Ornithophora Padicans Plus Frippery

There's certainly no time for frippery when you are messing with orchids. And once again, if you have been paying attention, you'd know that my new range is based on the sheer delicacy and beauty of such plant creatures.
This post is both good news and bad.

First, some retrospective data on what once was; something very beautiful between me and the Ornithophora Padicans and the Phalenopsis species.

Rest your eyes, but be prepared for a shock.

So dainty and those colours...!

*sigh* Leopard Orchid, how I loved thee. Please rejuvenate and bloom a spray.

I know, I don't deserve it.

Let's face it, I had it all, until...

But why, harsh Brisbane summer are you so cruel!

And why, didn't I read the fine print given to me the orchid society?

Orchid sadness. Dry brittle roots masses, they are supposed to be 'moist and slightly green'.

Alas, all that remains, after a summer in the House of Flora. I have taken the other hapless victims, after furtively searching the net for, 'How to care for Orchids?' to a cooler, more humid place.

Don't worry too much, I have been advised, 'They might come good,' by a well-meaning colleague.

Now, for the good news! I've had a couple of days, working on my inspired 'Orchid Society' range for 2012.
Here's a little look! They are very lightweight to wear and based on organic shapes and forms.
I've used lots of the most beautiful sculpted lace to emulate the graphic lines of the orchid flowers, leaves and stems.

Almost completed Flora's-One-of-a-Kind.

Lovely Floras, I still have you.

I am scheduling a May Hat Salon in the comfort of my own salubrious surroundings towards the end of the month. Message me if you'd like the details!

 More wonderful creations to come.

And, if you know anyone from the Orchid Society (Mt Coot-tha) mum's the word with this post.

House Muse: in Good Company

Imagine my surprise that Flora's-One-of-a-Kinds have been in the company of Valentino, Chanel, Paul Hunt and DVF,

thanks to my best dressed customer and  muse, C, they have.

Like many of us, lovely C works very hard for her money, but her compassion and genuine interest in the well-being of others has ensured that she is regularly philanthropic, and remains well-grounded,
in this busy world we live in.

Last year, C's love of fashion and design resulted in her selection for Brisbane, Queensland, Australia's
 'Best Dressed 50' list.

I've collected together an array of happy snaps that detail some of C's 'Flora wearing' fashion moments. 

C is also my reason for my love for Judith Leiber minaudieres. I now own one, too, thanks to her kindness in tracking down my preferred piece, rare and located on the other side of the world,
 but nonetheless available!

If you've been paying attention, you've seen my JL frippery at dinner at Montrachet, Paddington, Brisbane,
 in an earlier blog.

I had to include the divine Alexandra Harper 'saddle' inspired 'hatinator', because C (of the most impeccable manners and consideration) purchased this, and then saw fit to apologise for not sourcing one of my designs, (due to me being overseas on my honeymoon), at the time of the Melbourne Cup!

Who has manners and consideration like this? Send them to me!

Anyway, here's a look at C and her Floras!

C, teaming a Flora and pheasant feather fasi with her leather trimmed figured lace Valentino dress. Divine.

At the Melbourne Cup (2010) looking amazing in Flora's electric blue and maroon rose and pheasant fleur crown, wearing Brisbane designer Paul Hunt's ensemble also of teal and purple hues.

Celebrating a Wedding, wearing teal and purple with faint glitter highlight, with a soft teal fur shrug
 around her shoulders.

An nature inspired ensemble with raffia and ruffles on the tonsure, set against a striking purple DVF shift,
with Chanel coral heeled sandals!

The sandal, under close up conditions! *sigh* Loving sand-look toe section!

C in New York, with the Judith Leiber beehive bag and a co-ordinated glittered and golden flower,

 with stark dark feather contrast.

A close examination of the hive.

Still in New York.



On a barge, touring on the Burgundy Canal, France in 2008.

C wearing Alexandra Harper's saddle hatinator, and with her mitts on the Melbourne Cup, 2011!

And, another lovely Paul Hunt design. I thought the Alexandra Harper selection was amazing!

This photo has nothing to do with Floras, but was in the social pages of a city newspaper, in full colour.

I loved C's lipgloss shade, not to mention her looking stunning in a full-length, red sequinned sheath. 

I sent her a quick text that Sunday morning, asking what it was.

Depsite running a business, household and family, C shot back the name and brand in an instant!
 'Bobbi Brown, Scarlet'.

You've got to love that attention to detail, and to a friend's requested frippery!

Happy Birthday and Ossie Clark Inspired

We had a birthday house party this weekend, just the four of us (including the two canines). I whipped up a cake in between dropping the birthday recipient to a Rugby game, doing a inordinate amount of housework and receiving three visitors. A colleague at the daily grind said to me late Friday, 'How are you going to find the time to make a birthday cake?'. Usually, I do bake 'from scratch'.

 Well, here's my secret, I fortified existing ingredients, two good quality packet mixes, white cooking chocolate, raspberries, two dog adornments and a can of gasp! genetically modified, corn syrup loaded petal pink pressurised icing.

Heinous, I realise. The icing also had 'soy' in it, also on the GM list on imported foods.

Before

After

The dog, after eating the cake.

One a more sensible note, I took the advice of my lovely e-friend from the gorgeous Etsy store and the Dangerous Liaisons blog, Barbara Lowe, that I should post my new pure wool, felted 70s style floppy hat from

Upittee Boutique, Brisbane, Australia. Barbara used to work as a personal assistant and stylist for

fashion icon Ossie Clark. She was also a stunning model, herself. She wore an amazing Ossie Clark number on her Wedding day, and I'm sure more frocks on many other occasions!
She also finished the bridal look with a light coloured soft, floppy hat.

Now, she makes this amazing vintage style accessory range.

Let's face it,  I've over-accessorised myself to the hilt, to get a bit of a romantic nostalgia vibe alla Ossie Clark.

Make sure you check out Ossie's amazing designs, including the fabrics' prints.

And let's face it, a hat is essential for sun-protection in these harsh climes; it's amazing we don't see more of them.

If you are reading this and you are one of the 'workers', try to do some research into Ossie Clark's career, to help you ideate for our Creative Caftans project. You know who you are!

Staying Thin: Chocolates

Luckily, the head (like the feet) doesn't really 'put on weight'. If you can scratch together $24.99, then this almost 1.4kg box (yes, two layers!) of beautifully presented Whitman's chocolates is all yours!

Phone a friend, you could form a syndicate and then divvy the booty up!

If it's you and your bestie, hopefully, there's an even number of chocolates!

And you get change!

Do not despair, I plan to hide the box in various locations around the house, and bring it in to the 'daily grind' a few times,

 to whittle them away!

Luckily, I have read 'French Women don't get Fat' and now I know how to portion such things.

Concealed...

Rocking the Bangs

Well, I have to admit, I am behind with my homework. There's no recent Flora-One-of-a-Kinds to parade,

no progress made with the forthcoming May Hat Salon. And, the house is a pig-sty.

Instead my new hair trim, ie. the fringe has taken over my life. My fringe now has life of its own,

and needs its own introduction.

Apparently, it's taken 'years off'.
The new coif has been a conversation starter, and to be honest, a very pleasant surprise. The fringe is cheaper than botox, more convenient than plastic surgery and a welcoming youthful refresher, for what's been a well nourished,

 but still 40 something visage. And, most astonishingly the 'do' only cost me $8.

And gasp, I have also decided to stop tinting my colour and embrace the grey!

I now have two stylish grey sweeps under my heavy bangs.

It's the Ipad's fault, once you've searched 'going grey attractively' you get hooked on the idea.

Ladies, I highly recommend the move, if you've been thinking about it, do it!

Thank you to all those, who this week, told me I was 'rocking the bangs'.

Here's some totally unrelated frippery, that I love to look at; that I've got lying around the house.

Happy Weekend, and remember, if you've been hesitant about the bangs, now's the time!

Canine Optimism

I once heard someone say that dogs are extraordinarily optimistic creatures and I must agree, they are. I'm heading into my third week of early morning boot camp, and the effect it's having on me is extraordinary. I am as happy as a dolphin and as content as a clam, and it must be the endorphin release, and, guess what? It lasts all day.

How wonderful to feel like the sort of person, my dog thinks I am.

 I hope you enjoy these lyrics by Katie Tunstall, and a bit of look at some pret-a-porter Flora-One-of-a-Kinds.
The song's great, too.

"Suddenly I See"
Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

I feel like walking the world
Like walking the world
You can hear she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white
Makes you feel warmer when you're trying to remember
What you heard
She likes to leave you hanging on her word

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

And she's taller than most
And she's looking at me
I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine
Oh she makes me feel like I could be a tower
A big strong tower
She got the power to be
The power to give
The power to see

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)
Why the hell it means so much to me

Satin and Tea Rose Effect with Net and Diamante

Black Polka Tulle with Feather Sculpture

Cute and Happy: Embroidered Rose Band

What makes you Happy?

Country and Place?

Heads up, eyes on me. There's been a lot of ongoing frippery about the decisions made by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority; decisions as to what to include in the national curriculum,

across some key learning areas in recent years. Most would agree that one of the cross-curriculum priorities of including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isander: Histories and Cultures, is an important one, if we are ever going to address some of the inequities faced by those in these communities.

Today, I pondered 'country and place' with those at the chalk-face, while  

addressing the belief that, 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place throughout all of Australia'.

We looked at all sorts of stuff, including flashbacks to Midnight Oil singing Beds are Burning for the people of the Gibson Desert region, Yothu Yindi singing Treaty (Filthy Lucre Re-Mix) conceived after 1988's marking of 200 years of white settlement or invasion,(call it what you may) and lastly heard the astonishing sound of Gurrumul's vocals and guitar .

Do you have a special place? How important has 'place' ever been to you?

Why?

Is it somewhere from your childhood?

                                                    

The house you grew up in?

A seat, with a view to a favourite collection of things?

A nook where hydrangeas grow.

Or maybe, your fuchsias?

Or a just a certain room.

Or where the sun sets over the water, in the West?

Where is your 'place'?

The Vision Splendid: Chanel Scarf

Who buys something as wonderful as a Chanel scarf 'for a friend', then actually gives it to them? My lovely friend C clearly does. She saw this pure silk luxury in a Chanel Boutique in Hawaii,
and 'thought of me', she explained.

It came to me gift wrapped, a sturdy black glossy box, squared, safely secured with a metre or so of signature black and white satin ribbon, fabric camellia attached, stamens in the centre.

  I didn't want to open it.

Inside crisp tissue, a gold CC sticker held, neatly folded, the vision splendid.

A classic, not-quite-white camellia and house logo scarf with black accents.
Sorry about the shock of seeing part of me clad in a poly/viscose sweatshirt number from Barkins, but I am doing my best to exercise, so I look the best, when I wear the scarf this Winter!

Be still my giddy heart.

This e-bouquet is for you, C.

What lovely things, either tangible or not, have you done for others lately?
What have others done for you?