Making the Mundane Magical

I'm having a lovely week at home this week, trying to make my way through all those annoying things that have been hanging on my To Do list. It can sometimes be overwhelming, and if I had it all written down I could diguise it as a copy of War and Peace. To keep a sense of humor in the midst of all this responsibility, I turn to one of my never fail tricks - doing my job "Vintage Housewife" style. Pop on a pinni, a little Doris Day and even the most mundane tasks take on a whole new shine. Who knew making spaghetti could be so much fun?

And while I'm tackling the list, I am attending to all the requests you have sent me too. Today I can tick off one more. I have been tagged by Chloe Van Paris to bring you another glimpse into random pieces of my life, and yet again I've managed not to exhaust my list of superfluous facts.

What are the last three things you purchased?

A vintage sheer peignoir gown. Peacock blue paint for my bedroom walls. A new pump for my fish tank (boring I know).

What are the last three songs you downloaded?

Embarrassingly enough, that was so long ago that I can't even remember! I was kindly given Duffy's CD for my birthday though, so that is close enough to an answer.

What are the last three places you visited?

Beechworth in country Victoria. The beach side town of Warnambool and Sydney. All my travel recently has been local, but I head of to Texas and Tokyo in three weeks now!

What are your three favorite movies?

Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (based on the play by Tom Stoppard). Mame, with Rosalind Russell (campery at its finest). Heathers, the 1980's classic of bitches, fashion and murder.

What are your three favorite posessions?

My antique Arctic fox fur

A vintage Jean Paul Gaultier red dress that is so stunning, but has never fit me to date.

A huge oil painting of a Chinese noble woman holding her fan.

What three things can you not live without?

Water, sunscreen ( the best anti-wrinkle combination), and red lipstick.

What would be your three wishes?

I'll have to go with that old childhood plan of asking the Genie for unlimited wishes as my wish. Then the ability to time travel at will and a magic housework wand.

What three things haven't you done yet?

Reached fluency in any of the languages I've studies, mastered basic mathematics or travelled by camel train across Morocco.

What are your three favorite dishes?

Thai green chicken curry, barbecued baby octopus and Oysters Churchill. Ohhh...

Which three celebrities would you most like to hang out with?

Noel Coward, Johnny Depp and Dita Von Teese ( I think we'd make great buddies).

Name three things that freak you out?

Large hairy spiders, Space invaders ( those people that always come way to far into your personal space) and unexplained power cuts (extreme paranoia here).

Name three unusual things you are good at.

Making up songs about random things at the drop of a hat. Picking extremly subtle colour differences at ten paces. Being one step ahead of the zeitgeist.

Which three things are you coveting?

Minna Parikka shoes, a large taxidermy peacock ( I found him a year ago but he wasn't for sale) and a bamboo 1930's patio setting.

Name three bloggers you are tagging.

Casey's Musings

Porcelaine Blonde

Only Shallow - who has just picked up a pair of my coveted shoes!

*P.S. Sorry for today's odd text, blogger is misbehaving.*

Awards That Grow On Trees

** Regular outfit and style posting will resume again tomorrow as these more personal posts aren't really what this blog is about, but it is nice to share sometimes. **

When you are feeling a bit lack luster, (I found the bottom in a couple of bottles of Red last night) it is so wonderful to know people are thinking of you. And this week has been a lovely one for kind thoughts. I received the Brillante Blogger award from Freelancer's Fashion And Fashion Hayley.

Here are the "rules" for the Award:
1) When received, you may post the award to you blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4) Link to those 7 blogs
5) And leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.


I'd like to share the love by passing this award to:

Outsapop: For providing what is quite possibly the best Trashion and DIY blog out there. Whenever I read her work and see her latest creations I am so inspired to put down the computer and pick up the scissors.
OhSnail: For being so creative, honest and having one of the most unique personal styles for such a young blogger. When I read her work it is just like she has stepped from the pages of an Enid Blyton novel, and I think my 15 year old self would like to spend an afternoon with her.
Old Hollywood Glamour: For providing a veritable feast for my eyes as well as all the low down to go with it.
Times of Glory: Not only for her beautiful outfits, but all the time and effort she puts into styling her photos.
Tokyo Bunnie: For her art which ALWAYS makes my day. You cannot possibly be sad, depressed, angry or feeling any kind of negativity while reading her blog. Super Kawaii!
From Betsy With Love: For being my go to place for new blog introductions. I think Betsy is one of my Style Soul sisters, and we often seem to find our inspirations in similar places.
Fashion Binge: For providing not only eye candy, but really helpful style links such as this Humidity Predictor to help you harness you bad hair days before they happen.

Also Aus Style and Fashion Hayley have handed me what is called The Tree of Happiness, which is basically a nice excuse to share your joy with the world. I have to tell you 6 things that make me happy and pass this on to another 6 people.

1.Painting makes me happy. Not the artistic on canvas kind (although that is good too), I mean painting walls. I love that you can instantly change the mood of a room with a quick coat of paint and that, like fashion, you can choose to be as brave as you want to because there really are no rules.
2. A nicely set table. I love buying vintage linen on Ebay and making up my own matching sets of cloths, napkins and other trimmings. It is amazing how eating your dinner from a hot pink gingham cloth can be such a pick me up.
3. To Do Lists. Ticking things off a to do list, gives me such a buzz. I actually save my favorite stationery to write my lists on and usually have Hello Kitty or someone similar 'telling' me what I have to do.
4.Ella Fitzgerald. Whenever I am getting really cranky and my temper is frayed, I just put on some early Ella Fitzgerald and I can't help but start singing and dancing around like a crazy person.
5.Fashion and the freedom we have here to express ourselves through fashion. I am so grateful that I live in a time, and a country, where there really are no limits to what you can wear (except your own confidence). Wonderful vintage fashion also makes me happy as I like to imagine the life of each garment and what wonderful memories that it may have been a part of.
6. My Mr. I am SO so fortunate to have the man I do. It would take me a long time to list all of his good points, but one of the best things about him is his generosity of spirit and he always makes me feel like number one. Oh, and it helps that he never complains about the VISA bill!


I'm going to add a bonus happiness piece to my list, because more than anything else, it is these two cheeky critters that make me happy.

So I am now passing on this Tree of Happiness to Heather Shade, Cybill at Sorting it Out, Amy at The Daily Mail, The Tatooed Mama, Tizzalicious and The Cherry Blossom Girl.

Now that I've done all that, it's back to my To Do List and finishing my latest sewing projects so that I have some new outfits to show you this week.

Tags and Happiness

1. Details, 2. !!!, 3. Pink Sky II, 4. Nohohon Zoku- Goukaku Type5, 5. graduation kitty cake, 6. puccho (japanese candy) cupcakes!!!

I'm feeling very social this week, chatting to all my wonderful online friends, so I thought I'd try and share a little happiness through these delightful images from Flickr. I've also been tagged to bring you three different memes.

So in the order they were received; firstly I was tagged by Times of Glory to list my Six Songs For Spring. Given that I am presently in Winter, I'm going to give you my Six Songs To Dress By instead. Click the links to get your groove on.

1. Nobody But Me - Lou Rawls ( This would have to be one of my all time favorite tunes)
2. Is you is or is you ain't my baby - Dinah Washington.
3. The Lady is a Tramp - Ella Fitzgerald
4. L.O.V.E. love - Emma Pasque
5. Plenty of Money and You - Tony Bennett
6. Me & My Shadow - Robbie Williams

The 123 tag from Disney Roller Girl.

The rules:
1. Pick up nearest book
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the next 3 sentences
5. Tag 5 people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

"Six months later, though, while filming in New York, her made plans to escort her to a title fight at Madison Square Garden. George Evans, who knew the press had learned of the affair, dissuaded him. Instead Frank appeared at ringside with Joe Di Maggio and Marlene Dietrich."

from Sinatra - The Life by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

I've had this book for a number of years now and am only just starting to read it in my spare time. Hence, three months on, I am still on chapter 2.

And the 6 Unimportant Things About Me from Ivyology, I think I have done one like this before but for the benefit of my new readers I'll have to come up with something.

The rules are as follows:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

1. I have an overactive imagination and start looking for laser sights to appear on the walls when the power goes out.
2. I use my fork in the wrong hand, and swap it to cut.
3. I am constantly creating nonsensical nicknames for my children and dogs, so no one knows when I am talking to them.
4. My husband calls me Rain Man.
5. When I bought my last pair of slippers (hand made), the little old man who sold them to me said, " I have only ever sold these to elderly ladies." And I was quite pleased with that.
6. I still have to count forward from 12 to figure out what time it is in 24 hour time, but I like how military and organised it sounds.


Rather than now tagging 15 people, I'm going to tag 5. Each of you can choose which of these tags most appeals to you or that you haven't yet completed. Have fun!

Little Puch of Love
Mud on My Tea Dress
Only Shallow
The Life Aesthetic
Fashion Hayley Hits Home

For Anyone Who Wants to Know More About Me....

I have been tagged again, so here is a little more information to help you complete a picture of my peculiarity.

5 things found in my bag:
- Arm warmers - for short sleeved days that turn nasty.
- Red Lipstick - for instant glamor
- Camera - To document all my fashion findings and some of the more 'see it to believe it' fashion faux pas.
- A notebook from my best friend with lovely things written to me in it - For a pick me up on a rough day.
- Muesli bars - Because I am always on the run and don't always get time for a sit down meal.


5 things found in my wallet:
- Photos of my girls, husband and dogs - I am hoping when shop assistants see these the will stop calling me "Sweetie". Arrrrgh!
- Expired loyalty cards - I always think I will go back and use these but I can never find them when I need them.
- Photos of great hair styles I like - So when I say to my hairdresser, " Just blow dry it Vegas circa 1970", she will know what I mean.
- Stamps - for when the urge to write snail mail calls ( I have had these stamps for a very long time)
- Pain killers - I don't have to tell you what these are for.

5 favorite things in my room :
- My vintage Chinese advertising print.
- My dressing table - Currently pink and about to be transformed as a piece of black magic.
- My extremely large, red velvet chair, as seen in many of my posts - A present to myself for a previous birthday. I always know what I would like. :)
- My wallpaper that is being torn off! - It is the tearing off that I like as it is a hideous Laura Ashley 80's style floral.

5 things I always wanted to do:
-Be a lounge singer.
-Keep Peacocks.
-Write a fabulously successful novel.
-Go back or forwards in time whenever I wanted. Perhaps with the current Dr. Who... that wouldn't be too bad at all. ;)
-Invent a pair of heels whose height you could change depending on the terrain or situation.

5 things I'm currently into :
- Memento Mori
- Dark chocolate - This one never goes out of style with me
- Writing this blog and reading all the wonderful work of my peers. (That's you guys!)
- Redecorating. Truth be told I never stop doing this as as soon as I finish one room, I'm onto the next. And repeat.
- Listening to all music recommended by friends and bloggers to expand my ipod selection. Jojo's circus was getting a little old.

5 presents you wish for:
Health, happiness, inspiration, abundance and serenity- for all my family and friends.

The person who tagged you is :
- Lab Goddess

Your 5 impressions of him/her :
- Wicked sense of humour.
- Practical.
- Fabulously geeky - in a superlative way.
- Canny shopper.
- A good friend.

Rather than tagging anyone else, as it is hard to know who has done these things already, if you would like to do this tag; Consider Yourself It!
I'd be very happy for any links you'd like to make to me as well. (Yes, I am shamelessly pimping my site. I do try and get around everyones blogs, but I'm not sure I have made it yet. )

Playing Tag

I have been tagged by The Lab Goddess, and as I am somewhat flattered and curious to know more about you all, here goes.
Here are the rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

So here is my contribution:

1. I am very particular about my cutlery. If my knives aren't put back onto their block and are just thrown in a draw, I get quite upset. "You'll break the points off people!"
2. I like to organise things. When I am feeling stressed and out of control, I simply need to re-organise my shoes/ bags/ clothes, and I feel much better.
3. At public rest rooms I open the doors with paper towel or try to use my little finger if there is no towel to be had. I have nearly dislocated it on a couple of heavy ones.
4. When I write a To Do List, I always write down a couple of things I have already done so I can have the satisfaction of crossing things off before I start.
5. I can never sleep with my ears exposed. I have to have the sheet all the way up. This is a hang over from my 'Flesh-eating Skeletons under The Bed' phase when I was young.
6. When I hear a phrase that reminds me of a song, I burst into a rousing refrain, even if I don't really know the words and often at the most in opportune moments.

So now you know a little more about me, ("please... stop now" I hear you say) I tag the following people:

Snake Bites
The 16 Diaries
Sexie Time!
Tizzalicious
FashionAbility
Strawberry Kitten