It's Official!!!

I am now free to travel and work in Australia for an entire year from the date of entry into the country.  Translation: my working holiday visa was granted!  Insert happy dance here.  Australia here I come!

All images found at weheartit.com.  P.S. I totally wish I had a suitcase as awesome as the one in that last picture.

G'day mate!

XOXO

Amanda

My Current Obsession: 50's dresses

Have you ever had a time when there was this certain thing that you wanted so bad that you thought about it all the time and constantly searched for the perfect one?  Maybe I'm just weird.  I went through a phase like that with snowboarding gear a couple years ago, and the obsession did not end until I was fully equipped with my very own board, bindings, boots, jacket, pants... you get the idea.  And I didn't settle until I felt like I had found the one board that was my perfect fit.  In the end, all the time spent was worth it because my board rides like a dream and my bindings are just perfect.


All of this is just my long winded way of winding up at this conclusion: I want to find my perfect 1950's full-skirted vintage dress.  Make that two: a day dress and a special occasion dress.  I just love the sexy yet sophisticated look of that perfectly nipped waist paired with the flirty full skirt.  The look is oh-so-elegant.  Needless to say, I have been spending a lot of time lately pouring over Etsy shops, searching for my perfect dress.  Another long winded side note: women of the '50s must have had much smaller waists than modern women.  Why do I say this?  Today, I made the long drive out to Durham in search of the nearest local vintage shop, Dolly's Vintage.  I came across a perfect little silky, full-skirted '50s number.  It was an off white color with a dainty little purple and blue flower print.  I was so, so excited.  Then I went to try it on.  It fit perfectly across the shoulders, through the bust, and the skirt skimmed my hips just beautifully.  But, the button that closed right across the narrowest part of the waist, right across my belly, just did not fit.  I could have forced it but I certainly did not want to risk ruining such a beautiful dress.  So, sadly, many of my favorite finds on Etsy just won't fit me because apparently most women in the '50s had 22 inch waists.  Being a relatively small girl (modern size 2-4) who is used to easily fitting into most clothes, this is rather frustrating for me.  


And, with all that said, we get to the good part.  Here are some of my personal favorite Etsy finds:

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And there are so, so many more that I love!  I really like how the last one looks worn without a petticoat.  What is your current obsession?

XOXO

Amanda!

Dear Mother Nature,

Thanks for the free car wash.  I really needed that.

All images from weheartit.com

I Want To Try...

This DIY:

Pom-pom necklaces!  Aren't they fab?  You can find the instructions to make this whimsical neck piece on Honestly...WTF by clicking here.  If I actually find the time to follow through with this, I will let you know how it goes.  This DIY was inspired by the Conquistadora collection by British designer Nicole Akong.  

I love them both!  Her version is slightly more intricate and slightly more pricey.  Hey, we can't all be pros.  Anyways, I hope you are having a lovely day.  Tomorrow I might visit a little Durham vintage shop that I just discovered via the world wide web.  It's called Dolly's.  I'm super excited because I have never been to a store that is completely dedicated to vintage.  Do you have any favorite local shops in your area?  

TTFN,

Amanda!

One Day...

I am going to buy a house with an extra bedroom and transform that bedroom into my dream closet.  I will fill it with vintage and designer treasures.  Shoes, dresses, handbags, jewelry, hats, accessories... oh boy!  And it will have a little vanity table covered with all kinds of makeup; and a full-length free-standing mirror!  It will look a little something like this:

A girl can dream right?

Ciao bella!

Amanda

I Found It!

I am just having great luck today!  I had been hearing this song around clubs and other night life spots lately, and I absolutely loved it but no one that I asked ever seemed to know what it was called.  But thanks to the great and powerful omniscience of Google, I was able to figure it out... Stereo Love!

Awesome!

XOXO

Amanda

I Remembered It!

The name of that insanely expensive French restaurant that I visited with my family when we took our trip to Europe in the summer of 2005.  It's called L'Arpege.  I remember the experience well because when we sat down at our table, we immediately felt out of place.  The restaurant was full of business execs in suits and middle aged 'high rollers' with their hired dates; most likely aspiring models who were trying to buy their way into the industry with sexual favors.  We ordered drinks, and after a few minutes, received our menus.  The menus were very simple; white paper with black print.  In fact, they looked a little something like this:  

Right away, my parents noticed that something was off... the prices of the food were listed only on my step-dad's menu; they were conveniently absent from all of the others.  That was when the real fun started.  Realizing that, at 300 euros per person, L'Arpege's tasting menu was not exactly in the price range for a family of five, my step-dad discreetly called the maitre d over to the table to inform him that we would not be able to dine with them that night and that we would just pay for our drinks and go.  Of course, being a master of French hospitality, he insisted that at this time of night on a Saturday, there would be no reservations left at any restaurant worth going to.  So, the chef prepared a special half-price menu just for our family.  Every dish served was plant-derived.  I guess the cheap Americans don't get meat.  The dishes were strange, especially to the palates of three children who had grown up on country ham and green bean casserole.  

I remember the first dish being a tiny poached egg with some sort of maple flavoring.  It was delicate and delicious, but only big enough to provide a little taste bud tease.  The dishes that followed included a tomato tart, a risotto dish, and the strange combination of tomato gazpacho with a scoop of mustard ice cream.  I was actually able to find a picture of this one:

It was strange, but not entirely unpleasant.  For dessert there was a tart beetroot sorbet.  We all left the restaurant feeling amused, confused, and not totally full.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience both for us, and for L'Arpege, who I am sure doesn't see many families of American tourists, no matter how refined their tastes.  I guess that's what Mike gets for taking restaurant suggestions from the bartender at the Four Seasons hotel in Paris.  It should be a given that he would send us to the most expensive restaurant in the city.

I think the funniest part is that from the outside it looks pretty harmless!

Well, here's to adventures, and good memories, and life's unexpected curve balls.

Cheers!

Amanda

Our Song

iFly by Ball Park Music.  It's an Australian band!

I really do love this song.  It's so very catchy!  Tim introduced me to it at some point shortly after we met when I was in Australia for the first time.  I can't remember the exact moment, but one day, he said to me, "I fucking love you".  After that, it kinda became our thing, and iFly became our song.  It may be crass, but sometimes, it seems like the only phrase that can somewhat accurately capture our feelings for each other.  This song will definitely be played at our wedding (when and if it happens in the far away future).  I guess we should tell any children present to cover their ears first :)


Have a happy day!

XOXO

Amanda

Ok, I Caved...

I bought the moccasins... and the fact that I'm more than slightly drunk DEFINITELY did not influence my decision to buy them.  Nope, not at all.  YAY MOCCASINS!

Seriously can't wait to get my new Etsy purchases in the mail!  I am going to follow up soon with a post on more Etsy finds that I am coveting right now.  Sleep tight!

XOXO

Amanda G!

My Awesome New Sweater!

Hi everyone!


Today is kind of a weird day.  I couldn't sleep last night so I spent hours and hours on Etsy wading through all of the amazing vintage things that can be found there.  I ended up sleeping in very late today (after I finally fell asleep around 6 in the morning) and was abruptly awoken by the mail man pounding on our front door.  The reason he had to do that is actually a funny story... basically one of the people who used to live in the house next door bowled over ours and another mail box with her car about two weeks ago.  The mail boxes have yet to be replaced by the land lord so the mail man has been unable to deliver our mail.  I guess he was frustrated by this because he scared the bejeezus out of me when he nearly knocked down the door at around 12:30 this afternoon.  But, the good news is, after I ran to the door wondering if a bomb had gone off, I received the June issue of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.  I'm not sure why, since I don't have a subscription, but in any case, I can't wait to read it.  Anyways, out of all of my laborious Etsy searching, I got some reward... I bought this super awesome nautical sweater!

I'm not sure what era it's from, but I plan on wearing it with skinny jeans and some brown moccasins.  I really would love to have these that I also unearthed during my search:

I could also picture wearing it with a black beret.  Awesome right?  This outfit would be perfect for when I first arrive in Australia, given that it will be winter there.  But it's nice that the sweater is short sleeved since Queensland winters are not exactly what I would call cold.

Speaking of Australia... I just finished applying for my working holiday visa today!!!! I am super excited but also freaking out.  I'm sure this is nothing compared to how I will feel a month from now.  

Well that 's all the news for today.  I have been a lazy bum today and have been spending far too much time on my computer so it's time for me to venture out doors for a little while.  I think I might visit the pottery studio and then go to my mom's house for dinner.  I hope you have a lovely day!

XOXO,

Amanda 

Another Great Song

I love this song, mostly because it always reminds me of my wonderful boyfriend, Tim.  It was one of the first new songs that he introduced me to after we met.  He played it over and over again on the stereo in his old beat up Celica.  When I listen to this song, I always remember the days that we spent exploring the forests and national parks that make up the Sunshine Coast hinterland.  Such great memories!  Here it is: 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed today's music selection and that you had a lovely day just like I did.  It was hot and sunny here in Raleigh, just how I like it.  Tomorrow I plan on heading back to the pottery studio and practicing my new hobby.  I have a vase and a bowl to finish so lets hope they turn out all right!

Cheers!

Amanda