3.27.2014

Hommes Fashion 1: Carlo in San Francisco

I managed to finish my first homme complete outfit, I started with some casual clothes and pants, so that the guys will not have to stay naked all around the house (it ain't proper).
As Carlo was already in San Francisco - Carlo Mad About the boy - he immediately went out in his new clothes to show off. He' wearing a cotton jacket and jeans and a pique t-shirt. You always need a jacket in the San Francisco summer!!!! I believe this colour enhances his features.

Carlo is posing in some of my favourite San Francisco's spots:

Sausalito - Picture by Billa
Golden Gate Park - Picture by Sasha
Golden Gate - Picture by Billa
Painted Ladies - Picture by Billa
Union Square - Picture by Sasha
Now he's going to join the rest of the girls and I expect him to pop up in Odette's travels!!!



See you soon!
Billa

3.23.2014

Versatile Blogger Award nomination given by Nymphea


My dear friend Nymphea of The Doll Barn nominated me for this nice award. It was such a  suprise!!!


To accept  this nomination I have to post seven things about me and give the award to 15 Bloggers I follow and inform them about it, then post a comment with my nominations on the VBA Blog. It looks like fun so here I am!

Seven things about me:

1. Right afther Sasha (my boyfriend) the thing I love most in my life is travelling around the world as often as       I can (with him)
2.I've been a collector of something for my whole life
3. Love classic movies from the 30's, 40's and 50's and movies in general
4. I'm an avid reader, mostly classics (here too...he he)
5. I'm a lousy tennis player
6. My favourite season is summer 
7. My favourite sport is sunbathing

And my nominees are:

1. Heather at The Travelling Twig
3. Miranda at One Sixth Avenue
4. Muff at Hey It's Muff
5. Vanessa at Van's Doll Treasures
6. Cindi Montersen at Moreville
9. Cat at A doll affinity
10. Roville
11. Miss Jay
12. Dominique at Domidoll
13. Mrs Roberts
14. Everyday a Dollie
15. April at Fashion Doll Stylist

See you soon!

3.20.2014

Little Black Dress 3: the 40's Dior and the New Look

After two decades in the 40's the rise of the Little Black Dress came to a halt. In fact during war time there was not much time to think about fashions. Anyway women favoured two pieces suits  or floral dresses. The line that prevailed in the first half of the decade was still the siren of the late 30's. An example is  the dress I made for Costanza: Costanza 40's dress

But in 1947, the war finally over, Christian Dior in his very first collection introduced the "New Look": characterised by a small waist and a full skirt. This style was immediately embraced by the most stylish women of the era. In fact it became extremely popular, influencing fashion well into the 50's.

This is the classic Dior line that we all know and love so well

Dio's New Look: The Bar Jacket
The Little Black Dress, born in the "no waist line" 20's, was back!!! 

This  fashion I choose is  from 1948, and is called "Drag". I think it has a line that Greta Garbo or Katharine Hepburn would have loved:


The most "garboesque" among the girls is definitely Veronica, so she's going to model this one:



I think that these neoclassic columns emphasizes the timeless style of this  Dior design




This issue's sountrack is "la vie en rose" 1946 by Edit Piaf




On the next instalment:  the 50's, Enter Givenchy 

3.12.2014

A new girl: Giada

Supposedly she will be the last entry from the older collections, just like for the Agnes sculpt it took me a long time to pick my Eugenia.
Thanks to missJay I finally made my decision. I don't really like velvet eyes but all the rest was so beautiful I felt I could overcome this minor fault.
First thing: her hair!!!! I love redheads,  I started collectint IT dolls because of their beautiful redheads!


After all the eyes are not so annoying and her makeup is really soft, expecially the lips. I really appreciate this because I didn't choose Deconstruction Site Eugenia because I was put off by her lips (really she looks like she has an enflatable dinghy in the middle of her face! I know I didn't have this problem with Caterina - Tatyana, it depends from the overall face sculpt I suppose)


So I have to say that has it usually happened the real doll looked even more beautiful than the pictures of her I saw!
A few words on the outfit: is wonderful, love this shade of green and the model reminds me something from Dior I've seen somewhere.


Also the shoes and jewels are amazing!


From now on she will be called Giada, and yes, shes BEAUTIFUL!!!!

3.07.2014

Travelling dolly 5: Odette in China - The North: Beijin and X'ian


Odette rested a lot in her last travel, all those beaches and pools.....so now  she's bound for a truly bold voyage: China!!! When you visit a country like this, so vast it could be a continent by itself, you can't go wrong. China is rich in history, art, culture, nature and PEOPLE!
It allows the western tourist a healthy change of perspective on a lot of things, it forces you to change your frantic pace and in the same time it makes you wonder about China's own frantic pace. In a country where modernity and velocity tries to live along with thousands of years history, skyscrapers and mandarine's gardens, crowded working class districts and the forbidden city, the immense peace of the rice fields and the quiet majesty of the Li River and the endless suburbs and heavily trafficked  higways  of Beijing and Shanghai.

China is all of this, and a lot more! Odette and I have a huge task in front of us:  we shall try to give you a  rough idea of this wonderful country

Odette picked her brand new fashion and off she is in Beijing!!!
Her first goal shall be the historical buildings in the town, the remains of the imperial capital.

Outside the Temple of Heaven, hundreds of people excercise themselves with tai-chi, gimnastic...

Temple of Heaven's public gardens - Picture by Sasha - Hat by Mattel - Shoes Paul Zangby
...or endless majiong games.

Temple of Heaven's public gardens - picture by Billa
The Temple of Heaven was a temple reserved to the Emperor and his family, where he performed the yearly rituarls required to maintain the universal order. This magnificent building is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests 
Temple of Heaven - picture by Sasha
Odette is quite impressed by these guards on the Tiananmen Square, so she tries to look "martial".......The guards thinks she is not quite convincing

Tiananmen Square - picture by Sasha

The square is named after the Tiananmen gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. You can see the Gate in the background (with the huge Mao Tze Dong portrait). This guard was very amiable and agreed to pose with Odette

Gate of Heavenly Peace - picture by Sasha

The Forbidden City is an amazing complex of buildings, temples, public halls and private houses for the Emperor and his wives and concubines. Everything is so carefully restored it looks like its inhabitants just left for a vacation......

Forbidden City - picture by Sasha
Well, here's one of the vacation places of the Imperial family. This is the marble barge in the Summer Gardens the Empress Dowager used to treat herself in a luxurious fashion. Just Odette's style!

Sumer Garden - picture by Sasha
And this is  a glimpse of modern China: The Bird's Nest, the Olympic stadium. 

Olympic Village - picture by Sasha
Now is time for a trip in a rickshaw to visit old Beijin!

Rickshaws: Beijin Old Town - picture by Billa
This is the inner court of an ancient house, these houses are under the protection of the government and they are preserved in spite the huge value of terrain (luckily as the remains of ancient China are not that many....)

Beijin Old Town - picture by Billa
This place is so lovely, along the river are a maze of old houses, bistrots and restaurant. This city is efferfescent with young people, art and music! And great food!!!!

Beijin Old Town - picture by Billa&Sasha

On her second day in China Odette is going to visit the Great Wall! 

Great Wall - picture by Billa
Speechless.....this place is a miracle....

Great Wall - picture by Sasha
Now is time to leave the capital. Odette heads for the first capital of the Chinese Empire: Xi'an.
These are the original (heavily restored, but yet, impressive) walls of the town. The Silk road started here!!!

Xi'an Town Walls - picture by Billa
The Wild Goose Pagodas are two astounding architectural examples of Chinese Buddhist Pagodas

The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda...

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda - picture by Billa
....the Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Small Wild Goose Pagoda - picture by Billa
Just outside Xi'an there's one of the most impressive archeological sites of the world: The Terracotta Army!!!

Terracotta Army - picture by Billa
On the next instalment Odette is going to explore the south of China! (Travelling dolly 6 is now online)


Previous Instalment: Odette in egypt part two

See you soon!
Billa