Andi B. Goode

Flowers in the rain

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:54:00 +0000

Whilst I'm not entirely happy with the photos for this outfit, I love the outfit itself. When I bought this dress I wondered if it was really 'me' but I've decided that, because I like it, it is. To paraphrase a friend I saw the other week, when we were talking about our personal styles, I'm Andi and I wear clothes that Andi likes. After she said that (using her own name, obviously) I just thought 'yes! That's it!' And I guess that's my style for now. I mean, that seems very obvious and simple but it made something I've been overthinking a lot easier. Ha.

I love that the print on the dress looks similar to many prints that made it onto bedding in the 1970s. There were a lot of stylishly printed sheet sets in the '70s! I've said previously that I'm not much of a floral print lover but that's not entirely true. I love the large, stylised florals of the '60s and '70s and their vibrant colour combinations.

Last week I got sad when I missed a perfect opportunity to break out one of my coats, not really having worn them much last year, so I made sure to drag this out of the trunk it's been in all summer and wear it when I went out last night. It's a great colour.

Slightly awkward pose. Ha.

As I wore this dress out last night, which was quite rainy, I felt this song was somewhat appropriate. The video is really neat. And it's one of my favourite songs!

Mustard and a velvety collar

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:23:00 +0000

So far I've started the text for this post about 5 or 6 times but can't seem to finish it. I guess this is my opening, now! Anyway, this is what I wore to uni and to meet up with a friend, last Friday. It was the end of a particularly stressful week (I envision many more in my future, this year) and I was glad to finally have the chance to wear this dress. It's new new and a little bit cute.

Just noticed that my hair-clip isn't in properly in these photos! How annoying.

I like the velvety Peter Pan collar.

I'm don't know what else to write having just tried to madly finish my draft introduction and knowing I have to start the first chapter of my thesis today, as well. I'm not sure what my blog is going to be like, this year - I feel like too many outfit posts gets a bit boring but I suppose, for now, I'll just take it as it comes.

A photo, a song, and a winner

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:38:00 +0000

One of the things that I've discovered lately is that getting into a regular blogging schedule is harder than I thought. After all this time, you'd think I'd learn to have some back-up posts for times when I'm too busy to blog, wouldn't you? Well, apparently not! I think the best I can expect, whilst I'm studying this year, is that my blogging may be sporadic but I'm reassessing my aims for my blog. These, when I get around to them, will remain just for me but hopefully it will make blogging a better experience for myself and my readers!

Until then, here is a photo of one of my Barbie families (yes, I make families and life stories for my dolls). Three sisters, Casey, Cilla and Tutti (whose name is subject to change.) I love all of these clothes but the dress worn by Casey (standing up on the left) is my favourite and has a little matching bonnet, too. She even has a cute little half-slip to wear underneath.

In other news, I can't stop listening to this cover of Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me from She & Him's new album. Mel Carter's version is still my favourite but Zooey's voice suits this song so perfectly!

Lastly, but probably most importantly, I wanted to say that the winner of the What Katie Did competition was notified and her lovely lingerie is on its way to her! I'm sorry for not announcing that sooner but I've not been feeling the best. Congrats to Karin Wennerberg! And thank-you to everyone who entered the competition and to the new followers I now have.

A musical morsel supreme!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Last night I went to see the stage production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang currently playing at the Festival Theatre. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of my favourite films and the show certainly didn't disappoint. Being able to see musicals on the stage is such an amazing experience and I'm lucky that, though we don't get very many big productions, I get to see any at all.

I tweeted, last week, about being sad that the dress I'd bought for a special occasion (being the show) probably wasn't going to arrive in time after all because of some shipping delays. Well, it arrived yesterday with absolute perfect timing! It reminds me a bit of the red dress Anna Friel wore in the Pushing Daisies promo photos but without the lace. Anyone else make that connection? Or did I just have Pushing Daisies on the brain when I ordered it?

And it's from ASOS of all places! I wish I'd got it in other colours before it sold out. It's such a perfect late '50s/early '60s style, I want one in every colour. Or at least one in black (which they didn't have, anyway).

I don't know why, but I like photos from this angle. I also like that you can see the little holes under my lip where my piercings used to be (I can, anyway - maybe because I know they're there?)

A pretty vintage brooch - I don't remember where I got it from. I think it was from a fair. Very vague.

My beautiful friend, Abi, in her gorgeous '70s frock that goes so well with her hair. These photos were taken in the Adelaide Arcade where Abi has her workshop, Seams Nostalgic.

And here we are together!

The musical is filled with great songs, so I'm hard pressed to choose a favourite. I don't think there is one song that I don't like! Chu-Chi Face may just win out for me. And Hushabye Mountain is undeniably one of the best lullabies ever. But, well, Doll on a Music Box is so lovely, too! Rachael Beck performed this beautifully, I thought.

Any other Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fans? What's your favourite song?

Pink on Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 06 May 2013 05:30:00 +0000

On Saturday I went into town for lunch with some lovely ladies and decided I was in a pink mood so it was the perfect opportunity to wear this new-to-me dress...

I saw this dress on the sale rack outside the Red Cross on Rundle Street and, as I was in a hurry, picked it up without looking it over or trying it on and just went it, paid, and rushed down to meet my lift home. Without the belt and cardigan it looks a little like a nightie but I really like it like this.

My cute record player brooch is from Modern Girl Blitz.

A very similar pose to the first image. Hah.

The two lovely ladies, Shea (aka Miss Kitty Boo) and Sam, that I had lunch with.

And we had lunch at Two-Bit Villains. Incredibly yummy onion rings and a milkshake. If you haven't been to Two-Bit Villains, yet, I highly recommend it!

Shea and I also stopped for a drink at Relax in Vintage in the Myer Centre. Really cute little shop/cafe.

Oh, I had my photo taken for a street fashion blog thingie the other day - apparently if you vote for my picture I could win something?

And last, but most definitely not least, another lovely and talented lady I know, Gemma Vendetta, is trying to raise funds to get to the Hair Expo in Sydney this June. If you can help her out, or want to know more about her and why she wants to get there, please check out the pozible page for her project: Fly 'The Vendetta' to Hair Expo - a hairy tale!

Today I made you a mixtape...

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:22:00 +0000

So, like many others, one of my favourite pastimes is making mixes. I probably don't take it quite so seriously as some other people do (there are definitely some 'rules' I like to go by when making them but I'm not that finicky about it or about how other people make their own mixes).

I used to make mixtapes, on cassettes, in high school and just after, when I would make the covers by hand (drawn or glued together) and write out the playlists on brown paper and other bits and pieces. I still have most of the tapes that haven't stretched. I remember stacking up CDs and records, making lists of all the songs I wanted to use off of them and trying to figure out which songs would sound good one after the other. And never ever filling the tape up - there was always either a long gap or songs got cut off! I clearly never quite mastered that part of the art of the mixtape.

And then I moved to CDs (some of which made it into the music collections of my friends) but in the digital age, I mainly make them as playlists and upload them to my 8tracks account. I still enjoy making them and burning them off for friends, so I tend to leave them at around CD length (but I never upload the mixes I make for someone else - it seems to ruin the personal nature of making a mix specifically for another person).

Anyway, I thought I'd be self-indulgent and share a few that some of my readers may enjoy listening to! Even though it's not what I usually blog about, I guess. And if you've got an 8tracks account and like what you hear, feel free to follow me (or leave me your username if you're a fellow mix-maker).

♥Theme for a Dream at 8tracks♥ ♥Tracklist♥

♥After Laughter (Comes Tears) at 8tracks♥ ♥Tracklist♥

A mix that is mainly old soul and some ska/reggae/rocksteady tracks. And about unhappy love/broken hearts. The photo was taken by Malick Sibide.

♥Cuore at 8tracks♥ ♥Tracklist♥

Another mix of broken hearts and unhappy love. (There are just so many great songs on the subject!) A lot of Italian songs.

And, lastly, this ended up being my most popular playlist both on 8tracks and Tumblr:

♥Wow Wow Wee at 8tracks♥ ♥Tracklist♥

I did similar mixes compiling my favourite upbeat doo-wop songs and one of my favourite 'British Invasion' tracks, too.

I'm not sure which are my own favourite mixes but my favourites tend to be the least well-received. Off the top of my head, I'd say my favourite three (apart from those in this post) would be: Restless Feeling, Love in a Void and How Come You're Such a Hit with the Boys, Jane?

And if you want to see any of the playlists, just take a look at my 'mixes' tag on Tumblr.

Thank-you to anyone who made it this far - I've been feeling a bit nostalgic, lately, and making mixes is one of those things that lets me indulge that nostalgia, I guess. Even if I make them in a very different (and far less time-consuming) way than I used to.

Pssst, remember there is still time to enter the What Katie Did competition!

The Return of the Pink Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:59:00 +0000

I don't think these pink pants have made an appearance on my blog since the first time I wore them! But I wore them when I went out for lunch/shopping with a friend yesterday. The weather has been strange so I wasn't sure what to wear but I ended up putting together an outfit that, for once, didn't work in my head but worked out well in reality. Usually, it's the other way around! Was a nice surprise.

It was such a comfortable outfit I felt like I was going out in my pyjamas! Ha.

Vintage sweater clips! The daisies nearly match the floral motif in the blouse.

I'm still not very good at taking photos when I go out but I did remember to take some at the Red Cross shop on Rundle Street. I love their new(ish) upstairs. A lot of cute clothes and homewares. I only came away with two records (a Francoise Hardy compilation and Heart's Dreamboat Annie album).

And I made my friend pose in this silly cape she found...she said she felt like a dare-devil à la Evil Knievel.

P.S. Remember there is still time to enter the What Katie Did competition!

Polka dots and mint

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:24:00 +0000

I think I have mentioned that I've gone back to university (again) this year...right? Well, I have! For anyone who is interested I'm attempting an MA of Art History. I'm still sorting out my thesis argument and to do that I need to read. A lot. So, on Friday I went into the city to get some more books and take myself on a dumpling date. And this is what I wore...

This unamused look on my face says 'I wish my neighbours would just be quiet for once!'

I love this dress but I think it's only made it onto my blog once before!

I also did a spot of shopping on my way to the library. The dress on the right will be going up in my etsy shop when I eventually get around to restocking it. Which probably won't be until I've finished my dissertation in November...but it will get there! It's tiny, or else I'd keep it. And the dress on the left is staying in my own collection. It doesn't fit me properly but I honestly don't care because it's perfect. It actually reminds me of the dress in these photos.

And remember that you can still enter the competition to win a Cone Bra from What Katie Did. Details are in this post!

Win a Cone Bra (plus some) from What Katie Did

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Any lover of both vintage and lingerie (or perhaps either/or) will certainly be familiar What Katie Did, at the forefront of vintage styled lingerie and with fans worldwide. Needless to say, I've been a long-time fan, myself.

Well, the lovely team at What Katie Did are giving one lucky lovely reader the chance to win one of their new cone bras and some matching pretty underthings (including a Harlow suspender belt, Harlow knickers and retro-seamed dot stockings) of their very own. Huzzah! Photos of what you could win are pictured below (or can be seen on the product pages)...

I am completely in love with the cone bra. Just like the famous bullet bra, the cone bra is adapted from a vintage pattern but gives a more subtle, yet still era-appropriate, shape. It's incredibly pretty with the sheer organza at the top.

It's the kind of bra I don't mind being visible through a sheer blouse. (Which is obviously not included in the competition).

As well as the cone bra, the competition offers the Harlow Suspender belt shown below...

A six strap suspender belt is a must have for wearers of stockings and the Harlow Deep suspender belt is a dandy choice to keep your stockings where they ought to be.

And the Harlow knickers, which are obviously perfect to wear underneath the suspender belt. You can see the knickers clearly on the product page. (The petticoat is from my own collection and not part of the competition.)

And some retro-seamed dot stockings!

You may be wondering, and rightly so, what you have to do to win! Well, you just have to head over to the competition page at What Katie Did and fill out the form. Easy peasy!

The competition runs from now and will close at midnight (GMT+1) on the 3rd of May.

Here's the link again. And good luck to anyone who enters!

Vintage in Les Amours Imaginaires

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:09:00 +0000

When I saw Xavier Dolan's second feature film, Les Amours Imaginaires, at the cinema I spent the entire time enraptured and a huge part of that was due to the way this movie looks. From memory, the film received some negative criticism for being derivative (and also for obviously being made for young people, which doesn't make sense to me when Dolan was only about 20 when he made the film) I think it's a beautiful and very honest film. And, as I said, it looks gorgeous.

But in terms of sartorial style it is Marie, played by Monia Chokri, whose wardrobe stole my heart.

The first time we see Marie she's sporting this soft flip and a cute '60s/'70s mini dress.

Pink cardigan! And phone! And beaded curtains!

I won't deny that I pretend I'm Marie whenever I hear Dalida's version of Bang Bang - I try not to start walking in slow motion, though. Ha.

Her shell top reminds me of one that I own. Now I want to pair it with some blue pants.

Her styling is perfection down to the last detail.

Another great beaded shell top.

The colours of this shot are so beautiful. And the scooped back of her dress! Swoon.

To say that Dolan has an eye for detail is quite the understatement. Also, his penchant for slow motion scenes made it much easier for me to capture these images. How considerate of him! Ha.

I very much enjoy Marie's colourful coat.

There's a great scene where Dolan's character, Francis, tells Marie that not all vintage should come back or something to that effect (after she tells him the dress he has called 'outdated' is vintage) and Marie just blows smoke in his face as an answer. I love it. You can see the scene here (the part I'm referring to is around 50 seconds) but there aren't any subtitles.

Though it is interesting how Marie's wardrobe becomes less 'vintage' until at the end she is wearing a tight mini dress reminiscent of Romy (of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion) or Casandra in Wayne's World. Still gorgeous but quite different from her style at the beginning.

I could say so much more about the film but I really wanted to focus on Marie's wardrobe for this post. One day I may write up a feature post on my movie blog...maybe.

Polyester and Orlon

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:58:00 +0000

Two of my outfits over the past week have included a late '70s/early '80s polyester dress and a '50s/'60s Orlon cardigan. It works well, I guess! But I only got iPhone snaps of both outfits, unfortunately.

The beading on this cardigan is gorgeous. It's actually a bit small for me but I like wearing cardigans open and with the sleeves bunched up a bit so it works out well. This dress is very thin, sheer polyester but it's still too warm for summer so I was happy to be able to wear it without sweating as soon as it's on.

And the second outfit - this is one of those dresses I was going to get rid of but my mum saw it in the 'to go' pile and salvaged it, somehow knowing I would want to wear it again some day. How do mums just know these things? Ha. I'm glad she did, anyway.

Some of my newest vintage dolls (wearing clothes I already had) - my first two Bubblecuts! I'm in love with them. And I already had a painted hair Ken...but he is a blond.

It was also Record Store Day over the weekend! There were only two records on the list that I was searching for and I found both...but could only afford the Gotye 12" pictured above. I love the '50s inspired cover art (which you can see in action in the video for the song). And, you know, the pink vinyl doesn't hurt. So pretty.

I'd also like to apologise for my absence the past week - I'm struggling a lot with study and balancing it with Life in general and I'm currently trying to figure out how to fit everything in, so my posting may be sporadic until I settle in. That said, I should have a pretty exciting post coming up sometime this week...

Pink, gold, hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:35:00 +0000

On Friday night I went to Fork on the Road for dinner with a friend. I was pretty excited because I kept seeing people at the event via various social media (or at the food trucks when they are at other places during the month) but I missed the first few myself. I'd have been excited, anyway, because of the possibility of yummy food! (And it was definitely yummy though there were so many choices it was hard to make a decision).

It also gave me the opportunity to wear my new favourite dress, which I wrote about buying back in this post.

I haven't felt this good about an outfit in so long. I love pink. And I love hearts. And I love pink and gold together! I also love my hair shorter like this. Just a lot of love, basically.

As I mentioned before, I'd intended to swap the pearl buttons that were originally on the dress for some others - I settled for these cute white hearts.

I used to feel like I had to weigh pink down with a black cardigan or black accessories but, while I still love pink and black together, it's fun to just let pink be and speak for itself, I think.

This is kind of an awkward photo but I wanted to show off my newest pair of sunglasses up close(r).

Obligatory shoe shot!

Oh, and I finally got to try some of the delicious homemade soft drinks from The Little Van That Could. Who doesn't love an adorable vintage caravan? Even better when it's used to sell delicious things, no?

Cute bunting, too.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

P.S. I'm not sure anyone really misses the Murder Mystery Mondays, but I'm a bit busy with studying so, if I get to it this week, it may end up being a Murder Mystery Wednesday or Friday. Eep.

Peach and pineapple (accessorised by Style Me Betty)

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:54:00 +0000

Another outfit! It looks like it may just be outfit posts for the foreseeable future so hopefully they don't get dull...

Ha. So I've just realised I'm flanked by posters of Guns 'n' Roses and Rosie the Riveter. Hmmm.

The lovely jewellery that I'm wearing in this post was sent to me by Style Me Betty, an online vintage shop run out of Denmark. The whole experience was incredibly lovely. The shop can be read in English or Danish and is set out in a way that is very easy to navigate, which is a huge plus (and should be a given but I've been to so many counterintuitive sites that something easy like this is a relief).

I chose the two pieces of jewellery (and I've just noticed some incredibly gorgeous new stock in that section for the accessory inclined) which were sent out promptly and packaged safely. And here are some photos that show them off better...

OK, no one really needs to get this close to my ear but look at my earring! So so adorable.

Here's a less uncomfortable photo of the both of them together.

My Twin Peaks brooch snuck in to the shot...I've had this brooch for five or six months but I don't think it's made it to the blog, yet?! It's a favourite, so that's kind of surprising. But the focus of this photo was meant to be the necklace...

So I took this photo to hopefully show it off better (and ignore my terrible nail polish job haha). Isn't this a great necklace? An instagram follower informed me that one of the charms is ackee and another is meant to be a cocoa bean, which I am embarrassed to admit I didn't realise.

As I said, my gorgeous earrings and necklace came to me thanks to Style Me Betty. I appreciated the strawberry and flowers to decorate the business postcard, too. Little touches like that make me smile. The pricing is quite reasonable, as well, I should mention! (At least, in my opinion).

Just realised the shipping page has info for Denmark and the EU so I've sent off an email for more information should anyone want it - watch this space!

Edit: shipping outside the EU is available upon request.

Style Me Betty

Love,

Andi B. Goode

PS if you've not seen some of your comments show up it's because some went to spam. Sigh. Thanks, blogger! They should be published now, though.

Some lucky finds

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:53:00 +0000

It isn't often that I find clothes that are remotely vintage at op-shops, these days, but I quite fortuitously found a lovely 70s/80s pink dress whilst out last week. Fortuitous because I'd been longing for something a little late '70s and for more pink in my wardrobe!

If I'd paid attention to the measurements on the tag I would have let this stay there thinking it was about three or four sizes too small for me. Well, it fits really well!

I'm going to replace the buttons as I'm not too keen on pearly buttons. Plus I think they're a wee bit small.

I also managed to snag this Raffia (or Raffia look as it's probably plastic) bag on the same day. And it will actually fit most of the things I like to carry around with me in it! This is rare for a vintage-y bag in my experience. (I say vintage-y as I'm not entirely sure when it's from. 60s? 70s? Earlier or later? I'm not exactly a bag expert, unfortunately.)

I don't think these are very old, from the feel of the plastic, but the design is quite mid-century.

And I got to pick up a Barbie set I've been anxiously waiting for for months now, today. Midge is my favourite of Barbie's friends/family (OK, close draw with Francie) so I'm excited she's getting a bit of attention for her 50th birthday this year.

Oh, also, I know I've let my Murder Mystery Monday feature fizzle out but the weather's been quite warm and I've just not been in the murder mystery mood. Maybe I can pick it up again if winter ever arrives! I know many of my Northern Hemisphere friends are longing for warmer days - if I could control the weather I'd send some your way. Alas, I cannot. (But I can still dream about it...)

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Mauve & leopard

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:15:00 +0000

Today's post is brought to you by my iPhone and mirrors. Apologies for that! I wore this to uni yesterday and then to meet a friend for a drink after.

Took a changing room shot of myself whilst waiting for my friend. I've never been a big wearer of colours in the purple family but I love the colour of this blouse, especially with my leopard print pants.

Was in a rush to leave the house when I took this one...

My accessories for the day. The lipstick brooch is from Modern Girl Blitz. The badges have been with me for years.

More mirrors...

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Still thinking about this Beetljuice-esque blazer that I didn't buy.

Love,
Andi B. Goode
x

Off to see the wizard...

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 06:02:00 +0000

Well, as the title suggests, this is the outfit I wore to see Oz the Great and Powerful last night. I'm going to try to write about it for my movie blog, later, because I forgot to do yesterday's post but we shall see if that happens! Basically I enjoyed it a whole lot but it wasn't wonderful. The costumes were definitely gorgeous, though! And my own green-themed outfit seemed appropriate for the film.

I noted on Instagram that it looked like I was accidentally channelling Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker (albeit in darker tones) as well. This skirt, despite being itchy, is great. It's got green flecks throughout the wool blend and I love the pleated detailing at the front. It's been in my wardrobe since I bought it as I just wasn't sure what to wear it with. It's turns out that this blouse, which has also been hanging in my wardrobe yet to be worn, was the perfect match!

And these shoes, also never worn by me before, finished it off nicely. I love these shoes but I think this skirt is the only thing I own that they actually go with - which is better than not going with anything at all!

Oh, and I keep forgetting about Google Reader ending this year - along the side of my blog somewhere you should be able to subscribe via Bloglovin' or something else. I'm not entirely certain how these things work which I'm sure makes me a bad blogger in some way. Oops.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

(Un)Inspired and Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:25:00 +0000

I've been sitting here with the blog post window open for at least half an hour, now, and for all that time it's remained blank. Much like with my movie blog, I'm trying to get into a regular schedule of at least three posts a week so I don't neglect my blog whilst studying.

But I didn't have time to pre-write any posts and today I felt uninspired. I looked through my Flickr favourites, my pinterest, my Tumblr archives...but nothing inspired me. I know I shouldn't force myself to blog, and this is still a relatively 'personal' space for me,

So, for now...more instagram photos. As some of you pointed out last time, when I said it might get a bit repetitive, not everyone follows me/can follow me on there and even those who do may not see everything I post! I'm still not sure how I feel about these posts and I think it may just be time to reassess what I want out of this blog overall. But those thoughts for another time (or, well, they may just stay private).

But what have I been doing since my last Instagram round-up?

I joined a doll club. I haven't talked about it much but I went to my first meeting and it was a bit weird but it's nice to be around people who also collect and who will be great sources of knowledge for me. My girl is in the back in tartan - this is her 'back to school' look.

The cover of a mixtape I made many years ago. Which I'm posting so I can post a link to my 8tracks for anyone who may be interested in listening to the mixes I make.

I read this book on Hank Williams. It's very good. I knew very little about Hank before and it was a very interesting read. I have a lot more to say on the book but not sure it fits into this post.

I found my oldest Barbie to date (in terms of op-shop finds) - she's going to need her hair and eyelashes rerooted but even with those issues paying $1.50 for her was an incredibly good bargain.

An outfit that never made it to the blog. I've since dropped that necklace behind a cabinet and I shudder to think of the dust behind it so, for now, I'm pretending it doesn't exist. Ha.

Another outfit that didn't make it to the blog. I love pink and dark green together.

Did some record shopping. There was a little record 'fair' on and there were so many records packed into one room that I felt overwhelmed. I just came away with these as most were out of my budget and all of these, with the exception of the Slade LP, were 3 for $10. I've been listening to a fair bit of disco lately so I was pleased to find the Eruption LP. I've another of their records and I love it. Oh and, I know it's not a clear photo, but how great is the cover of the Pearl Bailey record? (On the left).

I found (but didn't buy) this Aquaman 'retro' figure and now I'm determined to find the Batman...at a price I can afford. I've found a few but they're a little out of my price range at present.

A recycled outfit that didn't make it to the blog. Oh, and for anyone who didn't notice (which was nearly everyone) my hair is red again!

Related to the first photo: there is a Barbie convention here in August and I'm planning outfits to make for the dolls I want to enter in the various competition categories. I know it's a while off but can never start plans too early...right?

As always, I'm andibgoode on instagram.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Murder Mystery Monday #5 {Gumnaam}

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:47:00 +0000

I've opted to write about another film, rather than series, for my fifth Murder Mystery Monday. As it's based on an Agatha Christie novel (And Then There Were None) I felt it was an apt addition.

Gumnaam directed by Raja Nawathe, 1965

Gumnaam is one of only two Bollywood films I've seen to date but I definitely want to see more, especially from the '60s, at some point.

Most people would be familiar with this film from the song Jaan Pehechan Ho being included in the opening sequence to Ghost World...

However I think this may be my favourite song from the film.

Is Duniya Mein Jeena Ho To Sun lo Meri Baat sung by Lata Mangeshkar and picturised on Helen.

Great songs aside, both Helen and Nanda sport some amazing '60s hair and outfits throughout the picture...

Nanda's perfect flip!

Helen had some truly beautiful clothes.

Look at this top! And those pants!

And it's possibly my favourite adaptation of And Then There Were None. Maybe. It is one of my favourite of Christie's novels. But I think Gumnaam adds humour without detracting from the suspense of the plot.

Any other fans? I think it was a very good choice for my first foray into Bollywood.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Winter is coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 01:17:00 +0000

OK, so, probably totally overused title - I just couldn't help myself! Ha. I'm really excited about the weather cooling down (though I'm glad we don't get Westeros length seasons...)

This was my outfit for yesterday, my first seminar as an MA (of art history) student. It took me a few confusing weeks to figure out what I want to be doing this year but I'm certain I've made the right decision, now. I'm not entirely sure what it means for my blog but very soon I'm going to write myself up a schedule and try to fit in time to write up posts for this and my movie blog so I don't neglect either over the year.

I've mainly been in the mood for wearing pants, lately. I'm feeling less inclined to wear skirts and dresses - I'm not sure if it's because I feel more comfortable in pants as my body has changed (i.e. I've put on weight) or if they somehow feel 'easier' and therefore suit my low energy moods better. Or maybe it's neither and I'm just digging pants, right now. At any rate, I'm definitely looking to increase the number of pairs in my wardrobe.

I look cross because the sun came out and I was trying my best not to squint.

And, see, the title was appropriate for more than one reason - I wore my Hand of the King pin that I just want to wear every day. Luckily, I've not yet fallen victim to beheading or poisoning (and hopefully I won't at all, of course).

And my old faithful saddle shoes made an outing, too.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

You need a bit of, ooh, shock treatment!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:00:00 +0000

My costume for the second day of Oz Comic Con was slightly more obscure than the first: I went as Nation McKinley from Shock Treatment (the 'sequel' to Rocky Horror Picture Show). This costume had been on my list since I first made one and when I heard that Patricia Quinn (who played Magenta in RHPS and Nation in ST) was going to be a guest I knew this was going to be one of my costumes for the weekend.

For so long, as we were working on the costume, I was incredibly disappointed with how it was going. And then I did my hair and make-up and put the dress on and I loved it. I'm really happy with how this costume turned out. And I was approached by a few people who were impressed to see a Shock Treatment costume so that made me happy, too.

This was the pattern we used to make my final dress. I couldn't find anything that had the right front in the time frame I was working in so I basically just drew the front up myself from looking at photos of the dress in the movie. I'm not much of a seamstress so the sewing was mainly left up to my mum but I helped figure out how it was going to go together.

Nation is pictured on the left. It's not the best photo of her costume but one of the best quality I could find online to show anyone who hasn't seen the film.

Patricia is still looking fabulous. Hope I am as stylish as she is when I'm her age!

And I love that her brooch was a pair of red lips - fitting, no? (It was her mouth used in the opening credits for Rocky Horror).

During the panel I'd been sitting in the second row and as soon as Patricia looked over she said 'It's Nation McKinley!' and how she'd forgot about the earrings. Then when I went into the photobooth (shaking a little - I've been a Rocky Horror fan since I was 4!) she said 'Hello, Nation!' And was really impressed with my costume. She said 'you've even got the hair!' and she was 'proud of me'. I just said 'thank you so much' because I couldn't think of anything else (and there were other people waiting for photos) and, I'm not going to lie, had to suppress tears as I left the booth. Such an amazing moment. Not just to meet her but that she loved my costume and appreciated the effort I (well, my mum and I) put into getting it together.

Sorry to get a bit emotional there! Ha. I'm usually not fussed about meeting celebrities (half because I fear I'll make an idiot of myself, half because it's usually so fleeting) but when you've loved a movie practically you're entire life, meeting one of the actors is a pretty big deal, I think.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

I don't know, I'm making this up as I go!

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:52:00 +0000

In my last post I mentioned that I was getting some costumes ready for Oz Comic Con. Well, it's now all over and done for another year! (I say that as though I actually went last year. Ha.) And here are some shots of the first of the two costumes I wore over the weekend.

Bah da da DAH ba da dahhhhhhh! And so on.

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this costume. There are a few things I'd like to tweak but I think it's fairly good. And someone who has been cosplaying Indy for years (I think) came over to tell me he liked my costume. And that it all looked great. So that was nice.

I'd initially been going for an Indiana Jones by way of Katharine Hepburn look but I'm not entirely sure that's what I ended up with. I suppose I wanted to marry the classic Indy (screen accurate Indy) costume with women's leisure/casual/sports-wear of the 1930s and my mind inevitably turns to Katharine Hepburn when I think of that style of clothing. I'd probably take this shirt in (or make a smaller one) next time but I was working to a pretty small budget.

"Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?"

I didn't take many photos of other people's costumes (again!) so the post is just all me...and it looks like the next post will just be me as well. It's still one of my goals to be more confident about taking photos of other people so...I'll get there. I hope.

Also, I'm sure I've asked the question before but do any of my readers cosplay (whether occasionally, like me, or not-so-occasionally)? This was only the second time I've really cosplay-ed so it's all still a bit daunting (and new in a fun way) to me.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Too darn hot...to blog

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:42:00 +0000

Too hot to blog! Gone fishin'...

Actually, the hot weather has just made me useless. It'll be cooling down soon but I've got costumes to finish for the weekend so I'm taking this week off blogging (again). I'll be back next week with (hopefully) photos of my costumes and I'll get back to the Murder Mystery Monday series the week after that.

Keep cool (or warm if you're suffering through the cold)!

Love,

Andi B. Goode

In my room

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:50:00 +0000

I'm not sure if anyone really wants to see photos of my room, but it was tidier than it's been in weeks so I wanted to document it whilst I wasn't entirely ashamed of it. Ha. The photos are all a bit too yellow, which I realised after they were uploaded to Flickr. But there are some older ones in this set with a more natural light to them.

I have always loved this quote from William Morris: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Maybe he wasn't thinking about Minnie Mouse bedspreads and stuffed toys when he said that, but everything here is, to me, either beautiful or useful. And makes me happy, which is important in such a personal space.

Some people like minimalism and sleek design. I like an organised clutter. And tend toward the kitschy and cute.

Never mind the bra. Or the bin. Ha. (Art prints, by wardrobe, from Ghosts Waltz and Gingerhaze).

I think this is my favourite view of my room. And in some ways is almost a summary of a big portion of what I love in life, I think. (Art prints from Devon Smith, Wishcandy, Audrey Malo, prettylittlethieves and The Black Apple.)

My poor mandolin (who I named Joxer on a whim) doesn't have anywhere to live, yet.

Sometimes I like to just sit and stare at my bookshelves (is that odd?)...

or my DVD shelves! (This is just my TV on DVD collection. You can see my movies here if you wish.) And a peek at my Pullip dolls.

The Bat-corner! It's a little lacking...

I use my vintage Nallyware container to store my stockings in. My jewellery is on a two-tiered cake platter (got the idea from Fleur de Guerre a few years ago). And I got the idea to use the paper towel holder for my bangles from a friend. And you can see that dust is one of my favourite decorations...I'm going with that for now.

Well, hopefully some of you enjoyed this little tour around my room!

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Fun in the sun

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:18:00 +0000

Well, it was a sunny day (as implied by the subject) but I tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible. This was an outfit that I wore on the weekend to have (a late) lunch with one of my friends. I needed to wear something that went with my sandals as I'd had sore feet from some other shoes, which is why I chose this dress. It's not the best fabric for a warm summer day but it's one of my favourites nonetheless.

I'm kind of annoyed I didn't notice the car in the photo until after I'd taken these. Oops.

To prove I actually did go out to see a friend - so bad at taking photos of/with other people!

The dress turned out being pretty good for walking around (and eating) in and the sandals didn't hurt my feet. Hurrah! So difficult to find shoes that don't do that. And, whilst they are dangerously close to the sandals I wore in primary school and didn't necessarily like, these are the only pair of sandals I've loved in a long time.

And apologies for the poor quality/lack-lustre photos, once again. Slowly trying to step up my game with the photos.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

Murder Mystery Monday #4 {Gosford Park}

noreply@blogger.com (Andi B. Goode) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 04:57:00 +0000

I'm fairly certain that most vintage and/or murder mystery lovers will have seen Gosford Park by now but just in case you haven't...you really ought to! I mean, the cast alone is enough of a draw: Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Kelly Macdonald, Kristin Scott Thomas, James Wilby, Stephen Fry, Richard E. Grant, et al.

The first time I watched Gosford Park I didn't think much of it plot-wise because, for me at least, it fell flat as a murder mystery. But, upon re-watching, I realised it was a very nice snapshot of this sort of life. Like an Upstairs, Downstairs type of thing. And it works far better on that level for me than it does as a murder mystery. But as that is part of the plot, I felt it belonged in this series of posts.*

It has a lot of the tropes/clichés associated with a cosy murder mystery - an assorted cast of characters staying at a country mansion on a rainy weekend; a central much-disliked character; everyone has a motive (well, not everyone but enough of them do) and so on.

But it really is the characters, their backstories and their interactions that interest me the most. And, of course, there are the costumes.

Look at these gorgeous waves in Kristin Scott Thomas's hair!

More gorgeous waves. Swoon.

Kelly Macdonald's sleek and practical bob is adorable.

And the house is so beautiful, too.

I know that in the DVD extras it is discussed that Robert Altman and Julian Fellowes consulted various people who had worked in the service around this time. There is a scene where one of the staff spits on a fork and polishes it and one of the consultants is horrified because no one would ever have dared to do that. They assured him the scene would be cut but, of course, it wasn't. I found that a rather amusing little snippet.

Anyone else love this movie? I've lost count of the times I've watched it. And how did it work for you as a murder mystery?

(Screencaps from here and here).

Love,

Andi B. Goode

*I feel like I've written about this movie before, now, but I can't quite remember. Oops.