Lola Lovely Pre Adored

Longchamp Short 'choose your own adventure' film

2011-10-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

I remember back in my school days being so fond of those choose your own adventure books. Basically, the storyline of the book is based on which story option you choose to continue onto, once the chapter is finished. The book tells you to turn to a specific page according to which story you choose and you read on from there and so on and so forth until you chose a storyline that leads your character to its doom either by killing them off or having them fail their mission. I loved the fact that I could start over again and chose a completely different storyline...all in one book!
Well if like me, the mystery and adventure of those kind of books is your kind of thing then you would just love Longchamp's 'Keep on Riding' choose your own adventure style short starting the beautiful Audrey Marnay and several of the top fashion bloggers from around the globe in search for their new Balzane Bag. You've gotta try it...so much fun!!

xx Jo

In store tomorrow!

2011-09-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak of some just some of the vintage shot today. These plus more vintage dresses, skirts and bags will make its way to our online store tomorrow eve (UK time).

xx Jo

Finally, more vintage!

2011-09-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

So I'm setting up a makeshift studio in my dining room to shoot some vintage tomorrow. Along with all that is trying to figure out the best angles and distances to shoot from whilst being shot (the joys of playing model/photographer). I've practiced my Zoolander pose but still felt kinda silly about the whole idea of 'modelling' but anyway, here's a little sample shot and sneak peak of one of the cute knits we'll have in store soon.

xx Jo

Chasing the light

2011-09-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

Another love of mine is photography. I love looking at beautiful photos and thinking about how they are produced and appreciating the emotions they evoke. Her is my photography set on Flickr. I own around 8-9 cameras and have taken thousands of photos. Will upload more soon, but here are some for now.
'Photography ', my set on Flickr.

xx Jo

Tomboy

2011-09-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Being a woman is so high maintenance sometimes! I was raised with three very 'blokey' brothers which often ment that my parents dressed me in by brothers clothes and I played whatever they played on weekends and after school. This often involved making go-carts and racing them with neighbours, lizard collecting and making our special concoction of 'snail soup' (snails, slugs, water, salt...you know the rest :P) I never worried about how grubby I looked and it was often a fight for my mum to get me to wear earrings or anything girly. Now I'm a grown woman but it doesn't help that I have three sons (no daughters), a professional rugby player husband with two of his male relatives living with us. I prefer to dress in anything baggy and often resort to wearing my husbands, 11 year old son's or my brothers clothes simply because I like it. Dressing in anything girly or sexy is a treat (more for my husband than myself) which I don't mind indulging in when I have the time or am in the mood for it. This blog post is to pay homage to some of the beautiful celebrities who aren't afraid to strip off the stilettos and embrase their masculine side by doning mens style threads every now and then.

Quentin Crisp

Ruby Rose

Shiloh Jolie Pitt

Gwen Stefani

Ashley Olsen

Alexa Chung

Nicole Richie

Vanessa Paradis

xx Jo

Jennifer Collier: The Art of upcycling paper

2011-09-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

I never tire of learning and being inspired by the many amazing uses of such a simple commodity as paper. So easily disposed of, its potential to be upcycled and reused into amazing pieces of art is so often overseen. Which is why I am so easily inspired by artists such as Jennifer Collier who have the gift of interpreting their imaginations through finely constructed works of art through the simple use of paper. Similar, but in many ways worlds apart from Ana Wili Highfield (who I have previously blogged about) Jennifer creates animated versions of everyday objects by upcycling literature, maps, music manuscripts, newspapers and many other forms of paper.

Having graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) in Textiles. Jennifer often uses her skills in weaving, stitching, embedding, fusing, layering and laminating to create her works of art which are on display or available for purchase. Her inspiration is often drawn from objects in thrift stores, fruit and vegetable markets, and often poetry (among many others).

I personally believe that a true artist always shares their talent not only through the sale and display of their art but through passing it on and teaching others their techniques and skills to others. The fact that Jennifer passes her work on through teaching willing students through workshops and seminars is very inspirational. She runs these workshops in an old converted barn called Unit Twelve in Stafford which she also shares with 4 other artists.

More of Jennifer Collier's work can be found below.
Jennifer Collier Official Website
Unit Twelve Website

xx Jo

Visual Diary: Melbourne

2011-09-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

While I was back in Oz, I paid a vist to my best friend in Melbourne. It's the 3rd time I've been to this beautiful city and whilst I love the vibrancy, the beaches and the fast pace of Sydney life, I do appreciate Melbourne's more laid back lifestyle and its appreciation for the arts which shows in its architecture, fashion and abundance of music, drama and art events. Another thing that struck me was how beautifuly and cleverly styled all the window displays were in many of the high street and independent stores I came across. Every time I visit, I can't stop going on about how much I love the layout of the city and how much it reminded me of a 'mini London'. I was only there for the weekend but because I was child free, we got a lot eating, catching up, shopping, eating, hanging out and of course, eating done ;). My favourites definitely have to be the different cafes and shops around the Brunswick area as well as the Camberwell Sunday Markets which I literally had to be pried away from.

Another great window display at a vintage store in Brunswick. I love how they've used pages out of a children's book as the backdrop! Cute.

MUD Australia's fabulous suspended tableware and cutlery window display. Their current range is pretty darn amazing too!

Bustling, eclectic and eccentric. Camberwell Sunday Markets.

Mooching...bargaining...mooching...bargaining...if only life were that simple.

Stunning asian inspired lantern.

Can never run out of ideas of what to do with old frames!

Vintage printing press letters. Completely useless unless you have a printing press of course but there is something I just love about them.

I was so close to purchasing these beautiful solid rose wood corbels to use as brackets for a ledge in our house in Australia. I still have nightmares about not getting them. So beautiful, so regretting it!

I purchased all this plus another pair of sunglasses for well under $60! I could have bought more but had no more room in my luggage :(.

xx Jo

More vintage coming soon!

2011-09-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

Delicately hand washed and hanging up to dry. This stunning, ethereal, hand crochet, white vintage top could be in your hot little hands very, very soon. Keep an eye out for it as well as more gorgeous vintage goodies arriving in store for your toasty Autumn wardrobe.

xx Jo

Lovely things...

2011-09-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

Its been one week since I've returned back to the UK and with jetlag, the craziness of all my boys returning to school (one just starting and the other starting highschool) as well as 3 separate drop offs in the morning, I am surprisingly starting to get my groove back and settling into a good routine.

I've just purchased some design books and a bundle of my favourite design mags in an effort to gain some blog inspiration. To be honest I was looking to write about something with more substance but with new Autumn/Winter ranges out, there are just so many amazing products out there that I am ogling at the moment. Here are a few of my faves.

Urban Outfitters Paisley Floral Tapestry Throw

Would look deliciously cosy partnered with crisp white sheets and a mish mash of pillows of different shades, shapes and textures. Would look just as lovely thrown carelessly over a lovely mid century vintage couch.

Seletti fruit and weapons shelf sculpture in still life white.

I just love it when fruit and felony unite to make a truely wonderful kitsch statement piece for the abode. Seletti products never cease to please! More of their product range could be found here.

Olympus Pen digital camera

"Most people think that a cool camera has to look like it came from the future. The PEN looks like it came from your dad!"

...call me shallow but under that permise alone, I'm sold!

Broughton steel and leather log basket at Chesneys

With Autumn now upon us and the temps cooling down, this is the perfectly stylish accessory for any log fireplace.

xx Jo

Meeting Sibella Court

2011-08-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow my blog know its no secret that I admire the work of Stylist, Interior Designer, author and The Society Inc. owner, Sibella Court. The influence of her love of travel, history, the beach and personal memories is so profound in her commercial styling, interior design and the items she curates for The Society Inc. I love the fact that the store undergoes a complete colour palette and theme change 4 times a year...something I find very thoughtful and true to what she does best as a stylist and designer.
So naturally, when I found out she was conducting a book signing session at Potts Point Bookstore, I was excited to get the chance to meet her. I was so un-blogger like as to not prepare myself to interview her because I thought it might be too busy tsk'tsk (Obviously something I'm still learning about as a blogger). So when I discovered she had plenty of free time to sign, take a photo and have a little chat, I was pleasantly surprised....as well as kinda bummed that I didn't prepare anything :P.

Sibella was very polite and attentive and mentioned that she had come across Lola Lovely Pre Adored when I told her the name of my blog, which I was quite chuffed about! Apart from that, my lack of preparation reduced me to being a bit of a nervous wreck; apologising for taking photos, fumbling around my mind for questions whilst listening to her generous answers, and my indecisiveness as to which book I should get her to sign.What I had discovered during our conversation, was that her 3rd book Nomad will be hitting bookstores internationally on the 1st of November. Its theme as the title suggests, is styling with items collected throughout her travels. I was fortunate enough to have a sneak peek into Nomad and was taken aback by the beautiful photography and layout of styled vignettes filled with the colours, textures and the ornate ethnic patterns of objects picked up during her travels throughout the Mediterranean, South America, Asia and the Middle East. Definitely a book for people like myself, who love to collect all sorts of curio during their travels...PLUS, she also mentioned that she is in the process of working on a 4th book which will be released some time next year, so be sure to look out for that!

As some may know, Sibella works closely with Justin and Bettina Hemmes as an interior stylist for the Merivale Group where among others, she has styled and designed rooms such the Upstairs at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills and Ms G's in Potts Point (Which co-incidentally was the same restaurant I stopped to gawk at the interior of on my way to the book signing.). Sibella is currently working on several projects at the moment. She particularly spoke about the research she is currently conducting to convert an old 1920's bathing pavilion in Neilson Park into a bar. Her fascination with the locker rooms of old underground boxing gyms will present itself in the styling of this bar. I envisage old rust patina metal lockers, exposed bulb lamps suspended from the ceiling, worn wooden benches and cracked concrete walls. With an amazing eye and a bevy of local and international suppliers, I'm sure this space will deliver in style and ambiance and I personally can't wait to see the finished result.

'Upstairs' live music venue at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills

It was hard to think of insightful questions on the spot but as a budding designer all I wanted to know was where Sibella drew particular inspiration from. She mentioned her fascination for galleries and museums, some of which she had worked on several projects with. She also mentioned the great working relationship she has with local curators and artists. I noticed in particular on her blog, Anna Wili Highfield whom she is good friends with and an artist who I had blogged about in the past here.

I wish I could cover all we spoke about but to be honest, a lot of it was a blur, I was too busy
thinking whether she noticed how flustered I was as well as the beads of sweat forming on my forehead (not sure if that was due to nerves or the fact that I had speedily walked several kilometres to get to the bookstore lol). All in all, it was a very pleasant, casual but inspirational experience. But I couldn't help but feel the pressure when she said she'll keep eye out on my blog. If that's not encouragement enough to push me along with my studies and what I do with LLPA, I don't know what is!

xx Jo
For my previous blog on Sibella Court, click here.

Studies so far put to good use

2011-08-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Among the craziness of trying to tie up loose ends before I leave for the UK, I was 'hired' by my mum to select the colour scheme and wall and window treatments for their big 6 bedroom home which they are in the process of re-decorating. I figured it would be fun and a bit of practical experience for my interior design studies. Currently, they have a very cold pale greyish blue colour on her walls with a large brick wall as their 'feature wall' in the formal lounge. Although they have loads of big windows, the majority of them are either south or east facing meaning they don't get much light during the peak of the day, so I've chosen a very pale (some would say white) muted yellow based paint to warm the house up a bit.

Living room brick wall

One of the soon to be 'feature' walls

Mum wanted feature walls so instead painting random walls in block colours (which I find to be kind of outdated and sometimes garish) I've chosen a nice cream coloured grass cloth to feature on selected walls throughout the house as well as on the stairwell where Ive suggested installing a dado rail and only covering the bottom half of the wall in the same grasscloth. With the majority of the house being tiled, I think this would definitely soften the spaces up a bit and will mirror the texture and shades of the big brick feature wall. My parents have very simple, classic taste so here are a few sample pics I showed them of how I visualised the overall feel of the house to be. They loved it! The decorators arrive tomorrow to start painting so we're very excited to see the finishing result!

Now I won't be applying this to any of the spaces in my parent's place but I thought I'd share this amazing product I came across during my research into the perfect wall covering. Its a product by Crezana called Liquid Metal Grasscloth. It's so opulent and could easily be OTT when teamed with the wrong surfaces and accessories but I love how it's styled in this image right down to the very last detail of the framed child's drawing on the wall. Definitely adding it to my inspiration images for one of my upcoming design assignments. Perfection!

xx Jo

Mattel just reached a whole new level of AWESOME!

2011-08-17T01:02:00.000-07:00

Growing up as the only girl in a family of 4 children definitely brought out the tomboy in me as a child. I loved taking part in sports, lizard collecting, go-cart racing and helping my carpenter/engineer grandfather out in his workshop where he made furniture in his spare time. It was often an ordeal trying to get me out of wearing boys clothes let alone getting me to wear earrings or jewellry. Perhaps the only thing girlie about me was my love of Barbies! I never was given accessories such as the barbie dream car or extra clothes so I would ask my grandmother to sew outfits for them and often stitched some up myself using the off cuts of garments she created. Such fond memories of my love for creating and daydreaming!
So, when I found out Mattel recently released its Farrah Fawcett doll in honour of the late 70's icon, I was floored! The Farrah Fawcet barbie is posing in that famous red swimsuit, with that amazing smile, with that fabulous head of hair! Many have tried to replicate but in my eyes, no-one does it better than this! True retro legend. I need to get my paws on one...and for as little as $35.00 aud, I might just ;)!

xx Jo

Where in the world is LLPA...

2011-07-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps,
Sorry for the major shortage of blogs lately. I've got so much to blog about but my lack of time and 'digital resources' (such as the usb cable for my camera :P) has got the better of me lately...but alas, I'll get around to things soon!
As you may know, I'm back home in Australia for a visit. It's been great so far, time definitely flies when you're having fun! Apart from being out of action for a bit due to jetlag, as well as much needed catch ups with family and close friends, much of my time has been consumed by attending a few events and workshops as part of the Sydney Design Festival. This year's theme is 'Is Old New Again?' which is so relevant to what my ethos is behind Lola Lovely Pre Adored. Its all about ethical, sustainable design and up-cycling which is I am so excited by. Rosary Coloma, a dear friend and current guest curator at Sydney's Gaffa Gallery and was generous enough to invite me to several of Sydney Design Week's Launches. Rosary curated the installation, Lure with Bait, Strike with Chaos, which is a wonderful exhibition/experience created by designer, Liesl Hazleton in collaboration with John Smith of several deconstructed instruments which have been turned into beautiful, wearable pieces of jewellery. A musical 'soundtrack' resonates in the background as part of the display as the instruments' final 'swan song' prior to its great transformation.
I also attended 'Up-cycle Fashion', run by A.L.A.S Label and Transparent seams. This Was basically a workshop allowing our creative juices to flow. A group of around 12 of us transformed pre-adored shirts, jumpers, skirts and trousers into completely different ready to wear garments. I was quite pleased with the result of my little creation where I transformed an old knitted jumper into a knee length, high waisted pencil skirt with pleat detail.
There is so much more to share but even as I type, I am pressed for time to be somewhere else so I promise to post 'proper' blogs with images and more details about these wonderful events and much more very soon!

xx Jo

Brazilica Festival 2011. Celebration of culture!

2011-07-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

I mentioned it on my the LLPA Facebook Page and I'll say it again, I'm proud to be part of the Liverpool School of Samba and proud to promote the Brazilica Festival which we are hosting!! I've been practicing to take part as one of the sambistas this year but had to pull out (a week before due to a nasty accident :P) but nonetheless, this weekend will be a celebration of the wonderful Brazilian culture with events, performances and even a Rio de Janeiro style parade, working its way around the streets of Liverpool tomorrow! So, if you're in the North West of England come join the fun!! Click here to find out more about it.

xx Jo

NEW VINTAGE STOCK!!

2011-07-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this beauty plus many more original condition and re-worked vintage goodies in LLPA's online store now! xx

The day I cursed at Mac...

2011-07-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Trust my computer to stuff around on me when I finally get my butt into gear to list items grrr! None the less, I managed to keep my cool and finally list a handful of cute vintage bags on LLPA's Online Store for you all to have a looksy.

I'm also shooting more reworked and original condition vintage garments tomorrow which should be up in a day or two so stay tuned!

Click here to check them out.

xx Jo

Kate Moss & Jamie Hince Wedding

2011-07-04T02:42:00.000-07:00

Kate Moss is officially a married woman as she wed musician boyfriend, Jamie Hince (The Kills) this weekend in a gorgeous vintage/boho themed wedding in the picture perfect Cotswolds village of Southrop. The beautiful bride was true to her relaxed style in a vintage inspired, ivory custom made bias cut Galliano gown with stunning lace and sequin detail which she teamed with a pair strappy Manolo Blahniks. Jamie was just as sharp in a double breasted pale blue double breasted suit by YSL who dressed Hince's best woman and band mate Alison Mosshart.

Kate's good friend Stella McCartney also played a part in styling the wedding party by designing Kate's bridesmaid's dresses and her maid of honour's lovely blue bias cut dress with layered batwing sleeves. She also provided all 3 of Kate's three post wedding dresses. Kate and Jamie were surrounded by flower girls including Kate's daughter, Lila who were all in pretty white dresses, ballerina pumps and floral garlands.

The detail on her entire gown was so beautiful. I thought it all looked gorgeous and cant wait to see pics of the actual wedding and reception and how that was all styled.

For more on Kate Moss on my blog, click here.

xx Jo

More vintage very soon...pinky promise!

2011-07-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been reworking some very cool vintage garments in dribs and drabs lately and am glad to say I'm nearly finished! I wouldn't say I'm a 'hard core' vintage garment seller and really just do this all because I love vintage and I love hearing from happy customers who enjoy what I do. I'm heading back home to Australia very soon for a month and a half long holiday so I need to get them in our eBay store ASAP so stay tuned to LLPA's eBay Store for some super cute vintage skirts, shorts, dresses, tops and bags!

xx Jo

The Jo Who Cried Wolf

2011-07-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been fantasising about our home back in Australia and how I would decorate it when we move back (as you do :P). Its a new build open planed home with a gallery style living room where the ceiling goes all the way up to the second floor, it also has a cute 3rd floor loft which could make an awesome space for my eldest boy to chill with his mates. Its got plenty of big glass doors and panels which allows loads of light to flood in. Lots of clean lines and white walls throughout which gives it a real minimalist, modern feel. We only got to live in it for 2 years before we moved to the UK and it's now being rented out by tenants who I hope are loving it as much as we did.

Vicente Wolf in his New York Apartment

Now I'm not a huge fan of ultra modern, minimalist homes so I've been inspired and enamoured by the ways Interior Designer/Stylist/Photographer Vicente Wolf has treated similar style spaces as my home in Oz with his use of a mix of rustic, ethnic, chunky wooden furniture, stone and glass. His love for travel shows in his 'eclectic chic' decorating style which I find so timeless and am extremely taken by. I'm looking forward to applying my own interpretation of this beautiful style back home with some of the vintage/period pieces and artwork I've picked up in my travels so far.

For original source of these images and more, check click here and here.

xx Jo

Sibella Court's, NYC Apartment

2011-06-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

All fads, matchy matchy pieces and brand names aside, home is all about surrounding yourself with treasures you love and memories. I love how one of my favourite stylists, Sibella Court has the ability to create amazing, nostalgic spaces out of her random collection of paraphernalia. Her New York Loft on the third floor of a converted garment factory in China Town is a supreme example of this. To me each room is like a work of art, that only she knows the secrets behind.

For original source and more images click here.

xx Jo

8 Things...

2011-06-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hello hellooo!! So I've finally got my A into G blogging for the first time in a very long while. Whilst I've been busy with non blog related things, I've managed to get my hands on a whole heap of wonderful vintage frocks, tops, skirts, bags and bottoms of which I'm currently in the process of funking up and eventually putting online for some lucky ladies to purchase!

In the meanwhile, I was tagged by the lovely Hazel of Hazel's World of Joy in her Tagged! 8 Things... blog. There's always a bit of nostalgia involved in filling these things out which is why I was more than happy to participate. It reminds me of old school days where we'd get friends to fill out 'Slam Books'...remember those? So much fun! So heres my 8 Things to kick start my return to the world of le Blog!

Eight TV shows I watch...
To be honest I really don't watch much television so my selection is really random, but when I do, these are normally what I end up watching.
1. Grand Designs
2. Jamie Oliver 30 Minute Meals
3. Embarrassing Bodies
4. Sex and the City
5. Gordon Ramsay Great Escape (which is finished)
6. Perfect
7. A Place in the Sun
8. Jersey Shore, very trashy but strangely entertaining.

Eight Favourite places to eat...(Of the MANY)
1. Lanna Thai. My local Thai restaurant (St Helens, UK) and the closest thing to authentic Thai food around here. Run and cooked by Thai people, gotta love that!
2. My mum's place in Australia especially when my grandma cooks. She really is the best home cook I know!
3. Temasek (Parramatta, NSW Australia) AMAZING traditional Malay food that definitely hits the spot for my love of chilli!
4. Toko (Surry Hills, NSW Australia) Fabulous modern Japanese food, relaxed, trendy atmosphere with awesome cocktails to boot!
5. Mad Cow @ The Ivy (Sydney, NSW Australia) The BEST Wagyu steaks out! So delicious served with the chimichurri sauce.
6. Bem Brasil (Manchester & Liverpool, UK) Authentic Brazilian rodizio and buffet. You never leave this place with an empty stomach!
7. Barcelona. There are so many tapas bars around the city that serve delicious traditional catalan tapas dishes! The food played a huge part in me falling in love with this beautiful city!
8. Teacup on Thomas Street (Manchester, UK) Wonderful array of cakes, puddings and teas. I like the fact they use fresh, whole ingredients for all their meals, the owner is super friendly and the atmosphere is super relaxed!

Eight Things I look forward to...
1. Finally finishing all the vintage garments I've been altering.
2. My best friend's wedding in April 2012 when I will fly solo to Melbourne for the wedding and then Sydney, Australia to see my beloved family and friends. Looking forward to seeing her walk down the aisle, not looking forward to singing (haven't sung in aaaages) and doing a speech at the reception eek!
3. Finishing my interior design diploma...hopefully soon :P.
4. Going to America at the end of the year with my family. Planning on visiting relatives on the east and west coasts as well Hawaii.
5. Skype date with one of my besties tomorrow.
6. Finally getting my visit back home to Australia organised.
7. Bed time...super buggered today!
8. My hair growing long again. I cut it short late last year but it's slowly but surely growing back.

Eight Things on my wishlist...
1. New DSLR camera (...STILL!)
2. More sunshine.
4. Endless supply of red velvet cup cakes.
4. A new pair of platform heels.
5. A pair of Jinga shoes for dancing.
6. A big 10 seater vintage or reclaimed wooden dining table with beautiful turned legs to take back to Australia for when we move back.
7. New dining chairs.
8. Im currently on the hunt for some new paintings. In particular, old renaissance or period portraits with black backgrounds.

Eight Things I'm passionate about...
1. Respect
2. Following your dreams
3. Empathy
4. Family
5. Faith
6. Honesty (with yourself and others)
7. Good food
8. Life

Eight Words or phrases I use a lot...
1. "You know what I mean??" I nearly always use this at the end of when I'm explaining something.
2. "Holy Moly!"
3. "Are you serious??"
4. "It's hard to explain..." Often mid sentence when I couldn't be bothered explaining something.
5. "Oh, that's amazing!"
6. A vast array of 'colourful' four letter words that I'm really trying hard to find alternatives for.
7. "Geez Louise!"
8. "I love you." You can never say that too much! ;)

Eight Things I've learnt from the past...
1. Forgiveness can always be given but trust must be earnt.
2. 'Great minds talk about ideas, average minds talk about things, small minds talk about people.'
3. It's not the quantity of friends you have its about the quality.
4. Don't judge, not one is better than another, everyone has a story.
5. I think theres something about turning 30 that changed me. Appearances, materialism etc take a backseat and self confidence, contentment and acceptance with life and myself really set in.
6. Always aim to be purposeful and don't waste time on idleness.
7. Never diet or deprive your body of what you want. Everything in moderation is good for you. Keeps you satisfied and keeps cravings at bay.
8. To always keep my mind and body active.

Eight Places I would love to visit...
1. New York in Spring/Summer as I've only ever been in Winter :(.
2. Turkey
3. Africa
4. Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi in Vietnam and travel down the Mekong Delta to Cambodia.
5. Japan during Spring time
6. Santorini, Greece
7. I've been to the South of France but would love to do a road trip along the entire coast in summer during the seafood festivals.
8. Rio di Janeiro during Carnival

Eight Things I want or need...
1. I want new pair of proper running shoes. Running in my cross trainers all this time must be whats causing sore knees whenever I run.
2. I need to get my own sewing machine and give back my friend's one that I've been borrowing for a while now.
3. I need to invest more time blogging. I've been majorly slack lately...all for good reasons though ;),
4. I need to get cracking on altering all these new vintage clothes I'm going to put online to sell.
5. I need to sketch and draw more and be more experimental with different mediums.
6. I need to call my best friends back home in Oz more often. It's like food for my soul whenever I talk to them!
7. I want to get my windows washed, its a big thing here in the UK not sure why because it rains all the time anyway but...yeah. 8. I need to wear my glasses more often. I always catch myself squinting when I read or am on the computer.
8. Desperately need a good 2 hour long deep tissue massage. Been way too long!

Eight Things I love about winter...
1. The fashion.
2. Being able to wear boots all the time.
3. Being able to warm up against the fire place.
4. Snow
5. Comfort food.
6. Mulled wine.
7. Flannel pyjamas and chunky bed robes.
8. Finger drawing on fogged up windows.

Eight bloggers I'm tagging...
I've tagged bloggers who I've recently come across and have really enjoyed reading!
1. Susan @ Retro Restyling
2. Brandi @ Not Your Average Ordinary
3. Claire @ Landbaby at Blucoat
4. Elizabeth @ Peach on Earth
5. Noelani @ Mon Petit Chou Chou
6. Linda @ Reunion Vintage
7. Hatty @ Who Shall I Be Today
8. Caroline @ Sparkly Vodka

xx Jo

Portuguese Tart

2011-06-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

Just this weekend past, a girlfriend and I planned a very last minute trip to Faro, Portugal. Both of us being Aussies, we were missing the sunshine, the beach and some good fresh seafood. Creature comforts we all take for granted back home. It all started with a Facebook status and kind of snowballed from there. Two days later, we were literally on a plane to Portugal!
We booked a modest hotel across the road from Praia Do Faro (Faro Beach) and were spoilt by an abundance of sunshine, fresh seafood and the open air of the ocean. What made this trip so wonderful was that there was no itinerary for the four days we were there. We lived for the moment, relaxing for hours with a good book, our pashmina scarves for a towel, and nothing but the sunshine and the waves of the beach as a backdrop. We went on little adventures by bus and foot armed with our apetites for culture, a few recommendations from the locals the limited amount of Spanish and Portuguese language I knew.
Here are a few happy snaps from my trip and some of the sights of beautiful, historic Faro, Portugal.

Our hotel to the right.

Just like nanna's house ;)

What it lacked in decor it definitely made up for in location.

Going walkabouts through the town.

Beautiful colours of the native flowers.

Serenity of the beach.

Food, glorious food!

Historic city of Faro.

Despite the fact that we returned back to the UK with our clothes slightly more snug than usual, we had a wonderful time relaxing, dreaming and soaking up the sunshine. For me this time away on my own made me appreciate my beautiful family much more, it gave me new perspective and focus on my dreams and it definitely refreshed me to be able to continue to pursue them through my studies, work, and through my work with LLPA.

xx Jo

Salad of My Life, Zuzana Hnídková

2011-05-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

I came across Salad of My Life during one of my regular online inspiration hunts and was blown away when I came across these amazing levitating photos by Salad of My Life's owner and writer, Zuzana Hnídková. I wrote to Zuzanna asking if I could share these photos on my blog and she so graciously and generously allowed me to. She even did a mini interview for my LLPA readers which I found so sweet! Salad of My Life is a wonderful blog about basically anything and everything. She so easily could have been a model but we're so glad she pursued her passion (after reading her blog, she was going to, but her mother told her to pursue her studies) Zuzi's raw, creative gift is one that can't be taught and her passion for Photography adds life and beautiful imagery to her blog.

You have such a great eye for photography, when and how did you get into it?

Thank you! Well I hope my "eye for photography" is still developing :)

I started to make photos a long time ago, when I played with my barbie dolls and I was their photographer. We had a very simple analogue camera, but I really enjoyed arranging the dolls and making their portraits. Then I got my first compact digital camera and I loved it so much. But suddenly I found myself limited by that simple camera, it didn't really understand my visions. I was indescribably happy to get my first "real" camera (Canon 30d) and be able to regulate everything what I wanted.

What are your favourite subjects to photograph? (eg people, landscapes, animals)

I love to photograph people. And it doesn't matter if it's a simple portrait or street photography. I think it is just more challenging than landscapes or flowers.

Your levitaion photos are amazing, what inspired this idea?

I had to choose a project for school where I had to show my editing skills. And this kind of photography always fascinated me, so I simply chose levitations and tried to make a little levitation series :)

Salad of My Life is such an interesting blog about anything and everything. What inspires you when you write?

I'm really glad to hear you find it interesting! And you are totally right, it's about anything and everything. It's hard to say what inspires me, because it's everything around me. And when I think it's really interesting and people could like it, I write a post about it.

Do you have any advise for people wanting to take that step into photography?

I don't really think that I'm the right person to give advice to people about photography. But I believe the most important thing in this field is: practice, practice, practice. There is just no other way how to get better.

For more Salad of My Life and Zuzi's photography and musings, as well as tutorials on how to achieve these amazing levitating photos, click on the link below!

Salad of My Life Blog

xx Jo

Mollie Makes

2011-05-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was in a book store the other day looking for some reading material and came across this new publication, Molly Makes. There are loads of craft magazines out there but Molly Makes, takes the cake by far. Their cute and quirky ideas, stories and imagery definitely take the 'nanna' out of crafts such as patch working, crocheting and bunting making and encourages readers to partake in their own DIY projects with patterns and great step by step instructions included. There are so many projects in this magazine to inspire even the most discerning craftie. I can't wait to get into their DIY felt smart phone cover, which comes free with this month's magazine. Although, what I would love to see is a recipe or two...what can I say, I love my food! Apart from that, a fantastic, inspiring read that really gets your creative juices flowing!

Your very own DIY felt smart phone holder with this month's mag.

I don't know which is cuter, these cute knitted apple jackets or that adorable bub asleep on the piano!

Inspiring real homes

Cute little DIY peter pan collars with the patterns included in the mag.

xx Jo

Fashion Dresser For A Day...get your reading glasses on!

2011-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

In the past I've mentioned my goal of one day successfully working in the world of staging and styling for interiors and fashion. As part of my journey so far, I took part as a dresser in a fashion show curated and sponsored by Selfridges who are one of the UK's largest designer department stores.

The show was part of a special event called Fashion Kicks which was held at the Lancashire Cricket Club in Manchester. Fashion Kicks was hosted by Manchester City and Republic of Ireland International goalkeeper, Shay Given and his wife Jane. It was held to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Support, Beechwood Centre for Cancer Care in Stockport and the Adopt a school project. In its 8th successful year, this year's Fashion Kicks is said to have been the biggest and best so far, with special guests such as the Manchester City's first team doning some of Selfridges designer menswear on the catwalk as well as international Supermodel Lily Cole making two appearances on runway the in some exquisite Alexander McQueen pieces.The entertainment for the evening was provided by former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke who rocked the house and had the guests on their feet boogieing to her latest hits. It was a glitzy evening where guests were wined and dined by Michelin Star head chefs and chefs from the coveted Academy of Culinary Arts.

Fashion Kicks founders, Shay and Jane Given at 2011 Fashion Kicks

So in my usual daily online search for resources, articles and stories for the blog, I stumbled across this opportunity in an advertisement from Selfridges calling out to people interested in being a dresser for this event. I immediately sent the contact an email with a brief run through of my experiences through LLPA as well as my past involvement dressing and performing in musical theatre productions. I was pleased when I got a response back from the event manager with a reply saying she would put my details down as part of the team for the event...yay!

Please excuse the quality of the photos, they were all taken on my phone as I had to be as discreet as possible.

1pm: It felt like my first day of school, I was excited and and anxious. Was I dressed right? I hope I don't do anything stupid blah blah blah ...you're only dressing Jo, relax! My husband dropped me off at the event. I had to state my name and what I was there for at the security guarded boom gates. I assumed this was so because of the calibre of guests they were expecting. The securite pointed me in the direction of the big white building to the left where I proceeded to make my way. Walking up to the building, men were unloading staging equipment for the event; red carpet, fluorescent green and white resin tulip shaped lighting and other bits of staging paraphernalia. Sheesh, I must be early!

My Fashion Kicks survival kit! ;)

In the foyer was a group of around 10-15 girls. I assumed they were all dressers. Awkward smiles all round apart from a small group who had already been nattering away. I introduced myself to a girl named Summer, we got chatting. She was a 2nd year fashion student at Manchester University and found out about the job through her course. She knew some of the girls there and seemed to know quite a bit about what was going on.

1:30pm: Franchesca, the wardrobe manager finally arrived and walked us through a long corridor leading up to the backstage area. We caught snippets of where the event was going to be held. Very formal, very lavish, very BIG! Its apparently the first year they're holding everything in the same room. The dinner and formalities used to be held in a separate marquee.
The backstage area was covered in black fabric and very big. There were rails upon rails of designer clothing, accessories and shoes. Jimmy Choo, Isabel Marant, Balenciaga, Lanvin, Chloe etc etc. I'd never been surrounded by so much luxury! A partition with a wide entry divided the room in two, one for the Manchester Footballers and one for the models. We were asked who would like to dress the footballers, a few eager girls put their hands up, lots of nervous giggles. They were given the pleasure of doing so. We were then briefed on what we had to do, 'get to know' our garments, prepare the next garment after a change, make sure your model does not sit whilst wearing the garment etc etc. We were each allocated with a model with 2-3 changes each and had to find the rail with the model's name on it. My model was Kim and she had 3 changes, 2 evening dresses and 1 swimsuit. This didn't phase me. I had done plenty of dance performances with small dressing rooms to change in so I'm very used to being around near naked girls besides, we're all built the same! Summer who was allocated to the rail across from me didn't seem very pleased. She was given a male model to dress, and was very green to this whole thing. I assured her she'd be fine, and joked about potentially awkward scenarios. This seemed to loosen her up.

Kim's outfits

Amazing Jimmy Choo 'Ellie' Wedge

Beautiful Phillip Lim black rope embroidered paneled tunic

Jimmy Choo 'Quinze' embelished open toe booties

2pm: After 'getting to know' our garments, accessories and shoes the first of the models rock up. 3 males who were just there to fit suits and see if trousers needed hemming etc. You could feel the nerves all round as they got their gear off down to their underwear to try their clothes on....I tried not to look.

2:30pm: After sitting around trying not to get distracted by the next to naked men changing around us, it was finally time to eat! Meals were in a large carpeted room in the building next door. The models were all there, they guys were scoffing down soup while the girls just sat around chatting. Some little groups were speaking foreign languages, I could pick one of them up as being Portuguese. Food was served buffet style and was all very healthy, raw vegetable crudites, salad, fruit, sandwiches, soup and cold meats. Wasn't too bad.

Summer and I joined a lady by the name of Sidnie and a friend of hers who were also dressers. We got chatting about how we found out about Fashion Kicks and what we did for a living. Sidnie was a designer who has her own little couture range which she described to be 'Eclectic'. She designs and makes made to measure garments. I told her about my studies in interior design, my goals to get into staging as well as my LLPA blog. Sidnie mentioned she was opening a store in Manchester in June and suggested I come along to the opening. I'd be glad to, my first event cover yay!

3:45pm: After our meal and a bit of freshening up, we returned back to the 'dungeon' (which was what I called it) to press our garments.

4pm: The models arrived, we all got acquainted with who we were dressing and ran a dress rehearsal. The footballers went first, you could hear them all laughing and joking around on the catwalk, something I could imagine my husband and his rugby team mates doing. Not being a football follower, I had no idea who they were but it was nice to see them act so relaxed and 'normal'. Nothing like the typical Rooney or Beckham celebrity steryotype they're often given over here. I think I got the pick of the bunch with the models as it seemed as though Kim had everything wrong with her outfits, wardrobe malfunctions, shoes not fitting, tears in garments etc etc. All was sorted with a bit of stitching up, swapping and tit tape.

As I was in the footballers changing room grabbing a few bits an pieces, a tall, leggy ginger haired girl with a cute teracotta coloured bowler hat, black blazer and denim cut offs and military ankle boots walked in...heeey I know that face...Lily Cole! I tried to act cool as I listened to a man talk her through the outfits she was going to wear and what she thought of them. I walked back next door and told the girls. Excited by the news, they made their way to the entry to have a peek. Cool, real life Supermodel!

With what looked like her PA, the event manager and the man she was talking to in tow, she entered our dressing area. Sudden silence. We were all trying to look busy but all secretly trying to listen in on what was going on. The silence was a dead giveaway.

"What do you think of this one?" The event manager asked her as she took the black Phillip Lim number off my rail.

"Yeah it's cute." Lily replied.

They took that dress and proceeded to do the same to an amazing muted yellow, low back, halter neck pleated maxi. It was divine. Unsurprisingly, they took that one too and made their way to her own private dressing room.

The dresses were later returned to the rails but were later taken again at the end of the show.

Lily leaving the room with her entourage in tow

6pm: After a long 2 hours of doing nothing much but pressing garments, chatting, Tweeting, Facebooking and distributing what was left of my snack stash, the models were back with hair and makeup done and we were ready to rock and roll for our 7pm show! We could hear cabaret type singing in another room which meant the champagne reception had started.

The female models took their time changing while the guys got straight into it.

"I don't know why they're so eager, we've got heaps of time..." Kim said, "...male models, they're such Zoolanders, they really are."

6:30pm: The DJ kicked in and we could hear lots of movement in the event room as the guests filtered in. The party was just starting backstage too...for the models that was. They were all dressed up, media photos, mobile phone self portraits, and champagne flowing. Awww I want some! Most of the dressers didn't know what to do with themselves and just stood around. Me being me, danced around to the funky house music without my champagne. I didn't care, just as long as there's music, I'm dancing!

7pm: With Lily Cole at the front of the line in an amazing Alexander McQueen cutout number (the first of two) the show Is just about to start. The MC finishes off his introduction and the music begins. Everyone backstage is applauding, some models are putting their 'sexy faces' on, Lily is the first to walk out on the catwalk and the show starts.

Before each time Kim gets on the catwalk she looks at me nervously, I give her the once over, a thumbs up and she's off. She hates swim wear, I told her she's got nothing to worry about, she looks great but I guess no matter who you are, it's always nerve racking prancing around on stage in next to nothing.

Lily Cole just about to grace the stage in her second outfit.

First outfit, a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen cut out dress

Second outfit, the iconic McQueen butterfly dress by Sarah Burton, which even made a front cover appearance on German Vogue.

8pm: Shows finally over! It went by so fast and without a hitch. The models quickly got dressed and were setting off to catch their coach back to wherever they were going. Kim thanked me for helping her out and was off. Myself and the other girls were told to get dress bags and place each of our garments in a separate dress bag and hang them all on a rail. That was all done, we were all exhausted and ready to go. We said our goodbyes and set off home for a well deserved rest.

I got Sidnie's business card to keep in touch with her about her shop opening. Which I'm really looking forward to! We mucked about in the foyer for a while and took some photos infront of the press backdrop, mucking about pretending we were celebrities. I put it all down to being deliriously tired.

All in all it was a great experience, I got to meet some wonderful people and was able to make a few connections for future work. Shay and Jane Givens and Selfridges did an amazing job of being so organised with Fashion Kicks. The whole experience was so calm. Not at all as chaotic or intimidating as what I thought it would be. Would definitely do it again....London Fashion Week next year perhaps?? Who knows!

xx Jo

Links:

Fashion Kicks

Selfridges