Home, new home!

 I believe it is a special time in anyone's life where they have the inner giggles that occasionally escape, causing odd looks to be sent their way, because everything is working out and their star is ascending.

Once again, my husband and I have just purchased, with minimal heartbreak, our second home which will hopefully do us for the next few decades. I have been passively looking for the last year, but with the wedding coming up and still needing work done to our current house, it was not the right time.

Then, this week Wednesday we decided to check out one I had had my eye on for a little while, and the rest happened very quickly. 
 
I have learned in my life that I am not one of those people who get everything perfect, or perfectly in place. With me there is always a compromise, even a small one. For this scenario, it is that our new abode ticks 99% of the boxes. There are other things I love about other houses that I would love to have in a home. Also there are a few things that we will tweak at this new one and make it more of our home, and I actually like this because it leaves something to be done.

If something feels too good to be true, it usually is and maybe the negative points are hidden. 

I would prefer to face the reality, know the negative points and work from there. But right now nothing, especially not small compromises are going to ruin this wonderful bubbly feeling that I have, when I look at Darren, our homes old and new, health, friends, and myself in the mirror. Because taking everything into account, for once I like what I see.

I have arrived.

Miss Tartan Fran ox    

How old is too old?

My personalised planner

For what, I hear you ask? Anything that makes you happy, although it may be 'juvenile', is the answer.

I must explain. Over the last few years I have become somewhat of the Youtube addict and recently discovered the hobby/past-time of 'planning'. I had always viewed diaries/planners as purely a functional item, with a pretty cover and a few pictures at the most. Stumbling upon an Elle Fowler planning video awash with bright colour, stickers, washi tape, coloured pens etc gave me a bit of a light bulb moment - this was something I could get into. 

Since she has over a million subscribers, I am guessing I am not alone. I predict that 'planning' is about to hit New Zealand BIG TIME.


So I got myself a planner (not the $100 Erin Condren Life Planner - that is an investment too far in my opinion), one from Etsy, plain but substantial and just right for personalising. Over the last few months I have been building up my washi tape and sticker collection, and I devote between half and hour to an hour every weekend customising the week to come in my planner. It is super fun and relaxing, a really neat creative outlet, and I find myself not forgetting things as much because I have written them down. 

So why the uneasiness? Because I am a 30 year old woman buying kitten, Barbie, bumblebee stickers etc. When a package comes and I am so happy about it, there is a small judgmental voice inside that says "You're too old for this!"

In America recently I saw a TV ad for adults' colouring books. With happy mum-types saying how is was an excellent way to wind down for the day in front of the TV, in bed etc, with their colouring book. Some even went as far as saying that when they were doing it, they felt like an 'artist' and would tear out the page, frame it and put it on the wall. I wouldn't go quite that far, but I can see how it would be relaxing to do at the end of a long day.

My planner interior

But colouring books are technically for kids. Or are they? I think the lines between kids activities and adults past times shouldn't be so concise, but it doesn't stop that little voice in my head. 

But I don't mind so much now, because it is fun and productive. That's the main thing.

Miss Tartan Fran ox


 

Welcome back to the land of the rose.

Well hello everyone out there!

Wow - it has been a long time since I have had the time/ideas/energy to write any posts, but life is balancing itself out and the creative juices are starting to push through. Over the last 3ish years I have changed jobs 3 times, learned to ride horses, joined and left 2 gyms, lost 10 kilos, got married, started a Youtube channel (8 subscribers - love each one of you), been on my honeymoon which included travelling to the Northern hemisphere for the first time and generally found myself, my life and a bit of ZING in general.

Reading back on old posts has made me think I really would like to redirect the content of this blog. I would like to change it into a place to share my thoughts about life, people, hobbies, money, whatever, for better or worse, for the world to see, not try to be some sort of inferior Carrie Bradshaw.

Please comment, I love to hear what people have to say in regards to my thoughts.

Rosie Fran oxox

Art Deco Nauticals

Well, I don't know how long it's been since I posted anything on this blog, but given that I am obsessed with French/nautical themed clothing I thought it might be good to write about it. Suddenly I am craving navy and white stripes, anchors and red. Usually I am a pink gal.

I think it started with my mum giving me a book on the Seeberger brothers who were prominent fashion photographers in the Art Deco period. These men are the quintessential Frenchmen, right down to their waxed moustaches. The book is filled with the royalty, gentry, beauties and high society of the period including Charlie Chaplin and cabaret star Josephine Baker. Gabrielle Chanel features in the book, along with other great couturiers that modern times have forgotten. I started unconsciously thinking about what I would wear if I were holidaying in Deauville or Nice.

A pair of blue spotty shorts (yes, they did wear shorts in those days) seemed a good place to start. Next I think will come a navy and white striped tank top and sweater (Maxshop) some platform sandals (yes they wore those too) and an aqua and cream striped scarf. To shield me from the sun, I think a rice paper parasol might fit the bill - they did sun smart with style back then.

To top it all off, a white chair found its way onto my deck recently and it is so comfy and looks like it belongs on the balcony of a villa at Cap Martin.

It may sound like I live in the past and to some extent this is true. There is a glamour and dignity about this particular period for me that is intoxicating. The dressing for dinner, cigarette holders and long gloves. But I think we can also learn something from days gone by, even if its just that a big floppy straw hat will protect you better that a baseball cap.

Deco Madness.

Wow it has been a long time since anything has inspired me to write a post. I haven't been that well this year so my focus has been on getting better, which is not very colourful to broadcast to the world. However something I have wanted to blog about is ART DECO!

I want first introduced to it when my mum mentioned I might like to read some Agatha Christie books, about nine years ago. I have always been partial to mysteries and after the first one I was hooked. And gradually after watching a few on tv, I fell in love with the architecture, clothes, cars, and etiquette of the era (between the wars mostly).

It is a love that has lasted almost a decade and recently I pretty much decided, with my fiance's concurrence, to having an art deco style wedding. I am pretty sure I have found the dress, style for invitations, venue, colour scheme, and wedding car. Of course, our wedding is about five years away so there is the possibility we will change our minds, but personally I don't think so. Everything about the concept make sense to me and Darren has no objections, as long as he can wear a suit.

All very exciting, but I was craving something a little more short term to throw myself into when I found an upcoming competition for which entrants design and make garments to be worn on the Orient Express, the fabulous train that ran in Europe in the art deco times. Bingo! Before you could say 'flapper' I had come up with designs for the Day wear category and persuaded my sister Kat to enter the Evening wear section.

So far I have made a midnight blue velvet coat with fake fur trim and navy and white striped (very French Riviera) lining and am on the way to completing a dove grey merino jersey dress, knee length with a small train over one shoulder. Will publish photos of these when they are completed.

The material alone for these garments has cost over two hundred dollars, but I don't mind. This project has been all I can think about for many months now and despite a few snags I am really enjoying it.

Will keep you posted!

Daz and me

Yesterday I got engaged to the loveliest man in the world. During a dreamy long walk on Mangawhai beach Darren proposed to me and then we went for dinner at our favourite pub in Waipu. I saw on TV recently that one of the most important things in life is to be with someone who accepts you for who you are, and I am happy to say that's what I have. I never thought I could be so open with anyone. Daz and I have our little private jokes and even a silly little private language and I am so grateful to have him.

The whole engaged thing seems very surreal at the moment, hasn't really sunk in. Maybe it will when I pick up my 18ct princess cut diamond tomorrow after it has been resized to fit my stubby little finger!!! We won't we getting married for a while, so I will have plenty of time to research all those lovely wedding outfits I wrote about a few blogs ago!

Wearable Art

Very soon my younger sister Kat will be graduating from AUT after completing a fashion degree, specialising in costume design. Today Darren and I went to see the wonderful collection of wearable art that she and her classmates had created. Kat met us at the campus and talked us through each piece that was on display, starting with the amazing outfits that were inspired by poems chosen by the students. Kat's breathtaking floral extravaganza 'Beauty in Bloom' immediately caught my eye as I remembered her describing it to me when she was first hand-dyeing the fabric. When I saw it images of Orchids, Lilys and even Tulips came to mind - the colours were truly amazing and were set off beautifully by the storm grey bodysuit which was also made by Kat.








Beside Kat's 'Beauty in Bloom' stood her wine coloured corset and pantaloons, hand embroidered with Fleurs de Lys type designs and made in the traditional way - no short cuts allowed. The costume students use old fashioned couture techniques and fabrics like raw silk and silk satin, canvas and lawn cotton.






To the right is Kat's outfit for 'Colonel Johnnie Race', a character from Agatha Christie's novel and film 'Death on the Nile'. Each person in the class was assigned a character and had to create an outfit for them. This is a story I am very familiar with, and I thought most of the outfits were spot on. I was a bit disappointed in one of the designs - that of the central character 'Linnet Doyle', a wealthy and beautiful young woman. I felt that the student assigned to her could have used a bit more imagination in Linnet's attire - that a poison green evening dress was a bit inadequate.



One that really stood out for me was 'Salome Otterbourne' (below left), a drunkard novelist obsessed with sex. Unpleasant character, perfect outfit.
















Other designs which stood out for me from the
poem assignment were a black gown, inspired by
Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven and a beautiful ballerina
tutu inspired by the poem Rice Pudding. I joked that
I could wear the black gown as a modern wedding dress -
it was gorgeous and had a train and everything!






Daz joined in the fun, posing as a mannequin.



After the exhibition, Kat took us to see her workroom and all machines they use for their projects. It was exactly as I imagined it - snarls of thread and scraps of fabric here and there, pictures on walls and mannequins of various sizes dotted around the room. There was every kind on machine you could possibly think of when it came to fabric technology, from the massive knitting machine with lots of arms to one that made buttonholes and even one that knitted gloves!

I think it will definitely help to have a couturier in the family. I came away with my head full of colours and lots of sewing ideas for the upcoming summer.