Remember a while ago the lovely Marie from One Day in Paradise sent me some dresses? I showed you the ways I co-ordinated the first one over here. I promised to show the other dress and the shoes she also gave me and here it is!
You’ve seen the first couple of co-ordinates before in other posts but my favorite one is at the bottom.
I first wore it at a Keihls event.
Dress details: Infanta Deer Jsk with pompom trim (just sold out before I put up the post so no link *_*)Worn with… Shirt: SES Stockings: Myer Shoes: Bodyline
I wore it again up in Brisbane, it’s made of a fairly heavy fabric so it doesn’t crease easily. Perfect to throw in a suitcase.
Again perfect suitcase material so I wore it the second day at the Langham 😀 The pearl/bow chain at the front unclips so I wore it as a bracelet too.
This next one is my favorite co-ordinate though, because the fabric is so nice and thick it’s perfect for winter here.
Stockings: Myer Shoes: 7 Angels (I think, it was one of those discount clothing stores along Swanston St) Gloves: Junk Store Neck thingy: Present from my Mother Shirt: SES
All of that fluffiness makes it so nice and warm!
The skirt is huge with ample room for a petticoat if you choose to wear one.
The front bow also detaches and so could be moved around or worn in your hair etc. The pearls used are glass too so they have a nice weight unlike the cheaper plastic pearls a lot of companies use.
My absolute favorite part of the dress is a fluffy adorable faun applique! SO CUTE!
The back of the dress has crossing lace up to make it completely adjustable. Unrelated but my hair is getting so looong!
Better view of the lacing:
And a better view of the lace and detailing:
Love this dress very much, it’s been a really good staple of my Winter wardrobe 😀 Thank you One Day in Paradise, I’m such a lucky girl!
Along with the dress Marie dropped off a pair of shoes for me, because we walk everywhere now I’m always looking for good walking shoes. I love my Bodyline shoes to death but I can’t wear them every single day XD
Please excuse the fur on my stockings, I had just taken off the boots from the shots above and the are shedding like crazy because I haven’t brushed them through yet >_< Of course the camera flash picks up a lot more detail than my eyes do!
So the shoes have cute little heart buckles on the sides, lace details ad bows on the front and backs. They are made of very thick material (thicker than my Bodyline ones) and don’t seem to scuff easily.
The heel is not very high at all and considering the front has a small platform too it makes them very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The soles are quite grippy too do they don’t do badly in the rain.
Very cute for many different outfits and styles!
Thank you again so much Marie! I always have so much fun doing these posts and dressing up 😀
Infanta Jsk – Just sold out before I put the post up ;_; But check out the other Infanta pieces on the site, they are very pretty. Do get in quick though because as you can see, they sell out fast!
Medium Heeled Mary Janes and they are available on the ODIP site for $59.95. These white PU Mary Janes have a 6cm heel and 1 cm sole, ankle straps and double buckle straps. All sizes are available. One Day In Paradise is permanently open for business at the Visage n Vice Boutique, 248 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Victoria 7 DAYS A WEEK!
One Day in Paradise is going to be at AVCon in Adelaide 23-24th July and is sponsoring the Lolita Fashion Show and the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Brand competition on Saturday 23rd July at 11:30am.
As you all probably know by know by now MOR is one of my favorite brands 😀 When I heard they were going to be stocked at one of my favorite make up stores Mecca Maxima I was very happy! When the lovely PR agent Sarah invited me down to come and look at everything it took me about a nanosecond to accept. Smelling a lot of pretty things? YES PLEASE! By the time she mentioned the possibility of cupcakes I was half way out the door 😉
Myself, the lovely Sarah and her adorable assistant Breana in front of the MOR stand.Now prepare for a lot of gratuitous product shots, it was all so pretty I forced James to take photos of *everything*
Perfume with a french crystal bottle and 24 carat gold details, so pretty!
I think these pictures speak for themselves so enjoy!
Did someone say cupcakes?!
Don’t mind if I do! Red velvet and cream cheese icing= win!
They were super sweet and Breana had put together a lovely gift bag of some of the new range for me. Thank you girls! Totally love the bag too, it’s my new laptop bag!
We all went out to yum cha for lunch afterwards and there was lots of girl talk 😀 Sarah lived in Japan for quite a while so we had a lot in common! It was a really nice afternoon and it’s always fun to meet people with so many similar interests. We actually bumped into their graphic designer on the way to lunch and it was wonderful to meet the woman behind the designs that I admire so much. /end gushing
This candle is really interesting, I think it’s kind of like a scented candle for people who don’t normally like scented candles. When unlit the smell is a very nice vanilla but when lit it’s so subtle that if you didn’t know it was on, you would probably just think you were in a really pleasant smelling person’s house XD Even my Mother likes this and she *hates* scented candles with a passion. I think this is the perfect background scent for those who either can’t deal with heavier scents or just prefer a tiny hint.
It wouldn’t be a MOR review if I didn’t talk about the packaging hahaha! The candle comes in a very pretty cardboard box tied up with a ribbon. It’s contained in a glass jar with the logo, once the candle is burned down (and it burns very cleanly straight down because it’s soy wax) you can keep the glass for later, I’m going to store my make up brushes in it 😀 The logo is actually printed on in 24 carat gold… very luxurious *_* The price is $39.95 which I think reflects the fancy gold packaging, quite expensive for a regular candle but considering the reusable glass and the fact that the Emporium Black collection it comes from is all about over the top luxury I would probably splurge if I had unlimited funds. As is I think it would make a good present for someone you weren’t sure what to buy. DO WANT.
So often lipglosses are overlooked in the packaging department but with MOR I wasn’t surprised that it came in an adorable little box! Again perfectly presented to make a nice gift and at $19.95 it’s in a good price range for that. I couldn’t find a way to describe fragrance of this one so this is from the website:
Belladonna presents a Spring symphony of White Narcissus, Moroccan Rose and Pink Tulips enlivened with a sparkling mist of Meyer Lemon. Finally it is sweetened with a touch of French Cassis, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Musk to leave a trace of tender warmth
No wonder I couldn’t pick it with all of those elements mixed together! When I first applied the gloss I couldn’t work out what I was smelling, my lips were a little tingly and after several minute of sniffing myself like a nut job I realised it was peppermint oil! The peppermint leaves a nice cool sensation but I think it overpowers the other scents a little bit making it hard to get hold of the overall smell.
The gloss itself has an amazing amount of shine and staying power. It’s super glossy but doesn’t have any real colour by itself, worn over lipstick it looks amazing. It took several hours including eating until I needed to reapply. As with most tube glosses like this it does have a tendency to be very sticky so not a good choice for wearing your hair out on a windy day 😉 For inside though it’s perfect and I do feel like it’s made my lips softer after use. Being paraben and sulfate free is also a big plus. DO WANT.
Again very pretty packaging on this one, the whole Emporium Black collection has really beautiful design. The price is $24.95. the forumla here was very similar to the other hand cream I reviewed in that it felt very smooth and thick going on but later when washing my hands I got a little bit of a slippery feeling like it hadn’t soaked all the way in. I thought it smelled delicious though, the vanilla was much stronger in this than the candle and while not overpowering, it did linger so every now and then through the day I got a nice reminder of it! Interestingly enough even though James liked the candle, he didn’t like the hand cream. He thinks it reminds him of something but he can’t remember what >_< I like the smell a lot though so… DO WANT (as long as you’re not going to be putting your hands near James)
After my last perfume oil I was very excited to try this Marshmallow one. The other one hasn’t left my handbag since I got it XD Again, the bottle is adorable and perfectly handbag sized. The little tube it comes in is also perfect for holding bobby pins in your handbag too! I mentioned in the last review that I wanted to try some of the marshmallow flavours and people replied it was very nice but very much not like actual marshmallows. Now that I’ve tried it myself I would have to agree, it’s a beautifully sweet scent but it’s not marshmallow, it’s more like those little pink musk ring lollies I used to eat as a child. Do they still make them? Every time I wear it I crave the lollies now!
The smell is strong but it’s also not overpowering and it lasts quite well without being annoying. It’s a very sweet fragrance so if that’s not normally your thing it might be one to steer clear of. The bottles last forever too, I’m only 1/3 of the way through the last one and I wear it all the time so I think the value is decent at $19.95. This one has been added to my handbag too, very much DO WANT (but not if you don’t like very sweet musks).
So another lot of products that make me very happy and now that they are being stocked in Mecca Maxima I know I’ll be back soon to try the lip macarons 😀
Phew! Way behind schedule as per usual but finally I am finished this bunny crochet tutorial! Sorry it took so long >_< Hopefully the wait was worth it and those who wanted to take part have had enough time to get some yarn and a crochet hook!
This tutorial is made up of both a video and the photos so you can pick and choose the way of learning that suits you the best or use both for supersized learning 😉 It is picture heavy, there are around 50 photos plus the 10min video so if you’re on dial up beware.
The finished project (with a silly drawn on face)….
Pretty cute? Yes! And all you need to do is make 2 rectangles so nice and easy for a first project ^_^Now a couple of things to think about before you go ahead and start the tutorial: I am a knitter first and foremost, I have been knitting since I was 3yrs old but have only been crocheting for 4ish years so my technique is not perfect. I learnt via friends, books and videos and I am by no means the be-all-end-all crochet genius. In fact, I have been told that I crochet like a knitter XD If you are looking for perfect beginners technique then check out some of these links:
If you prefer my style of tutorial and are happy with my results then read on!
What you need:
Main colour yarn (mine is pink)
Corresponding sized crochet hook (mine is 3.75mm)
Tail yarn (mine is white)
Needle and thread in the same colours as your yarn
Scissors
Something to stuff the bunny with, I’m using scrap fabric
Patience <- very important
First here is the video I made, even if you don’t want to learn watch it anyway because James made me an awesome new introduction to match my new video set up. LOVE IT! . .
Ok so on to the photos.
Untangle the end of your yarn and make sure you have a decent amount unraveled to work with. A note on which yarn/crochet hook to choose, here I am using 8ply yarn and a 3.75mm hook. If you live overseas, here is a needle size conversion chart. You need a hook which is the right size for your yarn otherwise you will end up with big holes or a very tight stitch (like amigurumi animals) here is a chart to help you pick.
With that out of the way let’s get started.
To cast the first stitch on to your hook, start to tie the end of your yarn in a knot but don’t pull the tail through the hole. In the photo below you can see that the tail is underneath the loop of the knot. If you were to pull it tight, it would just all come loose rather than tying into a knot.
Poke your hook through and pick up the part of the tail which is inside the loop. Like this:
Grab both the very end of the yarn and the part still attached to the ball and pull them gently downwards.
They will form a kind of slipknot around the hook.
Pull the tail of the yarn to the left and the rest of it to the right to tighten the knot around the hook. That’s your first stitch!
From this point on you’ll have to excuse how I’m actually holding the hook, generally I hold the hook in my right hand but I was holding the camera so it was a bit hard to juggle XD
So holding your hook upwards you should have something like this…
Now to start off we will need to make a foundation chain which is the base row of stitches. The head needs to have 20 chains in the foundation row.
To make a stitch take the yarn (make sure it’s the part attached to the ball, not the tail or else you will run out very quickly!) and wrap it completely around the hook clockwise. See my awesome arrows below!
Point the hook to the left and gently move it down so the yarn you wrapped is caught under it.
Keep pulling down so the hook with the trapped yarn actually slides through the first stitch you had on there.
You can see how it’s being pulled here:
Now you’ve got a new stitch on your hook! 1 down, 19 to go 😀
So wrap the yarn around the hook again.
And pull down through the other stitch.
It’s quite quick to do once you get the hang of it.
When you have 20 chains done, add two more. So you should have done a total of 22 chains. The reason we are doing an extra 2 is because we will make them into a right angle (and an “L” shape”) to give us enough space to start the first real row.
Ok so lets start the 1st real row.
Skipping the 2 extra chains, push the hook through the next one.
Wrap your yarn around the hook.
Pull the wrapped yarn down and through the first loop on the hook.
Now you have this:
Wrap the yarn around again.
And pull that wrapped yarn through both of the loops on the hook
So now you should only have on loop left on the hook. One stitch DONE!
Now it’s really just a matter of rinse and repeat over and over again until you run out of chain to do it into. You should be able to do 20 of them, one for each chain.
Once you are finished the row, chain 2 extras, again this will give you enough room height-wise to start the next row.
Then begin again, skipping the two chain and pushing the hook through the next stitch.
You can see this is halfway through the second row.
And finished the second row.
So keep adding rows until you have enough! For the head you will need 28 rows.
Aaaaaand done! On the very last stitch you can cut the end of the yarn leaving a 5-10cm tail.
Use the hook and pull it completely through this time.
Pull tight and it forms a knot!
So the head piece is 20 chain and 28 rows. To be completely honest, it really doesn’t matter the exact number of rows or chain as long as you end up with a rectangle so if you have too many/few don’t stress about it.
Now you just need to repeat all of that and make the body! This time start with 28 chain and do 30 rows. Again the exact numbers don’t matter so much in this particular project as long as you have 1 bigger rectangle and one smaller for the head.
You should end up with something like this…
So let’s put the damn thing together! We’ll do the body first 😀
Take the body and fold all of the corners into points. I didn’t get any clear photos of this part so if you need more detail, check the video! Basically you get the middle of each side and push them into the middle so the corners become pointy legs.
Stitch up 3 of the legs and stuff it with fabric/stuffing/yarn/whatever. Stitch the last leg closed. Then you need to fold all of the legs forward and stitch them in place. You can see below where the stitching should be and how it forms the body.
I’m using black thread so you can see what I’m doing but obviously you should use a colour that matches your yarn so it can’t be seen!
See how the legs look from the side:
And the top! DONE!
Oooook almost finished! Pat on the back if you managed to make it this far!
Take the head piece and fold the bottom in half, stitch it shut. Once flattened out it should look like this…
Fold the little top edge over and stitch it to the seam you already made. Add some stuffing!
Now flip it over to the front and pleat the the points so they actually look like ears. Once you are happy with how the ears look, wrap some yarn around it very tightly and tie it off!
Something along these lines:
And that’s the head! Here’s the back:
And the front!
What you need to do next is stitch the bunny’s head to it’s body in the corresponding place.
So close to being finished! Now the last step is to make a little pompom for a tail. Wrap some white yarn around your fingers, tie the middle, cut the loops and stitch it on to the bunny’s butt XD
And there you go! Cute little bunny all finished, congratulations!
Such a cute little bunny!
If you want you could stitch on a cute face but I liked him plain so I just drew one on in Photoshop XD
Big congratulations if you actually read this far and even bigger congratulations if you actually gave this a go and made your own bunny! I would love to see if any of you actually did 😀
Now if you enjoyed that I’ll be doing the striped knitted scarf next… but I think I need a break first because this took so long to put together!
Illustrator. Strong tea, knitting, watercolours, and making a video game called Moonlight in Garland. Living with her adorable husband Jimmy, fluffy puppy Miss Lottie and Bergamot Bunny in Melbourne, Australia.
