Practically perfect pudding

Just wanted to stop by to wish of of you a very lovely Christmas and to share with you my "Practically perfect in every way" vegan pudding recipe (my mum came up with the name haha) because it is perfect.

Anyway, I kinda celebrated Christmas two days early with my family because they were all going away, and so today is being spent very quietly, sleeping in and reading ( I was given the book of Marilyn Monroe's writings Fragments by my friend - Thank you again Steph! - and it is my favourite gift of all. Can't stop reading it).

So here is the recipe - it was adapted from an old and ancient (well 60s/70s?) recipe by Margaret Fulton.

It sounds like a lot of work but it's actually surprisingly easy! 

Practically Perfect In Every Way Vegan Christmas Pudding

(makes a large pudding you can halve or quarter recipe if you want a small pudding like mine)

Ingredients:

810g worth of sultanas, raisins, currants mixed together

3 tbsp rum or brandy

250g vegan margarine (Earth Balance, Nuttelex)

250g brown sugar

grated rind of 1 orange & 1 lemon

4 eggs worth of egg replacer mix (Organ egg replacer or Ener-G egg replacer)

1 cup sifted plain flour

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup almond or nut meal (or you can use another cup of breadcrumbs)

1/2 tsp each of salt, mixed spice, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate soda
extra rum or brandy

Method:

1. The day before place dried fruit in bowl, sprinkle with rum/brandy and leave overnight
2. The next day cream margarine (using mixer) fruit rinds and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Mix together 4 eggs worth of egg replacer powder with water and add to the sugar mix a little at a time.
4. Mix all dry ingredients together in another bowl
5. Stir the fruit and dry ingredients into the sugar mix alternatively, a little at a time until it is all mixed in.
6. Put mix into a large 6 cup pudding basin that has a circle of greaseproof paper covering the very base of the bowl. Cover with another round of greaseproof paper (on top of pudding basin).
7. Then cover the top of the basin in a double layer of tin foil or a pudding cloth and tie it firmly around the rim of the basin with string.
8. Steam the pudding in a saucepan of boiling water (with water reaching halfway up the basin) covered with a lid for 6 hours. Add more boiling water as necessary.

Serve hot or reheat the pudding on the day by re boiling it until hot or placing it on a plate and warming in the microwave.

Served with vanilla soy ice cream.

 Merry Christmas

GPOY ~ with turban

 I only just this very minute learnt what "GPOY" means.

 I'm such a bad Gen Y. I think I would have been cool in the 60s/70s though, but now I'm just out of touch mannnn.

Anyway I thought I'd name this post after my new found vocabulary (haha) since it is - gratuitous pictures of myself with the added addition of a turban and stuff.

I got home today and was feeling a bit grey so I thought wearing this bright pink turban would cheer me up a bit - and it did! I guess this outfit is channelling 40s 50s and 60s. All of it is thrifted.

Speaking of stripes and jeans, I also love these guys from the 70s! Stripes are, apparently, timeless.

The Ramones

Hope you're having a nice week.

Thinking Out Loud

Todays post is really just my mind in pictures, kind of inspiration and what not.

Firstly, I haven't posted about how much I love George in a while, but I still heart George and love this photo. He has a beautiful smile. Men (and women!) who have beautiful smiles are beautiful.

 

I also bought The Beatles Number 1's last week and am loving it. Love these boys. I love seeing pictures of people when they look genuinely happy, which is why I like this picture below. I like the Beatles because they're a happy band (well in the early years) and when I listen to them they make me happy too.

 I just came across this picture on tumblr, and have decided that I need this room to be my bathroom haha I love how kitschy 60s home decor is!

 It's also been a while since I had my hair cut, and it's slowly starting to grow out...contemplating whether or not to cut it again. On Monday my friend suggested over coffee that I should cut my hair in a little 20s bob and gel two little curls around my cheeks. My first response was, this dosen't really work with my 70s tomboy styling, but now it is churning around the back of my head like a growing possibility. Still pondering...

 I also watched Ghost World for the first time this week and really liked it. I like the fact that Enid has this thing for nerdy guys and how cynical she is. I can really relate to that. Feeling like an outsider sometimes. I also just think it's hilarious, and love movies that can make you laugh out loud in a non artificial/trying-too-hard way.

 Finally I've been doing alot of cooking the past week, and need to listen to music while I cook otherwise it's too boring! I've been listening to Led Zepplin a lot and really love Babe I'm Gonna Leave You. It has great riffs.

Anyway thanks for your comments on my previous posts. I always love reading them.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Tuesday. Cake Day.

Today is my birthday. Though I find these days it's not as fun as it used to be (and I have decided to banish all negative thoughts from this blog) I will focus on the good news: there is still cake!

There will always be cake :)

Top 10 Award

Kaitlyn from Born Late very kindly awarded me the Top Ten award. Thanks Kaitlyn! Born Late is a very lovely retro blog and I definitely recommend you have a look-see.

This is what the award entails:

- Thank the person who tagged you and link to their blog

- Put the Top 10 Award logo on your blog (here's the original size)

- List your top ten favorite cosmetics

- Choose ten bloggers to tag, link to their blogs, and let them know about their award!

Here is my list of favourite cosmetics *all cruelty free/not tested on animals!*:

Favourite cosmetics by the wild one on Polyvore.com

1. Lush Karma Komba shampoo bar. I love Lush because they make vegan products and they smell & look soo good. I also like these shampoo bars designed to minimise packaging.
2. Lush Seanik shampoo bar.
3. Natio blush. Blush is the one thing I wear almost everyday because I have such fair skin.
4. Face Of Australia Lip Quentch Mousturising Lipstick. Lipstick is the ultimate glamour item for me.
5. Face Of Australia lipliner. I always use lipliner with lipstick because otherwise it goes all smudgy.
6. Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser. Ok Sukin are a GREAT brand. They are vegan, organic and cheap to buy plus their products smell great and feel really nice to put on. I always need to use a cleanser!
7. Sukin Hand and Nail Cream. This is amazing. I love putting this on before bed and it's not greasy.
8. Lush R & B Hair Moisturiser. I went through a stage last summer of having really dry hair.
9. O.P.I Lilac nail polish. O.P.I as far as I know don't test on animals.
10. O.P.I Red nail polish. Red nail polish is just a classic and I'm all about classic!

Now I invite these lovely bloggers to participate if they so wish:

Liza  @ Hello Beautiful Street
Emma @ Emma's Picnic
Jess @ You've Got the Silver
Kelly-Marie @ Harem of Peacocks
Miss Peelpants @ Get Some Vintage Appeal
Krystal @ Krystallee
Smashingbird
Dolly The Bird @ The Knack and How to Get It
Summer Baby

Back to the city...

Hey there, I'm back from my hibernation weekend away at the "alternative living festival" Confest in southern NSW. I felt very alive and refreshed when I got home. Confest is basically a big hippie festival where people have the freedom to express themselves in whatever way they like ie. wear strange out there clothing, go naked, openly express their sexuality, practice alternative medicine/healing etc.
At first when I arrived I felt a bit over whelmed because I'd never experienced such an open, alternative atmosphere - being from the city I thought "Oh my gosh I do not fit in here" - I actually felt like I stood out because I looked too straight edged or something - not that people were judgemental though. But then the next day I just said to myself "ok I'm gonna try and enjoy myself and be open minded" and then I started to really enjoy and appreciate the atmosphere.

I got to do and see some awesome things while I was there like:

• I tried chanting meditation and outdoor yoga
• went to sleep to the sound of drums 
• had a naked spa and shower out in the open with other people
• went in a big grey mud puddle
• painted my body
• saw people doing naked yoga!
• and opened my mind to new ways of being

just to name a few. I also saw a funnel web spider right outside where I was camped, but surprisingly I wasn't scared - I thought it must have been far more scared of all the noise than I was of it.

Anyway, I feel a bit sad to be back in the city rat-race again - I was really starting to embrace my inner hippy haha plus that kind of inner and outer freedom is really hard to find. In the city people are rude and grumpy and self centered and judge mental. Oh well I guess the city does have it's benefits and it's luxuries too eh.

Bring it on city! I can take you!
x L

10 Things...

images via here

Liza from Hello Beautiful Street was kind enough to nominate me for the 'kreative blogger award' thanks Liza! You should definately check out her blog for more awesome thrift store styling!!

So basically this award asks me to share ten things about myself with you and then pass on the pleasure to ten other lovely bloggers. Here is my ten:

1. My favourite colour used to be purple, but now it is red

2. I study literature and creative writing at uni and would like to one day write a book of poetry

3. Two books that changed my life are Catcher In The Rye and Orlando

4. I'm vegan: I am happier and more complete since I stopped eating animals

5. I used to learn Russian, but I wasn't very good at it!

6. I am sweet for George Harrison

7. I love the smell of vinyl records

8. I like both the hippie and the punk movements of the 60s and 70s (I think my personality has elements from both those scenes in it haha wierd I know)

9. I think I am a misanthrope: I don't believe in world peace, but I would like to have world peace

10. I wish that I could have experienced Woodstock

Now I would like to pass this award on to:

Jess @ You've Got The Silver

Rhiannon @ Ashen Lady

Emma @ Emma's Picnic

Krystallee

MaybeVintage

Dolly @ The Knack and How to Get It

Sweet Agatha @ Dear Sweet Agatha

Triona @ The House of Supreme

L-Ann @ Lets Talk Nonsense

Honor @ Teapot Honor

And to finish, some Sgt Pepper amazingness...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dreams and realities

image

As I'm sure you may have noticed I've been feeling a little bit angsty lately. Not in a bad way - my life definitely isn't falling to pieces, in fact I feel like I am in a good place in my life. It is more a kind of restless angst, expectant and suspicious of things to come.

I have met quite a few new people lately, which is great (I am only just beginning to get over my shyness at 21!) all of which are nice and some of which are of the opposite sex. I find this slightly unsettling because at the start of the year I finally managed to shake off my desire for a 'man' and appreciate being independent. So essentially as soon as I stop looking for love fate presents me with a platter of nice guys. I have also grown to be instinctively suspicious of happiness.

I guess I try and combat this feeling of suspicious instability by:

a. listening to angry girl music haha

and

b. dressing with my foot in two doors - feminine and tomboy - ie. I like to wear short skirts with clumpy riding boots, or florals with bow ties...

and

c. sometimes writing poetry

I suppose the most important thing to remember is that, no matter what happens (nothing may happen or everything may happen) is to love yourself and be true to your own desires.

Here is a song from my favourite teenage go-to angsty band: The Ramones - 'Needles and Pins'

Hope you're having a fun week.

x L

Today's outfit: Peggy-esque

Today unexpectedly, my outfit seems to be channeling Peggy from Mad Men. I found this skirt yesterday and I just love the colour.

Outfit: skirt & shoes thrifted, blouse was a gift, cardi from Hunter Gatherer & I am holding the new Vogue Australia (trying to look like peggy holding all her typing!)

The skirt also has a very folk-y appearance. The colours remind me of European or Mexican traditional dress.

This is the new Vogue. It is very bright and sunny and features colourful, Mexican-themed shoot:

I think colour is the new black :)

Happy Sunday!

x L

Holiday Attire

It is the holidays, it is summer and it is getting hot.

So when I'm staying home I find myself being increasingly drawn to lightweight, baggy tops and leggings - perfect for lounging around in.

Holiday attire by the wild one featuring sheer tees

Oversized Tees by the wild one featuring canvas tops

My recent interest in baggy shirts was sparked when I stumbled across this large old greyhound t-shirt in an op shop that says "greyhounds as pets" to add to my growing collection of animal rights t-shirts. I love old t-shirts and the way they make you feel so cosy!

At first I just thought I was being a dag, but then I realised that it is possible to be stylish & baggy too with the help of boy-friend tees and oversized printed shirts.

My mum recently found one of her old blouses floating around in one of our cubboards - floral with a sweet little frilly collar - and she gave it to me <3

This is what I wore yesterday...

Hoping your Sunday is sunny too!

x L

Dance dance dance to the radio

I've decided that from now on whenever I'm feeling down, or worried or stressed I'm just going to put a record on and dance it all away like know one's watching. Tried it last night after work and it worked a treat. One of the best stress relief remedies in my opinion!

Hope you're having a great weekend (and get a chance to do some dancing yourselves)!

x L

I miss you kitten

Hello! I am back from my very short holiday.

While I was away I....

• slept (yay!)
• ate chocolate, lots of chocolate
• made fashion collages
• watched Julie & Julia (which was very up-beat and delightful) and Raging Bull (not so up-beat with lots of crazy wife beating, but the cinematography was amazing and Cathy Moriarty is stunning. I think she is my new girl crush) and this doco about photographer Anton Corbijn who directed Control (which I really must see!)
• continued reading The Diamond As Big As The Ritz and this super awesome edition of Frankie magazine

Frankie had this section called 'The Year That's Been' or something like that where a bunch of variously famous people like Miff Warhurst, Sally Seltman and Karen Walker listed 20 things they did in 2010. It inspired me to try it myself. So here goes but I will indulge and do 21 for obvious reasons...

In 2010 I....

1. Learnt to love myself  2. One hearts with my baking skills (specifically vegan chocolate cup cakes, renamed "vegasims") 3. Was heart broken 4. Found true friendship 5. Wrote 10 or more? poems 6. Almost finished uni 7. Started taking yogalaties classes 8. Participated in the joys of email correspondence 9. Was inspired by The Runaways to embrace my inner 'girl power' 10. Turned 21, 11. Learnt to cook spontaneously with whatever is at hand 12. Got close to nature in Tasmania (slept under the stars and went skinny dipping) 13. Went to the Astor and saw Lolita, Freaks and The Red Shoes 14. Read The Bell Jar 15. Saw the play Much Ado About Nothing two times  and laughed my head off with C at a man doing air punches in the 2nd row 16. Sheepishly took part in a 'Free Hugs' stand at Flinders St Station 17. Had beer giggles and wore red, blue and white on 'French (Anna Karina) Day' with Char 18. Watched Char graduate 19. Learnt to make vegan cheesecake 20. Visited Edgar's Mission

21. Started a new blog

When you put it like that it seems incredible the amount achieved in a year. You should try it. It's a great way to reminisce and it makes you feel special.

In the meantime, my cat is not yet back from his undesired holiday at the cattery...you never realise how comforting the company of a pet is until they are not there. 

I miss you kitten!

Today more red...

Today my day comprised of:

• wearing lipstick
• shopping (I bought An Education, a tre inspiring film which I have been meaning to watch again for aggges)
• eating cherries
• sewing (I started sewing my mum a new apron with some - yes red! - retro fabric I found in an op shop recently...which I have been meaning to do for ages!)
• eating mango
• doing things that I have been meaning to do for ages
• eating more cherries
• & thinking - always a good past time

I have been thinking about all the things I want to do lately, and there are many! I have been feeling very inspired, perhaps it is because I have started a new blog? and reading lots of other people's lovely blogs? or perhaps it is simply being on holidays and having unlimited 'me' time. I woke up in the early hours of the morning, well actually my cat woke me up scratching at my door and I suddenly had all these idea's floating through my head, like short stories I should write, and blog posts...I was particularly taken by the question of my style and why I love old clothes so much.

I love dressing up in vintage or second hand clothing. Every day I wake up and think about what I am going to wear according to my mood. I suppose reading fashion blogs has made me aware that some bloggers have one particular style that they love to death - 50s is very popular- and they do that style every day. I am much more mood orientated with my style, I love to wear different era's of style - 60s and 70s are my favourites, but occasionally I do like to do 50s and even more occasionally 80s.

I suppose dressing up just allows me to express my mood on the outside.

Today I was inspired to go slightly 50s in style after reading Johanna's blog. 

I love these jeans, & wear them often. In winter I like to wear them with converse sneakers for a bit of a tom-boy look, but on warm days like today I can wear them with espadrilles making the jeans look more feminine.

I have been thinking about altering this white blouse by cutting it shorter at the back & two ties at the front. I think that would look so cute for summer...something like Marilyn.

So young!

On the set of The Misfits, 1961

My outfit: Jeans and blouse thrifted, espadrilles from Sports girl.

x L

Retro Love

This blog is just an excuse for me to muse on my favourite styles.

There will not be alot of writing, but thats unimportant because a picture says a thousand words.

My personal style is largely influenced by the past, mostly 60s and 70s. I like punk, I like hippies, I like mods and I like to conglomerate different styles and eras. I believe high waisted is the only way to go, that vinyl records are one of the coolest inventions ever to grace the earth and that all the best music comes from the past.

I dress in a feminine but not girly manner, and oddly enough, alot of my inspiration comes from male styles, ie. 1950s jeans&t-shirt rockers, the Ramones, the Clash, the Beatles are big inspiration. When it comes to women my favourite style icons include Joan Jett, Edie Sedgwick, Anna Karina, topless hippies, Patti Smith, Iris from Taxi Driver, Joni Mitchell and Penelope Tree. 

Undoubtably this blog will also feature alot of retro tunes.

Retro love x