A delivery from 1973.......

 

At the weekend, my mother brought out a box for me

Quite unassuming, vintage cosmetics maybe? Mum was an Avon Rep in the seventies. Nope! Turning the box I spied the handwritten label quickly!!

Oh how I smiled!! Opening it was like jumping back into my childhood!! Lovely handrolled (yes mum is a perfectionist!!)lengths of the most fabulous braids mum had used throughout the 70s and 80s when she sewed our clothes :)

A selection of the goodies inside.....

Sometrimes its good to have a mum who's a bit of a hoarder ;)

Today I'll be sorting my own sewing stash so I can add these to my own collection. I have a feeling mine will pale in comparison!!

Now just because Sounds of the 70s last night reminded me of my parents love for the Carpenters, heres a song to brighten your day...

Happy May Day

Today, the first day of May is officially May Day here in the UK. (Although our MayDay Bank Holiday is next Monday).

How are you celebrating? It would have been lovely to dress up in  a gorgeous summer dress and frolick through a meadow smelling wild flowers and picknicing by a small stream as the butterflies flitted by....

But alas, this is England and it is raining! So I am tucked up inside in  high waisted trousers and a cherry red bow jumper. My nod at May Day are the strawberries on my new summer blouse I thrifted at the weekend!

Local town flooded yesterday - thats a road the river is by the houses!!

Even though it its as grey as a battleship outside - and probably twice as wet! - I can't help thinking of summer and browsing lovely vintage summer dresses on the web and decorating the house for summer....

What are your vintage summer plans, wardrobe or otherwise?

A weekend in Devon...Typewriters, Tablecloths and Regrets....

At the weekend, before the rainstorm that nearly blew our caravan away, we went to Devon. We wandered around antique centres and thrift stores and I found two lovely retro typewriters. Both complete with their hard cases and in fully working order, I couldn't decide between the two. 'Why do you need a typewriter?' Hubby asked. I was unable to offer an answer past, because I want one, so I didn't offer a reply. Our house if full to bursting of things I couldn't say no to, just because. So, I set myself a limit (noot having a clue how much typewriters were worth) and asked the shop keeper how much they were....
They were £5 above my self imposed limit and as I couldn't decide between the two, we told her we'd think about it and be back later.

We crossed the road and visited a church sale where I happened on a bag of assorted embroidered tablecloths, stupidly cheap. But because I couldn't think of an immediate use for them I passed them over.... We decided to escape the cold in a cafes and more shops...

We continued back through the high street  and returned to our caravan. The next day I sat down with a coffee flicking through my new Mollie Makes and  was filled with inspiration as too what I could have done with those tablecloths.

The next day, back home, I browsed EBay for typewriters, turned out they were a bargain at the shop.
 ' I wish I 'd bought that typewriter' I whispered over to Hubby.   'I know, I was thinking that earlier'
he replied.

So what advice can I pass on?

If you spot something away from home , by all means give yourself some thinking time but don't forget to go back to the shop. Set an alarm on your phone for 10 minutes then ask yourself again. "Do I like that item enough to buy it? Will I seriously regret it if I don't." 
Assuming you have internet on that phone, do a quick search for comparible items and prices no use in paying over the odds, or equally missing a bargain.
And despite all this DO remember how much space you have at home!

{Tutorial} How to make a Hair Rat for Faux Bangs / Rolled Fringe

I'm always on the lookout for a good vintage hairstyle, and the faux fringe is one I've dabbled with in the past a couple of times Previously, I've use a shop bought dughnut sliced open to create the rat , but the colour doesnt go with my new hair and truth be told its a bit on the chunky side. 

'I know' I thought this morning, 'It can't be that hard -I'll make my own!'  And do you know what? 

It wasn't! 

You too can make your own Hair-Rat with this tutorial

Hair -Rat Tutorial

You will need :~

* Old pair of tights

* Scissors

* Neeedle and thread or Sewing Machine

*Cotton Wool, Wadding or a big ball of your own hair (saved from your brushes)

1.First select your tights, normal everyday tights or stockings,  in a colour that matches your hair closest.  This is a great way to recycle those holey ones!! Mine were 'Barely Black', good for darker hair,  for blondes choose 'Natural' shades.

2.Cut a section from you tights approx 7" long.

3.Starting 1" from the one end, sew a seam along one shorter edge and after 1 1.2" turn and sew along the length of the tight. 

4.Cut away excess tight material and turn tight inside out.

5. Fill the tube (leaving 1" gap at open end) with your filling and manipulate until stuffing is even along the length, and tube is  'sausage shape'.

6. Sew up open end so you have 1" flat piece of tight between seam and end of tight material. These extra pieces of flat material will enable you to pin the roll into your hair.

7. If you are using a sewing machine selecting a stitch where the needle sews to one side of the foot will help get a good result. I selected option 5 (see below)

You should now have a homemade Hair-Rat!!!!

Roll your fringe around the Rat and finish with a pretty flower!!!

 

If you need a hand rolling a fringe  you can check out these videos...

Fleur rolls a faux fringe ...

Dirty works - budget buy review

Now I'm as much of a sucker as the next vintage gal for a bit of Retro 

packaging. So, when I spotted the dirty works on the shelves of 

Sainsburys I had to try some. 

I started with some of the 'hardware' rather than the toiletries and 

bought the compact mirror and a retractable lipbrush. 

Christmas time I was given a DW toiletry bag containing a lipgloss, day cream 

and another mirror - whoops. As wells a few more things from the range, 

brushes and case, clippers, tweezers and a trio of toiletries

I was pretty pleased with the Day Cream, it quite thick, but absorbs 

reasonably

quickly. My skin is very dry and it keeps it moisturised fairly well, 

although not quite for as long as my normal cream. 

The lipgloss smells lovely, it is a nice natural colour - but is 

ever so sticky!

Across the web I've read a few review on the toiletries and opinions are 

mixed.

Read The PrincessPrudence's review of the face wash here 

and more products on Victoria-Vinage's blog here

All of the other (non toiletry gifts) were fab, well made , fun graphics 

- vintage belles, glossy black or powder blue and polka dots! 

I would definitely recommend these to add to your makeup bag!

 

So when I was on the look out recently for a new eye cream I decided to 

give the DW one a try. First impressions weren't good, 

I opened the box and the tube took up less that 

half the box - a pet hate of mine!

Come on, Sainsburys we don't need wasted packaging! 

But the cream inside was pretty good, not to greasy, it went on easily 

and seemed to reduce the appearance of any fine lines. 

In fact, all seems great until I went downstairs 5 minutes later and hubby asked 

what had happened to my eyes?? 

My skin had turned red where i'd applied the cream - Eek not a good look! 

So unfortunately the cream was not good for me :( 

And if you have slightly sensitive skin 

I'd definitely say give this one a miss.

Overall, I'd say it is a range of two halves! 

People (myself included)seem to love the hardware, bags, tools etc 

but the toiletries are a bit hit and miss!

Luckily its cheap enough to give it a little try and make up you own mind.  

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What will be vintage?

Its no secret at all that my favourite vintage period is the 1940s and 50s and that our children join us on our 1940s reenactment adventures, infact it seems one of the most favourite vintage periods for people of my generation!

I often wonder if, my children will continue with this love of this period or as they grow if they (along with another generation) will embrace a new vintage period.

Putting aside other factors the 1940s / 50s is a period when alot of our parents were born and grew up.

So, how much of that has influenced our enthusiasm for the period? Our parents nostalgia influencing our subconcious, rose tinted stories of  'the best days of their lives' increasing our love for the period.

There is alot being asked these days about when is vintage? how old does something have to be vintage? Well, experts will quote anything over 25 years can called Vintage which takes us to the 1980s.  Fastforward 25 years till my daughter is the about the age as I am now and the 70s and 80s will be 50/60 years ago.  not too far away from my 60/70 years since the 1940s and50s!

70s without the fancydress!!

Although we wouldn't rush to dress from the period -(the above piccy might change that!!)
hubby and I definitely embrace the nostalgia of the 70s. Often buying original childhood games for the kids and rewatch our GoodLife DVDs with them!!

And there'll always be a babycham or snowball offered to visitors on xmas day, before dinner....

So will they jump into the 70s and 80s (the decades I was born and grew up) with as much enthusiasm as I have for the 40s and 50s or will those post war years always remain the desired vintage period?