An amazing day today where I got to learn how to make my first ever paper crane AND meet some really ace peeps whose work I much admire; all because I sent out a random tweet!
So today I went to my very first KÜKsession. KÜKs (Kamikaze Über Krafters) is a growing community of crafters who inspired by quiet conversations about *things we'd like to make*, come together and make stuff that matters. A few weeks back, I randomly tweeted that I wanted to learn how to make a papercrane. This tweet was seen by the group's Bambi Gordon who passed on the message to the group's head KÜK, Toula Karayanniswho organised for the paper-ace TRIAL AND ERROR to come and present a workshop on their creative enterprise and to show us how to make a paper crane, heart and flower bomb!
First up though, a funny coincidence: I found out about TRIAL AND ERROR some months ago after they created a magic papercrane installation for the window of mettascents - a shop belonging to another Twitter friend! When I first saw the installation, I was so moved that I emailed Trial and Error to express my admiration for their work and to share my paper pinata costume! Check out the clip below:
It was a super fun and kooky day with with the KÜKs as demonstrated by Cyndi and Sarah in the gif I've made below! I wanted to showcase their ace workshop wear - coordinated coloured jeans from zara and accessorised with the paperheart necklaces and flower bomb headpieces they showed us how to make!
Cyndi and Sarah demonstrate the joie de vivre of TRIAL AND ERROR!
I'm also hoping to get Cyndi and Sarah to join forces to help theDo It In A Dress Campaign. Did you know that there are 60 million girls in the world who are not in school? One Girl Org aims to raise funds to send girls in Sierra Leone to school and Do It In A Dress is their major fundraiser. The campaign asks individuals to do something they normally do between Oct 2-9 - but in a school dress! By asking family and friends to sponsor their efforts, Do It In A Dressers will be raising much-needed funds for One Girl Org's awesome programs in Sierra Leone to send girls to school!
Boys and Girls Do It In A Dress to raise funds for One Girl Org's programs in Sierra Leone to send girls to school!
Will you?
Campaign co-founder Chantelle Baxter hopes to wear a new school dress for each day of the campaign- I'm helping to find interested designers and crafters to create a dress either by using an old school dress (we've been receiving donations..) or crafting one out of the resources available to you! In the case of TRIAL AND ERROR - that could be paper! In return we are working to get more media interest as well as promoting your creations through the One Girl Org, Twitter and related blogs like randomshitchez and the more serious BusinessChic.com.au ! If you are interested, please drop me a line in the comments below and I'll email you further information!
Somewhere over the rainbow is a place called etsy where wonderful quirky things can be bought from wonderful people with the maddest range of goodies to fulfil any quirky desire. I have previously blogged about the felt doughnuts that came in surprisingly handy one day... In today's post, we will look at the frock I've just received - my first ever etsy frock and dare I say it, the biggest effing dress I've ever owned!
Its sparkle, volume and shade of cotton candy pink remind me of one Glinda ~ the Good Witch of the South in one of my favourite childhood films, The Wizard of Oz. Do you see the resemblance?
Glinda - The Good Witch of the South makes an appearance in a bubble of pink
Not clear enough? Ok here's a line-up to facilitate voluminous shoulder detail comparison:
Random shit, Chez!
RANDOM FACT: Glinda is the Good Witch of the South. I live in South Yarra. Coincidence!? :P
Many thanks to seller Calico Vintage for being amazing as I ummmed and ahhhed over needing this piece.
There's a pink fairy in all of us, have you gotten in touch with yours lately?
But the moral of this random shit Chez post is that everyone needs a fairy godmother and sometimes... she is you! xx
I'm sorry to hear that you are unwell and stuck in hospital. As such here is a post dedicated to you. You see I had a conundrum this weekend: two parties but really only the time for one outfit. One was the launch of Hussy's new store at GPO (not far from where I photographed you), the other was a friend's housewarming that naturally was a costume party with the theme, Alice in Wonderland!
So you can understand that I needed an ensemble that could cut it with the fash pack but then look appropriately OTT for Alice, et voila! I pulled out a hot pink jumpsuit that I got from American Rag, what do you think??
The first two images are me trying on belts from Hussy - I settled on the black one in the end as while the gold goes better with my jumpsuit - it's not everyday that I wear a hot pink jumpsuit!
And here is a pic that Emma took of me with the Hussy designer, Marie Ritchie:
Afterwards I was naturally very late for a very important date and skipped off to my friend Leanne's housewarming where I popped on a pair of bunny ears and tail that I picked up from my local $2 shop which naturally cost me $5.50 ;) Here is a pic of me with uber-cute Leanne and I don't know who the guy is - oops!
So what do you think of my outfit? Reckon I can be forgiven for wearing the same thing to two events!? And how are you feeling? I've been thinking of you lots and hope you are big time on the mend - keep us posted and hope you get well soon! xx Chez.
PS: must thank my friend D for taking the bunny pics :)
Last year, I played the role of the tooth fairy on community tv show, Story Time. Since then I've been thinking about what sort of accessories a modern day tooth fairy might craft and wear in the workplace, et voila!
Can you help me decide which tooth accessories/art I should invest in? Will it be the 14k Gold tooth that has appeared in Spanish Vogue? The tasteful artwork for the bathroom? or perhaps the earrings which I could wear and point to when someone is giving me an earful?
Decisions, decisions... this tooth fairy might need more teeth! mwah-ha-ha!
Lost property. Things that people once bought for whatever purpose but which they have left behind.
Welcome to a new series on Random shit, Chez where I sort through the lost property boxes at cafes around town!
I spend a bit of time sitting in cafes, working or relaxing but also always people watching. As a streetstyle snapper, I think we're a fascinating lot to watch. From the super-styled to sleep-deprived-mum-chic to the cosy all-sorts comprised of favourite jumpers, trusty jeans, that old coat and beanie... I love seeing the different kinds of people who congregate in Melbourne's cafes to satiate hunger and soul over bowls of soup, avocado on toast or a big breakfast with a hearty side of conversation. Sometimes once our bellies are full, caffeine hits had and we head back out into the world, we leave something behind. I've never seen someone actually leave something behind but I know that cafes around town have lost property boxes which evidences that they do. As such I thought that it'd be interesting to point the lens at the lost property boxes to see what random shit people leave behind. So here we go!
Proud Mary's is at the corner of Stanley and Oxford Streets, Collingwood
We start off the series with Proud Mary (172 Oxford Street, Collingwood). Proud Mary is a cafe that is full of delicious. I know this because just about everyone* told me so for the longest time and when I finally hauled my ass over there, I found out that it was true. Delicious. They also have quite the box of lost property. Owner and champion barista Nolan suspects that most of the lost stuff actually belongs to staff. How else can one explain the LEATHER PANTS we found in the box?! Scroll down below for some of the lost loot we photographed at Proud Mary's:
Random lost shit laid out on the bonnet of Nolan's Ford Ka!
Who loses a pair of leather pants at a cafe?!
Could this be the lost property of sporty smart types who had their thirst quenched at Proud Mary's?
And finally, sifting through lost property is hard work and creates a thirst for delicious. I quenched mine with Proud Mary's hot choc that I swear, loves you hard.
Proud Mary Hot Chocolate - hot stuff that loves you hard.
Served up in a generous glass tumbler that invites cupping with both hands, this velvety hot chocolate delivers on taste and texture and is accompanied by a lovely old-school serving of marshmallows. Delicious with or without the fluffy additions, my heart is warmed at the memory of this bevvy...maybe that's how someone ended up losing their leather pants? I wonder if we'll ever find out...
on set for Destination 90s- filmed at RMIT's Studio A after-hours
Dear RMIT,
This is a post to support a community group and service that I derived a lot of value from last year. I have been alerted to the fact that RMIT is shutting down access to Studio A outside of normal working hours. As such, I'd like to share the wonderful experience I had when I worked on a Destination 90s, a show made by members of RMITV in RMIT's Studio A, after-hours. It is my hope that RMIT will resource Studio A to continue to operate as it has been in order to enable others to have rewarding experiences like I got to!
For those who are unfamiiliar, RMITV is a not-for-profit independent media production group and community access television production facility based at RMIT University City Campus. Destination 90s was a tribute show to music, news and lifestyle of the 90s and the brainchild of one Caitlin Jolly who both produced and hosted the show. Destination 90s was filmed after work hours which meant that after my dayjob as an auditor, I could zip over to Studio A and make tv.
In make-up ~ yeah baby!
Caitlin gave me the opportunity to act as both stylist and show presenter from Episode 4. As the presenter of the 90s Child segment, it was my role to re-introduce and reminisce about the toys from our childhood, here's my debut with one of my favourite toys, GRIP BALL:
eeek! But truly I loved every moment of my Destination 90s experience and like to think that I learnt and improved over the course of the series! Being able to juggle a full-time job and build up my portfolio as stylist for the show meant a lot to me. If the show was not filmed outside of work hours, there is no way that I'd be able to have been a part of it - and I know that I'd feel poorer without this experience.
Some of the fun I got up to as stylist and presenter of the 90s Child segment...
The crew with James Sherry from 90s kids' show, A*mazing!
Without Destination 90s, I would not have met a whole lot of inspiring people who I have no doubt are the bright future of Australian TV.
Serious shit, please keep Studio A open after-hours!
After the experience of Destination 90s, I have been inspired to work on creating my own shows which I hope to have made at Studio A. So dear RMIT, please keep Studio A open after hours so that both I and a wider section of our community can take part to connect to build relationships and wonderful experiences in making Australian television.
