Easter Soufflé

Sadly, there aren’t too many millinery traditions upheld at Easter these days, except perhaps in the classroom, where children still construct Easter bonnets. So this Good Friday, I bring you a robin’s egg blue soufflé!

This vintage 1960s glorified beret has so many enjoyable points: it’s striped; it’s robin’s egg blue (or, if you like, Tiffany blue, one of my favourite colours); and is has an amusing amount of volume. That latter characteristic is why I’ve dubbed it my soufflé hat. It can, however, be flattened to a less conspicuous and more omelette-type shape if I want to go about incognito.

So many eggscellent reasons to wear it at Easter time!

Photo: April 2013

The Last Days of Summer

Today is the last day of summer!!! The quantity of exclamation marks should indicate my shock and horror, for this tragic ending has crept up on me. I had even been thinking about the fact that we actually have an extra day of summer as this is the 29th of February, but the reality had not quite dawned on me because the dear meteorologists (so beloved of Melbourne’s populace because of our fickle climate) have forecast several hot days this week. (They had better be right.)

So really, there are still a few unofficial days of summer out of which we can squeeze maximum enjoyment. But I thought it right to commemorate this sad occasion with a suitable outfit, and what better than one nautically-inspired? A blue and white striped linen tee is as summery as can be, don’t you think? The outfit has a little bit of 1940s flavour too, one of my favourite fashion eras.

Farewell dear summer, see you next year!

Photos: Today

Into the New

Early on New Year’s Eve, I had a lurid dream which in once scene had me running through a deep forest down a narrow but well trodden path that followed the curve of a slope. In the dream, I thought: “Oh! This reminds me of that other beautiful forest I have run in before – and I’m going to be there tomorrow!” And within the dream, my mind’s eye pictured this other forest; far more beautiful than the one I was in. It was an untouched wilderness, the green so vivid, the grass so lush, the trees like dryads dancing in the wind – you couldn’t believe it was real.

In past days I had been pondering the coming new year, wondering where it would take me, down what adventurous roads. A forest, in dream symbology can represent the unknown, losing your way or perspective, and the concept of infinity, the great out there. A new year always seems full of infinite possibilities, doesn’t it? We take a step out of the old year, and into the new.

A new year always seems full of infinite possibilities, doesn’t it?

Late this afternoon I walked to the botanic gardens nearby, to my favourite place, a ‘lawn’ of oak trees, elms, and pines, covered in long, lush grass: a pocket wilderness in fact. (Also in fact, the long lush grass was slippery, sticky and stingy; and hidden underfoot were great spiny seeds, and I was wearing thin-soled sandals. I hope that’s not a metaphor for the coming year!)

It was so beautiful there, lying in the grass under the trees, with the wind blowing through the leaves; a lovely start to the new year. I’ll just make sure to put on sturdier shoes when there are hills to climb.

Happy New Year!

Photo: Yesterday

Eleventh Hour Resolutions

QUICK! You (if you live in Australia) have about six hours left to complete your 2015 resolutions! I am piling on the scarves today (despite the blistering 39°C heat) in an effort to scrape a passing mark.

I have tallied up my own score for your edification:

Resolution #1: Do Not Get Sunburned
Score: A-
Remarks: Was ‘sunkissed’ only a couple of times; no irreparable damage

Resolution #2: Wear Scarves More Often
Score: D+
Remarks: Average grade was brought up only because of winter layering; last-ditch attempt to raise score utterly ridiculous

Resolution #3: Keeping On Top of Ironing
Score: B+
Remarks: Basket perpetually full; no sooner one lot was done, clean laundry refilled it only to languish for a week or two before being attended to; however, it was getting done despite slowness

Resolution #4: Keeping Up with Mending
Score: B-
Remarks: Pretty good but more consistency required; final grade achieved by skin of teeth: last batch completed on penultimate day of year

Well, apart from the scarves I did not do too badly. How did you go with your own promises?

All of these resolutions are still keepers, and I am busy rustling up new ones too, just to keep me on my sartorial toes.

I hope you have had a great year, and here’s to a fabulous last night celebrating!

Photo: Today

Elves: Global Edition

We all know Santa has elves who help him in his enormous task of procuring gifts for the children of the world, and the even more monumental task of distributing them on Christmas day. This Christmas Day I will be discussing these little-known facts about Santa’s Little Helpers:
1) he has elves in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and
2) the varying climate necessitates quite different uniforms for each.

Red and white are the favourite colours of the elves, although many favour either green and red, or green and white. (Very few wear red, green and white.)

In the Southern Hemisphere, where it is hot at Christmastime, female elves of necessity wear thin, light garments, usually sleeveless tops and short skirts. Male elves commonly wear white linen shorts, cuffed at the hem. Both sexes wear hats or hairnets (hats, such as this red beret, are far more popular) to keep hair out of heavy machinery in the toy workshops.

Their Northern cousins must dress for warmth, naturally, and favour wool, velvet, and, more recently, polar fleece and puffer jackets. This Northern elven female costume consists of a striped velvet coat, pleated skirt, white leather boots and red velvet cap. Traditionally-minded male elves still wear their white velvet breeches, although the more avant-garde are favouring waterproof ski gear.

So there you have it! I do hope the elves have done their work properly and delivered the right presents to the correct recipients. (That is the main cause of so many disgruntled giftees going to the shops on Boxing Day to make exchanges. I assure you, Mr Claus is working tirelessly to fix this vexing problem.)

I hope you have had a very merry Christmas, dear Snapettes!

Photo: Yesterday