༺ Sewing All The Things ༻

In my Shooting for the Stars post, I mentioned that one of my goals this year was to get faster and better at sewing my own clothes. 
I think that the best way to do this is to sew lots and lots of garments ~ as many as I can! To help me work on this, I’ve decided to do a list {surprise, surprise} of the clothes I’d like to sew up this year.

• March: Circle skirt {w/ elastic waist, stash busting}
• April: Summer Wrap Dress: Simplicity 2275 {stash busting – done in May instead of blouse}

• May: 1940’s Winter Blouse: Simplicity 3688 {stash busting??}  
         1940’s Summer Blouse: Simplicity 1590 {Done in April; Spring for Cotton challenge}
• June: Winter 3/4 Sleeve 1940's Navy Shirtwaist Dress:
                                                              Hollywood Pattern 1244
  
           ~ Leaving a space for the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pattern project I’m apart of ~
• July: Swing pants: Simplicity 3688 {baby corduroy}
  
  
         Winter Circle Skirt {baby corduroy}
• August: Playsuit & Skirt: Simplicity 4289
  
  
  
• September: Jersey Dress x2: Advance 3886 & Advance 9785

• October: 2nd Playsuit w/ separate Top, Shorts, & Skirt:
                                                                       Simplicity 4289
• November: Peasant Blouses x2: No pattern for this project yet    Pattern found; Simplicity 2483. One blouse sewn up for Christmas, December 2015

You may notice that I’m planning to recycle a lot of the patterns and sew them up twice.  I think this may actually help me achieve my goals because I will be more comfortable with the pattern once it is sewn, and hopefully I will be faster with putting it together the second time around. 

Also, I shall probably have to trace most of these patterns off depending on how fragile they are.  I must admit, I’ve gotten quite slack with this recently and just used the pattern straight out without tracing off first.

This is mostly because I don’t use pins for cutting, just fabric weights {old horse shoes I’ve collected off a few of my horses that were shod when we bought them (＾-＾)}, and I don’t do any adjustments to the pattern, or mark it in anyway. However, I feel this is not the best habit to fall into because the tissue paper is so fragile, and really I should be making a better effort to preserve the pattern. I’m going to make sure I take the time to trace and to photocopy the pattern instructions.

What do you think though? Do you trace your vintage patterns before using them?  Also, do you have any sewing plans this year? 

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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༺ Stroll The Laneway ༻

Outfit posts are a little scarce at the moment, because I’m really not feeling the urge to pull together cohesive outfits. Then, if I do manage to do it, I usually don’t have the time to snap photos… 

Oh well, if this is the last outfit shoot before baby arrives, that’s ok too. Which, incidentally, could be at anytime now! We’re in week 38, so if I suddenly drop off the radar, you can all guess the reason why.  (＾-＾)

Today I took myself off to get a pre-baby hair cut, and I decided to go back to a Middy Plus length because my hair has been so flat and un-curly! It’s funny, I haven’t touched a straightening iron in months, but my hair looked like I’d been straightening every day for ages.  It’s the first time I’ve never had any curl at all and I had no idea what to do with it!  (◉ Д ◉) *le gasp* I told my hairdresser to lop it all off, and was so happy when my curl came back almost instantly.

I also bought some new glasses frames recently, but I’m not sure that the shape is “vintage” enough for me.  It’s kind of hard to say… I am never quite perfectly happy with any of the glasses I end up buying. I think I’m just super fussy and don’t really like how glasses look on me. 

But I do absolutely love the new-to-me vintage brooch that I received from my Vintage Secret Santa! The sparkly bow is topped off by a tiny, colourful bouquet ~ it’s so perfect. I think Jessica from Chronically Vintage did such a wonderful job organizing this Christmas gift exchange, and I had a lot of fun participating. Who wouldn’t enjoy shopping for vintage treasures to share? I know I did!

Did you participate in the vintage secret Santa gift exchange?  What was your most favourite thing that you bought to give away? I found a gorgeous wooden brooch that had hand painted daisies on it, and I really hope that my secret Santa recipient liked it as much as I did.  ( ´･ω･`) ~ ♡

Will you do the VSS next year?  I am planning too!

xox,

bonita

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White & Gold Chain Frames | Zenni Optical
Bouquet Bow Brooch | Gifted, Christmas 2014
Dear Daisy Blue Maternity Dress | Me Made, 2012
Pearl Heart Charm Bracelet | Proud’s, Current
Tan & Canvas Satchel Purse | E-Spirit, Old
Bow Lace Wedge | Modcloth, Old

༺ ♡ ༻

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༺ Shooting for the Stars ༻

I like to make resolutions every year. I like to make goals each month to tick off. I’m such a list person, and this is my way of keeping track of my personal growth so that I can make sure I’m working towards the goals and achievements I’d like to see happening.

It’s funny, because I’ve never really seen myself as much of a go-getter type gal, but sure enough ~ if I think about it, it’s all there waiting to come out!

Even though it has taken me a while to figure out my resolutions for 2015 {we have been so busy I haven’t had a chance to sit down and really work on them} ~ I haven’t forgotten to make them. Firstly, however, a brief glance back on my resolutions for 2014.

~ My New Years Resolutions: 2014 ~

2014:  My personal goal ~ To focus on cooking healthy and regular meals.

Tick!  I feel like I can say that we have actually achieved this! We really found our feet with this life style change when we implemented a weekly meal plan.  Yup, we pretty much eat the same meals every week. 

I know to some people that sounds like the worst form of torture in the world, but for our family it works. Here’s why:

~ Neither my husband or myself love cooking. We’ll do it, but it’s not our favourite thing, so when we are tired or really busy, {which happens a lot when you have little ones!} cooking is the last thing we want to do, and ends up not happening far to frequently.

~ Little ones don’t allow for long periods of time to be devoted to meal preparation or cooking, so planning complicated meals means that we are less likely to actually go through with making them.

~ We picked our most favourite, simplest meals that we know, that also allow for leftovers. Lots and lots of leftovers. We eat these leftovers for lunches or dinner, depending on what is convenient. This system has been working really well for us.

~ We will still be flexible and switch the meals around on their designated days; so this allows us a little bit of freedom if we don’t feel like eating that particular meal that night.  This helps us to stick with the seven day meal plan as well.

༺ ♡ ༻

2014:  My skills goal ~ To learn more graphic art skills and computer illustration skills.

Tick! So half of the reason I had this goal was to start developing some children’s book applications which didn’t end up happening this year. However, the actual goal itself of learning more digital art skills did happen. 

I’ve been practising my digital art by working on a web comic I write and draw ~ Giggles.

I have been really happy with how my practising has been turning out, and I’m learning how to use my art studio program, so hopefully if I continue with that we might actually be able to produce some of those books I have ideas for someday.

༺ ♡ ༻

~ My New Years Resolutions: 2015 ~

2015:  My personal goal ~ To be much more mindful of the time I have and how I spend it.

One of my bad habits of which I am utterly sick of is the bad habit of wasting time. It has been impressed on me over the last year that “Time is the one non-renewable resource that we have”. 

And it’s so true. You can replace money, goods, food, cars, houses ~ but you cannot turn back time, receive more time, or redeem lost time. Once you’ve spent it, it’s gone.

There is nothing left but either happiness or regret as to how your time was spent. So I have resolved to be intentional and deliberate in how I spend my time.

༺ ♡ ༻

2015:  My skills goal ~ To practise my sewing so that I can get faster at finishing a project.

To be honest, the only way I know how to do that is to sew more! Sew* that’s what I plan to do.

Giving myself the months of January and February off to cope with baby things, I would like to try to complete one garment in March and April, then two garments per month until December. Which should come to eighteen me made items in total!  Whew! That’s a pretty hefty count for someone who has yet to even make more that five sewn items a year.

I’m not sure how I will achieve this goal as I am such a slow sewer, but I can only try. I shall have to do some planning as to what it is I want to sew up, but I know that separates, like circle skirts and maybe my first pair of pants, will be on that list.

༺ ♡ ༻

Do you like making resolutions for the New Year? What’s one of the resolutions that you have achieved and are most proud of? I’d love to hear your success stories. ヾ(＾-＾)ノ

xox,

bonita

*Pun most definitely intended.  (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

༺ ♡ ༻

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༺ Doing an Authentic 1940s Cut ~ The Middy Plus ༻

This is the story of how I decided back in 2012 to get my hair cut in an authentic 1940’s war time style. This post originally appeared on my previous blog Depict This!. I thought it might be helpful, so I decided to republish it here. (｡・◡・｡) ❤ 

༺ ♡ ༻

One day I went to my hairdresser to get a trim. Initially I had planned to get my usual style freshened up, but at the last minute I found a diagram of the Middy Plus cut and popped it on my phone, just in case. 

I have been thinking about trialling that cut for a while, but when I asked my old hairdresser she pretty much said that she didn’t want to do the cut like that because she thought I wouldn’t like my hair being that short.  All well and good, but I sort of wanted to try it anyway!

So when I went back to the salon to have my first haircut with a new hairdresser I bit the bullet and rather haltingly asked her if she would do this “retro 1940s haircut for me because I sort of like to wearing vintage-y style outfits and I know it’s kind of random, but it’s fun and….”  Yeah. (≧ o ≦)

I was embarrassed ~ particularly after last time! But she was super sweet and loved that I had brought in an actual hairdresser’s diagram to show her.  {I took page number 3 ~ The Middy Plus}

 

I won’t lie; when she made the first cut into my hair, I died a little inside….  I hadn’t realized just how short 4 1/2 inches at the back is!!  Still, I reasoned with myself that my hair does tend to grow quickly to a certain length {and then it just stop altogether  : P } so if I really hated it, it would grow out.  Anyway this is the finished result:

I didn’t use any pin curls or rollers; just my natural curl with a bit of styling wax combed through it while it’s wet to control the frizz.  Overall I am super happy with the cut, but there are some downsides to getting an authentic cut.   Here’s my list of pros and cons.

 

~  Deciding on an Authentic Vintage Cut  ~

Pros:   

1. It’s very easy to look vintage with your hair out.
2. It’s super quick to do a pin curl set, or rollers.  And a lot easier!
3. It’s cute and it’s different.
4. It helps to keep era-ambiguous outfits period correct.  What I mean by that is that even though back in the 1940-50’s there would have been fashion cross-over, you can look a bit ‘muddled’ if you don’t try to stick fairly close to one era when you dress vintage now a days.  Fleur de Guerre once commented that vintage styled victory rolls was her best accessory for looking vintage and I agree.  Get your hair right and the rest follows ~ little things like correct make up, shoes, etc, don’t tend to matter as much then.

Cons:

1. You most likely will need to learn specific techniques for updo styles. The Middy Plus is supposed to be “a convenient length for updos” but I really haven’t found that even after having this cut for over two years. Low updos are easier, but high updos are quite tricky.
2. It’s short.  As in really short.  I can’t pull it into a ponytail which is a bit frustrating.  I have heard that a way around this problem is to ask the hairdresser to add length to the cut, so for instance, if the Long Length cut is still too short, ask them to do the cut but add 4” all around, making 6” at the back 10” long and the 3” at the side 7” and so on.
3. If you don’t want to look vintage, it’s a bit hard.  An authentic cut will immediately create a vintage, old fashioned air with any outfit.
4. Sometimes you think you look like a grandma….  And in an old way, not the good way.

༺ ♡ ༻

Like I briefly mentioned above, I’ve swung between the Middy Plus cut, and the longer variation, the Long Length cut, for over two years now.  I have changed my hair product approach and tend to use styling cream, combined with hairspray or hair mousse to control the curl.

While the cut does look better with a proper curl styling, like pin curls, I like that I can wear my natural curl and still style my hair with an authentic vintage appropriate look.  For a busy mother this is a decided advantage and I know I’ll never look back now, these two cuts are the only two I will try.  I like them both that much!

Have you ever thought about trying an authentic 1940’s cut?  What would appeal to you about it?

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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༺ Year End, Year Anew ༻

I found this series of fun questions on A Collection of Madcap Escapades, which is an equestrian blog I follow. I thought they looked interesting, so after I amended them to suit, I got stuck into writing down the answers. As always, if you wish post these questions for yourself, please do! This was a great way to look back over the year.

Here’s my version of how 2014 went down. ♡

1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?

I learned to quilt… Sort of.  I haven’t finished learning the very basics of quilting yet, nor have I finished my first quilt {yes, this is the baby’s quilt}.  But it is something I’ve never tried before. And I like it.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

In a word ~ yes!  I did!  Wow, that’s kind of cool.  (ง •̀_•́)ง ☆  So I blogged about my 2014 New Years Resolutions, and I’ll probably write about my 2015 New Years Resolutions ~ when I get to figuring out what they are that is!

3. What countries did you visit?

None. There was no international travel for us this year sadly, but we do have plans for a trip to South East Asia for a couple of weeks around September/October this year.  I must say, I am super excited about this. I haven’t been travelling since 2008 and I miss it a lot.

4. How many different places did you travel to in 2014?

Let’s see.  We went to:

- Ulladulla
- Sydney
- Khancoban

Three places then. Not many, but we were very busy selling our house!

5. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

An interesting query. I don’t feel like I “lacked” anything particularly… Except maybe a healthier dose of self-discipline! I really need to work on that, so that is something I would like work towards this year. It is a work in progress though ~ not something so easily obtained.

6. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I can’t say it’s etched upon my memory, because I had to look it up in my diary{!}, but probably the 23rd of April, 2014.  That’s when The Mister and I decided to sell our first home. 

We knew we want to make that step at some point ~ we just weren’t thinking about doing it so soon!  That launched us into a whole pile of changes that took the rest of our year to settle into. They have been good changes however.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Publishing the first novel that I co-authored with my sister!  Gamenian is a Science Fiction/Fantasy Space Opera that has lots of adventure, a smackerel of romance, and a heaping of questions about humanity.

 
“Freedom is a lie.

It’s been four years since Tori escaped the desert planet of Esandira and her life as a drug-mule and assassin for a dictator named Craik, but she is as enslaved as she ever was. While she is physically free, inside her mind, the past blurs with the present, and she’s desperate for a cure from the faces that only she can see, and the voices that only she can hear.

On the run from an assassin and a bounty hunter, she crosses paths with Spencer, a seventeen-year-old who isn’t sure where he’s going. Spencer doesn’t want anything to do with her, and while she shares the sentiment, their lives are twisted together by the death of a mutual loved one.

With her enemies drawing closer, Tori is getting tired of running. And she sees only one way out. Craik must die. It’s a dangerous cat and mouse game, but the closer she gets to Craik the more her dark secrets begin to surface and the more she begins to question the path she has chosen.”

Find your own copy of Gamenian on Amazon, or you can visit A&B Novels to find out more about my partnership with my little sister and how we wrote this book together.

*end shameless plug*   ….. (~￣▽￣)~

8. What was your biggest failure?

I didn’t do hardly any sewing at all.  I think I started one blouse ~ or may be that was last year? Anyway, I got stuck on attaching the sleeve cuff to the sleeve, and haven’t really touched my machine since.

Oh, I did sew an 6 gore 1940’s skirt in grey wool, but hardly wore it because it was super scratchy when I put it on. I need to line it now, or wear a petticoat with it forever more. I didn’t even notice this while I was sewing the fabric up, so you might call that a fail too!  : P

9. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes. I sprained my right ankle badly on Mother’s Day {in May ~ Happy Mother’s Day to me!} and it has been a bit problematic for the last six months. I kept re-spraining it and injuring it slightly.  It does seem to be better now, but it’s still tight and not in the best state, so I’d say it’s still recovering from that.

And illness? The list is too long ~ we had the worst cold and influenza season that Canberra has ever had this last winter and I was sick for six months of the year because of it.  Yuck.

10. What was the best thing you bought?

My DIY gel polish manicure kit. Seriously, that thing is the bomb-diggity and I love it. Gel polish for the win!!

11. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Snowboarding! I hadn’t been the year before {2013} because I broke my elbow in four places when my horse decided to turn me into a lawn dart, so it worked out that I couldn’t make that season.  Which meant I was really, really, really excited to go this year!

12. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Just as happy as before. ‘ ‘٩(⁎＾ᴗ＾⁎)۶’’

ii. thinner or fatter?  Pregnanter…  Lol.

iii. richer or poorer? Richer. I have a wealth of friends and family that I am grateful for more and more every day. I have faith in a friend who will never let me down ~ the closer I draw to Jesus, the more He grants me joy.

13. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Exercise. I didn’t keep myself very fit at all this year, and it’s been hard on my body because of that.  

14. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Wasting time derping around on the internet looking at endless stuff that I don’t really care about, and can’t even remember in the end. A truly pointless time suck that would keep me up late, or from getting on with things I really wanted to do.  Silly.  I don’t want to do that this year…  Hey!  First 2015 resolution found!

15. What was your favourite tv show?

Dragons: Riders of Burk

16. What was your favourite film of this year?

How to Train Your Dragon 2    (¬ ᴗ ¬)

17. Where were you when 2014 began?

At Ulladulla, in a tent, fast asleep...

18. Where were you when 2014 ended?

Khancoban Lakeside Caravan Resort, in a tent, fast asleep…. (─‿‿─)  I’m sensing a theme here.

19. Who were you with when 2015 started?

My little family, and extended family on my side.

20. What was the best book you read?

“The Pocket Measure” by Isabella Arden {Pansy} because it really made me think hard and make some good decisions to support my husband more as I ought too.

21. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Erm, how about my favourite song?  I don’t think I made any particular “discoveries”. 
(◕  . ◕) ...  “Counting Stars” by One Republic

22. What did you want and get?

I thought I would like a Surface Pro 3, but didn’t think that I’d be getting it any time soon…. Surprise! The Mister secured one for me, and it’s been total awesomeness! I ❤ it so much!

23. What did you want and not get?

New agistment for Copper {my horse} with an arena to ride in for winter.  It wasn’t the best thing for him though, so I didn’t end up moving him.

24. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I looked after my little ones, crocheted Isabelle’s baby blanket and watched Cupcake Wars! It was a very pleasant day, and I turned 29. 

25. What kept you sane?

My Mister, cups of tea, horse riding and prayer.

26. Whom did you miss?

My sisters. Busy university students that they were this last year, I didn’t get to spend as much time with any of them as I would have liked to.

27. Who were the best new people you met?

A lovely couple from the States. He was a childhood friend of The Mister, and though they hadn’t seen each other in over nine years, when we met up all together we got on like a house on fire and had loads of fun. I wish we had the chance to spend more time with them, but sadly they were only able to stay for a short while before moving on. 

28. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014:

I learned so many I don’t know how pin-point just one! I guess one of my favourites was about de-junking and de-cluttering. I hadn’t realized how much cleaner and neater your home can feel when you get rid of those odd piles and stacks of stuff that seem to just… grow! 

After throwing my first garage sale, however, I was so surprised at how much nicer the house felt without all the extra stuff everywhere. So now I like to try to keep things to a minimal ~ although that’s difficult with my collector tendencies.  (> - <)   

29. What are your plans for 2015?

Have a baby, settle into looking after three little ones{yikes!}, run my household smoothly, travel to South East Asia with the family, and compete at a dressage show or two with Copper.  Beyond that?  I guess we’ll find out!

 

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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༺ Season’s Greetings ༻

*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬

Though it is late for the holidays, I still feel it would be remiss of me not wish everyone the best of the Season’s Greetings ~ a Merry Christmas for all and a very Happy New Year!

*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬*•.¸¸☆¸¸.•*✬

We have been particularly busy this Christmas season, and it has been lovely to have a few days of rest and respite before we really dive into the new year.  It has come up so quickly hasn’t it?

I don’t know, but expecting our newest family addition in early February has made it fly by that much faster I feel!

We did manage a little get away after Christmas to the tiny township of Khancoban in the New South Wales Alps this year.  It was very peaceful and beautiful out there and I enjoyed the quietness of it all very much ~ except when the wind was trying to blow our tents away!  That wasn’t very quiet at all! 

Did you go anywhere for your holidays? Which do you think is better ~ being away for Christmas or New Year?  Personally, I prefer a New Year holiday, and it’s starting to be a nice family tradition for us.  (*⌒∇⌒*)

xox,

bonita

༺ ♡ ༻

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