The new Barbie twists! The new Barbie turns!

Thank-you all for the lovely comments on my last post. I will definitely be finishing the post on my thoughts about my style at the moment, but until I get it finished up here's a post on something different!

Back when (way back when, now it seems) I first posted about my renewed interest in collecting Barbies, I was actually surprised at how many of you wanted to see more posts on the subject! And then I didn't post anymore - I think I was getting a little ambitious in the ideas I had for photos. I dreamed of creating furniture and little sets to place my dolls in and making little stories to go along with them, too, like the ones I'd seen on Flickr. I realised, after a while, I was setting my sights a little high and that those of you who wanted to see more posts were missing out because of it. So, here's the latest addition to my vintage/mod collection: a 1968 Twist 'n' Turn Barbie.

{1968 Twist 'n' Turn Barbie doll}

 

My obsession has lessened, somewhat, since then (most of my obsessions go through an intense, but brief phase before they settle into becoming a regular interest) but I shall still be collecting and photographing, albeit quite a bit more slowly than I was before.

The first Twist 'n' Turn Barbie, released a year before this one, marked the beginning of Barbie's mod era. Barbie got a whole new look from head to toe - her face is completely different to the original Barbies and has rooted lashes and a very sweet look. But the most exciting change was the movement Barbie now had in her waist - unlike the twist waists of the Barbies I grew up with, this Barbie's waist has a slight angle to it so she twists quite differently (it's hard to explain but you can see it in the video at the end of this post.)

I never used to be keen on the mod Barbie face but now I think she's perfectly lovely and I love the rooted eyelashes that most of the mod faces have. I was also not overly keen on the 'Summer Sand' or ash blonde dolls but now that I have one of my own I actually think she's a nice change from the whiter or more yellow blonde dolls that I have.

Also, you have to check out the neat commercial from 1967 when the first Twist 'n' Turn Barbie was released. It's one of my favourite things I've ever seen. There's something about the way the man is narrating it that's just fantastic. Oh, and it has Maureen McCormick in it!

You can see the other dolls I've not yet blogged about in this set on Flickr.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

And now for something completely different!

No, don't worry - it's not John Cleese in a bikini! And it's probably not actually completely different but it is a little bit of a change, though it is still an outfit post.

Lately I've just been feeling the itch to change up my style a little - don't get me wrong, I'm still in love with what I've been wearing the past...4 or so years but I've had the urge to wear little '60s or '70s style dresses that seem to be fairly popular at the moment. And to not set my hair! I actually started writing up a post about how I've been feeling about clothes, lately, and the style I've created for myself but I'm not sure if I will finish it or not, yet.

 

Outfit details: bow hair clip - not sure but possibly Forever 21; dress - Dotti; vintage brooch - etsy; bangles - Salvo's; shoes - Big W.

 

I bought this nail polish for $3 from Price Attack (the brand is Colour by TBN) and, for a cheap nail polish, it's surprisingly very good. 

To be completely honest, I had more fun getting ready that night than I have in a really long time. I don't know if many more dresses like this one will find their way into my wardrobe, but I will definitely be keeping this one in regular rotation. I can't wait until it's cooler and I can wear it with tights and cardigans.

(I also wonder if all the episodes of New Girl I've been watching influenced this outfit, too. I started out with a vague dislike of the show and now I'm addicted. I love/hate when that happens!)

 

I occasionally search etsy for vintage name brooches - not in the hopes of finding my own name but for old names that aren't used as much today and when I saw this one for 'Babe' I had to get it. Mainly because 'babe' is my favourite adjective to use when I talk about attractive people!

 

My hair didn't keep the lovely loose curls I created with my straightener for very long - my hair just will not take to heat styling, no matter what I do. 

Ruffly shoes!

 

My friend Kate posing for the camera - she's wearing a dress that she bought at Coles! I was very impressed when she told me. And she made the cute oversized bow in her hair.

I seem to bring out only the best poses and facial expresses in my friends when I photograph them! Photographing my friends is something I intend to do more often (though I have, of course, been saying this for years!)

Perhaps I will finish that post about how I've been feeling about my style, lately - anyone interested in reading something like that? 

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Art, art, art

I have to start this post by saying that I'm quite overwhelmed by the amount of people who commented on my last art post! It's so encouraging to get that kind of feedback and I really appreciate it. I must admit that my motivation has plateaued since my last post so I've only managed to make a small number of drawings since then, but I've photographed them to share, anyway.

 

I watched this video (Dumb Dumbs by Supercute!) which I thought was OK but I was really taken with the heart-shaped blush and wanted to draw a picture of someone sporting it. Oh, and definatalie has drawn some really cool illustrations with heart blush, as well. I didn't see those until after my drawing but I love her work and find it inspirational, too.

This one was inspired by this but I've simplified the details, etc. Apologies for the slightly blurry photo, though!

This wasn't inspired by anything in particular...except for perhaps these heart eye-lashes from ASOS.

I don't think I'm 100% satisfied with any of these but I definitely still like them. I was hoping to start selling prints soon but, alas, I cannot afford the scanner I would need to do so. Until then I'll keep posting some drawings intermittently and hope that I can save up enough money for a scanner. I'd rather not sell any original pieces until I have the means to get good quality reproductions of them. I also need to think of a name to sell my art under, as well. Hmm. Thinking cap on!

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Etsy update

Firstly, thank-you to everyone who participated in my survey - I closed it earlier today and I'll be going through the results and possibly posting a round up here but that all depends on whether I find it necessary or not. Either way, I appreciate everyone who took the time and apologies to those who no longer can (I felt I had all the feedback I needed).

Now, to the point of the post: an etsy update. As I mentioned in my first etsy post, I will probably be listing things quite slowly but I will definitely post an update here whenever I've got a few new listings done.

Vintage 50s blouse / aqua and white western / 35 bust

1990s dress / tan gingham shirtwaist / 22 to 29 waist

Vintage 40s/50s dress / moss green polka dot / 28 in. waist 

I've actually already made a couple of sales, which is lovely, but three of my original listings are stil in the shop so please take a look at those, too: Andi B. Goode, Vintage etc.

Love, 

Andi B. Goode 

x

Blue & white stripes and cherries ripe

I went out for tea for my sister's birthday, the other night, and despite feeling miserable because of the heat (I'm really a mild weather kind of girl, to be honest) I managed to put together an outfit I ended up liking quite a lot. I'm not sure if this dress has made its way to the blog before but it's one that I like to throw on when I'm not sure what else I should wear. This is the first time an outfit centred around it has come together so well, actually.

Outfit: scarf - op-shop; sunglasses - ASOS; earrings - made by me; brooch - gift; 1960s dress - etsy; belt - ?; bangles - op-shops; shoes - etsy.

I can't believe that I've not blogged about this beautiful necklace, yet! Mum got it for me for Xmas (after I'd pointed her in the right direction) and I'm completely in love with it. I've adored these cherry necklaces from afar for quite a while, now, as they tend to go for more money than I have. But this one ended up being a lot less than most I've seen, which is how it made its way from etsy to my neck. It also goes nicely with my handmade cherry earrings & the brooch I've had for years. 

My bracelets nearly match the stripes of my dress.

Oh, and I've also put together a survey - it would be great if anyone who has the time could fill it out for me! I would be very grateful as I'm hoping it will help me take my blog a little further this year.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Diner dress & heart brooch

On Monday I went to the cinema to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - I was wary of the film having enjoyed the Swedish adaptation as well as the book, so I was happy when I ended up liking the film very much. However, this post is not to write about the film but to show off what I wore to see it.

Outfit details: 1950s dress - etsy; 1940s/50s brooch - etsy; belt - gift; shoes - etsy.

I've said this before and I will say it again: I'm not a particular fan of Valentine's Day. However, I do love vintage Valentine's ephemera and also these very sweet pins. Isn't this just adorable? It combines some of my favourite things: bows, hearts and plastic. (Vintage plastic, of course.) I've found a few more similar brooches on etsy since I bought this one (one of them was a steal but was bought up whilst I was sleeping & waiting for an answer on shipping costs)...I think I started looking for them after Art Deco Dame had posted about her collection.

I feel like this dress has a very 1950s diner waitress vibe to it. I especially love the check fabric on the cuffs & at the collar as well as the oversized buttons.

This ring was made for me by one of my friends, as a Xmas gift.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Playsuit & ankle socks

Gosh, it's been nearly a month since I've done an outfit post on here! To be honest, I just haven't felt like taking photos of myself (in fact, these were snapped really quickly by mum, not me, on the way out) for quite a while.

I wore this out for a fun day with a friend - walking in the city, burritos for lunch, a lovely swim, watching High Fidelity and home made dinner - because I knew I wanted to wear something super comfortable. And this 1930s playsuit, that I bought from adelinesattic a while back, is definitely one of the most comfortable things that I own.

Outfit details: sunglasses - Dangerfield; earrings - made by me; playsuit - etsy; bracelets - various; socks - Happy Socks; shoes - Payless.

I love this fabric - I'm not usually one for floral patterns (to wear) but with the plaid base how could I resist? I also love the colour combination - I was originally going to wear it with peach accessories but I think the yellow works a lot better.

 I haven't been setting my hair much, lately, instead opting to wear it in two braids. Being able to wear my hair like this is one of the main things stopping me from cutting my hair shorter.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Andi B. Goode on etsy

I had planned on making today the return of the regular movie feature I used to do, however I am posting with a little announcement, instead.

After literally years of saying I was going to sell off some unwanted vintage pieces on etsy, I've finally taken the plunge. There aren't a lot of things listed at present but I'm going through the pile slowly...as they are all pieces from my personal collection, there isn't a lot of variety in the way of sizing, unfortunately.

I'm neither completely sold on the banner I made, nor the name of the shop but it was what I used at the last vintage fair I went to and I thought it would do for now. At the moment I've only listed shipping options for Australia because I was feeling a bit lazy, but if anyone outside of Australia is interested in anything, send me a message on etsy and I'll add other shipping options! I will probably be adding other options (or just an 'everywhere else') quite soon, anyway.

This is what I've managed to list so far:

Vintage 50s/60s dress / Brown Stylised Check Design / 27 Waist

Vintage 80s Dress / Pink & Mauve floral design / 26-29 waist

Vintage 50s/60s dress / Grey & green plaid / 27in waist

Vintage 1940s dress / Dove grey long-sleeved / 26 in waist

Vintage 1940s/1960s dress / grey green Gala Gown Melbourne / 27 in waist

Andi B. Goode, Vintage etc.

Please do take a look and I might post updates here as I list new lots, if anyone is interested in keeping up to date.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

I love your friends, they're all so arty

All the way back at the beginning of 2010 I posted a small selection of the photographic work that I had done in the graduating year of my visual arts degree. Since then, I haven't posted any of my art here (I've posted a few craft projects since then, though) - partly because I haven't really been making any art  but I've finally decided to have faith in my abilities as an artist and just make work. 

Another reason is that I felt, no matter how much this is my blog & I can obviously post whatever I want to, that posting my art didn't fit in with the vague 'theme' I'd made for myself here. But the aesthetic of my work is almost always inspired, at least in part, by my love of the 1940s and 1950s so I thought I'd post a small sampling of what I've been working on lately. (I've also been struggling to blog at all so, until I find the time to sit myself down and brainstorm, I figured this was as good a thing to blog about as any other.) Hopefully it's enjoyable to my regular readers, and a welcome change of topic, rather than a nuisance. (Though I suppose it's vintage link is no more tenuous than my ukulele posts. Ha.)

At the moment I'm not doing any photographic work but have returned to my first love: drawing. And then painting the drawings with watercolours. I'm getting happier with my work the more that I do and have had some lovely & wonderfully encouraging comments on both Tumblr & Instagram. 

I was thinking of doing an entire series of these floating heads but wasn't sure how many I could do before they got boring and repetitive. 

A piece of fanart in celebration of Mink Stole's character in Pink Flamingos, Connie Marble.

I've tentatively written 'cherish' on the banner on her left arm - no other reason than it was the first word that popped into my head.

When I started looking at the picture above this one, she made me think of Helga from Hey Arnold! but I was sad that she didn't have a mono-brow. I decided I needed to draw my own version of a grown-up Helga (but not too grown up - she still wears a giant pink bow and has 'Arnold' tattooed on her arm) and that's what I did!

Anyway, I'd love to know what you all think! I've always been uncomfortable calling myself an artist but I've recently realised that I need to make myself stop caring - I am an artist and shall endeavour to feel comfortable to refer to myself as such. I also need a scanner as photographing my work isn't that great.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Musical Interlude {Fabienne Delsol}

Well, it's definitely been a while since I've done a 'musical interlude' post but I'm toying with the idea of doing one every other Sunday (and maybe finally starting up my Silver Screen Sunday posts again on the alternate weeks...) Until I decide, you can all at least (hopefully) enjoy today's music post!

As you all probably know by now, my personal style tends to reflect the fashions of the 1940s and 1950s, but when it comes to music I'm usually more drawn toward the 1960s. This little fact is exactly why I'm so in love with the French singer Fabienne Delsol and her infectious (but never, to me anyway, overbearing) brand of indie-pop music.

Fabienne Delsol's music reflects all of my favourite aspects of 1960s music (wikipedia describes it as a blend of UK garage, pop and psychedelic), with many tunes having a distinct yé-yé flavour. In fact, the first song I ever heard by her was a cover of France Gall's Laisse Tomber Les Filles at a club I used to go to when I was 19 or so. I asked the DJ what it was and he just showed me the cover of the first volume of So Frenchy So Chic and I soon went out to buy it. It wasn't until quite a few years later that I acquired more of her music. As an aside, this song was possibly more famously covered by April March, in English, as Chick Habit, featuring on the soundtrack for Tarantino's Death Proof but also, where I first heard that particular cover, on the soundtrack for But I'm a Cheerleader.

I only have two out of Fabienne Delsol's three albums and am finding it very difficult to find copies of the albums released by the band she was in, The Bristols (except to download on iTunes and I'm rather old-fashioned in that I like having a physical copy of things that I pay for, which is something I'm sure I will have to get over one of these days. I've been searching eBay and there are a few copies floating about, at least). Since I got a turntable for Christmas that isn't attached to a great big ugly 1990s stereo, I've decided to start collecting more vinyl and I think Fabienne Delsol's albums might be some of the few I get!

I mentioned earlier in the post that she was also the singer of a band, The Bristols, who are no longer together. But they made even more fantastic music reminiscent of the 1960s. One of my favourite tracks is this cover of The Dave Clark Five's Can't You See That She's Mine 

Hopefully some of you have discovered a new (to you) artist to enjoy because sharing the music I love is definitely one of my greatest pleasures. If you'd like me to continue sharing please let me know - as I said, I'm just toying with the idea of doing this as a regular feature. For now, you can always go to this neat site I found that allows you to stream all of the music posts any individual user makes on their tumblr: trntbl.me. Enjoy!

Love,
Andi B. Goode
x

I'm just a kid again, doin' what I did again

It's been rather a while since I last posted a ukulele video but, as I uploaded one last night, I thought it was about time to post another. I'm really not sure how interesting these are for everyone but I shall continue to post them, anyway!

This one is a short recording of a sweet little ditty written in 1926 that most of you will know: When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin' Along). The song was written by Harry M. Woods and, since 1926, has been recorded by many artists including fellow uke player Cliff Edwards, as well as Al Jolson, Doris Day, Dean Martin, et al. It's a very fun and simple song for me to play, so I hope you all enjoy listening to it.

 

Since the last time I did one of these posts, I've actually uploaded a few videos to my YouTube channel (which you are all more than welcome to subscribe to) but I don't want to inundate you all with videos of me singing and playing, so I shall just add one more to this post. 

A while back on Tumblr, I asked my followers for requests/suggestions of songs I should do. I got 5 (or maybe 6) responses...and only recorded one so far. Eep! Anyway, this song has also been covered by a few artists but was originally by The Zutons and was then covered famously by Amy Winehouse on Mark Ronson's album Version. I have so much fun playing this song, too, so I hope you like this one, as well!

If there are any other musicians (uke players or otherwise) out there who have some music up online I'd love to have a listen! I'm still at the stage where I'm only covering other people's songs for YouTube but I hope to start dabbling in song-writing a bit more this year. 
Love,Andi B. Goodex

Ceramic Kitties

Well, happy 2012 dear readers! A lot of other bloggers have been doing posts to reflect on 2011, but I honestly don't want to look back, right now. I did post my favourite outfits of 2011 on Tumblr (you can see the first part here and the second part here)  and that was fun but other than that I'm not feeling particularly reflective.

Instead, I decided my first post of 2012 could be dedicated to my ceramic kitty collection. A little while ago I made mention of said collection and a few of you said you'd be interested to see a post on it, so here you go.

Most of these were bought from various op-shops and have no particular significance other than that I thought they were sweet. It's a very small collection at the moment, but it's growing and I'm always on the lookout for more. I started out collecting small ceramic animals in general but then decided to focus mainly on cats. Most of these are no bigger than two inches tall (or long, for those lying down) and I prefer the smaller sized ones to any bigger.

These were in my dad's step-dad's house and, when my dad was clearing it out after his step-dad passed away, he saved these for me.

I love the serene look on this little one's face.

This is the biggest kitty in my collection - as you can see, she's a vase but I just use her as a display piece. I love the little bonnet and that she's carrying an umbrella.

These are the newest pieces to be added to my collection - they're salt and pepper shakers and I bought them at the North Adelaide Vintage & Fashion Fair just before Christmas. Hopefully I haven't opened up the floodgates of salt and pepper shaker collecting, now! They were too lovely to leave behind, though.

I can't remember where I got these from but their stylised design is very different from the other cats I've been collecting. They live in a different part of my room from the others, too.

I hope you all enjoyed this - I love doing posts like this because it gives me incentive to photograph my collections and keep a visual record of them. I also just love being able to share my various collections with all of you.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x