atimetopretend the elizabeth p. thimble vintage blog of fashion + curiosities.

if wishes were horses.

2011-10-11T19:44:00.001+10:00

when i was a little girl i used to dream of owning a pony. every birthday i looked excitedly into our suburban backyard in hope and anticipation that somehow this dream had materialised and i could finally horse-ride to school. of course, my parents politely ignored what they thought of as being a ridiculous request. so instead i spent hours surrounded by my rather extensive plastic horse collection. then one day i received a skateboard... when i saw this amazing horse print by chloe constantinidi for antipodium i think once again that yes. actually, i really would like that pony. x
shirt: antipodium/ skirt: romance was born/ shoes: maison martin margiela

tellier.

2011-10-05T06:30:00.000+10:00

chin music for the unsuspecting.

2011-10-03T17:39:00.001+10:00

this fernando frisoni skirt was a completely unsuspecting purchase made one day late last year while i was trawling the online shops. a little rush ensues each time i re-discover it hanging in my wardrobe.
x
skirt: fernando frisoni
top: gail sorronda
shoes: maison martin margiela
tights: wolford

a cause des garcons.

2011-10-02T19:25:00.000+10:00

comme des garcons ss12. paris fashion week.
x

images (imaxtree nymag) via truefashionista

these are the days.

2011-09-28T06:30:00.000+10:00

i kept trying to convince myself that i definitely do not need to purchase this karen walker flower print. suddenly, no matter where i looked, all i could see was bursts of apple blossoms and geraniums. and act like a goof. spring does that to you, i think.

skirt: karen walker

shirt: vintage chanel

cape: gail sorronda

shoes: maison martin margiela

futurisms.

2011-09-27T18:03:00.002+10:00

i am very much fascinated by these futuristic creations of mr chalayan. and my dreams of future time travel will not be shattered by some cern scientist.
x

image via hussein chalayan blog

that jazz.

2011-09-19T12:40:00.000+10:00

the spiegeltent, as part of brisbane festival situated in the middle of brisbane's king george square, may have gotten there after dropping from a passing-by other worldly flying machine. it is a carnival tent of whatever and wherever your imagination may take you. although there are no dubious moustachioed carnival-folk lurking in shadows to show you 'magic tricks'. yesterday it was home to single black notes that together created beautiful sounds. jazz... you could imagine through rose coloured lenses like it was a noisy southern drinking house, cigar-haze filled air filling your lungs. spilt wild turkey. as the shrill pitch of jazz trumpet floats through the smoke. the double bass keeps an irregular beat, step by step, to murmurs emanating from a muffled trombone. i may have looked silly, bouncing in my seat and head-bopping. nonetheless, the brisbane contemporary jazz orchestra were really good.

i heart NY.

2011-09-17T18:50:00.003+10:00

new york fashion week. karen walker.
x
images via vogue.com.au

pumped up kicks.

2011-09-13T06:30:00.000+10:00

my latest shoe obsession. i am wearing these everywhere.
x
top and cape: gail sorronda
dress: sass & bide
shoes: maison martin margiela
gloves: vintage

beastman.

2011-09-12T21:31:00.000+10:00

emily.

2011-09-05T15:45:00.002+10:00

i live for the moment, you know, when you find something new. a shop you new knew existed. a new band that plays freak folk. or a new spot under the tree. a little rush comes over me. like the kind you get when a ray of sunshine moves slowly over your face, after a momentary cool shadow as a cloud puff floats on, across a powder blue sky. emily walters and her collection of silk georgette nude tangerine is fashion's new find, being named Brisbane MBFFs 2011 fashion graduate of the year. i look forward to seeing more from this one.
x

images via vogue.com.au

flung from dreams.

2011-08-24T14:25:00.000+10:00

what happens when you put cute australian designers together with marie claire magazine and the st vincent de paul charity? magical pieces of couture that's what. the custom made from found thrift shop treasures were put up for auction by marie claire magazine, (and proceeds donated to st vincent de paul).

i was lucky enough to win this pretty dress (and hat). made by talented beyond this world romance was born designers, anna plunkett and luke sales.

image via marie claire magazine

who is elizabeth p thimble?

2011-08-23T23:39:00.001+10:00

launching soon...

see saw.

2011-08-15T23:00:00.003+10:00

it is easy to become disillusioned from reality. head thoughts bouncing like a giant blown-up balloon from pink cloud to pink cloud. but it is also just as simple to absently flow along with everyday sameness. once in a while stop. in the crowd rush. pause. in the middle of hundreds of daisies on the top of a hill. make mirrors. deafen the noise. turn up voici la nuit. for a moment, into shades of white. and smell the flowers.
x

top: sara phillips
skirt: american apparel
cardigan: karla spetic
shoes: miu miu
brooch: vintage
hat: myer

freak yeah dinosaur.

2011-08-08T15:17:00.004+10:00

i am having an odd moment. it is dinosaur obsession. good… bad? in any case, in its wake i did manage to obtain a rare piece indeed. a romance was born dino ring. this one, a mammoth elephant, i got for pure good luck. and good luck it did bring.

splendour in the grass.

2011-08-02T21:59:00.000+10:00

i went to see devendra banhart and some other bands play funky music. jumped around like a trampoline. looked for animal shapes in the clouds. slept under the stars. ate copious amounts of sugar.
xo

christian dior me!

2011-07-24T21:51:00.001+10:00

for your couture viewing pleasure, courtesy monsieur dior.
xo
photographs via vogue australia

rusted ponies.

2011-07-17T23:15:00.010+10:00

forgive my ignorance, but how is it that i have not noticed melbourne designers amber & thomas until this dress had me pressing my face up against the store window?

dress: amber & thomas

coat: dion lee for cue

shoes: chloe

hat: from ebay
brooch: from etsy
gloves: vintage

finders keepers.

2011-07-04T17:53:00.003+10:00

a plethora of beyond cuteness and amazement is an overly simplified, but apt summation of the finders keepers markets which mushroom-grew in brisbane over the last two weekend days. origami paper foldings. prints. more prints. brooches. etsy materialised. luckily i did manage to find some treasure to keep.
xo

vintage shirt/ the gently unfurling sneak brooch and print

victory garden.

2011-06-27T22:18:00.007+10:00

woo woopee! end of semester exams equals absurdly long self-imposed house arrest has finally ceased. although, depressingly somewhat, i still have a number of months before i can throw the black satin graduation hat up into starry starry freedom. nonetheless, i am thinking, as this date approaches, my wolf-child days are, as surely as the fact that the sun rises out of a purple thermal sleeping bag, over. or perhaps not entirely…i think that transitional periods are like watching water circles in your bathtub as the peaks and troughs get wider. the more you think about an idea, the bigger it gets. not resisting change and possibility and fascinatingly new worlds to which doors are unlocked by doing something clearly irresponsible such as eating random cookies simply because they say 'eat me’. especially if they are choc chip laced with green tea and mint. although i vehemently deny any association with the words “style chameleon” ie. feel sorry for the darls rushing to get (insert latest seemingly fabulous, but very soon to be over -if not already- trend), i do find it hard to compartmentalise myself into a neat little box or be bound by rules. i ask, well, why the fuck not? ive had sleepless nights over this. and wished i was back in the days of high school uniform wearing. seriously. but now that i have some spare tick-tock, i can finally attempt to curate a wardrobe. one filled with trackpants all shades of (insert colour). or white tees and denim.

image via tumblr

down here all the fish is happy.

2011-05-30T10:32:00.005+10:00

in an unusual snap of wintery chill -so unlike you, brisbane- i found myself in desperate requirement of any sort of layer of warmth that i can envelop myself within. i discarded the plethora of military and double breasted tartan trench-y things in favour of a beautifully structured cashmere blend coat by dion lee for cue. phoebe philo, put your pencil down.
xo

allure.

2011-05-23T16:02:00.000+10:00

found a pretty picture book.
allure by diana vreeland.
xo

through the looking glass.

2011-05-09T11:38:00.004+10:00

during my childhood i spent many a day pondering the answer to an oft asked question: which disney princess would you be?
at first, i thought definitely belle. the tiered gown, all that gold and puff. made with love by cutlery and teapots. beyond amazing! but then there was ariel. who grew feet so that she could wear pretty manolo blahniks...
eventually i chose alice. alice was not a princess. alice was a dreamer. who's overwhelming curiosity led her on adventures far away from the predictable and created her own universe. although, i must admit, it was the grin of a perfect set of pearly white teeth which at the time mesmerised my pre-teen eyes. how does that cat do that?!
when a shiny pretty thing is laying in the dirt, reflecting rays of sun like crazy dance, why, you pick it up of course. except when you realise said thing is shards of a broken old vodka bottle and part of the sensical side of your brain repeats, in low fidelity, something along the lines of "argh! hell no". then i contemplate the possibility of wood-glueing into a necklace bits of magnifying glass like the mosaics in pompeii...
so sometimes dreams do transcend to reality, and someone truly talented manages to stitch clear perspex and moon-rock together into a drown 'debris' necklace. merci beaucoup, alegorie!
xo

sass & bide top and pants/ armani shoes/ drown necklace/ vintage bag

gail sorronda ss 2011/12.

2011-05-03T21:30:00.009+10:00

although i am very saddened by the fact that i could not attend RAFW 2011 - all the backstage hysteria, tears and tantrums, delayed show starts delaying my bed-time… etc, at least i still have google allowing me to keep up with all the fun-nsies. and entertaining snide remarks of the all-knowing vogue "loving/ loathing at RAFW" editorial team.

but THANK YOU gail sorronda for your perfect pattern making and intricate detail which has made my day a little circus band! i am now desperately trying to convince my mother to search for and find, as a matter of urgency, a wide-brimmed hat made of tulle she wore on her wedding day… love.

images via vogue.com

i drank a rainbow but i could not get me drunk.

2011-04-28T21:08:00.001+10:00

a super long weekend equals sneakily swiping dad's cardigan for a day spent cartwheeling down the beach, getting salt and sand in our hair. and falling in hammocks together with pinot gris and strawberry macaroons.
xo

konstantina mittas dress/ sass & bide capelet/ prada sunglasses/ vintage brooches and cardigan

desert kisses.

2011-04-22T19:59:00.005+10:00

bright. lights. lights. laying on an old torn plaid mattress. yellow foam spilling from the fraying sides. dewy grass. peppercorn-tree branches rustle in the breeze which smells of the saltiness of the sea. the soft timbre as copper keys brush against the perfectly positioned pins of my ballerina music box. twinkling together with a circus of fireflies singing in chorus at the moon. blinking kisses of lights in the deep swirl of black night sky. make a wish. although it has been quite some time since i last picked up a physics textbook, i cannot be anything but amazed in child-like wonder by space and the illustrations and formulae in a brief history of time. exploding stars! black holes! like alice down the rabbit-hole, but way more cool. reading stephen hawking's book by torchlight, i feel like i've been transported to a world parallel to our own. or really a million million million years away. you can see the spill of glitter dust of the milky way. plus some complex mathematics. and BOOM-box. you have a universe. it feels like a desert. forever. nothing for miles and miles and miles. just... ink. aliens? and spheres of light. and yes, i think i will indeed be looking forward to osvaldo golijov's opera, which will be based on mr hawking's book.
also. i've just taken delivery of the gail sorronda 'desert kisses' dress. i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e as gail's designs ever are. all silk and hand-embroidered love. it also looks just lovely worn with a vintage maroon blazer.
xo

gail sorronda dress/ armani shoes/ vintage bowler hat/ mercedes salazar necklace

and then i saw this pierrot neckpiece i once made (forgotten in a corner in my room) and nearly lost my shit. i do mean out of excitement.

elegance is a progressive concept.

2011-04-09T16:32:00.001+10:00

love hedi slimane. love abbey lee.
xo

image via hedi slimane diary

all that was once lived is now but mere representation.

2011-03-30T22:02:00.003+10:00

this post is bought to you by my very beautiful friend hannah. who has the best eye for finding cool vintage in the thrift shop grundies box. as well as managing to get me this 17 little vampire kisses gail sorronda dress. heart. so happy.
xo

gail sorronda dress/ ksubi tshirt/ louis vuitton scarf

im.

2011-03-21T17:42:00.000+10:00

isabel marant. this name (along with white. shaggy. goat fur!) will be spinning like a shiny carnival horse carousel around my mind in the next few months as i sit waiting for the most amazingly absurd thing i think i may have bought to date...thanks, moda operandi.
xo

images: backstage s/s 2011 via isabelmarant

do you love?

2011-03-18T07:54:00.003+10:00

to enter, simply cast your vote at grazia.ninemsn.com.au/shopping-awards

frockshop have also been lovely enough to give 10% off EVERYTHING simply by entering TIMETOPRETEND at checkout.

crystal.

2011-03-15T12:04:00.004+10:00

in january i pre-ordered a pair of cream tailored TBA pants from maximillia.com. paid my deposit, and waited patiently until they came in stock. and waited. and waited. and became impatitent. then i saw the arnsdorf crystal structured pant. and as luck and love would have it, the store allowed me to put my pre-order dollars toward these instead.

arnsdorf pants/ vintage chanel blouse/ sass & bide ring/ miu miu shoes

up until now i had not explored jade sarita arnott's fabulous wears, inspired by both industrial and natural structure... but am now in complete awe.

images: via arnsdorf.com

now arnott is deservadedly nominated for the woolmark designer of the year and industry acclaims sponsored by vogue australia, in order to join the likes of previous winners including romance was born, dion lee, etc.
good luck good luck good luck!

image: vogue australia

prada prada prada.

2011-03-13T19:19:00.001+10:00

love love love this campaign.
xo

wildeflowers.

2011-03-07T09:31:00.000+10:00

my mother has had this dress in her wardrobe for as long as i can remember, via many a rampage through her closet. although my general approach to flower print - or anything with a hint of colour - is not without a tiny bit of apprehension, i decided for one day playing grown up ladies dress-up is ok. even though this particular dress is not something i would say is traditionally a timeless classic...the print! the colour! it does, nonetheless, feel so right now (chloe? miu miu?).
xo

vintage dress/ chanel bag/ mercedes salazar jewellery/ betts shoes

in distance.

2011-03-06T12:14:00.001+10:00

the fall winter 2010 issue of paper planes magazine immediately caught my eye (i) as it is twice the size of surrounding magazines (ii) the title 'back to black' and (iii) a simply mesmerising editorial 'in distance' shot by aneta bartos.
xo

the adventures of rufus and clara.

2011-02-20T18:16:00.001+10:00

this is one of the most playfully gorgeous editorials i have had the pleasure of looking through. even though it is not often that you can find me with a frankie magazine (whenever i pick an issue up from the supermarket shelves, i always think that "er, i'm sure that i have read this one before"). but one day i missed the train. my ipod was out of battery. i just could not sit on the burning-from-the-afternoon-sun metal train station bench for half an hour, doing nothing other than twiddling my thumbs...
xx

images: frankie magazine may/june 2010

lfw11 first looks.

2011-02-19T07:50:00.003+10:00

sass & bide's fall11 collection, shown at london fashion week last night.
in a way this reminds me a teeny bit of a bygone hermes collection two, (or is it three now? golly) years back which featured flowy scarves amongst vivid orange and purple hues. very colourful. pretty. but hmm. i'm not entirely convinced about magenta.
xx

images: style.com. to view the full collection click here

nyfw11. marc.

2011-02-16T21:35:00.002+10:00

new york fashion week. marc jacobs. polka dots are IN.
xx

images: vougue.com.fr

mobile disco.

2011-02-14T00:00:00.030+10:00

thanks in part to my friend sophie of thereareghosts i have, for one, embraced button-up collars. and just now (since receiving a lovely package on my doorstep from maximillia... why, hello gail sorronda chrysalis shirt) i've ALSO discovered an admiration for cuff links. indiscreet, yet so so stylish. forget old-man innuendos. they are freaking awsome. rent out a mobile disco, yah huh!
xx

gail sorronda top/ sass & bide dress and ring/ chanel bag/ betts shoes/ bonds socks

new york new york, big city of dreams.

2011-02-13T11:36:00.005+10:00

i'm refreshing my twitter feed every few minutes. i'm obsessively checking style.com and the sartorialist. yes. it's new york fashion week. oh yes it is. and prabal gurung has just slipped onto my fashion radar. i want, no, NEED that fuchsia fur. oh. my. gosh.
xx

dance to guitars.

2011-02-06T14:20:00.001+10:00

over the weekend my special buddies and i hop-scotched along to the st jeromes laneway festival. somewhere in between patchy application of sunscreen and lacing the festival lolly-water with smuggled-in vodka we dinosaur danced with cute people to beachouse, two door cinema club, yeasayer, warpaint, ariel pink, holy fuck, deerhunter and sang along to cut copy’s brand new songs from their album which had only been released that day. yes. everyone knew the words. crazy huh. and, ignoring slight feelings of devastation due to dreaded timetable clashes [i missed gotye, !!! and john steel singers :(...], it was hazy green...in my head and really really fun.

sass & bide dress/ cotton on top/ miu miu shoes/ socks and sunglasses from the melbourne and brisbane valley markets/ vintage bag

101.

2011-01-31T00:21:00.002+10:00

blog post one hundred slipped by me. yes. i let it on purpose.

one-oh-one is a bit more…more. and perhaps worth some celebratory pondering.

i sat down eating lemon pie and thought, thought, thought. (cue some quizzical facial expressions attracting strange looks from the man in fluorescent yellow high-visibility safety vest sitting opposite me on the middle-of-the-mall smokers park bench). i feel an urge to reassess my wardrobe. not necessarily undergo a complete style change. hence also the brand new blog banner and subtitle.
i'm not into pushing myself to anything via fad. like raf simons' jil sander spring 11 hyper colour blocked runway (i.e. fuscia maxi skirt). but then again. hmm. just yesterday i was in heart-palpitations (the kind often experienced after drinking too much red bull) while flicking through an old vogue magazine featuring the romance was born ss 09 "oysters and shells" collection. i mean looking at it properly. after all the hype. i find myself absolutely needing the crochet doily cape. and coming to a realization that it is too late. too bad so very sad. when at the time i calmly told myself, that even though yes, anything made by anna plunkett or luke sales is freaking amazingly awsome its very definitely not my style. but what is "style"?

so it’s with a question, that inner-struggle sensation, which i stand at the rack deciding whether to buy safe: resulting in endless sameness hanging off the wardrobe pole, or, to go out on a whim of craziness and buy the red floral print origami cape jacket, but risk it taking up the already short supply of coat-hanger. and those feelings of “what was I thinking…”

oh well well.

draw a heart in the sand.

go dinosaur dancing.

make the doily cape.

style note in the spirit of reflection and pensiveness: (i have blogged it an age before but i can't get enough). the berin skirt wanted to see some more fun in the sun. the outfit is inspired by a shoot guest edited by heidi middleton and sarah jane clarke in the december 2002 issue of australian vogue.

vintage harvey berin skirt/ sass & bide top/ polo ralph lauren shoes/ vintage jewellery

watch in awe watch in awe.

2011-01-30T21:04:00.002+10:00

when im driving in my car. that man comes on the radio...
xx

image: "DRINK" 1972 mick jagger and keith richards via russh magazine

shadowman in a cowboy hat.

2011-01-24T15:16:00.003+10:00

ghostly stories and a fallow 'sail'.
xx

elsom pants/ sass & bide top/ chloe boots/ chanel bag/ hat from general pants/ old random jewellery

yayoi.

2011-01-17T17:52:00.001+10:00

just celebratin' the amazing work of yayoi kusama. polka dot extraordinaire.
xx

images: oyster magazine, aug/sept 2010.

storietime.

2011-01-16T19:02:00.000+10:00

wow-ee. i just found this while searching through my old barbie doll boxes. a little 1986 paperback publication of the brothers' grimm "sleeping beauty" featuring beautiful illustrations by wiktor sadowski.

carine.

2011-01-09T10:55:00.002+10:00

i bought my first paris vogue when I was sitting, waiting… waiting, for an appointment. the issue was from november 2008 [the local newsstand was always 2 months behind circulation, therefore it must have, in the real world, been january or february 2009]. vanessa paradis was on the cover. red lips. red nails. i realized paris vogue is a completely different animal, compared to my usual australian version. the editorials are sharp. controversial. they have carine roitfeld stamped all over them. as editor-in-chief carine has truly shaped fashion into a crazy french story. and the lady has style beyond words. so i cannot help feeling a nostalgic reluctance to see the end of “realisation: carine roitfeld” following CR handing in her letter of resignation.

but i am also excited and can hardly wait to see the creations of emmanuelle alt. i am sure the shoes will fit just fine.

au revoir, carine.

image: tommy ton, jak and jil blog

landmarks of lunacy.

2011-01-03T11:41:00.001+10:00

failsafe of the year number one: lanvin ballet flats. in oyster.
because un-tieing black satin ribbon of a pale blue box is always fun.
xx

sass & bide dress and corset belt/ lanvin shoes/ chanel bag/ vintage jewellery

numerous synchronic and celestial moments.

2010-12-31T23:59:00.012+10:00

light a sparkler. stay up all night. and dance. and laugh together for the sake of auld lang syne. goodbye 1992!
xx

the lanvin doll image courtesy hauteworld

kids wear fur.

2010-12-25T13:01:00.003+10:00

the wild. the free. and the untamed.
roam free... eating mangos on the roof. jumping around in puddles. and home-made plum pudding and mince tarts for christmas lunch. howling at the moon. let it snow let it snow let it [snow-in-a-can] snow.
joyeux noel!
xx

shine.

2010-12-20T18:43:00.001+10:00

it's the time of year for sending christmas wish-lists to the sandy claws. and because i am really scared to go near the shops right now, i decided i'm going to give most my family and friends diy. but what to do with a rusty coathanger, aluminium foil wrapping leftover from the lunch sandwich, a piece of twine... and a few shells and beads from old broken necklaces?

stare at some inspiration for a bit...

BOOM!
makes a really cute hangy-thing. for my mummy. but SHH! don't tell her. yep. better than that garlic press, i think.
xx

the polar desert.

2010-12-18T17:47:00.000+10:00

nothing short of fantastical. gail sorronda's aw11 polar desert story has my heart racing and left me short of breath. i'm really not sure how i am going to be able to manage to wait until march 2011 for the desert kisses dress. aaahhh.
xx

all images gail sorronda

ok cowboy.

2010-12-13T14:47:00.001+10:00

designer. artist. director. visionary...
paris vogue's accolade to the extraordinaire who is tom ford.
xx

images courtesy paris vogue (december/ january 2010/11)

showroom.

2010-12-07T19:19:00.005+10:00

i really do like a sale. especially wherever the word 'designer' appears. so i am very very very excited that one of the biggest fashion designer showroom sales of the year will be happening in brisbane this saturday the 11th of december.
no way i am passing on 80% discounts on romance was born. um, freaking renaissance dinosaur killer kings ROMANCE WAS BORN! plus a whole bunch more of our favourite labels. woopee!
xx

and you think that the feeling will linger.

2010-12-05T13:56:00.006+10:00

i don't know, what went wrong. if i did, would it matter cause it just wasn't enough. you know when the moment comes to be strong, to resistance. and that is what. we're lead to believe. when the big road falls apart. and you think that the feeling will linger. you need somewhere to start. i will be here. guess that things didn't work out. it will soon disappear and will be miles away. away from here. you don't mind if life's not that pretty. it will soon disappear and will be miles away. away from here. when the big road falls apart. and you think. that the feeling will linger. you need somewhere to start. i will be here. and when it all seems to fall apart. you can't breathe. you don't know what you're thinking. you need somewhere to start. i will be here. oh oh oh oh oh…i will be here, i will be here. oh oh oh oh oh… i will be here, I will be here. you know when the moment comes. to be strong, to resistance. and that is why we're lead to believe. when the big road falls apart. and you think that the feeling will linger. you need somewhere to start. i will be here. and when it all seems to fall apart. you can't breathe. you don't know what you're thinking. you need somewhere to start. i will be here, i will be here.

words: sneaky sound system.

so. current loves: old grandpa hats and feathers. and this gorg sheer miu miu top i managed to pick up from the last net-a-porter sale an few months ago, and, until i started doing some wardrobe clear-out, completely forgot i had.

a potion to poison, an apple to bite, a spell to cast...

2010-11-29T17:59:00.000+10:00

way cool.
xx

image courtesy mac cosmetics

run from the lights.

2010-11-28T17:04:00.005+10:00

i've been after a givenchy spike headband for, like, ever. after a fistful of "sold out's" flashing across my screen, followed by momentary sobbing into my pillow, the only way to get this thing out of my system, is to make my own. lucky i had some spare spikes lying around.
xx

spoon me. spoon you. spoon us.

2010-11-22T17:09:00.004+10:00

get behind a little up and coming talent, my friend vicky, jewellery designer for her small project named spoon fingers. vicky’s vision for spoon fingers encompasses recycled and environmental practices and the clever lovely hand-makes the absolutely gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces out of old things i leave stashed in the bottom kitchen drawer thinking it maaaay maybe be useful sometime. like intertwining silver teaspoons. love love.

the utensil, the spoon, is all about 'serving' so with this in mind, vicky’s goal is to gradually expand spoon fingers into a charitable based mission. aww.

like? get in contact:

email: spoonfingers@live.com.au

facebook: facebook.com/spoon.fingers
without fingers the hand would be a spoon: african proverb
xx

all images courtesy spoon fingers

an afterthought.

2010-11-20T18:02:00.001+10:00

to those who were not at grazia magazine's up late street party on james street: you missed out. big time. shopping and champagne and beautiful kelly smith-sketched library bags filled with little surprises = a night of fashion fun-ness. and this was just inside oh, so the place to be, frockshop's boutique (where i also happened to spot this lovely heart necklace by colombian designer mercedez salazar). skipping between raindrops from shop to shop, i overheard two ladies (dressed-up to nines, one with a gorgeous mass of bally silk around her neck. sigh.) "we should do this more often". oh yes. i think we should.
xx

sass & bide corset top and pants/ mercedez salazar necklace/ vintage t-shirt, handbag and jewellery/ wittner shoes

image courtesy frockshop.com

invite.

2010-11-12T10:14:00.004+10:00

come shopping with frockshop and grazia magazine!

um…what is better than playing pirate dress-ups with your cardboard box? i agree. not a lot. except this.

grazia magazine is visiting us in brisbane. and the lovely dears are bringing some friends too!

celebrate all things on trend and in style at frockshop’s flagship boutique when grazia magazine comes to brisbane’s trendy james street on thursday november 18.

don’t miss your chance to mingle with frockshop’s marnie goss and camilla and marc’s camilla freeman-topper at grazia up late.

sip champagne as you enjoy an exclusive one-night-only discount of 25% on new season styles.

plus. make sure you’re through the door by 7pm for your chance to win an autographed copy of mary-kate and ashley olsen’s cult book influence. (this WILL be mine!).

and. be one of the first to spend $100 in store to receive a limited edition calico tote bag filled with exclusive gifts and designed by sketch artist kelly smith. (these are just oh my gosh, cute as pie). smith has replicated one of the signature designs that she created for the walls of the frockshop boutique and autographed prints will be available for sale at the event.

(in case you find yourself with a case of shopper’s fatigue, an essie manicurist will be on hand to pamper you with a manicure in the latest colours).

grazia up late invites shoppers to rub shoulders with the likes of sass & bide, collette dinnigan, and kirrily johnston as they enjoy exclusive discounts and entertainment throughout the james street precinct.

grazia up late commences at 5pm until 9pm on thursday 18 november 2010.

so, unless you prefer hanging up-side-down on your grandma’s rotating clothesline… which i do. sometimes. but am just waaay too excited for this. i will be there at 4.59pm.

for more details (and while you're at it perhaps some shopping delight) visit: http://www.frockshop.com.au/

the pretties at frockshop have also been kind enough to give a very very special secret offer of 10% discount on all, yes ALL!! your purchases (including wow sale items) until november the 18th. just enter PRETEND at the checkout.

if you're going to san francisco, be sure to wear flowers in your hair.

2010-11-12T00:04:00.002+10:00

a piece of moschino history. multi-colour. fringed. suede. jacket. from the 1991 collection. thank you claireinc.
xx

moschino fringed suede jacket/ sass & bide shorts and singlet/ vintage jewellery and shoes

initiation.

2010-11-08T11:43:00.000+10:00

a fitting name for my very first maniamania piece. a gift from my lovely mum for my birthday. she knows me too well.
xx

sass & bide dress and top/ maniamania necklace/ vintage jewellery and bag/ havianas shoes

gallows.

2010-11-06T18:59:00.003+10:00

eeringly beautiful work by cocorosie. featuring fashion by gail sorronda and romance was born!
xx

waits 'round the corner and hides in the trees.

2010-11-04T18:35:00.002+10:00

another of my mummy's lost treasures she has forgotten she (had). a genuine crocodile skin handbag, im thinking probably from around the late 70s.
xx

dash.

2010-11-03T20:52:00.002+10:00

music keeps me here...
xx

image source unknown.

new york city likes to mess around with the l.a. sound.

2010-10-25T12:39:00.001+10:00

one of my favourite campaigns yet.
xx

image courtesy antik batik

we like to throw bricks from the overpass.

2010-10-20T00:08:00.005+10:00

i bought this bag so i can hang out with the hippies in the grass. and pretend that i've herded goats in the himalayas.
perhaps i was craving colour...a little. plus i may have thought the pom-poms were cute.
but it is way cool. fashion clique said it is.
xx

boho bag from general pants co.

and it was so right, it was so good.

2010-10-18T12:52:00.002+10:00

the most ridiculously amazing crochet shell skirt. ever.
xx

sass & bide skirt/ bassike singlet/ cue blazer/ zu shoes/ vintage jewellery

future love sound.

2010-10-15T18:43:00.001+10:00

all year long. we wait for sun. at the beach. we come undone. heyyy, hello world. hello sweet summer cudder. aint nobody rowdy. the cops wont hound me. the women of the women. of the chucks im wearing. they slave through my artistry. cant stop staring. so nice, swishers for the roll-up. the grape cigarillo. little mama roll'em good though. everybody chillin we aint worried bout shit. everybody chillin we aint worried bout a thing. i understand life of the beggar. lookin at the ocean. oh shit this is way iller. callin my mama. tell her not to worry. im a man in the wild. and the wild is the best. at they breast. this might just be interest. my intentions all summer. have certain just been missed. mantain, they keep my brain sane. very little ragin. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry. all year long. we wait for sun. at the beach. we come undone. all year long. we wait for sun. at the beach. we come undone. hey the stars are gone. everybody come on. come on come on come on. come on come on. hey the stars are gone. everybody come on. come on come on come on. come on come on. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry. mmm aint worried bout a thang. mmm give a damn we aint worried bout a thang. aint worried bout a thang. aint worried bout a thang. everybody good we aint worried bout a thang. everybody good we aint worried bout shit. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry. all summer drinkin water. trying to keep your eyes dry. trying to keep your eyes dry.

image courtesy batsmag

words: "all summer" by kid cudi

paris fashion week.

2010-10-12T01:57:00.001+10:00

chanel.
feathers. and fringed dresses. hearts.
xx

images courtesy vogue.com

from here to arcadia.

2010-10-11T09:47:00.008+10:00

oddly enough, my co-workers look at me weird when i wear a feathered head-dress to the office. so sometimes i have to wash my face and brush my teeth and put on a crisp collared shirt. i stumbled upon claire incorruptible styling and exclusive drapery and their secret stash of quality vintage designer clothing (think: givenchy, oscar de la renta, yves saint laurent and more) while randomly clicking on links to links. so, what did i find there? meet: miss chanel.
and i got a free library bag. oh yes.

suitcase rummage.

2010-10-10T11:57:00.001+10:00

spring does not only herald warmer weather. the season brings about urges to haul out rubbish and clean out wardrobes. in old people. oh yes. this means bags and bags of new stock is heading to an op shop (or garage sale) near you! so how do you tell whether that granny dress is an ohmygosh-cannot-believe-my-luck 70s find… or last years katie’s/ millers, etc repro? nicole jenkins, vintage fashion expert, gives some super tips (plus other secrets) in her book love vintage: a passion for collecting fashion. really, a must read right now for lovers of vintage.

images courtesy frankie magazine

keep your head still.

2010-10-05T19:07:00.000+10:00

inspire.
xx

image courtesy dazedandconfuseddigital

the misfits.

2010-09-27T20:00:00.003+10:00

lalala la dee dah.
xx

sass & bide skirt, top and harness (worn underneath)/ vintage boots and jewellery

everything everything... im invisible im invisible.

2010-09-26T20:20:00.004+10:00

there’s a low continuous drone like a cloud of mosquitoes blanketing the sun. distant murmurs on an island, their apparition drowned out in an oceanic swell of noise. opiates have dulled the senses. chemicals pattern the sky. the funeral procession is met head on in a solemn ceremony. the beaded armour offers protection from the evil eye as the sirocco wind starts to blow; whispering and touching us softly like raindrops. our human instincts emanate from the heart. this beat is our sound.

(words courtesy fallow)

+ much love to gail sorronda for making me such an epic headpiece.

gail sorronda skull cap and poncho cape (customised)/ sass & bide dress/ vintage jewellery

lfw.

2010-09-21T03:08:00.004+10:00

sass and bide.
the brand new collection eeeeee excitement much!
xx

images courtesy stylemeromy

bang bang.

2010-09-19T19:08:00.000+10:00

with love, steven klein.
xx

image courtesy steven klein

these silent hearts.

2010-09-11T17:46:00.010+10:00

for anyone who has shopped the outnet knows that in order to manage to score a super designer piece IN YOUR SIZE you either have to be a) very lucky and have logged on at the right place at the right time or b) checking the site constantly or c) sign up to get instant email notification on your iphone when new stock drops onto the site. i recommend c). it got me this major fabulous adam by adam lippes fringed skirt for less than half its original price. yeah!
xx

adam skirt

in the sky with diamonds.

2010-09-03T16:37:00.005+10:00

it's not everyday when a very nice genuine vintage 50s harvey berin pink tulle layered skirt falls on your doorstep. i could not believe my luck when i found this piece online. so apart from the museum-smell, it's amazing how good it looks even after 50+ years. good craftsmanship goes a long way. and i am somewhat sad that so much cannot be said for todays outsourced machine-mass-produced fast fashion, even in the case of some highly reputable designers.
xx

vintage harvey berin tulle skirt/ sass & bide top and shoulder cover/ converse shoes/ vintage belt and jewellery

time to wonder.

2010-09-01T17:45:00.003+10:00

warmer days. hippie in the grass. breathing in salty air. purple flowers outside the window. a scent of blooming gardenias. streamers. it's still light when i get home. pink and blue and gold skies...spring!
so i once cut this inspirational picture out of russh magazine, and stickytaped it in my wallet and carried it around everywhere.
xx

image courtesy russh

just be.

2010-08-29T20:26:00.003+10:00

yay yay yay! i have been waiting for the sass & bide a suitable lover feathered neckpiece ever since tomorrow the great was shown at fashion week in london months and months ago.
xx

dotti dress/ sass & bide neckpiece and singlet (worn under dress)/ chanel bag/ vintage jewellery/ ray ban sunglasses

start your own tribe.

2010-08-28T16:21:00.000+10:00

and run crazily through long dry grass. plait sea-weed through your hair. play hide and seek with the wind. close your eyes. wonder at the stars. climb a tree. build a castle on the beach sand. laugh with the cloudshapes. make a feathered headpiece.
xx

anja rubik by patrick demarchelier for uk vogue

wild horses.

2010-08-27T22:39:00.001+10:00

oh, that leonardo.
xx

"rearing horse" from the collection "leonardo's horses" by leonardo da vinci. image courtesy artchive.com

for the thrill of it, thrill of it.

2010-08-23T13:08:00.002+10:00

my friend hannah found this lovely frilled number hidden amongst granny dresses.
xx

well i just dance the way i feel.

2010-08-16T12:03:00.025+10:00

we wasted so many truths that we depend on getting by another lie on every other thing that dies and as his voice beckons out i hear the end the end of trauma slowly setting in my body seems to stop and freeze stop well i just dance the way i feel stop breathing imagine none of this is real... well i just dance the way i feel... a simple crowd makes a movement on my space i'm lashing out i'm crashing down on all the people in my way i'm banning all of these habits from this place this place is ruined been affected after all the time i paid stop well i just dance the way i feel stop breathing imagine none of this is real... well i just dance the way i feel stop well i just dance the way i feel stop

well i just dance the way i feel moving on to someone else you're always open with yourself but no one i talk to no one always falling short of help i choose to take this by myself and go and i just go stop well i just dance the way i feel stop breathing imagine none of this real... well i just dance the way i feel stop... well i just dance the way i feel...
wise words. by ou est le swimming pool.
xx

abbey lee heart alexander forever.

2010-08-13T19:40:00.002+10:00

mbff.

2010-08-09T11:18:00.001+10:00

akira.
"a garment can transcend, giving it a soul"
another fash-on week, this time in my lovely home town of brisbane. and i got to hang out with acclaimed designer akira isogawa all weekend! front row seats at his latest collection show on saturday night . (i did smile sweetly when kristie clements, vogue australia editor-in-chief, who was sitting on the opposite side of the runway made eye contact). and an intimate discussion with the designer held at qut on sunday... what a wonderful insight into akira's world it was. collaborating with the uni for the eCHO project, akira was given a disintegrating vintage gown to show it some love. the result: fabulousness which is pure akira. he even genuinely seemed happy to thank me for thinking his mbff collection was drop dead. aww.
xx

akira spring 2010 collection at mbff group show 2.

akira isogawa at the in conversation discussion at qut

the vintage gown restored by akira for the qut echo project

and we just could not resist some shamlessness...

peepshow tonight only.

2010-08-08T16:10:00.000+10:00

sneeky peeks and wardrobe voyeurism? love it. click here if you do too. thanks to the beautiful sarah-leigh!
xx

image courtesy unschoolme.blogspot.com

blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly.

2010-08-02T12:41:00.001+10:00

ah yes. another chapter in my sewing and haberdashery adventures. last weekend my friend hannah and i went on a little roadtrip to spotlight. i had no idea what i would be able to make with a ball of yarn. no idea whatsoever how i would even begin any sort of knitting. but my trusty scissors and the sewing machine saved what would undoubtedly have been a complete fail. presente: the hairy cape.
xx

sass & bide dress and black rats tights/ fringed shoulder cover: made myself, sass & bide ruffeld collar worn over/ vintage jewellery

the sun, it rises slowly as you walk.

2010-07-27T18:32:00.001+10:00

i found out all about brisbane artist courtney brims one day while "browsing" through frankie magazine, crouched behind a stand in the newsagents. a lovely friend then gave me this wild print. visit courtney and her beautiful pencil artwork here.

print by courtney brims.

a backward glance.

2010-07-26T20:50:00.003+10:00

never look back. but wolfnation... worth a peek.
xx

wolfnation by sass & bide dress, black rats/ vintage fur vest and jewellery

and everything looks brighter.

2010-07-21T21:51:00.000+10:00

rediscovered on a reminiscent flick through the pictures of my philanthropic dash to africa last year. this one, unfortunately, is only a photograph of a picture in the apartheid museum in johannesburg. i couldnt help myself to a discreet shot (after being sternly told "no pictures", finger pointing to the large sign showing a cross through a camera). sigh, but the layering of those neckpieces...
xx

shiny disco balls.

2010-07-19T11:27:00.004+10:00

dad gave me this mirror ball thing. hmm... loves it. louder disco music louder.
xx

etude in e minor.

2010-07-18T16:05:00.006+10:00

a lazy sunday afternoon. chopin. a bottle of red. dark chocolate. and a sewing machine.
oh yes. an absolutely perfect moment to gather an effort, and make the tulle skirt for which i bought a bunch of material and has been lying in my wardrobe gathering dust for months.
really, this is the easiest thing you could ever make, which is wearable and looks half decent.
instructions:
step 1.
take tulle in the colour of your most fabulous choice (about 2m length or more if you want major voluminous pleats) and fold in half, or 3/4 if desiring a layered effect.
step 2.
sew a straight line 1cm from folded edge.
step 3.
thread ribbon through waistline.
step 4.
trim to a length of your choice...et viola!
xx

les amants terribles.

2010-07-15T20:12:00.000+10:00

inspiration. and a sewing machine. so excited eeeeeee!
xx

tamara rojo and carlos augusta, shot by david burton: image courtesy paris vogue

lumiere.

2010-07-12T09:00:00.000+10:00

i raided my mothers box of treasures today.
xx

sass & bide top/ vintage cape and jewellery/ tights from sportsgirl

starry starry night.

2010-07-09T18:32:00.005+10:00

if i lay here, if i just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world?

image courtesy scienceblog

tragedy in toyland.

2010-07-08T17:27:00.005+10:00

slouched pants are back. oh yes they are.
xx

sass & bide pants, top and jacket/ vintage jewellery/ miu miu shoes/ vintage bag

i was uncool before being uncool became cool.

2010-07-04T01:52:00.013+10:00

because i sit by myself at lunch, reading siddhartha. and i dance on my bed. and sing along loudly to the music. because i like to listen to mozart. and go to the opera. play hopscotch in the street. wear legwarmers. on my arms. photobooth riot!

ksubi t-shirt/ sass & bide top and scarf/ nerd glasses from city beach/ vintage jewellery

smoke and mirrors.

2010-07-03T00:05:00.000+10:00

with my face pressed up against the window glass, eyes tightly shut, while grandma read out loud stories by roald dahl, i used to imagine that i could fly right over chimney tops, there with willy wonka in that fabulous elevator of his.
and whom better to invite over to come play than tim, helena and karen?
xx

images courtesy uk vogue

love love me.

2010-07-01T19:17:00.003+10:00

i first met pamela love (mesmerized by a raven skull necklace) while on a plunder through an inconspicuous little boutique named fallow hidden inside brisbane's fortitude valley.
the incredible pamela love talon cuff from the newest collection by the NYC designer. oh i do like shiny gunmetal.

images courtesy netaporter.