Hair Today

Today's post is a bit of an insight into how I try to incorporate vintage into my everyday life. You are all aware I wear vintage inspired clothes everday but I also try to make as many things I use and do as traditional as I possibly can. 

Most days are filled with housework, running errands, and running around after my two boys. For this reason I find it more practical to wear trousers for most of the time as this preserves my modesty slightly better than a skirt when bending and getting in and out of the car. I wear tailored trousers mostly with a high waist but I do own some high waisted 50s jeans with turn-ups. I pair these with various tops and cardies and add vintage accesories such as brooches and scarves and always earrings. Today I wore trousers with a top that Alex altered for me to give it a more 1930s feel, but it also works for my 50s looks too. She made a pattern to add the sleeve embellishments and then added on some vintage buttons that we sourced that were the perfect shade of red, lovely and vibrant.

Alex also set my hair in rag curls (a seamstress and a hairdresser, no wonder I have her! ). She rags my hair in the traditional way after spraying it damp with setting lotion, I then leave it to dry overnight and unwind the rags in the morning and brush through. My hair has been cut in a 50s midi cut, shorter at the front and graduating down to create a "U" shape at the back. This means the curls fall in the correct fashion when set and is a very easy to maintain hairstyle whilst also being true to my vintage roots.

Here is another photo of an everyday look.

I like to be as vintage as possible when caring for my skin too. I use a traditional cold cream to take off my makeup and then follow that with a traditional rose water and glycerin toner. I get both of these products from "Boots" and find them excellent value for money. Today's skincare products can be very silly money indeed but at less than £2 each, these don't break the bank. They leave my skin lovely and soft, which at my age is not to be sneezed at, and they last me three months before running out. Total value for money.

My lovely skincare products on my equally lovely Lloyd Loom bathroom cabinet, isn't it pretty?

Now I am going to be especially brave and show you a photo of my noggin in close up! AND with no makeup on!!!!

I hope you aren't put off by that! Please come back and view my next post, I won't scare you at the end I promise.

                        Till next time dears xx

Hemswell Happiness

Today, Alex and I tootled off to Hemswell in Leicestershire, to a disused airfield where several antique centres were, well, centred! We knew this to be the case as the oracle that is the internet told us so, only when we got there, we were slightly disappointed to find only two. One of these had mainly big furniture antiques and the other one had mainly junk. However we resolved to find something positive out of the day and got hunting. We found one room that had lots of mid century knick knacks, most of which were at daft prices that meant they would take a long time to sell, but I got a couple of little things nonetheless. 

The junk warehouse didn't afford much but Alex lifted up some old material to find a pretty Lloyd Loom washing hamper. I have wanted one for a while now but only seen ones that are either painted in garish colours, or are around £20, which is too much. This one was beautiful and cheap, so it quickly became mine.

We then decided to eat, and wandered outside to the tearoom only to be confronted with a map that showed where the other centres were on the airfield! So, as we didn't have much time left before we had to make our way home, we ate quickly and made a mad dash for the other warehouses. Imagine our horror ( well mine anyway, Alex doesn't do horror ) when we discovered that the fist one we went in was chock full of great stuff! We went round like couple of loons, as fast as we dared, looking at as many things as we could. I found a lovely little pot stand from the 50s complete with inappropriate pot that will be swapped for a far prettier one. Here are my finds.

The shoes are from the 40s and are a perfect fit and so so cheap, the photo frame is a complete darling and I shall replace the naff picture with a gorgeous old photo. The icing book is so lovely and looks great in my kitchen. 

We will definitely be going again now we know how much stuff is there as we didn't look round that warehouse properly and there was at least another one we didn't get chance to do. So you can expect further posts from Hemswell. 

I will leave you with a photo of what I wore, I usually wear little gloves with my dresses but even my crochet ones made my hands far too hot in this weather.

Yes that is my mug in the shot and what would appear to be the corner of my iPad cover! O well. 

I have to post the next photo to show my dad some lovely books I found in a charity shop, they are the cutest set of gardening books with lots of vintage advice on how to keep the flowers healthy. Love the prices on them too! You aren't having them father dear! 

                             Till next time dears xx

Baking in the heat

Wow it is so hot here at the moment and glorious as that is, it does make it tricky deciding what to wear.  Today I decided that my handmade circle skirt would be best teamed with a sleeveless tied shirt, this teamed with socks and pumps gave my outfit a very rockabilly look. 

The skirt is made to an original late 40s pattern and the fabric is a thin but heavyweight tight weave polyester, this makes the skirt drape lovely and it doesn't get blown up in the breeze.

The skirt has a lot of material and can be used with a full net petticoat but if you think I'm sporting that in this weather then u are crackers! However I can tell you that my white three layer net petticoat looks stunning under the skirt but you will have to make do with me holding the skirt out to show you its fullness.

My red strawberry brooch is Cath Kidston and my lacy blue pumps were a gift from Alex. 

While I do love the 50s, and you can certainly find more clothes from that period, I do still prefer the 40s, and the 30s are quickly becoming more of an interest to me. I love the bright colours of the 30s and my seamstress is going to be creating a whole outfit for me from that decade, with a tweed skirt and waistcoat and a lovely blouse. That however is some time away and my focus for tomorrow will be keeping cool, whilst looking the part for a day of browsing for yet more vintage tat. I will be wearing a frock that I found in a charity shop, it is a lovely 40s tea dress and if you are lucky (ahem) then I will post some photos of it along with any of my new vintage tat should I be lucky enough to find some.

                             Till next time dears xx

Dusky pink

So here we have it, my first outfit post! Although it's not really a proper one but it does give you a chance to see for yourselves one of my favourite skirts. It's a 1940s yoke skirt and was made for me personally by my greatest friend Alex. She has been roped into making things for me as original pieces are hard to come by. She has done a great job, she has also made me a full circle skirt for my 50s days and I will post pictures of that later. 

I did try having photos with my mask but I looked like I belonged in a horror movie so that wasn't the greatest result. So you will just have to lump a few headless shots instead until I come up with another hairbrained idea! Oh and yes, you aren't seeing things, I do really have the biggest chest in the world!

We found these gorgeous 1920s embroidery patches in an antiques shop in Newark, the only cost pence and were the perfect shade of pink to match my skirt, don't they look lovely when sewn onto the sleeve of a suitable top?

A closer look at the gorgeous trims and edges we chose to liven the skirt up.

You can see how the yoke looks very pretty when the rest of the skirt is cut on the bias, the blue lace is vintage as is the bias binding at the bottom, which came in its original packaging, it was almost a shame to open it.

The finished product, and very comfortable it is too. Just perfect for the weather we are having at the moment. I team my skirts with white ankle socks in the summer and original 40s brogues, rather like school shoes, so comfy!

So there you have it, my fist outfit post, not the best reflection on how vintage I normally dress but it does give you an idea. I will leave you with a photo of my personal seamstress, don't be fooled by the boyishness before you, while Alex is worryingly at home with a power tool, she also does girly things like baking and sewing, both of which she is very good at. 

                                 Till next time dears xx

More lovely tat! What else!

Hello my lovelies, me again. 

I want to bore you all with more of my vintage tat. Now don't groan I have some lovely pieces to show you. I hunt high and low for things that I think will enhance my house and make it feel like a home that is used rather than a museum. I can assure you that I use all the things I find and am happy to be giving them a second wind, so to speak. These things have been lovingly kept so they deserve to be treasured again by me.

This is my pretty bedroom set in peach, the bottles and combs are genuine 50s and complement the peach glass very well. The bust is from the 30s and was very chipped when I bought it, but I resored it and it looks lovely standing guard over my pastel tat.

This is my most recent find, a truly gorgeous shopping bag from the 50s, how lovely is that blue. The colour is typical of the period as they weren't afraid of rich colours, rather they embraced them and why not I say. It certainly stands out from the monochromes knocking about nowadays.

Just a couple of things that adorn my dressing table. The powder puff is especially lovely and a real find as these things have often fallen to pieces from being used. I love the packaging of vintage cosmetics, I think so much care and attention went into making them look desirable and attractive and something that deserves to be displayed rather than shoved in a cupboard.

This was a recent find, it's a much desired ( by me anyway) genuine 1940s hat. Isn't it pretty, I love the delicate flowers.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing more of my stuff, it really does make me happy to be surrounded by lovely things from the past. I would love to know if you have things that make you happy. 

I promise I will do outfit posts, I haven't forgotten so stay tuned. Il leave you with a picture of my dressing table top filled with vintage cosmetics and jewellery, bliss. 

                           Till next time dears xx

A little bit daring and cowardly

When I started this blog I knew I would want to post about the many vintage outfits I wear on a daily basis. All well and good I hear you say, but , there is one rather large problem; I really do not take a good photo. I'm not kidding on this, I tend to look rather horse faced and my teeth are quite wonky so any smiling that goes on tends to accentuate the general equine similarities. I know that I should love my flaws and present a positive body image to anyone reading my blog but there are so many lovely girls out there looking beautiful on their own blogs, that I feel my own won't really cut it against them. However I know the importance of outfit posts ( after all this is the main reason I view other blogs, to gain inspiration from their own outfits ), so I can't really keep a blog that shies away from them. 

  

It is for this reason that I have decided to do my outfit posts with a difference. I won't be showing my face. I will be covering my mush with a mask, il make it a pretty one, and sparing you all the weird expressions my face tends to fall into every time a camera is pointed at it. 

On deciding to wear a mask I actually think it could be quite fun to be an anonymous blogger, a lady of mystery maybe, at least that's what I'm aiming for. I really do hope you all don't mind my decision to not show my face, I suppose it is a bit cowardly really but I feel it's the only way I can face doing outfit pictures, ( excuse the pun there). 

Anyway I will make them as interesting as I can and hopefully give all you lovely ladies out there some inspiration they way some of you have done for me.

If you are wondering where the brave bit of the title comes in, well I'm not too proud of my body either but the clothes have to go on something in order for them to be shown off! Anyway I do hope you will be kind and enjoy my expression of vintage in my everyday clothes! 

                  Till next time dears xx

A few of my favourite things

I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite things. I have been collecting for a few years now and I am lucky enough to own some lovely pieces of vintage "tat" as I fondly refer to them. Here is a selection of my favourite things that always make me smile when I gaze upon them ( which is frequently, I'm afraid ). I do hope you enjoy seeing them too, more "favourite things" posts will follow as I have many knick knacks to show off xx

My gloriously cluttered 1930's dressing table top

Oh my fabulous flying ducks!

A tiscket a tasket I love my yellow basket

My beautiful Bakelite radio