A Week Is A Long Time in Blogland

Doesn't time fly? In between eBay listing, charity shopping, swimming, reading, watching, crocheting, socialising and getting dressed, this week's fled. I thought I'd better squeeze in a blogpost before what I've been up to this week becomes ancient history.

First up, here's what I've been wearing.....

Monday - vintage Adini Indian block print maxi dress with 1970s Phool jacket, secondhand Clarks boots, vintage Gujarati tribal pendant and a Monsoon wool fedora.

Tuesday - charity-shopped Levis, vintage Anokhi blouse, second-hand Reiss fedora, 1970s tooled leather belt, second-hand Clarks knee high boots and 1960s leather coat.

Wednesday - Vintage Shubette of London mythical beasts maxi worn with a 1970s suede coat, secondhand Proper Topper fedora and 1970s Spanish tooled leather coin belt.

Thursday - Kharibu block printed midi dress, vintage suede waistcoat, secondhand Clarks boots, Rajasthani silver earrings and Monsoon felted wool hat

Friday - vintage Pakistani block printed kaftan, vintage tooled leather belt, 1960s silk screen printed Indian scarf and charity-shopped Aldo fedora.

I really didn't need a new pair of boots but when I spotted these waxed leather Timberland beauties in Banardos priced up at £4 (they retail at £160) and saw that they were a UK size 6.5 it would have been rude not to add them to my collection! In addition to my new boots, I also snaffled a pair of Clarks Victorian-style lace-up ankle boots, a 1970s tooled leather belt (worn on Tuesday with my Levis), a Monsoon angora cardi and a River Island fluffy polo neck for the grand total of £7.

Find of the week has to be the microwave we picked up for a tenner from the Salvation Army. We've been thinking about buying one for a while. Now we can batch cook and save having to use the oven so often and, as I loathe seeing kitchen gadgets on display, it fits into the cupboard perfectly. Who needs Black Friday?

Lord Jon's feeling rather pleased with himself after snaffling the last pair of olive suede Wallabees in Clarks' half price sale. Not only his size but, named after the Somerset village where Glastonbury is held, Pilton. It's a sign!

Also from Banardos, I found this boiled Merino wool chores jacket by hipster Los Angeles based menswear label, Buck Mason, on the womenswear rail. It is current stock and on their website priced $225 - I paid £2!

We popped over to Birmingham to visit our friends, Steve and Graziella, at their incredibly cool shop, Moseley Vintage Hub in the Digbeth area of the city. They used to run the Moseley Vintage Fair where Jon & I traded for many years and, if you ever visited, you'll know that they have an amazing eye for retro homewares. 

Amongst a few hundred other bits and pieces I'm seriously tempted with both the Indian advertising signs and the incredible Art Nouveau cast iron fire surround below. I just need to work out where I can shoehorn them in!

Moseley Vintage Hub is every weekend at Unit C1, The Basement, Bowyer Street, Digbeth B10 0SA. Find them HERE or follow them on Facebook

Last night we attended the opening night of Walsall Society of Artists annual exhibition at Walsall's critically acclaimed New Art Gallery (HERE). Liz has eight artworks on display including the lady in the pink top, based on a vintage photo of her Mum, Hazel.

Dawn and Brian are always winners in the style stakes. Her 1950s swing coat was a Second To None buy, the faux fur stole a lucky charity shop find.

The fishing scene and Sarah from Number Two (the stylish free hand embroidered lady with the cigarette) are two more of Liz's pieces. Give Liz a follow HERE.

I've been Liz's model since the dawn of time. That's me in her Hanging on the Telephone painting. My witchy looking 1960s panne velvet maxi dress is from Samuel Sherman's Sambo line and was a car boot sale find about fifteen years ago.

There's been shopping, lots of shopping! We've squeezed in two mornings of charity shopping although, with the near-biblical amounts of rain, I've only managed to photograph a fraction of it.

Coast tulle skirt (new with tags); vintage Astraka fake fur; Reclaimed Vintage repurposed 1970s fabric top; Moleskin breeches; Desigual embroidered blouse (new with £85 tag still attached); 1970s fake fur; Thought sustainable Tencel shift dress; Seasalt, Cornwall cotton "Seamstress Dress"; two retro 1990s Puma deadstock training tops; 1970s Moorlands child's sheepskin jacket.

1980s Match Set knitted jacket; Swedish label, Weekday, canvas chores jacket; Cos wool jumper; Diesel jeans; Puma 1990s deadstock trainers; 1970s felted wool hat; 1960s Keynote tooled leather belt; Coach belt, made with British vegetable tanned cowhide; William Morris *Strawberry Thief* tapestry tote bag; Uniqlo samurai print leisure shirt.

With The English having piqued our interest in Westerns we're now watching Godless on Netflix and loving it. Strong women, a gripping plot and plenty of cowgirl chic to inspire my sartorial choices! Review HERE

I've crocheted 29 granny squares this week, eleven and two halves to go!

This week's book is Stone Blind by brilliant Brummie classicist, Natalie Haynes. Medusa is my favourite character from Greek Mythology. I wore my Medusa head acrylic necklace last night.

This morning Jon and I attended the Our Future Health appointments after swimming where we were weighed, measured, had our bloods taken and our blood pressure and cholesterol checked and, I'm pleased to say, were told that we're fit, healthy and in the ideal BMI range. Best thing of it was...I didn't faint when they took my blood, there's a first time for everything! UK residents can join up HERE.

Have a fab weekend, see you on the other side!