Set Sail // Sometimes you just want to wear a dress backwards

Sometimes when you buy a dress, you wear it for ages around the right way.

That seems like a pretty obvious statement. Bear with me.

One day, you accidently put it on backwards - and you have a little moment like - Oh my god! I have a new dress! I'm a magician! This looks totally nice wearing it around this way too! And then you wear it around backwards, feeling super chuffed with yourself, because you basically just created a whole new dress from a dress you already had.

Well that's what happened with this cute little boat print dress here. Picked up vintage in Japan, I wore it for ages with the buttons at the front. Then I got bored with it. I thought I had exhausted the possibilities of the dress. I spied it again today at the bottom of my clothes pile, put it on the wrong way in a rush, and was pleasantly surprised that it looked nice, and the buttons going down the back of the dress also worked really well. The last pictures in this post were taken in Japan, showing the dress around the right way too, just so you can get the idea.

Wearing:

Dress - Vintage from Tokyo
Shoes - Yesstyle.com
Lace Socks - Vintage
Cardigan - Wholesale-dress.net
Velvet Bow - DIY
Hair Bow - DIY

I miss Japan! Look at the lovely sunshine! Ahhh....

Hope you're all having a lovely 2012!!

Annika xxxx

Totally made this

I would like to introduce you to my brand new love:

It was an inevitability that my deep love of cheap clothing and my endless searching for unique garments would eventually culminate in this: making my own clothes. Thanks to my loooovely parents for buying me a sewing machine for Christmas, and discovering that I have a hidden housewife gene and can actually sew, that has now become a possibility. In fact, it's even become a reality. I worked out last night how to sew a skirt, got all excited and sewed a collar to match, then some bows, then another collar.

Skirt

 Matching collar

 Some bows

 Another collar

And I even went and took some outfit photos for ya'll.

Outfit 1:

Outfit 1 : 

Handmade skirt and collar

Dress (worn as top) from wholesale-dress.net

Petticoats (two of them worn layered here) from wholesale-dress.net

Shoes from here and thrifted white lace socks

Outfit 2:

Outfit 2:

Handmade collar

Skirt from wholesale-dress.net

I even worked out how to sew everything using my own pattern (secret housewife gene has well and truly taken over!) This I will eventually upload as a pdf (once I work out how to do that) for you all so that you can make your own if you're feeling creative :)

I'll be away and without a computer for new years, so I hope that you all have lovely, fun and stylish times bringing in twenty-twelve! I also wanted to say thanks to everyone reading this (especially those two awesome ladies and frequent blog commenters Kirsten (Elissiam) and Miss Tallulah Porkchop, your comments always make me smile), and thank you to everyone in the fashion blogging world for being such an amazing, lovely and supportive community, and welcoming this new face into blog world this year. I am really looking forward to blogging in 2012!

See you all next year!

Annika xxx

My Ugly Christmas Sweater

I actually don't think it's ugly - I love it. "Ugly Christmas Sweater" is just the name of the Chictopia competition that I've entered this in! I picked up this glorious jumper vintage up from a 390 yen store in Japan (equivalent to a $2 store) and have never regretted the purchase. It's such an interesting multi-patterened jumper - and check out the other photos too, because the back is even crazier than the front!

New Years Shopping - Glitter, Gold and Lace!

 

A little wishlist for New Years

(from the top)

Studded & Suede Taupe oxfords from Ashbury Skies

Lace & Black Bow dress from Modcloth

Spotted White Lace sheers from Romwe

Cutout & Metallic Sequins dress from Modcloth

Creamy Lace blouse with Blue Bow from Modcloth

Creamy White Petticoat Tulle skirt from Chicwish

Yellow and Black Pleated Maxi skirt from Modcloth

Beige Bow platforms from Opening Ceremony

I really want to buy that cutout dress from Modcloth. I may just even. Or I'll perhaps attempt to sew something in the same way from an old dress (I got a sewing machine for Christmas!! Super excited!).

Anyway, the point of this post was to let you all lay your tired post-Christmas eyes on these lovely things, and look forward to bringing in the new year with some sparkles and glitter!

Lovvvvee to you all!

Annika xxx

Happy Christmas

I had two Christmasses this year: one with my family and another with my boyfriend's family. So, it was required of me to put together two Christmas outfits. Here's some quick snaps of my second Christmas outfit :)

I hope you are all having/had a most lovely day!

xxxx Annika

DIY Skirt & Bowtie makes a very Merry Christmas

Red velvet – an essential item to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Velvet – a very annoying, easily frayed fabric, providing much fun for the family and visiting relatives as you stress about hand sewing the hem all “shrumpy” and lament that you don’t have a sewing machine.
A sewing machine – a lovely surprise present which is given to you by your parents a day before christmas because they can’t let you suffer with hand sewing any longer.
Annika – a very happy girl.
A finished DIY velvet skirt – a half hand-sewn, half machine-sewn little velvety bundle of happy and christmas spirit!

Also, the story with the balloon - my uncle is a professional magician (seriously, probably one of the coolest jobs you could have + make money from) and whenever we have a family gathering, he is forced into doing a magic show for us all. Hence making balloon animals, and balloons that look like love hearts. So I thought it would be nice to incorporate it into my Christmassy outfit.

I even went so far as to paint my nails in Christmas colours! Haha. Vote for me on lookbook :)

I really hope that everyone has a lovely Christmas time!

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments as always!

xxx Annika