Creating an Abode Gemutlich

With winter well and truly on the way we're spending more time at home so why not create a nice abode gemutlich for yourself?

For all of you who don't know a gemutlich is a warm and cosy surrounding. Its the sort of thing Eliza Dolittle sang about.

And so without further ado this is 'How you make an abode gemutlich in just three-quarters of an hour; or 'a daffodil in a milk bottle' taken from a fabulous little book entitled The Woman's Book: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

The concept of “a daffodil in a milk bottle” is that literally any home; temporary or otherwise, can be dramatically improved simply by doing a few small things to make it cosy This is regardless of whether the dwelling is a post-university starter flat, a family holiday gîte in France or a corporate rental in Los Angeles: the principle is the same.

First, tidy up, throw away ruthlessly; and put a daffodil in a (very clean) milk bottle with water in it on the table.

Next, arrange the books on the bookcase so they are not too neat (they need to look used) but are vaguely ordered; buy some mattress ticking and cut it up to make a table-cloth, a throw or curtains (even if they are nailed up and then tied back with a ribbon); track down a blanket or rug and put it on the chair or sofa; tidy the kitchen, then put out a fresh loaf of bread on a bread board with a bread knife and some fresh coffee in a tin (for the smell alone, even if one does not use it); if possible, have bare boards instead of carpet or lino (if the boards cannot be stripped or polished, they can at least be painted grey or pale blue - although this might be pushing it in three-quarters of an hour, see below); have a pile of newspapers, books, knitting, sewing, anything to make the room look lived in; if there is no furniture, use wooden champagne boxes for anything from a low chair to a side table to a bookshelf; if unable or not allowed to get rid of depressing furniture, cover it with the mattress-ticking; and try to acquire one or two old things - a wooden box, a blue and white plate, a clock, a bentwood chair - as these will improve over time, whereas the cheap, modern stuff will deteriorate into tatt. To this end, it is far better to buy something old at an auction than to buy something new that will look grotty all too soon; magazines like Country Living and BBC Homes & Antiques are full of ideas.

Above all, aim for simplicity: the chic-est rooms are those that have the confidence not to look as though anyone has tried too hard. And for those who have more than three-quarters of an hour, the next most transforming thing is paint.

So why not make your home 'loverly' dear readers ... x

Ed Wood and Angora

Well dear readers the rain is still pouring in Sydney and I still have a horribly persist ant cold that refuses to go so as a result of this I have spent most of the week snuggled up at home with a cup of tea watching movies. Only venturing out when I really need to. These grey skies are turning me into a regular sadsack!

This week I watched Ed Wood, the comedy-drama biopic by Tim Burton and staring Johny Depp in the tittle role as cult filmmaker Edward D Wood Jr. The film portrays they period in his life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bella Lugosi.

I just loved this movie! It seemed to me that Burton filmed it in the same zany style that Ed Wood adopted for his movie. Johnny Depp was fabulous as the kooky and eternally optimistic filmmaker. The film also concentrates in Ed's fetish for transvestism and angora sweaters.
It is believed that Wood's mother, Lillian, always wanted a girl and would sometimes, until he was about 12 years old, dress her son in skirts and dresses. For the rest of his life, Wood was a heterosexual cross dresser. His wife Kathy O'Hara and others recall that Wood's transvestism was not a sexual inclination, but rather a neomaternal comfort derived mainly from angora fabric. Angora was regularly featured in his films.

Watching the movie made me long for my own angora sweater to keep the chill away on these cold winter days. I love the way that Sarah Jessica Parker's character Dolores Fuller wears her angora sweater teamed up with a fierce looking bullet bra and black pencil skirt.
Its also a look that sported by the beautiful Scarlett Johansson in The Black Dahlia
This is how I'll be sporting my angora sweater this winter:

Angora by emmerv featuring Forever21 tops

I recently purchased this gorgeous angora sweater on eBay for just 99 pence! You can find fabulous vintage knitting patterns at the Vintage Knitting Lady or you can purchase this fab book entitled A Stitch In Time : Vintage knitting and crochet patterns 1920-1949, Vol. 1

A Round Up of the Week

Hello dear readers
It seems ages since I've properly blogged although it was just Thursday! I feel as if my posts have not really been very substantial over the last few weeks or so. This change in weather over the last couple of weeks has left Sydney feeling very wintry and as a result left me a little depressed. I also managed to pick up a niggling little cold which is just a bit annoying so I haven't really felt up to much this week. Most of my week has been spent snuggling on the sofa with a warm blanket and a gargantuan cup of tea watching movies.

I did finally get around to ordering my wedding dress though. Unfortunately I have a horrible feeling I ordered an 8 instead of a 10 so i may have to drop a dress size to fit into it but that shouldn't pose too much of a problem. The hubby and I have been gorging ourselves on chocolate, cakes and biccies recently and I've stayed a size 10 so I think my weight has finally settled back to what I used to be before the onset of PCOS.
So here's a sneak peek of my dress. Luckily my hubby doesn't read my blog so I can post it. It is sort of 1940s tea dress inspired made by UK store Marks and Spencer but I got it on eBay for just $60! The hubby and I have been planning our wedding trip/honeymoon this week which is quite exciting as it feels more real now that were actually getting married!
Yesterday was Lil Miss Piggy's 4th birthday so after working at the creche in the morning I headed over to their house to help set up for the party. The hubby arrived around 2 with the gorgeous cake he made. Unfortunately I forgot take my camera to the party so the only piccie I have of the cake is this one that I took on my phone so its not the best pic!
I wore my bunny outfit that I mentioned in the post about the trots but again forgot to get photos! So i promise I will reconstruct the outfit and do an outfit post when I'm feeling a bit better. I managed to locate some ultra cute pink shoes similar to Wittners Japan ones for sale on EBay shop Australian Designers Direct. They're made by I love Billy and were a steal at $35 although I have noticed that unfortunately they've got a bit scuffed already. The outside of them is synthetic so i guess this was bound to happen. Weirdly though the inside is leather! I'm not sure what I'll be able to do about getting rid of the scuffs as they're a rather funky shade of pink and I'm not sure that i can get shoe polish in this colour! I was also informed that they sell the same style of shoes in blue so they could be perfect for my Alice costume for the upcoming Unbirthday Party!
As for today well there is a huge book sale on at our local library (details in the calendar above) so we may pop down there but we'll see how the hubby feels when he gets in from work and if i feel up to braving the cold. It may just be another lazy day with tea and movies!

Next week we're going to the Comedy Festival Showcase at The Comedy Store so I will post about that. I'm also hoping to go to our local Camellia Gardens and Tea House if we get a break in all this rain! I will also bring you a fab recipe for an immune system boosting soup that I have been shoveling down in the hope it will help get rid of this cold!

On a separate note I've just realised that I haven't posted my New Years Resolution updates for this month. I've come to the decision that I going to stop this section of my blog as I have completed 3 out of the 4 resolutions that I set for myself and as for the "take more risks in life" resolution I seem to have failed miserably due to lack of time and/or money so this is probably the resolution I will set for myself next year.

Have a great weekend dear readers ... x

Primark: Oh How I Miss You!

I have been in Sydney for Almost two years but I've yet to find a store that lives up to Primark. Where in Australia can you find a store that sells costume jewellery for 1, hats, shoes and accessories for around the 5 mark and underwear sets for just 4? Where on a rainy day can I pop into to purchase a cute umbrella for just a couple of quid? In my despair I have taken to having their fab underwear sets shipped over by my lovely Mummy!
Primark have some beautiful items in their SS 2010 collection. I especially love their Lily Lace dress. It seems I'm still yearning for summer as I'm now making all these sweet summer outfits with Polyvore.

Primark Spring by emmerv on Polyvore.com

Lah De Da Bazaar

I was delighted to open my inbox on Thursday and find this fab invite to the grand opening of Lah De Dah Bazaars:

"Lah De Da Bazaar is the perfect spot for all fashion hunters and avid fashionistas to discover the hidden talents of our local fashion labels.

Ruffle your fashion feathers and get a good peek into a treasure trove of dazzling vintage finery. Let your eyes dance amongst the exquisite garments and accessories presented on our mini runways .

Lah de da is a crossroads between unique vintage and local labels – a dedication to the dedication to supporting young and ‘unseen’ Australian designers. The bazaar is dazzling place for the local labels to show their amazing craftsmanship to the fashion community and mingle with the vintage labels.

Overall, the bazaar was created to unite ‘old’ and ‘new’, into one romantic place for all to enjoy!

Lah de da is nestled in the beautiful heritage listed building of Biero Bar located in the cosy 525 Little Lonsdale and Williams Street, only a few steps away from Flagstaff Garden Station.

On top of that, kick back your Sunday Shoes and spend it by tasting beers in Biero Bar with their fine choice of beers from around the world, accompanied by chilled beats of our fine dj’s to fill your ear drums whilst selecting scrumptious food from the Biero Bar menu.

Now, close yours eyes and get excited to be a part of the perfect hunting grounds for a good fashion bargain. "

Lah De Da will be held on the first Sunday of every month and looks like a fab event. Unfortunately I have neither the time or money to get to Melbourne at the moment but when I do I will be sure to time it so I can head to Lah De Da. For all you lucky Melbournians (is this a word?!) be sure to check it out. You can find more details on Lah De Da's Facebook page.

Daily Outfit: Peg and Parker

Friday started off a little chilly here in Sydney so I wrapped up warm to meet the girls at the pub. It turned in to a gloriously sunny afternoon so I was a little overheated but I relished the opportunity of being able to wear my seamed stockings. Hopefully one day soon I will get my seams tattooed on so I wont have to spend half an hour trying to get them straight in the mornings!
For this outfit inspiration I channeled Parker Posey's Character, Danica in Blade Trinity Yes that is a gratuitous half naked shot of the very toned Ryan Renolds - enjoy ladies!

I'm still trying to grow my fringe out and its at the awkward length where it always seems to be in my eyes. I feel like Peg from Lady and the Tramp.Which reminds me how long its been since I've seen that great movie so I'm off to watch it but I'll leave you with this.

Have a good weekend dear readers ... x

Twitter

As you may notice I have finally given in and joined Twitter so if you want to follow me (and find out the strange inner workings of my mind!) just click the button on the left that looks like this:

Style on Trial: The 1940's Part 2 - Post War and Dior's 'New Look'

The second part of the 1940s Style on Trial concentrates on the post war years. Once the war was over and the men back home jobs for women became obsolete and women were forced back into the role of homemaker. Fashions started to reflect this and in February 1947 Dior brought out his Corolle line also known as the 'New Look'. This was a collection that Dior had started working on before the war. It was an autobiographical line as it reflected the outfits Dior remembered his mother wearing when he was a young boy - these being big skirts and tiny waists and high set busts.

The line was controversial as Britain was still rationing material and it was deemed as wasteful. Vogue was banned from talking about the line. Even the House of Commons got involved and deemed it an unpatriotic used of materials that were still in short supply.

The line was deemed as a reclaiming of femininity by some. It also re-elevated the class system as during the war mistresses wore the same outfits as their staff so it was hard to see clear class divide. However it was a set back for some as during the war women showed themselves to be independent and self-sufficient, easily adapting to take traditionally male roles and jobs but after the war women were sent back to the home to become once again the pretty "Victorian doll" like wives and mothers.

Dior's New Look was eventually accepted in the UK but they used cleverly designed outfits to give the appearance of fullness that the look has without using so much material.

The 1940s was an important decade for style for many other reasons including:

• The bikini being invented in 1946
• Printed Patterns created
• Wooden soles were used on shoes instead of material
• Nylon stockings were created and mass produced
• New materials such as Lurex, Rayon and Polyester were created

Icons of the period mostly came from the silver screen as people went to the movies to escape the realities of war. Film heroines of this period became self sufficient and smart rather than the simpering helpless women in need of rescuing that was seen in movies before this time. Icons of the period included:

• The Queen
• Lauren Bacall
• Fred and Ginger
• Katherine Hepburn
• David Niven
• The Beverly Sisters
• Jane Russell
• Marlene Dietrich

Style on Trial: The 1940's Part 1 - The War Years and Utility Wear

I'm soo happy this week as after a year of searching I finally managed to get my hands on a copy of the UK TV series Style on Trial. Style on Trial is a BBC show presented by Stuart Maconie and Lauren Laverne where every week a panel of experts make a case for why their chosen decade was the most stylish.
The 1940's

The series kicks of with the 1940s with a guest panel consisting of burlesque beauty and showgirl Immodesty Blaize, interior designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and Guardian columnist Annalisa Barbieri. The programme is essentially split in to two sections - the first focusing on the war years and utility wear and the second on the launch of Dior's "New Look".

In the first part of the 1940s Britain was at war so fashion focused on practicality and functionality. Women were liberated from their corsets as the could not comfortably wear them whilst working. Rationing was in place and material was rationed so outfits were kept fairly simple with no turn ups on trousers or double breasted jackets. Hemlines on dresses and skirts went up as material was at a a premium. There were even regulations on the amount of buttons and pockets that could be used. In 1941 the Government started rationing clothes and brought out a line of utility wear under the CC41 label. There where 26 outfits that were given the CC41 label showing they made optimum use of fabric. These were designed by the top British designers of the day such as Hardy Amies .When rationing first started people were given 48 coupons for a year, a coat would be 16 coupons and a suit 12 so people had to spend their coupons wisely.

The government also brought in the concept of 'Make Do and Mend'. This was by no means a new idea for the working classes who had to do it out of financial necessity but for the middle classes who had the money before the war to buy new outfits when theres had worn it gave then new skills such as sewing, knitting a darning. Exhibitions and talks were set up for middle class women to show them how to make best use of their garments during the war years. Such as this one set up by the Board of Trade at Harrods:

As clothing and material where both rationed in the war women had to come up with inventive ways to add their own style to their outfits. They often did this with a striking hat and accessories as these weren't rationed or with their hairstyles. Hair had to be practical as many women were working in factories so it couldn't be long. Veronica Lake was ordered by the US Government to cut of her much copied peekaboo style.

Women sported such hairstyles as the 'Vingle' and the 'Liberty curl'. Hair washing and styling was a big ordeal and most women had hair washing day once a week. It took a while to heat the water to wash and set hair so many women made their own entertainment by staying in Friday nights to wash and style their hair for the week. Thus these eccentric styles were adopted as the stay better with slightly greasy hair. Women also used scarves or turbans to cover hair to keep it out of the way of machinery in factories or to hide it if it was slightly grubby.

Many products were hard to come by in the war such as cosmetics and stockings so women had to come up with ingenious solutions to ensure they looked their best. Keeping up appearances was important for national morale. Women used gravy browning or tea to stain their legs if they couldn't get stockings.

In May 1940 Paris fell to Nazi forces. French Vogue shuts down to avoid Nazi censorship. As do many couture houses as most were run by Jewish families. Chanel stays open but Mme Chanel herself disappears to a hotel with her Nazi lover. Most of the couture houses that stay open only get business by dressing the Nazi Officers Wives. This is something that many have to answer for after the war. The state in their defense that they used up fabrics that would otherwise belonged to the Nazis and made the wives look ridiculous. A few cases of patriotism occurred but were quickly quashed by the Nazi's such as Madame Grays red, white and blue collection that was shut down by the Nazis.

Milan, London and New York all vie to establish themselves as the new fashion capital but after the war all eyes go back to Paris.

Emma Aime at the Movies: A League of Their Own

I was 8 when this movie came out in 1992 but there was something about it that I instantly loved. I think it was the fantastically gripping storyline with great injections of humour along the way that had me watching this video over and over again until it had practically worn out. I watched the movie again recently for the first time in years and the one things that really stands out to me now is the fantastic fashion and hair, but more about that later.

A League of Their Own tells a fictionalised account of the true story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The league was set up in 1943, the height of the US involvement in WWII as most of the male players were away at War, in order to keep morale of the American People high. In the movie the league is set up by Walter Harvey of Harvey Bars (In real life it was Mr Wriggly of the chewing gum!) The story is based around two sisters Dotti and Kit and their journey into the league and ultimately into the World Championships.

As I said earlier the thing that really stands out about the movie now when I watch it is the fabulous fashion. The film is obviously set in the 1940s and the great outfits really stay true to the period. I especially like the clothes that Dotti (played by Geena Davis) and Mae (played by Madonna) wear. So here are a couple of Polyvore sets I put together to showcase them.

A League fo Their Own - Dotti by emmerv featuring Dorothy Perkins tops

A League of Their Own - Mae by emmerv featuring TopShop dresses

A Divine Indulgance for Mothers Day

Why not treat your Mum to something extra special this mothers day and spoil her with these gorgeous Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles from Charbonnel & Walker. These divine lightly dusted pink coloured truffles with a milk chocolate butter and Marc de Champagne centre. Available in 135g and 275g sizes for £10.95 or £20.00.

Winter Warmers to Keep You Cosy at Night

We're definitely feeling the winter chill closing in at nights here in Sydney. So if like me you need a little something extra to keep you cosy at night why not try this gorgeous sleepwear from Annelise range by Sussan . To be honest Sussan isn't really I shop I'd normally shop in but when I saw these gorgeous pinup print PJ pants I just had to have some! "Hello Sailor" rib knit top
Red
AU $34.95NZ $39.95

"Hello Sailor" flannelette pant
Multi
AU $49.95NZ $59.95"Hello Sailor" stripe print top
Red/White
AU $39.95NZ $49.95

"Hello Sailor" spot print flannelette pant
Navy/White
AU $49.95

"Hello Sailor" rib knit top
Navy
AU $34.95NZ $39.95

"Hello Sailor" mermaid print flannelette pant
Red/Navy
AU $49.95NZ $59.95

"Hello Sailor" hot water bottle
Multi
AU $29.95

A Fashionable Week in Sydney

This week is the Rosemont Australian Fashion Week. A selection of Australia and the Asia Pacific’s best designers will present their collections to some of the world’s most significant members of the fashion industry. RAFW is an exclusive industry-only event, made accessible to registered buyers, agents, media, stylists and other fashion industry representatives.

The five day official schedule features designers in on-site and off-site Collection Shows, Emerge, The MCA and the Westin Sydney Suites. This season’s Spring Summer Collections will be held over five days and showcase more than 100 designers in 45 Collection Shows, over 50 accessory designers in Emerge and over 40 designer collections available for viewing at The MCA Showrooms and The Westin Sydney Suites.

This weekend also sees a few fashion events going on in Sydney: The first of which is the bi-annual Finders Keepers Market at CarriageWorks Sydney. The market showcases the work of emerging designers from Australia and New Zealand. The markets brings together new emerging and contemporary independent artists and designers of original and high creative standards across 80 stalls. Our aim is to always introduce new designers and new product to cater for a wide range of our customers and supporters. Every market event is completely unique and we always introduce new designers and rotate existing stallholders from previous events, as well as featuring local independent musicians and always including other special features!

The markets are FREE entry for all and feature live music, with the CarriageWorks cafe and bar open all day.

Where, When, How?
The next markets are:
Friday 7th May from 6pm – 10pm
Saturday 8th May from 10am – 6pm

The markets will be held at:
The inside foyer at CarriageWorks - 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015.

The second event is Sydney's Fashion Forward Festival at Paddington Town Hall. The event offers a credible & unique fashion platform where emerging fashion labels & talent can showcase their hard work to the media, buyers, investors & public. These unique events are also an important vehicle to help raise revenue & awareness for the AIDS Trust of Australia. The FFA will be donating $10,000 of our revenue directly to the AIDS Trust of Australia from our work on the Sydney festival alone & will be raising additional funds at Fashion Forward Festival SYD 2010.

LOCATIONS & DATES
SYDNEY: 7th - 9th May 2010

LOCATION: PADDINGTON TOWN HALL
Corner of Oxford St & Oatley Rd
Paddington, NSW 2021

Festival Times:
Sat 8th May:
10:30am - Doors open for public
12:00pm - Runway Show 1
1:00pm - A:LIVE Entertainment
1:15pm - Runway Show 2 featuring Think Red Parade
3:00pm - Runway Show 3
7:00pm - 'The Alize Runway Party'. Hosted by Didier Cohen & Jordan Loukas. Featuring KillaQueenz & DJ Moto.
8:00pm - A:LIVE Entertainment
9:00pm - DJ Moto
11:00pm - Close

Sun 9th May:
10:30am - Doors open to public
12:30pm - Runway Show 1
2:00pm - Runway Show 2 featuring Think Red Parade
3:00pm - Runway Show 3
7:00pm - Close

So have a very fashionable weekend dear readers ... x

***Information for these events was taken from the event websites, links provided***

The hubby and I had a lazy day on Sunday so in the evening we decided to take a walk to blow away some cobwebs. We had been meaning to walk the whole of Cronulla's Esplanade for a while so we put on our comfy shoes and gave it a stroll. For anyone who has an hour or so free it is a beautiful walk passing Cronullas many beaches beautiful wooded areas and has great views across to Bundeena. You also pass Bass and Flinders point with a memorial to Matthew Flinders and George Bass and their ship "Boy Martin" high up on a hill overlooking Bundeena.

View Larger Map
So why not take a stroll for yourselves dear readers ... x

A great bargain night out at the trots

The hubby and I headed over to Harold Park Paceway last night to take advantage of their $30 for $10 offer that's on the last Friday of every month. You pay $10 for entry fee and receive $30 dollars worth of food and drink vouchers split into $15 for beverages and $15 for food. So all you need is $10 and a few dollars extra betting money for a great night out!

The night was a little chillsome so I wore my new bunny ears jumper. If you think this jumper dress is as cute as I do you can still buy them from eBay! I would have done an outfit post but I'm not quite happy with how the outfit turned out. I am desperately trying to get my hands on a pair of Wittner Japan shoes in candy pink so I can put together the outfit that is in my head! So if anyone knows where I can get a pair in size 7 please let me know!