Vintage to a Tea

 This is the shop-a very sweet little premises which is just right for my friend's stock. She has clothes and accessories from 30's to the 70's, all very beautifully displayed. I was there for about three hours and the shop was filled all day which bodes well. She has lots of established customers from the markets she does, and there were some very impressive outfits to be seen. I really enjoyed the day, chatting to lots of strangers and my friend's family. I was asked on a couple of occasions if I was the 'doll lady' which made me smile. I had an interesting conversation with a lady who covers lampshade frames in vintage fabrics about that, and public liability insurance, a thing I probably should know more about. The delicious cupcakes by her sister in law were there, as at the craft fair. That and a couple of glasses of bucks fizz kept me going until a disgusting heated up cornish pasty at the station. It might have been ok cold, but I made the mistake of asking the girl to heat it up. A minute in the microwave later and it had been transformed into a greasy barely held together and boiling hot mess. The vanilla latte made up for it a bit!

A few of my dollies are living at the shop. I thought they looked quite good amongst the vintage goodies.

This one is in the window.

The handbag I wanted but had to leave as I had already bought a jacket and a brooch. I took a photo so I could possibly paint a box of my own in this way. I think it is a cigar box converted to a handbag.

This is my friend's facebook page so that you can get her details if you are anywhere near Nottingham and love vintage clothes, in which case she is well worth a visit.

The Life of a Hoarder

I have realised I can't help it but I am trying! Shifting my stuff around week by week and gradually letting some things go. I am off to Nottingham tomorrow with a bag of vintage kitchen bits and pieces to put in my friend's shop. It is her grand opening tomorrow so I didn't want to miss that. On the positive side I have done my grey hair roots today with the little brush supplied and I think it is quite successful-even at the back! Nothing to do with hoarding of course- just one thing from my list for today. Another important job is to superglue the head of the pink power ranger back on- I promised the children!
I have free cycled a load of Elle Decorations and have another bag for the charity shop so off there now. And the sun is shining so that is good.
The picture is a panda who I couldn't leave behind. Oh dear.

More Snow Magic

The snowflakes became thinner and thinner last night, until they were the depth of a single layer of ice. You could almost see them spinning down like glitter and then, when they landed, you could pick up your own handful  of stars. It was magical. I tried to film the effect, and, although I got too close with my phone, at the beginning of each film you can distinctly see the snowflake shapes.

My school was not one of the many that remained closed today. It is not bad on the main roads around here and the buses are running fine. My class only had eight children in though,  so we had a lovely morning, playing in the perfect powdery snow, then having a treat snack time with fruit, biscuit and hot chocolate. It is so lovely to be able to actually talk to children without the many interruptions you get when there are more than about ten of them! We watched a film of the Chinese New Year Dragon dance which was much admired, and which caused at least half an hour of re-creation from a few of the kids, while the others helped me to cover a box with paper in preparation for making a story treasure chest. Great day!

The Quick Green Snail

Charity shop snail. Isn't it a lovely shade of green? Fast too-I think the slipperiness of the snow helped.

Snowflakes

Old Patterns

I love old knitting patterns for the pictures on the cover rather than the pattern. The different styles through the eras are interesting and the different poses and props, such as this rather large basket-I think for logs rather than washing as she looks the outdoors type.  These are some of the best ones I have found for a while. There were loads of them in the market the other day. I looked through the whole pile and these were my favourites. They must have been someone's whole collection. I wonder how many of the things she (I am assuming a she) made. They are all priced in old money, so are before 1971. The 60's ones have a date on the back but the others don't so I am guessing the decades they are from.

These three look like late forties or early fifties. 

I think these are early sixties.

I love the way they have height sorted the girls.

Apart from the Bairn's wear one-that looks older to me-because of the toy dog.

I loved the quite sinister styling of the gloves bursting out of the newspaper-made me think of Hitchcock. I can't imagine what effect the stylist was aiming for.

I love the bright colours of these-maybe fifties?

The one on the left looks seventies to me so maybe 1970 or early '71?

These two are very falsely posed looking. That Dad should watch out for Double Deckers creeping up on him too.
The one on the left below is the only crochet one I found. I liked the wire chair in the last one, as well as the elegant lady.

Information on old money.

Little Events in my Monday

I got the bus today as it was snowing in the morning. At lunchtime I was glad I had as it started to snow quite hard. I took my big camera to work,  and love these grey snowy shots from the roof terrace. The snow carried on for a while, but, disappointingly turned to cold rain by home time. It also didn't prevent the person coming to train us in how to use an excel programme to input and analyse our assessment data, from getting to the school. Added to the huge boredom of the meeting I also had terrible pains in my stomach which I think were actually indigestion, and which lasted exactly the duration of the meeting. Maybe they were boredom pains I don't know. Some people's eyes light up and an excited tone creeps into their voice when they consider excel and data analysation. I am afraid I am not one of them. Ah well, at least it is over! Back in the car tomorrow as it is just supposed to be cold. Disappointing!

This is the building of the other school we were at last year.

Black, White and Grey

Chequerboard steps in Greenwich in need of a clean.
Sun silhouetting buildings.
Typewriters in the market.

Primary Colours

Blue boy likes the daffodils. Snow is forecast, but somewhere it is Spring. Probably in a Dutch polytunnel but now on my table. About to watch a no doubt awful, made for t.v film called 'Snowmageddon'!

This and That 2

Various faces, mainly of dolls, from my journal, a beautiful morning sky and a tangle of metal. Most of the building is demolished and a huge bashing machine bashes away at the concrete floors, while a monster digger delicately removes the tangle.

Going, Going, Gone

Like a large green metaphor for the Christmas holidays, the Norwegian spruce in Trafalgar Square has gone. It  was lowered to the ground and its lights wound up for another year. I happened to be in Trafalgar Square because we had an inset day in The National Gallery today to find out about the Take One Picture project. It  is a long standing project, where the gallery chooses a picture from its collection for schools to focus on and get whatever they can in the way of cross-curricular goodness from. They then put on an exhibition of some of the submitted work. This year they have chosen 'Bathers at Asnieres'. We had talks from gallery workers, an artist and a tour guide with whom we went around the museum and sat in front of various paintings art student style. I had lunch in the Cafe in the Crypt under St Martin's in the Fields which I love so all in all it wasn't a bad first day back at work. Hope tomorrow is as smooth!

 

I Can't Eat Chocolate Effigies...

...as is proved by the Easter Bunny who has stood on my bedside cabinet since Andy gave him to me at Easter. Added to his gang is Santa and Rudolph. Maybe I will have to harden my heart and eat them soon.

As it is 12th night, I have put away the few remaining decorations apart from these three and some lights which are not necessarily just for Christmas. I have been continuing to clear out things a little at a time. My socks and scarves were this week's achievements. I can't believe how many of both these items I own(ed). Some have now gone to the charity shop, and some (socks) in the bin, and I have transferred some drawers from the back room to the bedroom to accomodate the rest. So now, when I want a cosy pair of socks for evening wear, or a long pair for under my boots I know exactly where to look. I assume this is how many people live but for me it was a huge pile (the base of which was in a large basket which failed to be big enough) of assorted socks, scarves, hats, cardigans, legwarmers and tights into which I would plunge my hand, hoping for the item I searched for to be in there somewhere. I am not exaggerating! If I could organise the rest of our flat so efficiently as the repurposed drawers I am sure that I would save hours of fruitless searching.
I googled my title and found this article. It is called 'Three Weird Santa Candies That Want to Murder You' by Albert Burneko, which, as a title is quite a draw. It does contain some swearing and is very long so if either of these things will upset you don't read it, but it really made me laugh. Here is a quote to give you a taste. Santa becomes something from 'Aliens.'
'' This one, I dunno, this one's more sinister. This one looks like some Lovecraftian horror wearing a bad disguise—doot de doot de doo, pay me no mind, I'm just a happy elf with tentacles dangling out of my neck, can I come inside and slurp desperately at a puddle of honey?—and for as classically Christmasy as that image is, it's not all that appetizing. Even if I didn't quite expect the Cookies 'n' Creme Santa to go skittering across my kitchen table and vanish into an air-conditioning vent, I kept a tennis racket handy anyway.''
I hope that any Christmas chocolate hanging around in your house will soon be consumed, unless of course it has a face.

States of Relaxation

Cassie relaxes while I crochet.