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Sale on Christmas stock

2012-01-10T11:38:00.000Z

All Christmas stock at This Vintage Life now has at least 25% off for a limited time.

New stock imminent!

Specs appeal

2011-12-16T15:43:00.106Z

Glasses. I hate them! And I'm allowed to say that because I have to wear them.
So. You may well ask why I felt the need to buy this little curiosity when I saw it on ebay a while ago? I'm not completely to blame as there was somebody standing over me urging me on to bid.

I think the thing that swung it is that it contains my first pair of glasses which I loathed beyond measure. Yes, the pale blue pair, bottom right (giving my age away again...). Children just don't know they're born today. I've seen the great choice of trendy frames in the opticians! I had a choice of brown (boys) pink (girls) or blue (unisex) And everybody knew you were wearing NHS specs if you wore one of these colours. For shame.

The arms had something like a ball bearing at the end. At least, it felt like a ball bearing after you'd worn them all day and were left with a huge red crater in the back of your ear when you took them off. And yes, I was called 'speccy four eyes'. Children are so imaginative!

I've obviously got some perverse attachment to those glasses though or else I wouldn't have felt the need to buy this opticians sample.
It's yet to find a home in the house. Maybe I should hang it by the front door, it would certainly be a talking point.
Thankfully, as a grown up, I can wear what I like, as long as I have very deep pockets. What with eye tests, glasses, prescription sunglasses and prescription cycling glasses I need a second job to pay for them all AND it's all times two as Mr TVL is similarly afflicted eyesight wise.

I never imagined I would buy specs over the internet though as I'm VERY fussy and know as soon as I try something on whether it's me or not. I hate schlepping around the High Street at the best of times and this year I just couldn't find anything I liked. When did glasses get so blingy? To cut a long story short, after lots of searching and to-ing and fro-ing and measuring old glasses against potential new ones I narrowed it down and took the plunge.

And I was so pleased, I went back a few weeks later and bought a second pair!

So I'm alternating between the round tortoiseshell ones which are particularly good for the vintage look when attending 40's events and the like and these...

which being a subtle cat-eye style lend themselves to a 50's look but are not so full-on vintagey they can't be worn with 'everyday' clothes.
They were both from Lensway at the insanely cheap price of £29.00 all in (thanks Money Saving Expert!) This is an offer price they have from time to time although I notice the tortoisehell ones are permanently at that price now. They both fit fine and so far I've had no problems so I'm a convert. I shall never buy from an opticians again.
By the way, if you have a favourite or vintage pair of glasses that need replacement lenses I'd recommended Specs on the net. I use them for the lenses in my cheap and cheerful cycling glasses. Single vision lenses cost £12 and that includes the return delivery so you just have the cost of sending them in. They're very quick and again, I've yet to encounter any problems.

When I think of 'glasses' and 'vintage' in the same sentence I imagine trying to look something like this...

whereas in reality I actually look a lot more like this...

(and if you don't know who this is then you're too young, be off with you!!)

Home sweet home

2011-12-01T17:57:00.005Z

Twelve years ago today, we moved house. This anniversary always makes me reminisce about what I left behind.

(apologies for the picture quality here. These were taken on an old fangled camera, meaning one with film, and mostly at night so I had to use scans. I've sharpened them a bit but I don't think it's helped much)

This house was our first house. Not our first home together as we had previously rented but our first home, the first that was properly ours and we got a mortgage on it and everything! I don't think we'd actually bought it when these were taken but as soon as I saw it, I had to have it. I knew the house well as I grew up in an identical one on the next avenue.

Of course, when you're young (as I was *sigh*) nothing fazes you. And your heart rules your head. Or at least it did mine when it came to houses. Still does!

This is the sort of conversation you have with yourself in your head...."So it's virtually untouched since the day it was built? That's good - full of original features! So it has no central heating? We'll put it in and in the meantime we have lovely open fires! So the windows are rotten or falling out? We'll get new ones! So the kitchen consists of one small cupboard, a belfast sink and an ancient and potentially dangerous stove? It's quaint and we can save up for a proper one! So the garden is 100ft of untamed jungle and you can't keep a pot plant alive? I'll learn. That's why God made Geoff Hamilton."

No real thought as to where the thousands of pounds needed to do all this is going to materialise from.

Pah! Mere details!

All I saw were picture rails, floorboards, belfast sink, cast iron bath, original fireplaces, built-in dresser, quarry tiles...the list was long.

This is the dining room that eventually became our kitchen. Sadly, to do that, we had to remove the fireplace and the chimney breast.

But oh! My dresser. How I loved it! Mr TVL spent many 'happy' hours scraping off the paint with a heat gun. If I could have brought it away with me I would have but it was sort of part of the wall as it had gone in when the house was built and removing it would've left a big hole! Can you imagine anything like that being built into a house today?

This is the kitchen. What you see is what you get. There is no more. Oh, I lie. On the right hand wall next to the sink is a small built-in cupboard. See the brown stains on the wall top left? Nicotine. Nice! The old chap who lived in the house spent all his time in the dining room and kitchen and was obviously a heavy smoker. The rest of the house was strangely clean. He probably even slept down there. When I was cooking and the room got steamed up, 'brown water' droplets would plop off the ceiling onto our heads. Ah, happy days!

Another of my most favourite things in the world (I'm not messing) is The Pantry. These should make a comeback but I suspect the fashion for tiny shoebox houses prevents this. When we eventually had a fitted kitchen erm...fitted, I struggled to make use of the cupboards as I could easily fit everything in my pantry and dresser. It still had a concrete cold slab at the back (under't stairs) as of course back in the 30's when the house was built nobody had a fridge. It worked a treat. The room kept everything beautifully cool.

This is the only shot I took of the living room which is a shame as it had an original fireplace, dark wood with lavender coloured tiled hearth. You're also unable to see the delightful 'wedding album' wallpaper clearly. You know the sort I mean. Stripey, shiny, silvery, that type of thing.

Halfway there! Upstairs to the bedrooms (all two of them) and this is the master, ha ha!

I painted the fireplace blue. Why on earth did I do that?

Why are there two pairs of curtains at the window, I wondered? We found out the first night we slept in there. The room had it's original Crittal window. For anyone that doesn't know, they're metal. They warp, they mist up, they rust. And warping means they don't close. I think you can just about see the piece of string going from the centre opener off down to the right. This was put there by somebody trying to keep the window shut. It didn't work. We used to get frost on the inside of the windows. Really! I'm not making this stuff up!

That's yours truly on the left there. The most interesting thing about this picture is that I remember I was wearing leggings! It was the first time round for them.

This is what we always called the 'back bedroom'. Keeps things simple when you've only got two. They liked gloss paint didn't they? I do think it's a bit silly though to make a small room even smaller by putting an airing cupboard in there too. Still, at least I had one. No such luxury here.

On to the humungous landing. Room for three doors and that was it. See the door handle? Bakelite. The trouble with bakelite is that it can get brittle. As soon as we moved in and starting using all the rooms regularly, they all broke in half. We were gutted!

Another great design feature here. Do you like the way they just laid one piece of carpet across the other? Our (first) cat Tilly (see sidebar for pet mugshots) was a bit of a thief and used to particularly enjoy stealing pens, pencils and emery boards. She used to chase these around the house until they got wedged under this ridiculous floor covering. When we ripped it up there were dozens of said items we just thought we'd mislaid!

Now I have a terrible confession to make regarding the bathroom. (nothing like that, keep it clean!) You may be able to tell that the curtains are 1950's ones. They had pictures of little bathroom suites on them. I took them down and not wanting to waste them (!) I used them as a floor cloth at a car boot sale. Wait, it gets worse. Afterwards, they were understandably grubby so I...threw them away!!!!!!!! Apologies, my vintage loving friends. I don't really have anything to say in my defence except I was young and foolish.

Let's move quickly on....

The bathroom had original tiles and original bath with globe taps (eeek!) Sink and loo were probably replaced in the 60's.

This heated towel rail and an electric heater high up on the wall gave us the luxury of two heat sources in the bathroom. A novelty! Actually, the towel rail didn't work and the electric heater was dangerous so we used to wheel in the calor gas fire when bathing. Thinking about it now, that was probably dangerous too, y'know fumes and the like. The trouble with that was you only had a short window of opportunity to get in, get washed and get out before the fire went out due to the humidity. You knew it was about to go as it would start to make a 'blub blub blub' sound! Mr TVL would then spend several minutes trying to re-light it but sadly, it was almost always in vain and I would have to jump out and run downstairs to the gas fire shivering all the way.

We did have the built-in soap dish and over the bath (not seen) a built-in medicine cupboard flush with the wall. They seem to have been keen on built-in things back in the 30's don't they? I painted these tiles too as well as the kitchen ones. What was wrong with me?! It was the era of the makeover programme though and I worshipped at the altar of Linda Barker! There wasn't much in the house that wasn't rag-rolled/stencilled or colourwashed!

And finally, my garden. I wanted a huge garden and I got it. Apart from the garden part. It was more of a jungle. Particularly the bottom half. Foxgloves, lupins and violas had taken over. All the foxgloves and lupins in my current garden are descendants of these. There was also some beautiful old roses as well as bulbs that we didn't know about until months later as we moved in October.

Another of my peculiar likes when it comes to houses is concrete line posts. I had two as I do now. It probably makes me a wee bit sad/odd but I don't care! We like what we like.

We could see there were a few old garden ornaments around but it wasn't until the winter when a lot of stuff died back that we realised just how many there were. Dozens! I kept my favourites and sold the rest at a car boot sale. People were fighting over them! I still have the bird baths (the one on the left sadly broke) the

water mill and the alsatian. For some reason I let the old man on the bench go for £3 at a garage sale we held. I so wish I hadn't!

Thank you for accompanying me as I wandered down memory lane. Sadly, our time there was not as happy as it could have been as we had awful neighbours. The ones on the left. Yes, you know who you are!! Still, I did love that house. Every single brick. This was just the beginning of course. It took us the whole six years we lived there to get it straight but that's for another time. Maybe I'll dig out some pictures of what we did but remember, I mentioned stencilling.....

New Arrivals at This Vintage Life...

2011-11-24T19:46:00.000Z

Lots more Christmas items added to the webshop today as well as general stock. Hope to see you there!

Christmas at This Vintage Life

2011-11-07T19:42:00.000Z

The Christmas Shop is now open for business at This Vintage Life....lots more items will be added in the coming weeks.

Stuff

2011-10-27T14:27:00.000+01:00

I like stuff. I do. Especially useless stuff. It's an affliction and I fear it's terminal. Here's some of the latest stuff to find it's way home with me.

Who was the Victorian lady who wore this I wonder? Somewhat tatty, completely useless but pretty and delicate and worth saving.

I've been looking for one of these teensy little child sized baskets for ages. And then Mr TVL spots this on a high shelf in a charity shop for the grand sum of £1.95!! I wish that happened every day!

I have oodles of these fab crochet covered hangers. Bought to sell but...well, you know the rest. I may be persuaded to add a few to the website soon. Maybe.

(click on picture to enlarge!)

I love the little illustrations in the manual of a helpful young lady pointing out things alongside the instructions. Her outfit very nicely dates it, I think.

Not all stuff is useless of course. While doing a bit of soy-fing I spotted this great vintagey fairisle cardi at Matalan of all places. Not a shop I frequent I admit, but this was too cute to miss.

Look, it's got puffy sleeves!

Yes, I like stuff. And the great thing is, there's always more where that came from!

Escape

2011-10-11T14:43:00.006+01:00

As I look out of my window at the driving rain, it's hard to believe that just over a week ago I was sitting on the beach enjoying near 30 degree heat. I don't want to say "I told you so" but....

Although it's something I've never done before I sneaked off on my own with just the camera and some hastily thrown-together lunch. I couldn't sit in front of the computer screen while the sun was beating down, knowing I would regret not enjoying this brief interlude before autumn. It felt very naughty but also exhilarating and reminded me just how lucky I am to have this on my doorstep.

As you can see, it was a busy day. I wasn't sure I'd be able to find any peace and quiet away from the crowds ;-)

Despite living about seven miles from this glorious beach I haven't set foot on it in far too long.

We visited regularly when we had dogs but since then, it seems to have been pushed to the back of our minds. What we were thinking?!

I always think if their intention is to put me off, it almost works but then I can't swim!

New arrivals at This Vintage Life

2011-10-04T16:32:00.040+01:00

I've added lots of new products to the shop today including those pictured here. Pop over for a gander if you have a minute, you'll be made very welcome!

Tight(s) spot

2011-09-28T15:20:00.073+01:00

Where has this lovely weather been hiding? We might be enjoying July in September but before we know it...BAM!!! It's February in October. That's the trouble with enjoying glorious sunshine this late in the year in Britain. We'll wake up one morning to a heck of a shock. So, I was going to postpone this post but then I thought "nah, we'll all be putting the socks, tights and boots back on in the near future".
About this time of year when pulling said boots from the back of the wardrobe I like to buy a few new pairs of tights. They're a fairly inexpensive way to zoosh up an outfit I think you'll agree? Except that I have expensive tastes as you'll see further down this post!
Here are just a few that have caught my eye while browsing mostly the net ('cause I hate schlepping around the shops) and high street stores in the last couple of weeks. I favour the thicker, woolly type tights or opaques so that's what you're getting a look at here. There's a great choice of designs and colours out there so something for everyone, no matter what your budget. So away with the suncream and out with the brolly!

Coloured crochet tights, available in six colours ~ New Look £5.99

120 denier tights, available in nine colours ~ New Look £4.99
All tights currently 3 for 2 at New Look so stock up!

Ditsy flower tights ~ White Stuff £15.00

Deidre net tights ~ White Stuff £8.00

White Stuff have some of last winters tights reduced to £5.00 such as the Circle Net and cable tights that I paid more for in their winter sale...grrr!

Stripey Witch tights ~ Accessorize £6.00

I actually wouldn't wear these but I thought they'd be great fun around Halloween!

Big chain chunky tights ~ Accessorize £12.00

LOVE these!

Organic cotton ~ Natural Collection £19.95

Available in eleven lovely colours (below). Expensive I know but I'm hoping they'll last more than one winter unlike a lot of tights I've bought in the past.

Cotton dot ~ Tabio £29.00 (gulp!)

Colour tights in 210 denier ~ Tabio £28.00

Diamond pattern ~ Tabio £24.00

Argyle ~ Tabio £20.00
For a great selection of quality tights I do recommend Tabio. Not cheap as you can see but if you can't find the colour you want there, you'll find it nowhere. They do opaques in 30, 60, 80, 110, 150 and 210 denier, as well as a great selection of patterned tights, socks and leggings.

On the net there's also My Tights and Tights Please where you'll find another huge selection from affordable names such as Pretty Polly to mid range such as Pamela Mann and higher end stuff like Wolford and Falke. I have found some of these cheaper by trawling the internet though
so it's always worth shopping around.

I bought these fab mustard coloured tights in H & M last week, £7.99 I think (love all the mustard appearing in the shops; very good for mixing in with the vintage btw!) but they don't appear to be on the website. It will be an easy colour to find elsewhere this autumn/winter I'm sure.

On the road

2011-09-13T20:16:00.011+01:00

If buses still looked like this, I'd happily use public transport! Of course, you'd then have the problem of getting them to run on time etc...

We tootled up the road at the weekend to the 1940's event in the village of North Thoresby which is organised in conjunction with the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway.

The weather was lovely if a little blustery.

Never mind buses; if only policeman still looked like this etc, etc....Whatever happened to tunics and helmets by the way? They've disappeared in my lifetime and I'm not THAT old!

There's always some lindy hopping at these events. Puts me to shame. Maybe one day, I'll go and learn.

So, we thought this event would be a gentle run out for the new incumbent of TVL Towers, an elderly gentleman by the name of Morris!
We've been so excited waiting for him to arrive!
He's a 1939 Morris 8 Series E Four Door Sliding Head Saloon ~ I think I've got that right, phew!

(I know his name isn't very imaginative but he is sadly without his original registration number and the one he has just doesn't suggest a name to me. And also I know a lot of people think old cars are always 'she' but I think these pre-war saloons look like little old men. So there!)

It's been a long held dream for us to have a little classic of some description and now he's here, we can't wait to start having fun in him, even if we're rapidly running out of summer.

Although we went just to enjoy the day out, when we got to the public car park we were directed to park with the other classics on display which was rather nice, if a little wearing. I've never had my photograph taken so much. Not good for someone who hates having their picture taken.

"Morris, meet Morris!"

Mr TVL (in cap) talking Morrisses. It's surprising how many people told us this was their first car. Back in the sixties you could buy them for £25.00!
And yes, I was doing my bit by wearing a nice 40's flowery frock, original shoes and seamed stockings, but you'll have to trust me on that....

By the way, you may have heard about the National Trust's campaign to raise £600,000 to secure the future of Nuffield Place, which was the home of the founder of Morris Motors, William Morris, later Lord Nuffield. Morris changed the face of British motoring and was a great philanthropist who gave away the equivalent of billons in todays money. Nuffield Place was his home for thirty years before his death in 1963. You can read more about it and also donate here.

"Happy birthday to me..."

2011-09-07T15:39:00.015+01:00

To celebrate the momentus occasion of her seventh birthday, Betty would like to share a few snaps from her, frankly huge, photo album.

Over to you, Betty...

Here is me indulging in one of my favourite pastimes...eating.

Although I love to pinch tomatoes from the greenhouse, sweetcorn remains my favourite treat.
When I look in through the french windows and see it being taken from the fridge I get carried away and jump up at the glass leaving dirty feet marks all over it. Oops....

I like to get to know the other creatures that have come and gone while I've lived here. As you can see, I got on particularly well with Jack (rest his little soul) until I tried to pinch his dinner. Then he grabbed me. Ouch!

Flo gives me a lot of dirty looks. I suspect she thinks I'm some freakishly big sparrow and she's just trying to work out how to tackle me.

I like to jump on things...

Sometimes, things I'm not supposed to jump on...

I also get told off (a bit) for bathing where I shouldn't.

And I also like to leave little deposits around the garden. I can't think why Mum wasn't pleased with this one....

I like to be useful , whether it's helping with the gardening....

...for which I'm rewarded with slightly grubby feet...

or enhancing Mums photographs with my presence.

I also like to lend a hand cleaning out my eglu. Sort of. Actually, I'm just waiting for Dad to move it so I can get at all the bugs underneath.

Looking this good is a full time occupation so I spend a lot of time on my appearance.

And I'm nothing if not stoical. Look at the weather conditions I have to put up with! I do knock at the door to try and get into the kitchen, but I don't think Mum and Dad can always hear me...

My least favourite time of the year is when I have to go through the palaver of moulting. This makes me very sad and a bit grumpy but I do get let in to the kitchen for sweetcorn so it could be worse.

I have heard some giggling over my appearance at this time which I must say is uncalled for.

I do spend a little more time napping in the daytime than I used to. Well, I'm no spring chicken y'know.

Even though I'm now seven I still manage to lay four or five eggs a week, sometimes more!

Mum and Dad seem to like them. They like the bright orange yolks and the fact that I've never laid a single egg with any thing in it that shouldn't be there (such as a spot of blood for instance)

All in all they should think themselves lucky that I've chosen to grace them with my presence for the last six and a half years. They seem to think I'm the lucky one for having this lovely big garden to explore and never having to spend a minute cooped up, like some other chickens. A lot of them don't reach my age apparently...poor things.

And of course, I am very beautiful!

By the way, have you noticed that after last years moult I decided to change my 'parting'? It now goes to the left and although at first I wasn't sure if it suited me I must say I was rather pleased to be able to see out of my right eye for the first time in six years.

For the love of Granny

2011-08-31T14:06:00.008+01:00

Coo, it's been a while. Time just runs away with you sometimes!

So. During the time of This Vintage Life one of the items that has remained consistently popular is the crocheted blanket, afghan, granny squares; call it what you will.
They always sell fairly swiftly and more than anything else, they're the item I get most requests for.
So just recently when sorting and organising my pictures for the website (we all have to do a bit of housekeeping from time to time, don't we?) I realised just how many 'grannies' have passed through my hands in four and a half years. And it's a LOT!

About the same time, I also had an email from a customer in Australia (Hello, Lynn!) who attached a lovely photograph of her cat reclining on the blanket she had just purchased from the other side of the world!

The funny thing is I go over them with a fine tooth comb to make sure they are hair and fluff free before I buy them...ho hum! Sadly, the picture has disappeared from my file so I can't share it here.

On that note, I have two very large blankets here that are a bit err...hirsute. Now, I wouldn't normally purchase these as I said but as they came in a lot of other things, I took them on.

If anybody is interested in them, I can offer them for £15.00 each plus £4.50 postage which for their size is considerably less than they would be offered for on the website if in tip-top condition. Apart from their hairy problem, they are in great condition; no holes, damage, repairs that I can see.

They are so big, they'd be suitable for using as a bedspread; indeed one has shaped corners , presumably to go around the edge of the mattress.

They will be washed and de-haired as much as is physically possible before being sent out. You might not even notice them!

These are for you if you're the sort of person (like me) who allows your pets to lounge about on the furniture or maybe you just want a cheap blanket and aren't too fussy!! Either way, drop me an email and I'll let you know the postage cost and maybe even a discount for buying both. The final two images below are what you'd be buying.

Anyhoo, here's a bit of granny eye candy. And this is by no means all of them!

Granny squares are very versatile....

Blankets for sale

Blanket 1
Has the shaped edges. Approx. 7ft x 7ft

Blanket 2

Approx. 6ft x 6ft

If you're interested, drop me an email deb@thisvintagelife.com
and let me know which blanket you'd be interested in. Postage will be cheaper for both and I can send overseas but they are heavy so please bear that in mind. I'll also try and put them on the website at some point soon in Vintage Value if they haven't sold here first.

New arrivals at This Vintage Life...

2011-07-28T15:30:00.021+01:00

Many lovely new items have just been added to the shop....

Hope to see you soon!

Mad men

2011-07-26T14:51:00.044+01:00

With the Tour de France over for another year I was reminded of these pictures I took back in the Spring at the Lincoln Grand Prix. Not quite the same, although I'm sure to the men cycling it, no walk in the park!

Pink kit, pink bike! Why not?

These are all what I call 'roadie faces!'

The pain is tangible, isn't it?!

This chap has the right idea...I like his snazzy neckerchief.

This is the sort of thing you too can enjoy if you ride this race. The route is 86 miles and the riders do 11 laps of the circuit including Michaelgate which is not only a 1 in 6 climb but cobbled, just for extra fun.

The finish line...

The aftermath! I can only guess what's going through his mind...

And this years winner, a young man from Yorkshire called Scott Thwaites.

I have nothing but respect for anybody that can put themselves through such a test of physical endurance. Cyclists really are the fittest people on the planet.

Since taking up cycling, I'm fitter than I've ever been and have discovered muscles I never even knew I had, plus I've done things I didn't think I was capable of.

Still, as much as I love cycling I don't think I'll be signing up for a sportive anytime soon!

Thorpe Camp

2011-07-19T17:00:00.086+01:00

Another summer weekend, another 1940's event. This time quite close to home at Thorpe Camp. (Blogger does not want to do this link. The address is www.thorpecamp.org.uk).

At least the weather behaved itself this time!

Thorpe Camp was attached to the nearby airforce base at Woodhall Spa where amongst others, the famous 617 Squadron, The Dambusters were based.

There were the usual displays and re-enactors.

...as well as some vintage cars (sadly, not a great amount and a couple that dated to much later...odd!).

There are displays aplenty in the visitors centre itself...

(sorry about the reflection ~ these things are always behind glass...grrrr!).

(parachute silk wedding dress).

...and the great thing is that the entrance fee is still only £3.00 even for the 1940's event!

Although there were some shopping opportunities I have to say that I was not mightily impressed. They seemed to be heavy on the repro (not always a bad thing I readily admit) but also too much 'vintage style' that in my opinion could be had via any charity shop for a lot less money.

Mr. TVL did pick up a luuurvely pair of vintage shoes from someone selling the genuine article though.

I think it's very important we support these attractions to keep the memory of the war alive for future generations.

(Oops, forgot to say, new stock coming to the website v. soon!).

Rain stops play

2011-06-15T13:52:00.008+01:00

For some time we'd been planning to visit the annual rally of the Lincoln Vintage Vehicle Society, held at Lincoln Castle.

Although the day started with glorious warm sunshine (at least on the coast, where we are!) by the time we arrived in Lincoln the heavens had opened and the rain didn't stop pouring down all day.

Still, we'd driven there especially to see vintage cars and vintage cars we intended to see! Even if it did mean wearing an old jacket of A's that's kept in the car for emergencies (like this). It might be eight sizes too big for me but wearing it was preferable to catching pneumonia as I was only dressed in a skirt and short sleeves!

(Despite lightening up these pictures afterwards, the day was so dreary that it didn't make much difference, hence the vintage effects to make the best of a bad job!)

No apologies for all the E-type pictures! I always have to be dragged away from them.

If I ever bought one (yeah, right!) it would be this colour, Primrose, or maybe Old English White, or red,or British Racing Green...

Beautiful Armstrong-Siddeley...

There were some lovely old commercial vehicles too. I'd catch the bus if it looked like this.

No, not a Mini, but a Riley Elf. Isn't it cute? We almost bought one of these once but while we dithered it sold!

We're very fond of Austin's and Morris's especially these lovely little things, Austin A30's. There were about half a dozen lined up. We have our eye on one of these and the great thing is, it'll fit in our garage!

More beautiful Austins of the 30's/40's....Also on the wishlist! I felt for the poor people showing their cars here. They must have spent all evening leathering off the rain. The joys of owning a classic car!

While we were there we took advantage of being inside Lincoln Castle to have a look around (and dry out for a bit) Now, there's not really much to see at Lincoln Castle. It's a good idea to walk around the walls in good weather and there's what remains of a Victorian prison and that's about it. Don't expect Warwick!
The prison is interesting and this is my favourite item in it, a stuffed lurcher in a glass case. It looks just like our Tara, albeit a different colour. Sometimes, she looked a bit like she'd been stuffed because she didn't move for hours. But that's usually when she was in front of a fire/lying in the sun/under the duvet in bed....

New arrivals at This Vintage Life...

2011-06-10T16:48:00.022+01:00

New stock added to the website today. Pop over to This Vintage Life to have a gander.

Important news for customers!!! Orders that are over the value of the compensation level automatically provided by Royal Mail and other courier companies will now be sent Recorded Delivery. I'm afraid this means an increase in the postage costs for certain items but unfortunately I've had a spate of lost parcels so have no alternative. Recorded delivery does not enhance the compensation but provides a signature on delivery. It is the customer's responsiblity to ask and pay for additional insurance should the value of their order be over the level of insurance included. Currently this is either £36.00 or £41.00 plus postage cost for Royal Mail and £25.00 including postage for courier company. If a parcel is then lost or damaged and enhanced compensation has not been paid for by the customer then the maximum I can refund is these amounts regardless of the value of the order so do please bear this in mind before ordering. International shipping will differ. If in doubt, I am more than happy to answer your questions and get a price to you. Just ask, I don't bite! And at the end of the day, it means everybody's happy.

Thanks for taking the time to read that!

New arrivals at This Vintage Life

2011-05-09T17:30:00.026+01:00

Lots of new items added to the website today including these...

Ding Ding! All aboard!

2011-04-26T11:39:00.057+01:00

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend... and we have another to come!

We had an unusually packed time {for us} catching up on chores {yuk} as well as lots of cycling, a bit of car booting and on Saturday we celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary with a wonderful meal here. I also received this little beauty from my husband. Sometimes, he can take a hint ;-)

This was followed on Sunday with a day out at Crich Tramway Museum's 1940's event.

This called for top to toe 1940's togs of course.

{ No, this isn't me although I wouldn't mind her 'garden!' }

I got to wear these sandals that my wonderful husband treated me to recently and only when I got home did I realise that everything I had on was american in origin. These lovely sandals were from Sears.

We had a great time, so much so that I now have a husband who wants his own vintage wardrobe! Speaking of which there were lots of lovely vintage shopping opportunities. I could have gone a bit mad with all the wonderful clothes for sale but I only came away with one dress.

Crich have another 40's weekend in August if you're interested in going. I hadn't visited since I was very small so it was nice to be reminded what a great place it is for a visit and there is of course so much more than the last time I was there. It really does transport you back to another time. And you can have as many tram rides as you like!

Here are a few more pics which I've made suitably vintage looking with my new toy!

We both love vintage cars so spent quite a lot of time drooling over these...

New arrivals at This Vintage Life

2011-04-07T16:44:00.020+01:00

The sun is shining! And it's new arrivals time once again at This Vintage Life....phew! I've added lots of lovely new things so do pop over and take a look. This is just a small taster of what's on offer. There's also a couple of new items in Vintage Value.

New/Old

2011-03-16T12:58:00.085Z

Despite having been around vintage for many years I've only recently begun to collect and build up my own wardrobe of vintage clothes.
It takes time and a lot of patience, but this is half the fun of course! I don't know how many times I've fallen in love with something only to find it's never going to fit me.
The other concern with vintage clothes, for me at any rate, is worrying every time I put something on. Am I going to drop coffee down it or snag it on a nail?!
I'm really trying to get over this and actually enjoy wearing and not worrying because what's the point of vintage clothes if they just hang in your wardrobe and are not used?
I use the vintage items in my home and vintage clothes should be no different.

While I get together my core wardrobe of vintage items I've found the high street and internet can be useful hunting grounds for pieces that can be mixed and matched along with my vintage items to create an outfit that definitely passes muster.
On top of this I have no need to worry about wear and tear issues and most things are easily washed and ironed.

So here are a few items I've found just recently on my web travels.

I hope these items convey a sense of the 30's through to the 50's, although the 40's are 'my' era.
This is just a small snapshot of what can be found. A little time spent in front of your computer really can throw up some credible vintage alternatives whatever your budget as the mix of retailers below demonstrates, I think you'll agree.
There are also many specialist companies out there selling wonderful repro vintage based on original designs and so I'll probably share those with you another time.

New Look

Cath Kidston

Kate Kanzier

Clarks Originals

Toast

Hobbs

Peacocks

New arrivals at This Vintage Life

2011-02-18T11:21:00.026Z

As of right now there are lots of new products at This Vintage Life including some lovely textiles...

Nursery related items...

Beautiful antiquarian and more modern books...

Interesting paper ephemera...

And {always a favourite!} terrier figures.

Do pop over if you have a minute!

Now we are FOUR

2011-02-15T14:53:00.066Z

It doesn't seem twelve months since I was here announcing that This Vintage Life was three years old and yet it is and now we're four. Where does time go?

Once again my thanks to everybody who has visited over the years to make a purchase. There will be a new upload of stock very soon so look out for an email if you've subscribed to the newsletter or just pop in here and there's bound to be a mention.

The house is looking very floral this week, due in no small part to flowers from my 'Valentine' but also because I treated myself to some potted Hyacinths at the supermarket and then a few days later couldn't resist the daffs at the market. Both ridiculously cheap for the amount of pleasure they bring.

I'm dead against buying roses with over inflated prices on Valentines day and am more than happy with a few bunches from the market. A picked them out himself so they may not be perfectly matched but at least it's from the heart and he does get me my favourite Freesias. I tried to grow them in the garden once but they didn't come up. Pfff!

As we can't get a decent vegetarian meal without a two hour drive, I offered to make whatever Mr Valentine wanted and so he decided he'd like a Moussaka. I don't know why but I've never actually made one before. After a quick squizz through the cookery books and the internet I came up with a cobbled together version {it tasted a lot better than that sounded!} It contained a combination of lentils and Quorn mince with the other usual ingredients and topped with a really easy all-in-one pan Bechamel sauce. We just had a green salad on the side and it was delicious.

We wanted to save a bit of space as I'd made this cake. It is just gorgeous. One of the best cakes I've ever made. I'd urge you to try it. I made it with apple but it's even better with plums. I also can't remember where the recipe came from...somewhere on the internet I think. Sorry I haven't got a picture. We were too busy eating it and then the rest went in the freezer to help us avoid temptation!

Fresh Plum Cake

Ingredients:

225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g (3.5oz) margarine
50g (2oz) sultanas
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar plus 2 tblsp for sprinkling
2 large eggs
4 tblsp golden syrup
225g (8oz) plums, stoned and chopped
Method
Preheat oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.

Grease and line an 8 inch square baking tin. I don't have one of these so use a round spring form. Works fine.
Rub the flour, half the cinnamon and the margarine together. I use soft or block. Doesn't seem to matter.
Add the sultanas and 50g (2oz) brown sugar and stir. I leave the sultanas out as I don't care for them and just add a few more plums/apples.
Beat eggs and syrup together in a separate bowl, add plums, then stir into flour mixture.
Transfer to tin and level surface.
Mix rest of brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top of cake mixture.
Cook in centre of oven for 45-50 mins and then test. It should be risen and just firm to the touch when cooked.

Serve warm with custard, creme fraiche, plain yoghurt or best of all cream {we like extra thick Channel Islands cream from the Co-Op!} but have also used Soya cream/custard. It's great cold too and freezes really well.

And we don't need much of an excuse to indulge in a bottle of bubbly in this house. We'd not tried this one before but were pleasantly surprised. It's from the Co-Op, is reasonably priced and is vegan. Cheers!

Edit: I've just found this picture of the plum cake from a previous occasion!

Things that make me go oooh...

2011-02-01T12:22:00.120Z

Nice treats and little things that cheer me up on dreary winter days...

Another recently acquired piece of uber-chippy furniture in my favourite shade of green...

My recent discovery, Lanolips. It's fantastic beacause it's cruelty free and you can use it for so many things. I'm keen on products like that, aren't you? I'm just about to treat myself to one of the lip colours too. Naughty!

You can buy it from here and also at Boots although it always seems to be out of stock there.

Letterpress love...I'm obsessed and have to stop myself from buying prints! I can indulge by buying cards for other people though. My Mum got this for her birthday last year and A's Valentine card is winging it's way here as I type.
I freely admit it's a complete change of direction for me. I'd never have believed I could let something so, gasp! modern and eek! non-vintage through my front door! But change is good, yes? And as long as I'm careful, I can choose things that will fit in with all the vintagey stuff.
I have a long wishlist of letterpress {and screenprinted!} goodies which I may share with you another time. Just take a look at Etsy.

The lemon print was a birthday present for A last year. I loved it, knew he'd 'get it' and I had the perfect spot for it in the kitchen and well, we're fond of a G & T in this house. Thankfully, he loved it.

A lovely bargain cardi from Ness...less than half price in the sale and ...

I also couldn't resist the tartan corsage while I was there. I've had to visit York three times in a month {long story, won't bore you with the details} but suffice to say that is not good for the bank balance {Ness just one of MANY gorgeous shops} or waistline {morning tea at Bettys with hot buttered pikelets each time. Yes, really!}

I smile every time I walk into the room and see this sweet cushion that A bought me for Christmas. It's from here. Again, something new and not vintage!

It's almost the next best thing to having a real whippet/greyhound and looks exactly like my Tara {see sidebar} used to look when curled up in front of the fire.

I do enjoy a nice cuppa but can't shake my reliance on the horrid white stuff {or in my case brown, but no better for you!} so I'm very taken with these teas from Teapigs. The caramel tea has to be tasted to be believed.

It's February. Things are starting to appear in the garden. It's a short month with a Valentine's Day treat in the middle and then it's March and that's Spring!

By the way, I seem to have lost my usual font colours. Not sure how that happened. The links are there, just not showing up!

Clearance

2011-01-06T14:51:00.006Z

I'm having a Clearance event on the website but only for a short time. Got to make room for all the goodies to come! Lots of savings to be had with some items up to half price or less.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T12:46:00.016Z

Happy New Year to all. Have a great 2011!

Happy Christmas

2010-12-24T20:05:00.010Z

Just popping by to wish everybody a very Happy Christmas!

Merry Kitschmas

2010-12-22T14:34:00.049Z

As well as a fresh Christmas tree in our living room every year, we also have our little kitschmas tree in the kitchen/breakfast room. Why Kitsch?

Well, it's artificial. It's dressed with coloured lights. And most of the decorations are a little on the retro side of vintage. Do I care? Pah! It's Christmas. Maybe I should bung some tinsel on there too!

Meet disco Santa...

Disco fairy...

and disco pixie...

...and their friends.

By the way, I hope you remembered to get up early for the eclipse, unlike me. I have been enjoying some fantastic moons this week though. Not long after I took this it disappeared into the clouds for the rest of the evening. It was very large, very golden and very spooky!

Hooray for the Winter solstice though...that's the shortest day over with so Spring's just around the corner. Isn't it?

New stock and a thank you

2010-12-15T09:03:00.016Z

I'm a wee bit tardy in doing this blog post I know, but there is new stock on the website right now. Apart from the usual vintage stock there's lots of new Christmassy items too including this cute little angel/fairy....

more lovely old baubles...

and Christmas cards and postcards...

There are still a few new items left and if you're quick they might just make it to you in time for Christmas although I can't make any promises about delivery times I'm afraid!

As this is my last upload of the year I'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge tHaNkYoU! to everybody that's shopped with me this year at This Vintage Life.
I really appreciate each and every order because the website wouldn't exist without you.

There seems to be new vintage shopping opportunities appearing almost weekly so for people to choose to spend their hard earned cash with me when they have other choices is most gratifying. In February the website will be four years old and I like to think we provide good value and great service. That's what we strive for anyway! If you disagree, I'm sure you'll let me know because that's how we get better at what we do. Vintage websites will come and go because if you don't give people what they want, you'll fall by the wayside pretty quickly.

So I'd like to wish everybody a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and peaceful New Year and lets all enjoy another year of great vintage loveliness in 2011!

Winter wonderland

2010-12-03T12:08:00.063Z

I know it causes chaos but it's still beautiful!

There doesn't seem to be any surface that hasn't got a dusting...

Part of our little pet cemetery :-{

Look at the colour of that sky! Can you see our little robin friend right in the middle? One of two we have visiting. Don't forget to keep feeding our feathered friends, will you?

I've finally succumbed to the trend for 'fashion wellies' after only ever wearing green gardening ones. According to my (old rocker) husband these are my Motorhead wellies. They have 'spades' on them. Ace of Spades.

Even Bettys home has a mini snowdrift...

...hence why we have had a chicken living in our kitchen nearly all week. She's comes out of the eglu in the morning and straight to the back door and doesn't leave, under protest I might add, until it's time for bed! To be fair, there isn't much for a chicken to do when all the lawn and borders are covered with snow. And she is still in moult. Well, only just. She's at the 'flapjack' stage meaning she's dropping piles of skin everywhere.

I've added new items to the website this week. My sincere apologies if you're waiting for your order to arrive and it hasn't. Interesting that I managed to get to the Post Office {about a thirteen mile round trip down country lanes} to send them out this week but the Royal Mail weren't collecting or delivering at our depot as of Wednesday. I also haven't had any post delivered all week so I'm afraid you may be waiting some time yet. The story is similar with the courier company that I use.

We have tickets to see Madness in Leicester tonight but whether we get there is another matter!

I shall be very disappointed if we can't as I was a HUGE fan thirty {gulp!} years ago and have never seen them.

Lets all hope the thaw is on it's way!

New arrivals at This Vintage Life

2010-11-10T16:29:00.015Z

Oodles of new stuff has just arrived at This Vintage Life and there are some new bits in the Christmas shop too.

Christmas Shop Now Open!

2010-11-04T17:37:00.008Z

Sorry to mention the C word when we're barely into November but the Christms shop is now open at This Vintage Life. There's a selection of baubles, postcards, paper ephemera etc..listed already and I will be adding more as the weeks go by so please check back on a regular basis or add your name to the mailing list to be notified when new items arrive.

Seasonal Pleasures

2010-10-20T15:14:00.062+01:00

We were lucky in our neck of the woods to escape this weeks frosts and we do seem to lurch from Summer straight into Winter these days don't we? So I say if there's a little bit of Autumn around, as there seemed to be on our recent walk, then make the most of it.

The trees do seem slow to turn this year which is no bad thing in the garden as I have mountains of leaves to rake up.

I always enjoy a spot of 'fantasy househunting' when I'm out and about, don't you? Love this...in one of my favourite villages.

...but this is much more 'me'...

Likely to be our local vernacular building style; 'mud & stud'...

and what a location!

Don't fancy thatch?

I usually snaffle the sloes that {luckily} grow just over the hedge at the bottom of my garden but when I saw these, much riper than 'ours' we filled our boots ~ not literally but our empty lunch receptacles.

They've now been introduced to the gin and sugar...Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without Sloe Gin! I'd advise anybody to have a go if they've never made it. So simple and tastes wonderful.

Of course, Autumn also means the season of soups is upon us...hooray! This is a favourite in our house ~ Carrot & Lentil served with natural yoghurt and A's homemade bread. Cheap, filling and good for you.

Trust a chicken to throw a spanner in the works though. Betty is in moult...early. She doesn't normally start until we're into November so maybe she knows something we don't...

So the garden looks like a chicken's exploded, egg laying duties have been suspended and the sweetcorn rations have come out of the cupboard! In our house we call it the 'henopause'.

New Arrivals at This Vintage Life

2010-10-10T12:32:00.025+01:00

New stock now available at This Vintage Life...

Back soon with {hopefully} a more interesting post!

Latest arrivals in the shop

2010-09-10T16:34:00.018+01:00

There are lots of new products available now at This Vintage Life...

This Summer...

2010-08-20T10:23:00.094+01:00

I've watched the landscape change from this...

...to this...

...and now to this.

Enjoyed the annual ritual of picking strawberries...

...and raspberries.

Along with enjoying the fruits of my labours in my own little patch...

...despite the fact that I was mortally wounded! That'll teach me to try and jump kerbs...note to self - try to remember you're **, not 14 ;-)

Had days out to nice places...

...including lunch by the river here (sadly, the service was very sloooooow)

Strolling along the river made us green with envy as usual at the sight of these.

One day, my lovely, one day.

Me, A and a whippet. On a narrowboat. Paradise methinks.

On a walk closer to home we met this gorgeous young chap who left his Mum as soon as he saw us and strolled over, not stopping until his nose was almost touching mine!

He let me put my arms around him and kiss his nose. I could've brought him home. Literally. Every time we made to go he would follow. But he got the message, eventually.

Aren't his ears lovely?

We also welcomed some regular visitors to the garden...

I love photographing Dragonflies. They're so accommodating!

Just a few snaps from my Summer. What have you been up to? Whatever it was, I hope you had a great time.

New stock AND Summer reductions!

2010-08-11T12:00:00.020+01:00

There has been some re-stocking of the virtual shelves over at This Vintage Life and while you're perusing the new arrivals you might just pick up a bargain as I have reductions in most departments with some items reduced by up to 50%....but not for long.

New arrivals at This Vintage Life...

2010-07-14T11:29:00.019+01:00

There are lot's of new products at This Vintage Life right now...

On me bike!

2010-06-29T13:20:00.068+01:00

Did you know that last week was National Bike Week? Neither did I until a few days ago. I think it's a great idea to promote the benefits of cycling although I do admit I'm a bit biased as I love getting on my bike!
I recently decided though that the time had come to invest in a new bike as I was just not enjoying myself as much as I should. My old one was a mountain bike, weighed three quarters of a ton and was almost permanently stuck in fourth gear. We may not have any mountains in Lincolnshire but I still need those gears!

Now, what to choose? As much as I surround myself with vintage and have an aversion to anything modern (says she, typing away across the ether) I didn't want to make a big mistake and buy something on looks that then just wouldn't cut the mustard when it actually came to riding it. If you want to cycle 50 miles a week in a rural environment then modernity has the edge over looks I'm afraid. The choice was made a little easier as the bike shop only stocked Trek and Raleigh including this beauty. Very 'vintage'.

I was quite keen to try out a Raleigh, it being a British firm and me being a Nottinghamshire lass but I was told 'don't bother' as once I'd sat on a Trek there would be no comparison. Raleigh has been making bikes for over a hundred years and Trek for precisely 36. Who should make the best bikes? I know it probably comes down to lack of investment. Still, it makes me a little bit sad.

I could have chosen a 'vintage style' Trek...but somehow I can't see myself sat atop this pink delight!

Maybe yellow? No, I don't see it. They just scream 'six year old girl' at me. It's only missing the stabilisers.

If you're not a shrinking violet (like yours truly) there's plenty of choice colour-wise...

...particularly if red's your thing. I admit, I would be torn between red and green.

Of course, we all have a soft spot for a Chopper (ouch, giving away my age there...) I didn't have an actual Chopper but a similarly styled girly version. In orange.

Much as I enjoyed looking at all these beauties I knew that in reality I would never buy one. Although they look gorgeous, they really aren't adequate for my needs and so (after more than two hours in the shop, riding various bikes around like a maniac!) I settled on this bike. My only gripe is, surprise surprise, it's cheaper in the US. Anyway, I LOVE it!

My better half also brought home a new Trek that day but he chose a racer . It's like living with a 12 year old!

Makers of vintage style bikes include:

Information about National Bike Week can be found here.

Two final points...God made chamois inserts for a reason and at this time of year, don't ride with your mouth open. I speak from experience.

**************************

There are new products listed on the website today. Bigger upload next time!

Good home wanted for two old ladies....!

2010-06-08T15:28:00.101+01:00

I have just uploaded lots of new items to This Vintage Life including these two wonderful old mannequins, one a Stockman. If only I had the room...!

There are also a few new bargains to be had in the Vintage Value category.

I recently got around to finally installing a new mailing list function to the website. If you currently receive a newsletter, you may find yourself getting more than one. This won't be for long, just until all the customers on my old mailing list have been passed over to the new one. It has automatically sent out an email to all my existing customers asking for a confirmation. If you wish to remain on the mailing list, please can you confirm by clicking the link in that email, otherwise after seven days it will remove your name from the list, permanently. Don't forget to check your bulk folders!

Here are a few more snapshots of beautiful Norfolk. Our time there always seems to involve a lot of water. Not the seaside kind (I can get that at home!) but the special tranquility of the Broads.

This is our usual home for the week (bottom right, gold car!)

This holiday was particularly poignant for us as it was the first time we have ever been away in our caravan without a dog for company.

Just before Christmas I sadly lost my darling boy, Jack.

Jack was such a fighter. I've never known anybody, human, canine or anything else show such stoicism. He truly made me feel humble in the way that he dealt with his adversity, all as a result of the treatment inflicted on him by previous owners.

He was only with us for the very short period of 21 months but of course, it was like he'd always been around and the house was just not the same 'after'.

These were taken during Jacks one and only holiday he had in July 2008. He loved all the attention he received when he had a little toddle up to the service point and back! Only a few yards but it would take him 10 minutes or more. Everybody would stop to say hello to him and ask if he had arthritis. There are always a lot of dog owners on caravan sites!

He wasn't very keen on being lifted up and down the step ....he did stop grumbling as the week wore on though.
And yes, we always take Flo. She spends the week sunning herself as you can see. I'd take Betty too if I was allowed to 'pitch' the eglu for a week! She is very lucky though as she has hen sitters who move in to the house specially to look after her (thank heaven for parents)

Jack would have been thirteen on the 28th of December. He was rescued by a great organisation called The Oldies Club who just re-home older dogs. They don't use shelters to home the dogs but foster them out to their army of volunteers so they are living with all the creature comforts while waiting for the right new home to come along. How fantastic is that? What wonderful, selfless people. Sadly, just one of many, many small charities up and down the country doing similar work, mopping up other peoples mess.

New Stock...but no pics!

2010-05-28T06:53:00.007+01:00

I've just updated the shop with lots of new items. Unfortunately, blogger doesn't want to upload any images...I've tried three times today (Grrrrrrrr!)
The new items include oodles of buttons as I recently acquired part of a large button collection so expect lots more over the coming weeks and months! There's also the usual mix of pictures, linens, books and other bit's and bob's.

Meeting the locals...

2010-05-12T10:01:00.082+01:00

One of our favourite pastimes when on holiday is being out and about, getting off the beaten track and 'communing with nature' as t'were. The funny thing is, on our recent holiday to Norfolk all our feathered friends you see here (and one hairy one) were practically begging to be photographed and in very accessible places too. Seems it is true that you don't have to go far to enjoy wildlife. Plus it means I don't have to rush to buy that huge lens!

Now you see me...
...now you don't!

(It's a marsh harrier...honest!)

We seemed to be being followed all week by a robin...I'm sure it couldn't be the same one...

This pair and their friends announced (loudly) their arrival outside our door on a regular basis. A mad scrabble for the breadrumbs always ensued!

Next time...nice places.

*********************************************************************************

There are lot's of new items over at This Vintage Life right now and also a few new bits in Vintage Value.

Pleeease...will somebody give this wonderful 'granny' a home before I squirrel it away with the rest of my collection? It's just glorious!

Take a deep breath...

2010-04-12T12:51:00.101+01:00

...up we go!

It's not called Steep Hill for nothing you know!

On a recent beautifully sunny day, we decided to visit 'uphill' Lincoln and the only way to do that is to park at the bottom and walk up...

(No 9 on the left is a great shop called Tasty Vintage but unfortunately the owner had 'popped out' for 15 minutes so no pics. There were lot's of people coming and going so I think she must have missed a lot of business!)

...and up

and up!

Finally, you get to the top (stopping en route to do some window shopping and catch your breath) to be rewarded with lovely buildings like these...

...and great shopping opportunities on Bailgate (which is being restored at the moment, so lot's of horrid barriers everywhere and holes in the road)

and of course, this.

No matter how many times you've seen it before, a building like this can't fail to make you say wow!

This chap will take around the sights...

Through the arches and this magnificent building is waiting to rise up in front of you.

We were really lucky the day we visited as it was free to go inside so in we went...

Magnificent, I'm sure you'll agree?

Opposite the Cathedral are some equally magnificent houses...

Back we go under the arch...

...to do the return journey down Steep Hill with A leading the way.

And no, it isn't any easier going down as my knees will testify!

Phew...hard work but definitely worth it.

We didn't have time to visit Lincoln Castle which is also close to the Cathedral but maybe another day.

If you're thinking of visiting these links may be useful...

http://www.lincolncathedral.com/

http://www.lincolncathedralquarter.co.uk/

http://www.tastyvintage.com/

and Lincoln Castle

*******************************

I have added lot's of new items to the website today. I will be away from the 17th to the 25th April so although you are welcome to order during this time, please be aware that I won't be able to fulfil orders or answer any queries until the week commencing the 26th April. Thank you!

New arrivals at This Vintage Life...

2010-03-18T10:44:00.029Z

There are lot's of new products on the website today including these items...

...beautiful 1940's corsage

...wicker bedside cabinet

...unused 1950's Easter gift cards

...useful tin trunk

...fab 1970's Chelsea Girl skirt

... lovely Art Nouveau chalk figurine

...wicker chair with rose covered seat.

I hope you find a minute to take a look.

Three!

2010-02-15T10:57:00.022Z

There is lot's of new stock on the website right now as well as new items in Vintage Value. Hope you find a minute to take a look.

This Vintage Life is now three years old! I really couldn't have got here of course without all the lovely people who have bought from the website during that time so a big thankyou to you all and I'm looking forward to finding lot's more goodies for you in the future.

In the meantime here is a selection of what's on offer at the moment...

The tree's are up...

2009-12-23T14:42:00.039Z

The decorations are hung...

The house is looking festive...

The presents are wrapped and under the tree...

The oranges are studded with cloves...

The Christmas dinner is ready and in the freezer...

And even the snow has obligingly fallen!

All that's left to do is to wish each and everyone of my customer's a happy and peaceful Christmas and a wonderful New Year and to say thank you for all the support throughout 2009!

(This Vintage Life is now on a Christmas break. You may purchase from the website during this time but orders will not be fulfilled until week commencing 4th January)

Feeling Christmassy...

2009-12-08T16:56:00.032Z

...admittedly, I wasn't until a few days ago. I think it has something to do with the mild weather we've had throughout Autumn and into Winter. We haven't even had a light frost yet. Most unusual!
A few Christmassy purchases as well fetching our tree last Sunday has helped though...

Another box of baubles; can you have too many? I had to grab onto something when the dealer told me he had a thousand boxes at home (but had only bought one to the Fair, three weeks before Christmas!!) He's packing it in so wants to off-load his stock. I'm on it!

I have a few wreaths already so don't exactly have the room for any more but I couldn't resist this one made of Yarn when I saw it on Etsy. Quite a high kitsch rating I suspect but I still love it and at least it won't die!

Finally, a couple of Robiny things. I love Robins. It wouldn't be Christmas without them. This is the third button badge I've bought from here but I just had to have him. So tiny!

And a lovely old Huntly and Palmer biscuit tin that I bought to sell but I think I knew all along it was destined to sit on my dresser. I might just keep it out all year.

Now, I know these aren't Christmas related but I thought I'd show you anyway. I have a big soft spot for these Victorian religious paintings. Always so beautifully done...and the frames! Lovely words too. Some of them are a bit 'full on' for my taste.

And a couple more Vernon Wards for the collection. I know I've probably said this before but I must stop buying pictures. I'm rapidly running out of wall space. At this rate, I won't need to decorate the walls as there won't be an inch to be seen soon.

That's all for now except a reminder that I added the last of the Christmas bit's to the website a few days ago and also some new vintage stock. There's still plenty of time left for last Christmas orders though.

This weekend we'll be dragging the boxes out of the loft once again (is it really a year?) and decorating the tree. Maybe then, it'll really feel like Christmas. In the meantime, I'll be cosying up by lighting the fire and listening to all the lovely Christmas music here to get in the mood!

Paper making

2009-11-23T20:32:00.042Z

A little while ago I was clearing out some things from the loft, old craft stuff and the like and came across some paper I'd made a few years ago and forgotten about. I made it in the late '90's as part of my Interior Design course.

If you've ever bought posh handmade paper from a fancy shop (much like that pictured below) you'll know how expensive it is.

But paper making at home is so simple and great fun! You need very little equipment ~ just an old blender (I just used mine and then gave it a darn good wash...oops!) paper, a container for your pulp (cat litter tray; works and it's cheap) old towels and j-cloths for removing the water and drying out and a deckle. "What's a deckle Deb?" It's the device that you use to lift your paper pulp out of the water with. You can buy these but they're very simple to make. You need a wooden frame and some fine mesh.

Depending on the size of your pulp container, an old picture frame works well. Take it apart so you're left with just the wooden frame and then staple gun your mesh to it. Remember that your finished sheet of paper will only be as big as your deckle (actually slightly smaller)

I'm not going to go into the method here in great detail because for one, it doesn't make much sense unless you have some pictures to help you along. And I haven't. But google it and you'll soon find out all you need to know. There are also lot's of books on the market and even You Tube has paper making videos. A lot of the stuff out there, in my humble opinion, seems to make it more complicated than it has to be.

It's just a case of tearing up your paper, then whizzing it in the blender with water until it's broken down and pulpy. You can add colour at this point by adding poster or acrylic paint.

Then tip it in your container, slide the deckle in and lift it straight up and out and you should have a layer of pulp on your mesh. You then need to remove the excess water and leave it to dry overnight and you've got paper!

I should say you can also throw in sequins, glitter...anything that will be caught in the pulp. Just experiment! The type of paper you use will affect the finished result too.

To make a shape such as a loveheart in your paper, like that below, you need to cut the shape you want out of another piece of mesh.
You then immerse it in the pulp and when you lift it out you'll have a heart shaped piece which you can then put on top of the piece of paper you've (hopefully) just made.
Clear as mud? Trust me, it's really easy. Just go find some proper instructions!

I made lot's of different colours of paper but the ones here are all I have left. I've used some to make decorative tags to attach vintage buttons to for the website and also used some for card making. If you're at all crafty you'll find umpteen uses for it.

Looking through my paper again reminded me just how much I enjoyed making it and maybe one day I'll make some more...

And now for something completely different...I've added lot's more stock in the Christmas shop
over at This Vintage Life today including some wonderful and rare chalk tree ornaments and lot's of paper ephemera.

I've still got more, would you believe and I'll try and get it all on before Christmas actually arrives but I can't make any promises!
I'm also hoping to upload some general vintage stock this week but it's got left behind a bit as the Christmas items have had to take precedence. I've managed to add a couple of things to the What's New category and as I say, more coming very soon.

I must once again thank all my lovely customers for keeping me busy of late.

I'm off to see Ricky Gervais tomorrow so here's to a good night! I hope he doesn't disappoint (like Steve Coogan...) especially as it's a five hour round trip just to get there...

Christmas shop open and other bit's and doing's...

2009-11-09T19:36:00.041Z

Edited Thursday: There is new vintage stock just arrived at This Vintage Life too!

Although we can pretend otherwise, Christmas is fast approaching! So there are now lot's of lovely vintage Christmas goodies available at This Vintage Life. I'll be adding more in the coming weeks so remember to keep visiting. I'm really pleased with some of the items I've amassed this year including some very special old tree ornaments...but they're for later! I did intend to upload the Christmas stock a tad earlier than this but it was put on hold due to me being struck down with the dreaded lurgy last week and being fit for nothing for two whole days except staying under the covers, coughing and spluttering and only emerging to drag myself to the Doctor's. Ah, home visit's...remember those? Anyway, on the mend (cough) and nose back to the grindstone etc...etc...time, tide and Christmas wait for no man. Or woman.

Speaking of Christmas (as I'm sure we will be rather a lot now) something else to look forward to is Sloe Gin and I'm giving mine a shake on a regular basis. I'm lucky enough to have a huge Blackthorn bush growing wild just over the hedge at the bottom of the garden so have more than enough sloes for the purpose. For years I didn't dare touch them, not being entirely sure they were sloes although I always suspected it. When I found out they definitely were I could've kicked myself!

Apparently, you're not supposed to wash the sloes so I resort to rolling them in a damp tea towel which seems to work and makes me feel happier! I favour the 'popping them in the freezer overnight' method for splitting the skins. All you have to do then is give them a slight squeeze and pop!

This little fella was lurking in amongst the fruit...

One bottle of (cheap, cheap, cheap!) gin later and ta da...

Only six weeks now until the 'uncorking'.

I've been treating myself to a few bit's and pieces and pretending they're early Christmas presents (from me!) but really it's pure indulgence.

I loved the little chicken (Betty!) brooch so much I went back and bought the toadstool one.

I don't think I'll wear them together although looking at the picture above, it just might work!

I've been after a vintage watch for a while (as has A. but he's very choosy and that's saying something coming from me (!) so it's proving difficult to find one he likes) I fell in love with this little one at a recent vintage fashion fair. It fit's my child sized wrist nicely and although not real gold it is almost a rose gold colour, which I love. Modern rose gold is so brassy! It was a ridiculously cheap few pounds. One happy Deb!

Last weekend at an antique fair I found this 1950's plastic daisy bracelet for very little. I must point out here that I'm not actually a big jewellery wearer, but I'm always drawn to bracelets and brooches. And a nice watch of course. I'm not one for chains and necklaces. For some reason, they just don't seem to suit me. And neither am I bothered about value although I wouldn't turn down a nice antique diamond (hint, hint!)

And now for something completely different...aren't these skeins of embroidery wool just scrumptious? They came from a big box full at a local charity shop and were 25p each. I'm sure you know how expensive these can be, as do I, so I grabbed a handful. I was spending ages picking out colours but there were far too many! I must go back and rescue a few more...
By the way, I love the the term our American friends use for this...embroidery floss. So much nicer!

Would you believe I found these two cuties on consecutive days with only one pounds difference in price? In much the same way as I'm not mad for jewellery I've never much been into dolls or for that matter teddy bears either but I just love these. I think it must be their sweet faces and the little romper suits made of lovely vintage fabrics and look at that tiny crochet trim around their bonnets. They're actually 'squeaker' dolls so it's a good job Jack's deaf or he might think I'd bought him a new toy!

I'll be putting one on the website as it seems daft to have two almost identical. Now, which one should I keep...?

Doddington Hall

2009-10-20T13:02:00.053+01:00

Doddington Hall is five miles west of Lincoln and is a wonderful example of an Elizabethan manor house. Since it's completion in 1600, it has never been sold!

The house and garden are certainly worth a visit although I would not recommend the restaurant as it's waaaay overpriced and certainly doesn't cater for the vegetarian!

Shop Update

2009-10-15T18:08:00.018+01:00

There are lot's of new items added to the website today including those pictured here and I've also popped a couple of new things in the Vintage Value category.

Lately...

2009-10-05T19:23:00.047+01:00

I've been...

framing vintage sheet music...too pretty not to!

finding thrifty vintage bit's such as 50p watercolours...

crocheted cushion covers (the larger two...there is a third!)

Carltonware for £8.00!! Who cares if the spoon's broken?

Charity shop chicken. My find's are few and far between at Charity shops. They're just not as good as they used to be...

Vintage car boot curtains...for £1.00

I've also been enjoying the leaves that are turning...

long shadows and stormy skies...but no rain for over a month!

visiting beautiful places...

as well as indulging in a patchwork project...

making plum jam...

and collecting lot's of tomatoes (with a little help)

revelling in the late roses...

and buying Pansies for some Winter colour.

And not forgetting treating myself to many hours of Autumn viewing...bliss!

and starting to think about you-know-what (groan!)

I've also been busy re-stocking the virtual shelves as t'were at This Vintage Life with lot's of lovely new items.

New arrivals in the shop...

2009-09-11T13:19:00.007+01:00

There are lot's of new items in the shop today.
There seems to be a lot of Crinoline Ladies and flowers but who doesn't love both of them?

The 'This Vintage Life' Mannequin

2009-09-01T10:10:00.030+01:00

I'm very pleased to be able to introduce you to our new vintage style mannequin that is now available at This Vintage Life.
Who doesn't love those antique Stockman mannequins? But not everybody can invest what is a very substantial amount of money in one to just have it stand in a corner and look attractive. So, when I was looking into buying a mannequin for my own purposes I decided there was no reason why a plain modern mannequin could not be 'antiqued' just like a piece of furniture to give that vintage look we all love but without the financial outlay.

I've taken quite some time to get it right but I'm very happy with how she's turned out. Everything has been hand dyed, painted, printed, sewn or distressed by me! I've had so many positive comments about her that I decided I just had to offer one for sale on the website and so she's available here. We'd both be very pleased if you popped over!

Enjoying the colour

2009-08-26T10:35:00.030+01:00

The garden is starting to feel as if it's winding down into Autumn so I'm trying to enjoy every last bit of colour while I can.
The tomatoes are going bananas (!) and have starting ripening since I took this picture. I've also been busy planting seeds for next year (lupins and sweet williams top left) and collecting seeds from around the garden.
One thing I look forward to in Autumn is the turning of my Virginia Creeper. It was a bit slow to grow in the first few years but now I swear if you stand and look at it for a few seconds you can see it growing! It will soon start to turn the most magnificent shade of red. It's very quickly wending it's way around the side of the house. I think by next year I'll be cutting it back.

I was a bit disappointed in my containers this year but they seem to be going for it now. The long red dangly thing is Love Lies Bleeding. I'm never sure if I like that name or not. Anyway, it's a really easy to grow annual and fills out gaps in the garden and containers as it can get quite big. It also seems very drought tolerant. You can collect literally millions of seeds from each dangly head and grow them for free next year.

The plums are nearly ready but the apples are never at their best until October. I like to freeze lot's of plums and enjoy crumble throughout the Winter.

I always collect lot's of poppy seeds by upending the heads in an old vase and then just shaking them. I then leave the vase laid flat in the shed for a few days for all the bugs to make their escape and scatter the seeds where I want them. I always think dried poppy heads are so beautiful. Very sculptural I suppose.

Something else that's easy to grow and will seed everywhere of it's own volition is Verbena Bonariensis. It's sooo expensive to buy in a pot but easy to get going from seed and then you'll never be without it. Next to Buddleia it's the best plant for attracting butterflies.

These are just a few of my Hollyhock varieties. I do love them. As do the bees. But you do need a lot of room for them. The picture bottom right is of one that set seed on the veg patch and I didn't have the heart to pull it out or the room to move it elsewhere so I let it flower. I'll regret that when I get seedings coming up all over the veg patch next year! Because it's had plenty of room to grow it's absolutely enormous.

There are only a few clematis at their best now and I only have one yellow one left to flower. I've planted a couple of new varieties this year so will look forward to seeing what they produce.

One of my favourite plants is Hemoracallis (or day lily) The one on the left there flowers for weeks and weeks and each bloom last's just one day.

And the sedum is starting to turn pink which is a sure sign of Autumn as is the fact that the wheat in 'my' field has been cut, baled and brought in. Next thing the plough will be out and nothing looks as autumnal as a freshly ploughed field!

There is new stock on the website today. Because I've been so busy today and didn't get around to doing this post when I intended some of the items pictured are already sold but there's lot's more lovely things just like them available over at This Vintage Life.

New arrivals...

2009-08-10T21:33:00.014+01:00

More new stock has arrived in the shop today.

(now sold)

The seasonal reductions also continue so there's still time to grab a bargain.

And finally, I must thank all my lovely customers, old and new, for once again keeping me run off my feet these last few weeks!