Ballarat Vintage Style

The key to happiness

2010-03-12T22:22:00.000-08:00

Two words.

Hats.

Lipstick.

Or to be more precise, two new hats and some bright red lipstick. Call me superficial, but these are the things that are currently making me happy.

Hat number one:

I love that it's black, I love that it's beaded, I love that it has a curly spiral. I especially love that it only cost $10. As did hat number two:

What better than a splash of red just in time for autumn. And it matches my new red lipstick (chilli by Max Factor) perfectly.

Unfortunately neither of the hats match what I'm wearing today, but I'm forming autumn outfit ideas in my head as we speak. For today's amazing weather I wore the most romantic dress I own and paired it with a little cardi and some huge pearls.

Dress : Canberra opshop
Cardigan : I forget!
Pearls : Diva
Shoes : ishoes in Brunswick Street

The t-shirt and jeans trap

2010-03-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

I've commited the greatest vintage sin of all. Lately I've fallen into the trap of wearing t-shirts and jeans nearly every day. And not in a fabulous 1940s inspired Super Kawaii Mama kind of way. Instead, I'm stuck in a uniform of pedictable skinny dark jeans and white/black bonds t-shirt. I feel guilty that I even own these items. I had a sinking feeling that I didn't want to op shop anymore, worse still, I didn't even want to wear vintage. That was until I was driving past an op-shop and spotted the most beautiful coat in the window. A screaming u-turn and a one minute dash in and out of the shop, and I had a new mohair coat with white fur collar for only $10. I hadn't felt the thrill of finding something so special in such a long time. So thankyou a million times over to whoever donated this coat to the op shop next to the Ballarat train station.

A wedding and an anniversary

2010-02-02T23:52:00.000-08:00

Our friend's outdoor wedding last weekend called for light summery clothing. For me, this came in the form of a yellow 50's dress with a beautiful pleated bodice from Ruby Rouge. For Mr Vintage Style, a light grey three piece suit from Melbourne based menswear label Jack London was in order. I love a man in a three piece suit!

The wedding was just lovely. The bride and groom looked so happy and relaxed. Especially lovely was the ceremony, which took place amongst the trees on Canberra's Black Mountain. It was followed by High Tea at the Hyatt where we stuffed ourselves full of tea and cake.

Speaking of weddings, Mr Vintage Style and I recently celebrated our own wedding anniversary. As a result, I now have a beautiful bunch of roses which make me smile every time I look at them.

Electronic apron

2010-01-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

What to do on a Sunday while working in a vintage shop? Clean of course. And what better way to do so than to borrow some bling for my neck...

...and put on a vintage apron. This is one strange apron. It features a print of the Phillips electronics company logo.

I'm wearing it with a dress I got for free (that's my favourite word!) from a friend as it didn't fit her. I bought the espadrilles from Kmart years ago and only wore them for the first time recently.

Ooooh, Viva Las Vegas is on TV. I love a Sunday afternoon with Elvis!

Pin Up Girl

2010-01-21T02:30:00.000-08:00

A quiet night in calls for a movie night. After watching Night of the Living Dead (I love zombie films), I needed to watch something lighter before going to bed. Pin Up Girl was the perfect anecdote. Made in 1944, it stars Betty Grable. Not only is Betty glamorous and elegant, but she also has perfect comic timing. And her wardrobe is to die for! Oh those shoulder pads and bullet bras! I also love her side-kick. She's helping fuel my librarian chic obsession. I think I need a new pair of glasses...

While browsing online, I also found that there's a Betty Grable Pin Up Girl cut out doll book. Cute!

Librarian chic

2010-01-19T02:43:00.000-08:00

A while ago my sister sent me a knitting pattern book. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. I don't quite understand what these three are getting up to in the library, but they sure make knitwear look sexy...

Shades of pale

2010-01-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

Another month, another Fashions In Time meeting. Today's theme was knits, leather, luggage and lace. I stuck with the lace theme. I was running a little late to I forgot to grab one of the many vintage suitcases I own to fit in with the luggage theme. Oh well!

I wore an 80s lace dress from Ruby Rouge in Main Road which has a bit of a 20s/30s feel to it. I wore it with a faux fur coat (which feels like a teddy bear) which was my Grandma's, hat from vintage shop in Christchurch NZ, necklace from garage sale, bag from a long forgotten op shop and the 1950s watch was my Mum's and was a gift to her from my Grandpa on her 12th birthday. I bought the shoes yesterday at iShoes in Brunswick Street Melbourne. They look like something my Grandma would have worn. I think my sister would agree if she's reading this.

My new obsession

2010-01-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

Image from here.

Part of the reason why I haven't been blogging much lately is that my back is a painful mess. I feel like I'm turning into a hunchback, so one of my new years resolutions is to work on my posture. I've practiced yoga and pilates in the past, but I've never been that into it. But I decided to give pilates another try. I picked Peace and Quiet in Sturt Street from a few options on offer in Ballarat. I'm a big fan on making decisions based on the quality of a business's website, and my choice of pilates studio was no exception. Peace and Quiet is primarily a day spa, with the pilates studio upstairs. The day spa smells and looks amazing so I'm also looking forward to treating myself to a massage there one day.

Before I went to my first class at Peace and Quiet I couldn't even come close to touching my toes. Ten days and five classes later, I can put the palms of my hands on the floor. It's pretty amazing that I feel so much better in less than ten days. I just wanted to let all of you in blogland know the siginificant change that pilates has made to my life already. I feel flexible, strong, healthy and in control of my body. I'm going to feel alot better about wearing pretty 50s dresses now that I'm not a hunchback!

I heart Summer

2010-01-16T00:29:00.001-08:00

It's been such a lovely warm day today. I went to Melbourne for the day to the Drape exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. The exhibition features dresses by Versace, Dior, Comme Des Garcons and Vivienne Westwood, as well as classical Greek sculpture and artworks from the Gallery's collection. It's well worth a visit.

After my little excursion to the gallery, I met my lovely friend Mel for lunch at Babka Bakery on Brunswick Street. The food is a modern take on Russian cuisine. I had the most amazing smoked trout salad and Mel had delicious home made baked beans. If you go there you must have a glass of Beryl Sparkles: vodka infused berries in sparkling wine. So good!

Following lunch and a good catch up we wandered up and down Brunswick Street searching for a dress for me to wear to a wedding in a couple of weeks. I didn't fall in love with anything I saw so Mel jumped on a tram to head back home and I started to wander in the direction of the train home. I decided to make one last stop into Sheila Vintage in Brunswick St and found the most adorable 50s dress. I haven't had much luck with vintage lately as everything has been far too small or far too big so I was thrilled to bits to find something that fits. I'm keeping it under wraps for the moment but will show it to you soon, I promise!

This is what I wore today:

This cotton 1980s dress was purchased in Parkes, NSW a couple of years ago and has become a Summer staple this year. To be honest, today I actually wore Havaianas instead of my pretty pink and gold shoes. I also carried a much larger handbag but I wanted to show off this one. I bought it at the Mill Markets in Daylesford on new years day. I fell in love with it months ago, and was very happy when I saw that the stall it was in was having a 20% off sale.

It's made from white woven raffia-like material which is covered in plastic. It has a wooden handle and gold clasp and I just love it!

I'm now sitting here with a glass of sauvignon blanc. I couldn't think of a nicer way to spend a day.

New treats

2010-01-16T00:08:00.000-08:00

And with the arrival of Summer, one needs a way of keeping cool. What better way to keep cool than a vintage fan. I paid far too much for it at the Salvos in Sebastapol, but I figure I haven't been op shopping in ages so I could justify the expense. Shhh...don't tell Mr Vintage Style.

Speaking of new treats, I was very excited when a special parcel arrived in the mail for me on Friday. I was the lucky winner of Trish Hunter Finds' Christmas competition. In my little prize pack was a cute Trish Hunter Finds canvas tote, a handful of gorgeous badges, Trish Hunter Finds fridge magnets, and of course a copy of Love Vintage by Nicole Jenkins of Circa fame.

Aren't I a lucky girl! Thanks Trish!

Did they play golf during the gold rush?

2009-12-28T01:31:00.000-08:00

What to do on a warm Summer's day in Ballarat when you're bored? Go play mini golf of course! And it just wouldn't be an outing in our lovely town if Ballarat's mining history wasn't somehow involved. We've been meaning to go to Gold Rush Golf ever since we moved here and it's taken us nearly a year to do so. I'm terrible at all sports due to a general lack of co-ordination, so I was pleasantly surprised when I won! Not only that, but I got two holes-in-one!!

*Trying to figure out how to use my new weapon. Note the mine shaft and Colonial themed things in the background.

*Putt-ing my way to victory

*Mr Vintage Style putt-ing in the shadow of the 'Big Miner'

*I certainly didn't spot any pickpockets...

Gold Rush Golf is right next to the new Mill Markets in the Ballarat Woolshed which have just opened in the last few weeks. We had a brief browse but we were a bit disappointed and didn't see anything we couldn't live without. There seemed to be a bit of a lack of 'antiques and collectibles'. Instead, there were quite a few racks of new secondhand clothing and some antique-reproduction items. There are a couple of fantastic retro stalls though, so do go along and check it out. After you've played a round of golf of course.

All dressed up and nowhere to go

2009-12-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

A very happy Christmas to all! I'm a few days late in sending out a Christmas greeting to you all, but I've been distracted by all the food, wine and presents.

Fortunately, I haven't eaten so much that I'm unable to squeeze into one of my favourite dresses. It's not vintage (even though it looks like it is), but I'm not a vintage purist so it comes out on many occasions. It came from Diana Ferrari and was first worn to high tea at the Hyatt the day before my wedding. Today it went on an outing to Bunnings hardware store (or Funnings as Mr Vintage Style likes to call it).

Dress: Diana Ferrari
Shoes: Ruby Rouge, Main Road, Ballarat
Bag: An op shop in Canberra
Headband: Diva
Necklace: Belonged to my Mum

Behind me you can see our Christmas chimney as we didn't get around to finding ourselves a Christmas tree this year. I haven't had a tree since I left home a few years ago. Fingers crossed I get one next year.

This afternoon is going to be spent devouring this lovely pile of books. Some of them are Christmas gifts, others I purchased as gifts to myself, most of them are about art or fashion. What a nice way to spend the day!

Party crasher

2009-12-15T04:28:00.000-08:00

I'm excited! I'm going to Melbourne Thursday night because I'm flying to Canberra early Friday morning. The friends I'm staying with live right near Poppet's shop, and as it turns out, Jules of Poppet fame is having a little party to celebrate her new collection of super cute clothing. Better still, she's giving 20% off vintage clothing to everybody at her party. I think I might have to drop in and look at these little numbers...

Oh my, look at all that sugar!

2009-12-15T03:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I love baking, sometimes I hate it. Obviously, I love it when things work out, and I hate it when they don't. Lucky for my workmates at the gallery, my first attempt at Scottish Shortbread worked out well. They'll be high on all that sugar and butter tomorrow. It looks even better when displayed on my new favourite Royal Doulton plate which was 50c from a church opshop in Sturt Street.

Puppy vintage style

2009-12-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

I often wander past skips outside people's houses and have a peep inside. Most of the time they're full of useless lumps of wood or garden rubbish. But a few weeks ago I spotted this yellow bathroom sink which will now serve as a water bowl for the dogs. Maybe I need a matching bath to plant my herbs in.

You've seen it before...

2009-12-11T13:45:00.000-08:00

...And you'll see it again. I can't get enough of this dress. It's such a perfect cut that I want to take it to a dressmaker and have it copied in five different colours. Best of all it only cost me $2 from a place in Canberra called Aussie Junk. I'm wearing it because it's my family Christmas celebration at Dad's place today. It's the most festivly coloured dress I own and is perfect for silly season parties. I expect I will be wearing it to my in-laws Christmas celebrations too! I'm wearing it with a black bolero with silver beading from Portmans and shoes from Polly in Bridge Mall.

I'm sitting on my new project - a school desk that Mr Vintage Style and I bought from Lal Lal Demolitions. If you're yet to discover that place, I insist you go and explore. We'll be going back there soon to buy a new front door, but you can also find retro baths and sinks in every pastel colour, stained glass windows, whole kitchens and batchrooms, pianos, light fittings, everything! From Ballarat, head to Buninyong and then I turn left at Clarendon when you see signs to Lal Lal. Keep an eye out on your left at Lal Lal for this beautiful building. I think it used to be water storage for the railway.

I'm off to enjoy a huge lunch with my family! I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas season.

xx

What 20 cents can get you

2009-12-11T03:50:00.000-08:00

It looks like an unassuming little retro purse...

Open it...

And you find a tiny line and six minature pegs...

That's what 20 cents and a little rummaging at an op shop can get you.

Trish finds, you buy

2009-12-11T03:16:00.000-08:00

One of the first blogs I ever started reading was Trish Hunter Finds. In fact, it was her very cool blog that inspired me to start Ballarat Vintage Style. I've even been lucky enough to meet her and she's as nice in real life as she seems on her blog. If you read her blog, you get the general impression that her house is overflowing with all sorts of vintage and retro goodness, so it's no surprise that she's set up her own online store which you can find via her blog.

I've been checking out the clothing section and have already found a couple of dresses I would love to add to my wardrobe. In particular, this fab maxi dress would be perfect for summer beers at the pub, or perhaps a wedding on top of a mountain that I'll be heading to late January...

As well as clothing, there's also all sorts of collectables, badges and accessories to be found. Every girl needs a new dress for Christmas, so go spoil yourself!

Back on the air

2009-12-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

A month is a long time, blog-wise. I hope I'm not completely forgotten by those of you who read my blog. Unfortunately for this post, I don't have an outfit shot but with warmer days on the way I'll be out and about in pretty frocks in no time at all.

I’ve had a rather busy internet-free month or so. I’ve started my new job, painted more of my house, started working on my garden, put up Christmas lights on the outside of the house, travelled to Melbourne to see bands and art exhibitions, had a nasty cold and ear infection, and most exciting of all I have a new dog. His name is Ruben and he’s a very affectionate and obedient dog. And yes, I got another kelpie which means I spend a large portion of every day walking the paths of Ballarat and running around the lake in an attempt at tiring them both out. My calves look amazing!

While catching up on some of my favourite blogs, I noticed the lovely Esme and the Lane Way threw this little questionnaire my way. For a little bit of a welcome back, here are my answers.

Where is your phone? Inside my vintage tapestry handbag.

Your hair? At the moment, nondescript. Needs a trim.

Your Mother? An angel watching over me.

Your Father? Farmer then teacher.

Your favourite food? Ginger – ginger stir fry, ginger beer, ginger cookies. I would happily eat ginger every single day.

Your dream last night? An argument about hiring a bike.

Your favourite drink? Iced tea from street vendors in Taiwan – a huge cup of it for 20c. I still dream about it.

Your dream/goal? To have a long successful career in art galleries.

What room are you in? The back room of my house in front of a big window which looks over the garden.

Your hobbies? All things vintage, reading, gardening (a new obsession), visiting art galleries.

Your fear? I have an irrational fear of a bird flying into the open window of my car while I’m driving. Completely and utterly irrational.

Where were you last night? At home watching Pretty in Pink and having a glass of wine.

Something that you’re not? Good with money.

Muffins? Savoury please.

Wish list item? New dresses are always top of the list, particularly 1930s and 40s day dresses. Always a little out of my price range though.

Where did you grow up? On a sheep farm. A very happy childhood of playing in mud puddles and climbing trees.

Last thing you did? Watched The Affair of the Necklace and wished I hadn’t.

What are you wearing? A blue 80s day dress with a kimono over the top because I'm freezing. I’ll soon be into my pyjamas though.

Your TV? Is currently only used to watch episodes of Mad Men, Six Feet Under, True Blood and movies. I prefer listening to the radio.

Your pets? Until last week it was only Cleo the cat and Maysie the dog. But last Friday Maysie and I went to the RSPCA and picked up Ruben.

Friends? Couldn’t live without them.

Your life? A little quieter that I’d like it to be, but that’s my own fault for becoming a hermit lately. I do enjoy my little life of working at the galley, walking the dogs and devouring as many books as I can.

Your mood? A little low, but expected to rise dramatically next week when Mr Vintage Style comes home for the holidays.

Missing someone? My husband works in Western Australia so I spend a lot of time missing him at the moment. Seven more sleeps until I see him again. I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present.

Vehicle? My favourite ride is my Electra Amsterdam bike, but I also drive a Subaru on rainy days and when I’m feeling particularly lazy.

Something you’re not wearing? Shoes.

Your favourite store? Abebooks because you can find almost any book you can think of.

Your favourite colour? I’m partial to yellow and purple, but not together.

When was the last time you laughed? Tonight at Maysie and Ruben wrestling on top of their water bowl.

The last time you cried? When I recently watched the final season of Six Feet Under.

Your best friend? My husband.

One place that I go to over and over? National Gallery of Victoria, most recently for Ricky Swallow's The Bricoleur exhibition. He's one of my favourite artists and I was very impressed with the exhibition.

Facebook? Yes – but I’m trying to ween myself off it.

Favourite place to eat? My sun room, on the couch with a book in one hand and a fork in the other.

Now I'm throwing this out to any of you out there who would like to answer these questions in your own blog. I'd love to find out more about you.

xx

What Maysie saw

2009-11-09T00:45:00.000-08:00

Maysie and I went for a walk through and around the old Town Hall park in Barkly Street the other day. A hint : Don't ever go there. It's creepy and I had not one, but two people yell ridiculous and offensive things at me. Is it just me, or do hoons in Ballarat tend to spend a lot of time yelling things out of their car windows to people walking their dog or riding their bike?

On the up side, I did see some intersting things....

And some pretty things...

Christmas in November

2009-11-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

My extended family find it impossible to catch up, so it has become a yearly tradition to have Christmas at least a month early. This year I was actually able to make it. It was a lovely day of food, wine and catching up on family gossip. My Aunt and Uncle own a beautiful 1860s cottage on the outskirts of Woodend and have done an amazing job of renovating and extending it.

While driving back home through Woodend I found my dream house. It needs a bit of work and I think I'd need to employ somebody to clean it for me as I don't think I could handle cleaning a two story house on my own.

And this is what I wore. The dress is one of the first things I ever bought in an op-shop and is something I wear to death every Summer.

Dress : An op shop many moons ago
Jacket : Review
Wooden necklace : $2 from Diva a few years ago
Shoes : Big W
Bag : Oroton, op shopped in Canberra
Sunglasses : Wen and Ware, Bridge Mall, Ballarat

The best of times

2009-10-31T16:12:00.000-07:00

I've been having such a good time lately that blogging has kind of gone out the window. Here's a little update on what I've been up to:

*Spending lots of time in the sunshine with my little family. It was especially lovely to have my gorgeous husband home from WA for a whole week of food, cocktails and gardening. I was so selfish that I shared him with as few people as possible because I won't be seeing him for another three weeks.

*Building a dinosaur found in an op shop for $1.

*Buying little bits and pieces to put around the house.

*Spending a few days in Sydney to celebrate my friend Shawn's birthday along with my great friends Mel and Max. Happy birthday Shawn! To Shawn's birthday celebrations I wore a dress I borrowed from Mel who has an endless wardrobe of little black dresses. I love this one because it felt a little 1920s flapper-esque. And it only cost her $10!

*While traipsing around The Rocks in Sydney and having an amazing time at the Museum of Contemporary Art, I wore a great green and white striped dress I bought from the new Dear Prudence vintage store in Sturt Street, Ballarat.

I'm heading back to Ballarat on Monday and am very excited to be starting my dream job at the Ballarat Art Gallery on Tuesday. Life in Ballarat just keeps getting better and better!

Starburst

2009-10-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

This wooden starburst clock from Antiques, Goods and Chattels on Main Road would look so great on my wall. A little out of my price range at the moment though. Yours for $125.

Model citizens

2009-10-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Fashions In Time Vintage Fashion Parade. Around a dozen members of the Ballarat Fashions In Time club dressed up in their favourite vintage outfits and paraded down the catwalk. Although I often wear vintage clothes while running errands up the street in Ballarat and am used to the occasional stare, it was an entirely different experience to walk down the catwalk in front a room full of people. In fact, I was extremely nervous! All in all, it was a fun afternoon and a great experience. To the event I wore on of my favourite 1950s dresses which features padded flowers and embroidery on the front panels of the skirt. I paired it with my silver fox, a black 1950s hat and my needlepoint purse.

For the parade I was lucky enough to wear another member's 1950s emerald green ball gown which she purchased from a Ballarat op shop for $5. We paired it with opera length gloves, a beaded cocktail hat, an art deco style brooch and a white fur stole.

The back of the dress is amazing and features a huge bow.

Here's what some of the other lovely ladies wore. Don't forget to click on the images to view larger versions. Sorry about the background and the dodgy quality of some of the photos but backstage wasn't the most photogenic of locations!

Everybody looked absolutely gorgeous and it was a very successful afternoon. Many thanks go to Lynne and Dinah for organising a fabulous event. I hope we get to do it again.

A reminder

2009-10-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder to come along to Brown Hill Hall today at 2pm for the Fashions in Time Vintage Fashion Parade. I'll be in the parade and will be serving afternoon tea afterwards. So please do join us for a lovely afternoon.

National Gift Week

2009-10-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

There's unfortunately no such thing as National Gift Week, but wouldn't it be lovely if there was? It would be made all the more special if nobody was actually allowed to purchase gifts, but had to find them in their own home or pass on unwanted gifts to somebody who will appreciate them more. This week I've been lucky enough to receive three special things.

The first was from my next door neighbour who I've recently befriended. It's so nice to live in a town where people actually know their neighbours by name. It was her husband's 80th birthday the other day, so she bought me some amazing profiteroles from a Ballarat bakery which I'm yet to discover. I don't know why I was lucky enough to receive a sweet treat to celebrate my next door neighbours birthday but I'm not complaining. She brought them over on two cute little dishes with an image of a man serenading a lady and insisted that I keep them because I love pretty vintage things.

The second gift was from a friend who is a member of the Fashion's In Time vintage club. She recently purchased a dress on ebay but had been sent the wrong measurements. As the dress didn't fit when it arrived, she decided to pass it on to me. It's a beautiful red cotton 50s style dress with a matching belt. The top half is a little bit too big for me, but that's easily fixed.

The third gift came from a lovely reader of my blog. She had purchased this hat on ebay and decided it didn't suit her, so now here it is on top of my head.

What a lucky girl I am. I'm going to return some of the love by baking something special as a thankyou. Time to get out my vintage apron.

Hawaii Five-0

2009-10-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

What was I thinking not wearing a dress for a week! No matter how bad I feel, a pretty frock always makes me feel much better. Today's Hawaiian print creation was found in a Canberra op shop quite a few years ago. Along with it I'm wearing a cropped linen blazer from Vinnies in Bridge Mall and a gold metal belt from a Canberra op shop.

My shoes were purchased from Polly in the Bridge Mall, Ballarat. I saw them when they were full price and fell in love with them. I have been keeping an eye on them as they have had one lone pair of size tens (that's my size!) sitting on a sale table for months. They kept getting marked down bit by bit and finally came home with me this week. I know they're a little bit ridiculous, but I just adore them. They're pretty high, but very comfortable because of the platform.

I'm very excited about today because after work I get to go and try on the dress I'll be modelling for the Fashions In Time Vintage Fashion Parade. If there's one thing that I love more than wearing my own vintage clothes, it's wearing other people's.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Sequins help lift the mood

2009-10-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

This week has been the first in a long time where I have remained relatively makeup free, and haven't worn a dress. I've been feeling a little uninspired due to a number of reasons including the dreary weather and the month long absence of Mr Vintage Style while he works interstate. I'm guessing and hoping that this ennui will lift next week with the return of the sun and my husband. In the meantime, I'm trying to dress like a dag in the sparkliest way possible. My inspiration : A cruise ship casino in the 1980s.

In case you were wondering about the meaning of the word 'dag', here's what Wikipedia has to say :

Dag is an Australian slang term, often used as an affectionate insult for someone who is, or is perceived to be, unfashionable, lacking self consciousness about their appearance and/or with poor social skills yet affable and amusing. Differentiated from "bogans" whose accents are presumed to indicate working class or uneducated origins, dag refers to being unfashionable, eccentric and fool-like. and, hence, has no necessary ties with social class or educational background.

Fashions In Time Vintage Fashion Parade

2009-10-08T23:38:00.001-07:00

As I've explained before, Fashions In Time are a Ballarat based club of lads and ladies who love to collect and wear vintage clothing and accessories. On Sunday 25th October the organisers of Fashions In Time will be hosting a fashion parade featuring vintage and retro fashions modelled by members of the club. Tickets are being sold at the old-fashioned price of $2 which includes afternoon tea. It's sure to be a blast, so book your tickets and come along! See below for all the details.

Sneaky glass of red

2009-10-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

I don't have a 'normal' 9-5 kind of job so Fridays don't usually mean that much to me. However, this week I've decided to celebrate Friday by having a sneaky glass of red before going to dinner and the movies with a friend. Let's just call it a tribute to Lady Melbourne's 'Happy Friday' posts. I'm road-testing a dress I'm wearing to a wedding in Corowa this weekend. The ceremony and reception are being held outside so I'll be packing some thermals to wear under this 80s-does-50s dress and a fur to go over the top.

Hope you're all having a great Friday!

Wearing dress from De's Recycled Fashions, South St Ballarat and 50s style petticoat (not seen) from Lost & Found Market, Smith St Collingwood.

Circus antics

2009-10-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

I was wandering around the toy section of an op shop the other day, which is an area I rarely look at. I'm glad I did on this particular day though, or I would have never found these:

They are the most adorable magnets I have ever seen and only cost $1. I think they're meant to fit together like a puzzle somehow, but I just can't figure it out. I am in the middle of forming some craftly plans for these guys. Don't worry, it won't involve destroying them!

Borrowed vintage

2009-10-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I adore wearing fur, be it faux or real. The great thing about working in a vintage shop is that I get to test all the furs out. Plus they keep me warm on these cold Spring days. A gorgeous red fox stole turned up in Ruby Rouge recently so I had to try it out. As it happened, I didn't want to take it off so I borrowed it for the evening.

Worn with 'Stitches' dress from Sebastapol Salvos, various strings of pearls from various op shops and shoes from Scooter.

Home-made heaven

2009-09-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite like going into an op shop and seeing something from a distance and knowing it's going to be perfect. This happened yesterday when I went in to the Light Lounge on Dana Street. I saw a pink gingham check dress from across the room and knew it had to be mine. The best part was, it only cost $2. It's home-made and needed hemming so I had an evening at my sewing machine last night.

50s style gingham dress : Light Lounge op shop, Dana St
50s style petticoat (not seen) : Lost and Found Market, Smith St, Collingwood
White bolero : An op shop somewhere in country NSW
Shoes : I Love Billy

Oh Spring, how I love you

2009-09-28T06:59:00.001-07:00

Do they really have more fun?

2009-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

The answer: a resounding no. I briefly tried being a blonde recently and discovered it's not really for me. Thank goodness for wigs. But it was fun while it lasted!

Sunglasses : Reject shop
Blue trench : Salvos, St Arnaud
Brooch : Gift from Meg of Cocktail Rings and Vintage Things

Wrong end of the season

2009-09-28T02:46:00.001-07:00

I completely forgot I owned these tights. They were just the thing I needed this morning when I was feeling a serious lack of outfit inspiration. I just love their psychadelic 60s vibe. They're by Jonathan Aston, which is sold here. I probably won't be wearing these again until next Winter when I can rediscover them all over again. I'm wearing them with brogue boots from Rubi Shoes.

Trip to Grandma's house

2009-09-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

Dress : Wedding dress shortened and dyed blue, Ruby Rouge, Ballarat
Jacket : itrip i skip, Canberra
Shoes : I Love Billy, Studio GAS, Ballarat
Bag : Salvos, Wendouree
Hat : Smythesdale antique and collectables place

I jumped in the car yesterday and travelled to Melbourne for the day to visit my Grandma and have dinner with friends. I'm fending for myself while Mr Vintage Style is away, so it was nice to have somebody else cook for me.

I wouldn't normally dress up so much for a Sunday car trip, but I wanted to wear my new blue 50s frock so I could find a 50s style petticoat to go underneath. There's nothing quite like a full skirt to complete an outfit. I've been putting money aside into my PDF (Pretty Dress Fund) for a while now and was very happy when I found the perfect one.

I found the petticoat at Lost and Found Market in Smith Street. If you enjoy being overwhelmed, this is the place for you. It's an indoor market with a number of different stalls selling vintage clothing, homewares and nic-nackery. I only really like going to places like this when I have a specific item to find, otherwise I get too flabbergasted with the amount of things on display and don't know where to look.

Dress ups

2009-09-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

Some of my favourite finds have been in the dress-ups box at op shops. Unfortunately it's hard to find dress-ups boxes in op shops anymore, and if you do all you find is a Hawaiian lei, a plastic glitter party hat and a child's nightie. A few years ago I was in Corowa rummaging through the dress-ups and found this for $1. Hello Florence Broadhurst! I'm heading to Corowa soon for a wedding. Here's hoping I find something special again.

Travel accessory

2009-09-25T05:53:00.000-07:00

I am in love with Elk's new ceramic range, particularly their 'Stack' brooch which can be yours for only $30. Hint hint, Mr Vintage Style.

Thank goodness times have changed

2009-09-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

It's raining again

2009-09-23T18:17:00.001-07:00

It feels like it always rains! But at least i gives me an excuse to match my umbrella to my favourite red polka dot dress.

Affordable art

2009-09-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

I recently popped into the Arthur Gallery in Mair Street to check out their exhibition of photographs for the Ballarat Foto Biennale. On display is an exhibition called Dichotomy by Ballarat photographers Laurie Brackley and Anton Vanderschoot. Their photographs are bright and vivid, and hang well against the white walls of the gallery. As the exhibition program explains :

These Ballarat based photographers hope to challenge the way the viewer perceives the ordinary or urbane. Everyday subjects can become art, and embracing different perspectives can be enlightening.

Other pieces that caught my eye were the illustrations from Triiike, a group of Ballarat artists who use their three distinct styles of illustration to create really bizzarre and interesting works. As their website explains :

Triiikes’ “Tag-team” method of illustration (whether it be digitally or manually) takes the work in unexpected directions, creating art that could not possibly have been anticipated. The three distinct styles of each artist can be recognised in the works, but somehow blend seamlessly, the collaborative results of which are uniquely “Triiike”.

I especially loved the work of one of the Triiike artists, Ben Sanders. His work has been published in children's books and magazines and in many different forms of advertising. There's something modern, yet nostalgic about his work. As explained on the Triiike website, "Much of his work is a unique approach to the commercial art styling of the 1940's and 50's."

I couldn't resist buying a small piece of his work titled "Peter-Peter" for only $20. Sorry about the terrible quality of the photo, but you get the general idea.

It reminded me of Cliff Roberts 1950s jazz illustrations which look like this and you can read all about here.

If you like the look of Triiike's illustrations, there's currently some of their work on display at Arthur Gallery. There's going to be an exhibition featuring their work at Christmas. Stay turned for more details...

Three things under three dollars

2009-09-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't been op shopping as much as I used to lately. My wardrobe is getting out of control and spilling out onto the floor so I've been trying to avoid the temptation. But when I've got a few minutes to spare and I'm in the vicinity of an op shop, I can't help myself. So in order to stay away from the dresses and jackets racks, I head towards the bric-a-brac section and keep my budget to a bare minimum. And this is what I've found...

While at the Bakery Hill Salvos I found this rather bizarre brass clam shell purse which is lined with royal blue velvet.

This cigar box came from a hospital op shop in Bacchus Marsh while I was on my way to Melbourne. The label on the inside is gold embossed onto black velvet. It's perfect for Mr Vintage Style's desk.

I found this perfume bottle with atomiser at the Wendouree Salvos. I've always wanted one of these, and although this one is a little worse for wear, I just couldn't leave it sitting on the shelf at only $2.50.

The fabric in the background of these photos is just some of the material that I inherited from my Mum. She used to sew my clothes and matching clothes for my dolls. Among a huge pile of windcheater material was some great 80s prints. Now I just have to decide what to make with them.

Back on my bike

2009-09-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

I've been very lazy lately and have been driving (or chauffeured) everywhere rather than riding my bike. It's silly really, as I live so close to everything. That's what I love about Ballarat - everything is just a couple of blocks away. Not only is it bad for my health to leave my bike gathering dust in the shed, but it's also bad for the environment. After shaking the dust from my Electra's handlebars, I rode around town in a dress I bought from itrip iskip in Canberra, Country Road belt op shopped in Canberra, shoes from somewhere in Melbourne Central, earrings from Diva, sunglasses from Reject Shop and white legs courtesy of a long Winter.

Copy cat and puppy love

2009-09-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thankyou to the gorgeous Fleur Delice, who in turn thanked in a garden...somewhere, for introducing me to Rollip. I have a polaroid camera, but haven't bought film for it in ages so I love using the site to turn my normal pics into polaroids.

So here I am, polaroid style, getting a puppy kiss.

Rainy day activities

2009-09-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

With the rain coming down in buckets today, I decided it was time to turn to some rainy day activities. This involved reading Alice in Wonderland, re-covering a retro boudoir stool and cutting out paper dolls from Art Deco Fashions by Tom Tierny. I bought the book of paper dolls from the National Gallery of Victoria, but you can also find them here. Tom Tierny has a whole range of paper doll books to choose from including Chanel, Barack and Michelle Obama, Pin-Up Girls of WWII and Woodstock. Click here for all of Tom Tierny's titles.

When Mr Vintage Style and I finally ventured outdoors, we bought this gorgeous fire engine red watering can which will be perfect for watering the herbs we bought at the Ballarat Farmers Markets on the weekend.

I hope your day was as lovely as mine. xx

Wedding blues

2009-09-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

This morning while dressing for work I was having a wardrobe-full-of-clothes-and-nothing-to-wear kind of day. I pulled on dress after dress and was feeling totally uninspired. I finally settled on this :

A perfectly fine outfit mostly op-shopped from Canberra, with a hat from Two Squirrels Vintage in Christchurch NZ. However, when I got in to work I spotted this dress :

It was quickly whipped off the mannequin and was mine, mine, all MINE! It used to be a wedding dress and was shortened and dyed blue afterwards by the bride. Along with it came the part of the skirt which was cut off which will make a perfect stole. The dress fits perfectly and is a little Mad Men (I just watched season two in a day and a bit). While at work, I paired it with a little mink friend which you can buy from Ruby Rouge on Main Road, and skipped arround happily for the rest of the day.

Twice the sparkle

2009-09-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

When I was a teenager, I was in love with Paul Dempsey from Something For Kate. I haven't been following the band's progress for a few years now, but I still love their music. I was very excited when a friend asked us if we wanted to go see Paul Dempsey's solo show tonight at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. I thought I'd get my glitter on and wear a sequined top which only cost me 50 cents (!!!!!) from a Canberra op shop, a 60s cream and gold lame jacket from Ruby Rouge and Piper jeans from Myer.

Saturday wanderings

2009-09-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

For a morning of Farmer's Markets and visiting various galleries and art spaces for the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, I wore an outfit consisting of clothing that I largely forget the exact origins of.

Top : Unknown
Jacket : Ballarat op shop
Skirt : Canberra op Shop
Belt : Canberra op shop
Sequin Shoes : Somewhere in Melbourne
Bag : Ostrich skin from Alexa's Treasures
Watch : Fossil
Earrings : Antiques, Goods and Chattels

I would write more, but I'm being summoned outside to assist with tearing down a garden wall!

Alice down the rabbit hole

2009-09-11T01:08:00.000-07:00

One of the things I miss most about living in Canberra (apart from friends at a certain museum - hello to you all!) is the Lifeline Book Fair. It was held once a year in a giant shed and consisted of thousands of books for sale at ridiculously low prices. It was held over the period of three days and without fail, I would spent at least an hour there every day it was on. As a bonus, I both lived and worked around the corner from the fair. One year my budget was tight so I rode my bike there to limit the amount of books I purchased, but all that happened was that I had an extremely wobbly ride home trying to balance all the books that I had bought. One of my favourite purchases at the fair was The Art of Alice in Wonderland.

It is full of illustrations, both new and old, from different Alice in Wonderland publications. I think it's amazing that one story can be interpreted into so many different psychedelic images. I thought I would share a few of my favourite images with you.

Prentending it's warmer than it actually is

2009-09-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is slowly creeping in. I feel like my blog has become a weather report lately but I'm just so much happier in the warmer weather. The wind is picking up a bit today so once again it was dangerous to be wearing a dress with a full skirt, but I decided to risk it. That was, until I got too cold and had to change into something warmer. Along with a visit from my sister, we had a bbq with some friends who also have their Friday afternoon free. It was a very nice day of good food and great company.

The dress is from La La Orange in Perth and the belt is Country Road from a Canberra op shop. The ring came from a great little boutique in Warrnambool, the name of which I can't recall.

Blast from the past

2009-09-04T01:31:00.000-07:00

At Ruby Rouge today, a dapper young fellow came in and bought a tail suit. As it turns out, his name is Paul Michael and he's a Medieval Education Consultant. Who knew there was such a job. His company is called Live Yore History, a group who educate and entertain school groups, weddings, birthday parties and more on a wide range of historical periods. He also makes chain mail and likes to dress in 19th century clothing when he's off duty. I love that I meet so many interesting characters through my love of all things vintage. I must say, the man's got style!

Farewell to a fellow collector

2009-09-03T00:15:00.000-07:00

I was very sad to hear that Joyce Quiddington of Joyce's Junkatique passed away this week. I know she will be sorely missed by many people in the Ballarat community. I'll never forget the day she told me she loved to see me come in to the shop wearing my dresses and lamented the fact that more young women don't dress up anymore. I always had a fantastic time searching through her shop for various bits and pieces and will miss her smiling face. Farewell Joyce.

Crafty kids

2009-09-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

I was just saying to two super crafty friends yesterday that I find the amount of crafty things going on in Ballarat quite unbelievable. It seems that everybody in Ballarat spends all their spare time knitting, sewing, felting, beading, and the list goes on. I think I need to get myself on this bandwagon, right after I organise my handbag collection, hem all those dresses...

Anyhoo, I digress! The point of this post is to tell you about the Daylesford Makers Market. I know there are plenty of closet crafters out there who could easily make a penny or two out of your wares. If you're interested in setting up a stall at their Handmade Christmas Market on 28th November, email daylesfordmakersmarket@gmail.com.

For further details, see image below. Happy crafting!

Welcome Spring!

2009-09-02T22:23:00.001-07:00

As I write this, the sky looks like it's about to explode into a downpour. But lucky us, what a lovely Spring morning we had here in Ballarat! I had a great morning skipping about town searching for an engagement gift (thankyou for helping me with this Studio G.A.S). I also bumped into Sylvia from Studio Schmookie. Make sure you take the time to check out her blog and her amazing jewellery creations. You can also see her in the current edition of Thaw Magazine.

To celebrate the lovely weather, I wore a sunny dress I bought at The Way We Wear Vintage Fair in Williamstown a couple of months ago. I also wore Pierre Fontaine yellow ballet slippers and carried an Oroton basket op-shopped for $3 in Canberra. Today I also remembered that one should never wear a 50s frock sans petticoat on a very breezy day.

Thaw out in time for Spring

2009-08-31T00:52:00.000-07:00

The very cool kids from Thaw have done it again. The Spring issue of the magazine is released tomorrow (Tuesday 1st September) and can be picked up from a number of Ballarat locations such as the Ballarat Art Gallery, Europa, Racers (check Thaw's website for more locations). You can also subscribe to the mag if you're not a local. Get in touch with Ro or Kim for details (and check out their blogs while you're at it). The issue has features on music, food and fashion, as well as a story on local bloggers. You may even spot a photo of me looking a little something like this (but I'm not sure as I haven't actually seen the issue yet). Happy reading!

I need a holiday to recover from my holiday

2009-08-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

I've made it back in one piece to Ballarat after a trip of snow boarding, ice skating and too much food and wine in New Zealand. We had such a fantastic time and both fell in love with New Zealand. I especially though Christchurch to be a charming city and wish I could have spent more time there. The trip has inspired Mr Vintage Style and I to go on a bit of a health kick which involved swimming laps and going for a very long walk today. Now watch as I fall into a heap on the floor. Before I do that however, here's a photo of a gorgeous hat I bought in Christchurch.

A hint of Spring

2009-08-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

We returned to Ballarat to beautiful sunny weather and some little jonquils peeping out of the drain in front of our house. It was a lovely welcome home from Perth. The sunshine inspired me to put on one of my new dresses straight away (after a quick iron as it had been rolled up at the bottom of my bag). I found this 1950s rayon frock at a gorgeous little boutique called Moulitata's in Fremantle (7 Cantonment St). Moulitata's stocks a beautiful range of vintage clothing and seems to focus on 1950s and 60s dresses. They also have a line of new dresses made from vintage fabrics which I think can be made to measure on request. Of course there are also hats, bags, gloves and jewellery to complete your outfit, as well as some furniture and household items. A true gem of a shop!

I should have taken a close up of the dress as it features a design of tiny little spider webs. It's so soft and comfortable and best of all it has little shoulder pads which makes dresses look that extra bit better. I imagine I'll be spending a lot of time in this dress when the weather warms up a little more. In this photo I'm also wearing a 1950s black velvet hat with faux pearl bobbles which I bought from the antique store in Scarsdale and am holding a woven straw bag purchased from a Ballarat op shop (I think it was Baptcare in Eastwood St?). Bring on Spring, I say!

Greetings from Perth

2009-08-18T01:26:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say "Greetings From Sunny Perth" but unfortunately I've not seen much sunshine in the week that we've been here. It has been a week of unseasonable wind and rain with one lone day of sunshine in the middle just to let us know what beautiful weather we're missing out on. I also caught a terrible case of the flu so I was quite under the weather for the first half of the trip.

Weather and illness aside, it has been a lovely trip otherwise. We were good tourists and went to Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle Prison, WA Art Gallery and the WA Museum.

And of course, I had to see what Perth vintage stores have on offer. Here's just a couple of them. The first I checked out was LalaOrange which is a cute little boutique in Northbridge near the city. LalaOrange features a whole wall of dresses along one side and cabinets full of new and vintage goodies along the other side.

(Image from LalaOrange)

Another favourite spot was Winifred and Bance in Inglewood. It's a little treasure trove of retro and vintage clothing, and I've since discovered that they have the cutest website. I especially like the School of Vintage section of their website where you can find information on finding clothing from each decade from the 1920s to the 90s.

(Image from Winifred and Bance)

Both of these stores sell some of their wares online so you don't have to travel over to WA to enjoy what they have on offer. A couple of dresses may have jumped into my hands and come home with me. I'll be back in Ballarat town tomorrow, so expect photos of my new finds soon.

xx

Fly away little bird

2009-08-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

How crazy life has been lately! With Mr Vintage Style turning the big 3-0 next week, there has been much celebrating to be had over the past few days with friends in Melbourne. It has been a weekend filled with amazing food, fine wine and wonderful company. We had the best meal I've ever had at Bouzy Rouge in Richmond. The duck was divine and the suckling pig utterly decadent.

The celebrations have been held in advance as we're popping over to Perth for a week for Mr Vintage Style's birthday. The plan is to stay with some friends and explore the lovely city. I was hoping for good weather, but unfortunately it looks like it's going to be a week of rain. However, some of the things I'm looking forward to in Perth are:

*Visiting Little Creatures Brewery
*Going to Freemantle Gaol
*Exploring Perth's vintage boutiques, one of which has the adorable name of Petticoat Junction
*Going for walks along the beach (rain or no rain)
*Generally chilling out with friends we haven't seen in a very long time

Once we get back from Perth, we fly to Christchurch, NZ a couple of days later. We have very few plans for NZ apart from skiing for a day and staying at hot springs with friends. Maybe I can squeeze in some vintage shopping while I'm there too. If my posts are few and far between in the coming fortnight, you know why. I'm sure I'll find some treasures on my travels and will share them with you when I return to Ballarat.

xx

Calling all aspiring designers

2009-08-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

I should have posted about this weeks ago, but life got in the way. I just wanted to mention the Chambord Shine Awards which is a campaign open to fashion designers who need a big break. Here's how it works:

The Chambord Shine Awards was launched in 2008 to help foster, grow and showcase emerging fashion designers. Entries are now open for the 2009 Chambord Shine Awards. From the entries received 10 designers will be selected as the finalists, each will receive $1000 to create an outfit that reflects Chambord. The designer creations will be showcased on the catwalk, worn by models from THE FTBC MOD SQUAD and leading modelling agency Chadwicks, at Waterbar in the Blue Hotel, Woolloomooloo, on Tuesday 20th October.

The Chambord® Shine Awards is a national campaign open to any aspiring Australian designer over 18 years. Entries are open from 1st July 2009 until COB Friday 14th August 2009.

If you're a designer and can get your act together in under a week, it's a pretty great way of getting some exposure to the world of fashion. Design away!

Aztec skirt

2009-08-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

I recently went on a road trip to visit a family member. Along the way I stopped in Avoca, a little town about an hour from Ballarat. My first priority of course was to check out the op shop. Hidden in a tub of dress ups was this great skirt. It's cotton, has a full skirt, is mid calf length and features an Aztec design. I think it might be from the 80s but it has a bit of a 50s feel to it. I wore it to work on Friday with a long sleeve black top, a wide black belt from another dress, a sequined bolero from a shop in Warrnambool, black opaque tights and my favourite Scooter shoes.

Another year, another birthday

2009-08-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday a few days ago, and what a lovely birthday it was! I woke up to my favourite breakfast of bruscetta and smoked salmon prepared by Mr Vintage Style. We then spent the morning cooking a Thai feast and making meringues for some friends and proceeded to eat far too much of both. The afternoon was spent with a cup of tea at Europa and a trip to JB HiFi to buy a copy of my favourite movie, Gigi which we watched while drinking a lovely bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. A quiet birthday, but a good one.

I was lucky enough to receive some gorgeous gifts. The first was secretly dropped into my mailbox by Meg of Cocktail Rings & Vintage Things who lives just around the corner. Along with the most adorable card came a fur brooch in the shape of a flower. It’s such an interesting piece of jewellery. Thanks Meg!

Another gift was from Sydney friends Mel & Max who sent me a very bling leopard necklace. I love cats and sparkly things so this one will get a lot of wear. They also found the most intricate birthday card which Mel didn’t want to ruin by writing on, so my birthday message was written on post it notes. Thanks M&M!

A big brown parcel also arrived in the mail from Canberra friend Janet. As I’ve been talking about going overseas lately, Janet found the funniest assortment of gifts relating to travel. My favourite part of the parcel was two Souvenir Press-Out Models, one of a London policeman and another of a Beefeater. I collect paper dolls, so these are a couple of quirky items to add to my collection. Thanks Janet!

Finally, Mr Vintage Style was stumped as to what to give me this year so I had to give him a little hint in the right direction. As a result, I now have a lovely new silver fox fur stole to add to my collection. Here’s my cat Cleo giving me a birthday cuddle.

A new pair of Peter Alexander pyjamas from my sister and a couple of bunches of flowers from friends and Mr Vintage Style made my birthday complete. Thanks to everybody for making it so special. xx

Flutterby

2009-07-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Not everybody is going to approve of this, but when I saw it in a cabinet at the Salvos I just had to have it. I have a (not so secret) obsession with taxidermy and scientific specimens which stems from my time spend working in a museum on a huge taxidermy and animal specimen collection. As I love scientific specimens of any kind, these butterflies had to come home with me.

A little bit of red to brighten my day

2009-07-27T23:46:00.001-07:00

My posts have been few and far between lately. I'm finding winter a bit dreary and am craving some sunshine. Just checking out flights to a sunnier location now...

In the meantime, red always keeps me happy if I'm feeling a little low. This is what I wore for buying a book on Art Deco, birthday present shopping with Mr Vintage Style (for my birthday on Thursday - I'll reveal what he bought me later), and an afternoon working at Ruby Rouge with a visit from the lovely Kim of Thaw Magazine fame. To top the day off, I'm currently siting at Europa (taking advantage of their internet) having an Asahi with Mr Vintage Style. What a nice way to end the day.

Dress : Zimmerman
Jacket : Unknown Canberra shop
Booties : Rubi Shoes
Headpiece : Kookai
Bag : Baptcare op shop, Ballarat
Brooch : Can't remember

Bunch of love

2009-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

An evening walk with our puppy last night took my husband and I past Stems florist in Mair Street, at which point he announced her was going to buy me some flowers. I chose a beautiful bunch of natives. I forgot to take a photo of them, so here's a similar bunch from the Stems website. I love unexpected flowers!

Gowns and Gloves

2009-07-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

The July meeting was held yesterday for Ballarat's Fashions In Time club. We meet on the third Sunday of every month at 2pm at Portico's to show off our vintage finds. This month's theme was Gowns and Gloves. Most of my dresses are short, but I do have one that you've seen before. I dressed as thought I was going to the opera. I've had this 1950s red velvet evening coat for a long time but I haven't worn it until recently. I found it in a Canberra op shop for a tiny price but for some reason it has sat in the back of my wardrobe, until now. To complete the outift, I decided that an outfit suitable for the opera would be incomplete without opera glasses, so I took along a pair that my husband gave me for Christmas one year.

Dress : Ruby Rouge, Main Road, Ballarat
Red velvet coat : Unknown Canberra op shop
Shoes : My wedding shoes
Bag : Antique store on Pleasant Street
Necklace : Ballarat garage sale
Opera glasses : Gift from my husband

Fan of art

2009-07-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to the opening of Art in 9x5 - Ballarat Society of Artists at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. The exhibition is a homage to the 9x5 Impression Exhibition which was held in Melbourne in 1889. The original exhibition featured artworks which were mainly painted on cigar box lids sized 9x5, hence the title. For the current exhibition, an artist friend of mine managed to source an old cigar box on which to paint which I thought was pretty special. Apparently the gallery in which the original exhibition was held was decorated with fans. It was a funny coincidence I accidentally wore a dress covered in blue fans which I bought from Joyce's Junkatique months ago.

Broken bits

2009-07-18T22:45:00.001-07:00

I've bought two incomplete items recently. Although they aren't whole, I love them all the same. The Nally Ware cake container cost me $1. It has lost its lid along the way, but I plan on using it to hold my button collection. The Singer sewing machine has been taken apart at some stage of its life, but it's a beautiful piece to have in my sewing/dressing room.

70s vintage style

2009-07-13T22:03:00.000-07:00

To celebrate getting results that were (dare I say it) pretty good for my first semester of library studies, I bought myself a little present today. We're heading off for a week in New Zealand's South Island in a few weeks time so I need some warm and practical clothes. I first took myself to Myer and bought the most beautiful Country Road pure wool cropped cardigan. I then went to the Salvos in Wendouree and found this great 70s leather jacket. The jacket cost more than any item of clothing I've bought in an op shop and I don't normally (or ever) splurge on Country Road clothes but they're both quality pieces so I don't regret it one bit.

Feels like home

2009-07-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's really nice having our own home and being able to do whatever we want to it. We sit around and make lovely plans, but in reality there's still piles of boxes and half finished painting jobs and a lack cupboards to contend with. I have managed to place some of my favourite bits and pieces around the house. It's easier to deal with chaos when you have pretty things to look at.

I found the duck measuring cups at Trash and Trivia in Ballarat for around $3. It was love at first sight! The radio was a Christmas gift from Mr Vintage Style.

My little collection of things that fly. My favourite is the bone china origami crane from Have You Met Miss Jones.

Two cute animal jugs bought on road trips with friends when I lived in Canberra.

And finally, my collection of horses. From left to right: a gift from my Dad which he bought in Broken Hill; purchased in Wagga Wagga many moons ago; The Invisible Horse from Joyce's Junkatique; and a horse lamp which I have named Horace.

Off I go to unpack some more! xx

White winter

2009-07-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

I get sick of seeing so much black in winter that I've started to steer away from it. Yesterday I went completely the opposite and donned a white outfit to celebrate the lovely Ballarat winter sunshine. I know I say every dress is a favourite of mine, but this one seriously is. When I got married I didn't want to have a hen's night so I instead had high tea with my girlfriends the day before the wedding. This is the appropriately 50s-looking dress I wore. I'm not so sure about this outfit and don't think it works, but here it is anyway!

Dress : Dianna Ferrari
Malachite necklace : Gift from my husband on our wedding day
White faux fur bolero : Op shop, Parkes, NSW
Tights : Ambra from David Jones
Shoes : Unknown Canberra shop

Polyvore social experiment

2009-07-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

A week or two ago, MLF challenged me to a Polyvore social experiment. The question to be answered was this :

"How do you add your personal stamp to your outfit? If I asked you to slip on a pair of jeans, a simple top, a pair of flat shoes, and any accessories you liked, what would you come up with?".

The three core pieces of my outfit include high waisted jeans, a pussy bow blouse and ballet flats. These three items are always essential in my wardrobe (although I'm current short a pair of ballet flats and am searching for the perfect pair). I also chose another wardrobe essential, a skinny black leather belt. Although a crocodile skin Hermes bag is out of my price range, this classic shape is what I look for in a handbag. And finally, the Chanel style Alexander Wang leather and velvet jacket would be the perfect item to throw on for a lunch or dinner date.

Now I'm off to check out the results that fellow fashion bloggers came up with.

Weekend chic by BallaratVintageStyle featuring Hermes bags

Glad it's Monday

2009-07-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit hectic lately with moving house and generally trying to get organised. I'm hoping this week will be the start of a much calmer period. To celebrate Monday, I decided to wear one of my favourite dresses. I bought it in Sydney a couple of years ago and proceeded to wear it to death. It's made of the most beautiful soft silk and is so comfortable. The necklace is one I acquired around the same time I bought my Electra Bike. It's from Love, more of which can be seen on the Love website. The designer, Geneine Honey, makes the most adorable jewellery out of wood, acrylic and aluminium.

Dress : Zimmerman
Necklace : Love, purchased from Hive Gallery in Braddon, Canberra
Belt : Unknown op shop
Shoes : Scooter

Winter warmth

2009-07-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

With all the rain in Ballarat lately, it's essential to rug up. I have a few coats in my wardrobe, but I wasn't feeling particularly inspired by wearing black and grey over and over again. While in Baptcare Bargain Centre the other day, my eye was immediately caught by a fabulous 70s coat in various shades of autumnal colours. It's been keeping me toasty and warm ever since.

I'm still here

2009-06-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

I've been a little absent from the internet lately due to moving house and various other things going on. I'm ready to fall in a bit of a heap, but not until I've painted the inside of our new home white so it isn't a range of five or six different colours. Unfortunately, the internet won't be connected at our place for another ten days or so, which means my posts will be a little rare in the next couple of weeks.

When I have had a rare moment to myself lately, I've been enjoying reading a history of the swimsuit :

While flicking through the pages, I notice a familiar logo from a pair of what I think are 50's swimming shorts. I bought them a few years ago and I'd always wondered what company made them.

The swimming logo belongs to Jantzen, a company which began producing swimwear in the early 20th Century. As it turns out, they are still making swimwear today. Much their current collection is inspired by their earlier designs so you can expect ruffles, high waists and shirring. You can check out the Jantzen website for their current collection of swimwear, as well as a great illustrated timeline and a pictorial history of their diving girl logo. Just one more reason to look forward to summer!

I forgot it was Winter

2009-06-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Instead of hunting for practical winter coats, long sleeved blouses and wool skirts on recent op shopping excursions, I've instead been drawn to light weight Summer dresses. The positive side is that none of the dresses cost me more than $2. Some of these will just have to wait until Spring to make it out of my wardrobe. Below are photos of some of my finds. The first three are floral poly dresses, the fourth is a cotton house coat which I think will look cute over jeans and a white tshirt, the fifth is an adorable green cape and the final image is a sewing box with a great 70s floral pattern.

Vintage pieces of tomorrow

2009-06-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

I know it's not vintgae, but I just discovered The Outnet via the always fantastic blog Kingdom of Style. If you're after discounted designer clothes, bags, shoes and jewellery, this is the place for you. Heavily discounted designer wares are still a little out of my price range, but I do like to dream. I especially love this Missoni necklace which reminds me of a Joan Miró painting. Pity I don't have a spare $580 lying around.

Shoe love

2009-06-19T02:09:00.001-07:00

I don't usually have any luck with vintage shoes because of my size 10 feet. However, while doing some tidying today at Ruby Rouge I found the most amazing pair of shoes. I think I'm in love!

Girl, Interrupted

2009-06-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

While taking an outifit photo thismorning, somebody (namely a puppy called Maysie) kept trying to steal the show. I'll forgive her because she's so cute.

Blouse : Mink Pink from New Generation, Ballarat
Skirt : Ruby Rouge, Ballarat
Tights : Ambra from David Jones
Belt : Country Road from unknown op shop, Canberra
Shoes : FSW, Canberra
Headband : Borrowed from Ruby Rouge

Impractical cycling outfit

2009-06-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

Who wears a lacy skirt and heels while riding their bike? I do! Today was too beautiful and sunny a day here in Ballarat to waste on jeans. I've been dressing particularly un-vintage lately and decided that today was the day to end that trend. I had a fun day at work deciding what shoes and bags should go to the vintage fair on the weekend.

Skirt : Ruby Rouge, Ballarat
Top : Retro Star, Melbourne
Shoes : I Love Billy
Belt : Unknown Canberra op shop
Headband : Pink 50's headpiece borrowed from Ruby Rouge
Necklace : Baptcare, Eastwood St, Ballarat
Bike : Electra Amsterdam

Oh, and I also wore a helmet!

Storage, storage and more storage

2009-06-17T01:39:00.000-07:00

It looks like I'm going on some sort of fabulous holiday with all of these suitcases. But no. I'm moving house! Mr Vintage Style and I recently bought a little abode all of our own and we finally get the keys on Monday. So we'll be following in Kimmikki's footsteps and will be painting, unpacking boxes and generally facing a life of upheaval for a while. Let's hope the move doesn't interrupt my internet for too long!

An evening with Fritzlaff

2009-06-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

I just realised that I never told you about my evening out at Como House last Thursday. After a taxi, a train, a tram and then another taxi, I finally arrived. I was early enough to be able to wander around the exhibition again and once again admire Robert Fritzlaff's creations. The fashion parade itself was just beautiful. One of the models was the lovely Candice DeVille of Super Kawaii Mama fame. A few dresses were shown, and after champagne and canapes, around sixteen more dresses were shown. Fritlaff excels in accentuating the female figure and especially loves to place emphasis on the shape of a woman's stomach. After the show I had the chance to say a quick hello to Mr Fritzlaff and asked him to sign my program. He was very friendly and charming. This is the dress I wore. I just took the photo today and am sans makeup and very tired, hence the lack of a head!

Dress : Dee's Recycled Fashion, 202 South St, Ballarat
Shoes : Scooter
Bag : Antique shop on Pleasant St, Ballarat
Pearls : Ballarat Antiques & Collectibles Fair
Hat (not shown) : Kookai
Jacket (not shown) : The Way We Wear vintage fair, Canberra

I adore this 50s cotton frock. It's a little big for me but I haven't managed to get around to having it taken in yet. The flowers on the skirt are puffed out like little cushions which is a nice detail.

The little bag is a favourite Ballarat find. The flowers are hand embroidered and the frame is lined with tiny pearls. When I go it home I found two tickets to the Ballarat National Theatre inside. Speaking of which, I'm off to the theatre myself tonight!

Grab your hats and gloves ladies...

2009-06-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's time for The Way We Wear vintage fair! The theme is A Right Royal Affair, which means there will be wedding dresses, needlework other bits and pieces on display that are linked to royal families. Here are the details :

Where : Williamstown Town Hall, Ferguson Street, Williamstown
When : Saturday 20th (10am - 5pm) and Sunday 21st June (10am - 4pm)
Cost : Adults $12 Children $6 Family $30

I'm going to be working there on Saturday on Ruby Rouge's stall. Hope to see you there!

Christian Dior 1947, by Rene Gruau.

Q & A

2009-06-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

I've fallen in a bit of an end of semester heap at the moment, so there are no pretty pictures in this post. Instead, I decided to answer Mademoiselle Lady Finger's questions which originally came from A Cat of Impossible Colour. They both have lovely blogs, so do drop in and visit them sometime.

What colour/s do you have far too much of?

I own far too much black, but doesn't everybody?

What colour/s do you wish you had more of?

I absolutely love red. It cheers me up when I'm having a bad day. I already have a little bit of red in my wardrobe, but I'd love a red velvet dress for winter.

What was the last thrifted thing you purchased?

I recently went to a great church op shop on Lydiard Street and bought a suitcase, a 70s floral sewing box, two floral dresses (one of them red) and a green cape for $10. It was a good day! Expect a post about them soon :)

The last store purchase?

Apart from groceries, the last brand new thing I bought was a book called "Flapper" by Joshua Zeitz which I read in three days (rather than studying as I should have been). It is a very good history of the 1920s, especially if you're an F. Scott Fitzgerald fan as I am.

The last swap?

I'm a terribly selfish hoarder who can't bear to part with any of my wardrobe. I avoid swapping parties like the plague.

Do you buy clothes only when you have spare money, or do you put yourself into night terror debt to own the clothes you love?

When I was working full time, I was a "night terror" kind of gal, but now that I'm back to being a poor uni student, I'm trying to be responsible and only buy clothes when I have spare money. I've been pretty good so far. But seeing as most of my clothes are op shopped, it's pretty easy to get a new clothes fix without spending much.

What's you favorite colour combination?

At the moment, green and navy blue. Cream and gold. Red and black. I can't choose!

A colour combination you'd never wear?

I agree with Mademoiselle Lady Finger, rust orange and mustard yellow. Ick.

Name five pieces of clothing in your wardrobe you wouldn't be without.

A little black dress, my red dress with white polka dots (you'll see much more of this come summer months), hats of any sort, my red scarf I bought ten years ago that matches everything. And last but not least, my wedding and engagement rings. I'd feel naked without them!

Name five pieces you've made it your mission in life to own.

I'm really going to struggle answering this as the list changes constantly but here goes:

A beaded 1920s flapper dress (not neccessarily to wear, just to own), a Chanel suit, any of these Miu Miu shoes that I have been dreaming about for around a year now (they would clash with my entire wardrobe but I would be happy just looking at them every day), the perfect cropped black winter jacket (again, inspired by Mademoiselle - what I want just doesn't exist) and a pair of opera glasses with an extension handle like this one.

Feel free to answer these questions yourself!

Frocks for Fritzlaff

2009-06-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'm going to the Robert Fritzlaff Salon Soiree at Como Historic House. I had two possible outfits to wear. However, it looks like I'll be catching the train to Melbourne so I'm afraid neither of my choices are practical train wear so I'll probably be wearing something a little more train friendly. I'll show the two outfits to you anyway :)

This first dress is one of my favourites. It's an Easton Pearson silk dress I bought at an op shop in Queanbeyan NSW. I saw it in the window of the shop and my heart skipped a beat so I ran inside and took it straight off the mannequin and took it home with me for $10. The beaded and sequined shawl is another favourite item. I bought it at the Ballarat Antique and Collectibles Fair, and although it's not vintage, I love it to bits.

Dress : Easton Pearson via op shop in Queanbeyan, NSW
Shawl : Ballarat Antique and Collectibles Fair
Hat : Kookai with tulle added by me
Belt : Unknown Canberra Op Shop
Shoes : Scooter

The second outfit comes almost entirely from Ruby Rouge. I bought all these items independently of each other over a period of a few months and then just realised the other day that I'd created a whole outfit by accident. I love that the jacket used to belong to a dancer.

Dress : Ruby Rouge, Main Rd Ballarat
Jacket : Ruby Rouge
Turban style hat : Ruby Rouge
Necklace : Garage sale, Ballarat
Shoes : My wedding shoes cleverly beaded and stained with coffee by my genius dressmaker

In the company of Lady Grey and the duchess

2009-06-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

The one item necessary for me to study successfully is cup after cup of tea. Today I've chosen Lady Grey as my tea of choice. As it's a delicate tea, I can drink it all day long. The cup I'm using is Duchess bone china and was bought from Lydiard Street Antiques in the first week we moved to Ballarat. We stayed in a hotel until we found a house to move into and I refused to spend our stay there drinking out of chunky coffee cups. Nothing makes tea taste better than fine bone china.

The inner librarian

2009-06-09T19:53:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I'm stuck behind a pile of these at the moment:

I'm so old fashioned that I still use books to study. It's so very last century of me. As you can tell from some of the exciting titles (Classification made simple, Running a Small Library and Indexing, The Art of), I'm studying to be a librarian. This means that I enjoy putting things in order, including my clothes. My procrastination today involved filling suitcases: one for hats, one for scarves, one for gloves and one for bags. I also hung up all my dresses and jackets. Maybe I'll work on my bookshelf this afternoon...

Alexa's Treasures

2009-06-05T15:55:00.001-07:00

One of Alexa's Treasures shops in Sturt Street is closing down and everything is at least 50% off. I went and had a look the other day and came away with a couple of treasures of my own. The first was a jug and bowl set with a gorgeous yellow and blue floral pattern.

The second was an art deco inspired necklace with a grey green 'stone' which is probably plastic. I'm in love with all things deco.

When I got in to Ruby Rouge for work that day, Jennifer, the owner, had this dress waiting for me. She'd been to an estate sale recently and got this rose print dress for me. She guesses that it's from the 1920s or 1930s. It's falling apart so there's no way she could sell it but she knew I would love it and might be able to salvage it in part. For now, it looks pretty hanging on my wall. And will be added to the ever growing pile of thing I need to hem, mend or take in.

An excursion

2009-06-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I boarded a train at an oh-so-early hour to get some study done at uni before meeting some friends at the National Gallery of Victoria International on St Kilda Road to see various exhibitions, including Dressed to Rule: Imperial Robes of China. The robes in the Dressed to Rule exhibition are exquisite, but I shocked by the size of the tiny slippers worn by women who had their feet bound for aesthetic reasons. Although I have seen images in the past of this practice, and of the minuscule slippers these women used to wear, seeing them in person was entirely different. Especially when I thought about what torture the women must have endured to simply walk on their deformed feet around their own homes.

I also had a look through Persuasion: Fashion in the Age of Jane Austen. What struck me most about the exhibition was how tiny the women of that era were, in height, waist size and shoe size. Especially when I looked down at my size ten feet. Oh to be able to wear vintage shoes...

And this is what I wore.

Dress : Cue from Howitt St Salvos, Ballarat
Jacket : Scarlett & Sly from ItripIskip, Canberra
Scarf : Sportsgirl, a million years ago
Boots : Out of the Closet, Flinders St, Melbourne
Bag : Miss M
Umbrella : Bakery Hill Salvos, Ballarat
Tired Expression : Thankyou university!!

Robert Fritzlaff at Como House

2009-05-30T01:42:00.000-07:00

As somebody who is slightly (hm, maybe more than slightly) obsessed with vintage fashion, I couldn't wait to get to Como Historic House in South Yarra to see the Shaping Elegance - Robert Fritzlaff Fashion Exhibition. I finally made it on Friday, and was more than delighted with the exhibition. As explained on the Como House website:

Shaping Elegance gives us a glimpse into the creation of couture - its craftsmanship, technical virtuosity and etiquette. A retrospective of Paris trained Australian couturier Robert Fritzlaff, this exhibition will showcase his fashion, illustration and photography from 1955 to 1980. Shaping Elegance is a unique opportunity to tell the story of Australian couture and re-discovers Fritzlaff's place in the history of fashion.

While at Como House I noticed a flyer for a Salon Show Soiree which is held on the 11th of June in the glamorous Como House ballroom, complete with magnificent chandelier. The evening will showcase some of the designer's creations and includes supper. Robert Fritzlaff himself will also be there. So of course I booked myself a ticket straight away! See here for more details.

Images from Shaping Elegance - Robert Fritzlaff exhibition catalogue.

A day on Main Road

2009-05-30T00:16:00.000-07:00

A last minute call from Ruby Rouge today meant that I had another day of selling pretty vintage clothes. While there, I picked up this cute 1950s lace suit:

Right across the road from Ruby Rouge is The Main Bar. It only opened this week so Mr Vintage Style and I were very excited to check it out today. The interior is fitted with 1950s cafe bench seating. Memorabilia, mismatched light fittings and antique chairs decorate the walls and ceilings. Mr Vintage Style tested the coffee and gave it two thumbs up. We shared a pumpkin, pesto and pine nut wood fired pizza which was very good. I think Mr Vintage Style and I will become regulars to The Main Bar. Check it out...

To top off a very nice day, we went for a walk this evening and found some mushrooms which look like they're out of a fairy tale.

Rainy day

2009-05-27T04:32:00.001-07:00

I spend most Wednesdays at the Ballarat Art Gallery as a volunteer. It gives me an excuse to do two of my favourite things: wear a pretty dress and admire the beautiful art collection held at the gallery. However, a tired head after an exam last night combined with dreary weather this morning made it jeans and tshirt kind of day.

Jacket : Baptcare Bargain Centre, Eastwood St, Ballarat
Jeans : Lee
Tshirt : Unknown Canberra op shop
Boots : Vintage, Out of the Closet, Flinders Street, Melbourne
Hat : Unknown Melbourne shop
Brooch : Glitzern, Crossley St, Melbourne

Clocktower by night

2009-05-27T04:12:00.000-07:00

There is something so very eerie about the way the Ballarat Train Station clock tower is lit at night.

Puppy love

2009-05-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

To work today, I'm wearing...

Skirt : 80s lace from Ruby Rouge
Shirt : Puppy print from shop I can't remember in Newtown, Sydney
Hat : Joyce's Junkatique
Belt : From another dress
Pearls : Ballarat Antiques Fair
Shoes : I Love Billy from Studio Gas

And my favourite accessory...my puppy Maysie. She had a little operation and has to wear the elegantly titled 'Elizabethan Collar' for a couple of weeks.

Garage sale-ing

2009-05-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

As I was up and awake at a very early hour on this lovely Autumn Saturday, I decided to explore a couple of garage sales. I only went to two, as a couple of other I drove past didn't look very good. The first one I went to was like going to Joyce's Junkatique, but outdoors. Joyce herself even turned up to rummage through the collection of things for sale. One item that I really wanted to bring home (but knew Mr Vintage Style would kill me if I did) was a doll's house. I hope a little girl finds it and gives it a lovely home.

From the first garage sale, I brought home a couple of necklaces. More pearls, and a gold necklace with green stones.

At the second garage sale I found yet another fur coat to add to my collection. This blog should be called "Ballarat Fur Coat Style".

I also bought something else, but I'm sending it to a friend so I'll have to put a photo up once she gets it in the mail. All this, and I came home with plenty of change from a $20. Maybe I'll use it to go have a cup of tea and a brownie at Bibo later on...

Grandma's china

2009-05-22T16:47:00.001-07:00

While in Ballarat Antiques and Collectables the other day I was very happy to come across three Wedgewood "Blossom Time" dinner plates which match a cup, saucer and plate that I inherited from my Grandma. I hope to continue to find more pieces to match. A search that will take years.

Tribute

2009-05-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I'm often guilty of walking past memorial statues (like those in Sturt Street) and thinking "That's nice" without actually reading what it represents. A while ago I decided to stop and read the small print on a magnificent sculpture of a horse at the crossroads of Sturt and Lyons Streets. The plaque reads that it was erected "as a memorial to the 958,600 horses and mules killed in the first world war, including 196,000 that left these shores never to return". A nice tribute, I think.

Reindeer games

2009-05-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Instead of staying home and being productive, I went on a sneaky little trip to De's Recycled Fashions in South Street and bought a new suit. And so continues my obsession with fur...

New acquisitions

2009-05-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

As I've been busy with study and various other things lately, I've seriously cut back on my op shopping. And boy do I miss it! I have however added a couple of new bits and pieces to my (and Mr Vintage Style's) wardrobe.

First is this gigantic cocktail ring I found in a little boutique in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. There's nothing like a bit of bling to keep a girl happy during exam season.

And underneath the ring is a pair of new ruched gloves I found at Ruby Rouge. I like wearing strong colours so I was very happy to find these in a sea of pastel coloured gloves.

As winter is well on the way, I'm always on the search for new jackets and blazers with which to layer. I found this beautifully tailored Sportscraft blazer at the Light Lounge on Dana Street the other day for only $3. I seem to have amassed quite a collection of Sportscraft clothing, some of which is inherited from my mother.

While working at Ruby Rouge yesterday, Mr Vintage Style dropped in to say hello and bring me some lunch. What a dear! His eye was immediately drawn to a great leather jacket I had placed on a mannequin. It fitted him perfectly so I had to bring it home for him.

Hmmmm...so it appears that in spite of exams and a busy life, I have still found plenty of time to shop.