quite excited about it. I've got a great feeling about the centre and it should be really fun to work there. Mr in Wonderland has been in renumeration and the redundency has been pushed back again and again so it should go through in August now. This way if I have a job it allows him to have a break and not to stress between jobs, which he deserves after all of his hard work and support for me. Plus being only 5 minutes up the road, we can have lunch together every day, which will be nice :)

I am also singing for Kalamunda Youth Swing Band, I performed for the first time a few weeks ago. Hullaballoo was on again and was massive, I had my birthday and many friends birthdays and another Shaolwater Bay trip with my awesome friends :)

So that is the latest news for now, I'll back track some of those things because their is some hilarious photos from them :) So yeah it's been plenty of trying moments and also great moments, so all over the place it's so hard to think that it has only been two months but, as always, it's been fun!

What to wear to deliver papers

2011-02-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

I got my new paper round...I have 375 houses to deliver to. Did you know that folding 375 papers and putting three pamplets inside each one before you fold it, takes a bloody long time? well I didn't. I do now!
They delivered them in a big pile downstairs, so instead of hauling them all back upstairs and then lugging them down when they were folded...I bought down a nice cushy 50's wool blanket, a big bottle of water and got stuck into it in the cool (well cooler than out in the weather) of my neighbours parking spot/garage-y thingy (he works away, I had free reign) :)

I was black from head to toe, mostly my hands from folding, but then you get an itch and it was hot and sweaty, so you can imagine, I put newspaper print ink, ALL over myself. :)

It's nice to wander and deliver them though, I look at everyone's garden, eyeing off the pink frangipani trees that I'm going to ask ever-so-politely for a piece...and geraniums. Because it's an area where people most have their houses designed by archetects instead of bought from a plan, it's quite interesting to see what people do with the shape of a block or to fit in a boat, or have built after knocking down two houses. :) There's some very clever designs, it gives me lots of great ideas for when we renovate our old house....when we find it!

So this is what you wear to deliver papers...

Playsuit-bought second hand from the "Thursday Night Swing" stalls formally "The Leedy Hop" for $5!!

Pink belt- Alannah Hill Outlet store $2

Cherry lace Singlet- Just Jeans Outlet Store Harbourtown $5

Pink patent ballet flats- Melville swap meet $3

Art deco style wool fascinator- by me Ashliegh in Wonderland :)

Pfft, haha isn't this the bargain hunters outfit!

Alvin (the neighbour's kitty and Charlie's best friend) wanted in on the photo action.

Oh yeah and I cut off all of hair, gotta get me onto some pin-curl action and make those curls REALLY springy! :)

Margaret River Swing Camp 2011

2011-02-15T04:47:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm naughty and didn't blog when I said I would but I've been very much one for procrastination at the moment, I don't know why but geez I'm determined to cut it out because it is definitely annoying me. Well I better start hurrying up and blogging all the cool things that I've been up to or I'll be so far behind that I forget stuff...which last year I did a lot. The swing camp was very cool, just as last year we stayed in the bunk beds which in my opinion is the most fun. And each day we did a little bit more exploring than we did last year, heading out all over Margaret River and even a trip to Augusta because we were determined to find mini golf. Mind you the drive is 40mins, all in the name of mini golf but it was a pretty fun little adventure.
We had a "J" themed party...Leah's a jukebox and Nicoles a bag of jelly beans :)

My absolute favourite costume of the night was this one...Jiminy Cricket, brilliant! And that's Johnny Cash with my guitar :)

Haha here's our mini golf expedition...it's seen better days, don't you think. We drove 40 minutes to get to it and then laughed. We had fun however, inside the shed is arcade games and a scelectric car set and the owner gave us a dollar each to play a game and lots of time on the cars, nice bloke :)

LOOK!!! The chairs I have been after for my fifties table, I swear if we had the room in the car I would have haggled for these :)

Tammy being held hostage by a creepy pelican

From there we set off on more adventures, Googling what to do in Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, guess what is in Cape Leeuwin? A lighthouse, guess what else?....not much. So with really only one option we headed up the coast to look at the lighthouse...oh my the Australian coast is just breathtakingly beautiful.

Crystal clear pool we waded in, this beach was FULL of perfectly rounded pebbles, it was beautiful.

On the coast walking over huge boulders

Unfortunately this doesn't capture the huge CAVERN these two are jumping over :)

Steven Mitchell asked me to sing with the band that night, which was a major highlight!!!

Wrapping up the camp, then on the way home we decided to stop in and see THESE!

This is Lakes Cave, that's water on the bottom and it reflects the formations, they drip into the water too creating ripples, just stunning.

As you can imagine it was a weekend of lots of dancing, but ofcourse I don't have photos of that because I was too busy dancing, SUCH a great weekend...don't know how we are going to top next year, seeing as we've seen everything that there is to do down to the tip of Cape Leeuwin (which is the place where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean btw). We might have to plan ahead a bit and visit a different town and convoy in a different direction completely :D

Welcome New Year

2011-02-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Yes of late I have fallen off the face of the earth, we've had all sorts of shiz going on, from cancer to circus trapezing. I won't go too much into the bummer stuff, it's been crazy and it's not likely to stop anytime soon. Just know that I'll be posting as often as possible now that we're (kind of) back on track :)

So to catch up....hmm where to start

Our New Years was full of silliness as you would expect. Lots of friends and fun!

This is our set up for outside, loads of big wool blankets, candles, cushions and tissue paper flower decorations.

We played ping pong and because it's just no fun to play by the actual rules, we had beer pong (hence the cups in each corner) and a rule that you had to play with rediculous sight inhibating themed glasses on!

Poppers and sparklers...of which Emma set one of the pom poms on fire by accident which was HILARIOUS! Lucky the blankets are wool :)

A 'Happy New Year' Man Hug

These are the most tame photos of the night as it was pretty silly, the boys did some fabulous podium dancing (hilarious), I made my first batch of jelly shots which were a huge hit, some wang pong and 360 degree pong were invented amongst other rediculous stunts...most of us were staying the night to go to the beach the next day so we let our hair down to ring in the New Year :) It was a night of friends comfort and old fashioned childish games :)

At the beach the next day...Dan decided to dig a big hole!

Yep a BIG hole!! Funny bugger! :)

So yeah that was our New Years Eve and day...I post about this years Margaret River Swing (dancing) Camp tomorrow :)

BUTTONS

2011-01-10T19:09:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd give you a bit of a sneak peek at all of the buttons from Melbourne...this is the smallest bag that I bought home, the colours are so pretty and all of them are the "pressed" style, so bows and florals and oh-so many pretty designs, enjoy!

Merry Belated Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T02:20:00.000-08:00

Well I hope you had a very Merry Christmas... ours was particularly vintage-y, as you would suspect :)
The weekend before Christmas we went to swapmeet to sell away some of our clutter. Boxes and boxes of stuff in storage are now gone, hooray!
Plus, very proudly I only came home with these...

Toadstool cushions, which the red and duck egg blue goes PERFECTLY with the colours of the vintage hankie cushion, that and the grass rug, bunnies and birds all about the place...toadstools in the grass, very cool!

You know my obsession with plastic flowers, these could never be passed up...they were $2 for the bunch.

Cute red jelly shoes...$2

30's/40's Green Pyrex dish...$2, I also got a couple of white Pyrex type dishes with red strawberries on them...the beginning of a very pretty Pyrex collection :)

Vintage Tupperware coasters...$2, also the beginning of my 60's Tupperware collection :)

AND a big stash of vintage Christmas decorations...free from Mr in Wonderland's Mummy who we set up

next to, as well as the toadstools, they were from Mr in Wonderland's Aunty :)

LOVE these little elves, they are my favourite!

Notice the little angel at the black with her dicky eye, she looked a bit "Bride of Chucky" so I went to her with some sharpies :)

Not perfect, but definitely better, this way she won't come alive and get me in my sleep :)

We made a lot of our gifts, we have lots of garden-y people in our families so we gathered terracotta pots and did mosaic on them with old smashed up cups, saucers, plates, ramekins...all sorts of things we could find in a pretty design...sadly I was too busy stressing out about getting them finished in time & forgot to photograph them, but I will try to photograph them all in their new homes...some have gone to accompany equally vintage-y surrounds :)

For my cousins I made cross-stitch kits with designs from Etsy. The lovely gal was very chuffed to know her designs were going all the way from Canada to Australia.

Steph is the most gorgeous geek ever, she's a kind of literary geek, especially when it comes to Harry Potter...so when I saw this, PIXALIZED Harry Potter cross-stitch I just KNEW that she had to have it!

As much as Steph is obsessed with her books, Kate is obsessed with her BF :) So I got the lady to make a similar style based on photos I pinched from Facebook :)

I got a piece of card and hole-punched it to make the thread thingy, cut all the thread into the same length of a kit I own and thread it all through, based on approx how much would be needed, plus a bit just in case. I cut Aida cloth to size and cut a pack of needles in half so that they had three each (coz I always lose the bloody things) and took a baby bulldog clip to attach them to the cloth. I bought two pretty turquoise embroidery hoops and put it all in a brown paper bag with raffia handles, cut square of Christmas wrapping paper and taped it to the front, then tied it shut with a red ribbon.

Here's my mess as I cut, coloured, thread and measured...

That afternoon Steph sent me a message saying she had finished one leg, under the watchful eye of my Nanna, which is AWESOME! My Nanna also taught me to cross-stitch, and knit, long-stitch and a million other crafty things which i now LOVE! I have such fond memories of that, I'm really glad that it continues.

This year we put up the tree after finding all of the vintage decorations that I've always wanted...here's my fav's...

These balls would have been silver about 50 years ago, now they are speckley in silver, clear and pearl white...I love them!

Here's the tree...

Charlie helping

These baubles below always get hung some where...they're retro style ones that I bought years ago from Bed, Bath and table...they say Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings and Christmas Cake :)

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

Vintage Cushion Up-cycle

2010-12-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

This is a project that I had been meaning to do for a while, nothing like procrastination to get projects done that you've been meaning to do for a while. Now my cushions were black (I'd gone through a black phase in our last house) and they looked too dark and dreary for our sunny, bright, lolly-coloured apartment :)

1) Firstly I unpicked the hem of the old cushion cover to use as a pattern, actually I cut it coz that sucker was tightly weaved and taking too long and I was going to chuck it out when the job was done anyway. Or you could make a pattern with the top square approx 68cm x 68cm and the longer piece that tucks in 68cm x 84cm, this would work for a standard european pillow (they make the best couch cushions, coz you can sit on them on the floor for movie nights, prop them up against the sofa for extra seating for lazy dinners or as a pillow for guests). Cut the two squares, I've used two vintage tablecloths that belonged to my Great Grandmother, Bena...then found co-ordinating vintage fabric from my stash for the back. The great thing about vintage tableclothes is that they are beautiful thick linen, so they'll last, it's also a great way to use peices of Barkcloth, coz the stuff is from curtains, strong and really unless you use it for curtains, what else can you do with it but admire it in a stash of vintage fabric :)

2) Hem around the edges of the cut fabic to stop it from fraying, you can use an overlocker, it would be quicker and easier. But I did it the "can't be bothered re-threading the black thread in the overlocker with white", and just did a straight stitch. Then put your fabric right sides together and pin it.

3) Sew around the edge leaving the flap part open for your cushion filler to go in...

4) Turn it back inside out to have the right sides facing outwards, does that make sense? ahhh so it looks like this...

5) Put the cushion filler back it...fold the flap over the cushion and tuck it inside and ta da!!!

Now you have a cushion using vintage tableclothes and "sit in your stash" vintage fabrics :)

This is the back of the blue one

And here's the pretty barkcloth of the pink one

Love them!

The little one is made out of a vintage hankerchief and vintage buttons, I'll show you how I made that one soon :)

Melbourne Lindy Exchange

2010-11-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

So the blog hasn't been topped up for a while because I was frantically getting organised for MLX...and have been in Melbourne since last Tuesday and just got into Perth last night. We stayed right in the heart of the city on Flinder's Lane which was such a great spot to catch taxi's, trains and trams toanywhere in the city. Plus across the road was RetroStar and Button Mania, needless to say I have SOOO many pretty vintage buttons...the hat making from now on is well and truly well-stocked!!! The food in Melbourne was AMAZING and so well priced...the big breakfast which we ate each morning was $10...the same in Perth would be around the $20 mark...which was awesome because it allowed us to float around and spend the saved pennies on treasures, well that and the magnificent pear cider that they have on tap here! The venues were amazing, unlike Perth, alot of Melbournes old builing are still standing which makes for some stunning venues...the hangar night was actually held at an airport with a PLANE in it!!! The Swing Mafia Pub Crawl was great fun and meticulously organised...Perth crew almost got thrown out of the pub for being too loud, OFCOURSE! I got Buffalloed on a giant glass of cider so then had to down the whole thing...hence the cheering and yelling! I had a stall of hats on the last night and gathered Melbourne contacts throughout my days of scouring the shops, so all in all it was a fun and very productive trip.

The gals shopping

Stunning venues

Hangar Night...the hot Top Gun boys

Steve and the gorgeous Perth gals

Replicating the "End of the War" kiss

Ashliegh in Wonderland stall at the Y dance

The Blues Late Night

Lindy Bombing in the the city

Nicole snogging the graffiti

Madame Brussels

My new umbrella...it bucket-ed down, then it was sunny, then it was cold, then hot, then rainy, then flash flooding, then hot.

It was such a great trip with such an awesome bunch of people...will definitely be up for it next year!!!

Swinging at the Zoo

2010-11-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we went to the zoo to dance to a big band for Grandparents Day.

Whao Nelly was it very warm for dancing even so early in the morning...then we had a wander and looked at the animals...btw springtime at the zoo makes for a rather R rated experience :)

Story of the day...in the lion enclosure there is two male lions and a lioness...the lioness makes her way over to the boys to get their attention she nuzzles in, the lion gets up and well, we'll say, "cracks onto" the other male lion...the lioness sulks off and sits by the window. Gives new meaning to "Pride" hehe!

Channelling Mary Poppins...LOVE this new mini boater hat...my lovely sister Erin bought it for me.

Dancing with Greg

Hehe Jake fell asleep he was so exhausted...meanies!

Chris and Sophie dancing in front of the HUGE stage

Jon and I doing switches, you can see the swishing tail on my vintage dress

The crew being shady :)

Jake and Leah swinging out

Nicole and Paul cranking the fancy moves

Kat and Shannan...sexy moves in fluro boardshorts haha!

Snappy Suspenders

2010-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

Haven't done an outfit post in long time so I thought I'd show off my new FAVOURITE dance outfit. The suspenders are vintage and are the button-on ones to fit to the buttons that were already on my 1930's style "Cue" skirt that I bought from eBay. Cue have some gorgeous classic vintage designs, especially kick pleat skirts and Jackie O, 60's style swing coats...of which own many, of both :). Only thing is you have to go on eBay as these are all from past seasons...Cue has some gag-worthy 80's and 90's revival thing going on at the moment, blerk, so save your pennies and splurge second hand!

Skirt-Cue (eBay)

Suspenders- Diamond Aps Recycling Boutique-8 Wray Ave Fremantle (it has one shop for men and another for women, beside one another, very cool!)

Shoes- Bleyer dance shoes

Hat- Ashliegh in Wonderland...ofcourse :)

Close up of my hat...

It's navy, red and white...LOVE!

Ashliegh in Wonderland Photo Shoot

2010-10-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! I am ecstatic!

Today I had a stall at the Retro Market today which was fun and I met lots of really lovely people...my hats are getting a great response and I love hearing everyone's feedback so I know what to get stuck into for the coming weeks, one lovely lass spoke of her wedding theme and wanted a custom bouquet and bridemaid's headbands...without revealing too much of her plans, it sounds like her "big day" will be so quirky and awesome...I LOVE a non-traditional wedding, it excites me to bits!!! But as much as I love the stalls, phwoar I was tired, I slumped into my little "sofa-y computer-nook" for some much needed veg-ing, clicked on Facebook and....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Squealed with delight!!! The very lovely Dabs of Dabelyn Photography had already put up some "Sneak Peek" photos of our shoot. To say I'm thrilled to no end is entirely an understatement...there is now way to describe how I feel seeing these turn out SO well. Apart from being utterly exhausted from the 16 hour days preparing, leading up to the shoot...there's a magnitude of pride looking at all my work and a huge door of possibility opening because is all seems real now! Lauren and Nicole were just so much fun and awesome, rocking up dolled to the nines, half their wardrobe in arms and ready to be pretty (and silly)!
We gave a wedding in Hyde Park and anyone driving down Vincent street a peep show as we swapped and changed between frocks co-ordinating with a giant box full of hats! It was great fun! I know that most designers don't get in on the action when it comes to promo shoots, but F it, it's my label! :)

Be sure to check out the rest of the pics and click the "like" button on Facebook Dabelyn Photography and also Ashliegh in Wonderland if you haven't already to see updates.

Vintage Vamps and Vixens

2010-10-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are performing the Big Apple at the Vintage Vamps and Vixens Market at the Fremantle Town Hall. I've pinched this photo from VVV organiser Delilah of Winifred and Bance for two reasons, One because we didn't take any photos on the day, plus it's a great shot, I just love the big swirl of my red skirt! hehe. We had a ball performing on stage. The next VVV Market will in May next year, I can't wait! There were stall holders from all the best vintage stores in Perth, and LOADS of what I call "pretty vintage"...as in 50's prom dresses and parasoles, vanity cases, 40's sunglasses, brooches! SWOON! The stuff you usually have to dig (or travel) for! :) Next year I'm going to get onto getting a stall this time, the atmosphere was fantastic! :)

Eating Good Stuff and Fitting Nanny's Dresses

2010-10-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

So for a little while now we've been eating "Paleo" style. Which means no wheat, legumes, dairy, rice, preservatives or sugar. In a nutshell the theory is that our bodies have only ever evolved to the point where they can digest the findings of a hunter/ gatherer lifestyle, not the "faux foods" that we put in our bodies that cause it to well, be unhealthy or at least on run at its optimum level. So far it's been awesome. We both have A LOT more energy, sleep better, are relaxed or deal with stress (both physically and mentally) with great results. AND the other day when I walked past Hungry Jacks (or Burger King depending on where you're from) the smell that used to make me want a chicken burger so badly I could sell my soul...made me want to be sick! Hooray! Good body! :)
Now we decided to do this based on Tim Ferris's blog post...http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2010/09/19/paleo-diet-solution/#comment_list
and we did some more research of our own.
It was to be an experiment but we both feel so good...Mr in Wonderland has achieved better performance in the gym, I lost 5kgs in just over the first week and don't retain water, plus PMS mood swings, GONE! and this is just the beginning...I think it will be staying :)

The food takes some thought but it is really yummy, lots of fruit and veg...I think fruit is under-rated in the "lollies of nature" department! I made strawberry sorbet that was to-die-for, stuffed chicken with basil off our bush and almonds, made salad dressings with tahini, lime and and mustard...oh-so good! We've eaten LOTS of eggs, plus eggs hold together all sorts of vege concoctions :) Coconut has been interesting, we ate a concoction of "coconut veges" which Mr in Wonderland said was like a "Vege Summer Roll" hehe but wow was it tasty! We've just had to get creative and it has been fun. When you go shopping and have to read the labels, it makes you realise how much crap is in everything, it's kind of scary to think of how much your poor liver has to work through before it even gets to doing it's "proper job".

Here's my first "Almond Milk" creation, 1 cup almonds to three parts water and then you sift it...it's yummy and VERY good in chai!

It tastes like almonds, funnily enough, but it's creamy and milky, much like cows milk. Plus you can cook with it too.

And I can also fit into my Great Grandmother's dresses that were passed on to me. The blue one has only ever fit after I had been sick for a week and even then only just, the brown one has never been able to be zipped up. My Nanny Bena was very little. I still think I'm a bit bigger than she was in the boob and butt department, but luckily the dresses are a little forgiving...Check this out..........................

Cool huh! Pretty chuffed about that! Especially as Ashliegh in Wonderland will have a 50's styled photo shoot next week, VERY excited! I've been sewing some 50's skirts and preparing and performing at the Vintage Vixens and Vamps Market...I'll show you once there's pictures in rotation as I didn't take any :( So yeah that's sorta life up to date. I'll show you the cool stuff soon!! :)

So much cuteness...

2010-10-02T02:47:00.000-07:00

Look at the new hat I made today...isn't he SOOOOO cute and smiley?

"Wonderland-ing" the Garden

2010-09-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Now of course this is a work in progress but I've had to get my vintage garden-stuff collection into the garden to make space in the storage bit, for the stuff in the studio to go in...to have the studio all functioning beautifully and pretty...

These are awaiting their rejuvenation!

I like to collect those cast iron garden decorations from the 40's, 50's and 60's...I find them on eBay sometimes, but mostly I collect them from 'bring out your dead' (council verge side collection) all neglected and rusty and tangled and squeeze them into the back of my teeny little car! I have quite a collection, some you can see in these pictures and others are in the garden near the front door. I Killrust them and paint them and until now store them away waiting to figure out what on earth I will do with them. Some I find are too far gone and have to back out on the verge, that is a sad day.

Here's 2 old dressing table chairs,the one with the scrolling at the back, because the seat is long gone, holds the right sized pot beautifully...right now it's housing a giant Bromeliad that I found in the back of the garden. The second is like a table that displays Mr in Wonderlands bonsai (of which you can see the top of because of terrible photography :) The big white pot will have a pond lily in it, as soon as I find a pretty one in electric blue or purple, plus it seconds as a giant water bowl for Charlie who doesn't come in for water when it's hot. Just looks up the stairs panting at me and makes me come down to get him, silly bugger!

Don't know if my picture taking is very good in this first photo...at the front is The Mad Hatter, Alice and The Nurse(who puts pepper on the baby,that turns into a pig...it's in the book not the film). Up in the garden is a blue concrete table with tea-cup planters with pansies in and a Cheshire cat. There is a concrete rook chess piece with an African violet growing out of the top and down the side. The pots in the frames have pansies in them and will be accompanied by many more to cover up that big plain wall as soon as I figure out how to attach them. I'm thinking old teapots too, to hang off the wall with plants in them, op shop will be the destination for these! The tea cups were originally yellow for some years but were starting to look very sad...a good primer and spray paint is my friend!

And my favourite art deco cast iron sink (another verge side find) filled with white daisies...the two blue pots below are filled with Margarite daisies. The daisies go CRAZY, the bulk up REALLY quickly, so if you have a sunny spot you want to fill fast, these are brilliant. Their flowers are really pretty, as you can see from all the buds they COVER the whole bush, though they do need a good drink they are well worth the effort because you just can't kill them :)

The tree is just starting to green up for spring...I''ll be getting some solar fairy lights to go in the tree, PRETTY!

NOW for my next project I am doing up an old 50's/60's fold away table...I am yet to find my chairs to match...but I will with patience, that's part of the joy of collecting.

Here it is after I had started unscrewing all the pieces off, it was this cacky yellow colour, but for $10 from the market, I saw it's lovely potential. Now I'm not doing the most fabulous job, I could strip all of the old paint off and replace the screws, which once my touch up job wears away, I will do. For now I'm going for cheap, instant gratification :)

Painting all my bits, spray cans...cherry red, sky blue, pink, lemon yellow, pale green...same colours as my Harlequin Canisters,coz they are my favourite.

Half done!

Just have to finish it...pretty chuffed so far!

Now I'm on the lookout for a bench seat and chairs to match...

if you know anybody wanting to part with a bench seat, even with slats missing or what-not (coz I'll fix those) give me a hoi, I'll be very grateful. Can't you imagine how 50's kitsch it will look in those colours, YAY!

Oh and for those of you that just think I just like painting things outrageous colours...they REALLY were those colours in the 50's see!!!...(and check out the cool sink! hehe)

Slatted bench seat and slatted chairs, don't need to be identical...just have slats for painting :)

So keep your eyes peeled for me...♥ Ash

Our Pretty Adventure to Araluen

2010-09-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

On the lookout for a venue (plus a hint of boredom and sense of adventure) we decided to take a trip up to the very pretty "Araluen"...which if you don't know, is the most beautiful heritage garden in the hills of Roleystone. The gardens are run by volunteers and they restore the old grounds to their former glory of the 1930's. At this time of the year (August, September) is their annual tulip season (which I had forgotten all about until I looked it up) which means the grounds are filled with a sea of flowering tulips, bringing tourists and seniors from miles in big comfy coaches. We arrived about 4.30pm so it was cooling down and the droves of picnickers had packed up and gone home. We paid our $4 each to get in, grabbed a pack of prices for weddings and set off for a wander...

Make a Pretty Swing Dress from an Old Blouse

2010-09-03T01:37:00.000-07:00

Whilst I was looking for the perfect skirt pattern online, I stumbled upon an AWESOME post from Grosgrain....she's made THIS pretty dress from a blouse she found at an op-shop for $1. It also shows you how to make this circle skirt without a pattern (easy peasy) and how to calculate your measurements...and we all love a good swirly circle skirt, don't we gals?

You'll find the post HERE

So now I'm off to dig out some tops from the drawers to whip up a few of these babies and stock up for the warm weather of SPRING!

Kate's Pretty in Pink

2010-08-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

The gorgeous Kate had her "PINK" birthday party on Saturday night...

I love that even her beau Lucas got in on the action and wore the most fabulous pink shirt. :)

Doesn't she look gorgeous in her headband which (by chance) matched her dress perfectly, Gotta love that!

Happy Birthday Kate!

New Headbands

2010-08-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Many have asked if I could make headbands similar to hats, all flowery and perdy! So taking on the challenge, I've come up with these...aren't they bright and fabulous. I've made two black and white and two in a nautical red, blue and white...all different ofcourse!

I am SOOOOO much in love with these, it's going to be very sad to part with them

I'll have a stall at the "Leedy Hop Live" this Thursday night. Come down to listen to the KYSB Big Band, have a dance or watch the dancing (swing is just as much fun to watch), $10 entry or $5 if you take a class with SwingZing.

Classes from 7-9, band begins 9-11pm, at the Yugal Club, 288 Oxford St Leederville Perth

Happy Anniversary Nanny and Grandfather

2010-08-09T04:12:00.000-07:00

On the 6th August, my grandparents had been married 50 years. That's pretty impressive right! Saturday night the family went out to dinner to celebrate...

I think these three photos depict Nanny and Grandfather perfectly...

The first- being silly

The second- Nan going to do Grandfather harm after him being an antagonistic bugger LOL (look at that cheeky grin) :)

The third- They really are good friends

Love you Nan and Gramps xxx

Chocolates and Cherries

2010-08-06T01:27:00.000-07:00

This is the lovely Emma's hat order, this was very fun to make...and pictures do not in any way do it justice! To give you some indication as to the 'pop' in colour and how striking it is, when I showed it to Mr in Wonderland, he said "WOW! I like that one!"...for someone not overly interested in girly hats, that's something great right? :)

AND AND AND... I'm very excited to reveal my new chocolate box hat, finished, well almost. I am totally in love with these...I've even got a heart shape hat in the works for heart chocolate boxes, sqeeeeeel! This one is in baby blue, I'm working on red, hot pink, yellow, green, purple and orange.

These are very fun to make because I get to look at lots of chocolates and "feltify" them.

NOT eat any though because in the last 5 days of hard core Zumba and gym trips I have lots THREE whole kilos which is AWESOME!!! Zumba is hilarious, you dance around feeling like a complete tit, shimmy-ing and shaking your booty and just when you think your going to die, you forget because the dance moves are so fun (well, fun-ny).

My application for Fremantle Arts Centre Bazaar is in...fingers crossed.

And here are some of the pretty things I've been making for orders this week...

I'll soon be stocking my etsy and Made It stores so there will be ACTUAL single items to purchase...once I get all the custom orders out :) Until then remember you can send me an email with orders at aksparkles7(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)au. Just remove the brackets and add the usual...I have to write it like that or I get spammed for viagra and whatnot :)

Wedding- We have progress!

2010-07-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sooo, we've set a date for our wedding...the wedding discussion has popped up again, with much more enthusiasm this time as we have worked out how on earth we are to pay for it. So after a few discussions of what we want and should do, we realised we'd forgotten a step, set the date.

So on a whim over dinner one night, Mr in Wonderland decided that 22nd February 2012 was an auspicious day (his exact words, yes I laughed) and then it was done. Only thing is upon checking the day that this date falls on, we realised that it is a Wednesday, so wowee we are REALLY going non-traditional.

Now I'm a bit excited about this "Wednesday" thing because I'm thrilled with the idea of guests taking a few days off here and there over the week for lovely things like wine tours and long lunches, picnics, silly things and such and being able to have the celebration with friends and family last a lot longer than a day. It will be lovely weather after all.

Now I've been collecting pictures and ideas for a while now and a few things that I know I adore are vintage pretties and I love the DIY thing, that whimsical style of handmade treasures and the 'special-ness' that these bring. I like 'themes' of things or 'styles' of things. So look for ideas with these in mind.

Mr in Wonderland is a harder egg to crack as his tastes don't fall into 'themes' or 'styles', his likes and dislikes go on a single idea basis. Or so it seems, if he likes something, he often can't pinpoint why exactly so that probably makes it a bit harder to 'group' I suppose. One thing he has insisted on is that he wears shiny black leather shoes, also there's been some mention of bow ties and ninjas jumping out of soup and cutting bread with a sword! We both want a venue with charm and character, we've been looking at the old buildings around Perth (very conveniently most swing dancing events are held in them, hehe)

The small visual details I don't think interest him, but the details about guest interaction (which we've found some VERY sweet ideas, of which I'm keeping secret because I know you all read this, hehe) also the experiences and personal memory making stuff, and good food and wine, that's what he likes to plan. Which is great coz that's the good stuff :)

Our "theme" I suppose would be Geek/Vintage which sounds a little odd, but from all my research, not that uncommon. So expect fun, coz I doubt either of us is worried about matching the same Pantone colour blue :)

I've made my bouquet...

and will be making my dress...

The girls will look something like this...(colour wise)

In this

Or this

We've thought of incorporating lego for ages...check these out!

Left 4 Dead custom mini-figs...even with zombies...oh man he's gonna LOVE these!!!

and for me...

Roman Holiday custom mini-fig :)

Ceremony to be somewhere like this...

Like this...look at the sign!

Reception something like this...

Hehe this is going to be fun!!!

Ta DAAAAAA! It Worked!

2010-07-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

So after lots of work, the hat worked, beautifully I might add.

This is another way to use my felt flowers for those who are not on the lookout for a giant fabulous bridal bouquet!!!
AND you can see I'm sporting a brand new fringe! I haven't had a fringe like this since I was a youngin', one thing I've noticed however is that no matter how terribly I shove my hair up at the back as long as my fringe is neat I avoid looking "unkept" hehe. I'd like to say that I look all fabulously glamourous whilst working for home, as most people are used to seeing me in a "perfectly thought out matching to the nth degree" ensemble, but I'll be honest and say that I look like a warm and comfortable....well, hobo. Possibly (or usually) sporting something stolen form the comfy wardrobe of Mr in Wonderland. :)

ANYWAY I was able to get a mini "pillbox" hat to work too, that shall be finished shortly...as you can probably tell, I'm a bit chuffed with myself :) Plus these are soo much fun to make! Now I'm on the search for new felt wool colours, so for the moment I can do BLACK and any other colours you like hehe!

Well I'm off to soak up this sunshine while it lasts :)

Pick a Pretty Posy

2010-07-17T02:50:00.000-07:00

Now I've been very excited about these an I know I've been updating the progress on Facebook but have just realised that I haven't put them on here...check out how clever I am...:)

These are felt and vintage button bridal bouquets, each piece is cut and embroidered all by hand, it is very lengthy process as I'm a perfectionist and there can't and NEVER will be a single messy stitch! I'm been doing embroidery since I was six years old. I loved cross stitches and long stitch, in fact I was a giant dork in primary school and spent most of my lunchtimes, under a tree in the sunshine stitching the largest long stitch this world has ever seen! :) I stitched in between dance classes as a little girl and loved spending time sewing with my Nanna who also taught me how to knit from the age of 5.

This one is inspired by my Mum's SERIOUS obsession with lime, I FLIPPED when I saw this lime felt, it's not fluoro like usual, but a really pretty lime colour.

I LOVE pink, this one is so pretty with magenta, baby pink and white, plus I have the most AMAZING collection of pink vintage buttons from eBay, a small fortune but oh-so-very worth it! The stitching in this one was very fun because the pale pink against the magenta just pops! I also started adding centres to the 3D flowers so I could add more buttons...my FAVOURITE is that magenta 3D one, could you guess? :)

The creme and white is subtle in colour but textured and detailed, there's a little bit of creme/peach colour to warm it up a bit. The lovely thing about white vintage buttons is that most of your collection is full of them and they have this pretty pearlescent shine to them. Also most of the prettiest and elaborate floral buttons are white. You can see one of the little kanzashi flowers, that's made out of a vintage gentlemen's hanky, which I LOVE the way it turned out. I also am working with vintage doilies so heirlooms and treasures can be incorporated into clients custom bouquets. The kanzashi flowers are great because I can use all sorts of sentimental things that people keep but don't really don't know what to do with them (by people I mean very much, me), like maybe the shirt from a first date, Grand-dad's pocket handkerchief, lace and bead-work from your Mum's wedding dress (only because 1980's dresses aren't cool yet to wear the whole thing hehe).

This is MY bridal bouquet, ruby red and baby blue (of course) with little pops of pink and white. This one is more of a 'hand-picked posy' style which combined the 3d flowers and embroidered flowers together all jumbled. The others are more rounded and 'organised'. This is made out of buttons from my Great grandmother, grandmother and friends.

I love these because I wanted flowers that I could keep, were different and sentimental and wouldn't leave Mr in Wonderland sneezy and red-eyed all day as he has terrible allergies. Not to mention I'm a pretty gung-ho kinda gal, I definitely do not want to spend the day fluffing about with flowers, but I still want them to be beautiful, of course. But they need to be strong and "fun-friendly" so if I should accidently sit on them a bit or get them caught on something faffing about, they bend right back and will not disintegrate into petals :) Plus we are having a Summer wedding, my focus is the man I'm marrying not 'misting ' my bouquet :)

So these are up in my Made It shop for any bride's-to-be...I make bouquets for Bridesmaid's, flower girls (also good for the "squishing" factor hehe), table centrepieces, flower head bands for baby flower girls, boutannieres for the guys, brooches for MOB etc, brooches can also be pinned to napkins and taken as

bonbonnieres... anything your heart desires. Now after my fabulous success with my hats, I'll also be able to custom a vintage styled veil hat/s as well, should you wish...but details on that product line soon...

I'm making a Hat

2010-07-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

I am making a fabulous hat! I'm making one of those half hat type of things from the 1940's, one that sits to the side of your head not affecting all your pretty curls :)

This is it drying in the pretty sunshine, FINALLY pretty sunshine, it's SO lovely outside!

It kind of looks like a bonnet, but that bit will be cut off.

To make it you use wool felt, except I've had to use wool blend after every 100% wool roll at Spotlight was ruined and they wouldn't sell me any, even to experiment with.

Then you cut two pieces to size, steam them and stretch it over individually, then I've used fabric stiffener to keep the shape. Apparently you can use hot water also, but I want it to dry quicker, in Summer I might try water.

The felt becomes really malleable, it's a strange sensation after working with dry felt for so long. It just does as it's told, it's quite fun. I think I'll be on the search for different shapes now :)

I do hope that the fabric stiffener dries clear, you'd expect it too but it didn't say on the bottle, just that it is good for stiffening bows, which is good coz I've just taught myself how to make these...

These shall decorate my hat! Or hats, should it work...:)

Then for fun I made these...just to learn how to make them...

So my hat is basking in the sunshine right now and hopefully it will be dry soon so I can play with it...

it is to look something along these lines...

image from here

Well I'm off to go and check...wish me luck!

Pretty Felt Hats

2010-07-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

I've been busy making these pretty felt flower hats/ fascinators...

These are embroidered by hand and have vintage buttons in the centre...

They have an alligator clip and a brooch pin on the back so they can be attached to just about anything, scarves, cushions, jackets, dresses...and of course your head! The clip that is, I don't recommended the pin for your head :)

Now these aren't for the shrinking violet, they are bold and stand out!!!

Here's a better idea of what I mean...

See...huge!!

These will be on Made It and Etsy soon...

or if you want to have one made in your colours, email me at aksparkles7@yahoo.com.au

Vintage meets Modern Fashion Inspiration

2010-07-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

OMG you MUST check out this lovely lady...Lena Hoschek is an Austrian designer influenced by 1940's/ 1950's styles...never have a pair of oxford bags looked so darn HOT!!! I stumbled upon her collection from Berlin Fashion Week photographs and I'm in LOVE!!! She is yet to have stores anywhere near Australia as far as I can tell, but you must admit, her style is pretty inspirational, and seriously perve-worthy for the guys!

LOVE the hearts on this blouse AND the red ric-rac...

Gotta get myself a paper boy cap...

Love the bow tie plus suspenders look...not to mention I'm a sucker for a red/blue combo!

Images from here

Image from here

Her website http://www.lenahoschek.com/ is gorgeous, you can check out past collections via movies and photo shoots, here's my favourite's...

Girly lace details with 40's cut blazer.

50's style circle skirt with ribbon detail, love the beret.
40's cut, military style coat

Gingham...the easiest way to do vintage/modern, just add red shoes, or two tones.
The cut of the double breasted coat is stunning...

How sweet is the suspenders and skirt with a victorian collared blouse.

Vest, tie and wool skirt suit combo...LOVE!
Wrist leather gloves, tweed wiggle dress and paper boy cap...ooh lala!

Bow tie and vest...and don't forget the wing-tips.

Love this suit...

40's blouse, high waisted skirt, suspenders and some super hot hair!

50's-esque twin sets

I'm in LOVE with the tassle skirt...you must watch the way this swishes in the fashion show on her site...

Lolly colours, plus this shot is ADORABLE!!! THIS is why I want our wedding photos in a theme park, how FUN!

And my favourite of ALL of her dresses...it's sheer with a red bodysuit underneath, that's red rope as a belt, perfect mish mash of vintage meets modern...

I love these photos, I know when I think "ooh lala head-turning vintage style" I always think wiggle dress and high waisted pants and suspenders I usually save for "fun dancing" attire...I'm now looking at my wardrobe with new eyes. AND I know which pictures I'll be sifting through next time I'm getting ready to go out on the town :)

Enjoy!

The Winner is.....

2010-07-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Now this was a serious process, because we had to get Charlie at a time when he was in a silly mood... It began with Mr in Wonderland innocently cleaning the table...

Hehe, perfectly timed "ouch!" photo...

Ok, then he started to play...

The blurred paw of bopping...

Check out the crazy eyes, this is just before he leapt in the air and took out Mr in Wonderland :)

So I quickly ran over wrote all your names on post-its...he threw them all over the place, chose one and proceeded to tear of pieces and spit them onto the floor hehe!

SOOOOOOOOOOOO the winner is........

Congratulations Maia! You can send me details of which colour you'd like and your address to aksparkles7@yahoo.com.au

Thanks to everybody who entered, I'll be having many more giveaways in the future!!

And also to Charlie for being such a good sport...

The Store is OPEN

2010-06-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hooray!! The store is open, check it out HERE. I will be adding new things over the week. There is something very exciting about seeing my pretty treasures up in the store.

To celebrate, not only the store opening but also a MASSIVE 50 followers I'm giving away one of my strawberry fascinators to one lucky reader!!! And yes I do realise that there is some of the boy-type among you (as in men), feel free to enter for your favourite lady-friend. To enter leave a comment and the winner will be drawn by the Charlie-pants like this...

I came across this idea on the fabulous blog called Welcome to Deluxeville, and I knew Charlie would LOVE to contribute in this way.

So leave a comment below and you could win one of these...

I've got an ivory coloured one too, you get to pick!

Charlie awaits his duties :)

Thank you so much to all of you, I get so much joy posting my silliness on here and I love getting all your feedback and hearing about how much you love this blog!

It's Coming......

2010-06-25T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ahh I will have the store up by the end of this weekend...stay tuned!!!

I'm frantically creating, and photographing, and brainstorming...

but fabulousness awaits, I promise!!

You'll LOVE it!!

Pretty Dresses

2010-06-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

I love etsy, it opens a whole new doorway into very pretty vintage dresses that ebay just doesn't provide, ok well, sometimes but rarely... these are from a seller named Adelaide Homesewn she's in America...but well worth the postage for these treasures. She has such a pretty collection of clothing, especially 1930's, 40's and 50's stuff. Well worth a look!

Sweet little 50's gingham dress...check out the sleeve detail, I'm a sucker for those points!!!

The most lovely raspberry, puff sleeved dress!

Gorgeous 1950's ivory lace wiggle dress!

In LOVE with the ric-rac and red buttons down the side of this little honey!

This one is by far my favourite, the cut, the detail, it's navy, I'm sold, if only it wasn't so teeny.

The sweetest 1940's dress, in pink with little blue and red roses

Lovely 1950's sailor dress, and it's LINEN! How pretty!

Audrey Films

2010-06-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I feel like I've been a million miles away...I've finished the first part of my training and have been busy setting up both shops.

Whilst enjoying my lovely new studio, I've come to realise how lovely it is to create and watch old movies...so far Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday and Funny Face.

Let's just say, LOVE Breakfast at Tiffany's, she's so absolutely mad and adorable.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Roman Holiday

Funny Face

I am in love with that wedding dress, oh AND when they dance on the barge, how gorgeous!

Fred Estaire makes this film, though it is hard to see him in the "dashingly hansome leading man" kind of a role, when he kisses her in th bookstore, he didn't seem charming as is intended but more like a creepy old man...but hey maybe my crush on Gene Kelly is clouding my judgement :)

There's quotes from Audrey Hepburn quoting that putting "cat" out in the rain was one of the worst things she's ever had to do on film.

I came across an interview on YouTube of Ms Hepburn when she was 60, she's all class. She's speaks of her trauma through the war and her children and working in films...truly a beautiful woman.
This is the first of 4 parts of the interview, you can click on the next as it finishes.

New Studio

2010-06-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of my new studio, it's cozy and warm and a lovely place to work, plus Charlie enjoys sitting on the window sill in the sunshine. The pretty curtain is made from vintage hankies and a pure cotton tea towel, it looks so pretty when the sun shines through it...

My late great-grandmother's 1960's hat, houses a pretty collection of flowers and velvet strawberries...

A cotton reel tree, so the cheeky buggers don't roll off the table, never to be found again...stray bits of cotton hang over the middle to be used again.

1960's sewing box and little plastic pin container, oh and that's the 50's laminate and jarrah table that I discussed many moons ago...and ipod dock for swingin' tunes...

Filled with pretty projects...

All the pretty things I've been up to...

So for now the shop won't be open until next week, because I am running terribly behind in my study and live training is Thursday until Monday so I'll be a write off 'till after then.

Still this really is the prettiest place to be studying right now, bathed in warm sunlight...see you on the flip side.

My Promise List

2010-06-05T04:14:00.000-07:00

This is MY Promise List, only because "goal" has this stigma attached to it that these are things that you will do "one day" and forever justify why you have not achieved them. I will add to this list as I remember them and come up with new ones. This is a very big thing for someone to reveal...their most deepest hopes and desires, so play nice :)

1) To hire (and perhaps one day own) a red bicycle built for two, for picnics and such with Mr in Wonderland.

2) Own an EK or FC Holden and do it up, "Cherry-Apple Red" and "Duck Egg" blue are my favourite colours of choice but the idea of cruisin' around in a pretty pale pink one also makes my heart SWOON!

3) Live in another city in Australia

4) Own a set of Art Deco flats, I've gushed over those beauties down Stirling Hwy since I was a kid. I'd always envisioned a bunch of friends having one each and parties in a common area :)

5) Sing in a band professionally, preferably something vintage-esque

6) Learn solo Charleston

7) Learn to play the blues harmonica properly, other than "Row, row, row your boat" which I've mastered but is thoroughly unimpressive!

8) Complete certificate III in Millinery Construction and Design also Diploma of textile and fashion design

9) Train at WAAPA

10) Relearn to read music

11) Own my own business with a system capable of being managed for a only a few hours a week, from anywhere in the world.

12) Eat from my own vege patch, generate most of our homes electricity through solar energy and collect rain water.

13) Get married to Mr in Wonderland, garden wedding, lots of dancing and lots of fun.

14) Drive around Australia with a fun group of friends in a camper van

15) Go to all the theme parks on the Gold Coast

16) Own a big pretty fish pond

17) Build a "dressing room"-one large room, lit beautifully, one wall for me, the other for Mr in Wonderland a big pouffe in the middle to sit to put on shoes and to sit and chat while the other gets ready.

18) A house with a bath, his and her's shower heads, stays hot and has great water pressure.

19) A beautiful garden to potter in and for Charlie to snooze.

20) A studio, clear, organised and flooded with natural light

21) Do up a 1950's caravan, inside and out to it's original condition, preferably to match my fabulous FC Holden

22) Ride a jet ski

23) Build a snowman-I've never seen snow

24) Para sail and hang-glide

25) Replace our old girl Kelvinator with a pink or baby blue 50's style Smeg fridge, with the separate freezer, not the one with the "ice-box" or we may aswell keep the old girl, (may have to keep old girl as a bar fridge as she has been such a good egg I may not be able to part with her)

26) Sew my own clothes from vintage patterns and learn to draft my own patterns

Big Mess, Cool Shiz

2010-05-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

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

My Signature Scent

2010-05-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

I am compeletly in love with this perfume...Miss Dior Cherie.

Description

Christian Dior Miss Dior Chérie Eau de Parfum Spray was launched by Christian Dior's haute couture and womenswear designer, John Galliano, in 1995 to coincide with the
100th anniversary of Christian Dior's birth. The fragrance was created by Christine
Nagel and has notes of mandarin, strawberry leaf, violet, jasmine, caramel popcorn,
wild strawberry sorbet, musk, and patchouli.

Miss Dior Chérie starts with very sweet strawberry punch and a brief flash of mandarin;
the overall impression is closer to a strawberry-apple popsicle than the more
sophisticated wild strawberry sorbet described in the notes. The florals are an
indistinct backdrop to a dry down of musk and patchouli.

Ingredients

Green Tangerine, Violette, Pink Jasmine, Patchouli, Crystalline Musk, Strawberry
Leaves, Caramelized Popcorn, Strawberry Sorbet.

And yes it smells as good as it sounds! It's a long lasting rich fragrance that
is sweet and fruity without the cheap alcohol smell you often find with the
"other" lolly-ish frangrances, you know the ones I'm talking about, the ones
that would make me die of embarrassment should someone like it and ask
what it is *cough cough Britney, Xtina*. They smell so yummy, but I just can't
bare to step forward and say that my signature scent is Britney Spears, blerk!!!

The bottle is simply beautiful with it's big pretty bow and houndstooth pattern
etched into the base of the bottle. The heritage of this perfume and style of the
bottle dates back to 1947, which just makes me LOVE it even more.

You MUST see the advertisment for it aswell, it's honey!

Isn't just so fresh and pretty...now that's a place I like to go in my mind now that it's
cold and wintery. With it's lovely pastels, french pastries and girly bike riding...let it inspire...

Miss Dior Cherie by AshlieghInWondrland featuring Bloch shoes

Items in this set:

Frock Up Wedding Season Is Coming!, 620 AUD

Dresses - DAISY - FUCHSIA - Forever Unique, 160 GBP

Marchesa Marchesa Silk-Organza Tiered Gown, 1,350 GBP

American Eagle Women's Paige Lace & Shine Pushup Bra Green Bloom, $35

BL441 Coral Shoes, 95 GBP

Free!!!!!!!!

2010-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2010-05-14T01:19:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Disney Birthday Party

2010-04-27T22:42:00.000-07:00

Wow April has been flat tack!

Finally I'll get around to writing a post about my birthday party...which was AWESOME!!! If you can imagine guests dancing Blues, Lindy-Hop, Salsa and Balboa dressed as characters from Disney films to Disney tunes, your there!

I really do have the best friends in the whole wide world...every one of them went to so much effort for their costume, bought "6 yr old themed" party food and even helped clean up afterwards...just LOVE you guys your TOPS!

I even got to have a birthday dance which was hilarious and so much fun... if you are unfamiliar with the concept a "birthday dance" being different from any other, I'll explain. Birthday girls and boys stand in the middle of a circle and begin to dance with a partner, others from the circle proceed to "steal" the dance and thus the game begins....SOOOO much fun!

My face hurt from smiling all night, you seriously are a bunch of silly buggers, I love it!

Hard to forget...

Robbie- "I can see your giiiiiiineeeee!" just as the music went quiet! Aimed at Shannan and Asseel dancing Salsa.

The chairs lined up along the pool with a leg over the edge....just waiting...wish he'd sat down :(

Robbie getting "Buffaloed" with a whole teapot of red wine...

My ears BLEEDING from Sing Star, who's stupid idea was THAT! :)

Lumiere, Esmerelda, Mad Hatters, Aladdin, Mighty Ducks, Alice, The Sultan from Aladdin

Tigger, Minnie Mouse, The Animators

Jessie and Woody, Snow White, The Slinky Dog, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck.

Tinkerbell, Mulan, Cinderella...

and of course the inevitable GROUP shot!!!!

Big thankyous go to Mr in Wonderland for organising everything and setting it up while I was working <3, Jon-For lending us his house for a spectacular venue, Katelyn, who couldn't actually come but drew all the disney pictures to decorate and provided all the Disney tunes, Emma- for creating the most magnificent polka dotted cake I've ever seen (and tasted), Trev and Shane for providing the yummy bottle of red wine I devoured throughout the night, Asseel and Dan for doing dishes and cleaning up (smack you! but it was appreciated immensely whilst hungover the next day), Fi for the awesome "6 year old" badge she made for me to wear, Paulie and Russ for yummy treats, Greg for the fabulous brownies, Kat and Aileen for singing Disney tunes with me so I wouldn't look like an arse, those of you who belted out Sing Star tunes, and everybody for making me have the BEST DIsney party by rocking up the some of the most fantastic costumes I have ever seen!!! Now that's why I cried during my speech, because I thought of all the hard work you guys had put into making my big day special...xxx! Love you guys!

April Showers

2010-04-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well I have many a thing to report, well seeing as it has been a rather long gap between catch up's you would hope so...

Every time I have started to write it has come out well, grumpy and I then delete, awaiting a time when I will obviously be in a better frame of mind...hehe it's been a while. I'm putting it down to stress...because I just don't know how to stop and do nothing!

Image from here
Firstly I'm rather proud of myself for finally applying for a job working in vintage fashion, AND being successful, hooray! I'm now working at Winifred and Bance in the Fremantle Markets on a Saturday. I started last week and had a ball. Come down and have a look, her selection is gorgeous and reasonably priced with a gorgeous frock ranging from $65/$75 in immaculate condition. You walk through the entrance from Sail and Anchor, turn left and you'll find it in behind the "man that prints T-shirts" and "the lady who sells socks" and next to the $2 shop...keep looking if you have trouble, it's well worth it!

Another thing is that I turned a year older and was doing "how did I end up here?" in a BIG way!
Mostly because the job that was supposed to pay the bills for a year before I went to university became a 7 year career. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do...I just kind of felt like I'd let my dreams down a bit. Singing, dancing and acting on stage (I wanted to do musical theatre) is not a huge leap from working with children, I like that silliness, especially when you get new babies that look at you as if to say "hey, I like you, your bonkers!". Plus there is something truly satisfying about teaching in the most fun ways you can think of, and having them "get it".

So now that I have fulfilled by passion for vintage fashion I now have to fill my singing void. Thinking of this has also got me a bit bummed as something has happened to it, the doctor said it may just be allergies(which I've never, ever had before) stopping my vocal chords from moving properly, gross really. NEXT he said it may also be nodules of which they can't tell without sticking a tube down my throat which sounds oh SO pleasant! Lets just hope the antihistamines work and my voice comes back because that just sounds all around shite!

On a more exciting note Hullabaloo is in 9 days or something, which is going to be SO much fun...I've got leave all organised so that's a load off. Only bother is that I have one very frilly dress to finish, which btw looks NOTHING like my original design, now looks kinda like this..

The gorgeous black dress arrived and didn't quite fit and I really couldn't be bothered doing a "you alter yourself to fit Vera" for a dress that wasn't really me, plus this is the idea that I REALLY wanted to go with but for a very unfamiliar moment thought that I had better "go with the grain" and choose something Old Hollywood 30's/40's-esque. I looked terrible and to be honest I'm just too short and hourglass shaped to look fabulous in a dress made for a girl on rations :) Here's progress...

Now just ignore the tulle around the neck that's just there because it was hanging down and naughty Charlie-cat was trying to eat it!

My birthday party was "oh my god!" awesome...but I shall leave the elaborating on that for my next post...

Lastly the end of this month is the beginning of my N.L.P training which shall see to the end of all this confusion and get some more things happening, as it is conveniently named "Design Your Destiny", (or has now been changed to "Rich Heart, Healthy Mind", which I think sounds wanky so I'm sticking with the old one) it couldn't have come at a better time.Hopefully it can put me back on track and give me the motivation to study for my Results Certification and Master Results Certification as the year is flying by and it will be June before we know it.

Now I shall be using every waking hour to make tulle frills, wish me luck...xxx

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2010-04-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Well today I am turning 6, yes 6 alright! I have a funny feeling this years party is going to be a blast, what we have planned is a disney themed party!

Rock n' Roll Favourites

2010-04-02T02:32:00.000-07:00

I came across this on YouTube, this was one of my FAVOURITE songs a child. I was in love with my record player...and my favourite of those albums was a compilation of 1950's tracks. "Why do Fools Fall in Love" is such a catchy tune, little did I know it had been written by a 13 year old boy. Every time I hear that "Bu Doom Bop, Bu Doop bop, Bu, Doom, Bop" I just swoon....what a great song!

And then this one, "Little Darlin" by the Diamonds...I'm blown away by how much they sound the same as the original back in 1957.

Just thought I'd share....Have a great Easter :)

My Hullabaloo Dress...

2010-03-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well considering I'm now having a Disney themed birthday party in 12 days with no set venue, a dress to "make" for Hullabaloo AND the first installment of my NLP training I think I may have my work cut out for me for the next month!

Having said that...thinking of each of these things has me bubbling up with excitement beyond anything you can imagine, I could EXPLODE!!!

I have bought a cute little 40's-esque dress from eBay, of which I hope will meet my expectations...it apparently has little white spots (sucker for spots!) and judging from those gorgeous cuff sleeves I will like it very much...

Now for my gripe....of course I enquired as to why postage for an under 500g item would be over $10 in which they have responded the extra is for packing and handling. To which I have asked that they kindly simply shove it in a regular pre-paid post bag and stick in a red box on their way to somewhere else as one would do without expecting $5.00 dollars, apparently the amount isn't negotiable...no worries, neither is your feedback!

On another note my ball dress shall be arriving soon, which shall be the bones of my re-creation!

Here it is... it is simple, now....

My inspiration for it's recreation...here!

I haven't referenced these pics, just quickly pulled them aside for my inspiration in haste and excitement, so I couldn't tell you where I found them....ummmaaaah! I know!

I have been busily mucking around with tulle, organza and those fabulous fabric yo-yo making contraptions in different sizes (which are definitely worth buying btw) to get a head start for when it arrives...which if my calculations are correct, express postage on Thursday should mean tomorrow (I hoped it would mean today but sadly, no parcel awaiting my arrival home from work). I'll keep you posted on the process...let the tantrums begin! :)

Where the Weird Things Are....

2010-03-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

Alright, alright so for the last week and a bit I've done a right shocker of a job keeping up with posts. I've been rather unwell for the last two weeks, no dancing, lots of flat lemonade and dosed to the eyeballs for allergies and tummy bugs...so it's been one fun ride!!!
I'm not one to give in to bugs so each night I got all excited and said to Mr in Wonderland "Let's go dancing!!", of which he so tenderly put it "Babe, you look sick, go back to bed".

"But i'm not, I'm NOT, Ouch, aahh my head, alright I am, I'm going to bed"

So yesterday was a day for..."Things I've been meaning to do for ages...that you remember to do only when your sick in bed"...

Firstly I FINALLY re-lined the shelves in my 1950's kitchenette. This checker board lino I've had aside for probably 5 years now awaiting the day that it would look oh so fabulous inside those pretty pink doors.

Without having to do a before and after pic, this was the lino before, use your imagination...it looked yuk!

I used the old pieces as a template, traced around, cut it out...it took all of about 20 minutes, which is kind of funny seeing as it took me five years and 20mins :)

Cutting out the pieces

And "Taaa-ddddaaaaa"!!! This little spot will now house all of my sewing bit and bobs currently taking over the dining room!

I extended on my collection of retro plastic flowers with these little treasures, $2 still in the box, BARGAIN! They were going to be chopped up and made into a 50's style fascinator, but now I kind of like them, as is, AND I've found a spot for them...

Because I have been re-arranging some bits and bobs...

These tulip are glass and belonged to my great-grandmother, Bena. I've done a bit of research on these trying to find some more because they are stunning in person, also they come in ones that are bent down and thought they'd look sweet...they are made in Germany in the 20's/30's and you could originally purchase them from Coles and Woolworth's type stores. I've also read that they were made by prisoners during the second world war. Also that now they are worth a small fortune so I will be quite happy settling for the little collection that I have now :)

Weird kitsch 50's vase ($4 from the RSPCA shop) now housing my mid-century knitting needle collection...

my old Royal Show dolly in a vase filled with Bakelite button and thimbles...

Ruby red, baby blue, cream and pink buttons, these will be in my wedding bouquet, most of these are my grandmother's and great grandmother's.

And the finished product! Mr in Wonderland's response..."cool all your crazy things"...to which I reply "hehe yeah!"

Lindy in Lancelin

2010-03-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here's some photos from our road trip to Lancelin for a weekend of Lindy!

The boys on arrival...already trying to hurt each other :)

Wandering from the lodge to the tavern to all meet up

Arrival drinks at the Tavern

Being coy with my beer

A night of dancing in the hall

Lovely live tunes

DJ Kitty Kat

Having a boogie with Mr Best

Asseel, Emma, Myself and Lauren

isn't this venue just honey?!

Mr in Wonderland doing a terrible job of being a lady!

Mindy displaying our breakfast of fairy cakes, raspberries and cream aaaah delicious

Hanging out by the pool

Back to the Tavern for some lunch and a brew...this is when I have first heard of this concept "the Lindy Bomb" or "Lindy-bombing" LOL, it's when you get up and take over a venue by dancing...we took over the grass and danced the pants off Hound Dog!

Miss Kitty Kat, using Nutella as a supplement for lip gloss!

Shannan seriously enjoying his burger!

Mr in Wonderland looking FABULOUS darling!

About to go 4wd-ing through the dunes

in a children's clam shell pool! LOL Go Emma!

Patching the clam

Mr Best

The clam finally dies, trying the cushions :)

The boys standing in from of the massive drop they went down in the 4WD...

Paul needing his brown pants...

All hands on deck, bogged 50m from the trip back...to the chassis, nice!

Hooray!!!

Mr in Wonderland's New Smile

2010-03-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have to put this up because it has been SO wonderful.

Mr in Wonderland has been anxious about smiling since he was 10 years old. We met briefly at 8, then became friends at 15 years later in high school, I have always remembered this to be a big issue for him. Kids are cruel, I can only imagine what 5 years of primary school tormenting, plus your own insecurities can do for a boy...not to mention high school, where it only gets worse!

Mr in Wonderland had asthma as a child, through the necessary use of his puffer, he damaged the nerves in his teeth, discolouring them.

Now Mr in Wonderland has one of those great smiles, the kind that take up their whole face, the kind that make you smile too even when you don't feel like smiling. He also has an amazingly contagious laugh and is one of those people who makes the most mundane activity fun.

The most wonderful thing has happened for him, after finally gathering enough bravery to visit the dentist to see what will need to be done, his Godparents have offered to pay for new porcelain crowns. The first part of the process was a lengthy one with them doing all the moulds and preparation, his Godmother and I cringed during each step, while Mr in Wonderland was cool as a cucumber, cracking jokes the entire time as is his way.

On the drive home I glanced over at him, he was quiet with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes...this meant the world to him.

Thank you so very, very much Kim and Anaza, you have made this amazing young man go from this...

To THIS........

This weekend has been awesome...the man has come to life. I know only bigger and better will follow.

Rubix cube Party

2010-03-15T21:55:00.000-07:00

Friday Night was the long awaited Rubix Cube Party. I started dressed in a green t-shirt, red skirt, yellow belt, orange scarf, white sunglasses and blue beads, we then were given a card and had to swap until we resembled ONLY that colour, I got GREEN...fun fun fun!

Here's the results...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR BEST!!!

I love Marilyn

2010-03-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

I love Marilyn Munroe, and yes I understand this would come as no sirprise. Not only is she one of my style gurus but I feel for the girl being three different dress sizes all at once! I imagine her sulking as the fabulous clothing she wishes to buy off-the-rack never fitting her bust AND being small enough across the back, pants never quite fitting her ass AND small waist and swimwear shopping well...a nightmare! Often as I have tried on 20 articles of clothing and am getting to the point of giving up, I indulge in thoughts of "What would Marilyn do?" and I walk out with nothing, only to go home and take in the waist of a pair of jeans, take up a hemline or fix an "old faithful" I've had in the mending pile for yonkers. Understandably Marilyn probably clicked her fingers and got one of her many plebs to do this for her, but hey the concept remains the same!

I stumbled upon a site of Marilyn-ism's and these just made me love her EVEN more...

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." Ahhh the way I've lived, since the day I was born, much to my parents', hmm and many ex's dismay!

"Well behaved women rarely make history." See, I knew one day I'd find justification!

"I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't."

"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything." So true!

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." Thanks, I'll have "absolutely rediculous"any day!

I love this last pic, this is Miss Munroe reading scripts on her sofa!!

BTW people often look at me strangely when I let out a shrill and say "Oh....Marilyn!" this is what you call it when your blissfully walking down the street and the wind tries to blow your dress up over your head! Just so you know...

Ahhh BRAIN hurts!

2010-03-07T00:44:00.000-08:00

Forgive my Super indulgent post today ("Super indulgent" as most of my posts, or the way I approach life in general, tend to be self-indulgent lol) but my mind is stocked FULL of so much stuff I just can't make heads or tails of what to do next!

Sooooo I have a very LARGE "To Do" list of which I have been stressing over and as a result, today I am exhausted!. Really what I am going to do is break down the things that need to be done into smaller "do-able" chunks, instead of leaving them as a large stress-inducing mass that will in the end make them unachievable.

Really I have been trying to get the simplest of things done:

1) Put together Rubix cube themed outfit: I'll explain for those playing at home- One must arrive wearing an article of clothing for each colour of each side of a rubix cube, apon arrival each person is given a card with a single colour on it, the object of the game is to swap clothing with other guests until you are only in the colour of your card...AWESOME huh? This party is also "Idiocy themed" so think games to send your inner child wild...it is going to be SO much fun...that is if I could only get my s#@$ together and get an outfit over and done with so I can begin to focus on all the fun it's going to be! :)

2) Lindy in Lancelin: The afternoon after this party we are car pooling off to Lancelin for the night of dancing and fun! Tomorrow I shall organise the details of accommodation etc then again, focus on the fun it shall be!

3) Saving for Hullabaloo- Plus working out what-on-earth I will be wearing to an "Old Hollywood" themed ball...don't get me wrong this theme excites me to no end and with a large budget I do not doubt my abilities to find something truly fabulous, but this will also mean I will need to get some stuff up on eBay quick smart :)

4) The never ending knowledge that this little apartment is storing WAY too much stuff...I REALLY will go insane looking at it all...today I will do the simple, NOT overwealming task of putting it into piles- eBay, etsy, to take to the girls at work, to give to Mr in Wonderland's Mummy to go to swap-meet. And begin to get it OUT!!!

5) Get my garden finished, the very lovely Sarj aka Her Travel Romance will be hosting a fabulous garden party in our garden in April...so pot plants need re-potting, grass needs fertilizing, all of my 50's iron garden décor needs a good painting, just generally doing all of the things that I've been meaning to do since we moved in :)

Wow now that I've written that all down and it is no longer having fisticuffs with other thoughts in my brain, it all seems rather manageable...well I better get to it. NOW I'm excited this next week is going to be AWESOME!!!!!

Smiley Swan Valley

2010-03-04T03:19:00.000-08:00

Today I went out to the very lovely Swan Valley with an even lovelier bunch of friends. We started with lunch at Mash Brewery, then wine tasting, rum tasting and then finished with milkshakes, hot chocolates and cakes with an impromptu game of cricket on the grass outside the Chocolate factory. As always lengthy discussions of rediculousness and today even an accidental girl/girl punch in the face, which is always fun :) What a way to spend the day!

The Awesome (as his shirt would suggest), Mr Best

The Darling Kat- she packs a punch :)

The Gorgeous Jake with armfuls of delights!

The other cheeky buggers wouldn't let me take their pictures :(

And some final shots because I finally was able to get my, usually non-compliant, hair into a 60's beehive up-do (to match my vintage 60's dress), this momentous occasion (for me) had to be captured! And also because this dress is a very little size 10, it only fits me once in a blue moon, this outfit may never, ever happen again! lol Especially if I have chocolate eclairs for breakfast like I did this morning! Umaaah!

Outfit-

Dress: original 60's linen dress from a swap meet

Bag- Spencer and Rutherford

Shoes-Marc Jacobs mouse flats

Hair clip- Alannah Hill

photo taken by the lovely Mr Best!

Where did February Go?

2010-03-03T03:38:00.000-08:00

So I have a bit of catch up to do...can't believe it's March already!...this is what has happened since my last post...

It has been rediculously hot, even being 30+ degrees at night! Though the sunsets have been the prettiest!

We went and had drinks after Thursdays classes at a great new place that has opened on Oxford street in Leederville called Kitsch. The decor is...well, kitsch...and much like our house actually! :)

Not a fabulous photo but that is a big frangipani filled with tealights and many mismatched little stools to sit on beneath it, you can however see the lamps up a ladder to no-where, this place is tre-cute!

We went to our last beginners Balboa class last Thursday, and danced at The Mustang on Friday as part of Perth Lindy Jam. We also had a lovely Swing It picnic in Kings Park.

Most of my time has been working on versions of this lovely little lady and other little ventures, here's my first finished Royal Show Dolly prototype, it appears that you can not sew through hot glue, so my next Dolly shall be complete with the embroidery detailing I envisioned. I have also been making many of these:

Fab felt "cat's eye" glasses, they are actual copies of my "really real" vintage sunglasses that you can see here. I'm playing around with these at the moment, they have sparkly swarovski crystals but I think I want to add a bit more detail. I've got orders already just from wearing them to a staff meeting, so better make it snappy :)

Dolly's name shall be Fanny, out of protest (I heard the other day that they have changed the names of the characters in The Folk of the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton to Frannie, Beth instead of Bessie and Rick instead of Dick, sacrilegious!)

Fanny went out on Monday night, to 'Swinging at the Deen' and then to 'Stomp'! Very impressed with 'Stomp' btw, great venue...even if it was like 'Bikram' Lindy in the heat of the night :)

We got to dance The Jitterbug Stroll with Steven Mitchell, he even sang his song the first time we did it! Steven Mitchell is the man that bought Frankie Manning out of retirement in order to learn Lindy Hop and began the Swing revival, so it was so very cool to have him in Perth, let alone singing and dancing with us. You can see the video of us here...I'm the one fudging through it smack bang in the middle! :)

I have also been receiving and gathering some new treasures...

this old scale from Mr in Wonderland's mummy!

This lovely new (well old) 50's wool blanket, from the op shop for...wait for it, $9! It's even thicker than the one I found for our picnic set.

This HUGE collection of vintage Christmas decorations, SWOON! Over Christmas I was eyeing these off on eBay for our tree...some up to $16 a bauble!

I got this lovely stash at the market all for $10, they are glass and handpainted and speckled from age and simply wonderfully showing signs of their past life!

These lovely treasures came from Mr in Wonderland's Mummy also, a lovely pair of beaded white gloves and a 1947 Woman and Home magazine... check out the ladies, aren't they lovely! "Just your type of blouse" I'll have that polka dot one, thanks...hmm and perhaps that cute frill white one :)

So there is probably a million and one other things that we've done but the camera died and I always like to let the pictures do most of the talking.

J'Adore Cath Kidston

2010-02-24T02:15:00.000-08:00

Oh my how I love Cath Kidston, her designs are so bright and happy. I just went on her website to register to get the new Spring catalogue sent out to me! I have some of her older catalogues and they are totally swoonworthy plus great for inspiration...I got mine from eBay for WAY more than I should have paid so I won't disclose that information. I only wish that stores would open in Australia. They have stores in England, Ireland and Japan, so if your over there...red and white polka dots, the blue cowboy print or the strawberries are my favs! :) I often go into Store in Fremantle or Corner Store in Nedlands if I find something that I just HAVE to have!

The lovely lady herself, surrounded by her cheery prints!

Look at her stores, see I've got such a thing for red and baby blue!

Red and blue again! That tablecloth is from one of her books...you can applique it yourself, loving the mismatched chairs and that blue jug...

This lovely little picture reminds me of something...

AND the website is overwhelmingly enticing...

For a while now I've been wanting that red and white polka dot oilcloth...I'd like to make those armchair protector things to go over the arms of our sofa where Charlie "the grubby cat" sits. Also to catch my slops should I wish to spill juice all over the place again.

You can visit her website here...

http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/

Ahhh I'll be anxiously awaiting that catalogue....:)

Woundings and Weddings!

2010-02-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Because I've hurt my knee being too "gung ho" and not paying attention to what I'm doing at work and then come have home and spilt juice on Mr in Wonderland (don't get me wrong, it was hilarious except that it almost hit his laptop)... I think my brain may be fried. You know those moments when you stop and think, "Man, I think my sub-concious is trying to get me to rest" days, I'm just too stubborn to listen, to the point that it must need to plot to "take me out". Once I was so tired, I fell down a step into our sunken lounge room, twisted my ankle and proceeded to cry like a little girl. Adult bravery is no match for childlike pain response when needing a "nigh nigh's"! :)
So I'm sitting in my comfy blogging nook with my knee elevated, lathered in arnica, awaiting processed treats from the oven and a pre-packaged salad (so I don't have to be long on my feet for it to swell again).

I found this picture in my travels, the yellow one is the style that I want my wedding dress...in white. I'd like pink but Mr in Wonderland's logic is that I can "wear a big pink puffy dress whenever I like, but white makes it special"!

I only wish that they still cost $25 like in the advertisement! The last one I was eyeing off on eBay in the most beautiful lilac went off for $800, still that is a cheap wedding dress I suppose! I've gone around to the stores but they don't have the shorter length (without $40 an hour alterations and who wants to buy a gorgeous dress then cut it in half?) or anything really close to the style...plus I know what tulle COSTS so I wonder how they make up the $4000 with $100 worth of tulle?
...And yes I want to look like a big, dolly toilet roll cover from the 50's/60's!

While I'm on the subject of weddings...my baby sister is freshly engaged! I'm anxious to see what her ideas are, as she's though mine are completely INSANE :)
She likes understated, classy and smart, where I like flashy, bright and kitch, when I asked if she'd wear a dress similar to the one above as a bridesmaid, she almost died! hehe
My other sister has decided she doesn't want to wear a dress at all, she'll be donning a fabulous 40's styled suit instead.

To get an idea of our different styles...

Sister in Wonderland's ring...

My ring...

Sister in Wonderland out on the town...

Ashliegh in Wonderland, well about to to go out on the town...

Actually the three of us have something in common that won't change...we love to be silly!

Congratulations Erin and Dan!!! Lots of love xxx

I Made This For You......

2010-02-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

I've been telling so many people about these gorgeous little bloggings!
Stephan and Shauna from Somethings Hiding in There have a little feature on Poppytalk called I Made This For You. They are quite the crafty couple and come up with different crafty and caring things to make for each other. These things are so cheap and easy to do, yet so heart-warming and lovely.... so check out I Made This For You, you'll love it!
My favourite: The paper cup fence message and the tags for the plaid shirts, SO cute!

Shopping expedition

2010-02-15T01:09:00.001-08:00

Beaufort street Perth runs from Northbridge in the city centre out to Bedford, I often drive past many fabulous looking little stores on my way to get to my Mum's house (and always on a Sunday when these little stores are closed) :(

On my day off I was determined to see inside these places I had admired as they quickly flashed past the car...

First place that I stopped was 476 Beaufort St, Highgate, Russell's Emporium, which is an antique store PACKED full of goodies....though it was GONE, it is now a florist...

It's just like when you say "I don't believe in fairies", a fairy dies...when you believe antiques and collectables are dusty old junk...an antique store dies :(

Though I did spy across the street an intriguing little place called Behind the Monkey, now this place place looked like the inside of my house, retro meets the weird and wonderful. The front is full of the most amazing jewellery, I fell in love with a necklace of an elderly couple sitting on a park bench...about the size of my fingertip.

As you step into the hall, in my opinion...is where the magic begins...artworks line the walls, the walls themselves are a masterpiece all of their own, with vintage wallpaper, decoupaged pages from old books and little painted silhouettes of fairy tale stories over the top...hard to explain you really must see for yourself! I'm dying to find a way we can do something like it in our apartment! There are three more rooms, filled with retro bits and bobs, furniture, lamps, artwork.

I stopped in at the new Empire, which is a much more decadent wander than the store they had in Osborne Park. As you go up the wide, blue staircase there is a giant fish tank, I'm sold! Plus a long line of the most gorgeous little ceramic WHITE RABBITS! Empire is where I find inspiration as their range is very modern quirky meets vintage, which I LOVE, as you know!

Then I went off to Oxford st in Leederville. One of the stores, Varga Girl, I instantly fell in love with, again a store where modern kitsch meets vintage. Plus they had a Hills Hoist clothes line in the middle of the store and the most fabulous 50's concrete swan planters greeting you at the entrance!

There is a cafe with the entire roof covered in paper lanterns, SO will be going there on our next outing.

I found Alice in Wonderland brooches, a cute little display in a bookshop window with faux grass and a gnome,ahhh my favourite! Oh AND I finally tried on a pair of those amazing Melissa/Vivienne Westwood HEART heels! These babies smell like sweet bubblegum so strongly you can smell it out the door of the store... Swoon!

I've just GOT to get myself one of those swans...

Happy Valentines

2010-02-14T02:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day everybody.

You'd think that given the opportunity to be all cutesy and flowery and lovey dovey, that I'd be right on top of that. Well, nope. Mr in Wonderland only realised it was Valentines Day this Sunday when I mentioned it Friday. His response and a cheeky grin, "Woops, Have you bought me anything"..."Because I want shin pads" haha How romantic! Then after that I went off this morning to the markets, only later to receive a text "Will you be my Valentine?" Woops I'd forgotten! :)

hehe we're as bad as each other!

Nah we sat together on the balcony reading books and eating lunch and we have planned to go and watch "Up in the Air" at Luna Outdoor cinema, aaah stars, deckchairs, wine and cheese, and I'm a happy lass!

I will do one thing though...

Mr in Wonderland, I know you read this blog, and because I'm too unorganised to put a message in the newspaper (The thought was there, pfft really I've been "going to" every year for the past 10)

I want to tell you that life is shiny when your around :) To think that I get to spend forever being silly will you, makes me wake up each day with a smile and plan the future with unbridled enthusiasm.

I know I must often drive you crazy with my eccentricities but you always treat me with care, love and patience, that can't always be easy :)

You are strong and wise, forever growing, learning and changing and I love to hear your stories, shares your ideas and grow with you...it's a trait you possess that I respect and admire.

You are also a complete wally, which I adore the most, whether it's making up songs for Charlie as you feed him, wandering around half the shopping centre before I look down and find you haven't any shoes on, or declaring to your colleagues that your pet name is "poo face", we make fun out of the dullest of situations and I know that this will never change...you really are my best friend...I love you so very, very much!!

Your crazy in the bean fiancée, Ashliegh xxx

Now Mid-Century Valentines bound to work in a modern context....these are a hoot!

Because nothing says romance like...

"You run, I'll shoot"

"I'm completely spine-less..."

"Tie me up"...

animal cruelty...

eating cutesy baby cow...

children with giant knives...

hit and run...

love heart shaped STD's...

drawing=FAIL!

suggestive thermometers...

This one says "What every girl should know,

How to cook and sew,

Day by I'm trying to earn,

Your deep affection

"Sew" why can't you learn?

...it speaks for itself!

"Your frigid, be my Valentine"...

domestic violence...

inappropriate rockets...

Hope you have a great Valentines Day...enjoy!

Outfit of the Day

2010-02-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Outfit of the Day

Top- Portmans T-shirt, "up-cycled" by me!

Skirt- Cue or Veronica Maine (I forget, same company anyway)

Shoes-op shop find
I had quite a few girls on my shopping travels comment on this outfit and ask me where I got my top....my reply "a gorgeous little online designer called Ashliegh in Wonderland" hehe cheeky!

First Splanky for 2010...BIG BAND!!!!!

2010-02-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was the first "Splanky" for the year.It is held in the very fitting surrounds of Como Primary school, built in 1916. This night was the "live band" night of which we were charmed by the swinging sounds of the Oz Big Band.
Each Splanky has a real community spirit to it, guests are encouraged to bring a plate, drinks are offered on "honesty policy" for the very retro price of $1.00 a can. The swing community is a close-net one, "newbies" are asked to dance by the more experienced and vice versa, everyone is out for a good time.
I even learnt some great new Balboa moves on the floor simply by following...I've only started lessons last Thursday. Leads are lovely and understanding, and often if you still don't get it, whisper "ready step forward, 1, 2, 1, 2..." :)

Looking swanky at the Splanky

Weird angle, we all agreed Paul looks like he's holding carrots!

Mr in Wonderland, channelling Christian Louboutin with his taped shoes!

Russell and I tuck turning, I think, never know with Russ, he's cheeky :)

Amanda cracking up

Mr in Wonderland and myself, FINALLY a photo of us social dancing, very tiredly I might add :)

Charleston-ing

Something speedy...

Something spin-ny...

It was such a fun night, the band was fantastic, as were the dj'd tunes in between each set. Plus it's always fun to just hang out and be silly!

The Rhythm Spectacular

2010-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Image by Hutch

Friday night we went to see the RHYTHM SPECTACULAR!!!

Adam Hall and the Velvet playboys played tunes from the 20's to 60's, I found myself saying over and over...ooh I love this song, ooh I love this song, OOOH i LOVE this song. Poor Paul beside me, "Yes, you've loved all the songs so far"! Well they did play the best of the best!

Even Adam Hall got in on the action, that's him in the white shirt, swinging away!

I've always wanted to see the Martini Glass routine...A'dora Derriere was fantastic!

Jessie singing sultry cabaret tunes!

Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys

You can catch the boys playing swinging tunes Friday nights at the Mustang Bar, 46 Lake St Northbridge, Perth WA.

Sugar Blue Burlesque

The Burlesque Lounge
Upstairs, 267 William Street, Northbridge WA

They are a burlesque academy, lounge and perform functions, hold retro markets and burlesque themed life drawing classes!