Weekend

Just bear with me while I get the black theme out of my system, OK?

 

I'm obsessed with this jacket too - thanks, Vix!

 

I wore my new-to-me 1970s dress out for lunch with friends yesterday.

 

Look at The Boy posing...

Owen's a bit cocky at the moment, since his 11th birthday was marked by the arrival of his first phone, and his own front door key.

The Boy is now a Man, apparently...

and naturally this is now a common sight.

 

But thankfully he's still enough of a kid to do this too. 

 

Look, it's a Boy on a Stick.

 

Sunday lunch at our friends Sally and Terry's house was lovely.

 

Three couples, six offspring ranging from 8 to 17 years old, plenty of delicious food, booze and chat, what could be better? 

 

Claudia appears to have appropriated one of my denim jackets. 

 

Hmm, what will she borrow next, I wonder? 

 

 

I was very successful at avoiding any cooking all weekend; I love it when someone else cooks for me, and Saturday night saw me frocked up for dinner with the girls round at Sue's. 

It was a first outing for the 1970s Frederick Howard maxi dress I bought at Second to None on my last trip to Walsall.

Claud snapped one quick photo before I left the house, and I promptly forgot to take any others all evening. Oh well.

 The devil's in the detail; I love the gold braid on the dress, and how my tapestry bag is camouflaged amongst the pebbles and fallen leaves in my garden, but am ridiculously irritated by that inverted droplet on the close-up of the necklace.

Never mind, no one comes here for professional blogger photos, do they?

 

 

See what I mean?

On the way back from the post office this morning, I popped in to the local Barnardo's charity shop (the one where everything is £1.49), and found this little beauty nestling among the Dorothy Perkins, F&F and Atmosphere...

 

a late 1950s/early 1960s silver and gold brocade Global dress. 

If you can see it, the label says the dress is a size 20; I've tried it on and it's a little snug on my UK size 12-14 body. Bugger. I'm quite accustomed to vintage sizing being much smaller than the modern version, but I'm surprised a 20 isn't big enough. I'll try it again with the right underwear on and see how it looks.

(Incidentally, Tania has two gorgeous Global dresses, and she shared her research about the manufacture of clothing in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong in the 1950-60s; you can read about it here.)

1970s pleated dress, beret, ankle boots, bangles and tights - charity shopped

1970s faux fur jacket - Kinky Melon

1950s tapestry bag - vintage shop in Birmingham

Striped bangle - gift from Fiona

Necklace - gift from Gisela

And that was my weekend, boozy and sociable and tiring and great fun.

I'm linking up with Patti for Visible Monday, and Sacramento's Black and White theme for Share-in-Style (I hope she'll allow Black and Leopard Print instead!)

 

xxx

The long and the short of it

As always, you are a very encouraging bunch, and I feel cheered on by your enthusiasm for my selling plans. So far, it's going well, and I have met my target for September already.

What's more, I am finding I can let go of clothes with little fuss or regret.

So that's good to know.

Autumn was definitely in the air over the weekend, and these two outfits seem to have something of the season about them. Mel says it's the time of year when people wear clothes the colour of detritus, decay, mould and fungus.

Oops, am I guilty as charged? Oh well.

 

1970s dress, denim jacket, belt, shoes and bangles - charity shopped

Bag - gift

Pendant - gift from Joni

This dress has a fragile, floaty appeal which makes it a keeper, despite the fact that soft painterly prints in delicate pastels are not usually my thing. I think as long as I ground it with darker shades of blue, green or brown (ie. decay, mould and fungus), I won't feel too washed out.

The pendant is a piece of Limoges.

1970s maxi dress - Ebay
Hat, belt and bangles - charity shopped
Cardi/shrug - free from clothes swap
Necklace - gift
1960s wicker/vinyl bag - vintage fair
Sandals - retail (sale)

This maxi managed to sneak through my current buying ban as the print caught my eye, and it was dirt cheap.

Actually, I'm not really thinking of this phase as a buying ban. That would be the kiss of death, I'm too contrary to do as I'm told (even when it's me doing the telling). No, it's just a period of clarifying, of thoughtful and cautious spending.

I'm still allowed the odd indulgence - like a wonderful old Church Gresley Gripstand mixing bowl (£4), vintage fabric (£5 - and there's loads of it), and 1960s emerald green gloves (99p). 

Who could refuse?

(Sorry about the crappy photo; the PC is being sticky and awkward, and I would go to the trouble of taking a better photo, if it were not for the fact that it has taken me forever to get the images uploaded in this post, and I am losing the will to live, never mind blog.)

Claudia and I went to have a look around St Mary's vintage and craft market on Saturday.

Homewares and kitschy bric-a-brac galore, dolls, beautiful hats, and a saggy old chest.

And then we all went out for Chinese.

I am The Walrus. 

 Hurray, the sun put in an appearance.
 

I'll be taking my autumn leaf, Stilton, and mushroom colour palette over to Patti's for Visible Monday; and in case I don't remember to wear a hat before October 1st, I'd better link in advance to Judith's Hat Attack. I'll also be at Sacramento's Share in Style, since the theme is Autumn.

So organised. Ha!
xxxxx

I was born standing up and talking back

I consider myself an equal opportunity vintage lover.

I am quite happy to wear clothes from any decade, although I confess the late 1960s/early 1970s have my heart.

But I am a big fan of dresses from the late 1970s/early 1980s too, like these two beauties.

They remind me so much of my mid/late teenage years, and the 1950s revival at that time.

Grease, Happy Days, and the inexplicable success of Showaddywaddy, Darts and Shakin' Stevens - you remember, don't you?

1980s C&A dress - Ebay

Belt, shoes, sunglasses, bangles - charity shopped 

I love this dress - it has a built-in net petticoat and a fabulous print.

1970s dress - Ebay 

Belt, bangles and necklace - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

Fashion always references earlier styles; I'm no purist, I am as happy wearing a 1970/80s-does-50s dress as a 1950s original.

But I'm adding a little 1950s authenticity with my delicious Marie Moore brocade jacket...

which has the loveliest beaded buttons ever!

Owen and I headed out for a quick food shop, cafe stop, and charity shop browse yesterday.

The local hospice chazza had some fabulous vintage stock; I suspect it had come from the same donor, since it was all the same size. Great labels, and great style - whoever owned these clothes had excellent taste and the budget to afford some classy labels.

I didn't actually buy any of it, although I enjoyed trying it on; the aqua Berkertex maxi dress was a temptation, but I just couldn't see myself wearing it.

Owen (sitting on a stool outside the changing room waiting for me) rolled his eyes and said it's a bit revealing, Mum. He wasn't wrong, I would have needed to fix the neckline so I didn't flash my bra...

I didn't buy any of these either, but I thought they were fabulous.

I did buy a 1970s copper pendant, and some thread and zips. 

£2 the lot. 

 Hey, Big Spender.

At some point during our excursion, I started singing Trouble by Elvis Presley. More to myself than to Owen, I wondered what film it was from and guessed (rightly) that it featured in King Creole.

Owen said Elvis made films?

I forget that he hasn't had the experience of all those Sunday afternoons and Christmases when Elvis films were shown; you never see them now.

We discussed the birth of rock and roll, the shock of the new, Col. Tom Parker, selling out, and whether we would play safe - take the big money, or take a risk.

I don't object to clothes which are influenced by earlier styles, and I am also happy to acknowledge that music cannot be produced in a vacuum either.

But I do like to go back to the original source sometimes.

I showed this clip to Owen when we got home; he laughed (he may have thought I was making the song up), commented that it was cool - for an old film, and marveled at the fact that my brocade jacket is about the same age as the film (1958).

                                                                        

They're all tied up together, aren't they, clothes and music?

But I refuse to be a vintage snob about either. If you like it, wear it, and listen to it.

Preferably sing along too!

Linking to Sacramento's Share-in-Style - it's still Summer, just about...

xxxx

Hand in hand through their parklife

Late mornings and lazy days, picnics and parks, sunshine and blue skies, with no particular place to go, no deadlines, no schedule.

I could get used to this.

 

 

The kids and I went to Endcliffe Park last week.

 

You're never too old for an enthusiastic game of Pooh Sticks.

We watched a pair of rats pottering about on the edge of the playground; no one else spotted them, but I imagine the park is something of a rat paradise. Plenty of woodland and undergrowth for cover, water, and kids dropping sandwiches and ice creams all over the place, fine pickings for these resourceful little critters.

(Em, on the fruit/rodent scale, I'd say they were the size of very large bananas.)

 

The 1971 children's book Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, one of my all-time favourites, has engendered a love and admiration for rats in our family.

 This does not extend as far as Chief Rat Catcher Charlie.

 

Her Majesty remains unamused, probably because she has been made to hang around with the working folk. 

 

Claudia and I went into town together on Saturday.

Don't ask - I have no idea why I was pulling that face, but it's fairly typical of what I look like In Real Life. 

 

It's a wonder anyone is prepared to be seen out with me really...

 

This little patch of meadow is in the centre of Sheffield; just lovely.

We admired the vintage dresses in Mooch, and perused the charity shops. 

 

Claudia has had a massive growth spurt recently (as you can see from the photo above, she's only half a head shorter than me now) and I am having to replace most of her clothes. On this occasion, we only found a skirt for school, and most of the things I held up to show her triggered a WTF? face. It's slow progress.

I found this skirt for me - I was drawn to the 1970s styling. It's Whistles, and cost me £3.99. 

 

A quick browse of their website reveals full price skirts retail at well over £100. That makes me feel smug!

Me;

1950s Marie Moore brocade jacket - Second to None, Walsall

Floral palazzos, camisole, belt, necklace, bangles and sunglasses - charity shopped

Carpet bag - gift

Micromosaic brooch - vintage charity sale

Sandals - retail (sale)

 

Claudia;

Shirt, shorts and Converse - charity shopped (the Converse were from the £1.49 charity shop - Best Bargain Ever!)

Vest - hand-me-down

Haircut - by me

I'll be taking my floaty floral trousers along to Sacramento's Share-in-Style link-up.

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping to crack on with a bit of sewing this week, and enjoy some more of this.

 

Hope your weekend involved blue skies and whatever make you happy!

xxxx

Her face at first just ghostly

...turned the whiter shade of pale.

I am getting over my tendency to avoid wearing white. 

As long as I don't spill anything (which is a very big ask), I can handle it. 

 

 

I know the received wisdom is that pale skin looks washed out in white, but I'm taking a chance that a smattering of summer freckles and red hair will combat any anaemic pastiness.

I'm fair-skinned, burn easily, have freckles, and rarely tan; this, together with a family history of skin cancer, means I have given up on sunbathing and am much more likely to seek the shade than the sun. 

 

I always use sun screen, slap a bit of fake tan on my legs from time to time, and hope like mad that previous episodes of sunburn and over-exposure won't prove too damaging in the long run.

1970s St Michael cotton maxi skirt, blouse, belt, sunglasses, most of the bangles, and necklace - charity shopped

Striped bangle - gift from Fiona

Cream floral bangle - gift from Tania

Sandals - retail (sale)

 

 

 I've never had a great tolerance for high temperatures.

 

 I remember the hot summer of 1976, and how my class teacher (who had one of those extremely dark 1970s tans which you just don't see anymore) insisted we had our lessons outside on the playing field, presumably so she could sunbathe at the same time as teaching. I recall feeling beside myself with heat, my eyes hurt from the bright sunlight bouncing off the white pages of my books, we had neither sun screen nor water, and I was probably on the verge of heat stroke. 

Seems unbelievable now, doesn't it?

Needless to day, Nina is slathered in sunscreen when she plays outside! We have enough issues with her skin without adding sunburn to the mix.

She's been drawing eyes. I'm sure there is some significance to that, but who knows what?

 

 "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

       Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."

She's done an Ancient Greek project at school, and this is her papier mache Grecian Urn.

 

 Walking home from school on Friday, I was carrying the vase by the neck, not realising it wasn't glued in place. Of course, the bottom fell off and went rolling down the road, with Owen and Nina giving chase. A van driver mercifully stopped before he ran over it, and allowed the kids to retrieve it; I could practically hear the Benny Hill music playing as accompaniment...

 

Robust quality papier mache though - it survived without a dint!

 

Unworn 1970s slip, complete with tag. 

If only all my white clothes were dirt resistant.

And crackle free? Bonus!

 

Linking to Sacramento's Share-in-Style; the theme is white.

Hope this week is going to be a grand one!

xxx