What are you waiting for?

click here to see the directors cut of Gwen Stefani's What are you waiting for'.

This was to be my inspiration for my seven year old's school concert costume.

Luckily I had some baby blue tweed on hand

And meters of black ribbon and lace

The trick was making something she liked and making it age appropriate

So watch out Gwen Stefani, and Ms Vivienne Westwood. 

I think we did okay?

Anyway, it was all good practice, and proved my hunch that designing for 7 to 14 year olds will be a tough gig.

Miss Moneypenny's Office Christmas Party Dress.

Tis the season of the dreaded office Christmas party.

And what to wear to take you from professional non drunk person seamlessly into staggering slurring mess dancing with your boss to 'I'm Sexy and I know it',is a tricky one.

I have never worked in an office and never will. 

It is quite ironic then that as a child I loved playing 'offices'. I loved sitting at my Dads desk and shuffling bits of paper,stamping them, and filing.

His 'NOT NEGOTIABLE' stamp still takes pride of place on my desk in my studio.

And because I was always interested in fashion I had a strong idea of how I would look when I finally landed that office job. 

Something like Dolly Parton in Nine to Five. 

So I don't actually have any experience in office to drinks dressing.

When making this dress for Jennie, my inspiration was Maggie Gyllenhall in Secretary crossed with Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny from the early Bond films.


And despite all of that....Jennie seems pleased with her Cicciolina 'Miss Moneypenny' dress. 

I'd probably team it up with bright yellow pumps and a bright blue clutch, and she would be ready to Gangnam style it up with the rest of the office.

Oh, and take no offence if your invoice from Sunshine & Daydreams or Cicciolina  has Not Negotiable stamped all over it. 

It's just my inner office manager trying to escape.

One party dress a week

I am a visual person

  For some  reason this perfectly formed organic pineapple and a flower my little girl had picked for me last Monday morning fuelled my inspiration and gave me the focus and energy to complete my first sample, in a few stolen hours.

 I now have two days a week(between school drop off and pick up) to work on my empire

And evenings, if only I could stay awake

  So I really can't afford to get distracted if I want to get anything done.

One sample a week is do able, I hope? And a new business plan to stun a bank manager will keep me busy through summer. As well as being a mum,with school holidays fast approaching, I also manage a little boutique part time. So TIME management is just something I need to get better at.

I need enough samples for a pop up shop in time for next years party season.

One dress a week.

I can do it

Watch this space..............

Do little girls only wear pink?

My little girls favourite colour has always been black.

I made this outfit over a year ago, and it is still her favourite.

So, now that I have decided to do a new range for Girls 7 to 15 and my first sample needs to be ready by tomorrow night for her grade one disco. Guess what colour she requested?

Black of course.

 I only have watermelon.

It took a bit of persuading. Watermelon is not pink.

I told her Watermelon is the new black

I'm not sure that she was convinced.

Stay tuned..................

Spring Racing Fashion 2012

A beautiful customer sent me these photos of herself at the Melbourne Cup.

Viz's Sunshine & Daydreams head piece was made to order at the very last minute

And I'm sure you will all agree that she looked elegant, perfect for the races. 

       Your head candy for the races should make you feel                  beautiful, not silly, and lady like, but not uncomfortable.

I'm so looking forward to attending the races myself next year, but at least knowing a few happy heads were out there wearing Sunshine & Daydreams was consolation enough for this year.   

How not to make a facinator

My little helper had a day off from school today

So while I finished off the last orders for Cup Day

My little assistant made her own fascinator and a dress for her Monster High Zombie Doll

 A home made mango icy pole was her reward for being such a patient girl. 

 Nothing beats bespoke

And so, the madness is nearly over for another year.

Melbourne Cup headpieces

We are in the swing of The Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne. Saturday is Derby Day, Tuesday we all go crazy and have a holiday for the Melbourne Cup, and the following Thursday is Oaks Day.

Every Race day has a' fashions on the field' competition, and yet again I missed out on entering all the competitions that make The Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne all that more interesting (and lucrative) for any fashion designer and milliner. And I'm both!!!

Aarrgghh....... there is always next year.

In the mean time....you can pop into Maestro Hair Yarraville (22 Anderson st Yarraville, Vic) to pick up one of these Frida Kahlo inspired headpieces.

And you can always email me with a colour request, and I will get it to you asap.

I'm also working in some flapper style 'party season' headpieces that are due in at Mico ( 5 Ballarat st Yarraville, Vic) later this week.

Can someone please remind me to get my easily distracted butt into gear about 6 months earlier next year.

I'm setting a reminder on my phone right now..........................