Showing posts with label Retro. Show all posts

In A Neon Wilderness


The summer is over and it certainly was a goodin! A huge highlight for me was the Wilderness festival. I went last year and it was spectacular. So I just couldn't help, but go back this year and it undoubtedly did not disappoint. The weather is always exquisite and everywhere is a photo op. You can only imagine how many pics I had by the end of the 3rd day.

Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini




There is nothing better then one having some time away to rejuvenate and recharge the batteries. As Winnie the Pooh once said " Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." That bear knows his stuff.

Life can get so hectic nowadays and it takes a toll on us whether we realise it or not. Nevertheless, every once and a while, we all need to stop and take some time out from the hustle and bustle of our normal environment. Even better, get out of the comfort zone we call home and enjoy somewhere different.

For me it has been a tough few months, So this past week was all about soaking up the sun, working on my freestyle strokes and catching up on this seasons fashion trends, in the beautiful Tenerife.

I must admit, I am a bit of a holiday snob. The thought of staying on the Amalfi coast or the French Riviera would be my ideal European getaway, and as I've been to Tenerife before, I was fairly certain about what to expect. However this visit far surpassed my expectations. On arrival to our digs I found it was a luxurious 4* hotel resort. The sort that makes your jaw drop the moment you walk into the lobby and then rethink the clothing you decided to pack. I'm sure I must have looked like an absolute hobo after that gruelling 5 hr flight.

Staying in the gorgeous Meliá Jardines del Teide hotel with a stunning view of both mountain and shoreline as well as gorgeous restaurants and bars to choose from. A delightful surprise indeed, and I hadn't even left the resort!!



Just a short walk down the hill is a picturesque little beach with shops, bars and restaurants overlooking the bay. To be honest, coming from Australia, it's hard to impress me when it comes to beaches however 'Playa El Duquet' has something. Nice sand, turquoise water, palm trees and sunshine that's all you need. 

Further on down the coast is a high end shopping parade and mall 'Plaza Del Duque', with label stores such as Gucci, Carter, Hilfiger. This is shopping not for the faint hearted.


I think what I was most excited about this holiday, was the opportunity to wear my new yellow polka dot bikini. Yes, just like the song!  You may say it's kitsch, but I've always wanted an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and I was kindly bought one by my mum a few weeks ago. So of course I wore it round the pool and beach and I LOVE IT!!!



It's funny what a week away in the sun can do for your creativity. Of course going on any sort of trip inevitably means I will be snapping shots whenever I can, and Tenerife was no exception. So on that note, I'm posting some of my favourite shots. From these I'm already collecting inspiration for some design work.

Time After Time!

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Retro is the word of the week! It recently came to my attention that I am constantly surrounded by vintage and retro inspiration. The old film on a Sunday arvo, my favourite vintage woolly cardie for the chilly days, my antiquated teacup that sits in my much loved cabinet (which reminds me I should get that out) every time I pass by, not to mention half the jewellery I wear (either family heirlooms or antique store finds). I'm surrounded by it!

Really it all came to light a couple of Fridays ago, after a monumentally busy week. I needed an afternoon off, to just..."slob around", (thats what my family like to call it). So I switched on the tellie and to my delight there was an old Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr movie,"The Grass is Greener". It's a good one!!! You can never go wrong with a Cary Grant movie, I say. But there was a character in this movie, played by Jean Simmons, that really made me stop and think. With her wacky personality and out there fashion, what can I say...this character, 'Hattie Durant', quickly became my hero. 


The Lovely Jean Simmons in 'The Grass is Greener'.
The funky choice of jewellery and bold colour combos reminded me of Kate Spade NY, which finally pushed me to order the fabulous book "Things we love". A book jam packed with pages and pages of "inspiration, intriguing bits and other curiosities". I haven't been able to put it down! Bright colours, beautiful vintage images and great quotes to live by, what more could one possibly need to spur them on creatively?




For you out there who are not familiar with Kate Spade NY, its an American Fashion House that initially specialised in handbags, but since then has branched out into shoes, accessories, household goods, you name it. Known for their bright, vivacious colours and simplistic style there is a strong retro twist to Kate Spade NY designs, that I absolutely love. Making vintage relevant. What a grand idea!
There are so many vintage bits and bobs around that are over looked. I have a mental list of things to keep my eye out for, when I'm out and about, things like old fabric and sewing patterns, old books, magazines, maps, postcards, lace, wallpaper, postage stamps... My list could go on and on. But these are just a few things that you can actually reuse. 

Here is a design I produced using a collection of retro bits and bobs.
Please have proper look at my etsy shop.
I have an embarrassingly large collection of postage stamps for example, which are great for spicing up a handmade card, including in a collage badge pin, or using in a art piece for the wall. Vintage magazines are great too, not only do they smell wisely weird , but the imagery is always so classically beautiful even the adds in the back for shoe polish or hat making courses are great as kooky wrapping paper. Every so often, I get my old 1950s designer mags out just for a good retro pick me up. 
One of my much loved Vintage Fashion Magazine
Speaking of old mags, I'd been dying to go to this new comic book cafe that had opened in Oxford on the Cowley Rd. So I ended up spending the good part of an afternoon with a friend in 'Inky Fingers' drinking AMAZING homemade Chai and reading old comic mags. 


Actually it got us thinking of the good old days (Haha I'm only 25, I make it sound like I'm an antique myself). Those fond days of mischief at school, memories of dangerous trampoline stunts at my friends house and making mum buy up on strawberry bubble gum to collect all the barbie stickers for my lunch box. Those were the days. I wonder where that lunch box went???

Retro inspired I say!! What other old gems will I find to add to the collection of inspiration?
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