London Weekend

I have been away for a couple of days in London with my daughter. She loves London and shopping so we usually go in the school holidays. It was exhausting as always but the weather was kind and we enjoyed doing a bit more walking than usual and exploring new areas. One of the hi- lights for me was visiting the 'Prints Charming' exhibition in Libertys. I didn't realise it was on until I turned the corner in Carnaby Street and was confronted by the back wall of Libertys that looked as though it had been wallpapered in the most amazing pink flowery paper. On closer inspection you can see it is a heavy canvas but it looks brilliant. The design is 'Betsy' created in 1933 and is from the Liberty archive.

In the front windows were wonderful displays, I was particularly taken with this felt doll dressed in lovely liberty prints. There were more of these inside as well as felt brooches, each one a different vintage style face with liberty fabric hair bows and scarves, beautiful but very expensive ! She is sitting on a chair surrounded by scraps of fabric and with a chandelier made entirely of fabric.

Finally I just had to take a photo of this lovely pub just off Kensington

High Street. The hanging baskets of flowers were just so colourful they made the whole street look cheerful. I did think about the poor person with the job of watering them all though !

I didn't get the chance to visit a few of the shops I had planned to as vintage style really isn't my daughter's thing and the trip was for her. I think I will probably go back myself for a day once she is back at school. I did however manage a visit to the lovely CK shop on Kings Road after patiently waiting around in Jack Wills.I treated myself to a few things including the pretty tin sugar shaker I had had my eye on and a lovely big sewing tin to store all my bits and pieces so I was happy.

Sunday Car Boot Sale Finds

Today has been lovely, up early before the heat of the sun and a leisurely wander around a a car boot sale followed by the usual coffee and cake . I have spent the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful weather in the garden and doing a little bit of sewing making lavender bags for the fair. I was pleased with my finds at the boot sale this morning, they included a Victory jigsaw puzzle, a number of books, a child's tea set as well as a couple of cake stands and an art nouveau style tin and another painted glass jug to add to my collection.I also found a sweet little wicker shopping basket and an old Smith's kitchen timer which may well find a home in my kitchen along with my other red bits and pieces.

My First Award

I am so pleased I have just received my first award from Sharon from The crafty Trundler. I now have to list my 5 current greatest obsessions and pass the Award on to some other lovely bloggers so here goes ...

1) Blogging of course - I am new to the world of blogging but love it. It can clearly become quite addictive but it is lovely to hear from other bloggers and get to know so many lovely and like minded people.

2)Car Boot Sales/Charity Shops - charity shops have always been a bit of an obsession but just lately I have been to quite a few car boot sales. I know some of my friends find me quite weird but I couldn't be happier than ambling around a boot sale on a sunny Sunday morning knowing that when I have completed my hunt for treasures I have a flask of coffee and croissants ready and waiting in the car. We usually enjoy sitting in the sunshine having breakfast and looking at my purchases.

3)Planning The Northampton Vintage and Homemade Fair- this has turned in to a bit of an obsession as it it entails far more work than Deb or I anticipated but it is still very exciting. I seem to be spending a lot of time planning and getting things ready and also worrying that no one will turn up ! For the time being it seems to have overtaken my previous big obsession of my Etsy shop.

4)Reading- I love reading but seem to have very little time and by the time I get in from work and catch up on jobs at home I am normally too tired to read. However just lately I have started to find time to read again and although I still love reading magazines like Period Living I have rediscovered the pleasure of reading a good novel and look forward to that bit of time before going to sleep when I can switch off and get lost in a good book.

5)Josh- Josh is my gorgeous dog and I can't imagine life without him. We have had him just over a year and he came from the Dog's Trust in Kenilworth. He is a black and white bearded collie cross with a border collie and very scruffy looking. When we first had him he was a bit of challenge and I spent the first few weeks in tears and desperately wanting to take him back. He had never lived in a house before and we think he came originally from a farm in Ireland. He was quite destructive and very dominant with me, I was actually quite scared of him. Now I am so pleased I stuck with him because I love him so much and he has made such a positive contribution to our lives. Most of his difficult behaviours have completely stopped and he is now just a loveable rogue who makes us laugh every day.

I am now passing on this lovely award to some of the wonderful blogs I enjoy reading...

Wendy of Ticking Stripes

Deb of Home Thoughts From Vintage wants

Annie of Birdcages and Butterflies

Laura of My Vintage Party

Hannah of Ivory Faces

Feel free just to add the award to you blog or pass on again Ann x

Weekend Finds

Well, it's been a hectic weekend. It was mum's 60th and we also had relatives arrive from Ireland to stay. It has been great fun catching up and yesterday sitting in the sunshine and relaxing. I had no time for boot sales this weekend but did squeeze in a little local table top sale on Saturday morning. I found this lovely old Arthur Woods piggy bank as well as a few bits of Babbacombe wear, some pretty mismatched cups and saucer and a Tala cook's measure so not bad I guess for half an hour's rummaging ! Oh well back to work now......

A Good Read

If you fancy a light and enjoyable read this is a lovely book. I have just finished reading it and enjoyed all of the wonderful descriptions of vintage clothes. It is the story of Phoebe who owns a vintage dress shop in London and tells the tale of her relationship with her best friend. This is interwoven with the story of an elderly French lady who sells Phoebe some clothes. Her story is also about her best friend and is set in Avignon during the 2nd World War.

Flyers For The Fair

I picked up the flyers for our fair yesterday, someone very kindly offered to print these for us and Deb and I were really excited to see the finished product. Deb designed them and we are both pleased with the end result. Now for the hard bit, giving them all away !

 I just want to share a picture of this lovely lily that has just bloomed in the garden, the flower is enormous.

 

 The old hydrangea feed tin is one of my favourites and one that amazingly Mr Cornerhouse found for me. He us quite well trained now and knows the sort of thing I like but he still has a tendency to be drawn towards, in my view ugly objects that are usually quite masculine and more often than not in a dark colour. The little plant pots I picked up for pennies recently at a car boot. I intend to plant them with little autumn bulbs and take to the fair.

Lavender and Linen

It's back to work today after a relaxing week off and the sun seems to be coming out ! Yesterday I dug out all my old linens and following a tip from Niki Fretwell's lovely book 'Living With Nostalgia' Vintage At The Stonehouse, I boiled all the linens in a large saucepan with a washing tablet. I then got them all dry on the washing line  amazing ! They certainly came up lovely and white with only a few tea stains remaining. My kitchen reminded me of my Grandma's on wash day when I was a child. I remember her putting the copper on and fishing out the steaming linens with her wooden tongs. Anyway I sorted the linens out in to those to keep, those to sell at the Vintage fair, those to lend to Lesley for the vintage tea room at the fair and those that are damaged to cut up an make in to lavender bags. I then cut the remaining lavender ready to dry, there seemed to be mountains of lavender on my kitchen table and the whole house smelt wonderful.Saturday was spent trying to be creative which doesn't come naturally to me, my friends would tell you I am probably the least artistic person they know ! Anyway inspired by The Crafty Trundler's posting at Clover Cottage I went to Focus and purchased a roll of the lovely blue CK inspired wallpaper. I then used it to line an old brown suitcase I had picked up the previous week at a car boot sale. As a finishing touch I hand sewed a little heart lavender bag with the remains of some lovely CK fabric I used to make a curtain for my utility room. I am quite pleased with the result, the lining could have been better as the insides of the case weren't flat. I will probably take it along the Vintage fair in Nov if I don't use it myself.

See what the postman brought

I just had to share with you the lovely bits of ephemera that have just arrived on my doormat. As you know I love anything from the 20s and 30s was excited about receiving these wonderful bridge tally cards. I spotted them in the lovely Etsy shop Redheadvintagepaper (well worth a visit)and spent ages deliberating over which to have. Yesterday they finally arrived having travelled all the way from America. They have a temporary home on my kitchen dresser while I consider where to put them.

Then, this morning some lovely scraps arrived of cute little 1920s children, very Mabel Lucie Attwell like. They all have googly eyes which give them rather startled expressions !

Ribbons and Roses

A few days ago I was reading someone's blog and was really taken with some pretty china they had found. Unfortunately I can't remember which blog it was I saw it on ! Anyway,by the strangest coincidence I spotted some of the same china in the window of a local charity shop today. Of course I just had to have it and couldn't believe how much of it there was and such a bargain price.It is a 1950s pattern by Colclough China. I have given it a good wash and will pack it away until I decide what to do with all. I think some of it will find it's way on to my kitchen dresser shelves and I guess it will come in very handy for the vintage tea room we are having at our November fair.

Tulips From Amsterdam

Last night I tackled my pantry. This always seems such a daunting task, emptying it out and cleaning all the shelves. However once it is done I feel an enormous sense of satisfaction with everything arranged in an orderly fashion. I do love having a a pantry, my grandma had one in her house and it was where she kept sweets and biscuits as well as her homemade cakes amongst other things. Anyway after cleaning it all out I remembered a little stash of vintage American shelf papers I had bought a few years ago and shoved in a drawer. The papers all have different patterned edges which you fold over to hang over the edge of the shelf. I particularly like the cheerful Dutch pattern with clogs and tulips so decided to give it ago and I am very happy with it although my daughter thinks it is 'weird ' ! It seems I am a continual source of embarrassment for my teenage daughter whose friends have 'normal' mums who like brand new houses and furniture and sleek fitted kitchens. Oh well I tell myself she will understand and appreciate when she is older.

I took a few photos to show you before re-filling the shelves with assorted tins and packets. I am on holiday from work this week, the sun is out again and I am going to try and catch up with a few more jobs as well as have a few days out including a day with my mum at a spa as a  treat for her 60th.

The Sun Is Out

Well, the sun finally came out and I made an early start at the local hospital car boot sale. I had never been before and as it is quite small wasn't expecting much . However I was pleasantly surprised and came away with various bits and bobs including some very pretty brooches and a lovely big Blue Bird Toffee tin.After all the rain I ventured out in to the soggy garden, some of the flowers have survived the battering.My favourite colours in the garden are dark pinky reds.

Vintage Treasures For The Vintage Fair

I have spent a lovely day today hunting for treasures to put by for our vintage fair in November. I visited a local market town and spent some time in the antiques market. On such a wet day there really isn't anything else to do ! I found a cute little dog just like the Cath Kidston Stanley.                                                        I also found a lovely tin with carnations on the lid, an old Christmas Enid Blyton print, a pretty wicker sewing basket and a lovely old children's book with beautiful illustrations. 

I have also just had a slight panic when Debbie my friend and fellow fair organiser contacted me because she had just thought about our need for insurance. I must admit I hadn't even considered this , any advice would be greatly welcomed.