Dead people are pretty too

If I had to play word association games with the word "skull"," pretty" probably wouldn't be right near the top of the list. Except, there are so many pretty skull things out there in fashion, make-up and for the home.
These little guys below are from my very own flat. The fabric is by Alexander Henry and I bought it at Hadeda. I got my friend Tamara to sew it up for me into cushion covers. The colours are so brilliant and those little dancing dead people look so happy, playing their little guitars and wearing their little ponchos.

I came across local artist Nicola de Jager's beautiful felt skulls at Design Indaba this year. They are these intricate, beautiful works of art. And I want one desperately. But I need to save my pennies. Or win some pennies. Actually, since she's local, winning some good old South African Rands would probably be a better bet.

 These are just a few of her beautiful designs. There are lots more on her website Calavera. They're all hand embroidered and have names too. So you can be friends with them.

And just how awesome is this Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead) make-up? It's so pretty. The photo is by Peter Holliday but I can't seem to find a credit for the make-up artist. Those giant flowers in her hair are just plain pretty too.