Added a few links recently, chiefly to the new FWD blog collective that was linked at Shapely Prose (and many other places besides) and some German feminist blogs I read and/or have recently been introduced to.

Of particular merit is mo jour, who is not only marvelously astute but also wickedly funny. (Sorry this is only of use to those of you who might know a good bit of German, but who knows? This might be more people than I think.)

… My little hat is in Etsy’s Holiday Fashion Gift Guide! I’m so excited to be shown amongst such beautiful pieces! Gosh I want multiple  sequined dresses.

LOVING

 Any painting by Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Pink Hair  group on Live Journal 

Boy Howdy : Boner Party for the Laydeez.

Laser cut acrylic necklaces, in particular this key, this one and this unicorn. 

I want some initial rings: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 and this wire one.

Spoon rings, and bracelets and well everything in Dank Artistry’s Etsy shop. Do you think those rings could be engraved?

Aaaaaand finally – loving these whistle necklaces showcased on By Elin

I have to stop purposefully searching out things I want to buy.  

It’ll come to no good, no good I tell you!

New favourite thing that I’ve made! Le Prix d’Exellence! Currently available in lilac, but pink and black will be up before the end of the week. 

It’s a brooch (pin) but I’m thinking that it also needs to be in wristband/corsage form. What say you?

Another new addition to the Trixie Fantastic Store is Le Grand Cadeau! For those who like their headbands on the larger side. It’s a beautiful turquoise cotton petersham (grosgrain) ribbon which was a DREAM to work with! Like sewing through butter, or silk, or something soft and pliant. The needle went through it like the fabric was parting before it, Red Sea style. It is divine. You heard me.

Will also be available in the pink before the week is out. 

Hurrah for three days off! 

For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere Summer is approaching.

This is, suprisingly, my least favorite season in Melbourne. Every year I whine and complain about the heat and hot winds, but not this year friends! No, this year I need to learn to love, or at least tolerate Melbourne Summers. Cos I ain’t moving!

To this end I’m trying to bring on the ‘yay Summer, super positive fun’ vibes early with my Super Summer Wardrobe Wish List.

Floor-Length Skirts. 

I have to admit that I adore full-on, floor-length, so-long-that-I-have-to-pick-the-hem-up-to-ascend-stairs maxi skirts. They swish and swirl and dance about in the wind and make me feel like a princess. A princess that doesn’t have to shave her legs but on the negative side who has to make sure not to tuck the hem of the skirt into her underpants after using the facilities and then leave the apartment like that.

True story.

I love them but beware of the swishy bastards for they’re also dangerous. You’ve been warned.

Found at www.sydneysvintageclothing.com

I want one of each in- Florals: Preferably this one! The colours are a.mazing. Totally my palette, totally not my size. Stupid tiny old school ladies. Uncool

Asos.com

Striped: But If I could have this fabric, but longer and more A-line so that it would swish about. I think I may have found it, but it’s a dress, so I’ll just chop the top off, there’s going to be a lot of that methinks

And tie-dye: I can’t find one I like online, so chance are there’s gonna be some white jersey sewing and dip dying in my future.

 Backless or Low-Backed Tops

By Zelaya.etsy.com

Is there anything nicer than the feeling of sun on the nape of your neck and back?

Well, a hug is pretty nice, so is a warm bed, and receiving compliments. But sun feels nice too. 

Ah, you get the point.

Sunscreen essential of course! 

Hand Fan

Abstract Floral Hand Fan from Ideco.com

Not that a fan is particularly helpful when the wind and breeze is the source of the heat, but it does look pretty darn classy, and dries out the face sweat (ew), so it’s in. Gotta get me one!

The Perfect Summer Wedges

These’ll feature minimal skin coverage, fairly high wedge heels, a front platform, and will be turquoise. I’m fairly flexible on the other details

Alas, to this day I still can’t find them.  

Help?

Anyone got any suggestions?

Honourable Mentions

Massive water bottles, hand moisturiser, sunscreen, finding a great pair of sunnies, contacts so I can wear sunnies, Havaianas, BBQs, hot pink toe-nails, beer-gardens, beer.

What are some items that will be, or have been, your Summer essentials?

Also what do you love about Summer? 

Yes, weird pose, but we have a new favorite outfit here people! This is IT!

Le Cadeau Bow Headband- Trixie Fantastic

Floral Scarf- A sarong from Hello Gorgeous 

Grey Tank- Cotton On

PINK skirt- Forever New

Gladiator Wedges- Nine West

The skirt and the bow match my nail polish. This gives me so much joy, like, you have no idea, it kinda freaks me out how much I love it when this happens. (True fact, the logo on my work uniform is also this pink (GLEE!) and I have pens and notepads and wrist bands in this pink and on Sat at work I wore them all at once. Hot pink OVERLOAD. I think it weirded people out.)

zebra striped hat or fascinator

AHH! Too excited for words! Yes, I am joining absolutely everybody and now have an Etsy store.

Free shipping until the 4th of November, just in time for the Spring Racing Carnival! Get on it already!

Trixie Fantastic

pic by capture queen

Here’s an article that gave me pause this weekend…

if you make handmade goods, you’re not selling dog food, and “ease” is not necessarily going to be the right marketing plan in every case. …I think there’s a big lesson to be learned here about finding your audience, rarity, and the dramatic effect that being denied can have on a person.   dudecraft

Read the whole lot here

Don’t be a Dick

CostumeRenaissance.etsy.com

I desire a ruff. Desperately. 

Elizabeth I: The Sieve Portrait, c1583, by Quentin Metsys the Younger

I’m not the only one, it seems I’m a bit behind on this one. Here’s Susie Bubble’s take on the subject.

Annnnnnnd over at the the Kingdom of Style Queen Michelle got her feathers ruffled.

Yeah, whatever, I get on it in my own good time dammit.

This is how I would wear my ruff, with bitching leather accessories. Frothy and BADASS!

How would you rock the ruff? Like a human marshmallow? Sad clown? Or as an Elizabethan courtesan?

That is, if I believed in marriage.

Ok, maybe my non-legally binding comitment ceremony.

My recent obsession with getting my self/style sorted out this year made me realise that I wanted a few things to add to my wardrobe and accessory table to add to the element of costume, play, fancy dress to my everyday. False eyelashes? Check. Colourful petticoat? Next. CROWN OR TIARA, hell yes please!

Aside from picking up something cheap and diamante covered from Diva or some other low end accessory dealer (which I will probably end up doing in the short term) I’ve been scouring Etsy.com  for the perfect crown, wreath, headband, tiara or whatever, to add sparkle and glam to my new do (NEW DO SOON!! WOOOOO!!). Meet my choice picks 

‘tea-party halo‘ by SweetpeaandFawn $70 (USD)

‘pink dream‘ by Tamar $35 (USD)

Yes, I realise these are for the very wee-of-head, but I reckon we should start a movement whereby we protest the fact that cool stuff like this (and pretty tutus and glittery sneakers) is only made for kidlets. I PROTEST!

‘nightingale‘ by whichgoose $40 (USD)

I just love everything she does. Also check out this, this and this. Oh, hell, just go to her shop and scope it all out.  

‘juliet headpiece‘ by ACPetrille $581.25 (USD)

These are out of my budget, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream, right? Right? Guys?

‘drusilla tiara‘ by ACPetrille $640 (USD)

Would one be permitted to wear a tiara, crown or other type of hear-piece in one’s passport photo? Perhaps if it was as pretty as the stuff from this purveyor of fine goods for princesses, they’d be helpless to resist my orders that they let me keep it on. Too much beautiful to feature so go browse for yerself at the shop.

In conclusion, I need a tiara. Now. 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

❤I got my sunshine!
❤I have a day off, and now that I’m not a student anymore that means a day OFF. I can do whatever I want MOFO!
❤Feeling fit and healthy
❤Pee Wee Herman Stye!
❤Today is the start of Triple J’s Hottest 100 of ALL TIME. Tune in this weekend for the whole thing!

Detail of La Toilette Francois Boucher 1742

Detail of Le Dejeuner Francois Boucher 1739.

Beauty marks, spots, whatever you call them, I think it’s time for a revival. And so too do all of these people

Daily Candy shows off a modern interpretation by Sabrina Dehoff

Pick up a more traditional version at Bellocchio.

NEW FAVORITE BLOG ALERT. Behind Ballet!!

Ok, so honestly, I’ve never acctually watched a ballet. Either in person, or taped, or dvd or on T.V, nothing. My obsession is not exactly about the movement, the dance, the music or the story. My obsession is with the female dancers, their grace, poses and their costumes, more specifically, toes en-pointe and tutus. 

…Manon from BB…god I wish I went to see this, all the photos I’ve seen of their costumes are AMAZING.

Occasionally little things happen that feel as if these events were planned especially for you. Late one cold evening, on the tram home from work, I found a little flyer, on the floor, under a seat in a mostly empty tram. It was advertising a new blog started by the Australian Ballet. Ok, so this tram does go down St Kilda Rd, past the College of the Arts and Arts Centre, so it’s not that weird, but I felt super special finding that flyer. Anyway, Behind Ballet combines all my loves and interests, examining how the Australian Ballet, and ballet in general, relates to film, art, fashion, fashion history, costume, television, how ballet is influenced and influences all aspects of culture at large.

Also from BB

INSPIRED MOFO. I’ll be making my own version of a tutu sometime this week. Does anyone know where I can get some pointe shoes? Preferably not used.

I’ve got a new book review of several books told from the point of view of a toy up at AJ’s Clubhouse, including,

• Kate DiCamillo: The Miraculous Adventure of Edward Tulane
• Rachel Field: Hitty
• Margery Fields: The Velveteen Rabbit
• Marianna: Miss Flora McFlimsey’s Christmas Eve

Ray Bradbury shills for prunes:

[courtesy of Kitchen Retro]

Ever since publishing some youthful poetry a week or two ago, I’ve been getting a lot of hits from people googling “Vogon poetry” “Vogon Poetry” was the title of that post, which I borrowed from Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where Vogon poetry is supposed to be the third-worst poetry in the universe. I am now number 7 on Vogon poetry hits. Huzzah! However, I’m still behind the BBC’s excellent
Vogon poetry generator. I offer to you an example of what this lovely piece of web engineering can do:

See, see the brainy sky
Marvel at its big puce depths.
Tell me, Siren do you
Wonder why the pug ignores you?
Why its foobly stare
makes you feel Perky.
I can tell you, it is
Worried by your fwishnob facial growth
That looks like
A rhubarb.
What’s more, it knows
Your frigate potting shed
Smells of booger.
Everything under the big brainy sky
Asks why, why do you even bother?
You only charm sweaty socks.

Thank you, thank you. I’ll be here all weekend signing autographs.

Just so you don’t think bad poetry is all people are interested in when looking for this blog, I’ve also been getting hits from people looking for pictures of zombie butts from Uranus, and people who are wondering what it feels like to be having a stroke. One can only hope that these are not the same people.

Feel free to share your own Vogon poetry in the comments. And if you’re interested in why I spent my morning waving my hands in the air like I didn’t care, click back one post.

Just to let my ones of readers know: I’ve started blogging at Gender Goggles, by gracious allowance of eloriane and Crowfoot. My first post is up now. It’s kind of ranty, but then it was an unexpected, 1 a.m. composition.

I expect to have a little time to blog this next week, as I’m traveling home to visit my parents, and my mother will certainly be getting all the Shmoog-time she can. I anticipate some breathing room, at least for those eight days.

Babies seem to be wandering across my desk this week. Fortunately, internet baby options have come a long way since this:

which may be familiar to viewers of Ally McBeal. Remember Ally McBeal? No? Well, neither do I actually. I remember the clip as one of the first viral videos way back in the dark ages. You know, the 90s.

But now there are other options for the childless than watching creeping dancing virtual babies. For instance, you can buy one at IKEA. Some assembly is required. Here are some instructions for building your own flat-pack baby (The link takes you to a page where you can download a pdf of the instructions):

Båb, the IKEA baby

Once you get your baby assembled, you may wonder what to do with it. Fortunately, in the internet age, you can take advantage of the wisdom of those who have gone before you. For instance, you may not know that babies are not good at many common household games:

Baby sucks at Jenga. This video was made by the hilarious Erielle who used to write my favorite food blog, Fancy Toast. She’s been more or less out of commission since the baby in question was born. However, this video may actually make up for her silence. Little Alice is definitely ready for prime time. Make sure you watch it to the end.

Links of love. Read these. You must. You will. You want to.

You love it.

This: Your chances of breaking into Hollywood are better than you thought. Much, much better.

That: There are rules to scriptwriting. They’re just not the rules you thought you knew.

Tip o’the Titfer to Mr Lemon and Mr Kelly for the original links.

I forget sometimes, and then TF delights the mental ear with tunes like this:

Am I glad that my mother didn’t think I was a blastocyst and a parasitic growth that she had to suffer through? Well, Lonni, I’m afraid my mother did think that I was a blastocyst and a parasitic growth that she had to suffer through. She still does. — Twisty Faster, “Invasion of the Babyists“

The lovely freshhell has alerted me to the fact that there will be a Sock Monkey Madness festival in Rockford, IL March 7-8 and AJ and I are already making plans to be there. How could we miss a sock monkey film festival? Rockford was the home of the Nelson Knitting Company that made the red-heeled socks from which sock monkeys are traditionally made.

If you go to the link above for the festival, you will find a link to this video of a sock monkey talk show in which guest Mace, King of the Monkeys demonstrates that he may have taken elocution lessons from Bob Dole:

If you happen to read Soggy Librarian, then you have recently learned that you can order a personalized revenge rap for a mere $7. Her husband bought her one from Rap Master Maurice, who promises to “VIGILANTE MIND BATTLE RAP CALL anybody who has done you wrong.” If you would like to hear a sample of his work, check the links on his webpage or, better yet, listen to his call to T-Mobile on behalf of Ms. Librarian. You will not be sorry. Make sure you listen to the end. And say hi to Ms. Librarian, while you’re at it. She works at the coolest public library I’ve ever been to and writes an excellent blog.

I’m not that bad (yet)… am I?

Knit Princess by Melody

I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes. It can’t be good*, but it just might be hilarious.

*That is, this situation can’t turn out positively for KP. Poor gel.