Birthdays, Boot Sales and BBQs

It's been a busy couple of weeks, with my husband's birthday and mine 6 days apart.  There has been much celebration - a house party, birthday lunches, bbqs and afternoon teas.  On my birthday last weekend it was the hottest day of the year so far in the UK.  I couldn't believe my luck!  For my birthday last year we were at Clevedon Hall, and were also blessed with great weather.  A great improvement on the rainy and cold birthdays of previous years (of which there have been many).

What else could we do on such a beautiful day but go to a sunny car boot sale?  I wasn't in a buying mood but right at the end stumbled across a couple of headscarves for 20p each.  I want to practice tying them in turbans or '40s landgirl looks.  The ones I own already aren't big enough.  Afterwards, we headed to the rocky seaside and set up a barbecue.  I sat under my umbrella and kept applying the factor 30 on the outside and prosecco to the inside.  A lot of the seaside around Cardiff is pretty grey and flat, with a lot of haze on a blisteringly hot day.  You have to go a bit further to get pretty sea that actually looks blue!  We stopped for a few pictures by the marina afterwards as it's a nicer backdrop than the endless flat grey sea.



 Dress: Australian pinup brand (now defunct)

Shoes: George at Asda

Brooch: Vintage, car boot sale (£2 - pricey for me, but it's so darn cute!)

Sunglasses: Cardiff Vintage Fair

Hair bow: Can't remember
Bag: Vintage, car boot sale (£4 I think)

  

The dress I'm wearing is one I bought many years ago, from a now defunct pinup brand in Australia, one of those one-woman and her sewing machine operations.  It cost quite a bit, and when it arrived the fit was terrible, so I had to fork out more cash to get the top altered.  It still doesn't fit perfectly but it's much better than it was.  I don't wear it very often as it's quite open at the back, which makes it inappropriate for work.  The super light fabric was perfect for a hot day though!

I had some lovely treats for my birthday, a big stack of books, and couple of vintage coats (which are just too fabulous and when the weather turns colder again I will photograph them for the blog!).  I also had some cash, and am torn between a few things in House of Foxy and Vivien of Holloway.  I already bought a new pair of shoes, I wanted something a bit 1930s and found a pair of Hush Puppies that fitted what I had in mind.  As for the lovely birthday cards I received, there was a bit of a theme of glamorous ladies!

It always seems to be the way that when you're particularly busy in your personal life, work becomes very busy too.  Lately work has been intense, there is so much to do and not enough time!!  I normally don't leave the office much, but recently I went to a meeting in London, and this coming week I'm off to Greece for a conference to deliver a presentation (!) - yes, it's a long way to go for just 3 nights and the packed programme means I doubt I'll leave the hotel grounds.  Still, it will be an adventure, and I am optimistically packing my bikini in the hope I will at least be able to go for a dip.  It's one of those huge sprawling hotels that I would never choose to stay in myself, but I guess it has good conference facilities and it is on the beach.  Right, I have to pack for it - it's a dilemma packing something smart and professional for warm weather!

Linking up with: Visible Monday, #IwillwearwhatIlike, Throwback Thursdays, Passion for Fashion, Hat Attack