Inspiration on a Monday: Table for 2

Ok, so let's pretend that I live here:

And my kitchen looks like this:

And I am the perfect wife and every night dinner is served at the table and not in front of the television:

And this is what I came up with tonight using some of my special vintage pieces (tablecloth, candle stick and glassware)

The secret is out...

So I know that I have not blogged in forever and my friends (that know I have a blog) have all asked why and here is the answer.  I am pregnant!

11 weeks and 2 days today.  It seems so surreal because I do not feel sick anymore and to look at me quickly I don't think you can tell but there you go.  On October 31st (or sometime near then), we will, God willing, have a baby.

Already some of my clothes are too tight to wear and be comfortable so I am going to have to go shopping.  It's coming into Winter here (Autumn really began this week with a freezing wind) so I can layer.  For inspiration I have been  watching Mad Men in Season 3 and 4 where Betty Draper and Trudy Campbell are pregnant but both of them seem to be pregnant in Summer.

 

Here is Betty just after she has had the baby but she is till in maternity wear

 

This is Betty in her new maternity dress for a big party - Derby Day at a country club.  I love her hair and make-up here and the belted waist of the dress but definitely not the sleeves.  I itch just looking at them.

 

This an at-home outfit of a skirt and smock style top.  I think that this would be the most comfortable to wear but again, not so great for Winter.

 

Here are the only photos that I could find of Trudy Campbell Pregnant.  The amazing shots on the left are from Tom + Lorenzo blog which breaks down each Mad Men episode and discusses all the fashion and a lot of the set as well.  I would like to think that if I decided to wear something similar to Trudy on the right to bed I would actually still be able to sleep.  I wish I could look that good when my tummy is that big.

Now for some pictures of two of the greatest style icons of the time, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy.

 

Here Grace (Princess at this stage) is apparently quite pregnant and standing with one-time beau and fashion designer Oleg Cassini - fancy looking this good running into a ex?

 

I had to include one of the famous Kelly bag hiding the pregnancy - again with a coat.

 

 

These two are of Jackie.  One public and one private.  I love the amount of colour that Jackie wore.  I think the top picture convinces me to get a nice warm big coat to wear in Winter.

 

When I told my Grandma I was expecting she was telling me that she hates seeing pregnant tummies bare in public and she was telling me she used to have skirts with a cut-out bit for the belly.  I didn't know what she was talking about until I have seen the above illustration.  I think it's hilarious that none of the women illustrated are pregnant but I can see how the waistband of the dress expands to accommodate the growing baby.  Today skirt seem to be designed to wear under the tummy or have a giant elastic bit to go over the bump.

 

These two designs show how the smock style top covers the belly down to wear the skirt has the cut-out.  I think it would be hard to get them to sit right but they do look ok.  I think the green one at the bottom would be comfy for sleeping in.

I will maybe (depending how brave I am) do some outfit posts of what I wear as I progress.

Up the Glamour

OK, so here I sit with no make-up on, unbrushed hair and hairy legs - while the lovely Princess Mary and Prince Fredrick visit Australia.

There is no excuse for me to make about it being too hot - just look how lovely and cool Mary looks and calm and put-together and like her cat wasn't sick in the washing machine.

As I emerge from the depths of report writing (150!) and job applications - 4 down - I am going to start looking once again like a modern girl with a vintage twist (maybe I should make a cocktail called that).

So every day:

• clean hair - brushed and put-up
• make-up before I start work
  
• clothes that are suitable to the climate - I was caught out by the weather last week
• A handbag that isn't ridiculously large and filled with junk that I don't need - and is so heavy that it makes me lean to one side
• Nice shoes - or walking shoes for the walk to the office and a selection of nice shoes under my desk
• My lunch is a bag that isn't covered in old stains (like the re-useable shopping bag I am using now)
• My hands moisturised and not looking scaly
  
• With - a smile on my face - because even if I am finding work difficult right now - it's not anyone's fault.

Here are some images to get an idea of what I would like for work:

• Ok - so I like to wear skirts - I think that while pants can be more practical (did I mention I am directing the Infants Christmas Play ) I love wearing skirts - and I think that little girls like it too - they always comment on what you are wearing.
• I like a belt - a small waist looks vintage and I have a huge selection of belts that I never wear!
• Not black all the time - I know I r=teach music but that doesn't make Johnny Cash my patron saint of dressing - love his look though.
  

• 

2010 Fifties Fair

As the 50s Fair was only 2 days after our wedding I didn't think the Beau would feel like going. But he did. He even went in the Best-Dressed contest. However he didn't win (the man next to him on the right - with suspenders - won). The contest was being judged by the ever-lovely Pia Anderson.

These two ladies were the finalists in the female best-dressed. The lady on the right won.

This is a guy we met there who had an amazing Wanderers Jacket. Apparently all his cousins have the jackets and they go around singing and everything! No one else was dressed like him there. He also went in the best dressed competition.

Amazing Hair - wonder how long it took.

These two ladies I thought looked great. I love the hair under the hat.

Here is a shot that the Beau took. We are having tea out of our vintage picnic set. It was good except the Bakelite plastic taste made me feel sick! Any ideas how to get hid of it without hurting the Bakelite?

This is Rose Sidler House from where we were sitting on the hill in front of the bandstand. In past years we haven't gotten a seat just walked around. This meant that we felt a bit pushed and so left early and missed all the competitions and music. I think that next year we will try and get a spot on the hill again.

This is the Beau and my father-in-law checking out a car near where we parked. I love that colour!

A little break

One of the Vintage Cars and Trailers set up at the 50s fair.

While the Beau has been back from College I have been spending every moment I can with him.  It was so lovely to sleep next to him again and to have someone make me cups of tea.

While he was here we had picnics and cocktail parties and went to the football but most importantly we went to the 50s fair at Rose Sidler House.  Unfortunately I did not get a photo of us together and I didn't get to wear the dress that I began making because my lovely machine broke!  It was almost finished but not quite. 

Here is what it is supposed to look like.

This is how far I got (hadn't done the binding or fastenings etc) - but it fit!

Here is my helper. Coco

And again, helping me to cut out the pattern.

Now I did not plan a back-up outfit despite my terrible track record with finishing dresses on time, so this as put together the morning of the Fair.  The jacket is the only Vintage item here.  But the dress was light and had a full skirt and a happy pattern so I think it kind of works.  

There were some really great outfits that would have taken a age to put together and some amazing hair.  I am too shy to ask people to pose for me but my step-father came and he is a photographer so I'm sure he got some great shots that I will post.  There was also bands dancing, stalls, a hairdresser and of course the house.  We got some things that I will post after they have been cleaned.

I have since learnt that you can visit the house any Sunday so I might go again soon.  It was so crowded that it was hard to get a feel for what it would have been like to live there (it is on a large block surrounded by natural bush land).

Cheers.  Our picnic in the National Park.

A Very Vintage Day

I had such a nice day today.  Only a few hours of work and the rest play.

I had to do band assessments for all my Junior band students today and they did so well.  It's really nice to know that they are putting in such an effort.

After that I went to two op-shops and got things at both.  Lately I have been looking for some accurate 50s style skirts.  I love pictures of girls wearing shirts belted with a pencil-style skirt.  I just cannot find any skirts that sit at the right spot or that fit me.  Since I have become vegetarian, I have lost some weight - though not through anything else (I actually cancelled my gym membership) and now when I belt my skirts, the skirt slips form under then belt!  I do not understand how women's skirts stayed in the same place with slips and everything else.    The picture on the left is from Icons: 50s Fashion published by Taschen.

So, I got two skirts that are

Winter weight and hopefully will fit (at $3 each I could not be bothered trying them on).  I also got a little jacket top thing.  It's not a cardigan but not a proper jacket either.

After going to the op-shops I then went on a picnic lunch with some of my family and

 my favourite puppy dog, Lucy.  I haven't been to a BBQ in ages and the sun was out, so it was a nice chance to ctach up with everyone.

This afternoon, I have been meaning to do a whole lot of things and I have done some of them.  They included baking this pear and prune loaf (Symply Too Good to Be True 5).