So lazy

Well,we did absolutely nothing all day except eat and drink.

I am dozing a bit in the sun here, in my second outfit of the day, clutching a G & T.

Frock:vinatge maxi, opshopped and altered by moi

Petticoat-opshopped

Shoes-80's, gift from Nix and frightfully comfortable.

I made these spinach and parmesan muffins for an afternoon snack.

Mmmmmmmm,warm muffins with butter.....drool

And then for dinner I made a dahl and a dry caulifower/asparagus/pea/potato curry.

Yes, indeed, there has been an abundance of cauliflower & asparagus at our house, as Tracey & Richard brought a massive cauli from their garden, and bought a kilo of asparagus on their way up! I used up all the cauli, and will finish up the asparagus with a massive head of broccoli they also brought up from their garden in a kind of frittata today.

I do enjoy a weekend cooking frenzy!!!

We'll be off to the Rangi Ruru Girls High fair this morning, Nix says there's some decent clothes, wine tasting and all sorts of other delights.It's a really posh school, so it's all donations by monied parents. It'll be interesting, at the very least!!!

Have a delicious Sunday, darlings!

X

You're hairy,but I love you

Well, it was a pretty relaxed evening.

Richard & Tracey made us "cauligus cheese" (cauliflower cheese, but with asparagus as well) and a lovely tomato salad for dinner.

Then we made them sit through New Zealand's Next Top Model.

And then, we busted their Russ Meyer cherry, introducing them to "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls". We enjoyed it, they haven't said much about it.

Sorry about the plate, Vix. Avert thine eyes!

It was quite chilly this morning, so this is what I was wearing initially:

Frock:Vix a while back

Cardi-Turkey

Belt-opshopped

Fishnets-Ballantynes

Shoes-Farmers sale

Clips in hair-Kitty

It's bloody well warming up now, so I have just changed my outfit!!!

Spring. It's springing!

X

I must have been a good girl

Cos I came home to a parcel of deliciousness from my darling twin Vix ,the sexy minx!!!

EEEEEEEEEEK!!

So, I promptly popped on one of the frocks to go out to the Ron Mueck exhibition!

I'm wearing it with my fab new heels, just as Vix envisaged!

Plus fishnets(Farmers, I expect), opshopped belt, and vintage coat G spotted in an opshop. Plus my standard vintage handbag! Underneath is a tutu (not vintage).

Had a coffee after the exhibition, which was rather good! (The exhibition, that is. The coffee was fine too!)

This is Richard.

I had to pop on the other frock from my parcel, to show it off, plus I have an opshopped cardi on, as it is fricking chilly today!

There are many delightful goodies in my parcel, so many I may pass out with excitement!!!

Thank you sweet Vix!!! I love you!!!

Right now we are chilling out to the sounds of The Specials and The Clash, drinking Richard's homebrew(he wins awards!) and gin. (Me, of course.)

We'll see where the evening takes us.........

X

* I think the challenge is on for the messiest wardrobe, judging by the comments on my last post!!!!

Once I was a cabbage

I'm a very messy girl.

Normally, I am reasonably tidy, and hate my clothes over the floor, but lately something has got into me and I am just tossing things left right and centre!!!

Maybe it's mid-life rebellion?!

I was quite disgusted with myself last night, so thought I'd show you what a pigsty I'm living in at present. Of course, I didn't do anything about it!!

That's my mission later today.

Yeah, later.

Some lovely friends of ours arrived from Dunedin yester-evening.

Here I am about to cook dinner for them, wearing my wonderfully comfy caftan that my darling Vix sent a while back, and clutching a gin & tonic. (I had a few too many of those over the course of the evening and am a bit seedy this morning.) I cooked stir fry veges, spicey tofu & noodles.(I'll cook it for y'all next week).

Then our friends(Tracey & Richard) went off to see Rufus Wainwright in town, and Snuffbox had a practice.

It promises to be an eventful weekend!

This afternoon Tracey, Richard & I are going to the Christchurch Art Gallery to see the Ron Mueck exhibition (culture, darlings), and then maybe a spot of opshopping. I think tomorrow we'll have a bbq, and on Sunday we're all going to a high school fair (the school Nix works at, she has organised this fair! What a wiz!), then Sunday afternoon Tracey, Richard & G go to Banks Peninsula, where they'll be doing a walk for a few days, back Wednesday, then Wednesday night, Tracey, Richard & I go to Leonard Cohen!!

Phew!

And who knows what else we'll squeeze in!

Anyway, look at my lovely irises!!!

X

He hi the blowfly

There's an abandoned stock yard on our way to and from work (by bicycle). It's pretty derelict, lots of graffiti and broken glass, but I have long thought that there are lots of spots within the area that would make great backdrops.

I had to balance my gorilla pod on my backpack for these couple of pics, and not having a lot of patience, did my best with a couple of pix.
I'm wearing:
Frock-Madonna for H & M, courtesy of my beloved Vix (who, incidentally, has written a brillant and inspiring post today!) I wear this frock quite a bit, it's a brillant LBD that fits like a dream!
Scarf-made by moi
Petticoat-opshopped
Tights-Farmers
Shoes-Hannah's sale
Handbag-vintage, opshopped
Pendant-vintage, opshopped.

Feck I love frocking up and posing!
Yeah!
X

Gloves On!!

Well, I was woken up at about 4am by yowling and posturing cats outside our bedroom window.

Then, my internal radio kicked in with a rousing "Super Trouper" by Abba. I really like the su-per-per trou-per-per bit, incidentally. But at that time of the morning?? Harsh.

Thanks for all the feedback on my previous post, lovely peoples, especially Franca .
That might be the most comments I've ever had!
Wowza!!!



Lucky for G, "Super Trouper" seems to have turned itself off, and my head is amazingly quiet. For the moment.


I found this cape under a pile of stuff over the weekend! I forgot I had it!! It's a vintage nurses cape, and actually belongs to a friend who moved to Brisbane last year. I wonder if he remembers I have it.........
Anyway, I thought I'd put it to good use, as I'm rather inspired by Vix and Ms Pull Your Sox Up 's way with capes.
With it I am wearing:
Frock-vintage, from lovely Kitty
Cardi-opshopped
Belt-opshopped
Gloves-vintage, opshopped
Handbag-vintage, opshopped
Boots-opshopped

I must say, I felt quite snazzy. I'm keen to pull out a vinatge velvet one that I bought over 20 years ago in Sydney;it's been living in a drawer for a number of years, poor thing!
I did manage to get back to sleep, by the way, but typically a deep sleep and the alarm at 5:45 was quite a rude shock!
Huzzah for coffee, it's my friend.

It's all about the legs!

Well, all those compliments about my legs have just gone to my head!!

I had to get the girls out, and glam them up, as I'm quite pumped about these legs my Mama blessed me with. I've always been pretty confident about them, and now even more so!!

Bless!

I'm wearing:

Frock-made out of a vintage skirt quite a few years ago

Cardi-opshopped

Fishnets-Ballantynes

Shoes-Trade Me

Hairpiece-clever Jem

We had G's Mama and her boarder, Waveney (who is really another family member now,and as eccentric as the rest of us) over for lunch. G's Mama has been a bit under the weather lately, unfortunately. I just love her-she has more than stepped in for me since my Mama passed, and is just an exemplary human being!

It made for a lovely Labour Day afternoon!

After they left, we watched a movie, "Sweetie", directed by Jane Campion. It's an Aussie film, and I can't figure how I didn't see it when it came out in 1989. It's got all the elements I like-quirky characters, black humour, odd little directional tricks. And just general weirdness!! Jane Campion is a Kiwi, and I've always loved her style. The Piano" and "Portrait of a Lady" are just 2 of my faves, and I really liked "In the Cut", despite it being panned. (oo,Meg Ryan boobies!)

I also like the lead actress, Genevieve Lemon, a lot. She's incredibly brave (nude! not a size 10!),and has the sweetest face, with the cutest slightly crooked grin. I haven't seen her in an awful lot, unfortunately. There really is something a little different about Aussie & Kiwi films, and it really works for me.

Just to completely change the subject, I have been eyeing with some interest some posts on Oranges and Apples re, basically, how to write a good blog, what makes a good blog, what, if I am understanding correctly, amounts to this person's rules for blogging. I mention this, as I see lovely Reva talking about re-vamping her blog, and I hope it is for herself, because I wonder why, when we live by so many rules day to day, is there some idea that a blog has to be a certain way when to me it amounts to a personal diary, and if I can't be myself-erratic as that may be, then I feel sad!!! No offense to anybody, but if you don't like what you are reading/viewing, then perhaps this isn't the blog for you! I assume that if you are reading, you are just as warped as me! YOU have the power!! We ALL have the power! If you don't like whatever you are looking at, just have a look for something you do like!! I'm all for creative criticism, and have taken a little on myself. I enjoy blogging as a place for self expression, for creativity, to meet (so to speak) other fabulous people with similar sensibilities!!

Sure, my blog is a bit all over the place-but so am I.

Sure, my blog is a little crass-but so am I.

Sure, my blog is largely about hedonism and fanciful frocking up-but that's who I am.

I don't like rules.

Certainly, if you need some help and ideas on how to write a blog, then this is good advice. And besides, the lass who writes this blog is pretty styley and seems lovely, and clearly is intelligent and articulate. Perfect blogging just isn't my style!!!

Sorry if I sound angsty, but I simply had to verbalise.....

Ha-my blogger tip is:

Be Yourself!!

And have a HOOT!!!

X

Unseemly Behaviour!

Helga & Justine.

Two relatively ordinary lasses.Sweet as pie.....until....fueled on vodka & tequila they become...

Vaginn Imagine

and Anoose Crumble, Bitches of Depravity!!!

Mikel very kindly took Baby Rose home after we had a bbq on Sunday evening, so that Justine and I could play!

The viking helmet was made by G and I years ago.There's a matching breastplate somewhere.....

The egghead was part of matching alien outfits G and I wore to a party in Dunedin some years ago. It's great these things still get some use!

And then it all ended in tears......

X

Nothing better

So I had a couple of costume changes yesterday, one of my favourite things to do.
I wore this frock I made out of an unflattering caftan a while back, with some sandals from Bangkok, a necklace I got at the church fair yesterday, opshopped handbag & bracelet from my darling freaky twin Vix .

G picked these sandals out. I love them, they are comfy & fun.

Later on I changed into this vintage frock (opshopped), cardi from the church fair, opshopped belt, opshopped petticoat and T bars from a Farmers sale.

And decided to show off some of my smooth moves.......yeah.

That's what it's all about!!!

X

Potentially Alien

I just think I look a bit Alien in this pic......!!!

The brass key I found at an opshop on Friday, and I like how big it is.....aha, yeah, I like 'em big....

I went to a church fair yesterday morning, the Holy Trinity church, no less.

Whatever.

I went along last year, and it was shite.

But I decided to give them a second chance this year. And I picked up a little loot; see above.

2 novels, 2 light cardi's, a handbag, some stay up's and a necklace.

Sweet.

I was happy enough with that!

I also picked up some baby parsley & mint plants, much needed as I use both a fair bit.

I'm actually wearing the beigey cardi in the pix above, and a vintage frock I've had for years.

Last night Jo was having her house-warming and champagne party.....we weren't really feeling like going out, but made the effort.

I was gagging to wear those new shoes; and I had just finished trimming and shortening this frock.

I am also wearing lurex fishnets, but they aren't really showing the sparkle in the pic.

G is wearing the jacket I made him last year, some ancient jeans, sneakers from Sukhothai and I think underneath the jacket is a jumper he got in Sydney a couple of years ago.

My red frock I got off Trade Me a while back, it was very plain and a bit too long, so I had only worn it the once. A jazzing up was required, and I am much happier with it now!

My booboids look positively dangerous!

Yowza!

Ooo,the sparkle of the lurex is more visible here.
Jo lives in Lyttleton, (I may have mentioned this before) and Lyttleton has steep streets, so of course, Jo lives at the top of a rather steep street.....trying to walk there after getting out of the car was a fecking bitch!! I thought I was gonna break my knees!!

Still, beauty is pain.

We didn't stay very long. Poor old buggers that we are, we went home about 10:30, hopped into bed with our books and then had a fabulous...........sleep.

Feeling very refreshed this morning, we popped up the road...but I'll post those pix later.........

Yeah, later*.

* If you haven't seen "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" this frequent expression of mine may well be lost on you. Sorry.

X

**Oh-thanks to the lovely Reva , the fun picture effects I've been getting into can be done via:Lunapic . There's some cool stuff you can do, and I've just been mucking around a bit. Check it out, it's free!

Wacko!!

Questions, Questions!

As promised, here are my answers to the splendid questions you have asked!

What is my favourite bit in Barbarella?

Um, the bit where she has real, physical sex for the first time!!

Do I have any annoying habits?

Ha, G would be best to answer that!

I seem to have a weird radio in my head, and am forever singing bits of songs over & over until G wants to beat me up!! The worst is that I usually only know maybe 2 lines, and that is probably what pisses G off the most!

And, I am really hard on myself! I have very high expectations of myself and get very stressed if I don't live up to them. Which is frequently.

If I were to be sent to a desert island, & could only take 3 things with me, what would they be?

O, dear, only 3??

Hmm.

One would be G, of course.

Two would be a suitcase full of books and clothes (I'm such a cheater!)

And three would be a fully stocked bar!!!

My fantasy dinner party-who would I invite (livingor dead) & what would I serve?

Oooo, Frida Kahlo, Marilyn Manson, John Campbell, Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall, Anais Nin, Lisa St Aubin de Teran, Molly Sudgeon, Sophia Loren, Johnny Depp.......

I would serve something Asian, as I am the Wok Mistress!

What has been my proudest achievement?

Jeez. Staying sane?! (mind you, some may say I failed there!)

Probaby buying a house, as my parents never owned their own.

What is my day job, and do I work with G?

By day I work as a Data Entry Diva, and yes, I share an office with G and 2 others!

What is my absolute favourite piece of clothing?

Crikey. That's hard.

I really don't have one favourite!! I love each and every item in my wardrobe!!

What is the #1 item on my if-I found-that-in-an-opshop-I would-die-of-sheer-joy-wishlist?

An Ossie Clark, I think. Or a John Galliano?

How did I come to be living in New Zealand?

Yes, I am Australian, and I met a young Kiwi when I was living in Bondi and came over to NZ with him. It didn't last, however, but then I met G and here I have been ever since!

When I was 12, what did I want to be when I grew up?

Happy and secure.

What is my favourite non-alcholic drink?

Water!

(I realise it may come as a shock to some of you that I don't drink booze all the time!

Is my name really Helga?!

No! It was a stage name that stuck, and I am frequently called Helga by my friends!

*****

Thanks, lovelies, for taking the time to ask some pertinent questions!

I'm generally up for questions any time, and don't hesitate to remind me if I forget to, as that is another annoying habit-a memory like a sieve!!!

X

*Note-it is actually Saturday, but I loaded the picture last night, which is why is says Friday!

Quackadoo!

We had lunch at our favourite Thai this afternoon, and came across some adorable Paradise Ducks & their babies on the way home!! So cute!

Stopped at the supermarket for some weekend supplies-we have a long weekend here-and toddled off home, full of Thai and red wine and ready for weekend frolics!

Don't forget to ask any questions of me you may be gagging to have answers for!!

I'll be answering them tomorrow!

Weeeeeeee!!!

X