A Jumble Of Treasures

Just as well it was the jumble sale sneak preview this morning, it's been raining almost all of the day so there was zero chance of traipsing around a field at our favourite weekday car boot sale.

What did I get? This 1970s chiffon peasant skirt and TopShop sequined crop top for starters. I'd like to think I'll be wearing these outdoors at next weekend's No Direction Home festival so fingers crossed our heatwave makes a comeback before then.

Clockwise from top left: Detail from a pair of 1930s satin cushion covers, multi pack of 1970s poodle "thank you" cards, retro curtains for dressmaking, Jon's 1970s old skool hoodie, Girl! Girl! Girl!, a pair of vintage hats to fit my huge head, battered Antler case, Hand-made wool rug from the 1960s, bumper box of bindis, nose studs and tikka powder, 1986 Queen world tour tee shirt for revamping.

The annual is fascinating, there's interviews with the Rolling Stones & Jack Wild, crochet patterns and tips on being an Air hostess and, as you'd expect, the fashion is groovy.

I think I'd die of joy if I found just one of these fabulous hats at a jumble sale.

Check out the Cher lookalike.

I want them all.

 Here's one of the gold satin cushion covers.

And there's my new-to-me rug.

That's my second-hand fix for this week, unless of course I happen to walk past a charity shop tomorrow when I nip into town.

See you soon.

What I Wore

This is what I wore to visit my Dad on his 83rd birthday yesterday. 

 I didn't realise this 1960s crimplene and lurex mini dress was quite so short but it put a smile on the other residents' faces at his care home.

Waistcoat (£2.45, Acorns Hospice), Lurex mini (Vanessa & Helga's parcel of joy), 1960s vinyl & tapestry bag (£2.95, Banardos)

I've had several emails and comments asking about my diet/fitness regime, so for those who want to know:

I exercise a minimum of 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day and walk everywhere I can.

I hate cream & ice-cream and aren't keen on chocolate, cakes, sugar, sweets or fizzy drinks (unless it's cola with my rum).

I've been vegetarian for over 43 years.

I have two consecutive booze-free days each week.

I eat three times a day and don't snack between meals.

Most of what I cook is made from scratch so I know exactly what goes into our food.

I don't eat dessert.

I rarely eat after 6pm*

(*except on weekends, when all common sense flies out of the window)

Hindu temple beads (from Varkala, Kerala) and silver Shiva pendant (50p, car boot sale) 

I'm not a fitness obsessive, simply an arthritic old bat, if I don't exercise and keep trim it plays havoc with my poor old joints and there's nothing more embarrassing than strangers stopping me in the street and offering to carry my shopping home or give me a lift somewhere because they feel sorry for me.

What I'm wearing today for a trip to the dentist (after breaking my tooth eating salad). £48 for a filling, I shudder to think what I could buy from tomorrow's jumble sale with that much money.

1970s nylon halter-neck and vintage needle cord maxi (from Helga & Vanessa's parcel of joy), beaded rose handbag (£1, last week's boot sale), huge bangle (the lovely Lakota)

Original 1980s brass & leather choker & bangle (from Sarah Misfit's beautiful friend, Ada), wooden ring (from Heather) and retro Deco-esque earrings (50p, car boot sale)

I found this picture of my Mum whilst I was sorting out some stuff at my Dad's earlier. I've never seen it before, most of our family photos are on slides. It's from August 1968, a few days after my little brother was born. How groovy was her up-do and mini dress?

Care homes, dentists and arthritis, I'm not very rock and roll, am I?

See you soon!

Parcels Of Joy!

She may have been cavorting with fellow Antipodean minxes Kitty and Desiree this weekend but darling Helga didn't forget me. A parcel of joy arrived this morning and just look at my treats.

Catsuit worn with Melissa jelly sandals (£3.50, Scope), 1960s pearlised clip earrings (50p, car boot sale) and huge hair (gravity)

There's this fabulous futuristic crimplene catsuit by Louise Fashions of New Zealand which makes me feel like a 1960s Bond bad girl.

An Indian adventure.

Vintage patterns

She also sent a1970s cord maxi skirt by David Grey (presumably not the wobbly headed singer). Also in the parcel was a1960s St Michael lurex mini dress and a flower child nylon halter top, which were both from everyone's favourite squirrel, Vanessa.

There was a pouch containing a pretty Indian silver chain & a kitsch poodle brooch from fab Kiwi, Sue.

Jon got a fabulous acid-bright psychedelic tab collared shirt by vintage London label, Rael Brook.

This fringed turquoise leather waistcoat (also from the divine Miss V) is just perfect with my curtain couture skirt, Barry M nails & brass trinketry.

Aren't bloggers the greatest?

1960s scarf (75p, Salvation Army), Curtain maxi skirt made by me (seen HERE )

Don't worry, soon after I ripped open my parcel I donated two vests, 3 books, a sarong, three belts and a bag to the Salvation Army and gave away 5 bottles of nail polish to a friend's daughter.
Ten in, fifteen out, balance maintained.

Off to get cracking on one of my new vintage patterns, I may be some time.

Bikini Kill

I was restless yesterday so abandoned my feminist murder mystery on the lounger and got all creative in the sunshine instead.

 I pulled the plastic bits off a pile of artificial flowers I'd bought from one of last weekend's jumble sales and then hand-sewed the fabric petals onto a bikini top I'd bought from another jumble.

Carmen Miranda eat your heart out! I'm linking to Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday.

Mock tortoiseshell 1970s sunglasses (20p, car boot sale), 1960s clip earrings (50p, yesterday's boot sale), bikini top (20p, jumble sale), fake flowers (50p, jumble sale), Bikini boy shorts (50p, Top Shop clearance)

Some say a bikini doesn't belong on a woman over forty, I say not only should we old biddies wear our bikinis with pride but make them so loud and crazy that the age police spontaneously combust with outrage.

Rosemary & Sarah both asked where I store my clothes. This is it. Believe it or not I can get my clothes into a double wardrobe. The suitcases are crammed with tights, scarves, shawls, belts and bags. My Mum & Grandma were terrible hoarders and dealing with their possessions after their deaths frightened me into being ruthless with my belongings.

Out-of-season stuff is stored on top, clothes I only wear when I'm travelling, heavier dresses, gloves and knitted hats.

The top two dressing table drawers house my make-up & nail varnish on one side and hair accessories and sunglasses on the other, the drawer below holds swimwear & what little underwear I own and the lower drawer has jeans and tops that don't need ironing.

For every new item that enters my wardrobe at least two existing items have to leave.

With those words of wisdom I'm off to continue with my book, Killing Wonder by Dorothy Bryant, and top up the tan.


See you soon.

Another Frockin' Revamp & Some Car Booty

The wonderful Curtise sent me a parcel containing a fabulous lame dress with the grooviest of vintage labels. I couldn't wait to get it on my back but despite it looking great off, once on my body it was a different matter entirely.

I wasn't wearing the frock, the frock was wearing me and something had to be done.

I thought about hacking it off to mini length, but the hips weren't  flared enough for that, so out came the seam rippers and off came the sleeves. 

Bare arms are much more me.

Also in the parcel were these fabulously garish etched glass Spanish dancers (which are already adorning the Wall Of Random) and a gloriously retro postcard. Curtise, have I told you lately that I love you?

Can you believe these brand new boots were a quid from the car boot yesterday?

I also picked up this little lot:

I did get much,much more but opted for an afternoon in the sun rather than a photographing marathon.

The car boot sale on a Thursday is full of antique dealers offloading their house clearance detritus. These all came from the estate of an elderly lady who was an inveterate hoarder. They had been bought in the 1960s and 1970s never been worn or enjoyed, which made both me and the dealers very sad. 

It's a quiet night in the garden with rum and coke and Jon's special pizza tonight, I want to be up early for the Saturday boot sale.

Have a fab weekend!

Festival (Anti) Fashion

The sun is shining, weather is sweet, I've got a pint of chilled cider by my side and I'm dreaming of festivals.

Grubby Portaloos, cremated vegeburgers, mud, queueing for a beer, not washing for days, ratty hair, no sleep, losing your mates and missing your favourite band's secret set. I love every single minute.

Liz snapped up these 1970s high heeled wellies at a jumble sale so now I'm all ready and raring to go.

Twelve months ago I customised this 1960s St Michael nightie by chopping a few inches off the bottom, sewing the petals from some fake flowers on the shoulders and adding some pearly vintage buttons.

It went down a storm in the mosh pit at the Pulled Apart By Horses set at last years' Glasto. It was a hideously muddy day and the last thing I wanted was a maxi dress trailing in the filth.

If you're a Brit you'll be inundated with "festival fashion" features in the media from now until September. Most of it's dull as ditch water, who wants to dress like the thousands of other festival-going chicks?  Your friends will never find you if you wander off to the cider bus.

Vintage St Michael nightie (20p, jumble sale), tribal brass bangles (inherited), Italian-made wellies (gift), daisy chain headband (free from the garden)

Here's the guest post I wrote for my mate Rachel's blog last year on packing for a festival:
http://firebirdretro.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/festival-fever-vixs-rough-guide-to.html

I'd better go and comment on my favourite blogs before I drink any more cider.