Adding to the Chrissy Wishlist

Dear Santa,

Is it too late to update my Christmas list? Coz I've just found these, and I think I'm in love (again!).

Wittner Drover boots in Beige, $189.95

Love you,

Frivolous xoxo

Floral cardi

Who doesn't love a good cardi? I've been spying foral cardigans here, there and everywhere in blogs and magazines, but never found any cute ones that I liked in stores. Until I came across this one.

Floral cardigan from Jeanswest, AU$49.99

Surprisingly, I found this one in Jeanswest. It was just waving to me as I walked on by whilst Christmas shopping. Tried it on and it suits me perfectly. I couldn't be happier!

Curtain

Just taking another glimpse at my favourite 100 Layer Cake blog, and spotted these lovely curtains. I love the colours used and the magic of it all. They perhaps look a little lost in the hugeness of the space used in the wedding. I'm trying to imagine them in a lounge room or bedroom. I imagine they'd look quite pretty :)

Market goodies!

I hadn't been to a decent market since the winter market break. And I'm suffering serious withdrawals. I was so disappointed come the start of December with the Healesville Market cancelled again this month as a result of the flooding (which cancelled the Novemeber market!). However, the wonderful Warrandyte Market stepped up to the plate and I'm so glad it did.

It was the first time I'd gone to a market on my lonesome. Usually it's a family affair with my mum, grandma and Mum's sister. It was quite refreshing to flit about to the stalls that attracted me, rather than hunting for everyone in the crowd or pouring over plants (as much as I like plants, I have no garden of my own so they are no fun!).

This is what I returned home with:

Teapot - $10, From a lovely stall of antique goodies to add to my (slowly growing)teapot collection! Apparently it's usable! haha

Necklace - $15, image of a Marie Antoinette fairy. This stall, 'Minc', had beautiful necklaces, brooches and hair clips at great prices. I wish I'd added some of her Alice in Wonderland hair clips to my bag!

Earrings - $9, gorgeous little blue and white ceramic owl earrings. I seem to have a thing for owls lately.

Next market: Healesville Twilight market is on this Saturday (18 December) at the Healesville racecourse, 3pm- 8pm.

Dress like Modern Marie Antoinette

And so I've become obsessed with Marie Antoinette. Quite easy to do, with her amazing life story and gorgeous and dazzling fashions. I've been obsessing over her fashions particularly after coming across Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006). Such beautiful colours and dainty decorations. So, how can you imitate Marie's stunning style?

Skin

Marie Antoinette was famous for her beautiful glowing porcelain skin. Queens were often showered with compliments from those at court and this Queen was consistently and constantly complimented on her pale skin, delicate neck and hands. To replicate this you're going to have to moisturise up, baby! Water is also a god to clear and perfect skin. Add in some sunscreen for those sunny days and you should be well on your way :)

Make-up

You can further your pale Marie Antoinette complexion with a pale foundation base.

Add some warm pink candy rouge to the apples of your cheeks - women in the French court would cake on thick pots of red rouge on their cheeks as a symbol of their wealth. Many visitors to Versailles thought it was an awful fashion, so you mightn't feel the need to go all out on the rouge as they did back then!

A modern Marie Antoinette would most definitely play around with whatever make-up was available to her. Think false eyelashes, funky coloured mascara and jeweled eyeliners. Don't go too overboard- we don't want to look like Du Barry!

Use a lip stain instead of lip gloss or lipstick - we can't go losing our lips while we're eating our cake and sipping our champagne, can we dearies?

Hair

To disguise her ghastly high forehead (as it was thought, back in the day!), hairdresses pulled her hair up higher and higher. To get this height, try smashing your hair into a messy up do. Curling your hair beforehand, teasing it and hair spray will give you extra height without the need for a wig.

And/or, decorate your hair. Find pretty clips, fake flowers, head-bands, feathers, ribbons, birds, butterflies... anything that catches your eye and add them to your hair. Don't be afraid to grab these pretties from the Little Girl's section :)

Clothing

Colours: If you're wanting to imitate Sophia Coppola's Marie, stick to pastels. The colour palette of a simple box of macaroons intended to guide the colours used in the film. So stick to pale pinks, lavender, soft sky blues, buttercup yellows, mint green and lacey white. The deep reds, lush purples and blacks were reserved for Du Barry, the lady who 'is said to give pleasure to the King (Louis XV)'.

Style: You may wish to imitate the corsets and structured dresses through more fitted, almost 1950s style dresses that support the bosom and flair at the waist. It's a flattering shape that will suit any lady. Otherwise, find delicate white dresses that allude to the chemise that Marie Antoinette made wildly popular and fashionable.

Decorations: Lace, frills, buttons, sequins, beads, floral patterns, jewels. Anything and everything with that slightly darling almost whimsical girly feeling. If it makes you squeal with delight, it's probably a good find!

If you're after more on Marie Antoinette, check out these blogs:

Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century

Titillating Tidbits About the Life and Times of Marie Antoinette

Website:

PBS Marie Antoinette

Or check out 'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' by Antonia Fraser. My review here.

Present hunting

Image: Sweet Designs

How beautiful is that Christmas tree?? Do want.

Speaking of Christmas trees... I now have something to put under it! Yes, indeedy-do! I have (mostly) completed my Christmas shopping. I have a great gift for my wonderful boyfriend, which I'm very very excited about. I was agonising over what to get him but then suddenly pop! I had the perfect idea. A quick in-and-out trip (Thank goodness! The Christmas crowds are already nuts!) and bingo, I'm all set :) Horrah!

I plan on book-browsing for everyone else (plenty great ideas up my sleeves yet!) and baking a choc-ginger slice for boyfriend's parents.

Foyle's War Fashion

Screenshot from Season 2, Episode 2 'Among the Few'. Too darling not to post! And perhaps my favourite episode so far...

So I've just finished watching Season 2, Episode 3 of Foyle's War. The episode just so happened to feature a beautiful lady more commonly known as Emily Blunt. Perfect time for those screenshots of Foyle's that I promised earlier, oui?

She is stunningly beautiful, isn't she?

You probably won't be able to see it very clearly, but I love the dress pictured above.

This is obviously only a very small small sample of the beautiful costumes and sets that can be perved on in Foyle's War. I've been trying to capture decent screenshots throughout my watching, but it appears the real beauty of the world created for this show cannot be captured in a single frame. Every little movement reveals a new beauty and it's so hard to pick exactly the right moment to turn it into a picture.