The Nail Art Times

 

~ *  Enjoying the BYS Matte Aqua nail polish & the best application technique I have ever seen!  This is with no clean up whatsoever!! I blogged about it here: Nail Art ~ Blue Lagoon * ~

~ * Chickadee manicure with Prêt-A-Polish in C'est La Vie using Konad Plate m11 * ~

~ * My latest polish haul ~ four BYS polishes. L to R: 05 Light Purple, 03 Gold Glitter, 02 French Pink, 10 Silver Glitter.  Totally unimaginative names, really cute colours!

BYS are well known in the nail world for having a great lacquer at a fantastic price.  For instance, these polishes were $4.00 AUD each; I brought all four for the price of one bottle of Revlon nail lacquer.  Sweet!  Plus, don’t you just LOVE the leopard print lids??  I usually pass on leopard print, it’s not my style, but I am LOVING these.  I had to buy them as soon as I spotted them.  * ~

~ * The Gold Glitter in action ~ I would have to say that it’s no where near as impressive as I would have liked, but the three different sizes of glitter is nice and I think that if you layered it over another colour, this polish would really pop. * ~

xox,

bonita

Vintage Reproduction ~ Almost as fun as the real stuff!

 

Yay, vintage clothes! : D

So the link to the specific style of Freddie's of Pinewood jeans I bought is here:  Ladies Side Button Jeans.

And really, I can’t say enough how fabulous and comfortable I have found them… I think I want at least a few more pairs and possibly the overalls.  We shall have to see!

xox,

bonita

For your daily dose of cute ~ Be Kyoot Wallpapers

 

Seriously, who doesn’t take one look at the pretty pastel macaroons with the tiny “you can’t seeeee me” kitty hiding in the midst of all the sparkles and just squee?   > x <  ….   Ok ~ maybe you don’t feel the need to do that {The Husband certainly didn’t – in fact he laughed at me whilst I did….}, but I think that anyone can enjoy these gorgeous desktop wall papers anyway. 

Plus, you can get them for your smart phones too.  *does a dance*  Now my phone and my laptop match!  And yes, I’m a geek like that.  > w <

Check out more of Christy's work at Be Kyoot for loads of epically adorable kittehs, sweets, and cute hijinks!  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

xox,

bonita

Lest 2011 be forgot… Hello 2012!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!  I have just come home from a lovely week away at Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains region.  It’s so beautiful through there, and we all really enjoyed ourselves. Plus, I got loads of photographs as well ~ I do think there’s nothing better than a holiday with lots of beautiful scenery. 

Looking back over 2011 I find that I am pretty happy with what I have managed to achieve, in fact, when I think about it, I actually manage to complete my New Year’s resolutions!! Wow, I am gobsmacked.  I think the thing that really helped me was to keep it small.  Three things, one for each area of my life that I want to improve.  Why do a big list if I can never get it done?  So I am doing the same thing this year as I did last year, and at the same time I thought I would list my accomplishments!  : 3 

~ * My New Years Resolutions * ~

2011:  My personal goal ~ To be the best mother I can be.

Well, I don’t know that I can consider this resolution finished, because once you are a mother, you are a mother for life!  Still, my baby is happy and healthy…  I guess I have completed that goal for 2011, but it’s still there for years to come!

2012:  My personal goal ~ To go to bed on time.  

Okay, I know it sounds silly, but trust me, this is a big issue for me.  And I want to fix it.  See, I’ve figured out that there is a reason I am a total night owl, it’s because my Circadian {sleep cycle} rhythm is all out of whack ~ I have a longer sleep cycle than the normal 24 hour day, which essentially means that if I am not careful, I will stay up later and later and get up later and later.  Unfortunately that doesn’t work so well when you have a lot of things to do like I do. 

So my goal is to be IN bed before 10:30pm every night.  Hopefully if I do that regularly I will also be able to get up at 7:30am every morning.  Yes, I know that is a lot later than most people get up, but besides the staying~up~late problem I found that I also tend to need over eight hours of sleep a night or I just can’t function.  So a good bed time habit is essential!

~ * ♥ * ~

2011:  My skills goal ~ To practise sewing and by the end of 2011; to have sewn myself a day dress.

I certainly didn’t manage to do as much sewing as I would have liked, but I did do few new things!  I made my first muslin, inserted the first ever zipper and set my first sleeves.  I drafted my first pattern {albeit for a circle skirt, so not that hard at all!} and did my first pattern adjustments of a FBA, swayback pinch, regular~to~puff sleeves, and shirt collar to peter pan collar.  I also brought my first sewing machine!  A vintage Bernina 860 I christened Charlotte.   Mind you, the actually tally of me~made garments at the end of the year is a little sad… Two in total.  : /  However, one of them is my dress {!!! Yes, I’ll show you soon ~ for my first 2012 outfit shoot} and I am very excited about that.  > U <

 

 

2012:  My skills goals ~ To finish my EFA Introductory Level Riding Instructor’s Certificate.

Self-explanatory.  I am working hard to get my certificate so that hopefully I can start coaching sometime soon.  Extrey cash on the money tree is always useful!  : D

~ * ♥ * ~

2011:  My business goal ~ To set up my b dot depictions studio website properly, to get my business cards done and to go to at least one fair with my photographs this year. 

Did it!  Okay, not the fair part ~ it really was too much for me to handle this year, plus funds were a little low…  However, my website is up at B dot Depictions {yay!}, and I have my business cards.  I haven’t handed that many out yet, but that’s ok.  I have them.  > ω <  

 

 

2012:  My business goal ~  To sell some photographs.

Yeah.  All that work last year and I still haven’t sold a single, solitary picture.  I aim to change that this year with some better marketing and a possible rebrand.  I have some ideas, so let’s see what comes of that. 

~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~

So how about you?  Did you mark off your 2011 resolutions as done, not done, or to be done?  Have you thought out any new ones?  I can’t believe it’s the new year already, but I can’t wait to get stuck into it.  It shall be fun ~ best wishes to everyone! 

xox,

bonita

Come Dance by My Lonely Grave ~ Outfit Fifty Three

Dress ~ Etsy   Gloves  ~  Thrifted   Bracelet ~  Dotti    Shoes  ~  Thrifted
~ * ♥ * ~

Yeah, I know, it’s another new dress….  From Etsy again.  But there is some seriously cute stuff on that site; how can I resist?  This lovely 1950’s shirtwaist has a gorgeous full skirt and yes, I did mean to wear my crinoline underneath to make it “poof” but I forgot!  Still, it doesn’t matter because it’s one of those dresses that looks good no matter what.  :3 

To change the topic, I hope your Christmas preparations are going better than mine!  I haven’t finished my present shopping yet, nor started wrapping them.  As for the Christmas cards?  Well, I wrote the letter, but couldn’t find A5 paper in any of the shops I searched, decided to send only the cards, got sick and well, here I am today and that is that!   At my current rate I’ll be a Christmas-cards-every-two-years sort of person.  

Which, to be honest, seems a little silly to me, because if you are going to send cards you should do it properly and send them every year right?  But then again, some cards are better than none… 
On the upside, my Christmas tree is up and decorated, which was actually a bit of a feat seeing as I had to buy all the decorations, and I have made my gingerbread house for the year.  Yay!!  Christmas rather snuck up on me this year, but I am looking forwards to it, and the holiday afterwards.  ᵔᴗᵔ ~ ♥

xox,

bonita

Roses and Raindrops ~ Outfit Fifty Two

50’s Day Dress ~ Etsy   Rose Peep Toes  ~  Thrifted   Rainbow Ribbon Handbag  ~  Forever New

~ * ♥ * ~

I love how well my new purse goes with my outfit; I brought it recently from Forever New.  I don’t know if any of my Aussie readers have seen that shop?  Honest to goodness, that store is like princess crack to me….  > 3 <  ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Practically all of their stock is in some dreamy pastel shade, and is dripping with lace, pearls, flowers or rhinestones!!  It’s by far my favourite modern place to shop.  I also love how a lot of their stuff is extremely vintage inspired, like my purse, and fits beautifully with almost any vintage outfit.  What I don’t love is how a lot of their stuff is really quite pricey.  It kinda bites…  : P  

But they certainly have my number because I am sure that expense regardless, I will continue shopping there.  So you definitely know that I am hooked because I am quite stingy when it comes to shelling out big bucks on just one item!  They also have a website if you are interested in looking at their stuff ~ Forever New.  It’s not hugely inspiring, but there are some great items there if you dig for it!  Plus, the sales are good.  Now go forth and get addicted…  ; 3

xox,

bonita

Instadate!!

1:  My new~to~me vintage crochet gloves
2:  My new purse from Forever New; I ♥ it!
3:  Theodore loves sucking on his toes
4:  “My, what big eyes you have!” she said…
5:  Woodland dreaming
6:  Twilight in the treetops
7:  Dinner ~ stuffed capsicums with rice and roasted pine nuts.  Yum!
8:  Hanging
9:  Seagrass on the shore
10:  Sandy baby toes…  Aw!  > <

“Instadate!”  Lol….  Ok.  Lame joke ~ I know.  Anywho, it’s my Instagram update.  I love seeing what other bloggers have been up to with day to day snapshots so I thought I would share some of mine.  Most of these are from our trip to the coast; we went back to the place we where married for our two year anniversary and it was lovely. 

If you would like to follow me on Instagram you can find me at bdotdepictions.  See you there!

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ 1950s Vintage Makeup Tutorial

Vintage magazines are quite fascinating, and there’s nothing like the original thing to achieve a picture perfect look.  Jessica from Chronically Vintage shares this lovely step-by-step make up tutorial with us to help the vintage lovers achieve that 1950s look.

1950s step-by-step photo tutorial for applying eye make-up

It's a safe bet to say that the majority of us have at least a decent handle on how to apply eye makeup, especially given the emphasis on that particular facial feature that certain vintage looks call for (hello, cat's eye eyeliner!).

Some of us are old pros, others relatively confident in their abilities but not quite as resolute in their skills as they hope to be one day, whereas there is certainly a percentage of vintage make-up fans who are just starting out with learning how to apply old school cosmetic looks on themselves.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it's likely that you'll enjoy the instructional set of black and white photographs in today's post, which show the precise techniques used (on this model at least) back in 1950 to achieve a strikingly elegant, endlessly classic lined eye look….

xox,

bonita

Other side of the tracks ~ Outfit Fifty One

Daisy Earrings  ~  Hot Dollar Shop  Blouse  ~  Modcloth via LuluLetty   Bangles  ~  Gift from my sister   Cigarette Pants  ~  Thrifted   Saddle Shoes  ~  Amazon.com

~ * ♥ * ~

Yes, I have officially procured my first pair of vintage trousers…  *squee!*   They are a nice wool blend and they seem to be really sturdy which is fantastic. They also fit perfectly, plus I really like the colour and style.  And even better?  I didn’t pay a single cent for them!!  ^ U ^  

To top it all off, they had a tag pinned to them saying “Tonis RAAF” ~ which I am pretty sure stands for the Royal Australian Air Force.  How exciting is that?  I love knowing a bit about the history of vintage clothes!  It makes me wonder who Toni is though…  And did the RAAF really wear their trousers short back then, or am I just too tall for them?   Questions, questions.

Anywho, though it does feel a bit odd to be wearing pants, I like these, and I am super glad I found them!!  > ω <

xox,

bonita  

Just another day at the home office*

* Or Curing my Grandmother Scuffs addiction.

Case evidence as seen here:

See for yourselves ladies and gentlemen. The suspect in question has upgraded her “house clothes” to the stage of casual and comfortable, yet neat and presentable, from pyjamas, trackie dacks{or track pants for non-Aussies.} and t~shirts.  However, it would appear that she forgot one important detail…  THE FOOTWEAR.

Okay, I admit it.  I am addicted to my slippers.  Yes, they look like my grandmother’s scuffs, but let’s face it, they are easy and cosy and, well, easy!  The thing is, if I am bothering to dress nicely, then I think that I should bother to put on some proper shoes.  I just don’t seem to have an appropriate pair to pick from.  *gaspshockhorror*.  I think I need to find something, but I am not sure what. 

They have to be really easy to slip in and out of {no hands for when I am carrying the baby} and comfortable to wear all day.  I do know that probably means a pair of flats, but I was also thinking that may be I could just buy a nicer pair of slippers that sort of look like shoes and go for them instead?  Here are a few styles I am considering. 

 
~ * ♥ * ~ These you can purchase, and I must say I am really loving the cable knit and the pom~pom, although white IS a little impractical.  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  These ones you can make yourself; which is pretty nifty.  Maybe I should have a go at making my own.. ~ * ♥ * ~

Which ones do you think I should go for?  Would you wear them out of the house or just at home?

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ A History of Handerkerchief

I do love finding out historical facts regarding all sorts of random things ~ it’s so much fun to know stuff like this, so I have here a post about the history of the handerkerchief by Lauren of Bobby Pin Blog.

Handkerchief History

"Historians credit Marie Antoinette with the invention of the pocket handkerchief. She was so broken up at leaving her home in Austria that she cried all the way to France and wiped her eyes with bits of lace torn from her dress and lingerie. Anticipating future tears, she made it a point always to have a piece of lace tucked in a pocket of her dress. This, say the historians, was how handkerchiefs were born."

That is such a cute and beautiful story. I would not expect anything less from a 1940s women's magazine. The romance that surrounded writing for women of the time is priceless, but it is of course a load of you-know-what….

xox,

bonita

Artist’s Alley: Lovely Ladies

 

Here’s some more art work that I have sketched recently ~ one thing that is good about my RSI is how it has me doing a lot more drawing than I was.  I forget how much fun it is.  : D  Although I do hate staring at a blank page wondering what to draw!  I have so many ideas, yet it seems that I have to be in the right mood or I don’t want anything to do with them.  Do you ever find that happening to you? 

It happens to me far often then I would like, but sometimes it is helpful because I either think up a whole ‘nother idea or I push past the block; the pushing doesn’t occur very often, but sometimes. 
> <   The thought that I like to keep in mind with it is that anything I do is practise, and any practise is good.  So it doesn’t matter if it’s not the most amazing piece of art I’ve ever done, if it moves me forwards then that is enough.  Practise makes perfect! 

Hmm.  So maybe I should take my own advice and stop chickening out of colouring my line art.  > . >’  I’ll let you know how that goes!!  : P

xox,

bonita