by Candice DeVille | Oct 30, 2014 | competitions, sponsors, Travel
It is quite possible that what I have to tell you may be the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. It has been on my “Life List” for quite some time and I didn’t know if or when I’d be able to make it happen, but now I can tell you….
I am going to Dubai!!
In fact, the whole Nuffnang Bloggeratti team and I are headed off to Dubai together! This is the very first time that such a large group of bloggers have been invited to take part in a huge getaway campaign, and I’m honoured to be amongst them. We’ve become a close-knit group of Nuffnang bloggers from across Australia, all writing about different things but sharing the same blogging passion. Having the opportunity to work on something this exciting and spend time with ‘colleagues’ is just incredible!
The whole group of us cover a diverse range of topics, so the stories you’ll be able to see will have something for everyone. We are fashion, parenting, style, interiors, food and craft bloggers. Can you imagine how differently we’ll experience Dubai?
We will be working with the #MyDubai initiative, created by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. Yes, that’s right and I can hardly believe it myself, we’ll be working on a project initiated by Royalty!
Dubai is a land of dreams to me; not only do they have the biggest shopping mall in the world, but is a wealth of culture, history and tradition. There is so much I want to see and experience. The tastes and sounds, the early morning sunrises and the beauty of the desert plains will, no doubt, provide the perfect backdrop to my stories. The aquariums, ice rinks, fountains and markets all fuelling the imagination and creating exquisite memories.
The passionate people watcher and archaeologist in me is beside herself with excitement. I feel like a child presented with the dessert buffet and only a tiny plate to hold it all. I know I will be a glutton for experiences on this trip and these are the souvenirs I plan to bring home.
Already I am planning the wardrobe needed for this adventure, imagining floaty silks, golden trims and leather sandals. The possibility of what awaits on the local Dubai fashion scene is simply too much to comprehend. The luxury, the choice, the scale; all like I’ve never seen before. I am fascinated to sit down with tea and explore the stories of traditional dress and the subtleties of style in Dubai.
As my fellow vintage lovers, I know you will understand completely when I tell you my minds eye sees all these images with a tinge of Hercule Poirot and a Khaki clad adventuress. My pulse is already racing.
It is not only me who should feel the excitement of this tough, as I have an announcement for you too.
As a part of this spectacular Dubai trip, Nuffnang has the opportunity for YOU and a friend to WIN and come with us!!
All you have to do is tell us via your social media platforms “What do you dream of in Dubai?” and make sure to add the hashtag #NNDubaiDreams and #mydubai.
Please note that you must remember these things for your entry to count:
- Must use the two hashtags #NNDubaiDreams and #mydubai
- Can upload an image, text or video
- Shared on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
- Entries can any format as long as they’re publicly visible and include those hashtags.
Here is the official Nuffnang blog post with all the competition details
What can you win?
- The winner and your +1 receive flights from their nearest capital city, accommodation, and activities in Dubai. They’ll be traveling in part with our group, but not included in all activities. Includes flights, accommodation and activities.
Terms & Conditions
Do not let this one pass you by!! Enter as many times as you like and share this with all your friends who may end up winning for you!
by Candice DeVille | Oct 28, 2014 | daily outfit
Macarons, Madelines, and sweet sweet breakfasts.
Visiting the classic (and very popular) French Kitchen at World of Style brings out the romantic in me. The Butler’s pantry is artfully arranged, inspiring me to try me hand at baking fresh, crusty bread. Imagine the feeling of serenity that would come with waking up to this scene every morning!
Outfit Details
Yellow shirt – “Lauren” Pin Up Girl Clothing
Skirt – Review
Belt – Portmans
White flower – Made by me
Pink shoes – “Genie” by Bordello
Bangle- Op shop find
Nails – “Coral Me Wild” by Revlon
Lips – “Russan Red” by MAC
Shot on location at Porter Davis World of Style
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by Candice DeVille | Oct 23, 2014 | Events, sponsors
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Brought to you by Nuffnang and Spokes
There is Spring Racing of another kind in Melbourne each year. It does have horsepower, but not in the four legged sense.
Last Sunday the Mr. and I headed to Phillip Island for the MotoGP, something we’d never done before. We both love bikes but for different reasons. He’s actually the long-term rider; I prefer the aesthetics and how brilliant they look in photo shoots, not to mention the leather outfits. It was a day we both really enjoyed.
Being there as guests of Spokes, we were even more aware than usual of the message of rider safety. As you may have read in my previous post, the Mr. has been involved in seven accidents in his time, fortunately protected by the correct gear.
On our drive out to the Island we were discussing this matter of correct protective gear and watching all the riders as they passed us. I was horrified to note that so many riders and pillions weren’t anywhere near well enough prepared. I saw shorts, t-shirts, chino pants, sneakers and even high-heeled sandals. The thought crossed my mind that should this particular lady come off, she wouldn’t be spending money on pedicures anymore.
It was a great relief to arrive and see plenty of riders in proper protective gear, checking their helmets in at the minding booth. Spokes had a fantastic arrangement where anyone who arrived in proper protective gear received a lunch voucher they were able to cash in at the Spokes Protective Clothing Lounge. Smokey pulled pork rolls, beef brisket… yum!
The first thing we did was head across to the Expo area and check out the various offerings including sunglasses you can smash with a hammer and they don’t break!
The team at Spokes put us both into the virtual reality headsets to test our reaction time. I get quite competitive at these sorts of things, so I was concentrating hard and made my best score of .43 of a second! Yeah!
I took my own protective gear (my ear plugs and sunnies), and we headed off for a special tour of Pit Lane. What a hive of activity! I was relying on the knowledge of the Mr. to translate all the colours and numbers into something I could understand, otherwise it was a blur of chrome and fake tan to me. I did have a little giggle at how alien I looked amongst all the grid girls, but mostly admired their ability to withstand the cold and pain of high shoes all day!
We headed back to the Spokes Protective Clothing Lounge for some of that amazing smokehouse lunch.
It turns out that the issue of wearing the right protective gear was more complex than I first realised. Did you know that there are online sellers marketing items to Australia that don’t meet our standards or are even counterfeit items? I had no idea! I suppose if they’re doing it with something as small as makeup, it stands to reason that bigger ticket items like protective gear would have this problem too. It just hadn’t crossed my mind. It pays to check out www.spokes.com.au for a full list of protective clothing retailers.
With our bellies full and feeling just that much more secure in the knowledge that the Mr. had gear that measured up to standard, we headed off to the grandstand for the big race.
I’m not even going to pretend I know about how this all works. I know the names, I know they go incredibly fast, and I know there is a palpable adrenaline in the crowd. I was informed that no, the tyre covers weren’t “wheel cardigans”, but rather electrically heated tyre warmers. I stuck to looking after my camera.
Trying to capture an image of riders going at around 300KPM isn’t as easy as I had imagined. Even with all my sophisticated gear, this is the best shot I managed to capture of Rossi about to cross the finish line.
It didn’t matter though; the size of the grin on the Mr’s face said it all. I know he was having ideas of returning to the racetrack himself, (yeah…. nah.) while we ladies could only think of the hot chocolate and warm car that awaited us.
The trip home left the Ride Smart message embedded in my mind. After seeing a few spectacular crashes trackside where, sparks flying, the boys still got up and walked away. It meant that every rider that dodged and weaved to find the “better” place in the traffic made me wince. Too many exposed ankles, girls in high-heeled boots and rear wheels nearly clipped.
As we came into the first major town, a woman stood shaking beside her car, the motorcycle in various pieces in the gutter. A crowd sat watching as the police managed the scene. It was only a matter of time before we saw this happen, and again our conversation turned to how prepared the rider may have been for the worst.
I loved watching the race, I was even more enamoured by the bikes on show. Glittering gold, chrome and cheeky slogans. But no matter what, with the Mr. right beside me, I was and am, incredibly grateful that Spokes is out there helping riders learn and prepare to make it back home.
Follow @SpokesRides on Instagram for for great tips.[/vc_column_text][dt_gap height=”30″][dt_slideshow width=”800″ height=”450″ posts=”motogp-2014″][dt_gap height=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Candice DeVille | Oct 22, 2014 | Books, Music & Art, Events
‘Brought to you by Nuffnang and ONCE the Musical”
There is something very special, rather delicate about Once The Musical. Something that makes you feel as though you should hold it in the palm of your hand, protecting its small delicate features and sheltering its rawness from the harshness of this century.
It is not the huge, glitzy ensemble cast extravaganza we’ve come to expect from a night in one of Melbourne’s oldest theatres; but rather, it is painfully beautiful in its elegant simplicity.
Once, tells the story of a young Irish man living in Dublin. Having lost his passion for love and music, he hangs ready to accept his life as a hollow existence. The unexpected appearance of a young Czech woman, who hurtles into his moment, becomes the beautiful and funny muse who inspires this moving story.
A sell out on its world premier on Broadway in 2012, Once the Musical has gone on to win eight Tony Awards, A Grammy and Oliver and an Oscar for the piece Falling Slowly
(London cast video)
This multi talented cast performs with every inch of their beings; singing, dancing and playing each and every instrument throughout the show.
The simple and cleverly designed set brings a warmth and intimacy to this show, giving you the sense of being the only one in the room to witness this love story. Even from high in the stalls, you can almost feel the gentle touch of a single hand as it reaches for another.
I’d never heard of Once the Musical before this evening. I’d not seen the 2006 Irish film on which it was based, nor heard any of the music. It was entirely new to me, and this part I think, lead me very quickly to fall into their world.
But there is something else about Once that struck me; if ever there was a musical that felt truly Melbournian at heart, Once is it.
Perhaps it is our multicultural city, our live music and pub culture, or perhaps the hours I’ve spent listening to musicians with just as much real life passion as our leading man. The story on stage reflected only too well the longing, heartbreak and desire that fills the lives of my fellow creatives.
Now that Once The Musical has opened at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, you really must see it in this city, the city that carries the same heartbeat.
Tickets for Once The Musical are on sale now for performances until December 31st 2014.
Booking early guarantees you’ll be able to get good seats in the stalls (like I did), and amazingly, have the opportunity to join the cast for a drink on stage before the performance and at interval!
Once the musical from Vintage Current on Vimeo.
by Candice DeVille | Oct 21, 2014 | 1950, competitions, photographer
A few months ago, the team at Thread Den here in Melbourne ran a sewing challenge. The idea was to create your own outfit inspired by Grace Kelly, in recognition of the movie’s release.
As an enthusiastic sewer myself (more enthusiasm, less doing), I knew just how challenging this competition was going to be, so I offered to sponsor a prize for the winner.
When Dani from Thread Den sent me the snap shots of Adele and her creation, I was just stunned. Not only was her gown the most beautiful creation, she was even a blonde Grace Kelly look alike!
Through our vintage hair and makeup salon here in Melbourne, I offered to spend a day with the winner, transforming her into a classic hollywood vision. After all the incredible effort these ladies had gone to creating their masterpieces, I wanted to capture and share the winning dress with you too.
Adele and I chatted away about our families, our shared loved of classic films and the intoxicating detail of costume. There is the most wonderful sense of understanding you find almost immediately through a shared love of vintage. Comparing childhoods, we were amazed and amused to find out how much we had in common; from the books we read to the imagination games we played. I think perhaps that all my vintage loving friends, yourself included, may fall under these same spells.
A huge thank you goes to my wonderful friend Helen McLean Photography and her trained eye for vintage glamour. Helen met Adele and myself in the salon, were we were able to capture these stunning images.
It was such a pleasure spending the day with Adele. A far cry from her usual stay at home mum attire, she thoroughly enjoyed her time playing old hollywood with us, and I think she looks absolutely born to it!
If you fancy spending a day with Helen and I creating images like this, simply drop her a line via her website. And if you’re in Melbourne, you can always book in for a private lesson with me in the salon or book to join our Beautiful Day workshop on November 15th.
