forevayoungvintage

twenty-eleven

2011-02-15T22:25:00.003+11:00

Happy 2011 everyone! It's long overdue but better late than never, right?

Hermes

2010-12-16T19:53:00.007+11:00

My first orange-boxed purchase! Nothing overly exciting but a nice memoir of my short shopping trip to Shanghai which I just returned from this morning. Probably my last holiday for a while!

mac love

2010-11-28T02:07:00.004+11:00

After years of being a loyal PC-desktop user, I have finally gone over to the Other Side. I picked up my macbook pro yesterday - so shiny and pretty - and of course, one of the first things I did was familiarize myself with its Photobooth application. It's still early days as I'm still trying to figure out how to use the thing but it's official. I'm in love and it's pretty serious.

fat

2010-11-22T15:53:00.002+11:00

The perfect pump heel by Acne. Anyone have a spare $500 USD lying around?

arty

2010-11-21T19:55:00.007+11:00

Yves Saint Laurent arty ring in black with silver hardware. Want, want, want!

new listings

2010-10-04T23:03:00.005+11:00

all items available: foreva young vintage

I promise to update soon with something more substantial but in the meantime, here's a small snippet of the "new" vintage items that have just made their way online earlier this evening. Those with a keen eye may notice that I've finally invested in some proper studio lighting - about time, might I add!

rouge

2010-09-29T14:49:00.006+10:00

bag: chanel classic 2.55 flap in red

My new bag arrived yesterday. I'm enamored with the colour - it's the perfect lipstick red. I can't wait to use her and am looking forward to the weekend when I can finally undo some of my assignment shackles and do some proper socializing. Only three more weeks of this semester left... so near, yet so far!

sky high

2010-09-14T14:59:00.006+10:00

heels: sportsgirl. dress: vintage

New heels! Actually I already purchased this exact pair in black a few weeks ago, but when I saw they were on sale last week I couldn't help but snap up the second colour. They're unbelievably comfortable for high heels and I think I'll be getting a lot of use out of this brown pair come summer.

This week is a monster week for me uni-wise. Everything seems to be due all at once so I've been slaving away most nights trying to keep up to date with all my assignments. I absolutely cannot wait until this week ends and I can finally breath again. Was also hoping to get another fresh batch of listings in store by this coming Sunday but am now unsure if I can make it - fingers crossed time is on my side!

pastels

2010-09-13T17:59:00.005+10:00

If I had the financial means I'd purchase the above and every other last item from 3.1 Philip Lim's spring 2010 collection. Everything is just so pretty it makes me want to vomit rainbows and cornfields. Unfortunately, my recent foray into bags hasn't left me much in way of extra spending money so I will have to make do with reworking op-shopped goods. Already I have a small stockpile of high-waisted, 80's power suit trousers, all ready to be cuffed or snipped into shorts.

all available: zara

Speaking of nice things that I can't purchase, Zara has launched their new UK online store recently with some lovely items in stock. I'm in love with their coats and dresses but sadly it's another case of adoration from afar as they don't appear to ship to Australia. Annoying but nonetheless good for my wallet!

photoshop

2010-09-12T21:19:00.012+10:00

maxi dress: vintage

Ahhhh, Photoshop, how I love thee! As I mentioned, I finally got my paws on a copy last week and have been tinkering around with some of its many features. In all honesty the whole thing confuses me but I'm determined to get a firm understanding of the basics. This will probably take me a while though, so expect lots of amateur-processed images as I slowly learn the ropes!

We've had some lovely, spring-like weather the last few days which has been a welcome change from the usual doom and gloom. It's going to be beach weather soon - I'm so excited! I took advantage of the sunshine by going on a couple of mammoth op-shopping trips so now I have a huge stockpile of vintage goodies ready to be altered, photographed and sent to their new homes. I also finally loosened the purse strings and purchased a semi-professional studio lighting kit - something I'd been talking of doing for a very long time. Hopefully from now on, my photos will be cleaner, more detailed and I'll be able to update more frequently as I won't have to rely on natural sunlight.

On an unrelated note, I feel like my hair needs a bit of a sea change and have been contemplating getting a blunt fringe cut. In fact, the other night I was so inspired after doing fringe-style googling, I ended up standing in the bathroom scissors in one hand, ready to chop them myself! Thankfully common sense took over and I backed out of there pronto. I think it's probably better to leave it to the experts lest I end up looking like a tragic Lego character. I have an appointment at the hair salon next week but I'm still uncertain whether or not I should take the plunge. Thoughts?

jeffrey campbell

2010-09-10T04:54:00.008+10:00

all available: solestruck

Essay writing for me always leads to online procrastination, which of course leads to online shopping for things that I really don't need. Yes, I know winter has finally passed for us southern hemisphere dwellers. I should probably put my shoe-efforts into more weather-sensible items but I have a weakness for boots and our northern fall counterparts are not helping the situation! I am currently contemplating whether or not I should purchase three of the above items by the demigod Jeffrey Campbell, in preparation for next year (I'm leaning towards a yes, by the way). What do you think?

stripes

2010-09-09T11:07:00.004+10:00

top: sportsgirl. leather skirt: vintage. boots: wittner

I have lots to do today and I'm kicking myself for waking up so late this morning. You know how it goes. You set your alarm with the full intention of rising at dawn, only to hit snooze again and again when the thing goes off. I actually went to bed relatively early for me so figured I'd definitely be ready to wake at 8.30am... only to get up close to noon, wasting the entire morning. I had planned a big op-shopping day and also have to rustle up a 2000 word essay which is due tomorrow (and already two days late). Eeep! I wish I had miniature elves like Santa to help me manage my time better.

I'm trying out this single, full-length photo thing so apologies if I'm glowering over your computer monitor looking all big and scary. Does the image look too stretched? Not certain if I'll keep this format or not - opinions are welcome!

celine

2010-09-08T18:54:00.006+10:00

I'm utterly obsessed with bags at the moment and have been fawning over these Celine beauties from their latest winter 2010 collection. Look at all the different colours and the smoosh-licious leather! Unfortunately I can't seem to find any stores that stocks this brand and my online searching has so far been in vain. Even eBay - my trusty saviour during these hard times - is refusing to cooperate. Sadness!

tangerine and chanel

2010-09-06T14:45:00.011+10:00

dress: h&m. clogs: funkis. bag: chanel 2.55 classic

The sun was finally out today, albeit briefly. I had a lunch date in the city so decided to go all out and wear a dress - my first dress of spring! Needless to say, the morning blue skies quickly gave way to angry clouds so I was pretty cold once lunchtime actually rolled around. Such is Melbourne weather! At least I didn't get rained on (for once), so I guess there is an upside to all of this.

Let me introduce you all to the new love of my life, my Chanel 2.55 classic flap in lambskin. I've wanted one of these babies for years and years so a few weeks ago I finally decided to do something about it and splurged on the purchase. Of course, as a means to justify the extravagance, I promised myself that it was going to be the one and only in my lifetime. A promise that I'm sure will be broken very soon as I'm already shopping around for another in the Jumbo size.

I finally updated the store with a bunch of stuff last night, and I'm hoping I'll have more to go online sometime next week. Last night I finalized some plans for where I'd like to take my small business eventually, so during the next few months you'll start to see some improvements that will help me get to where I want to be. Changes are afoot - hopefully for the better!

new beginnings

2010-09-05T16:17:00.009+10:00

Hello! I'm back! Not that I actually physically went anywhere, but I've certainly been MIA on both eBay and here for the past few months. Is it September already? Slack, slack, slack! Apologies are in order for my unmotivated and just plain lazy self. Very lame excuses but oh well, a new season, a new start! If I still have any readers left, your loyalty deserves cookies and hopefully, my recent break will mean that I'm finally ready to be more proactive in updating and maintaining the store.

t-shirt: country road. leather jacket: gripp. leggings: TV. boots: wittner. bag: louis vuitton speedy 30 in red epi leather

These pictures are much too saturated, I know. I finally managed to get my paws on Photoshop and in the excitement of actually having a proper photo-editing software program, I went a little crazy on tweaking the contrast buttons. Oops. The bag is a new addition to my wardrobe and I absolutely adore it. The vibrant red colouring really pops, especially as I usually wear a lot of black and it adds a nice splash of something to an otherwise bland outfit. I used to hate Louis Vuitton with a passion but after getting this bag, I'm now a Monogram Convert and am already plotting future purchases!

I have new listings all ready to go tonight and I'm also currently holding a fantastic giveaway to win a Louis Vuitton bag on facebook. If you haven't entered, you definitely should check it out. Details can be viewed here and entry is opened to everyone!

interlude

2010-07-08T21:56:00.003+10:00

I am sorely tempted to purchase these Jeffrey Campbell boots except I think paying the electricity and gas bills are probably more important this month. Sigh. Why dangle this delicious carrot in front of me, O Universe, when I can't have it? Life's not fair.

shoes: modcloth

It's been awhile since I've posted, I've been much too lazy recently with holidays and winter and all. The cold and wet season means that I've been spending much of my time hiding indoors wishing I was somewhere more tropical and warm. The most interesting thing that happened was getting into my first ever car accident a week ago which resulted in a busted car nose and a rather bruised driving ego. Fortunately for me, the incident was minor and my insurance company declared me free of any fault - welcome news considering how much my premium would have gone up otherwise. I also ended up getting a new car - completely unrelated and very coincidental considering my old one will be holed up at the mechanic's for the next few weeks. Always a silver lining, I say!

new listings

2010-06-21T23:08:00.005+10:00

items available: foreva young vintage

New listings are finally uploaded! It was a hectic day trying to get everything ready in time so I feel very relieved. I'm going to treat myself to one episode of Lost and then it'll be onto some last minute cramming in preparation for my last exam tomorrow morning. And after that.... freedom!

confusion

2010-06-20T00:05:00.005+10:00

dresses via topshop

I'm absolutely positive that one of these dresses will be mine, the only problem is trying to work out exactly which one. I've been weighing up my options for the past half an hour and I'm still no closer to figuring it out. At the moment I'm leaning towards the mustard yellow or the pastel pink dress, but then again, the other two colours are still just as enticing. It's all too hard!

items via topshop

During the past few weeks I've been perusing the stores, searching for a shirt-dress without much luck. Just when I'd lost all hope of ever finding the perfect one I'd imagined - taa-daa! It'll be making it's way across the seas to me very soon and I can't wait to place my grubby mitts all over it. I'm uncertain about the clogs though. They look lovely but I have a feeling it'll turn into one of those purchases that sits unused in a corner of my room, weighing heavily on my shopping conscience. Ooch, I can't decide. What do the lovely people of the wide web world think - yay or nay?

friday blues

2010-06-18T15:55:00.004+10:00

dress: country road.

Things I did today: woke up early. Headed into the city to run errands and post a few items at the post office. Got harassed on the tram. Met up with a friend for a coffee and a gossip session. Went for a quick shop around (didn't find anything interesting - my bank account breathes a sign of relief). Took Cory for a walk and a ball-throwing session in the park. Made myself a delicious pasta lunch. And all this before 2pm! I normally don't get out of bed before noon so today has been very productive.

Am heading out for dinner tonight so I'm breaking out my new dress that I purchased not so long ago. I'm pretty sure I'm committing a fashion "faux pas" though, by pairing navy and black together - but rules are meant to be broken, right?

jam & cream

2010-06-17T13:21:00.008+10:00

Last night at 12am I had the most intense craving for scones so I whipped up a batch as a midnight snack. There's nothing more sinfully delightful than lashings of jam and whipped cream when it's cold and dark outside, especially when they're fresh out of the oven. I had the leftovers this morning for breakfast washed down with a pot of hot tea. My belly feels very full and content!

On a side note, I had a play around with the layout yesterday and have settled on a new spiffy template for the blog. You can now "follow" me via blogger or bloglovin and, being the online media whore that I am, I've also linked the various other social networking sites that I'm currently using. I hope the new renovations are pleasing!

yellow

2010-06-14T14:46:00.017+10:00

top: vintage. leather skirt: vintage. shoes: gorman.

My exams are almost over, I have my final one in another two weeks time so I'm in holiday-mode already. It's winter now - all this cold weather has been making my extremely lethargic and sloth-like. I've been spending the days curled up indoors watching Lost with the heater on and a cup of tea by my side - blissful but not very productive!

hot fuzz

2010-06-05T20:42:00.004+10:00

I need a haircut. My mop is unruly and is no longer listening to me. It is rebelling - smoking, sneaking out, throwing parties when I'm not around. People always rave and orgasm over their Godly hairdressers but I have walked on this planet for 23 years and still have not found someone that's worth going back to a second time. And recommendations please? Karma will reward you.

formspring me

2010-06-02T00:09:00.005+10:00

I have an exam tomorrow (today, actually, now that's it's ticked over twelve). I really should be studying but I've just discovered the wonderful world of formspring.com and have been wasting away my life reading people's Q and As. I'm probably deeply deluded about how many people actually frequent this space but eh, here goes.

winter goodies

2010-06-01T14:21:00.005+10:00

I've been shopping up a storm recently. I blame this on exam period. Normally in the lead-up I tend to over-indulge on carbs but this year, shopping seems to be taking precedence over calories. I think I'm all set for winter now - my coat and leather jacket collection is eating my wardrobe so I think that means it's time to stop. Of course, I still ended up going to the Country Road sale today (I can't resist that brand for some reason) and returned with the first blazer above. It will the final winter item that I'm allowing myself to purchase this year!

all is swell

2010-05-27T04:05:00.004+10:00

I purchased this hat today. I have no idea when and if I would ever wear it outside but for some reason I felt like it needed to come home with me so I could give it the attention it deserved.

everything is going to be alright

2010-05-13T00:33:00.006+10:00

freakout

2010-05-05T01:34:00.003+10:00

I'm still alive! Just barely. Life is stressing me out at the moment. I'm drowning in a backlog of assignments and have a gazillion items that still needs to be updated into the store, which has now been sitting empty for over a month. Plus next weekend I have to journey out to Brisbane for a wedding which is really making me overly nervous whenever I think about it. I don't like being out of a routine. Holidays freak me out majorly, especially now that I have a puppy to take care of. I'm worrying about Cory getting sick or not being feed or not getting his usual walks while I'm away. Eeep! Most people would treat a long weekend away as an relaxing break but not me - I don't do well with situations I can't control.

gloved up

2010-04-20T12:27:00.004+10:00

I've had my eye on these Country Road leather gloves for a while now but they were a little out of reach price-wise. Not to be deterred, I did a quick search on ebay which revealed a brand new pair at a fraction of the retail price. Thank you ebay! I'm a big advocate for always first checking online to see if there is a cheaper alternative before purchasing in store. I do this for everything - clothing, shoes, homewares, electronics - and I've often saved hundreds of dollars. A while ago I was drooling over a pair of DKNY heels which were $600 at David Jones but a quick google revealed the same pair on Shopbop.com priced at $180 including shipping. It pays to do your research!

friday on my mind

2010-04-16T18:00:00.006+10:00

Finally a nice warm, sunny day. Spent this morning taking some long overdue ebay photos and then headed into the city for a catch-up coffee with a friend. I had an interesting experience on my way home though. Seriously, do guys really think hassling someone for their phone number randomly on the street is a good idea? And why do they always use the same lines? Is there a How-To-Pick-Up Class 101 that I'm not aware of?

I have a busy weekend planned which is catching up with all my uni work, and hopefully getting slightly ahead with my readings. Fun. It's not all work and no play - there will, however, be a quick appearance at a friend's birthday drinks tomorrow night and a splash of boyfriend time in there too. And maybe even an early trip to Camberwell Market on Sunday if I can get out of bed in time!

c-c-c-changes

2010-04-13T19:54:00.008+10:00

The weather has turned very cold recently and even Cory is feeling the cool change. Today was the first day in many months that I actually felt like I needed a heavy coat when I went out. It's kind of exciting to be all bundled up again and I'm looking forward to breaking out the woolens and boots in preparation for winter.

Cory spent the majority of the day burrowed in his beanbag with his favourite blanket over the top of his head. I managed to get him out of bed for a walk at midday but aside from that, he has been lazily snoozing away with his new plush companion by his side. The hard life of a pampered pooch!

easter break

2010-04-08T13:47:00.004+10:00

Hello to the masses, I'm back in Melbourne after a relaxing four days away in Port Fairy with some friends. My Easter involved lots of laughter, good food, good company and of course, kilos of chocolate. It was a very enjoyable long weekend but now that I'm back home, the mountain of neglected schoolwork I've put off doing for the past few days has pretty much killed any remaining holiday cheer. Time Management Skills, when will you finally develop for me??

I splurged on this top from Alpha60 last week even though I've banned myself from shopping for this entire month. It wasn't an intentional purchase - I merely walked into the store for a browse and somehow stumbled outside in a daze with a shopping bag in one hand. I blame the store's skinny mirrors for this momentary lapse in self control.

you don't know jacques

2010-03-31T17:43:00.007+11:00

I'm nail polish obsessed at the moment. About a week ago I placed a large order via transdesign.com and I was very surprised to find my package delivered within the space of five working days. Amazingly quick, fast service! My polish collection is mutating and taking over my desk so I've resolved not to purchase anymore anytime in the near future.

I'm actually wearing a different colour on my nails at the moment but in the photo above I have OPI's "You Don't Know Jacques". It's probably my favourite one out of the bunch and seems to be a nice neutral tone perfect for winter. Now, onto the rest of my polish purchases!

L-R: Dim Sum Plum, Suzi Says Feng Shui, Jade is the New Black, You Don't Know Jacques

L-R: Bright's Power, Big Apple Red, Dating A Royal, We'll Always Have Paris

L-R: Lincoln Park After Dark, Lunch At The Delhi, The "It" Crowd, Off With Her Red

L-R: Tasmanian Devil, Pink Flamenco, OPI & Apple Pie, Black Onyx

L-R: Suzi Sells Seashells By The Seashore, Bastille My Heart, Russian Navy, Romeo & Joliet

jade is the new black

2010-03-23T19:47:00.004+11:00

My internet is crawling along at a snail's pace at the moment. Once again, I've somehow managed to go over my 90gb download limit and therefore I am relegated to browsing text-only websites. Am suffering major withdrawal symptoms from the lack of web surfing - woe!

My nails are green! "Jade is the New Black" green, to be exact. If you haven't noticed by now, I am currently going through a major nail polish craze. Prior to a month ago I never even wore the stuff but now I am finding myself constantly meandering through David Jones and spending a good hour trawling through their O.P.I polish racks. Last night I placed a hefty order with transdesign.com and a whole assortment of tiny little bottles of happiness are making their way over to me. Now if only I had more fingers and toes...

that time of the week again...

2010-03-21T21:38:00.004+11:00

Some new items have just been uploaded. A small selection this time round but fingers crossed that I hopefully can get another lot up sometime later on in the week. Am off now to package items and to also hopefully cram in some reading for class next week - eep! So much to do and so little time to do it!

tangled

2010-03-18T15:02:00.011+11:00

I made brownies today! They were delicious and full of moist, chocolate-y goodness. Whenever I get in one of my baking moods, brownies are my immediate go-to dessert to make. Normally I keep cocoa powder and a block or two of chocolate in the pantry so the ingredients are always on hand, plus they're fairly simple to put together. I always end up making too much though, which is a tad silly since I'm the only one who eats them. It also probably doesn't do my waistline any favours!

I tie my hair up most of the time but these photos were snapped after having a shower so it's wet and bushy and Cannot Be Tamed. Picked up a new dress today. My proposed shopping ban has not been going well, in fact, you probably could say that it hasn't been happening at all. Oh well, at least it was on sale. Am off now to do some studying and photo-editing for ebay listings. And maybe eat a few more brownies.

keep or return?

2010-03-17T18:08:00.004+11:00

Hello all! Sorry for dropping off the radar. The weather has been yucky and my life is currently revolving around uni, gym, OPI nail polish (my collection is growing!) and telling my neighbor to grow a brain. Yes, I am currently experiencing some backyard issues with said vapid moron who wouldn't know basic council/legal entitlements even if it raped him in the street. And when confronted with his obvious misguided assumptions, instead of owning up to it he proceeds to declare his intention to "sue" - which is hilarious considering that he has no legal grounds whatsoever. My days have consisted of making numerous phone calls, visits to to solicitors and writing letters to the council. Although it's been painfully time consuming, I'm slightly enjoying this process. Especially when I envision the end result of destroying his delusional bubble world and his hoo-ha "I have money lah di dah" self getting owned by a 23 year old. Could this be the mark of adulthood, I wonder? Anyway, I digress.

I aimlessly wandered around the city for a while after class today and somehow, after drifting into Target, I managed to walk out with my wallet lighter and the above shoes in my possession. Displaced anger-related purchase, perhaps? Am leaning towards returning them because I think they're 50% ugly and not in a good way. At the same time these weren't overly expensive, they're leather and I have been looking for a similar style boot for winter. Don't get me wrong, these weren't cheap either. I'm not sure when Target started charging $60 for shoes but I'm not a fan of this, not at all!

What do you think, blog'o'sphere? Are these worthy of closet space? Should I keep them? Should I return them? Questions that need answering!

new listings

2010-03-08T21:23:00.004+11:00

Uni classes have started again for the year and I've been keeping busy working out timetables, lectures, readings - pretty much diving straight back into my old routine after an extended summer break. It's been very stressful and a rude awakening from the previous three months of leisure I've been enjoying. Goodbye sleep-ins and goodbye marathon TV sessions, hello cold early mornings and crammed-in tram rides. Ah well, the good life had to end some time. I'm not complaining really, it is nice to have a set routine again but it will take some getting use to, at least until my brain switches over from holiday mode!

New listings have just hit the store! I'm so glad these are finally up. The weather here in Melbourne has been crazy lately with rain and hail and floods (yes! Floods! The gods were very angry with us), so I've had a very hard time photographing all of these as there wasn't much light. I had to steal whatever sunny rays that broke through so it was a very sporadic week and I was very worried that these wouldn't be done in time. But here we are! I really think I need to invest in a proper lighting system though, especially with winter peeking her head around the corner. I'm a real photography n00b so if anyone has any helpful suggestions as to exactly what I might need, please drop me a comment!

platforms & clogs

2010-02-25T21:36:00.007+11:00

It was a perfect day for doing a spot of op-shopping today. Thanks to the new mobility of finally getting my license, I took my car out for a spin and visited a few old places that I hadn't been to for a while. My trip today was not overly successful. I did find some nice things but it was one of those thrifting excursions where I ended up leaving empty-handed from roughly forty per cent of the stores I visited. Bit annoying but expected to happen sometimes, of course. I'm planning another big op shopping trip next Monday which should be fun and hopefully more fruitful.

Question. Are these not the most amazing ankle boots you've ever seen? These babies were the highlight of my finds - look at those platforms!! I love ankle boots and I love chunky heels so these are absolutely perfect in my eyes. Sadly they are also two sizes too big for me. I'm normally a 6.5 in shoes and these are tagged a size 8 so even if I doubled up on the socks I still will not be able to wear them. Saying that I'm bitterly disappointed is such an understatement. Honestly, even after buying and selling tons of shoes, I have to say that these are one of the best boots I've ever found. They're just add so much extra height yet are still so comfy!

The above pair of clogs were also rummaged up this morning. Sadly, they're also about one and a half sizes too big for me *cries*. I think they're adorable and they look so much like the Funkis clogs they sell at Gorman. Actually I've been thinking of getting a pair for a while now so if these had fit, it would have made my life so much easier. It's times like this when I wish I have a more normal shoe-size-to-height-ratio. Curse my tiny feet!

deep fried delights

2010-02-24T17:51:00.006+11:00

I made arancini balls for lunch today! Well, more as an afternoon treat actually, since I ended up going out for brunch this morning with some friends. I've been wanting to try making these for ages - I absolutely love fatty, deep-fried goods so creamy, risotto rice balls filled with cheese are right up my alley. Three different kinds of cheeses, I should add. Hellooooo cardiovascular disease!

Preparing the ingredients, ready to drop them into my pot of liquid gold. These were a bit fiddly to assemble and my hands were coated with a thick layer of breadcrumbs by the end of all that rolling. The risotto recipe I used was a simple mushroom one and I was very, very generous with the amount of cream and cheese I put into it. I was a tad worried about the arancini balls losing shape or falling a part during the deep frying process but thankfully nothing like that happened.

Obligatory innards shot. Look at that delicious, melted cheese! Oh my. They tasted superb and I gobbled up everything on that plate you see up there - whoops, so much for restraint. I had plenty of risotto left so I made another batch to give my boyfriend when I see him next. Am very pleased with my first foray in making arancini balls!

caramel

2010-02-21T16:41:00.009+11:00

There's a big story involved in tracking down and purchasing the below item. All of this month I'd been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this leather jacket in stores and, knowing that it would sell out quickly, I hurried to secure mine the day it was released. I initially purchased it in black but upon discovering that I was more partial to the brown, I went back five days later for an exchange and whaddya know... every single one in my size was sold out. All over Australia! I rang up every store including interstate and head office to no avail. It was devastating and I assumed that I'd missed out. However, two weeks later, I got a call from a lovely sales assistant who informed me that they just received a return for a tan leather jacket in an extra small. She remembered that I'd come into the store a while ago asking about one so she decided to give me a heads up in case I was still interested. I pretty much sprinted out the door!

Yet another preemptive purchase that will be squirreled away for winter (won't you hurry up already??). I'm not one to gush about clothes but this leather jacket is amazing and a new favorite. Super soft and fits like a dream. It was very, very nice of the sales girl to remember me like that and to contact me - she really went out of her way to help. What service! I think I must have embarrassed her a little by thanking her so profusely when I went to pick this up though, oops.

I pick up my car tomorrow, all clean and new and shiny and fresh. It's very exciting, I think I might celebrate by taking it down to McDonalds and going through Drive-Thru. Oh and from now on I'm officially on a shopping ban - that's right, you heard it here first. Let's hope I'm able to stick with it!

new listings alert!

2010-02-18T21:28:00.005+11:00

New items just arrived in store - these will be the final ones for February. I get my car next Monday (huzzah!) so you can bet there will be an onslaught of op-shopping to be done and more tucked-away stores to discover. It's all very exciting! I'm really looking forward to having my own legs to ferry me from place and place, it's going to be ah-mazing.

Anyone have any relaxing weekend plans? Tomorrow night I am meeting up with some close chums for dinner and then I'm probably just going to come home and chillax for the remainder of the evening. Maybe I might bake a cake of some sort and then gorge myself silly - hmmm, that actually sounds like a very enticing plan!

neon

2010-02-14T17:25:00.006+11:00

Happy valentine's day and happy Chinese new year everyone! Last night I went to see a movie with some friends and lord-almighty, it seemed like the entire population had trekked to the cinemas to watch "Valentine's Day" for, lo and behold, valentine's day. It was highly amusing to see the amount of sullen-faced guys who had obviously been dragged there against their will by their significant others. I felt very sorry for them having to endure Julia Robert's horse laugh for two hours. Still, I'll admit that I've on occasion done the some torturous thing. Maybe not for this particular movie but I did enjoy making the man sit through the SaTC movie and Twilight, and watching him try tear his face off halfway through the film.

I only recently stumbled upon OPI nail polishes and since the discovery, I have been on a mission to stop my nail-gnawing habit and let my nails grow. The other night I went to David Jones and spent a good hour trying to pick out some colours - a very hard feat indeed. It was like being in one of those Chinese restaurants that offer a 100+ menu, impossible to make a decision! There were variations of every shade imaginable and I wanted them all. In the end I settled upon the above colours (thanks Boy!) and am currently wearing the orange one on my nails.

See? I still have a very long way to go with my nail-growing but I'm getting there. Very strange feeling to have to tap at an angle on my computer and phone keyboard though, definitely not used to having these hard bits at the end of my fingers yet. I started piano when I was three and it was a huge part of my life up to only a few years ago so I was never allowed to grow my nails long. My teacher used to berate me even if I painted them with clear varnish! And I also blame the daily three hour practice sessions for my E.T-like finger development. Yes, I was very nail-repressed as a child, It was horrible and traumatizing. You may all feel sorry for me if you wish.

Running a bit behind with things at the moment, the weather has been terrible lately and that meant I couldn't do any photo shoots due to the lighting (or lack thereof). Hopefully things will be up and running by Thursday this week!

o happy day!

2010-02-10T13:16:00.007+11:00

Happy news! I went for my driver's license test this morning and guess what -- I passed! This has taken me almost seven years. I've had my learner's permit since I was sixteen but as I used to work and study in the city, I've never had that much of an urge to get my license until now. It's all very exciting stuff, I'm looking forward to being able to drive out to country-based op-shops and giving my back a rest from lugging around bags of clothes on public transport. Of course, I need to purchase a car first - something that I'm currently researching and looking into.

Going out to dinner tonight to celebrate (guess who's driving??). The above dress is a Miu Miu copy that I had made for me a few years ago. Aside from passing my license test this morning, today has been a bit of a let-down in other areas. I had planned to spend this afternoon photographing the next lot of listings but the weather has suddenly turned gloomy and I've lost most of the light. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be sunnier. I'm very excited about the new items that will be going up soon, last week I spent a whole day touring the western suburbs and found some amazing dresses and shoes. Can't wait to upload everything!

heatwave

2010-02-04T14:33:00.006+11:00

Rain! Glorious, glorious rain! If you're in Melbourne then you'd probably be sharing the in the relief I'm feeling. The heat has finally broken! It's been stinking hot here for the past couple of days. Even with the air-con on all night, sleeping has been very difficult, especially when you have a furry dog who insists on sleeping on the bed pressed up against you. Thankfully the weather has become more tolerable which is good. The downside is dealing with hyperactive Cory who hasn't had his walk today due to the downpour and who keeps bringing me all sorts of toys in the hope that I'd play with him.

These were taken yesterday afternoon when it was mid-30s, hence the balled up hair and the singlet top. I picked up a new red lipstick from Shiseido, it was on sale for $8 and I needed a new one since my old one melted in my purse a while ago. Not sure about the shade - think it's a tad dark but then again my skin tone is also quite dark so perhaps it does suit me after all? Eh, it was cheap. I'm all about the budget makeup, people.

This morning I hit the gym and then headed into the city to drop off parcels, run errands and pick up a birthday gift for the boyfriend. Highly interesting stuff. I paid about $800 worth of bills today and came home to more in my letterbox this afternoon - yikes. I really need to start getting my finances in order - I have accumulated tons of subscriptions to things and am planning on seriously culling the ones I don't really need. So from this month forward it will be goodbye Netflix, goodbye TIME, goodbye Quickflix (yes, I have TWO dvd rental subscriptions. Overkill, much?). Hello to my new 90gb download limit which will mean all my entertainment fixes will have to come via the internet. Probably a good thing that I'm culling the movie rentals - with uni starting soon I doubt I'd have the time to sit and watch dvds all day. Oh well, goodbye *sob*, it was nice while it lasted!

thigh high

2010-02-03T11:06:00.005+11:00

One thing I love about buying new things from stores is the bagging and wrapping. I admit that sometimes a nicely packaged item is more exciting then the actual item itself (probably not a good thing) and that I have wardrobe space dedicated to my hording obsession with carry bags. In fact, when I was overseas for a holiday a while back I couldn't bear to throw all the nice shopping bags out - I actually ended up packing them into my already overflowing suitcase and bringing them home with me!

There's something really satisfying about opening a nice big, sturdy box. Maybe it's all those ingrained Christmas picture books and shows when I was little depicting people giving perfectly cubed gifts wrapped with a giant bow. I don't know about you but generally my experiences with presents were always squashy and weirdly wrapped with sticky tape, I don't think I have ever seen a perfectly boxed gift before with a pull-off lid. It's kind of like a Christmas urban myth. So yes, it was mighty satisfying to have such a big box in my possession. Even Cory got curious and came over to investigate.

Shoes! Over knee boots, to be exact. I've been eyeing these babies since they came out but have been holding off in the hope that I'd be eligible to potentially save 30% off the price with the "spend and save" promo. Which, unfortunately, I wasn't... but of course I had to have these anyway. We're still a couple of months away from winter so they were a bit of a preemptive purchase but I'm already looking forward to the day I can finally wear them out.

Country Road is going to send me broke this year, I think. The new winter range includes a pretty much exact copy of the Balenciaga leather jacket I've been lusting after and some really lovely coats and knits. I'm crossing fingers and toes that everything will look horrid on me when I go to try them on so that I won't be tempted to buy!

GIVEAWAY + new listings

2010-02-01T21:26:00.006+11:00

To help celebrate 2010, I've decided to hold a small competition for one lucky person to win an amazing vintage prize pack. It was hard deciding what exactly I was going to giveaway in order to earn the "amazing" adjective but after a few shopping trips, I'd like to think I hit it pretty close.

With summer ending and winter just around the corner, I figured that one couldn't go wrong with a leather jacket to add to the wardrobe. The above one will fit a size 8 - 12 and is lovely and soft, a perfect staple! Prize also includes the below vintage bucket sling bag, a 5ml Miss Dior Cherie perfume and an additional $100 store voucher for you to pick out whatever you fancy!

It's fairly simple to enter - all one has to do is to add Foreva Young Vintage on facebook, suggest our fanpage to their friends (there is a "suggest to friends" button on the top left hand corner on profile)and leave me a comment once this is done. I'll be randomly selecting a winner on the 31st of Feb and prize pack will be shipped free locally to the winner's front door. Entry it open to everyone, but international winners will have pay $15 to cover some of the postage cost - I figured it would be only fair if I pay half since I'm offering free shipping in Australia. So far I have about 10 entries - hopefully there will be more by the end of the week!

The above items have just been listed! Tomorrow I plan on hitting the gym in the morning, posting out some items, taking Cory for a romp and then settling down to watch Big Love and Carnivale. I've just umped my broadband bandwidth to 90GB per month so I am in television-show heaven. So many things to watch, so little time!

stripes

2010-01-31T17:38:00.003+11:00

Ehhh, I have to make a bigger effort with this posting regularly thing. These recent lapses are mostly due to not feeling like fiddling the whole tripod/camera setup and then uploading etc etc. So much effort. And I'm guessing that most people don't want to read anything without any pictures right? Right?

I have an important announcement to make. I am now officially a lover of "The Wedge" (and yes, capitals are needed here). Last week I made the above spur-of-the-moment shoe purchase from Nine West and since wearing them out over the weekend, I can't believe I held out this long. Wedges are so unbelievably comfortable! I had them on all night long and I didn't get that "oh god help me I'd trade my uterus in for some flats right now" angst like I usually do when I venture out in anything heeled. These were on sale (otherwise I probably wouldn't have bought them) for $59 and were the last in my size. So yay!

I've just joined a gym and have been going quite regularly for the last fortnight. A new one just opened up recently near where I live and I managed to score a month free so I decided to give it a go. Surprisingly I'm really enjoying it! I've become addicted to the group Les Mills fitness classes and have been seeing really great results - I even roped a friend to go with me today to an aerobics class. Yes, I've become of one THOSE people. The kind that gets up at 6am in the morning, slams down a shake and gets to the gym with half and hour to spare in order to get the 'best' front-row spot in class. Okay, I'm not that hardcore (yet) but I have been getting up earlier and being more active in general, which is a good thing I guess.

I have a bunch of new things going up on Monday evening and also I'm exciting about a new giveaway I'm doing. And instead of one singular item I thought I'd put together a nice prize pack and in the same breath, try encourage more people to sign up to my fan page on facebook. Anyway, all will be revealed very soon but in the meantime if you aren't a fan yet, please be one!

black & white

2010-01-19T18:26:00.002+11:00

I hinted in my last post about scoring an awesome vintage jacket so ta-da! Here it is in all its glory. I always come across the standard tiger/leopard patterns but I've never seen a zebra print before so I'm very happy with this find. Black and white is more wearable and less busy than yellow and black, don't you think? No plans to sell this one as of yet, I'll be making sure I get some use out of it first!

18/01/10

2010-01-18T21:03:00.005+11:00

Just a quite update tonight. I'm still in holiday mode and 'post-NYE' mode which means lots of fun and not so much working/op-shopping, hence the lack of posts on here recently. I'm hoping to get back into the routine sometime this week though! Over the weekend I did a brief (very brief) stop at a few of my favourite local haunts and picked up this amazing jacket that I can't wait to show you all.

Just uploaded more items online, some of these were very hard to part with. On occasion I've had to fortune to find two of the same dress, sometimes together and sometimes months apart, which is always great for me, but the majority of the time I have to make some hard decisions regarding whether an item is for keeps or not. This week I'm very much in love with the green drape dress (2nd row from bottom), the dark green belted number (6th row down) and the blue dropwaist dress (4th row up). It's hard to say goodbye but alas...

In other news, I am super excited about the Australian Open starting tonight! Am tempted to buy some tickets to go watch a night match or something, but the exorbitant prices are kind of putting me off. Anyone else going to the tennis this year?

6/1/10

2010-01-06T15:14:00.007+11:00

Say hello to my new shoes from Gorman. I tried these on on new years eve then went home to maul over it, by the time I went back to the store (new years day) they wore gone. And there were no more left anywhere in Melbourne *cue tears*. By that stage I really wanted these shoes - such is always the case with things that are suddenly unattainable, yes? Being the dedicated hardcore shopper that I am, I went home and rang up all the Sydney branches until I finally located a pair in my size, the last one in Sydney which they kindly shipped down for me.

I gotta say, for someone who doesn't ever wear heels of any kind, I found these superbly comfortable and cushion-y. It's like walking on little airbags! I probably paid way too much for these shoes but I deserve a nice pair of heels after being grounded for 22 years of my life, right? I think so.

4/1/10

2010-01-04T20:58:00.003+11:00

I am in seriously lust with these shoes and need them in my life pronto but unfortunately they seem to be sold out everywhere in my size! Life is unfair. Yes, folks, I am still on my shoe binge - it seems that the last decade of completely ignoring footwear is catching up with me. If anyone sees these anywhere online please let me know! Otherwise I'll have to resort in doing a daily eBay search for them until I have them on my feet.

In other news, I spent today listing up some new stuff. I'm not sure exactly how much longer I plan on doing this eBay thing for exactly - initially I was all pumped about it and planned it as a long term venture but now I'm starting to feel a bit blah about the whole thing. I think I might look for a proper part-time job this year, maybe go back to my office-y roots. Working for oneself definitely has its advantages but at the same time it's definitely twice the hassle and headache. Anyway, rant rant rant blah blah blah here's the new stuff:

2010

2010-01-02T19:25:00.004+11:00

Hello! I'm still alive - although just barely. My head is still reeling a bit from post NYE celebrations. Lesson to be learned here peeps, do not drink copious amounts of wine on an empty stomach if you want to come out the other side unscathed. Anyway, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Xmas with their families/friends/pets/lovers and ended 2009 on a great note. I'm still trying to get use to the whole "/10" date changeover but I suspect that will take some time to sink in.

Outfit for NYE as detailed above. It was so freaking hot that night, I could not be bothered getting all dressed up so just wore this vintage shirt I rummaged up a week ago. I also wore heels out for probably the one and only time in 2009. I'm really not used to walking around on points but let's be honest here, this shirt is pretty damn ugly on its own so you really needed the shoes to add an extra bit. Speaking of shoes...

These babies are making their way to me as I type. Oh, sweet Mary and Joseph, these are probably my fantasied perfect pumps, I can't wait to get these on and prance around in them. I think I've lamented in the past about my lack-thereof shoe collection but things are a-changing... money *may* have been exchanged and numerous packages *may* be arriving soon. Squeee!!

...............

2009-12-16T12:49:00.004+11:00

Too.hot.today. I've been hiding at home until now watching The Wire but I think I will have to brave the sun to head to the post office later this afternoon. Do.not.want. The house across the street from mine is renovating and I feel so sorry for the builders there, imagine having to work outdoors in this kind of weather - sheesh! Poor things.

I've been a bit lax in the op-shopping department recently due to the year winding down/it's too hot/can't be bothered/insert excuse here. I've been getting the odd shop in there but probably haven't been doing as much as I could be given the current 24/7 lady of leisure situation I'm in at the moment. Still, I managed to get out to do the rounds last weekend and found some nice things including the above and below. This year I'll be closed for business over the xmas holidays (two whole weeks! PHOARRR...) but I plan to be getting right back into it early January.

The above black dress didn't photograph very well here but believe me, it is adorbs! Classic 50's wiggle fit with gorgeous lace detailing and a low back, very slinky and old Hollywood-ish. I actually saw some lady checking this dress out and stalked her around the store hoping she'd put it back. Success! My will is strong, young padawan.

baby blues

2009-12-11T14:21:00.006+11:00

My hair is super straight today. I had a fancy-pants job interview this morning and therefore I had to actually put in some effort into grooming and looking presentable, instead of like I've just rolled out of bed. I've been thinking of getting the locks re-permed again but now looking at my ghd-straightened results, I've decided that it's probably better to just let gravity take its natural course. Who am I to fight with physics? But I have decided that I'm going to go auburn-ish red, just a light rinse to begin with and then perhaps take it further down the colour spectrum if it looks good. Am excited!

Thrifted blazer and also shorts from my previous op-shopping excursion. These are both for keeps. The boyfriend, who came with me on the expedition, wasn't a fan of either items so I ended up getting them both to spite him. I like them though! Such a welcome change from the usual black monotones I usually wear. I'm still on the hunt for a light grey and also a dusty pink blazer, and also that perfect pair of high-waisted beige linen pants. Oh and I also need shoes. Lots of lots of shoes. My shoe(less) situation at the moment is in the red "danger" zone. Currently I live in my black ballet flats which look more and more like Oliver Twist rags as the days pass. I need: new flats, black ankle boots (flat), ankle boots (heeled), sandals, some form of low comfy wedge. I'm still on the hunt for that perfect thigh high boot. Topshop emailed me about the boots I purchased a while ago and said that they were no longer in stock, even though there were plenty in my size when I ordered them. Majorly annoyed! Grrr, I guess I'll have to keep checking ebay religiously in the hope that one will pop up on there. Oh and I got my results today - distinctions all the way, baby! Good to know that the brain still works.

flower power

2009-12-08T18:01:00.016+11:00

The Boy had the day off work today so we headed out for a bit of a midday op-shopping trip with the comforts of a car. I'm happy to report that I'm one step closer to getting my license - for the last couple of weeks I've been having lessons and I'm booked in for the big test in February. You may be seeing me on the roads soon! Booyah!

My mum actually found this dress and gave it to me about a month ago. She thought I might want to sell it but I decided to keep it instead. The previous owner had already shortened it as well as sewn in shoulder pads so all I had to do was give it a quick wash and iron - easy peasy! I normally try steer clear of the whole "indie hat/studs/grunge floral" thing but this dress had a great flattering shape and was non-polyester for summer wear. Happy dance!

final listings of 09 + RANT

2009-12-07T21:33:00.004+11:00

Final listings for two-oh-oh-nine are up. I've been collecting some nice party dresses in preparation for NYE celebrations and have listed a ton of 80's "prom"-style garments. I love the gold sequin one in the third row, it's definitely for those who are not shy to stand out a bit. Oh and I got recognized last weekend at Camberwell Market - it was awesome, I felt like a celebrity. Hello to you, if you read this! *waves*

Now onto the bad. I had a nightmare selling experience that I must vent about. Riddle me this, oh people of the blog'o'sphere. Why would someone go through the effort of bidding and winning ten separate items and then suddenly disappear off the face of the planet when it comes to paying? I contacted them numerous times and each time they ignored my questions of payment, insisting that it was sent and "must have gotten lost in the system". Ah yes, the old "pass the blame onto technology trick". The icing on the cake was leaving me my first negative feedback - completely unwarranted and full of lies!! It just makes me so damn mad. I'm in the process of getting this removed but the whole situation made me crazy angry. Why is it so hard for people to uh, I don't know... NOT BID IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY??

It's just so vindictive. I've had non-paying buyers before of course and normally I don't get this agitated, but in this case this person went out of their way to sabotage me by putting in SUCH a large order, over $600. Plus, you know, my store is a business, I treat it as a professional venture and at the moment it's my source of income. Thanks to this moron, I'm now in a bit of a financial bind with xmas so close and bills to pay etc etc. And then they leave me a freakin' negative comment, bullshitting from their arse to the moon!! Seething rage, friends. Seething rage.

thigh's the limit

2009-12-05T14:21:00.007+11:00

I went a bit spend crazy last night on the Topshop website and bought a huge chunk of things that I don't necessarily need. Oops. Oh well, what's done is done and now it's just sitting and waiting and twiddling my thumbs until my package arrives.

I've been oogling these thigh-high boots ever since I saw posts about them on Kingdom of Style and also The Cherry Blossom Girl. I ummed and ahhed over getting them for so long that they ended up selling out on the website so when I saw that they were restocked again I just bit the bullet and ordered myself a pair. Initially wanted the black suede ones but unfortunately those sold out ages ago and Topshop doesn't seem to be getting anymore in. The shorter, over-the-knee black suede version is still available but I really wanted something thigh high so I had to settle for the leather. Not my usual get-up... I don't normally wear heels or go for such "bowchicaWAHWAH"-looking outfits. For some reason though, I couldn't get these boots out of my mind and I had to indulge. I'm thinking of pairing it with baggy long tops and blazers?

I'm preparing for winter with the above shag coat. Didn't plan on getting it initially as it was marked at $300 but then overnight the price dropped to $200 so I snapped it up. Or rather, my sexcellent boyfriend did for me, huzzah! Thanks Boy! I'm looking forward to winter now. Got my thigh highs, got my Vulture jacket, bring on the cold.

**EDIT** So the boots have sold out again, and the black shag fur jacket + denim jacket are no more too. Am so pleased I snapped all these up before they disappeared! Whoop.

heart desires

2009-12-02T14:05:00.005+11:00

Uni holidays means I have more free time on my hands. This is good and bad, the bad being that I end up browsing online stores/ebay/etsy and adding more "I-want-NOW" items to my never ending list. Strangely enough even though we're in summer, most of the things I'm lusting after are winter items. Especially this Balenciaga leather motorcycle jacket. It gets re-released every year and at $3000 a pop I think it's safe to say that I won't be owning one anytime soon for a very.long.time.

Maybe if I'm a good girl I might have a Christmas midday movie experience and Santa might magically deliver one for me. Although I probably need to be an orphan or something to qualify. Oh well, one day this jacket will be mine.

the neverending cycle....

2009-11-30T22:06:00.007+11:00

I'm so tired, I've had about four hours sleep for the last two nights in a row and I spent all of today uploading fresh listings and what have you. I also had a ton of items finish tonight so at 8pm I was on a multitasking high - simultaneously emailing invoices, fielding questions, measuring and writing up descriptions as well as trying to shovel steak + mash potato down my throat. It was an epic hour.

I couldn't bear parting with the above two dresses. As you can probably tell from the prepared photos, I initially planned to sell them but changed my mind once I put them on and saw how nice they were. The black dress was something I picked up about a month ago and would you believe that I found the exact same dress today? And I actually sold another version of this about a year back too. Strange coincidences. Anyway, new listings are up and the below are some of my picks this week.

new bag

2009-11-29T16:21:00.008+11:00

I finally got a new bag! Picked this up about two weeks ago from Country Road during their sale period for a bargain price of - wait for it - $110! Am so rapt with my purchase, the leather is butter soft and it is so perfectly slouchy and light for everyday wear.

I actually had my eye on this Givenchy tote and I was so close to splurging on that before seeing this one. It's pretty much the same design but at a tiny fraction of the price! This bag also comes in red, caramel, dark brown and grey and is 30% off RRP at the moment (around $175). I'm contemplating on getting a caramel one but I think having two of the same style is a tad overkill. Please excuse my deathly pallor and slightly-Cory-furred-outfit. I've been home all weekend working and when I'm sitting around I like nothing more but to wear loose smock dresses. Jeans and anything tight bug the hell out of me.

these boots are made for walkin'...

2009-11-26T17:36:00.005+11:00

It's been a bit quiet on the ol' blog front recently, I have been preoccupied with new TV series discoveries (Rome, anyone? So sexcellent - A MUST) and being actively more sociable in general. Also I think I'm getting kind of bored with upkeep of this thing, especially since I haven't been op-shopping for a while so I have nothing much to say. Meh, I go through phases. Anyway, I have a confession to make. I went and saw New Moon today (gasp! horror!). It was awesome! Awesome-ly laughable and bad, that is, although I have to say that the CGI wolves were amazing. Oh and they had a whole stall selling Twilight merchandise - creepy Edward ken dolls, "Team Jacob" tees, mugs, bookmarks etc etc. But you think that's bad? I stumbled across someone selling homemade Edward Cullen reusable menstrual pads on Etsy, so the lucky owner can literally bleed all over his face. Creeeeeeeeeepy....

I digress. Got two "new" pairs of shoes this week, I located another pair of doc martens in black so that brings my docs tally up to five (including this one). I'm contemplating keeping the red boots but I haven't tried them one yet so I'm not completely certain that they'd fit. Also am trying to think if I actually would have any suitable things to wear them with. I'm plotting a big op-shopping trip sometime next week to make up for the previous lazy, lax fortnight of nothingness.

lunch

2009-11-23T13:46:00.004+11:00

Lunchtime! Mushroom risotto with plenty of shaved Parmesan on top. I'm a real risotto fiend - if it's on the menu then I must have it. About two months ago I finally mastered the art of cooking the perfect risotto and ever since then I've been having lots of fun cooking my own whenever I can.

The remaining few items are locked and loaded online. These are the final listings this month and then it'll be December and Christmas and preparing the final lots of auctions before the year is out. Scary to think how it'll almost be 2010 soon - the year always seems to go so quickly.

bohemian rhapsody

2009-11-22T19:22:00.006+11:00

Had a great birthday weekend - a marathon four hour singing session at Kbox with my nearest and dearest. Lots of vodka, chair-dancing and Queen belted at full volume until we finally got kicked out well into the next morning. If you've never done karaoke before I highly recommend giving it a go. It was an epic night.

new listings + mash potato time + bday blues

2009-11-19T20:51:00.006+11:00

I have some great items listed at the moment (modesty, anyone?), worth having a peek at! All the below items are online at the moment and I have more coming tomorrow evening so there's going to be a massive update pretty soon. I kept some of the best stuff for myself and I'll get round to posting the finds later this week. In the meantime, here's some cute-as-pie clothing to satiate your vintage appetite!

I love love love the above blue dress. Insane cut-out straps and a really cute tapered, tube fit that actually doesn't make the wearer look like a lump of playdoh. A little bit too strappy for myself but I'm certain someone will love it.

It's my birthday today! Whoop whoop (not). I have birthday blues, it always kicks in for me around this time. The Boy took a day off work and we spent it wandering around the city, feeding and trying to not die from the heat. I got mah pressies! All geek related so I'm sure it won't interest you (two words: DUAL LCD MONITORS. ZOMG *creams pants*). Will be drowning my sorrows this weekend with lots of alcohol, company and Kbox singing to help dull the pain of gaining an extra year.

I got a comment regarding my shepherd's pie recipe after my last post so I'm going to post it up for anyone who loves mince beef + cheesy mashed potatoes (who doesn't?). It's a super easy, quick meal to whip up and fabulous for those "Imma-gonna-eat-my-feelings" days. See the lack of greens on my plate? Story of my life.

So, basically you need: 500grams of mince beef (or lamb, whatever you prefer, you can also mix lamb + beef together to create a monster taste hybrid), 5 - 6 large potatoes, about 4 large carrots, tomato sauce, 1 large onion, butter, Worcestershire sauce, gravy (I use the premade packet kind), 150ML of beef stock + COPIOUS amounts of tasty shredded cheese. You can also add celery and peas and all that healthy stuff if you want.

1) I like to make the mash potato first. Chop the potatoes up into small pieces. Easy way is to get a big microwave safe container and put it all in there, then cover the potatoes with water (about halfway), lid on and then zap for 20 - 25mins. Or you could do it the traditional method in a saucepan with boiling water. Once done, drain, then THEY DID THE MASH *duh duh duh - the monster mash* IT WAS A SMASH *duh duh duh - a graveyard smash*. For 5 large potatoes I like to put in about 250grams of butter, but I is a glutton and am going to die from cardiovascular disease. Then it's cheese time - I also put in an insane amount but you can be healthier if you wish. Mash it all up!

2) Dice onion, oil in saucepan then put in with mince beef. Cook cook cook until beef turns brown. Add some butter then squeeze in a good two squeeze dollops of gravy. Add some tomato sauce (2 - 3 shakes of the bottle, or squeezes), splash in Worcestershire sauce (about 50mls) and then season to taste with pepper and salt. Then add the stock and bring it to a boil for a minute, then turn heat down and do the shimmer until the sauce thickens (about 15 - 20 mins).

3) MEANWHILE dice carrots, put in boiling water and do the mash again *duh duh duh*. Carrots take longer to cook then potatoes so you can do this bit before the meat part if you like. Oh and you can also just chop them up and put them directly into the saucepan with the meat + onions, but I prefer to mash them and spread it as a layer on top of the mince. Preheat oven.

4) Once mince is cooked, transfer to a baking casserole dish. You may need to pour some excess stock out of it if it's still slightly runny. Layer the carrot mash on top, spread spread spread! Finally the cheesy potato. Pack it on. I have a unbalanced meat-to-potato ratio as can be seen in the above pictures. Sprinkle cheese and also some breadcrumbs if you want for extra crunch on the top. Bake for 20 - 30mins until the top turns golden. Remove and demolish.

flower power

2009-11-18T10:23:00.006+11:00

Found this bright-as-bright vintage dress last week and it's one for keeps, I think. Love the vibrant flower print and it has a great loose, non-polyester slouchy fit that is perfect for blistering hot heat (much like the forecast for the next couple of days). I got up at 10.30am today which is super duper early for me and am planning on making shepherd's pie for lunch and then chilling out with some dvds and the air con on.

daul

2009-11-17T01:52:00.003+11:00

Still yearning for blonde locks and these amazing pictures of Daul Kim are not helping. I'd like to believe that it'll turn out looking just as good but I think I might be delusional. Am going to suss out salon prices tomorrow - eep!

LIBERATION

2009-11-11T16:17:00.005+11:00

I finished my last exam this morning... whooooooooooptido! It went pretty well too, which is an extra bonus with sugar on top. Caught up with some friends for lunch and a gossip session in the city, then did some perusing of the stores. I'm happy to report a successful shopping excursion - although I didn't intend to purchase anything, I found an amazing pair of wedge heels that really really really sang to me. Have them on hold at the moment and will be picking them up tomorrow! Happiness!

Today was a stinker - still, cloudless and hot. Poor Cory was certainly feeling the heat and spent the afternoon wallowing in his turtle wadding pool. I'm really looking forward to the inevitable cool change when it comes, if only it would just hurry up.

sizzling

2009-11-10T15:56:00.005+11:00

Note to self: when the forecast is in the mid-30s, one should stay near the comforts of air-conditioning instead of traipsing outdoors in the blistering heat. I was all amped in the morning but by noon I had turned into a sad Sarah puddle of ooze. Really not one of my brightest moments.

Found this leather backpack in the rummage bin, buried right down at the bottom of the heap. I love those huge, bargain boxes in op-shops. Yes, it can be a real hassle trying to swim your way through all the junk but I've often unearthed some of the best stuff that way. This bag is roomy and big and has a lovely caramel colour that would look great with florals and summer prints.

The heat today really reminded me that summer is just around the corner. It's funny but I think due to how uncomfortably hot I was feeling, I ended up picking out items that were summery and breezy - lots of sleeveless designs with pretty prints and florals. The 50's blue cotton day-dress above is a favorite of mine - very Betty Draper and also has a cute bow on the back. Speaking of which, is anyone else addicted to Mad Men? The season three finale was amazing! I'm so bummed that it's going to be another nine months before the new season airs. What am I going to do in the meantime??

new listings!

2009-11-09T16:54:00.006+11:00

I uploaded a few more new items into the store over last weekend. Planning on clearing out all of my stock before the end of the year so expect lots and lots more to come!

ramblings

2009-11-05T18:01:00.004+11:00

Things I did today, verson 1: Spent this morning photographing more items and eating Safeway carrot cake (which, by the way, is disgusting... yet I still eat it. Why?). Contemplated bleaching my hair blonde, decided against it. Cooked some mushroom risotto for lunch and ate that with generous amounts of Parmesan cheese grated on top. Took Cory for a walk and a romp in the park with some of his dog pals. Attempted to study but ended up playing Sims 3 for a good couple of hours.

Found this dress last week, was originally going to sell it but have decided to keep it instead. I'm thinking 80's? Maybe early 90's actually, the overall cut of it seems to be more modern and less of that box-y, empire 80's style. Am liking the dark florals though, puts me in a mood for summer adventures with icy poles. I've been very boring so apologies for the nothingness that I've been posting recently - if you're still reading this then you deserve a pat on the back and a cookie. Go get.

afternoon treats

2009-11-02T16:40:00.004+11:00

I stopped by Laurent after uni this morning to pick up some sugary treats as a mini-celebratory "two-exams-down-one-more-to-go" tastebud party. I'm glad to report that I have finally satisfied my craving of lemon tart... and yes, it was ah-mazing.

Can you believe that I've never had macaroons before today? Oh.my.god, LIFE WAS SO MEANINGLESS BEFORE. These were delightfully chewy with just the right amount of "crunch" when my teeth broke the outer shell. I got a strawberry flavoured one and also a chocolate one which I devoured as soon as the cash exchanged hands. Am sad that there are all gone now - my tummy wants more, more, more!

new listings!

2009-11-01T21:40:00.004+11:00

What's that you say? Two posts in one day? Has the sky fallen down? Is the world still functioning?

The above black dress is my absolute favourite this listing. I was very tempted to keep it for myself but I have one too many of these 70's babydoll dresses hanging in my closet, and anyway wasn't I trying to curb my black-wearing habit? Kind of reminds me of Lover designs due to it's soft shape and relaxed style.

in bed with cory

2009-11-01T16:11:00.006+11:00

Busy preparing listings for tonight and also trying to cram as much in as I can before my exam tomorrow. Am currently craving - nay, dying - for a slice of lemon tart or a piece of carrot cake with lashings of cream cheese icing. Actually I've been craving that over this entire weekend and everyone knows what happens when you don't satisfy food cravings. How many times can I say "craving" in one paragraph? Craving craving craving. P.S Cory says hello!

bag help!

2009-10-26T19:40:00.005+11:00

I desperately need a new bag. The one I'm using at the moment is an el cheapo one I purchased in China about two years ago - it was only meant to be a temporary replacement until I found something I liked but I just never got around to doing it. For the last few weeks I have been trawling the web for something nice that I could use for my day to day errands. I'm a one-bag kind of person - I don't really get people who have a huge collection that they routinely rotate. In my opinion you only ever really need one, or two at the max. I just find it very annoying having to transfer everything from one to the other and much prefer to just dump everything into one with minimal fuss.

Anyway, I am contemplating this Sissi Rossi bag which is actually marked 50% off at the moment, so I can purchase it for $500 instead of the RRP of $1000. What are your thoughts? Originally I was searching for a black bag but everything that I've looked at so far is insanely expensive, too embellished or too bland. I've even resorted to hunting on ebay for a nice used one (nothing is catching my eye at the moment). By the way, I really recommend Fashionphille for second-hand designer goods if you want to save some money - Authentic and reliable. My current bag that I'm using now is orange-coloured and I haven't had much problems with colour-clashes and whatnot, so a red bag shouldn't be that much different. Plus, I do wear a lot of black. Hmmm..... should I do it?

1990s as vintage?

2009-10-22T16:38:00.007+11:00

I had a designated op-shopping day today. Left at around 9am and got home by 3pm, took Cory for a walk and am now sorting through the goods, trying to determine which ones need to be altered and which ones I should keep. I think my thrifting mojo been spoiled. After the awesome finds I made about two weeks ago, everything I find seems to be bland and boring in comparison. Sure, I still found some nice things but it's all just the typical 60s/80s stuff - nothing really stands out for me. Oh well, it just means I need to lift my game a little more!

This pair of shoes is probably the best item I found. Made from sturdy suede, they're very similar to the classic Doc Marten style but I like that they're in a nice cream colour. I think they'd be pretty wearable come Spring if you're into that sort of 90's "grunge" look. Which leads me to ask: do you classify the 90's as "vintage" yet? There certainly is a huge market for 90's fashion thanks to the Fashion Toast and Co tribe, but technically it should apply to items over a 20 year period (or 25 years for those extra finicky types). Personally I think the term can be still applied to items from the early 90's, I mean come Jan 2010 the 1990s can be officially declared to be "vintage" so it's really only a matter of months. Of course, I wouldn't go declaring items that are made in 1997 to be "vintage" - it should only apply to the early years and not for the whole decade (at least, not yet).

Some clothing items. That 60's wiggle dress is in a gorgeous condition - all over scalloped lace with no tears or stains throughout. And the distressed leather skirt was a bit of a weird one, I almost didn't purchase it because at first glance it just seemed like something no one would wear in this day and age. It was one of those items that looked better the longer you look at it so in the end, after um-ing and ah-ing for a good few minutes I decided I couldn't pass it up.

New Look Listings!

2009-10-18T17:26:00.011+11:00

New listings! I am sooooo excited about all my new stuff, mainly because I've changed the way I photograph things from now on and am using natural light instead of artificial + contast settings. Is it just me, or does using a natural light source make everything look a gazillion times better?

I love this green/yellow maxi dress, in real life the colours really pop out at you. Also the orange-and-white leaf print dress below right - I actually haven't decided if I want to keep it or not. I'm still tossing up on that decision so I decided to list it now and then maybe remove the listing should I come to the conclusion that I can't live without it. Can I do that? Is that ethical? *PONDERS*

This blue 70's angel sleeve dress was originally a beautiful long, maxi length with a lovely full, chiffon drape skirt. Unfortunately the owner before me didn't take very good care of it and the overlay was stained and also ripped in some areas. I ended up having to shorten it to make it wearable but it was such a pity, the original design was absolutely stunning. I doubt I'll find a dress similar to this for a long time.

Genuine 70's cotton Indian maxi dress. So excited I found this! I'm always on the hunt for 70's Indian gauze or cotton dresses, I just think the pattern is amazing and they're just so well made and comfortable. Australia isn't overloaded with Indian gauze dresses so this was a huge stroke of luck.

Okay, the floral cotton dress directly above is amazing! I have a huge dilemma with this one as well. I really, really, really love it and really want to keep it but it's that kind of situation where I've never worn that sort of style before and also that kind of busy pattern isn't really my thing. When I was photographing the dress I had decided to keep it but afterward I sort of wondered if I'd ever really wear it. So, again I am a bit indecisive about this dress. I'm listing it but may remove it should I change my mind down the track. Will have to dedicate some twirling time in front of the mirror to decide. Oh, and see the 70's white tiered dress below? I blogged about it here. The good news is that I can now do the zipper up! The bad news is that it's still too tight on me and I will have to starve myself day and night to be able to fit into it. So I'm letting it go to a new home *sob*

And last but not least, the amazing studded leather jacket I blogged about here. Thought I'd just show you how it looked on. I photographed it with all the trimmings attached (handcuffs, badges, pins etc) so it was pretty heavy but I also tried it on minus the handcuffs and that lightened the load a lot. It's a really nice fitted style - not too tight but not too baggy either. I also think a small in men's should be able to wear this too - pretty certain that this would have originally belonged to a man instead of a woman. I would never wear this in a million years BUT I am somewhat sad to see it go - I think it's a real collector's item, especially if you're a fan of the bands that the vintage brooches depict, and I'm 100% certain that I will never ever find anything like that again, not in a million years. I wish I had two! Sadness.

yellow

2009-10-16T18:39:00.004+11:00

I spent all day today doing ebay-related stuff - alterations/photographing clothing etc etc. Thankfully the day was nice and sunny so I managed to get everything done with ample natural lighting! I'm completely changing the way I shoot the clothing now, the sunglasses are coming off and I'm going to utilize daylight instead of resorting to fiddling with contrast levels. It's a bit sad but I'm overly excited over my "new look" store - I've been fiddling with the template last night and hopefully it looks more professional and less home-built (fingers crossed).

Bumming around the house outfit 101. This is actually slightly more dressier then usual, normally I'm in sweat pants and a huge, oversize jumper. I had to make a post office stop so I needed to look slightly presentable. Both items were op-shop finds - the pants are of the linen variety and are unbelievably comfortable, I think I'll be living in them come the forecast 50 degree summer days.

food art

2009-10-15T19:10:00.003+11:00

I stumbled across Annathered.com the other day and was pretty much speechless at the bento box lunches she makes. These are insane! And look! There is even a Battlestar Galatica one, complete with cylon raiders! Anna (not certain if that's her real name or not) resides in New York and these bento box lunches are made for her boyfriend to take into work. I seriously spent all day on her website going through and reading all her back entries. Everyone needs to check out her site pronto, the cute factor will make your heads explode - I guarantee it. There are also some wonderful tutorials with step-by-step pictorial instructions if anyone wants to attempt to remake any of her creations, some are so simple it's like: "why didn't I think of that!". I'm definitely going to give the Domo-Kun potato croquettes a go over this weekend and am so itching to try making a Totoro riceball as well. Eeeeeeep!

venus in furs

2009-10-13T17:40:00.014+11:00

I have something to show you that will BLOW.YOUR.MIND. That's right, you heard here first. This morning I half contemplated not getting up out of bed, blowing off my classes and the shopping trip I had planned afterward. Then I thought about getting a McDonald's sausage-and-egg McMuffin and of course, my stomach and taste buds prevailed in a fight against my limbs. I probably should write a letter or something to personally thank McDonald's because if it weren't for the existence of said sausage-and-egg McMuffin, I would not have found these two lovely items today.

Up first, this beautiful genuine fur coat in a gorgeous light caramel colour. The pellets that hang off the collar are actually the animal's feet, complete with claws still in tact. Creepy? I'm not certain what fur this is made from - I'm guessing it's a fox fur coat - but it's extremely soft and very fluffy. Personally I don't wear fur. I wear leather without any qualms but fur - even vintage fur - makes me feel slightly uncomfortable and guilty. Plus there's the added possibility of getting verbally abused out in public and I like to avoid confrontation, thank you very much. Of course, now that it's warming up this coat will much likely be unused, so into the closet it goes until next winter.

Do you ever find an item and pause to wonder about the original owner and what they might be like? This leather jacket certainly got me thinking. I think this is probably used to belong to a man, a skinny man who wore acid wash jeans and had a Bob Dylan-esque haircut. And he smoked cigarettes, spoke with a faint accent and secretly loved collecting cat ornaments. He probably ended up marrying a girl he fell in love with at a gig, in a drug-fueled haze, moved to suburbia, took up a 9 - 5 day job, got fat and discovered the perils of married life and middle age. He always kept his beloved leather jacket as a memento of his youth and what could have been, but then one day he looked into the mirror and saw a wrinkly, lined face and decided to finally let go of the past. Or maybe he was just another indie kid that crawled out of the sewer onto Degraves St with a cooler-than-thou attitude.

This is probably the best find I've made all year - studded collar, cuffs and lapels, great slim fit annnnnd it comes with all these vintage metal band pins: Iron Maiden, Guns and Roses etc. Oh and also handcuffs... I know right, insane! The pins and the handcuffs are completely removable if you don't want to look like you've walked right off the set of This is England (great film, by the way). It's pretty heavy so I think minus the handcuffs would really help in the way of wearing it. Still, if you keep everything on then you can work out as well as look super duper cool! Bonus!

STOP.... cory time!

2009-10-12T16:26:00.005+11:00

Puppy explosion! You may or may not be aware that I am a doting doggy mum and like any mother, any excuse to get the camera out and snap some puppy photos and I'm there in a heartbeat. Today I woke up at 2pm and took Cory out for a walk and a play session in the backyard. We managed to catch the last of the sun before the doom and gloom took over so of course, I relentlessly paparazzi-ed him as he did jaw-dropping feats like smell grass and eat daises.

Dawwww...... I'm biased but I think Cory is pretty darn cute! He has these amazing ears that are twice as big as his head. When I was puppy hunting, I saw lots and lots of different dogs but Cory won me over with the jumbo wings on his head so I had to take him home. He's around two-and-a-half right now so not really a puppy anymore. At the moment he's going through his teenager rebellion years - smoking and wearing leather jackets, sneaking out and getting up to all kinds of mischief - almost over thank god. He wants to do the big Euro trip next but when he turns three I think that's when he'll be knuckling down and putting more thought into getting a mortgage and settling down.

Rolling in the grass, enjoying the sunshine on his tummy and begging me to give him a good belly rub. Simple pleasures!

Conked out exhausted after all that fun. Currently snoring away on his beanbag, buried under a mountain of blankets.

light and dark

2009-10-11T16:35:00.005+11:00

Found a great website called Light Boner that has an archive of some amazing photos involving light. I really love how whimsical and soft these are - they really put me in the mood for spring adventures! Damn, I'm so envious of people who are naturally gifted with an eye for creating interesting pictures - I'm more of a point-and-snap person myself and don't know the first thing about photography, but it's definitely something I'm interested in pursuing as a hobby. I just love how an amazing photo can capture an instant and evoke all kinds of emotions and feelings.

thursday

2009-10-08T17:14:00.018+11:00

I don't normally like maxi-dresses but this vintage number has stolen my heart. Nabbed this just yesterday with the intention of altering it to a more wearable mid-to-mini length but now I'm having second thoughts. It's slightly too tight for me though (gotta lay off them potatoes) so will most likely be finding a new home. It's beautiful though! At the moment the zipper won't go fully up but maybe after a fortnight of salad-eating I could force it closed? Fingers crossed!

spring fever

2009-10-07T16:12:00.005+11:00

Isn't it sad that we're already nearing the halfway mark for Spring yet Melbourne is still sitting in the 13 - 17 degree mark? Yesterday and today have been freezing... I actually had to unpack my portable gas heater. Cory is feeling the cold too, he's currently curled up in a tight ball near it, snoozing away. Ah, the life of a spoiled companion dog. Treats, walks, playtime, food and sleep. A luxurious cycle indeed.

Nonetheless, I have been op-shopping lately with an eye out for pretty, summer-time frocks and the like. You know the sort - nice and breezy, cute florals and light spring colours. The above three dresses are some of my favourites from last week's thrifting trip - the orange dress is adorable and I'm not too certain if I can part with it anytime soon. I'm also trying to weed out the polyester in favour of more summer sun-friendly materials: cotton/rayon/linen etc. Harder then you think!

And look! Garfield comics! 50 cents a piece so I snapped up all of them. Oh joy oh joys - I love Garfield humour. It's my all time favourite comic, I just love the punchlines and how depressing and selfish all the characters are. Some light reading to offset all my recent poring over textbooks + library sessions during this exam period... seriously if I didn't have Garfield and Battlestar Galatcica at the moment, I think my brain would have exploded by now.

new look blog

2009-10-06T23:26:00.007+11:00

I'm still alive! Barely - end of year exams loom and I've been doing nothing but holing myself at home buried in books and chomping through a mountain of chocolate. I gave this ol' blog a revamp though! What do you think? Is it more easy on the eye or should I revert back to the typical blogger format?

New listings are up on le store and I finally got around to listing a new bits and pieces on etsy. Not much but hopefully when I get a breather I'll be able to put in some more. Oh and I've completely lost all my links so if we were of the hyperlink-buddy-variety, please remind me so I can add you on.

tagged

2009-09-16T18:58:00.003+10:00

Hayley from Heidi and Seek passed me a blog award a few days ago (thanks Hayley!) to list ten random things about myself. Seeing as I have nothing really better to update with today and how much I enjoy indulgently talking about myself, here we go! (Plus - I'm bored)

1) I go through "food phases" where I'll suddenly develop a strong love for a particular food, and then will crave and eat it for every second meal until I get sick of it. My last phase was mash potatoes with cheese, I pretty much had it every day for a week.

2) I have a phobia of going down escalators, it takes me a few seconds to get on. Only the down ones, the up ones I'm fine with. Sometimes I hold up the people behind when I over-think the stepping on part.

3) I think painted nails look nice on everyone else but me. Hence why my nails remain nail polish free.

4) I am about to turn 23 years old and I am dreading the occasion. 24 years is my "scary age" - and 23 leads right up into it so it's making me extremely nervous. Plus I feel like I should have my life figured out by now and I'm no where near it.

5) I drink about 3 liters of water a day. As a result of this I also tend to go to the toilet a lot throughout the day

6) Lately I have been going to bed around 3am every morning and therefore I am constantly tired when I wake up. Today I had a driving lesson and I had to be woken up by my instructor knocking on my door.

7) I am not good with children, I just don't know how to interact with them especially the ones under the age of 7.

8) In the last week or so I have been feeling less then enamoured with ebay. Don't know why. When I started out I had the idea of continuing with it after I finish studying, doing it part-time or so but now I am feeling like I should be more focused on doing something more worthwhile.

9) I spend too much time on the internet and not enough time in the real world. I am trying to rectify this.

10) .... I can't think of anymore.

playground love

2009-09-09T14:38:00.007+10:00

Apologies for the MIA action of late - I've been a bit bowled over with uni, last minute essays and also had a new TV show obsession crop up so have been using all my free time to watch back-to-back episodes of Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles (so sad it's been cancelled! Damn you Fox *shakes fist*). Is this a surprise? Everyone knows I'm a real TV fiend and am going through a real sci-fi phase at the moment. I can out-watch all of you.

Dress - thrifted
Shoes - Nine West

I haven't been opshopping very much lately, I went out with the intention of doing a hunting trip yesterday but my plans were foiled by the weather unleashing an unexpected mid-afternoon rain attack. I found find this dress a couple of weeks ago and it is my new favourite piece. Seriously though, how easy are dresses to wear? You just throw it on with tights and some shoes and you're all done, ready for action with minimal fuss. I actually found TWO of these in the same size so I am keeping one and am selling the other. I hardly ever find things that I actually want to keep so this was an extra bonus, two of the same so I didn't have to go through that: "oh, should I keep it? Should I sell it?" anguish.

Thanks to everyone who left me nice comments on my last update! Yes, I agree with all of you that my hair is looking extra body-licious as of late. It's in that final perm-dying phase where it's slightly wavy without it looking like it was eating my head. I'm going to be sad when it goes back to it's flat asian form... should I re-perm it? Hmmm... questions, questions.

florals

2009-09-03T15:35:00.007+10:00

I had a good day today. I got up early, made a smoothie for breakfast, got to my first class with 15 minutes to spare and managed to get home before it started raining.

Dress - thrifted
Shoes - Country Road

Look! I finally managed to get my shoes in one of these pictures! Actually in hindsight it probably wasn't my best Einstein moment picking out this dress to wear today. Although it certainly was warm enough, it was also windy and I spent a good majority of the time with my hands glued at my sides, walking around like I was doing a Irish jig. Thankfully the first warm day of spring meant that plenty of other poor females souls were in the same predicament, it was like life had become a musical and everyone was doing the Riverdance. Funny in hindsight.

back to black

2009-09-02T18:32:00.001+10:00

Such a gorgeous spring day! Just think, a couple of weeks ago I could not have imagined being able to venture outside wearing just these few layers. Every morning the simple act of getting of bed took me at least 15 minutes to first muster up the courage to throw back the covers. Then it was a mad dash with my clothes to the bathroom, where I'd huddle over the portable heater with my teeth chattering, frantically dressing myself. When I was at last ready to leave the safe, heated confines of my home, I'd be bundled up in my best winter gear - coat/gloves/scarf - head down, hands in pockets, a daily battle to keep the cold out.

Jumpsuit - Sportsgirl
Tux blazer - thrifted kid's section

I don't know why but I never manage to get the whole outfit in one shot, I'm always cutting off either the top of my head or my shoes. Once again I am footless in these pictures (cue music: "Loose, footloose. Kick off your Sunday shoes!" Oh come on, you guys were thinking it). I am without feet. I am Stump McStumpy. How about we play a game - judging from my ensemble, what do you I'm wearing on my soles? Is it a) Some bright neon designer knock-offs? B) Statement Alexander Wang wedges? Or could it be c) predictable but completely comfy black ballet flats?

I'll let you decide.

goodbye winter, hello spring!

2009-09-01T16:12:00.005+10:00

It's the first day of spring! Happiness! The last couple of days have been full of rain, rain, rain and grey, grey, grey so I'm glad that today stayed dry and somewhat sunny. It's still pretty damn cold and I've got the fire going so I'm nice and toasty indoors. That's Melbourne for you, but oh well - at least winter is well and truly behind us. The start of a new month also means the start of my new internet download data, big whoop! I chew through 30GB like a Labrador with food (ie. quickly), I'm on the highest plan and it's only me using it but my net is always shaped about two and half weeks in. So many shows to download, so little time!

I'm having sausages with creamy, buttery mash for dinner tonight and am about to head to the shops to get the ingredients. The above strawberries dipped in melted chocolate were actually going to be my dessert but I cheated and instead had it for an afternoon snack. So really, I should be saying that I'll be having a dinner of strawberries with melted chocolate and then sausages and mash for dessert.

lady in red

2009-08-27T14:58:00.013+10:00

Today I slept in till noon. Ate a banana for breakfast. Took Cory for an extended walk and a romp at the park. Went grocery shopping. Paid some bills. Got excited about the new Dorian Gray movie. Wondered if I should perm my hair again. Took full advantage of the lovely weather and spent the afternoon outside reading and having an impromptu photo-session.

I'm going to bake a cherry-ripe cake tonight, no reason aside from it being Thursday and oh-so-close close to the weekend. The recipe I'm using is from a tattered, old edition of Woman's Weekly - it's a tried and tested recipe that has always yielded positive results. I'm not really much of a cook but I love to bake, there's just something very therapeutic about baking that I don't seem to get from cooking. I love all the little utensils and how everything needs to be exactly measured, it kind of feels like a mini-science project but with yummier results.

Dress - MNG

I dug this dress out from the back of my closet a few days ago and decided that today was nice enough to put it to some use. It's an old dress that I've had for a number of years. In fact, it was probably one of the first few "nice" items that I purchased fresh out of high school. Back then my wardrobe selection was pretty dismal and consisted of the typical teenager garb - lots of tight tops, low-hipster flared jeans, hoodies etc. I pretty much wore this everywhere, in fact, after an alcohol-fueled night with some friends, I even threw up on it (and had to wear home turned inside-out the morning after... gag). The night that I met my now-boyfriend-of-three-plus-years I was wearing none other then this garment which according to him, was what prompted him to come over and say hello. Aside from digging it out for a brief stint this afternoon, these days I hardly wear this dress. For some reason I don't think it suits me anymore, probably because my tastes have changed since my fresh-out-of-high-school days. But still, this garment holds very fond memories for me and I don't think I could ever get rid of it or sell it. I think everyone has some sort of garment that they can't bear to part with for nostalgic reasons and this dress is mine.

vintage versace + giveaway winner

2009-08-25T15:18:00.006+10:00

This morning I peeked out my window, saw that the wind was bending the trees almost in half and promptly rolled over and went back to sleep. Classes be damned! Snuggling in with Cory and getting up at 12.30pm is more enticing on a cold, windy day.

I have some super exciting finds this fortnight. Actually I'm super excited in general - yesterday I headed down to a huge vintage depot I had heard whispers about. Let's just say that my mind is officially blown and I feel like I've stumbled across the jackpot! Some of the things I picked up: the cute blue/white polka dot playsuit and the black leatherette dress by Versace - yes, Versace! *squeeeeeee*

A big thanks to everyone that entered the vintage bag giveaway. I think the general consensus is that the majority of people prefer spring, winter and summer - I feel sad for autumn... it only got two votes. But what about the pretty leaves? And the nice layering one can do? I think I'm an Autumn person myself, then probably followed closely by Spring. I prefer the in-between seasons. Annnyway, I used random.org again to draw a winner and it was comment #9, who happens to be Selina, yay! If you just email me your address I'll pop the bag into the post on either Wednesday or Thursday. To all the ladies who've missed out, I get some sort of weird, Santa-Claus inspired pleasure out of doing these draws so I'll definitely be doing more in the future.

hungry hungry hippos

2009-08-24T18:46:00.003+10:00

Drank too much this weekend. Woke up on Sunday morning feeling seedy and sorry for myself, then stumbled into the kitchen where I found the all-too-familiar sight of a McDonald's brown paper bag crumbled on the table. The remnants of a night I can't remember. I feel a bit jibbed though - for all the calories I ingested from devouring the fries and double cheesburger, I'd hope that I'd at least recall the delicious, fatty taste! Such sadness. If it's going to my hips then I'd want to savour the moment, otherwise what's the point!

I have such a strong love for liquid eyeliner and red lipstick, I don't wear any other products so these two are quintessential in my book for an instant "but-I-swear-I-look-this-good-when-I-get-out-of-bed!". Asian eyes = limited eyelid folds so I have no need for things like eye shadow or base or anything of the sort. Not only am I not skilled in applying those things, it's a bit too much time and effort for something that would hardly be seen. I'd love attempting the 60s Twiggy thing but alas... *squints*

Dress - thrifted

I've found the perfect spring dress for lazing around on those hot days. Very baggy and girly (and pink! Shock! Horror!) but somehow I don't seem to mind very much. The weather has been heating up little by little recently... spring is just around the corner! I always feel a little melancholy when it gets to Spring, anyone else get that way? I can't really put my finger on it but I feel very nostalgic and tend to reminisce a lot about random things that come into my mind. I think it's a mixture of the smell of grass and that Spring afternoon glow... it kind of makes me wish my life was like one of those pretty vintage paintings. I'm looking forward to venturing outside for some narcissistic photo-sessions on nice, sunny days. Have you noticed that I've gotten a lot better in taking photos of myself? I'm not sure how this newly-honed talent is going to help me in life, but I've come a far way from my stand-straight-as-a-coffin, twist-to-side, grimace days.

Oh and one last chance to enter the vintage bag giveaway! Only twelve comments so far so everyone is in with a great chance at scoring a freebie. And really, who doesn't like a freebie in this day and age?

eye candy

2009-08-20T16:37:00.006+10:00

I have nothing much to say today so I decided to instead overload your visual senses with pictures. This is just a sprinkling of some of the things I found in the last week or so. The black sheer-sleeved lace dress will need to be hemmed and depending on how it fits when I try it on, it may even replace my other vintage lace-sleeved dress that I blogged about here.

And I also found a number of bags and shoes, these are my two favourites. I've never found a tooled bag before so that was an exciting couple of seconds when I saw this peeking out from a jumble bin. And the black satchel has some scruffs on the edges but otherwise it's pretty good! There's no long strap for it but I do notice loops on its sides so I'm thinking maybe I might be able to find a strap to compliment it?

And lastly don't forget to enter the VINTAGE GIVEAWAY for a lovely leather satchel handbag. As they say, you gotta be in it to win it.

vintage bag GIVEAWAY!!

2009-08-19T16:50:00.009+10:00

Today was a lovely, sunny day here in Melbourne. I actually worked up a sweat walking Cory and actually had to peel off a few layers of clothing. Spring is a-coming! I'm trying to stay off the potatoes and ice cream in preparation for the skin-showing months ahead. It's a hard feat and I have to admit that I'm failing horribly, but tomorrow is another day (she says as she munches on some oven chips). Oh well.

Annnnyway, I'm holding another giveaway and this time I'm offering this cute leather handbag I found recently. It has gold hardware and opens to show two inside compartments and a zippered hidden pocket on one side. This bag is mid-to-small sized, it measures 25cms (width) by 20cms (height not including strap) and it's quite structured with the depth measuring around 7cms at the base. In great condition!

Since it's coming into the change of seasons soon, to enter leave a comment and tell me what your favourite season is and why. Oh and please don't forget to leave your email addresses if you're don't have a blog account as I will need to contact you should you win the prize. Entry is open to everyone, but international winners will need to pay $10 AUD for shipping costs. I'll be drawing a random winner on Tuesday the 25th of August (next week!) so make sure to get your comments in before then!

crochet + blues

2009-08-18T16:53:00.007+10:00

I had a massive day op-shopping. Stupidly I decided to wear a pair of heeled boots that left me hobbling in pain mid-way through the afternoon. I tell ya now, slippers have never felt so good!

Vintage crochet top - thrifted

I didn't go out like this - I'm much too boring and actually wore this over a jumpsuit thing. Do you want to know what's great about this top? There are tiny little suction caps located at breast level, perfect to protect the wearer's modesty. God I love vintage clothing, some of the things they use to think of is just amazing! I've found a few strappy dresses with a tiny, in-built snap-lock bit hidden under the straps so that one's bra straps won't slip off when worn. Ingenious!

Does anyone else get creeped out when people right next to them on public transport? Fair enough if it's peak hour, but otherwise why would you want to sit next to someone you don't know? I was coming home today on the train and this smelly guy got on and then plonked his stinky arse right next to me. The carriage was pretty much EMPTY - there were spare seats all around us. Not to mention I had four greenbags full of clothing so I had to take them off the seats and then cramp myself against the wall. PLUS it was a three-seater, he COULD have left a seat between us but noooooo. Why? What would possess anyone to do that? ANNNND his right leg was completely pressed up against mine - I felt like he was raping my leg. He was sitting in the aisle for godsakes, could he not spread himself the other way? Gag. Been forced to make bodily contact with strangers is not my idea of fun. Public transport etiquette, people! Someone should write a book...

vintage bounty

2009-08-10T16:01:00.006+10:00

Remember those Garfield comics by Jon Davis? When I was a child I was the biggest Garfield fan, my primary school library had a whole stash so I used to spend my lunchtimes sitting in there poring over them. I could never work out exactly why Garfield always detested Mondays so much until I started doing the 9 - 5 work (when I was office job-ing)/uni and realized how sacred the weekend is.

I had a pretty shoddy Monday today. Got rained on, missed my train by a second, missed the tram by half a second, then I came home and found that Cory had thrown up on my bed. He's fine but it was pretty nasty and meant a change of sheets. Bahhh. The pluses were catching up with a friend and doing a spot of op-shopping, finding some nice stuff to help make up for the downers. The red dress hasn't photographed very well but it's very pretty! And the last backless one is made from a charcoal metallic material-thing - that one didn't photograph too well either. I blame Monday.

sunday morning

2009-08-09T12:16:00.007+10:00

I borrowed the lace black backless dress I found a few days ago for an event over the weekend. I don't really own any hugely backless numbers so I was super surprised at how chilly and uncomfortable I felt throughout the course of the evening/morning. It was a bit of a fine balance between being too warm (jacket on) or too cold (jacket off). Probably not the best idea for winter - and probably I'm being overly granny-ish grumbling about it in the first place. Oh well, I'm old and withered, need to start hanging up my party shoes. But hey, anyone notice how people's age transitions can be reflected in the style of jeans they wear? Sure, we're all looking flash in our skinny jeans now, but give it a few more years and some day without realizing it, our hands will reaching for the ol' bootcut. That's when you know you're done. It's all over once you start wearing bootcut jeans.

I ramble too much. Y/y? Oh, one more thing. Anyone interested in purchasing a canon 350d dslr camera with the standard 18-55mm lens kit? Four years old, never use it much expect for ebay shoots. Works perfectly and comes with all the bits and bobbins (manual, software, neckstrap, box etc etc). I need to upgrade - am eyeing the canon 500d... oo la la, expect expensive. So anyway, if you're interested drop me a email or a message! $500 and it's yours.

ghostly

2009-08-06T15:48:00.010+10:00

I've done nothing exciting today. I sat. I picked my nails. I scratched my bum. I pondered over whether I should finally do the laundry that's been collecting dust for the last few weeks (answer: no). I wrote up a the first sentence on my soon-to-be due essay, then deleted it. In the end I grabbed the dog and had an impromptu photo session with him, or at least, I tried to. Cory was not in his most patient mood. I ended up with pictures of me holding some sort of ghost dog apparition instead of the nice family portraits I'd envisioned.

In other unrelated news, I've been using a new shampoo called Schwarzkopf something-or-another and I must say, it has the most disgusting scent in the world. Every time I use it I have to breathe through my mouth. It reeks like how I'd imagine leprechaun poo to smell like. It also seems to make my hair feel slightly greasy instead of clean... IT IS TURNING ME INTO A REAL LIFE SNAPE.

New Items!

2009-08-02T21:43:00.010+10:00

I'm sorry to say that I didn't end up making it to the Camberwell Market this morning, even though I swore that I would a few days back. I had every intention of going but I ended up sleeping through my alarm and was awoken by a phone from my stood-up friend, advising that she's waiting for me and where the hell was I? Oh, the shame, the shame. I still feel extremely guilty, especially for dragging my poor pal out of bed early on a Sunday morning, only to be still snoozing away warm and toasty at home. Thankfully I have very understanding friends... they put up with a lot. Once again, I'm so so so unbelievably sorry Kath!

Lots of new items! I really like some of the stuff I found in the last few weeks and will be going again in a few days time.

Oh, I also cooked up a gourmet meal of hamburgers and chips for dinner tonight. Note the plural. I was absolutely ravished and cooked up two massive burgers with cheese and onion and then proceeded to gulp them down with a plate of oven chips. I am feeling very snake-like at the moment and I thank the person who invented elasticated tracksuit pants.

Mmmm.... sweet, sweet cow, come to me. And on a final note, two close pals left for a Europe expedition today for three long months. Bon voyage ladies!

thursday blues

2009-07-30T17:45:00.006+10:00

Weekend.so.close.yet.so.far....
Not that I'll have much time to enjoy myself. I've got a backlog of uni reading to catch up on, items to photograph/edit/upload and listings to put up. I'm staying in this weekend so I'm hoping that an early Saturday night turn-in might mean that I'll be finally able to make it to the Camberwell Market on Sunday morning. I haven't gone for yonks - it's just one of those things where it's early, it's cold, the bed is so warm and I'm only half a turn back into dreaming again. This time I'm going to picture those yummy, jam donuts from there to help get my legs moving. Mmmm.... jam donuts.... *homer drool*

Dress - Ebony & Eve
Shoes - thrifted

New dress! I wore this to uni today but the long sleeves did annoy me after a while, especially after the upteenth pirate joke. I might have to take them up or something. I've also been using some el cheapo homebrand shampoo that is making my hair curlier and weirder then usual. Speaking of hair, what's the general consensus of me going fiery, auburn red? I've never dyed my hair ever and I've always tried to stay away from the stereotypical red streak thing that many asian girls tend to do. I'm not 100% certain if it's a wise move or not, I'm a bit concerned I'll look really bizarre. Yay or nay?

Close-up of those thrifted shoes I blogged about a few days ago. I actually wore sensible flats for uni today but I decided to give these another try in the hope they might have magically stretched. Alas, they're still just that tiny fraction too small so into the store they'll go. *weeps*

Speaking of stores, I am still yet to upload anything into my etsy one. It's slightly more trickier then I expected, I find it really hard to determine what items go into what store and also the "style" of my listings will need to be modified to suit a more "etsy" approach, including my photographs. Hmmm.....

Well I hope everyone has a fab weekend! I'm off to curl up with the dog and a book.