gypsy fabulous

The Gypsy Fab Photo Shoot

2009-07-15T18:22:00.009+12:00

I have been meaning to bloggify these photos for ages. My two best gypsy pals and I were attempting to create a Gypsy Fabulous photo shoot, which was going to be in a Sustainable Living magazine, but sadly never was. It was a windy West Coast day, and we were supposed to be looking 'fabulous', but our hair was in our faces, and everyone just wanted to be wrapped around their pot belly fires. Add in the occasional doggy distraction from one of Mel's many Staffies, and it was definitely more gypsy than fabulous. But it was oh so fun, and is a lovely reminder of the life-long friendships I made while travelling with that band of gypsies known as The Original Gypsy Fair.

Girls Gone Gypsy.

2009-07-12T22:00:00.011+12:00

Who's this? Surely not your faithful blogger... Last weekend saw my leap from lone gypsy to gang of gypsies when my girlfriends and I road tripped down to the mountainous town of Ohakune.Hannah the birthday girl put on a party like we hadn't seen since 1989 - cheerios, cupcakes, goodie bags, party hats, and even a plastic princess tablecloth. Oh and wigs. I'm thinking for my next year-long gypsy adventure I'll buy a double-decker bus and fill it with all my girlfriends. Cupcakes in every town sounds like a plan to me.

I couldn't help but reminisce...

2009-07-07T16:40:00.005+12:00

Although I am ridiculously excited to be once again living the big city life, it's hard not to feel a little nostalgic when you've been staring at a computer screen all day. Oh, for every door to open onto a view such as this. Or this -

All the Gypsy Ladies

2009-06-19T18:44:00.006+12:00

These loverly ladies have been roaming the land since long before I even existed. Not only are they both fabulous Gypsy Fair artistes, but they both live this crazy life as fierce, independent women (Beyonce would be proud).

Madame Feather - whom you may remember from previous posts - is a palm reader, and creator of goddess dresses, the tie-dyed petticoats you can see hanging in her shop here. She is also a sales extrordinaire, and once she gets hold of you, you can be sure you won't be leaving without a petticoat or two.

Jypsy Jude (above) is an amazing artist, who treats her house bus as a canvas and also spreads her paint brush love over miscellaneous objets d'art to sell at the gypsy fair. The interior of her bus is up there with the best house busses I've ever visited - it's a magical chiffon draped world where you feel jeannies might really exist.

In what awesome alternate world did I get to hang out with these ladies?!

The Big Sell-Out.

2009-06-15T21:36:00.004+12:00

Who is this clean shaven young gentleman on the cell phone? Surely not the same bearded character we know as the gypsy C.P.? Gypsies don't have cell phones! Ok actually most of them do. Lots even have laptops and flat screen TVs. But that's another story. Not only did C.P. cut all his hair off, but he shaved his beard. It is a sure sign that the gypsies have sold out, and are on their way to the big, bad, corporate world. I couldn't be more excited!

Back to Reality!

2009-06-15T20:24:00.006+12:00

What a way to bring us back from our overseas high - returning to our little house truck which had been waiting patiently for us at the airport. Although it was definitely less glamorous, I must admit it was nice to hop straight into bed - and sleep in until 1pm the next day! Getting dressed was a massive let down though - into the under-bed storage went the new clothes and shoes as the practical warmth of bulky cardigans returned to our life. But as we drove up the snow capped country I remembered why I loved my double life - I'm a sucker for the lure of the wide, open road. It gets my heart racing just as much as any big city can.

Little Gypsies in the Big City

2009-06-02T22:35:00.013+12:00

Melbourne was our last Aussie stop for a blissful reunion with some best friends from Fashion School days. A whole lot of vintage shopping, some imitation Beyonce dance moves and general hilarity would ensue as we relived the good old days.
In a strange twist of fate, I had accidentally copied Helen's haircut. After years of long girlish hair, I was now almost on par with Helen's brand of tomboy cool. Helen is one of the most effortlessly stylish people I know, therefore one of the highlights of knowing her is the opportunity to rob her closet and be styled by her - I'm still missing this black sequinned vest of hers!

This amazing window art work is the creation of my friend, artist extrordinaire Jenna-Lee Shave. She has taken the Melbourne shop she works at to the next level of cool with her regular window updates - one such work even featured Jem my favourite 80s superstar! (See below). It just so happened that C.P. was wearing his keys t-shirt to match the keytar in the window - a perfect photo opp.Imagine my excitement when I found this Gypsy Fabulous courtyard tucked away in one of Melbourne's most stylish streets. Not only was it adorably decorated with hanging lanterns, but the delicious pizzas were only $4! Bimbos - a must visit to fuel yourself for a day of vintage bargain hunting.

Aussie Fabulous

2009-06-02T20:48:00.021+12:00

Not content with three nights in a hotel, we decided to celebrate further with a little trip to Australia. We were so excited to get out of the freeze that we walked around in summer clothes the whole time, undeniably marking ourselves as tourists. But I consoled myself with the fact that we weren't just any old tourists - we were Global Gypsies!

We kept the gypsy spirit alive with a trip to my Uncle's gorgeous beach house north of Sydney. Champagne cocktails with caviar kept us feeling Absolutely Fabulous while our amazing hosts Tim and Joweli (pictured above) kept us highly entertained in a Radio Gaga-esque fashion. As we dined al fresco and slept in an adorable outdoor pavilion I decided I could definitely get used to this global gypsy thing, as long as we only visited tropical havens such as this.

I even managed to squeeze in a spot of my favourite gypsy pastime, ye olde small town op shops. Which, by the way, I have found to be called thrift shops in EVERY other country except ours! Way to confuse things New Zealand.
My sister Nicola is an almost famous architect in Sydney. She is probably the antithesis of gypsy - she can't stand leather vests and doesn't seem to like truck living too much. However she is definitely fabulous and here she is totally gypsy fabulous in a Talitha Getty rooftop ( well, clifftop) kind of way.

FROM GYPSY:

2009-05-31T15:25:00.021+12:00

TO FABULOUS:
Well, we may have been true house truckers for a while there, but the moment the Gypsy Fair was over we didn't waste another second pretending. Before you could say "It's zero degrees in this truck", we were out of there, and into the nearest hotel. Pathetic, eh.

While I adore living in a house truck soaking up the great outdoors, I am just not hard core "gyp" enough to handle the truck in Winter! We were waking up with ice on the inside of our roof for crying out loud! As the other gypsies proclaim how they "would never go back to living in a house", C.P. and I sneak looks at each other, knowing that although this was fun for a while, we'd take a warm, cozy electricity filled house any day.

Luckily we were the proud recipients of a hotel as a congratulatory present from C.P.'s brother, who was amazed at our decision to live in a tiny box for a year. So for three nights, we lived the fab life, ordering room service, dressing fancy and frequenting amazing restaurants. The concierge took care of parking our truck right in front of the (five-star) hotel (see pic above) and we were treated like royalty. We forgot we were ever gypsies! Except for that embarrassing moment when we had to walk past the front desk carrying a giant laundry sack destined for the local laundromat. I'm sure they wondered why we weren't using the in-house laundry service. Unfortunately Rob's shout didn't cover that!

We've come a long way, baby

2009-05-20T11:48:00.009+12:00

Well, the Gypsy Fair season is officially over, and I am therefore no longer technically a gypsy. However I still feel like a gypsy, and I am still living my 'gypsy fabulous' life. We still have a journey northward in the house truck to commence, and on arrival in the big smoke we plan to attempt city living in the truck. Plus, once you have lived as a gypsy for a year and a half, that free and cheeky spirit is hard to shake.
Our final weeks felt like the perfect culmination of our gypsy experience. Staying at Ivan's fabulous section, observing the village of mobile homes nestled amongst the greenery, I felt an incredible sense of belonging. We had come so far! A year ago we were on our own, meeting random folks on the way, but always continuing onwards. We were baby gypsies, learning the code as we went along, never quite knowing where to park our heads for the night.

Fast forward a year, and we had friends! Numerous buses and trucks whose inhabitants we saw every week. People we could sit around a fire with and strum a guitar with (not that I play guitar, but the notion sounds nice). I'll leave you with a couple more photos of this beautiful gathering place. Stay tuned for news of my absolutely fabulous totally non-gypsy champagne filled post-gypsy-fair week...

Presenting the Annual Gypsy Fabulous Cocktail Party!

2009-05-05T22:41:00.010+12:00

You know you've become a true gypsy when the annual gypsy cocktail party is re-named after your blog. Yes, that's right, this was one celebration where we could revel in being as fabulous as our little hearts could manage. Not a hard task for our gorgeous hosts Mels and Jonas!

The scene was Ivan's secret oasis - an overgrown section in the middle of nowhere (a.k.a Waitaki Bridge Village, Oamaru). House trucks came from far and away. Mels parked her cafe caravan - the amazing Lucky Star - in the middle of the party and fed us delicious freshly squeezed fruit cocktails. Gypsy muso's took the stage all day and night... and all of the next day.

Gypsy Fair palm reader Heather Feather did some great drum dancing in front of the stage. When I commented on how great her leopard print tights were, she exclaimed "I know - I'm you! I'm gypsy fabulous!" She was intentionally rocking a typical Fiona look for the fabulous themed party - leopard tights and a mini skirt.. in almost the same way I'd wear them!

Kids, dogs and puppies ran amok enjoying their own little parties. We danced the day and night away as the cocktail bowls emptied out. To top it all off, we turned the decorative rope lights that you can spot behind these kidlets into wonderfully hypnotic skipping ropes. Too fun for words.

Race around the world

2009-05-01T18:03:00.004+12:00

We discovered we had something in common with the Earthrace team this week in Timaru - they are gypsies too! So of course we had to park up with them and have a gypsy pot luck dinner. Sea gypsies - something I could aspire to perhaps? While sailing around the Mediterranean does sound glamorous, I would hope to do it in a slightly bigger vessel than the Earthrace boat! The crew were most definitely the only people who have ever been excited by the roominess in our trucks. However the boat is an amazing sight to behold, and owner / creator Pete is a radical dude with an awesome message to spread. But most importantly, his tattoos matched his boats tatts - now that's fabulous!

I'm talkin bout the (wo)man in the mirror..

2009-04-20T20:02:00.009+12:00

I spotted this mirror directly behind the toilet in Oamaru's revered Penguin Club last night, and it was so amazing that I risked the humiliation of taking photos of myself in a toilet just to get a shot of it. But that's not even the exciting part.

Today as I was exploring the local second hand shops (my beloved ritual for every town we stop in), I found the EXACT mirror for only $15! The weird thing was the owner knew nothing about the pub mirror and definitely didn't sell it to them. So where did they come from? How come there are two of them? Are they from some fabulous olden day establishment? Or did everyone buy one from a chain store forty years ago and their recent deaths are now serving up hundreds of these things?

I'll probably never know. But who cares? I now own my fantasy boudoir mirror! I just need a house to put it in because we are very quickly running out of space - damn that op-shopping addiction.

Trailer Park Paradise

2009-04-20T19:25:00.008+12:00

Of all the many holiday parks I have stayed in on my gypsy journeys, I have never come across one quite as fabulous as this. This place on the outskirts of Invercargill is home to approximately fifty permanent residents - think Eminem's childhood but much cuter.

I have a small caravan obsession, so when I found these permanent caravans I was more than excited. They have been extended from little caravans into massive caramansions! Well, almost. They even have gardens, fences, cats and adorable mish mash constructions. If it wasn't so damn tragic, I might actually want to live there.

The Crunchie Bunny Saga

2009-04-12T21:44:00.003+12:00

Living in a truck creates extra issues in everyday situations - just like when you are camping, everything is that little bit harder. Easter egg shopping is no exception. Not only is there the problem of when to secretly buy the eggs since C.P. and I are always together, but there is also the small issue of where to hide them once you have managed to buy them. Living in a tiny truck where every single space has a purpose, there aren't many good hiding spots.

Our Crunchie Bunny saga has been running for three years now. I fell in love with the Crunchie Bunny when I first saw it, and made copious hints to C.P. to make sure he bought me one. Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one who noticed the bunny, and they sold out. I had to make do with a regular old brown bunny.

So last year, I began hinting again as soon as the bunnies hit the shelf. And I was sure he would get in early to buy me one. He did - but this time he was too early. He hid it behind the drivers seat, thinking that might be the one place I wouldn't find it. Unfortunately, a week before Easter I decided to fetch the hammock from behind the drivers seat, and found a very squashed, melted Crunchie Bunny. So although I was pleased with C.P. for buying me this bunny, I was also a little saddened that I had ruined the surprise, and that due to us moving the drivers seat backwards and forwards, that very special bunny shape that I so admired, was destroyed.

So, this year for our third Easter together, I had relaxed my high hopes and almost forgotten about the Crunchie Bunny. Until C.P. snuck outside the truck early this morning and returned with a very familiar looking gold bunny! It was in mint condition, not squashed in any way. It seemed I had finally got my perfect bunny! I spent the day feeling warm and fuzzy and looked forward to eating it later on.

When the time came, I reverentially unwrapped my special bunny, expecting to see it's cute chocolate bunny features. But no! What had gone wrong? My bunny was all mouldy looking, dappled white in places, and some of the chocolate had gone soft! Where was your magical outside hiding place C.P?! I finally got it out of him - he had carefully purchased it weeks ago to make sure he didn't miss out. And he had planned the perfect hiding spot- in the outside locker where we keep our power cords - the locker I hardly ever look in. The not so waterproof locker that is.

So we may have solved the sold out problem, we've solved the squashed and broken issue, but we still have not solved the hiding place connundrum. Next year perhaps?!

Oh, by the way, this seemingly unrelated photo is of Christine, the Gypsy Fair Easter Bunny.

Happy Easter!!

How to define "Gypsy Fabulous".

2009-04-08T19:18:00.008+12:00

These pictures demonstrate the meaning of "Gypsy Fabulous" rather well. It's all about that brilliant combination of being a rugged, self sufficient truck dweller whilst simultaneously maintaining my fashion obsessed city girl roots.

It's the moments when these two lives clash that amuse me the most. Clambering down from the truck in high heels and awkwardly filling our water tanks, trying not to get my white tights wet or my lace dress snagged on the tank.

Plucking my eyebrows and applying makeup on the doorstep of my truck so that I can utilise the natural light, not really noticing that we are parked on a main city street.

Parking halfway up a very isolated mountain, pulling out my laptop and wireless internet card, and writing in an online "blog" about my oh so gypsy life...

But the best clash of all was during last year's NZ Fashion Week - attending fashion shows one minute, walking two blocks down the road and home to my truck the next. Having to explain my high heels and ridiculous outfits to our next-door-neighbour-gypsies was a special moment I'll never forget.

Great Southern Style

2009-04-08T13:38:00.004+12:00

Dunedin's stylie cats were a welcome relief after a few weeks of small towns... no offence - I love small towns - but it was just really obvious how many more interestingly dressed people there were in Dunedin.
I fell in love with this girl Lisa who I spotted at the gypsy fair. (It was probably partly to do with my obsessive love for crochet.) My mind is still boggling at how she was only 6th form. I wish I had been slightly that cool in 6th form.

I loved how Jamie Green wore a suit during the day for no real reason at all; guys should get this kitted up more often.The narrow tie was the icing on the retro cake.

My wonderful friend Kate has always had a knack for creating amazing colour palettes without even trying. I'm pretty sure it was unplanned that her beret would match the rust on her bike - but how great does it look?!

Even C.P. and I had to step up our style by purchasing new jeans. But don't worry, there's no parting with the old faithful Bart jersey.

Before...and AFTER!

2009-04-03T22:53:00.003+13:00

What a makeover! I just had to show off our new paint job which we did all by our little-gypsy-selves. Now when I see our truck / house in the distance I'm thrilled to see him, rather than being just a little bit gutted at his supreme whiteness. He also makes the surroundings look even cooler now, as his colours seem to explode in combination with nature's beautiful palette.

P.S. Does blogging three times in two days make up for my two week hiatus?! I can't keep up with other bloggers! I'm just too bloody gypsy.

Horses, horses, horses!

2009-04-03T21:37:00.005+13:00

We went horse trekking yesterday through the oh so fabulous beaches of the Catlins - rugged Southern coastlines that are just a leap away from the South Pole.

Although reality dictated that I wear a helmet, jeans and boots; in my mind I was wild and free - barefoot and long haired with layers of lace flying behind me.

No matter that I haven't had long hair for a year now, I've seen too many horseback goddess images to miss out on the opportunity to picture myself as one. Stevie Nicks fantasy anyone?

"Feastock" - a Woodstock on Fea Street.

2009-04-02T10:07:00.006+13:00

Firstly - apologies, I have been a bad, bad blogger! I'd like to blame it on the fact that our laptop cord was broken, which it was, but I think we all know the real reason - parties, parties, parties! I've been in Dunedin, reliving my pre-gypsy days as a student. But alas, there has been no time to blog, and lets face it, what meaning and purpose is there to an un-blogged lifestyle?!

Anyway, I have a beautiful backlog of photos to share, and I'm gonna start it off with a bang. FEEEEEASTOCK! Feastock Fest 09 was a massive daytime party organised by a couple of guys with a brilliant backyard and a love for local music. Ten bands, copious sunshine, afternoon mud and tie-dye galore - what more could a Woodstock lovin gypsy gal want!?

Steve from 'Left or Right,' (also pictured performing above) and Jenna-lee Shave (V.I.P Melbourne guest and one of my favourite people). Steve is an insanely awesome musician. He also has these amazing patched jeans which he has been adding to for years - they can only be described as 'nuggety.' Please note long haired hotties in background and Jenna-lee's wine bladder (she was stoked with the no glass rule.)

The Taliband had a much anticipated reunion, and somehow pulled it off with no practise at all - these guys are good. C.P. Moore, as always, blew the crowd (and his girlfriend) away with his keytar skills.

And lastly, two moments that made me believe I was actually in 1969. Peace, Love and a whole lot of mud. Summer's trend for tie-dye definitely went a long way aswell.

The fabulous River

2009-03-15T19:53:00.000+13:00

Isn't she lovely... River in front of her Gypsy Fair stall. Her dress is by Madame Feather, palm reader / tie-dye extraordinaire. Please note the "gypsy shoes" - which are like jewellery for the perpetual bare feet.

Mountains, Mormons and Mels.

2009-03-12T22:15:00.000+13:00

Too busy to blog! It's been quite a week. First we hung out with our old friends in Greymouth, incorporating a random visit from some friendly Mormon fellas, who ended up staying for scones and board-games! With such an incongruous mix of gypsies, fishermen and mormons, you might expect there to be a few awkward moments. We managed quite well I thought, until I went to hug Elder Heywood goodbye only to be told that hugs were not allowed...

Next we had a gypsy bonfire party amongst the beautiful mountains at the top of Arthurs Pass. Not only were the surroundings magnificent, but there was nobody around to call Noise Control, so we danced the night away.

And now, our truck won't start and we are forced to spend the night right next to the Dump Station we have just visited. I think it might be punishment for trying to find glamour in the humble Dump Station in my last blog entry.

Finally, I just had to include this party pic of Mels in a very cute hat. Doesn't she look adorable?!

My glamorous life.

2009-03-06T20:47:00.000+13:00

Sometimes my life may seem quite fabulous, journeying around this beautiful country on a permanent holiday. And often, it is. But then, every few days there comes a time to visit the 'Dump Station'. This is a place that you probably would not know about, unless you had travelled in a motor home for some length of time. In fact, there are Dump Stations in every town, and once you know what to look out for, you will see them everywhere!

So here I am with our toilet - the PortaPotti 365 - an adorable little portable device that lives in our shower. Sooo glamorous. I am on my way to 'dump' our toilet contents into a Dump Station, which can be a rather awkward and occasionally messy job. Unfortunately I am wearing a short dress, even though I vow every time I 'dump' in a skirt or dress never to wear one whilst 'dumping' again. But sometimes on sunny days I just can't resist the little dress urge, and then alas, a visit to the Dump Station jumps up on me unexpectedly.

This fantastic cartoon image from the cover of the brochure "Finding a Dump Station in New Zealand" illustrates the dumping process perfectly for those of you who are still confused. Unfortunately the woman doesn't always get to stay in the cab while the man does the work as in this cartoon - we take turns in our house. Hopefully I haven't turned you off from the house trucking lifestyle!

The proud grand-parents.

2009-03-05T11:20:00.000+13:00

Lola had puppies last night! Mels and Jonas (two of the most fabulous gypsies) are now the proud grandparents of seven adorable little staffies. Not only was it my first ever birthing experience - gross but amazing - but it was in a house truck next to the river. Sort of biblical with its back to nature style I felt. It was a late night mid-party drama, hence Mels is still in bed in this photo.

As if this week hadn't been exciting enough with us finally getting around to painting our truck in a much more fabulous fashion. (Pictures to come on completion!)

Relaxation 101

2009-03-02T22:51:00.001+13:00

Well here I am back in the land of cyber space! I hope you somehow managed to survive without any updates from the gypsy that is fabulous. (Insert sarcasm here).

The Abel Tasman was beautiful, as always. We lounged on stripey deck chairs and floated on turquoise waters. Although it rained rather consistently and coffee was required to keep warm whilst afloat, Jonas made sure we still felt tropical with the essential holiday accessory - the floral lei.

Mickey and me!

2009-02-22T20:58:00.000+13:00

Hey Mickey you're so fine... How excited was I to come across this fabulously weird Mouse marriage scene on the back of a random van! The excitement was heightened DRAMATICALLY by the fact that I was wearing my lovestruck Mickey and Minnie tee at the time! A cracker case of serendipity for sure.

That's all you'll be hearing from me for the week my friends. I am heading into the paradise of no internet reception - the Abel Tasman.

Beach bagpipes

2009-02-22T20:51:00.000+13:00

Our arrival into Nelson last week was met with a lone bagpiper on the beach. Although bagpipes aren't my instrument of choice to enjoy at sunset, it was still a pretty special moment. Strange, yes. But special nonetheless.

Our new favourite mechanics

2009-02-19T18:44:00.000+13:00

Well, the last couple of days have been filled with the less glamorous side of truck life, as we struggled to pass our Certificate of Fitness (to legalise our journey on these roads). Our missions were seriously brightened though, by two amazing mechanics who not only charged us next to nothing for a perfect job, but joined us in a few celebratory drinks afterwards.

When your truck is your home you don't really have anywhere to go during this kind of work, so you get to know your hosts quite well; eating your weetbix surrounded by pin-ups, grease, and burnt out VW's. Pete and Neil are both technically retired, but do it for the love of the job. I worried a little bit about Pete, pictured, climbing under the truck at 75 years, but he seemed to handle it just fine.

Another day, another island

2009-02-19T18:37:00.000+13:00

Yesterday we traversed to the South Island, our home for the next three months. We were joined by quite a few sheep, who had a friendly open air cabin, which looked more than a little bit squashed. Our poor furry friends were easily seen and smelt from the viewing deck, which I imagine ensured that nobody ordered the lamb burger that trip.

A Valentines day treat.

2009-02-16T20:44:00.000+13:00

Look at these amazing ladies / dogs! I couldn't contain my excitement when I spotted them strolling around the gypsy fair. The lady in red is Gail and in leopard print is Mimi, who designed the dogs outfits for her company Woof Whistles Canine Couture. And the dogs names? Lady Delores Waterford Crystal, and Lady Angelica Whistles de Woofe.

I only clicked afterwards that Gail had themed her outfit to Valentines Day - not only did she have the heart hat on, but also heart earrings, and her dog was wearing a red dress saying 'I Love You!' I wish people dressed this OTT more often, it would brighten my every day.

Two other points to note: Angelica is a model and knows to pose when someone pulls out a camera - hence the fabulous poses - and Delores has a backpack strapped to her pram with her name and picture embroidered on it. Doggy fabulous? Definitely.

It's raining, it's pouring!

2009-02-12T21:03:00.000+13:00

What else can you do on such a rainy day except watch movies?! There's something very satisfying about watching the rain through the skylight while being comfy and warm in bed. Haha, rain, you can't get me!

The music men

2009-02-11T11:39:00.000+13:00

Carlos and Ivan are without a doubt the hippest old men gypsies I know - they make me feel more bohemian just by association. These guys sing on the gypsy fair stage for our entertainment (hence the guitar glasses). In wistful moments I like to pretend that it's actually Bob Dylan up there.

Gypsies dressed as hippies

2009-02-09T19:05:00.000+13:00

Oh what a night... We partied with the old timers at the 60's themed Masters Games in Wanganui. NZ's very own Elvis, Johnny Devlin showed us that you can still rock out fifty years past your prime. He was once quite a dreamboat. He is now 70. Enough said.

To end the night, Ricky Bing demonstrated his medal winning gymnastics, somehow landing on his feet even though he couldn't walk straight. Don't try this one at home kids!

The original fabulous gypsies

2009-02-02T21:23:00.001+13:00

This is my friend River sitting outside Mel's house truck. You'll probably see lots of photos of River because she always looks so damn fabulous! I'm pretty jealous of her, with a name like that she was obviously destined to be a gypsy from a very young age. Fiona just doesn't have the same gypsy ring to it, let alone the uber cool River Phoenix connotations.

River and Mels actually inspired the title of my blog, by using the term 'fabulous' to explain their attire whilst canoeing down the Wanganui River in ridiculously inappropriate floaty dresses, floral leis, and sombreros. This is while everyone else is wearing thermals and board shorts. It really did brighten the scenery. And that, my friends, is Fabulous.

The power of Mr. Sun

2009-02-02T19:56:00.000+13:00

Last week we spent a couple of nights up Mount Taranaki, just living in our truck in the highest carpark. The view was fabulous, even more so at 6am when we clambered onto the roof to watch the sunrise. Coffee in hand, rug around shoulders, beanie and hoody in place - would you believe this next pic was on the same mountain that same day?! Ah, the power of our fiery ol' friend the sun.

This moment is rather Brokeback Mountain-esque don't you think? Ha, or maybe it's just the hat. I must apologise for the sneakers, they illustrate perfectly the harsh reality of house truck fashion. (Not quite as romantic as I'd first envisioned!)

Top hat meets tie-dye

2009-01-29T22:39:00.000+13:00

I thought I better introduce C.P. since you'll probably be hearing alot about him, owing to the fact that I spend every hour of every day with him. That's what happens when you live, travel and work with someone. And when you don't have your own friends or your own room or your own transport to get away from your house - our house being our transport.

Just so you know, C.P. wasn't always a gypsy. The tie-dye shirt is just a gypsy fair special. I don't think a real gypsy would spend $200 on a top hat from Leo O' Malley's. And don't worry, his snakey dagger tatt is not real.

P.S. This is Ian's truck and window goblin. (You can spot his leg just creeping out of the hammock above C.P's shoulder!)

Home sweet house truck

2009-01-29T20:26:00.000+13:00

This is my favourite corner of our truck. This is in our kitchen / entranceway / lounge. These rooms are actually all the same room, since our house is a 3metre by 6metre truck. P.S. There is also a bathroom, bedroom and basement in our one roomed house!

I'm a rambler, not a gambler...

2009-01-27T13:16:00.000+13:00

Well this is all a bit spur of the moment! I am stumped as to what to write as only a few minutes ago I did not have a blog nor a desire for a blog. However this rambling around the country and discovering zany sights seems too good a material to not be written up, so there you have it. Gypsy fabulous.

A little background... A lifelong obsession with hippiedom and all its fabulous threads and sounds led me to believe that a year travelling in a truck, pretending to be Jenny off Forrest Gump would be a good idea. A few months scouring trade me, and our truck (Trotty) was adopted. My truck-mate C.P and I travelled randomly for a few months, before a chance encounter with a rainbow-hatted gypsy in the Marlborough Sounds led us to join the gypsy fair.

Now I plan to share the colourful sights with you, my dear readers. (I figure my parents will definitely read this so that's a good start.)