For the love of Lilli Ann - a 5.30am bidding frenzy!

Regular readers of my blog will know that I love Lilli Ann, a US designer that made wonderful suits and coats from the 1940's-60's (her company made garments after the 60's, but the best stuff is from the 40's and 50's). Unfortunately, her 40's and 50's garments are quite rare and quite expensive (suits range between US$ 400-700), so it was wonderful that I found this fabulous 'nipped waist' coat on ebay recently . . .

I love the 'hourglass', New Look design of this coat - it is really divine. I have been on the prowl for a coat exactly like this for months, but the ones on etsy were in the US $399 range. I simply did not want to pay that much for something I could not try on so imagine my delight when I spotted one on ebay USA for $9.99 auction (or $195 Buy it now). Of course, like a fool I didn't use the Buy it now facility and instead thought, 'oh not many people will see this (no one had bid on it by then), so I will go for the auction, perhaps I can get it for much less'.

Little did I know that the 12.43 bid end time in the US translated to 5.43am on a Sunday morning Australian time - ouch! So on Saturday night, after having a few too many red wines at a school trivia night I set my mobile phone alarm for 5.30 - was I mad? The answer is, yes, I think I am a little mad when it comes to vintage, so up I got at 5.30am, foggy with a slight hangover and logged on to ebay, just to find out that the coat was already up to $203.50. I must explain that I not an early morning person, I repeat not. I usually get out of bed at 8am when I can (!).

However, there was a happy ending to this story, as I can report that due to my well-timed spipe I got this little beauty for US $232.50 - more than what I could have gotten through 'buy it now', but much less than the equivalent on etsy.

So what is the lesson for me (and perhaps for all of us in this?) I think (a) sometimes 'Buy it now' can be better when it comes to rare items and (b) before bidding work out what the local time will be for end of the auction - bidding at 5.43 am after a big Saturday night is not an experience I would recommend!

Happy bidding to you all!

A hidden Art Deco gem in Brisbane: University of Queensland

I was fortunate enough to travel to Brisbane a few weeks ago to give a lecture at the University of Queensland (St Lucia campus). I had never been to this university and was amazed by the Art deco architecture on campus. It is a little hidden gem in Brisbane . . .

I gave my lecture in the Law Building, which is at the centre of the main college quadrangle called "The Great Court". This consists of lovely sandstone art deco buildings in a big semi-circular arrangement, with beautiful green grass and pathways in between - a little bit like Oxford University. It is a heritage listed building and I can see why . . .

The St Lucia campus is only about 10 minutes drive from the Brisbane city centre and I think it is well worth the trip. It is absolutely gorgeous (and there are great cafes and a bookshop to look at after your Art Deco tour!). There is lovely, energised vibe on the campus, which match the beautiful surroundings - really a very lovely place to visit.

Can you read what is written on the building (above the doors) in the photo below?

It says 'A place of light, of liberty and of learning'.

How fantastic is that?

I also love the detail on these doors . .

A lovely view down the portico/cloiser (not sure what is the correct architectural term!) in the college quadrangle . .  Just makes me want to wander around and ponder the meaning of life!

I love a good arched window . . .

For details of how to get to the St Lucia campus of University of Queensland, please see this link: http://www.uq.edu.au/maps/directions.html?menu=1

Vintage casual: A 'to be sure to be sure' Irish-green jacket

With two children, one husband and a job to look after, I don't always get the time to get dressed up in 'full-on' vintage style every day. This past week has been rather hellish as both my children have both been very sick with a stomach bug so my daily outfit has consisted of whatever was handy. As a result, it felt absolutely fantastic today to get back into wearing some vintage . . .

        Green wool jacket little vintage store in Grey St, St Kilda (no longer there)

Brooch Opp Shop, Edinburgh : see this this earlier post for details

blouse op shopped/thrifted

black trousers Basque, Myer (they have great wardrobe staples like this at very good prices)

This is one of my typical vintage 'casual' outfits - one that I can go grocery shopping in, take my child to the park etc and not be overdressed or uncomfortable. I am a big believer in black trousers as a good wardrobe staple - I can look nice, but still be able to bend down lots to pick up children, toys etc and not be too worried that my clothes will get stained by my 2 year old's grubby little hands! I personally don't like to wear my 'good' vintage when I am with my children for the day as there are too many dangers - I have had some bad experiences with the staining danger posed by white nappy cream so I am over-cautious.

I love the colour of this jacket - a deep Irish green - one of my favourite colours (others are royal blue and of course, pink!). My husband is Irish (don't you love that accent) so he likes to see me in this jacket. I dress it up with a brooch, and if its a bit chilly, a scarf. I am only just getting 'into' wearing scarves. I have never known exactly how to tie them and they always seem to look odd on me. However, I am trying! I bought this one at a market from my fellow Melbourne blogger, the gorgeous Lady Melbourne. It was a whole $5 - bargain!

Before I go, a close up of the lovely brooch on the jacket - the silver against the green looks great in real life - really sets the colour of the jacket off nicely.

A vintage afternoon tea at home and the best chocolate cake ever!

I love putting on afternoon teas for my friends at home and so last Sunday I baked my favourite chocolate cake (see recipe below), bought a few extras from my local pattisserie and got out the good china for a visit from one of my oldest friends. I just love drinking out of vintage tea cups - so civilised! It also justifies my many vintage china purchases to my hubby! (see darling hubby, they aren't just for show!)

My favourite vintage china pieces and tablecloth - purchased mostly from op-shops (except blue tea and cup set - ebay; milk jug and sugar bowl - part of wedding gift from my Mum). The only thing I was missing was champagne glasses so I just made do with what I had in the cupboard! Main dish contains chocolate cake (homemade), baked cheesecake slices and hazelnut macaroon pieces (Swiss Patisserie, Syndal)

Vintage Suburbia posing for the camera before her guest arrived - sorry for fuzzy photo! (I am picking up my new Canon 1000D next week so hopefully better photos will be coming up very soon!)

I always try to have some savouries in my afternoon tea selection - here I have some lovely quiches and cheese and tomato topped baguette - from my local patisserie - Tanner's Swiss Patisserie, Blackburn Road, Syndal. They have really lovely stuff and their baguettes are some of the best I have ever tasted.

Afternoon tea would not be complete without vintage cake forks - I got these from Ebay Australia a few years ago. I love the case and look at the gift card that was still in it when I bought it. It reads 'Dear Sue, here's wishing you all that you wish yourself - May every joy and happiness be yours, Margaret'. Don't you love that? People in the 50's and 60's (which I am guessing this set is from) wrote so beautifully back then. I feel very privileged that I can keep this set in memory of its original owner.

Close up of my favourite vintage tea set - Vintage Spode - purchased from Ebay Australia a few years ago. It wasn't cheap I have to admit, but it was worth it, because I absolutely love it!

Last, but not least, you should really try out this fabulous chocolate cake recipe - you can use it to make a cake or put the mixture into patty cake tins and make cupcakes (just put in oven for less time, say 20 mins). The secret to its loveliness is the vanilla essence and brown sugar - divine! Let me know what you think of it once you have tried it out! The recipe actually comes from our very own Australian Prime Minister Rudd (who I used to like once upon a time, I'm not so sure now!). Anyway, I came across it on a website and am now sharing it with you . . . (PS I wonder if President Obama has a favourite choc cake recipe - I must google that!)

My Mum's Favourite Chocolate Cake Recipe

Recipe provided by Hon Kevin Rudd – Prime Minister of Australia

for PDF version of cake recipe which you can print out see: http://www.cuppaforkids.org.au/downloads/recipes/PM_Chocolate_Cake_recipe.pdf
CAKE

Ingredients

185 g Butter at room temperature

155 g Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs at Room Temperature

190gm SR Flour

30gm Cocoa Powder

125ml Milk

Method

Cream Butter, Sugar and Vanilla, add eggs one at a time.

In another bowl sift the flour and cocoa together then fold it and the milk alternating into

the creamed butter and sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes in a moderate oven - fan forced about 150 degrees.

ICING

Ingredients

1 and a half TBL Cocoa

1 TBL warm Milk

75 gm Butter room temp - cubed

125gm Pure Icing Sugar

Half teaspoon vanilla

Method

Mix together and spread over cooled cake.

Heaven is a Houndstooth skirt, Art deco and great coffee

Vintage Suburbia's Saturday outing outfit (!)

(further details of outfit near end of blog)

Today I went on a trip into the city for my favourite things in the world: fashion, architecture and good coffee. The first pitstop was Open Day at the Victorian Supreme Court library. I love books and libraries so this visit was wonderful. The library, which is 124 years old was lovely - you walk into a big foyer covered over with a dome and there is a lovely wrought-iron balcony above. Unfortunately cameras are not allowed into the Supreme Court building, but you can get some idea of what it looks like from this photo from the library's web-page . . .

                

                   Victorian Supreme Court library                Exterior of Court showing beautiful dome

Next stop was my favourite place for coffee: Cafe Mediterraneum in the Manchester Unity Building, Collins Street. If you have never been to this cafe or to this building you must, because both the coffee and the architecture are sublime.

Cafe Mediterraneum, Manchester Unity Building, Collins St, Melbourne

My favourite food - portuguese tart and a great latte!

Firstly and most importantly lets talk about the coffee: the coffee is, in my humble opinion, the best in Melbourne. Coffee freaks online talk about 'Dancing Goat' and other trendy coffee bars, but Cafe Meditteraneum is better, both in terms of the quality of the coffee, and the ambience and friendliness of the waiters/owners. The cafe is a family-run business - even though I am only able to go there occasionally I know them by name and they are very, very friendly. Secondly, the place is very quiet (no loud music - great when you are like me and want to read) and third, it is very child-friendly (lots of room to park a stroller).

Next the architecture - simply the most beautiful building in Melbourne. See for yourself . . .

Last, but definitely not least - what did I wear to fit in with these glorious surroundings? A vintage houndstooth skirt is what! . .

Vintage houndstooth skirt etsy (seller: Whiteelephantsale)

crinoline underneath ebay

black top laura ashley

pearls 'borrowed' from my mum

belt etsy

Vintage Armani shoes op shop/thrifted

art deco sideboard pictured op shop/thrifted

The skirt is really gorgeous (a heavy houndstooth woolen fabric with lace panels around the bottom). I think from the 1950's (the label says 'Jack Posluns'). It is however, very tiny, so I have only been able to wear it now after many hours spent in the aerobics and dance studios of Melbourne (a 25 inch waist - ouch!).

Before I go, just a quick close-up of the shoes, found in an op shop for the princely sum of AUS 12.99. They are a bit small for me, but I am trying to stretch them!

PS sorry if I have been absent from the blogging world for a few weeks - I have been trying to get my life organised after our big trip to Europe. Although it was wonderful, taking two children on a long haul flight was rather exhausting so we are all only getting back to normal now. I will be back to my  normal blogging self (one post on a Friday) this week! Thanks so much for reading.

Vintage shopping in Dublin

Lucy's Lounge Vintage Store, Dublin

This is my last post from overseas and my last fossick for vintage treasure in international lands!

Unfortunately I didn't find any treasure on any of my visits to vintage stores in Dublin. As with my previous shopping expeditions in the vintage shops of London and Paris (before I was a blogger) I found that there are only two types of vintage shops in Dublin - the high end, way-out-of-my-price range store, and the 'This is really just an op-shop' type store - full of cheap and nasty 70's and 80's "vintage" (notice the quotation marks around 'vintage' in that last sentence - I think some vintage shops really need to more accurately rename themselves as 'second-hand shops').

Anyway, it was interesting to look to see what is on offer overseas in any case. It has made me realise how lucky I am to live in Melbourne where we have more affordable quality vintage clothing stores (I must note that I haven't yet properly fossicked in LA, New York or Portland, where I suspect all the great 50's clothes are).

Now onto specifics: The best store I visited in Dublin is called 'Lucy's Lounge' in the Temple Bar district. It is decorated in a very funky way, with old children's prams and dollhouses placed up on top of shelves, and is packed with stock. The stock mainly consists of late 60's, 70's and 80's low-end vintage, with lots of things around the Euro 5-10 range (about AUS $8-13). This is not really 'my thing' as I love 40's suits and 50's dresses. However, if you were a student (which most of the customers appeared to be, you would love it). There were a few nice 60's hats, but I was a bit reluctant to take these in my luggage lest they be squashed.

Lucy's Lounge, Temple Bar, Dublin

The interior of Lucy's Lounge - notice the prams hanging on the wall - fabulous!

Some of the stock in Lucy's Lounge. The stock was nicely put out and laundered. No musty smells here!

At the other end of the scale is the very (and I repeat, very) high-end vintage store called 'Jenny Vander'. The prices would make your eyes water! The stock consists of a lot of beaded handbags, jewellery, and vintage dresses that I actually found difficult to date. I presume they were from the 1930's, given that there were around EUR 180 (which is about AUS $300), that is, given that they were pricey, but I am not sure. Perhaps you can be the judge from these photos . . .

Jenny Vander Vintage, Georges St, Dublin

Expensive dresses in window of indeterminate era - perhaps 1930's? (PS sorry for the reflection of glass)

So there you have it, my little tour around Europe, presenting you with my op-shop and vintage store fossicking. I hope I haven't been too negative in reviewing these vintage stores overseas, but I have to say it as I see it and I have to say that for me, the vintage treasures are in Melbourne plus etsy/ebay. I am sure you all have your own opinion about where the vintage treasures are to be found. I hope you have enjoyed my glimpse into far-off vintage lands!

Op-shopping in Dublin

I had a lovely time fossicking around the op-shops of Dublin during my recent trip to Europe. Op shops in Ireland are quite similar to those in the UK - a mix of Oxfam, Cancer Society, Age Concern with a smattering of 'independent' ones like the 'Simeon Community' and Catholic-run stores like St Vincents.

Irish Cancer Society op-shop, Camden St, Dublin

Like their UK counterparts, Irish op-shops are very clean and organised and have amazing window displays. I noticed that most of the window displays are not for sale until a certain time and day (usually 10am on a Saturday) so I missed out on trying on and buying some of the really nice stuff, but I can say it looked very nice indeed. The best op-shop I found was called 'Age Concern' in Camden St, Dublin . . .

Window display - Age Concern, Camden St, Dublin

Window display - Age Concern, Camden St, Dublin

Look at that beautiful tea and cup set on the right - divine!

Window display - Age Concern, Camden St, Dublin

I saw these Prada Shoes on sale in the window at 'Age Concern' in Camden Street, but they only went on sale on the day I was leaving Dublin - arghh! They look ultra cute and only EUR 10!! I am sure there would have been a queue outside the door on that day for these shoes.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to spot any real 'vintage' pieces in my travels through the Dublin Op-shops (which was also the case in the UK). Perhaps savvy vintage buyers regularly go through the shops and buy up all the vintage? Or perhaps there is not so much around? In any case, it was good fun to go treasure hunting all the way over in Ireland!

Op shops in Dublin

The main 'drag' for op shops in Dublin is Camden Street, which is within walking distance of the centre of Dublin (eg about 10 mins walk from Trinity College). You can also catch the no. 22 bus. There are also a few op shops, including Oxfam, on Georges Street, which is in the heart of the city.