Now in Store For New Year...



Hello Dhaarlings...

My Goodness! Where has the year gone?

Has 2013 been as crazy for you as it seems to have been for me?

I can't believe that we are here knocking on the door of 2014.

Fortunately

These are now in stock...

Arriving just in time for that special little NYE celebration that you are no doubt off to... And while we are talking celebration...

Here's the last of the 2013 Arse...

 

and no matter what the new year brings....

Just remember...

 

Bottoms Up Darlings!

the Morning After The Night Before....

Hello Dhaaarlings....

I'm Spent....

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas Darlings...

However you celebrate it... or not.... 

And remember...

Bottoms Up!

It's Duck Shooting Season!...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Well it's been a while since I last managed a post and you would think that given that the year is drawing to a close things would be starting to settle down for the Christmas/ New Year at the Palais...

think again Darlings...

Princess is as busy as ever with multiple customers wanting last minute zipper replacements and hem adjustments...

Even the Empress got in on the act by presenting me with 3 pairs of Her knickers!

 (Fortunately they had all just come in clean off the line) 

"The elastic's gone in them... and I'm not forking out for (buying) new ones as I haven't had these that long... and I'm sick of them falling off my bum.

They just don't make them like they used to!"

Along with the rush I finally completed my first batch of wheat packs.

the first few were a bit fiddly... the Empress will attest to much swearing on my part until I got into a bit of a system...

The ony way I can describe the process of filling the bags with wheat is that it is a little bit like what I imagine liposuction to be like... only instead of sucking out the excess of fat.... you're jiggling around a funnel and hose full of wheat inserted into the small opening in the side of a plush faux fur wheat pack...

The next batch will include some fresh dried lavender flowers mixed with the wheat.... The inclusion of the lavender should make the process for me a far more relaxing one!

I'll admit it isn't hard work and the bonus is.... it pays!

In other News....

 I finally have some pics of "The Ducks" in some of the costumes I made for them...

The owners sent me some photo's shot with a professional photographer!

I bet you have all been waiting with Baited Breath to see these Darlings...

And the owners have now ordered more costumes along with calico practice costumes for the ducks and would like me to come up with a few designs for some Tulle TuTu's for their performing chickens! (perhaps its the chicken dance done by real chooks) and require them by Mid Janurary...

There really seems to be no rest for the wicked...

Bottoms up Darlings!...

Something From the Garden..... Blooming Close-Ups!...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Now that my costume work is done and dusted for another year...

 I've had a little time on my hands to do some Snapping for you in my garden

I descided to try getting up close and personal whith a few little treasures from the potted pretties that I have flung about the grounds to add just a little dash of colour before another long and hot summer fully arrives

These snaps were taken a day or so ago and I had planned for more but the weather became inclement and I had to return in doors...

Perhaps the sun will come out again tommorrow and allow me to continue my sojourn with the Box Brownie!

The Show Must Go On... An Up Date...

Hello Dhaaarlings...

It has been another busy month with me having little time to even scratch myself.

My costume making for the School production of "Beauty and the Beast" Jr has almost come to an end with full dress rehearsal tomorrow and the performances thursday and friday nights.

this time around many of the costumes were already made as the school performed the same production 6 yrs ago. Unfortunately the kids have all grown up since then so there has been many many alterations to existing costumes by increasing lengths and widths and re making some older tatty looking things and creating several from scratch...

I've been pretty much left to it this year which is fine by me as I like to be organised and know where I'm going with things...(or so I thought)

I have had very little contact with or assistance from the "head costumier" until the last week or so where changes have been made or some costumes that I thought had been sorted have suddenly been altered or changed without any notice!

To say that I was a little pissed off would be an understatement, particularly having spent 2 days a week for the past 8 weeks at rehearsals to then have to spend my time searching through racks of costumes looking for missing costumes/ pieces of costume only to be notified hours later or even days later that the head costumier has the missing costume or piece without the courtesy of informing me...

Dispite the time wasting and stuffing about once again... You'd think i'd learn after all these years... My work is almost completed.

The costumes only require a little tweaking...

 The kids in the show all seem happy with what I've put together or created for them to wear irregardless of the wardrobe drama's

 and

 all is well in my world.

this isn't the best of photo's but I'll update with some more after dress rehearsals tomorrow...

Hello again Dhaaarlings...

Since last we spoke Princess and the Empress were dragged kicking and screaming backstage to not only organise costumes but to do some major Wig Therapy and hairstyling for the show...

As you will see from the following photos some of the wigs left a lot to be desired and nobody had given any thought to hairsyles for the other cast members so, so given that the Empress is a long retired hairstylist and that I cut my teeth on perm rods and inhaled more laquer than I care to remember... as a kid growing up in a hairdressing salon...

We took a deep breath and stepped into the breech

The following photos are scanned from the programme and taken... sadly...

 before we had been able to work our magic....

As you can see... the hairstyles leave a lot to be desired but... with much hot curling, teasing, hairspray and bobbypinning we had given them all makeovers by opening night.

As a result I had no time to take more photos of my own to show you...

I am however trying to procure a disc of photos from a friend that I intend to put up in a future post...

But as a result of all our hard work the kids in the cast cast came alive and absolutely shone on both nights!

It seems that wigs don't travel too well when they have been thrown in a box collectively and left for several years without any care and attention!!!

That... I am happy to say is changing as... Along with the Empress we have been appointed "Chief Wig Wranglers and Hairstylists".

Just another string to add to my already long bow darlings...

Something From The Garden....

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Here are a few snaps of Blooms from my garden after it's recent cleanup and makeover...

The roses have been a picture this year in comparison to others past...
But... I'm having a terrible time trying to get snaps of them for you...

Each time I head out with camera in hand to snap some shots... I pass the Empress coming back with her arms full of roses... So sadly.... there is not much to show you...
I think I might have to start hanging bells from the rosebushes that are about to bloom... just to alert me to the Empress's presence clutching her trusty seceteurs... 

I think old wheelbarrrows make for wonderful garden planters...

Climbing geraniums always put on a great display... Although the white one here has become quite dominanant... It used to be quite happy to share this old stump with a lovely soft mauve climbing geranium but i notice that  since the drought the mauve plant seems to have been relegated to the other side of the stump with less full sun and more shade. There is only one little mauve bloom... right at the bottom of the picture. The bicolour pink and white is happy to do it's own thing to the left of the picture.

Spring has certainly popped some colour into the garden...

I just can't wait for the Cosmos, Aquilegia and Asters... planted recently...

 to burst into bloom... They should put on a wonderful display all going well...

No doubt I'll attemt to show you the results... That is... If I can beat the Empress to them before she get's there with her clippers...

 

Tram Spotting...

Hello Dhaaalings...

Recently I took some vistors to our lovely city on a tour of the Talking Trams.

The system is a quaint memory of the bygone era when trams were part of the public transport system of Bendigo and covered quite an extensive area of the city and surrounding suburbs.

Started in the early 1903, this form of transport became very popular with the locals who up until this point had been reliant on horse drawn vehicles or had had to walk everywhere as cars were only available to the very wealthy.

The system survived until the growth of the car during the '60's and finally closed in 1972. A public outcry forced the local council to take on the running of the tramway system and since then reopened and has become a tourist attraction run by a team of volunteers and tram enthusiasts.

As you travel the pre recording tells you about some of the towns history through pointing out sites and buildings of interest and tells anecdotal tales of what travel on the trams was like back in the day.

Most of the trams are restored to their original condition and the tour stops at the tram depot where you can see them being stored and their resotration in progress in the workshop.

An apprenticeship programme has been running for some years now teaching the skills of restoration and maintainance and the workshop has become noted nationaly and internationally.

Lets take a wander shall we?

The main thoroughfare of Bendigo "Charring Cross/ Pall Mall" intersection... does not look too dissimilar even today... though the tramway has been reduced to one line and the line that crosses behind the fountain has been removed completely. The General Post office and "Shamrock" Hotel can be seen in the distance and many of buildings on the right hand side of the street remain today along with the fountain.

Today many of the old routes have been pulled up and paved over to make way for the road system. The remaining tramway is truly a relic of a nostalgic and bygone era and I must say a delightful way to spend an hour or two on a lovely sunny afternoon...

A Rose By Any Other Name....

Hello Dhaaarlings...

Well another Month has come and gone and here we are in the first throws of November!

It seems that November is the month when the Roses seem to hit their stride and put on their first flush of colour...

So...

I went and snapped a few shots to share of Bendigo's Rose Garden that I spoke of when last out tiptoing through the tulips...

If you would like to see more  of my snaps then "Go Here" Darlings...

If you wish to see some lovely arse to celebrate then keep scrolling...

~ooOoo~

And remember... "Bottoms Up".... Darlings...