fly away through the midnight air, as we head across the sea, and at last we will be free

Wearing: 70s babydoll dress
Red Hair Bow (gift from jessmary)
Heeled Oxfords

November was a crazy month. Writing, sewing, whirlwind trips. Now for December. This time of year is so fast, yet the end of it cannot come quickly enough.

Next weekend I am going to Palmerston North to help a friend who is organising a 'Frock Swap' and then the following weekend I am going on a thrifting mission with a friend up the coast and we are also having a girl's night consisting of watching 'It's A Wonderful Life' (which I've never seen) and drinks and nibbles. Of course, tis the season for festivities so there are of course other dinners, brunches and parties to factor in.

The dress I am wearing is one of many that I altered in the weekend. I always seem to have a neverending pile of things that need to be altered and the weekend just been was successful in downsizing that pile. It feels like I am the proud owner of many new vintage dresses!

It was the final day of Nanowrimo yesterday and I am a little sad to say that I burnt out over a week ago. There was just so much going on that writing ceased to be fun and rather became an added stress. I am so happy that I participated though. Anything to get the words flowing. To write is to breathe. I think I was suffocating before.

x

i am your shadow; you were my sun, you made me and I followed you

First of all, I apologise for my lack of posts. I promise this will change come the 1st of December! (Though I must admit to a slight halt in Nanowrimo proceedings). I thought today I would post a quick Trade Me update (NZ readers only - however, if you are overseas and are really interested in something I do have a Paypal account and we could maybe sort something out). The first and third picture were taken with my bf's camera and the middle one was taken a week ago with my new camera (which I am sadly still a little scared of - I only have the large zoom lense that it came with and am in desperate need of a 'normal lense' - oh, and a tripod!).

I have had a very busy week, which included two days down in Christchurch. I flew down Wednesday morning and spent the day with my Mum (it was her birthday). We had such a good day, starting with a spot of thrifting - a $1 sale at the local Salvation Army (I went a little mad!) - followed by a movie at the Art Centre movie theatre (An Education), and then a trip to my favorite vintage store in Christchurch (where I 'vintaged' my Mum up - I bought her a 60s dress and some vintage heels, which she left wearing!) and then finally we concluded with tapas at a local restaurant.

I spent the night and then my second and final day was spent with the lovely Andrea of A Cat of Impossible Colour. It is such a nice experience meeting bloggers in 'real life' (actually, Andrea is the only one who I've met so this is based on one experience only). Brunch, thrifting and a glass of wine in the sunshine = the perfect day. Thank you Andrea!

Then it was back to Wellington on Thursday night and back to work on Friday - which felt like another Monday (not the best way to end the week). Today in contrast has been a very lazy relaxed day, consisting of far too much bad tv and takeaway coffees and chocolate danishes. Oh, but I did manage to take some photos and get my listings up on Trade Me of course! Along with much washing of all my precious new vintage acquisitions.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend

x

vintage patterns and writing challenges

Yesterday I took a break from the computer and went to a Fabric sale at the community centre in my suburb. I didn't intend to spend any money but of course, put me in a room full of vintage fabric and patterns and I go a little crazy. These patterns were only 30 cents each.

I also bought a whole lot of pretty fabric that I just need to wash and then hope to spend my christmas break trying some of these designs out. Counting down til December!

My writing has been scaring me a little these last couple of days. My novel is taking me to some very dark places and it has taken a lot out of me emotionally. It's strange sometimes the words that come out of us. The different selves. The exploration of things we really know little about and yet feel compelled to write about.

When I was eleven I wrote a poem and the first line 'I look at white and think of black/of death, murder, suicide and no turning back' has ensued a morbid fascination with the horrible things that we do to ourselves and to others.

However, I am pulling myself out of it this morning and am concentrating on some of the happier moments the characters in my novel experience.

To close, I will give you a snapshot of me today:

Wearing: Vintage Lady Bond Blue striped shirt (thrifted)

Vintage skirt shortened by me (thrifted)
Black tights (thrifted)
Black oxford heels (thrifted)

alone in my mind

I'm sorry in advance if I neglect my blogging duties over this month. Just know I really appreciate all your lovely comments! I will every now and again post little excerpts from my work in progress. I am finding Nanorwrimo great fun but challenging for my creatively stunted brain. I am also in the midst of planning many trips for next year (lots of my friends are getting married) and have so many thrifted finds that I want to fix up and sell (an update this weekend). Oh, and if any of you NZ readers are in Wellington, please stop by and visit me at the Mighty Mighty Market tomorrow! My friend and I have a stall.

As you can imagine I am feeling slightly overwhelmed by this lovely adventure we call life.

x

tangled up in blue

I have always wanted to be a red head.

That is why one of the characters in the novel I am writing for Nanowrimo will have to be instead. Writing is strange. At times stilted, then fluid. I am man, woman and dog. Delving into hidden facets of my mind. I am afraid of what will fall out.

Image taken from here