Let's Start the New Year with Awards!

I had a lovely email today waiting in my inbox from Janey at Atomic Redhead informing me she was passing me the Liebster Blog Award.  How sweet!  I previously received this award from Nabby (please swing by her blog This Old Life) back in 2011, but I'll happily take it again!  Thank you!  I enjoyed reading Janey's question and answers, and I've discovered a few new blogs to read from her suggestions.

Here are the questions she asked me, and my answers:

1.  What is your favourite film for fashion inspiration?

The film that started it all was ‘Bringing up Baby’ starring Katharine Hepburn.  There’s a scene where she’s at home on the telephone wearing the most amazing sheer voluminous polkadot dressing gown that puffs out all around her like a cloud.  I remember wishing I could look so glamorous whilst in my boudoir!  More recently I have seen some fashion crackers, including ‘White Christmas’, but always go back to any Poirot episode for a bit of inspiration.

2. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

I’m not a huge fan of ice-cream, my tastes are more savoury these days, but you can’t beat a nice lemon meringue pie cone whilst strolling along Penarth sea front.

3.  Where is your favourite place to shop? Bricks-and-mortar or on-line.

On the British High Street I like Laura Ashley, but I love all of the online vintage reproduction boutiques such as 20^th Century Foxy.  To be honest, most of my shopping takes place in car boot sales and charity shops these days – champagne tastes, lemonade pockets and all that!

4. Is there a person who got you started dressing vintage? If so, who?

There isn’t one person, it was a ‘scene’ that started it - gosh that sounds pretentious - but some years ago there was a bit of a burlesque boom and I started attending the shows.  Of course I had to dress the part!  My attempts at doing a vintage look were amateur to start with – I remember wearing Agent Provocateur stockings that cost me £25 and tore after a few hours, then spilling candle wax down my pencil skirt.  I looked like I’d been partying all night at the Moulin Rouge, and remember seeing this beautiful Dita von Teese look-a-like standing there in an original 1930s satin gown, looking demure and composed.  ‘Why can’t I look like that?’ I thought, and realised I'd got it all wrong.

5. What do you enjoy the most about blogging?

Blogging has been a fantastic experience.  I enjoy the sense of community, and love sharing my finds!  There’s a limit to how excited my other half gets over a 1940’s Corde brand handbag.  I have also loved learning so much – not just about vintage, but about writing blog posts, taking photos etc.  That’s my main area to work on this year, photography.  My lighting is atrocious at home and it’s really problematic doing outfit posts.

6.  Where do you want to travel to the most?

I’d love to travel more in the USA and save up for a big Californian road trip.  I’ve been to the USA many times but now with my vintage interests there are so many sights to see and shops to visit!  I’m lucky in that I get to go abroad on a short-haul trip once a year at least – this year I might go back to Spain or Greece, and I’m hoping to join my other half on another road trip to the Netherlands when he’s touring with his new album.  As for the UK, I would love to visit Burgh Island, but will have to save for many years to afford it!

7.  What is your favourite book?

Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier.  It’s incredibly atmospheric, and I love the psychological aspect of it as the female protagonist wrestles with her feelings of jealousy towards a dead woman.

8. What is your favourite lipstick?

Today I’m wearing ‘History’ by Poppy King at Boots.  It’s a sheer red, quite moisturising and not too bright, so it’s perfect for everyday.  I also love a Revlon lipstick in ‘Rosewine’, it’s a lovely Autumnal shade.

9. What do you do when you’ve had a bad day?

I find yoga very restorative, and would perhaps cook myself an extra-nutritious dinner and watch a favourite happy old film with lots of singing and dancing in.  I’ve learnt that the worst thing I can do is to indulge, be it with alcohol or junk food.  It makes you feel better temporarily and then crashes you back down lower than when you started!

10. Is there a vintage-themed event you look forward to all year? If so, what?

Alas, living in South Wales means that there’s not much going on.  We have Vintage Fairs in Cardiff, but that’s about it.  I’ve been to some great events in London but it’s expensive and has to be planned well in advance.  I’m too old to attend festivals - I’m more of a hotel than tent girl these days.  This year I might look at attending some vintage events elsewhere in the UK, wasn’t there some event in Northampton or somewhere?  A cocktail evening?  Please do remind me of the details if you know what I’m referring to!

11. Do you enjoy meeting fellow bloggers in person?

I would love to meet more bloggers!  There isn’t a big vintage community here in Wales – I was talking to a friend recently and she lives in a town where there’s one person who dresses vintage, and is known locally to everyone as ‘40s Jane’.  I find that hilarious!  So, it’s hard enough meeting someone outside my small circle of friends who is in to vintage, let alone someone who blogs about it.  I was lucky enough to go to a bloggers’ evening as part of Cardiff Fashion Week and met the lovely Gemma from FatFrocks, and Amy from Bonjour Cupcake, but that’s the only bloggers’ event I’ve been to.  Cardiff bloggers are quite young and modern, and I’m a bit of a granny at heart.

So, there you go, you now know a little bit more about me.  As I've already passed this award on before, I'm going to pass it on to 5 blogs that I discovered in 2012.  That should avoid too much repetition.  Here they are:

The Folly Bird - vintage and bunnies!
Just Another Wardrobe Experience - regular outfit posts
Fifties Darling - Netherlands based vintage lover
Princess Pin Curls  - sewing up a storm!
Norton of Morton - a gent's perspective

Should the recipients wish to participate, simply choose your own 5 small blogs to pass the award on to, ask them some questions, and answer my questions below:

1.  What made you decide to start a blog?
2.  How would you like to develop your blog in 2013?
3. Do you have any tips for someone just starting out blogging?
4. What does ‘vintage’ mean to you?
5. Are there any modern fashion trends that you like?
6. If you could resurrect one vintage style trend, what would it be?
7. Do you have an ‘everyday’ vintage look?
8. What architectural era do you like the best?
9. Is there a particular vintage piece you’re on the hunt for at the moment?
10. Finally, what’s your top tip for beating the post-Christmas blues?