Birthday Month: The Perfect Dress

You may remember me giving you a hint of my Birthday dress a while back, well it's finished (it has been for a while actually!) and I'm finally going to show it to you before it's big debut on my Birthday tomorrow. Here it is in all it's glory, made from vintage fabric from a vintage pattern, and utterly perfect for me :)

The finished dress!

Now allow me to show you some extreme close ups of some of the many yummy details I added to this dress, I really had so much fun making it!

The top stitched waist band detail

Shoulder detailing, underlining and hand sewn-down interfacings

Hand stitched sleeves (see the tiny stitches?) :)

Vintage style hand made button hole

Hand picked zipper

What do you think? I really hope you like it! I really spent my time making sure that this dress was perfect for me in every way and I've put a lot of hand work into it so I'm so excited to finally be able to wear it! I won't share any pictures of me in it until my actual Birthday, but I will tell you that I'm pairing it with some yummy pink roses for my hair and pink suede stilettos. I'm going to feel so girlie, I can't wait!

A taste of my final look...

Stay tuned for the big reveal of this dress very soon, I'm just so excited to wear it for my Birthday tomorrow!! Eek!

And let me remind you that today is your last chance to enter my Birthday Month Giveaway to win your very own Pin Up Girl made by me, so do check out this post and enter, I'll be picking a winner tomorrow. Good Luck and let the Birthday celebrations commence!

Bye for now my lovelies!

Wednesday Wonderfuls #37

First off yes, I know it's Thursday, but what with the craziness of theatre life I was unable to get this post up yesterday so let's just pretend it's still Wednesday ok? Perhaps it is still Wednesday somewhere in the world... :)

Manchester Opera House

Anyways I have a lot to be excited about this week as the show is finally opening, it's my Birthday and I'll also be heading home to my Sweetheart this weekend to celebrate his Birthday too, so allow me to spread some of this joy around. Enter this week's wonderfuls!

• I adore books, especially those that are just as pretty on the outside as they are on the inside, so how clever is this display for artbooks over at English Muse? I would love to have this in my home :)
• Ok, I'm going to have a ball on my Birthday, but this party may be the best Birthday party I have ever seen in my life. Officially. Ideas for next year perhaps... :)
• Anyone remember that I seem to be constantly writing about the fact that I want to learn to crochet? Well Crafty Minx has answered my prayers with a crochet school, I cannot wait to start! Seriously, her skills are insane, I'd be happy if I could get anywhere close to as good as she is :)
• I have recently discovered the blog "The Chronicles of an Eccentric" and I have to say that I love it! It's author Sarah is utterly stunning with a beautiful sense of style (just look at her outfit here, swoon!) and I also love the way she writes. A brilliant blog and well worth a read, so check her out if you haven't already! (oh and this lovely outfit too, and her hair is to die for...)

Well lovely readers, that's it from me for today, I'm sorry it's been another quick post but I really must dash, I have a show to open! But never fear because I will be back soon for some more Birthday posts, some more Manchester adventures, hopefully some autumn palette sewing and also to unveil a very exciting new project of mine that I cannot wait to share with you all :)

For now I'll say goodbye, but I'll be back!

Colette Fall Palette Challenge 2011

Hello lovely readers! A very happy Friday to you all :)

You may have seen from the bagde in my right side bar that I have decided to take part in the Colette Fall Palette Challenge, it's very exciting. Basically you collect a whole bunch of inspirational material and from these you select the colours that you will work with for all you fall (or autumn to us Brits!) sewing. 

Now I'm still not sure have much sewing I will able to get done over the next however many months that I'm on tour, what with the difficulties of carting my sewing machine around the country and such, but I have always loved these palette challenges so I figured why not give it a go and if I don't to do all that much sewing then there's no harm done. Plus I adore autumn colours (perhaps it's because as a red head born in September I really am an autumn girl!) and I don't have as many of these as I'd want in my wardrobe.

And now comes the exciting part, my first ever Mood Board!! I cannot tell you have much fun I had putting this together, and I know it's a bit rough but I don't think it's bad for a first try!

Images from: Ulyana Sergeenko's F/W Collection; Esme and the Laneway; Miss L Fire

I think that the colours I have chosen will give me a nice combination of neutrals and statement pieces, plus I'm really enjoying how pretty they all look together :) I know that anything I make in these colours I will wear and wear because anything that I own in these shades already gets worn to death!

So there you have it, my mood board completed and my palette selected and ready to go! Now I just need to work out what I want to sew and wether or not I'll be able to get any of it done... Watch this space!

Bye for now!

Wednesday Wonderfuls #36

Hello lovely readers, greetings from Manchester! Everything is going well, I've settled into my digs and we've been rehearsing like crazy ever since I arrived, so there's been very little time to explore the area yet, but I have to say that I'm liking what I've seen so far :)

I had to share with you the sweetest little cupcake shop I found today, "Hey Little Cupcake". It's such a cute shop, all pink and white decor and a great variety of cupcakes flavours including red velvet, parma violet, rocky road and even after eight mint!

Look at all the cupcakes! 

Pretty floor :)

Today I bought myself a "La Paris" cupcake - chocolate with strawberry icing - and it was delicious. I know I will be visiting again, there is definitely a big brownie there with my name on it :)

La Paris

I'll share some more of my Manchester adventures with you at a later date, but for now let's check out some Wednesday Wonderfuls! There's been some great stuff on the blogosphere this week, but these are my personal favourites:

• After reading this article over at Penny Dreadful Vintage I really want to visit the Pollocks Toy Museum, doesn't it look fun?
• Did you know that it was National Cupcake Week this week? Katie Cakes posted some lovely bits and pieces in it's honor, my favourite was this one on cut out decorations, they're so pretty!
• I think everyone should read these wise words by Tasia :)
• I really want to make myself one of these DIY Peg Board Spool Holders, although of course I won't be home to appreciate it for a while...
• I think this is one of the prettiest engagement shoots I've ever seen, I love the cupcakes and the scrabble!
• Some great tips on dressing up when dressing down over at Art Deco Loving Dame.
• Tasha shares some brilliant hair setting tips. Ah to have hair like her, she always looks so fabulous!
• And finally we have a swoon-worthy recipe for Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, the perfect beverage as the cold weather starts to set in. I need some, it's definitely colder further up North! :)

That's it from me today lovely readers, I hope you're all having a wonderful time doing wonderful things, and I promise to post again soon.

Bye for now!

And So It Begins...

Well my lovely readers, this is it! Today I head of to Manchester to start my first ever UK tour which will see me trekking across the country for the next 14 months. I'm very excited but also quite nervous, I have no idea what the next year and a bit will have in store for me!

Anyways this is just a heads up to say I may be offline for a while for obviously reasons, I will be uber busy but also I have no idea when or where I will be able to get online, but rest assured that whenever I can I will be blogging away :) Also I'd kind of like your help with something...

Source

I have never really explored the UK very much and so I'm really excited to see all these new places and new things, and I really don't want to miss anything cool, so I'm asking you, my fabulous readers, for some help. If you have been to or are from any of the following places (all of which I will be visiting on the tour!) and know of any fun places to visit then please let me know. Of course I'm talking sight seeing type things, but I'm also looking for vintage stores, fabrics stores, quirky restaurants and cafes, anything that you love and think I might love too. I would really appreciate your help and advice, it would help me have the best year possible :) So here we go, here's the list of all the places I'm visiting, eeek...

Manchester

Oxford

Edinburgh

Sunderland

Bradford

Dublin

Bristol

Eastbourne

Wolverhampton

Southampton

High Wycombe

Nottingham

Leeds

Norwich

Aberdeen

Liverpool

Wimbledon

Milton Keynes

Plymouth

Cardiff

Newcastle

Woking

Glasgow

Birmingham

Phew! I think that's enough places to be getting on with don't you? :) Well that's going to be it from me for now, I just need to throw the final bits and bobs into the suitcase and then I'm off!

Wish me luck! Bye!!!

Birthday Month: Perfect Presents - Beautiful on a Budget

Hey there readers, happy weekend to you all, I hope you've all been having fabulous times doing fabulous things. I've had a lovely couple of days, spending lots of time with my loved ones before I head off on the mammoth tour, but I've still had time to write some blog posts!

Today's Birthday Month posts is all about buying beautiful gifts on a budget, so I've gathered up a selection of lovely things that are all available for under £20. Enjoy!

1. Chocolates!

And not just any old chocolates, I'm talking about some seriously yummy fancy chocolates. My personal favourites are pink marc de champagne truffles by Charbonnel et Walker and peppermint creams from Betty's tearoom. These are the chocolates of dreams, perfect for any girlie boudoir :)

2. Music

Music will always make a perfect gift particularly if the artist is utterly divine like Florence and the Machine. I cannot wait to get my hands on her new album as her first is one of my all time favourites. Everyone should own this album :)

3. A bit of red lipstick...

But not just any lipstick, one of the perfectly vintage appropriate shades created by Rockalily. I have read a huge number of online reviews about this lipstick and every single one of them sings it's praises. From it's gorgeous colours, to it's flawless coverage it seems this lipstick can do no wrong, so I'd love to be able to try it out myself. My personal colour of choice would be Rockette Red.

4. A bit of luxury...

If you're looking for a glamourous and classy gift on a budget then look no further than a pair of some of these fully fashioned stockings from What Katie Did. They are quite simply the best stockings that money can buy, so you can really treat yourself but still pay no more than £20! Sounds like a plan to me :)

So there you have it, it's more than possible to be treated like a princess even on a budget, and of course if you have more cash to splash a little collection of some of these lovelies would be perfection!

Happy Weekends to you all :)

*********************

 Don't forget to enter my Birthday Month Giveaway, you have until the end of the month to enter! You could be the proud owner of your very own Pin Up Girl! Check out this post for all the details :)

*********************

Birthday Month: Perfect Presents - Brilliant Books!

Hello there lovely readers, a very happy Friday to you all!

Today's Birthday Month post deals with some of my favourite things in all the world, books! I think that books make gorgeous presents, particularly nice big beautiful ones filled with glossy pictures, so I searched the internet far and wide for my favorites. I have decided not to include novels that I'm longing for because there would be simply too many! Instead I have stuck to general crafting/vintage pretty goodness as I'm sure you'll all like these genres as much as me! So let's get started shall we? :)

1. The Vintage Tea Party Book

The Vintage Tea Party Book

I have mentioned this book previously on this blog and I have to say that the more I find out about it the more I want a copy! It includes everything you could possibly want to know about creating your own vintage tea party, recipes, hairstyling tips, makeup methods, you name it this book has it! Plus the illustrations look absolutely stunning, and the whole style of it is right up my alley. A big thumbs up for this yummy book :)

2. Tea with Bea

Tea with Bea

Now I haven't really heard anything about Tea with Bea, I came across this book whilst searching online and just really liked the look of it. Plus I have tasted Bea's of Bloomsbury cupcakes and they are divine, so any opportunity to make my own would be brilliant! This book contains recipes for a selection of cookies, cakes, tarts and cheesecakes and is stuffed with beautiful pictures, I think it's well worth a look :)

3. Pie Minister

Pie Minister

Anyone who knows me well will know that I adore pies, cannot get enough of them, and I have been searching for a pie recipe book for such a long time, and lo and behold one has been released and it looks amazing! Recipes include chilli con carne pie, I mean, come on! Who wouldn't want to give that a go?! This has the potential to be my favourite recipe book of all time ;)

4. Queen of Crafts

Queen of Crafts

I've heard a lot of buzz about this book, Jazz Domino Holly is definitely a force in the crafting world, having throughly jazzed up the WI in her area, apparently it's now the place to be! This book contains information on pretty much everything a crafty girl could want to know about, knitting, sewing, quilting, baking, preserving and kitchen gardening, it all sounds good to me! I think this book would introduce me to new things, which would be awesome, plus I'm loving the colour scheme :)

5. Embroidered Effects

Embroidered Effects

Well, let's be honest, this book was a complete no brainer for me! After my Pin Up Embroidery adventures I realized I had started an obsession that needed to be fueled, and this book looks perfect. It contains over 30 iron on transfers and loads of ideas for embroidery projects. Plus that fan dancer design on the cover is very me!

6. Underwear, Fashion in Detail

Underwear, Fashion in Detail

This is a book that I have been lusting after for some time, it takes underwear through the ages and takes a really intimate look. The pictures come from the huge V&A collection so you just know it's going to be stuffed with gems. As someone who is obsessed with lingerie and wants to try out making her own at some point I can safely say that this book ticks all my boxes. The amazon description of this book says, 

"From camisoles to corsets, basques to boudoir caps and girdles to garters"

and for me that's like a verse of "My Favourite Things" from the Sound of Music! Big love for this book :)

7. Dior, 60 Years of Style

Dior, 60 Years of Style

Now let me start by saying that the chances of me ever owning this book are slim to none, firstly because it costs an arm and a leg and secondly because of it's the size of a small country so no one seems to stock it! But my goodness it's a beautiful tome. It deals with (roughly) the last 60 years of fashion and progression in the Dior couture house, from one of my all time favourites, the Dior post WWII "New Look", right up to modern day. I think this would be one of those books that you treasure forever and you would love it for a lifetime. Swoon.

So there you have it, my pick of the beautiful books of the moment, although of course the lovely thing is that beautiful books are produced everyday so there's always something new to enjoy and lust after! What are your thoughts on these books? Have you read any of them? Do you have any beautiful book recommendations that you'd be kind enough to share? If so leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you! 

Happy Friday to you all, I hope you all have wonderful Weekends :)

*********************

 Don't forget to enter my Birthday Month Giveaway, you have until the end of the month to enter! You could be the proud owner of your very own Pin Up Girl! Check out this post for all the details :)

*********************

Wednesday Wonderfuls #35

Hello lovely readers and a very Happy Wednesday to you all! I've been very busy with rehearsals and even more busy with tour preparations, I'm heading off to the first venue on Sunday, I need to start packing!

Oh to travel in such style!

Once again this week the blogosphere has been stuffed with wonderful wonderfuls, so allow me to share them with you (anything to help me avoid packing...!) There are some gorgeous treats on store for you, believe me!

• There have been so many yummy recipes on blogs this week, but people seem to be in the mood for doughnuts, which is fine by me! Check out these glazed doughnut muffins from Reagan and these old fashioned chocolate glazed doughnuts from Joy, your mouth with most certainly be watering!
• Coco Rose has done it again with another stunning crochet project, these japanese flowers are just beautiful, I need to learn to crochet!
• I cannot wait to see Gertie's completed Raglan Sleeve Coat, I already love everything about it - the colour, swoon! the lining, double swoon! the removable fur collar, super swoon! - you just know that it's going to be so beautifully constructed :)
• The Bright Young Twins have now got me yearning to visit Brighton, all of their adventures are always so damn glamorous! They both have impeccable style and taste :)
• I always have a problem when it comes to deciding what I want for breakfast, and this breakfast pizza from Shutterbean may be the answer to all my breakfast prayers. Seriously, how yummy does it look?!
• Anyone planning a wedding? Check out this beautiful fabric flower bouquet from Strawberry Moth, it's so unique and personal. I'm sure that the Strawberry Moth wedding is going to be stunning :)
• And finally I'm suffering from seriously bedroom envy after looking at these pictures over at Scathingly Brilliant, it's so girly it makes my heart happy. Plus all those dresses are adorable :)

Right, I guess I should really get on with my packing, although how I'm supposed to fit all my clothes into a couple of suitcases is beyond me! 

Bye for now my lovelies!

Birthday Month: Perfect Presents - Etsy made Easy!

Now I know that there's so much more to a Birthday than presents, but come on, everyone loves presents! I thought that for my next few Birthday month posts I would share a few of my dreams and wishes for my Birthday gifts (although obviously I'm not expecting to get everything I talk about, I'm not that greedy I promise!) because firstly I love finding pretty things and sharing them with you and secondly you might be looking for presents for a friend or loved one and this might help you out. Or you may just see something you fancy and treat yourself, which is always a good thing :)

For the first of my Perfect Presents Posts I thought I would share my favourite etsy stores. I would be happy to receive anything from any of these stores as a Birthday gift, they are stuffed with beautiful things, so I hope you enjoy browsing through them. Believe me, you won't be disappointed!

1. Cassie Stephens - belt maker extraordinaire

Embroidered belt with tea pot buckle, what's not to love?

I already own one of Cassie's belts (a red one with a bunny buckle) and I wear it constantly and whenever I do it is commented upon. This belts are so beautiful and unique, each one being hand made by Cassie herself. Plus she also does custom items so you can work together with her to create something all the more special and completely unique to you. One of these belts really is the perfect gift, I'd love to have another, just look at how beautiful they are!

2. Hello Strumpet - creator of cute and kitsch headwear 

Practically perfect in every way

I love hats and so Hello Strumpet is right up my street! These beautiful little pieces of headwear are chic, unique and oh so classy, and they even make matching collars too if you really want a colour coordinated outfit. They have a great selection to choose from, give them a browse I'm sure you'll love everything in their store!

3. Angela Friedman - for luxurious lingerie

Le swoon, Le sigh!

If, like myself, you have a bit of a lingerie obsession you cannot fail to fall in love with every item for sale in Angela's store. she creates custom lingerie, specializing in corsetry, but also with a selection of simpler items for example the ruffled pants above (which, incidentally, I am in love with!). Any girl would love a gift from this store, and equally it would be a great way to treat yourself, add some glamour to your life :)

4. Purr - purrfect paintings and prints

I love Paris in the Spring time...

Jess Purser, the creator of each of the stunning paintings and prints of Purr is a genius. I adore evrything she does. Each of her pieces is beautiful with a really romantic flair, which I love. They also look so personal, for example the Parisian couple above, aren't they adorable? One of these quirky prints or (if you're lucky!) original paintings would make a beautiful gift, plus if you opt for a print you won't have to break the bank (always a good thing, it leaves more money for cake...)

5. Dear Golden Vintage - the queen of etsy vintage stores 

Cocktail dress of dreams!

I have written about Dear Golden Vintage several times before on this blog, I have been an avid fan of theirs for a long while and I don't plan on stopping any time soon! They are quite simply, in my opinion, the best vintage store on etsy. They always have such a rich selection of items of offer, all from different eras and also catering to a wide range of budgets. Plus they stock some very beautiful high end vintage pieces, just the thing for that special gift (like the cocktail dress above, stunning or what?!) If you haven't checked them out before then what are you waiting for? You'll be hooked I guarantee!

That's it from me for today, but check back for more Birthday Month posts soon, bye for now!

*********************

 Don't forget to enter my Birthday Month Giveaway, you have until the end of the month to enter! You could be the proud owner of your very own Pin Up Girl! Check out this post for all the details :)

*********************

Shoe Porn: Miss L Fire

Ok, so if you thought my last post on shoes was good just wait to see what Miss L Fire has got up their sleeves...!

I have been a big fan of Miss L Fire's fabulous footwear for quite some time, the blogosphere always seems to be stuffed with gorgeous strappy sandals and summery shoes, absolutely stunning but never quite enough to tempt me to buy them. However, when I took a look at their new Autumn/Winter collection my heart skipped a beat. These shoes are just something else, take a look...

First up are these gorgeous 1930s inspired lace ups:

Boardwalk

These shoes are very aptly named "Boardwalk", don't they look like someone has just worn them off the set of Boardwalk Empire? I love the two tone colouring and the chunky heel, a nice sturdy winter shoe whilst still being ridiculously chic. I love a proper vintage inspired shoe don't you? :)

Black and white not really your thing? Fancy a bit more colour in your life? Then feast your eyes on my next offering...

Edith

Le swoon! Le sigh! These look like a beautiful slice of cake to me! These are the type of shoes that Marie Antoinette would wear if she was around today, the more I look at them the more I want them :) Plus if hot pink isn't for you they also come in brown and blue (another thing I love about Miss L Fire, the variety of colours they provide with each of their designs).

Looking for something simple and classy? Well they have that too!

Tartaruga

These would go with every winter outfit, don't you think? They are pretty much the perfect day-to-night 1940s inspired heel. And they come in loads of lovely colours too. AND they have leopard print heels, so what's not to love?!

And how about more of a fancy shoe for a fancier occasion? Look no further than these next two pairs of fabulousness. I'd be happy to have either of them hanging out at the ends of my legs!

Goddess

Clara

Beautiful or what? Both Goddess and Clara look as if they have been created specifically for dancing the night away - swing dancing of course ;) They are both so beautiful and unique looking, and I'd think they work both with vintage look outfits and with a more modern twist. I love the peach colour of the Goddess shoe together with the wing detail, how ridiculously pretty are they? And I love the textures of Clara (great to get the crocodilian look without harming a single croc, love the mock-croc!) and this is another shoe that comes in a beautiful array of colours - hurrah! Basically what's not to love? I'll take them both please :)

But, my lovely readers, I really am saving the best until last. You may remember that I was a little saddened about always wearing boring boots or wellies during the winter months. Well I think I may have found the answer. Check these boots out for size...

Nancy (in Brown)

There aren't really words to describe how perfect these boots are in my eyes. I've simply fallen head over heels in love. As someone who has always adored period dramas filled with button up boots these lovelies are the answer to my wildest dreams! I mean, look at them! Pearly buttons, double texture suede and leather, nice chunky heel, scallop edged detail, what's not to like, or love?? The brown version above are my favourite, but I could really see myself with one of every colour...

Nancy (in Black)

Nancy (in White and Black)

Nancy (in Beige)

Come on, I can't be the only one who's obsessed with these can I? Tell me I'm not alone here! They're just so yummy...

Basically, lovely readers, get over to the Miss L Fire website and have a good old browse of all their fabulous footwear, you will not be disappointed. I shouldn't be surprised if my bank account gets a good old bashing soon, can you really blame me? :)

Until next time my journey for perfect shoes continues, bye for now!

All images from the Miss L Fire website