Cotton Candy & A Little DIY Inspiration Part #2

Another ridiculously good score from my favourite secret thrift store - this candy coloured stripy dress! Although it didn't come looking this good, which is where the "DIY inspiration" part of this post title now has relevance -  it was long and boxy and unflattering, so I shortened it, brought it in, and added the little bowtie collar using the fabric I snipped off from the bottom! Wearing: Dress - Vintage & DIY Belt - Vintage Bag - Vintage Shoes - Wholesale Socks - Tutuanna & DIY Cameo Brooch - Ebay Ring - From Japan Elk Necklace - stolen off boyfriend You should also totally vote for this look on chictopia, because I've entered it in a competition! Thank you lovelies! Are you all having a nice weekend? I sure have been, as I went to see my favouritest band in the world, Ball Park Music, last night! You must go and listen!!!! I challenge anyone to find a happier, more upbeat, sweeter band then them! And if you have the time, have a look at a collaborative/guest post I was part of today in this fantastic blog! Much love! Annika xxx

The winner is...

Congratulations to Katie Lee, the winner of my Mochi Beaucoup Giveaway competition! She will be finding these two gifts from Mochi Beaucoup in her letterbox real soon: Thank you so much Mochi Beaucoup for providing these sweet gifts for my blog readers! Seriously check them out if you've got a moment, because they sell the cutest bags and accessories! And just to tempt you further... you can get yourself 20% off your whole order just for reading my blog! Just enter the code AVPNMB20 at the checkout! (Click the link below!) Apologies for the lack of posts in the last week, University has been keeping me super busy! However, I will endeavour to post something nice by the end of the day. I hope you're all enjoying the start of your weekend! Annika xxx

Spot On!

I’m so great with the puns. What a hilarious title I chose for this outfit – Spot On – get it? Because my top has spots? HAHA. SO FUNNY. Alright, I'll just let you all recover from your uncontrollable laughter for a minute... anyhoo…   So this sweet clothing company from LA called Sugarlips Apparel were lovely enough to send me this amazing cut out back polka dot top, and I love it so! It goes amazingly with high-waisted skirts with a bit of “poof”, like the circle skirt I’m wearing in these photos. Because its so brightly coloured (& golly do I love bright things!), I toned it down a bit by pairing it with all black things, because I think I would have looked too insanely colourful otherwise. Wearing Top - c/o Sugarlips Apparel Bag - c/o Oasap Skirt - Wholesale-dress Hat - Wholesale-dress Necklace - Stolen from boyfriend Tights - Forever 21 Shoes - Rubi Shoes Did you forget to enter the Mochi Beacoup giveaway? Would you like to??? There's only 3 days left! So hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry!!!!!! And thank you all so much for your feedback on my handmade/handpainted dress! I have taken into account all your wonderful ideas and am in the process of updating the dress... but that is another post for another day! I love you guys!! xxx Annika

Hand made painted dress

Okay, fellow bloggers and dear readers, I need your help. I made this navy peter-pan collar dress from this awesome vintage pattern I picked up while thrifting the other day (which only cost me 20c may I add!), and used $2 vintage fabric from the same store, and then hand painted it with little white birds. It turned out a little something like this: (The pattern I made it from, so 70s, oh yeah! I chopped the sleeves part out though.) SO that's all very well and good, but here's the problem I'm having, dear readers. It feels unfinished. And I can't figure out what to do with it so I feel like it's "finished". I would love your feedback on this - do you think it needs more birds on the front bodice? Do you think I should paint birds on the back bodice, or leave it as it is? What about a white trim around the peter pan collar? Or should I add pockets? Or buttons? What I'd also like to know is how you would style this dress! I really value your opinions and would love to know what you guys think! Super thanks! Love, Annika xxx

Polka Dots Plus Pastels

Let's play a game - spot the springtime trend!

Lace (x 3)

Bows (x 3)

Pastels

Patterned Blouse

Frilly Socks + Heels

Yeah. I went ahead and mashed every spring thing into an outfit. This is the result of
that!

 

(Funny thing is it's not even spring here, it's autumn.)

Wearing:

Blouse - Vintage

Belt - Vintage

Skirt c/o Oasap

Bag c/o Oasap

Bowtie - DIY

Headband - DIY

Shoes - Wholesale-dress

Socks - Vintage

Love you guys!

Annika xxx

See? I wasn't kidding. Birds on everything!

This is what my bedroom wall now looks like. Those bird stencils have been seriously handy. Anytime I'm like "Hmm... what can I do with my day.... study? HAHA ohhh ho ho, NO, I'm going to procrastinate and paint birds on everything instead!" At least this procrastination looks pretty. (I stole the inspiration for this design (okay, I basically stole the design) from this pretty lady's tattoo.) Also, I wanted to tell you all my exciting news! I've been asked to contribute not one, but two features to Alorika (formerly Atomica) magazine!!!!! I will be writing them a kind of how-to style guide with some photos of myself, AND a how-to on vintage shopping! I'm so excited about it! I've had to do lots of "research" for the vintage shopping guide (such a good excuse to go out thrifting). It's been awesome. It'll be out April 15, if you want to get yourself a copy! It's such a sweet magazine too, go and check it past issues here. So, so flipping excited. Hope you're all having the sweetest day, Annika xxx

Cutest little cowl I ever did see!

Maria from the North Way Studio, an awesome little Etsy store, sent me a gorgeous, super soft 100% merino wool cowl to try out and review. Now, a cowl is not an accessory that I usually would have chosen for myself, but I've found that it's expanded my wardrobe possibilities greatly! When Maria contacted me and asked if I'd like one, I fell in love with this particular lilac patterned one:  and although I don't usually wear scarves or cowls, I decided that  I would give it a go. And I'm so glad I did! For one, it's been incredible on my early morning commute to university - its such an easy thing to throw on to keep me warm (and to sneakily fall asleep into - it's a really early morning commute). Also, it looks awesome with my new lilac hair! I've had so many compliments on how well they go together! I'm so super happy with it. So, I have concluded that Etsy store owners are awesome. Maria is the nicest, friendliest girl (and a super talented knitter!), and the package was wrapped so nicely and came with the cutest card! I mean, how sweet is that? Well Maria, you've sparked what I'm sure is going to become a dangerous addiction to Etsy stores. After my super positive experience with the North Way Studio, I'm going to be going back to Etsy again and again and again! As soon as I received this in the mail the other night, I threw an outfit together around it and rushed outside to take some photos before the light completely disappeared: But, I wasn't able to get very good photos, so I went out again this morning and took some more photos for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! Wearing: Cowl - The North Way Studio Cropped Crochet Sweater - Forever 21 Bag - OASAP Lace Shirt - Forever 21 Jeans - Wholesale-dress Glasses - Ebay Shoes - Yesstyle Ring - Gift Check out The North Way Studio here! Much love! Annika

Lilac & Lace

Update on the hair front: I've gone lilac! Dear blue, you were nice, pretty cool, but now it's time for lilac to have a turn. I think I like it better than blue, but maybe that's just because it's brand new and exciting. (However, I diluted the hair dye too much, so it's actually grey on the ends, as you can see. As I write this, I've got my hair up in a shower cap with a slightly less diluted lilac, so hopefully it'll turn out a bit less.. grey.) Anyway, this is not very interesting! Here is something that's hopefully a little more interesting, an outfit post inspired by my love of pastel and lace: Wearing: Skirt - OASAP Tights - DIY Shirt - Vintage Shoes - Yesstyle Cameo Necklace - Ebay Hat - Wholesale-dress Belt - Vintage This skirt c/o Oasap is just the prettiest thing ever, it's lovely and soft, creamy and lacey, and the multiple layers of tulle are amazing. It's my perfect skirt. I'm making a dress today! It's almost done, I'm even hand painting it too! It looks awesome and I can't wait to show it to you all! Also don't forget - you can win yourself some super cute accessories in my giveaway! There's just over 2 weeks to enter yourself, so get on it! Hope you're all having a productive day as well, Love, Annika

I've Earned (These) Stripes

A real quick outfit post today. This morning I went thrifting at my favourite secret Op Shop and picked up a ridiculous amount of good things. I will show them all off to you in just a while, but as I am trying to study maths (hooray!) today, that will have to wait for a few days. This is a lovely striped & circle skirted dress and belt that I bought today, for $4 and 50c respectively! I'm also wearing: Bag - OASAP Hat - wholesale-dress Bowtie - (really badly done) DIY Thigh-highs - purchased in Osaka Shoes - wholesale-dress This bag from oasap.com has made so many appearances on this blog... it just seems to go with everything! And I could think of no better bag to go with my new black & white stripey dress. Hope you're all having a stunning day! xxx Annika