Tuesday, November 15, 2011

My Style- Cath Kidston

I love vintage inspired things, especially floral things. For over a year now, I have been a Cath Kidston lover. As well as flowery designs, Cath also produces Spotty, Paisley and sometimes even Striped fabric, clothes and bags.

Spot Washed Messenger Bag £45
Cath is known mostly for her lovely bags, but she also has a range of clothing, accessories and home (sewing, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom) items. Her newest collection- her A/W collection- consists of her newest designs.

Owl Pin Cushion £7
I love CK, and I have bought many bags, accessories and gifts for others from there. So here are my top ten must-haves from this season's collection....

At number ten we have a £50 Cath Kidston Voucher. It makes a brilliant gift, because if you're not too sure on what a person would like, giving them a Gift Voucher can let them choose their own present. And if you're not prepared to fork out £50 for a voucher, there are also £5, £10 and £20 ones!

Cath Kidston £50 Gift Voucher £50
At number 9, we have the beautiful Bird print Glasses Case. This stylish case can keep your glasses safe, and it also makes a great gift!

Bird Glasses Case £12
Felt Slippers take place number 8. These beautiful embroidered slippers are also available in children's sizes!
Felt Slippers £24
At number 7, we have the gorgeous (but pricey!) Chelsea Rose Shawl. This pretty blue shawl is sure to keep you warm during those winter months!

Chelsea Rose Shawl £45
Place number 6 is taken by the Wild Rose Lip Balm. This girly lip balm is sure to stop sore lips, and makes a great present!
Wild Rose Lip Balm £5

At no. 5 we have Tea Roses Ribbon for £6. If you, like me, love sewing, then this lovely flowery ribbon is perfect for you. Be sure to put this on your Christmas list!

Tea Rose Ribbon £6
Number 4 goes to the Vintage Rose Thermos Flask. A brilliant way to keep your tea warm, this flask is perfect for picnics in the summer or refreshing walks in the winter.

Vintage Rose Thermos Flask £15
In 3rd place we have the beautifully vintage Country Rose Stone Messenger Bag for £45. This lovely bag is very spacious and extremely handy with two front pockets and two inside pockets. With an adjustable strap, this pretty bag can be longer or shorter to suit your needs.

Country Rose Stone Messenger Bag £45

The penultimate item on my list is Chintz Wallpaper. This vintage inspired wallpaper is absolutely lovely!

Chintz Wallpaper £25 per roll
And the 1st and final item on my list is the Town House Sewing Basket. It's a great storage solution and I think it looks great too!!!

Town House Sewing Basket £48
So! There's my top ten items from Cath Kidston. What d'you think?!
El

Monday, November 14, 2011

Films- Breakfast at Tiffany's Film Review

As well as reading, I also love watching movies. I enjoy watching films, but sometimes the blurb on the back doesn't tell you all that much (if anything!) about the movie itself. Today I am reviewing the wonderful Breakfast at Tiffany's starring the amazing Audrey Hepburn! I'm sure that nearly all of you will have seen this smashing movie which was made in the 60's, but just in case you haven't, here's what it's about...
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Holly Golightly (Audrey) stands outside Tiffany's, the jewellery store, sipping coffee and eating her croissant, just as she does every day. Holly is not a rich girl, but dreams of money and the fame that comes with it. Living in her rented apartment, she lives the life of an ordinary sixties woman.
One day, when Paul Varjak (George Peppard) moves into one of rooms in the flat, she begins to make friends with him. She calls him Fred, after her brother, because they look so alike. As their relationship grows, Holly starts to realise that he is not very rich himself, and only seems it because of the money his girlfriend decorator gives him.
Whilst confronting love, hate, the Police and her annoying neighbour, Holly begins to understand that money isn't everything and it certainly doesn't give you happiness!!!
A brilliant romantic film, I certainly recommend Breakfast at Tiffany's!
Audrey Hepburn
So, there's my review on the wonderful Breakfast at Tiffany's! What d'you think?!
El

Friday, November 11, 2011

Books-The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree Book Review

As mentioned in previous posts, I love reading. Recently, I purchased a copy of The Vintage Tea Party Book by the wonderfully vintage Angel Adoree. This beautifully illustrated hardback contains everything that you would ever need to host your own tea party- from decorations to recipes... and more!!! As well as invitations and desserts, the book also tells you how to do your own vintage hair and make-up.

The Vintage Tea Party Book by Angel Adoree
I am sure that you all love a good old-fashioned tea party, especially one with vintage inspired china, decorations and hair and make up. Many of us have tried (and probably failed!) to attempt to recreate a truly feminine tea party, but without no guidance or skills (unless of course you are Angel Adoree herself!) the effort is put to waste. I am not saying that everyone is rubbish at making scones or pouring tea, but sometimes we all need that extra boost of tips and advice, and that's exactly what The Vintage Tea Party Book is all about...

Some of you may have heard of Angel, and some of you may not have. In a nutshell, she runs the The Vintage Patisserie, and has a love and desire for all things old and vintage. Her book is all about creating the perfect tea party without the stress and fuss.

Her book is spilt up into her Introduction, Brunch, Afternoon and Evening recipes and towards the end of her book, Style. I love Angel's style- especially her hair- and last Saturday when I went to go and have my hair done, courtesy of Lyndsey LeKeux of LeKeux Events, I took a photo of her with me. I love Victory Rolls, and Angel's are just perfect!!!
Angel Adoree


So, there you have it! My review on the latest must-have vintage inspired Tea Party Book! What d'you think?!

El

Thursday, November 10, 2011

TV- What to Watch

I absolutely love telly, and so I'm always looking out for great programmes which have a bit of a vintage twist and some sewing tips! So, here are a few programmes I recommend you watch...
Vintage TV



Firstly, I suggest Kirstie's Handmade Britain on Channel 4 at 8pm on Wednesdays. If you've seen Kirstie's Homemade Homes or Kirstie's Homemade Christmas, you'll be very familiar with Kirstie Allsopp. In this brand-new series, Kirsty explores the art of making things, from cushion covers to decoupaged seagulls. But this time it's not just about 'picking up your needles and knitting, it's about making things that are good enough to win prizes!'

Kirstie's Handmade Britain

Next up on my 'what to watch' list is Beeny's Restoration Nightmare on Channel 4 at 9pm on Thursdays. If you've seen Property Ladder then you will have heard of Sarah Beeny, usually an advisor to property developers, but in this programme, the tables have turned and she's trying her hand at renovating Rise Hall. This series is the second one she and her husband Graham Swift have done, and after doing-up the main entrance, hallway and a few bedrooms, they rented out the grand building for weddings. But after the council took away their wedding license, they are back to save Rise Hall, get their license again, and renovate a few more of the 97 rooms there!


Beeny's Restoration Nightmare


 Unfortunately, Kirstie's Handmade Britain and Beeny's Restoration Nightmare are halfway through the series, but luckily, you can catch up on any missed episodes on 4oD.
I hope you like my choice of telly programmes!

El












 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Books- Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo Book Review

I love reading, and so I thought that I would write a book review on one of my newest reads- Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo. Morpurgo is a famous children's author, and most of his books are about World War 2. He was born in 1943, and his first book was published in 1971. Since then, he has written many books, including The Butterfly Lion, Friend or Foe and Kensuke's Kingdom. I recommend all of these books, but the one that I am reviewing today is called Running Wild, a story about love, hope, and courage.

Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo
 "The sea murmured onto the beach. Beneath me, the elephant walked on over soft and silent sand."
Those are the first couple of sentences from Running Wild, and I think it's a great opener.
The story is about a boy called Will, an elephant called Oona and a tsunami. After the death of his father, Will and his mum go to Indonesia for a holiday. Will's dad died in the war in Iraq, and him and his mum needed to have some time to acknowlegde that. As a christmas present, Will's mum let him have a ride on an elephant along the beach front, on Boxing Day, 2006. But this day was known for much more than being Boxing Day...
As the huge green wave towered over the sand, all Will could do was hang on to the elephant, Oona, as she stampeded away from the beach and into the forest. The man giving the elephant rides had told Will that Oona wouldn't go anywhere near the sea- it was like she could sense something; something like a tsunami.
Will was on the elephant for days and days; holding onto the howdah as best as he could.
Oona and Will became closer and closer over the weeks that turned into months that they were in the forest for. His dad was dead, and Will's mum had been in the sea on the day of the tsunami, and so the chances of her surviving were not very high, but through all this Oona and him and become better friends, almost family now, and Will appreciated this as both his parents had died.
Living in the jungle was easier said than done. There were rivers and streams dotted about the place, so that was water sorted, and food was too; there were many bananas and coconuts to eat, and the occasional fig tree every now and again. But the climate was hot and sticky, and very humid, except when the storms came of course, which would begin suddenly and end just as abruptly as they had started.
Getting used to the insects took quite some time, but when he was up on Oona, she did all the work for Will; waving her ears about prevented the flies from getting to her.
All was rather well, you could say. Will being to fit in to the forest, and became a bit of a wild animal himself! One day, Oona and Will were sharing a fig tree with some orang-utans, Will gorging himself on each and every one of the figs until the tree was bare. There was a distant rumble in the depths of the forest, which rapidly came closer and closer, until it became so close that Will, from high up in the tree could see that it was not a rumble as such, but more of an attack. An attack with guns firing at the orang-utans, making them fall out of the tree one by one. As Will watched in terror, trying to hold on to the branches around him, all he could do was panic, as his hands lost the grip on the tree. As he fell out of it, Will lay unconsious on the jungle floor...
A story of perserverance, Running Wild is a brilliant story by a brillant author!

Other Michael Morpurgo books include:

War Horse



Waiting for Anya

Private Peaceful
The Wreck of the Zanzibar
I hope you like my review on Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo. I can tell you now that there will be more where that came from!

El

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Vintage Style- A little bit of Vintage History

 As you probably know, I love vintage. But there is a reason why I love it sooooo much. As well as the fashion and style, I love the values and ethics of the past. But what are these values and ethics? Well, get ready for a little bit of Vintage History...

Marilyn Monroe
For me vintage starts off in the 20's, and in this time, the First World War had just ended. Dresses were short, with drop waists, and pearls and hats, such as Cloches, were fashionable. Hair was short, and everyone was out to look their best.

1920's fashion
The 1930's, an era known for Art Deco. Fashion was usually based on geometric shapes.
1930's fashion
The 40's was the time of WW2, and as men were away fighting, women had to take on the jobs and responsibilities that would usually be left to their husbands. As well as food, fabric was rationed and so women's outfits were not quite as flamboyant as they could have been. Even though they didn't have much choice on their clothing, they could do anything they liked with their hair. Hairstyles did have to be practical though, if women were working in factories, and so they would curl their hair in rollers and sleep in them overnight. The following day they would take them out and using their fingers they would roll their hair into styles such as Victory Rolls (named after the fighter plane manouver). Sometimes they would tie a scarf around their hair to keep their curls in place.
1940's fashion
In the 1950's, the war had ended and so the early fiftes were a time of celebration. Dresses often had nipped-in waists and fuller skirts. Curls were still in and the most popular hairstyle was the Marilyn Set, made famous by- yep, you guessed it. Marilyn Monroe!
1950's fashion
For me, vintage ends in the 1960's. The sixties were known as the time of the Beatles, and of course, Audrey Hepburn, who starred in many films including 'Roman Holiday' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. As for fashion, shift dresses were in, and monochrome (black and white were popular colours in clothing). Hair was straighter, and women often opted for the bouffant, which was commonly seen on the likes of Audrey and Jackie O.



1960's fashion
So, there you have it. My little bit of Vintage History!
El


Monday, November 7, 2011

Sew & Sew

Sew & Sew is the weekly post that tells you all about sewing, fabrics, and creating things. Sewing is a large hobby of mine, and I've been hand-sewing since I was 6! For my birthday this year, I got a John Lewis Mini Sewing Machine, which I love and adore. If you want to take on sewing as a hobby, or even as a business, the first step is buying a good quality sewing machine!
John Lewis Mini Sewing Machine in Red £59
The next step to sewing is buying fabric. I reccommend Cath Kidston Haberdashery Fabric, which is considerably cheaper than the cotton duck fabric that she does. This fabric costs £14 but can be cheaper if you go to a CK outlet store (there is one in Bicester Village). You can also order half a metre of fabric which halves the price!

A selection of CK fabric
Other items you will need include a decent pair of sharp fabric scissors, a pair of small scissors, an array of threads, buttons and pins. Pinking Shears are not essential, but they do help to give a non-frayed edge. 
Sewing Scissors
And for the final step, all you need is enthusiasm! Sewing should be fun, and so remember to enjoy it when you are creating something beautiful. You have to be committed to sewing, and it can sometimes test your patience quite a bit! I suggest the Cath Kidston Sew! Book, by CK herself, which gives you a list of all the equipment you will need and many patterns for many things, and it includes the pattern and fabric that you need to make your own bag!
Cath Kidston Sew! Book £16
Cath's other books also include Mini Sew!, Stitch!, Make!, Mini Make! and her latest, Patch!

So, if you want to take up sewing, go on! Give it a go.

El

Hello!

Hello! I'm El, a vintage lover and a creative thinker. I am new to the blogging world, but I'm pretty good with technology and I think I'm ready to launch my own blog! I love sewing (there will be a few posts on this theme!) and fashion from the past. My favourite clothes are mainly 1960's style, but I love the values and ethics (and hairstyles!) from the 40's and 50's.
My blog is about all things vintage- from clothing to furniture- and I try to incorporate vintage style into my sewing projects. There will be posts about achieving a perfectly vintage look, sewing tips and much much more!
I hope to encourage you, my readers, to become more creative and vintage in daily life!

El