Friday 9 November 2012

Bell Bottom Blues


What with illness and blogger meet-ups I hadn't visited my ladies in the Sally Army for over a month. By way of apology I popped a bag of donations in earlier and was rewarded with a huge pile of goodies they'd been kind enough to put by in my absence. There was so much stuff I had to call Jon to drive over and load up the car. 


How fab are these faux patchwork 1970s bell bottoms ? Those girls know my tastes so well.


Last night we went a huge bi-annual jumble sale and came back with car load so, what with today's stash, the house looked like a bomb had gone off (or I'd started taking in laundry). After a mad afternoon most of it's now been washed, ironed, labelled and packed in Gilbert ready for tomorrow's vintage fair (hence my ravaged looks).


These three aren't going anywhere - a Lloyd Loom chair and matching linen chest and a 1930s patchwork quilt for the grand total of £5 from last night's jumble sale. Can you believe that nobody else showed any interest in them? If it's not Ikea it's considered crap.


Over a year ago I had an email from Kathryn, a gorgeous Stevie Nicks lookalike who visits a senior care centre in St Louis, Missouri. She wrote that she and the ladies there were avid readers of my blog and called themselves "The Vix Fan Club". As I don't have any older female relatives of my own left I was thrilled. Ever since the ladies have regularly emailed and leave me in stitches with tales of their wicked sense of humour and crazy exploits. Last week they held a rummage sale and sent me these pictures.

Kathryn and Aggie, Esther, Helen, Dolores, Mary, Bella, Enid, Olga and Sandy (and all the other boys and girls), I love you all.



If you're in Wolverhampton tomorrow do pop in to the Numa Bar (see details HERE) and say hi. There's live indie music, cocktails and proper vintage clothes, too.

Vintage bell bottoms (60p) worn with 1970s Saluki fake fur (£2, car boot sale), Richard Shops blouse (courtesy of Queen Curtise), 1970s Celtic pendant (£1, car boot sale), Velvet platforms (Office sale, 2011) 

It's a quiet night in for us, I don't want to scare any potential buyers away with a hangover.

Have a fabulous weekend and see you soon!

66 comments:

  1. Oh la la ma chère Vix!

    I am the first one commenting!
    I think it is a first for me!
    Anyway, adorable, stunning, delicioso bell bottom pants, Oh my Lord! how lucky are you with the Sally Ann Ladies, they are so sweet!
    The furniture you got is fabulous, we sometimes find great pieces of furniture in the garbage, clean garbage of course - i know about the Ikea crap furniture but sometimes i think they have neet things -

    So cute the American Ladies and their fan club, well you are one of a kind super vintage queen!

    I wish i could be to one of those jumble sales

    Have a good weekend you look great

    Ariane xxx

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  2. They do know you so well! They're cracking bell bottoms. Love 'em.
    I love the Vix fan club too...it's fantastic, bless 'em.
    Have a great sale tomorrow and a fab weekend. I', still sewing for my stall...lazy cow that I am!
    Lotsa love,
    Em
    xxxxxxx

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  3. Oh that chair is so charming ! I am glad you got those, that patchwork quilt is very darling too!

    And great outfit, so YOU indeed! :))

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  4. I love the Missouri ladies fan club!!! The bell bottoms are a wow too. And thanks for leading me astray although I am officially broke now! xx

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  5. Oh how cute is your fan club!!!!!

    You got some great goodies at the jumble--love all of them!

    That's so awesome the Sally ladies save stuff you'd love!!1 Those bellbottoms are YOU and completely divine!! I made a similar pair in the 7th grade out of a trippy fabric that had the word "love" printed all over with hearts and floweres and peace signs!!

    It's actually easy to do--take a regular pair of pants or p[attern--cut it off below the knee and attacha ruffle!! WAH-LAH!!!

    Have much fun and loads of sales at the market!!

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  6. The furniture is truly darling. Unfortunately most people's tastes are not attuned to quality or historical value.

    The bellbottoms are really sweet!

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  7. OK. That chair, chest & patchwork piece are TOOOO cool! I can't believe you snagged it for that price! (Good thing I wasn't there - that's MY kind of stuff AND price!)

    I need to start a Vix fan club here in my small town. Wonder if any of the Amish would be interested in joining????

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  8. Love the furniture and quilt, lucky you x

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  9. I found your site on nightshift.

    Your zest for life has kept my nightshift enthralled.

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  10. Awwww, your fan club are soooooooooooooooo cool and sweet for doing that! Wow, hello ladies of ST Louis (my favourite American state!) you have good taste in blogs!
    Good luck tomorrow!x

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  11. OOOOH love the flares. I will be no where near sadly, as cocktails, vintage and indie are a perfect weekend to me!!

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  12. How cool a fan club!

    Loving the patchwork trews they are really awesome.

    Argh! really jealous now your fair sounds really cool. Indie music and booze not to mention cool clobber and your lovely self. I have been a busy bee preparing for our firework night tomorrow night. I will be there in spirit egging you on to sell sell sell.


    P x

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  13. Gosh, you look huggable, Vix. And strike me dead if I'm lyin' but I had bedroom curtains and a spread in the same print as your bell bottoms. The 70s were so great.

    How cool is it that the Salvation Armani (as a buddy here calls it) ladies save stuff they know you'll like? Now that's customer service!

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  14. I lived in bell-bottoms for an entire decade, so these pants really float my boat. Right on, man!

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  15. Love the cheese grater on the windowsill outside x The bell bottoms aren't too bad either lol x

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  16. Give me those pants NOW!!!!! Those are killer Vix! They really look fantastic on your hot bod! I love that they save such good stuff for you, they know your tastes by now for sure! I can't believe you scored that chair, chest and quilt for a fiver, holy crap pinch me now! The best part of this post is that HI VIX sign from "the gang" they are such a lovely bunch of ladies and oh how they adore you!

    I forgot the fairs tomorrow, I do hope you sell lots and make $$$$$$$, are you around now I want to see your pretty face!!!

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  17. I would love nothing better than pop in and see you while I raid all your stuff, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  18. Cool stuff! You are a beautiful "Cher". I want the Celtic necklace! XXX

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  19. Cool stuff! You are a beautiful "Cher". I want the Celtic necklace! XXX

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  20. Oooh bell bottoms! I had an electric blue pair that my friends really didn't like when I was 12. They were groovy.
    You find the best stuff! x

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  21. Lucky you with all your jumble finds! Good luck for the fair tomorrow, you always find such gems I'm sure you'll sell loads! I love your eye-make up :) Those Bellbottoms are amazing!
    Rachelle x
    http://inspiredbytheretired.blogspot.co.uk/

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  22. That shout out in photos from your fan club in St. Louis is just fabulous! I hope there were some great bargains at their rummage sale, you certainly found some good 'uns at your jumble, the Lloyd Loom pieces are beautiful.
    Your Sally Army ladies know your taste very well, those bell bottoms are amazing, and right up your alley! Now I am wondering what other treasures they put aside for you... Hopefully some are keepers, and others will make you a bit of cash towards the India fund.
    Good luck for tomorrow's fair, it sounds a lot more fun than taking all the kids plus 2 extra swimming... Probably ought to do something about the body hair, or I'll be scaring the kids and the public!
    Love you grately. Graterly. Greatly! xxxxx

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  23. Really Vix? You look ravaged?? I hadn't noticed. All I saw was some hot chic in bell bottoms and faux fur. Those bell bottoms are so damn cute I adore them.

    The chair, chest and quilt are gorgeous. That price is insane. I would choose that stuff over any IKEA any day.

    The HI VIX sign at the rummage sale is AWESOME. Those ladies must be a really fun bunch. =D

    P.S. About the thigh high boots, I know what you mean. Right after the pic was taken under the lit sign. Some guys drove by honking. *lol* I was only out in them for 2 hours max.

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  24. "Hi Vix!" - how lovely is that?! Fans worldwide, Vix... I'm not surprised - and these bellbottoms are just awesome. xo

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  25. I am permanently astounded at the prices you pay Vix. Five quid for a Lloyd Loom chair and ottoman with a vintage quilt thrown in, it's insane. Will Ikea crap be gracing homes in 70 years time I wonder ? How lovely to have a US fan club, what a fab bunch of ladies and the Sally Army ladies sound delightful too. I'm intrigued by the Mouli grater on the window ledge, did you buy it ? I've recently acquired one as I used one as a girl and have been looking out for ages, how speedy do they grate!

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  26. Hi Vix! I love everything about this look - the groovy pants, the luxe coat, the makeup, the jewelry...fantastic! :)

    Jamie

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  27. On vix, you have been busy!!
    I love that fur jacket on you!
    Have a fab weekend!

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  28. Mental bell bottoms, but very you and I don't mean that in a bad way! My Mother works at an Age Concern day centre and seriously the raucous tales they come out with, well, I was in pain from laughing and shocked in equal amounts.

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  29. You look great and those pants are amazing! Have a great sale tomorrow :)

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  30. Ooooh fabulous flares! I love that chair and linen chest you got for a fiver- madness that nobody wanted them. They'll probably outlast anything by Ikea by decades.
    How wonderful that you have a fan club in St Louis!

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  31. Vix, you hardly look ravaged - in those pants and the fur I would say ravishing!!!! I think it is just so cute and cool that you have a fan club in the US - the photos with "Hi Vix" made me smile and smile. The fact that women from the Sally Army to half a world away and more appreciate your style is testament to you and your wonderful blog!! I always look forward to reading about your op shop adventures. Hope the fair goes well!!

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  32. Those are fabulous crazy bell bottoms. Have a great day tomorrow. X

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  33. Those bell bottoms are so you - they look like something you would have whipped up in an afternoon. Lucky you to have such treasures set aside for you.
    Can believe you got those three items for a fiver. Unbelievable what folks will pass over.
    I hope the ladies in Missouri are saving treasures for you, too.
    Good luck tomorrow. I hope you sell tons and tons!

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  34. You are so far from ravaged. You are star with your very own fanclub with chapters across the world! Have a great weekend x

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  35. Awesome, Vix!

    Had a great day thrifting at SA too. My washer is going as well. Found some things to wear and some very cool clothes to sell, all half price.

    Your furniture pieces are great finds. I know, people don't always "get it" do they? I bought a couple of fab old chairs today. The volunteer at the charity shop asked me what I was going to do with them and when I told her what I had in mind, she said, "Oh." and went quiet. Poor dear. Probably wished she hadn't asked.

    Best of luck at your show! I know all of us wish we could be there. :)

    xxx

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  36. You are the hippest hippie chic on any continent! Love the pants, what great fabric...and an ooh la la jacket tops it off purrrrfectly. I want a cocktail in that outfit right now!

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  37. Farking HELL they know you well, those bell bottoms are TO DIE FOR fabularse!!! OMG!What a bunch of sweeties.Never happens here,unless you have a business it seems.
    Great scores at the jumble.I have no idea what is wrong with poeple who turn down awesome bargainacious furniture like that!Their loss, your major gain!!!
    And o, that lovely fan club of yours!So bloody sweet and flattering!!!Bless 'em!
    Have a splendid time tomorrow,foxy wench, and sell up a storm!
    Love Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  38. Oh I LOVE you have a fanclub - thats amazing! Yah for the ladies at the salvation army keeping aside goodies for you. The furniture you picked up and the quilt are just beautiful, for five pounds as well? Wow that's only $5. I hope you'll post some photos of your stall tommorrow:D

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  39. Those bellbottoms!!! They are amazing. I love the Vix Fan Club, how adorable. I bet they get up to all kinds of mischief!

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  40. Fuck a duck - those bell bottoms are AMAZING!!! You look so frickin hot in them and I love your faux fur and boots and lippy. And I love that you have a fan club! Good luck at the vintage fair, amor - hope you make a motzah! Love you more than oh-my-gourd-those-bellbottoms-are-the-best-things-ever! Sarah xxx

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  41. oh i wish i were going to be in your neighborhood. LOVE those bellbottoms! and i love that fact that you have your own fanclub here in the states. fabulous!!!

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  42. Start the car....love those bell bottoms!! What a lovely circle of ladies how wonderful of them! Have a fabulous weekend Vix!

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  43. Aww ya gotta luv those ladies! How cool is that! Love the chair and the chest, rather jealous about that find :D Ravaged? No! Ravishing! Yeah! :D I gotta tell you about my run in with a pair of bell bottoms many moons ago, I were but young wee thing and had borrowed a pair of bell bottoms off a friend, we were walking into town and the rest of the group decided to run and yell through an echoey tunnel, so I ran too..bad move....the bell bottoms got all tangled around me legs and I fell arse over tit..looked an right twat I can tell ya! Probably the one and only time I ever wore a pair! lol :D

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  44. I'm looking for a nice Lloyd Loom chair for my spare room. Before I decorated the auction house had loads but I thought I'd wait. Now I'm ready for one they've only had knackered ones.

    Talking of Stevie Nicks...FM are touring next year with original(ish) line up. Fully intend to go as a Stevie lookalike.

    Caroline
    xxx

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  45. How cool to have your own fanclub! Love the photo's of the lovely lady's.
    Your bell-bottoms are so gorgeous. So much love that patern. Also love your coat.
    Really strange that nobody else had interest in that lovely chair and linnen chest. But that was only lucky for you.
    Overhere it is a bit the same. Sometime's I see people walking back to their car from a fleamarket with crappy Ikea and Leenbakker (kind of ikea) stuff and all the good things are still there. :D But maybe those people are thinking the same about me and my stuff. :D

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  46. Those bell bottoms were made for you! Love that patchwork, what a bargain!

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  47. Your rocking those bell bottoms Vix! The print is very cute and cool x

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  48. I LOVE the bell bottoms! Those ladies know exactly what you love! You're so lucky you've got that lot looking out for you. And your wonderful fan club in Missouri! They look so lovely, I know you've told me about them before and they sound like a right giggle. The Lloyd Loom furniture is amazing, I always get pissed off when I remember some chairs I turned down at the village fete for £5. Good luck today!! Xxxx

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  49. I am so loving that you have a fan club from the Sates, Vix - what a true honour! So sweet they thought of you during their sale too. Hoe yours goes well. xoxo

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  50. OMG ! Lucky your for always such unbelievable finds ! Where do you live- In heaven of the best jumble sales ever ??? Never found 2nd hand or vintage stuff for prices like that. So jealous. Oh yeah i would prefer such beautiful furnitures so much more than ikea's mainstreem stuff but here it would cost a fortune ! Anyway Vix, great post, great outfit, great finds. Have a fabby weekend dear ! XX

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  51. Amazing bell bottoms and faux fur coat and what a darling bunch who make up your fan club! xxx

    www.mancunianvintage.com

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  52. wow your pants are pure love! they are absolutely amazing!!! you rock that look and this lipstickcolour really suits you well!
    love and kiss,mary

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  53. Your own fan club, and with HI VIX signs!!! You are a star world wide it would seem, how fabulous. Hope you have a great day selling your wares. More money for another trip!!! The bell bottoms are great and look awesome of course on you!!

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  54. Lovely to see you today Vix. You looked gorgeous! I'm thrilled with my dress - I'lll post a photo of it on xx

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  55. You know you are now officially a style icon when you have your own fan club! That is so cool, I love the signs they put on their tables shouting out a hello to you. Those bell bottoms scream "VIX", no wonder the Sally Ann ladies set them aside for you. Hope you got rid of lots of stuff today and came home with more travel funds!

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  56. How lovely of the Sally Army ladies to save all that stuff for you.
    Those bell bottoms are great!

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  57. Awesome you have a fan club hehe!! You look lovely and wishing you a wonderful and prosperous sale!! ~Love Heather

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  58. wow amazing bellbottoms. As you know I love that jacket its stunning.

    I wish I could come to your sale! x

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  59. Your ladies have got your back! Worldwide! Which goes to show your groove factor is a global force - those bell bottoms, case in point. And that fantastic fake fur. I didn't know what to call that contraption on the sill...

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  60. I have tagged you in a game of Blog tag, Please visit my blog and see what its all about.
    x x x

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  61. Clearly you charm people everywhere you go, both online and in real life! The fact that the ladies at the Sally Army putting special things aside for you and those in the US have a rummage sale and put up those sweet signs, are both such a clear sign of this. And those pants are fantastic! Hope your sale went well.

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  62. Love your fur and "The Vix Fan Club" :D

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  63. aahh bless those ladies i remember you talking about them when we met up the other week how fab how those photo's they sent you with the Hi Vix ;-)) Love it. I can't believe no one wanted that linin basket what a gogeous shape i can just see that sprayed a nice bright colour. I hope you had a fab day at the fair yesterday and sold lots. You look fab in your trousers lovely. Hope your having a good rest today its knackering doing a fair. Hugs, dee xxx

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  64. Loving your faux fur coat - and your furniture finds, especially the patchwork! I love patchwork.

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  65. EEk I missed this one!! I totally love those bell bottoms, in fact if they fitted me I'd insist you send them to me!! Loving the Lloyd Loom, it goes for big $$ here, so insane you can get it so cheap!!!

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  66. Oooooh Vix!!! I love pretty much every outfit you post with abandon but these pants are slaughtering me in a new way...ha ha! Oh I wish I could come shop in your stall. I know I'm just a whipper snapper but I catch myself day dreaming whilst I look at your blog imagining us as best friends fighting over cool stuff at sales. lool ;) You are the coolest.

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix