Dreaming of Vintage Treasures

On Good Friday, my family and I went on a short holiday to Lorne for the Easter long weekend. First thing's first, we stopped at the Chocolaterie on the way. There were lots of Easter displays and even some chocolate shaped as Australian animals! There were huge bowls of dark, milk and white chocolate chips for visitors to try. Large windows allowed viewers to see the workers making the chocolate. This man was making chocolate covered honeycomb - yum! Along the Great Ocean Road, there's lots of ocean  lookouts.   Whatever were we laughing about? My sister wanted to stop off and look at   the lighthouse  in Aireys Inlet. There were so many tourist there, including us! We continued driving the long and very winding road. The road signs warned us that it's quite dangerous driving around and around the steep and narrow roads on the mountain. I was like a baby in a rocking chair, I fell straight to sleep. Good thi...

... or shall I say Nonna Mia! I love having more time to visit my Nonna whenever I have work holidays. I love spending time with her. We like to show each other our new finds, and she was excited to tell me that her friend took her op-shopping and she'd found a shirt, linen skirt and blue bowl. I still have to show her my Italian made bag that I found at the market for $4 - she loves all things Italian. It's amazing that my Nonna is now embracing op-shops because my mum used to tell me that when she was growing up, my Nonna was skeptical about op-shops and had the misconception that they only sold clothing of people who had passed away. It's good to see that she's gotten over that mindset and that she's now finding herself some bargains. It was quite cold that day- 16 °C  or 17 °C  - so I wore this poncho that was made in Mexico. It reminds me of the poncho Frida wore on one of ABBA's LP covers.  Source Source This poncho wa...

Earlier in the week, my mum, sister and I went to a retro cafe that we love. It has a small selection of food and sweets and is decorated in retro and vintage ornaments, furniture and shelves of knitting wool. People gather there for weekly knitting or crocheting classes, it's such a sweet little place. We had some tea, scones and a chocolate biscuit.  I  was inspired by all the crocheted  clothing and accessories.  I've crocheted blankets before and this year I want to learn how to crotchet a beret. Later, when my sister went to work, my mum and I walked down the steep and very slippery hill to the valley. This was the first time I wore my vintage cape. I love that it's wool and was made in England! I've never owned a cape before so I really enjoyed the feeling of being snuggled under a blanket. The vintage bag I bought last week for $4 perfectly matches the cape. It's made in Italy...

Hello! I currently have time off for Easter school holidays- how exciting! I love having more time to go on day trips, catch up with friends, stay at home all day, visit my Nonna more and spend time on a teaching project I have to do. Whew, all that and I've got to find some time to relax too.  I love spending time in my back garden to relax. Look at my ever-growing pumpkin plant! I chopped off the very first pumpkin the other day.  Now what to make with it...  Pumpkin soup Pumpkin scones (my sister makes them and they're delicious!) or Roast pumpkin and vegetables?  Got any other ideas? Do tell. This pink dress is so light and perfect for hot weather. I wore it for my family friend's 30th birthday a few weeks ago and it's so easy to wear. Throw it on, add a necklace, a silver bangle and matching silver block heeled shoes. And the pale pink glasses match the dress perfectly. I blame my love and collection of sunglasses (mostly seco...

Lately, I've been thinking about the 2018 film 'A Star is Born'. I first went to see it in the cinemas and it was a memorable experience because there was a fire evacuation in the middle of the film. The movie was paused, we huddled out, the fire brigades sorted out the issue and then it was safe to go back in the cinemas! The flow of the film felt somewhat interrupted, so I was happy to re-watch it at home on DVD recently. Source I LOVED Bradley Cooper's songs, especially... 1. Black Eyes 2.  Maybe It's Time   3 . Alibi It's the kind of music that's got a great sound of rock 'n' roll mixed with a good measure of country! I'd happily listen to his music and can't believe he's not in a real band! I also loved Lady Gaga's Shallow - what a voice she has! Source The end of the film made me cry, of course. Ally (Lady Gaga) and Jackson's (Bradley Cooper) relationship is endearing but it left me won...

A little while ago, my mum, sister and I went to my favourite place to visit - Daylesford. We didn't realise how hot it'd be until we got there, it seems the heat intensifies immensely in country towns!  I always love visiting the Mills Market there, which is filled  with vintage and second hand stalls.             I've been here many times over the years but only just noticed this Elvis and Ringo banner! I found a vintage Whiting &Davis snake bangle for $12 which I was thrilled about, they sell for silly prices on eBay. I'm forever keeping an eye out for jewellery like this. I've got 3 Whiting & Davis snake pieces of jewellery: A gold snake necklace that I wore to my friend's engagement party . A silver snake bangle last worn at Christmas time . And now the bangle  below .  Three's a collection, right? Here are some things I admired but didn't take home with me. ...

...Not really! Only one is - my dear friend Deana.  We've been friends since high school and I'm so, so happy for her.  It's strange because late last year I dreamed that she got engaged and told my mum about my dream, and then a week later, her partner proposed to her! Freaky, right?  So in late January, I attended her engagement party. Despite being part Italian, I've been to very few Italian engagement parties or weddings, so I didn't know what to expect. I got to catch up with another old school friend of mine, Daniela and her boyfriend and I had a lovely time. There was a lot of Italian music and we had fun dancing to Tintarella Di Luna - a song that features in the Australian film Looking for Alibrandi (have you seen that movie?)  We laughed our way through Nutbush City Limits as Deana struggled through the dance and declared herself uncoordinated! It was so funny. She'll have to learn the dance before her wedding! I t...