Sofa-esque

I don't think I ever mentioned it on here, but on April 1st I turned 19. I bought myself this amazing 1960s velvet dress to mark the occasion, from one of my favourite tiny little thrift stores. It was actually hiding behind the counter, but the old fella who works there knows me well so he kindly let me try it on. He said that years ago someone had donated it and he'd taken it home to his wife, who'd worn it well but was trying to downside her dress collection, so donated it back. He was so happy to see me try it on and discover it fits me like a dream, and he gave it to me for a super tiny price when I said it was a birthday present from myself. Although, the print divides my friends and family into adoring fans vs. 'you look like you're wearing an old lady's sofa'. Pssh. It debuted at my birthday dinner, and has made many outings since.

My dear brother snapped these for me on a drive in the country to go visit my boyfriend. There are so many pretty sights to see in North Canterbury, I can't say it enough!





(Wearing a thrifted 1960s dress, cane handbag from Two Squirrels Vintage, vintage necklace from my boyfriend, amber art deco ring bought in Crete, and t-bar flats off Trademe)

I've booked myself in to get a tiny hair trim to lighten it up before I head off to the intense heat of Southeast Asia in a couple of weeks. I am so nervous- last time I got a proper haircut, I was 15. If they butcher my mane, I'll probably have to become a recluse. Wish me luck!

The Archive

(Photo stolen from T'Nealle's blog)

If you live in Christchurch and have nothing better to do this Wednesday night (come on, I know you don't), come on down to the opening party for The Archive's pop-up shop! Located at 336 St Asaph St, you'll find crafts, zines, local music, and baking... not to mention a large number of garments from my own wardrobe! I've had a bit of a clearout, and there are some great vintage pieces available for a tiny price. Festivities kick off around 5pm, and the shop is open until Wednesday June 8th, 12 - 4 pm every day.

I originally wasn't going to post the photos below, as they were taken right after my aforementioned bike crash. I look a bit flustered and teary-eyed, both of which I was. However, this post felt a bit bare by itself, so I guess I could manage a couple. I'm not feeling quite as terrible about myself as I was then, thanks to lots of sweet comments indicating that we're all in the same boat.



(Wearing a vintage dress bought in Wellington, thrifted beaded cardigan, and oxfords from Goldenponies on Etsy)

I was so very very happy to find this cardigan earlier in the week. After seeing one on Meg's blog I made it my mission to find the perfect 1950s beaded cardi for the awful New Zealand winter, but was a little miffed at the very high (for a student budget!) prices they go for on Etsy, eBay and the likes. The very next day I wandered into a thrift store on a whim and there is was, beaming at me. For $7 I was chuffed, not to mention the fact that it's angora and lambswool, and in amazing condition. The beading was all intact too, until my little bike tumble ripped some off the sleeve. Thankfully, one of the pros of working in a jewelery shop is that I'm a dab hand with seed beads, so I've returned it to its previous glory.



Finally, how amazing are these highland bulls that hang out near Logan's place in Fernside? It's a veritable menagerie out there- you can't look out the window without encountering goats, geese, cows, chickens, teeny tiny ponies, alpacas and llamas.

Bear with me

I've been feeling horrible about blogging lately. I feel like the more blogs I read, the less awesome my life seems. I've been so busy with university lately and feeling so unmotivated in general, that the idea of posing for photos and critiquing myself in a public forum makes me feel a bit crap. Every blogger seems to have it down- the right balance in their lives, the most amazing wardrobes, the nicest cameras and the most lovely things to photograph and share. And my life seems to mundane in comparison- a full-time student living in a barely-standing house in suburbia, spending most of my time drinking beer and watching The Simpsons with my boyfriend. Ugh. I don't really know what to do about this silly jealousy- of course bloggers don't like to write about the bad things in life, the days they went thrifting and found nothing nice, or those outfit shoots that don't turn out right. There's just always an aspect of having a fashion blog that says 'look at what I've got and, ergo, you haven't'. Um. I don't really know where I'm going with this- possibly just appropriating rumours that fashion bloggers are a self-indulgent and narcissistic bunch. Whoops. Anyway.

Not only have I got a case of the blogger blues, but to add insult to injury I've had a couple of wee accidents lately-firstly, a fall off my bike onto some gravel, tearing through my brand new stockings and giving me some seriously grazed knees. The next day my senile old cat tripped me up as I walked down our hallway, and I bashed my elbow against one of our stainless steel door handles- ouch. I've got nerve damage to my arm (thanks a lot, Roger) and my fingers keep doing involuntary twinge-y things that spook me a bit. Needless to say, I'm full of painkillers right now.



Thankfully, said boyfriend is always there to make me feel a little better about myself. Through some cosmic twist of fate, we both had Tuesday off work, so we set out so visit a couple of second hand stores in North Canterbury, about an hour out of the city. One of the best things about Christchurch is the sprawl, and the little periphery towns that go with it. We picked Oxford and Amberly as our destinations, and we weren't disappointed. It was so lovely to get out of the routine of uni-work-essays that usually dominates my waking hours, and see more of the country.


The opshops up North proved fruitful, and I slowly filled Logan's back seat with the most amazing things. One of my favourite finds was a trio- the amazing blue floral dress just down there, a sweet blouse and an embroidered chambray dress that I suspect were all from the same donor. They seem like the kind of things that a skilled grandma made for an ungrateful granddaughter, as they're beautifully handmade but have clearly never been worn. I'm glad I could take them on as my own.


Afterwards we stopped off at Brew Moon, the makers of our absolute favourite beers ever (and we drink a lot of beer, trust me). We got their sampler with a glass of each different beer, as well as a massive bowl of chips and two different kinds of cake... and we took away a 2-litre rigger of the Hophead organic pale ale, which tastes like apricots. So good!




(Dress, belt and shoes all thrifted on my road trip, thrifted cardigan, tights from Myer ages ago and crochet bag from Trademe for $4, vintage necklace a present from my boyfriend.)
I threw this outfit together from things picked up along our little road trip. This dress, from the grandma collection, was an absolute steal at $1 from the best opshop ever. I love the horizontal pleated detailing on the hem! I only had $8 cash, or else I could've taken away a much more significant pile.

I'd also like to say thanks to the lovely ladies at Ventricular Projects for including me in their dream wardrobes project. Tricia and Carly are two seriously awesome babes, who are both committed to making and sharing the most excellent bits of art and culture. Check out the rest of their dream wardrobes if you want to feel some intense blogger envy!

Nick DeWolf

I just spent a solid two hours of 'study time' going through Nick DeWolf's photo archives on Flickr. He seems like a cool guy- he had so many adventures, visited so many locations, but still archived the every-day aspects of his home life and job. I could pick a thousand favourites, but here are just a few:








I was considering putting my latest 1960s swimsuit on the 'to sell' pile, but now it's firmly back in my wardrobe after seeing these. On dreary Autumn days like today, all I want is a bit of sun, some pretty dresses and the beach. I'll also admit to have been neglecting my (15-ish) film cameras lately, due to my infatuation with how easy and cheap digital is. I promise to remedy that soon, and dust off my Vilia and get shooting!


I unfortunately only have this one original photo to share with you today. The last week has been rather boring, due to too many essays and assignments that I characteristically let pile up. However, Saturday was beautiful, and my boyfriend and I set off for a 24 km (15 mile) run/bike ride- guess who does what? Haha. Anyway, we stopped for grapefruit iceblocks down by the river that runs past his little farm and he snapped this for me. I miss being out in the country, especially now that the post-quake city has very few merits.

Speaking of the quake: if you, like me, are missing Christchurch's vintage shops, keep the evening of June 1st free. You may be able to snap up a bit of my wardrobe for a tiny price. More details later!

P.S. Sorry if I haven't replied to your comment lately, it's probably because it got deleted in Blog-Gate 2011. Thank you for them all regardless of whether or not they remain!

Pinking

(Dress by Ruby Boutique via Trademe, thrifted beaded cardigan, grey marle tights from Myer ages ago, grey oxfords from Etsy, and tote bag by Christchurch musicians Lawrence Arabia)

There's a certain knack to getting your blog photos to look like they're taken in a woodland setting, when really it's just your local suburban park. Thankfully, my brother/photographer Will has this talent. He picked me up from university today, and after some thrifting we stopped to snap these. It seems I am going through a pink phase, as evident in the floral culottes, sheer swiss-dot blouse and 1960s swimming togs I bought today. I'm going to cut up the blouse to make a little skirt, because, as you may be able to see, it's miniscule. I just couldn't leave that amazing fabric behind for $1!

Wow, a lot of swiss dots in this post. This dress one of few new-ish items in my wardrobe, and is by New Zealand designer Ruby Boutique, from a few seasons ago. I tried it on no fewer than 10 times in store, but couldn't justify the $250 price tag that silly 16 year-old Georgia might've been able to. A month ago it popped up on Trademe (like the NZ version of eBay) for a very reasonable price though, and I decided if I still liked it after all this time it was meant to be. I'm so glad I snapped it up, I adore the little collar and layered skirt. And, inspired by Anja's latest photo shoot, I filled my hair with bobby pins to achieve this braided style.

I also wanted to point anybody who is yet to read it in the direction of this excellent article from The Guardian about the way we consume fashion and the harmful effects it has. It's really a compelling read, and brings up many points that fashion fiends are too quick to ignore for the sake of a quick fix. I've been neglecting an essay for far too long now, so I best get onto it.