Monday, December 29, 2008

A Very Memorable Christmas

I love Christmas. I love the trees, the decorations, the food (uh oh..) the sense of good will to all men (if you stay away from the shops), and the promise of a new year around the corner. There are lots of lovely Christmas surprises that made their way into my house this year, but before I show you some of the loot there is something else even more special. This year I got the most amazing present of all. Little Miss One decided to walk on Christmas Day!! All curly headed and bow legged, my little cricket figured it was about time to see the world from a different perspective. Full of resolve and with an indomitable spirit, she is toddling around on unsteady legs and must be grateful for the extra padding of a nappied bottom.


In other present related news, I was very lucky this year that both a lustful eBay moment and a generous Santa Clause coincided. And it was with a good dose of glee that this fabulous 1950's lounge setting and bar have made their way into my sun room. I could hardly believe my luck to find a bar that matched the lines of the lounge suite. It is actually taking the place of a toy cupboard and acting as the ultimate in domestic camouflage.



How awesome is this lounge suite! All newly reupholstered in vintage dead stock fabric, it is a dream come true. Of course this means a whole new set of rules for behaviour on my furniture, and yes I do get a little precious about it, but I want this number to last at least another 50 years. These pieces are all a part of my "retro fitting", basically getting rid of lots of modern, mediocre pieces, and replacing them with killer pieces from my favorite vintage era. Ah the joys of good design.

I can't wait to wear this gorgeous pin! I love the chain detail joining the two children together. Their silhouettes remind me of little Kewpie dolls. A big thank you to my brother and his girlfriend for this stylish choice.


Recognise this little lady? I blogged about Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers collection an age ago, when it seemed there was no possibility of finding these in Australia. Thanks to my baby brother and his lady, this cutie pie now takes pride of place on the dressing table. It isn't often that I keep perfume bottles, but this one will be staying in the heirloom box.
And what is that she's sitting on? Thanks to my Mum and Dad and their recent European sojourn, I have the most delightful Versace silk scarf with which to punch up my look. In bright greens, reds and blues, it has a very fresh, young look to it that makes me think of summer time and pool side cocktails.


Also courtesy of Mum and Dad's recent adventures is this handmade silver necklet, straight from the markets of Morocco. It is so silver it has an almost blue-ish hue to it, and demands an outfit of similar gravitas. I'm thinking this one needs to be styled in a 1920's does Egypt fashion.

And of course this little critter had to sneak in. He was actually one of my gifts to Miss Four, but I was rather keen on him too. If you are wondering his name is Totoro. One of my all time favorite anime classics. Having kids makes hiding your penchant for cute toys all the more easy.

So now that the festivities are all said and done, I trust yours was fabulous indeed. And if like me you ate far too much, I suggest walking it off at the Christmas sales or simply dancing you arse off (literally) for New Years Eve.

26 comments:

Fashion Hayley said...

WOW I love the lounge suite, what an amazing find. I love the white buttons, so cute.

Anonymous said...

hello !
i couldnt help but notice you said that Harajuku Lovers perfume had no possibility of being found in Aus. I live in Sydney and every single Myers, David Jones, target, perfume store etc... supplies this perfume and in Myers they sell the whole pack for $150 or was it 250... hmmm, i can't remember but you can also get these adorable Harajuku lollipops, it's just adorable.I'm not really sure if the other stores have lollipops.
Much love xx H

Neroli said...

Oh what a fabulous haul! Especially little Miss One's suprise. I am in love with your lounge suite and new bar, very chic.

Anonymous said...

Jelousy much? Well, not really. I love my new can opener!

Anonymous said...

Did my last comment get through?

DAMNNN

awww Miss One is soo cute! What great presents you got! I love the couch, it's even cooler with Totoro on it!

XXASAB

PS. Can't help but to point out it's Gwen Stefani.

Anonymous said...

Did my last comment get through?

DAMNNN

awww Miss One is soo cute! What great presents you got! I love the couch, it's even cooler with Totoro on it!

XXASAB

PS. Can't help but to point out it's Gwen Stefani.

Anonymous said...

Ok that was really confusing...

Oh and BTW thanks for the email SKM.

XXASAB

KittyMeow said...

Totoro!!! Where did you find him?? I must have one!

Those couches are just fabulous too - what a score!!!

Candice DeVille said...

Fashion Hayley: Your new white one is super cool too.
Anon: Yes, I was referring to a post I did back in about March when it looked like we wouldn't get them here. I believe they arrived here some time in October.
Vintage Verve: Thank you, she is practicing as we speak. :)
Anon: Is it one of those super duper electric kinds?
ASAB: Yes, spell checking is not my strong suit and a few get through. And yes, Miss one is too too cute.
Kitty Meow: I've been looking everywhere for him since I got back from Japan, ( I bought his little blue brother there) and then I found him at the Duchess store in Melbourne. They had even bigger ones, but I was trying to pick a huggable size for a four year old.

WendyB said...

One giant step for babykind!

Helena said...

What a lovely picture of your baby. :-)

emsydo said...

uawahhhh! your retro furniture is the awesomest! I had a sniff of those Harajuku Girl perfumes..I think the Cute one smells nice.
Giant totoro! I need one...

Maven Heart said...

Cute lounge + Bar! I think the Gwen Stefani perfume bottles are super cute! xxx

floraposte said...

Love the sofa! Is it comfortable though?
Miss One is very cute!

Make Do Style said...

Oh yes the lounge suit and the bar are fab stuff - all looks very swell!

Kate @ Tres Lola said...

that lounge is fantastic! & how amazing that your little one is up & walking, best present!

Helen said...

what wonderful stylish presents you had!
also well done to your little one for picking such a great day to start walking!

Amber said...

The lounge is fabulous! I love the way the fabric and buttons almost mimic a dice set!

Candice DeVille said...

Flora poste: The sofa isn't as comfortable as my last one, but that was one of the reasons I picked it. the Mr has a bad back and kept just lounging around on the other one which wasn't doing him any good. So this one is still comfortable but is better when you sit up rather than loll about. The chairs are heaven!

oniomania said...

love the lounge. question. do you post vintage hair tips on youtube. i think i have seen you before.

Candice DeVille said...

oniomania: I sure do! ^-^ Can't miss that ice-cream swirled hair hey.

JenEverAfter said...

What a fun day for you! Santa must've had a helluva time getting that bar down the chimney!

Elina said...

How cute with the first trembling steps on Christmas day! :D

And Totoro, I just love him..
Happy New Year!

yublocka said...

Wow wow wow. I LOVE your new lounges and that bar. What an awesome find!

Happy new year!!!

Anonymous said...

Darn, I had written a mini novel and blogger ate it! Try again...

That Miss One walked on Christmas day must have been the best present - how timely and delightful for you all :)

I love that you're going vintage with your interior decorating. To have such a strong, authentic and individual aesthetic in all aspects of ones life is truly stylish!
I imagine if I was to walk into your home I would get a greater understanding of your personality and that is what good decorating should be about - not the latest designer or fad du jour.

Inspiring! xxx

Candice DeVille said...

Porcelain Blonde: Thank you! And yes, you're right. My house is a reflection of my personality. It is a good thing that the Mr doesn't care too much about the decorating and lets me have my way with it. I like a home to have a soul, but also to be organised, so it is a constant process of balancing my love of all kinds of cool stuff with the need for clear surfaces and streamlining.