A kaftan for Cecilia

I've bought this lovely scarf some time ago in my favourite fabric shop, it was on a sale, I immediately thought its pattern had a summer/safari feel and I grabbed it. I've been thinking about what to make of it when our friend Pabboo at the Dollobserver forum came up with this contest about making a dress out of a scarf, and "BANG", I knew that the first dress I should have made shall be a Kaftan for Cecilia!!!

Here's Cecilia wrapped in the scarf just to show you what beautiful colours and patterns it has:

and here's the pattern of the Kaftan I used to design mine:

Cecilia looks almost happy with it (I said almost).....

I also made her a necklace and a matching handbag, she looks ready for a stroll along the seaside. Luckily enough "Roman Holiday" Barbie's sandals fits (more or less) FR2 feet, so she also has the right shoes!

Thanks again Pabboo for this great idea!

See you soon
Billa

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

Travelling Dolly 4: Odette in Egypt Part Two - Giza, The Red Sea and the Eastern Desert

Just one night in the desert and Odette is already  in need of some relax!
But first  she is going to pay a homage  to the great historical Egypt visiting the amazing Giza Plateau and the Sphinx!

Fashion by Billa - shoes by Paul Zangby - All photos by Sasha

High heels in the desert?!?!?

On route to Marsa Matrouh she stopped at Al Alamain, where two terrible battles of WWII were fought. This picture was taken at the Museum.

Just a brief stop in Marsa Matrouh for a glimpse of the Mediterranean Coast....not that bad, isn't it?

Fashion and shoes by Mattel, purse by Billa - all pictures by Sasha

And then she was off to the Red Sea.
To begin with:  the Resort is Amazig!

Is that a crocodile, or what?

And the beaches and sea too!

But she surely can't miss to take a peek at the Eastern Desert and at least a glimpse of the Bedouin culture!
Odette is in the mood to try to pull off some "Avedon's"....

This is the local camel market, not exaclty an inspirational experience,  camels are extremely important in Bedouin life, but these don't seem very happy. But animal markets are often a bit of an usettling experience,  sure this is a smelly one!!!

Wheren't they Elephants?

Keep trying......

You don't expect me to ride this, do you?

Ok Odette, some more sunbathing, you're such a lazy girl.

In the next instalment Odette's is going to begin her exploration of China!

Previous instalment Odette in Egypt part one

See you soon!
Billa

Travelling Dolly 3: Odette in Egypt Part One - Oasis and the Black & White Desert

It took me quite a bit  of time to prepare this, but at long last the travelling dolly project is starting in full swing, and as advertised Odette has flown to Egypt. She was really tired of all this winter rain, and off she is in sunny and misterious Egypt!
In the first part of her travel she has chosen to have some adventures, so she is going to discover the haunting beauty of the Western Desert, one of the most beautiful places of the Sahara Desert.
The Western Desert is 262, 000 square miles of dunes, canyons, oases, mountainous plateaus, and valleys that span most of land west of the Nile Valley.

Odette picked a 4x4 vehicle from Marsa Matrouh to the white desert. On route she stopped at two of the most beautiful oasis of the Egyptian desert: Wadi Siwa and Wadi Farafra:

fashion and purse by Billa - shoes by Paul Zangby - all photos by Sasha

Wadi Siwa - hot spring

The White Desert. She will never forget the experience of this spectacular rocks: strange limestone concretions that are shaped like giant mushrooms. Nothing can compare to the beauty of the desert, the empty space gives you a feeling of freedom  and quiet emotion you can seldom experiment anywhere else. And this desert has a magical vibe.

El Qattara Depression

Then Odette headed to the place selected for the camping.
Sure some set backs are to be expected! (please Odette, less luggage next time!!!!)

Bare necessities.....

The drivers managed to fix the car, set the camp and prepared dinner for an overnight stay under the stars.

Yummi?!? Well....edible

"How many stars this Hotel was? Ten thousand billions? Ok, now....where's the toilet?"

On a serious note, the night in the desert camp is amazing, you can see a million of stars, they are so many and so brilliant you feel you can touch them. But it is quite cold!!!

And what about the White Desert at sunrise?

The Black desert. Here the mountains have eroded to coat the desert with a layer of black powder and rocks giving it its name. Towards the end of the Black Desert are black volcanic hills that ages ago erupted a dark volcanic material, which is what the black rocks are made of. This places are a breathtaking experience.

Now Odette is looking forward for her next destination: Giza and the Red Sea!
Part Two: Odette in Egypt pt 2