Pretty Little Finds

 When you attach yourself to items, you can find yourself in tears when a favored piece of clothing or pair of shoes gets ruined. Quite a few years ago when I was still in Secondary school, I went out shopping with the Mother and she bought me a gorgeous, vintage looking Flamingo print cardigan. It was only from Red Herring at Debenhams, but it had such a 1940-50's charm about it. Lucky for me it was in the sale and for less then half price too. It only cost £9. It was Lambswool mixed with cashmere, a cream colour with sky blue/green flamingo print detailing, 3/4 length sleeves with gorgeous stone buttons down the front. It became my favorite cardigan, perfect in the spring or to layer up with in the winter. Unfortunately, being a big tea drinker, I spilt some down the front. I can't quite remember why I didn't get it washed straight away, but the cardigan was forgotten about until the next winter when I pulled it out from under a pile of clothing in the bottom of my wardro...

The best thing about festivals are the countless amount of stalls, selling things from clothes to jewellery, to feather hair extensions and the best Pork with apple sauce on a spit roast. Besides going and listening to the bands that are performing, I do often find myself hovering around the clothes stalls. One year at Lounge on the Farm, a local festival to Canterbury, The British Heart Foundation held a stall which was over flowing with vintage items. Amongst the rails and piles of clothes, shoes and bags, I found a gorgeous high waisted skirt with button detail and two front pockets. I thought it would look great for nights out or even for on holidays. Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to wash it and wear it the next day at the festival with a t-shirt, knee high socks and my wellies for the casual look. It only cost me £2. Another great place for vintage stalls, was Bath in Summerset. My wonderful boyfriend, for our 3 year anniversary, arranged a weekend away. It was a ...

There are some things of which you just can not buy. Items with sentimental value. Special pieces given to you or passed down to you by close relatives, the relatives with the big personalties that forever stay in your mind or the ones that are simply always there and stay dear to you. I have always loved watches, almost a fascination. However, when I told a Great Aunty of mine I was in search of a little vintage, round faced watched with a simple brown leather strap, the next time I saw her she produced to me the exact watch I had been looking for. It was her own from many years ago and with me in mind, she kindly set it aside ready to pass onto me. I have worn it ever since. This is the watch on the far right of the photograph. It is real gold and works from movement, so in the morning I have to remember to set the time back 5 minutes which does make me chuckle. It is an 'Eterna Matic Golden Heart', which is my Great Aunty Nene all over, a golden heart full of character. Th...

A fresh start, a new year. After the build up to Christmas and allowing the festive season to slowly fade behind me, progress and ideas for my blog bloomed in my mind and in sketch books. My new years resolution is not something to give up neither to accomplish a self achievement of confidence, I am perfectly happy with the way I am. However a little exercise to simply be healthy is on the list along with my main resolution of saving a certain amount this year to help towards my own place. Well, a place for my boyfriend and I to move in together, nothing would make me happier and I already have an over flowing 'bottom draw' from copper bottom Prestige pans to decorative items, mainly a lot of vintage. It is an exciting thought, to have a space and simply make it your own. Last weekend, Ross and I decided to go to the local carboot fair to see how many people would be selling so soon after Christmas. We arrived to a nearly empty car park but there was still potential for bargai...

Having become a bargain hunter, I have accumulated quite a lot of items over a period of time, from clothes to jewellery, to the more potential buys' of house hold furnishings and textiles. The potential being that I do not own my own place as of yet, I just have the confidence to progress my bottom draw for when the time does arrive. My bottom draw now taking over the garage, shed and under the stairs in numerous amounts of large boxes, taking a step back, I realise I am quite prepared. However, there is no more room for clothes in my wardrobe and sacrifices must be made. My boyfriend had planned to do the last carboot sale of this year, as the one nearest him is in the Park&Ride which opens up on Sundays in December for Christmas shoppers. So I thought I would help out and sell all my unwanted items along with his Pick-up full too. Clearing out my wardrobe was tough but I was ruthless and told myself to be serious. There were so many items I had kept just because I liked t...

When it comes to fashion, the years and trends begin to repeat themselves. Although the styles are very defined and the decades can be identified, future generations will assume plastic vibrant hoops or Poodle net skirts were of their era. The past 5 years have been a fusion of all the different trends from the 40's to the 80's in style, colour and patterns. I recently visited friends in Southampton who live a short walk from the town centre. Finding myself amongst the shops each day, I was having withdrawal symptoms from hunting down the local charity and vintage shops. Finding few and nothing particularly to my fancy, I was disappointed. However, walking back to the house, we past a lovely little tea room, The Art house Gallery Cafe. It appeared to have been an old sweet shop with the ascending windows from the door that you walked between before entering the shop. Only, instead of sweets displayed in jars to entice you in, there were tables and chairs in the windows to add ...

I was reading a magazine not long ago and there was an article about throwing a Hot Pink Tea Party in aid of breast cancer awareness. For every photograph sent into the magazine of the readers tea parties, Avon will donate £1 to Breast Cancer Awareness. I instantly felt inspired and considering I had recently lost an Aunty to breast cancer, I wanted to do something for her that she would be proud of. Not only did I throw a tea party, but I also created activities for my guests to help raise money for the charity too. I had a jar full of sweets of which they had to guess the amount, it was 100 sweets, but when counting them in, I ate three! I also had a clothes rail of clothes I no longer wanted and clothes donated by a few other people. A good friend of mine is a make up artist for Dior and offered her services for a donation to do mini make overs. My mother used to be a beautician and did mini manicures for donations too. I also had a raffle with lots of donated prizes and a quiz a...