PrettyThingsFriday…..

I know, I know, I’ve been a bit absent over the last 2 weeks!!  We’ve had friends staying with their children, so we have been off seeing the sights and entertaining in our fair Capital!!   In other news, I got a jazzy new camera in the mail (Nikon D90, HOORAY!), so I have been out and about shooting anything and everything!!!  This weekend I am meeting a new friend, seeing Coco Avant Chanel and making all things glittery, as I stockpile for Canberra’s Designer Upmarket…..BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!

Next week, hubby and I leave for a much awaited second honeymoon in Thailand, we are SOOOOOO excited!!   Please excuse my lack of blogging during this time…….if you need me I can be found somewhere in Bangkok, horizontal, in a Thai massage spa……..

Have a FABULOUS weekend!!!!!

Prettythings today are courtesy of the AMAAAAAAAZING bellarosebyliz on flickr and at ETSY!!!

PrettyThingsFriday

Here’s a little gasp-worthy collection for your perusal, from exquisite designer Rita Saardi……….ahhhh, the pretty things………..Have a WONDERFUL FRIDAY my gorgeous friends!!!  Happy weekending, xxx PYT

Collection images from: Rita Saardi

Colour swatches by: prettyoungthing!

Loving the Lanvin!

Being Australian, I LOVE a jolly good splash of colour!  That’s probably why I love the Lanvin Resort 2010 collection so much!  Accessorised with pretty POPS and BURSTS of contrasting colours, it cements the fact that bold and oversized accessories are here to stay for a while longer, HURRAH!!!

Images courtesy of style.com, colour swatches courtesy of me!

It’s a grey day………..

Today I’m feeling a bit off.

I found out at the end of last week that my Grandfather was taken to hospital by my Mum, after complaining of not being able to breathe.  Yesterday, after many tests and discussions with his heart specialist, my Grandfather was given an MRI on his lungs.  Apparently it IS NOT his heart causing the breathing issue (which is what the Dr.’s were telling him it was for the last 6 months), and it now looks a lot more sinister and more a lung issue.

There are basically two rather large and horrible possibilities.  First being; my Grandfather has advanced lung cancer.  Second being; my Grandfather has Mesothelioma, a cancer that is very strongly linked to asbestos exposure (he worked as  a builder back in the days of asbestos).  As yet, we are still awaiting the results of the lung MRI.

I am scared.  I have never had anyone close to me die, ever.  I don’t live near to my Grandfather at the moment, and I feel bad that I can’t go and be with him and spend time with him right now………

I’ll leave you with an incredibly moving image from my beautiful flickr girlfriend, taken in memory of her Grandfather:

EDIT: My Grandfather has been diagnosed with Asbestosis: the scarring of lung tissue (around terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts) resulting from the inhalation of asbestos fibers.  His doctor has told him he may have 2-4 years to live.  The news is better than expected, but still incredibly sad.  His words to the doctor were “Can you just give me a few more years so I can see my great grandchildren grow up?”  He was speaking about my children………..

Colour Me Good…………

I love making little swatches of coloured goodness…..creating stories, mixing and playing with combinations that I haven’t yet tried.  Here’s some of my latest stories and the patterns that inspired them!

These are a few of my FAVORITE things!

Being completely inspired by the lovely julaberry, I have decided to collate a little list of my fav things about Winter.  Those who know me, know that I am a tropical heat lover, born and raised on the beaches of Australia’s Sunshine Coast.  The cold weather is not something I thrive in, so moving to one of the coldest states in Australia really wasn’t my idea of a fabulous time on any level of the Fun-o-meter!!!

HOWEVER, I thought it might be fun to push myself to find the good in winter.  Push, PUSH, PUUUUUUUSH………

#1.  Being able to wrap my freezing mitts around steaming hot cups of gourmet coffee all day.

#2.  Being able to wear jeans 24/7 and not have to worry about the legs eleven for a few months.

#3.  Baking like a wild thing.  All that comfort food that is sooooo good in the cold weather, muffins, roasts, pies, cakes….

#4.  Wearing millions of layers of clothing (and perhaps a girdle?), to disguise the fact that you’ve just eaten ALL the baking listed above!!

#5.  And…….and….ummm………………. I’m out!!  I thought I could like Winter for at least 5 reasons, but damn…….I can’t even FAKE it!!!  Now I am off to do a bit of this:

because:

PrettyThingsFriday

Last night at the gallery opening of the Vanity Fair exhibition, there were pretty things all over the place!!  But seeing as I didn’t take my camera (I’m sorry, but my purse was tiny and vintage, and my camera is not and not!) I have nothing to show you….but I got my piccy snapped a few times for local newspapers, so we’ll have to see if I make the cut!!!

And now on to prettythings, today involves a beautiful artist that a good friend of mine (*waves to Domonic*) showed me recently………his songs make my heart ache, they are so sweet!!  The amazing part is he’s unsigned!!  This is the gorgeous Cass Lowe…….I hope you adore him as much as I do ;D

HAPPY FRIDAY my loves!!!

Shiny things attract this birdy!

I LOOOOOOOVE costume jewellery….infact, I love it so much I design it for a living!  HA!  So that’s why this extravagant little photo shoot made me say “OH YES!” a few times over!!

This is the way I wish girls would wear their lavish jewels, no frock necessary!!!

LOVE, LOVE!!

Vanity, vanity!!!

I’m a little bit excited (and distracted!) this week!!  Coming to the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra (and the ONLY town in Australia!) is the MUCH anticipated Vanity Fair exhibition: Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008

Vanity Fair Portraits traces the birth and evolution of photographic portraiture through the archives of Vanity Fair magazine. Visitors can expect to see many familiar and famous faces in this exhibition depicting the history of celebrity portraiture, for which Canberra is the only Australian venue.
This is a touring exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Pretty as a picture … Julianne Moore as Ingres’s Grand Odalisque, photographed in New York City in 2000 by Michael Thompson for the April 2000 edition.

Stern looks … Louise Brooks, photographed by Edward Steichen in 1928 for the January 1929 edition

The troupe … Albertina Rasch Dancers, photographed by Florence Vandamm in 1927 for the April 1927 edition.

All of a bother … Katharine Hepburn has her portrait taken by Cecil Beaton for the July 1935 edition of Vanity Fair.

Power pack … the famous Hollywood Cover shot by Annie Leibovitz in April 2001, featuring, left to right, Nicole Kidman, Catherine Deneuve, Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Chloe Sevigny, Sophia Loren and Penelope Cruz.

Behind the veil … A Much Screened Lady – Gloria Swanson, photographed by Edward Steichen in 1924 and published in February 1928.

Opening night, HERE I COME!!!

PrettyThingsFriday

All this week, I have been thinking about HAIR!  After 6 months of not having a haircut, my own hair is getting a bit long and wild…and ridiculously high-maintenance!  I am deliberating going the chop, in quite a major way…but then thoughts of enduring a Canberra Winter without wooly hair to keep my skull warm are putting me off…..that and the fact that I have a goal *giggles*.

What is this goal?  WELL, just because you asked, the goal is to grow my hair long enough to do a ‘mermaid’, just for a laugh…..because COME ON, who hasn’t wanted to be a mermaid at least once in their life?? (my straight male friends need not reply!).

So, in the meantime, here are some pretty little piccys of OTHER people’s hair……hair is SUCH a cool prop (especially for mermaids)!!  ;P

HAPPY FRIDAY and have a GORGEOUS weekend…..xxx