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01 December, 2015

Dakam The Halls

It’s the first of December and I simply can’t contain my excitement for Christmas any longer! If it wasn’t for all the hate mail I anticipated, I would have been posting about Christmas in November! If you know me, you know I LOVE Christmas and this year is no different. Whilst I haven’t put my tree up just yet (I think my housemates would kill me) I know it’s just around the corner, and I’ve already been shopping for Christmas presents and treats.

For those who don't mind being on Santa's naughty list
Something I was adamant I was not going to miss out on this year, are the incredible baubles produced by Dakam. I’ve been following Dave’s work for quite some time now and last year I spotted the amazing bauble sets he was producing, which feature hand-painted kustom pin striping. The ideal ornament for the hot rodder in your life, these beautiful baubles add a touch of badassery to your Christmas tree. I was lucky enough to have Dave create a very special set of baubles for me, kustom coloured and decorated with Sheri Bomb – and I can’t wait to hang them on my tree!
Whether buying for a gift or simply to add a touch of ‘rockabilly’ to your festive season, these baubles are painstakingly hand pinstriped with 1 shot paint and come in a variety of colours and designs. Choose from the existing range of baubles, or contact Dave Dakam to place a custom order. You can choose your colours, choose your design and even get names or messages put onto them. Shipped with the most delicate care, the bauble sets are presented in clear boxes that make storage safe and easy. The only problem is, they look so great you’ll want to have them out all year round!


Located in the South East suburbs of Melbourne, Dakam is a self-described ‘wannabe’ artist, however I think his work speaks volumes about his ability. Despite only being able to dedicate part time to his craft, Dakam has been pinstriping and creating art for the last 5 years. Despite enjoying art in high school, he waited another 20 years before he unleashed his talent on the world and although he had misgivings in the beginning, afraid he would be wasting his time, his art has been well-received, boosting his self-esteem and spurring him on to continue to create more.

That is great news for us! It means we get to benefit not just from Dakam’s baubles, but from his myriad of other influences and creations which include hand painted kustom retro coolers, flying eyeball artwork, classic Rat Fink designs, incredible skate decks (including one showcased in the GreazeFest art show) and tiki inspired artwork including a VERY cool set of hand painted ‘tiki time’ bamboo drinking glasses.
Because Christmas is the time for giving, Dave Dakam has been very kind to offer a set of 6 kustom baubles to one lucky Sheri Bomb reader just in time for Christmas.

To WIN a set of 6 baubles with your choice of kustom colour combo and pinstriping simply:
Each method gives you another to chance to win!
Winner will be drawn at random on Friday 11 December. Winner will be notified via email. Winner must have bauble order to Dakam by 5pm Monday 14 December in order to receive their prize before Christmas.

Don’t forget to check out Dakam’s Etsy store for more of his fantastic art and if you’re interested in ordering your own kustom set of baubles, email dakam1@bigpond.com

14 October, 2015

KISS Army: They Want You As A New Recruit

If you’re not a KISS fan, you’ve just never been to one of their shows.

I'll start out by saying that despite enjoying their outrageous get up and knowing about 3 of their songs (the big hits) the extent of my knowledge of KISS was that God gave rock n roll to us so that we could rock all night and party every day. Or something like that. I remember having a KISS shirt when I was in uni, but I don’t know what ever happened to it. Or why I had it in the first place. Knowing all of this, you might think I was a bit crazy for handing over $140 to go see them. I wondered if I was. But I had it on good authority that I would not be disappointed, and they had a reputation for putting on the greatest show on earth. So along I went, not really knowing what to expect or if I’d enjoy the music, but keen to catch a glimpse of this promised spectacle.
 
The Dead Daisies had the tough job of warming up the crowd. There was no mistaking that everyone was here to see KISS and so seemed rather unenthusiastic about the Daisies, despite their all-star line-up. Featuring members of Guns n Roses, Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake, Motley Crue and more, the band was joined by a couple of Aussie members including Dave Leslie of the Baby Animals. What crowd that had already gathered was appreciative but no doubt it wasn’t the rousing reception these rock stars are used to. I guess that’s what happens when you’re the support act, regardless of who you are.
By the time KISS was ready to take to the stage, the venue was packed to the rafters with a full cross section of age groups. Having been rocking out for more than 40 years, your music is bound to span the generations. Suddenly a voice boomed over the crowd “You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world – KISS!" and with that the arena exploded with the roar of thousands of fans as the band descended down onto the stage on The Spider under a hail of flames and fireworks, ripping out crowd favourite Detroit Rock City.
The pyrotechnics were outstanding, the kind of thing you’d expect to see at the climactic finale of a huge act, but these were just the beginning of the onstage antics. I was hooked from the get-go and it was very clear to me where my $140 had gone – on all the flame throwers and glam rock fireworks – and I didn’t mind one bit. Despite their age, the guys rocked out, and offered up a great sounding performance that was the best they’ve sounded in a while according to some of the diehard fans.
 
Paul Stanley, sounding very charmingly Jewish, chatted with the crowd throughout the night showing a humility and kindness that went beyond rockstar ego but still managed to keep the crowd pumped. Gene Simmons performed fellatio on his guitar all night, spitting blood and quite obviously enjoying his cheeky rapport with the crowd. While the creases underneath their makeup were evident, not once did they seem out of breath or struggle to keep up with the rollicking pace of the show. Paul Stanley didn’t even bat a star-painted eyelid as he shredded his guitar flying hundreds of metres above the crowd.
 
My cheeks hurt from smiling, and as the lights went out and crowd began to shout for more, I wondered what could possibly be coming next. Of course it was their mammoth encore, featuring a touching rendition of Shandi (a song I vaguely remembered before tonight) that saw the crowd singing along audibly over the band, lit up phones swaying and held high, while Paul Stanley simply said ‘Wow’ over and over again. It really was beautiful. More pyrotechnics signalled a rip-roaring trifecta of their biggest and best-known hits Shout It Out Loud, I Was Made for Lovin' You and Rock and Roll All Nite that saw the crowd covered in cannons of confetti, singing til they were hoarse.
 
As the house lights came back up and the smoke cleared, we slowly made our way out of the pits to the strains of God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You being piped over the PA, it occurred to me that just maybe I am a KISS fan after all.

08 September, 2015

Tattoo Tuesday: There's Evil In All Of Us

I'm so excited to share this week's Tattoo Tuesday with you, it's one of the biggest and best pieces I've gotten in a long time. I am so in love with this new tattoo and with the weather just starting to warm up again, it's healed in perfect timing to show it off - something I can't wait to do!! It all started with the incredible artist Leighderhosen. I've been following her work for a long time, and she creates some incredible illustrations and black velvet paintings. Her work is really unique and inspired but all the things I love - vintage, kitsch, whimsy, tropical, nautical, pop culture, mid century and low brow art. If you aren't already familiar with her work, you SERIOUSLY need to be.
 
 
When I first saw this illustration by Leighderhosen Art I knew one day I would have it as a tattoo. I was in love with it instantly. I love the wording Leigh chose for the banners, because I do believe we all have a bit of a dark side, but also that courageous side that lets us be bold and daring. I've always loved the daredevil attitude of Evel Knievel who, from 1965 to 1980 completed 75 death defying ramp to ramp motorcycle jumps including famous jumps at Caesars Palace, the Grand Canyon and Snake River. Throughout his career he suffered more than 433 broken bones, earning him an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the survivor of 'most broken bones in a lifetime'. As someone who is quite accident prone myself, I love Evel's attitude - his determination to complete some of the most heart-pounding jumps despite the risk involved and despite the fact that he wasn't always successful. He just kept dreaming up new challenges for himself.
 
 
So with Leigh's blessing, I headed off to see my main man Mark 'Suicide' Beatnik at Voodoo Tattoo, knowing he would do this piece justice. He stuck pretty closely to the original illustration and did a killer job on the pinstriping-esque border and all the tiny little details on bike, but added his own flair with the kick ass hot rod flames to replace the cobras and a punchy background with plenty of colour, that made the design pop and is also similar to the background on my chest piece. It took a total of 3 sessions with one session solely for the outline and pinstripe border, another session for colour in the top half of the design (with so much blending and shading we split it into two) and a shorter third and final session to fill in the flames and shading at the bottom of the design.
 
 
I love love LOVE this tattoo and I'm so glad the warmer weather is here so that I can show it off. If there are any tattoo comps in the future I will definitely be entering this piece as Mark deserves to be recognised for the incredible work that he does. If you live or will be visiting anywhere near the Brisbane/Gold Coast area I highly recommend you get some work by Mark. He's done so many of my tattoos and he always does such an incredible job.
 
Swimsuit season is looking brighter than ever before!

25 August, 2015

An Interview with Cherry Dollface

I was really hoping to meet Cherry Dollface while she was in Australia and figured GreazeFest would be my chance. She was very busy with her workshops all day and unfortunately I never actually got the chance to go and say hi to her. Every time I walked passed her building she was either in the middle of a workshop or photoshoot, and I never saw her around at the night time stuff. Still, The Man managed to snap a pic with her while I was getting my hair done on the Saturday evening - how convenient eh? Haha Still, because she's such a sweetheart she agreed to do an interview for this blog!
 
 
Sheri Bomb: You began modelling after a picture of you at VLV ended up in Ol’ Skool Rods – how did you break into the modelling world? What made you decide to get into modelling?
 
Cherry Dollface: I never really thought about it, honestly. After that first magazine, I had a few companies ask me to model their things for websites and I used to just do it in trade for their clothes. It was just a fun hobby. When people would ask, I would do it!
 
SB: What was your first shoot like? Were you nervous? Have you had any awkward or embarrassing experiences at shoots?
 
CD: I think my first real shoot was at my old house. It was 10 years ago so it’s hard to remember. But I do remember feeling really awkward. I haven't ever really been nervous to shoot. But I have definitely done some super awkward ones. At that first one, we shot on my back porch and I was like "I have a great idea! I'll pretend to build the stairs!"... thinking it would be super cute. I grabbed a hammer and a screwdriver and just kind of sat that awkwardly. Not my finest work!
 
SB: You started your YouTube channel in 2011 – what made you decide to make the jump from modelling?
 
CD: I had girls asking me all of the time how I was doing my hair and makeup for shoots. So I thought youtube would be a fun little side thing. I thought if I could get a few hundred followers, it would be awesome.
Image: Michele Muerte Photographics
 SB: How do you come up with your content?
 
CD: I ask the girls that follow me what they want to see!
 
SB: How long does it take you to film and edit? Are there heaps of funny outtakes?
 
CD: Totally depends on the video. Could be an hour, could be 6. And I usually keep the funny bits in. I only edit out the boring stuff!
 
SB: Your success on YouTube saw you release your own line of lipsticks and glosses with Bomber Betty Cosmetics and a dress with Steady Clothing – how did this come about?
 
CD: They both approached me and I was super excited for both. I had done reviews for both companies on my channel, so I think that probably sparked the whole thing.
 
SB: Your work has taken you all over America, Europe and even Australia – which has been your favourite place you’ve visited?
 
CD: Oh man... I love them all for different reasons. Really what I love most is the girls. Every single one of them! But as far as the touristy stuff... definitely England as a whole. And Edinburgh as a city. Also loved New Zealand for how beautiful it was. And Sydney is super fun. I think a lot of it is just how cool the girls are that I get to stay with and hang out with. For that, I would choose almost every city!
 
Image: Sherbet Birdie
SB: With the workshops that you host, you’re offering tutorials in real time.  What’s it like being out from behind the screen?
 
CD: So much fun! I actually prefer to do real-life events. Youtube is fun and cool to be creative, but what I really love is the human interaction-- the hugs, the smiles, the instant feedback, the one on one contact. Nothing beats that!
 
SB: Did the face to face aspect of it all come easily to you?
 
CD: Absolutely. I am more of an "in person" person so it comes more naturally than anything. All I have to do is be myself and it's so nice!
 
SB: You’re very passionate about positive body image and helping people to find their self-confidence – where does this passion come from?
 
CD: From being a young insecure girl and wishing there was someone out there back then that had of said the things I was thinking. It took me so many years to figure myself out and be confident. It is still something I struggle with. I feel that if I voice my feelings and try to offer any help that I can to girls that are also struggling, I am doing some sort of good. I like the feeling of putting good stuff out there. There is already too much negative. Too many bitchy girls tearing each other down. I don't want any part of that.

Image: Jenna Kraczek Photography
SB: You also seem quite passionate about sharing eco-friendly solutions to all aspects of life – is this something you’re interested in bringing over into your cosmetics?
 
CD: Bomber Betty is already paraben free, hypo allergenic, cruelty free, sulfate free, gluten free and mostly vegan. That is why I attached my name to that company. I like what they are doing and what they are about!
 
SB: What’s next for Cherry Dollface?
 
CD: WORLD DOMINATION!!!! or maybe another tour or two. Haha. Who knows! I am just continuing to move forward, trying to be positive, trying to put good stuff out there, and trying to have fun at the same time.
 
SB: What did you enjoy most about your time in Australia and at GreazeFest?
 
CD: I always enjoy all of the girls I get to hug, the food I get to eat, and the sights I get to see that are unique to each country and city I visit.
 
 

20 August, 2015

GreazeFest: Sunday

As the final day of GreazeFest, Sunday always has an unusual yet enjoyable sense of exhaustion combined with the feeling of never wanting it to end. So with that in mind, I opted for comfort to see me through until the end of the festival and give my aching feet a break. We rocked up just in time to catch the end of The Sugarshakers on the indoor Rockhouse stage and by the time we’d grabbed a table, said our hellos and started on the first beer of the day, The Hi-Boys were already up. For an earlier morning time slot, these guys rocked it! I always love The Hi-Boys, they always put on such an energetic show and their music has that fast pace I like, with plenty of sinful sex appeal that would have 50s women clutching their pearls.
 
 
After we sweated up a storm getting down to The Hi-Boys, we kicked back with a cold one to the sweet yet slightly twisted hillbilly sounds of Hank’s Jalopy Demons. We were bopping in our seats to tracks like Shake-a-bop and Way Out and tapping away to some of their classics like King Kong and I’m Going Straight. I was especially pleased when they played one of my favourites of theirs, She’s Well Stacked. We considered popping out onto the oval to get another hit of The Detonators, but Labretta Suede was up next and I certainly didn’t want to miss that!
 
Labretta Suede and the Motel 6 were certainly a bit of a different act for GreazeFest, but it’s great to see Lori so on the ball when it comes to offering tunes for all types. My musical tastes are pretty diverse, so it was really cool to see such a unique and high voltage rock n roll act at GreazeFest. While I’m sure they weren’t to everyone’s tastes, the onstage antics of Labretta Suede, writing around in her tiger print latex lingerie was supremely entertaining. The Motel 6 were a wall of sound to back up that scratchy, smoky voice that just works and I’d describe their sound as a mix of The Cramps and The Detroit Cobras – pretty freakin cool!! I do think they would have benefitted more as a night time act when everyone was ready to rock out, but I think they did a great job and I’d love to see them again. No doubt a sleazy seedy bar would just add to the atmosphere.
Image by PIX by PETE
While Pat Capocci took to the indoor stage, we ventured out for one last lap around the oval, taking in the dusty, rusty rat rods and the shiny chrome and fins of the customs. Another great day of sunny weather meant that some of the rides were almost blinding in their brilliance as the sun reflected off the chrome and metal flake. Outside on the Hot Rod Stage , The Ten Fours played us out as we hurried inside to check out what was simply billed as the GreazeFest Super Group. With a name like that, we knew there would be something special in store for us and we weren’t wrong! Practically every musician from every band that performed at the festival over the weekend came together for the most epic jam session. Musicians swapped instruments and band mates, playing all kinds of covers in all kinds of line ups. Not only was it amazing musically, but it was so enjoyable to see how much the musicians themselves were loving it and just having fun with it.
Despite the festival drawing to a close, The Flattrakkers picked up the pace with their unmistakable high octane sound. These boys play as fast as a car around a race track and with each song, the dancefloor got busier and busier. After a long weekend of drinking, dancing, shopping and walking around, this was the perfect way to remind us we were still alive! Unfortunately many people started heading home, but there was one more act left. Although we’d never heard of The Back Alley Cats before, we always milk the weekend for everything it’s worth so there was no way we were leaving until the last band had played. Three young boys who looked like only teenagers took to the stage and we all glanced around at each other wondering, who were these guys? It didn’t take us long to figure out they were a name we needed to remember! They played covers and originals and their youthful looks belied their raw talent. Those who left before these guys played really missed out. But once their set was over, unfortunately it was time to leave and we tumbled out of the festival grounds buzzing with all the fun we’d had over the weekend.
GreazeFest – there really is nothing like it, and it’s the most fun we have all year!
 

Sunday Outfit Details

Top: Leopard Sweater from Peta Pledger (second hand from a friend, not helpful sorry!)
Pants: Collectif Black Hilda Capris from Stars and Swallows (no longer available)
Hair: Red Flowers from Atomic Cherry, Beehive by me!

14 August, 2015

GreazeFest: Saturday Night

I didn't want to miss a minute of all the GreazeFest action, so after being there all day I didn't want to have to leave in order to get ready for all the evening fun. Cue Fabulous Everything Hair & Make Up coming to the rescue! While doing my own make up wouldn't be a problem, I didn't want to have to worry about trying to do something decent with my hair, holding up the line in the ladies room so Juanita and Fanny saw to it that I looked my best. Besides, lets not kid ourselves, their hair skills far surpass mine and with a special outfit planned, I wanted my hair to look just as good.
 
Thanks to The Man for this shot. No one ever said getting pretty was a pretty sight.
My hair was ready, but the rest of me wasn't so I skipped off to a friend's hotel room nearby and got my face on, shimmied into my dress and downed a glass of champagne to calm my nerves. You see, for the last few months I had been working towards wearing this dress. It was my 'goal dress' when I started getting serious at the gym with my health and fitness. I wanted to be trim and tight enough to feel confident in wearing this amazing, figure-hugging dress. I purchased the dress about a month out from GreazeFest, feeling confident that I was on track to wearing it. It wasn't cheap, but it was certainly beautiful and I wanted to use it as my reward for all my hard work. I'd been lusting after this dress for quite some time. The week of GreazeFest, I tried it on and was a little shaken. It didn't quite look as good as I had imagined, as I had hoped. I wasn't sure if it was all in my head, just the nerves of wearing something I'm not used to wearing, or if it was the truth. Still, I had nothing else to wear and I figured I just had to go for it.
 
When all else fails, dazzle them with lurex and diamonds.
When I emerged from the bathroom with it on, my friends whooped and whistled. Sure, that's the kind of reaction a gal wants when she makes an appearance dressed to the nines, but inside I was still quite nervous and unsure. My breathing was laboured, my heart was hammering and I was shaking a little. Could I actually pull this off? Or was I just going to look like one very shimmery, over-stuffed sausage? I decided it was time for those voices in my head to just shut the heck up and for me to just get out there! I must say, everybody was very lovely and soon I had forgotten all about my doubts and was enjoying this new-found confidence. Besides, Doubleblack were up on stage and absolutely ROCKING the house with a wall of sound! There was nothing left to do but let myself go and boogie!
 
 
After Doubleblack finished, the packed dancefloor cleared while everybody caught their breath and cooled off a little. Rusty Pinto provided the perfect sound track for sipping a drink for a minute of reprieve. A little less wound up than Doubleblack but still kept you bopping along, ready for more. Rusty is a bit of a favourite up here in Queensland and the crowd certainly let him know that he was welcomed back. They screamed and yelled for more, but unfortunately his time was over and it was time for headlining Swedish act The Go Getters to take to the stage.
 
These guys whipped up a storm the last time they visited Australia a few year ago, and this time was no exception. Joined by Tyron of The ReChords on the stand up bass, Peter and Totte brought an explosive energy to the stage. Their hard and fast music is backed by a driving rhythm that makes you wanna shake that thang - and shake we did! The Go Getters played a SUPER extended set, working the crowd into a frenzy, and there was no doubt that the crowd had absolutely got their money's worth. One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing Pete and Totte visibly, so obviously enjoying their time up on the stage. Tonight all the action wound down at 10pm and although earlier in the day we had been lamenting this and planning places to go out afterwards, after a big day out in the sun on our feet and dancing up a storm, we quietly sent a thank you out to Lori Lee wherever she was for saving us from ourselves, remember we had to front up and do it all over again tomorrow! 

Saturday Night Outfit Details

Dress: Black & Silver Lurex Monica from PinUp Girl Clothing
Fur: Black Faux Fur Wrap from eBay
Jewellery: Earrings, Necklace & Brooch (holding by fur closed) Lovisa
Shoes: Raquel Black by InStep from Williams Shoes
 
So it turns out the Monica dress is amazing! I've seen smaller girls wear it and I've seen plus size girls wear it and it seems to have the magical powers of looking great on everyone. Although I do think it's a dress that is enhanced by curves, so if you tend to be straight up and down in your shape it might not be for you. It has a built in shaper, which gives you a really nice, firm hug and keeps everything where it should be. The lovely rouching and drape of the fabric is also great because although it's skin tight, it's just enough to disguise any imperfections. The dress is also nice and warm to wear, so it was perfect for this kind of night time event in winter. I've seen lots of reviews on this dress and they all seem to agree on these details.
 
Something all of them failed to mention however, is how difficult this dress can be to get into (and out of)! Forget looking like a saucy minx, you'll be contorting yourself and jumping all over the room trying to get it to budge. I dunno, maybe I'm just a spaz, but the built in shaper makes getting in and out of the dress a bit of a physical challenge. I think it's a bit of an art, and once you get it down pat it gets easier. Still, I think it's something worth mentioning as the first time I put it on was a bit of a sight. My tip is to step into it from the top and get your arms in the sleeves and then pull and wiggle it up over the rest of you and into place. Don't say I didn't warn you.
 
Also, I had to list my shoes on this one because these shoes are super affordable, and look great with EVERYTHING, but are also super comfortable! I am onto my second pair already (I also have them in red) and am about to buy my third pair in the black. I have worn them so much that they have stretched and no longer support my foot properly, meaning that have lost their super comfy magical powers. But they last quite well if you try not to wear them to death like I do, and when they do eventually need replacing, replace them I do because they are the best and most comfortable heel I have ever worn. Aside from the black and the red, I've also seen them come in a lovely cobalt blue and a peacock green. They have a slightly pointy tip, but only ever so slightly. I just love them and thought everyone else needed to know about them! haha

11 August, 2015

GreazeFest: Saturday

Having been on my best behaviour the night before, I awoke Saturday morning feeling refreshed and ready to get back into the action. We were blessed with some incredible ‘winter’ weather here in Queensland and the sun was shining, warming up the day to a very comfortable temperature. We rocked up at about 10.30 and said a few quick hello’s over a beer before heading out onto the oval for a quick scout around the cars and stalls.
 
Photo by Mark Greenmantle Photography
Introducing the Saturday car show and trading has certainly made the festival less of a mad dash to get around and see everything without missing out on the bands. Whatever you don’t get to on Saturday, you can always see on Sunday and when you run into so many familiar faces on your way around the oval, this makes it so much easier to see everything and still get to catch up with friends. We zipped around the stalls to the sounds of Zephyr Project and Miss Teresa on the outdoor Hot Rod Stage. I even managed to score myself a brand new bright red shiny Lux Deville wallet from Stars and Swallows!

The sun was actually beating down and although I had a brand new hat to shade my face, I was wearing a sleeveless dress and could feel the sting of the sun on my skin so we headed back to the undercover area, which conveniently also happens to be the bar area, for some hydration and a cool off. Ahhh winter in Queensland. We just managed to catch the end of the set from Twang, one of our fave local bands! By that stage all our usual crew was rolling in and we spent the next little while catching up with them and listening to Kieron McDonald on the Rockhouse Stage.
LOVE this skate deck by Paul Hughes
Although we’d checked out the Art Show briefly the night before, the calibre of art on offer definitely required another going over so we spent some time in the Tiki Bar taking in all the detail and talent on show. By the time we emerged at the side of stage, The Bone Rattlers had taken to the stage and were amping things up as the day visitors straggled out the gates and the stayers geared up for the night time festivities. I just managed to enjoy the whole set from The Bone Rattlers before flouncing off to my appointment with Fabulous Everything Hair & Make Up to get my ‘do did before changing into my special night time outfit. But more on that later…

Saturday Outfit Details

 Dress: Canyon Dig It? Dress from ModCloth

Hat: SunBody Kenny from Western Boot Barn

Earrings: Erstwilder Cactus Road Earrings from Vintage Pip

Boots: Brown Suede Cowboy Boots from 50 East Shoes

I’d already decided that Saturday was going to be my ‘Western’ day and I’d been on lookout for a cute gingham dress when I came across the Canyon Dig It? Dress on ModCloth. It was so unique that I just had to have it, plus it reminded me of driving through the Arizona desert and visiting the Grand Canyon on our first USA trip. I got so many compliments on it throughout the day and it was really comfortable to wear. I only wish it had pockets!
The Kenny hat was a fortuitous find, as I had only just started looking for a proper cowboy hat when I was contacted by Western BootBarn wanting to team up as an affiliate. Before I agreed to bring them on board, I figured I had better test out their quality and service so I secretly ordered the hat off the website and waited to see what happened. The hat was extremely well-priced and when it arrived (very quickly I might add) I was super impressed with the quality of it. It’s a real pinto hat made in Mexico. For that price, and for its speedy arrival, I was delighted to have WesternBoot Barn on board! They sell all kinds of mens, womens and childrens western wear, cowboy boots, belt buckles hats and so forth.
 
Here's a close up of the earrings
 
Given that I was planning on wearing my hair in pigtails (hello roll outta bed style) I knew I needed some cute earrings seeing as they were going to be on show. I googled myself silly and finally managed to track down a pair of the darling Cactus Road earrings by Erstwilder at Vintage Pip. Sadly these are no longer available, but you can still get the brooch which is equally as cute! I am a sucker for the cutesy Erstwilder style!
My boots that I’d been dying to take for a spin around GreazeFest are unfortunately not available online. I picked them at up at Opry Mills, the mall opposite the Grand Ole Opry, when we were in Nashville last year. You’d think cowboy boots would be easy to find in Nashville, and there was certainly no shortage of them, but despite going up and down Broadway for hours trying on all kids of pairs of boots, it wasn’t until I’d actually given up on getting a pair and we were killing some time at the mall before the show at the Grand Ole Opry that I came across these boots and instantly fell in love with their fringing and antique gold star detailing. They’re super comfy to wear and I love them! If you’re after a great pair of boots, check out what’s on offer at Western Boot Barn – they have some great options which are tempting me at the moment!