One Lovely Blog Award

Thank you to Laura at Vintage Laura and Bruce at Eclectic Ephemera for this lovely blog award.

I'm now passing this onto some of my favourite lovely blogs .

Lemonade Kitty, The Undomesticated Scientist, The Felt Fairy, Andi's English Attic, Birdcages & Butterflies, Deer Little Fawn, Fraggle Cats, Hesta and the Pugs, Ivy Black Chat and Miss Creativity xxx

Sorting and Stitching

This weekend I stayed at my mums, mainly because I haven't stayed at hers for ages, but also because I needed to retrieve the bags and bags of clothing and coats from her loft that I've been storing up there. I'm back home now and have started to sort and price all of the clothing and coats ready for Saturday’s Bicycle Basket Bazaar. I'll also be taking a few pairs of 80s boots and some leather and faux leather gloves; it’s definitely the weather for them.

I found this gorgeous (and very creased) 1970s Jeff Banks for Rembrandt dandelion print blouse in one of the bags. I picked it up in a charity shop while at uni and living in Newcastle Under Lyme. The pattern’s so lovely and the material a nice sheer type that I’m going to keep it, even though I’m nowhere near its size 12 size tag, which in today’s sizing probably equates to a 10.

I also made these while watching Strictly and I’m a Celebrity. I’ve made more than there are in the picture but didn’t make as many as I might have if I hadn’t have had all of the dogs competing for space on the sofa next to me.

I had a lovely surprise in the post last week from Helen at the Undomesticated Scientist. Helen sent me this beautiful Royal Jubilee tablecloth and the images on it are beautiful. I’ll be finding somewhere very special to put it. Thank you Helen!

P.S. My new favourite song is Ellie Goulding's version of 'Your Song' from the John Lewis advert. I keep walking around singing my head off to it. Fortunatley having a dog usually means that the said dog thinks your fantastic at everything, including singing. Every time I sing it Lily wags at me and makes this noise that she makes when she's content. She'd be a terrible X Factor judge if she likes my voice

Yayyyyyyy!

I was so excited this morning to see that I have reached 100 followers! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments you leave, they really do mean a lot and I love reading them. I also love reading all of your blogs, all of which I try to pop over to at least once a week. I'm finding myself talking about my blog friends more and more and I think the people at work think I'm slightly mad, but people you have things in common with and enjoy having a good laugh and discussion with are just that aren't they, friends!

By some coincidence the day I hit 100 followers is also the day that my friend's very helpful boyfriend finished designing me a logo. Thanks Dan! I've plonked it onto my blog for you all to see and I hope to tidy up the rest of my blog over the coming months. I just don't get HTML coding and can't seem to get the colours quite right on my blog, so I'll be capturing some computery type person soon and asking for a helping hand. Hope you're all having a good week, and if not, at least it's nearly the weekend! XXX

To Watch or Not to Watch

I was up super early this morning for training in Nottingham. I'd like to say that it was my early start and late finish that has made me super sleepy, but no, there's another culprit; The FX channel's new American TV series, The Walking Dead. Now I think it's a really great show, I like the style of it and I of course adore Andrew Lincoln BUT, since watching the first episode I have been having zombie nightmares and now I've seen the second episode I'm having even more! The kind where your wake up with a jump, struggle to get back to sleep but really need to so you can go back into your dream and resolve it, or is that just me being weird and control freakish? Hmm.

It's not even like I'm terrified while I'm watching the bloody programme! It has to be said that I'm not at all into horror movies or the like and tend to stick to comedic gothic stuff like the fabulous Being Human, but The Walking Dead's not horror is it? I don't feel horror when I watch it, I'm more fascinated by the gore and busy feeling permanently anxious that somebody's going to get attacked by a zombie. Thinking sensibly, if I feel tense and anxious throughout most of the programme that's probably where the nightmares are coming in. Now it's nearly Friday and time for the third episode. Do I abandon the programme all together in the hope of a good nights sleep, even though I like the show? Or do I, in my cousin's words, 'man up' and get on with it. I think Lily dog thinks I should abandon it since taking up half of a king size bed and having her own pillow doesn't seem to be comfort enough. By her huffing and puffing at my nightmare induced restless tossing and turning it seems she wants an undisturbed nights rest too!

 

The Royals and a Bit of Charity Shopping

I am very excited about the Royal engagement! I know the Monarchy are very much like Marmite, and of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I personally think they’re an important part of our country and heritage and am a staunch Royalist.

I am quite happy to pay my £1 per year, or whatever it is that the Royals apparently cost the taxpayer, and would be happy to pay 20 times that amount. Yes they are part of a small privileged section of society, but they carry out a difficult and complex role they never chose and I feel they carry out that role admirably. I’m sure William, who seems naturally shy, would rather not attend public engagements and be asked awkward questions by the press, but he accepts it as his duty and I’m sure his lovely bride to be will to. And yes, I’ll probably buy one of the naff commemorative mugs that have apparently been being designed for over two years. Who’d have thought it would take that long to put a few colours and images together to put onto a cup?

On a less controversial note, my mum and I spent Monday charity shopping and she spotted this stack of 1960s Ian Flemming paperbacks for 95p each. The manager was very nice and since we were having the lot he did them for a nice round £10. I also picked up a snugly candlewick blanket and a 80s leather jacket in a lovely colour, which will be going with me to the Bicycle Basket Bazaar at the end of the month. This weekend I’ll be sorting out some vintage clothing and lots of coats and boots to take along with me as the weather’s certainly suitable for them. One of my favourite items is a purple and blue Welsh wool cape which I may end up keeping. Sorry I haven’t put a pic of it up, but it’s tucked away at my mum’s.

I also bought some old maps to put in badges and this full length nylon slip with a bra style top and a side slit to the thigh. At £2 I thought it would be great for fancy dress, ahem when I of course slim down to a size 12…when this will be I’m not sure. The vintage style tea pot was a charity shop buy too and I’m going to find a spot in my kitchen for it this weekend. In one of the charity shops I found a lovely 80s black lace dress but left it behind as I thought it was a bit pricey at £10. I always feel slightly guilty moaning about charity shop prices because obviously the money is going to a good cause, but despite them being charity shops I still mainly see them as shops and really begrudge paying over £7 for something second hand unless it’s spectacular.

Right, I’m off to catch up on ‘Bondi Rescue’ before ‘I’m a Celebrity’ at 9. I’m ashamed to say that after watching a few episodes of ‘Bondi Rescue’ out of sheer boredom the other day I am now totally hooked, mainly because they’re really humorous but also because I’ve taken a shine to one of the lifeguards. As for ‘I’m a Celebrity’, I’m most definitely team Shaun.

Chillaxing with Chocolate

Apologies for my lack of blog commenting this week. I’ve been super sleepy and have been having lots of early nights and day time naps. I’ve spent today chillaxing, eating chocolate and watching totally rubbish TV, including Bondi Rescue. My favourite episode considering I’ve been watching them back to back since 5pm? The one where a life guard tells a guy to correct his trunks‘…eh mate (man looks confused)…eh your trunks (man continues to look confused)…eh your balls are hanging out, fix your trunks! Bloody big bollocks mate eh’. I love the lifeguards, they’re just like the guys off the Fosters ads.

Anyway, yesterday my aunt and I did a carboot. We do them relatively often as we both buy so much stuff we don’t need, as do the rest of our family who pass stuff onto us to carboot. We made a decent amount and obviously I spent my half of the money on buying stuff there. I picked up lots of bits and bobs and it was a bonus that it was an indoor carboot where the buyers aren’t allowed into until 9am, which meant at 8.45am I scooted round and picked up everything I wanted. Well, everything that I wanted that wasn’t ridiculously priced. The amount of times I’ve hear in the last two weeks in charity shops and at carboots, ‘…oooh that’s old that, collectible, it’s £15’. Want I really want to reply is, ‘yes it is old, but that doesn’t mean it’s collectible. I think you’ll find it’s worth less than a pound!’ or ‘Just because you’ve seen something similar on eBay for that much doesn’t mean it’s worth that much here. Are you forgetting that Ebay reaches an international audience and this is Kenilworth?’ Aghhhh, rant over. All that said I did manage to pick up some bargains.

After the carboot I rushed home to give Lily a hug and let her out for the loo and then headed over to my Nan’s in Worcester for her charity afternoon tea party. Most of my family have FSH Muscular Dystrophy and my Nan was holding a tea party come bring and by sale to raise money for a neuromuscular centre in Birmingham. Other members of the FSH peer support group have also been holding events and doing fundraising so fingers crossed they’ll continue to do well. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I can’t show you the little tables all set up with vintage tablecloths, china and cake stands. I ate lots of Bara brith cake, which was kind of like a fruit loaf type thing. I’ve never had it before and it was delish.

P.S. A big thank you to everyone who bought one of my handmade Poppies. I’ve raised £36.50 and the cheque will be going off to my local Poppy Appeal branch tomorrow.

And the Winner Is....

Today was the last day of my giveaway and after putting you all into a numbered list I used a random number generator to pick the lucky winners. The winners of the my giveaway are Ivy Black and Scrappy Jacky, congratulations and I hope you both like your goodies! I was so suprised by how many of you entered my first ever giveaway and how many of you are now following my blog, thank you! Now to say thank you for all your support, and to add a bit of cheer to a thoroughly blustery, rainy and generally horrid day I've decided to draw a third winner and put together a little parcel...what of I'm not quite sure yet, so it will be a nice suprise when they receive it. The third giveaway winner is Andi's English Attic!

I love tombolas. I wish I'd had one to pull the lucky winners from rather than using modern technology.

Right, after all of that excitement Lily dog and I are off to get snuggly and warm in bed. I've got a busy weekend with tomorrow set aside for sorting out carboot sale stuff (it's also my mum's birthday), saturday doing the carboot and going to my Nan's charity tea party and sunday spent wandering around a lovely festive garden centre and fitting in some Christmas shopping xxx

Seven Things

I was very excited to receive another Versatile Blogger Award, this one from the lovely Em at Fragglecats.

This one’s taken me a while to post because I’ve tried and tried to think of seven interesting things to say about myself, but unfortunately I’m not a particularly interesting person so finally here’s seven general things about myself.

1) I love vintage furniture, but for some reason it’s extra special when it’s been discovered in a tip shop or at a carboot, or was otherwise generally bargainous.



2)      I don’t know what I’d do without my Mum. She’s super duper and I love her a million trillion (as I said when I was a kid). When I was younger I also used to draw her pictures or write her notes and leave them on her pillow before I went to bed. I probably spend more time with her than anyone else.

3) As you all know I have a dog, Lily. However, to me she’s not a dog she’s a baby and she has her own booster seat style cushion in the front passenger seat of the car, a little seat belt and a blanket. For the three days a week that I work I drop her off at my mum’s with her lunch and tell her to be a good girl. I even ask her if she’s had a nice day when I pick her up. Yes I’m very strange!
 

This isn't Lily, it's a pic from Google. I'm not quite this mad yet! Lily's the scottie girl in the sidebar pic

4) I love crime fiction and gothic fiction. I’d never read anything gothic until I covered the module at uni. I hate horror films and stories and I thought gothic would be like that, but it isn’t and I love it, all the vivid descriptions, white throats and full red lips etc. My favourite gothic literature is Dracula and Angela Carter’s short story The Lady of the House of Love. In fact I love all of the stories in The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales. It has stories from so many different periods and I like the fact that it’s short stories so I’m not committed to reading the entire thing.

5) I’m not great with technology and I probably wouldn’t have a blog if it wasn’t for my mum having one first and then explaining the whole concept to me. My first thought was, ‘why would anyone be interested in what I write?’, but now I have lots of lovely followers and I love reading everybody’s blogs of general goings on in their lives.

6) Owww, I’m struggling now. Erm….I used to collect advertising mugs when I was younger, because they were easy and cheap to pick up from carboots, so the perfect thing for a kid to collect. I realised a few months ago that I no longer seem to collect anything in particular, just vintage stuff in general, and I felt a bit lost that I didn’t collect something specific. Well now I do, vintage Woman’s Illustrated magazines. I bought one from Caroline at the Bicycle Basket Bazaar and now buy them from eBay whenever I can afford to. They’re so interesting and the adverts are great. Who knew they had Spanx style underwear and exercise workouts in the 50s!

7) I love vintage tea sets and aprons. There’s something so civilized about tea in a tea pot and cup and saucer and I especially love afternoon tea. My Nan and I have it wherever we go. I haven’t been to tea at the Ritz yet, but my Nan has. It’s on my to do list, although really I’d eventually like to run through the whole Top 10 on this website’s list; Afternoontea.co.uk

Thanks again for the award Em! I now need to pass it on and I’m passing it to Lady Cherry Loves. I love her blog, I'd love to know more about her and she’s also a lover of afternoon tea x

Goodies Galore

Last night was the Aspire Solihull launch party preview. Catie, who does their blog, had mentioned a few weeks ago that they were looking for bloggers to go to the launch party and with Aspire being my top favourite gifty girlie shop I jumped at the chance. As I mentioned a few posts ago, I had also recently given Aspire a vintage dressing table for the new store and they had very kindly given me gift voucher. The dressing table looked fab adorned with pretty jewellery and right next to it was their newest range of dresses from Vintage Allure. I fell in love with a satin black and leopard print number but managed to resist.

I bought a few bits and pieces (sorry no pics as they’re for presents), my aunt came out with bags full of Christmas presents and my cousin bought herself the Paper Plane wallet, which she has almost every item of (just missing the messenger bag), and I have the vast majority of. It’s such a fab range and as you can see is very vintage inspired.

We enjoyed a glass of bubbly and even got a goodie bag with our purchases containing a lovely cherry lip balm that I’ve wanted for ages, and lots of other lovely bits. I would have taken lots of pics of the new store but my camera had ran out of battery and although I’d borrowed my uncles I forgot to pick up the computer cable.

Before heading to Aspire in the evening I had spent the afternoon in Melbrick’s garden centre. I love garden centres around Christmas time and since Melbrick’s was near to one of our work appointments, my uncle (who’s also my boss) and I obviously had to pop in. We had a yummy lunch there and I bought some Christmas presents and the bits and bobs below (Although the felt house was from a quick trip to John Lewis after Aspire).

I also neglected to mention in last weeks posts that I had inadvertently bagged one of the moment’s most wanted dresses. The Pearl Lowe for Peacocks daisy lace dress. In fact I actually bagged two, one of which is now on eBay, as I wasn’t sure what size to get. When I ordered it I hadn’t realised all the hype surrounding the dress until the next day. Apparently fashonistas everywhere have been trying to get their hands on them, including Courtney Love and Holly Willoughby, who waited weeks for one in her size. It was rather bargainous considering it’s not at all flimsy and lots of cute detailing. I also bought another lace style dress from her range, which up until yesterday I loved, but will now be being returned or exchanged because all the bloody lace seems to have melted at the back? It must have arrived like this since I’ve worn it for a total of 4 hours and haven’t been near anything remotely hot or flammable. That said, it is a very lovely dress and having lusted after Pearl’s dresses for years and been unable to afford one, it’s nice she’s done a cheaper version for us mere mortals.

The Most Wanted Daisy Lace Dress





Stitching and Sticking

It's been lovely reading everyone's comments for my first giveaway. Can't wait to draw the winner on Thursday evening!

Today I'm making my last batch of felt and beaded poppies until next year's Poppy Appeal. If anyone would like one just leave me a comment on this post and I'll get back to you. Poppies are £1.50, with the full amount going to the Poppy Appeal, plus the cost of a first class stamp, 41p. My mum The Felt Fairy has very kindly dated all the felt.

I'm also doing lots of cutting and sticking today as I have lots of orders from family and friends for Vintage Annual Christmas Money Envelopes like the ones I'm including in my giveaway. If anyone would like any they're £2.50 for a pack of 5, plus 41p for postage.

Amy xxx

My Very First Giveaway!

I mentioned a few posts ago that I would soon be doing my very first giveaway. Well here it is!

The winner gets;

Women’s Land Army postcard
A vintage Christmas card that I bought in New York’s Devil’s Kitchen Flea Market
3 strips of vintage buttons
Some floral sew on embellishments
A pink glass art deco ring holder
4 vintage button badges handmade by me
Pack of 5 vintage annual envelopes handmade by me
Sublime Stitching ‘Christmas Time’ iron on embroidery designs
A friendship bracelet with Tibetan silver charm, handmade by me and presented on a vintage union jack playing card.


The runner up gets;

A Bile Beans postcard
A vintage card that I bought in New York’s Devil’s Kitchen Flea Market
Strip of buttons
4 vintage button badges handmade by me
Pack of 5 vintage annual envelopes handmade by me

All you have to do to be entered into the giveaway is be a follower and leave me a comment on this post. You can gain additional entries by putting my Giveaway button on your blog. If you do post button on your blog please let me know with a comment below so that I know to give you an extra entry.

The winner will be announced on Thursday 11th November.

Good Luck Everyone!

Just a Quick Post

Just a quick rambling post as I’m having a ‘sort my life out’ day today, which basically involves working out how much money I haven’t got, writing lots of lists, listening to Absolute Radio, doing mountains of washing and putting lots of my Film Studies books on Amazon in an attempt to make some money for Christmas presents.

This week I’ve made a few trips to the two local tip shops and picked up a few cheap and cheerful goodies. I also picked up an amazing blue wool coat from a charity shop, but unfortunately it’s a size 20 and is too big for me so it will be one for the Bicycle Basket Bazaar next month. I’m not sure how old it is, any ideas? The collar’s a later addition and has been loosely tacked on. It doesn't photograpg very well as you cant see the lovely wool material and texture. In ‘sorting my life out’ I’ve tided everything I’ve bought away except the coat so apologies for the lack of pics.

Yesterday I popped along to the Discover Vintage fair in Leamington to say hi to Jo from Hesta Nesta who I met at the Vintage and Homemade Fair. I took Jo one of my handmade Poppies as she had left me a blog comment asking if I’d be making any more. It was a good job I had more than one in my handbag as a lady complimented me on my poppy as I was browsing the stalls and asked to buy one, so that’s £26 for the Poppy Appeal now. Vintage Vicki from the Vintage and Homemade Fair also had a stall at Leamington with her lovely vintage fabric goodies. I was extremely restrained, not taking any money except the entrance fee to the fair, as I’ve managed to rip one of my car tyres on a pot hole and am being sensible and prioritising that expense over pretty vintage goodies.

The lady running the fair complimented me on my handbag as I was paying the entrance fee. It’s my favourite handbag in the whole wide world. My Mum bought it for me from some sort of fete or fair a few years ago and I thought I should start using it rather than keeping it on its pedestal. I used it for my friends’ Graduation Ball and one of my friends spent most of the evening offering to hold it because he thought it looked great with his tux. Yes he’s gay.