why I ♥ vintage...

...and I don't mean a well aged wine. Been teetotal since August!

No sir, I mean pre-worn, pre-loved clothing and accessories.

Trawling the chazza shops is a hobby I inherited from my Grandma Lord, who I am realising I am becoming more and more like. As a kid it would be a guilty pleasure, which I'd never have carried out in Doncaster for fear of being seen (hey, I got picked on enough at school!).

As I hit my teens and cared less about what others thought, I realised my home town, as well as having nearly as many charity shops as pubs, offered a wealth of treasures. I have often thought, and don't hate me Doncastrians, that this is because most of the inhabitants have little style...meaning canary yellow 80's two-pieces with musical prints, or neon pink leopard print Fiorucci mini skirts remain hanging from the rails, gathering dust and waiting for me to discover them!

I've also spent a lot of my life either hopelessly skint or manic about money, so second-hand has been the way to feed my voracious clothing appetite. I know people with more clothes, but I certainly know a great many with less.

So heres just a very, very, small selection of some of my favourites...

...and the kittens. They heart vintage also. Included is one half of the afore mention -ned two piece, and a cute-as-a-button purple print 60's number I picked up at a vintage fair at the Bloomsbury Lanes when I took a trip 'dahn sarrf' in early December.

When in London you also must, must visit the legendary Beyond Retro. Not quite as cheap as it used to be now word has spread, but you're sure to find some gems, like the pink sequin heels in the picture above.

click for Beyond Retro online... 

Anyway, please excuse my poor image quality. No daylight plus ageing point and shoot equals appalling photos!

I mourn the loss of my favourite ever vintage purchase, and learned my lesson the hard way, after a eurovison night out at Bar NY a few years back, I stuffed this incredible pink and pastel paisley frock in the waching machine, to be left with it all felted together and several sizes smaller than it's own lining. ALWAYS, BUT ALWAYS HAND WASH!

I have no idea who the person in the background is. Or why I have a halo of green light above my head. This was a rather long time ago.

My replacement favourite is a black dress passed on to me by the mum. I hacked off the bottom to make it a cuter length, as with this blue dress scattered with oriental characters I neither know the origin or meaning of. Also from the Bloomsbury vintage fair. The black dress is particularly special because it's what I was wearing when I saw my Grandad for the very last time. He told me I looked pretty.



Vintage clothes not only bring with them their own histories. They keep on creating new stories.










Stay Strange xxx

Hoppy Christmas!

It's started!

Actually, I've been excited since about mid august. Excited is pretty much my average state of being.

But spent this morning making (somewhat over inflated) quiches and cleaning up ready for my family boxing day extravaganza, when, I heard the clatter of the letter box...(can't be that much of a backlog, mr. Royal Mail!)

If I don't count my work secret santa, and earrings from Kat which I chose myself, it's my first official Christmas gift! And no, I don't do waiting...

The boy disaster is every bit as excitable as I am, and has to be involved whenever there's a camera about. Sadly, during the ten minutes or so he toddled round with a sequin stuck to his nose, he wasn't quite still enough to photograph (what was that about working with children or animals? Or animal children?!)

You can just make out in the bakground my latest work in progress. I intend to post about it as soon as I can get some better light for pictures -hey, the days are getting longer now!

Ugh no make-up! But check out them bunny ears, courtesy of the beautiful, bunny enthusiast Miss Flora Leung. She should sell these for sure! I'm subconsciously styling a zillion Gaga-esque outfits right this second... Merry Christmas Flo!