Casual Cotton...

We have been having the hottest start to Autumn so much so im still wearing light cotton dresses and straw hats, im a little torn...as much as i like the heat and being able to wear as less as possible im looking forward to wearing my hair down without it getting instantly frizzed and finally getting a good nights sleep...i live in a townhouse...let me just say i get no breeze up there!! its a sauna..

I love how cute the back of this cotton dress is..you dont really notice it until the wind blows and you feel it on your back...and then your like ohhh yeah i have a hole in my dress!!

I dont know if you remember (it was a while ago) but for my birthday last year i bought myself another tattoo i know its a very divided topic and not everyone likes them but i happen to love them, each one i have has been done at meaningful times in my life so i dont have an ounce of regret.. this one was for my grandfather, he was obsessed with aeroplanes but was never able to fly as he was colourblind so instead he built their engines!! he could tell what model one was just by hearing the sound it made flying above him..pretty amazing, i found this design online by an amazing designer in America and she was sweet enough to let me use it, as soon as i saw it, it reminded me of him straight away and resembles him in a cuter more me way than putting a massive aeroplane on me!! i love the fact that your body is an amazing canvas for art...

Also The Vintage Valley is hosting a giveaway on Miss-Melissa's gorgeous blog pop on over to be in the running to win a $50 voucher to my shop!! quick, quick!!

So ive got a huge weekend lots of wedding planning for my sister and DIY, park dwelling, meeting with an amazing photographer for my lookbook and cocktails on Saturday night with this pretty lady..i cant wait...

XX
(Wearing: Vintage cotton dress, vintage tooled belt, vintage straw hat & Boston Babes patent pumps)

Navy Nights & Summer Stripes Shop Update...

New in the shop this week is the cutest navy and baby blue pieces, they were all waiting to be uploaded and then i realized they were all blue, but shhh i can just tell you all i planned that!!! These pieces are perfect for park dwelling or Summer/Autumn picnics pop into the shop to have a closer look.

Navy Checker Skirt & Blue Betty Dress

Striped Lucy Dress & Striped Kathy Lee Dress

Striped Prago Dress & Navy Pearl Dress

Vintage Bella Dress & Blue Embroider Dress

Blue Stripe Day Dress & Sheer Navy Blouse

I wasn't lying..cute right?
I have a pretty big soft spot for baby blue dresses!! well i hope you all have a swell day, if you have any questions about sizing or generally just want to chit chat, send me an email XX

Bow Love & Office Sneak Peek...

Well this little post is all about sneak peeks...how exciting!! (for me anyway, but feel free to be excited too!!) I have been quite a little busy bee lately hemming dresses for the shop and my own clothing too, that i seemed to have a pretty big pile of excess vintage material in my scrap pile..i thought about giving them away..or throwing them away (not very environmentally savvy) but after a very large light-bulb moment i thought pretty hair bows would be the way to go!! so i will be putting these cute ones in the shop next week along with my regular shop updates.. They are all made from recycled vintage print fabric hand sewn with love and major plus they just look adorable too...(there will be lots of colours and patterns to choose from).





And as i may have promised a few posts ago.....here is my little home office nook!!
As you can see its small and poky and a little boring at the moment but its a work in progress...and well...it is pretty comfy in there!! I have my cork board (buying it was a must..i mean every office has a cork board right??? i hear its a productive move ha-ha)
my record player (currently listening to The Beatles) cameras, sketch books, sewing machine, clothing racks, pictures of my sis and nieces and my trusty laptop.....





I'm looking forward to adding to it and making it even cosier to source vintage, hem and blog for you all...hope you all liked having a peek!!
Well i best be off i have a pretty busy day today, i think im in need of a double shot of coffee to get through it!!
P.S - i am updating the shop tomorrow morning so be sure to stop by if you are in the market for some cute vintage dresses.
XX

Brighter Side Of The Road...

I had the morning free yesterday so i ventured away (for a few min) from my usual limestone wall and went out into the world to take a few snaps, as i use a tripod i usually shy away from public photo taking unless i find a quiet nook somewhere so thank goodness the street was quiet and everyone was at work!! then i went back to my usual spot haha what can i say until i find someone to take them for me it may just have to do...



I have been having a pretty busy week with the shop and ive got a meeting set up for next week to start looking into doing a lookbook!!! im so super excited its something ive always wanted to do...im thinking classic vintage styling with some extra chic surprises i cant wait to show you some ideas.. i love that i can throw myself into design and styling now as im using my own pieces its a pretty exciting time!!







Im sure everyone has heard the sad news about Elizabeth Taylor...i was in total shock!! she was such an amazing icon and im so sad she is gone, although she left a pretty amazing legacy..she was one of the original bombshells and will be sadly missed (by me anyway)



I'm thinking i might re-vamp my office today, and take a few snaps so you can all see!! its a cute little place to spend my days so im excited to share it with you...our house is so small though its hard to go crazy and start painting or using wallpaper (thats a big no no) so im doing the best i can with a small area, but i do love it!!!

After putting the Marching Band Jacket in my shop this week it inspired me to break out my red Bolero ive had it for a few years now and it never fails to create attention (apparently everyone loves it) it creates an energetic pop to any outfit and i simply love the front button its so detailed..when i purchsed it online i asked the lady to put it somewhere i could pick up on the way home...that eventually led to me sneaking around the back of her shop rummaging in boxes trying to find where she had put it and scaring the chinese takeout people next door into thinking i was a Burglar and coming up behind me with a frying pan.. (not kidding here) it was pretty hilarious and darn scary!! last time i do that....

So im going to get outside and enjoy the sunshine while we still have it!! im not going to lie though i love winter...its my kind of season!!! im patiently waiting to break out all my capes and jackets...hurry up!!!

Have a fab weekend im having a pretty quiet one apart from a few cocktails on Saturday night and heading over to the Unwrapped Markets to visit this pretty lady..and snag some goodies too XX

(Wearing: Vintage red Bolaro, Vintage black pencil skirt, Vintage white bow blouse, Tony Bianco pumps, Vintage patent clutch)

Heirlooms...

I wanted to show you a few snaps of the newest love in my life!! i was given a box of treasures from my Aunty not that long ago and with it was this vintage Brownie camera.. it was my great grandfathers and as i dont have many heirlooms passed on to me yet ( i do have an amazing vintage embroided hand mirror which i treasure so much) its nice to have a bit of family history in my hands..i have such an undying obsession with old nick nacks i always wonder who had it before me, and in this case i wonder how many photos were taken and of what and who!!!!! and how different the world was back then...









The Brownie camera is held just in front of you and there is a viewfinder that reflects what you can see in front of you its so quirky and amazing!! (A little hard to describe, sorry if it sounded like mumbo jumbo) it was manufactured in 1915 so this little camera has seen alot in its day... although i am sure i cant use it anymore if there is anyone who has tried it with film please tell me how it went..
From stories i have heard my great grandfather was a pretty amazing man so im proud to have just a little something to know him by..even if i have never met him.

XX Ill be back tomorrow with an outfit post

In The Shop..

It's that time again, here are the new pieces that are now available in The Vintage Valley Shop a cute mod navy dress and that marching band jacket are so amazing!! so pop on over to have a closer look!!

Black Ruffle Blouse & Pink 50's Swing Skirt

Canary Yellow Top & Lavender & Lace Blouse

Marching Band Jacket & Mod Mini Navy Dress

Teal Vintage Dress & Floral Jane Dress

Blue Stripe Babydoll Dress & Cherry Print Ruffle Dress.

Don't forget there will be items put in the shop every week now so there is plenty of amazing vintage to go around!!
XX Have a swell day

The Traveling Journal...

Julie - Seattle...

The next stop for the traveling journal was to visit the cute as a button Julie from Seattle in WA, She has a fashion blog called Mint and Mellow which has the most amazing photos and detailed descriptions of all her outfits!! As well as her outfits she always has the most amazing location spots too...so pop on over and say hi!!

How amazing are her pages!! (I have a feeling im going to be repeating myself with all the pages) but honestly when i saw them i had an instant feeling of warmth and pretty much wished i had her creative genius myself!! i am in love with the third page, the Polaroid and envelope is perfect and proudly sends her love from Seattle..the pictures match the feeling of the pages to a T... magical and wonderfully nostalgic.. makes you want to curl up and read the journal with a hot cup of tea!!


more...
If you are wondering how she came up with her pages, she wrote a very detailed description with steps on how to achieve the look yourself!! she also delves into the story behind each page too which is a cute read!! so go on..take a look!!

I am going to have a really really hard time putting the journal as a giveaway when it has finished its route, i kinda want it for myself ha ha!! but i know, its not about me now is it!! i hope your all tracking the journal and looking forward to when you can enter to win it!!!
This journal is turning out to be a little book of positive love and inspiration..i cant wait to see what the next lady does!! xx

A Change Of Season..

Firstly after uploading these pictures i realised i have a very obvious pattern for pulling a sod off smirky smile..don't ask me why!! i am very happy underneath it trust me!!
Ive had a week filled with amazingness (is that a word?..it is now) it started from Sunday when i attended my first ever...ever..swing dance class, this being something ive wanted to do forever and is on my list of things to do this year (Its stored in my head, not on paper...i find i get things done better that way) it was so fun and a little bumpy at first getting the basic moves down, i didnt stomp on anyones feet and i didnt trip myself up so huzzah for that.. i did however have calves that killed me for a day or so.. well worth it!! (heads up, be prepared for a whole lotta chit chat below)



I went again to my second class on Wed night and so far so good.. ill be Lindy Hopping it in no time..I also did my first shop update as a full time vintage seller and i want to say thank you to everyone who purchased items..i am always so so grateful!! fingers crossed i can stay employed and i dont need to fire myself - that could be awkward..



I got to thinking the other day how much im loving 2011 so far..not only from a business point of view but my life in general, Id have to say ive come a long way with this little blog and in turn its helped me discover who i really am..i know it sounds cheesy but its true!! i didnt always dress in a vintage style i always loved it and admired any lady who could don a cute hat and dress exactly the way she wished without a care.. but only after coming up with different outfits for the blog and a little encouragement to actually do the blog did i start to get the confidence to get crazy with it all.. i know its the usual story you hear on all blogs but i really understand what they mean..i guess its my turn now haha...



Now i wear what i love everyday without care of judgement or giggles, yes i will wear a fluffy faux fur hat with a purple pencil skirt if i feel like it and i actually like it when people whisper at me.. i feel like im being true to myself and i feel good in what im wearing, and thats the main thing!! I can also wear the amazing things i find and give them a second life instead of hanging them in my closet to just be looked at!!





So along with the whole self discovery banter, ive also ticked off lots of things i wanted to do this year already im self employed and living in a dream it feels like and ive sucked it up and acknowledged the fact that YES im single...and i need to stop living my life resisting things because of it, I didnt want to do dancing for so long because i felt that turning up without a partner was embarressing, going to the movies alone was out of the question and thinking that wearing that grandma inspired spotted dress would drive men away is no longer a thought in my mind!! I no longer get annoyed when couples are sad for me because i have no date to bring to a party..and i find amusement in them trying to set me up with their friend of a friend whos cousin just came back from europe..I know my mr right is somewhere..and im quite prepared to wait until the universe sends him my way.. So my point is..after all that...I simply dont care anymore, and neither should you..thats right im passing on the gospel..brush off that feather vintage cap put it on and go have a cocktail..alone even!! and dont even think about how it feels to sit there alone.. just think about how amazing that cocktail tastes.. and how not one girl in the room has that exact same hat!!!


(phew) i bet your all glad thats over...
Well have a fab weekend lovelies, Im hosting my sisters Hen's night on saturday so im sure craziness will ensue.. XX


(Wearing: Vintage swing skirt, Dotti Lace dress (worn as a top), Tony Bianco Pumps, Vintage ribbon hat, Ecali Bow Pendant, Vintage red clutch)