If we squeeze you any tighter, you might turn into a diamond

It's been a grey old week, and since grey is not a favourite of mine, I have fought back with burgundy. 

Or merlot. Or claret. Any red wine would do, I suppose.

What are we calling burgundy this year? 

Berry? Oxblood? Maroon? Magenta?

 Lord knows. But I like wearing it. 

Velvet jacket, cardigan, leather bag, beret and bangles - charity shopped

1970s dress - Ebay

Boots - retail (sale) 

That tan leather saddle bag has become a firm favourite since I bought it on our bloggers' trip to Burton on Trent.

I looked up the brand online (Grafea) and found they are an English company; this particular bag retails for £105 on their website. Nice score for £6 then. 

1960s Eclipse wool cape, 1970s Hennes crochet dress, belt and bangles - charity shopped

1950s carpet bag - flea market

Does it get any more Nanna Chic than tweed, crochet, and a carpet bag with a bamboo handle?

Of course the Welsh cape was another Burton treasure. 

  Incidentally, does anyone know when Hennes changed their name to H&M? I definitely recall Hennes shops in the late 1970s/early 1980s. In fact, in my head I still call them that, just as John Lewis here in Sheffield will always Cole Brothers (the department store which JL took over, retaining the old name for many years).

It's that Nanna thing again. My kids mock me, reminding me of how I rolled my eyes when my mum referred to the radio as a wireless when I was growing up. 

 

The charity shops have provided some interesting bits and pieces this week;

an amazing 1980s silk evening dress by Wim Hemmink. It's tiny, so hopefully it is destined to be someone else's LBD this Christmas via Ebay...

and

a fur-trimmed brooch (I'm guessing 1950s),

vintage gloves galore,

a 1967 jumpsuit pattern,

1950-60s glass necklace,

and a 1970s tea towel.

I have been looking for a vintage jumpsuit pattern for ages; this one is too big, but I'm hoping that reducing the size will be a reasonably straightforward task. Of course, I may be deluding myself.

Speaking of sizes (and self-delusion), after my surprise at not being able to fit into the size 20 Global dress in my last post, at least not comfortably, I've had further disappointment this week. 

Look at these beauties;

My friend Judith's mum had kept some of her dresses from the 1960s and 70s, and Judith said she was very happy to give them to me. Of course I was delighted, especially when Judith assured me that her mum had not been a teeny waif back in the day. And when she dropped these gorgeous dresses off, I couldn't wait to try them on.

But...

I can't get into them. The turquoise maxi is the only one I can do up, but truthfully, it's too tight.

Gutted.

So I'm putting the dresses on Ebay for Judith. Although it's disappointing, as I would have loved to wear them, it's also true that I have a wardrobe overflowing with vintage frocks which fit me beautifully, so I'm not complaining. Well, only a little bit. 
                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

                              

Tomorrow is our school's Christmas fair, so I'm hoping for better weather and festive cheer. And we're back to my mate's house afterwards for a glass or two of Cava, which we will richly deserve. 

Hope you have a splendid weekend, whatever you're doing, wearing, or drinking!

xxx

   

Once upon a time, there were three little girls...

Forget the police academy and Charlie;

these kickass angels were hunting for bargains, not crooks!

 There is something deliciously naughty about playing truant from the normal routine, and heading off for a cheeky mid-week trip out with your mates.

Yesterday, Vix, Tania and I descended on Burton on Trent for a day of charity shopping, chatting and laughing, with a little bit of boozing thrown in for good measure. 

But first, the very serious business of chazzing; eight charity shops, and that's without photos of the PDSA and furniture store. 

Did I say serious?

Not exactly...

Vix went home with only one of these items; try as we might, Tan and I couldn't persuade her to buy the 1990s catsuit (which looked amazing), the fleece (which didn't), or the 1960s hat.

The 1970s suede skirt, on the other hand, was perfection. If you look carefully, you can see an old chap in the background on the right; he followed us around the shop, and watched in delight as Vix tried the skirt on under her frock. All his birthdays came at once with that flash of shapely arse.

Tania took tea, then joined the Navy. And I concur, she has Great Style.

Burton has some attractive architecture around the market square...

and look, Sajid was there with his gorgeous braid and trimmings, so popular on our last bloggers' day out in Walsall.. 

As we approached his stall, he kept a very straight face and said if you want a date, Vicky, you only have to ask... 

This little fella looked pretty pleased to see such luscious ladies too. Just the right height for teeny tiny Tan; Pool Boy had better watch out. 

 

Balls to Christmas. I don't want to think about it yet.

Of course we hit the local Wetherspoons, and of course we took photos in the toilets.

We weren't very good at selfies, it must be a yoof thing. 

 See what I mean?

But do you know what we are good at? Apart from making each other laugh and putting the world to rights?

Well, charity shopping, naturally.

I bought;

a vintage Welsh wool cape, a tan leather saddle bag, and a pair of studded leather ankle boots.

1960-70s Eclipse wool cape, hat and bangles - charity shopped

1970s French-made Tricosa maxi skirt - antiques/collectables centre, Matlock

Boots - retail

At last; a cape I can wear without the T.Rex arms effect!

Thank to Tania for spotting it, and to both ladies for helping me work out how to wear it...

What a fantastic day. 

We talked (a lot), we giggled (loads), we browsed and shopped and ate and drank, and the day flew by. 

And the moral of the story? Don't wait for Charlie to take you away from all this, or for someone else to suggest a day out or a meet-up. Just go for it, you'll be so glad you did. And if you manage to flash a pensioner and take some rubbish selfies in the process, then the job's a good 'un!

PS. Vix's post about our day is here. Keep a look out for Tania's too - I have a suspicion there will be some classic photos featuring Deranged Face (my speciality. You're welcome.)

xxxx

Every picture tells a story

This season's must-have accessory? 

Why, an umbrella, of course.

Oh how it has rained. 

Thank goodness for my lovely 1950s umbrella, bought from Chesterfield flea market. For a slender little thing, it has turned out to be surprisingly sturdy.

There's that waistcoat again, the price-per-wear must be mere pennies by now...

Umbrella and cape - flea market
1970s pencil skirt, blouse, suede waistcoat, beret, tights and bangles - charity shopped
Shoes - jumble sale 
Vinyl/tapestry bag - gift from dearest Vix
Flower brooch - retail (sale) 

Dress, waistcoat, 1950s tweed jacket and bangles - charity shopped
Boots - retail (old)
Bag - jumble sale
Beads - gift from Brodie



Photos.

I do struggle with them. Mine are so hit and miss, and I have no idea why they sometimes work and sometimes don't. 

I am in awe of bloggers who post amazing photographs, and I do wish mine were a little better, but I am too bone idle to learn to use my camera properly - it's automatic or nothing for me, I'm afraid. And if the light conditions are dodgy, then the photos are too.


An awful lot of my photos look like this.
(Most get deleted immediately.)

Blurry, eyes closed, obscured by foliage, distracted, caught mid-stomp with my neighbour's washing on show...

Britain's Next Crap Model, that's me.

And then there was the small matter of the collapsing tripod...

Professional blogger? Not even close.

  I'm strictly amateur, and that's the way I like it. This isn't a job, it's a hobby; it's like meeting up with my pals and having a chat and a catch-up.
 

So - there are inexpert photos, pets, kids, mess.

There is swearing and foolishness, and there are some opinions, though these are generally unrelated to this season's trends or how to wear... guidance.  There's the odd rant (like this), occasional seriousness, regular cheap-skatery and acting the fool, and maybe a laugh or two.

There are no ads, no sponsorship, I'm not promoting anything, I don't monetise (whatever the hell that means...)
 I'm not splashing my face all over a million and one link-ups, several pics at a time.
I'm not asking you to vote for me in blogger competitions, there are no reviews which begin When the lovely people at blah blah blah got in touch to give me a freebie, I said gimme gimme gimme.

  

 
I'm just singing and dancing in the rain for the sheer fun of it, and it is indeed a glorious feeling.

The relief of it - being highly unprofessional, imperfect, and not caring!

Hope everyone is having a good week so far, see you soon.

xxxxx

The power of love

Those who have been reading my blog for a while might guess (correctly) that I am not much interested in Valentine's Day.

I'm not a very romantic person...

However, if it involves dressing up and wearing a wig, I'll have a crack at a Valentine-themed post with the best of you!

And this is what happens when you find a 1980s leather pencil skirt in a charity shop for a fiver, and then hear Jennifer Rush belting out The Power of Love on the radio...

Blame Radio 2 and St. Luke's hospice charity shop.

I have never owned a leather skirt before, but I am quite taken with this one.

I discovered it is possible to wear it without looking like an escapee from a 1980s music video after all.

You live and learn.

1980s leather skirt, sheer purple blouse, belt and sequin beret - charity shopped

Boots - Ebay

Houndstooth cape - gift from The Velvet Goddess Sarah

Tights - retail (sale)

Gloves - gift

I had a lovely morning in Chesterfield with bessie mate Joanne.

I had made the classic mistake of changing bags at the last minute and managed to leave my purse at home, so she had to fund my shopping...

Now that's love!

I, or rather Joanne, bought fabric (I've been sewing!) and a cute vintage skirt, currently in the wash.

 The fruits of my sewing labours will be revealed soon.

 

The fruits of my dressing up are ready for viewing now!

What is it with me and wigs? I always go a bit bonkers when I wear one...

1980s leather batwing top (aka Bonnie Tyler) - bought from 80s Karaoke Queen Sarah

Sparkly tights/fishnet tights, shoe boots, necklaces, bangles and sunnies - charity shopped

Vintage pearl necklace - gift from Valentine Supermodel Tamera

Leopard print trilby - Ebay

Wig - car boot sale

I don't believe in soul mates, in One True Love, or Eternal Love.

I appreciate the mythical beauty of Plato's vision of humans split asunder, but I don't believe we are walking the earth in desperate search for our lost half who will make us whole.

I think we make the best relationships we can with those who are available to us, and that we have a better chance of doing so if we feel pretty complete just as we are.

Sharing a life, and love, with anyone else is a bonus.

 But I can enjoy a power ballad as much as all you romantic souls, so go on, sing along as loud as you can - you'll be glad you did!

xxxx

                              

Dresses black and red

I've been mostly unplugged this Christmas, an acoustic version of myself.

 

 

 

 I've popped in to see what many of you have been up to, but not always commented.

I'll be round to your place(s) soon to catch up, OK?

Meanwhile;

 

Christmas Eve...

 

My old friends Sally and Claire with Littlest and me at Sal's Christmas Eve gathering (I changed my mind about the flamenco frock at the last minute!)

Littlest wore a Sassy Vamp headress borrowed from her Mama for the occasion.

Charlie has been in the Christmas tree all the bloody time.

We still leave a note and goodies for Hay Santa and the reindeer (though one carrot wouldn't go round them all).

The beef stew and dumplings was delicious.

 

 

 

Christmas Day...

 

  

 

 

Taking a break from the preparations.

1950s Clevaline wool dress - Second to None 

Red tights, black  patterned tights and bangles - charity shops

Scarf - Christmas gift from my friend Karen

Necklace - Christmas gift from my friend Tracey

Shoes and red ring - retail (sale)

 

 

 

Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and bagel for breakfast.

Sherry for the cook, and the Mr.

The girls found wrapping the pigs in their blankets quite hilarious.

Naughty behaviour in the run-up to Christmas was curbed by a stern Do that again, and you'll get an extra sprout. I may market this as an alternative to a star chart.

Day after Boxing Day...

 

 

 

 

A trip into town for a ride on the carousel, catering as it does for all classes.

 

 

 

 

We did this last year too (here), which makes it something of a day-after-Boxing-Day tradition - 

 

 

 

 

The sign and Madonna and child icon were in a coffee shop. I can do without religion, but the sentiments seem reasonable enough.

I hope living well includes the  G&T with peanuts I consumed when we got back from seeing The Hobbit.

 

 

 

And just to show that I do listen to your sage advice...

1970s flamenco-style maxi dress - Ebay

Faux fur cape - gift from the lovely Sara - thank you so much, Sara, I love it!

Shoes and bangles - charity shopped

Hairband - borrowed from Eldest

 

 

 

 

Look!

Orbs!

Photographic evidence of the spirit world, obviously.

Restless souls of the dead, or too much gin?

Hope your Christmas was merry and bright.

 I'll be round to see you soon!