Rosie Alia Designs: Spring floral fancies for sunny days!

So there has been this odd yellow ball in the sky for the last few days and it's freaking me out. Apparently it's called the sun, so I've been told!

When it is bright and light and spring is in the air, I feel the urge to wear lots of colours and wear flowers a'plenty in my hair. I also want to throw open the windows and get my glue gun out and make things. So last week I went on a jaunt for supplies, and then out came my glue gun to put together some new hair flower designs!

I first set to work on some sweet little flowers to go in goodie-bags for Miss Turnstiles' Vintage Starlet Parlour event, which I hope went down well with the ladies in attendance. 

 

*Pssssst....As a sidenote, she sure knows how to put on an event, and her next one is Great Gatsby themed....what's not to like?*

I was also asked by the lovely lady to make a couple of custom spring flower cluster clips to accompany her spring/summer wardrobe!

 I can't wait to see her wearing these!

I made up some lovely new stock for the Etsy shop too, in bright summery colours to satisfy any other ladies' (or is that just me?) urge to wear bright colours at the merest hint or sun!

 

If you are interested in any of theses pieces, pop over to my facebook page or the Rosie Alia Designs Etsy shop to see the full range! 

Pip pip xx

A sunny Sunday outfit post!

Tis' a lovely Sunday evening here and I am spending it in my pj's on the sofa with the window open (for the first time in about 6 months!) having been stuffed to the gills with food. Ahhhh, Sunday.

I thought I'd share with you my Sunday outfit (albeit, from last Sunday) which I wore for a jaunt to a local pub for a massive Sunday lunch with pals. It was one of those outfits which just sort of fell together, but that I really love.

I created the outfit based around the lovely rayon oriental lounging pyjama top, which I picked up from Judy's vintage fair in Spitalfields which I visited on Easter Bank Holiday Monday with some of my gorgeous vintage-loving chums. It came from the bargain box on a stall for an impressive £5, along with the belt I am wearing!

 

 Outfit details:

Cashmere 50's style coat: charity shop.

1940's beaded necklace: fleamarket.

Lounging pyjama blouse (30's/40's?): Judy's vintage fair.

Embroidered fabric cinch belt: Judy's vintage fair.

Wool pencil skirt: handmade by me.

Wooden bracelets: charity shops and carboots.

1930's embroidered handbag: Scarlet Rage Vintage.

1940's style platforms: Miss L Fire.

I also wore some handmade (RosieAliaDesigns) colourful purple orchids in my hair to top it off.

I adore this outfit, but was soon regretting the cinch belt when I had consumed a large roast dinner, a very dense chocolate pudding and some bubbly cider. I hobbled home after dinner and immediately changed into something more roomy to allow my food to digest whilst reclining on the sofa.

Pip pip! xx

Brilliant Business Love: Sugar and Vice

I recently have been pining for a necklace that I bought during my second year of uni, wore to death, then lost at some point during a moving of flat! 

It was a personalised name necklace made by the sadly now non-existent Lady Luck Rules OK. I wore it constantly for about a year, changing the chain to a string of pearls at one point. And then one day the string of pearls broke, I put it away for safe keeping swearing to fix it, and there it stayed before disappearing somewhere between my last few moves!

 

Me wearing said necklace in 2009: at an event my friend put on, wearing a corset and pearled fascinator both made by me, and at one of my uni menswear projects fashion shows watching with my Mum and little sister.

 Recently I have been scouring the internet looking for a new name necklace, similar to the LLROK one I previously owned, but despaired when I couldn't find one that caught my eye.

And then, over Instagram, I discovered Sugar And Vice. This fab company was not one I had heard of before but I popped over to their website and what should I find but an array of personalised name necklaces. And one in particular caught my eye.....

Finding that there was also an offer of 20% off, I popped the name necklace and one other in my virtual basket and clicked on the checkout button.

It states on the website that the personalised items can take up to 7 additional day on top of standard shipping time so I wasn't expecting anything so soon, but just a few days later this little bundle popped through my letterbox.

HOORAH!

 

The necklaces arrived in a little box, with a thank you card and some sweets (I am a sucker for little touches like this)!

 

And this little beauty is the name necklace that caught my eye. Isn't it charming?

 

I decided that I simply must own this autumn leaves necklace too, as I have a feeling it will go just perfectly with this outfit and my Miss L Fires!

I can also vouch for Sugar And Vice's amazing customer service, answering my questions at top speed.

So go take a peek at their website....but don't blame me when you're parting with your hard earned cash!

Pip pip x

I'll Be Darned!: Recent vintage alterations/repairs No.2

It has been while since my last round-up of what I've been busy with at I'll Be Darned! Hq, so this post contains some more of the beautiful things that I have had the pleasure of working on recently....

 

A phenomenal diamante 1920's dress!

  

A patterned 1920's day dress.

 

1930's blue velvet 2-piece.

A 1920's embroidered cushion.

 This 1950's "Betty Barclay" dress has a quilted circle skirt.

 

A lovely 1950's brown cord dress.

 

Red gingham 1950's dress.

  

L-R: 1950's black wiggle dress with amazing red lining, and 1950's lace overlay evening dress.

L-R: Wool 1960's shift dress and black & white 1950's dress with orange accents.

 

 L-R: Beautiful black 1940's dress with beaded bow motif, Black 1950's evening dress with fab red lining and red button.

To find out exactly what I did to each of these beautiful garments, you can pop over to the IBD Facebook page and read more.

Have you got any favourites?

Mine is certainly the 40's beaded motif dress....and of course that amazing 1920's diamante dress!

Pip pip x

Flowers, headscarves, hairnets and Etsy ~ my brand spanking new shop!

TA DAH!

 

It's here, and I'm so excited! 

I finally got to grips with Etsy and have opened up my very own shop.

Rosie Alia Designs is my shop and it is packed full of handmade hair accessories inspired by the glamour of the past, because every girl deserves to feel like a starlet!

Here are just a few of the items I have been working hard to get listed this week:

I have started uploading some pieces that are just perfect for the festive season, so if you're looking for a little something as a gift or to top off a special Christmas outfit then I may just have what you need!

What do you think? I would absolutely love you ladies to have a little look as I value all of your opinions.

Pip pip x

Birthday week...family, fun and beautiful presents!

My birthday was at the beginning of October. My 25th birthday. This scared me. As did the fact that it was my first "working" birthday ever (I usually wangle a day off). Eurgh, adulthood.

So I decided to pootle off to Norwich for a week before my birthday to spend time with my fam, foraging in other peoples cast offs (carboots, junk shops, charity shops, but that was covered in my previous post), playing drunk pool and eating loads of food.
Plus opening presents, obviously! .....WHAT? I'm not too grown up for presents. Never.


So here is an ever so quick pictorial round up of the week leading up to my birthday, minus the previously shared bargains:

 

5 games of drunk pool with made-up rules and everyfink. These rules included removing the black ball until the end, so it didn't get accidentally potted before its time. Obvs.

  

  Family frolicking and dog harassment.

 

 Birthday bowling after my first ever day of going to work on my birthday.

 

Now onto the PRESENTS!

 

Typewriter cushion thoughtfully chosen by my little sister. Knitted gauntlet gloves. Beautiful vintage buttons.

 

Housekeepers box. Teatowel. Kitsch vintage baby ornaments....and a satchel! A lovely lightly worn black vintage one, a handy smaller size than my beloved Burt. I think I shall name her Betty. And although I shouldn't know the price of birthday presents, my mumma just couldn't resist telling me, for it was such a bargain. Two teeny pounds from a carboot!

 

A swiss chalet clock.

 A vintage telephone table. A working vintage hairdryer. A 1950's tree topper lady with a crepe paper skirt. A ballerina ring holder. A retro portable radio. A giant shoe horn, of course. Folding coat hanger and retractable airer, and a vintage flag.

 

A naked lady. A lovely apron. A floral ceramic earring and brooch set. Vintage buttons. A knitted hat needle case. A faux fur capelet. A lucky rabbit foot brooch.

 

This vintage 1950's card has a music box attached, so when you turn the handle it plays a very twangy version of "Happy Birthday". How fab is that?

 

A beautifully glamorous vintage pearl, crystal and cut glass earring and choker set. A pair of crochet gloves. A black velvet turban-style headband, lovingly made by my talented nan!

 Tara Starlet 40's style dungarees.

 

Sweeeeeeets!

 

 

A treat voucher crafted by my wonderful pal.

 

This absolutely phenomenal 1940's coat was brought down by a lovely lady for me from the storage room of a charity shop when shopping with my mumma. I gasped. And my mother kindly offered to buy it for me as a combined birthday/christmas present. £45 well spent indeed! It is incredibly perfect condition, fits me (well, not on the chesty-region, but that rarely happens!) and just look at those pleats. And hidden/top secret pockets, but I didn't tell you that!

 A beautiful trio of wall mirrors. I can't wait to get these up in my flat when they manage to get here.

Now I just need to find a space for them...cue clever Mr Mike's suggestion to just get rid of some of my "stuff" to make room for them. I think NOT!

 A gold crest motif, which now sits perfectly on the front of our fake fireplace.

 This gorgeous 1940's dress is a luxuriously soft cotton summer dress....but there's no way I can possibly hold on until then. Besides, blue and cream works with brown right? I'm thinking brown What Katie Did seamed stockings, a brown cardigan and a fur collar. That's wintery.

Phew! What a fab bunch of present buyers I know, eh? As you can imagine, I was all smiles.

Pip pip x

I'll Be Darned! recent vintage mends.

So as you all no doubt know (due to my wittering on about it, sorry lovelies!), I have a business that deals with vintage clothing alterations and repairs. 4 months in and I am so happy to be doing this!

I have been getting the most beautiful garments coming to me for work, and I thought that maybe I ought to share all these beauties with you....what do you think? I gets lots of inspiration from other vintage bloggers' wardrobes and secondhand finds, so I thought that you ladies might also take some inspiration from these lovely garments.

So this evening I have some wonderful vintage to show off to you....just try not to get too jealous (I have to try rather hard myself, there's lots of things I'd love to own)!

 

L-R: A beautiful beaded bustier, green lurex capris (part of a two piece).

 

 A vintage child's western shirt.

 

 Gold lurex trousers (part of a two-piece).

 

L-R: A 1940's gown with illusion neckline and embroidery, and a silk fronted bathing suit.

 

Red chiffon dress with gold trim and shoulder drape.

  

 

"Nettie Vogues" chiffon maxi dress with blue drape.

 

The back of the above dress, before and after!

To find out exactly what I did to each of these beautiful garments, you can pop over to the IBD Facebook page and read more.

Pip pip xx