Category Archives: Floral fantasy

Peony season

Posted on July 3, 2012 | 2 Comments

Don’t you love Peony season? One thing that this dreadful weather can’t take away from Summer for us.

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I picked up this glorious bunch at Columbia Road flower market on Sunday for just £10. They are looking rather splendid in this lovely jug my sister found in charity shop on her last visit to London. (It was too big and heavy to fit in the suitcase to go back to New Zealand.)

It’s all been a bit quiet on the blog lately. I have so much to blog about, but barely any time to write it. Let’s just say my approach to blogging is sporadic at best.

I hope to be spending more time listening to records and writing in this peaceful corner soon.

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x Charlotte

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Posted in Besotted with, Bits & pieces, Floral fantasy, London, My home

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Blossom

Posted on April 14, 2012 | 2 Comments

Spring in London is so beautiful. It always reminds me why I’m still living here when I’ve just about had enough of the seemingly endless months of depressing grey winter. Along comes Spring and the trees burst into blossom and yellow daffodils carpet the parks. Here are a few photos I snapped on my walk to work recently.

Wilton Way Blossom outside Violet Cakes.

Blossom snow.

There is a massive pink cherry tree that is putting on a spectacular display around the corner from my home that I haven’t managed to snap yet as I never seem to have my camera when I go past. Hopefully, I’ll manage to capture it before it has all fallen.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, London

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Today I’m besotted with…

Posted on June 1, 2011 | 5 Comments

…this ASOS Salon prom dress in gem floral print. Oh the swishing one could do on the dance floor in that. Gorgeous.

Photo: ASOS

ASOS have just added a few new frocks (want them all) to their Salon collection which launched earlier in the year.  And I have a bit of thing for brown floral at the moment and recently wore a Liberty lawn-esque (not sure if it actually is or not) dress of my mother’s from the 70′s to a wedding recently. The pussy bow and knee-length style is still just as fabulous as it was when she wore.  Thanks mum for keeping your dresses!

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Posted in Fabulous frocks, Floral fantasy

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An Autumnal trip to Petersham nurseries.

Posted on October 29, 2010 | 1 Comment

Happy Halloween weekend. Do you have loads of exciting things planned? I don’t and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a bit manic and I’ve been a very bad blogger of late! But things seemed to have calmed down a bit. Well slightly. For the next five minutes anyway.

Here are some pics from our day trip last weekend to the lovely Petersham Nurseries.

Despite the fact that I loathe the colour orange and am not really a fan of anything pumpkin related food wise, I loved the wonderful displays of gourds at Petersham Nurseries. The bell jars were my favourites.

I highly recommend a trip to the nurseries for lunch, tea or even just for a look around.  We had a lovely lunch and I came away with a  very beautiful Maidenhair fern that is sitting in front of me as I type.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Food, Green thumbs, London, Places to visit

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Liberty miniature suitcase

Posted on August 10, 2010 | 3 Comments

Last Christmas  I had a lovely big box arrive on my desk at work.  A purple box from  my favourite shop – Liberty! Inside the big box and all the wrapping was this lovely gift coin in a velvet pouch, a present from my big sister to spend on whatever I wished.

Even though I’m always in Liberty or lusting after something on store’s website, I’ve only just gotten around to spending the coin – eight months later. And here it is. A gorgeous Liberty print mini suitcase, which is now home to some of my fabric, linen cloths and ribbons.

Too pretty to hide away in a cupboard that’s for sure.  I wanted to get one of the Merci green ones when they came out several months ago, but unfortunately they sold out before I could get my paws on one.

I chose the red Wiltshire pattern, which is also stunning inside with a pale pattern.

I told my other half it’s my hope chest (or glory box) – clearly I don’t have much hope as it’s so small – hah.

More posts to come this week hopefully. I’m in Glasgow for work and trying to make the most of the peaceful evenings in my hotel room by catching up on here.

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Posted in Bits & pieces, Floral fantasy, Lovely things

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Floral needlepoint 1950s bag

Posted on July 27, 2010 | 4 Comments

I was reading about online vintage seller Allen Company Inc over at the lovely Wish Wish Wish and accidentally made my first purchase from Etsy.

So right now I have in my hot little hands this wonderful embroidered 1950s bag…

Photo: Allen Company Inc

Isn’t it gorgeous?  Bought on Friday, waiting on my kitchen table when I came home from work on Monday. Talk about speedy.  This lovely purse will be going on its first outing to a wedding in Northumberland this coming weekend. Goes quite nicely with my pale gold silk frock. I love the embroidered Pansy faces. I’ll be saving my pennies for one of the beautiful fifties frocks the Etsy based Allen Company Inc next.

I also had another package waiting at home for me yesterday – birthday present from a friend back home. A beautiful Witchery black cuff. But more on that another time. Such lovely things made my Monday so much better.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Vintage

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Liberated and looking lovely

Posted on July 8, 2010 | 5 Comments

I finally got around to recovering my chair at the weekend with the Liberty fabric from the V&A’s Quilt exhibition.

And my new gun stapler from eBay, while quite tough to use, gave the finished product quite a professional look –  if I do say so myself.

Much folding and stapling required…

I adore the fabric. The peachy roses and blue bows and leaves compliment the wooden frame beautifully.  And voila! My much loved and well used £5 chair from Broadway Market has been given a well deserved makeover.

What can I attempt to reupholster properly next? More old furniture required and suggestions are welcome…

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Things I've made

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Cheering up my chair

Posted on July 1, 2010 | 2 Comments

A large package arrived in the post for me the other day. I’d finally gotten around to buying a heavy duty gun stapler off eBay so I can embark on my very first upholstery project. My housemate thinks the gun stapler part is hi-la-ri-ous. Domestic goddess? Who moi?

Admittedly, it’s only the seat part of the chair that is fabric so it’s hopefully not too much of a challenge. But I’ve got to start somewhere right?  You can see the chair in question here. It only cost me a £5 from Broadway Market and I adore it. I’ve been reluctant to get under way with taking it apart as I use it everyday at my writing desk!

This is a selection of my lovely Liberty fabrics. The far left is from a vintage store near Bricklane that I plan on making into a frock, while the other three are from the V&A’s wonderful quilt exhibition. The dark floral on the far right is the piece I’ve chosen for upholstering the seat. The red/blue heart pattern and the green/blue in the same print will be made into cushions hopefully soon.

Although I have already used some of it to make display hoops for my earrings and brooches! I got the idea for these from tales of a junkaholic – thanks artemis for your inspiration.

Hopefully I’ll be able to show you my finished chair after the weekend. Provided I don’t get too distracted by my new picnic basket… Pimms in the sunshine… and the flower markets.

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Posted in Floral fantasy, Thrifting, 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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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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