Today’s daily outfit was for meetings, lunch and generally gadding about in bookstores. The dress is a gorgeous early 1960′s, late 1950′s piece in a cotton waffle weave fabric.  I feel in love with it the minute I saw it at the Love Vintage Show earlier this year and had to have it… even though at the time I couldn’t even get the zip done up. *cough* Perhaps I’d been to lunch too many times that week. Anyway, it hung around in the wardrobe for a while but I could only wear it when corseted down, that is until today! Yay!  Cause let’s face it, corsets might look dead sexy but I tell you, trying to get down and play lego in them is hell and not advisable.  Heels on the other hand (foot?) are do-able. They just need to be cute AND sturdy to work.

Outfit Details

Dress – Vintage circa 1959

Shoes – Paragon dept. store Bangkok

Earrings – Vintage

Gorgeous Baby – Miss 2

I love my vintage and I love my things a little extra fancy, but it is critically important that I can still do everything I need to without fear of dirt, damage or puncturing a rib. And that is why I take a leaf from the book of women of the past to make it work.

The secret? An apron!

Don’t forget to vote for Super Kawaii Mama in the 2 threads Best Fashion Blog Awards Category.

Horray! It is tutorial time again. Thanks to my new Kodak Zi8, I can finally create much better tutorials, and thanks to Mr SKM who has been working hard to fix my software, I can finally edit them properly. Okay, the editing I am still working on, but I’m getting there.

Today’s tutorial is the first in a series on how I use the Bumpits hair inserts.  These are designed to give lift and volume where you would have traditionally needed lots of teasing to achieve the look.  This look is a simple updo that takes three minutes to achieve and can be just a classy or cute as you like – it all depends on the accessories you add.

Enjoy!

P.S: You may notice I’ve been nominated for another Fashion Blog Award. Yes, I need your votes! So please, spare a moment and vote for Super Kawaii Mama here.. (several times if you can) cause it is nice to know you’re loved.

A good outfit should make you happy. It should put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. It doesn’t have to make your butt look smaller or your legs longer (although that is nice too), but a good outfit is always, always one that makes you glow from the inside out.  And that was what today’s outfit is for me.

For a morning out doing errands, buying fabric for projects and getting started on the Christmas list; I needed something that put me in a Christmas-y mood.  What better way to do that than by opening a gift I bought for myself and giving them their very first outing!  These amazing shoes are by Le Pommier and are a one of a kind (sorry guys).  I came across them in Singapore (yet again) and wanted to bring home several pairs in different styles. Alas, my bags we so over full I could only fit one pair, but you know where my first stop will be next time I get there!

Outfit Details:

Shirt – Zara  Skirt – Sass

Shoes – Le Pommier

Lipstick – AVON suede

Nails – by me!

We’ve just made our very own gym at home. I had allowed my schedule to get in the way of my exercise activities and the consequences are dire. All the usual things, from feeling more and more tired to not sleeping at all.Something had to be done.

So we’ve brought home the elliptical trainer, found my hand weights and set up the T.V with a whole seasons worth of Gossip Girl to distract my legs form their activity. But how do you go about making something as ordinary as exercise a little vintage glam?  And even more so, how do you do it without messing up your hair?

Ladies work out wear of the past had much more in common with what we now see on the tennis courts or the golf course – well unless your Venus Williams!  High waisted shorts, pleated skirts, all in ones, tennis dresses and the ever cute (but difficult to manage) playsuit. Surprisingly, when you think about it, most of these things are rather easy to come by, but the key difference is in the overall presentation of the look. Hair was still beautiful, not scraped into a ragged ponytail that would have your hairdresser shrinking with shame. When you consider the time and effort that went into an old-school weekly set, it wasn’t likely that these ladies would be working up a sweat, more likely a ‘lady like glow’. Exercise was less about cardio and fat burning,and more about gentle shaping and toning – invigoration. In fact, it all sounds just about my speed.

So I’ve taken a leaf from the vintage book yet again and come up with these; my very own Vintage Inspired Workout Wear look!

High Waisted shorts with a little cropped t-shirt. Some matching flat canvas trainers and bobby socks, as well as a cute hair band – cause we can’t have your hair in your eyes making you fall off the treadmill now can we!

Don’t forget the robe to keep you warm after said workout too!

Again with the high waisted shorts and this time with a cute tailored polo shirt. Don’t forget the clips to keep your curls out of your face.

I love this cropped top with the detailed neckline. Pair with a short pleated skirt (very lady like if you please), bobby sock and flat canvas trainers again. A nice wide headband can be worn turban style to keep your curls up, safe and dry while your twisting away to your 18 inch waist!

Now is that a more attractive way to train than in your boyfriends old high school t-shirt? I think so!

You may not be old enough to remember the birthday cakes of days gone by, but for me, these confections are the memories of my childhood. Of all the Nana’s getting together to bake for the local church fete. Of the Royal Melbourne show and the cake decorating competition and of my Mother’s early cake decorating triumphs.  It may not be that this time was very long ago, but the traditions that came with special occasions always included a cake such as these. It wasn’t until the 1990′s for me that people around these parts started to get more modern with their designs, and then the offerings at the local fetes became not much better than a shake and bake mix.

Anyway, not that I am any good at this sort of thing myself, but I do enjoy and appreciate the work that goes into them.

Today’s vintage eye candy is most likely as sweet as it looks.  I wonder if anyone is still making these?

“If I told you how old I really was, I’d have to set you on fire.”

If only I had the patience…. perhaps that explains the explosion of the cupcake market these days.

Small, pretty and much,much faster!

Hmmm……cupcakes….