Sunday 30 December 2012

What I Got For Christmas!

I was a very lucky girl indeed this year, and have a veritable haul of goodies!  Minus the chocolate, which has already been devoured.  I've never been able to resist instant gratification.

Pictured below you will notice a set of pastry forks, a book on 1930s fashion, the new Angel Adoree book, a set of Veronica Lake film noirs, The Bletchley Circle, a mini photo frame, a retro vaseline tin, and an Agatha Christie book.  I also had two dresses (pictures to follow!), running gear, more lovely books and numerous 'stocking fillers'.



I should confess at this point that I bought myself some presents too, including a Besame mascara, a Cyd Charisse t-shirt, a red suspender belt from Kiss Me Deadly, and some posh moisturiser.  On checking my bank balance, January will be a month of living frugally to make up for all the treats.  But it was worth it.

What did you all get for Christmas?  I hope you were all as spoilt as I was!

x

Monday 24 December 2012

Merry Christmas!

I shall be offline for a short while over the holidays - I leave you with a couple of photos of me being ridiculous, dressed as an elf.

Hope all of you get to spend time doing what you want to do, whether that's visiting loved ones or just taking advantage of some peace and quiet!



Saturday 22 December 2012

Ten Vintage Repro Red Dresses

It might be a little late to get one of these for Christmas Day, but there's always an occasion to wear a red dress.  Which one of these ten vintage reproduction beauties would you choose?

1. Grace Dress, Deadly Is The Female, £135

2. Red Stripe T Shirt Dress, Freddies of Pinewood, £45

3. Victory 1940's Evening Dress, 20th Century Foxy, £130

4. Olivia Dress, Swagger Joint at Pin Up Parade, £65

5. Ava Rose 1950's Dress by Miss Candyfloss at Lady Luck's Boutique, £89.95

6. Miss Shanghai dress & bolero, Miss Bamboo, £85

7. Ella Dress, Miss Bettylicious, £90

8. Twizzle dress, Heyday, £80

9. Amelie Dress, Collectif, £65

10. Glamour Bunny Red Shirt Dress at Rockabilly Pinup, £94.50

A red dress is for life, not just for Christmas!

Wednesday 19 December 2012

In Search of a Decent Cocktail in Bath


Sometimes you need a stiff drink.  After enduring a modern train journey (always disappointing after watching old films or a bit of Poirot) my Beloved and I arrived in the beautiful city of Bath on a particularly cold day, looking for something to warm our cockles.  Let this tale steer you away from establishments serving sub-standard cocktails.

First stop was Opa, a Greek themed bar and restaurant that is underground, with a river-side terrace that’s rather lovely in the summer.  Being winter, we stayed in by the open fire.  On the website this place looked very promising – the menu listed some very decent cocktails including a Sapphire Martini.  In reality, we were met with a plastic-coated sticky menu half its size, with the first cocktail on the list being the ‘Zombie’. My instinct was to decamp elsewhere immediately, but my other half thought I was judging harshly and prematurely.  I wasn't.  Clientele were loud, rugby types.  The stalls in the ladies’ were too small to accommodate a 1950’s petticoat.
Price: Cocktails were £5.95 but 2 for 1 until 7pm
Cocktail rating: 1 out of 5 
A spirit plus mixer does not equal a cocktail.

Next was Garfunkels, in a beautiful building near the Abbey.  I went for a Cosmopolitan and my other half a Long Island Iced Tea.  They served my Cosmo in a Martini glass, and the Long Island Iced Tea in a Pina Colada glass.  Warm glasses.  Small measures of booze.  I knew there and then at the bar watching this series of wrong steps that I was going to be sorely disappointed.  I couldn't taste the alcohol until the very last sip.
Price: £5.95 each.  Not worth it.
Cocktail rating: 2 out of 5
It’s not a cocktail if you can’t taste the alcohol

Above: A Cosmo in a Margarita glass?  I ask you!

Browns was the last stop - being next door to Garfunkels I was determined to take as few steps as possible before actually getting some alcohol.  It's a popular place and was very busy, but I could spy a decent range of spirits and a barman who seemed to be chilling glasses and I knew a stiff drink was a mere sniff away.  I do love a Martini, but it doesn't seem as popular these days, with people generally having a sweet-tooth when it comes to cocktails.  It was the first cocktail on the menu and I jumped at the chance to have one.  Inside I was squealing with anticipation as I watched the barman stir my vodka for a minute to make sure it was chilled enough.  He knows what he's doing, I thought.  The first sip was like opening a Christmas present.  Hurrah!  I have to say that it was my first dirty martini – a dash of olive brine is added – and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a normal one!  Thank you again to the barman who saved me that evening by producing the best vodka martini I have ever had.  At last, a stiff drink was found in Bath.
Price: £7.95 and worth every penny
Cocktail rating: 5 out of 5
They train their staff well in how to do the classic cocktails.

 Above: The Dirty Martini that saved me

Well there you have it - two places to avoid, and one to make a beeline for in Bath in pursuit of decent cocktails!  The nice well-trained Browns barman reliably informed us that for a good cocktail in Bath, other than Browns, to try:

"The Liquid Alchemist's Lounge" is how it is described on their website - I like the sound of that!  They seem to specialise in the unusual, such as 'The Japanese Garden', made with Hendrick's Gin, lychee, cucumber and lime (£7).

Another underground bar, this one also looks very promising from the website.  Cocktails seem to be around the £7.95 mark, with a mix of the classic (Whiskey Sour), the faddy (Espresso Martini), and the odd-sounding (Jam Snapper?).

After all that running about Bath we headed to the Assembly Rooms for the wedding reception of my friend Debbie and he new husband Duncan.  I sank a couple of glasses of nice prosecco, no cocktails to be found there.  Amazing venue though, and doesn't Debbie look gorgeous in her Stephanie Allin 'Riviera' dress?

wedding guest outfit




Friday 14 December 2012

Inspiration: Christmas Gifts for the Vintage Loving Lady


I find the high street quite stressful at this time of year, I popped in the other day to return some evening shoes to Debenhams and people continually barged into me and walked out in front of me.  Hurrumph!

So, if you have resolved to do the rest of your shopping online then this gift guide is for you - all of these items are available to order online/by mail.  You don’t have to go anywhere near the high street!

1) Fragrance



Tokyo Milk has a fantastic range of fragrances in unusual combinations and with quirky packaging that is sure to appeal.  My personal favourite is Gin & Rosewater (No. 12) – the rose fragrance is very classic, but the hit of gin is what makes this something completely different.  Widely available in the US but harder to find in the UK, you can purchase it at the Scruffy Little Cat here.  Another good bet for classic fragrances is good old Marks and Spencer - they have expanded their perfume range this year and it's well worth a look.


2) Accessories

It’s the accessories that can make or break a vintage-inspired outfit and I personally can never have enough gloves, hats & scarves!  The V&A has a cosy collar in chic lace on wool.
H&M has this leopard print faux fur collar for just £7.99.  Order it online here.

H&M also has some nice suede gloves in bright colours, for just £14.99


3) Stationery

Stationery is another area where you can’t really go wrong.  This chic Art Deco style address book at Past Times is rather lovely.

And what about some proper old-fashioned good quality writing paper and envelopes?  Some companies like Honey Tree Publishing offer a personalisation service, from around £1 per sheet.  I would love to have some stationery with my name at the top, how glamorous!


4) Old Hollywood Memorabilia

I like the look of are these, also from the V&A.  A fabulous poster featuring Marlene (£10), and a life-size cut-out of Rita (£40)!




5) Knickers

A lady can never, ever, have enough.  Support British made undercrackers by purchasing a pair of Kinky Knickers, championed by Mary Portas.  They were £10 each, now down to £7.50 with free delivery from ASOS.  The packaging is very endearing - a perfect stocking filler.


So, I hope those suggestions help or just provide you with yet another item for your own wish list!  I have personally been adopting the 'one-for-them, one-for-me' approach to Christmas shopping.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Vintage Fair Report: Abergavenny & Pontcanna

It was a loooooong day a week last Saturday for me, selling my wares at the Pontcanna Vintage & Handmade Fair.  It was the first time I have ever tried doing a stall and I completely underestimated the amount of work that goes into it.  I had a whole day on the Friday of mending, washing, ironing, labelling and sorting, and ended up with 2 suitcases and a clothes rail of goods to sell.  Then it was up bright and early on Saturday to lug it all across to the Scout Hall.

Me and 'Doris' 



I was pretty optimistic about how much I would sell and was sorely disappointed at how slow the day was - a fraction of the footfall I was expecting.  I wasn't the only seller that felt this way, and by the end of the day I was one of the lucky ones that turned a profit, albeit a small one.

The previous week I'd been at a vintage fair in Abergavenny, run by Vintage Vision.  It's really a great little fair, but like the Pontcanna one, it was eerily quiet.  Not half as busy as the summer one.   It was a dismal day, very cold and wet, so I am not sure if that put people off.  The additional entertainment is good at this fair - catwalk shows, live jive dancers, and they even threw in a crooner this time.





Gosh, lots of other things have been happening readers, it's the most wonderful time of the year if you have time to enjoy it!  Christmas cards still to be written!  Presents to be bought and wrapped!  Cakes to ice!  I don't get nearly as much time as I would like to do blog posts at the moment, and reading other people's blogs is even harder.  Normal service will hopefully resume after next week - once I am off work for the holidays I can catch up!

Is anyone else floundering rather than festive?!

Monday 10 December 2012

1940's Lingerie Footage

I just had to share this little video after What Katie Did shared it on Facebook!

This is how I would like to look in my boudoir, serene and poised as I smooth my hair and check my stockings.  The reality is far, far removed.


Friday 7 December 2012

Inspiration: Vintage Treasures from My Boss's Wardrobe!

My boss heard that I love vintage and was kind enough to let me play dress up with a selection of items that belonged to her Grandmother!

First up is this beautiful quality jacket, it's gorgeous.  Any ideas on age?  I was thinking 1920s, I have no facts to back this up, it's just the 'feel'.







Next up is this 1950s coat - again, really amazing quality, it's as heavy as a dead body and the detail on those buttons - they could be brooches in their own right!  The sleeves are like penguin wings, they don't let you raise your arms much!





And finally, a darling 1930s velvet dress.  It looks great in daylight, but in a camera flash you can see the wear on the velvet.





Thank you Boss!

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Inspiration: Vintage Christmas Home Decor

It’s time to deck the halls!  Here are three vintage style ideas for decorating your home this Christmas.  I’ve been asking some members of the older generation for their memories of childhood to help me come up with the themes.

1)  1950s Kitsch
A 1950s Christmas is all about colour and shine.  My mother still has some decorations from when she was a child in the early 1950s and they’re beautiful glass baubles in bright colours – hot pink, cyan blue, gold and ruby red.  Blue fell out favour for a while, but luckily it's now back with a vengeance, no longer confined to being part of an ‘icy’ theme where it’s teamed with white and silver.  Don’t be afraid to throw some blue in with the reds, golds and greens.
Melvin the Realtor and his Christmas Tree - Brookings, South Dakota - 1950
Christmas circa 1950
Photo credit: Viellies Annonces on Flickr (Some rights reserved)

Paper chains made from vivid coloured sugar paper (or even newspaper!) were also popular, and today is an ideal pre-Christmas activity to keep children occupied.  If you don’t have any, borrow some, and then you’re also helping out a friend so that they can get their Christmas shopping done with the children out of the way.


Yes that is a paper chain, Epic clothing swap day in T-46 hoursPhoto credit: Lori on Flickr (some rights reserved)

Although the 1950s was the first decade in which the television would have been more widely available (from the middle of the decade onwards), it wouldn’t have really been a big feature of Christmas day.  More likely, a fully stocked cocktail cabinet and a few classic board games would have been the order of the day!

For 1950’s style gift wrapping ideas, I refer you to a very amusing post by Jen of ‘Jen but Never Jenn’, where she chronicles her attempts at a 1950’s Christmas.

Mollie and Fred had these 1950's style paper doilies (pack of 36, £3.99), I'm not sure they still stock them but you can probably find similar else where.


Original vintage baubles can be found on Etsy, but bright coloured baubles are all over the high street too, what about this great vintage style one from M&S?  (£4)


2)  Victorian
A Victorian Christmas is an elegant, ordered, elaborate affair.  In a Victorian theme your main material will be printed paper, as this was an age when printing techniques took a giant leap forward, making colour printed materials accessible to the masses.  There are plenty of Victorian Christmas images on the internet, or even in your word processing programme’s clipart section.  All can be printed on to card or paper, and then used to make paper garlands, crackers, greeting cards, or strung with ribbon to make tree ornaments.  The BBC has a great site ‘Make Your Own Victorian Christmas’ with tutorials.  Just don't be surprised if Father Christmas is in green, not red!
  

Christmas-postcards-387
Photo credit: Artvintage1800s on Flickr (Public domain)

Victorian Christmas trees would have been adorned with candles, but today for health and safety I would advise using electric imitations.  There’s a lot of choice nowadays, and lights are quite inexpensive.  If you stick to clear bulbs it will look a bit more authentic than the coloured ones.  As well as handmade ornaments, Victorian trees would have been adorned with sweets, fruit and small gifts.  To add a bit of bling to your tree without using the Victorian feel, what about using old jewellery threaded on ribbon?  The more ostentatious the better!

A good source for Victorian inspired decorations is Past Times.  The physical stores closed down in the UK recently, but there is still an online store stocking items such as this decoupage bauble for £4.




3)  Natural
A natural Christmas is simple, homemade and brings Winter foliage indoors.  This has to be one of the cheapest options but will involve you rummaging in hedgerows in the cold, armed with a pair of secateurs!  My sister fell in the hedge at the bottom of my parents’ garden last year whilst trying to retrieve some holly for me.  In an ‘au-naturel’ theme use sprays of holly, pine cones, sprigs of mistletoe and poinsettia plants, adding ribbon scraps from your sewing box here and there.  Dried slices of orange or lemon from the kitchen arranged with cinnamon sticks tied with string can be added to wreaths or mantelpiece boughs.  And of course, a real tree will be the centrepiece.  You can now buy varieties that don’t shed needles if you’re worried about the vacuuming!  Gingerbread shapes hung with string or ribbon on a tree is a good choice for a natural theme.

A snow effect can be achieved with a dusting of icing sugar or flour through a sieve –fake snow sometimes has chemicals in, so this is a good option for households with pets (just don’t get it wet!).  Also please remember that caution should be used with bringing berries into the house as the majority are poisonous, and would be highly toxic to both pets and small children!  Alternatively, ‘berries’ can be mimicked with buttons, or mini pom poms that are widely available in craft stores.

Christmas 2011 -- Arlington (VA)
Photo credit: Ron Cogswell on Flickr (some rights reserved)

As for gift-wrapping, presents in my parents’ childhood were simply wrapped in brown paper/newspaper and string, or would be hidden in a woollen stocking.  I remember receiving a bicycle once in my own childhood that wasn’t wrapped (too big!) but I had to follow a piece of string around the house to find it.  Remember that it’s the anticipation with children, and a similar treasure-hunt type activity to find a present will give more thrills than the pricey wrapping paper (which gets ripped off in seconds).  Or what about a lucky dip?  Find a huge cardboard box and fill with shredded newspaper, hiding toys in the layers.  Games to draw out the present-opening process will make it much more fun – I remember being with some of my nieces one Christmas and they tore through a pile of presents at such speed that the whole thing was over in under 5 minutes!  A bit of an anticlimax.

All of these themes can be done on the cheap, or you can really blow the budget with them!  If time to make your own decorations is something you’re short of, how about hosting a Christmas drinks and crafts evening for some of your friends to help you make some?

What's your vintage Christmas style?  I know some of you must have your decorations up already, let's see some photos!
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