Friday 12 April 2013

Rock baby, rock it


To celebrate turning nineteen, I had lunch at OK Diner in Cannock with my mother and grandparents. It's a cliche 1950s American-style place, so naturally I loved it (and the soundtrack)!

Later, my Dad cooked a delicious vegetarian meal for family and friends. I was the only vegetarian there,  but no one could deny how good everything tasted!

Ignore the hair!
Urgh - lighting!
I haven't done too bad on the shopping front these past two weeks. I got a typewriter and a few other things for my birthday, but I mainly received money. I spent some of it on these...


Old briefcase (Compton Hospice, £4.50)
1940s sheet music, charity shop (Compton Hospice) 50p each

1940s sheet music, charity shop (Compton Hospice) 50p each
 I buy a lot of books in charity shops. Here are a few of the 15+ that I purchased this week. I couldn't resist the Enid Blyton books, she is the reason I started reading and writing as a child. I have quite a few original 1940s Famous Five books, as I collect old children's books from 1900-1950s. I'm a big Oscar Wilde fan - I also bought my friend a pretty tin with one of his famous quotes.

1960s Hans Anderson book (£2, Compton Hospice), A Christmas Carol £1.55
Marlon Brando £2, two 1970s Enid Blyton book £2 and 99p, all PDSA charity shop.
Oscar Wilde poems, (99p, The Works)

Pretty teapot (£2, Compton Hospice), 1950s/60s birthday brooch (boxed, gift),
sweet vintage bunny jar (£1, Compton Hospice)
My mom bought me this brooch from a Cannock charity shop. It's a 1950s or 1960s birthday flower brooch by Exquisite (she didn't notice that it's for October - not that I mind!) It's still in it's original box and padding, complete with the original card.

I can pretend I'm an October baby for this cute brooch!
I've just noticed that everything in the below picture (aside from the bangle) seems to be doing the same pose! Even the little worm in the glass apple is getting in on the action!

1950s kitten (£1, vintage stall at the market), mini Tetley teapots (75p apiece,  Compton Hospice), glass apple with removable worm (£1.50, Cat's Protection charity shop), blue bangle (50p, Compton Hospice)


Cute as a button 1950s style hat by Paul Bettley (£15, The Vintage Co.)

Vintage (I think!) hat, (£1.50, Compton Hospice)

Straw hat with blue ribbon (£1.50, Compton Hospice)
Cat eye sunglasses (£4.99, New Look)

Dress (£2, Age UK)
Vintage-inspired dress (£3, Compton Hospice)
I mentioned in my last post that I bought an adorable powder blue 1960s suit from Vix at Kinky Melon at the vintage fair in Bridgnorth. Well, this is it! It's prettier than it looks in the photo, I assure you. It's too big for me, sadly :(
1960s suit (Kinky Melon's Retro Boutique, £22)
You'll have to wait to see the 1950s day dress I bought. It's in my suitcase, ready to be worn in sunny Cyprus next week!

Psychedelic swimsuit (£2.50, Compton Hospice) - it has
a rather fabulous spiralled back!
These two Marilyn prints were £3 each in Cat's Protection. 



Lastly, I picked up two DVDs at That's Entertainment. I don't think I've mentioned before that I'm completely in love with Al Pacino. Minus the criminal activity and generally shady dealings, he is my idea of the perfect guy as Michael in The Godfather - softly spoken, mysterious, Italian, and a wearer of sharp 1940s suits, military uniforms and smart hats!


But then he is just so adorable in Dog Day Afternoon!

Anyway, I'm off out with my parents for an Indian before I go back to Liverpool for a few days tomorrow. I'm mainly there to hand in my coursework for the last time this year, but I'm also meeting with a friend to go to The Cavern, which should be fun!




Monday 1 April 2013

A Writer's Dream

The day before yesterday, my insane grandmother (wouldn't have her any other way!) and I drove to the quaint nearby town of Bridgnorth to attend the Mad March Vintage Fair. Bridgnorth is beautiful little place, very traditional. The High Town is set up a hill before the River Severn, with narrow little streets and Victorian shop fronts. It's served by adorable 1950s cable cars. It looks sort of fairytale-ish, complete with its own river, grand bridge and (ruined) castle! Isn't it just a writer's dream? According to King Charles II, Bridgnorth has the 'finest view in all my kingdom'!

Of course, I didn't have a camera with me, so I found some from the web. I've given credit where I can find it, but if any photographers want me to take them down, I'll do so gladly!

image source: www.middlesevernangling.uk.com
Ruins of Bridgnorth Castle, built in 1101 (image source: Wikipedia)
image source: http://aboutbridgnorth.com
picture source: wikipedia
image source: www.swnynant.co.uk
image source: www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk

If you're still here, I bought a beautiful 1950s dress from the fair from Maisie's Closet Vintage and an adorable Jackie Kennedy-style 1960s baby blue suit with little bows from the wonderful Vix of Kinky Melon. I'll be wearing the dress on holiday (yay!) soon, so I'll post pictures then.

xx