I’d like to introduce a new feature that I plan to do every so often ~ a “Currently” post that’s like a little snapshot of the events that are occurring in my day-to-day life. This episode features photos from my Instagram, do come and say “Hi!” if you are around. Also, if you would like to participate in this feature yourself, please feel free! I’d love to read your posts, so don’t forget to leave a link. ♡
READING:
The Girl In Steel-Capped Boots by Loretta Hill. Okay, to be fair, I’ve actually finished this book already, but I read a LOT of books. I borrowed 15 books from my library two weeks ago ~ eleven of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, two horse books ~ one was In Search of a Wild Brumby by Michael Keenan, J.R. Tolkien’s Return of the King and The Hobbit, and two modern romantic comedies, one of which was The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots. Quite a reading list, no? I finished them all in six days.
So that’s why I’m picking Loretta Hill’s novel as the one to highlight. It stood out in my mind as a funny, well crafted story ~ written with a clear understanding of Australian outback culture. I enjoyed it, although I skipped over the minimal “intimate” scenes, and ignored the salty {but accurate I’m afraid!} language. 
WONDERING:
If I’ll ever get this craziness that is my life together… Sometimes I think it’s going ok, but the truth is that I always feel like I’m dropping balls. If the housekeeping is good, than I’m missing out on social events. If the dieting is on fire, I’m not doing a single run, if the blogging is going well, I’m not working on my novels, if the art is going well, I’m not knitting, if I’m sculpting, I’m not riding – the list goes on and on. There’s always something that’s missing.
Ideally, I’d have a set of goals. A definitive list of things that I want to achieve, and I’d only work towards completing that list before starting anything new. But that’s just not me. *sigh* I have creative ADHD ~ I can’t stick to one medium ~ let alone just one project! You know what they say ~ jack of all trades, master of none. :/
I have yet to figure out how to balance my many hobbies with all the life goals I want to achieve ~ like, you know, feeding my family and keeping my children alive. All that jazz. (¬_¬) I suppose I’ll get there some day, right?
FEELING THANKFUL:
That I have such an amazing family! Sometimes it’s really hard being a mother with two little ones, and I know I couldn’t do it without my darling husband to lead the way and help me on.
I adore Theodore and Isabelle ~ they make me smile a million times a day, and laugh many times more {we won’t mention how many times they make me want to pull my hair out or dive into the chocolate though! : P}. I love being a wife and a mother, I really have a blessed life for which I am deeply grateful.
EATING:
Diet, or kill me now, food. *Ahem* Healthy food. Sometimes. Sorta. Oh, alright, so I’m still trying! I’ve been implementing a low GI diet that seems to cover all the bases ~ le Hubs, the children and Mama; all in one go. While I really like the principles of those lifestyle choices {not diet!}, it is a challenge to change our eating habits. I love me some chocolate… And takeaway. (-__-)
Favorite diet food so far? Kiefer, which is fermented milk ~ sounds gross, tastes great! And a weight loss raspberry and chocolate smoothie which tastes like my favorite Goodberry’s {a frozen yogurt dessert with toppings}. Yum! 
WATCHING:
The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Movies ~ we’re up to Return of the King. Here’s a bit of geek-ery for you: Did you know that Viggo Mortensen apparently tramped and camped around New Zealand in his Aragorn “costume” so that his clothes would look authentically worn and traveled stained? I think that’s pretty cool. 
WORKING ON:
Finishing my NaNoWriMo novel ~ I managed to write 30,000 words in the 30 days of November, but the story is not yet at an end and I’d love to see it all the way through. As well as that, my sister and I are trying to get the novel that we co-authored published. We need an agent to help us negotiate the contract we’ve been offered. So writing is a big focus at the moment, though I want to be more active with my web comic Giggles, and up my rides on my horse Copper from 2-3 times a week, to four times, so that his training is a bit more progressive.
LOVING:
Summer sunshine. Early morning horse rides {no heat, no children ~ they are still asleep at 5:30am(!) and best of all, no sun burn!}. Pastel Colors. Family, who are such a big part of my children’s lives. Books. Cute Jelly wedges. French Earl Grey Tea. My vegetable garden. Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Polish in Cherry Red {My manicure lasted a week and a half ~ no touch ups. (o_O)} Instant photography on my iPhone. My first dishwasher. Chocolate ~ in any form or shape!
ATTEMPTING:
To regulate our diet and be more active and fit. Oh, and to potty train Theodore. He’s two and a half and it’s not an easy task, but we’ll get there. 
WANTING:
To get a bit more sleep I think. :D And to enjoy the Christmas season and holidays with lots of fun and laughter. But right now I mostly want our book to get published! That really would be super ~ we’ve spent so many years writing it, I can’t wait to see where we go from here. 
DOING:
Washing. Lots of washing due to cloth nappies. Fun times! (´~__• `)
(‘Currently’ post inspired by Danielle of Sometimes Sweet’s feature and Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee!)
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Ravelry | BJVear
Twitter | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
If there is one thing I’ve learnt from the time it has taken me to post these photos up is that you shouldn’t make promises on the internet that you can’t keep! I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say I finally got around to taking a snap to introduce you to my family like I said I would ages ago. (o⌒．⌒o)
That’s Caleb my husband on the left, Theodore our eldest son in his lap, and Isabelle, our daughter, in mine and of course, I am at the back on the right. That rounds out our small retinue of four ~ not counting the dog and the horse.
ヽ(*^ｰ^)人(^ｰ^*)ノ
This post actually come in perfect timing as Caleb and I celebrated four years of marriage just this last weekend, the 29th of November. At the risk of sounding sappy, I am so glad to be a wife and mother, and I feel supremely blessed to have my wonderful family. Even though we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia, we can still be thankful. ♡
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Ravelry | BJVear
Twitter | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
The lovely and inspiring Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments is holding an amazing giveaway and is asking us all what inspires our vintage journey. So I am going to write a list of ten things that have helped me on my way to fabulous vintage frocks and fun.
1 | Cute Dresses
Yeah, this will be on everyone’s list I am sure, but honestly, isn’t it the universal reason for wanting to wear vintage is so that we can prance around in pretty dresses and feel so wonderfully feminine?
2 | Blogging
I remember the first blog I started following - The Clothes Horse. That was the beginning of the end, as they say. I studied Journalism, and in 2007 was introduced to blogging. I kept a blog since then, but it was more of a personal dairy. When I saw The Clothes Horse blog in 2010 I suddenly found a whole world of blogging I had no idea existed and from there it was step, by step, blog by blog, and I found myself in the world of vintage blogging via Dairy of a Vintage Girl.
3 | Books
Before the dresses, before the heels, before the blogging, there was… books. Lots and lots of books. Books were the first thing I collected, the first thing were I was all like “old school is way better than anything modern”, the first thing I thrifted, and the first thing that I nicked off my mum when I decided that I wanted all her old stuff.
4 | Antique Furniture
I love old furniture and it’s lured me in to the world of things that are finely crafted by artisans who cared about their work, creating pieces that would last longer than a lifetime.
5 | Sewing
Making my own clothes is like opening a whole new world of exciting possibilities; styles and cut ~ and ruffles, and bows and puff sleeves, oh my! Of course, it has to be a vintage, or vintage inspired pattern, modern patterns simply don’t cut it for me. ;D
6 | Old Stories
History means so much to me – stories and the tales of people’s lives. I really like studying the past, and of course, the writer in me is fascinated with the details.
7 | Treasure Hunting
Ok, so its not really treasure, but we all know the thrill of finding the perfect piece of vintage hiding under the pile of 70’s polyester, or buried under all the dust. There’s nothing like the adrenalin rush of that perfect find.
8 | Teacups and Teapots
Old vintage china is one of my favorite collectables, and I love sipping a steaming hot brew from a delicate teacup, accompanied by a good old fashioned morning tea of hot scones and cream.
9 | Crinolines & Circle Skirts
Puffy petticoats and a twirl-y circle skirt? One word - love!
10 | Color Palettes
I love the muted tones, jewel shades and pastel color palettes of the older eras. Of course, color palettes recycle, just like styles come around, but in my mind, you just can’t beat the original inspiration.
And that is a part of my vintage journey, I hope you enjoyed my little list. What are your vintage inspirations? I’d love to know. (✿◠‿◠)
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Ravelry | BJVear
Twitter | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
If I look a little hot and flushed in these pictures ~ well, there’s a good reason for that. My camera was across the road from this delightful little bus stop, and I had to keep running back and forth to push the button for the continuous self-timer shots.
I have driven past this lovely canary yellow and turquoise shelter many times, and I always think that it would make the best photo shoot background. While I was right about that (I love how these photos turned out!), it also was not as quiet as I had expected.
Isn’t it funny how, as soon as you pull out a camera and tripod in a public place, there are pedestrians and cars magically appearing everywhere? I really had to steal my nerves to get the pictures; boy, did I feel silly. (o⌒．⌒o) But I prepared a back story ~ I was doing an art project if anyone was to ask. Blogging is an art right?
Nobody actually did ask, and for the most part, people were politely ignoring the crazy woman in pink floral heels and a poufy peach crinoline dashing eleventy-billon (read as 29) times across the road to pose in front of the camera. Well, there were two rather cheeky twenty-something guys staring as they drove past, but I suppose they had never seen a woman dressed up and covered up at the same time… :P
So what is your back story when you are taking selfies in public? Or don’t you bother with that and just cleverly hand out your blogging business card? (≧ ∀ ≦ )
I would if I had one, but I don’t ~ so back story it is.
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
50’s Swirl Dress | Etsy
Crinoline | Doris Designs Adult 26" Petticoat in Peach
Shoes | Thrifted
50’s Dryer Case | Thrifted
Pink Day Gloves | Love Vintage Show ‘11
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Ravelry | BJVear
Twitter | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
I really can’t believe how much wear I’ve been getting out of this skirt ~ it has been my go-to piece this spring, and I know I shall simply have to make myself some more circle skirts before you all get sick to death of this one. (｡◕‿◕｡)
Meanwhile, I almost drove myself batty making my first gif. To be fair, I did use Photoshop which is probably not the most user-friendly platform for that sort of thing; I was literally tugging at my hair when it suddenly and magically popped into place! And I do mean suddenly and magically ~ I haven’t the faintest idea what I did, but et voilà! It appeared in the twinkle of an eye and I breathed a hefty sigh of relief…
I was glad I didn’t have to call in the cavalry – i.e., my long suffering, and incredibly supportive husband. (*> ᴗ❛*)
I shall have to say farewell now though, short post or not, as my weekend is slipping away at an alarming rate, and I really need to tuck myself into bed and catch up on some needed sleep.
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Top | Thrifted
Skirt | Me Made, ‘13
Shoes | B.A.I.T. Ione in Rose
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Ravelry | BJVear
Twitter | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
I bought the Imju DEJAVU Fiberwig mascara two or so years ago after reading a recommendation on Eki’s blog ~ ekiblog.com and since then it has been my go-to mascara.
The reason I had wanted to try it was that Eki had said it worked really well and gave your eyelashes a ‘falsie’ effect without actually having to wear false eyelashes.
Now, who wouldn’t want longer, nicer lashes? I put it on my “to buy” list and here we are.
I don’t consider myself a beauty blogger, but I do like trying out new products and when I find something that really works ~ I can’t keep it to myself! This mascara is, in my opinion, a. w. e. s. o. m. e.
For the visual people here are the photos of what it looks like on:
~ No mascara… Eeep! ~ ~ With a two-three coats of Fiberwig ~
~ With Covergirl Blast Volume mascara ~ ~ With Fiberwig over the top ~
~ The left eye with just Fiberwig; the right with Covergirl and Fiberwig over the top ~
For anyone who wants more detailed information I have more facts about Fiberwig, plus my own personal experience using this product.
Instructions: Like any other mascara; apply to lashes. Sweep from the bottom of the lash to the tip.
Extra tips and information:
Product Details: I bought my mascara off eBay ~ if you search eBay for Fiberwig mascara you find a lot of mascaras for sale, so just beware of fakes.
I purchased it from here and it was marked with “Made in Japan” so I am fairly confident it wasn’t a fake.
Here are more details about the product itself:
Fiberwig is the top-selling mascara in Japan - beating the competition with remarkable, "false eyelash-like" results. Fiberwig coats each individual lash with a light film of fibers. Your lashes become coated with a film.
Fiberwig is made up of two types of extra thin nylon fibers; a short and a long fiber. The short and long fibers intertwine to form a light and smooth film coating that gently surrounds and seals onto your lashes.
As the fibers seal onto your lashes, they seal onto each other. As a result the extended fiber lashes give your natural lashes appearance of extreme length.
Fiberwig's light film coating defines and separates each lash while creating a fresh and natural gloss finish. Thanks to the film-coated lashes, Fiberwig will not smear nor smudge when you tear or sweat.
Wear it on hot, humid or rainy days without fear of smudging anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
Apply it in the morning for work straight through late at night without worrying about panda eyes!
Fiberwig's film coating resists tears, oil, and sweat. Yet when you are ready to remove, all that is needed is warm water!
Fiberwig absorbs the warm water and then swells, making it easy to slide off your lashes. When washing your face, simply wet your lashes with warm water. Then gently slide off the fibers with your finger and thumb.
Have you ever applied mascara but mistakenly missed your lashes only to dab some on your face? Fiberwig is easy to remove. Simply wait a couple of seconds for it to dry and peal off with a Q-tip.
Review: When I first used this mascara I thought that although it lengthened my lashes wonderfully it did not add enough volume so I was not really very happy about that. But I tried it again over the top of my Covergirl Blast Volume waterproof mascara and it worked wonders!
I found that it did not smudge {unlike waterproof mascara… Been there, tried that!}, it did not run ~ even when swimming{!!} and it came off super easily without leaving dark rings under and around my eyes. {Although sometimes the Covergirl does not come off with the Fiberwig and then I have to deal with that separately.}
What can I say? After years of using waterproof mascara because I hate how easily normal mascara runs I had resigned myself to smudge-y, hard to remove smears and panda eyes in the morning. I could never get all of the mascara off, no matter how hard I scrubbed, so I always woke up to a mess.
At the risk of sounding like a corny commercial ~ Fiberwig changed all of that. I can actually just wash it off at the end of the day and it is all good. Sure, I still find little flakes of black on my skin if I do not do a good enough job cleaning it all off. And sometimes when I swim the mascara will peal off depending on how warm the water is, but mostly it stays put.
And yes, I pulled out the big test. Tears. Lots of them. It did not even move. I was really stoked! After I got over being miserable and sad that is…. (> . <’)
Plus, it really does lengthen and define your lashes, so that they look lush and long. Maybe they are not quite as dramatic as fake eyelashes, but you get most of the benefits of fakes without the actual application of falsies.
Conclusion: Love, love, love it! No smudge, no smear, no mess mascara that looks great! I do not think there is a better mascara out there, and although I have sometimes been swayed by new mascaras and all the hype, I’ve always come back to Fiberwig because it really has been the best mascara I’ve ever used.
My Tip: Find a clear mascara that volumizes your lashes and apply Fiberwig over the top. You do need something underneath to get a full lash effect ~ you could also try a plumping mascara.
Rating: 1 million/10? {Haha!} ~ but really, this mascara is fantastic.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this review. I pulled it up from the archives of Depict This! because I thought it was a useful post to keep around.
xox,
bonita
Discloser | I am not affiliated with Fiberwig in anyway; I bought this product myself and chose to review it because I like it. Plain and simple. (✿◠‿◠)
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Twitter | bjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
The weather keeps oscillating between balmy, sunny, spring days and chilly, back-to-winter gloom ~ I can’t figure out what to wear half the time and end up compromising with layers.
I liked this outfit because it seemed to strike the perfect half and half balance; I think I might drag it out again in autumn, but for now I’m happy to be thinking about all the pretty dresses I get to wear once the weather settles down. ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ
I am on a mission though ~ my aim is to sew two more circle skirts for my wardrobe before the end of the year. I am wearing my pink one {featured here} all the time ~ I have discovered that wearing separates feels more casual to me; I don’t know why, but I do need more of them. Being a busy mother means that casual vintage looks are far more practical for day to day wear. So separates in the form of tops and skirts are a must. Oh, and shorts! I don’t have any of those at all for summer. (・ - ・)
Looks like I’ll have to go shopping… What a shame! (≧ ∀ ≦ )
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Top | Thrifted
Skirt | Thrifted
Stocks | Horseland ‘11
Shoes | Big W ‘12
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Twitter | bjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
Sorry for the slightly tacky post title ~ being a devotee to the written word and literature fanatic, I actually quite enjoy puns and silly phrasing. So you might find a bit more of that around here than otherwise expected… (~￣▽￣)~
Today I am wearing a comfortable, easy, Mama-style which is sort of nautical flavored. Based on 1940’s casual/farm wear, the star of this outfit are my Freddie’s of Pinewood Reproduction 1950’s jeans. I ♡ Freddie’s of Pinewood Jeans. You know what would be even better though? A pair of 40’s slacks in jersey knit! Vintage track pants all the way! One of these days I’ll get around to sewing up a pair. (o⌒．⌒o)
I love my vintage dresses and skirts, but I will be the first to admit that as a mother, they are not always the most practical item to wear. I have to be flexible, and that sometimes requires “get-down-and-get-dirty” outfits, complete with run-around type shoes. For that, I can’t beat my white sandshoes, or plimsoles {as I believe they are sometimes known as}. In fact, I am in desperate need of a new set as I’ve almost worn the soles off this pair!
(๑￫ O ￩)
To complete the look, I can’t be without one of my favorite accessories ~ my little bud!* \(*≧ω≦)ノ I shall introduce the family properly with the next post I hope, but until then ~ goodbye.
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Hair Bow | Price Attack
Cardigan | eBay
Jeans | Freddies of Pinewoods
Shoes | Thrifted
*Theodores not for sale! (≧ ∀ ≦ )
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Twitter | bjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
Hello and welcome to my little corner of the Internet! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ
This my space for all things vintage {specifically the 1940s-50s, Regency and older}, artistic, crafty, photographing, French Provincial or Shabby Chic, handmade, decor, cute, lovely and fun! If you happen to enjoy adventures in housekeeping, mothering and life, than this is the blog for you.
My name is Bonita and I have a lovely family whom I will introduce in a later post. Suffice to say, I am one extremely busy woman with two little ones and my fingers in as many crafts and hobbies as I can cope with. (✿◠‿◠)
I would love to hear from you at any point in time, so feel free to let me know you are out there! And if you are interested, here is a link to my old blog Depict This!. Yup! That’s me!
xox,
bonita
~ ♡ ~
Top | Thrifted
Skirt | Me Made, Jan ‘13
Stockings | Old
Shoes | Ebay
~ ♡ ~
Find me:
Instagram | missbjvear
Twitter | bjvear
Pinterest | bjvear
Youtube | Bonita Vear
