Versatile clothing

After hours and hours of sewing, I have finally finished my latest set of two dresses, a bolero and a hat.

The bolero is double sided so that I can turn it inside out and use it both ways. It's the only item from this set that I didn't design myself, although I did alter it slightly, it wasn't reversible to begin with for example. The pattern is from this set, which I thrifted last summer. 

 

The fabric is thrifted and was sewn into mattress covers, I knew immediately that I was going to make something two-toned. I especially like the pocket detail on the second dress!

On Saturday I am flying to Copenhagen from where I'm going straight to Malmö to visit my brother and his wife. And do some shopping! I've already googled and found a couple of vintage/second hand shops, but if you've got something else to see or do while I'm there, feel free to leave a suggestion! Now I just have to do a couple more pin-curls and then I'm off to bed. What are you doing this weekend?

Two spring outfits while it's still spring

Before it gets to warm outside I have to show you the leopard jacket I bought from Haléns (on sale). I'm liking it so much that I almost wish it was colder outside. Almost...The skinny high-waisted jeans are from H&M and feel strange for me to wear as I'm used to wide legged trousers, but oh how I love the high waist!

Here's another outfit I wore out shopping a couple of days back, note the handbag! Hm, looking at the picture I begin to wonder if I should change the buttons of the jacket to white ones, would that still look ok with the gold coloured zippers on the sleeves? Or should I redo the sleeves in some way too, they are a bit long? But then again, the gold details on the jacket go well with the ones on the bag...

 

Today I'm a bit tired from working 7 days in a row (still two days to go!) but my spirit was lifted when I checked my work schedule for the next couple of weeks. I've got five days off in a row starting from next weeks friday! What to do, what to do? Where should I go? Long weekend trip to sweden? London? Paris? Or should I just stay home and sew like a mad woman? Oh, the possibilities! What would you do?

Close to completion

 I love my new handbag. It's not really new, of course, just new to me. I've been looking for one in navy for ages, if I only had a similar one in white and in red my handbag collection would be pretty much complete. Is that even possible? To have a complete collection? Will I really be able to stop looking at and buying handbags when it is? Only time will tell I guess...

Other than the fabulous handbag I have recently also found a basic slip to wear underneath dresses with wide enough shoulders (winter stuff).

And I so could not resist these swallows...only problem is, how to get them up on the wall? There's a hole at the back but when I put it on a nail the swallow tilted! Whoever put that hole there sure didn't put it in the right place, hah.

Finds from Vaasa

Check out my new lamp (below). I was trilled to find it, as I'm always on the lookout for 50's items to give our home a more retro look. It cost me 15 euros from the Jupiter-second hand shop in Vaasa.

In Vaasa I also picked up a few other items, such as the shirts below, the white bracelet and the sandals I'm wearing.

 

The shorts used to be my mothers and both handbags are second hand. The next item I almost regret buying. The waist is waay to high on me, what was I thinking?

Similar thoughs come to mind looking at the next top, why did I get it? I have something similar but better, on this top the checks feel somehow too big...Shoes from Ellos.

The shoe laces would look better in white, don't you think? I also picked up some other bits and pieces, the flower is and actual hat pin, yay!

 

Now I just can't wait for the weather to get warmer so that I can go out in these clothes without freezing to death...

Leopard print accessories and seven things you didn't know about me, part 7

Today I felt like wearing my mother's old leather jacket from the seventies for my trip to the flea-market. To match it, I put on a pair of mum's or dad's 70's trousers, a pair of 70's style boots and a hat, and picked out a matching handbag (matching in colour, not decacade.) This sort of stuff is what I would wear ten years ago, when I hand not yet discovered the 40's and 50's. Blending in with the crowd never really was my thing...

On the subject of blending in, these shoes may be in a camouflage pattern, but perhaps meant for other environments than what we have around here...Aaw. Just look at them. They came back with me from Grand Canaria and are just waiting for an occasion to be worn.

More shopping finds! I found the belts (second hand) on my latest trip to Vaasa, and the leopard print cloth they are resting on is a sarong which I also bought on holiday. It goes well with my leopard print bikini...

And now, for the final part of the seven things you didn't know about me-challenge! I have stopped using deodorants and antiperspirants. Instead I use this stuff;

Cocnut oil. Note, this is the virgin oil stuff, not the hardened grease you find next to the butter in the shops. The oil is antibacterial and if you put some under your arms, the oil kills of the sweat-eating bacteria who cause sweat to smell and it last maybe 8 hours or so. The oil is solid under temperatures of 24 c if I remember correctly, and fluent when warmer. Basically what I do is wash my armpits with water only (soap reacts badly with the oil) then I take a bit of solid oil out of the jar (I've put some in a separate jar for use as deodorant, in case I wanna use the big jar for cooking), the oil starts to melt in contact with my warm fingers and I can then rub the oil onto my skin. Done! I do sweat, but I don't smell of it. I smell lightly of coconut! I actually tested the oil by putting some under just one arm when going to work one day, and what do you know, in the evening one armpit didn't smell but the other did...

One of these days (=when I get inspired) I intend to make an actual deodorant-mixture containing this oil and a few other natural-ish ingredients (recipe found here) but for now I'm getting by with just the oil. Thanks to Ina who posted about alternative deodorants here! If you wanna try this, I can tell you that the 200ml jar I bought cost about 4,95 at the big supermarket nearby, and it's organic too. There were more than just one to choose from as well. I found it in the section for sauces and asian ingredients. There are many other uses for the oil, it can be used for cooking, skin and hair care etc, and there's loads of information on the web if you just search for it.

Well then, feel free to tell us seven things we didn't know about you, or if you like, accept the challenge of giving up your old chemical-filled deodorant for a more natural one! Have a lovely weekend!

Give-away tip and seven things you didn't know about me, part 6

I'm entering a swim wear give-away over at the Pin Tucks and Pin Curls blog, check it out if you wanna win something like this;

Isn't it just lovely? And there's one in leopard too...and bikinis! Check out the For Luna website for more pics.

This brings me conveniently over to the 6th fact you didn't know about me...Apart from shoes and hats and that kind of stuff, I also have a thing for, and thus collect, swim wear. I don't have as many bikinis and swimsuits as I do shoes though (yet) but for some strange reason they keep accumulating (and only a few are vintage or retro). Wait til you get to the next bit though; I don't particularly like swimming...

Grand Canaria 2011 and seven things you didn't know about me, part 5

Warning! Picture heavy post ahead! I thought I'd share some photos from our week in Grand Canaria. First photo is taken on the way to the beach, with me wearing the best thing I have ever thought to pack with me on a trip to the beach; a hat! I wore this hat every day, changing the colour of the flower on the side or swapping it for a scarf to match whatever else I was wearing. It was great at filtering out those rays of sun that always glitter at the top of my glasses and try to get in my eyes...

The beach we went to all week was the dunes of Maspalomas, which looked a lot like a mini desert. Loved it!

We also rented a car for a few days and went driving along the serpentine roads of the beautiful west coast.

 

We saw some pretty breathtaking views... 

 

The next day we were back at the dunes again.

We did some more driving around, and noted that the dunes were visible from pretty far a way.

This was apparently the grand canyon of Grand Canaria, breathtaking!

We saw Roque Nublo.

 

...And drove above the clouds!

Here I am, with a white flower in my hat, looking out at Roque Nublo from the highest point (or a few metres from it) of Grand Canaria, Pico de Las Nieves. In the far distance you can also see the highest piont of neighbour island Tenerife, Pico del Teide.

The next day we drove to Puerto Rico and went on a boat trip to spot wild dolphins, and we did!

On the way back to port I got seasick though. But it was worth it!

 

The last day we had the car we drove to Palmitos Park and this time I wore a scarf around my hat.

We saw all sorts of animals and birds and some beautiful orchids.

 And more dolphins! Although these were very well trained...

Seeing this monkey in action, especially when running, me us realize we are not so different after all...So human-like, or maybe we're the ones who are monkey-like?

We spent the last day at the beach and I made an attempt at swimming in the Atlantic ocean. It didn't go to well, the waves were really good at moving those rocks around my feet...I came back with several small cuts on my feet, I guess I should have tried swimming at a less rocky part of the beach. (The photo above is taken on a different, even rockier location.)

Skin problems and sea-sickness aside, we had a wonderful trip. It wasn't too hot and we still had great weather every day, I think I might go there again!

Continuing on the seven things you didn't know about me, here's something else;

I wanted to be a rock star when I grew up...Or an actress. Or musical artist! I'm not too bad of a singer actually, but...When I got older I realized that that kind of lifestyle wasn't for me. I like routine and stability too much, no touring or moving around and never knowing what I'll be doing after this tour is over etc. I prefer weekend trips and that sort of things and having a steady job and staying in the same place not too far away from my family. But every time I'm at a concert or see a play or musical or burlesque act, that longing to be on stage awakens, until I remember why it's not for me again...

For the record, both a cousin of mine and my brother are actors who both sing and dance, which of course makes me wonder once again if I could have made it...If they can do it you know. For now I'm sticking to dressing like a star though, hah.

What did you dream of becoming when you grow up?