Sunday 31 August 2014

Singing Happy Birthday...






Louis & Louise in fine voice...



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Dress: Anthea Crawford taffeta
Necklace: Samantha Willis
Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver
Ring: Inkuku lapiz lazuli

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Finally posting pictures of my 30th birthday karaoke evening with family & friends at Sunnybank. After devouring delicious sushi & deep fried ice-cream from my favourite restaurant, we headed to karaoke to sing our little hearts out - in the soundproof privacy of the individual booths, of course...


The electric blue taffeta dress with cascading ruffle was the perfect choice - classic enough to stand the test of time (watch out 60th birthday bash!) but with shimmer just made for celebrating this birthday milestone. I particularly loved the way it seemed to "glow" under the disco-style lights in our karaoke booth, pictured above

Deciding to go for maximum impact on such a special occasion, I mixed it with suede heels of the same hue (sadly not pictured) as well as chunky items of jewellery including a striking Samantha Willis silver ball necklace & a lapiz lazuli ring from a store called Inkuku at the Ipswich Flour Mill. In the same vein as Oxfam, they sell tribal & Fair Trade toys, statues, crockery, fashion & unique jewellery items. What is great about this particular ring is that it is one piece of solid stone that has been hollowed out in the centre, so there are no joins to interrupt the shape's "flow," meaning that it looks as natural as possible. 


Why karaoke?

Brian Eno of Roxy Music once said:

"I believe that singing is the key to a long life, a good figure, a stable temperament, increased intelligence, new friends, super self-confidence, heightened attractiveness & a better sense of humour." (It's like all of my birthday wishes rolled into one!)

Crawling into bed later that night, throat hoarse & eyes blurry from reading the lyrics off the flashing screen, I can only hope the above sentiment is true of the next 30 years...

And for those of you who may want to start belting out the hits for yourselves, here is a list of Franny's Top 5 Karaoke Favourites - with a nod to the 1960s & 1970s (surprise, surprise!)

#1 Dancing Queen - ABBA

#2 Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

#3 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

#4 Paperback Writer - The Beatles

#5 Nights in White Satin - The Moody Blues

Friday 29 August 2014

The Company I Keep






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Dress: Anthea Crawford brocade
Heels: Emerson patent @ Big W
Clutch: Diana Ferrari patent
Belt: Blue Illusion
Necklace: Prouds silver 
Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver
Bangle with Charms: Pandora
Ring: Pandora

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Following on from my last ballet-themed post, I was elated to be afforded yet another opportunity to immerse myself in the world of dance with a sneak peek at a popular indigenous dance company's hush-hush new production, dealing with issues of family & cultural identity. I'm not at liberty to divulge much more information about the performance, except to say that it left me amazed at what both the human body & the human spirit are capable of...

A special occasion once again called for a special dress & this Anthea Crawford option is one of my favourites. I particularly love the portrait neckline, ideal for showcasing all manner of necklaces & pendants. For this outing, I wore the same necklace as I did for my cousin's baby shower (see Slugs & Snails & Puppy Dog's Tails post) but switched up the rest of my jewellery - this time adding funky touches with a Pandora charm bangle & ring. Also changing the look & feel of the ensemble - rendering it a little tougher & more sculptural - was the addition of a stretch belt from Blue Illusion:


Another fabulous aspect of this dress is the way the print & saturated hue changes, appearing muted & two-dimensional in the shadows (or indoors) but flashing a brilliant cobalt blue with three-dimensional blooms in the sunlight, evidenced below:





Thursday 28 August 2014

In Good Company









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Dress: Anthea Crawford brocade
Kimono Jacket: TS
Heels: Bon Bons patent 
Bag: Guess patent
Bracelet: Vintage Kellie's Antiques silver
Hinged Bangle: Oxfam silver
Ring: Hi! Beauty

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As a massive Balletomane (a ballet enthusiast), being granted a sneak peek inside the workings of a real ballet company, courtesy of a dear friend of mine, was nothing less than a dream come true.

Not many people realise the amount of time, effort, practice, blood, sweat & tears that go into a single ballet production or, indeed, make up the life of professional ballerina. Many start dancing when they are only three years old & so have dedicated themselves to the art form for over twenty years. 

Being born with two left feet myself, a life at the barre (the stationery handrail used during warm-up exercises) is an impossibility, but I can still capture the same insouciant - nonchalantly brilliant, simple yet elegant - style with my choice of ensemble. I love this mix of prints - the white & black baroque print of the Anthea Crawford high-neck shift & the sheer black long-line kimono jacket with toggle closure, replete with velvet flocked birds. Graceful movement is created with the jacket's delicate fringing, reminiscent of dance itself. See below for motion shots: 





It would be almost sacrilegious to add a pop of colour to this synthesis of black & white, so I have chosen black patent Mary Jane heels (the closest I could get, style-wise, to actual toe shoes) & a black patent handbag, adding silver bracelets & bangles for that touch of shimmer & a chunky silver & black flower ring to finish the look. 


My love of ballet even stretches to decor - I am an avid collector of vintage Carlotta Edwards prints from the 1950s & 1960s, which hang in a mini-gallery on the walls outside my bedroom & are pictured below:






Carlotta Edwards (1894-1977) was the daughter of French painter Ferdinand Pourrier. She is well-known for her paintings of ballet scenes & exhibited at both the Paris Salon & the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. The Medici Society published many prints of her work & these are widely available. Framed Carlotta Edwards prints were wildly popular in the mid 20th century & have been recently described (not unkindly) as "retro kitsch." I know they have a "chocolate box" appeal but I love the way that they capture the beauty & spirit of ballet. 

In addition to the prints, I was lucky enough to be given a beautiful & unique glass Art Deco coffee table/occasional table with stylised ballerinas etched into the top as a birthday gift from my parents. I love the fact that I can lift off the top panel of glass & place things inside the cylinder - at the moment, I have a vintage deer planter & some birthday flowers inside. Table is pictured in situ, below: 



Tuesday 26 August 2014

Play A Song For Me





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Dress: Anthea Crawford textured jacquard
Wrap: Hari Seng
Booties: Corelli @ Williams
Bag: Novo patent
Necklace: Lovisa
Bangle: Wallace Bishop silver & elastic
Ring: Georgini
Thin Ring: Thousand Island Dressing

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Last night, I was lucky enough to attend Bob Dylan's Brisbane Concert with my brother & cousin. Such a special, possibly-never-to-be-repeated event needed something truly epic to wear. I had been saving this textured rose print Anthea Crawford jacquard dress for just such an occasion & mixed it with predominantly chunky accessories for maximum impact: black beaded necklace, silver bangle, black stone ring & as a finishing touch, added a small ring dotted with black diamantes on my pointer finger. 


Temperatures at concert venues are notoriously difficult to judge & as we were sitting so close to the front - fifth row, people!! - I knew it would be hot with all of the stage lights, so took a silk & wool-backed wrap to bundle myself up in on the way back to the car.  





The concert was amazing. The man himself was phenomenal. The voice of his generation, still so pertinent today. For me, it was the stuff that dreams were made of, having grown up in a household where protest music was the norm & little Frances thought that Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel, Universal Soldier by Donovan & Mr Tamborine Man by Dylan were children's songs until I realised that the other children at kindergarten had NO idea what I was talking about & were content singing about the Five Little Ducks

Much like Neil Young, Dylan spent 75% of the concert playing new - or newer - songs, particularly from his new album, Tempest, but it didn't really matter... Most of the audience seemed hypnotised by the fact that they were actually seeing/hearing that man IN PERSON! As my cousin hypothesised, he is quite a commanding presence, particularly in the cowboy-mixed-with-vintage-conductor getup he wore last night. Then there was the fact that he played All Along the Watchtower & Blowin' in the Wind as the encore... It's safe to say that it pretty much MADE MY LIFE! 

The man. Singing my favourite song since childhood. The song that he wrote. The song that pretty much sums up absolutely everything that I think & feel & believe about this world. And he played the harmonica. In front of me. MIND OFFICIALLY BLOWN!!

Of course, it goes without saying that between the three of us we spent up big at the merchandise counter, going home with shirts, bandanas & programs. Check me out below, post-concert, gleefully holding up my purchases...


For those of you who don't know Dylan (you're missing out, in my humble opinion!) & have never really heard any of his songs, I have compiled a list of Franny's Top Ten Faves:

#1 Blowin' in the Wind

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

#2 Mr Tamborine Man

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

Hey! Mr Tamborine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey! Mr Tamborine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I'll come following you

#3 Shelter from the Storm

Suddenly, I turned around and she was standing there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to my so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
"Come in," she said
"I'll give ya shelter from the storm"

#4 All Along the Watchtower

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants too

Outside in the distance, a wild cat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl

#5 Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

I'm a-thinkin' and a-wonderin' walking down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's alright

#6 Subterranean Homesick Blues

Ah, get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don't steal, don't lift
Twenty years of schoolin'
And they put you on the day shift

#7 Lay Lady Lay

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead

#8 Like A Rolling Stone

Ah, you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you

#9 The Hurricane

Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For something that he never done
Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been
The champion of the world

#10 Tombstone Blues 

Now I wish I could write you a melody so plain
That could hold you, dear lady, from going insane
That could ease you and cool you and cease the pain
Of your useless and pointless knowledge



Addendum to Concert: Someone (who shall remain nameless) may have seen her idol when she was out today at Southbank. Seriously, not stalking him... just a coincidence. And he may have spoken to her. TO HER. And she might have jumped up & down. And babbled almost incoherently. And nearly cried. And called him Mr Dylan... You know, maybe. 



MIND. OFFICIALLY. BLOWN.  


Monday 25 August 2014

Slugs & Snails & Puppy Dog's Tails... Part 2



As promised in yesterday's post, here are the answers to the Name That Book Character 
from my cousin's Baby Shower:

#1 Peter Rabbit from The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

#2 Madeline from Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

#3 Max from Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

#4 Elmer the Patchwork Elephant from Elmer by David McKee

#5 The Gruffalo from The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

#6 Koala Lou from Koala Lou by Mem Fox

#7 Mr Magnolia from Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake

#8 Mog & Baby from Mog and The Baby by Judith Kerr

#9 Babar from The Story of Babar by Jean de Brunhoff

#10 Edward Emu from Edward and Edwina Emu by Sheena Knowles

#11 Paddington Bear from A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

#12 Harry the Dirty Dog from Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion

#13 Olivia the Pig from Olivia by Ian Falconer

#14 Hairy Maclary from Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd

How well did you do? It's my belief that good picture storybooks never date & aren't just for children, so why not check out some of the titles listed above & take a walk down memory lane? 


Sunday 24 August 2014

Slugs & Snails & Puppy Dog's Tails...





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Dress: Anthea Crawford dress
Kimono: Portmans silk
Wrap: Hari Seng
Booties: Corelli @ Williams
Bag: Novo patent
Necklace: Prouds silver
Cuff: Wallace Bishop silver
Bracelet: Vintage Kellie's Antiques silver
Ring: Vintage marcasite & mother-of-pearl (Gift from Jenny)

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Spent a delightful Sunday afternoon "showering" my cousin with gifts to celebrate the impending arrival of her baby!

Decided to go with a predominantly blue outfit in a nod to the baby's gender, wearing a gorgeous blue floral brocade Anthea Crawford dress. The unpredictable Queensland weather struck again, meaning that not only did I take my silk embroidered & fringed kimono but my gorgeous photo-print floral silk & wool-backed wrap as well to ward off the nippy mid-afternoon breeze. Added lashings of silver jewellery to complete the ensemble: my beloved silver cuff, vintage bracelet with heart locket & tiny key, marcasite ring with blue-tinged mother-of-pearl centre & fob necklace with large heart pendant to draw the eye to the dress' stunning portrait neckline. 






Transported to Christopher Robin's childhood bedroom via the ingenious decor, strung with vintage-style bunting, guests reveled in the Children's Picture Storybook theme of the day...








There were amusing games to play - Getting To Know You, The Price is Right... For Buying Baby Necessities & the Jeopardy-style Alternative Children's Book Titles - as well as my favourite, Name That Book Character, where players had to name all of the famous storybook characters depicted in the white frames... Bonus points for those who were able to name the book they came from & the author. Scroll down to the bottom of the games pictures to have go yourself. How well do you remember your childhood reads? See if you can name all 14. Answers in tomorrow's blog post. 





Following on with the storybook thread, the delicious fare included: Pooh Sticks (Cadbury chocolate fingers), Winnie the Pooh Honeybee Cakes (cakes with marshmallow icing), Mornay in Melbourne (salmon mornay in puff pastry cases), Piglets in Blankets (cheerios wrapped with puff pastry), Red Ripe Strawberries (strawberries dipped in chocolate) & Vegetables from Mr McGregor's Garden (a selection of carrot sticks, celery sticks & snow peas with hummus or avocado dip). 




Guests were then given a book to take home as a keepsake/reminder of the day's festivities, with a sweet little poem inside, pictured below:



The mother-to-be's favourite childhood story might be Shirley Hughes' Dogger (the same as my brother Louis) but here are Franny's Top 10 Children's Books of All Time:


#1 The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Written in 1936, this book tells the story of a young bull who would much rather sit & smell the flowers than achieve glory through bullfighting. Ferdinand sits in the middle of the bullring, failing to take heed of any of the provocations of the matador & others to get angry & fight. The book was released 9 months before the Spanish Civil War & was seen by many of Franco's supporters as a Pacifist tome. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler was so threatened by a mere children's story that he ordered the book burned while Mahatma Gandhi called it his "favourite book of all time." 


#2 Corduroy by Don Freeman
Published in 1968, it tells the story of a teddy bear named Corduroy who is displayed on the top shelf of a department store toy section. One day, a girl named Lisa arrives with her mother & spots the bear. She is willing to buy him, but her mother doesn't wish to spend money on a bear with a button missing from his overalls. Disappointed, Corduroy decides to find the missing button himself & embarks on a trip around the store after it closes for the evening. He goes upstairs to the furniture department & finds items he has never seen, including beds & mattresses. Thinking that one of the mattress buttons is the one he is missing, he pulls on it until he falls from the bed, making a noise & drawing the security guard over. The guard takes him back to the toy section & places him back on the shelf. The next day, Lisa returns with the money she had saved in her piggy bank & buys Corduroy. She takes him home & sews on another button to replace the one his missing. 


#3 Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy
One of the most popular books on 1983, Whatever Next! follows the adventures of Baby Bear, who was about to go to bed when he looks out of his window & sees the moon. Intrigued, he decides he wants to go there & the next morning, sets about fashioning a rocket from common household items. Baby Bear makes the long journey through space to enjoy picnic with his friend Owl on the moon's surface before making it back in time for his bath, where he regales his mother with the story of his great adventure... but she doesn't quite believe him...


#4 The Tiger-Skin Rug by Gerald Rose
A humorous tale from 1979, the idea for the story came from a "tall tale" told to Gerald Rose when he was a small boy in India. One day, a scrawny, starving tiger decides to swap places with a rug hanging on the rajah's washing line & starts enjoying a life of luxury with the rajah's family - snacking on midnight feasts & playing with his children. The tiger goes entirely undetected until one night, when burglars break into the palace & he has to decide whether to stay in disguise or risk expulsion by saving the rajah from a horrible beating. However, tigers who live in houses can enjoy happy endings, too, as this utterly brilliant book seems to suggest. 


#5 The Jolly Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Taking 5 years to complete, the 1986 tale follows an unnamed English village postman as he delivers letters by bicycle to a whole host of fairytale characters including the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella & the 3 Bears. Following each sheet of narrative verse & illustration is one shaped like an envelope that contains the postman's latest delivery. Each envelope is opened & its enclosure read at that point in the story. So popular that it has never been out of print, the interactive tome has been the recipient of many awards including the 1986 Kurt Maschler Award & the 1987 British Children's Book Award. Our copy was so well loved by my little brother Louis that many of the envelope pages have been sticky-taped & re-taped many, many times!


#6 The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Written in 1922 & given the alternative name of How Toys Become Real, Margery Williams' tear-jerker about the healing power of love chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The rabbit is given as a Christmas present to a small boy who, at first, plays with his shiny new toys instead before taking it to bed at the behest of his grandmother in the place of a lost toy. The rabbit soon becomes the boy's favourite toy & he regards the rabbit as "real." One day, the boy becomes ill with scarlet fever & the rabbit sits with him as he recovers. The doctor orders that the boy should be taken to the seaside to recover & that his room should be disinfected & all books & toys burnt. The rabbit is bundled into a sack & left out in the garden overnight, where he sadly reflects on his life with the boy. The toy rabbit cries & as a real tear drops onto the ground, a marvellous flower appears. A fairy steps out of the flower & comforts the rabbit, taking him to the forest where she gives him a kiss & he transforms into one of the real rabbits he had seen while playing with the little boy in the meadow. 


#7 Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
Written in 1968 but translated from a story that is much older, Tikki Tikki Tembo tells the tale of a first-born Chinese boy with a very loooooong name who falls into a well. His exalted, elaborate name makes it very difficult for his second-born brother, Chang to get help in time & he almost drowns, teaching his parents a valuable lesson...
See how quickly you can pronounce Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo Chari Bari Ruchi Pip Peri Pembo!


#8 The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
This 1933 story begins when Ping, the duck, is taken by his owner to feed on the riverbank. Later, when it is evening, Ping is the last duck to return, so he hides to avoid being spanked. The following day, Ping observes some fishing birds & is captured by a boy who wants to take him home to become dinner, but luckily, he is released. Ping sees his master's boat & hurries to return to his family, knowing that he will be in trouble for being the last duck back again but this time, he accepts his punishment. 


#9 The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl's 1978 wickedly humorous story takes place in Africa, where an enormous crocodile goes tramping through the jungle telling all of the animals that he's going to eat some children. The animals tell him that's a horrible thing to do but he tries to use all his cleverest tricks to eat them nonetheless. Later on, Trunky the elephant punishes the naughty crocodile by swinging him around in the air by his tail & letting him go, sending him flying into the sky, where he crashes headlong into the sun.


#10 Old Bear by Jane Hissey
The first in a popular series of books by British author Jane Hissey that have subsequently been made into a BAFTA award-winning television series, the 1986 tome chronicles the rescue of the ubiquitous Old Bear from the loft. The dusty brown teddy is finally returned to the playroom where he leads the others - Bramwell Bear, Duck, Rabbit, Little Bear, Zebra, Jolly Tall the Giraffe & Hoot the Owl - on many wonderful adventures. 


All that's left to do is wish my cousin & her husband 
all the best for their new life with their 
new little bundle of joy!