3 D and the animated junk shop..

Yesterday Wellington really pulled out all the stops.

All kiwis know about Wellington’s reputation as the “windy city”, but yesterday there was not even a breeze.

Steve, my son’s dad was on his first trip to Wellington, so we did the tourist thing.

So I thought I would invite you guys along too.

Show you some of our favourite things in town, with a bit of a vintage twist of course.

We originally planned to go to Avatar 3D, but all sessions were booked when we arrived.

So we headed to Te Papa – the museum of New Zealand.

And what do you know? there was two chances to don our 3D glasses and watch movies… one about the colossal squid (dont ask) and then the destruction of Pompei.

Not quite avatar, but it was free.

Te Papa is a fantastic museum, there is so much to see that I have visited numerous times and havent been to every exhibit yet. I finally got to check out the “Golden days” show, of course loving everything vintage it was perfect for me. It is a movie about the good old days of NZ’s history, set in a magical junk shop. It was great for photo opportunities, with all kinds of things decorating almost every inch of the place.

After Te Papa we ate at our favourite place – Sweet mothers kitchen. I should really say “kitsch- en” as it is decorated in all things tacky. They do the best curly fries in the world, and the service is spectacular.

Then to end the day we took a drive around the waterfront and watched the Sun Princess cruise ship chugging out of the harbour.

As we all say..

“There is nowhere better than Wellington on a sunny day”

Vintage needle books

I think I have found what I want to collect.

I have been looking for something to collect for a little while now, but didnt want anything too expensive or ordinary.

I went op shopping yesterday and found a packet of vintage sewing stuff, including these wonderful cardboard needle books.

I found one previously and didnt think much of them but after having done a little research have discovered that they are collectible items and come in many different shapes and sizes.

My favourite one is the elephant hunters. It is a 3d pop out needle book, soooooo un PC.

I am a buddhist vegetarian and I must admit it made me shudder at first, but I am guessing it is pretty darned old and if we are living this vintage life we have to acknowledge the not so great things about the era as well as the great things.

Now I need to find out more about these little books, does anyone out there have any expert knowledge they can impart? About value, places to find them, history etc?

As an aside – I want the world to know that Wellington DOES get hot sometimes, here is me trying to cool down whilst blogging…..

The best birthday ever!

It was my birthday today.

Wellington FINALLY decided it would play along with this summer business and put on the hottest day of the year so far.

So after a lovely easy day at work and a spot of op shopping ( I will post my finds tommorrow) I headed down to the Botanic gardens to watch a band and hang out with my family.

I packed a picnic,

My sister came down from Rotorua,my sons dad was down from Auckland and my friend Rachel provided the glasses for the wine.

The band was fantastic and the atmosphere was chilled.

Here are some photos.

I’m Baaaack

Hi all

Today marks the return of my enthusiasm for blogging.

I returned to Wellington, work, the Buddhist Centre and it was all a bit too much so I reverted back to my modern ways a little.

However I decided that I would get back on track and vintage it out.

So today was an exciting double birthday celebration for my friend Emira and myself.

Emira is 6 today, and I am 36 on Wednesday.

Emira kindly shared the limelight of cake blowing out and present opening with me, and her sisters and mum made a great feast.

Interesting karma for a 6 year old to have a bunch of monks and nuns turn up to her party!

The girls were pleased to see me back in my vintage gear, Marshida informed me that a blog all about me was to follow soon.

I was then kidnapped to the play room where I was forced to dress as a vintage bride, with Tamina as my vintage bridesmaid.

Thanks girls for a great party.

After all the food we worked it off with a spot of putting publicity in letter boxes.

Lamchog and I looked at the map and chose a road that looked like it nicely curved around back to home. Wellington is very hilly and we didnt realise that it curved all right…. down, down, down and then up , up , up.

So I’m glad to be back.

Hope this blog finds you all well and happy

xx

fellow blogger promotion post..

I am continuing to be slack on the posting front.
So sorry about that, should be back in action in a day or two.
Meanwhile…
I would appreciate it if you took the time to read a special blog.
My friend Marshida wanted to write a blog too, and has taken the iniative and started one up.
I was going to help her out with getting started, but didnt – sorry Marshida!

Anyway, Marshida is learning to meditate at our kids class at the Buddhist Centre and is blogging about what she learns.
Please check it out and support her in her efforts to become more peaceful and compassionate.

She completely puts me to shame as a Buddhist.
Her blog is about meditating…. mine is about clothes.

mmmm…

http://marshidameditates.blogspot.com/

Women of steel

Just seen this in the UK Independent..

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/60-years-on-the-women-of-steel-are-honoured-1866888.html

It fits in with my story about my nan working in the ammunition factory during the war.

I love this picture, check out the heels on that gal!

And having seen a fair few pics of women workers, they all looked this glam while doing “mans work”.

Love, it, love it.

short break in transmission

I have temporarily disapeared into cyber space and for this I apologise!
I am housesitting and havent been able to get onto the net to publish anything.
However i can say that it is 14 degrees c here in Wellington and i have had to wear stockings and a winter coat.. and this is summer?

To add to my not so fantastic mood I found this little “gem” in our NZ news site.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/3224629/Why-35-is-the-new-40

HHMMPPHHHH is all i can say!
I will be back soon I promise
xx

X4EYGVNNGD79

Dive,dive dive

Tommorrow I return home.

The weather forecast is storms and wind.

So I have been desperately trying to wring every last moment out of my summer holiday.

The one thing Ciarann wanted to do on his holiday was to snorkel.

I was racked with panic at this idea, the thought of having to breathe through a narrow tube that has recently held someone elses spit is one thing, close encounters with sting rays and possible moray eels quite another.

But, as a mother you often have to do things with a forced smile and a “gosh that sounds like a wonderful idea”.

So I hired a wetsuit and hoped noone had peed in it, thrust my flippers onto my feet and went for it.

Its very very difficult getting into the water at all with flippers on, let alone being graceful or glamourous.

We were at Goat Island, a marine reserve where the fishes are your friends, literally.

They were in no way aware of the fact that we are predators and they are prey. They almost laugh at you at they swim right at your face then veer off at the last moment.

We had a lovely time, swimming around. Ciarann had a bit of a freak out when i spied a stingray, but otherwise we just floated around chasing enormous fish.

So thats it really, we may get one more beach trip in before I fly out tommorrow and then I go back to the real world.

See you all there.

xx

Aunty Isla

Yesterday I headed out to the big smoke of Auckland.

The vintage shops were beckoning..

I was very impressed with the amount of thrift shops and the cheapness of the vintage clothes shops.

Much better than Wellington.

My finds of the day were an old hairdryer – the kind you stick over your head, a rock and roll circle skirt which fits perfectly and this little beauty of a dress, I know its not really the right era for the blog, but its so damned cute and comfy!

But one of the main reasons for the trip was to visit my Aunty Isla.

Isla is one of the most stylish people I know, she always looks amazing.

And she is 96!

Its always so easy to not visit when Im up here, we talk ourselves into being so busy, but this time I really wanted to spend some time with her and hear her stories.

She used to be a dressmaker so I knew she would have some interesting opinions on style.

So we had a lovely morning.

She insisted on little sandwiches and cake served on lovely china – I felt so special!

We had a discussion about style and she told me that she applies lipstick first thing in the morning every day, people have come over early in the morning and asked what the occasion is!

She has her hair set every week and dislikes the hairstyles of today “they always look like their hair is not done properly”

She remembers that back in the 40’s not many people used to have hair professionally treated, they did it themselves, she preferred rolls.

She says that she has always found it important to dress well and care about her appearance. She refuses to wear flat shoes, although she finds it painful to wear heels! We laughed about our vanity!

I shared the story with you about my nana and Wallis Simpson a few weeks ago.

Well Isla at that time lived in Masterton – a provincial NZ town and she remembers that it was huge news here, she says that in her dressmaking studio where she was teaching all the students were listening with baited breath to the story of the abdication.

One girl was a sobbing mess about the romance of it all, saying “he should be allowed to marry the girl he loves”!

After the royal wedding Isla made 5 copies of the dress for people! Both for wedding gowns and for evening dresses. She remembers Wallis as a style icon.

Isla introduced my grandma to my grandad, she was married to his brother and was my grandma’s best friend! I heard the romantic story all the way through. I never knew either of my grandparents so it was a poignant moment for me.
Alas we couldnt talk forever but I wanted a photo of her for the blog.

She said of course, and retired to her room to apply lippy, do her hair and put on her best jewelry.

It was hilarious because this is exactly what I do! I knew then that I am on the right track of getting into the spirit of days gone by!

So here is my beautiful, stylish and wonderful Aunty Isla.

Sexist or Sexy???

I bought myself a late xmas present the other day.

An Elvgren pin up calender.

Full of inspiring outfits and great hair it is, so I decided to try and do the hairstyle of Miss January today.

I had limited success.

My mum picked up the calender and commented that she thought it was sexist.
I hadnt thought that way before. I think I am so immersed in the gorgeousness of all the fifities clothes and apparent glamour that I hadn’t considered such pretty pictures could be seen that way.
But I guess they could be.
I like what Elvgren said..

asked what he thought of American women, Elvgren said they “are infinitely smarter today. They are more beautiful than ever before. They are more natural. They are not tying themselves in like they used to. And they are not looking like boys any more, thank God.”

That doesnt sound too sexist I guess.

What do you think?