Otago Anniversary Day (photos are not related)

Its Otago Anniversary day and I have spent the day at home.  There is no school on this auspicious day.  But 60% of businesses are open.  Except banks and public services and the City Council.  I was happy to be home rather than at work.  12 yo has been at a friend's house for a few hours and listening to her ipod/playing on the computer.  While she was away I made several bottles of Blackcurrant cordial.  I also cooked some pears and put them in the freezer to make into a pudding on a cold winter night.  Roast beef and roasted kumara and potatoes also came out of the oven and some slightly overcooked ANZAC biscuits.  I finished a skirt from a remnant and a top in that Miami-meets-Cuba black rayon fabric that I showed you the other day. 

I have a slight cold.  Its annoying me.  I don't think I have had a cold for ages, possibly even a year.  12 yo was off school for a couple of days last week - poor lass could not move without needing a box of tissues and some Vicks.  Dear H and I shared the care 50/50 and I did quite a bit of sewing and reading.  Now I have the cold and it is making me scratchy and crabby.  I've had other things and injuries (shoulder and elbow, and then my foot).  Somehow the petty common cold is the most annoying. 

Moving right along: these photos have nothing whatsoever to do with Anniversary Day.  I had these in a "draft" post from a couple of weeks back when it was so cold I had to wear what I consider to be winter clothes.

First up: a light blue raglan short sleeved Courtelle sweater and a Glengyle cardigan with angora.   Alas, I forget what I wore on my bottom half.

Clockwise from top left: Bad photo of cute kitten necklace which I bought from Wellington Airport last year.  Real cute cat - not for sale.  Unless she brings a rat in the house again and then I would seriously consider it.  Real fur collar and bobble scarf I bought for $1 on Trademe.  I had to wash in in wool mix.  The collar is still a bit manky but I love the bobbles.  I like tickling my nose with them.  Badge bought retail when I had more money than sense.  Dorothy Parker is my heroine.  I see people peering at me trying to read the font.  On the inside I laugh. 

Vintage evening dress chopped off at bust and made into a skirt.  Zany stripey socks I have had for years and years.  Plastic boots which were necessary due to lots of rain.  Also I tore my plantar fascia and could only wear limited shoes for nearly three weeks.  Two plastic necklaces with black tee shirt and orange cardigan - the top part of the purple skirt outfit.  Truth be told I could not be bothered taking a photo in the rain.  Green check apron with ric rac.  Worn over aforementioned outfit while cooking tea.  Gift from my much missed and loved mother-in-law.  

Okay, that's all from me for now.  I need to make a hot blackcurrant drink and taken a couple of panadol.  Hope you are all keeping well!

Bye for now, Penny-Rose

Red shoes or silver?

Frock on Friday - Friday 14th March:

Polyester dress with pintucked bodice and circle skirt, possibly 1980's, $3 from Toffs, worn with Made by Me Elvis obi, silver plastic shoes

I was teased a fair bit at work on Friday due to Cyclone Lusi which was heading towards Northern New Zealand.  My dress had a cyclonic look about it as I twirled around the office.

Earlier in the week I wore the Made by med dress again.  

Dress Made by Me with digital print fabric from Tessuti, red leather shoes, old faithfuls from Frames in Dunedin, plastic bangles and beads all thrifted.  Hair flower, belt and watch all retail.

It's late on a Sunday afternoon as I type this and there's been nearly an eight hour delay in posting this due to an internet interruption this morning.  There is cloud down to ground level and its pouring with rain.  I have finished a skirt and put the sleeves in a top.  The fire is lit and I am cooking a roast chicken.  I bought several old sewing patterns again yesterday so I am going to update my database.  

Hope your weekend has been productive and enjoyable!

Bye Penny-Rose 

My mind is mooshy like a ripe banana

Hi everyone - hope you are having a good week.  My mind is a bit mooshy (like an over ripe banana) because I have been busy.  With a capital B.  Wednesday last week to Monday this week I was covering for a work colleague who had a sick child.  The weekend just flew by at lightning speed.  Today, I was at Union Leadership training all day and then dashed into work to do a hand-over catch-up with my colleague.  

I recall posting on Facebook about Frock on Friday but I was not sharp enough to get a blog post sorted.  Anyway, here it is:

Vintage cotton sundress found at Restore.  I would n't say it was a refashion, more like a tweaking.  I paired it up with neon plastic shoes, a selection of bangles and rings and a cotton cardigan.  The green flower hair clips were a gift from my op shop buddy Tanya, and the awesome stags head brooch is from the lovely Vintage Bird Girl. 

Last week the weather was more like autumn than late summer - reluctantly I had to wear tights!  And a coat.  And a hat.  And a scarf.  Again neon yellow accessories:

Garish neon polyester dress with neon yellow tights.  Note the boots, scarf and jacket 

AS WELL AS a cardigan.  The weather was cold.  

I wasn't going to post a pic of today's outfit - when  I saw the photos this is what came to mind:

 
In reality it was not quite this unflattering.  Dear H took about half a dozen pics and this is the only one which does not have the tyre effect on my torso:

Acrylic sweater from Toffs (it is more like a granny smith apple in reality) 

worn with Paul Klee print skirt, which started life as a maxi dress and vintage black necklace (both from Presbyterian Support Shop), neon yellow plastic shoes, bracelets and watch all retail.

 Maybe my mooshy brain has affected my body image/perception.  Thank you for all your wonderful comments and suggestions about my sewing UFOs, I will be posting an update on my projects again soon.

All for now, Penny-Rose, xx

Treasure from the Library book sale and the Regent Anything but Book sale

I went to the Dunedin Public Library Annual Booksale a couple of Friday's ago, and again on the Saturday morning.  Between us we bought around around 50 books.  I enjoyed musing over the complete works of John Buchan, the Harry Potter books in Japanese, napkin folding for beginners, several biographies of Lewis Carroll.  

Wearing a vintage 1970s(?) paisley dress found at ReStore, then taken apart and put back together again - in terms of sewing accuracy and better fit.  Plastic Shoes (retail) and plastic bangles (thrifted).  Knitted bag from Toffs and orange cardigan from Hospice Shop. 

I made a small number of restrained book purchases:  definitive NZ book on Rhododendrons and Azaleas as there are lots of both in the (existing) garden near where I am going to build a house (one day), vintage Preserving Book published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries published in 1940 by His Majesty's Stationery Office Price 4d NET.  Where does our food come from?  Kitchen Literacy will help me find out. 

Planning to become a better crochet-er.  Or more successful.  My favourite pattern is one I would never wear,  but I can imagine it on Vix. 

At the Anything But Books Sale, I was not really planning on buying anything.  I was quite happy just browsing and being in my own little fossicking world.  Until a voice came over the loudspeaker and announced A box of magazines for $5 and a bag of other ephemera for $2 or less.  

Then I thought why the hell not.  Just pick stuff which has cool pictures.  So I did.

First up some Vinyl: 

Dean Martin - very smooth and look what the bonny lass is wearing in the background, my goodness she must be wearing a bullet bra!!!  Harry Owens I have never heard of you but the Sheila (NZ archaic slang for woman) with the flower behind her ear and the lei has lovely hair and was purchased because I was (and continue) to think of warm sunny beaches (there is a theme here I am sure).  Belly Dance album - (how could I say no to this!! ) is unused!   


I haven't seen High Society (pic below top left) but the cover appealed to me because of Grace Kelly.  The rest of the collage below are all sheet music which I could not resist buying.  Please don't think that my taste in music is this varied.  How "The Poor People of Paris" got amongst my collection I am not sure.....I think it was a stowaway. 

 I got this lot for $2 which I think was a bargain.  I intend to frame a few of them - the two 1930s ones (Cafe Continental and Buttercup Lane are lovely.  Which one is your favourite?

Hope you are all having a good week, 
Bye for now,
Penny-Rose xx