Sunday 31 July 2011

Lazy Sunday Afternoon


By the time Sunday rolls around I'm all shopped out and more than happy to leave the car booting to my blogging buddies. My perfect Sunday is pretty much how I spent today, sleeping off the weekend's excesses then lounging bikini-clad in the garden with a gripping crime novel and the sun on my skin.


Yesterday was a choice of the morning car boot sale or a Methodist church jumble sale. As the church hall is opposite the camping supply shop we opted for the jumble as we're away at a festival later this week and needed a replacement gas bottle.


Hardly exciting but Jon was pleased to find this wooden clothes horse for 40p, ours is on it's last legs and he has to keep nailing it back together every time I stick a wash on.


I'll always find a use for a vintage suitcase when they're 20p a pop.


Two more creepy kids for the Wall of Misery (the blonde girls on the right). £1 for the pair.



I replaced the original band on this 10p straw trilby with my Cher hair braid, if the weather lasts till next weekend it'll be perfect for the Big Chill. Jon's painted the front of the house this week, it looks loads smarter and that's his excuse for not shaving.


Unused 1950's Queen Egg Beater by local company, Tala. I love the colour. The old lady behind the bric-a-brac counter asked if I could afford to pay 50p.


Commemorative Beetleware lidded pot produced in 1936 for George VI's coronation Edward VIII's accession (10p). Thanks, Miss Rayne!


Manufactured by Birmingham-based company British Industrial Plastics.


November 1929 edition of upmarket women's magazine, Britannia and Eve and a 1958 issue of Woman's Own. (10p each)


These four framed silhouettes are rather pretty. I think they're 1960s as my parents had a similar set as a wedding present. (50p)


They fill the awkward gap by the door frame in our non-dining room rather nicely and keep my ancestral portraits company.

Unworn & tagged 1970's bikini (£1, car boot sale), vintage straw hat (50p, car boot sale), Correna sunglasses (£2.99, Oxfam), Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre (four books for a £1, PDSA)
 We're having cheesy chip butties for tea and a pal's lent us series 1 & 2 of Sons Of Anarchy so that's our evening viewing sorted.

Hope your weekend's been as sunny and excellent as ours.

Friday 29 July 2011

What's The Frocking Time?


It's Friday and the day to frock up and celebrate the end of the week.



Round here it's the time of year for the Industrial Fortnight and so very quiet. The schools have started their six week holiday and our manufacturing industry (what's left of it) is on shut down. Everyone with any money has gone away leaving the town centre even more like a ghost town than usual, the Salvation Army is closed and even the monthly jumble sale wasn't on. At yesterday's car boot sale sellers outnumbered buyers as cash-strapped parents attempted to flog their kiddies cast-offs for cash to entertain them resulting in a plethora of stalls laden with baby clothes and plastic toys, no good to the likes of us.



It wasn't a complete waste of time, I did manage to find a few bargains, including snaffling most of my girlfriends' Christmas presents. I can't say much as they read my blog but I hope they're going to be thrilled.



Being a bit freaky, I've never been able to wear a watch as they stop working the minute I put one on my wrist. Whilst clearing out some of my late Grandma's things I came across her grandmother's pocket watch (my Great-Great Grandmother) which dates to around 1870. Despite being over 140 years old it keeps perfect time and hasn't stopped going yet. I'm making this antique watch my "Favourite Thing on a Friday", my lovely pal, Em's idea to brighten up our Fridays.

Here's today's frock, it's actually a bridesmaid's dress but I don't think the pensioners down the baths this morning are going to mind, they are more than used to the way I dress.

Berketex Brides vintage nylon maxi (£1.78, eBay) worn with a 1970s patchwork leather bag (£1, car boot sale) and Barry M Cyan Blue nails
What are you up to this weekend? It's pubs, curries and catching up with friends for us.
Have a brilliant time whatever you do.

Wednesday 27 July 2011

Fringe Benefits


Colorful Creations dress worn with vintage suede fringed waistcoat (£9, local junk & curio shop)
This gorgeous 1960s mini dress arrived in the post today from darling Sarah Misfit and I just had to get changed and try it out straightaway. When I first started blogging never did I imagine that I'd meet the most wonderful women the world over who'd think of me when they visited their local charity, op and thrift shops.

The fabulous Kitty asked us to share our weaknesses. In addition to catsuits, maxi dresses, unsuitable shoes, eyeliner and psychedelia (amongst other things) I am ridiculously fond of jewellery, the bigger and more unusual the better.



Here's today's selection. The pendant was my Great-Grandfather's Vesta (match) case which I've slung on to a bath plug chain. The silver bangles on the left were all bought in India.


Frederick Albert Chapman, my maternal Great-Grandfather.

I once attracted the attention of a local man with black hair, incisors filed into fangs and red teardrop tattooed on his face. He asked if I was a fellow vampire as my silver jewellery was a tell tale sign.



You know what I said yesterday about probably not finding anything on eBay for months now? How wrong I was, I've just won something else which looks rather cool. Can't wait to get my hands on it. I even went for coffee with one of our postmen today so well do they know me.

Off to eat veggie sausages, fried eggs and homemade chips washed down with chilled Californian Chardonnay.


Have a lovely evening.

*****UPDATED***********
Remember the Sisterhood of the travelling blouse?
It's now reached sunny Spain and my lovely friend, Señora Allnut.
See how fabulous she looks here

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Little Bundle Of Joy


Striped acrylic mini worn with Schuh boots (£5, local market stall) and vintage statement pendant from the wonderful Ivy Black.

Finding cheap, fabulous vintage clothes on eBay can be like queuing for a bus, wait for ages and then they turn up altogether.

Jon's favourite, a striped polyester two piece.
 
Whilst aimlessly surfing the net on Saturday afternoon I came across a listing for a "Bag of 1970's women's clothes, some Chelsea Girl, all small sizes" someone had found stowed away in their mother's loft, left over from their youth, and needless to say I was beside myself with excitement.


Smocked polyester mini dress

A cheeky snipe later and by the time I reached the pub they were mine.

Chelsea Girl navy pure cotton striped dress

Fast fashion was unheard of when I was a teen, we had new clothes once a year for birthdays and the rest came from charity shops and jumble sales. If we wanted something special for the school disco we frantically saved our pocket money and wore our treasured clothes until they fell to bits. I'm amazed this bundle is in such good condition, the lady who owned them must have really looked after them.


Michael Sinclair, London smocked cotton mini worn with Topshop leather clogs (£5, 2010 sale)

Chelsea Girl was founded in 1965 and was Britain's first fashion boutique chain. I'd spend many a Saturday afternoon flicking through the rails with my friends coveting the latest fashions. In 1988 by the time I was working full-time and able to afford to shop there it closed down and re-opened as River Island.




The parcel arrived today whilst I was chatting to my darling Helga on Skype so she shared my excitement when I ripped the bag open.



A-Line skirts, Highlight flared jeans and floral dresses.

Puff sleeved ditsy print polyester dress (no label)




They don't make them like they used to.

Rosfrau high waisted cotton mini skirt worn with vintage C&A tee shirt (£1.99, Banardos)

My favourite is a toss up between this navy blue dress (below) and the yellow stripey one.

Chelsea Girl button-thru' cotton dress worn with Steve Madden sandals (£2, car boot sale) and a vintage silk scarf (25p, car boot sale)

I bet I won't find anything on eBay again for months.

Monday 25 July 2011

A Weekend In Purchases

1960's union-made psychedelic jumpsuit (£10.19, eBay)

In between visits to the pub, eating curry, reeling from all the awful news and watching rock-umentaries on BBC4 we still found time to squeeze in some shopping; a trip down the local chazza shops, the Saturday morning car boot sale and good old eBay being the chosen hunting grounds.



 1974 Golden Hands magazines (20p each, Saturday's car boot sale.)



I've already got the larger version of this tooled leather bag in my collection (£3.50, St Giles Hospice).



Tagged and unused 1970's Brexton picnic set (£1, Saturday's car boot sale)




Banardos were selling off their books at £1 for four but we only wanted three. We used to have a Triumph Herald convertible back in the 1990's.




The jewellery book is fabulous, still wrapped in cellophane and featuring the most exquisite images.


Jon loves a good old rummage as much as I do. He found the tee shirt in the PDSA for 99p and the psychedelic Tootal cravat for 50p in the Sally Army.


 These 1960's Brenton "We breech the world" flat-fronted wool pants were hastily snaffled from the £1 rail in Cancer Research. The authentic (yep, I got them checked out) tortoiseshell RayBan's were £2.95 from the PDSA last month.


Our car boot sale proceeds paid for some building work on the house and these vintage cast iron radiators we won on eBay on Friday. The seller lived in one of the poshest suburbs of Birmingham so I just had to go along for the ride when Jon collected them on Sunday morning, I wasn't disappointed either, he lived in a beautiful moated Jacobean manor house.



 I shocked my friends on Sunday by turning up at the pub for an afternoon session in jeans but I wanted to give my 1970's Aztec print vest (99p, Acorns Hospice) and vintage belt (50p, Saturday's boot sale) an outing, besides I hate to be predictable.


Sunday 24 July 2011

There's A Guy Goes Down The Jumble Swears I'm Cher


...and he's a bit mad to be honest, but he's utterly convinced that she and I are one and the same. 


Nothing I can say will persuade this guy otherwise and he follows me around various church halls with big puppy dog eyes, trying to get my autograph. What Cher would be doing buying her clothes at a jumble sale in the Black Country is beyond me.


In fact ever since I dyed my hair black I've been serenaded by random strangers singing Cher songs and people remarking on the likeness.

1970's brushed denim feather trimmed maxi skirt (£6.19, eBay), Vintage Broderie Anglaise & ribbon camisole (20p, Jumble sale), Bone & turquoise wolf choker (50p, Car boot sale), 1970's braid in hair (found in my sewing box)

I'm more than flattered, Cher rocks!


Friday 22 July 2011

Thank Frock For eBay



I couldn't decide which Friday frock to wear but the postman came to my rescue, delivering two dresses I'd snaffled in an inebriated haze on eBay over the weekend. I've been very naughty lately, alcohol and eBay can be dangerous.




 This Sylvan English boutique label maxi was described as a long nylon dress and was mine for just over a fiver. It's labelled as a size 16 which just goes to prove that vintage labels should always be taken with a pinch of salt (or a litre of cheap white wine, in my case).

Turquoise & coral cuff (India), turquoise metal cuff (49p, Banardos), Moonstone ring set in a nest of vipers, Turquoise ring (both India), 1960's beaten metal ring (Made by Mum before I was born), Cyan Blue nails by Barry M

Floaty fabrics call for a heavy metal overload in my book, I'm far more rock chick than ethereal flower fairy. If you can't hear me rattling something's amiss.

1970's Egyptian scarab pendant (£1, car boot sale)
 
Silver and turquoise earrings (Tangier, 1993)

Lapis Lazuli ring set in silver (exam passing present from Dad, 1977), Tibetan twisted silver and turquoise bangle, silver finger and cobra rings (all India), silver dipped beaten brass bangle (inherited from Mum) 


It's been very wet here over the last 24 hours, the car boot wasn't worth attempting so we went on a successful charity shopping mission instead. There's some interesting bits to show you but at the moment it's mostly strung up around the house as line drying's out of the question.


 It's a quiet night in this evening in preparation for a night on the town tomorrow. We not only have a refurbished Wetherspoons to inspect but one of most imposing buildings in the town centre has opened as real ale pub, too.
What on earth am I going to wear?