Favorite things, bunnyfish and owl wings

I added Audrey Kawasaki and KozynDan to my favorite things because they are! I studied and worked as a graphic designer (still do freelance) and I love illustrative art.

I have a a few KozynDan hanging up but still desire some more bunnyfish and as yet a work by Audrey has eluded me.











I like Audrey's work as it is always provocative and sensual. Plus its positively beautiful painted on the natural grain of wood.

I am still refashioning with material from my scrappy flapper dress, how can so much material be in one skirt? Working on my Campergirl packing guide too... until next time.

xx

Scrappy Reflapper

Well holidays were great, I climbed a mountain, swam in the sea, did some cross stitch and relaxed... but after being deprived of my sewing machine I was delighted to spend today refashioning. For the short waisted of us (that includes me) it is empire line or dropped waists. I have so many empire line tops and to be honest its getting BORing!

So I decided to make a drop waisted frock. You can read all the 'I made this earlier' details, as always on the wonderful wardrobe refashion site.

My Mum bought me a wonderful skirt with really pretty material. But alas, too much material on a drawstring waist spelled disaster and instead of a complete body type replacement I thought refashioning was a more pain free option. With the addition of of secondhand material from my stash, here is what I came up with.

It looks like a Great Gatsby meets Doris Day , two of my favorite things x

*The skirt is just tacked to the bodice, I'll sew it on properly, honest!

Wendy house with wheels

Yippee its holiday time! I read a lot of advice about what to pack for beach holidays, country getaways or city breaks but I am still looking for a guide for the girl who is on the campervan break.

How does one pack with style when very little room is available and every holiday type clothes will be required and hair is to dry au natural (read uncontrollable mop) ... head scarves of course (or as my Nana calls them head squares)!

Whip one on and in an instant you are sleek and stylish, Opshop's are great for these, so I will be packing a few from my collection. If you need more convincing, as always Audrey.


Maybe over my holiday I will compile a 'what to pack' for campervan trips and post when I come back... If you are not convinced about campervanning click here for a lovely little article to open up your mind.

Going in the campervan on holiday reminds me of playing in my wendy house when I was little but this time its got wheels!

I won't be around for the the next few days, take care

xx

My lady...

Joy of joy I found another rather good secondhand store called Rebound in Petone. I went there with my friend Esther and we shopped like only two girls can do high on caffeine and sugar!

I found a rather lovely silk and cotton cardi for $10, lace topped cami for $1.95 and a pair of shoes for $8.95, whooo. There was lots of great winter coats there too so maybe a trip back at some point...

You will notice a great trench in there too, well it was a online auction score at $25. I don't suit the traditional double breasted trench so I went for a retro single breasted ladies version instead.

Now I can whip it on at a moments notice and look effortlessly stylish like Audrey Hepburn.

xx

Mr and Mrs Peg

On the Wardrobe Refashion site PumpkinNiki made a rather sweet bag with old rice bags and it got me thinking that we have a few lying around...

I decided to make a peg bag, not so glamorous but functional. I think it turned out ok.
You can read more about it on Wardrobe Refashion

It got me thinking about peg dolls, I used to make them when I was little. On the Red Current there is an old blog entry will heaps of links on how to make them. So sweet.

Drab to Fab

I am very much into my Refashioning challenge and its making me be tres creative! Yippeeee

You can read my post about the above jumper turns into cardi on Wardrobe Refashion and help me make up my mind if its buttons on or off... I can't decide.

I am researching folk/ethnic costume at the moment for a costume I am designing and making for a musician called Bachlorette, and I came across some really great books. Dress in Detail is a great series and for the costumer an absolute must! So I picked up the Dress in Detail: Around the World and it is stunning. One direction for the costume is to make it and Apron style so I picked up Aprons : Icons of the American Home



Now I want both books myself and to make a new apron! Watch this space

xx

Dirndl days and pearly confections

Its a mixed deluxe bunch today, recycling, refashioning and make new... a new Opshop has just opened up on my walk to my local library and on my first visit I found a black slinky dirndl and a shiny set of fake pearls.

I have had a wonderful enamelled pendent on a rather uncomfy suede thong for quite some time now and I never wear it, so I decided to do my first refashion. You can read about my refashion over on the Wardrobe Refashion blog but lets just say that the pearly confection is super sweet if I don't say so myself.

I have also just finished making a top from fabric found in the scrap bins in the costume workshop. Very nice white silk and lace no less. I made a light jacket as in the summer sun in NZ you need to slip, slop and wrap to keep you pale and interesting. Its a whole lot more fun if done in style!

Then just like a dream my leather obi belt by Ledthread that I had won on the BurdaStyle site arrived. Its so soft and pretty. So I put a few looks together with the Opshop black dirndl, new handmade jacket and my prize obi.

Dressing up is so much fun, even for grown up girls.

xx

I am a Wardrobe Refashionista!

I got an email from nikkishell from Wardrobe Refashion and I am all signed up for two months. Let the Refashioning begin. I am pretty excited.

I did a wardrobe clear out today and have a big pile of clothes that I can refashion, I am really hoping that my fabric stash will go down too in the next two months.

It comes as quite a shock to see how random my wardrobe is, no wonder I am always looking for something to wear,as I stare at heaps of clothes. Since one of my goals is to have a more streamline, quality wardrobe it looks to me that i will have to start making basic like white shirts... I don't even own one.

For some wardrobe rebuilding advice I have been reading up, surprisingly the LUCKY shopping manual: building and improving your wardrobe piece by piece did not advocate running out and buying everything, it was just full of good advice. It was more fun to read than others and more visual which I prefer than pages of text.

One other aspect of my refashioning is to get healthy so i can get back into some rather nice clothes that are a tad small. Its getting of to a good start with my friend and i... running! We are going to enter the Real Women's Duathlon and we have been out twice already. The big day is in April, so lots more training days to go...

Minnietheminks xx

OpShop Delight

I had quite a find in one of my local OpShops today, or should that be five finds! My mum always coveted shoes by Bally and its rubbed off on me, so I was super quick to grab a black pair of Bally courts, they fitted a treat, been recently reheeled and the leather had not a mark. I then went for a wander round the store.

I proceeded to pick up a great long denim skirt that was made in NZ with the coolest buttons, a crochet lace dollie, old leather picture frame and a really lovely pendent on an ugly rubber thong. I then went to the counter and asked how much the shoes were (my heart palpitating as I am on a very tight budget) and the lady replied $3 NZD (roughly $1.80 USD or $1.20 GBP), my heart sang with joy. She only charged me $9 NZD for the whole lot!

So when I got home I took some lovely pictures and rethreaded the pendent on to one of my own silver chains. Who said secondhand shopping is dull :)

Up and running

Well I have got my blog looking a bit more 'me' and as organised as I can for now. I have been thinking hard about my challenge and I am going to test my will by signing up to wardrobe refashion for two months, I have missed the January round but have sent an email so lets see what happens.

I also took the Handmade Pledge which really got of to a start at Christmas as I hand made soft toys for my two friends babies, in fact I created new animals! I downloaded a pattern from the Burda Style website for a giraffe and lets just say one turned out to look like it had crab claws for legs!

I also made a shirt for my partner Doug from material already in my stash and drafted my own pattern. First time I have made a mans shirt and my Readers Digest:Complete guide to sewing was as reliable as ever, the best secondhand purchase ever!

I also made a necklace of my own design from felt, thread and buttons for my friend.

Well that's it for today, night, night.