July Reflections

July has been a crazy month, one full of exciting projects coming to life and lots of new ideas and reflections. As I've been writing on my blog several times a week I now have a time capsule of creations to look back on at the end of the month. This gives me a great opportunity to reflect and be proud of what I've achieved this month and plan ahead for my latest goals and aspirations.

The month of July started with a bang as I opened my latest exhibition over in Martinborough (read more about that here). It was fantastic to finally see my prints up on the walls and in such an amazing location too. The opening night was super fun and I was able to spend the weekend relaxing at the Holiday Park cabin with Ben and going for drives to the antique stores with my family. After all the planning and build-up to this exhibition, it felt great to finally see it in the flesh and know that my job was done!

Like most months, July was full of thrifting and working on my store. I spent lots of time at the Savemart in Masterton (read more about that here), and filled my days with searching through my favourite op-shops. I'm finally learning the ebbs and flows of my business and when to focus my attention on sales or when to sit back and let them happen naturally. Some weeks are slow and others I'm selling a dozen items, it's all about patience and perseverance, not giving up when sales slow down a bit. I've been working through my current stock and churning out tons of cool pieces to some very happy customers and I can't wait for August where I'll be dropping a whole new collection of pieces on my store.

I visited my new favourite second-hand store in Wellington, Add+Vintage and took some photos for them that I was super proud of, (read more about that here). I love taking photos of subject matter that I'm truly passionate about and sharing my love for retro style with a business that appreciates my fresh perspective on it. It's also opened my eyes to new opportunities in and around my city where I can put my skills to use and hopefully get some work experience too.

Our trip to Wanganui provided me with some more creative inspiration, with my Nan's beautifully 1970s home and garden taking pride of place in my photos again, (read more here). I also had the opportunity to style a shoot in an amazing 1960s home in Breaker Bay with floral carpet, bright pink sofas and crochet light fittings. This will be coming to my blog next month!

Overall, July has been a good month for me. It hasn't come without its challenges and obstacles, but I like to see that as part of the fun. It's rewarding to sit back and look at all that I've created and genuinely feel proud of myself. I don't mind if it takes a while to get that final outcome because when I can finally see a project completed to a standard that I'm happy with it's a feeling like no other. I'm excited for August, with new projects and ideas on the horizon. As the year comes to a close I'm starting to get some clarity on what I want my life to look like next year too and I can't wait to share that on my blog, along with fun new photoshoots and plenty of content to keep me inspired!

Bella 🌼

Green Onions in Wanganui

I am completely obsessed with this bright green vest, I ordered it off Depop a couple of weeks ago and have not stopped wearing it since. I love the way it pops against the simple colours of my white collared shirt and blue flared jeans. The fit is perfect and the colour is absolutely dreamy. So, here is how I styled it!

I'm super pleased with how these photos turned out. They were a bit of a mad dash on our way home from Wanganui last week. I got some very strange looks, posing in the rain outside an old building in Mana, but how good are these colours?! This pink building is like something straight out of my California photo series, something I would never expect to come across in New Zealand, let alone Mana. But as soon as I laid eyes on it I knew I needed to get some photos, so we pulled over and waited for the rain to partially subside. I look quite tired and very grumpy in these photos, partly because I'm not wearing any makeup but that is also my resting face, unfortunately.

I love styling my new green vest top with a super simple collared shirt underneath, I've been wearing it with this white one I picked up in Masterton last year. But I've also played around with wearing short-sleeved blouses and turtlenecks underneath too. It's such a versatile piece and perfect for adding another layer to your outfit and giving the illusion that you've put way more thought into your outfit than you actually have. I then, of course, styled it with my favourite thrifted denim flares from Paperbag Princess and my trusty grommet belt from California. This has been my go-to outfit over the last couple of weeks, I just throw on my favourite pair of green earrings and my scarab beetle necklace and I'm ready to go!

Bella 🌼

Soaked Oats

This is what waking up in Wanganui looks like. Soft light pouring through the curtains, creating a dreamy yellow glow on the faded floral wallpaper. The smell of slightly burnt toast and freshly squeezed orange juice wafting through the kitchen. Old antique mirrors reflecting early morning light and the sound of cars passing by on Fitzherbert Avenue.

You might recognise some of the subject matter in these photos from my 'Shirley's House' collection that I shot in February. We will often go and stay with my great-grandmother in her home in Wanganui and only this year have I started to appreciate what a retro time capsule it is. With orange paisley wallpaper in the pantry and old Formica benchtops, it's photography heaven for me. I adore the yellow and pink glow that comes through the curtains in the morning, transforming each room into a brightly coloured haven.

I love the way these photos make me feel. They immediately bring back the smells and sounds of my Nan's house and make me feel as though I'm standing on the old worn carpet right now, with the grandfather clock chiming away methodically. We decided to go and visit my Nan on Wednesday, although it was under unfortunate circumstances it was still a lovely two-day trip.

I wonder how these photos will make me feel in ten or twenty years time. What memories they'll bring back and weather the feel of Shirley's house will still be as fresh in my mind as it is right now. This house has been the only place to be constant throughout mine and my brother's life. I don't like the thought of someone else's family living there, cooking on the old electric stovetop, showering in the wet room or running under the sprinklers in the garden on a hot Summer's day. So, this is my time capsule, a snippet of what it's like to stay at Shirley's house.

Read more about my February collection here.

Bella 🌼

Trailer Trash Colour Study

How good are these colours??! I've been having so much fun with my colour study posts recently, something I've always loved doing in some shape or form. Playing with colour, patterns and texture to create unusual compositions has always been my favourite creative exercise. I love compiling all the photos I've taken on my phone and camera over a week or month period and picking out colour combos and a general theme to create a little time capsule of images.

This colour study reminded me of a run-down trailer park in California with bright garish colours and clashing patterns. The orange plastic jug and floral mugs give me major camping in the 60s vibes too. So, as a nod to one of my all time favourite songs I've aptly named this study 'Trailer Trash'. When editing my photos and creating these weird and wonderful compositions a name or theme will often come to me, or I'll be reminded of a place or song that the colours represent. I love that all this put together can create such a strong image or story in my head and it's interesting how this story will vary for every person that sees my work.

This week I visited quite a few op shops, which is where most of this content is from. The giant plastic head with the freakishly long neck was displayed in Fin, a new store that's just opened up on Cuba Street. Ben and I will often go window shopping in the vintage stores on Cuba Street, barely ever buying anything, but our wishlist is forever growing. We both especially love Tangent, the sell crazy 1960s / 1970s menswear, most of which would be way too big for me but I love it. We were thrilled when Fin opened up next door. Fin is a New Zealand brand and their store sells a mixture of retro pieces and handmade clothing, including some crazy cool flares and floral skirts.

When I'm thrifting I'm obviously on the lookout for good pieces to sell on my store or keep for my own personal closet. But I'm also always searching with my photo eyes, for furniture or bits and bobs that I can shuffle around and create a composition. The great thing about op shops is that you can move things around to create a set-up without getting too many strange looks and the lighting is often pretty decent. It's pretty much like a free styling studio, all props and costumes included. I'm constantly keeping my eyes peeled for funky textures or patterns in op shops, this is where most of my floral backdrops in the colour studies come from. It always pays to check the fabric bins or even the scarves for interesting textures.

All of this combined creates the final product, which I then edit and play around with to create the final designs. I always love the way these compositions turn out and although they aren't something I would get printed or use for an exhibition, doing this on a regular basis is a great way to exercise my creative mind!

Bella 🌼

Purple Haze

All photos shot and edited by Fran (here), design and layout by me.

This shoot was so much fun, Ben, Fran and I spent the afternoon wandering through town and finding the best lighting and spots to take photos. Fran and I are super similar in many ways, but when it comes to taking photos we have two very different styles. I love seeing the way Fran sets up a composition and her creative process and I learn a lot from her just by observing. These photos came out so good, I love the colours and the lighting was super dreamy and warm.

I'm generally pretty awkward in front of the camera, which is annoying given that my business pretty much revolves around it. But Fran has a way of bringing out my natural expressions, probably because I'm comfortable around her and she makes me laugh. Especially when trying to direct me not to squint when the sun is shining directly into my eyeballs. She also edits her photos in a very different way to me, so it was interesting to see the final outcome. I love showcasing different styles of photography on my blog and Fran has such an eye for great portraiture.

I love the subtle colours and funky textures of the orange netting and the green wall, which amazingly matched my bag exactly. I'm wearing my favourite new pink mesh paisley top from Savemart in Masterton (read about that here). My belt was a thrifted find in California, my jeans are from Paperbag Princess, earrings are Sans, crochet bag is thrifted and my boots are second-hand Docs from Thrift. The purple coat was actually purchased from the Salvation Army in town whilst taking these photos. I'll be selling it on my Depop very soon, so keep your eyes peeled if you like the look of it.

I'm super excited to do more shoots with Fran in the next few weeks. She's recently set up a new Instagram page for her photography work where she's been posting tons of her portraits. Check out Fran's work here.

Bella 🌼

Add+Vintage Store Wellington

Stepping through the doors of Add+Vintage on Marion Street is like stepping right into a photograph. Think Mid Century madness, bright colours and green Formica tables, so as you can imagine; I was in heaven. The Add+Vintage Store sits discreetly on Marion Street, it's unassuming facade not giving much away. Maybe that's why it took me so long to actually discover this treasure trove of retro goods.

Something I love about the store is the amount of greenery tucked in beside shelves or perching on vintage tables. Plantlife makes such a difference to the initial impression and overall feel of a space, especially when it's pretty jam-packed with pieces. The Add+Vintage Store has several different zones and rooms where their furniture and homeware is displayed. I immediately fell in love with the bright orange circular flower rug at the front of the store, it's so deliciously 70s! I also have my eyes on a gorgeous mid-century style stool with a yellow floral seat and I can imagine it in my living room already.

I've found that Wellington has a distinct shortage of really good vintage and antique stores, especially those that don't cost a fortune. You have to travel out to places like the Wairarapa to find anything decent. But Add+Vintage is the exception. It was nice meeting the owners too, who happily let me take hundreds of snaps in their lovely shop.

I often fantasize about how I'll decorate my home someday, what colour I'll paint the kitchen cabinets or the tiles I'll have in the bathroom. All I know is that I want every room in my house to be kitted out in Add+Vintage stock!

See Add+Vintage here,
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31 Marion Street, Wellington
Wed-Fri: 11am - 5:30pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 3pm

Bella 🌼