by Candice DeVille | Jun 15, 2015 | Beauty Reviews
It’s a typical mid June grey day and I was wondering just what this week would bring, when I remembered I had my June Bella Box to open! Even though it technically arrived on Friday evening, I like to leave these things to enjoy over a cup of tea and a little sense of ceremony. Little treats to yourself make such a difference when you need a pick me up. Sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s wine, but I do love how the Bella Box is a treat for so many senses. So in goes the Earl Grey and out come the goodies!
Bella Box is a monthly subscription beauty trial service. For $17.99 a set mix of product samples arrive boxed up at your door. Then I get to play with them, put them through their paces and determine if any of these bits and pieces make the grade for my kit.
Yes, good packaging makes me happy. Having the Bella Box arrive in the mail gives you that feeling of a gift arrive. “Why thank you Me, you’re too kind!” This month, the June Bella Box contained…
- A Universal Beauty lip tint stick in pink which will be trialled over the coming week for its level of pash appropriateness.
- A Burt’s Bees lip balm, which again I will be trialling particularly overnight to keep those lips in good condition.
- A vial of JOY by Jean Patou, no doubt for luring said pash partner to my lair.
- Original Source vegan shower wash, specifically designed to enrich skin moisture. Let’s see how stroke-able I get.
- Aveda Damage Remedy which is just for me to give my hair some TLC after all the drying winter indoor heat.
What have you done to treat yourself this week?
by Candice DeVille | Jun 11, 2015 | Vintage
It is with absolute joy that I can share with you so very exciting news. I’m a covergirl for Glory Days magazine! Based out of New Zealand, Glory Days is a wonderful publication covering all manner of lifestyle and beauty features for vintage lovers of all eras.
I was first turned onto them around twelve months ago and was seriously impressed. It seems that there are quite a few vintage and pin up mags popping up these days, but few have the quality and depth of articles as Glory Days. This isn’t just a publication with a bunch of pretty pictures, but contains all sorts of inspiring lifestyle ideas and accessible resources.
I so enjoyed being interviewed by Natasha. Our mutual passion for vintage and business came together in a long conversation I didn’t want to end. We spoke for hours about life as business owners and vintage lovers, which leads me to my next exciting announcement; I’ve now been invited to become a regular columnist for Glory Days and head across to New Zealand on tour!! Boy did we kick off winter with a bang!
Images via Glory Days Facebook page because I’m a bit excited!
It never ceases to amaze me how this blog has changed my life and my ability to take ideas and morph them into something new. This year, my Year of Living Bravely, is only six months in and already the seismic shifts in my direction have been astounding.
Last month I emailed you to find out more about what you love, what you want to learn and what’s holding you back from achieving your dreams. Your heartfelt responses have been overwhelming, so much so that I’m still in response mode. I knew I wanted to take Vintage Current in a slightly different direction, one that was more focused on you and less on my day to day. The challenges you face, be they style, business or personal, are not at all dissimilar from those I’ve had to master. So I want you to get more. More than just outfit inspiration, more than just a lovely read, I want to give you the keys to the kingdom. All we need is your permission to deliver them to your inbox.
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You can order this issue here and check out the Glory Days Facebook Page for daily updates.
by Candice DeVille | Jun 4, 2015 | Self
Landing back in Melbourne I was deceived by the balmy late Autumn night. I gathered my things into the cab at the airport proclaiming, “Oh this isn’t so bad, perhaps I just don’t feel it anymore now that I have experienced a little of the US cold.” Foolish woman. By 10.30pm I was rugged up like a marshmallow, thick scarf over my cable knit cowl sweater, rubbing my legs for warmth. Immediately I began making a mental list of all the things that need to happen this week, and this morning I embark on my quest.
Recover all my Winter clothes from storage and check them for suitability
Over the last twelve months I have attempted to streamline just how much I keep in the wardrobe; not enough though to keep it all in the wardrobe at any one time. Things still have to be stored seasonally. When I pack away my winter clothes, I try to ensure that everything is extra clean and use lavender to keep any bugs at bay. Now is the time to pull it all back out, check and see what I’ll still wear as opposed to what I want to donate or sell. Then I give them the once over for condition, ironing where needed and using my favourite fabric softener to freshly launder pieces, filling the house with the scent of warm washing.
Check the heating situation
If you haven’t already turned your heating on for the season, it’s important to check that not only is it in good working order, but that it is dust free. Vacuum out the vents and save yourself the scratchy eyes. Make sure that your efforts aren’t wasted and that you are keeping that heat inside where it belongs. Some door seals from the hardware store or even a few fancy door ‘snakes’ to stop the draught make a big difference. I plan on heading down to Savers today and seeing if I can score some heavy curtains to layer over the windows in the area that doesn’t hold the heat so well.
Freshen up your bed room
The 1st June is the beginning of End of Financial Year sales here and the perfect time to snag a bedding bargain. Yesterday we popped out to grab some luxuriously soft memory foam pillows (2 for $25 – nice!), a new doona and a rich slate grey cover to echo the winter tones. A thick shag floor rug and a winter spice room fragrance will add the more sensory elements.
I love this piece from Fresh Home 10 affordable ways to make your home look like a luxury hotel
Pick a project
Winter nights are the best for staying in, not having to over socialise and just hibernate for a bit. The temptation though, is to spend far too much time watching TV. Instead I’ll be sitting down to plan out personal projects I want to work on of an evening. I’ve almost entirely given up on the idea that I may one day be a knitter (just no patience), but instead I’d like to get back to drawing, more reading and actually doing some of those digital projects that are always on the ‘to do’ list. Things like scanning all my important documents, making photo books with highlights of my trips over the years, reorganising my digital filing system, and most importantly, digitising all the photos from when I was growing up to make sure they are never lost. I will of course, by having movie nights to indulge in the classics, but I’d hate to loose my evenings to whatever rubbish just happens to be on because I didn’t have anything planned.
Right now however, I think this miserable weather calls for some home delivery Thai food and a lovely bottle of wine.
I’ll be productive tomorrow.
by Candice DeVille | May 22, 2015 | DIY, Style Inspirations, Vintage Remixed
It has been a long time since I was last excited by the thought of an impending winter. Over the last few years I have been travelling through the most of those months and have missed out on those deep grey and rainy days.
Since being in Philly and getting a rough idea of what winter is like here (to say nothing of Chicago), I feel for you my American readers. The early spring days were cold enough for me, colder even than most of the Melbourne winters I’ve ever seen. The stories of snow so thick you have to stay indoors for days, that towns almost shut down as people struggle to go about their business. Rugged up in my thick winter puffer coat, furry collar and gloves, I was still so chilled by the wind that it gave me a headache. Putting winter into perspective has given me a whole new wave of inspiration and, as I think about all the lovely things I have in storage, I’ve started planning what I’d like to wear in these coming months.
With only a few days before I’m back on a plane to Australia, my friends at home tell me I had better be prepared for the cold grey days. And I remember, that being prepared, having a plan for go to outfits on those “freezing” days when you simply don’t want to get dressed, is the best way to get through those grey days with a smile on my face.
Oddly, I find that each season has a certain era to it in my mind. Spring and Summer are all 1950’s and 60’s, Autumn is more 1930’s, and Winter seems very 1940’s to me. I imagine that this is because there are certain iconic pieces from each era that work so well for those seasons. The 50s floral day dresses and 60s shifts, 1930s wide leg pants and jaunty knit tops, and those stunning 1940s waisted suits.
While I love, and have quite a collection of those suits, they really aren’t the most comfortable or practical option for someone who spends most of their time working from home. I also draw a very big line at working in my pyjamas or anything resembling a tracksuit, yet the appeal of soft warmth on those days is quite intoxicating. It has given me an idea.
What if, just maybe, I could find a way to work some nifty pants in a soft, track pant like fabric (gasp!) into my 30s and 40s inspired wardrobe?
I have so many patterns, I have my sewing machines and I have a very creative way of piecing things together. Why not? I know I won’t wear leggings or yoga pant styles, and as much as I loved jodhpurs, my hips don’t. What if I can find just the right kind of fabric in navy, black and chocolate brown, then perhaps I may be able to make something so versatile and comfortable it could be the vintage lovers alternative to the jegging?
Perhaps I have gone completely mad, but my instincts tell me I may be onto something.
So I’ve been poking around to find the right inspiration for patterns and ensembles. Looks that are appropriately polished enough, yet will still work with these sort of stealth slacks.
Of course the success to this idea (other than the construction) will be all in how they are styled. Here’s what I’m imagining.
Toasty chocolates and camel wools. Tan leathers and knitted berets, all ready for adventure.
Rich berries, tone on tone with soft and cozy wide leg pants. A belted vintage blazer with a strong shoulder line to dress it up.
A simple boucle knit with the same wide leg pants makes lounging around a pleasure. Add a fabulous cape, turban and these incredible gloves to head out for a spectacular evening.
I’d love to hear from my fellow sewers as to what you think of this idea. I’ve worked in all kinds of fabric, including fleece for blankets, but I’ve never tried to create something more structured from this fabric. Have you done anything like this? Have I gone completely mad?
by Candice DeVille | May 18, 2015 | Travel
Having these past nine weeks in the US has given me time to really enjoy and reflect on simplistic beauty. The changing of the seasons across the states, the cold I never see in Melbourne and the incredible transformation of the landscape. The Bluejays, Robins, Woodpeckers, Squirrels and Deer; all make the most romantic visions to this Australian’s eyes.
A simple afternoon in the Japanese Tea Gardens of San Francisco was another such moment of introspection and beauty. We would have loved to have the gardens all to ourselves, but none the less, sitting in the shade and watching squirrels play in the leaves gave me such a joy in the little things.
