Thursday 30 June 2016

Take a Hike with Banned Apparel


Pleats can be intimidating, especially as a curvier girl. They are something I’ve generally always steered clear of as I was always worried about how they’d look on my body.  But, when I saw the Take a Hike skirt arrive at Gwynnies, I felt myself caving. There was just something about it that looked so pretty. But then the question of what do I wear it with? So naturally, the Dream Master off white blouse became mine too.

Flowers ~ Jean double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Blue Marble Eclipse Studs from Revere Folie
Sunglasses ~ Jayjays (4 years old)
Beads ~ Baby blue necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Miss Be Mine Brooch by Miss Lady A Broad
Handbag ~ Vintage inherited from my grandmother
belt ~ Kmart
Top ~ Dream Master off white blouse by Banned Apparel bought from Gwynnies
Skirt ~ Take a Hike skirt in red by Banned Apparel bought from Gwynnies
Shoes ~ Betty Sandals in brown by Miss L Fire from Royal Vintage Shoes
This blouse has quickly become one of my favourites. Its versatile, comfortable. The cut and style has a vintage feel and I like that it is an off white as oppose to a crisp white, as I find it less harsh with my skin tone. Plus, it’s also easier to keep clean! One thing to keep in mind when buying this blouse however that is it runs incredibly small. Though I was a medium according to the measurements, the buttons pulled terribly and I ended up selling my medium to buy it in a large to make it more comfortable and easier to wear. Now that I have sized up its one I love and I hope to invest in more colourways of this blouse in the future!


The Take a Hike Skirt in comparison, was more generous with its sizing. I bought the medium and it fits perfectly with a little room, so much so I can wear it without shapewear if I want to. The skirt is incredibly light weight which makes it great for warmer months but in winter I wear it with a slip to help make it a little warmer. The pleating means I can wear it without a crinoline or petticoat too, which is something I love as I don’t really wear them much anymore. It sits wonderfully, it wears beautifully and I adore that it can be accessorized with a lot of different colours.


I love the 1940s feel to these two items, whether they are styled together or separately. As they do have this feel I do like to play that up and style them with accessories that also hard to the 1940’s as well. For this look I went with hues of brown and red with a touch of blue for a softer pop of colour.

Brown Betty Sandals
Miss Be Mine Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad

Blue Marble Eclipse Studs from Revere Folie and Jean Double from Daisy Jean
 I wore my flatter Jean double for that dark red pop along with my gorgeous Eclipse studs in blue marble from Revere Folie for a softer pop of blue. These earrings compliment the blue of my Debstar Designs necklace so well and the final 1940’s finishing touch is my Miss Lady abroad brooch. Brown was for shoes and my belt. I stopped wearing brown when I became a pinup and have recently rediscovered it as a great colour for 1940’s styling. It’s so fun to add to outfits or to use as a base colour for a look. Expect to see more of it in my wardrobe!


The handbag I wore for this review is also something special. My grandmother passed away earlier this year and one of the few things I got from her was 3 of her vintage handbags. I love having these bags. Not only are they great for expanding my accessory wardrobe but they really make me feel connected to her as I still process losing her, which has been a really nice thing to have.


One thing that I love about Banned Apparel is its affordability. The Dream Master Blouse set me back $35AUD and the Take a Hike Skirt was a steal at just $50AUD. Also if you place an order with Gwynnies and your order is over $100AUD you get free domestic shipping! Winning! 


I hope you’ve all enjoyed this blog review and I cannot wait to bring you more next month! As always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments or on my social media accounts!

Til next time darlings!



Wednesday 29 June 2016

Vintage Wearable Art ~ The incredible talents of Miss Lady A Broad

Wearing the Senorita Sherry Brooch
Its no secret I love my brooches. I mean honestly, I wear one pretty much every day that I leave the house. I've found as I'm delving more and more into true vintage and 1940's fashion, my hunt for more authentic looking brooches started and was quickly answered when I was introduced to the amazing Miss Lady A Broad.

My Miss Lady Abroad collection!
So who is Miss Lady A Broad? Miss Lady A Broad is a trained graphic designer hailing from Victoria Australia. An internationally published pinup model as well as a former pageant winner, having won titles in Miss Viva Las Vegas 2013 and Miss Pinup Australia. She's a mother, a model, a beauty and an incredibly talented artist. Her incredibly gorgeous 1940's styling is honestly to die for and her love of vintage truly does shine through in her accessory Brand with her Name sake. 

Miss Lady A Broad

I first discovered Miss Lady A Broad when I was introduced to her by my friend Miss Ruby Rabbit, when I bought my first brooch from Portobello Princess. The unique styling touch of Miss Lady A Broad was really there from start to finish. Coming in their own incredible display boxes, these brooches are made from varying layers of wood, printed design and resin coating. Her newest range also includes beads and other fun add ons to bring even more life and dimension to these incredible works of art. As a pinup moving more away from the modern take on the style to a more authentic take on the 1940’s, these brooches are absolutely incredible! While I still very much adore my more modern brooches that I own, there are some outfits that just need a vintage touch to help finish them off and these brooches definitely do the trick. They are my go to when I wear my 1940’s true vintage outfits and any outfit I have actually that is of a 1940’s style. Whenever I wear them, I get a lot of compliments and comments as they are truly wearable works of art!
Wearing the Scotty Dog Brooch

Arll of her designs feature ladies or absolutely adorable animals, in true vintage style and their own fun theme. This means that there truly is a Miss Lady A Broad brooch for every occasion. Haunting and Halloween-eque? She’s got you covered. Cute animals and bunnies. She’s got you covered. Something with an Air force feel? Again, you’re covered. Her newest range even has a pinup Astronaut! Her creative flare means there is truly something for everyone when it comes to style preference.


Wearing the Miss Be Mine Brooch
All Miss Lady A Broad brooches also come with a secure locking clip! Which is always a good thing as there is nothing more heartbreaking than losing your brooch! Each is hand made by Miss Lady A Broad and quality is always of the highest. Miss Lady A Broad has also had an amazing year with her gorgeous brooches now being stocked in Australia store Gwynnies as well as available through her own website!


Wearing some of my Miss Lady A Broad Brooches
If you are as much of a brooch addict as I am, love vintage styling and are looking for incredible wearable pieces, then Miss Lady A Broad is definitely a brand for you to keep in mind and watch! With her newest range bringing new elements to her brooches, she is definitely an Australian brand to watch!  Expect to see this gorgeous brand even more on my blog over the coming month, as I really can’t get enough of her designs!

Miss Lady A Broad brooches retail for $30-35AUD + postage, which is a great price for such intricate pieces!

Places to find Miss Lady A Broad:


I hope you’ve all enjoyed this blog post and I look forward to bringing you even more over the month of July! It’s going to be a busy one!

Til tomorrow darlings!

Disclaimer: Whilst I received some of these brooches as a gift from Miss Lady A Broad, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers. 

Tuesday 28 June 2016

Vintage Discoveries and Blessed Feelings


Vintage. It was something that as a baby pinup, it always felt unobtainable. I used to firmly believe that vintage was SUPER expensive and all too little for someone like me. Now while vintage can be expensive, if you know what to look for and how to search you can actually find quite a bit in bigger sizes and not all of it is frumpy and sad. My first true discovery with true vintage was through Newtown store The Vintage Drawer. Deb, who is the owner is such an absolute pleasure to deal with and she showed me that there was beautiful vintage out there that fit me and that having vintage in my wardrobe was obtainable. With my experience with her I went on to find Bek who owns Word from the Bird in Ballarat and fell in love again. She stocks beautiful pieces in a range of sizes and I’ve since made 4 purchases from her that definitely get a fair bit of wear. In my blog photos today, I’m wearing my newest addition from Bek, which is this stunning soft pink 1940s dress! 

Hat ~ Early 1950’s hat from Little Cooper on Etsy
Beads ~ Equip
Brooch ~ Tulip Bouquet brooch from Erstwilder
Dress ~ 1940s Dusty pink and lace day dress from Word fromthe Bird
Belt ~ Off Another Dress
Shoes ~ Lacey heels from Royal Vintage Shoes
But this post isn’t just about my growing love of vintage. 2016 for me had a really rough start. I lost some good friends; I saw the bullying underside of the Australian pinup scene when I became the target of a bullying campaign. My beautiful grandmother passed away from a heart attack in her home just before Easter. I’ve had some other things happen that have really dragged me down which I haven’t shared online either and up until recently, 2016 was feeling like one of the worst years of my adult life. While it wasn’t all bad, the good definitely felt like it was been smothered by the constant layers of bad stuff that kept happening. And they happened in such quick succession to each other that I hadn’t really finished trying to emotionally and mentally the first thing before the others piled on. It can be hard to feel positive when you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and when you have a lot of BIG stuff going on or even repetitive little stuff it can really build up and start to bring you down. 


Sometimes though, things that look like they are horrible and stressful can actually be a catalyst for great change. I got some news recently (which I’m not sharing yet!) that initially really upset me, cause huge anxiety and made me feel even more down. But, as time went on and it had a flow on effect to other decisions being made, decisions that had been causing large amounts of stress, I felt the stress begin to lift. In the past week I have found myself feeling a lot more at peace with events of the year, a lot more at peace with the loss of my grandmother and find myself swelling with gratitude for the amazing things in my life. I have an incredible partner. I have a beautiful family. I have amazing friends. My little business is growing so well and my blogging is really starting to take off. I'm getting back into modelling and not letting my body hold me back. I'm trying new things and feeling amazing about life. I have the opportunity to meet and spend time with some amazingly strong women this past weekend and they’ve really lifted my spirits and shown me that not all ladies are bitter and nasty and that there are women who encourage, support and inspire each other to do better! I am so grateful for the positive things i have going on.


On Saturday I attended a vintage ladies high tea (I’ll be blogging about this on Saturday for you all) and then I had the pleasure of shooting with Kimberly of Saycheesecake Photography, who I’ve had the pleasure of mutually following online for what seems like forever. Meeting these women has really inspired me to push back at my anxiety and reconnect with the things I used to love to do, like going to events and attending pageants because screw the people who try and bring others down. So…how does all this tie into vintage….


Vintage is one of the things that recently has been connecting me with amazing women. It was so incredibly cool to go and spend an afternoon with such incredible, inspiring and amazing ladies at the QVB High Tea. I’ve never felt so included in a group like that before, even though my anxiety meant I kept myself a little on the outside of the socialising and it was great to hear ladies with similar experiences to me in regards to blogging (ie people STARING at you when you are taking blog photos around the place) and recognising people off instagram. 


The whole weekend has left me feeling incredibly inspired to do better, be better, support fiercely and be kinder to myself. We all have struggles we go through and that’s ok. Though sometimes popping on some incredible vintage does definitely help! I’ve got so much coming to my blog this coming month. I’ve never been this busy in this little blog space but I’m feeling so motivated to really make it what I dreamed it would be! I have some amazing products, collaborations and photoshoots coming up. I hope you are all ready for this space to really start blossoming!


Also, can we take a second to just appreciate this gorgeous vintage hat! Hats are something I’ve always enjoyed, even as a kid. I’ve been wanting to start investing in vintage hats for the last 18 months but I’ve been umming and ahhing about it. But on my birthday I found a gorgeous garden hat in an op shop and after a bit of an online splurge I now have 3 vintage hats and I cannot wait to add more! 


I hope you’ve all enjoyed this little blog post! I just wanted to share some shots of this amazing vintage dress and hat as I had intended to wear them this past weekend but it was much too cold! And remember, if life is getting you down that sometimes things get hard sometimes and thats ok. Light will come through in the end.

Til next time darlings!



Monday 27 June 2016

Weekly outfits ~ 20th June 2016

Hello darlings!

Can you believe by the end of the week we'll be in July! That half of 2016 will be gone! How absolutely crazy!

Last week was a great week on the blog! I finally was able to post my review of the incredible Doris Swing pants by PUG, after trying for SO long to get good photos of them. I got to share some incredible bath beauty goodies with you all and I also reviewed one of my favorite outfits at the moment that has major retro high school chic vibes!

I had a busy week and an even busier weekend! A vintage girl's meet up on Saturday and a photoshoot with Say Cheesecake photography on Sunday! So loving life right now! But here are last week's looks! I'm looking forward to even more looks this week!

Monday
Flower ~ Jeans double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Top ~ Sabrina top in wine from Pinup Girl Clothing
Belt ~ Bow belt form Ebay
Skirt ~ Discontinued kinky box pleats skirt in leopard from Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes ~ Brown betty sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes 

Tuesday
Flowers ~ blue rose double from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Necklace ~ Blue beaded necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ "Play it again" Gramophone brooch from Jubly Umph
Dress ~ Patti dress in black Pointe from Karina Dresses
Belt ~ Red Retro belt by Hell Bunny from Gwynnies
Shoes ~ Loraine heels in red from Royal Vintage Shoes

Wednesday
Scarf ~ Black nylon scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Pearl pink and gold Holly Hoops from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Necklace ~ Pink beads from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Sundae brooch from Deer Arrow
Dress ~ Sherilee Dress from Voodoo Vixen
Shoes ~ Black betty sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes

Thursday
Flowers ~ yellow and peach double from Daisy Jean FloralDesigns
Earrings ~ Bamboo hoops from Ebay
Beads ~ Lilac necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Oleander Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Dress ~ 50s Paradise dress by Hell Bunny from Natasha Marie Clothing (review coming soon)
Belt ~ Kmart

Shoes ~ Brown Betty Sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes

Friday
Scarf ~ Blue Nylon Scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Classic Hoops in baby blue from Luxulite
Beads ~ White necklace from Debstar Designs
Brooch ~ Beauty Queen brooch from Lulu and LipstickAccessories
Top ~ Bobby Sweater in blue from Miss Fortune UK bought from Gwynnies (review coming soon!)
Belt ~ Black Patent belt from Pinup Girl Clothing
Skirt ~ Deadly Dames Jailbird Dress worn like a skirt from Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes ~ Black Betty Sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes

Friday night (movie date night)
Scarf ~ Royal blue scarf from Tatyana Boutique
Brooch ~ Scotty Brooch from Miss Lady A Broad
Knit top ~ Red robin top by Collectif from Gwynnies
Fluffy jumper ~ Bought from Pinup Girl Clothing on sale last year
Pants ~ Doris Swing pants in black from Pinup Girl Clothing (read review here)
Shoes ~ Saddly shoes from Royal Vintage Shoes

Saturday
Hat ~ Vintage 1940s velvet hat from Etsy
Earrings ~ Blue marble eclipse studs from Revere Folie
Brooch ~ Be Mine brooch from Miss Lady A Broad (review coming soon)
Blouse ~ 1940s repro blouse in crisp white cotton from Jack's Daughter (review coming soon)
Suit ~ True vintage early 1950's red suit from Word From the Bird
Shoes ~ Black betty sandals from Royal Vintage Shoes

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you have an amazing week! I have some more exciting blog posts coming your way too this week so keep your eyes peeled!

Til tomorrow darlings!


Thursday 23 June 2016

Grease goodness with Collectif Clothing


I've always been an avid reader, something I was fortunate enough to inherit from my grandfather. In my youth, books fueled my incredibly active imagination. I actually wrote my first book when I was 13 and was halfway through the second of a trilogy when I lost my groove due to an unsettled home life in my later teens. I've written and read poetry. I adore books that make me think and get my mind working. Some of my favorite books as a teen were written by Anne Rice and thats who I chose to bring with me for my shoot. Sadly as an adult, I don't read anywhere near as much as I once did, based purely on the fact that I am still incapable of putting down a good book if it hooks me and thats not as practical now days with my hectic schedule. When I was styling my latest outfit for this review, it just looked so preppy in its feel I felt a book was the perfect accessory.

Scarf ~ Red Nylon Scarf from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Snood ~ Red Snood from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Earrings ~ Holly Hoops in red glitter from Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Glasses ~ Kiss clear glasses
Brooch ~ Dachshund brooch from Deluxe Creations
Top ~ Robin top in red by Collectif from Gwynnies
Belt ~ Elastic bow belt in red from ebay
Skirt ~ Mia Gingham skirt by Collectif from Gwynnies
Shoes ~ Red Loraine heels from Royal Vintage Shoes

Preppy pinup is actually type of styling I’m still quite new too. But it is definitely one I am enjoying dabbling in! I first bought the stunning Mia skirt from Gwynnies last year, drawn to its pretty gingham pattern (because who doesn’t love gingham) and its MASSIVE pockets! I bought the X which I find to have ample room, so much so I can comfortably wear it with our without shapewear depending on my preference on the day. The Mia skirt’s pockets really ARE that deep and it does come with a matching gingham belt, I just like to change it up by matching my belt to the other colours I’m wearing. 


It features a side zip which I really like as I find it less noticeable and the gingham pattern is bold enough to make a statement but the navy colour makes it versatile enough that it can be worn with multiple accompanying colours. The length is also slightly longer than the standard swing/circle skirt, which is a feature I really like as I find it makes the skirt more versatile between wearing with or without a petticoat (in these photos I’m wearing a crinoline).


I purchased my first Robin top from Gwynnies in the white and had worn it with my Mia skirt before, but found it really lacked the colour punch I was after. So when I saw she was stocking the red, I bit the bullet and ordered it too. I wear the Robin top in the medium and I find this is ample. The knit does have considerable stretch but I didn’t want it to be too small. Its also incredibly warm for a short sleeve top thanks to its knit style fabric. The sleeves are comfortable, I love the button front and the collar detail along with the small pattern throughout the top, which is far more noticeable on the red than the white. The Mia skirt from Gwynnies will set you back $79AUD and the Robin top $42AUD which is an absolute steal for such great quality garments.


Accessorising this outfit was a lot of fun. One perk of not having fire engine red hair anymore is that I can wear heaps of red without ending up looking like a tomato!! Red shoes were therefore a must and I opted for my red Loraine heels from Royal Vintage Shoes. While I was originally unsure about these heels, since breaking them in they are probably one of my most worn pair as they are so incredibly comfortable!! And they do really compliment this outfit beautifully!



Keeping with the preppy theme I opted for a red snood for my curls at the back and a bow made with my nylon scarf set behind my half poodle hair! I feel these gave the outfit an extra pop, especially with the red on my blonde locks! A simple pair of red glitter hoops and my dachshund brooch from Deluxe Creations finished the look off beautifully! There is nothing about this outfit I don’t like and I feel like this combo is going to be one of those combos I have to be careful not to wear too much!


I hope you’ve all enjoyed this blog post! As always, I’m more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments or on my social media! 

Til next time darlings!


Wednesday 22 June 2016

Bath Bomb Bonanza with Tabitha's Bath Boutique


Its no secret I'm a water baby! I love a good bath as much as I love mermaiding and for me, being in water whether its in the bathroom or recreationally means a place of calming. So, when I was contacted by the lovely Tabitha to collaborate with her on her new store on Etsy Tabitha's Bath Boutique , naturally I said yes! And in no time at all I had a parcel of delicious bath goodies arriving at my door!


I was so overwhelmed and excited. When I opened the box a mix of delicious smells instantly invaded my nose and I found myself looking forward to my trip home. In my parcel pack was the following:



I must admit, that the timing for this parcel was beyond perfect. On the end of my 2 week stint of not having hot water, I found myself on the way home with a box of bath bombs and a brand new working hot water system! I was a tad excited! For my first bath I opted to use the Fairy Dust Fizzy Bath Spinkles, as the smell was just calling to me!




I could see very quickly why it was called fairy dust and it smelt so amazing! I popped around a quarter of the container into the bath! While it didn't colour it like a lush bath bomb did, the feeling of being in the water, surrounded by the smells was lovely and my skin was silky smooth when I got out! I absolutely adore this fairy dust and it’s something I’ll be getting more of in the future! The reusable containers are also a great idea! I already plan on using one to try and rectify my loose bobby pin problem! 



Trying out the bath bomb was next on my list! 





I popped it in the bath when it was just under half full and it fizzed away, tinging the bath water a soft pink and once again filling my little bathroom with such lovely smells. I spent a good hour sitting in the bath on this occasion, topping up the water to keep it warm. The smells stayed throughout my entire pamper session and it left me feeling very calm which lead to a really good nights sleep! 



As someone who is prone to muscle soreness due to how much I sit at my job (an unfortunate requirement of my office job) and my legs and hip muscles can get quite tender by the end of the week.  Baths and showers for me are a way to not only manage my anxiety but to help keep my body happy. 



Now I will admit, peppermint isn’t really my thing. I don’t enjoy the taste and can sometimes find the smell to be a bit too bold for my senses. But, I am so glad I braved the Peppermint Bath Milkshake. Sitting in the bath, I could feel the peppermint working through my aching muscles. It was incredibly soothing to sit there, feeling the warmth work into my muscles and I felt amazingly refreshed when I finished up. I’d LOVE to try this in the lavender scent! I feel like it would be an incredible before bed bath milkshake!


The bubble-gum soap, omg what a sensory overload. This was the first thing I smelt when I opened up the box at my desk at work. When you getting your scrub on in the shower with it, the smell seems to invade the steam til you are in bubble gum smelling heaven. As someone who suffers from sensitive skin, I was initially a little hesitant about this soap as I know how cranky my skin can be. But I had no noticeable reaction to it and I went about my day smelling like a bubble gum princess! It REALLY is a shame you can’t share smells over the internet!



For Australian ladies looking to support small businesses and who like their bath time as well as wonderful smells, I can strongly recommend Tabitha's Bath Boutique! Her items are affordable, hand made and absolutely lovely. At present, her items are only available to Australian gals!

To buy her items you can head to her store on etsy by clicking here!

You can also find her on instragam as well!

I hope you've all enjoyed this blog post and as always, I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have either in the comments below or on posts on my other social media!

Til next time darlings!


Disclaimer: Whilst I received this these items as part of a collaboration with Tabitha's Bath Boutique, all opinions expressed are honest to help ensure the most accurate information for my readers.