mental health day

Sometimes you just need to ignore what you are meant to be doing, in favour of what you want to be doing. A mental health day of sorts. I tried so hard to get all of the jobs I needed to do finished today, but my head wasn't with it and what I really wanted to be doing was crocheting a trim onto a new little cape for my girl. After hours of procrastination and unproductive behaviour I finally gave in and sat down with a cuppa and my hook.

Sometimes I have too high expectations of what I can achieve in one day! I bet most of you do the same. I'm starting realise now that to save my own sanity I just have to turn down the pressure and let some things go.

I hope your weekend is full of things you would rather be doing!

Bec x

Junior Re-style

I was shopping the other morning. I was on a mission to get my small person a hat so that I didn't have to drop her off at kindy without one again. It shoud have been an in-out mission, over in 10 minutes, except the shop was full of gorgeous little garments with quirk and style and exorbitant price tags. I came across a gorgeous little knit cape/poncho and I made it my plan then and there to try to make my own. 

Today at the op-shop (Australian version of a thrift store, for all my american readers...) I bought two knit jumpers. One was a ladies skivvy or turtle neck, and one was a mens jumper with a high round neck. I simply cut off the arms and body of the jumpers in a semi-circle. I sewed on a tassel trim to finish off my knit edges neatly. I also took the arm of the ens jumper and made my own turtle neck roll to make that cape more snuggly. I then made and attached the pompoms.

I even had enough knit fabric left over to make little beanies that match each cape. I will get an action shot of my small person in her cape as soon as she lets me dress her in it! currently she is running around the house in her undies as is the norm.

We are gearing up for Autumn/Winter round these parts so ponchos and leggings, capes, jackets and boots are on my mind! I love this time of year!

good things day

 

A quick stop past the local oppy after kindy drop off today proved to be fruitful! I snaffled a delicious retro floral sheet and an amazing seersucker tablecloth in pink and red. I put them straight in the wash when I got home so they could enjoy an afternoon soaking up some sun on the hills hoist.

Today was full of good things. Thrifted treasure. Yummy coffee. Lovely neighbours with baked treats. Playing dress-ups. Lots of sewing. Lace. Nice weather. Tasty lunch. Pretty dresses. Amazing fabrics! Not to mention I woke up early to go to my first sunrise boxing session and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hooray for cool autumn mornings and warm autum days. Its nice to feel so motivated.

Tomorrow I have my gorgeous friend coming over to paint some stuff and pot some plants. Its bound to be another great day. Bring it on.

Bec x

dress factory

We have been busy today. Inside and out. I have dresses hanging everywhere and I need to get the house in order for a property inspection on the weekend. The owners of the sugar shack are coming through for the first time since I started renting this little place, so I want to make sure that it looks beautiful. Lots of cleaning and organising as well as lots of sewing. 

We have peri peri chicken in the oven and the smell is carrying through the shack and making me hungry! Its time for a bath, dinner and then to settle in for an evening of revenge on the TV. Yes! Then early to bed to start it all over again tomorrow.

As always the house is a mess of fabric stacks! Its a beautiful mess, at least :)

Lots of new dresses will be added to the shop over the coming days so stay tuned on instagram (look up naughtyshorts and if you cant find me in a normal search then look in the hashtags) and facebook for details.

Thats all from me today. Hope you are well and happy wherever you may be in the world.

goodnight!

Bec x

weekend adventure - Nannup

I have just returned home from a lovely weekend getaway. My love and I have decided that we should try to make a monthly ritual of heading out of town for an adventure. It doesn't have to be far away and where we stay does not have to be fancy. We want to take the time to be together, away from the distractions of work and home. This weekend we packed up the Volkswagen and ended up in a tiny country town called Nannup, less than an hours drive from our home town of Dunsborough. 

Nannup is a picture of hills and orchards and golden paddocks. I would absolutely love to come back after the rain has turned everything to green once again. Its so nice to explore the towns that we often drive straight past. Looking in the shops, eating at the cafes, walking the streets and checking out the cute local homes. I definitely recommend being a tourist in your own town at any chance you get!

I hope you have enjoyed a beautiful weekend too!

THE BEE KEEPER DRESS

Just a few detailed shots of the new "bee-keeper" dress that will soon be available online.

There have been times this year where I have felt so burnt out and exhausted that I have not been able to cope with the amount of inquiry that came my way. This means that emails have gone without reply, questions on facebook have gone unanswered and so on. This is absolutely not how I want to treat the people who support me and what I do, and who make this creative life possible for me. There have been times however when I found this unavoidable, especially as a single mumma. I just want to say thank you to everyone for your patience. For understanding that there is only one of me, Thanks for appreciating that my creations are made on our dining table and not pumped out of a factory. I am so sorry if I failed to respond to any of your emails, comments or questions.

This year I will be working on new systems to try to overcome this. I will be streamlining my blog, shop and facebook so that the answers you need will be easier to find. I will move away from custom orders so that I could make every dress as the fabric inspires me, with the details that I desire. 

So every dress will be truly one of a kind and made with love.

So that I can give each my beautiful customers the attention they deserve.

So the only dresses that leave my studio will represent how I want naughtyshorts to be seen in the world.

The new shop will be opening soon. I hope to regularly replenish my stock with beautiful one-of-a-kind garments, vintage pieces and eventually a few imported pieces and home-wares. The items I sell will represent what I love in the world. It will be eclectic and quirky with a focus on handmade.

It will evolve over 2014, I'm sure. Step by step.

You can see more pictures of the bee-keeper dress in action here

xx