Friday 16 December 2011

Fab Frock Friday! Vintage Christmas Divas

Thought you might like these snaps of gorgeous vintage Divas in their Christmas finery on this Fab Frock Friday!
Debbie Reynolds
Audrey Hepburn

Donna Reed

Grace Kelly

Rita Heyworth

What are you wearing this Christmas?
                        x

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Dresses to Impress- the A-Z of fab frocks and gorgeous gowns. P..... is for Posh Frocks

Posh Frocks- they do what it says on the tin! A dress which will take you anywhere, make you feel special, stand up against Million Dollar baby's and Mutton Dresses as Lamb alike. Every discerning chic needs a Posh Frock. Here's Grace Kelly in one of the gorgeous numbers she wears in 'High Society' (one of my fav films!)

And where better to look than Redressing Posh Frock Collection where you can find a perfect posh frock at a fraction of it's original price. Glam yourself up this Christmas with Redressing knowing that not only do you look sensational but you haven't bust your budget and you have given a once worn beauty a new lease of up cycled life! Ethical as well as beautiful... what could be better?!
Here's a small selection of what I'm talking about!
Next £20
Maria Gratchvogel £25
Wallis £20
Lime £15
If you need a Posh Frock this Christmas- pop over and have a look! There's always more in stock than on the website so if you're looking for that special little number, give me a call!

Wednesday 7 December 2011

All wrapped up online!

I thought I'd take a moment to share some of the goodies out there in the cyber shops this Christmas which would be perfect for a vintage loving dame and her (silk?) stocking!...
£6.95 www.dotcomgiftshop.com
As we usually do quite a bit of baking for friends and family at Christmas, what could be cuter than this retro tin from the DotCom Giftshop?!

If you've been following fellow blogger Betty Bee, then this vintage china teacup and saucer would be perfect for her homemade candles! I really would love to have a go at making these.
£6.95 www.dotcomgiftshop.com
For somewhere to keep your dates, events and reminders how about adding a Cath Kidston 2012 Diary to your vintage style stocking?
£10 www.cathkidston.co.uk

The Vintage Style gifts website  also have some fab vintagey goodies. I love this retro style wall calendar. I have a tin one similar to this and find them really helpful for knowing the date and being able to use them year after year!
£11.95 from www.vintagestylegifts.co.uk
 I couldn't resist including these retro pin up diva luggage tags from Find Me A Gift! How fab are they?! You'll never lose your suitcases again!


Have you discovered Retro Belle on your vintage inspired cyber shopping trail yet? A little bit like DotCom but with 10% of all sales proceeds going to Cancer Research, this little webshop is worth a visit! I've found a lovely retro style alarm clock in green which would be perfect for my front room!
£8.95 Retro Belle

If it's clothes you're after then both Heyday and Collectif are offering gift vouchers this Christmas and of course there's always a selection of fab vintage inspired frocks to be found in the Redressing Vintage Chic collection. Along with Everyday Glam and Posh Frocks.
£20 www.redressing.co.uk

What have you seen out there in Cyber-world this Christmas that would suit a silk stocking?!

Monday 5 December 2011

Adventures in Vintage Norwich!

Well, what a weekend!
Thanks have to go at the very start of this blog to my gorgeous Hubby for arranging such a magnificent 40th birthday treat! Norwich is beautiful and really does have a super vintage scene.

Having worked in Norwich for a little while (about 20 years ago), Hubby and I hadn't been back since so we decided to go for my 40th birthday on the advice of Retro Chick. What good advice! Armed with a  town plan and the list of Vintage Norwich places to eat/shop/play we we off.....

Our hotel, By Appointment is one of the quirkiest, vintage styled places I have ever stayed. Our room paid homage to decades past with fab accessories and styling including overstuffed furniture, a vintage nightgown, aged suitcases and an Edwardian dressing table set, oh and a roll top bath in the en suite!
Bedroom (Queen Elizabeth room)

Rose in vintage china in the roll top bath!

The free evening meal included in our 2 night stay was amazing. I had mackerel and fillet steak, hubby had scallops followed by sea bass. A free glass of champagne each and amazing desserts to follow and we were stuffed. I'm glad my Heyday red Mary dress got her first outing in such splendid surroundings!
Dining room 1

Mary Dress in Red

I even matched dining room 2!

Saturday saw clear blue skies and a visit first to Lulu Vintage where I found this gorgeous top hand knitted to an original 1940s pattern. Perfect with my Heyday trousers.

We also visited Poppy Valentine, Prim Vintage, and the market where I bought a stunning 1960s does 1940s dress from Ruby Tuesday's stall. We tripped around the Cathedral too, watched the Christmas Past retro film show in the Forum and nipped in to Goldfinches vintage too.




With all that shopping it was most certainly time for tea, so where else but Biddys tea rooms in Lower Goat Lane. Certainly didn't disappoint!
Outside

Inside (although this table was reserved!)

Vintage china and oodles of cakes!

So full people were sharing tables


With the obligatory bits of other non-vintage shopping to do we also traipsed around Chapelfields shopping centre but soon found ourselves back in the lanes for Follies and Soho Hip (fab frocks but a little out of my price range!)

So there you have it; a quick round up of a wonderful weekend in Vintage Norwich! Thanks go to Retro Chick, the Vintage Norwich website, By Appointment and most importantly, hubby! What a lucky lass I am. It's so important to build into a marriage like this- we had a truly wonderful time (and so did our 3 kids back home with their Grandparents! Hooray!)

What were your weekend plans?

Friday 2 December 2011

Cath Kidston Giveaway WINNER......

And the winner is.......

                                                                          JULIA FLETCHER!


Thanks to all of you who entered! Some of your comments were really encouraging and very lovely, thank you.
Julia, can you now contact me to organise delivery/collection of your fab Cath Kidston goodies.

In the meantime, we're off to visit Vintage Norwich this weekend with my Heyday Mary dress, Collectif pencil skirt and 40s beret... lots of vintage shop browsing, coffee consuming in Biddy's tea rooms and dining out- can't wait! Just check out the hotel!...

Will post upon my return with plenty of pics!

Bye for now
  x