Coffee + Pizza + Spook Town Fun

So much life has been happening. Some things you might expect and plan for. Other things... not so much. The holidays have been and gone. And while I had a mental list of things to do during that period, it all fell away when one by one kids got sick.

One small bit at a time I am picking up the pieces, and finding balance between work, creativity and rest. For now, let me catch you up on the happenings of past weeks.

Halloween is upon us, and I've got some spooky Halloween love to share. I can't help it, I think Halloween is such fun. So... Shimmer your way over to My Poppet Makes to find out how I up-cycled a spooky, yet utterly darling Halloween wreath.

I spent one glorious Crafternoon 'making stuff' with likeminded crafters, eating delicious cake and drinking Nescafé. Head on over to My Poppet Living. and get the full story and pictures from the Nescafé Crafternoon. I seriously need to do Crafternoons more often. People + food + making stuff = healthy combination.

Happiness is a baked pizza served straight out of a hot BBQ. So it was a crafty love fest for me, designing and making a pizza cushion for Kidspot. Head over to Kidspot to access my DIY 'pizza cushion' craft video.

A while back I produced a project for My Poppet Makes, showing how to transform a shoebox into a vintage trunk. In round up to this project, I created another project detailing how to create sturdy, layered shelves within the shoebox. It's the perfect way for storing all those easy to lose little pieces. Head on over to My Poppet Makes to find out how to make:

1/ Make a Vintage Trunk Storage Box

2/ DIY Storage Box Solution Small Items

Vintage Trunk Goodness

{My Poppet}

When I was a little girl I would watch the idyllic Hollywood oldies on weekend telly. A scene from one of those films which stands out is from Daddy Long Legs. It involves an overwhelmed ingénue (played by Leslie Caron) and a fabulous set of travel trunks – a gift from her mysterious benefactor. Afterwards, fancy trunks, along with treasure chests became desirable trinkets of my brimming imagination.

Now I welcome you to visit My Poppet and make your own Vintage Trunk with (surprise, surprise) a shoe box. 

What wonderful treasures will you place in the Vintage Trunk?

Journey Into Yesterday, Part 1

    Yesterday I took the train into the city and went on a vintage and art journey. I visited a whole bunch of colourful vintage stores such as Circa Vintage and Retrostar. It was incredible. Who would have thought history was so colourful.
    I then finished my journey with a long awaited visit to Outre Gallery. I hadn't been to Outre in so many years [my most favourite gallery] - I loved it and came away with a cute Australian made book called Owl Know How.

Just stepped off the train at Spring Street

So sad! The Job Warehouse fabric shop is closing after 60 years. It is said that
"When the world runs out of fabric, Job Warehouse will still have fabric".
That will, of course, change after 29th June.

One of the entrance gates to Melbourne's Chinatown.

I love Melbourne's terrace houses. This architecture is a part of
what makes Melbourne special.

One of the vintage/vintage inspired boutiques lining Gertrude Street.

    More photos to come in Journey Into Yesterday, Part 2.

Vintage Vroooom

Photography by Melissa Gaggiano

    What a treat! I was walking my family home from the park when we encountered this vintage piece of motor vehicle goodness. Isn't that special? They don't make cars like that anymore. Makes me wish the car companies built cars with the modern engines, but with this sort of exterior.
    I really should go to a vintage car show. I know my husband would get a real kick out of that.

Vintage

When I was a child my head turned for new things. But as I grew up I found myself appreciating the past a lot more and the items that went with it. Perhaps that is because the things I grew up with became vintage over time. But not just that, when I think about it, because I also developed an interest in design from much older begone eras.

In saying all that does that also mean that I have become vintage?

Seam Star Without the Stress

Do you have an appreciation for fashion? Or perhaps you wish to enhance your wardrobe but do not feel confident in your sewing skills. I know how that feels, and was recently inspired to find blogs out there that can inspire and provide great advice on homemade sewing.

The world of fashion is changing and many people are wanting to return to the basics and be able to make their own garments. In the current economic enviroment this can be useful. I can also say that it is wonderfully satisfying having designed and sewn an outfit by oneself.

Below is a small blogroll of sites that cover fashion themes such as sewing, vintage styles. All of which can be useful for you if you are wanting a wardrobe more customised to your style and on a moderate budget.

Check out the following sites. You just might find something that you rather like.

• Pink Tucks
  
• The Sewing Divas
• Burda Style
• The Feed Dog
• Laura's Sewing Room

If you know of other blog sites that cover homemade fashion feel free to make a reference in the comments.