Summer holiday reading for inspiration.

I am spending the school holidays enjoying the sun and relaxing with my family, but also planning for a bigger and better year ahead for Sunshine & Daydreams. I am going to to sit in our new blow up pool reading inspiring biographies while sipping iced tea and yelling at children.

Here is my reading list.........

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson - chosen for obvious reasons. This blog is written on a iMac, photographed on an iPhone while I listen to my iPod and dreaming about buying an iPad.

Charlotte Bronte, a biography by her freind Elizabeth Gaskell. This one I bought myself as a Christmas present and I shall read to remind me that my life is not actually that hard.

Finally, Halston by Steven Bluttal and Patricia Mears. I picked this one up from one of the libraries I belong to. It is full of wonderful photos from the 1960's, 70's and 80's. I keep my iPhone in hand and google everyone in the photos as I go.

I love opening my mind up to possibilities of what you can do. It is always a good idea to start the year off inspired.  

And I've just joined Pinterest in order to gather all the photos I collect for inspiration in one place. I'll add a widget as soon as I can be bothered to get out of the pool and figure out how.

Happy New Year. I hope you are starting this year fresh, happy and inspired to do something wonderful.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas. May your day be full of love, happiness and great fashion!
xx from the team at Sunshine & Daydreams.

Spring cleaning for Santa.

And so, my 'big girl' house model has come home to Melbourne. 

Yay

But as everything is winding up for the summer break I have nothing new to photograph her in.

So we embarked on a big clean out of my work room

We got side tracked by googling our favourite labels, Agent Provocateur and Vivienne Westwood 

                                                                       But I  put her to good use, being tall has many advantages.

We discovered many half made samples and a lot of dust

And then we gave up and starting on the champagne.

It is impossible to stay focused this time of year. There is way too much fun to be had.
                                       I hope you are having fun too.

The Gangs All Here

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can.

Without a 'big girl' house model on hand I begged Ava to be photographed in a head piece before it left for the Perth Cup.

She refused to take her fairy wings off.

I have come to the realisation that I really need to be more organised next year.



Jennie does very well as my 'big girl' model, but then I am left to take the photos.

It's a team effort and a family affair. We all have our roles, and since my beautiful niece left Melbourne we are all out of whack.

We have photographers modelling, little girls modelling big girls things and designers trying to take pictures.

The new 'party season' head pieces have now been added to our on line store.

Click on the link above to have a squiz.

And when you purchase something it will come to you looking like this.

Pretty, yes?

So, why not channel the spirit of Carmen Miranda and adorn your hair with bright flowers this festive season.

        
       Dance the Samba under the mistletoe, but leave the bananas in the fruit bowl.

      Come back soon Bianca Miranda..............................................we need you!

Men Swear by Menswear

 

A brief history of fashion in my family.

Two bookmakers at the Curragh races in about 1907.

My great grandfather Michael Duggan is the one on the right. I am very impressed with his style.

His beautiful wife Margaret Bennett in 1904.

Her family owned a menswear store in Dublin and their motto was 'men swear by menswear'

I may have to borrow that catchline.

My extremely beautiful other great grandmother Bridget Blood in 1910.

So much fur! But very fashionable.

Bridget in 1914, not sure about the hat.

Another fine dresser, her husband George Blood in 1907

A beautiful photo of my grandmother Helen Blood 1921 aged 13.

And of course my much loved grandfather Gerry Duggan appeared in the most stylish of all James Bond films' Goldfinger'. I found a photo on IMDb but because I'm not sure of copyright laws and I don't want to be sued just press here.

So my Dads side of the family seem to have been a bunch of snappy dresses, I'm now going to hassle my mum for a brief history of dressing in her family.

I'm working on more head pieces this week. The Perth Cup is in January and a whole lot of fashion forward Western Australians will be needing flowers for their hair.

Giddy up.

Frida Kahlo

Sometimes you can be influenced by things without even realising it.

Whilst reading about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead) that happens to fall on Cup Day, I found this wonderful photo of the great Mexian artist Frida Kahlo.

So, I'm putting some flowers in my hair tomorrow to remember lost loved ones, and to join in the sheer fun of all that is The Melbourne Cup.

I hope your day is a lucky one. 

Flowers for your hair, let the party season begin............

For my lovely readers from far away lands, in case you don't know, we have a little horse race in Australia called The Melbourne Cup.

For the grand daughter of a former jockey and great-granddaughter of a bookmaker, the racing season should be more about the horses. But alas, like most other good Aussie girls it is actually more about the amazing things people put on their heads. That and Champagne.

Head pieces made to order

So, if you have a race, a party or a wedding to attend, or you want to stand out at your Christmas function, or flirt outrageously from beneath a crown of flowers on New Years Eve, contact me through Facebook or email. 

More styles to go on the updated shop soon.