For my 4th birthday my grandparents made me a beautiful dollshouse, partly from a piano they no longer wanted. It was decorated with swatches of wallpaper and carpet from their own home and reminded me of them long after both of them had died. It had a real mis-match of furniture which I had collected over time and I treasured the dollshouse until I just couldn’t keep it due to lack of room in my twenties. Ever since then I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement dollshouse. I would love to get my hands on a vintage Triang model…
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This week it’s all about the one that got away. I was browsing the charity shops in Muswell Hill when I spotted a lovely set of specimen drawers in the Oxfam shop. It was a small wooden unit with three full length drawers and four drawers of different sizes. It was beautiful and I started to think of all the things I could put in it and how I would clean it up. As I was hungry I decided to have lunch before buying the drawers which were priced very reasonably but looked bulky and heavy. I had a lovely…
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More vintage Christmas loveliness has found it’s way into our house!I don’t need many more vintage decorations but fortunately my excuse is that I’ve been looking for something for my swap partner in a seasonal swap. Luckily I came across a bag of goodies when I was shopping whilst Edward had his first nursery session last week. The bag contained two vintage wise men (do you think my swap partner would notice no. 3 was missing?). There were some vintage bells (sent off to another swap partner!) and these: I’m not sure how you would describe them. They are plastic…
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Is it too early for a glimpse of the big red guy? On my latest thrifting trip I spotted a small paper bag hiding on the haberdashery shelf. It was printed with Your Woman and Home FATHER CHRISTMAS. I can’t resist vintage Christmas decorations so took a closer look. It contained a single piece of fabric, pre-printed with a pattern for a Father Christmas decoration. I think it must have been a free gift with the Christmas issue of Your Woman and Home. I haven’t been able to find out any information about the magazine – perhaps it was related…
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Edward and I went for our usual shopping trip last week, visiting the charity shops of Crouch End. It was a strange trip as I got accosted by two Eastern European women in one shop who pointed at my expanding belly and told me I was having a boy. We decided not to find out the sex of our Second Baby but I seem to be attracting lots of unwanted attention on the pregnancy front. I can’t hide my bump but I just seem to attract people who want to talk to me about it. I’m so fed up of…
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I love preparing for Christmas and get excited when I see Christmas products creeping into shops. I know we haven’t had Halloween or Bonfire Night yet but I can’t help picking up Christmas presents, finishing off handmade gifts and signing up to Christmas swaps (Very Berry Xmas Ornament Scrappy Swap, Festive Faith, Hope and Charity Swapping, and an Advent Swap). Which is why I couldn’t resist this little handful of vintage Christmas goodies on my latest thrifting trip. I found a lovely retro Christmassy box containing vintage Christmas cards and gift tags. Some are a bit sinister (check out that…
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Slim pickings this week in my eternal search for cool vintage finds. However, what I did find was pretty special: Vintage Kia-Ora cup and jug in bright plastic orange. It was manufactured by Crayonne Ltd, probably in the 1970s. Kia-Ora was launched in Great Britain in 1917 and is still going strong today! I am definitely on the look out for a couple more cups so we can use them in the summer. For more vintage loveliness check out the following links: Flea Market Finds nifty thrifty things Magpie Monday Thrift Share Monday Thriftaholics weekly
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Last week we were fortunate to spend a couple of days away at my favourite charity shop stomping ground. There were lots of bargains to be had. We had our first visit to a carboot sale in years (mainly because they start too early in the morning for my husband!) which was a lucky accident. Amongst the bargains I picked up some toys for Edward and a lovely footstool. I’ve been on the lookout for a footstool for ages. The seller told me the stool was Victorian with an original cover but I’m not so sure. The veneer is a…
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Last week we ventured to our first Antiques Fair, literally on our doorstep at Alexandra Palace. Every year we’ve seen it advertised but this year we were able to go. The entrance was a reasonable £5 which gave you access to the beautiful building and about 350 antiques sellers and their stalls. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the antiques, which were all 20th century. I saw so many items I would have loved to have bought, lots of sewing notions, childrens’ toys, ceramics, art, books and some beautiful items of furniture. We were both very restrained due…