Sunday, 15 July 2012

Wine, Walsall and wild wild women

I have a tendency to be a glass-half-empty sort of a gal, I'm afraid, though I know it's not a very appealing trait.

 However, I am going to review this rather negative approach to life, since the day I had yesterday has proved that life - and people - can more than live up to your expectations. 



Who wouldn't have a joyful time with this fabulous woman?

I met up with Vix in her hometown of Walsall for a day of chazzing, chatting, vintage rummaging, more chatting, with a bit of drinking thrown in. Sounds perfect, doesn't it?
 
We hit the charity shops, though not with much success. We were rather bemused by this painting in one of them, and thought it was some bizarre monkey/man/creature, but looking at it again, I think it's a woman. Can you see boobs? 



Could it be Eve, being tempted by more than one serpent, while playing the flute? Who knows?


Vix spotted this vintage souvenir bracelet, which came home with me.




And I found some sunglasses and another bangle.



You can never have too many of either, right?

Vix certainly attracted some attention in Wetherspoons. Bob, on the table behind ours, was keen to make her acquaintance, take her back to his retro pad to show her his 60s music collection and serenade her on his karaoke machine (I don't think I was invited...) He had an amorous gleam in his rather bloodshot eyes! 

And another chap was very interested in Vix's Frida Kahlo pendant (but I think he might have been ogling her chest really). 

Gotta love a Wetherspoons on a Saturday lunchtime!


Vix had told me about Walsall's legendary vintage emporium, Second to None, and it didn't disappoint.

 
Packed to the rafters with vintage treasures, we saw all manner of amazing, weird and wonderful things.




June, the owner, let us forage in her secret stock room, and even made us a cup of tea.




Please can everyone tell Vix to go back and buy this fabulous Frank Usher monochrome flamenco maxi dress? It fit her like a glove and she looked incredible in it.



How about accessorising it with a traditional Welsh hat? Lucy, we were thinking of you!

It was a really great way to spend an afternoon, and since we were in there past closing time, it would have been rude not to buy something...

Like there was any chance I would have left that shop without spending some money!


A 1950s Clevaline wool crepe dress with velvet and bead trim for £5? Yes please! It needs to meet the lint roller and have a good air, but it will be the perfect winter dress with bright tights and ankle boots.



And these Finnish-made Juhani Palmroth burgundy leather riding boots were a steal at £8. 

If you are ever in the neighbourhood, get yourself to June's shop, it's a treasure trove, and I guarantee you will find something a) fabulous and b) affordable. Just make sure you allow plenty of time to browse! 

If you haven't already been, pop over to Vix's blog to see what she bought - she's looking fabularsehole!



A last beer in Walsall's other Wetherspoons before I caught my train home.

I had a brilliant day. Vix is just as you think she is from reading her blog - kind, funny, generous, beautiful, warm, chatty, and rather naughty. She's also got an incredible giggle, and she's a man-magnet!

Can't wait to meet up again!

  xxx

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

Makes my soul trip away

We Brits could be forgiven for forgetting what the sun looks like this summer.



Ahhh - that's better!



I had forgotten all about this maxi dress.

It was another of my 99p Ebay scores from last year, but it kind of got lost amongst all my vintage maxis. I do love the digital floral print though.




Only thing is, it seems to have grown after a year of drooping on a coathanger. I'm 5'8" and wearing 3" heels, and I still keep treading on the hem. 

Or have I shrunk?




I am reading Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland to Littlest at the moment. Another thing I had forgotten - what a weird and wonderful book it is, and how much I love the original John Tenniel illustrations.

Disney's Alice? Oh please.

Although this trippy floral still from the cartoon rather reminded me of my frock.




And here is our very own Cheshire Cat...



...not smiling, but showing his arse, again.


Anyhow, it's been no trouble to hitch up my frock and bask a little in the very welcome sunshine today.



Maxi dress (Ebay), hair flower and assorted bangles (charity shopped), sunglasses (vintage shop), skull/pearl/bead necklace (made by darling Krista, currently frolicking with Helga'n'G), sun (glorious gift from the Universe)



Cast your eyes like summer skies.

xxx



Monday, 9 July 2012

Willkommen Bienvenue Welcome

It's been a dull wet Monday.

I needed something to cheer myself up.


 So what would you do if you found these in a charity shop?



Fishnet seamed tights and a rather moth-eaten old bowler hat.

Isn't it obvious?



You would ignore the pile of ironing, the vacuuming, and the endless other domestic chores of doom, and spend the afternoon dressing up as Sally Bowles.

Don't pretend you wouldn't.







I hadn't seen the 1972 film of Cabaret for years, but stumbled across it on TV a while back and stayed up past my bed time to watch it. I had forgotten what a fabulous film it is. And I'm not really a big fan of musicals (apart from Grease!)





I think I like it because it's a musical where the songs occur naturally, since it is set in a cabaret club.
And it's political, sexy, and oh so stylish.

Much like myself....



Velvet longline waistcoat, shorts, fishnets, shoe boots, bowler hat, bangles and beads - all charity shopped; false eyelashes - Ebay






Somebody invite me to a fancy dress party, for God's sake. Or a Sing-along-a-Cabaret!






These ridicilously huge tranny false eyelashes were last seen here. I am definitely a drag queen trapped in a real woman's body.



 I think that's another reason why I like Cabaret - the styling of the dancers in the Kit Kat Club isn't pretty-pretty, they look quite masculine and tranny-esque, sexy but a bit scary...

Much like myself...

That's a joke, by the way. I'm not sure whether it's always clear when I'm joking...






So I heartily recommend ditching your chores, charity-shopping/thrifting something crazy, and spending an afternoon recreating an iconic look. For no other reason other than that you can.


Really, you can.

Divine decadence, darlings!
 



And if anyone from the PTA is looking...



...that isn't me.



Friday, 6 July 2012

A little bit of heart and soul


Oh the rain.

It's not raining men, or in my heart.

It probably will rain until September.

Why does it always rain on me?



Yes, here we are in July, and I'm wearing my winter boots. Bloody hell.


 
I like this In-wear frock, which I charity shopped ages ago. I don't wear it so much now as my mostly-black years are behind me. I suppose it's from the 1990s, but the slouchy bat-wingy style reminds me of the 80s.

I'm kind of loving a bit of 1980s style these days, after all those years of mockery.
 
So because I couldn't take any outfit pics today (torrential rain meant outside photos were impossible, and it's been so dark and dreary that the indoor photos were disastrous), I thought I would entertain you with excerpts from my 1980s-early 1990s curly years.


 

I longed for Pre-Raphaelite hair, and paid handsomely to try and achieve it.
 
 
 
 
Permed, dyed, backcombed, with a ton of hairspray - my 1980s hair was chemical-heavy and frankly crackled to the touch. I may have put my own personal hole in the ozone layer. I do apologise.
 
 

 
I wanted to look like... 
 


Sarah Jane Morris...
 
 
 
The Witches of Eastwick...
 
 

Rosie Vela...
 


or Madonna in Dick Tracy.
 

But I fear I was rather more like...


Deidre Barlow. Oh dear.
 

The person I was most often likened to was...


Carol Decker. Hmmm....
 


These days, I don't push too hard against nature. 
 
 
 
 
The hair is straight.
 
(Still dye it though!)
 
Have a good weekend!
  xxx