How to Make a Flower Crown

June 4, 2017June 6, 2017Leave a comment

Flower crowns or flower headbands are so popular right now, and they are so fabulous for many occasions. I’ve seen them at festivals, at weddings, the races, and just on a normal day.

I made two to wear to Future Music Festival. I decided to go with the large red rose design on the day, because it seemed to suit my crazy crimped hair. But after a few too many drinks, and a bit of crazy dancing, the flower crown left my head to be passed around my group of friends. Eventually it ended up on the ground in a muddy and dishevelled mess. Good thing it only cost me a couple of dollars to make!

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The Rules for My 3 Month Shopping Ban

March 18, 2017March 20, 20172 Comments

My name is Simone and I’m… Addicted to shopping.

I have to admit – I have an addiction with shopping… Every time I get paid I will spend my entire pay before the weekend is over. Then I have nothing left until my next pay day. I used shopping as a way to make me feel better when I’m upset or anxious, I use it as a reward when I’m happy or have accomplished something and I use it as an excuse to do something when I’m bored.

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Floral Society

November 6, 2016January 23, 2017Leave a comment

When I went to Floriade this year, I attended a flower crown making class hosted by The Floral Society. Apparently they do these classes for birthdays and hens so I am definitely considering doing this for my birthday next year!

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Stepping Back in Time to a Casablanca Ball

September 24, 2016September 25, 20161 Comment

Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t shy away from a theme – I’ll take any excuse to get dressed up! And I definitely love any period theme, especially because it’s super easy to grab something out of my every day wardrobe to wear.

Earlier this year I went to the ACT Young Lawyers Ball which was themed “Casablanca” for their 2016 event. For those who are unfamiliar with the movie Casablanca, it is an iconic vintage movie set in the 1940s. So I was very excited to get dressed up in 1940s style fashion.

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What to Wear: On a Wine Tour

February 21, 2016March 5, 20163 Comments

I’ve only been on a few wine tours but they were lots of fun and I’m keen to do some more! I’ve been to the Hunter Valley and also the Yarra Valley – some of Australia’s best vineyard areas. I most recently visited the Murrumbateman area for some tasting of wines in my local area. I definitely want to do a wine tour in the Barossa Valley and would be happy to go back to any of the wine regions I have already visited.

Click here for my post on a winter weekend in the Hunter Valley.

The thing about wine tours is that you can do them all year round. Obviously there are better seasons for some vineyards, and there may be times when it is busier, but I would recommend everyone go on a wine tour at least once.

For someone who is new to wine tours, you probably have questions about what to wear. This is where my style advice can help you!

Top Style Advce Tips

There are three key fashion and style tips to keep in mind

1. Wear the right footwear. You’ll need something that is comfortable enough to wear all day – because you don want to be that girl who takes her shoes off! You may also have to walk on uneven surfaces, unsealed roads, and even step through the grass to get to your location (or photo op!) I suggest that you go for ballet flats, boots, or a chunky heel.

2. Make it smart casual. Wine tours are about class, but a casual style. If you think you are too casual, wear a boyfriend blazer and add some jewellery. Layers are definitely your friend, as you may find it gets warmer after a few glasses of red, or it gets cooler as the sun goes down. When in doubt, wear your nicest pair of jeans

3. Skip the lipstick or too much gloss. You’re going to be sipping wine all day so rather than waste your lipstick on constant touch ups, choose a lip stain or a light lip balm.

4. Don’t wear perfume. The smell can confuse your receptors to the taste and smell of the wine, which are integral parts of wine tasting! You also do not want to upset any wine connosoirs with your wafts of perfume interfering with their tasting.

Wine Tour Outfit Inspiration

And what kind of style advice post would this be without some beautiful outfit combinations from my Polyvore account? I decided to split up the outfits depending on the season to tshow how you can dress for this event or hobby any time of the year.

Wine tour outfit #4 by vintagebarbie17 featuring a flare dress

Autumn Wine Tour Outfit: this is a great example of keeping it casual and simple, but dressing it up and making it classy. The blazer not only brings some colour to the outfit, but instantly makes the outfit dressier. And accessorising with the scarf is a great idea because it gives interest to the outfit without having to go overboard on the accessories

Wine tour outfit #6 by vintagebarbie17 featuring a fake fur vest

Winter Wine Tour Outfit: you will want to keep warm in winter, and you can’t go past a knitted turtleneck dress for winter. Knee high boots mean you will stay warm, and you can pair this with patterned stockings. You may choose thicker stockings if you are in a cooler climate. The fur vest not only keeps you warm, but also gives it a great sense of style.

Wine tour outfit #5 by vintagebarbie17 featuring a kate spade necklace

Summer Wine Tour Outfit: stripes always signify summer, and this combination is a classy way to stay cool whilst sipping on various drops. The hat is perfect for those bright days – it will keep you protected from any harsh sun rays. The combination of coral wedges makes it fun and very summery.

Spring wine tour outfit by vintagebarbie17 featuring Tom Ford

Spring Wine Tour Outfit: the playsuit means you are kept comfortable, while the print keeps it fun. The long sleeves mean that you can wear it on a cooler day, even with beige stockings underneath. The heels give a slight peeptoe and they are a chunky heel meaning there will be less likelihood of sinking into the ground. Don’t forget your coat and scarf as it can get cooler later in the day during spring.

Want to see what I wore on a wine tour in the spring of 2015? Then click here for my outfit post!

What do you wear on a wine tour? If you have a wine tour outfit, please share links to it in the comments section – I would love to see your outfits!

Bye for now

See you in the social media atmosphere!

Instagram: @vintagebarbie17 | Facebook: Adventures of Vintage Barbie – Blog | Twitter: @vintage_barbie1 | Polyvore: vintagebarbie17 | Pinterest: @vintagebarbie17

The “Simone” Dress

January 24, 2016March 5, 20162 Comments

I recently resigned from my casual job at Forever New. I loved working there and always had so much fun. It was a great company to work for, the girls I worked with were amazing people and of course, I loved the clothes at Forever New.

Now that my full time job is starting to push me towards my career goal of being a lawyer, I do not have as much time as I used to. I am often exhausted by the weekend and it started becoming a struggle to go to a retail job on Friday nights and over the weekend. So unfortunately I had to say goodbye to the job. But I know that I will always still shop at Forever New and especially go into the store to say hello to the lovely Forever New Girls.

When I worked at Forever New I was a typical Forever New Girl. I love pastels, pink, florals, lace, pearls, embellishments… Anything feminine was always right up my ally, and lucky for me it was always quintessential Forever New. These feminine styles are what Forever New is known for, and it made it easy to sell clothes that I loved!

In the summer of 2014/2015 Forever New released a beautiful sundress. It looked like it was inspired by late fifties/early sixties styled dresses, and had a beautiful floral print on a mint green base colour. When I saw it come in to the store, I fell in love with it. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. When I saw that it was called “Simone” – I knew I had to buy it. After all, how often do you find a dress with your name that is everything you want in a dress? The girls in store also said that it was definitely “a Simone dress” (okay, a lot of dresses were referred to as that, hence the reason I am a typical Forever New girl!).

The only problem was that I didn’t have the money for it that week. So I decided to wait until the following week to buy it. But someone else obviously also fell in love with that dress – when I went back in store after payday, the only size 10 had already been bought by a customer. gone in my size. I really wanted the dress, so I went online to buy it at full price… All the size 10s were sold out online as well! I was heartbroken!

Skip ahead to September 2015. I am on a Facebook group called Forever New Buy Swap and Sell. I randomly came across a post with my dress – someone was selling a brand new with tags Simone dress! I was so excited!!! I bought it, it was delivered a few days later and I was so so happy!

It’s definitely my style, and I always get compliments in it. I was even told by a stranger that I look like a vintage barbie doll in it – obviously I picked the right name when naming my blog!

What do you think of the Simone Dress by Forever New? Post your thoughts int the comments section.

Bye for now,

All opinions in this post are my own. Unless otherwise stated, this post has not been sponsored and I have not been paid for this post

See you in the Social Media Atmosphere:

Instagram: @vintagebarbie17 | Facebook: Adventures of Vintage Barbie – Blog | Twitter: @vintage_barbie1 | Polyvore: vintagebarbie17 | Pinterest: @vintagebarbie17

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Melbourne Cup Day 2015

November 8, 2015November 8, 20151 Comment

It’s that time of the year when we get to bring out our pretty floral dresses, funky fascinators and dress up for the fabulous and fun horse races.

I’ve never been much of a gambling person, so for me the races isn’t really about the race itself. Whilst I do still put a little bit of money on a race or two, I am more there because it is fun to dress up in a classy and carefully matched outfit.

I had planned on going Melbourne this year to attend the famous “race that stops the nation” but unfortunately I had to stay in Canberra. So instead I organised a Race Day Luncheon at my work. I wore to work what I intended to wear the real race, and I had plenty of compliments about my outfit that day.

Melbourne Cup is all about bright colours, which is why I chose to wear a combination of bright red and royal blue. The background of white on the dress softens the bright colours and makes it more work appropriate – this dress is actually in my regular rotation for work clothes!

Here’s some pics of my race day outfit… Just wish I actually got to attend the Melbourne Cup races this year!

Dress: eBay | Blazer: Forever New | Fascinator: Lovisa | Gloves: Valleygirl | Heels: Big W

What do you think about my race day outfit? Did you attend a race day event for Melbourne Cup or a similar event? Share links to your outfits in the comments section.

Bye for now,

Vintage Barbie xoxo

All opinions in this post are my own. Unless otherwise stated, this post has not been sponsored and I have not been paid for this post

See you in the Social Media Atmosphere:

Instagram: @vintagebarbie17 | Facebook: Adventures of Vintage Barbie – Blog | Twitter: @vintage_barbie1 | Polyvore: vintagebarbie17 | Pinterest: @vintagebarbie17

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The Sky Is Grey

November 1, 2015March 5, 2016Leave a comment

As much as I love springtime, it’s not always sunshine and florals. In Canberra the weather changes quickly and often, so you may experience a beautiful warm day but a freezing cold, windy and rainy night.

When it came into spring, I wanted a pretty skirt and crop set that could be matched with one another but also worn separately. As much as I wanted a pretty pastel or floral set, when I came across this set from Showpo I knew it would be perfect for the warmer days as well as the cooler days.

I love that this set is like a moden day twist on a vintage style print. The print makes the skirt perfect to wear for work, for a baby shower, for dinner, for a hens weekend and even for a wine tour! The crop is something I will probably wear a little less, but it will be great for a music festival or even a night out on the town.

I recently wore this set for a spring hens party With a print like this I knew I couldn’t go past red lips, which meant I decided to wear my favourite red lipstick: Red Russian by MAC. It’s my all time favourite colour, especially because the matte colour lasts forever.

This post does have qui a few photos, but it’s because I just could t decide on which photos were my favourite – so I apologise for the image overload but hope you enjoy them 🙂

Skirt and Crop: “Adore You” set by Showpo | Shoes: Target (old) | Earrings: Forever New (old) | Bracelet: Pandora | Ring: Michael Hill Jewellery (present from my man)

What do you think of my matching set? Do you have a favourite matching set? Post your thoughts and links in the comments!

See you again soon,

All opinions in this post are my own. Unless otherwise stated, this post has not been sponsored and I have not been paid for this post. Affiliate links may be used in this post.

See you in the Social Media Atmosphere:

Instagram: @vintagebarbie17 | Facebook: Adventures of Vintage Barbie – Blog | Twitter: @vintage_barbie1 | Polyvore: vintagebarbie17 | Pinterest: @vintagebarbie17

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Blushing in Early Spring

September 6, 2015September 14, 20151 Comment

Spring has sprung! Well kinda… It’s only the start of September and it’s still a little chilly outside. But the sun doesn’t set till I am home from work now, and the sun is even up when I leave the house bright and early in the morning. So that definitely makes me happy.

It’s also my favourite time of the year for clothing. It’s when you can bring out items that have been stashed away in your closet. It’s also time for floral prints, cute dresses start being released at shops, skirts can be worn without freezing your pins off… It’s an all round great time!

So I bring you a shot of a great spring outfit: a blush maxi skirt, white blouse and straw hat.

The blouse is a one I bought off eBay, but I am unsure what the brand is. There are always ones like this at places like Valleygirl, Dotti, and Zara, which would be my picks for cute spring blouses. I love blouses like this for spring as it is light and feminine. This kind of blouse is also versatile enough to be styled with different skirts or even jeans.

The skirt in the photos is my favourite maxi skirt. It is high waisted and the waist band cinches at the smallest point of the waist. There are small dainty pleats of fabric, and the fabric drapes in a flattering way. Forever New often release this skirt every spring/summer season in different colours or fabrics.

What do you think of my spring outfit?

All opinions in this post are my own. Unless otherwise stated, this post has not been sponsored and I have not been paid for this post

See you in the Social Media Atmosphere:

Instagram: @vintagebarbie17 | Facebook: Adventures of Vintage Barbie – Blog | Twitter: @vintage_barbie1 | Polyvore: vintagebarbie17 | Pinterest: @vintagebarbie17

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Natural Force

August 23, 2015August 23, 20152 Comments

I fell in love with a green boho inspired dress on www.showpo.com …It was one of those dresses that looked amazing on the model but I was unsure if it would look nice on me. Sometimes I feel so frumpy when wearing clothes that you have seen on a model…

This specific dress had 3/4 sleeves which can button up at the end. It also has buttons from bust to about knees, then it was a split straight down the front. At first I wasn’t sure about this, but when I got the dress I was so so happy with how it looked on me! I knew I had to snap some photos of me in this dress cos it was just so pretty on!

I was super sad when five minutes into wearing it/taking photos, I realised it was faulty: it had loose stitching around the hemlines. I’m not sure if it was just this dress or if other dresses would be the same, but to be quite honest, I didn’t want to risk returning it and getting back another one that was the same. I know that this could be probably be easily fixed but I honestly don’t have the time to mend my clothes at the moment. So I reluctantly took off the dress and sadly returned it to Showpo.

I have to say that Showpo has really great customer service and happily took my return. They were great with their email correspondence and fairly quick with responding. The customer service representative made me feel valued as a customer and I find that so very important in any customer related experience.

Because of their fantastic service, I bought a pair of jeans and a new top the next day – post to come on that too!

But for now, I want to share the pics of the pretty long sleev dress I bought, called Natural Force.