Official Burlesque International Trailer

Sometimes you just can't wait for a movie to hit the cinemas, right now that's how I feel after seeing the trailer for Cher's new movie Burlesque. Sure its not my era, and its not Dita or even Foxtrot India but hey if it helps sparks the interest in Burlesque and the huge list of performers, so far I'm behind it.

So whats the story? Basically the Burlesque Lounge has its best days behind it. Tess, a retired dancer and owner of the venue, struggles to keep the aging theater alive, facing all kinds of financial and artistic challenges. With the Lounge's troupe members becoming increasingly distracted by personal problems and a threat coming from a wealthy businessman's quest to buy the spot from Tess, the good fortune seems to have abandoned the club altogether. Meanwhile, the life of Ali, a small-town girl from Iowa, is about to change dramatically. Hired by Tess as a waitress at the Lounge, Ali escapes a hollow past and quickly falls in love with the art of burlesque. Backed by newfound friends amongst the theater's crew, she manages to fulfill her dreams of being on stage herself. Things take a dramatic turn though when Ali's big voice makes her become the main attraction of the revue.

Still interested then watch the trailer below. Sadly I don't have a confirmed release date only that its looking to hit cinemas round the end of the year. So keep your eyes peeled for it!

A bit more me.......

With my new phone also came the new challenge of our to make it a .....bit more me. So how do you turn a plain black Nokia into a retro tattooed Nokia?

So what you need:

• Phone (obviously)
• Smiggle Skin in pattern of your choice
• Cleaning Cloth (i used the one for my glasses)
  
• stable surface to work on

They are decorative vinyl covers that allow you to personalise your favourite gadget. I used the retro print from Smiggle, at only $19.95. The great thing is you simply pick your gadget model & preferred Smiggle design on the interactive touch screens found instore, then take the receipt to the counter.

Watch as your Smiggle Skin is laser-cut right before your eyes. Which means the skin will fit perfectly on your device.

Wipe clean your device then peel from the backing, and gently lie on the gadget. Once your sure its all lined up right press down and smooth out any air bubbles. And there you have it!

If you want to see a bit more have a look at the smiggle how to vid here.

Gossip Girl - Lingerie and Sleepwear

Well since the release of Series 3 of Gossip Girl I have not only been able to

a) watch all of season 3 in a week
b) indulge in my love of fashion
c) indulge in the fashion of Blair Waldorf
d) be super excited to see slips and stunning lingerie worn by my favorite character

So apart from the normal intrigue, plots, plans, love affairs and all the rest that makes up Gossip Girl I am adoring the fashion of Blair Waldorf. Ok so it wasn't going to be that hard for me to fall in love with her style again. Especially after the last season when I ended up buying one of her dresses for myself. But this season I'm swooning over the lingerie and nightwear she has. Slips, teddies, french knickers, torsolette's (also known as a basque), stockings and silk gowns. Yep I'm in heaven.

All I will say is if you love a little lingerie then borrow these DVD's from your local DVD store or friend (yep you will have one who has this as a guilty pleasure) sit down and enjoy. Blair brings back the style and seduction that lingerie is to a vintage gal in a modern way. It does give me faith that old style Holly wood Glamor is alive and well in TV land.

I've added this little clip I found to give you a taste of the Gossip Girl style and entice your lingerie desires.
XOXO TikiDoll

Creative Space

Sometimes there is so much in your head that you don't quiet know where to start or what exactly you should be writing about. So while in my new little office, which at the moment is very sparse I thought I'd talk about making a creative space for yourself.

As I adore fashion, writing and art I figured the first place is to create some inspiration for those days when I'm staring at a blank screen and need a bit of a boost.


So a couple of prints were found like this canvas print of a typewriter to help inspire me and remind me where all the writers before me came from. As well as this massive canvas prints of some of the places I'd like to see, work, write about and one day have my store in. Its always good to have something to inspire you for your long term goals, just in case you forget why your doing what your doing.

A little bit of reading never hurts. Its great to have a mix of autobiographies, fashion mags and other bits in pieces to help get those creative juices flowing. Plus it gives you a bit of a boost to see what went before and how it relates to today. I actually keep my books of Pinups and Dita Von Teese close to hand for a pick me up and a great source of WOW when I'm trying to plan an outfit, or see how pieces can work together.

And of course my favorite mug with either a T2 tea or Whole Bean Coffee just for an added pick me up, especially if I'm writing late at night or a Sunday afternoon. There is just something so wonderful about having the perfect cup and hot beverage to help get your thoughts in order. It also never hurts to have some fresh flowers and a nice scented candle to quiet your mind. At the moment I'm loving vanilla bean soy oil candle as it fills the room with a warm scent that doesn't over power.

A very long day

Well I am finally resting my sore feet after a massive walking/shopping trip with the Vintage Society yesterday. In fact it was a big day for most of Melbourne as it was also Grand Final day Collingwood vs St Kilda. Sadly the grand final ended in a draw which means we have to play again next week, but at least I managed to combine with fashion with the St Kilda colors to show my support.

So after meeting at Federation square and finding each other amongst the football fans it was time to hit the shops. This trip was going to be big with up to 20 members joining us along the way, not to mention we were going to hit the CBD and Chapel street. This did mean we had to keep out energy up by indulging in hot chocolates, gourment fries and snacks along the way.

We did manage to find some great pieces new and old amongst the various stores. The key is to keep an open mind and not to have an agenda. With open eyes you can find amazing things that you never thought of. Plus the bonus of being in such a large group you can get honest feedback on what your trying on.

After a few of these trips I do think the best thing is the time we spend with friends, sharing our passions and talking about the world.

Quick Note

Just a quick note as I head out to meet the Vintage Shopping Society in the brisk Melbourne Spring. Today we hit chapel street, Melbourne CBD and maybe Brunswick street. The mission is to find some vintage race wear for the upcoming race season here in melbourne. So hats, hats and more hats. Fingers crossed we find a bargain!

Westfield and Shopping

As if I really need an excuse to shop, however when you were going to shop anyway it never hurts to get a bonus. Until the 3rd of October Westfield Southland will give you a $20 bonus gift card when you simply spend $150 or more in one day, on specialty fashion, footwear, accessories or beauty* How good is that! And yes I already managed to pick one up simply for picking up my work outfit which I was going to buy anyway!!!!

*Exclusions and conditions apply; click here for full terms and conditions. Limited stock of Westfield Gift Cards only, see terms and conditions for details. Offer ends 03/10/10 or once stock of Westfield Gift Cards runs out, whichever occurs first.

mad hatters tea party in nov

As race season approaches so does the 'Mad Hatter's' Tea Party (Melb Cup Eve)- Monday 1st Nov at Burlesque bar. Oh no another excuse to find a fantastic frock. I have been in contact with the team at Beserk Clothing in Brisbane and they have suggested this cute corset number.

Its a 3 Piece Strapless Corset with matching Tutu Skirt & G-String. In a super Cute Corset designswith a sweetheart shaped cut with black lace trimming and ribbon bows, Lace up at the back, & pvc boning.
A great way to reduce your waist by up to 4 inches and flatten the tummy!

Tutu is seperate from the corset so can be worn with or without! So I may also add one of my longer black petticoats and add some funky purple stockings and witch inspired boots. Watch this space for more ideas

More of What Katie Did

Its no secret I adore What Katie Did and this latest edition has done nothing to sway my love of this store. Antoinette is one of their dramatic overbust corsets, with a design that harks back to the 18th Century when debauchery and decadence were the order of the day; when sexuality was celebrated and cleavages were flaunted, before the 19th Century came along and everyone covered up again.
This creation is a vision in chocolate brown and black taffeta with tactile chenille roses. It offers great support for B-E cup sizes thanks to the winged sides, and the gored hips ensure that those with vintage figures (a ten-inch or more difference between waist and hips) can achieve a significant reduction, whether experienced in wearing corsets or not. The Brown Rose Showgirl Antoinette is very limited edition, so don't delay if you picture yourself in one... before the queen is deposed!


What Katie Did corsets are made up of several layers: base fabric: 100% cotton twill, 100% cotton lining fabric, an internal waist stay and the face (or fashion) fabric. A combination of spiral and flat steel boning is used. Two piece grommets and washers are used at the back, placed between boning, whilst all of our corsets feature a steel busk at the front.

* Modesty Panel
* Stainless steel busk front opening
* Back laced
* Combination of 10 flat and spiral steel bones
* Each corset is made by hand by one corsetier from start to finish
* Specialist dry clean

support the locals

If you fancy seeing what the fantastic gals got up to and the Victorian Miss Australian Pinup up please check out the Today Website or the Pinup Australia website. A big congrats to everyone involved in such a wonderful night!

Photo courtesy of Nada Bos

RetroStar Finds

So I thought I might show you some of the great finds that I picked up at Retrostar last weekend.
First one was the cute cheongsam, its a form-fitting, knee-length dress with a mandarin collar and slit on the side. It needs a few stitches here and there, as well as a few press studs but well worth the $10 investment. skirt. It needs a few press studs replaced and a stitch or two in the back but for $10 its worth the effort.
Then there were these two mid calf length 'tartan' mid weight skirts. Great additions for autumn or spring as they can be worn with a range of tops and even knee high boots. Again at $5 each a great find, or two.Next came these two mid weight tartan style mid calf length skirts.

I also found this cute early 1960's print dress. I will need to fix a couple of buttons but otherwise perfect.


And because I can't go past a nice slip this one at $5 also had to come home.


I even managed to find for $10 this modern version of a classic style dress. This one may actually make it to the races this season....maybe with a few sparkly additions.

Vintage 1940's Wedding fashion

Now its no secret I love vintage fashion, especially slips. I was given this great link regarding 1940's wedding fashion/slips. After watching it with a massive smile of my face it made me wonder why we a) don't wear slips anymore and b)what happened to quality. Even my collection of slips (except one or two) are true 1950's pieces which look just as great as the day they were made. Plus with a slip on your silhouette looks flawless, there's no "oh dear windy day" moments. So have a watch and maybe keep your eyes peeled when next you go shopping for lingerie.

Star Sale

What do you get when you combine the following

1. A bunch of retro vintage shoppers
2. A warehouse sale
3. A sign saying nothing over $10
4. Wallets with a bunch of $10 notes

Well most of the retro/vintage shoppers of Melbourne also had the same idea, which was shop like a crazy person while you can get some great deals. Especially since the prices were $10 dress/jackets, $5 skirts/shirts/pants, $1 rings/sunglasses.

So after a lunch of yummy food and wonderful coffees we headed to one of the backstreets of Brunswick in search of new/old finds to make us smile. The interesting thing about this shopping trip is that all the members of the group are into different eras and styles. Including 1940, 1950, 1960 and 1970's plus the ideas of mod, classic, alternative.

Which meant as a team of 7 we could go through the racks and not only find things for ourselves but as a team could grab pieces we thought would fit/suit others.

So what was the result? Well I picked up a winter jacket, 2 wool tartan skirts, 1 blouse, 1 silk slip, 1 silk dress, 1 wool turtle next and 2 rings. Pictures to come so you can see them all.

Tripod "Gonna make you happy"

Tripod is one of my favorite comedy bands, and have been for many years now. Which meant seeing them live is a wonderful night for me, but to have them at a conference was BLISS! So I thought I'd just give you all a snapshot of some of there music.