Monthly Archives: June 2010

The perfect picnic hamper

Posted on June 30, 2010 | 3 Comments

On Monday I spied a what I thought was a lovely old picnic basket with birds printed on the lid in a charity shop near my work. After thinking about it for three days I went back today and it was still there.

These photos don’t really do it justice but I will try and get a better shot of it sitting a lush green field with picnic rug and mighty picnic feast to post.

And… it’s not just a picnic hamper with birds on top…. it’s a kool bin (or a chilly bin as we call it back home). Brilliant –  the wine and treats will stay cold. I can’t wait to christen it. The only con is that I can’t fit it into my bike basket as it’s too big.

I was quite inspired by this morning’s issue of Stylist  with its Rob Ryan designed picnic theme. Time to break out the new Ottolenghi cookbook (Plenty) and make some treats for this weekend’s planned adventure to Epping Forest.

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Posted in Lovely things, Thrifting, Vintage

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Summer nightie dresses and Blondie in the park

Posted on June 25, 2010 | 2 Comments

…whoops. Just bought a dress from Topshop online. Didn’t mean to but it’s just so hot and I can’t remember what I used to wear last Summer…

Lovely though isn’t it. Very me and looks like a vintage nightie. This week has been a bad and busy week (three hour commutes to get home due to broken trains and very, very busy) so I think I deserve it!

Flower Embroidered Dress

Flower Embroidered Nightie Dress

Can’t wait for it to arrive – hopefully in time to wear it to Blondie at Kenwood House tomorrow. Looking forward to a picnic in the sun (fingers crossed?) and getting some vitamin D.

Also in love with this Peter Pan collar scarlet lace frock from Topshop.

Peter Pan Swing Lace Dress

Peter Pan Swing Lace Dress

Red  - tick

Lace – tick

Peter Pan collar – tick

Swoon.

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Posted in Fabulous frocks, Vintage

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Sweet Violets

Posted on June 18, 2010 | 2 Comments

I seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with Violets lately. The flower not the colour, although I am not opposed to a lovely purple frock. Here are some of the bits and bobs I’ve collected in my travels:

Old Violet postcard picked up for less than a Euro in Ghent, Belgium. Always thought this would be a good tattoo design with the ol’ anchor there. Wish I could understand what was written on the back.

A Violet pin/spray (slightly blurry) but perfect on a coat.

Lovely tin from Columbia Road markets. Bit dented but pretty all the same.

Violets growing wildly on the cliff tops at St Ives.

A pressed (squashed) violet from the cliff tops in St Ives. It now lives on a Susie Cooper cup and saucer.

I also have a ‘Sweet Devonshire Violet’ cloth bought for a pound from a Cornwall junkshop – but it badly needs an iron before it features here.

Violets seemed to be in full bloom everywhere during  Spring. Even spied growing all around Kings Cross, the least green place I’ve ever lived. Read more about that here.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Vintage

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All sewn up

Posted on June 14, 2010 | 1 Comment

Here are some old reels of thread I bought off eBay last week. I went a bit crazy buying cotton after getting a sewing machine for my birthday. Yay!

I haven’t sewn anything on it yet but am hoping to giving it a proper test run this week sometime. It is made by New Home,  but also says Janome on it so I’m not sure where or when it was made. I’d like to try to download a manual somewhere – does anyone know where I can find one? Looks like it’s from the sixties or seventies – and it weighs a tonne. Had to get a taxi to bring it home as we didn’t think it would be possible to walk from the bus stop.

Photo via weheartit

It might need a service before I take on any big sewing projects. But as it’s been three years since I had a machine at my disposal so I’ll probably need a fair bit of practise first to get back into the swing of things…

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Posted in Fabulous frocks, Lovely things, Thrifting, Vintage

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Friday is frockday

Posted on June 11, 2010 | 1 Comment

I’ve always been a dress girl. Not a trousers girl or a jeans girl. And it’s a fact that I have far too many dresses and there’s always another one I’m after. So this is going to be a regular feature here to show off my wardrobe. And the latest dress that I want.

My first Frock of the Week is my vintage red velvet Queen of Hearts dress.

This was found in one of Brick Lane’s numerous vintage clothing shops in a slightly musty crumpled state last October for £35.  A visit to my local dry cleaners and it came up looking fabulous! This was the dress I’d been searching for. I spent Halloween dressed as Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts in New York City for a friend 30th birthday. I’d known for months exactly who I would be dressing as. And I’ve always wanted a red dress. Given last winter’s velvet revival this was perfect. So I thought I’d give it another outting before it’s too muggy to even look at velvet.

I think it dates back to the 50′s from its shape, knee length hemline, bow at neckline and general feel. This one is staying in my wardrobe forever.

Looks much better on than off.  Less boxy.

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Posted in Fabulous frocks, Vintage

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Leopard love

Posted on June 10, 2010 | 2 Comments

As a birthday treat my housemate, whose birthday is only three days before mine, and I ventured up the road on Saturday to Dalston’s Wah nails to get some fabulously fierce nail art. When I say ventured, I mean she dragged my sorry hungover ass out of bed. Well worth it. I haven’t been able to stop gazing at my nails sheer awesomeness all week.

They appeared on the Wah Nails blog as shown below:

And my lovely house mate chose the matt leopard in black on black which unfortunately I haven’t got an image of.

I’ll be going back for sure! I keep catching people looking at them on the tube and at work. I can’t tell if they love or hate them – but I really couldn’t give a toss. It’s the best my nails have ever looked.

Pink leopard with a random love heart. Perfection.

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Posted in Beauty, Bits & pieces

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Tea’s made…

Posted on June 9, 2010 | Leave a comment

My 30th birthday was, well quite fabulous really. Without going on too much…

The day started with breakfast with two of my favourite people at Islington’s Ottolenghi.  Ricotta and orange filled crepes covered in lashings of berry sauce served up with lots of strong coffee. Yum.

This was when one of my many amazing birthday presents was unveiled. So amazing in fact that I’ve dedicated the rest of this post to it. Introducing my 1950′s teasmade.

In pride of place.

Amazing.

Alarm clock to get me out of bed.

And even the light works!

Thanks Asha you rule. More exciting birthday present updates to come…

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Posted in Bits & pieces, Food, Lifestyle, Lovely things, Teapot love, Vintage

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Flowery feet

Posted on June 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

It’s my 30th birthday tomorrow. Death to my twenties. Perhaps it’s time to treat myself to the most inappropriate and frivolously girly pair of shoes I can find me thinks. I’ve been salivating over these delicious wedges from Topshop for months…

Even if they will make me 1. ridiculously tall and 2. look like I should be wandering in meadow… they would look fabulous on my shelf though. Next to a teapot or two.

Maybe I should go for a more practical flowery footwear. Quite like these little cuties from Office.

Maybe turning 30 deserves both pairs.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Lovely things

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