Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Ivy - Day 31 - The Final Frock!


The final frock
Today was the last day of Frocktober! I probabaly thought far too hard about what I should wear and in the end I over slept and went for something that didn't need to be ironed! So 40's wrap dress it was with 40's hair and make-up to match.

Waiting for the bus,
it was too bright to look up!
Today was a fairly typical Wednesday, work, then off to trivia!  Trivia was good if slightly denuded, we were down to tweleve teams from our usual nineteen to twenty which made it easy to mark.

After quiz I headed home for a cup of tea and a cuddle with MOH and the poodle (you can see her in the background of the picture on the left!)

Tomorrow I get to wear pants!

Mel - Day 31 - 31 Days - 31 Skirts and dresses

The big day has finally arrived - the end of frocktober!!!!! 

As promised, I donned my spooky number and headed off to work. 

I went with my "spooky" looking (sort of) Hell Bunny dress which I acquired of the wonderous eBay. I added the super cute stockings, my feathered skully top hat and the Pièce de résistance... 
the lashes! 

Yes - I can see, and I wore them all day!

I arranged for a bit of an afternoon tea with the folks at work which was lovely. 

The photographer even wanted in on the action!

Everyone has been extremely supportive and I really appreciate it. 
To everybody that has donated - thank you! And I mean a very big THANK YOU!!!!! 
You have all helped make this experience worthwhile!

I had fun with today's look although it did cause a bit of a stir. 

One fellow in the office was too busy trying to figure out what I was wearing that he walked into the wall (much to my amusement). 
A few people, that I have never met before gave me some funny (non impressed) looks while others gave me a big smile. 
I even got a "wu whooo" from the guys downstairs redoing the pavement on my way to the bus. 

 I did however have a sad moment to mark this happy occasion though. 
My most fabulous boots have done themselves a nasty and I must bid them farewell :( 
They are just too far gone to repair - for $23 (delivered) from eBay - I think I can get a new pair...


So its now time t pack the frocks away and dig out the pants and shorts that I have been so badly missing... 


Pants you tomorrow for one final wrap up!!! :D 


Blossom: Wish Us Luck As You Wave Us Goodbye!


We'll eat again ...





Wednesday 31 Frocktober


Outfit/s

  • Factory uniform.

 Menu

  • Breakfast: sandwich
  • Lunch: sandwich and leftover risotto
  • Dinner: steak! Might as well use up those rations ...

Mood

  • Joyful

It is Hallowe'en evening and the last night of Frocktober!

Yeah I'm moderately happy about this ...


First things first: I have to say a gigantic


THANK YOU


for all of your support during Frocktober 2012. It has been nice to know people are reading and the generosity of your donations has been extraordinary.

(If you have not yet donated, it it not too late ... hint.)

It has been a bit of a struggle to keep up the blogging, especially lately as I've been catching up with life after being ill. However I hope you have enjoyed living vicariously in the 1940s with me. I hope you have enjoyed the nice recipes and wisely avoided the bad ones (I did them so you won't ever have to). I hope you learned a bit about life in the forties. Mostly I hope you were inspired to join us next year in Team Darling!

I would like to end this blog with some lists. I love lists, don't you? Here we go.

Blossom's Top Fives


Things I am looking forward to
My PRECIOUS Nespresso

Chocolate

Butter on my toast


Sugar in my coffee

FOOD THAT ISN'T BROWN

Things I will not miss



Boiled coffee

Boiled food

Brown food

The Usual Suspects
This complete wally

 Things every 1940s housewife needs

A good apron

Plenty of this

A headscarf

Courage

A hand grater

Things I will take with me into the 21st century

Sultana loaf (ooh! no butter rationing)

The VERY NEXT TIME I get sick

Lovely old-fashioned shopping

Horlicks

Bread-and-butter pudding


Little remains to be said but

THANK YOU

again, and see you next year. Will I do 1940s again? Or set a new challenge? Always happy to hear your opinions.

Oh, and bork, bork.

Yours in Frockingness,
Blossom Darling






Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Ivy - Day 30 - Penultimate Frocking


Can you tell this felt very awkward?...
 Today is the second last day of Frocktober... I must confess I've been wearing full make-up for so long now it's going to feel odd to not wear it, even my self image has make-up on at the moment.

Selfies at the bus stop.
Today was the first appearance of a Rosie the riveter do rag! I was chuffed when one of my colleagues walked up to me and said as much!  This do rag is just a fabric offcut I've repurposed.  It accompanied my knotty dress and cocktail cardi (availiable from Darling Central, best cardi I own).  No accesories rtoday I ran out of the hous ein a hurry so all jewellery was left off.

Today's photo was taken my MOH at the university before heading home to pat the dog.

Feel the ominous!

Waiting for the bus o meet MOH the sky became ominous... so naturally being the new instagram addict that I am I had to take a photo of it! I managed to avoid the rain long enough to keep my war paint intact.

Mel - Day 30 - 1 day to go :D

I was torn between outfits today. 
We officially had 2 days of frock wearing to go and with tomorrows already "planned" I still had a few choices. (I know right!!!!)

I ended up going with one of my fav's. The Queen of Holloway slinky wiggle dress. 
This one is a hot favourite available at DARLING CENTRAL.  I also wore my cherry blossom birdcage cardi  - also from DARLING CENTRAL

With Cardi
Without cardi!!!!
If you are familiar with the show 'Mythbusters" you may have seen Carrie sporting this number on more than one occasion. 

The Photographer was back on board however forgot her duties so I got the Mr to do a quick snap at the end of the day when I got off the bus. 

After that I walked the pooches and jogged over to the Zumba Queen's pad to do some chori stuff. 
2 hours later I jogged home :D (Via a stop off for dinner at the Mr's mums place) 

Now I'm desperate for a shower.

Frock you tomorrow for one last very spooky time!!!


Monday, 29 October 2012

Ivy - Day 29 - Polka dots and cleaning


Selfies at home in the polka dot dress

Today I went for a very authentic 40's do becasue I was dragged out of bed early by a small brown dog desperate to bark at our resident possums.  Needless to say I locked her outside.  This worked for a grand total of 30 minutes when she realised I'd gone back to bed so she howled and grizzled at the door until I let her back in and then it was definitely up time.

Todays 'do' is another variation on snood style, I love snoods they make life so easy!  It based on the ever reliable victory roll only this time I've topped it with a curly pompadour, hy hot rollers were calling to me.  This is very 40s and very easy, it only took four rollers for five minutes to achieve it!

Incognito, see? I'm practically
invisible!

As alway on Monday's MOH was out hosting his regular quiz so I headed home on the bus, incognito behind my sunglasses... because I'm sure that is all that's required to go unnoticed when you look like I do at the moment.

Love my burgundy bed set too!

When I got home I pottered around changing the bed and cleaning up mine and MOH's room (it looked rather like we'd had our own personal blitzkrieg).  While doing so I discovered my parcel from What Katie Did! I realised I hadn't shown you what it contained yet so here it is! I have a padded bullet bra, a 40's reproduction bra, a beautiful set of french knickers and a new suspender belt!  So exciting, I will get to that post on the importance or undergarments I promise... I guess it will have to be tomorrow!


Mel - Day 29 - Light at the end of the tunnel

I was rudely awoken this morning by the dogs DESPERATE to get my attention... when I got out to see what the cafuffel was about I was presented with one dead mouse (and I don't mean the DJ kind)! 

I disposed of the carcass and went back to bed. 

I got up again when it was the right time to arise and was presented with another dead mouse!!! 
This one however had been sufficiently splattered about the floor - EWWWW!!!!!!! 

So again - I set about cleaning up mouse carcass - this time with added gizzard - and proceeded to get ready for work. 

I opted for a number from Target today. A simple black thing with my cherry cardi (from DARLING CENTRAL). I also wore my Miss L-Fire shoes - a staple of the Frocktober wardrobe - again from DARLING CENTRAL. 

Today's picture was taken by the Mr when I got home because the Photographer has come down with a bug.Hopefully she is on the mend and back on duty tomorrow :D

I don't look tired at all! lol

I got through my day at work and went home - slightly expecting more presents to be left for me!

 Just before I went to teach my Gold Creek zumba class, I walked into the kitchen to a putrid smell.... It turns out that the wee she-dog found some super fragrant poop perfume to bathe in... 

"Don't hate me because I roll in poo!!! I'm super cute still see!!!"

I left this one to the Mr and headed out the door!!!! Now I'm home, tired and in need of a shower! 

Frock you tomorrow for the second last day!!!!!! 


Sunday, 28 October 2012

Ivy - Days 26-28 - Another busy weekend...


Taking time to stop and smell the roses...
Day 26 - Went early 60's today with my first beehive of 2012.  I love wearing beehives, I get such a positive response.  Mostly from ladies my mum's age shaking their heads and laughing while they tell me about how they used to wear their hair just so!  That's part of the fun of doing something like this, being told that you look just like someone's mother.

The do, undented.
Wearing 60's make up today felt quite foreign, this is the decade when eyeliner migrated to below they ey as well, and it was OVER THE TOP. Like most of the decade.  Take for example, my lovely gizmo print.  Very typical of early 60's fashion it also would not have been out of place on someone's living room wall. 

Visit the Hug-man!

So sporting my 60's beehive do and my gizmo print (not to mention even more make-up than has been usual this month) I headed in town for an iced chocolate with MOH.  Who should I spot but this guy on the left!  He made my day, we had a little chin-wag about why he would choose to do this and what people's reactions were, and yes I did ask him before I took his photo for this blog!  If you need a hug he is in Garema place every Friday afternoon!  
Hooray! New favourite shoes!


Before meeting my beau I had a moment of grooming, after having my nails done yesterday I realised that it was getting to the point where I didn't so mcuh have eyebrows as  two giant hairy caterpillars battling for supremacy over my forehead.  It was time to call in the professionals and a very good job they did too!  I also had just enough time to make a new purchase for a burlesque routine I'm working on; a very glamourous pair of neon pink heels.  

Selfies in the mirror at home
Day 27 - Saturday! At last, time at home with the dog.  Only it rarely works out that way. Today it was my knotty dress again, if I can't wear scungy old comfy jeans this dress is the next best thing.  Treat it like a rag and it still looks fabulous. I teamed it with rockabilly hair and a little crocet bolero I got at the rummage!

The day at home thing was working quite well until lunchtime... We decided to go to Guzman y Gomez for lunch and stop by the art market on the way home. At Guzman y Gomez MOH ordered this little gem:

naturally/artificially flavoured

The English language pedant in me laughed and laughed. MOH didn't seem to find it as funny...

On our way to the art market we rescued a fledgling noisy miner bird (noisy miners are native, it was not an indian miner bird).  It had jammed itself into a hole near club lime on Marcus Clarke street.  We looked for it parents but couldn't spot a nest or any other birds and the poor thing looked like it had, had a run in with and ANU campus cat...  So no art market, off to the RSPCA we went.

They have many chickens, so guess where we will be going to get chickens for our coop?


Why? Oh why must you do this to me?

 Day 28 - Today was spent with the dog. Although at times I'm sure she wished it wasn't (see left).  We went to the dog park and then to Pet Stock for a bath and just to prove it; yes I do actually do just about everything in dresses during the month!

Playing 'Skip to my Lou'
 
After the bath we stopped by Pet Barn, just to have a look you understand. Which meant we had to stop at As Nature Intended for a coffee, of course. While we were having our coffees little Miss Em did her best to talk to everyone who happened to pass by (Especially small children, she loves them, my theory is they smell of more things, also they're at licking height). We go to listen to this lovely little folk duo who were playing in the piazza at Belconnen Markets.


After the Pet Barn we took Em to visit MOH's Nan.  She doesn't really like dogs but Em's never met a person she couldn't win over.  She'd made herself at home in the space of a heart beat.  After a cup of tea with Nan we headed to MOH's mother house for (you guessed it!) another cup of tea.  Again Em made herself at home in the space of heartbeat, on the furniture, in and out of bedrooms and the garden.  By this time it was 4pm and we still hadn't managed to eat lunch and the dog was tuckered!
Yet more tea....
So we went home for... drumroll please... more tea.  The dog promptly conked out on the couch next to us, we gave up on lunch and decided to eat dinner early.
Later in the night... we drank more tea!