CHRISTMAS!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas xxxxxxxxxx

A new dress, hat and bag that I couldn't wait to wear. I decided to wear them together on Christmas Eve when we went to our good friends house to celebrate.

Hat: Thrifted

Dress: Thrifted:

Scarf: Gift from a friend

Bag: Gift from my sister

Belt: Thrifted

Necklace: Gift from my Mum (it has Bambi on it :)

Earrings: Can't remember!

Hat: Thrifted

Bag: Gift from my sister (it's a vintage make up case, it's so cute)

Dress: Thrifted

Cardigan: Thrifted

Belt: Thrifted

Sunglasses: Tete a Tete vintage

Gloves: $2 Shop
On Christmas Day we had a very relaxed day having a picnic at my favourite place, the Halswell Quarry. (My beloved gifted me my very own car for Christmas so I drove us all).

It was a beautiful day and we had a lovely, relaxing time, and the doggies had a nice big run around xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IN THE NAVY

It was a rainy day today so I spent a lovely day indoors cuddling up with Toto, reading, doing a little hand sewing (not well, but got the job done) and cleaning, and this evening, after walking the doggies (the rain has finally stopped), I have a 500 piece puzzle to start. Bliss!!!
This is one of my go to outfits for when I spend a day at home or doing errands: a skirt and shirt with stockings and low heels: It's a perfect mix of my personal taste with enough practicality and comfort for me to still be happy wearing it until late in the evening, and as I don't wear trackpants, this is a pretty standard outfit for me to wear day in day out.
Add red lipstick and a coffee and I am ready for the day!!

Cotton Shirt: $2 second hand warehouse

Navy woollen Skirt: Also $2 second hand warehouse(love that place!!)

Stockings: Local supermarket

Shoes: Dance Pacific

Hat: From the Repertory Theatre sale (I am going to do a post tomorrow of all the gorgeous hats I found at the sale)

Brooch: a gift from my friend Christina.

Earrings: Hmmm can't remember

Puzzle time!!! xxxxxxxxxx

PEACHY KEEN

I am one of those people that goes through fazes with clothes where I find an item that fits well and fits into my overall style, and then I wear it to death. I mean I pretty much wear out the poor top/skirt/bag/dress until it looks like one of my animals attacked it and therefore has to be thrown out. This skirt is my current of these items. I just love the length, colour and fit, and I have worn it about 5 times in the last two weeks to various occasions; as part of an evening suit, a day skirt, and a 'costume' for my brothers party (I get so many people asking why I am in 'costume' with my usual day to day wardrobe that costume party's don't really require me to dress that differently).
This was at the Halswell Quarry, my favourite place to take the dogs, and as it was a beautiful day, they went for a big swim in the muddy water hole there.

I love this bridge and have wanted to take a photo here for a long time.

Hat: Thrifted

Shirt: Thrifted

Skirt: A gift from my Mum, it's part of a suit set that my Mum wore to her best friends Wedding in the late 1970's.

Shoes: New but thrifted

Brooch: A gift from my friend Vanessa

Bag: Thrifted

Gloves: $2 shop!!

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A ROCKY HORROR BIRTHDAY

It was my little brother Ollie's birthday on Saturday, and he decided to have a Goth costume party, which I was very excited about. Costume party's are always so much fun, and it's so much easier to break the ice with everyone as your costume becomes the starting point of conversation. My brother Ollie, my older sister Alissa and I at the family dinner on Sunday night for Ollie's birthday.

My beloved and I decided to go as Brad and Janet from the cult Musical Rocky Horror, as it is one of our all time favourite musicals. Here's us having a 'Dammit Janet' moment.

And my wee bubba went as Count Dracula, my beloved found this wee cape for a teddy bear in a local store, and added the red collar. Voila! Doggie Dracula!

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TWO NEW BABIES

Ever since my friend Christina got a bunny rabbit I have desperately wanted one, and when her and her husband added a Guinea Pig to their family (they also have a gorgeous cat named Murray), my husband and I decided it was time to go pet shopping!
It didn't take long. I wanted a bunny and my beloved wanted a Guinea, so after a few pet shop visits, we brought home these two babies... Well, not these two.
As much as I would love to own a pet deer (Audrey Hepburn had one once), I know that won't happen until we have lots more land ( and I learn about how to go about having one as a domestic pet of course) So these two were perfect additions to our dogified family.

Meet Thumper. He is a black and white mini lop bunny. As soon as I saw him I knew he was meant to be mine. His eyes have the same black fur around them to my baby Toto, and he was just so gorgeous and soft to cuddle. Even more perfect is that he adores Toto, and the two of them bounce around the dining room playing tag and cuddling together. He is quite a feisty wee thing which is great considering Bobs head is bigger than wee Thumpers whole body, so he isn't scared of much (except the vacuum cleaner-this fear seems to be univeral in all animals don't you think?) I absolutely adore him, and he is such a lovely addition to our family.

Meet Norma-Jeane (named after my greatest idol, Marilyn Monroe). She is a multi coloured Guinea Pig, and is super cute!! She loves being cuddled, especially by my beloved, whom she seems to like more than anyone else, and she makes the sweetest wee noises. My beloved is planning on building her a bigger cage than her current one, so he can add tunnels and a toy area for her, sort of a Guinea circus!!

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FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT

Apologies for the belated blog, my internet connection has been terrible of late, and this is the 5th attempt to post this one!! A few weeks ago, my beloved surprised me with tickets to Auckland to see one of my favourite performers, Adam Lambert, playing live at the Trust stadium. Two weeks ago, we went to the concert, and he really did live up to all my expectations. He sounded just as amazing live as he does on his CD, and he has such an incredible stage presence and charm. In my opinion (which is shared by many others) he will become an icon as big as Freddie mercury or Elvis, and I look forward to seeing what he does next with his talent. For those of you who are thinking, 'Adam who??? ', he was the runner up on the eighth season of American idol (it was ridiculous that he didn't win, even the talented winner Kris Allen has stated that Lambert should have taken the title). Check out 'For your entertainment', his first single, on youtube, it is fantastic.

My concert outfit.

My beloved and I just before we left for the show.

The screen just before Adam came onstage.

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WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE....

I thought it was finally time to do a blog on Wizard of Oz and the few collector items I have from the wonderful movie. As a little girl, I so desperately wanted to be Dorothy, that I took a pair of my big sisters black heels, and glitter glued them in sparkly red. Every dog toy I owned was called Toto, and every chance at dress up I went as Dorothy. For our first Christmas together, my husband ordered custom made Ruby Slippers from a website that made them from the blue print of the originals. I still remember crying because I finally had my very own pair!!!! I even slept in them that night!! The next Christmas my husband got me Toto, and my wee black and white baby has been spoilt ever since. (no-one else is allowed to use my vintage dresses as a bed!) He looked so cosy I just couldn't bring myself to move him.

My custom made rubies. I don't wear them much, but I did wear them the night my beloved proposed to me.

This brooch was a beautiful wedding gift from my dear friend Andrea. It dates back to when the movie was first released and merchandise was everywhere.

This was the ring box that my beloved proposed to me with. My engagement ring has a ruby on it, as a representation of my love of Wizard of Oz. It has 'As long as your mine' engraved inside it, the duet we were singing to a party full of party when my beloved proposed. The song is from the musical 'Wicked', which is the prequel story to the Wizard of Oz.

These collector edition Wizard of Oz Barbies were a special gift from my sister in law. I absolutely love them, and as tempted as I am to get them out and have a play, they look so lovely in their boxes, and I like displaying them in their original condition. My favourite is Dorothy, and I love that they of course included Toto, who is inside her basket. xxxxxx

I hope this brings back childhood memories of the first time you watched the movie and makes you want to click those heels three times xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

IN THE PINK

When it comes to pink, especially candy pinks, my inner Elle Woods comes right on out. So when I spotted this beautiful dress in an Auckland vintage store when we were on our honeymoon, I knew it had to be mine. I love the crochet detailing on the top, and the matching trim on the sleeves. It is now one of my classics I turn to for dinner dates with our friends. Snaps for Elle!!

Dress: This is not a love shop, in Auckland

Bag: Tete a Tete Vintage

Shoes: Dance Pacific

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CHRISTCHURCH QUAKE AFTERMATH

After a week of scary aftershocks, and another big earthquake on Wednesday morning, the city is finally settling down enough for people to start picking up the pieces and dealing with the damage around the city after the 7.1 quake that hit at 4:35am on Saturday, September 4th. Although we are very lucky not to have had any fatalities, so many buildings and houses are in tatters after the quake, and the aftershocks made many buildings weaker trying to cope with the constant movement. I feel like I am starting to settle down now, but that was the scariest week of my life, and I am very glad to have it over with. Toto and Bob are very shaky, as each tremor shook them up alot, and I wish that I could calm them by explaining why the house is shaking every hour, and that it will eventually stop. Here are some photos of my city, and the damage this event has caused. I can say with certainty that the city will never quite look the same again. The Repertory Theatre. My husband and I have performed in two musicals in this gorgeous old theatre, and they are trying to save it from having to be being pulled down.

In the CBD.

A twisted bridge in one of Christchurch's suburbs.

Down Victoria street, in the CBD. There was so much damge to these buildings that they had to be demolished so they didn't endanger people in the aftershocks.

This beautful family manor was an historic buliding just outside of Christchurch, very close to the faultline. The triple brick house crumbled under the strength of the first quake, and amazingly, the family owners who were inside when the quake hit managed to get out without any serious injuries.

A travel agency in Merivale.

A crushed car in the CBD.

The clock tower in town. It stopped when the first earthquake hit.

One of many lovely churches with damage to them.

Thinking of all those people out there with demolished homes or businesses, and hoping that they can piece their lives back together as quickly as possible. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx