CSSA ~ Pixies and Zippers and Buttons; oh my!

…And the best piece of advice given when he asked how to become a film maker? Make films. This is exactly what I tell people who ask how to become photographers: take pictures. Want to become a chef? Cook food. A doctor? Start operating on people…wait…scratch that…  ~  Elizabeth Halford

Oh, and if I want to learn how to be a seamstress?   I should start sewing.   And on Thursday that’s exactly what I did! 

Seriously, I am surprised at how well I got on.  I am way behind with the sew~along but on Thursday afternoon I was poking about aimlessly, ignoring the housework {I know, I know ~ bad Bonita!! > x < } and I thought that I would either study for my coaching course or tackle my very first zipper….

Anywho, the zipper won out and this is the result ~

 

I still find it hard to believe that that is actually my own sewing ninja skillz and not the magical pixie that lives under the tea kettle {because pixies, the sensible fairy creatures that they are, subsist on tea} that got that zip into place.  I know my fear of sewing zips is slightly irrational, but it’s there none the less. 

Of course, it isn’t a perfect job and if I could go back and make a few tweaks I probably would, but for my first go, as well as doing it all on my lonesome, I am really quite chuffed! 

I continued on the sewing spree and hemmed the cut I made in the underlining to allow the zip to open up fully.  I am planning to make my skirt fully reversible {yay! Two for the price of one!}, so I sewed on some buttons Friday night.  Three pearly rose buttons to be exact.  : )

So this is what the lining will look like when it is reversed ~

  

 

Those neat little loops?  They are ridiculously easy to do, and the tutorial for making the thread cord is here. 

All in all, it’s good progress for me, so I am happy with how things are going.  I plan to put on the waistband very soon ~ and I shall let you know how that goes.  I am freaking out a little over the thought of having to sew in two pieces of fabric and get the gathers even at the same time ~ I only hope that it turn out to be as simple as the zipper, but I guess we will see!

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

*sqeee!*

Okay; this is sooo cute!!  Kaelah from Little Chief Honeybee shared this video on her blog and I couldn’t help but to pass it on.  It’s gorgeous ~ see for yourself!

xox,

bonita

A modern take on 1950s vintage housekeeping

I’ve been busy on Pinterest, pining away at ideas to help me keep my house tidy and organized; just the way I like it.  I have been falling down on the job this week I am afraid; it seems that when I go out, like to get my hair cut, or for Theodore’s immunisations, it takes all day and by the time I get back home I am too exhausted to start the housework! : /

But I suppose it cannot be helped, I just have to try and catch up or ignore it and live with it until next week.  Which method to you prefer?  I once read a book on organization that said that you should leave the weekly jobs if you don’t get them done on the day they are scheduled for or you will forever be playing catch up.  I suppose that is good advice if you really don’t have time to spare, but I find that if I just stop mucking around on the computer for a while I can often catch up on yesterday’s chores if I didn’t manage to get them done the day before. 

If you are interested in the weekly chore system I use, here are two chore charts that are currently hanging on my wall ~

 

They are both available for download here if you would like to use them yourselves.  Obviously there are personal things that you may want to change around, but I often find it helps to have some sort of starting point! 

I actually started with the traditional “Wash on Monday” nursery rhyme to create my weekly chore list ~ it was really useful to pin down what chores I need to think about doing once a week.  

Wash on Monday,
Iron on Tuesday,
Mend on Wednesday,
Churn on Thursday,
Clean on Friday,
Bake on Saturday,
Rest on Sunday.

And as for leaving the washing until later on in the week?  Well ~

They that wash on Monday
Have all week to dry;
They that wash on Tuesday
Are not much awry;
They that wash on Wednesday
Are not so much to blame;
They that wash on Thursday
Wash for shame;
They that wash on Friday
Wash in need;
And they that wash
on Saturday?
Dirty they are indeed!

 

Lol; so what does that mean that sometimes I wash on Sunday?  I don’t even want to think about it! 
> o <

Anyway, on a more serious note I find this statement to be very wise and true for my personal experiences regarding housekeeping:

...Our foremothers found, as others have, that having a certain day to do certain chores goes a long way to getting everything done. I have tried all manner of organizational tips and tricks for having a good schedule and always failed in the execution because of being overwhelmed. However, having one priority per day helped me get that priority done.

Not only will this work for your housekeeping, but for your business or home school as well. A priority-based schedule may work better for larger families and for ladies like me who just can’t cope with a stringent, minute-by-minute schedule…

So don’t think that you have to eke out your hours and organize your time by the second to get your house work done; I have found that with a simple routine it really is quite easy to accomplish a lot of work.  Now if only I could manage to apply those principles to my coaching studies and my sewing!  Oh well.  One step at a time I guess!

xox,

bonita

Beach Blonde ~ Outfit Forty Six

Flower Hair Clip  ~  Equip   Hazy Daisy Earrings & Broach  ~  Acorn & Will   Rose Bracelet  ~  Equip   Vintage 50s{?} Dress  ~  Thrifted     Petticoat  ~  Thrifted

~ * ♥ * ~

So this is obviously what I wore when we went on our Coastal Road Trip not last weekend but the weekend before that. 

I really have no idea if this dress is from the fifties, or maybe the early to mid sixties, but there are a few things that make me believe that it could be actually vintage and not just 70s~does~50s or something of the like.

The first thing is the self~fabric belt that matches the dress, and the twisted thread belt loops that you find in a lot of older dresses.  Plus, the shoulder gathers and yoke seem to me to be a very 1940s style, and add a skirt cut on the bias and I am fairly certain I could date this dress as early 50s; a bit before the new look style really took off.   However, I cannot really be 100% sure ~ do you have any better ideas what era it’s from? 

Whatever the case, I do like this dress.  The cotton/poly blend fabric is really nice and floaty, but I think I might take in in under the arms though.  The bodice is just tad to loose and bulky looking for my taste.  It makes me feel like the dress does nothing for my figure, and naturally I don’t want that!

I do love the soft ivory~blonde yellow colour though, which actually surprises me because I didn’t think that I would be all that keen on it when I first thrifted the dress.  It’s crazy, but my wardrobe has evolved so much since I started blogging.  I always used to go for black, grey or red, but now I am branching out with a veritable rainbow of colours! 

I still have a particular style; rich, deep jewel tones or soft, baby pastels are my favourite shades, but any colour seems to go these days ~ everything except orange…. I still don’t think I will ever like that hue unlike my adoration for pink!  I never thought I’d see the day when my wardrobe would be mostly a variety of colour with a healthy, but definitely minority, section of black/grey.  It just goes to show that anything is possible! ; P

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ Sesame Street does “G” as in…

…This calls for more glitter!! > U <

…Glee Club!  Or in this case ~ the “G” Club. > 3 <

I don’t know how many of you watch the show, I myself have only seen the first season and I must confess I find the program a little silly; I mean, do they really have to keep on making clichéd, stupid mistakes over and over again?  

That being said, somehow the whole thing is still rather addictive and I love the music!  I did find this spoof really amusing, so watch and enjoy.  ᵔᴗᵔ

xox,

bonita

Konad Nail Art Tutorial

 

Pretty nails! > w <

~ * ♥ * ~  The finished manicure  ~ * ♥ * ~

Polish Details:  N.Y.C. Color in Redhead 

Top Tip:  Use a top coat over the Konad to make the nail art last longer.  You want to be super careful applying a top coat though, because it is very easy to smear the designs.  I find if you use a big blob of top coat and only stroke over each part of the nail once, the designs stay reasonably intact.  My favourite top coat is Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat.  You can buy it at supermarkets, pharmacies, or online here.   

I have listed everything I used in the video for easy reference.  You can find everything you need regarding the stamping kit at wowsocool.com. A basic starter kit would involve:

~  a stamper and scraper {which you can buy together}; make sure you get the double sided stamper kit as the smaller side can be really useful for transferring smaller designs with precision.  
~  a stamping/design plate
~  a Konad polish

Other useful tools:

~  Nail polish remover
~  Cotton pads for removing nail polish
~  Paper towel, newspaper, anything that can get messy and protect the surface you are working on

I hope the tutorial explains the technique of stamping nail art clearly for you.  If you have any further questions please feel free to put them as a comment or email me bonita{at}bdotdepictions.com.  > ω <

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~ I have a dressage and show jumping competition on Sunday, so I shall be away this weekend.  However, I hope you have a good one, and I shall be back on Tuesday with a thrift haul vlog! : D

Hourly Instagrams ~ A Coastal Road Trip

We went to the coast for my youngest sister’s birthday this Saturday, so I thought I’d do a picture diary of the day.  ᵔᴗᵔ 

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Our outfits for the day and a sneak peek at my outfit that I am posting about later. ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Rolly~polly baby and of course, the never~ending~baby~blanket~of~doomed makes another appearance!  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  We stop at Braidwood Park to feed the baby; I took the photo while Theodore is nursing, and then driving down the Clyde.  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Crossing the bridge into Bateman’s Bay and first sight of the sea!  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Sour gummy worms galore; yummy! and feeding Theodore.  Again.  His little toy Scruff came with us.  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Husband building sandcastles with a friend and my sandy toes.  ~ * ♥ * ~

   
~ * ♥ * ~  Lunch was at 3 o’clock, late but good, with ginger beer, chips, potato scallops and a tandoori chicken wrap.  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  The shore’s sentinel {a beach pine} and a view of Surf beach.  ~ * ♥ * ~

 
~ * ♥ * ~  Saying goodbye to the sun, surf and sand as we cross the river and pretty sunset on our way home.  ~ * ♥ * ~

It was Theodore’s first ever trip to the beach, but I don’t think he was that impressed as it was rather windy!  > o <  Still the sun was nice, and it was a lovely spring day.  A fun way to start the summer season don’t you think?  
^ ᴗ ^

xox,

bonita

Housekeeper ~ Outfit Forty Five

Hair Bow  ~  Diva    Pearl Studs ~  Christmas Present{?}  Pearl Flower Pendant  ~  Valentine's Day ‘11  Top  ~  Thrifted  Belt  ~  JayJay’s   Bracelet  ~  Dotti   Skirt  ~  Thrifted   Socks  ~  Best&Less; embellished by me with the lace   Saddle Shoes  ~ Amazon; you can purchase them here

~ * ♥ * ~

This is a really basic outfit, but I thought I’d show you the sort of look I go for if I am home for the day, and let’s be honest, can actually be bothered dressing properly!  When I don’t bother I opt for the Mom uniform of trackies and a plain top, but otherwise this outfit is my go~to style.  Simple skirt, easy knit top, and a belt for a little bit of extra oomph!{And to hide the mess that is my post~baby belly… > <}  

To be sure, you usually would see me swap out my saddle shoes for my slippers, but I thought that would look just a bit too scruffy, so shoes it is… : P    I thrifted this skirt along with my navy skirt & another purple one.  The three are made out of the same jersey material in the same style and shape and I love them!  I wear the teal and purple one at home because even though you can’t really see it in the pictures they are a bit worn and plooky so they are my around~the~house vintage. : ) 

I am also quite enjoying my pony tail hairstyle as well ~ I think it helps to keep the ‘grandma’ outfits a little more fresh and youthful ~ kind of like a teen 1950’s style.  I know it’s the standard “don’t know what to do with my hair” style, but I think when I am so dressed up anyway it does help to balance out the dressiness.   Which begs the question, is there any point to trying to dress down the dressed up style?  I don’t know.  I really like some of the casual vintage wear I’ve seen around, like cigarette pants, high waisted jeans, bandannas in the hair, etc. 

I haven’t quite got into the sporty/casual vintage just yet as I really don’t have any pants that would work, but I think I would like to try it someday!  *sigh*  If only I could some how acquire ninja sewing skills over night… There is so much I still have to learn!!! = x =’  Anyway, I’ll stop sulking over my decided lack of sewing skills and just DO some sewing!  Husband is helping draft my circle skirt pattern {yes, I am behind, but I didn’t have the materials I needed until Tuesday this week} and I shall hopefully catch up with everyone else next week.  I have to draft my pattern, cut out my fabric and then do whatever Casey has planned the week.  *Whew!*  I really don’t know where all my time disappears to, but it vanishes as swiftly as a footprint washed away by a wave….

The biggest testimony to the swift passage of time?  Theodore!  He is fifteen weeks old as of yesterday, which is 3 months and one week old already.  o___o   It’s crazy how big he is getting, and I am enjoying every day with him.  He smiles whenever I come to pick him up from a nap, giggles and laughs at his dad{and me!}, has tummy time without screaming now and can even roll over onto his back! 

He also has the biggest bald spot on the back of his head and likes to squawk like a strangled rooster now that he has discovered he can pitch his voice, but he is a really happy baby most of the time and that just fills my heart with joy.  And look how cute he is when he’s asleep! 

He looks like a little frog!  > ω < ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

xox,

bonita

Quick Share ~ History of Fashion Through Dance

Fun fashion & dance!

I found this quirky video through Beta Boutique Vintage ~ and it’s seriously so cute that I just had to share!  I love the early fashions/dances obviously, but it’s interesting to see how it all evolves.   My only complaint is that they change costume a little too fast to get a real sense of the clothes, but the outfits you see are super, and the dances are amusing so it’s well worth a watch!  Enjoy ~

xox,

bonita

Zentangle Inspiration

I was surfing the Net when I came across an art form called Zentangles, and was instantly intrigued.  Basically, Zentangle art is a method of creating an image through repetition of patterns and lines.  It’s simple and easy and anyone can do it because there are no rules besides repetition ~ Zentangles are just that ~ a tangle.  I thought the concept was pretty cool and wanted to try it out myself.  Just as I suspected, it’s quite relaxing and fun! 

I think that doing this kind of “doodle” art is actually a great way to unwind and clear your head.  Plus, there’s some well cool patterns out there that you can get ‘instructions’ for.  And the fantastic thing about Zentangle art is that you don’t need to have any drawing experience or skills ~ you just pick up a pen and go!  You could do this:

  

Or this: 

  

And hey, here’s some tangle pattern tutorials to get you started:

  

   

I did a few of my own tangles:

   

   

Mine aren’t quite as pretty or polished as some of the lovely tangles out there, that’s okay.  I am going to keep doing these just for the fun of it!  Plus, when I want to draw and can’t think of anything to do{yay, artist’s block…}, a tangle is a great way to get started. 

For more tangle~y goodness you can visit my Zentangle Pintrest board; and of course there’s always the ol’ Google images for loads more inspiration.  So what do you think ~ to tangle or not to tangle?  That is the question…..  ^ ω ^

xox,

bonita