The Alchemist

I was always attracted to handsome foreign men. Under the spell of a charming accent and the mystery of an exotic culture, I never considered the practicalities of marrying someone from another land. The main dilemma of course being that both of us wish to live in our respective homes, which happen to be on opposite sides of this wondrous earth.

My psychologist refers to it as 'the rose coloured glasses coming off'', the moment you wake up from your dreamland where you believe your love to be so strong it can withstand the wildest winds, the roughest seas and the most raging of storms. The reality check when you realise that life is not a romance novel.

Love is actually a battlefield. And after our 3-month-long battle of tug-of-war (fought out on Viber and Skype between Sweden and Australia)….. I (thank God) won.
And my handsome foreigner agreed to move back here, to my home. :o)

Throughout the battle, as I'd felt my world crashing down on me, I also somehow saw the light, and realised (finally) which career path I wanted to pursue. 'Miss Pinup' had stirred up my passion for photography and I decided it was time to follow my bliss. So I made an appointment with the director at the photography college where I'd half completed my diploma 12 years ago, before deferring to travel. Within that 12 year period of time, film epically turned to digital and dark rooms into mac labs. 'I'm afraid you'd have to restart the course from square one'.

Minor set back.

Still feeling like Paulo Coelho's Alchemist on the right path, I enrolled and began classes (and love it). I began working on my folio, making lists of photo ideas and fishing around for some hands-on work. I sent emails out to every single photography studio in melbourne, offering myself as a photographer's assistant and to my surprise, got three interviews after the first week!

My first job as a freelance photographer/stylist involved making some child-size birds wings for a photographer's conceptual work. My second job was assisting a photographer doing boudoir shoots at a grand mansion full of antiques, chandeliers and winding staircases.
And my third job was taking the pictures for my cousin's children's-wear range for her online store. A great start to a freelance career!!

With my hubby back, marriage salvaged, fun new 'Miss Pinup' hobby, and finally the promise of a career, I started feeling like 2012 might not be the shittiest year of my life after all.   

In fact, with interviews and job offers coming up all over the place, I began feeling like I might even be on a winning streak… And it's exactly when you start believing that, that 'The Secret' kicks in… and the universe sends you an exciting surprise…

…Which I'll tell you about next post, my lovelies. 

:o)

Vienne Rose

My lovelies! After much deliberation, hesitation and procrastination, I'm finally blogging again!
Gosh its a challenge and you'll have to bear with me as I find my rhythm again but I have missed writing so much and lots of my readers have told me they miss reading my posts (which warms my heart, thank you!)…. So here we go!

It occurred to me that 'the yellow brick road' had run its course, since i'd come home to Oz after all… and with a brand new chapter of life ahead of me, I decided to embrace a complete rebirth, including a fresh new blog. Welcome to……..

Life in Pink

'The night is darkest just before the dawn'

After returning home from the summer in Sweden, I found myself back in winter, at my parents house in the country, unemployed with no career prospects, in debt and with no income, no apartment (rented out, full of my things), absent husband and marriage on-the-rocks (long story) friends scattered randomly and far (around the world) living in my pyjamas and pretty far down in the dumps, one could say.

While wallowing in my misery, I managed to slowly begin a daily routine with my mumsy. We called it our health-resort routine and I'm sure it was the beginning of my salvation: morning walk, sauna, solarium, Holosync meditation, yoga, interspersed with super-health-food meals, fresh juices and herbal tea breaks. We wondered how we'd ever fit jobs in!

My parents (bless) saved me from the depths of my misery and self pity, as did the wondrously well-timed discovery of a competition that would become a huge part of my life. 'Miss Pinup Australia' was just what I needed.

A celebration of womanhood, Miss Pinup invites you to discover your inner pinup. Not a beauty pageant (let's make that clear), but a vintage stylist contest, women of all ages, shapes, and sizes may enter (and may win), for it is she with the most authentic and well-styled vintage outfits, and who performs the best routines in said outfits, who takes the title.

What brilliant fun! I set about planning my entry application: Three professional photos in three different vintage outfits (strictly 1940's-50's) with appropriate styling (hair, makeup, accessories) and displaying a knowledge of the era with typical poses, props, backdrops etc.

I enlisted the help of some very useful people: a local dressmaker with inside knowledge, my high school photography teacher, my grandparents with their collection of vintage everything, and 2 renowned hoarders and costume collectors; my mum and dad.

With my creative juices flowing and my photography skills put back into practise, I cast aside my sadness (for short periods anyhow) and got cracking at the job of releasing my inner pinup.

I ravaged every opp-shop in town, scrounged the garage and gave the credit card a run for its money online. I finally had my three outfits together and booked in the studio time.

My teacher, who I often model for, laughed at my corny poses, and told me I was a natural born pinup. 

With my photos ready to go, all I needed was a stage name, and my application would be complete.
Ahhh 'whats in a name?'… Coming up with something original turned into an even bigger mission than getting the photos finished! For inspiration (and to avoid ripping anyone off), I checked the 'Australian Burlesque Registry', did burlesque-name-generators, studied French dictionaries and spent hours googling popular names from the 40's and 50's. Finally, in a stroke of genius, my dad came up with a name that was both beautiful and clever, and a name by which I will now be known in my pinup world…

Vienne Rose 
 

Until next post my lovelies...