Tuesday 30 September 2014

Caerphilly Vintage Fair, 5th October 2014

Those of you in South Wales might want to put this date in your diary - a local vintage fair is popping up just outside Caerphilly, this coming weekend, on Sunday 5th October.

caerphilly

There will be a fashion show, which is very exciting.  Run by a few ladies from the Women's Institute, it promises to be something a bit different from the big vintage fairs.  If you do end up going, please come and say hello!

I'd also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on my last post - for your lovely sentiments, and for all the tips and advice!  I'm very grateful to know such wonderful people in the blogosphere.  My brain is already busying away with plenty of ideas for upcoming wedding-themed posts.

Sunday 28 September 2014

A Vintage Wedding

I'm very excited to announce that I will be adding a new feature to my blog...because I'm getting married!!  So, you can expect future posts about vintage wedding inspiration as well as updates on my own wedding planning as the big day in September 2015 hurtles towards me.

I had a proposal on a moonlit beach, and have been wearing a temporary engagement ring that we dug out of the veg patch!  I thought that was terribly romantic, but I've since ordered a 'proper' ring.  I'm impatient for it to arrive.

If you're wondering what kind of wedding inspiration you will find here, this is what I'll be posting about:
1) Making the most of a teeny tiny budget
2) Doing things a bit 'differently'
3) Vintage inspiration

So far, I have been immensely irritated by wedding magazines, which are pretty much adverts for a handful of over-priced brands.  We went to a wedding fair, and that was hideous.  The first stall we went to was a photographer charging £2,000.  Bridesmaid dresses are apparently worth £265 each, the 'average' bridal dress is £1800, cakes are £400, and a car to drive you two miles will set you back £370.  If I paid those prices I'd blow the budget without having any food or drink to offer the guests!  Any tips on a more DIY approach will be gratefully received.

I promise not to become a Bridezilla (because I can't afford to be...)

Thursday 25 September 2014

Television Programmes for Vintage Lovers

Every year in the UK we are treated to programming that reflects a whole range of vintage eras, far beyond Downton Abbey.  (Though now it's moved into the 1920s I've started to get into it, despite having missed the first few seasons!)

Here's my roundup of what's worth watching:

1. Cilla
A three part drama on ITV about Cilla Black's early singing career in the pulse of Liverpool's music scene in the early 1960s.  It's sympathetically done, with a very believable leading lady (Sheridan Smith) and Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard also does a fantastic job as Bobby, Cilla's Road Manager.  The second episode was on Monday this week, but you've got about another 3-4 weeks to watch all of them on ITV Player, and I highly recommend it.

cilla

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Early Autumn Dressing: Jersey Dress & Heeled Brogues

Here in Wales we've had some truly lovely early Autumn days, with rosy sunsets, crisp mornings, and the sun dipping down in the sky to cast the most spectacular shadows and colours across the hills.  It's tempting on a cool and crisp morning to put on tights and boots and a heavier coat, but by midday the mist has burnt off and we're treated to a burst of afternoon sunshine that will have you sweltering in no time.  Best to brave the bare legs in the mornings a tad longer.

Early Autumn Dressing

Saturday 20 September 2014

A Few Vintage Items on Ebay

Hello all!  It's been a funny week, with our internet stopping working at home, and my phone dying also.  I feel a bit out of the loop.  Anyway, this is a brief post just to let you all know that I have a couple of vintage dresses and a hat up on Ebay, ending tomorrow evening (Sunday 21st September).  Here's what you could snaffle if you're lucky with the bidding:

Ebay selling

Vintage bright pea green maxi dress circa 1970s UK10

Thursday 18 September 2014

Book Review: Sex Lives of the Hollywood Goddesses

Today's review is of a bit of a trashy book - Sex Lives of the Hollywood Goddesses by Nigel Cawthorne.  This is an old book, published back in 2004 but I was given a copy as a gift for Christmas and finally got around to reading it on holiday.  There's a whole series, with sex lives of politicians, dictators and...popes...apparently.  This book includes sections on stars such as Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow and Rita Hayworth.

Sex Lives of the Hollywood Goddesses

Sunday 14 September 2014

Holiday Wardrobe

Hello everyone!  Welcome to my new followers, and thank you to everyone who kept up with reading my blog posts when I was on holiday in Spain.  It was a truly wonderful holiday, though I have returned with a pot belly from all the wine and tapas, and a jelly-fish sting on my leg.  Today I want to share what I wore on holiday, and also what I didn't wear, because that's given me some 'rules' to keep in mind for future trips.

1) Beachwear: bikinis, sarongs, flip flops, beach bag and a huge hat.
I took one bikini with a 'skirt' bottom, but didn't realise that it was slightly too big, which meant that when I came out of the water the weight of it nearly pulled it off!!  So I only really had one functioning bikini.  I took 2 pairs of flip flops, which worked well, but I could also have done with an extra sarong.  The one I took was really a scarf that I used on the plane, but it's so sheer it doubled up in use.  Could definitely have used another one of those.  The best investment for the beach was my massive straw hat, that my Baby bought me for 50p!  It was like my own portable beach umbrella.  Also here, it might be worth mentioning that I had 'around-the-apartment-skimpy-wear' too, for when it was too hot for clothes but my bikini was drying out from an earlier swim.  I made good use of little bralets and shorts, in silk and cotton.

Holiday wardrobe
Kelly Brook for New Look Bikini

Tuesday 9 September 2014

Clarks: 1955 and 2014!

Clarks has recreated some beautful vintage styles for the coming AW14 season, with one shoe in particular based on a 1955 style.  Look at the beautiful 'timeline' from their website.

Clarks

Sunday 7 September 2014

Grey, White & Lilac

This Gap jumper is one that I've had for a while and was struggling to make it work in an outfit, despite me loving it on its own.  Finally, I think I've discovered that it looks best with a shirt underneath.

Grey, White & Lilac

Friday 5 September 2014

Styling a Men's White Shirt: Old Hollywood Androgyny

House of Fraser got in touch to ask if I could style a men's white shirt with a vintage twist.  Immediately I thought of Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn, and their iconic looks.  Here's what I came up with.

Old Hollywood Androgyny

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Book Review: Before The Fall by Juliet West

Welcome to September!  I hope you're not mourning the loss of summer too much?  In case the weather has turned colder and wetter where you are, I have another book review for you today so that you can curl up with a cuppa.  I also have to confess that as you're reading this, I personally will be thinking 'cocktails' rather than cuppas, and will be on a plane to Spain!  I'll be offline for a week and will catch up with the blogosphere on my return.

Set at the time of the first world war, Before the Fall is the debut novel by Juilet West that centres around London's East End and a cast of characters who can't escape tragedy even though they're on the peripherary of war - being at home wasn't necessarily safer than being in the trenches.

I think the war is everywhere: in the rain, in the river, in the grey air that we breathe. It is a current that runs through all of us. You can’t escape the current; either you swim with it, or you go under…

Before the Fall book review

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