On the move: A new home for Alexie RicRac

My dream for Alexie RicRac has always been to write about living life as someone who pursues the simplicity and the style of bygone eras, as well as incorporating my values of sustainable living. You may have noticed I haven’t really written much about ‘sustainable living’ but for the most part my posts definitely have an undertone of leading a sustainable life. When I started this little blog at the end of 2014, the plan to turn it into a website was always on the cards. As Alexie RicRac readies itself for the next phase of its journey, it is time to make the move to a self-hosted site.

I’m still updating my Bloglovin’ links – I need to write a post from my new address before it will recognise it is a blog, so please make sure you update your bookmarks with the new address – www.alexiericrac.com.au.

I can’t wait to share the next part of my journey with you, and hope you continue to enjoy being a part of the ride.

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What To Wear Wednesday #8

How lucky are my parents? Both their children getting married in the same year, and eighteen weeks apart! I’m really looking forward to celebrating my brother and his future wife’s wedding. I’d already gone through two wardrobe changes before Christmas too with regard to what I’d wear to their wedding. You might remember me fawning over Lindy Bop’s Cindy in Sage in December. Well, I ordered it in late December/early January, making it a third outfit change before my brother’s wedding was remotely close. I didn’t pay proper attention to the sizing and measurements though so when it arrived and I couldn’t do it up (I ordered the same size as the Audrey dress I have but Cindy and Audrey are not the same!), I had to send it back and get the next size up.
Lesson of the day: read the measurements of each dress carefully, and make sure you triple check your own measurements!

What To Wear Wednesday #7

It might be the end of summer in just four days with daylight savings ending (hurry up already October so I can have more sunshine!), but when I saw this dress come up on a Facebook buy/swap/sell group that I am a part of I simply could not pass it up. I only tried it on last week in store but because of the fact that I don’t like to buy clothes new (unless I absolutely cannot get it any other way), I didn’t part with the cash.
Styling outfits is a little hard to do with thrifted clothes and accessories though, so I have to show you new items, but perhaps you just use them purely for inspiration, like I do.

A Little Piece of History in Every Home: Tupperware turns 69

This is not a sponsored post. I just love Tupperware.

Fact: I have been a Tupperware demonstrator, twice. I would do it again too if I could carry/wheel the products to a demonstration. I was not quite 19 when I went to my first Tupperware demonstration, and not long after was when I became a demonstrator. It’s the only Plastic Fantastic I have, that I will always love, and to be honest, I love it so much I could sell it underwater with a mouthful of marbles!

Our Vintage Home: The Bare Bones

Almost four years ago, we were forced to move out of our stinking, mouldy granny flat type abode that adjoined a residence in the inner east of Melbourne. We moved into a late 1950s – early 1960s one bedroom apartment near the beach in inner south-east Melbourne. We loved it the minute we walked in. Last week I found some pictures that I took the day we moved in and I thought I’d share them with you.

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve not yet got my curtains hung as I had hoped to do in mid February. I need to block out some time and just get it done.
I think I want to remove the decoupage fruit on the splash back: whenever we clean the splash back they come off anyway.
Seeing my diner looking so clear of clutter is making me anxious: we have nowhere suitable to store our heaters (we have two electric heaters and the only place they fit out of the way is under the table against the wall). I just want it to be this clear again!

Our lounge room looks so small here. Would you believe me when I tell you this room is about 5.5 metres deep and about 3.5 metres wide? Sure, we have blocked off the front door to allow us to use the whole space, but this picture is quite deceiving. We’ve got three desks, two bookcases, a couch with a chaise, and a 1940s/1950s sideboard that we use as a TV cabinet.

With the addition of a small 1940s/1950s free standing wardrobe, a 1950s dresser, and two under bed storage tubs, we have sufficient storage space in the bedroom, but we’ve had to push our bed up into a corner to fit everything in. I’d love to find a bedside table like the one pictured below to match our dresser and wardrobe because the modern laminate one really doesn’t match!

Our bathroom is incredible. I really love it. I love the detail in the hexagonal floor tiling, the colour scheme of blue, green, pink, maroon, grey, and importantly the fact there is both a bath (you can see it poking out there in the bottom left underneath the toilet) and a space for a washing machine (where I stood to take the picture).

There is so much I love about our little flat but of course it has its downsides too. It’s not our forever home and while it’s an it’ll do for now job it’s also practicable and suits our tastes.
Is your place somewhere you love or an it’ll do for the time being?

New Directions

First, I promise you that this post is not about the hit American TV show Glee (I’ll admit now I am a fan though). It really is about a new direction for Alexie RicRac. It’s not so much a new direction as it is a step closer to turning this blog into the dream I have for Alexie RicRac. Today I start a new chapter in the Alexie RicRac story.

Friday Finds #3

Handmade: Is there anything better? Customised, rare, unique, special. That’s what I think of when it comes to handmade. This week’s Friday Finds are from the fabulous MadeIt. Step this way as I showcase some of my favourite items from handmaidens Australia-wide.

Our Vintage Home: The Kitchen Project

Three and a half years ago, The Mister and I were faced with a self imposed challenge to find a new place to live in a very short space of time. The ‘house’ we had been living in for 6 months had rising damp and despite our best efforts, we had mold growing on a lot of our possessions. It wasn’t until we dismantled our bed that we realised the extent of the damage: our mattress, our bed frame, our slats; not to mention the mould on the backing board of our chest of drawers (and finally we understood why our clothes smelled so putrid!). Within two weeks, we moved from the mold-infested place to the place we live in now.

Special Edition: Ballarat Beat

A chance click a few weeks ago when looking at my favourite vintage and pin-up Facebook pages alerted me to the fact that the Ballarat Beat Rockabilly Festival was coming up. I had it in my head that Ballarat Beat was a little closer to Easter. Given that Easter moves every year I don’t know why I had that thought in my head. Never the less, Ballarat Beat was this weekend and we cleared our schedules to go! We stayed with my oldest friend and her partner: Rach and I have been friends for 26 years, we went to kinder and primary school together, and we also worked together in our final year of high school. Spending the weekend with Rach and Andrew was wonderful, all four of us are so busy the last time we saw each other was August 2014. Rach works for Ballarat Regional Tourism, and Ballarat Beat is one of her babies. 

Friday Finds #2

Summer has finally arrived – albeit two months late (did anyone say climate change!?) – so today’s Friday Finds is all about the great outdoors! Unfortunately we don’t have a back yard, so all of these items are a pipe dream until we do get a bigger place with a patch of grass.