Let me set the scene for you. After a weeks worth a delightful, sunny, seaside weather; Saturday decided to bucket down in the most unfriendly manner. And with ten girls all ready to hit the stage in their scanties, Saturday’s parade was sadly a wash out and so we all called it a day and went back to get in a bit of a Nana nap. Lucky we did because…

Sunday’s weather wasn’t much better! But determined to give the crowd something to remember, these valiant ladies rallied together to pop on their fancy knickers and set off running to and fro in the pouring rain.

My thanks go to Brett Dolson Photography for these wonderful images of the afternoon. He has a wonderful gallery full of beautiful shots from not only the parade, but the whole Wintersun week – check it out!

Put together by Bonnie Rose Vintage, the show featured highlights from lingerie, swimwear, day and evening wear of the 1940′s and 1950′s. The ladies all did a wonderful job of modelling the garments, many for their very first time, showing grace under pressure and always ready with a smile.

It’s likely all this has whetted your appetite for something more, so isn’t it fortunate I have another big show right around the corner?! This SUNDAY 26th JUNE, I’m hosting a traditional 1950′s Salon show at Como House & Gardens as a part of the Mannequin Exhibition. It is set to be a stunning event in the grand ballroom, featuring beautiful garments from both local and international labels including Dior and Le Louvre. The show commences at 3.30pm and tickets include a glass of champagne on arrival, as well as entry to the full exhibition.  I’d suggest you book a ticket immediately as there are only a handful left! Clickety click!

It seems that just about every blogger out there has done a “What’s in My Bag” post over the course of time, but not me. I’ve been asked to do this several times, but just keep forgetting to photograph. So when I came across my Holy Grail handbag at Wintersun this year, it was a great excuse to combine showing you this beautiful bag and to illustrate just how amazing it is by showing you what I can fit in it!

The contents of my bag vary slightly depending on the day, but this is what I carry most days.  I decided to shoot all this on my Hello Kitty tea tray so that you can see the relative size of each piece as well; and also just for gratuitous use of cute props..

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Top row: iPhone, coin purse, handcream

Bottom row: Mirror, key case, wallet

I’ve made it a point to collect matching silver vintage GloMesh and I love the way it is all coming together. Next on the agenda is a DIY silver mesh iPhone case!

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Top row: Compact powder, fold up parasol, breath mints,nail glue, eye drops, lace trimmed handkerchief, homeopathic remedy.

Bottom row: Business cards, lip pencil, lipstick, lip gloss, tape measure, comb.

All very important and in the bag every day.

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Top row: Vintage hand fan, mini video camera that doubles for stills, sunglasses

Bottom row: Gorilla tripod, Cigarette case (for holding all manner of small bit and bobs, like mini sewing kit, earrings I take off and don’t want to loose etc..)

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So this is rather a lot to be carrying around each day without resorting to a large shoulder bag or the whole ‘schelping’ thing I fear.  And this is the reason I took all these shots on the tray, so I could also shoot the handbag that holds it all on the same tray and show you it’s Tardis-like qualities!

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1950′s, painted leather, framed handbag with gold detailing and little gold feet!

Best Bag Ever!

And for 20 bonus points it even has a RED interior!

I don’t know if I could love this bag anymore than I already do.  I’m treating it to regular conditioning and top shelf placement in the hope of having it last another fifty plus years.  Do you have a favorite vintage bag that works with everything and what sort of things do you carry around?

Wintersun was nothing if not a fabulous time for photo opportunities, and it seems that I got around quite a bit!  Here’s a look at some of the cameos I made during the week.

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Promoting Wintersun and Charm School in the Tweed Daily

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Wintersun lead story for Gold Coast news.

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Promoting the Wintersun vintage swimsuit parade organised by Nicole Jenkins of Circa Vintage Clothing and The Lindy Charm School for Girls in the Gold Coast Bulletin.

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Possibly my favorite swimsuit of the parade – and another shot of it here.

One of my all time favorite moments of the week posing it up in the laundromat with my darling friend Kesenya.

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Trying  really had to Lindy Hop with my friend Miss Carly!

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Working it in a 1950′s black lace swimsuit.

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Finding a 1930′s vibe in a sweet blue suit.

I still have a pile of photos and fun to share with you, not least of which are highlights from the great 1950′s Cake Bake Contest, my pick of the best of the bands and the very, very odd local colour! (Hint – it has feathers!)

* Please note – all images are property of The Tweed Daily and The Gold Coast Bulletin where stated and remain their property.*