Hair: Blue Phoenix

 

I LOVE getting my hair done, especially when it's a 10 minute walk from my house!

As Mama Lyf continues for me, I find it a great time to explore my local community. I've lived in the West of Melbs for over 3 years now, but work in the city... so being a Mama who works mainly at home this year, I've been out and about like CRAZY and loving Melbs, especially the WEST! Part of my blog refocus is to show you some parts of Melbourne that you don't usually see, the real life parts (of course!) and living in the west is sometimes a bit different from the inner city Melbourne you know so well. We're around 8km from the city centre, but because of the Docklands and the old shipping yards, it feels much further away than Coburg, yet it's closer! There's less gentrification (but it's on it's way) than other inner city life, and it's so flat and so spacious!

I found myself looking for a local hairdresser when my darling Corinne in Brunswick shut up shop to become a full time mother of two... and stumbled into Blue Phoenix Hair Design in Essex Street, West Footscray earlier this year! And they are just as darling!

Husbie was home when I got back from my new do this week, so I handed him the camera quick smart! Angeli and Alicia have made me and my baby very welcome and I love myself sick this week because of my 'update'! They're very good at colour & blowdrying (AMAZING work Alicia!) and Angeli is a local westie through and through! So yep, they're a 10 minute walk for me AND they're right by West 48, another great local business!

See, totally loving myself sick right now. Some days, my eyes feel like they're falling out of my head and my arms are aching from all that baby lifting... and with a flick of my locks I can feel SO MUCH BETTER. I said to the girls that I don't want my hair to look 'Mumsy', and that brighter is better... I think they tick all the boxes, right?!

But I'm not sure of what this colour is? Champagne? Icey Champagne? Martini? Frozen Martini? WHAT? Do I need a stiff drink or what? (Baby Darling has teeth, with lots more coming! 10 month olds don't get molars now, right?)

xoxo to you! And thanks Angeli & Alicia at Blue Phoenix!

Unabashed: Part 1 in a Series

Perhaps once a week, I'll try and snap a moment of real life, unedited and with no motivation behind it (ie, I won't clear anything up, not that I do anyways but I often take photos with nice backgrounds away from the clutter of real life!). But I'd put a Lightroom filter on it, of course, to make it look like Cindy Sherman or Tracey Emin has knocked it up.

It's my attempt to not have all sugarcoating and luxe blogging here... and share a little more than just all my shiny bits!

My goodness, there's so many baby bits and pieces here now that I'm looking at it... our room is his! That is my nail polish under the bed though. And my good pen!

x

Upside Down Baby Trousers

Happy Monday!

Another completed set of Baby Trousers! They take less than half an hour to make from cutting to finishing, but still takes me a few days! I'm testing out how the photos look from my iphone, as I've been using photo stream/icloud thingie, and means less plugging in of cords and loading photos... I even took these photos inside and they're pretty clear!

They are very simple, an upside down U really, and you leave a space for the waistband but sew up the sides and the underleg bit... exactly like these test trousers! I bought the stretch knit fabric from Spotlight and made a pair of trousers for Baby Darling's best friend's 1st Birthday. But I cut this pair for him first, not realising of course that the fabric had a top and a bottom... as you can see the boats are upside in this pair! I recut another pair (the right way up) for the little birthday boy, and finished these ones over the weekend for our boy.

When I'm in a hurry, I don't cut the threads properly. Obviously!

They fit ok over his cloth nappies (they create a bigger bum) as there's not enough stretch in the fabric... but next time he's wearing disposies, I'll try them again. He's wearing them today even though they're slipping off his bum, so cute!

xoxo

**** EDIT ****

OMG, just realised how wonky they look in the top photo! I think they're matching leg lengths, for some reason not in the piccie! WHOOPS!

What a Blow Out!

Back when I was in the States, I discovered Dry Bar after talking to my LA living friend... we were out for brunch and I grumbled about my hair and how tricky it'd be to find a hairdressing appointment on a Saturday in LA... and she was like "If you just need a Blow Out, go to Dry Bar!" and it was as easy as calling them up, they found the nearest Dry Bar to me in Santa Monica and a few hours later I was casually sipping champagne as my hair was washed and blow dried out.

They just do blow outs! No cutting or colouring! Just blow outs!

Now if you're American, this might be old news, but for me... I was AMAZED and totally in love with this concept! Maybe I'm just living under rocks, but I'd never heard of hair salons just for blow outs! It's almost like they were invented just for me! Since I've been pin curling and colouring and once a week (sometimes once a fortnight) washing my hair for a while now, I also try not to use the heat of a hairdryer, or flat iron, or hot rollers. Less washing and more natural oils in a coloured & curly head of hair like mine keeps it unhealthy in the best way. More hair stories if you love hearing about it! Hairdressers tell me is the best & healthiest blonde tint they've seen... because my hair takes the colour so well. Or the non colour, as it's taking away the colour and then toning it that creates the blonde colour. So a blow dry every now and again makes my hair just wonderful, not at all dry or brittle or frizzy!

Sometimes in the past year, being pregnant and out of breath or having no time to wash or dry or pin curl with Baby Darling in my arms... I've popped down to my local Vietnamese Hair Salon and they've helped me out... so I was just in love with the concept of Dry Bar! I've since learnt there are several in the city, so there might be an adventure in the CBD some time to check it out!

BUT, I LOVED Sandy in Dry Bar in Tribeca, New York! We went in early on Memorial Day and here I am with my holiday hair! YAY for blow outs!

(Also, in my Australian vernacular, I'd probably say "Blow Dry" instead of "Blow Out", if you're wondering!)

Happy Weekend to you!

Tossing Up Blog Ideas

Wow, Baby Darling must be doing some growing today, as he's had 3 naps and still going on his third one right now! I've just done some internet catch ups, spruced up the blog a bit and actually wrote some ideas down!

So yep, after a bit of googling around... the main reason we blog (and blog well I guess) is we are passionate about a subject and then you kinda get on a roll. It's just like writing, right? They say 'write about what you know' etc and as I'm not a professional writer, who knows if this is right, right. (*shuddering* at my ridiculous LOL there)

BUT, I love writing my blog and THANK you for understanding my confusion and refocus and all that. Of course I'm not going to stop sewing or creating, but yep, it's just what to write about when I'm not sewing... or when I'm striving to sew. I'll always strive to sew as I'm a Positina Turner who strives at everything... EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE RIGHT?

OK, so these are some of the things I'm passionate about (above piccie in my own writing - wow, is my handwriting tricky to understand?):

Melbourne Places - I love my town, so maybe I'll write about it!

Pregs Fash - Zoe and I had a big email chat recently because - YAY She's Pregz - DIY maternity is tricky but good when you find the right patterns for petite mummies. I have lots of thoughts!

Mama Lyf - because you know, I'm living it and am super interested in feminist parenting approaches and just generally loving being a Mum!

But when I kept writing ideas up - and there's a page two of notes as well WOW - I kept writing "No Frills". If I write about what I'm passionate about, I think I'm into real life inspiration & lifestyle blogging... not the 'white walls' style I've mentioned where everything is just perfect and photographic! So I'm hoping this no frills and no glamour is part of my new approach here and there... Of course, I love taking photos, and tend to have a nice style of photographing things (I THINK SO!?) but I'm going to try and be modest and show my reality as well... so we'll see. But you get me right? Some lifestyle and fashion bloggers show glimpses of themselves and that 'perfection' isn't real to me.

OK - so Baby Darling is STILL sleeping! Better sit around looking at blogs, UHOH I mean get dinner ready for us!

xoxo to you

The Sew Weekly Reunion 2013

YIPPEE!

We're getting nostalgic around here, as along with my sewing friends Adey, Sarah & Debi - we are excited to announce The Sew Weekly Reunion of 2013!

If you're new to the sewing blogging world, or like hearing about recaps, The Sew Weekly was Mena's  wonderful creation that brought together lots of sewing fans & creators from around the world. Mena sewed for 52 weeks in 2010 to establish the Sewing Weekly vibe, and invited us four contributors to join her in 2011! Together we set themes, fabric ideas and garment choices and sewed up a storm! It was so much fun and a lot of hard work! Last year over 100 contributors joined The Sew Weekly and now we're hosting The Sew Weekly Reunion for 2013!

And you can sew with us! If you like sewing! If you don't like it as much, you'll be seeings lots of blog chatter about it and I'm sure enjoying the creations and fash! There's a button:

YAY for buttons!

I loved sewing each week, even though it was hectic, and you can browse through my creations here on Mena's blog or here on my blog! When I tell people IRL what I did for 2011, they are like WHUT!? They can't believe it! I'm sure if you contributed to the 2012 you'll know people's reactions well!

So I can't remember what's going to happen now!? Um, I think you should register your interest via the new The Sew Weekly Reunion page! And then wait to hear more cool things! (Can you tell I'm excited but not doing any of the organising thanks to Mama Lyf?!) (P.S Thanks Adey & Debi for being legends!)

Here's a few of my all time fave Sew Weekly posts, just to get you in the mood!

Oh boy, I made a lot of things!

xoxo

What to blog about?

Hi again! I'm going through a bit a blogging backstep at the moment... in that I'm taking a step back from this part of the internet because I kinda run out of time each week to be here, writing to you and then flicking through all my favourite blogs! Sad, but you know how life is, right?

And I guess because I'm not sewing or making anything regularly, or when I do sew there's no time to photograph it... or when I DO photograph it, it stays on my camera or stuck in a file on my computer while all the photos of Baby Darling just get the top priority!

But I do love writing and creating... so if I spend a bit of time thinking & planning, I'm sure I'll come up with a direction for the blog... it's tricky finding focus when I'm not blogging about sewing!

So I guess, my biggest questions at the moment are:

Have you changed direction with your blog before (if you're a blogger!) or seen a blog change direction well? 

What kind of posts are you interested in here, if I'm not talking about sewing? 

I have to remember too, I've been writing about sewing here for over FIVE years (and sewing for over 10 years), so it's understandable to feel a change of focus coming on... Sometimes I flick around new blogs online, and I'm not happy with the 'pretty' & 'white walls' or 'Frankie Magazine' style of blogging that's evolved online... and I just don't feel part of that world of blogging (sometimes that's the inspiration/fashion/design style of blogging). My life is freaking amazing, but blogging every inch of it makes me feel weird... and showing glimpses of it makes me feel like a faux glamorous housewife radio superstar (which in turn makes me feel weird). I just have to find a balance and feel comfortable with it all.

But yeh, we'll see... I found my voice by writing about my passion: sewing! So I'm sure I'll find my new voice! (SO CONFUSING THOUGH).

Thanks for your understanding as I work through my shizz! Love to you!