Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Carnabetian Army: Liebster Blog Award



Thank you kindly to Catherine from Sewing the 60s who has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award: an award given to bloggers with less than 200 followers that deserve more recognition. 
How exciting!

Receivers of the Award Must:
  • Post 11 interesting things about themselves
  • Answer the 11 questions posed to them by their nominators
  • Create a new list of 11 questions for future award receivers to answer
  • Nominate 11 more bloggers with less than 200 followers for the award
11 Things About Me

1. My vintage handbag (the white one that I am always with in posts) is a cave of wonders. I keep anything and everything in it. In there you can find a Beatles magnet, a sprig of dried lavender from my Grandma's house, a bracelet (now broken) that she gave me, a lolly machine ring from the boy in its plastic container, a heart shaped rock also from the boy, an angel pendant bracelet that my mother found, a wind up torch, pink safety pins that may come in handy, a keyring from when I saw "The Wall" performed by Roger Waters in concert and too much more too mention all amongst an unending mass of dockets and bus tickets.


2. I have always had a natural aptitude for drawing. I became quite skillful and very passionate about it in my later years of high school and took every opportunity I had to create something. I even had the experience of having some of my work displayed within an art gallery.

3. My favourite board games are chess and 'Rummy-O'. I also enjoy doing 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles.

4. The first ever 'profession' I remember wanting to have as a child was a ghost hunter. I am a nut about anything paranormal and can't resist a good ghost story.

5. I can write backwards in cursive, and quite neatly and fluently as well. When read through a mirror the writing most of the time actually looks a lot neater than when writing normally.

6. I think that it is safe to say that Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones is perhaps my biggest style inspiration. There was a time when I actually seeked out and bought clothing items and accessories to as closely possible replicate certain outfits that he had been photographed wearing, such as the one pictured below, though in a slightly more feminine style. I even cut my fringe identical to his at one point. 


7. Singing along to the voices of The Beatles, Jim Morrison and Lou Reed has actually extended my vocal range over time, enabling me to reach much deeper notes than the average bird of mediocre singing ability. 

8. I am a terrible cook, and am petrified of taking things out of the oven! Though I have improved a lot since moving into the unit and can now cook a variety of basic meals, I still would not even begin to consider myself good!

9. I haven't had an idea of what the country's top hits consist of for a good ten years or so. This doesn't seem to phase me at all.

10. I have seen Mr. Ringo Starr himself live in concert, and when I called out to him he responded to me individually amongst the audience. Even now when I try and think that one of The Beatles themselves actually knows of my existence, though he has no idea of who I am, I am too baffled and cannot even begin to comprehend what this means to me. I never thought this dream of mine would have ever come true.


An image of Ringo the night of the concert that I attended.

11. I have played guitar for approximately nine years (though it may not sound like it). I taught myself to play by ear on a child's guitar from the 50's with only five strings that my father had found on the side of the road. It much resembles John Lennon's first guitar and it had to be tuned with a pair of pliers as some of the tuning pegs had broken off. I was very determined.

11 Answers to Catherine's 11 Questions

1. What is the most played song on your MP3 player/iTunes or if you prefer tangible music what was the first record/tape/CD you wore out and had to buy again?

Unfortunately due to my recent getting of a new laptop, I lost almost all my iTunes music and thus had to start compiling my digital music collection again from scratch. So far my most played song is "I Found A Reason" by The Velvet Underground at 21 plays.



2. What was your first job and did you enjoy it?

I got my first job at the age of 14 working at a busy local chemist. My position was Customer Service and Sales Assistant but my duties were quite varied. I had responsibilities associated with the dispensary counter, perfume and makeup, fitting orthopedic shoes and assisting with a popular weight loss program. 
My attitude towards the job was varied. There were days in which I didn't like it very much at all and days in which I loved it. I did not like the fact that there was so much risk associated with selling medicinal product whilst I was at such a young age. But I loved seeing the regulars and watching their progress as they undertook the weight loss program. Sometimes I have wishful thinking of going back to work there one day, though other times I actually have nightmares that I am forced to go back and work there and I can't remember a thing!

3. Do you have a collection and what is it of?


I have multiple collections. They are:
  • a collection of Beatles merchandise and memorabilia that consists of over 300 items.
  • a record collection which you can view by clicking here.
  • vintage clothing and accessories spanning from the 1970's back to roughly the 1930's.
  • vintage items spanning from the 1970's back to the early 1920's, ranging from pocket mirrors to children's annuals.
  • vintage tins - too many now
  • a growing collection of vintage chocolate boxes
  • business cards from all over - I keep them as little souvenirs of places I've been to
  • movie, concert and show tickets
  • pendants and charms that I find
  • and I have eight guitars.
4. What is your default "too lazy to cook" meal?

Easily instant noodles/instant macaroni and cheese - I could live off them. My family actually joke that I am Andy Warhol reincarnated as they are certain that I could eat the exact same thing everyday for 20 years.

5. What is your favourite thing to wear that you always feel fantastic in?

Definitely my black mary-jane heels. I got them for $4.00 years ago and they've been my shoe staple since.


6. Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring?

Autumn because the weather is perfect for me and I love how the trees down south turn beautiful shades of orange, red and gold. And Summer because it brings back the happiest memories from my childhood of melting iceblocks and walking barefoot on roads almost too hot to walk on in my mother's country hometown.

7. What is your favourite moment in history? i. e. VE Day etc...

The 20th of July 1969, when mankind first landed on the moon. Whether it be true or not, I find the concept of reaching the moon truly beautiful. 

8. If you had another blog, what would it be about?

Hmm. Perhaps a personal blog in which I would post all the snippets of writing, lyrics and poetry that I write.

9. If you had to pick only one, would you prefer The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?

Though I do love The Rolling Stones, I am passionate about The Beatles. Together John, Paul, George and Ringo honestly opened up an entire new world for me and enabled me to see and appreciate things on a whole new level. It is through them that my passions in life developed and flourished.


10. What is your favourite step when sewing a garment? Or if you don't sew, what is your favourite feature on a garment that always catches your eye?

Unfortunately I cannot sew (though one day I would very much love to learn!), but what always catches my eye on clothing is collars. I love them. Pussy bow, pointed flat, sailor collar, peter pan, shawl collar, nehru, turtleneck. In fact there have been many occasions in which I have bought items of clothing purely because I loved what the collar looked like.

11. What was your most favourite holiday that you have taken?

Usually I would say visiting my mother's country hometown and staying with my Grandma, but many people do not consider that a holiday. So I suppose I shall have to say when the boy and I took a trip down to Bathurst for a week or so. Whilst there we stayed in a beautiful house over 100 years old and had delicious food cooked for us, we walked through the streets of the town together and he showed me all the places that he had been to as a child whilst growing up there and we saw many lovely sights. We also traveled around the area, seeing the Three Sisters as well as many other marvelous lookout sights from mountain tops which were just breath taking. The amount of vintage and antique stores that we visited in the area were a bonus too!

11 Questions for you

1. Do you have any charms or special items that you always carry with you or keep close? What are they?

2. What is the one song that without a doubt always puts you in a good mood?

3. If you could possess the ability to play any musical instrument you desire, what would it be?

4. What is currently on your wish list?

5. Do you have any hidden talents or abilities for anything in particular? If so, what are they?

6. If there was one celebrity out there who could be your soul brother/sister, who would it be?

7. Do you have a phobia of anything?

8. If you could collect anything in the world, what would it be?

9. What food can't you stand the taste of?

10. What name(s) would you choose as an alias?

11. What inspired you to start blogging?

And now for the 11 winners of the Liebster Blog Award that I nominate - just a handful of people that I believe deserve a lot more recognition for their blogging!












Congratulations to you all and do feel free to take part.
I'd love to learn more about you all, and I'm sure others would too!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Tonight's Tunes and Pretty Presents from the Past

Tonight I'm home alone and taking the time to play my guitar, drink some unreasonably sweet tea with shortbread as a side, and show you all the latest vintage items added to my collection whilst listening to the sounds of both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

"Beatles For Sale" - The Beatles (1964)
This was my first ever LP and it was bought nearly 10 years ago. I hold quite a bit of sentimental value to it, also for the fact that this album was released the same day as my birthday 27 years before I was born.

"Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)" - The Rolling Stones
One of the most recent LPs added to my record collection.

Yesterday the boy took me out up the coast and bought me a little bundle of vintage goodies as a present from a couple of the second hand shops. He knows just what I like. This are the things he bought for me.

Vintage Glomesh bag.
This bag, though it has some wear to it near the clasp, is perfect. It is big enough to fit my purse, the handle/chain is the right length and the clasp is something that I just adore.
I'm not sure what to do with the damage. Paint the faded area black, scour all the black off to have it gold, or just leave it the way it is? Knowing me I'll probably just leave it the way it is.

Vintage 1960's bright green beaded necklace.
Unfortunately the beautiful colour wasn't captured in this picture.

Vintage atomizer perfume bottle.
This was a very lovely gift as I've been searching for one of these for many, many years.

Vintage glass love heart.
Perfect for storing my rings on my dressing table.


Vintage 1970's cooking dish.
This was an amazing find as it is exactly the same as our yellow cooking dish that we got from the boy's mother before we moved out.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Curls from Cooly Rocks On

At last her is a picture of my curls from the "Cooly Rocks On" festival, as mentioned here, before they were destroyed by the menaces of the wind and rain. It was only a quick shot before we left the house as we were running quite late (hence the seriousness of my expression). Though now I do wish that I'd gotten a picture of the back of my hair as well, as I thought the curls at the back looked much lovelier and fluffier. But oh well.

I was also very pleased with my makeup that day, and I think it was one of the best jobs I'd done of it in a long while. This picture really does it no justice.


Every time I see my red walls in photos I grow on them just a little more.
I think I'm turning into a lover a red, something I never really was.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Camel Coloured Shoes and Bag

Just a quick little outfit post (though there's nothing special about this one - was in a hurry!). 

Yesterday the boy and I went out for the day. We did many things, among them seeing a movie, visiting the lighthouse lookout and taking the memorial walk along it, walking along the path and rock pier that my father used to take me and my family to as a little girl and finding my name that I had carved on a rock almost ten years ago, and ordering takeaway pizza and gelati for tea to eat whilst having a Harry Potter movie marathon. It was quite the day and I had a great time.

Outfit:

- Mini dress that I bought about five years ago
(I'm surprised it still fits to be honest)
- Camel coloured vintage handbag
- Camel coloured vintage style shoes
- Pink pearl bracelet

I'm really digging this colour. I have matching coloured vintage gloves and a black three quarter sleeved coat with matching coloured polka-dots (as shown here). It comes with a cute matching belt too. I feel quite BIBA-esque when wearing it. But I felt it was too hot at the time to bring them with me. I regretted this later on - the wind was blowing that evening!

These shoes are among the most comfortable I've ever worn.
They are kitten heels and the biggest size 6 that I'd think possible.

In other news it is time to cut my fringe again. I'm a little uncertain about doing so as I have taken a liking to styling it into earlier styles preceding the 60's. But I do miss my 60's look. Hmm choices, choices.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Cooly Rocks On

At last I have found the time to post (some of) the pictures that were taken for our local 1950's nostalgia festival, "Cooly Rocks On".

Day One: The Street Parade

Outfit:

- 1950's style Pinup Couture cherry dress with matching red belt
- Thrifted black reproduction petticoat
- 1950's style red Pinup Couture Bettie heels
- 1950's vintage white beaded necklace
- Princess Diana replica earrings
- White rose hair clip
- Pearl and diamond bracelet
- Pearl ring
- Spotted umbrella
- Vintage white handbag


The street parade was held on Saturday. I woke up very early in order to prepare but the boy decided to sleep in. Not for long though, as all of a sudden we heard Elvis being blared ridiculously loud through our bedroom window. After all these years of having no clue where all the giant parade floats arrived from, it turns out that they all prepare in the street right outside our unit.

That morning I furiously ran all about the house getting all dolled up. My nails were given a coat of red polish, my skin was dusted in white rose talc and my face was treated with my best quality makeup and product. As mentioned here, I had slept on my hair done up in pin curls. And thankfully they turned out wonderfully! In fact, the best they've ever turned out! Unfortunately though the weather that day was an awful mixture of wind and rain and they blew out.

Another downside to the day was that we actually missed the parade. We left the house too late and trying to find a park was a nightmare, even for us locals! Also, unfortunately, the boy and I could not follow through our plans of a photo shoot of the day due to illness, which forced him to leave early. After I came home we did take a couple of photos on his phone just so we could show you my outfit in the full. The pictures should be up here soon.

A very contemplative looking me with my blow out curls.

The red Bettie shoes. 
Gorgeous, but painful (they are one size too big for me).


That day I was complimented by many, was told that I should have entered the Miss Vintage Pageant (as mentioned here) and even photographed for the facebook pages of two local businesses. In the second image I am pictured with my older sister. At the time she and her fiance were visiting and I met up with them for coffee, or in my case, a hot chocolate! The cakes pictured were delicious too. We bought seconds.

Day Two: The Markets

Outfit:

- 1950's style white and purple floral dress with matching belt
- Thrifted black petticoat
- 1960's vintage white shoes with bows on top
- 1950's vintage white beaded necklace
- Vintage white gloves
- Vintage white handbag
- Pearl Earrings
- White rose hair clip
- Spotted umbrella
- Soft pink cardigan (not shown)


The next day my younger sister and I visited the festival markets together.


This time I wore my hair in victory rolls and I was quite pleased with how they turned out. Not my best, but still quite pleased. My Grandma (who is staying with our family at the moment) laughed when she saw a picture of my hair. She was surprised that people still wore the styles that were worn back in the days of her youth. 

I was also very happy with my eyeliner too!

The markets were fantastic. So much vintage and reproduction clothing everywhere, record stalls, antique stalls, vintage hair and makeup booths and festival food galore! Unfortunately I had very little money to spend this year, which was quite painful when I came across multiple records that I've had my eye on for yonks! My sister and I, both dolled up in our 50's gear, got our fair share of compliments from people that day. We felt like film stars. And we also spoke with many ladies who experienced the decade themselves. Some lovely people even took our picture for us in front of some of the vintage cars, and one gentleman caught us on film (which was a shocker for my sister as her skirt kept wanting to pull a Marilyn!)

My gorgeous younger sister. She looked absolutely stunning.
You can find her tumblr here.

I also found the dress of my dress that day! And in my price range! It was a 1960's dandelion yellow paisley printed mini dress. I really had never seen such a beautiful dress in my life, and the picture of it (which I sneakily took in the changing tent) does it no justice. Much to my disappointment the dress didn't fit.

The dress of my dreams.



The rest of the day was spent with us taking many pictures, both lovely and silly, eating slices and cakes named after Marylin Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr. and having a group of little boys ride past on the skateboards as I walked home saying how nice they thought I look in the "old fashioned clothes".

Friday, June 7, 2013

Pinup Pin Curls

Yes, I have taken a step back in time from my usual 1960's dolly gear, but as mentioned here, our local area's annual 1950's nostalgia festival, "Cooly Rocks On", is here again and it is one of my favourite times of the year.

For the festival I do my very best to achieve an authentic 1950's vintage look. I spend days, weeks and even months in preparation for it. I've been growing out my beloved fringe specifically for it. Another one of these preparations that I do is to determine how I will style my hair. Last year I wore victory rolls, but this year I am going for Pin Curls!


Yesterday I gave them a test run. It was a lot more difficult to do this time. I haven't done them for over a year and the lady who cut my hair at the hairdresser's put layers in the front of my hair without my consent (not happy!). But thankfully they turned out the best that they ever have for me! Both the boy and myself took pictures of me in front of my dressing table and in my vintage dressing gown. I felt like a movie star! 
I also tried something different this time and clipped a flower into my hair, something I've never done before. I was so pleased with it that this is how I am going to wear my hair tomorrow!




I am also loving this lip colour! I've never worn anything this dark before but decided to give it a shot as I have had this lipstick for years and recently bought a new lip liner that matched it's colour.

Yes, I am happy with the way that they turned out. But I wasn't happy that I didn't get to keep them in for long. I took the pins out at 1:00 in the morning as the boy and I had been out with friends having dinner at a chocolate restaurant. I had put them in as a test run and had planned to take them out much earlier so I could enjoy them and style them for longer. So now I have my hair in Pin Curls yet again, and this time I am going to sleep on them. I am hoping very much that they turn out like these here! 

In the next very days I am hoping to post pictures from the event and of my 1950's festival outfits.