A beautiful baroque interior by Tony Duquette.

As you probably gathered from the last post bemoaning my indecision on carpet choices, there are some changes afoot here at home. I’ve always been a creature of change, never settling for long on one thing or another. Not shoes and never jobs, and least of all the environment around me. I’m an easily discontented sort, always on the look out to improve, embellish or otherwise chase some other version of perfection. Which is why my career as a style blogger and vintage hair & makeup artist is such a constant source of joy to me. It is always and forever changing.

This time, my living space is once again in the line of my decorative fire. I’ve spent the better part of the last four days hauling furniture, trawling Pinterest, climbing ladders and annoying carpet sales men. Anyone around me at these times knows that the correct response to any of my queries is, “Oh that’s genius!” “Absolutely, ‘Lime Dream’ is an inspired choice.” (Which is by the way, the name of the colour I have only just today finished painting in my studio.)

I’d like to tell you that my decorating efforts take place from the comfort of a deck chair, gin and tonic in hand whilst an army of minions completes the tasks. But no, being the pedant I am (read – control freak), all decorating efforts take place at the hands of me and my very patient father. This is the one time you’ll find me in spandex yoga pants, balancing on one foot atop a ladder, in some oddly contorted position, paint brush in hand. Yes, it is still with red lacquered (but somewhat paint spattered) nails, lashings of mascara and chiffon scarves.

Decorating, like ironing; is for me a kind of Zen. I have some of my very best thoughts doing this kind of work. It is probably the only time I have a single track mind without the usual multiple mental conversations. And today I had another thought. I think the candidate most in need of a makeover at present is the internet, or should I say, the way people behave to each other on the internet. This was not prompted by any particular moment, comment or thought, but just by a general observers view as I wade through hideous Facebook posts, dreadful comments and other ‘ugly’ sentiments.

So while I kick start this (yet another) decorating phase, I’m inspired to think of decorating our insides just as we do our outsides. Shining a light on those neglected corners of friendship, dusting off the cobwebs of forgotten manners and finding a shade of attitude that compliments us well.

 Grey-er Sage like this  &           Mossier green like this.

For once this is a bigger decision than which eye shadow of the day, or even which frock on the rack I’m choosing. This time it is carpet.  Since we moved into this house some five years ago, there has been a list of aspirational renovations we’ve wanted to do that are a mile long. Some were tackled immediately, (purple ceilings anyone?), others a slower process like when I stripped all the wallpaper and went peacock blue in the bedroom.  Then my fix it up streak went on AWOL. That is until I can no longer live with the carpet I have in my most often used rooms; my studio and the family room. As much as I’d like to replace the floor in the whole house, it looks set to cost the sum of a decent car, so for now I’m applying a bit of make do and mend to the situation. Which brings me to my dilemma.

The January sales shortly come to a close and I’ve managed to secure a deal on two carpets that I like. One is a safe option, a rather modern grey green called sage and the other a thicker and rather more adventurous moss green.  Of course my instincts tell my that adventure is always my chosen path, and from everything I can see in my research on mid century homes, colour was all the rage.  So do I go bolder even though Miss Seven says it looks like frog vomit?….  This is the serious conundrum of my Wednesday. Will you weigh in and help me decide?  ;)

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What are your tips for a Merry Kitsch-mas?

Mr SKM bought me this beautiful vase filled with flowers at the Camberwell markets a little while back. The flowers have a sort of velveteen finish and soft pastel colours that compliment the vase perfectly. But it has started a whole new addiction… lusterware!  Luckily for me, this isn’t an expensive one with all sorts of pieces still available in Op Shops, garage sales, markets and even the odd raid on Nana’s house.

Pretty, no?

Today on Lustable I find the perfect handbag sized, wicked perfume!

I was honored to be asked to judge this year’s heat and made sure I brought my best CWA judging criteria to the table.  Each cake was cut and prodded, tasted and tested, contestants grilled about secret recipes and outfits appraised with a critical eye.  But what a difficult job!  These contestants brought their ‘A’ game, and without a complicated points system I never would have been able to determine the winners.

It was a very windy day down by the seaside, so precautions had to be taken to ensure we arrived looking our best. Mistress Chrissy was there to whip the contestants into line and keep proceedings moving along.

All the contestants arrived to set up their creations and present them to an eagerly awaiting crowd.

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All the best dressed at the festival turned up to either participate or simply to watch and hope for a taste.

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This lovely lady had on the most gorgeous Eiffel Tower print vintage frock!

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We began with a little coffee to set the mood.

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But the competition was fierce! Play nice girls.

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The entries were all unbelievably good, with this stunning entrant even matching her cake’s colour to it’s flavour, to her outfit, to her car!!

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And so the judging began. Knowing I had to slip into a swimsuit in the next hour I kept my taste tests small, but what a job!

So, who won this test of sugar, eggs and will?

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3rd Place went to the delightful Mz Vicki and her rather ugly
(by her own admission), but unbelievably good Marshmallow Cake. Made to an original 1950′s ladies magazine recipe, this was one tasty delight!

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2nd Place went to Amanda and her “Flamin 57 Chev” which was a work of art inside and out. Layer upon layer of vanilla and red velvet on the inside, with each flame and a total car created entirely by her, by hand!

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But the 1st Place Winner?.

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Mimsy of Mimsy’s Trailer Trash Tattoos, created a replica of her trailer right down to the Flamingo’s on the lawn and the picket fence!

It looked amazing and tasted out of this world!

So Ms. Mimsy took home the winner’s silver cake server and added another title to her string of talents.

It was such a highlight of the weekend for me, as my childhood memories of the wonderful cake competitions that used to be seen at the Royal Melbourne Show, came flooding back.  The bar has been set so high by the contestants this year that I can hardly wait to see what next year has in store!

A big Thank You to Nicole Jenkins of Circa Vintage Clothing and Miss Kim of Vintage Charm by Kim, for providing these photos, as once again my hands were otherwise occupied.

Being a vintage collector I’ve seen my fair share of dress clips and fur clips, (not always still in matching pairs) but hadn’t seen anything new until I came across Emmersen. Exclusive and made by hand here in Australia, Emmersen is producing a stunning range of shoe clips along with matching gloves (yay!) and even limited edition pieces like their tulle bustle – also a brilliant style add on. So I spent quite a bit of time the other week browsing through the site trying to decide on two different styles of clips that best worked with my look and would be the most versatile.  The first of these you will have noticed in the previous outfit post – the stunning red AVA clips that I added to the back of my shoes.

Given that I was already plotting the myriad of ways I could wear these, the decision to choose the vintage diamonte ones ( On the Rocks – what a name!) was a foregone conclusion. I am imagining them on capes, collars, bags, hats, furs, hair slides…. and I’m sure I’ll come up with even more options as time goes on.

Anyway, when my little package arrived I was equally impressed by the beautiful boxed packaging. They’ve obviously thought about the type of women who will wear these and the best way to keep the pieces in tip top condition.  The box is a lovely heavy weight card with a matt laminate finish and a cello window so you can always see which pair you are looking for. The clips themselves are a quality french mechanism with tiny little barbs to stop them slipping or disappearing off your shoes.  I put my AVA clips through their paces on Thursday night and not once did I have to readjust or go looking for a rogue bow. The more I played with these the bigger fan I have become.

The Ava shoe clips that I wore on my black patent shoes in the last post. They are so lovely! The finish is satin and the backs are a super soft felt to that there is no danger of scratching and it also helps them grip a little better to the slippery patent leather.

The On The Rocks shoe clips in all their sparkly, swanky glory. I really, really love these but to be honest I’ll probably wear them more as dress clips or on hats as I want to see them all the time, and if I always wear them on my shoes I’ll likely trip for always looking at them!

I started experimenting with a few different ways of wearing these and decided to try them both out on one of my structured vintage bags, and the diamontes were just the thing to add night time glamour to my new vintage hat.

They clipped on very easily and didn’t damage, leave dints or holes in anything which is always a concern when you pin things in to vintage garments.  Here is a close up of how they work.

Each time I wear these differently in an outfit I’ll show you how I’ved used them and try and give you even more creative ideas, but this morning after pin curling my hair  and popping on the scarf to keep them warm, I had a brain wave.

Thanks to Emmersen I’m having my very own Aunty Mame moment!

Insert Self Here for Blissful Time.

Last Saturday in honor of the delightful Violet Le Beaux being in town, a group of like minded bloggers (and a pair of well trained partners) got together to enjoy and afternoon tea in true girly style. In a little known corner of Collingwood, Melbourne, is a lovely store that is bringing girly back. Christina Re is well known for her stunning DIY stationery collection that let’s you create customised pieces of correspondence magic on paper, vellum and quilted card to name but a few.  To make the experience of selection and creation much more enjoyable, they have recently launched a small in store cafe to supply tea and cakes to weary crafters.  After popping in for a much needed lemonade the other week, I was overwhelmed by the serenity and light of it all, promptly making a note to bring back a bunch of appreciative friends.  And so we did.

left to right: Aurora Hime, Violet Le Beaux, Jimmy America

left to right: Esme and the Laneway, Fables in Fashion, Petite Valse

Super Kawaii Mama and Esme and the Laneway, doing what bloggers do best. Photo by Jimmy America.

Also in attendence were Kitty’s Drawings and Circa Vintage to help us improve the vintage lover versus princess contingent.  I met the two styles in the middle by wearing a 1960′s pink square dancing dress and vintage blue petticoat!

It was as fun and fancy as it looked, there is no doubt we’ll be doing it again. In fact, I think I shall declare this weekend;

DIY Tea Party Weekend

So have a little tea and a cake or two with me.

I usually think this would be a nice idea, but then leave my run too late and don’t get a single thing made!  This year, I’ve decided to not only make a few things but create little tutorials on it as well, just to keep me on track. So today’s tutorial is something a little out of the ordinary – a Christmas Special Make & Do!

With two little girls in my house, we look for any and all excuses to up the fanciness quotient, and decorating everyday items is one of the best ways. This week I created a Princess style (also known as Himegyaru style) Glory Box and it is a hit.  They aren’t very difficult to make, they just take patience, imagination and lots and lots of sparkle and lace.  I was going to give this box to Miss 5 for Christmas, but I like it so much I think I’ll have to make another!

Enjoy this suitably regal tutorial and make your own Princess Glory box to share… or keep!

Look what arrived for me yesterday courtesy of Kodak! It is no bigger than my iPhone and means the end of poor audio on my vlogs, as well as loads more new tutorials in the works. Hooray – I hear you shout.  I have loads of new treats in the works, but am a little behind this week, so I know it is only teasing, but this is a very brief  “Things to Come” post.

And while on the topic of making things, I’m continuing on my experiments with Japanese nail art, (you’ll remember my obsession began long ago here).  I had a great set a few months back, and thanks to encouragement from my friend Violet and the amazing set she made me for the Nuffnang Awards, I’ve been trying my hand at my own.

The work currently in progress.

While on the subject of all things cute, cuddly,and sparkly; let me say that while I certainly claim no sense of ownership over these pastimes, there is a certain blogger  who has been taking far too much inspiration from my play book of late and claiming a sense of divine inspiration.

My words and ideas are my own. They are not free to hijack.

This is not okay.

Oh the sweetness!

During my recent trip to Singapore I did a lot of shopping… just for something I never usually do. Ha!  Although shopping for me doesn’t always involve spending a truck load of cash, it is more about checking out cool things I love, things that inspire me and things that are just plain pretty, as in the case of this darling shop I came across. I stumbled upon Nana Reve De La in Far East Mall just by chance. In a sea of samey sameness it was a beacon that drew me in with it’s rose coloured song.  My first thought was, ” I can’t believe my buddy Violet has just gone back to Australia! This is her Holy Grail!” So of course in order to share the joy of this super cute store I just had to take some pictures to share.

It was impossible to take two steps in there without emitting little squeals of “Oh look, it’s so cute!” etc.. etc..  The girls in attendance were so sweet.  Given that taking photographs in shops in Singapore is generally a big no no, the ladies were very generous in allowing me to take these shots to share with you on the blog.  There is all sorts of idea theft that goes on in Asia as the copyright laws are not as strong or enforced as they are here in Australia. So it is very important to people to try and protect their businesses, particularly when so much time and effort has gone into creating something so special.

The whole store had such a sweet girly vibe going on. The aesthetic sitting somewhere between Sweet Lolita and Hime Gyaru; but cleverly catering for anyone who’d like a little bit of sweetness for their day.

So much lace, chiffon and pastel colours it was like shopping inside a cupcake ! On first glance you may think that these styles are a bit too over the top and fussy for day to day wear; but think about it. In the harsh summer sun it makes sense to cover up with light breathable fabrics and a beautiful wide brimmed hat, and this was the perfect place to create a summer princess look.  Personally, the outfits on the models above made me think of afternoon tea on the lawns Gatsby style…..

Luckily for Mr.SKM I am a little bigger than the average customer in this store, so it was more of a look and appreciate kind of visit. But there was no possible way I could leave empty handed; isn’t that why accessories where invented? ^-^

After having an indulgent wander through the store, the girls helped me find the perfect little cardigan for a summer’s afternoon. It is sweet, cool and has a suitable retro touch.

… and because I am a sucker for the fancy….

And yes, I had to create a suitable fancy picture post for a store like this.

Singapore.. fun times indeed!