Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Australia is cookin' at the moment, seriously, the country is one big oven and you may have heard that all of the Australians are trying to come to terms with the heat - even though this is something that happens every summer. I turned to my most reliable summer favorite, the playsuit, to get me through the last few days. Growing up my all time favorite past time was climbing trees. My childhood home had huge camphor trees in the back yard and I spent every day of the school holidays working on building a tree house and seeing how high I could climb without killing myself. Our new back yard is full of trees and I got distracted while we were taking blog photos and started climbing this luscious fig tree which was all too tempting because it was so easy to climb!

November has been an extremely busy month and I have enjoyed taking some time away from the online world in favor of getting to meet some of my favorite bloggers in person and spending time together offline. Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting bloggers who I have been following for as long as five years, thanks to a fantastic meet up organised by Bonita and Ellen which you can read all about on Lavender & Twill and A Wild Tea Party. On top of that, a few nights ago I caught up for drinks and Mexican food with Brisbane vintage ladies; Kim from Say Cheesecake Photography and published pinup model Honey Holloway. In Sydney I met the fabulous Missi, the creator of Daisy Jean Floral Designs who made the stunning flower hair clip I am wearing in these photos.

That's right - these are actually artificial flowers, hard is it may be to believe considering they appear as if they were only moments before picked off a hibiscus plant and tucked into my hair! This is the first time I have ever worn hair flowers before on the blog as I am extremely picky when it comes to hair flowers and find many styles to be too over the top for my taste. I am a huge fan of Daisy Jean Floral Designs because not only is the quality of the blooms the most superior in fabric and feel, but they have a natural, understated appearance that adds instant elegance due to the balanced way in which each piece is designed. The flowers are attached to the hair with a metal clip that does not have any teeth so there is no risk of hair being tangled and is extremely sturdy and remains in place all day.

Hair flowers - Daisy Jean Floral Designs

Playsuit - Tara Starlet

Shoes - Bait Footwear

Modern Atomic

Maybe it's all of the Wes Anderson films I've been watching lately, because when we put together our house I found myself going for very bold, bright, cheery colours and so we ended up with a very colourful living room! On the outside our house is a very typical fifties ranch style design (though recently renovated and modernized) so I felt it would be fitting to have at least one room in our house that pays a homage to some of the elements of classic 1950s interior design. I love the look of the classic atomic home, however to me personally sticking to period detail was not a priority as much as comfort was.

Instead, we went for a few authentic vintage pieces from the 1950s and the rest is mostly from Ikea and Kmart. The good thing about vintage being so trendy at the moment is that it's become easier to find modern furniture that has a vintage look to it. Our vintage pieces in this room are the Don Rex chairs which have been freshly reupholstered and the sideboard that we use as a television stand (tv not pictured as modern flat screens are not quite so pretty)! As it is, the living room does not feel complete just yet - the walls are a little bare so in the future I will be adding a few more posters and maybe some plants - maybe more cats - kidding!

Five Fabulous Swimsuits!

Eloise Parisian Black Stripe Two Piece Bikini

Eloise Sunny Days Floral 2 Piece Bikini

Marilyn Swim Dress in Midnight Rose Garden

Grace Retro Swimsuit Cherry Bomb Black

Alice Two Piece Vintage Bikini

It is always a great pleasure to blog about Australian made vintage reproduction brands and Sirens Swimwear is not only a home grown company but in fact a local business who have a little shop just down the road from my home. It is through searching for vintage reproduction swimwear that I first discovered vintage fashion in the first place, and over the years I have trialed a wide range of vintage reproduction swimwear brands. When it comes to purchasing vintage swimwear it isn't as simple as buying a dress. Swimwear needs to be as supportive as good foundation wear to create a flattering silhouette, and be sturdy to withstand being battered by waves, scratched by sand and not lose it's colour from constant exposure to chlorine.

Since buying my first Sirens swimsuit last year, Sirens Swimwear is the first brand that I have encountered who create swimsuits that are resistant to constant wear and retain their pristine appearance, making them a glamorous investment that will last for many summers. Shopping for swimwear can be daunting - whether it is trying the swimsuits on in changing rooms or the anxiety caused by being uncertain of which size to order, so the clever folks at Sirens Swimwear have come up with the Ship the Shop program that allows customers to order five swimsuits to try on and then return the extra swimsuits at no extra return shipping fee. The Ship the Shop program is as easy as picking out five different swimsuits in your size and paying a deposit fee for one swimsuit in order to pick out your favorite - or ordering five swimsuits in a range of sizes to find the one that fits you perfectly.

To trial the Ship the Shop Program I ordered five swimsuits in different styles and cuts in order to find the swimsuit that was just right for my figure. Being a petite girl with a full bust I have always had a difficulty finding bikini tops that are both flattering and supportive. I was most impressed to find that Sirens bikinis provide the same support as a high quality bra, with full cups to support a variety of bust sizes and under wire. I love high waisted bottoms as I find them to be the most flattering and modest, and what I love most about Sirens high waisted pants is that they are made with shape wear lining to create a smooth silhouette. This is the same for Sirens one piece swimsuits, which are made with shapewear lining all the way through to provide excellent support.

With Sirens swimsuits designed to create the most flattering silhouette, it is important to size up from your regular size if your measurements are in between sizes the same as you would when purchasing foundation garments. This is why the Ship the Shop program is an excellent idea as it takes the stress out of working out what size to order! The lovely ladies behind the Sirens brand are dedicated to creating elegant swimwear that makes all women look and feel stylish and seductive and is available in sizes 8-20 with bust sizes A-F+.  As you can see I had a lot of fun trying on all of these beautiful swimsuits and deciding which one to keep has not been an easy task - so thank goodness that Christmas is just around the corner! I will be writing about the swimsuit that I chose to keep in a future post, but for now I would love to know - which one is your favorite?

To order your own Sirens swimsuit be sure to use the code harlowdarling to receive free shipping off your order!