There's no snow at Christmas

 

One of the things about being Australian is our Christmas would confuse those from the Northern Hemisphere. We get sold that traditional Christmas vision - snow, fireplaces, snuggling under blankets on a sleigh ride, hot cocoa and really ugly sweaters, but it doesn't translate for us! 

The closest we get to snow is well, the air conditioning blasting as we watch White Christmas. We build sand men, eat prawns and oysters and lobster, play backyard cricket, run in the sprinkler, and have to wait until 8.30pm for it even be dark enough to see Christmas lights...

And I'm not complaining. I'm really not. I'm actually fond of this curiosity. Though, I still laugh at how confused my brother's Swedish friend was when he spent a summer Christmas with us! His face when the platter of prawns appeared was priceless, though I'm not even sure if it was solely because of the appearance of cold prawns, or their sheer size in comparison to Swedish ones.

So when I saw this snowflake brooch from Luxulite I thought, yeah, I will actually wear that in winter and save the snowflakes for all my navy sweaters. But then it came to me, how well it would match my beloved 50s rose print skirt! So, here is my summery take on snowflakes and traditional Northern Christmas style. Which, really, suits my icy Christmas tree, doesn't it?

And never mind we are in the middle of a heat wave!

Love WTP x

Wearing:
The Original Bad Girl Atomic Glitz top, Vintage 1950s rose print skirt, ASOS Senorita heels, Daisy Jean Floral Designs Pink Veronica's Roses, Luxulite brooch

Team colours

Some people are passionate about sport, or space travel, or wine, or dinosaurs, or insects. My passion (other than Welsh mythology and tea) is of course.... shoes, and I wore my "team colours" today - shoe earrings, a shoe top, and shoes... yeah I added the and shoes and thought well duh, but, pointing out the obvious is sometimes necessary to create a list.

This t-shirt cracks me up, because of course I need to remind myself sometimes to keep calm when my workload is a little nuts, and there's a lot going on with me personally too (like a ridiculous pelvic/back/shoulder issue and a little baby dog who doesn't feel well). When the make up is off lately I've got some epic dark under eye circles going on (briefly remedied with this insanely expensive eye cream sample I got and concealer) and I can't seem to fall asleep before 2am, and then won't stay asleep for a full eight hours. My mind is full of thoughts - some creative, some problem solving, some from fantasy land, others rooted in insecurity and upset.

I try a lot of things to get my mind to settle - tossing and turning myself into a burrito, a wheat bag, Sleepy body cream, breathing exercises, mindfulness activities like colouring in, turning off electrical devices at least half an hour before bed, drinking chamomile tea, doing gentle stretches. Nothing seems to be helping with my monkey mind.

At least in life there's fun things like rose print skirts and fun jewellery, and sweet nylon scarves to dress up a tired face and long Friday. And shoes, my beloved shoes. This pair of wedges I've had ages and I've forgotten how comfortable they are, being a cork base. They always seem so specific in my mind with their colours and print, yet I think in this case they really work.

Shoes have the power to transform an outfit, this we all know. But they also have the power to shape how we feel about ourselves and our environment. We've all had those days when our shoes were horrendously uncomfortable, when the balls of our feet throbbed, or our toes lost circulation, or rubbed us into a blistered, bleeding state. And no matter what you're doing, this painful betrayal by our shoes taints our enjoyment. Shoes also have the power to elevate us (figuratively and literally). There's something powerful about wearing great shoes and strutting down the street, and knowing people are looking, or standing up and feeling confident to do your best work. A new pair of shoes certainly make me smile too, not that I buy that many anymore! Yes, shoes are a friend I wouldn't trade in for another passion, not even while sleep deprived and definitely not for dinosaurs. And wearing these shoes today definitely filled me with springtime optimism and a little joy.

Wearing:
T-shirt: gift
Skirt: Retrospec'd
Nylon scarf: Daisy Jean Floral Designs
Shoes: Seychelles Footwear
Bangles: Dinosaur Designs
Earrings: Gorman

Rose amongst the tombstones

I like wearing clothes that make people smile.  When I'm in my full 50s skirts, or wearing hats and bright heels, people stop and smile and I give them a smile back. It's a nice moment for people to take pleasure in seeing someone wearing something different and fun and expressive - and if I can be the reason for that, it really makes me glad. This skirt certainly makes ME smile. I bought it at the Fifties Fair. I spotted the rose print poking out from a rack of clothes that were being rained on as I huddled under my umbrella. As soon as I saw that pocket and knew it fit I was pulling the cash out of my purse without hesitation. Bows and roses: perfection (despite what my mother thinks). My mother, bless her, told me she prefers me in modern clothes, and doesn't like me in 50s skirts. So, in a way, I'm being a total rebel. 

Of course, this skirt also had an interesting side effect last weekend: a guy came up to me and asked me if it was a Korean print and if I was pregnant. UH. That was before he started kissing my hand and telling me about how he likes sucking toes. Life gets weird sometimes, you know? Kind of like how I take outfit pictures in graveyards, too. 

Wearing...

Modcloth cropped cardigan, Saba shirt, 1950s floral skirt, Ninewest flats, Senso clutch, ASOS sunnies, 1950s charm bracelet 

Wattle

I can't believe it's already September. Even though we say it's spring here in Australia (cause calendar months is far less confusing), I don't normally get into the spirit of the thing until October when you can actually leave the house of a night without stockings (and without the inevitable cold that always strikes me this time of year). Of course, the Sydney weather has decided that it's down with being spring before I even am. Spring has sprung, throw away your hoisery, shave those legs! You've seen this dress before, but I decided a nice rose print was what I was in the mood for. 

What I really want to point out about this outfit is my earrings. They're from Mamoru Jewellery. Aren't they divine? They've got wattle in them. I couldn't resist driving to a little spot with some wattle growing to grab these shots. Don't worry, I don't actually walk around the bush normally in heels. That'd be just plain silly...

Wearing...

VictrolaVictrola 1950s rose print dress, Modcloth cropped cardigan, Miss L Fire heels, Mimco bag, Mamoru Jewellery wattle earrings, Linda Farrow x Prabal Gurung sunglasses