Blue Vintage Dress

This dress is an old favourite and it was a steal on eBay at $15 - no wonder it's a favourite.  I get asked a lot how I always seem to find 'good' vintage dresses so here are my thoughts/tips:

1. Know what you like, and more importantly, what suits you. (I gravitate toward 'knee-length' styles that nip in at the waist and 'pleated skirts'). Key words will definitely help when shopping online; refine a search and save you time.

2. If looking online, take note of the model's measurements (and don't be afraid to ask if they're not listed) as vintage sizing can be very different to today's sizing.  I find working with a model's measurements is a much better guide.  

3. I've mentioned before (see here) and I cannot recommend it enough, get a good tailor. Then you won't be too discouraged if you find something in a beautiful print that may be a size too big or too long as a good tailor can make anything work for your shape.

4. Give yourself time to look.  I can trawl ebay and etsy for hours on end to find a hidden gem. If shopping in stores, don't think you'll find something immediately, or even every visit - allow both time to sift through the racks and to try things on.
   

Vintage Dress | Sportsgirl Belt | Madewell Heels | Balenciaga Bag

Oreo and M&M Slice

My friend Erin sent me a link to these amazing M&M Oreo Cookie Bars. They looked and sounded like a winning combination so I gave them a go last weekend. I adapted the original recipe using 115g butter as we don't have sticks of butter in Australia and I substituted original M&Ms for peanut. When I make them again I'll use the originals as the peanuts were a little over powering. As the original recipe suggests, you could really add any confectionery you have in the cupboard into the basic mix.

115g unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 pack of Oreo Original Cookies, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup M&Ms

Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Mix the butter, egg, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a whisk until smooth.  Add the flour and stir until just combined, don't over mix. Stir in the Oreos. Pour mix into prepared tin, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Sprinkle the M&Ms over the top, lightly pressing them down. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool in the tin before slicing into pieces.