Thrift Shop Thursday! Vintage finds

I had great success on my thrift shopping trip this week (that's charity shopping to us Brits!). I've been after some more pretty vintage glassware and so was delighted to find these beauties! Aren't they gorgeous?!

Vintage Glass Bowl

Vintage pink glass jug

Beautiful pattern!

Spout cleverly designed to stop ice plopping out!

I was also amazed and delighted to spot this stunning wool and faux fur 40's/50's style coat in a local charity shop.

Vintage wool coat

I've been looking for a longer coat for quite a while and had been tempted by those in both Tara Starlet and Collectif

Collectif Edith Jacket

Tara Starlet 40's coat

but I'm absolutely thrilled with this vintage chic piece. No idea of age or authenticity but it fits and is right up my street. You like?!

More vintage finds coming soon!
                x

Vintage 40's style Berets for Autumn

Now there's that delicious crisp Autumnal feel in the air I've found myself drawn to my beret collection for some vintage inspiration. I've found beret really give that forties feel to my Autumn wardrobe -what do you think?

40's dress: Pearl Lowe at Peacocks; hat: H&M; shoes: Miss L Fire

40's Trousers: Heyday; Jumper: Vintage 40's pattern; Hat: New Look

Trousers: Vivian of Holloway; Jumper: Collectif; Hat: Vintage hand knit

Dress: Queens of Holloway; Hat: Berylune

I love accessorizing with berets. What colour next?!.......
                 x

The Return of the Blog!

Sorry folks, what with new job and the start of term for my 3, I've been a little busy and have been neglecting  my lovely little blog. So, I hear you cry... what's it been like returning to the classroom?! Well, in truth it's been interesting and a little scary in places as I'm now involved in training teachers and not teaching kids.

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The job is brilliant for me as I can talk for hours while wearing vintage dresses! Seriously though,the teaching & learning software is such a great tool for both teachers and kids it has been great to explain how to use it and see delight and comprehension on the faces of many a previously hesitant teacher. (I've never seen someone look so excited as the guy who discovered he could upload a Prezi straight into the page!!!)

So life is looking a little different now with me working outside of the house even though I'm still self-employed but I am most definitely up for the challenge! I'm hoping to start regular postings on Tuesday and Thursdays now and the Re-Script workshop will be continuing with gusto!

In the meantime, Redressing is still offering a 20% sale on ALL dresses so nip on over and grab yourself a bargain!

Cheerio!

All Change! New Business Venture Ahoy....

Well, what a summer?!
Apologies for a little bit of a prolonged blog-absence this month, truth is I have a new business venture and have subsequently been a very busy bunny!

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As many of you know I adore empowerment in all it's forms and this new venture allows me to amalgamate my love of IT, empowerment, mentoring and training as I'm hooking up with an amazing company called Firefly to train school teachers in the use of their really very clever and easy to use VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)! It's an incredibly ingenious piece of software which enables teachers lives to be easier, integrates them more with the beautiful world of IT and the more beautiful world of their pupils by facilitating an intranet, website and learning platform. As an ex-secondary teacher this is quite probably a dream job for me and I get to stay self-employed and wear my vintage inspired wardrobe; talk about a win-win!!!

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Don't worry though- Redressing will still be up and running for you to buy quality pre-loved vintage inspired & contemporary dresses and if you'd like to host a Redressing event then just email me!
I will be continuing with this blog and my hints & tips on self-employment, body confidence and of course the incredibly popular re-script workshop so stay tuned!

Xx

Redressing FLASH SALE!

Hey lovelies- there's a flash sale on Redressing this month- Grab yourselves a bargain!

Happy Friday Folks

x            

Budget Beauty Buys: Dirty Works Review

I spotted some of the retro-packaged 'Dirty Works' skincare range on offer in my local Sainsbury's the other week so a review was begging!

Source- Princess Prudence Diaries

I purchased both the face wash and the night cream at half of their original price and having been using them both for a few days.
The face wash is lovely in that it doesn't get too soapy when you initially rub it (I hate an over use of sodium laureth sulfate!) and isn't to sticky when it's applied and washes off well. The scent is quite unusual in that it's not the usual soapy smell often associated with face washes, but I found it quite refreshing. It's only £3.99 full price but it is always nice to buy new products to try at a little less!

I found that it removed my make-up well and in applying a toner afterwards there was no residue which was a good sign.

The night cream is particularly nice as it is very light (I don't like a thick cream at bedtime!) It sinks in extremely quickly, although I do have skin on the drier side of the spectrum. I usually use Bio Oil and haven't bought a regular night cream for quite a while. I was already using Dirty Works eye cream which I love and so far, the night cream has been a good buy. I'd been using Bio Oil for months so I'm guessing it will take a wee while to see any obvious changes!!

I do have to confess that I am a sucker for retro and glamorous  packaging and do have a special affinity for Soap & Glory, but at these prices I was very happy to try Dirty Works and have not been disappointed.
All in all, I would give it a 7/10.
Have you tried it? What did you think?
               
*PS- There's a Flash Sale on my Redressing Website this month! Grab yourself a bargain xXx

Photo Diary: July

Happy Holidays!

Fab Frock Friday: Here's to the Pears!

I thought I'd revisit some old posts this FFF and look again at the best fits for your shape. So, Pears are the order of the day so if you are bigger behind than you are up top, check out what Redressing has in store for you this fabulous Friday the 13th! Don't forget to check out the Gals Body Shape Guide page for style hints & tips!

Maxi dress sz12 £10

Firetrap sundress sz16 £15

River Island champagne tunic sz 12 £15

The website is being updated regularly so keep your eye out for 'that dress'!!!

Happy Friday folks

x

The Re-Script workshop: E is for...

E is for Effort....

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Inner strength and outer beauty requires a certain amount of effort. These things don't always come naturally and effort is required to change the way we think, act, talk and dress in order to find and maintain a position of inner strength.


Having inner strength means not being easily shaken, emotionally led or afraid. Instead, it means choosing to stay strong on the inside no matter what the external circumstances look like. Don't get me wrong, it's not lying to yourself, burying your head in the sand or pretending, but it is a deliberate choice to change the way you filter things when they come into your head. 

Just like choosing to wear a fab frock and slap on some make-up, we can choose to make the same effort with our thinking systems and refuse to be intimidated or anxious by people or circumstances that threaten our inner strength. You are beautiful on the inside- so make the effort! The next time you feel anxious, intimidated or threatened remember that we can have inner strength and outer beauty!

Summer Swimwear: retro styles for the fuller bust!

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I've been out and about looking for some fun and well fitting vintage inspired swimwear this holiday season and these are my favs to date...

Bravissimo have a couple of lovelies at the moment if you need a really good fitting swimsuit. My two favourites are the Evie 'Wish you were here' 50s inspired swimsuit at only £35 and Bravissimo's Polka Dot style at £49.

Evie £35

Bravissimo £49

I've also been admiring the retro inspired range in none other than good old Tesco!!! £8 for this beautiful polka dot bikini top and you can buy matching bottoms. (Not many of these left and they do tend to assume a DD+ cup means a larger back size too which isn't always the case!)

Tesco £8

Panache have some great retro inspired bikini tops this season too. The Lucille reminds me of the French Riviera circa 1955. At £31 they are probably mid range for  retro styles but could easily be paired with block colour bottoms.

Panache Lucille £31

Panache Page £31

Although I love some of the retro and vintage inspired ranges by other brands like WKD, Toast and Floozie by Frost French, they just don't cater for more unusual size/cup combinations; more's the pity!
Hope you find something fabulously fifties for your summer hols! Going anywhere nice this year?!
                                     x

Fab Friday Finds: Keep Calm...

Just look at these pretties I found in no other than Morrisons this week!!!

Morrisons £1.50 each 

Aren't they gorgeous?! At £3 for both what could I do but purchase?!

What goodies have you found this week?

Have a great weekend!

         x

End of term!.... Juggling working from home & holidays well

I can't believe it's the end of the school year already! My, how quickly has that flown by. Now it's summer holidays time, well, for my children anyway.

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Juggling work and school holidays is never very easy so here's my advice on managing both well.


1. Plan your time well. If you are self employed like me, you can't always give much time to work during long school holidays so you have to plan your time well. I find, organising the 6 week stretch into distinctive weeks really helpful and making sure my 3 children know what's going on even more so.

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2. Balance work & play. I know each job is very different and has different requirements but I find splitting up each week so that I have given the right amounts of time to the needs of my business and of my children is imperative. There are some jobs I can get done before the end of this week, so I'm busily trying to accomplish as much as possible before the holidays actually start, but there are also plenty of things which need to happen week in week out. Use everything at your disposal to get as much done as possible before you have your children at home- scheduling your tweets, website updates and blogs helps and try to switch off completely on some days if you can!

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3. Plan play dates in advance. Set up play dates so your children are out at the same time as one another on certain days then return the favour on a day where you have less to do. Get those dates in the diary NOW! Last minute never works well if you have more than one child you need to plan for. Involve your kids in who they would like to see; their ownership of the process will stop them feeling 'pushed out' so that you can 'get on'.

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4. Decide as a family what 'events' or 'activities' you'd all like to do (if you having a staycation) and plan those in first, then plan work around them so everyone knows you have prioritised family times and then make sure they actually happen- that may mean ordering tickets now; sorting travel arrangements or paying for stuff upfront so whatever you all decide, just make sure it happens. We use a big roll of lining paper and literally write out every day so everyone knows just what's going on when.

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5. Enjoy it! Children grow up fast. In the immortal words of Ferris Beuller "If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Have a great summer whatever you are up to!.....
                             x

Three Confessions of a Happy Housewife!

We all need a bit of encouragement, inspiration and motivation so here are my top three happy housewife confessions!....

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1. I confess, I don't iron! Scandalous but true. Try washing on the lowest spin cycle then removing anything you would usually iron immediately after the spin cycle has finished and hang it on a padded hanger. You can then set the rest of the load to spin again on a higher rpm. That's why I don't iron. (that, and consciously purchasing clothing with elastane or synthetic fibres, less than 100% cotton content and lots of fabric conditioner!!!)

2. I confess, I don't cook every night. Welcome to the Ready Meal Revolution! Yes, I know, it's hard to believe but at least twice I week Mr. Redressing heats up a ready meal for the 2 of us and it's delicious! Look out for offers on readies (M&S Meals are some of the best) and budget accordingly on your weekly shopping funds. Removes hassle, is speedy and fortunately the options have moved on from Shepherds Pie or Lasagna! If cooking is a housewifely bug-bear let yourself off with a pre-prepared meal once in a while (if you don't already!)

3. I confess, I don't drink instant coffee. Yes, I am a coffee snob! I have found, 3 children later, that I am in need of a rather large and rather good quality cup of coffee to start my day. I take some time with this particular cup of coffee as it's the first real chance I get to look at my 'to do list'; assess the days requirements and determine realistically just how much of the said list will in fact get done! If this is the time in my day to plan strategically, be decisive, effective and efficient then I am sure as heck not going to do that over a cup of instant coffee! I also adore the smell of fresh coffee; have a clever little machine which keeps the pot hot for a couple of hours and also have low blood pressure so can take the caffeine induced palpitations hit!!!! In line with a well known hair care brand, I do feel that I am 'worth it' and therefore my coffee reflects my values. Nectar.

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The best housewifely tip I can pass on is to value yourself and by doing so, validate what you do. Remeber dolls, you are gorgeous, inside and out!
               xXx

Fab Frock Friday: Vintage Reproduction on eBay

Just thought I'd show you a few bits from my own collection of vintage repro  fab frocks that are currently on eBay.
Happy Bidding!

Collectif Sindy Doll Dress

Vivien of Holloway Swing Dress

1950s style crop cardigan

Queens of Holloway Belted Shirt Dress

Tara Starlet Belted Vixen Dress

The Re-Script workshop: D is for....

Today's re-script workshop challenge is a really exciting and easy one! Honestly, as D is for Dresses!
As women who want inner strength and outer gorgeousness, we can often end up falling victim to fast-fashion, fashion fads and frankly, just bad buys. Items which appear to be a bargain, but which in fact are ill fitting, don't go with anything and will inevitable end up in the back of your wardrobe until they hit the eBay pile.

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Your challenge for today is to ensure that your inner strength is indeed reflected in your outer gorgeousness by culling that wardrobe and making sure that said wardrobe contains at least one dress!
Dresses are fabulous- no matter what your shape, style or lifestyle there is a dress to suit you and you really do need to be wearing it! Apart from being thoroughly stylish, adaptable and easy to dress up or style down, a dress is your best friend simply because it is a single garment. Gone are the daily dilemmas surrounding what to wear. You have the fab jeans but no suitable top, or you have a great shirt but your skirt isn't quite right. Enter, the dress. One item which you can quickly pull on, layer up with a cardi, warm up with tights, chill out with sandals or notch up with high heels. If you don't have a dress in your newly culled wardrobe then I urge you to get one. Try on some of a friends, find out about your bodyshape and see if you can find one to suit you, but nothing will give you that feeling of ultra-outer gorgeousness than a dress.

Don't forget, you can send your unwanted clothing off to the local Chazza, recycle things by giving them to your friends and even keep pieces with cool fabrics for future make do and mend projects. Inner strength is our goal and it includes outer beauty so get culling and make sure you own that 'I look amazing' dress!
Do let me know how you get on girls!
                      x

*If you need a great source for that fab frock pop in to Redressing!

Budget Buys: Vintage nails on a budget, nail stickers review

You know how house magazines often have a double page spread where they find some cheaper versions of otherwise expensive stuff? Well, I thought I'd try a few 'Budget Buys' of my own to help you in your wise stewarding of financial resource! So when I stumbled upon these cutesy nail stickers in Primark the other day, I knew they would have to be post number one!

Nail Stickers- Primark £1

 At a mere £1 for 20 stickers; 10 fingers, 10 toes, I just had to give them a try. They came on a long strip and were really very easy to pull off. If anything, the stickers are a bit too long at quite a bit of the kitsch floral pattern got missed off my nails! I found that if I was very careful I could use my other thumb to score down the edge between the sticker and my cuticle which gave them a better shape. The remainder could then be bent over my nail and the excess sticker easily pulled off.

 I don't usually paint or decorate my finger nails and so thought these might make an interesting budget buy instead of forking out for a proper nail artist. But, you get what you pay for and although they look good from a distance I didn't rate them all that highly as they did tear quite easily but they stayed stuck down very well though and were a bit of a pain to remove in the end!

 You can't argue with a £1 for a bit of fun though. Overall, I would rate them 7/10. What do you think?!
Have a happy Monday folks, what did you get up to this weekend?
                                    x