Violet Victory ~ Outfit Forty Two

Necklace  ~  Dotti      Broach  ~  Thrifted    Top  ~  Factorie   Skirt  ~  Thrifted  Stockings  ~  Equip  Shoes  ~  New Look{UK}

~ * ♥ * ~

I haven’t done proper victory rolls in ages ~ in fact, the last time I did them was in Perth for this outfit shoot.  I like how these ones turned out; for my second go at this hair style I think I did okay! 

Erm….  

And now I seem to be suffering from a random case of writer’s block.  This doesn’t happen to me very often, but I don’t have anything else to say!  > o <  I suppose I could ramble on about violets and how they are one of my favourite flowers. 

Actually, the masses of violets around my garden are one of the things that instantly attracted me to our house ~ I love the violets, moss and cherry tree.  Add some roses, lavender, snowdrops and hydrangeas, and what more could you ask for in a garden?   Not much in my mind anyhow.  ^ u ^

Okay, enough rambling.  Bye then! 

xox,

bonita

The Butterfly Blog Award ~ Yay!

So the lovely Nicole from Craft My Soul awarded me with this cool blog award and now I want to share it around!  ^ u ^

~ * ♥ * ~

Name your favourite colour ~ White and anything pastel!

Name your favourite song ~  I don’t really mention my world view very often on my blog, but I am a Christian and my favourite song for many years has been “In Christ Alone” because I feel that it sums up my faith and my life perfectly. 

Name your favourite dessert ~  Hmm, that’s hard.  I never used to have much of a sweet tooth, but after 8 months of pregnancy I suddenly developed a fierce taste for sugar and now I quite enjoy cake, cookies, ice cream, crumpets, chocolate{well, I always liked that one!}; the list goes on!

What wizzes you off ~ Slow drivers, being late, and having a messy house!  I can’t stand being disorganized.  It really gets my goat.

When you’re upset you ~ generally run to Husband for a big hug!!  He’s the only one who makes me feel instantly better, no matter what is going on.  I often joke that I am addicted to him, and his love is my drug.  I certainly can’t get enough of it, that’s for sure!  ; )

Your favourite pet ~  My horse Copper. He’s a 15.3hh, bay Standardbred off the track, about ten years old.  He is a real sweetheart and loves to go fast, jump and generally muck about on the trail.  I love how he has a great work ethic; he really tries to please you, although it takes him a while to pick on things sometimes, if you reassure him he will get it and do well!

Black or white ~ White... Although if you had have asked me that a year ago I would have said black for sure! 

Your biggest fear ~ Being left alone….  Yeah.  Not fun. 

Best feature ~  My creativity.  I like the fact that I can pull random bits and pieces together to make something pretty, or draw a picture that captures what I feel.  I love creating and I love ideas!  It’s so much fun. 

Everyday attitude ~  Live life to the fullest; being thankful for every precious moment. 

What is perfection ~  I could go all deep & meaningful on you, but how about simple pleasures; like hugs and warm nights and baby smiles. : )

Guilty pleasure ~ Trashy t.v. shows….  > . <  Can you say America’s Next Top Model anyone?

~ * ♥ * ~

Here are the 10 fabulous blogs I am awarding{in no particular order}:

1. Just Add Glitter and Stir ~ Maggi’s awesome vintage blog with crochet, crafting and babies. 
2. Forever Amber ~ Two words. Shoes + Funny = Awesome sauce.  Love Amber.
3. Katiefoolery  ~  A fellow writer and photographer, Katie is a girl after my own heart.
4. Scathingly Brilliant  ~  Pink hair & pretty frocks; Kate Gabrielle has a pretty, romantic style.
5.You've Got Nail  ~  Jacie has the low down on nail polishes, beauty, product reviews.
6. Esme and The Lane Way  ~  Esme has amazing style & is simply gorgeous; great vintage inspiration.
7. Va-Voom Vintage ~  Brittany has sweet vintage clothes and she always look fabulous.
8. Diary of a Vintage Girl  ~  Fleur is so friendly and lovely and she is such an inspiration to me.
9. Land Girl 1980  ~  I really enjoy Land Girl’s style and vintage vibe. We share a love for the 1940s era.
10. Clothes, Cameras & Coffee  ~  Rosalind is a darling, an amazing writer and fashionista.  So fab.

~ * ♥ * ~

If you received an award from me, here's what you have to do if you would like to play along and award a few of your favourite blogs ~

~  Link to the person who awarded you
~  Answer the questions above
~  Award 10 other bloggers the Butterfly Award

Cheers to all you lovely ladies and gents out there in internet land.   > ω <

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ DIY Vinyl Record Purse

For all you handy dandy vintage aficionados out there I have a fantastic tutorial from Charlotte of Tuppence Ha’penny Vintage on how to make your very own vinyl record purse.  It’s such a cute handbag and she even did a vinyl record hat tutorial as well, so if you want a matching hat and purse skedaddle over to her blog and take a look!

How to Make a Vinyl Record Purse

So you've got your record hat, what do you need to complete your outfit? A record handbag, of course!…

xox,

bonita

Put on your dancing shoes ~ Outfit Forty One

Rose Bracelet {around my bun} ~  Equip   Hair Bow  ~  Best&Less   Mushroom Earrings  ~ Diva  
Sunglasses  ~  Dotti   Jade Pendant  ~  The Ladies Market, Hong Kong   Cardigan  ~  Thrifted   
Black Top  ~  SES  Belt  ~  New Look, UK   Skirt  ~  Thrifted   Tights  ~  Thrifted   Socks  ~  Dotti   Shoes  ~  Thrifted 

~ * ♥ * ~

Oops, I just realized I did an accidental repeat with the cardigan in this outfit.  Oh well, I guess that just proves what I was saying in my last post about how much I love this cardi!   I feel like this outfit is a bit of an unusual mix for me and now that I look it over, it does seem rather eclectic; what with all the odd elements and all.

Sunglasses ~ I don’t normal wear them, socks & sandals ~ I love this look, but it is a bit different, and combine that with my 40s style cardigan….  Well!  What do you guys think?  On the money or slightly too… artsy… 

Eh.  I don’t know.  To be perfectly honest, I don’t mind it anyway ~ it sort of reminds me of Japanese street style actually!  I also really like how my sunglasses match my skirt.  I have been wanting floral sunglasses for a while and these ones not only fit the bill, but also fit over the top of my glasses so I can just pop them on in the car and still see to drive.   Yes, it’s weird, but I can’t see without my glasses and I hate clip on sunnies, so here I am ~ a sunglasses over the top of glasses wearing weirdo.  : P 

In other news, after being stuck like a pin cushion during my stay in hospital {yes, I was admitted for a few days after the surgery} I am finally getting better again.  I won’t go into detail, because it’s actually pretty gross {there were nappy pins involved!! O . o}, but thankfully it’s basically all over now.  As long as it doesn’t happen again.  

….  -___-‘ ….  Yeah.  Fingers crossed!  x  ^ . ^  x

I want to thank everyone for their well wishes ~ I really appreciate your care and support.  It’s one of the great things about blogging; the fantastic community we can build together!   I’ll stop before I get too sappy on you all, but really, thank you.  You are simply peachy.  ^ ω ^  ~ ♥  

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ 5 Minute Beach Pinup Hair

I found a lovely new blog called The Pink Retro Powder Room by Miss Amethyst.  There are great vintage inspired hair styling tutorials, some fabulous outfit posts and more fun vintage inspiration and tips.  I particularly love this tutorial for a simple but lovely Beach Pin up Hair style. 

Do not forget to check out the rest of her blog after reading this post!

 

5 Minute Beach Pinup Hair : Floral/ Reverse Victory Roll /Side Updo

Hello There Vintage Lovers!!  Today we will be doing a Beach 5 minute do. ( Side Bun with a Reverse Victory Roll)  Inspired by this photo {above}!!

xox,

bonita

S is for Snow!

Time for the photo diary of our day at Mount Perisher last Saturday.  Okay, I might have taken more than one picture an hour…  Instagram is so much fun and I seriously had to resist overloading this post with a billion photos of Theodore!  But just as much fun as taking photos ~ snowboarding again for the first time since last year.  Wow.  It was great…..  But let me get on with the pictures before I bore you all to death with recounts of my runs!

 

6:00am ~ We get up before the sun and say hello to Mr. Moon.  Early mornings are not my thing, but I do appreciate a beautiful sunrise. 

 

7:00am ~ Artistic photos while Husband and his brother do the boring stuff like load the car with an insane amount of gear!   We almost didn’t fit in the dog; but once I put my nifty packing skills into play we were able to drop her off at my parent’s place so they could dog sit.

 

8:00am ~ *sings* “On the road again; it’s good to be on the road again…”

 

9:00am  ~ Fellow adventurers to the snow; we were just in more of a hurry to see…. The snow!  I know you can hardly see it in the picture, but I promise that it is there. 

 

10:00am  ~  Hiring snow boards and feeding the baby at base camp {i.e. Jindabyne}.  Theodore with his fuzzy babyhawk is all “Whooo!  Rock on!!”

 

11:00am  ~  Up the mountain; I only wish we could stay at that motel!  Husband graciously lets me ride first whilst he keeps an eye on Theodore, so here I am on the Triple chair lift at Smiggens.

 

12:00pm  ~  Maybe one of these days I’ll try to take a shot while I am moving on my board, but for the moment here’s a snap that I took while “resting”….  Okay, so I fell on my butt a few times.  Hello!  Just had a baby!   So Feather {my snowboard} and I take a well earned break.

 

1:00pm  ~  Theodore’s Talkies:  “Zzzzzz”  Translation:  Happy Mommy!! : D  I look after the bubba, then Husband and I go for a ride.  Look!  He’s on top of the world!  Waiting for me again… 

 

2:00pm to 5:00pm  ~  Things get a little hectic at the end of the day; I pack up baby after finishing some runs with Husband and drive to my friends house.  We warm up in front of the fire while I feed and change Theodore{again}, while also fitting in a month or so of catch up chat into one hour.  Then I leave pick up Husband and his brother but end up running late.  Whoops! 

   

6:00pm  ~  We say goodbye to daylight, and to the snow, and by this stage I am too tired to be bothered taking any more pictures….   Really our day didn’t end until 10:30ish, but like I said, no more snaps! 

I may have been knackered at the end of the day, but it was sooo worth it.  I had a blast and as always, cannot wait to go again!

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Homemade 1940s Pillbox Hat

Another fantastic post to share from Blanka of Minor Swing of O'Sullivan's Girl!   Not only does it contain some lovely 1940s hat inspiration pictures, but it also has instructions on making your own ever popular pillbox hat for the handy dandy vintage lady.  I am absolutely filing this in the “Must Do This” list.   

Have a sticky beak over at her blog ~

Homemade pillbox hat

1942 (23th of March) LIFE issue shows hat types which could be easily (more or less) made at home. ….there's also a detailed manual telling you how you can make the gorgeous pillbox no. 12.  Pillbox hats were very popular in 1940s and are significant for this era.

xox,

bonita

Cherished Collections Blog Tour ~ My Mother’s Pearls

Hi everyone! Welcome to Depict This! if you are visiting.  ^ ω ^   I am so pleased to be part of Casey’s Cherished Collections Blog Tour; I am a big fan of Casey’s and I think her tour is a really neat idea.  I have so many collections {no really ~ stamps, teapots, teacups, TEA, vintage doilies, books, plush horses & of course, shoes!} that it’s been pretty hard to decide which one to show you all! 

There have been some really special collections put up already, and I finally made up my mind as to what I would share.  I am happy to present one of my cherished collections featuring all of the pearl accessories & jewellery I have gathered together over the last few years.

~ * ♥ * ~ L to R:  My mother’s bracelet gifted to me when I was quite young; eleven or twelve I think?  A necklace I bought at an antique store.  My mother’s costume pearl necklace.  I can’t remember when she gave it to me, but I think it was the first piece of jewellery she passed onto me. ~ * ♥ * ~

My Mom’s pearl necklace is definitely the first piece in my collection and I have had it for years.  I never wore it when I was younger, so it’s been tucked away in a box gathering dust for the better part of my ownership. Thanks to my recent interest in vintage I dug it out and now I wear it a lot because I love pearls.

In my mind, pearls are timeless and classic pieces of jewellery and I love how they make me feel when I put them on.  I always feel elegant and feminine when I wear my pearls ~ like I can take on the world, and then some! There is nothing like feeling pretty and confident at the same time. ^ u ^ ~ ♥

 

~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1:  Fresh water pearls ~ I bought the necklace in Florence, Italy and the earrings at the Parklea Markets in Sydney.  Picture 2:  Fresh water pearls ~ this tri~strand set necklace, bracelet and earring set was a 2007 Christmas present from my family. ~ * ♥ * ~

Plus, pearls have such an interesting story.  Did you know that saltwater pearls take between 6 to 18 months to develop whereas freshwater pearls can up to 4 to 6 years to grow?  However, saltwater pearls are more expensive than freshwater pearls is that saltwater pearls are grown in oysters and can only grow 1 to 3 pearls at once, but freshwater molluscs can grow up to 20 to 30 pearls in one go. 

 

~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1:  Freshwater pearl set in a marquise flower; a Valentine's Day present from my darling Husband.  Freshwater pearl set in a fan; bought in Hong Kong. Picture 2:  Some of my favourite costume pearl earrings ~ * ♥ * ~

Saltwater and freshwater pearls also differ in the type of lustre. In appearance freshwater pearls are noted for a softer lustre, a glow that comes from deep within the pearl; whereas saltwater pearls have a more brilliant superficial lustre.

Freshwater pearls tend to be more durable due to thicker nacre{the material pearls are made out of}, which is a good thing as far as I am concerned, because I wear them a lot, but I really would love to be able pass them onto my daughter{if I ever have one!}.  

 

~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1:  Vintage hair comb bought from Etsy and hair clips from Equip.  Pearl and chain sweater clip made by me.  Picture 2: Glass pearl bracelet made by me and a costume pearl bracelet. 
~ * ♥ * ~

Pearls vary in colour from white to those with a hint of colour, often pink, to brown or black. Each coloration will depend on the type of mollusc and the water where the mollusc lived. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to extreme heat, acids, dryness, humidity and scents.  I don’t put any perfume on my neck when I am wearing my pearls because apparently they can pick that scent up and it isn’t good for them.

 

~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1:  Pearl and seed bead necklace made by me.  Picture 2: Pearl headbands.  ~ * ♥ * ~

Also, did you know that pearls used to be really popular as an engagement ring jewel until the diamond companies decided to do a huge campaign promoting diamonds as the symbol of forever? 

There is a lot of interesting symbolism and history for pearls.  Pearls are considered to offer the power of love, money, protection, and luck. Pearls are thought to give wisdom through experience, and to cement engagements and love relationships.

Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought while some ancient legends say that pearls were thought to be the tears of the gods.  The Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying{which would be a great reason to put them into an engagement ring!}.

 

~ * ♥ * ~ Picture 1:  Vintage angora collar embellished with pearls; bought off Etsy.  Picture 2:  Vintage gloves embellished with pearls and seed beads; these are my most recent addition to my collection as I thrifted them two weeks ago.  ~ * ♥ * ~

I must say that I can’t really remember when my obsession with pearls started, but I do know that they are my favourite jewel.  Diamonds may be other girls’ best friend, but pearls are mine! 

I hope you enjoyed this guided tour of my collection.  : )

xox,

bonita

In the Navy ~ Outfit Forty

 

Pearl Hair Comb  ~  Etsy    Earrings  ~  Equip    Cardigan  ~  Thrifted    Knit top  ~  Tightrope  
Gloves  ~  Thrifted   Belt  ~  JayJays    Navy skirt  ~  Thrifted   Stockings  ~  New Look {UK} 
Shoes  ~  Best&Less

~ * ♥ * ~

Can I just say first off that I adore this cardigan?  I found it on my latest thrifting jaunt on Saturday and in all seriousness I think it is the bomb diggity.  The shape, the buttons, the knit pattern; this piece screams 1950s knit to me although I suspect it’s actually modern.   However, I don’t care.  I love it.

And I love my new skirt!  It’s made out of a jersey material so it’s nice and warm for winter.  I also picked up a teal & a purple skirt in the exact same material, style, and size, so I suspect that these three skirt were owned by the same person.  The other two aren’t in as good condition as the navy one, so I guess that this skirt was reserved for “going out”.  I plan on wearing the purple and teal skirts for pottering around the house in, but I can see this navy skirt becoming a new favourite for outings.  ^ u ^

I have to say I really like this outfit all over, because I really feel like I’ve finally pulled together a really truely vintage look with this one.  I think I could probably improve on the shoes, but other then that!  *is excited*   My vintage wardrobe is finally expanding and coming together.  It’s taking a while, but hopefully once I can sew faster and better, than I can have it grow even quicker. 

Speaking of growing, I cannot believe how big Theodore is getting! He is six weeks and four days old today, and he already barely fits in both my arms any more!  Crazy times.  They just grow up so fast.   I could get sentimental over the fact that he’s not really a newborn at all any more, but to be honest I am so looking forwards to him running around and being able to do stuff that I don’t mind how quickly he is growing up.  I cannot wait to get to know more and more of his personality as he gets bigger.  Babies can be such fun!

xox,

bonita

Teacups & Treasures ~ A thrift haul

Live from Depict This!

~ * ♥ * ~  A close up on the bead work.  ~ * ♥ * ~

So those are the best picks from my haul from last weekend.  I also took home a whole stack of books {around about 20 I think} including some by Janette Oak who is an amazing Christian romance author.  I am going to have a great time reading them all, but what I am really itching to get started with is my nightgown upcycled into a dress idea.  I will keep you posted on how that goes ~ I shall have to do a tutorial if they turn out like I hope they will! 

By the way, if there are any particular topics you’d like me to vlog about, just give me a shout out in the comments.  Have a great weekend!  ^ ω ^

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~ Sorry for those of you that might be viewing this post twice.  I had problems with the video, and did not realize this until I had already posted it.  I promise it works properly this time!  > o <’

Quick Share ~ DIY Lace Earrings

I found this post on Fashion Hacker by Em, and I love it!  A fantastic and easy DIY that will make something special to add to your jewellery collection.  I cannot wait to try it myself. 

DIY Lace Earrings

Those earrings! So pretty. I had to try to make my own!

…..I have had so much fun wearing these, and I can't wait to make more. Have fun with your own DIY!

xox,

bonita