tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14230423031440102272024-03-13T14:04:34.636+13:00With Jam & CreamEverything's better with jam & cream! Or at least a little bit of both can go a long way to righting the world's wrongs, one afternoon tea at a time. A little food, a little craft, a little vintage, and a little musing on life.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-37618560243088656112012-08-25T21:04:00.003+12:002012-08-25T21:04:59.437+12:00WTFF: Winter RosesHello my lovely people out there in interweb land! Remember me?? Your (not so) trusty blog friend? I've had a little blogging vacation for one reason or another but you can stop frantically checking your inboxes and refreshing your browsers because I'm back.<br />
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And I'm back with a frock. How apt. This is a <i>wee</i> bit of a cheat, this dress. It is a dress. I did wear it on a What the Frock Friday. In fact I wore it on two. So it's last week's frock and this week's frock. Wearing the same outfit twice?? *gasp*. I can live with it this time as I wore it in two different cities. And Oamaru (<i>not</i> a city, in case your lower South Island of New Zealand geography is a little sketchy. But a lovely town none the less). So those of you who saw me in it last Friday in Wellington get to relive the experience, and those who saw me in it this Friday in Dunedin will be reading Frock Friday as normal. Only Phil, Edie and I have seen the frock twice in a week and I'm sure they barely noticed or cared. But I just had to get that confession off my chest. It's just as well really as I was hoping to increase my frock wardrobe while in Wellington, but didn't buy a single one for me, only two for Edie (one bought by Nana). I can't help but feel this is a developing trend. Dresses for her are so much cheaper. I hope I don't have to slowly descend from What the Frock Fridays to Jeans & t-shirt Tuesdays to Trackie Thursdays. I don't really see myself ever being that unselfish actually, so you (and I) should be fine.<br />
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This is another old Voon frock and I felt it fitting that I wear it while in Wellington. Unfortunately we didn't take the camera to get photos of the frock in Wellington and I didn't really get the chance to write about it either. So it <i>was</i> fitting, and then it was just sensible to wear it again so I could get some snaps and write about it. The fabric of the dress is interesting. I've always loved the burnished gold of the leaves with the deep red of the roses, it's like lovely old lady's furniture. A big inner-sprung couch. That kind of thing. And the material itself has a furnituresque (good word huh?) quality to it; it's more like curtain or upholstery fabric than dress material. In fact the reverse is bright gold. I wish it was able to be see more somehow without me having to do a flasher number. As a result, it's quite firm by which I mean, it doesn't have much drape. This makes it a bit odd to wear as it doesn't "pull in" to you as you might expect. It feels almost like it could be a coat or a robe instead of a dress. But I love the pattern so much and it speaks so much of winter warmth that I have adjusted to this odd feeling. The wrap around style of the dress allows you to give it some shape and an advantage of the stiffness of the material is that it hides all your lumps and bumps (the undesirable ones).<br />
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In keeping with gold and roses I wore ceramic gold earrings given to me by my sister (I thought I'd worn them before so I didn't take any pics), and a necklace given to me by Aja and Bianca for my 30th birthday. I wear it a lot as the colours make it a chameleon - it works with a lot of different outfits, and I find the length suits the neckline of a lot of my clothes. I love the little tree and the quirky charms that hang off it. It's a bit different which suits me just fine.<br />
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Yesterday Edie wore a new dress from Nana. Mum found this on sale and knew I was running low on frocks for Edie (the situation has been well and truly addressed in the last few weeks) so snaffled it up. I'm pretty sure it cost the princely sum of $15. It's a knit so gives a bit of extra warmth while the sun still tries to find its way down to the bottom of the world. The denim colour looks cute on Edie and I think the little flower on the lapel is a nice detail. The cardi was knitted for Edie by our older neighbour. It's lovely and so is she. Unfortunately, Edie is yet to appreciate this fact and she is the one person who Edie reacts violently against. I have no idea why as she is so kind. It's quite embarrassing having your child scream and recoil in horror when someone approaches them.<br />
Edie's tights have a wee daisy on the bum which is very cute but I didn't feel right making my child bend over on cue to take photos of her bottom so you don't see it here. The shoes are hand me downs from her big cousin, Hamish. Boys clothing on girls is so much more socially acceptable than the other way round which is sad, but Edie is on the right side of the equation. The necklace is mine. Selected and styled by Edie.<br />
Edie is obsessed with steps ("sep") and going up and down them. Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for her parents, we live down a whole raft of them so that's why our photos are taken in this spot. I thought it might mean she would pose nicely. Clearly this was a foolish assumption as she was far more intent on scaling the stairs than posing for photos. Photos with Child Fail #83.<br />
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So there you are peeps, What the Frock Friday on it's return. More to come soon on lessons learnt while travelling with a child. It's scintillating stuff I tell you...Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-27818021717737755662012-08-13T22:30:00.000+12:002012-08-13T22:30:15.334+12:00Cool Shit Monday: HibernationSorry to be banging on about the Olympics a lot lately. If it makes you feel hopeful, at least it finished today so I can't bang on about it that much longer. I've had a few Top Mum moments as a result of two solid weeks of TV watching. Edie now points at any screen-like objects in a room and says "On? On?". She also says "YAAAAY!" and claps her hands a lot from all the cheering she's heard. I think a bit of TV cold turkey is now required for my wee girl.<br />
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This week I decided to pay one last homage to my fortnight of Olympic sloth by providing you with some cool shit that will see you through some serious park-arsing.<br />
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Firstly, a bit of Olympic geekery (is that a word? If it wasn't before, it is now and I think I like it). This cool little video is about historical data. I can see the glaze dropping across your eyelids already but WAIT! This is historical data that's interesting. Or at least I think it is. Pretty statistics are always fun. Thanks New York Times.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/85oGVBSZd2k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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When you are sat on your chuff, the staple food item (you can't lose 30mins of quality viewing with a trip to the supermarket) is toast. But that doesn't mean your toast can't be pretty. This awesome toaster reminds me of the toasty pie machine we had as a kid. It hardly qualified as a machine actually. It had a hinge so it <i>did</i> have moving parts, but basically it was just two big cast iron plates that you squashed the bread between. No, I'm not 80 years old, it's just that we didn't get an electronic toasty pie maker til I was about 15 because, well, we just didn't. That machine made the edges nice and crunchy which is really the best bit of toasty pies. I don't think this one looks like a crunch edge kinda toaster, but it well and truly makes up for it with pretty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7P4DqyWsNkodwbwW4KhLycM30CMEqlw6tuuz1mEwjPbJpub0kFNa_7mTnelDW3FrQgzlEB-ekuKGiaqvc26Baj7cWWRuk6_-xW4lVZGqSOxKN3VNyHOzJfD_1obSVg4tKSbJ4M-9Khw/s1600/TABLE+MANNERS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7P4DqyWsNkodwbwW4KhLycM30CMEqlw6tuuz1mEwjPbJpub0kFNa_7mTnelDW3FrQgzlEB-ekuKGiaqvc26Baj7cWWRuk6_-xW4lVZGqSOxKN3VNyHOzJfD_1obSVg4tKSbJ4M-9Khw/s640/TABLE+MANNERS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.minale-maeda.com/Table%20Manners/TableManners.htm" target="_blank">by Minale Maeda</a></td></tr>
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On the off chance you get board of your viewing, having a good board game handy is always wise. I think people are divided into those who have positive associations with board games - family bonding, holidays, student marathons - that type of thing; and those who don't - family arguments, enforced 'fun times', really sucking at playing, and other afflictions. I LOVE board games. I am intrigued by <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/meandmycar/product/touring_england" target="_blank">this game</a>. It looks like it could be a sneaky winner: a game that sounds a wee bit stale, but might cause just the right level of competitive fervour. Plus it's a bit retro so if it turns out to be crap, it'll make a nice object for the games room. The added extra British quirkiness is very in theme with the Olympics too so extra points for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gOBCUBJurF7GA3WahYeDQiSDCZWrVwild8PfSxVr7v7FqNhDUPOFHz3dJNUKeaAtPS3fpBI3wUU07YabQWGO25_KwyrKLvSmE63V5nEa7GVv7tBl_gGAekxsFEqU2CSL-9-RikWSExg/s1600/original_touring_england.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8gOBCUBJurF7GA3WahYeDQiSDCZWrVwild8PfSxVr7v7FqNhDUPOFHz3dJNUKeaAtPS3fpBI3wUU07YabQWGO25_KwyrKLvSmE63V5nEa7GVv7tBl_gGAekxsFEqU2CSL-9-RikWSExg/s640/original_touring_england.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From www.notonthehighstreet.com</td></tr>
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And finally a blobbing aparatus (I've been watching too much gymnastics. The artistic kind, not the weird rhythmic kind). A couch just doesn't cut it. Phil & I like to make forts. Making forts is not just for 8 year olds. Big kids can make a choice fort too. Big blankets, lots of couch cushions and pillows, possibly a bean bag or two, and Robert's your mother's brother. But <a href="http://www.oradariadesign.com/design.html" target="_blank">this</a> is the blobber to end all blobbers. I'd happily add this to my fort paraphenalia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zl3em9ZG0TBCSNZpdeoZjfFaHiL5cbKcG-I8-MiJ019cFtOpP6KHySMNGeBsm6c523rHzYyp2p24Ihfo7jtcEnoiHmewUi0jo18jZUW-VwAOrNdlCA4K9i0lrH66JOkZltNJVIqyG7k/s1600/blandito_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zl3em9ZG0TBCSNZpdeoZjfFaHiL5cbKcG-I8-MiJ019cFtOpP6KHySMNGeBsm6c523rHzYyp2p24Ihfo7jtcEnoiHmewUi0jo18jZUW-VwAOrNdlCA4K9i0lrH66JOkZltNJVIqyG7k/s640/blandito_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A human taco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remind anyone else of the old Toffee Pops ad with the lips couch</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-71154428615807895452012-08-10T22:14:00.003+12:002012-08-10T22:17:24.659+12:00WTFF: Going for GoldI apologise for my slightly misleading title of today's frocky post. I am not wearing a gold dress. It has a wee bit of gold in it. And I'm in the historical gold mine area of New Zealand. But that's about it. I am, however, completely obsessed with the Olympics and will probably go into post-Olympic withdrawl when it ends this weekend. I really did want to pick a dress that was "Olympic" themed and it just goes to show how desperate I was to meet this end that I tried to make this dress my Olympic tribute. Would you like to hear my tenuous reasoning for this being an Olympic homage? Of <i>course</i> you would! So... New Zealand's traditional team colours are black and silver. This dress is black(ish. More like charcoal actually but tomaytoes/tomahtoes) with silver through it. It also has gold because... well I don't really have to explain the relevance of gold to the Olympics do I? Perhaps I could make it some lame metaphor for New Zealand winning some gold medals. Yeah, that sounds awesome. I also wore a nice piece of New Zealand jewellery to continue the patriotic fervour. My earrings are the closest I could get to Olympic rings. They're not rings, they're ringlets but let's not get technical. I think if Grasping at Straws were an Olympic sport then I would be in with a shot at a medal.<br />
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Clothes swaps. If you've never done one, it's worth a go. The good old adage, "your trash is someone else's treasure" never had a better platform. This dress/tunic belonged to my friend Helen and it found a new home with me after Helen and I organised a clothes swap at work one afternoon. I have worn it a lot although hardly at all since Edie was born (breastfeeding again. Sorry to bang on about it). It's just a bit different in both the sense that there's not much around like it, and it's unlike things I normally have in my wardrobe. I like the middle panel on it which actually acts like a big pocket. Not that I would put anything in it as it might make me look like I had a massive apron of fat or worse. The silver and the gold means it's versatile in terms of accessories although I've never tried to add a splash of colour so maybe I should try that the next time I wear it.<br />
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We've seen the cardi before with <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wtff-vintage-ombre.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this frock</a> but it's returned to it's home, Queenstown. I like how the dark dress underneath allows the pattern of knit to show when worn with the tunic.<br />
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The boots I bought a few years ago (they look a little worse for wear) and I love that they remind me of Puss in Boots. I think I had a book with that story in as a child in which Puss wore boots similar to these with the fold over top. The gumboot fear of flat boots was first overcome with these boots, so they hold a special place in my heart.<br />
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Phil bought me this necklace a few years ago. It's a <a href="http://www.bohrunga.com/" target="_blank">Boh Runga</a> piece of jewellery and like all of the pieces from that range, has a feathered theme. I like both the weight and delicacy of the wing pendant and it's the only long pendant I own. I don't seem to wear necklaces that much any more but this is one I do go back to. The earring my mum bought for me years ago, I think possibly because they reminded her of my curly hair (it used to be long so lots of ringlets). They're not quite silver or gold which I like as it means they can be worn either way.<br />
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Phil, Edie & I have come to Queenstown this weekend for a winter weekend and so gloves and hats are compulsory items. My beret and fingerless gloves were bought for me by Mum (I'm worried Mum is going to start picking up on how often I write those words and tone down the gift-giving) and come from <a href="http://www.forevernew.com.au/" target="_blank">Forever New</a>. We don't have a Forever New in Dunedin which I am both sad and glad about. Sad because they have really cool stuff at chain store prices, and glad because they have really cool stuff at chain store prices. And I don't have money to spend even at chain store prices. The same day you last <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wtff-vintage-ombre.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">saw me wear the cardi</a>, I also wore the coat. Love it like a child. Ok, not quite as much as I love Edie but it's possibly super-ceding the cat in my affections...<br />
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Edie had a cute <a href="http://www.welovefrugi.com/" target="_blank">Frugi</a> dress on today but the coat was the feature of the day as we travelled closer to the snow. The coat comes from <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a> and is a New Zealand made number from a company called <a href="http://lonemoose.co.nz/Site_2/Lone_Moose.html" target="_blank">Lone Moose</a>. They use recycled and reclaimed materials as well as new fabrics to make their very cool creations. I had a hard time choosing between this colour for the coat, or a gorgeous peacock/teal colour. Perhaps we'll have teal next time. I love the pixie hood and the cute lining which can actually be worn on the outside as the domes are double sided. She's wearing a little neckerchief because it looks cute, like a wee polka dot cow wrangler, but also because she is dribbling like a fox at the moment and she's not normally a dribbly kid at all. Perhaps the next lot of teeth are on their way. Whatever the reason, Edie gets to rock Aunty Natalie's bandana so it has its upsides. Also worth noting are the cute purple <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/m/10/see-kai-run" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">See Kai Run</a> boots that match the glasses of course.<br />
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Right, back to enjoying my Olympics on a fuzzy old TV in a good old Kiwi bach. All I need is a cup of Bell tea and I'll be a lovely blast from the past cliche.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-43475073676487899372012-08-04T21:36:00.000+12:002012-08-04T21:36:05.156+12:00WTFF: Paisley & PurpleI had this half written but got a little distracted by the Olympics. In fact it's amazing I've managed to achieve anything this week as I've pretty much been glued to the TV, soaking up every ounce of Olympic action on offer. Edie is firmly enamoured by the TV and I keep telling myself that it's ok as it's only 3 (solid) weeks of TV viewing. That can't harm her little brain too much, right? RIGHT?!? Anyway, yesterday while I stared fixedly at the TV, jumped up and down when the Kiwis won Gold (yusssssssssssss), and made admiring comments about the washboard abs of the female heptathletes, I wore a dress.<br />
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I don't know about this frock. I thought it was fine when I threw it on yesterday morning in a rush before I left the house, but once I looked at the photos Phil took at lunch, I wondered if it wasn't quite as fine as initially thought. Not that's it's hideous, just maybe a bit dated and I didn't wear it well. I think it's good to document these days as well as it's a good reminder to take my own advice and look in the mirror before I leave the house. Also it's good for people to see that others leave the house looking less than their ideal. I feel like I'm setting myself up for you all to say "oh no, it's lovely" and other placating phrases which is not my intention. I know I didn't look <i>awful</i>, simply not the way I would like to look if I'd put more time into it.<br />
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I bought the frock when I was living in Sydney a number of years ago at a chain store called Review. I had a bit of a penchant for this place. It specialised in affordable, feminine clothing - capped sleeves, a bit of frill here and there, but all within the confines of 'street fashion' so you could get a lot of wear out of the clothes. This dress is a wrap around style which is good for most body types as it gives you a waist even if you don't have one, and so also makes the bust and hips look bigger than your waist. The knit of the jersey is fairly fine so that's not so flattering as it can hug to all the lumps and bumps. What saves this dress is the intense paisley pattern that hides any clinginess. I feel it looks a little like an axminster carpet but I quite like that. Winter has finally made it's presence felt in Dunedin and this dress has short sleeves so I paired it with a <a href="http://www.voon.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voon</a> wrap top.<br />
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This top is great as it can be worn in approximately a bajillion ways, but as is the case with most items that sport that claim, I end up wearing it two or three ways and I can't be bothered to get my head around the remainder of the bajillion. Yesterday was the standard 'ballet cardi wrap'. I should have looked at where it was sitting though as it wasn't so great for making me look like I wasn't already 3 months down the track to having another sprog (I'm not by the way). If I'd had it just a wee bit more cropped, it would have done me, the dress, and the top a whole lot more favours. Anyway, the colour is totally great and perfect for my purply axminster dress and it's an awesome extra layer for cold days, so it was far from a complete disaster.<br />
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The purple tights got another outing just to follow on with the purple theme, and the boots were a necessary (but stylish) addition as you can't splash around in puddles in ballet flats. Or you could, but you'd have to be in a carefree "I don't care if my feet become ice, turn black, and drop off" kind of mood. Oddly enough, I wasn't.<br />
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The necklace is an oldy but a goody. If I remember rightly, Mum bought me this when I was in about 6th form (Year 12 for those of you who don't speak my old-school lingo) to wear to my school's cultural awards evening. I loved it then, still love it. It's a bit dated (the choker-ish length is very 1997) but the stones (quite fake but lovely none the less) are a fetching pink colour and I like it. The earrings are some my sister Natalie sent and I'm pretty sure they're from Accessorize. I wear them a lot as they have an old-world look about them that seems to fit with a lot of what I wear. The delicate colours mean they tone in well with lots of things.<br />
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Edie wore the frock she wore in my very first <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/what-frock-fridays.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What the Frock Friday</a> but I wasn't writing about her frocks then. It's another Pumpkin Patch number from my mum, plus another wee pair of <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/m/10/see-kai-run" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">See Kai Run</a> shoes. This time a pair of red leather mary janes with white hearts (aww, stop with the cuteness already!). White tights, a red and white spotty bodysuit with matching hair clip - cute kid perfection. Especially appropriate outfit for crocodile wrestling. "'Nap! 'Nap! 'NAP" as Edie would say. That's "snap, snap, snap" with snapping hand-action for those of you not fluent in Edie-ese. Edie was too busy straddling the croc and blinding it with her 'dress over your eyes' technique to pose for good photos so these iPhone snaps have to suffice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzNkNwJrliBDmBtQyqKtxq5bjcx3axTWxJna_h_WvwPorKzVJplWJNySvl_yBs91IE48KvULzhFs4TFlGfaVXbyFFrFaSQudX99aWmXC8gPxzvqurmIgsWBgDftTlLHYLtuKWAK3nf8M/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzNkNwJrliBDmBtQyqKtxq5bjcx3axTWxJna_h_WvwPorKzVJplWJNySvl_yBs91IE48KvULzhFs4TFlGfaVXbyFFrFaSQudX99aWmXC8gPxzvqurmIgsWBgDftTlLHYLtuKWAK3nf8M/s640/photo-4.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have you now, crocy!</td></tr>
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Right, back to watching the Olympics. I can't believe I actually managed to type a post with Olympics coverage all round me. I suppose it did take me nearly 24 hours. Maybe next week's 'frock' will have to be couch-based and Olympic themed.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-80612973190226313052012-07-30T21:20:00.000+12:002012-07-30T21:20:11.957+12:00CSM: Drinks are on meI seem to have found a lot of cool shit recently that is drink-related. I'm not a big alcy, in case you were worried, but I do partake every so often. Also there's something about not being able to drink for an extended period of time (pregnancy/breastfeeding not abstinence by self-discipline) that makes you appreciate the chance to have a refreshing beverage. It's not just alcohol either. Caffeine has a renewed focus in my life and now I know I'm not wiring my baby and keeping her up all hours, I'm back on the java like there's no tomorrow. I actually think what you miss is the rituals surrounding these drinks. The drinks on a Friday at the local or the Saturday night house party, the G & Ts on the deck relaxing in the sun, the second coffee following a leisurely Sunday brunch. It's the associations with these things which are so much more precious for their scarcity. First world problems right there. Anyway, here are some beverage-related things that are pretty freakin' cool.<br />
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You've all heard some saying that warns you not to mix beer and harder alcohols. Personally, I think feeling rough after combining the two is more to do with the fact that you reached the stage where you <i>wanted</i> to move from beer to hard liquor. Several beers are usually required to make you want to drink things called "Afterburner" and "Slippery Nipple". Well <a href="http://highwave.bigcartel.com/product/beer-shot-light-set-of-2" target="_blank">this glass</a> flies in the face of all that advice and blatantly encourages you to move from beer to shot and back again. Although if you try to do both at the same time you may have some issues. That would be your cue to stop drinking I'd think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6aklQvLqJ5-As_rqTnFtBNsLv-Ma0bnBJ1gARzAwnZ5fVImj1Mtj1rs-58Hb8oc54KVbJ78DIJ1yocgfqHwNQOoiY3olDavZLyLyXcEJm1oqtolwOnEnCqv3kDxHItrBt-jr8CsBosc/s1600/BeerShot-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6aklQvLqJ5-As_rqTnFtBNsLv-Ma0bnBJ1gARzAwnZ5fVImj1Mtj1rs-58Hb8oc54KVbJ78DIJ1yocgfqHwNQOoiY3olDavZLyLyXcEJm1oqtolwOnEnCqv3kDxHItrBt-jr8CsBosc/s640/BeerShot-1.jpeg" width="560" /></a></div>
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And here's a <a href="http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/gold-musical-wine-glass-set-of-2" target="_blank">wine glass</a> for my musically inclined vino lovers. I can see some awesome party anthems being attempted with these after a couple of drinks. I can also see them swiftly losing their tunefulness as the drinks continue to be consumed. But it could be fun for a few minutes. If you've had a rough week, you might want to opt to play the B flat - 2.5 standard drinks to get to that pitch.<br />
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And while we're on the theme of cool vessels, here's one for the coffee lovers. Your short black and your biscotti in one. You have to like a bit of sugar with your coffee though because the inside of the cup is a patented sugar coating. Probably not a good collectable investment but as a quick drink with a snack? I think I like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH-fge-pvKdxpwKUrfB7H1oy73jr8Q_SSiJJLNOiNUwQcExVZ-Z7How38mMLeaCI6HjD4bjkw0sU6r0ZM41LuON0VeWwppl26crG9pdOgzr8Ttaqqw5WrrdxNcfMZOUYhmTiEWowBMhg/s1600/Edible+coffee+cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSH-fge-pvKdxpwKUrfB7H1oy73jr8Q_SSiJJLNOiNUwQcExVZ-Z7How38mMLeaCI6HjD4bjkw0sU6r0ZM41LuON0VeWwppl26crG9pdOgzr8Ttaqqw5WrrdxNcfMZOUYhmTiEWowBMhg/s640/Edible+coffee+cup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And if you manage to acquire these fabulous vessels, you will obviously need somewhere fabulous to keep them. <a href="http://www.shopsocietysocial.com/" target="_blank">Society Social</a> is the place to go. A business made with love (always the best kind of business) from a lady who was over being dull so she decided she wanted to make life as beautiful as she knew it could be. They have fabulous furniture and knick knacks, some vintage, some new, but all utterly wonderful. She has a particular penchant for bar carts which are the ultimate in great home accessories if you ask me. Which you didn't but you've read it now so there you go. I was particularly taken by the photo of the bar cart with in front of the blackboard which read "Hold onto your Highballs". Puerile humour rarely fails to amuse me. But this cart is my pick. Table tennis bats and ping pong balls are surely the pinnacle in bar cart accessories. Vodka, smarties and ping pong - a match made in heaven.<br />
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It's Monday, have a wee tipple people.<br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://www.designcrushblog.com/" target="_blank">Design Crush</a> for introducing me to today's drinking vessels. Always inspirational.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-71897153370040607572012-07-27T21:36:00.001+12:002012-07-27T21:36:37.904+12:00WTFF: Otago SunshineIt was another beautiful day in Dunedin. That statement could be dripping with sarcasm, but actually it's not. We have been having the most incredible run of weather. There's been the odd rainy day, but mostly, it's been frosts and sunshine. Now I've put you all to sleep with talk of the weather, let's move on to more interesting topics: my frock. It was a celebration of Otago and the lovely winter weather. For those of you who aren't so au fait with Otago, gold and blue are the colours sported by the rugby team so have by proxy become the region's colours. I didn't apply to the Rugby Union for a fan fashion frock, however, I bought the dress off <a href="http://www.asos.co.uk/" target="_blank">ASOS</a>. I very much doubt a British clothing store intended to make a dress to support a New Zealand provincial rugby team so it's pure coincidence but on a lovely day like today, it was very intentional on my part.<br />
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The dress (now covered in pumpkin and cream cheese thanks to Edie's food art finger painting, Mumma as canvas) was bought in a sale several months ago. When you buy things in a sale you must always, <i>always</i> ask yourself the question, "Why is this on sale?". You will find the answer is often, "Because there is something wrong with it", in which case, you don't want it either. Here are some hints: read reviews - people will give feedback on a garment that they didn't like; look at the shape - could it be tricky to fit?; look at the material - is it poor quality/wrong for the garment/fugly?. Here are some reasons why you could be getting a bargain: the price point - was it ridiculously expensive for what it was, but on sale it's fine; it's a definite style - one that not many people choose to rock, but you do; it requires a bit of thought - you can see what you need to do with it but others might have missed the trick.<br />
With this dress, I think it was the colours. The combination of the gold and blue works, but maybe it's not easy to imagine how to accessorise. Also they're not very 'in' colours (in combination) at present so the dress looks different from things you see around in the stores at the moment. That could be bad and good. I decided it was good.<br />
From a practical point of view, the dress is a wool blend so has a bit of warmth in it (always handy in the deep South). And from an impractical point of view, it's a pain in the arse to breastfeed in. It requires lifting the whole skirt up. Just as well I have few inhibitions in that sense.<br />
Because of the knit fabric, it's really comfy to wear and the shape is flattering and comfortable too - no gut-sucking required. I like the shape of the skirt with it's slight fullness which complements the waistline and length nicely. And because of where I live, the colours are great.<br />
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The hat. Don't ya love it?? Phil bought it for me years ago. It was one of those "Just Because I Love You" gifts that people give each other when they're in love and they don't have kids and boring things sucking up their disposable income. I'm not a complete cynic. We do still buy these kind gifts for each other but these days it's more likely to be a trim latte and a cream bun than a beautiful wool hat. And this is fine as I love me a good cream bun (catch the name of the blog by any chance?). I can't remember where Phil got the hat but he was so proud of his gift-buying skills when he presented it to me. He knew I'd love it: I love hats. My Mum has always had this thing about her not having the right head/face/anything to wear a hat. Every time she tries one on for fun, she pulls this 'hat face' (Phil and my sister will know the exact face I'm talking about) which makes her instantly look like she's escaped from the funny farm and then reiterates that she can't wear hats. Perhaps because of this, Natalie and I love the things. I have a modest collection of hats that I don't wear half as often as I should. And the sad thing is, I've never worn this hat before today. I know, I'm a bad wife. Basically, I have this image in my head of the way in which this hat should be worn, and I have never had the outfit or the occasion to live up to my ideal. It's not a dressing up hat in the sense that you would wear it to a wedding or to the races. And yet it's not a snow day, cold outside, wear it on duty in the school playground kinda hat either. It has its own special place with a black wool suit and 1920's shoes to match its almost-cloche style. But today I lowered my lofty visions of suited beauty and wore it with my Otago Sunshine dress. And I liked it. I know the black ribbon with the blue dress is less than ideal (in my matchy matchy world) but I figured with my black shoes, it ties in top and toe. I shall try and find more excuses to wear my beautiful hat gifted with love.<br />
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The Oompa Loompa tights have made a <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/wtff-cityscape.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reappearance</a> this week, as have the noisy shoes. I am rolling with the tights but I'm still sure I'll look back in 5 years and shake my head at my fashion-victim choice. And I didn't wear any jewellery this week as I thought the hat and tights were enough accessory for one outfit. Don't want to get to greedy now.<br />
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This week my little Edie Maeve is wearing a repeat frock. Gasp! Hey, if it's good enough for Kate Middleton, it's just acceptable for my baby. And it's a tricksy repeat: it's the reverse side of the <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/wtff-cityscape.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corduroy smock</a> I made her. I chose this sea green cord to tone in with the same Paris pants but I like running with the blue hues instead. The knitted nappy cover was given to Edie by Aunty Natalie and I love it with the dress. The t-shirt is a hand-me-down and the tights and hair clip are from Pumpkin Patch. Her cute <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/m/10/see-kai-run" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">See Kai Run Smaller</a> boots (bought to match her purple glasses frames) feature again. I made another little "flower" to pin to the dress, this time in blue. A vision in blues and purples. The pics where she is not charging headlong toward the camera were taken because Edie-hypnotherapy was playing on the TV and it's not what you might think. I might write a wee post about what keeps her happy because it's bloody hilarious.<br />
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A little blue and sunshine from Otago to brighten your day!<br />
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And some dancing in the dark to finish. This is me forcing my husband to take photos when there is almost no natural light left. But what light there is, is really pretty.<br />
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-30966149579022683022012-07-23T22:34:00.001+12:002012-07-23T22:34:49.387+12:00Cool Shit Monday: Fashion - The Good, The Bad, and The UglyYou may be wondering how fashion can be cool shit if it's 'bad' or 'ugly' but it can, believe me, it can. I shall first lure you in with beautiful things, then entertain you with some astute fashion observations (not my cleverness unfortunately), and then amuse you with some of the Ugly. Or actually my friend Georgia will. She's a very amusing person as you'll soon discover.<br />
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Because I'm all about making this a positive place, I shall be responsible for the Good in today's Cool Shit Monday. I've been storing up a few wee gems that have me drooling into my keyboard. It's amazing it hasn't shorted out yet. Let me share my excess saliva with you. "HOORAY", I hear you all shout.<br />
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<a href="http://www.modcloth.com/" target="_blank">Modcloth</a>. I've made reference to it a few times around the blog but it's time I come clean and divulge the full level of my obsession with this site. Modcloth began while its founder was in College. She needed to offload some of the huge collection of vintage goodies she had accumulated over the past years trawling thrift shops so she established an online shop. She had such a great response that she extended to vintage-inspired clothing and the rest, as they say, is history. The business now has 275 employees but maintains a friendly feel and stocks a wide array of products that are simply things that take the fancy of it's creative team. The best (and most dangerous) news is they do ship to the Shaky Isles and pretty much anywhere else in the world. Go nuts people...<br />
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<a href="http://www.baitfootwear.com/" target="_blank">Bait Footwear</a> are relatively new to the fashion world having only been established in the (Northern Hemisphere) Summer of 2011 but are fast making a name for themselves making cute retro-inspired shoes at a reasonable price. Their shoes come in the coolest range of colours and look like just the ticket to wear with that summer dress you've had your eye on. Splash out and make me feel better about my finger hovering over the checkout button.<br />
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And when you want to see what your new cute dress and shoes look like together, and some other accessories you might like to try with them, you can go to <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/" target="_blank">Polyvore</a>. I can't decide if this website is useful or just fun, but if it is just fun, it's good clean fun that will help you procrastinate from the productive things you should be doing. Basically you can assemble outfits so you can... well... make outfits. You could then share them with people so they buy you the cool shit you find. You could get ideas for the perfect accessories for your frock. You could create pretty fashion collages just to make you happy. The only downside to Polyvore is that you can't put any item in there - you're limited to their selection of (what I assume are paying) fashion lines. But they have a lot. And they have Modcloth so I'm happy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/first_floral/set?.embedder=4261748&.svc=copypaste&id=54074707" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="First Floral" border="0" height="637" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/rGpB1TXj3a0o4mQ3Jyi5g/cid/54074707/id/lCr3hsDXR4i38dsPHNHBWQ/size/c600x637.jpg" title="First Floral" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first attempt at a Polyvore - throw a few items together, and voila! an outfit. The bag's not quite the right shade, but like I say, a quick first go.</td></tr>
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<small><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/first_floral/set?.embedder=4261748&.svc=copypaste&id=54074707">First Floral</a> by <a href="http://charlottecarman.polyvore.com/?.embedder=4261748&.svc=copypaste">charlottecarman</a> featuring <a href="http://www.polyvore.com/yellow_leather_handbags/shop?query=yellow+leather+handbags">yellow leather handbags</a></small><br />
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And now for The Bad. I follow a blog called <a href="http://notsolonelylondoners.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Not So Lonely Londoners</a>. It's a fashion blog so not unusual at all. What <i>is</i> unusual about it though is that it's written by a straight male. I enjoy his passion and perspective on fashion and I love that he fights the stereotype. I hate stereotypes even though I probably make them and am one all the time. He wrote <a href="http://notsolonelylondoners.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/how-to-post-like-a-fashion-blogger/" target="_blank">this post</a> a few weeks ago about fashion blog posing. I know this may not be a subject all of you are partial to, that's fine, but I think you will be able to appreciate his observations anyway. You don't have to follow people's blogs to have witnessed self-photography. It's a bit like the duck face phenomenon that people are backlashing against (you know, girls who pull that bizarre pouty face in photos): people strike the strangest poses thinking it's hot/flattering/modelesque. But if they actually looked at those photos objectively, they'd see they look pretty bloody ridiculous. I'm almost certain that I'm guilty of some of the blog fashion poses he writes about, so I'm not throwing any small, hard objects inside easily breakable buildings, but it is bloody funny. And it never hurts to have a good laugh at yourself from time to time. So The Bad of today's fashion themed blog: ridiculous 'fashion' posing. Have a gander.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizD5C5kI2HLdoMWFU6FlmG61HSzFwOfpAYF-wFq259WunUHdPZU1Bpa6jvEVsfi9ErYqXiGuT4ik37k25ysncpbjcEIQfFNtCA11_L6oiXXgJg30wjyqljVsPhOAU7bW64UDMXQevB24/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-23+at+9.51.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizD5C5kI2HLdoMWFU6FlmG61HSzFwOfpAYF-wFq259WunUHdPZU1Bpa6jvEVsfi9ErYqXiGuT4ik37k25ysncpbjcEIQfFNtCA11_L6oiXXgJg30wjyqljVsPhOAU7bW64UDMXQevB24/s640/Screen+shot+2012-07-23+at+9.51.17+PM.png" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Agony. Just one of Stu's fashion blogger poses.</td></tr>
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And The Ugly. More specifically, <a href="http://itsstillugly.tumblr.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's Still Ugly</a>, an ever-growing collection of high-priced fashion that might be fashion, but... well the title speaks for itself. My friend Georgia is an avid fashion follower but is also a lass who calls a spade a spade. And boy does she dig up some ugly shit. Georgia brings a bit of reality to the high-flying world of couture and reminds us that just because they tell us the Emperor is wearing clothes designed by someone with a fancy name and a large paycheck, we still may need to be reminded that he's actually naked. Ok that was a confusing metaphor but I just mean some fashion is crap and Georgia points out why. She also manages to show that sometimes even the ugly has it's own alluring siren call. But mostly it's a good healthy kick of realism and I love it. The Ugly is cool shit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhCbQmpUUPNCGr77yjYwv808chY4PHG6UOziL5nqpOOP-fx2Ih00Z_te2LDH-z1IGGwZf-vVZ1DwFwUGCARAxpUELCSzL2j41ZB2M9ZkVCq27GjtDgCl_2SFU4Y15GhWpRSg6nNKsUtI/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-23+at+10.08.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhCbQmpUUPNCGr77yjYwv808chY4PHG6UOziL5nqpOOP-fx2Ih00Z_te2LDH-z1IGGwZf-vVZ1DwFwUGCARAxpUELCSzL2j41ZB2M9ZkVCq27GjtDgCl_2SFU4Y15GhWpRSg6nNKsUtI/s640/Screen+shot+2012-07-23+at+10.08.40+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Georgia's short but accurate observations.</td></tr>
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</div>Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-65784505952106211852012-07-22T21:35:00.000+12:002012-07-22T21:35:16.381+12:00WTFF: Cabaret CoolLast night I did something I haven't done in a while - I sang in front of an audience. Over 100 paying guests actually. Thankfully they weren't really there to see me so I didn't have to worry about the pressure of disappointing. Also thankfully, my number came up close to the end when most patrons had downed at least one alcoholic beverage. It's like the Karaoke Equation in reverse - the more drinks you consume, the more awesome you become at singing but this is the more drinks <i>they</i> consume the better <i>I</i> become at singing. Win win for everybody.<br />
Good times were had by all and hats off to Greg and Heidi for pulling the whole <a href="https://www.facebook.com/littlewinter.cabaretdunedin?ref=ts" target="_blank">Little Winter Cabaret</a> together. Fingers crossed there will be more nights of great music, great No. 7 Balmac food, and great company.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing faces - never make for a flattering photo</td></tr>
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So what did I wear for my foray into my past music life? A frock of course! Never look a gift horse in the mouth and pass up the chance to tizzy yourself up I say. I have a moth-eaten wardrobe of "performance attire" that I never really get to delve into. However I didn't feel this was the night to slap on a full-length ball gown so the moths were left to their meal. Instead I picked a dress I bought a few years back at Hype (Dunedin fashion store) to cover me for a wedding or two. It's clearly a dress I bought pre-babies. No woman in her right mind who's had a baby would choose a dress like this unless they were an A-list celebrity with a bevy of personal trainers and nutritionists tucked in their size 0 back pockets. But I was determined to wear this dress again as I really like it and if I have more sprogs, it probably really will have to go in the "I once wore this" pile. You basically can't wear underwear with this dress (too much information? Possibly but I've written it now and I can't be bothered back-spacing it all) as it's so close fitting so I had a few... 'functionality' issues with wearing this dress. NB. If you thought the no underwear thing was TMI then you probably don't want to read the rest of this paragraph. Firstly, if you read my <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/the-biggest-myth-of-early-motherhood.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">last post</a> you know I'm breastfeeding. No bra or more to the point, no breast pads, is a dangerous proposition. So I jammed a couple of breast pads into the crop top that goes with the dress. I was incredibly paranoid I would have two circular lumps over my boobs that would be clearly visible on the stage, but I figured that would have paled in comparison to having a milk-stained frontage. Secondly, I have really, hairy legs at the moment. Really. Tights were a compulsory accessory so I just had to hope that no big tights seam weaved it's way up my belly. See, no post-baby woman in their right mind would choose a dress like this.<br />
I'm really selling this to you aren't I? It's a fine line when you really want to wear something, but it just doesn't fit you like it used to. How many times do you see people wearing something that probably looked fine on them at one point in time but they just haven't bothered to <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/people-watching-ultimate-hobby-for-nosy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">look in the mirror </a>for the last 3 years? I considered this a lot before I decided to don this dress, especially when I was going to be in front of an audience and decided I still had a little bit of wear left in it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o-GIj2UrsDImxCsUaj9YV_fnqqMdgPnjnqwJOS39eWJ_OB-IHGaWMSLSBA3mL5HWUNHm2YwRIA9j7aiwi68SnzOAaSanFa0mAe4ZXT9rN6m4VN70BurtlIZnW2Q45a1y86evch_hl1g/s1600/IMG_6264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o-GIj2UrsDImxCsUaj9YV_fnqqMdgPnjnqwJOS39eWJ_OB-IHGaWMSLSBA3mL5HWUNHm2YwRIA9j7aiwi68SnzOAaSanFa0mAe4ZXT9rN6m4VN70BurtlIZnW2Q45a1y86evch_hl1g/s640/IMG_6264.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see what I mean about the underwear - had it on for this shot. And note corner Gremlin...</td></tr>
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What do I love about this dress apart from the fact that it's underwear-incompatible? The colour. It's what drew me to it in the first place. The dress is like a classic Little Black Dress except it's teal. I think the label called it "Kingfisher Blue" although it's not <i>quite</i> what I think that colour is but either way, it's beautiful. I love the back of this dress. the shape, the twist in the jersey at the top, the reveal without too much reveal... it's awesome. The length and neckline - the dress shows a bit of skin at the back and it's figure-hugging so it does the right thing and doesn't show decolletage or too much leg. And finally the material. What make the dress so unforgiving is also what makes it beautiful - the knit is soft and light but not too light that it doesn't have shape.<br />
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The one concession I made to any self-consciousness I had in wearing this dress was in the tie I wore around the middle. I thought that by adding that small accessory, I broke up the line of my figure and highlighted my waist so that I had a more hour glass shape. I bought the scarf at Guess when I was in the States <i>years</i> ago. I'm not very good at using scarves and belts so I haven't worn it that much but I love the pattern and the colours which toned in perfectly with the dress. It also allowed me to wear my navy blue opaque tights and keep in matchy matchy mode. I tried to have the knot of the tie sitting low around the back so it didn't spoil the line of the back of the dress.<br />
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Earrings (that you can't really pick out in the photos) are old and falling apart but the wee white stones hopefully picked up a bit of light on stage. And when holding a mic, having a large ring is obviously an eye-catching accessory so I wore the same ring from <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/what-frock-friday-parisian-trash.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this outfit</a>.<br />
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The shoes are French Connection and are my go to basic heel. The deep brown colour makes a nice change from black and I love the stripe detail on the heel and toe. Heels are an obvious essential for this dress as my arse needs all the help it can get. Heels = top arse help, in case you didn't know.<br />
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My Cabaret Cool served me well for my wee trip back into music. I feel I may have to look for another cabaret outfit just in case I decide to work the vocal chords again...<br />
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Wee Edie had a bit of a rough week with broken glasses and croup etc so I didn't put a frock on her and take her photo. That would probably have been more than she could handle, poor wee mite. Edie frocky goodness this week, I promise.<br />
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PS. A big thanks to Greg, Heidi, the band and other musicians, and all the helpers who made <a href="https://www.facebook.com/littlewinter.cabaretdunedin?ref=ts" target="_blank">Little Winter Cabaret</a> such a good night out. I hope the good word spreads and you get lots of support for future adventures. And an extra thanks to Heidi for taking the 'action' shots.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my dress think you should Hit the Road, Greg.</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-2720393323183585732012-07-19T23:20:00.002+12:002012-07-19T23:37:36.827+12:00The Biggest Myth of Early MotherhoodWhen you are pregnant and preparing to have a baby, it's quite hard to see past Labour. Yes, I did capitalise that word on purpose and no, I do not mean the centre-left political party that are the current Opposition in New Zealand government. It's Labour with a capital L because it's so momentous. In fact it really should be Labour with a capital L A B O U R but that's too fiddly to type repeatedly, so just the L will suffice today. You are struck with the idea that you will never attempt anything more momentous or challenging in your entire existence. Life will continue to provide you with other challenges, some which you will prepare for and work towards, others out of the blue that you just have to stump up and manage, but nothing, <i>nothing</i> will be as big as the physical act of bringing a new life into the world. While you are also trying to prepare yourself for life after Labour, you know you actually can't comprehend what this will be so there's only so much time you can dedicate to this aim.<br />
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I am someone who is pretty realistic and philosophical about the big stuff. I don't tend to sweat things out or worry about infinite possibilities of 'What Might Go Wrong'. I just don't see the point when so much of it is out of your control. When I was pregnant, my sister, sister-in-law, and bestie had all recently had children plus a few others in my circle of friends and acquaintances so I knew a wee bit about expecting the unexpected. I had those 'spin out' moments that everyone gets where it suddenly hits you that 'Woah, there's going to be a <i>baby</i> in that room soon', or 'This could be the last time I go to the movies for quite some time' but they didn't worry me, nor did I kid myself that I was in anyway prepared for what having a little person relying on me would be like.<br />
On the flip side, I'm hardly a 'head in the sand' kinda gal either. I like to be informed, I like to make educated choices. I made sure I had the information I felt I needed to make the best decisions for Phil, Edie & I regarding Labour and early days. I cannot express just how lucky I was to have the most amazing midwife who is the master of informing and educating without judging - a true and rare skill in the medical world.<br />
In summary, I was relaxed about Labour, and impending motherhood, but not without some vague idea of what I was getting myself into.<br />
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One of the things I had made a definite decision about for life post Labour was that I wanted to give breast feeding a go. I understood that some people weren't able to breast feed for a whole host of reasons. I also felt that some people copped out of it for a whole host of reasons. Controversial, I know, but it's undeniable that some people have different tolerances for difficult situations. Some people endure despite huge odds, and others get off the bus at the first stop in Tricky Town. Let me be clear, in no way did I, or do I think, that people who don't breastfeed their babies are flakes. I do think that human nature creates differing abilities in each of us to cope with adversity. Both extremes on this scale are as flawed as each other.<br />
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And so we (finally) come to my point. Breastfeeding is widely known to be the optimal source of nutrition for your baby for a long list of reasons. It is heavily promoted and people encouraged to try breastfeeding as the first response when they have their babies. It is portrayed as the most beautiful, natural, and wonderful thing that can happen between a mother and child.<br />
But here's what they neglect to tell you:<br />
Breast feeding is FUCKING. HARD. WORK.<br />
All you ladies out there who are up the duff, heed my words. FUCKING. HARD. WORK.<br />
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Now I know why when people promote breast feeding they don't tell you this. There is a lot of negative (some of it frankly ridiculous) press about breast feeding and the people who support breast feeding. Women who breast feed in public have been decried as perverts who need to keep their norks to themselves. The people who are pro-breast feeding have been labelled militant hippies who turn their noses up at those who don't breast feed.<br />
So when you are trying to show people that breast feeding is good, having the tag line "Breast Feeding: It's Fucking Hard Work" probably isn't going to be a winner.<br />
But as a woman who was (and still firmly is) pro-breast feeding, I would have appreciated some more realistic information before I hit the wall. I don't think that trawling the internet for horror stories is a valid source of said information either. I simply wish that someone with a brain, who was neither a militant breastfeeder, nor a wounded anti-breastfeeder, had sat me down and shared their point of view. Someone who wanted to support me in my desire to breastfeed, but who had an appreciation for the fact that my choice may be a difficult one. Maybe they tried and I didn't listen. There are so many people giving you tips and advice it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. But I wish I'd had or had listened to a person like that.<br />
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I hope I might be that person for someone out there reading this post. So if you are pregnant or ever plan to be, or if you are or plan to be the partner of someone who has a baby let me give you a heads up (I have mentioned the "hard work" part but let me elaborate):<br />
- <b>Most women struggle with some part of breast feeding</b>. Why no one tells you this until you are having problems is beyond me. I mean it, nearly <i>every woman</i> has some issue they have to overcome. The ones who say "Oh it's so <i>wonderful</i>" are probably the most concerning of all. And need a good slap with a cold fish. So...<br />
- <b>If you find it challenging, stressful, or overwhelming, this is more than OK, this is normal.</b><br />
- <b>It turns out you have to learn how to feed, but so does your baby</b>, and oddly enough you can't sit down with them over a cup of tea and talk it out then sit a wee exam together and share your test scores at the end.<br />
- <b>It may take weeks or months to sort it out</b>. It's like Pantene, it won't happen overnight but it will happen. Don't kid yourself into thinking that it's all the first week that's terrible and then it'll be fine. It may work like that, but it might not. Don't think you are a freak because at 10 weeks you still feel unsure about feeding in public because of the rigmarole required to get you and your baby settled in for a feed (hello 5 pillows at specific angles).<br />
- It seems so crazy that after millions of years of evolution, we can find something so primal so difficult. I don't pretend to know why we are so inefficient, I just want to tell you that <b>it's not you that's inefficient, it's us as a species</b>! It's not personal, you are fine, you are fabulous, but humanity is flawed.<br />
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So, when you see those lovely photos of women and babies feeding and you look on with wonder and awe thinking "that will be me!", remember that it <i>will</i> be you, but there is possibly a lot of fucking. hard. work that has to happen first. Those women you see in the cafe or at the park just feeding while supervising 2 other kids, drinking a coffee, and holding a conversation all at the same time? They probably put in a lot of fucking. hard. work.<br />
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It really is a wonderful and natural thing, I promise. If you can do it, you won't regret it. But go in prepared to have some lows before the highs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsSZuHpeVYfXIiQ1wox8RCaJvK1TzmRrPMzAUFvCaGAW-jjObizqNpdQ9QZLuJSos8wIEFFy49We_qVEeG4vJ2W8H3W0q1LldetkYyZSvC6WgEmJLoA9VjxH84bLHmuoQXP1xlSYARNE/s1600/IMG_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsSZuHpeVYfXIiQ1wox8RCaJvK1TzmRrPMzAUFvCaGAW-jjObizqNpdQ9QZLuJSos8wIEFFy49We_qVEeG4vJ2W8H3W0q1LldetkYyZSvC6WgEmJLoA9VjxH84bLHmuoQXP1xlSYARNE/s640/IMG_2113.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edie's first feed. See? Lovely! It all turned pear shaped after this but surprisingly I didn't take a lot of photos of that...</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-4013933011521179392012-07-16T23:15:00.001+12:002012-07-16T23:15:31.530+12:00Cool Shit Monday: Kiddy KoolNot all of you have kids so I have avoided putting too many child-related items into CSM. Just the odd sprinkle here and there. But the reality is, I <i>do</i> have a kid and so I can't help but find cool shit that is kiddy-centric. So today I am indulging the mummy shopaholic in me and showing you some Kiddy Kool. If you don't have a kid, you could just peruse the items, appreciate their cuteness, then purge them from your memory as useless trinkets. Or perhaps you could use some of this on pets or sprogs of people you know. If you do have sprogs, prepare to get your wallets ready and your 'awww' faces prepped.<div>
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Lou Clifton is a Dunedin lass who has been designing and making children's shoes for several years under the banner, <a href="http://www.lousshoes.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lou's Shoes</a>. She has always made totally fantastic shoes but she recently took a break from her children's line to go to Australia and develop her shoemaking skills. She went and worked with a variety of bespoke shoemakers and came home to Dunedin with an adult shoe range in her sights. I'm not sure if she's released the big people shoes yet, but she <i>has</i> released a new line of kiddies shoes and they are to. die. for. If the adults shoes are anywhere near as cool as her baby shoes, I'll be looking at some serious shoe-debt. In the mean time, I am just trying to decide what shoes need to make it into Edie's wardrobe.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think these Pierrot ones will be on the shopping list</td></tr>
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Another lovely Dunedin lady showing her talents is Rachel Owen. After Rachel had her son, she asked her mother to teach her all her crafty secrets. She passed over quilting, decided knitting wasn't for her, but crochet was just her cup of tea and away she went. Once she'd crocheted entire wardrobes of clothes for her own child, she decided it was probably time to share the love and started to sell her creations. And so <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidlidz" target="_blank">Kid Lidz</a> was born. Edie was lucky enough to be given one such creation for her first birthday - an owl hat - and we get so many comments about it. And you no-kiddy people are in luck. She makes them in big people sizes too...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edie jazzed to have an owl on her head.</td></tr>
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Well this is turning into a Dunedin love-fest as I'm now about to rave on about Helen Riley-Duddin who is the brains behind <a href="http://www.tinch.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tinch Design</a>. She designs restickable wallscapes for kidlets (and big people too). Now this idea is not new. When I went to decorate Edie's room before she arrived, I found a bizillion cute wall stickies I could have put on her wall. In the end, I chose two different designs that were not Helen's work. They're cute. I like them. But Helen's are <i>cool</i> so I was stoked when <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harriet</a> gave us one after Edie was born. What makes them different? She uses upcycled textiles (mainly wallpaper and fabric) to make them so they just look... funky. Helen describes them as "half way between play and art" and the lady knows what she is talking about. Plus on a practical note, they are restickable. Really. Not like those stickers that stuck ok at first but after you moved them, seemed to attract fluff from your carpet, your cat, and the back of the refrigerator, and have started to peel off the wall. But if you were still worried about the fluff, you can get magnetic backing instead. You'd happily have them on the walls of your house, unlike massive Dora or Spiderman decals that I would begrudgingly accept if Edie <i>really</i> wanted them and they would certainly not appear in any non-kiddy-zone room. They have become my new 'go to gift'.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edie's wallscape. Edie points to it and says, "hooo! hooo!"</td></tr>
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And just to prove this isn't all about Dunedin, here is one of my favourite online kiddy stores - <a href="http://www.welovefrugi.com/" target="_blank">Frugi</a>. There is so much to love about this stuff. It's organic, it's ethical, it's made with cloth nappy bums in mind (they're fat and therefore can be tricky to fit into normal trousers in case you were wondering), and it's totally cute. The people are awesome too, which helps. They have such a cool wee community going (they call it Planet Frugi) and they truly seem to 'get it' - they are in touch with their customers who they treat more like friends than dollar signs, and they truly love their product. They do ship to New Zealand (postage is usually around 12 pound) so there's no stopping you. Or at least there's no stopping me as Phil can attest to. But Edie clearly <i>needs</i> cute stuff to match her own cuteness.</div>
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So there you have it peeps - some of the kiddy stuff I've been fixating on. The list is long however so I may need to slip the odd bit of kiddy kool into other posts but I'm sure you'll forgive me. After all, we'd all like a wolf t-shirt and white leather pom pom boots at heart.</div>
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PS. You can get the Tinch designs and Kid Lidz at <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a> (of <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/miraculous-happenings.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this post</a>) but I wrote about them because I think they're truly cool, not to be a cheer leader for that business. It is, however, no coincidence that Miracle stocks cool shit.</div>Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-46420493685126229322012-07-15T17:07:00.002+12:002012-07-15T17:07:40.293+12:00WTFF: CityscapeToday Edie and I went to a surprise Yum Char. Yum Char of any kind is excellent but yum char of the surprise variety is uber excellent. It was a wee party for one of my mummy friends who is leaving us to return home to the States. I really wish she wasn't going but I'll take dumplings as a small consolation.<br />
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The dress I wore today has absolutely nothing to do with yum char, or my friend, but I mentioned the story because I was a little nervous about wearing this dress to yum char. No, I wasn't silly enough to wear a white frock to a place where there were likely to be slurpy things flying, it's just that I <i>really</i> can't breastfeed in this dress without pretty much taking it off. And it's not a dress where you wear things underneath it to make it seemly when you do get undressed. As mentioned in <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/people-watching-ultimate-hobby-for-nosy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this post</a>, tights are <i>not</i> pants, after all. I have very low levels of prudishness. By which I mean if I wanted to get undressed in public as it suits me, I would. However, sitting in a restaurant in my tights is probably a bridge too far even for me. I don't feed Edie that often any more but it was lunch, right across sleep time and knew she might be scratchy. There's nothing like a bit of boob to ease scratchiness, I'm sure you'll all agree. So by wearing this dress, I was depriving myself of a vital tool in Kiddy Management. I'm happy to say that Edie managed admirably so I didn't have to expose the restaurant to my mustard-covered midriff and I got to wear the dress I love. It's exciting to be able to do this as tunic dresses are pretty much a dead wardrobe item when you're breastfeeding and I do love this dress so much.<br />
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My mum bought me this dress for my birthday a couple of years ago. She bought it when she was staying with my sister in the Lakes District at a shop that sells many cool things (or so they tell me, I've not been there) and they were a wee bit nervous about buying it as it's quite different. But I love it. I love the crazy, fantastical print, I love the colours, I love the sleeves, I love the neckline... there's a lotta love here people. I think my favourite thing, if I had to pick something, would be the hedgehogs floating away with balloons. If that's not a whacky sentence, I don't know what is. The dress is made from wool so it's perfect for Dunedin's cooler climes. I put a long-sleeved merino underneath today that's pretty old and funny but it has lace cuffs so I think it ties in with the little splash of lace around the yoke of the neck.<br />
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Tights. I bought some, hooray! I normally wear this dress with black tights and I think I actually prefer it that way, but you have to try something new sometimes, don't you? My thought process was that the mustard tights would pick out the bits of yellow in the buildings along the bottom of the dress. When Phil saw the tights he said I had Oompa Loompa legs (no offence) and I can't help but be reminded of a costume I wore as a tacker that was the Ugly Duckling - a feathery tutu with orange tights and bird feet. But I'm sure they're actually cool. Right??<br />
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I bought these shoes on one of those online sale sites. I've never heard of the brand, I'm sure they're made from the tears of small Sri-Lankan children that have been mixed with petrochemicals, but they look pretty. Swell. They're plastic so at least they're recyclable. I have a love-hate relationship with the idea of plastic shoes. Here's a quick run down.<br />
Love:<br />
- recyclable<br />
- remind me of jellies from when I was 5<br />
- waterproof<br />
- shiny and a bit odd<br />
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Hate:<br />
- don't breathe (although these ones do have little breathy holes at the side. This however effects the waterproof thing)<br />
- remind me of jellies from when I was 5<br />
- don't mold to your feet like leather does<br />
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And because I bought these shoes online, they came with an extra surprise that I did not anticipate over the internet. They are noisy. I sound like I have a maraca on either foot. Again, love/hate. Love: party, fun, make an entrance; Hate: noisy, slightly embarrassing, no sneaking in anywhere (bad when you're a late person like me), no catching birds.<br />
Overall though, I'm happy I bought them. They're cute and they didn't cost much.<br />
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Mum bought me these earrings (man my Mum buys me a lot of stuff. Love you mummy!) a few years ago, again for a birthday. Super useful earrings as they go with so many things due to the array of hues. Edie likes them too of course, but so far I've managed to get by with my earlobes still intact.<br />
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Hope you love my Cityscape frock, it's one of my favs so break it to me gently if you think it's hideous.<br />
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Today Edie wore a dress I made her. That's right, I sewed it. This is momentous for me because it represents a completed craft project and it was me who completed it, not my Mum (read <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/why-i-never-finish-what-i-start.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> if you're not sure what I'm on about). It was a Butterick pattern and I figured the cord would be useful in the cooler months and the rough and tumble lifestyle of a 1yr old. The material for the wee bloomers is obviously cotton and I just thought it was so cute with all the Parisian things on it. Her onesie is a Pumpkin Patch number. The flower and the shoes are the same ones Edie wore in <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wtff-pastoral-pretty.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> WTFF.<br />
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And so another Friday passes in Frockdom. Mad props to all my ladies who wore frocks today. You are all foxy bitches xo<br />
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PS. This was written on Friday (hence the tense used) but I didn't get photos until today. The bonus for me in this is that was a frock for Friday and also Sunday. Double wear.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-7085275169758654872012-07-11T21:43:00.000+12:002012-07-11T21:43:08.396+12:00WTFF: Patriotic PrettyIt's taken me the better part of a week to get this post to you but I couldn't let it slide. I'm committed to the frock and I am gathering a loyal following of fellow frockers who I need to pay tribute to. So late or not, here's Friday's frock.<br />
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I have absolutely no claim to any American heritage or anything to do with America. The best I can say is that I've been there a couple of times and I have a couple of good friends who are American or live in the States. Oh, and I LOVE Disneyland. Actually the happiest place on earth. But I am always up for a good party and you've got to celebrate when the chance is offered. The chance was offered this week with Independence Day, so my frock this week says, "Hooray for America and Independence". Just because it's fun and I can. And you can say all the bad stuff you like about America, but they sure know how to do a good party.<br />
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I tried to further the party spirit by hosting an afternoon tea for my Mummy group. I decided to be the Frock Police and insist that my guests wear a frock. My ladies really came to the party. In every sense. It was a frock success - we all looked gaw-jus and there were more than a few remarks made about how comfy a dress actually is. See, frocks aren't just impractical fluff.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My ladies rockin' their frocks. Floral was the order of the day!</td></tr>
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My Nana bought me this dress not long after I became pregnant. I don't know if she really intended it as a maternity dress, I don't think she did, and it's just as well as I don't think I wore it once when I was pregnant. It's so voluminous, it just made me look like the main attraction inside the big top. But now that I'm not knocked up, I really like the fullness of it. It's quite sheer so I have to wear a slip with it. I mostly wear this dress with something to draw it in at the waist, but when I really feel like indulging my Peter Pan complex, I wear it without. I don't know if the photos capture it, but there is a silver stripe that runs through it which is rather lovely. Also it has buttons down the bodice so I can breastfeed in it without having to undress myself (something I have actually done in order to wear some of my other dresses). And it has pockets - SOLD.<br />
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Today I wore it with a cardi I bought in Balmain in Sydney. It's a summery cardi really: it's cotton, it has 3/4 sleeves... but it's about the only blue thing I own that could be used for my Independence Day theme. And it's such a happy blue (if there can be such a thing) that I couldn't resist. <br />
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The 'belt' is a hair ribbon. The hair ribbon used to be on a present. So it's a bit of wrapping really but I loved the stripes so I kept it. Again, it fit nicely with my theme. I only wished it was it a little wider so it made more of an impact.<br />
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The shoes were a last minute buy from <a href="http://www.overlandfootwear.co.nz/" target="_blank">Overland</a> on the day of my brother's wedding. I had an outfit all planned of course but I wasn't really happy with the shoes. I bought these and changed the rest of the outfit to match. I love the ruffle detail on the toe and the wedge heel. You might think that the wedge makes these shoes comfy, but it doesn't. It's a commonly held myth that heel height and width is the crux when it comes to comfy shoes but it's all about physics - weight distribution, angles... these don't tick the physics box but they do look lovely.<br />
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The earrings and the ring were also a wedding number, this time my sister's. I was her only bridesmaid so was given free reign on outfit choice, just make it some sort of red. I wore a beautiful top and skirt combo and these were the accessories. I do love a good bit of red. It suits me well as long as I don't have a face full of zits to match. Too much information? Sorry. We (Mum and I) got this jewellery at Flying Saucer which used to be at Shore City Mall in Takapuna and Auckland Airport but I have a feeling they've closed. Sad as they used to have interesting things.<br />
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Slap a hint of red lippy on there, and there you have it, America the brave! Alternatively, it's now close enough to Bastille Day that I could say Vive la France instead. You choose.<br />
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On Friday Edie wore a gorgeous little corduroy smock from <a href="http://www.boden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Boden</a> that she has worn a lot and I just love it. Aunty Natalie helped me pick this one as there was so much cuteness to choose from, I was overwhelmed. I love that it has so many colours in it so it's easy to accessorise. I'm not sure which nation sports all those colours though so she's not in on the patriotic theme. On Friday Edie wore the dress with a organic cotton onesie from <a href="http://www.frugi.co.uk/" target="_blank">Frugi</a>, Marks & Spencer tights, and her <a href="http://www.seekairun.com/" target="_blank">See Kai Run Smaller</a> boots that were bought from <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a> to match her glasses of course!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Favourite job: 'loading' the dishwasher</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added bonus: icing from the beater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what happens when mummies leave their babies for 1 minute to pose for a photo. Baby chaos!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-31705643024732237762012-07-09T22:16:00.000+12:002012-07-09T22:16:55.320+12:00Cool Shit Monday: Outdoor AdventuresIt's still cold. I feel like I will be saying this for many, many months to come and it's boring. It's like I'm in some Groundhog Day as a poor retail assistant whose only opening gambit with a customer is to discuss the weather. I'm not sure why I insist on torturing myself by putting up things that remind me of summer when we are so far away from it. But a bit of escapism never hurt anyone. As long as you wake up before 'delusional', you'll be fine. So come with me on a camping adventure! I know some people <i>hate </i>camping, but here is some seriously cool shit that even the most anti-outdoor person would have to covet on some level.<br />
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You might be in the cold and rain, the person in the tent beside you might snore like a chainsaw, and the ants might have got into your Fruit Bursts, but these amazing <a href="http://www.fieldcandy.com/" target="_blank">Field Candy</a> tents will make it all ok because you will be the coolest kid in the campground. How could you be sad about being snuggled up inside a tent that looks like corduroy and has buttons?? YOU COULDN'T, I TELL YOU!<br />
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When I was a kid, cooking marshmallows over a bonfire ranked right up there with the best activities ever. It was one of the pinnacles of childhood - fire + lollies = hullo! We used to occasionally try smooshing the marshies between SuperWines but I was mostly just into pulling the charred outter of the marshy off with my teeth, then sucking the melted centre off the stick (trying to avoid bark etc). I knew about smores from American TV shows but never fully appreciated their awesomeness until some American friends of mine made them for me with the proper ingredients - Graham Crackers, Jumbo White Marshmallows, and delicious chocolate (I prefer dark chocolate). Food combo magic. These ones below use homemade marshmallow which sounds pretty great to me. Just make sure you don't get chocolatey fingers on your lovely quilty tent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofzlVlrhWD4a1fkeyk21xGLRpSXBajcx_wCd_yNoxaftB_jgrt7FxFDFM-2j6fuZKU49fmwRVKAMFxEByndk5_FXI6arcSvjY5NZaTLvavm5rOX7_LLRiiTNRL5fQ9aCsNjt7d8wtLn8/s1600/Smores.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofzlVlrhWD4a1fkeyk21xGLRpSXBajcx_wCd_yNoxaftB_jgrt7FxFDFM-2j6fuZKU49fmwRVKAMFxEByndk5_FXI6arcSvjY5NZaTLvavm5rOX7_LLRiiTNRL5fQ9aCsNjt7d8wtLn8/s640/Smores.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://jennysteffens.blogspot.co.nz/2011/01/smores-valentines-day-dessert-recipes.html" target="_blank">Jenny Steffens Hobick</a></td></tr>
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Sensible footwear. There's a phrase that makes my lip curl distastefully. Thankfully, Native <a href="http://shop.nativeshoes.com/v5fmsnet/OeCart/OeFrame.asp?SXREF=113&CurPath=1&PMSESS1=217626" target="_blank">shoes</a> are sensible AND stylish. Check out their hiking boots below. I can't tell you that much about them as apparently they are so cool they don't need to give you product information, you should just be grateful to buy such coolness. I do know that they're made of some special stuff that moulds to your foot. Sounds gross but I'm sure it's useful. I had a wander through their website and they have some seriously awesome casual shoes but these ones fit my theme best. I feel like I'd want one of each colour to show them to best effect. It's a shame I don't have 5 feet. Not really actually. I don't need five feet, no need to be greedy. I'll just take the black ones.<br />
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Sleeping bags are not usually described as 'sexy' or 'hot' so when I heard about these I was dubious. But I am now on board the <a href="http://www.alitedesigns.com/alite-shop/sexy-hotness-sleeping-bag.html" target="_blank">Sexy Hotness Sleeping Bag</a> bandwagon. Especially after I saw the photo of the dude taking a leak against the tree in his SH bag. They're not the highest rated sleeping bags (in terms of temperature) but they brag that they don't need it as they get 'cosy' once you're inside. You can zip multiple bags together, or just unzip around the erogenous zone for... easy access. The purple version also sports a karma sutra lining. Love it. You'll also have noticed that you use the middle zippers so you can walk around in your SH Bag instead of having to do the potato sack race hop. It's all good news really.<br />
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So it's not exactly Glamping, but it is fun. Get your smore on people and get ready for a camping adventure.<br />
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PS. Friday's Frock post <i>is</i> still coming. The weekend went a little differently than I had planned...Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-16600435220474202002012-07-04T22:25:00.000+12:002012-07-04T23:24:33.925+12:00It's Not What You Say...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I took Edie to a gym. I thought it was about time she learned to do dead lifts etc. Seriously though folks, I mean I took her to a gymnastics centre. We went with some friends and their babies who are all around Edie's age. It was seriously cool in many ways. Firstly, there was all the equipment that you'd hope for - bars, beams, spring boards, large mats... all the things that just make you want to go <i>nuts</i> and jump around like you're 7 years old. Secondly, it was freezing. Totally, bone-chillingly icy. It was a cold day in Dunedin (I know, shock horror) and of course the gym was in this large warehouse space. They had made a token attempt to heat it by putting in these tiny bar heaters. Unfortunately, they were on the ceiling (apparently they had skipped the "heat rises" lesson at school) and there were about 4 of them for the entire cavernous space. I stupidly didn't think about the fact that I would have to take my street shoes off inside and only wore stockings so my feet quickly lost all feeling and turned to ice. I left Edie in her wooly hat and jacket the whole hour she played there and even then her little hands were purple. This was just the beginning of the gymnastics experience for me. Not all of it was cool.<br />
As a stereotype, little girls seemed to do one of 3 activities when I was young. All little girls may or may not have done other sports and extra-curricular activities, but these 3 were the staple: gym, ballet (or dance of some sort), and horse-riding. The horse riders were the privileged few, the lucky ones whose parents had the money or the resources at hand to allow them to attend gymkhanas and brush manes. To be honest, they seemed a bit 'horse mad' to me but perhaps this was because I was just jealous. So the rest of the young female population fell into the other two categories: gym and dance. These two did not seem to be activities that were able to be combined. No one ever seemed to do both. You could do dancing and soccer, or gym and brownies, but you could not do gym and dancing. I have no idea why this was. It was like the Sharks and the Jets. Gym girls didn't mix with dance girls. Anyway, I was a dance girl and so the closest I ever came to doing gymnastics was at PE, and watching Nikki Jenkins win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1987. In fact, my whole perception of the gymnastics scene is founded on what I know from the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and 60 Minutes-type exposes of extreme coaching techniques employed in the sport.<br />
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So the fact that this gym was freezing cold encouraged my perception of hard-nosed training methods where you had to suck it up to survive. This idea was only encouraged by what happened through the rest of Edie's hour of gymnastics.<br />
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We were greeted by the lady running the session in a friendly if slightly direct manner. We let the kids loose on the age-appropriate equipment she had set up. There were a few other kids of various ages and their Mums, all doing their own thing. After about 5 minutes, some child-friendly music started. After about 15 minutes a particular song started at which time the gym coach produced some colourful scarves to wave around at appropriate moments during the song. She encouraged us to grab the scarves and our children and join in.<br />
If you know me, you know I'm not a wall flower. When I was about 14 I think I found my mother mortifyingly embarrassing (who didn't at that age?) because she would always jump up for "audience participation". If someone needed a person to join in, clap along, read out loud etc., Mum would step up. At 14, Edie is sure to be embarrassed by me because I am now exactly the same. I am quite happy to save someone from being left in the lurch and join in where necessary. I find that if you start, others will eventually join in and a better time is had by all. It depends on the circumstances of course, but you get the general idea.<br />
And so naturally I picked up a scarf and began waving it according to the directions of the song and the gym coach. Happily, my friends were just as quick to scarf-wave as I so we were united in our lunacy. Some of the other adults had struck up a conversation elsewhere and the gym lady encouraged them to join in. Firstly, she just called out for them to come and get a scarf. But the more they ignored her, the more insistent she became. I think the words "Pick up your children and bring them over here!!" were uttered in what I thought was a oddly insistent tone.<br />
At this stage, I was thinking the gym lady was beginning to fill some of my other ideas about going to gymnastics. First freezing cold gymnasiums, now implacable coaches... This idea was cemented when she turned her ire on me.<br />
I had offered several scarves to Edie but she was happy just to watch Mummy lummox around. I can't blame her. Here I was waving my scarf up high, touching the ground, waving it left, waving it right, and other tuneful actions as per the ditty. I was committed but I was not committed enough for Gym Lady. She turns to me, waving her scarf at Edie and snaps, "PUT A SCARF IN HER HAND". I don't take kindly to being snapped at so I promptly told her that I had tried but I couldn't force my 1 year old to hold onto something she didn't want to. She didn't mention it again but it was clear I was not winning any Top Mum awards in her book.<br />
From then on I thought of the the gym lady as the Gym Nazi. I have to say, she tried hard with the kids, making her way round each of them and encouraging them to try out the equipment. But she was <i>bossy</i> with the adults. She treated us like we were also 7 years old and needed 'a good firm hand'. I was left with mixed feelings about the experience. I appreciate that when you are trying to get a group of adults, possibly strangers, to join in an activity, you need to be proactive and encourage people to get involved to make the experience they're paying for worth their while. The message that she was trying to convey made perfect sense. But it was <i>how</i> she said it that rubbed me up the wrong way. And it wasn't just me getting a bit pouty for being told off, my friends noticed her tone as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I managed to force a stick into her hand though...</td></tr>
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I seem to come across this a lot. Not Gym Nazis, I haven't met many of those. I mean people who are bemused that others don't see things their way or won't do what they say. It would seem that the ability to couch questions or directions in an tactful way is rare. When people go into a store and launch into a tirade of vitriol at a staff member, do they really think that the person they're yelling at is going to go out of their way to help correct any mistake that's been made? When someone feels they have been promised something at work that they have not received, do they honestly think the best way to remedy this is to approach the powers that be with a barrage of aggressive questions? Don't get me wrong, I am the first to say that there are times when you need to resort to more drastic measures, but going straight for the jugular is like shaving all your hair off just because you don't like your hair cut - it's probably not in your best interests and you've skipped about 5 steps between.<br />
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I think it comes down to empathy and the ability to see potential outcomes from one's actions. People need to be able to see things from a variety of perspectives to be able to anticipate what the result of their actions might be. If the Gym Nazi had understood that her tone and wording made her reasonable requests sound demanding and patronising, I'm sure she would have been mortified. Conversely, if I had just understood that I needed to give my child the freaking scarf, she wouldn't have had to yell at me.<br />
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What I'm really saying is think about how you talk to other people as it effects the way they'll talk back to you. I clearly need to look at this myself when I next meet the Gym Nazi. I'll make sure I have an extra scarf and a friendly smile.<br />
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-22100703614877128312012-07-02T22:04:00.000+12:002012-07-02T22:04:25.546+12:00Cool Shit MondayA few randoms this week: stuff I want to share and not force into a cheesy theme like I do sometimes. Cheesy themes are well and good but I don't feel like one just now. Things don't have to match all the time, only most of the time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.duefashion.com/shop/tops" target="_blank">These</a> digitally printed tops are about the coolest thing I've seen in some time. The colours are fantastic, I love the boat neckline, and the idea itself is just so freaking... cool. I can't decide which one I like best.<br />
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I think <a href="http://www.mixiestudio.com/2012/05/jot-it-down-featuring-free-grocery-list.html" target="_blank">this</a> is so cute! Lauren, the lady it behind <a href="http://www.mixiestudio.com/" target="_blank">Mixie Studio</a>, created this in order to streamline her grocery shopping so she didn't spend time going back and forth for stuff she'd forgotten. She thought out the layout of her supermarket then created divisions in her shopping list to match so that she would collect her groceries in order. Then she posted it on her blog and made it downloadable so you too can shop with precision. Love it!<br />
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I don't have an iPhone. Phil does. If I'm a good girl he lets me look at it sometimes. But I'm not allowed to look too long and I'm certainly not allowed to touch it. OK I'm joking but he does love it. The best news for me is that my phone is about to fossilise completely. The phone company is forcing it into retirement, it's such a hunk of junk. It almost has an analogue clock face it's that old. And when my prehistoric phone is finally put to rest, I get Phil's hand-me-down iPhone. In anticipation of this joyous event, I have already purchased a pretty iPhone cover but I did so before I found <a href="http://society6.com/cases/" target="_blank">this site</a>. I love the cover I bought but I may have to start a collection because there's so much coolness here.<br />
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I went to see <a href="http://www.taierimusical.org.nz/" target="_blank">Taieri Musical Society</a>'s production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Saturday night. It was a bit of treat as Phil and I got to leave Edie with a baby sitter and go crazy (if your definition of crazy is to go to Mosgiel to see a musical). We knew quite a few of the performers in the show which always adds another dimension to the experience as you get to cheer on your mates. I wanted to let you know about one particularly amazing friend who did a top job. If you've somehow managed to have your head in a bucket for most of your life and you don't know the story of Jesus' final days on earth, then let me tell you that Mary Magdalene plays a small but key role in that story. In the musical, Mary is the only female lead role and gets to sing a couple of songs that are really well known but actually, it's a pretty crap role. I think this is because all the men on stage are dealing with serious inner turmoil and there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. As a performer, the dudes of the show are able to get stuck in and peacock around, parading their singing and acting chops. Poor Mary is left to be the foil for all the madness. She's the calming influence, the moderate. And it <i>sucks</i> to be that wet blanket when all you want to do is scream and jump up and down like everyone else. So when you get a young, passionate, and fiery girl taking on such a roll, you've gotta feel for her. But boy howdy did <a href="http://www.kylieannprice.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kylie Price</a> take that calm, serene, Mary and play her with the maturity of a seasoned pro. And I'm not really surprised as Kylie <i>is</i> a seasoned pro. Fresh off a win at the Gold Guitars, Kylie is a singer with serious credentials. She is not one of those 'pop stars in the making' that simply look pretty and can (sort of) carry a tune, she is an incredible singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and all-round musician. On top of this, she has a brain (praise the lord! A young artist doing well who actually <i>deserves</i> their success). Earlier this year Kylie released her first single on iTunes and you should check it out. I hope we'll be hearing a lot more about Kylie Price in the years to come. Cool doesn't even begin to describe her.<br />
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-11604392792144834872012-06-29T23:09:00.002+12:002012-06-29T23:09:50.322+12:00WTFF: Spot the DressI had a dress planned to wear today and I was determined to wear it. The problem was, it's a dress that would look stink with most tights and a bit crazy with boots and it's bloody <i>freezing</i> in Dunedin at the moment. So as I was lying in bed last night pondering how I could wear the dress, it came to me that I could cheat. Don't hate me for it, it really is frickin' freezing in here Mr Bigglesworth.<br />
<br />
I still wore the dress I'd planned, I just turned it into a top. This is actually a cunning plan that I highly recommend for a number of reasons. Firstly, you get more wear out of your dress. You can rehash it in a variety of different guises. You also have that "old as new" feeling that you sometimes get from your clothes when you find a different way to wear them.<br />
However some words of caution. Be careful <i>how</i> you wear the dress as a top. You need to be mindful of the shape of the dress and the thing that you put over it. You can end up making yourself look like you have a whole lot more junk in the trunk than you do. And not in a good way.<br />
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Today's dress worked as a top for a couple of reasons. It's straight (no fullness in the skirt), has no detail below the waist (no buttons and bows making odd shapes in my skirt), and the material is fairly thin (no bulky knits to make it look like I'm wadding my tights with newspaper to keep warm. Although that might have been practical today). The other half of the dress-as-top equation is, of course, the skirt. You can have a dress that ticks all the boxes above, but if the skirt isn't right, you can go astray. Today's skirt worked because the skirt was longer than the dress (although you could possibly make a cool look from this if you were careful), the skirt was fuller than the dress (so the dress didn't look bulky underneath the skirt), and the waist of the skirt sat well with the natural line (or lack of) of the dress.<br />
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Perhaps I'm making it sound unnecessarily complicated. When you put a dress on underneath a skirt, you'll know if it looks crazy or not. I looked, I thought this didn't look crazy, I left the house with the outfit on. Simple.<br />
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So the dress. I bought it at this Vintage Fair in Auckland in April. The fair itself was rather interesting. It was organised by a community of people who love to live a 'vintage' lifestyle, not just sell clothes or items. Nearly everyone there was in vintage attire from head to toe. The products were many and varied (make ups, hair products, undergarments, crockery) but all with a vintage feel. Most of the things weren't actually true vintage, but new-as-vintage. They had a best dressed competition, old cars, dancing... it was all quite curious. I wished I'd known the feel of it so I could have gone appropriately attired! Anyway, I picked up this polka-dot smock. I sometimes think it makes me look a spotty checkout chick, but I just love the colour and the buttons so much I don't really care. It's in pretty good nick - a couple of pulls here and there but not very obvious. I really liked the way the tie of the dress hung down across the top of the skirt. It looks much better here than it does when I wear the dress alone - it kind of disappears but against the black it pops.<br />
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The skirt I've had for about 10 years. You know how people in the fashion-know spout jargon like 'investment pieces'? Well as pretentious as that sounds, this is definitely an investment piece. It's World (not the Warehouse one, the New Zealand designer label) and it's been one of the most useful items I've owned and hardly looks worse for wear. I love the high waist on it and the deceptive simplicity - the back gathering is actually an insert piece that has a zip on either side which you undo to get the skirt on and off. I've always loved high-waisted things - they have that 'other timeliness' about them.<br />
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I bought the shoes at I Love Paris last year and they cost me a pretty penny but I was lured in by their white leather brogue siren song. I figured that they too, could become an investment piece. They better last a good 10 years. But I do love them. They pick out the white buttons and spots on this dress nicely.<br />
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Nearly everything else I'm wearing is for warmth's sake - the tights, the black merino underneath. All except the pearl necklace. I own about 5 different pearl necklaces. I love them. Maybe I like playing ladies or something. None of them are real but all are lovely in my eyes. My mum bought this for me a few years ago and it's a good length for the neckline of the dress. I also think it suits the style of the dress and again, picks out the white on the dress.<br />
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Today Edie wore a cute knit cotton tunic dress from Frugi but she was rugged up all day so it was hardly on display. I did take a couple of snaps but she just wants to take the photos herself so they're all pictures that look up her nose as she lunges for the camera, or they're of her packing a sad as I tried to move the camera enough of a distance away to get a photo. I'll have to try the outfit again on another day when she's not so grumpy or so cold.<br />
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I hope you'll allow me my dress cheat today. I <i>did </i>wear my frock, I just layered it. Hopefully you find some inspiration to give a frock of yours a new identity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is she flipping me the bird??</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-80057625949466070642012-06-28T23:03:00.000+12:002012-06-29T09:37:55.560+12:00Top 5 Floor Filth: Why I Need to Vacuum Every DayIt's no secret that I am not a neat freak. Most people seem to emerge from their teenage years of filth and squalor with a newly acquired need for cleanliness. This level of this need varies from person to person but it for some reason it often seems that females are more needy in this sense - they require a level of 'clean and tidy' - a Level of Cleanliness - to feel comfortable that exceeds that of their male counterparts. This Level increases with certain milestones in one's life, for example, when you buy your first house. There's something about suddenly being financially wholly responsible for a property that makes a person want to keep it spick and span. Another Level changer seems to be having a child. Suddenly you're aware that your pride and joy can't be rolling round in what might previously have been an acceptable Level of mess. The sad oxymoron to this is that the child creates whole new layers of mess and dirt that you suddenly have lower tolerance for.<br />
It has been the subject of much envy and conversation amongst my friends that I struck it lucky with Phil. Not only is he neat and clean-aware, he is proactive and requires things to be tidy before he can relax. I don't think blokes really talk about this sort of thing, but if they did, Phil would experience the opposite reaction from his mates - they would feel sorry for him that he ended up with a wife who is, honestly, a crap housekeeper and who leaves the majority of the housework to him. It's not that I don't have any Level of Cleanliness and I want to sit amidst empty pizza boxes and dust bunnies, it's just that my Level isn't as high as is commonly acceptable.<br />
Now as mentioned, there are life events that have escalated my Level of Cleanliness but it seems that in the last few months one of two things has happened.<br />
a) My Level of Cleanliness has suddenly had a massive growth-spurt and I am finally hitting my post-adolescent need for clean (my Mum will be so relieved); or<br />
b) There has been an on-going, almighty shit storm in and around my house that suddenly means that I am dealing with an unprecedented level of filth on our carpets and lino, resulting in the need for vigorous vacuuming.<br />
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I find it hard to believe that it's taken until my 30s to discover 'clean', so below I outline the Top 5 things that have come together to form the perfect floor maelstrom.<br />
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1. <b>Cat fur</b>. This is not new, Albert has lived with us for over 5 years now. In fact, we're down to one cat from two, so in theory there should be <i>less</i> cat fluff. And it's winter so surely he wants all the fluff he can hold onto. But I think the cat has formulated a cunning plan. A silent protest if you will. He is staging a fluff-in. What is a fluff-in? A fluff-in is Bertie objecting to the invasion of his domain by a two legged, grabby thing. Namely Edie. I think it's a domestic cat evolutionary development - they can shed at will just to <i>really</i> piss you off.<br />
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2. <b>Bird Feathers and Mouse Poo</b>. Not content with restricting the protest to fur, Albert also brings in a stream of innocent small creatures. This serves two purposes. The first is to really piss me off by having to chase the creatures out, or pick up the remnants left in the hallway, or track down their petrified bodies behind appliances. The second is to scare the creature into roaming around the house as much as possible, leaving their filth behind them (Bertie's probably dropping fur as this happens just get double coverage). Yesterday I had two birds in the one day. That was a lot of feathers. There also may or may not be a rodent of some sort living under our dishwasher. Or is it behind the entertainment centre? Either way, it's probably spreading filth on the floor.<br />
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3. <b>Rice Crackers</b>. Why is it that snacks designed for babies and children are so freaking messy? If you don't have kids, you've probably never seen a rice cracker half masticated and spat up again so let me tell you aaaall about about. They are like gooey snot when they're still wet, all thick and gluggy. Then when they dry they're like concrete. So I stopped giving Edie those and buy her those little rice cake things. Problem solved. Though now I have a new problem. These crackers crumble. It's like she's worried she'll get lost from the kitchen to the bedroom so leaves a trail of rice crumbs. On the plus side, I can always find her.<br />
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4. <b>Paper</b>. Ah, kids and paper. Today Edie got a late 1st birthday present. It was lovely. She barely registered what it was but she <i>did </i>clock the wrapping paper. She almost burst out of her skin trying to bust free of the high chair so she could attack the paper. She proceeded to tear said wrapping paper into a multitude of tiny paper pieces (perhaps she wants to wrap some small gifts for the mouse under the dishwasher?). Let her at a circular, an old envelope, a magazine... anything that is paper, and she will destroy it. She rips until the pieces are so small, it's not worth picking up by hand, the vacuum is needed. We could make a nice nest for rats or gerbils at our house.<br />
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5. <b>Onion Skins and Dirt</b> (that one took you by surprise didn't it?). At least that's what it was today but really I mean any number of things that you didn't intend for the floor but somehow ended up there. Like the rolled oats I mentioned in <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/baking-expose.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baking - an Expose</a>. Things that you foolishly leave somewhere small hands can reach. Or maybe you knew they were in reach and you watched the small hands sprinkle the filth all over the house with gay abandon but were too apathetic about what was going on to disrupt their enjoyment. Edie found the bucket of shallots that Phil had harvested from the garden. It was about half full but a lot of the contents was dirt, onion skins, and other garden material. Edie began by scattering the odd onion skin around the house (she kindly took some to our bedroom and left it beside our bed), then slowly extended her distribution until the whole bucket was upended and she was literally rolling in the dirt and shallots. It looked quite fun actually so I left her to it. But clearly I needed to address the chaos at some stage and in another Top Mum moment, left the vacuuming until she was over-tired and just followed me and the vacuum cleaner around the house grizzling, periodically lying in front of the machine like she was sacrificing herself to the gods of vacuuming.<br />
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I have not even begun to talk about all the 'things' that litter the filthy floor and must be picked up several times a day.<br />
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So really, I think it's clear that a quick vacuum every day is the least one could do with all this foulness around them. And I don't even achieve that most days. Sorry Mum (and Phil), it would seem I still have a very low Level of Cleanliness, it's just that I live in a whole lot more filth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edie in shallot and dirt nirvana</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-22760755299760687262012-06-25T23:21:00.000+12:002012-06-25T23:21:12.178+12:00Cool Shit Monday: Childhood Fantasies<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvht9JtrEJTcFYUkiOhVFBe3KVGM7vJj1iVqBrtXnd4fc7CGoxz6LQLzDRSQL5G65DdoDr5jSXmAUh4Z2IJQ9U-R20aU1XAMjBu2Y0KZ7GbmWH6xN5rsc7n2s8LAH2F9l8C_couL2uyI/s1600/treehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvht9JtrEJTcFYUkiOhVFBe3KVGM7vJj1iVqBrtXnd4fc7CGoxz6LQLzDRSQL5G65DdoDr5jSXmAUh4Z2IJQ9U-R20aU1XAMjBu2Y0KZ7GbmWH6xN5rsc7n2s8LAH2F9l8C_couL2uyI/s640/treehouse.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image: thefrenchpear via <a href="http://www.alltheprettypretties.com/" target="_blank">all the pretty pretties</a></td></tr>
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I saw this tree house the other day and had one of those Swiss Family Robinson flashbacks. No, I don't mean a flashback to the time I was stranded on a desert island with my family (that's a whole other story...), I mean to watching that quaint 60s Disney movie of the book where they build that <i>incredible</i> home. When I was a kid, that totally seemed like the sweetest place anyone could ever hope to live. There's something about a system of levers and pulleys to help run a household in completely unnecessary yet totally cool way that just floats my boat. I think it's the lingering impression left by those awesome sequences in Sesame St where they show you things like the processes at a peanut butter factory. Anyway, a tree house (a fancy one) still seems like a pretty cool idea. So here are some other cool things that I might either put in my tree house or appeal the child in me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ScXP1ohLTmchkKx0rjZJuszb6lvy_CrRl_3Hsf3SloZAJF6WnOfCINe9zlktEfdBzvOSEyWxhid_wFJP7o95YTKuwYQ2hYS-bMArcjMq1UB01LGycZxgDvbzWAuN05lUuIDcQi02Xts/s1600/Tobago+Swiss+Tree+1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ScXP1ohLTmchkKx0rjZJuszb6lvy_CrRl_3Hsf3SloZAJF6WnOfCINe9zlktEfdBzvOSEyWxhid_wFJP7o95YTKuwYQ2hYS-bMArcjMq1UB01LGycZxgDvbzWAuN05lUuIDcQi02Xts/s400/Tobago+Swiss+Tree+1960.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And all the animals were their friends. Aww...</td></tr>
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You've probably seen this staircase. It's been doing the rounds on Pinterest and facey. But it would be a treat in my tree house. I once did a school project when I was 8 in which I had to come up with a creative way to get to and from school. I had to walk up and down a couple of hills so I decided that I would like to take a gondola (the aerial kind, not the boating kind) to the top of the hills, and a hydro slide down. I still like this idea (yes, yes, I know there are many logical reasons why it would actually be crap) and this staircase puts me in mind of it.<br />
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I think it was my 7th birthday party where I had the Sweet Shop cake. If you grew up in New Zealand or Australia, you know THE BOOK of birthday cakes that every home seemed to have. I'm pretty sure it was a Woman's Weekly number. I spent <i>hours</i> poring over that book, planning which cake I would have for an upcoming imaginary party. There is a classic photo of me leaning on the table in front of the sweet cake and I look so stoked (in the same photo, one of my party friends is throwing a wobbly - also quite funny). As soon as I saw <a href="http://www.sweetstyle.com.au/" target="_blank">this site</a> and their beautiful creations, I was put in mind of that cake. I don't know which of all <a href="http://www.sweetstyle.com.au/?page_id=13&album=4" target="_blank">these beautiful set ups</a> I want. I may just spend hours poring over them creating imaginary parties...<br />
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Bunks: a dorky hassle when you have to live in the same room in your brother because your big sister brings home an exchange student who stays for the better part of the year (clearly one of my life experiences), or the perfect excuse to share the fun and avoid sleep (remember that as a kid you didn't <i>want</i> to sleep. Oh how things change)? With these kick-arse bunks, there is no doubt it's the latter. There are so many amazing kids beds out there to choose from I had trouble picking ones to show you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPWo-q1dYrxTwvUnZ-xsTB5fPUyXZZIOA_mE-nA7ymY_30Waw0LN4yjlzaLk5YTcywoQEYtsdOUvcMrsFYA95rJV5Uhqb3ADHIECoevNc4xsFiO2XycnWmIQod5loIpqpbA1LDPbPyZY/s1600/ELDORADO-Bunk_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPWo-q1dYrxTwvUnZ-xsTB5fPUyXZZIOA_mE-nA7ymY_30Waw0LN4yjlzaLk5YTcywoQEYtsdOUvcMrsFYA95rJV5Uhqb3ADHIECoevNc4xsFiO2XycnWmIQod5loIpqpbA1LDPbPyZY/s640/ELDORADO-Bunk_bed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderland beds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOFmGw8MBodI67K-cFUQSqGMW4g_gqHdy0kQew92F5es3ObAbno-afkq8wfM425dZ-XHkomQo6TsWuL-pSSwVWoINIZ5COOC5C_mS2QgIIZC5ueSTpE8DNq9qz1YMYDLH5mwFK_18WhE/s1600/bunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOFmGw8MBodI67K-cFUQSqGMW4g_gqHdy0kQew92F5es3ObAbno-afkq8wfM425dZ-XHkomQo6TsWuL-pSSwVWoINIZ5COOC5C_mS2QgIIZC5ueSTpE8DNq9qz1YMYDLH5mwFK_18WhE/s640/bunk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: <a href="http://dhomeinteriordesign.com/designs/colorfull-kids-bedroom-interior-orange-pink-color/" target="_blank">d'Home interiors</a></td></tr>
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I think it's a compulsory that my childhood fantasy tree house has a cool reading room. And it's very handy that <a href="http://www.poplar.com.cn/index.php" target="_blank">Kid's Republic Bookstore</a> in Beijing has created something pretty darn close to perfection. I want to go here. Now. I wish to curl up on/in one of these shelves and read Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton.<br />
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I miss the limitless, logic-defying ideas of childhood! Who wouldn't prefer a Swiss Family Robinson-style stranding to the Tom Hanks grown-ups version? The rope swings and friendly elephants beat a bloodied volleyball and rampant facial hair any day.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-24772832491783088662012-06-22T22:11:00.000+12:002012-06-22T22:11:54.086+12:00WTFF: Pastoral PrettyToday I felt very smug about the fact that I bought local, whole produce and I actually made some sort of effort beyond picking up a product with a "locally grown" sticker at the supermarket. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VietnameseCooking" target="_blank">Terry</a> (of <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/meet-foodies.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meet the Foodies</a> fame) and I took our kiddies and went for a drive out to a little dairy out by Port Chalmers (we even car pooled so I we can feel smug about being environmentally conscious). I'll take some photos the next time I go as it's really very cute and worth a story of its own. Plus Phil plans to make cheese with the milk I bought so hopefully that's story-worthy too.<br />
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But what has all this to do with <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/p/what-frock-friday.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What the Frock Friday</a>? Not much actually but I'm stretching it so it does. The dress I'm wearing today is another <a href="http://www.voon.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voon</a> number, appropriately called the Meadow dress. Get it? Meadow, cows, milk, pasture... I'm really clever ay? Ahem. I actually think this dress is a perfect Spring dress - floral, short-sleeved, mid-length, wool. All excellent things in Spring. But it's not Spring, it's the middle of Winter. The Winter Solstice actually. So today I paired it with some tights (not my ideal tights/dress combo but they were what I had in the draw. I mentioned the tights shortage in <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wtff-vintage-ombre.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">last week's WTFF</a>), and a cute wool blazer just to make a little more Winter-friendly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iUPPC2l5xoYFfzFzsdFKC7OJIaBFbFZYuZfzCOvPuOsglexhCek0TYQK-k_CX92i4RkF7YJGd-j636DJhUNgV-42_5CrkHmW14UuIzHOfmHO_-iaS5jikmr-dEJ5bWQgva0z3QkILFE/s1600/IMG_5947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iUPPC2l5xoYFfzFzsdFKC7OJIaBFbFZYuZfzCOvPuOsglexhCek0TYQK-k_CX92i4RkF7YJGd-j636DJhUNgV-42_5CrkHmW14UuIzHOfmHO_-iaS5jikmr-dEJ5bWQgva0z3QkILFE/s640/IMG_5947.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA7KdSdwmpA2Ce-zP430kHA9t02blg9FZ57sdPU39uxguJxUTsLKFn4Wt-09DxBhgsN3OmiXtxJF7UmtTwo1_1lHfm_20-KapGcCIwHcNW31VctZUfHDXkpAIPw24Dj1DeFi-FrltRDI/s1600/IMG_5958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoA7KdSdwmpA2Ce-zP430kHA9t02blg9FZ57sdPU39uxguJxUTsLKFn4Wt-09DxBhgsN3OmiXtxJF7UmtTwo1_1lHfm_20-KapGcCIwHcNW31VctZUfHDXkpAIPw24Dj1DeFi-FrltRDI/s320/IMG_5958.jpg" width="157" /></a></div>
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The Meadow dress. This dress is a work horse (did you like that one <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/miraculous-happenings.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harriet & Sam</a>??). By this odd turn of phrase, I mean to tell you that I bring it out over and over again and I still love it, it's still in great nick, and it keeps looking good. It's the dress that keeps on giving. As mentioned, it's woolen so is perfect for Dunedin's chilly climes. I like the innocence of it - the high scoop neck, the short sleeves, the mid-length skirt, and of course the demure satin bow at the neck. I think it all suits the beautiful floral perfectly. The colours in this dress have always appealed to me. The coral red of the roses with the golden yellow flowers and deep blue background. Classic colouring that works well on me (not that you can tell it by the time we took the photos at 6pm in our crap lighting). As the wool has stretch, the dress is obviously fitted, but the texture and pattern of the material mean it's forgiving.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVoLQmfaaXBL781Mcu24x1MGuyjbJa63-8IrdEUpCzrKzasP1zcWbenu0ghaON4C6juse7vn0Y3s4InHJuEpjeD8livpcJIj8mQFPEhkYKJC_rCuw5YGguLp1nEsEN8WQdt42K78_UN4/s1600/IMG_5944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVoLQmfaaXBL781Mcu24x1MGuyjbJa63-8IrdEUpCzrKzasP1zcWbenu0ghaON4C6juse7vn0Y3s4InHJuEpjeD8livpcJIj8mQFPEhkYKJC_rCuw5YGguLp1nEsEN8WQdt42K78_UN4/s320/IMG_5944.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A much better representation of the material</td></tr>
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The coat is also a <a href="http://www.voon.co.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voon</a> number (can you tell I loved that store??) and I'm pretty sure was called the Cotton Candy Jacket. It also came in a fuschia pink and black too I think. I always loved the classic cut of this blazer and the cute collar (it looks great done up). And true to Sophie's impeccable styling it is adorned with gorgeous buttons. Should this jacket ever give up the ghost (no sign of that yet) I will definitely be salvaging those buttons. Sadly, this little jacket doesn't fit me as well as it once did and it's a bit big in places (it hasn't stretched, I have). If I was to be picky, I would say that as a result, the shape of the jacket doesn't allow the shape of the dress to work it's magic. Compare the pics with and without and decide for yourself. However, I've always liked picking out the red in this dress and the jacket obviously does a great job. Since that mustard colour has come back into fashion I've had a few more options with warm layers but I'm sticking with the demure jacket today - I think it fits my pastoral/fairy tale idea better. It's like a Little Red Riding Hood outfit. For an adult. With no hood. You know what I'm getting at...<br />
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Tights. Don't want to bang on about it, but if I were to style this ideally, I would probably go for no tights (the Spring thing comes back again) as I feel it suits the simplicity of the dress more. And failing that, I think block colour tights would be best so as not to detract from the pattern of the dress and also compliment the block colour of the other accessories. But these tights will do today.<br />
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The shoes are an old <a href="http://www.ilovebilly.com.au/" target="_blank">I Love Billy</a> pair that I have trashed but I love the colour and the pattern of the material. With a skirt of this length, I would generally opt for heels of some sort to balance my proportions better but something in this dress often makes me head to my flats. I think it's something to do with themes previously mentioned - youth, innocence, fairy tales... Am I sounding a bit mental? I sound like I've tried to pretend I'm 12 by putting on a flowery frock. I hope you're following my thinking here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnV8vkk0t2LG8mtUBiBMsmDyZ9j4_j5Nb5_VOuX2Dl2pfxmjBVFB0Exd64frS4bcLkxJ96UKKtR1cW5WhzDEzQKxNfrTJzhxtgob-qMRSXb_0LcNC_8IWvHu2FtcKFprmKRrPXX2lIqE/s1600/IMG_5962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNnV8vkk0t2LG8mtUBiBMsmDyZ9j4_j5Nb5_VOuX2Dl2pfxmjBVFB0Exd64frS4bcLkxJ96UKKtR1cW5WhzDEzQKxNfrTJzhxtgob-qMRSXb_0LcNC_8IWvHu2FtcKFprmKRrPXX2lIqE/s320/IMG_5962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My shoes and Edie's shoes (in case you thought I have a bound right foot)</td></tr>
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Aaaand just to compound the issue, we'll move onto the hair ribbon. I put it in because, well, it's young, fresh, innocent... I'm not having a mid-life crisis I swear. I went through a phase in my early 20s of wearing hair ribbons often. I don't do it as much any more as my hair is short and I don't think my hair cut always works with a ribbon in (it's longer than it's been for ages). Plus I can't be bothered. I also harbour a fear that I will turn around and find out that I'm a 65 year old woman with loooong greying hair who wears hair ribbons. It's just not right. But I'm not there yet so today I went with a ribbon.<br />
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This dress is not the one to wear a necklace with (neckline and ribbon - don't need a necklace in there over-crowding things do we?) so today I added some earrings. A good option also as the ribbon means they are seen a bit more. These gorgeous specimens were given to me by my sister. I have a feeling she bought them in Scotland. And yes, they have real daisies in them. Cute, huh? And very in theme.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aBRgfO07VqjW2JPKFTedMJP1lAV_0dBbhBrywFYNH7ev4qQxpLo0sBP5QN8yY9KcKYvbdRnlarekEv23hgPNf4hrR1EzsKTbpT2b2aBv-o4egaJmgzq5RhqKH6Vr9GGwI3QYX_FRcj4/s1600/IMG_5942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aBRgfO07VqjW2JPKFTedMJP1lAV_0dBbhBrywFYNH7ev4qQxpLo0sBP5QN8yY9KcKYvbdRnlarekEv23hgPNf4hrR1EzsKTbpT2b2aBv-o4egaJmgzq5RhqKH6Vr9GGwI3QYX_FRcj4/s320/IMG_5942.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And there we have my Pastoral fantasy. I just needed to be carrying some of the milk I bought today in pails, or taking a basket of baked goods to Grandma's house. But that's all a little much when also carrying your child.<br />
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Today Edie was also wearing a dress meant for another season: Summer. I'm not a totally neglectful parent, I did "Winter" it up for her. The dress came from <a href="http://www.pumpkinpatch.co.nz/" target="_blank">Pumpkin Patch</a> and she wore it to <a href="http://www.lianaraine.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bianca</a>'s wedding and not again. It was really a little too big for her at the wedding and there hasn't been another occasion since that I could bring it out for. So if she was ever to wear it, I needed to do some serious layering. I put her in a white long-sleeved onesie from <a href="http://www.frugi.co.uk/" target="_blank">Frugi</a> and some white tights. She has some cute little slipper mary janes from <a href="http://www.pumpkinpatch.co.nz/" target="_blank">Pumpkin Patch</a> also, so I put those on them picked up the red by giving her a red hair-clip and little flower brooch I made using red ribbon and some broderie anglaise (super easy - just used a gathering stitch around a long edge, pulled the cotton tight and voila - flower).<br />
Of course she also had her ultimate accessory, her glasses. I need to get some more purple things to match them. Just bought her a cute pair of purple boots today so that's a start.<br />
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Edie and Charlotte - straight out of a fairy tale and onto your computer.<br />
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-58165723727484902472012-06-20T21:00:00.000+12:002012-06-20T22:39:12.108+12:00The Spectacular Unveiling: Top 5 Things I Have Learnt About Children and GlassesEdie got her glasses today (it's only taken a month. Geesh!) and so far, she's only pulled them off and biffed them across the room a couple of dozen times. Not too bad. She's yanked them off and bent them at odd angles another few dozen times, smeared banana on the lenses, and possibly made her first scratch in the 'scratch resistant' lenses, but what do expect from a one year old?<br />
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In positive news, she has also tried to put them back on herself at least twice. Once she almost garroted herself but the other time she got them over her eyes. They were just upside down. Still, you could see she felt pretty pleased with her bad self.<br />
Lesson to be taken from all this:<br />
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1. Glasses only make you <i>look</i> smart.<br />
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I am already having to do some deep breaths so I also don't hiff the glasses across the room. Phil reckons we're going for the "do it so many times til it bores the shit out of her" approach. She takes glasses off, we put glasses back on. She takes glasses off, we put glasses back on. And repeat. Ad infinitum.<br />
Lesson to be taken from this:<br />
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2. All advice about "never enter a battle of wills with your child" applies to everything except eyewear.<br />
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I caught myself saying, "Come here, Goggy" after she'd had the glasses for less than an hour. Clearly this practice will have to cease if I am to have any hope of building my child's positive self-image. Calling her or her glasses 'gogs' or 'goggy' may not be entirely constructive behaviour. Also, other people may give me The Look that strangers give to people they believe are unfit parents. I hate this look and wish to avoid the judgement of strangers where possible.<br />
Lesson learnt from this:<br />
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3. Refer to glasses as... well... glasses.<br />
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In order to not only make neutral glasses references, but positive ones, I seem to be employing the "Awww... Pretty" Parenting Technique. This is used when you are making your child wear something they don't want to. If you have a boy, you may call it the "Awww... Handsome" Technique but either or. I'm sure that if I tell her often enough, she will agree that her glasses are indeed pretty. It would be helpful though if I stopped following this affirmation with snickering. I know, you're all giving me The Look right now down your internet connections. I'm not actually laughing at her because I think she <i>doesn't </i>look pretty with glasses, it's just that she looks so damn comically cute that I can't help myself. But she doesn't understand this nuance so I shall have to be more careful with my reactions.<br />
Lesson learnt from this:<br />
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4. Be sincere in all positive affirmations and do not follow with guffaws, snickers, or any other behaviour that could be construed as undermining the positive feeling you just tried to engender.<br />
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Glasses cost a lot of money. Did you know this? I was vaguely aware of this but as I don't, nor ever have worn glasses (and the same can be said for Phil), I have never truly appreciated just how freakin' expensive they are. Until today. Also, I assumed there'd be some sort of tiered costing system. Edie is approximately an eight of the size of an average adult, therefore her glasses would be an eighth of the cost, give or take a fraction or two. Oh no, my fine friends, not so! Being small is of no advantage when it comes to discounting glasses. And if it is, Edie will be getting a part time job when she's 5 to start saving for the glasses she may need when she's 15. So just how much were these little masterpieces of visual correction? I won't give you the exact figure, but it was over $400 for these fine spec-imens. The optometrist (who is lovely and in no way seems like a rip off artist, just in case you think we were had) assures me that these glasses should last her for a couple of years and they darn well better! Given the treatment they have received today, I am nervous to say the least.<br />
Lesson learnt from this:<br />
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5. Make sure my uterus forms the eyeballs of any subsequent children a lot better than it did last time round. You're on notice, uterus. There's a nasty alternative for malfunctioning uterus' (interesting plural...): it begins with 'h' and ends with 'ysterectomy'. I'm sure as you seem to have done a fine job in all other aspects it won't come to this, but just so you know...<br />
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So apart from my 5 swiftly-learnt life lessons today, I'm feeling quite positive about the glasses. The magnification is pretty big like we expected (having to seriously restrain myself from making Furby jokes here), and there will definitely be some struggles keeping them on, but she doesn't seem to hate them and neither do I.<br />
She's my baby anyway - she'd make even the dorkiest gogs look cool.<br />
Love you Edie xxxooo<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3GAgEQuxphOsvq-G6bpnnE4Eou6gD1mvlwUXX8F6ppYHwxYyIsF5pSiSRsGDpFs1ImrLyhiFrU7XzY3RBAeylR7cAN4HSbiT_XSoYLTiyB_MaBjpPEbtO9JoxVl6FayiJvylFdETmfs/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3GAgEQuxphOsvq-G6bpnnE4Eou6gD1mvlwUXX8F6ppYHwxYyIsF5pSiSRsGDpFs1ImrLyhiFrU7XzY3RBAeylR7cAN4HSbiT_XSoYLTiyB_MaBjpPEbtO9JoxVl6FayiJvylFdETmfs/s640/photo-3.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken with Papa's iPhone at lunchtime</td></tr>
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<br />Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-28155197075886578592012-06-19T21:17:00.002+12:002012-06-19T21:47:40.480+12:00Miraculous HappeningsI made some vague excuse last week about being tardy with <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/wtff-vintage-ombre.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WTFF</a>. I also promised I would post photos of the vague excuse. I'm going to do better than that, I'm going to write a whole post about it.<br />
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One of my besties, Harriet, had a wild and wonderful idea a few years ago to start a baby store in Dunedin. There was a massive hole in the market here. You could go to the Baby Factory for basics, or TNT if you wanted your child to be highly flammable, or Arthur Barnetts if you could get past the smell of old ladies and cona coffee, and that was about it. The magical internet was available of course, but sometimes you just want to go into a store and buy something. Harriet was working in an incredibly unsatisfying job where her fabulous ideas and talents were not appreciated. In search of retail-salvation, she started a new job as Assistant Manager in a business that was just starting up in Dunedin. Her manager was an affable young lady named Sam. Sam and Harriet quickly discovered that they shared the dream of opening a decent children's store in Dunedin. They also quickly discovered that they didn't hate each other's guts (quite rare for retail work colleagues) and actually, they could handle seeing each other day in, day out indefinitely. And they could make sensible decisions that the other didn't completely disagree with. Sounds like the recipe for a good marriage, doesn't it? And it was - A business marriage. Harriet & Sam bit the bullet, took the leap of faith, and other cliches, and started <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKa4p-0Of8DJIVuFbD7R_D6nXA1QG2_REnJwFPdnSK_7QIB56gG9xfm-Lye9yP7KJZlMg5GLWRHI8ZewW8gSb3WoxzidwcYh07-kH7r4MJy0D7DNxf5tnyVLXLc2744WbIKuPKudEeOo/s1600/229931_10150962399289438_945365738_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKa4p-0Of8DJIVuFbD7R_D6nXA1QG2_REnJwFPdnSK_7QIB56gG9xfm-Lye9yP7KJZlMg5GLWRHI8ZewW8gSb3WoxzidwcYh07-kH7r4MJy0D7DNxf5tnyVLXLc2744WbIKuPKudEeOo/s640/229931_10150962399289438_945365738_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening morning - Sam and Harriet lacking sleep but still smiling!</td></tr>
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That was four years ago. They have, as one might expect from any new business, their fair share of ups and downs but the heart of the matter remains: they have a good business idea, and they have the brains to implement it. And so it was that at the beginning of the year they found themselves in a temporary store. It was a pretty big challenge that they weren't entirely expecting to face but like so many of these serendipitous twists and turns life throws you, it's been an awesome clarifier for them - an unexpected boon. The change from a massive store space to a much smaller one has focussed their business objectives and allowed them to make some changes they had been wanting to make for a while, and also discover some new successes they didn't know existed. And through their temporary store, the metaphoric door has opened to their new permanent location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_N61qpL-wH5TTTVbJ3893ynod7QUQP0fATYBZ4koFI6rbkd4PQrp7hMkeDDx9qvDlLz9IKtcISYz6urIysn_l0xdIKAt7clQYo-5RDdlI-ovYxWy_HykTv_3KnsMsrazbfkAsJnCCrw/s1600/girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_N61qpL-wH5TTTVbJ3893ynod7QUQP0fATYBZ4koFI6rbkd4PQrp7hMkeDDx9qvDlLz9IKtcISYz6urIysn_l0xdIKAt7clQYo-5RDdlI-ovYxWy_HykTv_3KnsMsrazbfkAsJnCCrw/s640/girls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was this location that we worked hard to pull together on Friday, ready for the grand opening on Saturday. It's like moving house except it all happens in a tight time frame and then you have to be ready to have an open home the following morning. It's pretty full on! Thankfully they were only moving down the corridor this time, but there's still a lot to do when you move a whole store of stock. Stress levels were fairly high, people were tired, there were up to 10 of us all trying to work in a small space, not including the various off-spring roaming around or screaming the house down... it was chaotic to put it mildly.<br />
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But shit these ladies are funny. As the hours ticked by and the bags under the eyes started to get darker, the jokes became more and more inappropriate and the laughter turned to giggling and cackling (most females are prone to the odd cackle when they're overtired). Most amazing of all, the shop started to look good. Really good. Despite all the bossing (thanks Micaela), dithering, screaming babies (what would a baby store be without them?), and generally flummoxing, we pulled it together.<br />
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The result is a store that looks like a a delicious cupcake - beautiful quality ingredients topped with lots of colourful sprinkles. The quality shoes, the cloth nappies, the beautiful merino clothing, and then bowlfuls of bright toys, and puzzles. These girls have always known what they wanted, they have known what they needed to do, and with the new store they have taken another step towards their retail dream. It's so awesome to watch. It seems other people agree. When 10am rolled around on Saturday morning, Harriet and Sam had more than just lack of sleep to deal with, they had a queue down the street waiting for the doors to open.<br />
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I'm happy to say I'll be doing a little more than just watch their success as I am about rediscover my retail feet and be their Monday Girl. They've also got me looking after some of their online content too so I am slowly wheedling my way into the business. A little Miracle with jam and cream? I think I like that combination.<br />
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<a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/">www.miracle.net.nz</a></div>Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-76921492828451056592012-06-18T20:50:00.000+12:002012-06-18T20:50:54.579+12:00Cool Shit Monday: Oldies but GoodiesI've recently rediscovered a few things that I had forgotten existed. Sometimes that's for the best, for example, any outfit I wore between the ages of 12 and 18, but in this cases I've unearthed some loved gems.<br />
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<a href="http://www.modcloth.com/shop/cameras-film/special-edition-diana-mini-camera-in-coral-fusion" target="_blank">This camera</a>. I'm not a big photographer or photography aficionado (you're shocked, I know. My photos are so amazing and all) but even this appeals to me. So this camera was originally released back in the early 60s as a novelty item but quickly became the darling of the photography world for the cool imperfections it created in its photos. This is a re-release of the original complete with handbook and accessories so even photo-failures like me have a shot at getting a good pic but the fact that it's all <i>supposed</i> to go a little bit wrong appeals to me. And you get the added bonus of having a coral camera. If that ain't cool, I don't know what is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.modcloth.com/">www.modcloth.com</a></td></tr>
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<a href="http://shitmydadsays.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Shit My Dad Says</a>. I'm sure most of you will have seen this website or the book or the facebook page or any other number of ways of viewing this wonderful thing, but I'm reminding you to look again. The concept is a simple one: a guy in his adult years lives with his elderly father, father comes out with classic Dad phrases and advice, guy writes these down. Whoop de doo. But it is seriously some of the funniest stuff you will read. You get some typical dad-isms mixed with brutal honesty, perceptive insight, and a little bit of old person racism/stereo-typing. Nothing funnier. Go read and give yourself a smile. I dare you not to laugh out loud.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ukulele.co.nz/" target="_blank">The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra</a> has been round for a number of years now (Bret Mackenzie was one of their founding members dontcha know), fighting the good fight for slightly dorky music. I know, that doesn't make them sound all that cool but believe me, they are. You have to be uber-cool to pull off a B-side Prince number, "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man", and not destroy it. You have to be hyper-awesome to make me want to sing Kenny Rogers' 'Ruby' over and over. And you need to be get-out-of-town amazing to take a song like 'Africa' by Toto and make me want to put it on repeat. So much better than the original. They manage to be both self-deprecating and <i>actually</i> good all at once. It's a talent. Check them out if you haven't already, and put them on your playlist again if you've been neglecting them.<br />
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Not my favourite song but the best video.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/" target="_blank">This website</a> has provided me with hours of amusement and I had forgotten all about it until <a href="https://www.facebook.com/frankiemagazine" target="_blank">Frankie</a> magazine reminded me of it's awesome existence. I try to be positive on this blog (because my true inclination is to be scathingly sarcastic and that's just not very healthy to indulge on a daily basis) but I freely admit that Cake Wrecks is all about showing you the idiots of the world. Through baking. Could there be a better combo (jam and cream are up there of course)?<br />
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Some biscuits have a mystery about them - they are ridiculously simple and yet so good. Chocolate Digestives are just such a biscuit. I believe the UK equivalent are McVities and Chocolate Malted Milks in the US. It's a wheaten (boring) with a thin layer of chocolate (thin?! stink!) that must barely qualify as chocolate as the cocoa percentage is so low. Am I selling it? But somehow, <i>somehow</i> the combination of all these really average things makes a <i>delicious</i> biscuit that is one of the best dunking biccies I know (you just need to make sure it's a quick dunk, not a gingernut-length dunk). Interestingly, their rival brand equivalent, the Chocolate Wheaten, is a bit shit. I'm sure that there must be all sorts of disgusting additives to make the Chocolate Digestive as good as it is, but I'm going to stay blissful in my ignorance. In fact I am going to have a cup of nice earl grey and a Chocolate Digestive or two right now.<br />
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Also, if you happen to have anyone who is an oldie but a goodie close at hand, I suggest you give them cuddle (or a high-five if you're a bit anti PDA and physical contact). That's some cool shit right there.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-48809872021388551852012-06-16T22:15:00.002+12:002012-06-16T22:15:43.460+12:00WTFF: Vintage OmbreFriday was a busy day here. I went and investigated a couple of at home carers for Edie (we'll save that for another post), and as I mentioned in my brief post, I went to help set up shop for my friends Harriet and Sam. They run what has always been a beautiful children's wear store, <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a>, but it has recently undergone a bit of makeover which has culminated in a light and spacious new store. It really does deserve to do well after all the love they have put into it. In all the comings and goings I didn't take any photos but when the excitement of the opening weekend blows over, I'll get some to show you how lovely it is.<br />
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Anyway, I wanted to let you know that it was a day I could have easily forgone a frock. Firstly I knew I'd be in and out of the car and in the houses of people with kids and I'd be wrestling with my own child, keeping her from stealing all the toys of others. Secondly, I knew I was going to the store and there'd be moving and cleaning involved. A dress was not the most practical thing to wear. Thirdly, I didn't have time for a shower (too much information?) hence the pinned back hair and un-ironed dress. But I decided that I was going to stay true to my cause and rock a frock. And not just any old jersey-frock number, but a real pleats and flounces dress. I am happy to report that when I arrived home at 11pm, my dress was still in one piece. I barely even registered the dress "inconvenience" through the day - it wasn't an inconvenience at all. So I take this as a lesson that frocks do rock and my excuses for not wearing them are not always valid.<br />
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So down to business: today's dress.<br />
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I bought this dress at a Vintage Clothing and Textile Fair in the Woman's Hall on Moray Place (Dunedin). I actually went to the same fair again this morning and picked up a cute skirt for $10. But I digress. The dress was hanging on the wall and I eyed it as I wandered around the stalls. Eventually I decided to ask the stall-holder if I could look at it. She kindly informed me that I could, but the dress was pretty small. I decided to walk away. Why look at something I could never wear and just get dress-longing (you know what I'm talking about, I'm sure)? But it kept calling to me so I went back and asked again. It was a cold day and I was wearing a big puffer jacket and when I took it off the lady was able to better judge my size and we decided that it might actually fit. And low and behold, it did. Like a glove. I promptly handed over the cash and walked out with a thing of beauty in my nappy bag. It really does fit like a glove - as I said when I bought it, I can't ever gain a centimeter but it's totally worth it. I wore it to Edie's 1st Birthday as it's such a party dress - full skirt, fitted bodice - but I decided that I wanted to see if I could turn it into a dress to be worn on any other day. So I paired it with my brown boots (seen in <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/what-frock-friday-parisian-trash.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WTFF: Parisian Chic</a>) and a cardi, and left out the petticoat. I think it was a success.<br />
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There are many things to love about this dress. Firstly I was drawn to the changing hues in the material. I called this post Vintage Ombre and it's not strictly ombre but I think you see where I got that idea. None of the colours in the dress are any that I wear normally, but they are just so... appealing. Like a delicious apricoty peachy dessert. I love the paneling around the waist. Each panel is about 2 inches wide so it has about 15 individual panels around the middle of the dress. A <i>lot</i> of work went into making that dress. Full skirts: I love them. My mum sewed a petticoat with a tulle layer years ago as part of a costume for her. The petticoat has seen many reincarnations but is now a staple in my wardrobe for just such a full skirt. As I said, I ditched the petticoat today to make it more of a day dress and you are still able to appreciate the shape of the skirt as it has so much material. The neckline of this dress is quite unusual - a wide v with a binding in the same material. I don't think I've seen many other garments with this style. I love the buttons down the bust - they pick up the cream in the material beautifully.<br />
This style of dress is perfect for people who are bigger round the hips/bum/thigh area as those parts fall under the skirt of the dress. You don't have to be small-waisted as the flair of the skirt means that the part above the flair (the waist) looks small. Of course if you <i>are</i> small-waisted, it adds to the effect. 50s dresses are generally a flattering shape for most bodies, in my opinion, as their bodices come in such a variety you can find one to suit you, and the skirt works on almost anyone.<br />
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The cardigan I bought at a shop in Queenstown a couple of years ago. Unfortunately I can't remember the name. I would love to go back there. It was a shop run by a lady who also did image consulting so she was incredibly helpful in the store. I think this cardi cost me about $40 which is a bargain in my book. It's not wool but still makes a great warmer layer. I find long cardis don't often work well for me for a couple of reasons (short legs, curvy hips...), but I just need to wear them the right way and they're fine.<br />
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I've already told you about my boots. Read <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/what-frock-friday-parisian-trash.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> if you'd like to know more. As I mentioned I wore them to "dress down" my frock. I also have a cool pair of white leather brogue-type shoes that I considered wearing but it was cold and I have a dearth of tights at the moment, so boots it was.<br />
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The earrings are my wedding earrings - pearls my sister and I chose a day or two before the wedding. They are very simple but I love that. My gorgeous wedding dress (I will definitely write a post about that one day) was beaded and so I didn't want elaborate jewellery. I wear these earrings all the time.<br />
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Yesterday was pretty miserable day, weather wise, so I ended up dressed like this for a large part of the day! The hat I got through a friend of mine, Shannon, who was living in Dunedin for a year while she studied. She now lives back in her homeland, Canada. Last I heard, she was teaching in a remote part of Canada with a mostly Inuit population. I should get back in touch with her because she made me laugh and I just know she's leading an interesting life. Anyway, a friend of hers was making the hats and I like this one. I love hats and one of the great things about living somewhere cold is that you get more chance to wear them. They do make your hair look funny, which is not so cool. I kind of get this "pressed" look on the top of my head and then curls springing out from underneath. It's not flash. But as long as you leave the hat on your head, you're fine.<br />
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The cool coat I bought at a store in Dunedin, Halo, which has since closed down. But the brand of the jacket is <a href="http://www.augustineinternational.com/" target="_blank">Augustine</a> which still exists and I have another coat of theirs, plus a couple of dresses. Good stuff. I was obviously drawn to the colour of this coat (I fight against making everything black just because it's "practical". BORING!) but I also love the big buttons, the pockets, the swing cut, and just to make it extra awesome, the hood. I will be sad the day it gives up the good fight. I loved the bright pink with the apricot pudding colours - clashing but cool. You wouldn't miss me coming down the street! I thought the length of the coat allowed the skirt to still be seen too so that's an added bonus. You don't want to put on a frock then cover the whole thing up so no one can appreciate it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albert keen to get in on the action</td></tr>
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And now some notes on Edie's frock. It's not Aunty Natalie today. It's Aunty Wen. She is my brother's wife and I love getting parcels of clothes and other goodies from her and her mother as they're a treasure trove of coolness. Wenjun is originally from China so she gets packages and pass-ons from relatives there and Chinese relatives here in New Zealand. This can go in many directions - you may get beautiful and unusual things that are unique and special, or you get <i>crazy</i> stuff that is weird and wonderful and it's not even clear what it's supposed to be used for. Wen has lived in New Zealand long enough to know the difference and so if you get the crazy stuff, she's normally sending it so you can appreciate the craziness, not make it a staple in your wardrobe. It's win-win. This dress wasn't from China. Well, it probably was, but it went to Albany on it's way. It's a <a href="http://shop.cottonon.com/kids/" target="_blank">Cotton-On Kids</a> number. That place is awesome for basics and the odd gem like this cute wee dress. The cardi <i>is</i> from Aunty Natalie. It's a <a href="http://www.boden.co.uk/" target="_blank">Boden</a> item and Edie's worn it to death. I love the 'swing' shape of it - so cute on little girls. The tights are also from Aunty Natalie and were sent to go with the dress Edie wore last week so they're <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" target="_blank">Marks & Spencer</a>. The hair clip is also making a repeat appearance from last week (Jane, that's a mention two weeks in a row). The shoes are <a href="http://www.seekairun.com/" target="_blank">See Kai Run</a> and they are fantastic. Harriet and Sam sell them at <a href="http://www.miracle.net.nz/m/10/see-kai-run" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miracle</a> and I can't say enough about them. They are podiatrist-approved for little feet and tick all the "I'm being a Top Mum and doing the right thing by my child" boxes, but still look freakin' cute. Edie has two pairs but her See Kai Run shoe wardrobe is soon to be expanding...<br />
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You can appreciate why I wanted to save the awesomeness of this outfit for a Saturday morning when I could dedicate the proper time due to writing about such a lovely frock instead of slapping up a couple of pics at midnight on Friday. I hope you can forgive my tardiness and enjoy the frockin' wonder that is Vintage Ombre.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-1125608436658516322012-06-15T23:35:00.001+12:002012-06-15T23:35:20.480+12:00Work in ProgressJust in case you were waiting up for it...<br />
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WTFF post will be with you tomorrow. Which is Saturday. Is this cheating? Not really, I wore the frock on Friday. And it's my blog, I make up the rules dammit. Me and my frock spent the evening helping some lovely ladies move their lovely business into a lovely new store. It was clearly all kinds of lovely and well worth putting WTFF post on hold.<br />
I think you should all be proud of me for achieving such a feat in my frock. It did mean I missed out on ladder-type jobs too so there were definite pros.<br />
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Until tomorrow then.<br />
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CharlotteCharlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1423042303144010227.post-61672249206187992442012-06-14T21:54:00.001+12:002012-06-14T21:54:37.565+12:00Meet the FoodiesI figured that since starting this blog I have mentioned several different foods - <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/cool-shit-monday.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">delicious pops</a>, <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/anyone-for-tea.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cinnamon swirls and custard squares</a>, <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/cool-shit-monday-jubilee-gems.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">red velvet swiss rolls</a>, <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/cool-shit-monday-wintery-wonders.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">roast lamb and pudding</a> - and waxed lyrical about them. It's clear the food is a bit of a fixation for me. I would go as far as tentatively describing myself as a Foodie. The reason I do so tentatively as I find the label "Foodie" to be bandied about a little too easily these days.<br />
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To take an interest in food is, after all, a basic instinct of any growing species of plant, animal, or insect. So to claim that you "love food" seems a little redundant to me. Only those people who are unwell (literally) do not "love food", therefore to try and say you're a special kind of person who loves food seems a wee bit odd. But it does appear that these days, there <i>are</i> a special kind of person. So what is a foodie then? They are so much more than a Goodie with a typo. I googled it just to make sure. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodie" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> says:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"foodies differ from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmet" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Gourmet">gourmets</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> in that gourmets are epicures of refined taste, whereas foodies are </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateurs" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Amateurs">amateurs</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodie#cite_note-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> Gourmets simply want to eat the best food, whereas foodies want to learn everything about food, both the best and the ordinary, and about the science, industry, and personalities surrounding food.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodie#cite_note-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; white-space: nowrap;">2</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">]</span></a>"</sup></span><br />
Am I a foodie? I'd perhaps call myself an amateur foodie. An amateur amateur. As with most other things in my life, I'm pretty lazy with food. I am interested for sure. I love cookbooks, cooking websites, cooking shows, and cooking magazines (I used to have a <a href="http://www.taste.co.nz/" target="_blank">Taste</a> subscription before I became a poor procreator). I love trying new and interesting food and I am interested in processes and techniques in cooking. I'm just not that interested in doing it in my own kitchen every day of my life. I can cook and I do love to experiment but for the most part I tend to be a one-dish wonder kinda gal. But just like the <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/why-i-never-finish-what-i-start.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">craft</a>, I am surrounded by people who are so much more than an amateur amateur. REAL foodies, and perhaps even the odd gourmet. I could tell you about how much I love <a href="http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/Heston-Blumenthal/" target="_blank">Heston Blumenthal</a> or some other celebrity chef who I do not know from a bar of soap, but the real food inspirations in my life are people much closer to home. Let me introduce you to the people who have taught me to <i>love</i> food.<br />
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One of my newer food inspirations is my friend Terry. Terry is interesting. In many ways, but we'll just keep it to a few reasons for brevity's sake. She is of Vietnamese descent (her parents fled Vietnam to the States in the conflicts of the 70s), grew up in the States, married an American of Dutch descent, and moved to Dunedin, New Zealand a few years ago. Terry and her husband, Jeff, happen to be two of the most social people I've ever encountered in my life. I swear they host some sort of dinner party every night. Having a 10 month old is only a minor obstacle in their varied social calendar. In their brief time in Dunedin, they have befriended about half of the population and regularly enjoy inviting all of them over to their house. At once. One of the benefits of knowing half the world's population is that they are really well connected and this transcends to food. Or perhaps their good connections only go as far as food as this is what they base most of their friendships on - the ability to provide and appreciate good food. Anyway, Terry's table is always laden with rabbit just shot by this friend, and kale just harvested by that friend, and special treats sent from the States by another. She is so abundant with food ideas and advice that she has done what she should have done years ago and started a profile on facebook to share all these wonderful recipes and tips. I know it will be a raving success because she knows half the world, after all. Check it out if you happen to be the other half that hasn't met her yet - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VietnameseCooking" target="_blank">Phamily Cooking - Simple & Easy Family Recipes and Cooking Classes</a>. Oh and she loves to be talked about so leave her a message. I'll know she'll be <i>stoked</i> that I mentioned her in my anonymous little blog :o)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NVJWAZHj4lUT040aSfqJzqwo_bVC66y6KkqBfGCpNNQsiotXWUab_Z6zbJiUHZLHLWMnaYMpPGcMM1u7do0y1YfAzi2EQ5gLKJORx_aSdADu3a7gzjPYgBg0QK2vMcr2iuamORy3Eys/s1600/Terry's+Peking+Duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NVJWAZHj4lUT040aSfqJzqwo_bVC66y6KkqBfGCpNNQsiotXWUab_Z6zbJiUHZLHLWMnaYMpPGcMM1u7do0y1YfAzi2EQ5gLKJORx_aSdADu3a7gzjPYgBg0QK2vMcr2iuamORy3Eys/s640/Terry's+Peking+Duck.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the deliciousness Terry served at a Peking Duck dinner (steamed buns at the back)</td></tr>
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About as far away from Terry and her food fixation as one can be (while still being on my foodie list) is my Dad. Food wasn't hugely varied and crazy and full of taste sensations when I was growing up. Mum and Dad didn't have the funds or the energy to do that with 3 kids. Having said that, we always ate well and food was well prepared. We didn't have the typical disgusting batches of amorphous slop that was some amalgam of vegetables like some families did. Things were rarely over or under cooked (except <a href="http://withjamandcream.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/childhood-meals-russian-roulette.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">chops</a> occasionally but I feel this was a reflection of the 80s rather than my parent's culinary skills), and they were basic but tasty. Mum freely admits that cooking is not really her thing. Not that she can't cook, she can. Very well actually, but Mum lives life at a million miles an hour and food is the fuel that gets her from A to B. It's kind of a pain to have to sit and savour anything at great length, let alone prepare it. Mum has one of those asbestos gullets with which she is able to ingest steaming hot food and drink without a second thought. Eat it and move on. In truth, Mum does love food and she and I have had many fun times together in the kitchen, especially with baking. I think her "just get it in" attitude towards food is a hang over of running a household with 3 kids for so long, and helping her Mum to run a household with 7 kids before that.<br />
My father is the antithesis. He takes so long to eat his food, half of it turns to a congealed lump by the time it reaches his mouth. It doesn't help that he doesn't have that many teeth, but it's also in his nature. Dad does savour, he does enjoy. He loves to think of himself as a foodie and eat good food. It's all within fairly controlled boundaries (he's not a big fan of trying too many new recipes, just variations on the food he already knows he can cook) but he does try the new. And he is <i>awesome</i> when it comes to trying wild food. He's pretty competitive, my Dad, at least with things he think he can be good at. So if it's spicy or weird, he'll gulp it down with a grin. I remember as a kid that you earned some sort of imaginary "Dad Badge" if you sucked the marrow out of the bones of your meat, and extra credit if you enjoyed it. He taught me to savour and enjoy food. To appreciate all the things on the plate. Even the weird stuff.<br />
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And the last food inspiration in my life is a significant one. I've already mentioned my beautiful and talented cousins, Aja & Bianca, several times. I've mentioned their food endeavour, <a href="http://www.lianaraine.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liana Raine Gourmet Artisan Pops</a>, several times too. It's a wonder it's taken these ladies as many years as it has to get into the food business. What they don't know about food in Sydney isn't worth knowing. A visit with them is an endless parade of visits to exquisite and eye-opening food experiences. But the while they're inspirational, it's the reason behind their expertise that I'd like to talk about here. Their mum, my Aunty Michele, is one of the most amazing people I know. Full stop. To talk about her only in relation to food seems a bit weak, but I'll contain my effusive praise of her to this one topic today.<br />
Aunty Michele grew up in a pretty bloody shady part of Porirua (which is a pretty bloody shady place at the best of times), and came from a meat & 3 veg household. If they were lucky. When she met my Uncle, she and he ran as far away from Porirua as they could - they went to Africa. And lived in a commune. Seriously. And so Aunty Michele's food adventure began in earnest. By the time Aja and Bianca (and I) came along, Aunty Michele was well into creating and providing a vast of array of international cuisines as part of daily fare. She fed us tabouleh, hummous, and curries in many forms, far before they became a cool part of food culture. Aunty Michele finds inspiration for food from people. She is a provider and a nurturer and food is one of the many ways she finds to do what comes to her naturally. She looks to give the best of what she can to those who she loves. I was lucky enough to live with Aunty Michele for a while and I can quite safely say that I have never eaten so well on a daily basis and probably never will again. She showed (and continues to show) me that food is fuel but it's so much more than that. It's connection. I can't thank her enough for sharing this with me.<br />
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And so these are my Foodies. The people who make me fall in love with the amazing variety and abundance of foods we have available to us in this lucky place. It's nice to have people who remind you to be thankful for what you have and find the happiness in every morsel.Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848278699306627739noreply@blogger.com0