Stroud Vintage and Craft Fair

This Saturday just gone we went along to the Vintage and Craft Fair in Stroud.  Organised and run by The Hels Belles Boutique, the fair was held in association with the James Hopkins Trust, right in the heart of Stroud.  The Subscription Rooms, where the event was held, boasted a great selection of stalls selling all sorts of vintage and handmade goods. 

Old London Road

Last week my husband was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a few spare holiday days left to take from work before the end of the year.  His mum very kindly looks after our little one for the day once a week, so we decided to take the opportunity to do a spot of shopping.  We'd been meaning to explore the local vintage scene a bit more since moving house last year, but with an 18 month old in tow... It's been a challenge!

Ideal (Retro) Home

Shortly after we moved into our current home, a friend of ours very kindly lent us their copy of 'Ideal Home' Magazine from July 1959, so that we could get a bit of inspiration for decorating our new place.  I absolutely love looking back through old books and magazines to gather ideas.  It's wonderful to imagine somebody picking up their copy from the local newsagents decades ago and eagerly flicking through the pages.  Even the advertisements are simply fascinating!

A Little Bit of Vintage

In my humble opinion, nothing looks quite as sweet as little ones dressed in vintage.  Unfortunately thanks to hand-me-downs and the like, genuine vintage children's clothing is very hard to come by.  Thankfully it is relatively easy to find vintage inspired kidswear on the high street, and this season is by no means an exception.

Vintage to The Core

This past week my daughter and I have been staying with some lovely friends of ours in my hometown of Swindon whilst my husband is away on a business trip to India.  I decided as we were in the area it would be a good opportunity to check out the local vintage scene, and we were not disappointed!  Although we didn't find the time to make it to all of the vintage shops in the area during this visit, we did go along to a lovely vintage fair right in the heart of Old Town.

Perfect Victory Rolls

It's time for part two of this weeks hair tutorials and we're looking at the iconic Victory Rolls.  Perhaps one of the most easily recognisable 1940s hairstyles, Victory Rolls can be both practical and glamorous.  The style first achieved popularity during wartime when women needed their hair off their faces and out of the way.  The name is itself is thought to have originated from the fighter plane manoeuvres.  

Fabulous Faux Bangs

Hello there my vintage lovelies!  All you regular readers may have noticed the absence of a blog post last week and I'd like to start off by apologising for that.  It's been a rather busy couple of weeks in our house which was topped off by my daughter and myself both going down with the lurgy!  Yuck.  So to make it up to all my lovely followers, I have not one, but two vintage hair tutorials for you this week.  

Mummy Must Haves

This week’s blog post is one for all the mummies (or any other busy hardworking individuals!) as we take a look at some everyday items that make our daily lives just that little bit easier.  These are just a few of my favourite time saving, short cutting must-haves but if you think I have missed anything or you have any suggestions, do feel free to pop them in the comments box below this post!

Spray on Moisturiser
The first time I saw Vaseline’s Spray and Go moisturiser I honestly thought it looked like a total waste of time and money. 

Retro Fashion Revival

With the start of Autumn fast approaching (I know, where HAS this year gone?) I figured it was about time we had a look at the upcoming trends that can be expected in A/W14.  Autumn is by far my favourite time of the year as it's perfect for snuggling up in comfy knitwear and enjoying the outdoors with all of the seasonal colour changes that can be seen all around.  The great news this season is that knitwear is definitely in.  

A Simple Vintage Updo

Hello again to all my lovely readers!  Following several requests I've decided to go ahead and do my first vintage style hair tutorial.  This style is something that I've been doing a lot recently as it's really quick and easy to do, so it's perfect for beginners!  I hope you enjoy having a go at this retro inspired updo, remember to let me know what you think in the comments below!

Mid Century Living

Last October my Husband and I moved into a lovely late sixties terraced property in a lovely village not far from our previous home.  We both loved the area we were currently in and had lots of family and friends nearby, but our two bedroom ground floor maisonette just wasn't big enough for our growing family anymore.  We both fell in love with our new home the moment we stepped through the door during the first viewing.  There was quite a lot of work which needed doing in terms of renovating the property so we got planning before we'd even got our hands on the keys.

The Black Dog

Last week saw the tragic death of one of Hollywoods most well known and loved comedians.  This sort of news is upsetting at the best of times but what made this event all the more devastating was that Robin Williams made the decision to end his own life.  It soon transpired that alongside a long running battle with alcoholism, Williams was suffering with severe depression.  To anyone who has not had first hand experience, it may seem odd that someone such as this would be suffering from depression.  

Retro Festival 2014

Hello again my vintage lovelies!

This weekend we were at the fabulous Retro Festival at White Waltham Airfield in Maidenhead.  This was the first time that my husband and I had attended the festival and most excitingly it is the first ever vintage event that we have taken our daughter to! We were not disappointed! We opted for the Saturday daytime tickets and in hindsight were very pleased as it was a truly glorious day.

Creating a 1940s Capsule Wardrobe

I have recently had a clear out of my wardrobe and it got me thinking about some of the essentials in 1940s fashion.  I simply adore 40s style as it is very simple and fuss free yet wonderfully elegant.  This week I have compiled a list for you all of what I regard to be the staple pieces for a wartime inspired capsule wardrobe.

Selection of reproduction vintage from Heyday!

Sew and Save

This week I've been having a bit of a sort out of my wardrobe and stumbled across a LOT of things that have been worn very little, if at all.  If there's one thing I hate when it comes to fashion it's waste, so I decided to do a spot of upcycling.  I've had these red wide leg trousers for quite a while but I honestly don't think they've ever left the house.  They were a bargain at £5 in the sales but they lacked that certain something (as well as being far too long for my legs!).

Up, Up and Away!

These hot air balloon decorations are super cute and so simple to make!

Summer Lovin'

With some of the hottest temperatures yet this year forecast in this coming week I've been thinking about my summer attire.  A must have for any girls vintage wardrobe is a beautiful printed summer dress.  Dresses just ooze glamour and they're so comfortable and easy to pull off!  No worrying about what to pair them with, just throw on your favourite summer shoes and head out to enjoy that summer sun.  These beauties are sure to brighten up the sunny weather even more!

Dig For Victory

Something which I have really gotten into over recent years is gardening and this year I decided to take things a step further by getting my own plot at a local allotment.  Growing your own vegetables has so many benefits, some of which are more obvious than others.  A clear plus point is that you always have the option of incredibly fresh food to put on your table.  Trust me when I say that nothing tastes better than a Sunday roast where all of the potatoes, swede, carrots and parsnips are home grown!

Ladies Who Lunch

Once a week I meet up with a group of lovely ladies for a Bible study and a 'bring and share' lunch.  The past few weeks I've been a bit lazy and taken along something shop bought but I have a tad more time on my hands now so decided to be adventurous.  My contribution for this weeks lunch is an experimental fruit cake that actually turned out rather well so I figured I'd share the recipe. It's a really lovely dark fruity cake that's very simple to make and goes perfectly with a nice cup of tea.

Beside The Seaside

It's that time of year again when everyone is setting off on their holidays.  Regardless of whether you are jetting off abroad or staying on home turf, one unarguably essential item for your suitcase is a swimsuit.  Vintage swimwear is truly gorgeous but if like me you think that the beautiful cotton costumes are just too nice to wear on a sandy beach there is an alternative.  

New Beginnings

Why hello there! Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Rachel.

I LOVE all things Vintage.  You could say that the feminine fashions, glamorous hairstyles and gorgeous make up of bygone eras are something of a passion of mine.  So much so that when my lovely hubbie and I tied the knot a couple of years back we had all our guests attend in full 1940s attire for a proper wartime celebration (complete with ration book wedding invites and everything!).