Flying colours

After wearing an unusual (for me) amount of black, I did promise you some colour, didn't I?

And I like to keep my word.

I've had a busy week. 

 

I've been either working, shopping, cooking, doing laundry, or catching up with friends; throw a British Gas engineer visit, two parents' evenings and job interview into the mix, and blogging finds itself at the end of a long list of Stuff To Do.

This is what I wore to my interview. 

A job selling vintage should come with a requirement to wear it, don't you think?

1960s Admyra jacket and 1970s St Michael pussy-bow blouse - charity shopped

1970s Tricosa maxi skirt - antiques centre

1960s vinyl bag and ankle boots - Ebay

Bangle - gift from Fiona

 

I am waiting to hear the outcome of the interview; they will either think I have a passion for vintage and a wealth of great ideas, or that I am an annoyingly gobby know-all .  

 

We shall see.

 

 

1970s maxi dress - £5 sale rail, vintage fair

Jacket, clogs, necklace and bangles - charity shopped

 

 

I match the fuchsia, lavender, and the turning leaves of the Virginia creeper. 

My new-to-me 1970s apron has a distinctly autumnal look to it as well; by rights, it should belong to (pinni)Vix.

 

 

I might just sneak in to Patti's Visible Monday party (even though it's Thursday - oops.) 

Right; more cooking to be done now, and hopefully I'll be catching up with you all later. 

 

It's all go!

 

xxx

 

Cheap and cheerful

I seem to remember a Trinny and Susannah programme in which they proclaimed that wearing black with a bright colour looks cheap.

I suppose a snooty comment loaded with class prejudice and financial elitism is only to be expected from them.

If I'm going to wear black, I like some colour to lift the mood and provide contrast.

 

1970s dress - Ebay

Cardigan, sunglasses and bangles - charity shopped

Sandals and belt - retail (sale)

 I love the drama of red and black...

 

1970s dress - gift from birthday girl Leisa

1970s tapestry bag (previous photo) - gift

Everything else - as above

 

and the soft prettiness of black with pink and purple.

 

If that makes me look cheap, then so be it.

 

Yes, Charlie, that's Mama looking common, apparently, but not giving too much of a toss.

 

 The thing is, if I had to assess myself, I would say that although I am cheap (I love a bargain and have a limited budget), I don't think I look cheap. 

 

(Feel free to disagree, though I suggest tact and discretion are required here...)

 

I believe that one of the many delights of wearing vintage is that it neatly circumvents issues of cost, fashion, or the dreaded age-appropriateness. That's why I like it; it's a leveller. 

 

Precious little cash, no interest or idea about current trends, and past the first flush of youth? 

No matter! Vintage is your friend.

 

 

 

You can't tell by looking at my dresses (these two, or any of my collection) whether I bought them from some fancy pants vintage shop where I paid through the nose, or from a charity shop where they cost way less than a frock in Primark. 

 

 

 

These pretty dresses were in fashion when I was in my teens, but I'm not trying to look like a teenager by wearing them. They seem fairly ageless to me, they fit well, they work for my shape, and I love black with colour.

Cheap? Perhaps - but I'm ever so cheerful!

 

PS. Speaking of vintage; is anyone else feeling disappointed by This Old Thing, the current Channel 4 TV show about vintage clothing? I was prepared to give it a chance, but oh it is annoying me!

xxxx

Colour my world

January.

Not my favourite month, but I am trying not to be miserable about it, and it's never a good plan to wish your life away. Not when you're probably over half way through it. (I'm 50 this year, it's got me thinking!)

Colour, that's what I need. Colour, print, and a vintage frock.

 

The girls and I headed into town to the Crucible Theatre on Friday evening.

 

 

 

Oliver! was great. I am not the biggest lover of musical theatre, but the production and performances were strong, and of course I know all the songs. It's been such a long time since I saw any live theatre, I had forgotten that wonderful sense of excitement and expectation when the house lights go down and the music starts. 

 

I know Littlest looks as though she's nodding off. She wasn't, she was just being a twit. She was actually saucer-eyed, and because she didn't know the story, she was horrified that Nancy was murdered. 

source

I was rather taken with the Dickensian street girls' costumes, and feel I may have to do my own Oom Pah Pah tribute post at some stage. So there's something to look forward to.

 

I am also inspired to read some Dickens for the first time in 30 years. I'm an English Literature graduate who has never read Bleak House, and that's a bit shameful.  This year, I am trying to intersperse my usual reading with the occasional Piece of Literature I Should Have Read But Haven't. 

 

I started with Heart of Darkness, because it's short. I'm aware of how shallow that sounds, but it's the truth!

 

On Saturday, we went out for brunch, taking in the River Sheaf and a playground along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, Seldom Seen's new specs have been glued back together, and he is rocking them. Give him a sharp 1960s suit and a gun, and he's Harry Palmer.

1960s Tom Jones for California maxi dress - vintage fair

Cardigan, bangles and necklaces - charity shopped

Boots - Ebay

 (The peacock feather bangle was a gift but I can't remember from whom... Was it you, Princess Tan-Tan?)

 

 

 

There is stew with dumplings in the oven for tea, as befits our first major frost of the season (my poor camellia will suffer even more) and a chilly day. 

Homework has been done (albeit painfully).

The week's plans include a PTA meeting, tidying up (Must Be Done), an attempt to sort out the Cupboard of Doom (ditto), and maybe some sewing.

Rock'n'roll!

 

 

 

And what better way to start the week than by meeting up with Patti and her friends for Visible Monday? 

 

See you there!

 

xxxxx

 

Life in glorious technicolour

How has your weekend been?

Good, I hope.

 

I managed to wangle a weekend featuring some of my favourite things;

 

 kids out having fun with their friends, a Chinese takeaway, wine, a jumble sale with friends, a vintage/secondhand market virtually at the end of my road, some sunshine, and the man is making tea so I can get this blog post done, hurray!

 

 

First up - some jumble joy from yesterday;

Top l-r;

padded coat-hangers (you can never have too many, can you, Clare?)

1970s St. Michael swimsuit

1970s St. Michael pink slip/nightie

huge wool blanket (instant nostalgia - reminds me so powerfully of my childhood)

Swallow print tie top

1970s leather shoulder bag

tablecloth

pomander (to add to my growing collection)

1970s curling tongs

1960s Midwinter bowls

 

 

1970 and 1973 calender tea towels.

(If these are anyone's birth years and you would like them, I'll happily wash and iron them and send them on to you!)

 

 Favourite finds of the day;

 

 

 

Groovy 1970s embroidered cat picture - weird and so wonderful.

 

Box of Tootal Chic handkerchiefs - 3 original hankies still with their stickers on, plus random others squashed inside the box too.

 

1950-60s Pixie vanity case and a wedding cake topper.

I remembered Loo's advice and took another spin past the bric-a-brac stall, checking underneath the tables, and spotted the vanity case. The man on the stall apologised for the fact there was no key - but it was hiding in the pocket all along! The case needs a good clean, but it makes up for my previous disappointment, immortalised in Melanie's Rumble in the Jumble cartoon (in my side bar.)

Is it fanciful to imagine that the wedding cake decoration and vanity case belonged to the same lady? 

 

I am no great fan of marriage, but I couldn't leave this charming couple behind, so 20p later, they were in my bag. They are sitting on a broken plastic base and I think they would originally have taken a sedate battery-operated spin around the top of the cake. 

Bruised and battered, paint peeling, but still arm in arm. I'd like to believe in the possibility of that.

Denim jacket, sequin beret, bangles and Office shoes - charity shopped

1970s maxi skirt - vintage fair

Planet t-shirt - jumble sale

Belt and necklace - retail (sale)

Brooch - flea market

So much fun - friendly chat with the stall holders, a post-jumble show-and-tell with my pals over a coffee, quirky treasures (there were also some tops for Eldest, a pair of boot stretchers, and paperbacks for the man), and all for under a tenner. 

 

That makes me happy.

Today, Littlest and I wandered back from her swimming lesson by way of a small vintage market, part of National Antiques Week. 

I loved this nest of tables, the annodised soda siphon and wooden ice bucket.

But I was very good and didn't buy anything...

...until I reached the Beads 4 Aid stall run by these two lovely ladies.

 

One of them said to me that I looked like someone who enjoys drama and colour; true enough, but only sartorially speaking!

 

They donate a percentage of their profits to a charity supporting Ugandan women who have suffered  injuries during childbirth.

Unusually for me, among all the bright colour, I chose this understated but oh-so-pretty silver and marcasite ring. It was labelled as 1980s, but I suspect it's a little earlier - maybe a 1970s homage to Thirties Art Deco style?

 

Orange and pink - Nature doesn't fear bright colours or fabulous clashing combinations, so why should I?

That's right, Charlie, I'm leaving the monochrome to you today.

 I've had a lovely weekend, I'm bright, I'm colourful, and I'm being visible over at Patti's for our usual Monday get-together!

 xxxx

A fumble at the jumble

I'm not going to moan any more about my ongoing snottiness. Really I'm not. I'm boring myself with droning on about it.

Instead, who fancies a fumble in the jumble? Me, that's who. There are so few jumble sales these days, I get very excited when I spot one advertised. Although Saturday's event didn't fulfil my fantasies of vintage goodies galore for tuppence ha'penny, I got a few bits and pieces, saw some friends, had a piece of cake, and it got me out of my slough of despond for an hour or so, so it wasn't a complete waste of time.

A lady behind the women's clothes stall picked this 1970s M&S skirt up to show her colleague, while laughing and shaking her head. "Crimplene!" she said with disdain, before chucking it back on the pile. I swooped, it was the only vintage item there, I reckon.

The sheer blouse has ruffles on the front, though you can't really see in the photos. It's cheap modern tat but I rather like it! Skirt and blouse - 20p each.

Tights, silver T-bars and suede belt all charity-shopped. I think the total spend must be around £6 - giving our Kerala-loving Vix a run for her money!

                                            This is what I actually wore today. I needed the colour boost.

1970s Austrian wool blend skirt, belt, bangles and leather shoulder bag (charity shops), boots and 1970s Sarah Coventry owl pendant (Ebay), sweater (jumble sale)

                                          The wise old owl of vintage - may he bring me vintage goodies aplenty!

I had an ulterior motive for going to the jumble sale. Our school fund raising group is holding its inaugural Rumble in the Jumble next month - guess whose idea that was? So I wanted to get a feel for how others do it, dos-and-don'ts, pricing, that kind of thing.

I think we should keep the prices low, we don't want stacks left at the end; we need lots of helpers so people can pay quickly and easily; and a separate area for tea, coffee and good quality cake is essential to keep punters there longer and boost their blood sugar levels (they may return to the fray for another rummage once they are refreshed!)

Any jumble sale aficionados out there with handy hints - please let me know your thoughts. If this one goes well, we could make it an annual event. And I kind of have a point to prove, as I think some of my colleagues think it's all a bit low brow - I need to convert them!

                                                                                 xxxxx