Frocks & Frou Frou

Top: Giordano

Cardigan: City Chic

Skirt: DIY!

Shoes: Schuh

A few weeks ago I spotted a navy blue skirt with heart pockets at Forever New which quite caught my fancy. It was too tight, too short, and the pockets - which were the same colour as the skirt as itself - didn't stand out nearly enough for my tastes, so I decided to have a go at DIYing my own version of the same. I didn't feel too bad about ripping them off, since as you can see they seem to have pinched the style themselves from Top Shop:

I actually used a dress pattern and tweaked it, but to be honest it was such a basic DIY that you could probably whip one up easily sans-pattern. Like my elasticised waist skirt it's basically a few yards of fabric gathered into a waistband.

I mocked up a placket and sewed buttons on it myself, but it doesn't actually open, the skirt fastens with a zipper at the back. To make the heart pockets I used the same applique technique that I used to remix my stripy Dorothy Perkins Top but I used iron-on interfacing on the backs of the hearts to give them a bit more sturdiness, and I left them open at the top so they were functional.

I was thinking it'd actually be an easy remix for any plain skirt you might have sitting in the wardrobe, or you can check the racks at your local thrift shop, too for a cheap and cheerful DIY.

Top: Giordano

Cardigan: Big W

Skirt: Portmans

Belt: City Chic

Shoes: Schuh

The way to Lilli's heart is... through her stomach?

Actually, that's probably not that far from the truth... The Sophisticate wooed me with fabulous restaurants, so there's probably a kernel of truth to it, but actually it's this new belt from City Chic that's set my heart aflutter today.

It was an exercise in impulse buying when I saw it in the shop last weekend. Theoretically I'd gone in to check out the new polkadot jacket I'd spotted online, but somehow this made its way into my shopping list as well. 

It's elasticised, so it's a great waist belt, and I'm looking forward to seeing what other outfits I can pair it with for that all-important pop of red.

Meanwhile, I've dusted off my favourite Schuh shoes, but they're really looking quite fragile now. Schuh doesn't seem to be making this style any more alas, and I'm trying to draw out the life span of the shoes, because I LUFF them, but I'm thinking about whether or not it's possible to hand them off to a shoemaker and ask them to make the same shoe for me IN ALL THE COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW (but mostly red). Anyone ever had this done?

Dress: Kamikaze

Shoues: Schuh

Aii! Running late for trivia, but wanted to get this posted first!

It's a dress that always gets a second look - definitely not for when I feel like fading into the background, but I do love it.

Red is the BEST!

Skirt: DIY

Blouse: Barkins

Shoes: Schuh

I bought this fabric a few weeks ago with a particular DIY project in mind, but because I couldn't find a pattern of what I wanted I was a bit worried that it might all go to pieces and result in tears and tantrums, so I kept it verrry verry quiet...

I think I've mentioned before that I suffer from a serious case of flatbutt, so items like my Portmans ruffle skirt I love because they provide a bit of extra frou-frou to draw the eye away from my ass.

Ever since seeing this bustle bum-bag on etsy I've become obsessed with the idea of bustles, and I started looking for modern day bustle clothing.

Fruitlessly, mostly.

It's that usual problem that there were great items that I found, but lots of them seemed to stop about a size ten (because God knows, no-one bigger would want to accentuate any part of their body!)

Finally, I decided that I'd have to bite the bullet and try a bustle DIY.

Behold:

Blouse: Events

Cardigan: Crossroads

Skirt: DIY

Shoes: Schuh

Oh dear! This skirt... I love it, but I discovered today that the smallest gust of wind exposes my luvees for all the world to see. And today's been quite gusty, so I've spent much of the day clutching my skirt tight around my thighs!

Thanks to Harbourmaster's eagle eye spotting I finally have my mitts on a few metres of blue & white striped jersey, so this weekend I'm planning to do a step-by-step DIY project for those of you asking me how to make this skirt.

G&J's Discount Fabric on Lygon St in Brunswick East... I'd never heard of your before, but I LUFF you! They even have an entire floor of the great quilting fabric's that I moon over on etsy (I can't quilt). In fact you can even find the Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric from my first DIY project!

Dress: Dream Diva

Shoes: Schuh

Well, thank God that's over with!

I've never been happier to see New Year's in, but 2009 was a really challenging year for me so I couldn't be happier to see the fireworks at midnight and realize that my best-of-times-worst-of-times year was finally over.

I spent New Year's Eve at a degustation dinner in Canberra, with my family and friends and just had a lovely time, though basically had to be rolled home afterwards Violet Beauregarde style.

I hope everyone had a great New Year's, and that you're all looking forward to seeing what 2010 will bring - I know I am!

Thankyou to everyone for reading this past year, I've really enjoyed your comments and the stories that you've shared with me.

Stay tuned for 2010.... it only gets better from here!

Dress: via Miss Modular Vintage

Shoes: Schuh

Belt: Cotton On

Shoes: Schuh

Earrings: Therine & Teven

"Oh! We're loving polkadots this season!" exclaimed a fabulously camp vintage frocks dealer when I wandered into one of Melbourne's hidden vintage boutiques with my sister earlier today.

I'd be thinking of saving this Frockapalooza entry for Christmas Day considering it always photographs well, and - as I think I've mentioned before - where my camera-mad Mum is concerned it's always better to get a headstart on a flattering photo.

In the end though, I decided to wear this dress to breakfast with a visiting friend from Sydney, which means I'll have to find something even better to wear in four days time. On Christmas Day. Which is in four days time. Seriously.

Dress: Lily via Nordstrom

Shoes: Schuh

Cardigan: Portmans

Brooch: Sportsgirl

Spent another day in drenching rain, which always makes carstock a bit of a downer.

I'm looking down the barrel of a few weeks well-deserved holiday though with tomorrow my last day, so I've got a smile on my face.

I'm so insanely tempted to buy another pair of these shoes, I love them that much, but I'm wondering if that would be a GOOD purchase (i.e. I have a back-up pair when these Go-To-God) or BAD (irresponsible spending when you already have an identical pair).

Also, shh, don't tell anyone but I'm spending the evening in JEANS on account of being invited to a student film festival by The Sophistcate and wanting to look more like a Hip Young Thing than I ever manage to pull off in dresses and cardigans. Don't judge me if you see me ;)

Dress: Savannah @ Harris Scarfe

Cardigan: Crossroads

Shoes: Schuh

Things I Know:

1. It's impossible to be a grump when you're wearing awesome shoes

2. It's never as bad as you think it is

3. Life's much, much better now than it was this time last year

4. Even someone obsessed with frocks can get sick of dresses after wearing them non-stop for two weeks!

Top: City Chic

Skirt: Portmans

Belt: Portmans

Shoes: Schuh

Headband: Elastic Wasteland

This outfit must be, really, the very epitome of Frocks & Frou Frou. A full floral skirt, silly red shoes with bows on them, and a magnificently Frou-Frou headband that looks like it's walked off Frida Kahlo's head and on to mine:

The delicious Kiki at Elastic Wasteland (easily the coolest brand name ever) sent me this some time ago, but this is the first time I've been able to blog it. It's an awesome summer statement headband and beautifully made. She's also got necklaces (love!) which you can see Sonya wearing on No More Mumus

So, this is my 199th post (woo!) which means that it's time for Frockapalooza!

I discovered upon the last cull of my wardrobe that I owned more than enough frocks to wear a different dress every day for a whole month without repeating!

The challenge was set.

Starting tomorrow I'm going to blog a different dress every day until I run out of dresses. There's a couple of new ones (blush) and a few favourites, and it'll carry us over Christmas too.

At the end of Frockapalooza I'm going to host a clothes swap/sale and clear out some of the overflow!

Dress: Barkins

Shoes: Schuh

This post has been a Long Time Coming.

Apparently this phenomenon occurs around a person's late twenties or early thirties and results in great upheaval. It's not a bad thing, per se: it's just bloody upsetting until the dust settles and you look around and realise that thank God, you're not stuck in that miserable relationship/job/house/life that's been your one and only constant for who knows how many years.

Well, whether you're into that sort of thing or not I think most people would agree that life gets a bit scary between the ages of 28 and 32.

My BFF (some might even call her my BMFF) Haz-Mo's Ma - ever the pragmatist - decided that it was less of a case of Saturn Rising, and more of an occasion for satin to rise and decreed that at first opportunity I was to find a satin dress and I was to wear it out on the town and enjoy myself.

Well, darling. This one's for you.

Thankyou for being such an amazing support to me over the last, umn, fourteen years - especially for the last five months when you were subjected to any number of hysterical weepie phone calls at all hours (especially considering that fact that you're a new Mum, and I'm sure that the last thing you wanted to do during your free moments is listen to more uncontrollable crying!). Thankyou for taking hours out of every day to listen patiently to me while I listed the same grievances over and over again. Thankyou for teaching me how to laugh at the love poetry, the emails, the portraits, and for telling me that she's a four and I'm a ten. Thankyou for getting angry on my behalf and for saying "I'll fucking kill him" so I didn't have to. You're my compass, and I love you.

I'm extraordinarily lucky with my friends - I want to thank everyone for supporting me through this particularly nasty personal crisis. I couldn't have done it without you guys and your selfless, generous, loving care. Thanks for getting me out of the house, for letting me crash your date night, for invitations to dinner (and other, more eye-opening evenings out!). Thanks for the just-because SMS's and the thought-you-might-need-it phone calls. I love you all.

Now, I'm a little soggy, so on to less emotive topics: Awesome shoes.