Our happy place

Goodness me, a whole week has flown past and I haven't posted a thing. Life has been really busy with a mix of work, socialising, and kids' stuff, which is all good. It might be a challenge initially, but I'm sure I can find a blogging rhythm which fits with my new work schedule.

No looking back wistfully - onwards.

I bought this dress during a lovely day out in Nottingham last Saturday with my dear friends Vix and Tania.

Beautiful, aren't they?

I just love meeting up with these two sweethearts; we potter and browse and chat and laugh, there's always a comment or two from folk about what we're wearing, and the traditional Wetherspoons lunch is cheap and cheerful. Just like us.

Firemen, sweeper-uppers, and Vix. 

Her blog post about our day is here; she has better photos than me, I was useless and took hardly any.

We chatted to the lady from Sherwood WI who had been partly responsible for the yarn bombing. She told me that the conversation turned rather naughty while she knitted those leeks. Can't think why...

A Wetherspoons in an interesting building with a mobility scooter parked outside; ahhh, we're in our happy place. 

We're waiting patiently for out 'Spoons sponsored lunch. Or weekend away, whichever they would like to offer us. Now that would be a freebie worth having.

Tania and Vix lit up the city centre with vintage colour and big smiles. 

The My Sight charity shop had some cracking stock...

but unfortunately Tania nearly got stuck in that vintage beach set, the quilted velvet coat was just too plain and brown for Vix, and the Shelley's platforms were too big. Oh well.

 

I like the feisty quotation from Nottingham-born writer Alan Sillitoe; Once a rebel, always a rebel, and it's best to be a rebel to show 'em it dun't pay to do you down. 

And after a final pint and a natter, that was that. Our days out always go much too fast,

but we rarely go home empty-handed. 

These well-chosen gifts from Vix and Tan demonstrate the beauty of vintage/secondhand shopping - quirky individual pieces, both useful and pretty, which needn't cost the earth but make perfect presents.

Early 1980s New Looks of California cotton dress - £5, Sunshine Vintage Bazaar

Belt and bangles - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

I've done two days at work this week, and my brain is buzzing with induction and training information.

Yes, I'm just like this little fella, bumbling about but trying to do the right thing and remember it all.

Not much chance of that, but I'm doing my best, and enjoying it!

xxxx

Get Kinky

We Brits are a stoical lot; we may moan endlessly about the weather, but we don't let it stop us doing anything.

Tania and I weren't about to allow the rain to spoil our fun, we had shopping plans for Saturday which included dropping by to see this Kinky pair!

Lovely Vix and Jon, the hardest working vintage sellers around, were in Nottingham for the Fayre on the Square. 

Shopping really doesn't need to be a serious business. 

The Kinky Melon Retro Boutique rails were full to bursting with colour and print and vintage grooviness; the clothes and the company couldn't fail to put a smile on your face.

 Lyndsey and Steve of Boomerang Vintage and Retro had a pitch too.

We shook our heads at the fact that the little green cabinet with the sliding doors was originally one of a pair, but a customer only wanted to buy a single unit. How could anyone bear to split them up?

Poor Tania, I kept insisting on taking her photo whenever she tried anything on...

She even looked beautiful in those 1950s floral Diddyman hats..

 

which is more than can be said for me in these red leather trousers in Baklash.

Oh we did laugh! Another timely reminder of why I rarely wear trousers, but worth trying for the amusement factor.

Grumpy Lion says step away from the leather pants, just step away...

 

Tania's gorgeous cape came from Kinky Melon.

After lunch and a browse of some of Nottingham's charity and vintage shops which flew by all too quickly, I headed home to meet the family for dinner at Smoke Barbeque.

We were celebrating Owen's 11th birthday.

The kids were very taken with having their drinks in jam jars.

Sooo... what did I buy in Nottingham? 

This fabulous 1970s Berkertex maxi dress was a Kinky purchase...

as was this 1970-80s Wallis cropped faux fur jacket. 

I found this 1970s disco-tastic Spinney top in a charity shop.

(Excuse the creases, I haven't washed it yet.)

1970s Berkertex maxi dress - Kinky Melon's Retro Boutique

1980s jacket - vintage shop

Ankle boots - Ebay

Necklace and bangles - charity shopped

Striped bangle - gift from Fiona

Love that scooped back, and the rainbow stripes on the sleeves.

I'll be taking my Kinky frock to join Patti's Visible Monday. 

 

Now, it's just possible that a plan was hatched to meet up again very soon...

I wonder where these chazzin' pixies will go next?

xxxx

Three have fun in Nottingham

Birthdays.

They come, they go, and we're another year older, but we don't really feel any different afterwards, do we? 

 

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes, Facebook messages, texts, cards and gifts. I have been thoroughly spoiled, feel a bit overwhelmed, but very, very grateful and appreciative. You are a lovely lot!

 

 

On Wednesday, I headed off to Nottingham for the day with my two best buddies, Joanne and Sue.

 

We had no particular plans, we just wanted a relaxed and meandering sort of day, and that's exactly what we had.

Robin Hood and timber-framed buildings...

bronze statues...

Nottingham Castle...

 

and a fabulous view over the city.

 

The sun shone for our picnic...

 

and we had homemade rock buns, complete with birthday candle and of course, a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday to you/me!

There may have been G&Ts involved as well.

Lovely.

Then some art...

 

 

some vintage browsing...

 

a coffee stop...

 

 

and of course, a selfie in the mirror in the toilets. You're welcome.

 

1970s Hong Kong-made maxi dress - flea market

Bangles - charity shopped

Sandals - retail

Miracle pendant - car boot

Friends - made them myself 

 

Obligatory dodgy selfies in the pub; I do love my girls!

I'm out at a joint 40th/50th party tonight (fancy dress - you'll have to wait and see!) and my mum and sister are visiting on Sunday. So I've managed to extend my birthday treats over a week, and have had the loveliest of times.

 

I'm rather behind with your blogs having been unplugged for a while, but I'll be catching up as soon as I can. 

Have a great weekend!

xxxx

Rain didn't stop play

I'm late!

I am woefully behind with my posting and commenting, due to an increasingly sluggish internet connection which finally gave up the ghost altogether at the weekend. 

But thanks to a delightfully chatty BT engineer who sorted things out this morning, I am back online, and back in the game!

Last Friday, I met up with delicious blog buddies Vix, Tania, Annie and new friend Serena for a day out in Nottingham. It may have rained all day, but that didn't dampen our spirits, our vintage shopping enthusiasm, or our ability to talk and laugh for England.

Hopkinson's was a treasure trove of all things vintage and retro.

Vix looked absolutely stunning in this hot pink psychedelic maxi, and we found her doppelganger on the wall.

That hairdryer is the model my sisters and I used growing up in the 1960s and 70s.

Cocktails and exchanging gifts in Wetherspoons are now a blogger meet-up tradition, and we all did very well!

1970s cheeseboard and stainless steel pendant from Vix

Tights, notepad and butterfly brooch from Annie

Book, beads, bangle and 1970s red blouse (on which everything is arranged) from Tania

Handmade soap and card from Serena

This was from Vix too...

... a homemade 1970s-does-30s maxi dress with my favourite angel sleeves - it's a perfect fit and I love it!

Oh, and Tania made me the tote bag from cool 1950s barkcloth.

Blog friends - actually, I'm going to stop using that term, these women are my friends, pure and simple - are just fantastic!

So although the day was wet and dreary...

...we had a brilliant time, especially in Baklash.

If you haven't already read Vix's amazing tale of meeting the owner, Eve, 30 years ago, then check out the story here.

And Tania's take on our day is here.

My treasures;

1960-70s Cat Ballou deer print cheesecloth dress

1960-70s Mackerness green lurex dress

1970s navy print maxi skirt

1970s C&A towelling maxi dress

(all stuffed in one bag for £10 from Baklash)

1960-70s black/silver lurex maxi skirt (Hopkinson's)

  

Happy, happy me.

We found nothing to get excited about in here, just identikit rails of checked shirts and denim, but the sign looked great.

A final drink and chat, then a mad dash for my train.

Yes, all these years of travelling by train  and I still manage to wander off to the wrong platform...

I jumped on to my train home just in the nick of time.

But even if I'd missed it and had to pay again on the next one, it would have been worth it!

Meeting up with these wonderful women was a joy.

As is joining in with Patti and friends for Visible Monday.

And now I am going to catch up with what's been happening during my enforced blogging break!

PS. Thank you so much for all your concern and kindness regarding my poorly friend. He is out of intensive care and the future is looking much more optimistic. His life was saved by someone doing CPR until the ambulance crew arrived - makes me think about doing the training myself.

    xxxxxx