Hagleslag

Another discovery from our stop in the Hague was a silghtly perplexing but utterly thrilling breakfast tradition, Hagleslag!

What it basically is, is chocolate sprinkles you eat with bread and butter. The little boxes above the bread board at the hotel was the first thing I went for, and as odd as it seemed to my outsider eyes, it really is a wonderful snack/breakfast treat!

The Sprinkles (or curls if you feel fancy) are much different the the waxy ones we see here in the States on top of ice cream. They are extra chocolaty and genuinely tasty!

It is fairly easy to pick up some of the hagelslag here in the States from either World Market or Amazon. Once you have them all you need a a nice slice of good bread (preferably brown) a bit of butter spread across it to hold the sprinkles in place, then pour on as many as you fancy and enjoy!

We got a nice selection from a grocery store by the hotel you wouldn't believe the selection available over there! I hope you'll give it a shot as well, you'll feel terribly continental and like a happy kid all at the same time!

Bling Shoe

Dita Von Teese's closet

It's true that even some of the outrageous shoes of days gone by pale compared to today's spectacular skyscrapers, it's true also that  one big influence on a lot of modern takes on retro style comes from neo-burlesque performers and modern pin up shoots. Meaning period accurate, or fetish tall it never hurts to put a little bling in your step!

On my recent UK trip I came home with quite the shoe haul Some vintage accurate, some 21st century awesome!

On a more period accurate look I was given these beauties from Giuseppe Zannoti for Xmas. They have a more walkable, retro appropriate heel, the gold touches inside the the leather straps and the ultra sparkly crystal fronts to me simply scream Jean Harlow! I love these puppies and I'll admit they feel like a vacation to wear something so simultaniously glamorous and walkable! These may well be the classiest shoes I own, so golden age Hollywood!

For the more burlesque inspired side of retro styling I came across these crystal encrusted 6" high crazy pumps from Kandee shoes! They have that performance extravagance, and invite "how does she walk in those?" stares. I've been dreaming of a shoe like this for years. Insane hights, different sized crystals over so soft suede. Perfect! They even have glitter soles in matching colors so no matter which angle you look at them they dazzle!

I was so smitten I got them in 2 colors. Purple because it's so pretty, and green for practicality (in the quaintrelle sense of the word), and because it's insanely beautiful. The floral dress was a vintage staple, and with a nice pair of green shoes you'll always have the footwear to match your favorite floral frocks by picking out the green in any stems of leaves, it's also a color that compliments a whole range of shades, pick up some green shoes and you'll be amazed how versatile they'll be. On top of that what girl born in May could turn down emerald slippers?! Not I!

Nice shoes are indeed like red lipstick, no matter how blue you feel or even if you're having a "feeling dowdy" kind of day, throw either of these 2 things on and you'll feel like a star!

Dresses and Dolls Oh My!

OK I'm back in the county, my body has adjusted back to the right time zone, so it's time to start blogging!

Whilst over in the UK for the past month (ish) we flew over for a few days in the Netherlands staying in the Hague. By pure luck one of the museums out there had 2 amazing temporary exhibitions running at that time with my name written all over them! A huge collection of dolls, miniatures and doll houses from the 17th century up, and a collection of fashion from the early 1900's to today, and their inspirations in fine art. Three things I love most in the world all together in one place!

The doll exhibition was the first bit we hit up. It really is amazing the details that used to go into these things. One of the first  things I noticed was a great Dior bar suit Barbie in all her 50's glamor. I love the suit in full scale, and it was captivating again in miniature!

A simmering fondness of Queen Anne dolls was heated up a little too. They had some wonderful 18th century examples all with their brocade dresses and fluffy wigs! One day I'd love to make one, but that's another project for another day.

The fashion exhibition was a real winner too. I loved seeing Schiaparelli's dresses and accessories in person again, and a little tableau of Vivienne Westwood gowns with an 18th century flare gave a bit of a taste of the recent Versailles fashion exhibit I messed. I never get tired of seeing beautiful silks in opulent settings!

Sure we had to walk over 2 miles each way in gale force winds and pouring rain, but I can safely say it was well worth it!

You can see more from the exhibition over on the Gemeentemuseum's website. XXSmall and Fashion ♥ Art. For now here are a few of the photos I managed to get whilst we wandered round...

(I promise a break from dolls next post and some more food inspiration instead!)

Operation 2012

Whilst a new year is pretty much the same as any new day, it always feels like a good point for a fresh start.

To blast this year off right, I'm writing down a few things I want to do more of this year to push myself and challenge myself with for a successful, fulfilling 2012!

1. Shameless Self promotion. I have a hard time putting myself forward, but this year I'm going to work harder at promoting myself and my label. I'm starting the year with another bit in Vogue (UK) so that's going to be my starting point!
2. Keep up with blog and zine sites. I have so many things I'd love to share, and so many planned articles from last year that never got written. I hope to try and find more time to work at keeping Quaintrelle Life, Dolly Datdream and even Kanzahicore updated and fun to Visit.
3. Make something crazy. I want to finally invest in an insanely extravagant show piece. I've had ideas for years but always been shy of investing the insane time and capital needed to bring such a project to life.
4. Be more social. I can be a bit of a work hermit online and in person, I'm going to take more time to be a social butterfly and better enjoy the wonderful people and opportunities I have around me. ( all work and no play and all that jazz)
5. More lingerie. I love exquisite underwear, lounge wear, corsets, petticoats, etc... This year I'm going to explore these much deeper and get further in touch with my decadent lacy side!
6. Get fitter. I let a lot slide this past year, but I hope a positive start this year will help me get back on the wagon and take better care of myself. I fell better when I do and it gives me more energy for the things in life I don't neglect.

Every day is a good day to make a resolution, and start making a positive change. We can take a look at ourselves at any point and decide on changes to make our lives more the way we want them to be. I know I'll be finding new resolutions and challenges to take on every day of year, but for right now these are a few of the things I'd like to see and do for myself to make 2012 a collection of days I can look back on happily come 2013 :).

Fashion and Dolls

Théâtre de la Mode doll

As you know from a recent post I'm something of a doll fan. I'm not a serious floor to ceiling doll collector, but they are something which has been a particular soft spot of mine lately. I love them as a girl who used to play with dolls, but I also love them as a fashion designer!

Dolls have played a huge roll in fashion for centuries. During the 18th century french merchants de mode used to send out little poupees dressed in their latest creations to entice potential patrons with exquisitely made miniature replicas of their designs. In the 1940's dolls like Virginia Lachasse  from London and those created for the Théâtre de la Mode from Paris showcased the talents and workmanship of couturiers in the mid 20th century.

I've had a lot of fun recently playing out designing in miniature for Monster High dolls, after customizing a Slow Moe for Ghoulia (that letter jacket!) I turned my hands to designing a Sweet 1600 outfit for my favorite Zombie girl, and a Loch Less monster doll as a way to let lose with some UK monster and fashion pride!

Sweet 1600 Ghoulia

Lochturna Ness

As a designer working on a small scale is a great way to try out new things with little expense, and a fun alternative outlet to showcase work in a different way.

Dolls can also be a fun way of finding new styles to try for yourself! For the vintage fashion lover vintage and retro Barbie fashions can be a fun source of inspiration for your full scale fashion! As can some of the amazing Gene dolls out there.


 Make Your Own Doll!

I've had a tutorial on my site for a few years with tips on making your own ball jointed dolls, and this past weekend before jetting off to England to stay with my family over the holidays, I also added a tutorial for customizing fashion dolls! You can use the tips for customizing the freak fab Monster High dolls, but the same techniques can also be used to create your own unique Barbie dolls or which ever fashion doll speaks to you most! When it's all about expressing your style, it's always fun to find a doll that reflects it the best!

 There are some tips on how to wipe, re-root and paint your doll, ready for your miniature fashion adventures! Give it a shot and let your inner designer run wild!

The new tutorial plus extra photos of my 2 newest Monster High customs can be found on the Dolly Daydream site here!

Quick Pin Up Fix!

This time of year is about as hectic as it get's for me, working in the wonderful world of handmade retail over the holiday season means I pretty much eat, drink tea, work, and sleep from Thanksgiving through Xmas. On top of that we've had a lot of travel the past few months making a busy time even crazier!

A girl can get tired of looking at her worn out face in the mirror at times like these, and that's when you need a nice fast easy glamour fix that won't eat into your work time! For me that fix is the good old faux bumper bang. It takes seconds, looks pin up fab, and requires very little prep!

To get the look all you need is:

• 3 bobby pins
• A splash of water
• Hair spray
• 1 min extra time before bed!

The Styling:

1. The night before separate out a small section in the front you want to curl into your bangs.
2. Dampen the section with a bit of water
3. Put the section in 3 (maybe more if you're blessed with thick hair) standing pin curls.
4. A fast way to do these is to roll your hair around a smooth tube (I use a Besame lip gloss) slip the "tube" out and pin with a bobby pin so it sits as if it had a roller in it.
5. Wake up!
6. Take out the bobby pins
7. Gently brush the curls over your hand and roll up under itself
8. Arrange the bangs to suit your face
9. Spray with liberal amounts of hair spray

Leave the rest of your hair down, throw it in a ponytail, do whatever! The whole thing including setting your hair the evening before takes less than 5 minutes, but you'll look like you had time dress up even if you didn't!

It's also a pretty fun way to play with bangs without having to make the commitment of cutting them in.

Usually it comes out much fuller, but the day you set up to take photos is always the day things fall a little flat.

Sale on Style

Holiday shopping season is here, so I have a swell sale going on over at my shop for any fans of vintage or just plain fancy style! I've picked out a selection of the items in our store which make the best gifts, and put them on sale for the season. Hopefully this will help you find gifts for the fancy peeps on your gift giving list, or to help you spice up your big holiday outfit this year!!

All the items in the sale make great gifts, and come nicely presented in our gold gift or velvet jewelry boxes for easy wrapping and added impact on opening! So you can pick up a deal and some extra va voom at the same time! Come stop by the sale section to find the items for you!