Take Me To Church!

I hope you're all enjoying the summer, and that the weather isn't too bad for you, wherever you live in this world! Here in Sweden it's been far too cold to resemble summer so far, but now it's finally starting to look a bit better! I'm right now on a three week vacation from my "normal" part-time job, which means I have time to work with other things, and managed to book four photo shoots. Why rest when you can be creative? Haha! Still trying to relax a bit, read a few books, and see some neglected friends though. So if I only do two - instead of my normal three - blog posts a week sometimes it's just because I need some rest, and time to do other things, for a few weeks. Y'all shouldn't be inside reading blogs during the summer anyway! Haha! But thank you so much for reading mine! If no one read it, there wouldn't be any reason for me spending so much time writing it you know...

So today I have a wonderful video for you! The video is made to Hozier's Take Me To Church, is directed by David LaChapelle, and features Ukrainian born ballet dancer Sergei Polunin. This man isn't just an amazing ballet dancer, he's also a tattooed ballet dancer! This isn't something you see so often, as tattoos aren't that popular in the ballet world. It wasn't until I broke myself and realized I would never be able to have a "real" dance career, that I started getting my own tattoos. So, here it is. Enjoy!

PS. This dancer can take me to church any time! Hehe...

Fabergé Friday

And this Friday's Fabergé object is - a dish! Made sometime between the years 1896 and 1908.

The circular dish is made of nephrite and has an everted trim. The center column is made of gold and red enamel over a guilloché ground, decorated with gold leaves that spiral up the stem. The base of the column has chased gold leaves and is set with rose-cut diamonds. The top handle is in the form of a looped enamel snake, set with a cabochon ruby on it's head, and a gold tongue. The dimensions of the whole object are 2.4'' x 3.7 '' (6.2 x 9.5 cm), and it is part of the Royal Collection.

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Van Asch

Van Asch is a family run business founded by Rachel Van Asch, now located in Stockholm, Sweden. Here you find handmade decorations for both your home and yourself, inspired by the Orient, Parisian Fin de Siècle, Victorian, Edwardian, burlesque and Baroque, with hints of Medieval and fantasy. It's a very opulent and decadent alternative to the simple functionality we're used to here in Scandinavia. Here are a few of the items you find in their web shop. To see it all, visit Van Asch's site here!

Burlesque Jet Print Printed Cushion Cover

Golden Skull Row Printed Cushion Cover

Vintage Postcards Printed Cushion Cover

Ouija Long Cocktail Tray

2 Halves Makes a Whole iPad Tablet Bag

Elevate & Illuminate Toiletry Bag

Pearls & Lace 100% Cotton Scarf Wrap

Flower Skull Mystery Purse

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Midsummer's Eve Dress

About a year or so I walked in a fashion show, wearing one of O.L.D - Obviously Linda Design's vintage dresses from the 50s. I fell in love with the dress, but Linda didn't want to sell it. But guess what! She changed her mind, and now the dress is mine! MINE!!! Mohahaaaaa!!! When it got time to celebrate Midsummer's Eve I felt it was a good time to premiere it!

It's made of a transparent orangy-red fabric, with a white pattern. It has a deep-cut back, and the tag on the inside says it comes from The Linzi Line. It also has a matching wrap and it's original, matching belt! Many times that matching belt vintage dresses so often had from the beginning has disappeared, so I'm always glad to find dresses that still has it intact!

The bodice goes down a bit over the hips, from which the gathered skirt falls. There's also a little bow at the center of the neckline, and the dress is fully lined, with an attached half slip.

As I have a thing for bats, I also wore my bat-bracelet from alkemie, and my bat-ring from I can't remember... Haha! The Midsummer's Eve party took place at a good friend's of mine, where we ate, drank, ate some more, and drank some more, while discussing perverse and nerdy things - which in my opinion are the two most important components in a good conversation - until the wee hours of the next day.

This also happened. I seriously have no idea where that thing came from! Hehe...

Fabergé Friday

On windy days it might be good to secure your hat with a hat pin, so here is an examples by Fabergé! It was made by workmaster August Hollming, around the year 1890.

The pin is made of gold, and has an egg-shaped top covered in translucent mauve enamel over a guilloché ground. It is topped with a pearl-set terminal, and it is 6'' (15.2 cm) long.

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New Dress, Dinosaurs And Dead Animals...

It's starting to feel like summer in Sweden! Yay! So finally it's possible to wear summer dresses again! At the last Burleskloppis (Burlesque Flea Market) I bought a lovely vintage 50s dress from Miss Rita Regrets. Here it is!

It's made in light-weight cotton decorated with yellow roses and champagne-colored ribbons. The fabric is very gathered over the bust-area, which is a great thing if you wish to make your boobs look bigger. Haha!

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So, what do you do on a hot, sunny summer day? You go sit down in a dark movie theater of course! Hehe... Me and a friend went to see Jurassic World, and I really liked it! Even though the story is pretty much the same as in the other Jurassic movies - park with dinosaurs, big scary dino escapes, lots of blood, end fight - I still like these movies.

After that we went to the 1-year anniversary party of Kalabalika Taxidermi at Porky Royale Tattoo. Amelie, who is the owner of Kalabalika has SO many extraordinary things for sale! Like these old prosthetic legs for example. But of course also a lot of taxidermy, skulls, skeletons, and jewelry she has made of bugs and other animal parts.

Right now she also has this beautiful white peacock for sale. WANT!!! The price for it is 20.000 SEK though, so I think maybe not - but maybe one day...

Norrtelje Custom Bike Show 2015

One hour north of Stockholm lies the picturesque town Norrtälje. It's a small town with old houses and beautiful nature, and during one weekend each summer it's invaded by BIKERS! The reason for this is that Norrtälje's biggest motorcycle club - Twin Club MC - each year arranges the very popular Custom Bike Show in the town's biggest park! This year people came from all over Europe to showcase their bikes, compete for prices, camp out, and party the night away at Twin Club's after party.

Although I don't have a drivers license for motorcycles myself, I love riding along on one of my dad's, or one of my friends' bikes. I love looking at all the amazing vehicles people have come from near and far to show off at Custom Bike Show, so as I happened to be in Norrtälje when the show took place this year I had to see it! And here are my favorite bikes from this year!

This bike had very intricate detailing on the engine!

This one was equipped with a gas mask at the back...

...And a machine gun, loaded with a flower, in the the front. Had it belonged to me though, I would of course have loaded it with glitter! Haha!

And this is what a Finnish bike might look like! Notice the rusty axe on the right side...

Goth bike! Complete with spiderwebs, a green skull...

...and a spider...

Then these two guys came flying on the water, and did some amazing stunts! Very impressive! Would be fun to try some day...

Fabergé Friday

The flowers called Bleeding Hearts in English we in Sweden call Löjtnantshärtan, which means Lieutenant Hearts. They're really pretty, and here is a sprig made by Fabergé!

The gold-stalked double spray sits in a vase of rock crystal. The flowers are carved in rhodonite and quartzite, with three sets of three carved nephrite leaves. To make the flowers as true to life as possible they are set en tremblant, which means they can move gently, as blown by the wind. The dimensions of the whole object are 7.5'' x 6'' x 2.4'' (19 x 15.3 x 6.2 cm), and it was acquired by Queen Mary in 1934. Now it is part of the Royal Collection.

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Boudoir by D'Lish

Renowned burlesque dancer Catherine D'Lish isn't just an amazing performer, she also works as a creative director and has a reputation of being the best burlesque costume designer in the world! Even though you might not be a performer in need of her costuming skills, you can still buy and swivel around in one of her fabulous dressing gowns! These she sews out of transparent, flowing fabrics, trimmed with ruffles and soft feathers. To wake up in the morning and throw one of these on will certainly make even the greyest Monday morning feel glamorous! Here are a few of them. But to see more you can always pop over to her webshop Boudoir by D'Lish here!

The grey one in the bottom is my favorite. It looks like soft mist... D'Lish also makes the cutest bunny slippers in recycled mink fur! I just spent an hour in pointe shoes, so right now I wish I owned a pair of these. Haha!

Pictures courtesy of Catherine D'Lish

Corsets And Whisky

Last week I went to the re-opening party of the studio of corset maker Viola Lahger and seamstress O.L.D - Obviously Linda Design, who has moved in together in the same shop. Mrs Murphy also joined us to hold her popular lecture Mrs Murphy to the Rescue.

Here we are! From the left: me, Linda of O.L.D, Mrs Murphy, Karin of Viola Lahger, and Agent Star. As both me and Agent Star work for Mrs M as two of her five Special Agents of Fabulousness, we both wore our work uniforms - red Monica dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing. Over the dresses we're wearing corsets by Viola Lahger, who is Sweden's only high class corset maker. She has studied corsets through times thoroughly, and since I have tried on quite a few corsets over the years, I can tell you these are extremely well made, and very comfortable! If you want a personally made corset that will fit your body perfectly, this is the place to go!

Here's another one of Karin's beautiful corsets!

Linda of O.L.D designs and sews clothes after each customers preferences. She has worked for quite a few celebrities, but anyone can hire her to get that one of a kind piece of clothing you've always wanted. Above you see one of her vintage-inspired bikinis. Linda is also known as the "Vintage Doctor", which means she also mends and re-sew vintage clothes that might be broken or too big for you, which often is the case with old clothes...

Here is me and Mrs Murphy in the middle of the very feminine shop! I love just walking into this place. Makes me feel like home. Haha!

The event was sponsored by Jura Whisky and Tomtebageriet, so the guests were offered coffee with a bit of whiskey in it and a choice of seven different, old fashioned little cookies.

It was a very cozy evening, and I ended up buying a pair of tiki skull-earrings from O.L.D!

If you're interested in having a corset made by Viola Lahger, you can contact her here! And the contact information for Linda at O.L.D you find here!