October Business Of The Month - Bags'n'Bags

When I was first contacted by Lynne from Bags'n'Bags saying that she wanted to try out a new bag style on me I was a bit blown away! I would have the privilege of receiving a bag made especially for me in a brand new style. I was so surprised that she had found this pattern and thought of me! I had no idea what it would look like and the suspense of seeing it was killing me! After stalking her Facebook page I was even more excited as her bags are just beautiful! So here it is..... 

The latest Bags'n'Bags Bag called "The Dolly Bow" 

$45 plus postage

I was so impressed with the workmanship and attention to detail! It is a great size perfect for all kinds of goodies and it has quite thick lining which helps hold its shape and makes it very sturdy. I love the pleat design and added bow! Overall it is of great quality! I would personally recommend Bags'n'Bags not only on their products but on their customer service as well. 

All of the bags are completely hand made with love by Lynne, she uses 100% cotton fabric with 100% cotton fabric for linings and detailing. She tries to keep her bags as "one offs" in terms of using the fabric once per style of bag. Lynne is always adding to her style of bags and is more than happy to do custom orders! 

Here are a few questions I asked Lynne.

When did Bags'n'Bags begin and how did it start?
Just started last month... I have an industrial sewing machine that takes up a lot of space.. which I very nearly sold - after 1 particularly horrible day at work (for someone else) I decided that it was time to put something in place, I can sew!! So it just seemed obvious to me to create quick and easy stuff that would appeal to various folk.
Do you have a love of vintage or retro styling?
I have very eclectic tastes in styles.
What is your favourite product you sell?
I think my favourites at the moment are the hobo/sling and boxy pouches.

Lynne also has a huge range of vintage illustrations on her other page Lynwam (which is also linked to her blog) and the thought at the moment is to build up her funds so she can have some choice illustrations printed onto fabric to make into bags! This is currently being tested out and I for one cannot wait to see how it turns out!

Bags'n'Bags has a special offer just for my friends! Until the end of October you will receive a FREE small zip pouch bag, similar to the one below, when you purchase any item! All you have to do is use the code "MISDOLLYFREEBIE" when making your order!

Retro Baking : Lemony Lemon Brownies Thermomix

Instead of spending all of our time in the office today for Retro Respection, Miss Ricebubble and myself decided to spend some quality time in the kitchen baking with the children (4 in total with us both having 2 each). Since we are both lovers of vintage we always prefer to use our vintage kitchen items with the exception of Miss Ricebubble's thermomix, which I am a little bit apprehensive about but willing to try. So today we were using a recipe from Nat's Thermomixen In The Kitchen, Lemony Lemon Brownies. This recipe has been made using the Thermomix but I'm sure it can be easily adapted to make in any way you like, modern or vintage.

STEP 1

Find the perfect apron!

Left To Right: Pink Poodle, Dish Dollies, Pink Diamond and Puppy Dog.

STEP 2

Collect lemons

"Reach! You can do it!"

Left To Right: Enamel mixing bowl set and enamel basin

STEP 3

Preheat oven to 180c.

 Place 150g raw sugar and the rind of 1 lemon in the Themomix bowl and blitz for 10seconds on speed 9. Scrape down and insert butterfly.

Top To Bottom: Mikasa Orange Sherbert Paprika Sugar Bowl 
and Ornamin Ware Melmac Side Plate

"In goes the lemon rind"

"It's a bit noisy!"

STEP 4

Add 100g of diced softened butter and 50g creamed cheese, whip on speed 4 for 2 minutes or until creamy. Remove butterfly and lick clean. Add 2 eggs, a pinch of salt and the juice of 1 lemon. Mix on speed 6 for 6 seconds.

We use eggs from "Eggs By Ellah" because she is a Western Australian lady who is dedicated to raising happy healthy hens and producing delicious free range eggs. Also included in this picture is a Anchor Hocking Fire King Measuring Jug 

STEP 5

Scrape down, add 150g of plain flour and 1tsp of baking powder and mix on speed 4 for 3 seconds or until just combined. Pour mixture into a lined brownie or similar tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set in the centre and edges are just starting to turn golden.

Left To Right: Flour Cannister and Persinware Scales. Flour sifter not for sale.

"Keep it in the bowl please guys"

Just before baking

STEP 6

Slice and enjoy!

How good do these look!

These came out more like a thick sponge cake than a brownie consistency but they were super yummy! I will definitely be making these again and will use my "old school" methods as I do not have a Thermomix at home. This has been such a fun day and a great way to spend quality time with the kids while endulging in my love of vintage. Most of the items photographed above are available at Retro Respection. Thankyou so much to Nat for this great recipe!

Chickabilly - Business Of The Month - August

I am so excited to introduce to you my first "Business Of The Month" post and it features one of my favourite online businesses,Chickabilly, run by the lovely lady Neety. Chickabilly is an online store for rockabilly, kustom kulture and pinup inspired bags and accessories. I came across Chickabilly soon after I began experimenting with my vintage look and I just fell in love with all the fabric combinations for headscarves and bags and it wasn't long til I had worked up a bit of a collection of scarves, flowers and my first Chickabilly bag! Neety's eye for detail is superb and her items are of such high quality and you know a lot of love went into them. A big make it or break it point for me when buying anywhere is customer service and Neety is brilliant! Here is the interview I had with Neety and I will share more on her items over the month of August. 

Here is my custom made Chickabilly bag! Hot pink and white polkadot outside, gorgeous green and white polkadot inside. Topped off with an adorable bow! 

How long has Chickabilly been running for and how did it begin?

Chickabilly has been running since early 2010. I have been sewing my own vintage inspired garments for a few years now. In late 2009, I began to look for a Bamboo Handled Bag that was rockabilly, pinup and Kustom Kulture inspired for myself, to no avail. In fact, I could not find a Bag with Bamboo handles at all, let alone anything that was unique, well made, and especially made in Australia. Therefore, the hunt for fabric and bamboo handles began. I produced a few samples of my small sized bags to begin with and carried them around with me wherever I went. I initially had no intentions of producing Bags to sell, but after receiving so many enquiries from friends and friends of friends, I decided I would begin making them for the public. I then started to receive enquiries for a larger bag and variations of handles, fabrics embellishments etc. The hunt for Rockabilly Hair Roses that sat flat on the hair to no avail also led me to start making my own. What started off as just a Facebook page, then quickly turned into an online business. I have had experience at designing my own websites in the past, so starting an online business was not new to me. Therefore, I jumped straight into it. The response was overwhelming to say the least. I am still blown away and extremely grateful at how Chickabilly has evolved in this very short period of time. 

You can have a reversible headscarf made in whichever fabric combination you like! Chickabilly has a very wide range of colours and prints. 

What is your favourite item that you sell? 

My favorite item I make and sell would have to be my Bags. They are a true labor of love. They have evolved in quality since their beginning. Every Bag is now constructed with a top quality interfacing, and each one is handmade with love, by me. I am very proud of my attention to detail, and I find joy in being able to provide my customers with unique bags, kustom made just for them. My Roses and my Reversible Headscarves come a very close second. 

 












What are your plans for Chickabilly in the future?

There is a lot in store for Chickabilly in the future. New design additions and items are always in the works and I am always on the hunt for new unique rockabilly inspired fabrics. I plan to introduce new hair flowers very soon. I also have another very exciting surprise in the works that I cant mention just yet  Make sure youre a fan of my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Chickabillyau to be the first to hear about this very exciting new addition coming to Chickabilly in the new year. 

Do you embrace a vintage inspired look of your own? 

Yes I do. I adore the 40s and 50s fashion era mainly and have for some time now. I try to dress vintage daily, well as much as my bank account will allow. I am inspired by both the modern pinup look and the vintage pinup look, depending on my mood and the weather. I often feel naked without my red lippy. My favorite fashion item would have to be my 1940s high waist dungaree style jeans, which I wear all the timeI have two pairs so I can wear them interchangeably  I love my circle skirts and dresses also, for that 50s look without going to too much effort look. However, I am by no means a vintage snob, I also spend much of my down time and study days wearing my comfortable tracky dacks and big baggy jumpers. 

What do you love most about vintage styling? 

What I love the most about vintage styling, especially the 40s and 50s, is that there is a sense of empowerment I see in women that comes from wearing vintage style clothing. It can make a woman feel classy, demure, strong and sexy all at the same time and allows all women to feel beautiful, no matter of our shape, size, or creed. Oh and the lipstick, the nails, and the hair. Oh, the hair!

CHICKABILLY OFFER TO MY FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neety has offered all of my lovely friends a discount over atChickabilly for the month of August 2013 so head over there and grab a bargain! Use the following code for a 20% discount on all items! This is to be used once per person and not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Coupon code is : MISSDOLLY20

Joining Forces and Exciting New Ventures

I am a firm believer in everything happening for a reason and that is certainly the case when it comes to my new and exciting venture! And it all began with this tea set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was doing a random search on eBay for local vintage items and happened to see this amazing tea set for sale and in the same town as me, which was a complete fluke! The lady selling the item (Storm) delivered it to my house and we had a quick introduction chat and I discovered she also had kids around the same age as mine and we left it at that. The following weekend I was at a swap meet in the next town over and we ended up literally bumping into each other and having to fight for items at the crockery table, we decided we definitely had to meet up properly for a cuppa and a chat........ We hit it off instantly! 

Over the next few weeks I continued to buy a few bits and pieces from Storm and out of the blue she asked me to spend a day with her out and about stocking up her eBay store. So off we went for a drive and stopped at all the op shops on the way, it was such good fun and we found some amazing items, mainly for her store but a few things for me too including this wicked hat!

So after an incredible day of bargain hunting the decision was made that we should team up and become vintage ninjas to find amazing vintage items at great prices to share with you all! I would like to introduce you now to Retro Respection our eBay store! We will be starting a Facebook page over the next few weeks and once a week I will be featuring my favourite items in store on my blog and hopefully giving you a little bit of history on each item. 

This week I want to share with you an item we found at out first stop, a yellow 1970's Remington Riviera typewriter.

How hot is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It still has its carry case and is such a bright yellow! It feels great to use and still has a strong "ding" at the end of a row. All it needs is a new tape (ink) which is easy enough to find online and you are ready to start typing up your own letters! 

Click here to buy this amazingly retro typewriter online! This one is up for auction on eBay and finishes on the 21st July 2013. A great functional display piece!