Miss Beatrix

Banana Cream Syllabub

2012-02-28T08:00:00.002Z

Banana Syllabub sounds like a song from the 1970's, doesn't it? Or is that just me? Either way, it certainly is a classic dessert (or pudding as we say oop Norf) from the 1970's, and one I made at the weekend to take to a friend's house as a contribution to a meal.

I found it in my parents' cookbook, given to them at their wedding in 1977.

I have to say, it doesn't look like the most appetising of desserts, and cookbooks at the time were no great shakes at photo presentation either! But it makes a light and creamy treat, which goes well on its own or as an accompaniment to something with more... well, stodge to it!

Doesn't look like much but tastes better than banana Angel Delight any day!

Here's the recipe - it takes all of 2 minutes to make:

Serves 4-6

You need:
3 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 pint whipping cream

Peel the bananas and and mash with the lemon juice, wine and sugar. Whip the cream into peaks and fold in the banana mixture. Spoon into some fabulous 1970s serving dishes and chill before serving.

...And don't forget to glug the rest of the wine while you're at it!

Have you got a favourite retro dessert?

Teapot Cookies!

2012-02-26T08:00:00.001Z

I had a go at making teapot cookies earlier in the week. It took a fair bit of chin-stroking and brow furrowing at my local sweet shop before I finally worked out which type of sweets to use - in the end only the ends chopped off jelly beans would do!

I have a bit of an obsession with jelly beans, and this sweet shop sources theirs locally. Best of all, they actually taste of fruits, and not just gelatine. If you fancy having a go at making these cookies, I got my cutter from eBay after doing a search.

Enjoy your Sunday! *munch crunch munch*

Homemade Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

2012-02-25T08:00:00.002Z

Whether you celebrate the UK Mothering Sunday on March 18th or the U.S Mother's Day on May 13th, it really isn't too far away - especially if you're planning on making her a beautiful thoughtful gift.

Handmaking your gift has more advantages than being kinder to your purse in a recession. It means you can adapt your present exactly to your mum's taste - whether it be contemporary or traditional, practical or decorative. If you cringe at the days when you used to present her with a jewellery box made out of a cardboard eggbox made at school, well don't worry. Whatever your age, mums really do cherish the love and thought that goes into a homemade gift, and these days your gifts will look so much more professional!

As far as possible I like my posts to apply to everyone with an interest in vintage and crafts, but I'm aware that for those who no longer have a mother to celebrate Mothering Sunday with, it's a day that can bring more pain and loneliless than joy. Why not turn the day into something to be celebrated by making a gift for a best female friend, sister, niece, step-mum, aunt or elderly neighbour? The same applies for Father's Day. I think anyone who has shown they care for you deserves acknowledgement on the day that the most caring people most us will ever know are celebrated. And if you're lucky enough to still have living grandmothers, then like me you're going to be even more busy, as they certainly deserve a gift too!

Even better, for many mothers and grandmothers vintage-style gifts work really well - for you vintage is a part of your personality, but for them, it's nostalgia! My gran, for example, seems to find it really gratifying when I show her my latest thrifted vintage purchase, because she knows that there are young people out there still taking an interest in the fashions, the music and the way of life that she knows so well. A love for vintage can be a really special bond between the two of you.

Here are some ideas to get your creative cogs whirring.

Teacup Candles

They seem to be very common now on places such as Etsy but my mum and grandmothers thought they were a very novel idea when I produced my first homemade batch! They are easy to make and you can alter the colour and scent to their tastes. They look even more special when presented with bows on the handles and in a box or tied up in cellophane.

Make a Pretty Sampler

We can all remember those 'Home Sweet Home' cross stitch samplers hanging in dusty frames, or those screaming biblical verse from Great Aunt Mildred's parlour wall. But we all still like wall art, so why not scrap the fuddy-duddy sentiments and bring the tradition into the 21st century? You can either pick a famous quotation, or I quite like the idea of a humorous phrase to make my relative smile whenever she sees it. One of my gran's popular Yorkshire phrases is, "Where theer's muck theer's brass", and my other grandmother definitely gave me the tea-drinking gene, so I'll be incorporating these themes into my own samplers. Also, check out this piece from Mollie Makes blog post on Cross Stitcher's 20th birthday on Tuesday - the modern twists on traditional designs are just stunning. I want!

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Source: bethleintz.typepad.com via Debby on Pinterest

Gifts for green fingers

If your mum loves nothing more than pottering around in her garden, then dolly pegs make a quick and easy gift. They can be used for sealing up seed packets, pegging wellies together or labelling plants. Also a great one for small children to get involved in making.

Alternatively, why not thrift an old metal watering can and plant it up with a beautiful plant? Plants are gifts that keep on giving joy year after year. Teacup and teapots also make unusual planters. See my post here for a top tip.

Get the paints out

Plain white teapots and mugs are ridiculously cheap, so you can afford to buy a few and use ceramic paints to add your own personal design. I painted mugs for my parents a few years ago with 'The Mothership' and 'The Fatherland' painted on them. It's another good fun idea for kids to have a go at.

Source: livinglocurto.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Washi tape seems to be in vogue across so many blogs at the moment, and it's perhaps something your mum won't have come across before. It can liven up anything from vases to picture frames.

Make a Cake Stand

Your mum will think you're such a talented sausage if you produce one of these! They're really easy to make. You can read my post here on how to avoid simple mistakes, and you could even go one step further by making your mum an afternoon tea spread, then telling her she gets to keep that lovely cake stand she's been admiring!

Make a Teacosy

I'm tempted to have a go at making one of these for myself, as I haven't yet found a teacosy to go with my PiP Studio teapot!

Cath Kidston features one in her book Sew! or you could knit one. This book amuses me every time I see it but it does feature some lovely tea cosy patterns:

Make a Fabric-Covered Photo Album

No one ever print photos anymore, and I think it's a real shame. An album full of photos of your childhood and the special times you 've shared with your mum can make a gift to be cherished, and using meaningful fabric to cover it is even better. Fabric from a bridesmaid dress, your old cot blanket or a skirt you always remember her wearing when you were small should really hit the spot.

Source: etsy.com via Kirsty on Pinterest

If you have any original ideas for Mother's Day gifts please share them below. At least it's a great excuse to sneak off for a bit of thrifting!

Playing With Lace Collars

2012-02-24T08:00:00.005Z

I've been having fun over the past week customising vintage and vintage-inspired collars. They really work beautifully to add a little extra something to an outfit, and I love how much it feels like dressing up!

This v-neck embellishment came ready-made from a lovely friend who gave me a goodie box of crafty bits for Christmas. I have an old cameo brooch to attach to the teardrop shape when I find the perfect dress to go with the colours. What colour dress would you team this with? I'm undecided!

This one also came in the box, and I've embellished it with a cream bow.

This one is vintage lace. When I put out a call for doll's house supplies - lace, fabrics, jewellery findings, etc. last year, this came as part of a bundle of lace, so perhaps my benefactor didn't realise it was a collar! It's very good quality and has a flowing weight to it. I'm experimenting with different bows at the moment.

Another collar which came ready-made in my box - lucky me! This one is so versatile and

smartens up any outfit.

Now I've discovered the fun collars can add to an outfit I'll be on the lookout to add to this collection. And when I've finished tweaking the ones you see here until I'm happy with them I'll be sure to write a post with some outfit shots. Looks like the spray starch will be needed once again!

Have a lovely Friday, I hope you have exciting weekend plans. I'm off to visit some friends for a spot of crafting. If crafts are playing a part in your weekend then pop back tomorrow, when I'll be featuring a post on homemade gift ideas for Mother's Day. I'm getting organised!

A 30 Second Thrifty Make

2012-02-23T08:00:00.001Z

I'm quietly hopeful that Spring is on its way, and although I can't call myself a gardener, I do like to plant some some seeds and bulbs each year so I have some lovely flowers to enjoy a few months later. I also like to grow things I can eat (no surprise there) so I love to have herbs at hand whenever I'm cooking.

When making my next batch of teacup candles the other day I discovered that several of my thrifted teacups had got hairline cracks down the outside. As far as hot wax goes, they're redundant, so I gathered them all together and did a quick spot of planting.

Apologies for the terrible photography - the lighting was so dull all day!

It's a really good excuse for bringing home more kitsch and vintage crockery from the charity shops, especially as you can line them up along a wall or around a patio for a barbeque or garden party in the summer. They also make sweet little gifts.

If you're using cracked crockery you'll find that drilling a hole in the bottom for drainage isn't an option. No problem, just pop a used teabag at the bottom of each cup - it'll hold the water and plants seem to like the tannin in tea anyway!

What do you reckon?

Spray Starch: The Crafter and Vintage Gal's Best Friend

2012-02-22T08:00:00.003Z

Ah, starch. It was once a staple member of every home's essential laundry equipment. No respectable gent would leave the house without his collars and cuffs as stiff as cardboard. Ahem. It used to come in blocks, and had to be mixed with water before use.

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I have a couple of tablecloths inherited from my great grandmother. They haven't been used since they came home from the dry cleaners in the 1950's, and they still feel stiff as card. The fold lines will never come out now!

Although starch has been used since the 1400s - how else could those fashionable folk keep their ruffs looking dapper? - spray starch was an invention of the 1950's, and made life a lot easier at a time where as well as shirts and tablecloths, petticoats and dresses were routinely starched so that they held their shape. For those of us who do still bother to iron today, starch really does help clothes to stay dirt-free for longer, so if you can be bothered it's a top tip!

But that's enough of the history; take another look at this handy ironing aid, because it's actually one of the most useful items a crafter or vintage-loving sort can have in her wardrobe. Spray starch is still available very cheaply - I buy mine from Wilkinson's for a purse-pleasing £1.

Ah, it doesn't take much to please me.

So here are my top ten tips for using spray starch in crafting and vintage:

1. Make a doily bowl! If you're not a whizz at making doilies you'll find they abound in the charity shops. Spray one with starch until it's saturated and then drape it over an upside-down bowl (cover the bowl in clingfilm first). Leave it to dry overnight and remove from the bowl, and you have a decorative dish!

Photo from http://www.designspongeonline.com/

2. Starch is the miniaturist's best mate. If you work with doll's houses and miniatures like me, you'll find starch invaluable when working with fiddly small bits of fabric - it's how I discovered it in the first place. One of the greatest problems we have is getting items to look as if they have as much weight as their real-life counterparts. Soak your miniature tablecloth before draping it over your table - you'll find it then dries to look like a real tablecloth instead of sticking out at an awkward angle and looking like... well, a doll's table! It also works on bedding, curtains, clothes hanging in the wardrobe... all sorts of uses.

This tablecloth would stick straight out horizontally without starch.
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3. Freshen up vintage and second-hand hats. Ever found a beautiful floppy hat in a charity shop but found it had lost its shape somewhat? Starch to the rescue. It'll add a little stiffness and allow you to mould it back into shape - especially those 1970s floppy hats. Starch will also help protect your hat from the weather. And if you make fascinators, starch will add structure to your decoration.

Nothing worse than a droopy cloche. Fact.

4. Spray it onto your thread before threading through a needle - especially handy for threading a sewing machine.

5. Spray onto canvas and other fabric shoes to keep the dirt off and protect them from the weather.

6. Are you a fan of fifties dresses? You probably don't want the skirt of your dress looking limp and creased. Use starch to revive the dress's shape and give it back its swing, and on the petticoats too.

Every fifties dress needs... is 'pouffyness' a word? Yes, pouffyness.
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7. You know that ironing your hems before sewing them helps the look of your fabric projects enormously. Starch will help to hold those hems in place, especially fiddly corners.

8. Starch makes silky fabrics easier to work with - it washes out easily and doesn't mark when sprayed from a distance.

9. It makes a brilliant alternative to light interfacing for sewing projects.

10. Use starch to stiffen fabric items for display. If you plan to frame items such as doilies, patchwork quilts or other flat fabric items, starch will give it structure so it sits nicely on a wall. If you have a beautiful collection of vintage dresses that you just happen to display all over your gorgeous home (I hate you), then starch will help them to hang nicely, as well as helping to protect them from dust and dirt.

Mrs Tiggywinkle knew her way around an iron, and always used starch. Wise lady. Er, hedgehog.

So there we are, readers, starch really can be a girl's best friend! And if you can think of any other handy uses for this wonder substance, well, it'd be rude not to share them below.

Until tomorrow!

Make Your Own Sock Creatures!

2012-02-21T08:00:00.002Z

I wish I could take all the credit for finding this book! The summer before last myself and three friends went on a short break in a caravan in Wales - all very Famous Five, lots of adventuring was had - and one of the group, Harriet, brought along the above sock monkey kit, which includes the book and everything you need to make a very cheery-looking sock monkey. Before long we were all obsessed, luckily Harriet had brought along spare socks for all, and started making loveable sock creatures of our very own.

It's strangely addictive, and what I particularly like is how even a non-sewer can have a go, with really pleasing results. I bought a copy of my own on returning home, and have been whipping up sock critters for friends ever since. It got so silly at work that I was taking in my latest 'commissions' every week and placing them in colleagues' in-trays! I must have made at least seven monkeys, three rabbits, six owls... and a crocodile. Even Miss Bea's favourite toy is a sock rabbit, which she takes to bed with her every night! I imagine the rabbit would make a brilliant Easter present.

So if you fancy the sort of satisfying sewing project you can whip up without losing track of your tv programme, and using the cheapest materials you can imagine, give this book a go. You could even vary them by making lavender-filled friends as gifts. And having made so many of the animals using the instructions I've now started to adapt them into even more animals, so with a little practise you'll be able to let your imagination run wild!

My only complaint about this book - which contains makes for 9 creatures - is that the cat is really not very, well, nice looking. In fact it looks evil! Myself and my niece have both decided that a dog should have been included, so I'll have to adapt the pattern for the bear to make one.

My crocodile! I searched high and low for months for a pair of green socks. In the end I acquired these when on a business trip to America. So if anyone knows a good source of green socks - especially stripey ones, please share!

The kit is available from Amazon for £8.84. I warn you, though, you'll never look at a pair of socks in the same way again!

Oooh, and Happy Pancake Day!

Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve: Part 5 - Famous Five

2012-02-20T08:00:00.003Z

...And so, finally, we come to the last in the series of Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve. Apologies for it being a little later than planned!

Having covered the Victorian era with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Edwardian period with Mary Poppins, the 1920's with The Great Gatsby and the 1930's and the 1950's with Agatha Christie, I thought about tackling the 70's or 80's with this last week. But I must admit that it's the fashions from the era already covered that excite me, and I'm not a fan of eighties styles at all! (Although the costume department for Ashes to Ashes did manage to make Keeley Hawes look fab!) Plus how, many truly great literary characters can you think of that personify the later part of the twentieth century? I must admit I was struggling.

So I thought I'd turn to the stories that accompanied me through my childhood - Enid Blyton's The Famous Five. When I think of these books I think of the late 1950's and early 1960's. But we're not talking mini skirt or kaftans, circle skirts or white pvc boots here. Julian, Dick, George and Anne were far too busy having good, wholesome adventures to worry about appearances. George took pride in her tomboy personality, and while Anne was described as being girly, she apparently only ever wore a jersey and jeans.

Jerseys and jeans... come to think of it, I can't ever remember any of the team wearing anything else! But I think of this simplest of outfits and smile, because it makes me think of the summer, of camping holidays, exploring islands, messing about in boats, making friends and catching baddies in the act of smuggling booty. The Famous Five were all about loose, simple clothing, adventure and, of course, lashings and lashings of ginger beer.

This is my own interpretation... does anyone else remember jelly shoes in the summer?

* Top and shorts ~ Topshop * Jelly Shoes ~ River Island * Dog ~ well, it's Timmy, of course! *

And when I think of The Famous Five I think of...

* Top ~ River Island * Jeans ~ Topshop * Converse All Star Oxford Light sneakers ~ Schuh *

I don't know about you, but one day of sunshine yesterday and my thoughts are turning to the summer. If only I still got long school summer holidays in which to go adventuring!

Anyway, golly gosh, I hope this has brightened your Monday. You're a brick.

A Few Notes on Using Pinterest

2012-02-19T08:00:00.001Z

Following a very interesting read of a thrifty mrs' blog post What I'm Pinning yesterday, a commenter highlighted some very interesting points about the sharing of photos on Pinterest, and whom those photos belong to once they are featured on the site.

As you know, I love Pinterest and the artistic inspiration it brings, but I'd really appreciate every one of my readers journeying through these links and making themselves familiar with their contents - for your own peace of mind when using Pinterest - and for the rights of the owners of the photographs we pin.

Pinterest is fab - we just need to use it properly!

Links posted on http://www.athriftymrs.com/ by Wendz:

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2012/02/letter-bloggers-pinterest/
http://www.livinglocurto.com/2012/02/pinterest-changing-blog/
http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/2012/02/pinterest-not-innocent-pastime-you-may.html
http://seanlockephotography.com/2012/02/06/more-thoughts-on-pinterest/

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Thank you, and happy [legal] pinning. Have a relaxing Sunday!

Sensible Shopping in the 1960's

2012-02-18T08:00:00.001Z

I came across this page in Good Housekeeping's New Basic Cookery from 1966, and thought it made amusing reading!

It outlines suggestions for family catering each week by weight, as well as how to ensure you buy the best value when shopping around for all your food needs - note the lack of mention of supermarkets! It also suggests shopping for perishables like butter and bacon 'once or twice a week', despite mentioning refrigerators, showing that perishables were being bought more frequently and kept for a matter of days.

Just roll over the image to zoom in.

Pretty Miniatures

2012-02-17T08:00:00.002Z

Ah, Friday once again. Fridays are excellent for getting lots of niggling jobs done so you can relax and try to enjoy your weekend with minimum stress. It's also a time when I start planning my craft projects for the weekend, because apart from the hour I set aside for Creatives Unite! on a Thursday evening, it's pretty hard to find time during the week.

This weekend I'm going to be working with Fimo modelling clay to make some more miniatures for my dolls house pub (if you missed my post on the subject, you can take the house tour here). I mentioned last week that it's a particular dream of mine to one day have the room for a full 1940s dolls house. My current house is 1/16th scale instead of 1/12th, and I love to be able to have a kitchen, living room, bathroom and more bedrooms to play with.

My dream wartime house: Fairbanks. It's a whopper, and can even be bought
with a turntable so you can access it from all sides!
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I'm hoping that when I finally get my Etsy shop off the ground it'll feature a great many miniatures, as although it's said that 'anything that can be bought full size, can be bought in mini too', I often find that - just like when you're furnishing your own home - you want very specific pieces of furniture or ornaments, and I still often struggle to find certain items I want for the time period I'm working with. Victorian miniatures abound, as it's the most popular time setting for doll's houses, indeed my pub is Victorian, but other eras are neglected.

Miniatures from the 1920s to the 1950s can be difficult to source, with the tudor, victorian and edwardian, and present day being the most common. So I was really pleased to stumble across K T Miniatures a few months ago. They sell handmade and vintage miniatures in various sizes, and to my utter delight - they have wartime items too! Their site is well worth a visit. Click here to see a wartime kitchen from their own gallery, and here to see a 1950s living room and kitchen.

Some wonderful items I've spotted on Etsy recently:

From LDelaney here

Miniature Vogue magazines by LDelaney here

He he! Fabulously kitsch lawn flamingos by Jtnee here

By MidnightsDreams here

My favourite Beatrix Potter story - The Tailor of Gloucester

by Martapellise here

If you could decorate a doll's house in the style of any era which would you choose?

Enjoy plotting your weekend,

A New Book and a Sorry

2012-02-16T08:00:00.001Z

Today being Thursday, what you are supposed to be looking at with those pretty eyes of yours right now is the last in my series of Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve styleboards. Alas, the spot I set aside for compiling it - each takes a fair few hours work - was cruelly taken away from me by far more dull matters involving nasty paperwork, deadlines and... maths. I know. Yuck.

Anyway, rest assured it will appear before the week is out, because I hate to leave things unfinished and I've got it all planned.

In the meantime, one good bit of news this week is that this book has floated into my life on a welcome wave of vintage creativity.

I've been jealous of a couple of friends who are already loving and working from this book, published last year, for quite some time. The God of Bargain Books has clearly been smiling down on me lately, because I bagged this one at £2.99. Containing 30 vintage-inspired knitting patterns, as with every craft book I buy I weigh what I'm paying for each make inside, against the quality and inspirational merit of the content. Sounds all very scientific, but it is very easy to find yourself with a library full of craft books which are below your skill level, completely uninspiring, or cost far more than you would pay for 30 knitting patterns on eBay.

Having heard the rave reviews from friends, and being quite as cheap as it was, this was a no-brainer. I can see me leaning towards the knitting patterns at the front of the book, as it follows a timeline from the 1920s through to the 1980s, and apart from being fond of an aran knit jumper the 1980s just aren't my thing. But there are plenty of items in the book I would love to make and own.

Just one problem. When it comes to knitting, I'm basic at best. Think of me as being on a bike with stabilisers. Luckily I have a mum ready to help and guide - to hold the bike until I'm ready to cycle solo, if you will - so this doesn't dampen my enthusiasm one jot.

Speaking of knitting and making, it's Thursday again, and this means that tonight is Creatives Unite! If you're free between 9-10pm and fancy having a go at a relaxing creative project - absolutely anything you like - then just have a quick read of the page at the top of this screen and sign up. It's easy, and fast becoming my favourite evening of the week!

See you then - for now for me it's back to the paperwork!

My Love For Soap & Glory

2012-02-15T08:00:00.001Z

I could spend the first three paragraphs of this post introducing the brand, telling you all about their ethos, blah blah *yaaaaaaaawn* blah. But, thankfully, it's all been said many times before. Soap & Glory are already hugely popular in the vintage and mainstream beauty products worlds alike, as testified here.

So for this post, I simply want you to imagine me (that's me there in the left margin if you need some help) giving Soap & Glory a great big, whopping hug. Ahhh.

And it's not like me to wax lyrical about any brand. That's their job, after all. But Soap & Glory are particularly sneakily clever because not only have they made me fall hopelessly in love with their products, but they reeled me in with their packaging.

Shocker. Yes, that's right. The girl who never judges a dusty old book by its cover, who likes to think she makes wise buying choices and always checks the validity of BOGOF deals before chucking shedloads into her trolley, is admitting that she was seduced by some pretty pink and retro-style packaging.

It's really just a very, very good job that the products were as high quality as I hoped when I got them home that day. Here are some of my absolute favourite products:

Scrub Your Nose In It

I use this every other day after my cleanser, and it quite simply does exactly as advertised. It's fresh, gentle, and leaves me with lovely smooth skin. What more could a girl ask for?

Scrub, Actually

Smells divine, this one. I use this once a week as I am of the generation where it has been drilled into us that exfoliation is the answer to pretty much all your problems. That, and drinking a small swimming pool every day. After using this and heading off on a night out, I've often received compliments. Perfume? No need.

Hand Food

Being a sufferer of dry mitts in the winter months I've tried many hand creams over the years. You're expecting me to say that this is the best yet? Well, no, because I have lots of favourite hand creams, and being something I carry around with me all the time and keep by the bed, it tends to only be budget which determines which I go for each time. But the marshmallow in this one certainly won me over, and I will be buying it again. Easily absorbed, too. A bit like me...

The Righteous Butter Body Lotion

The lotion version of the famous body butter, this is the product I slap on every morning after a shower. The sweet scent makes me feel like I've made an effort on a cold February morning, and because I can't stand having to do a 'wait for the anti-perspirant to dry and the body lotion to absorb' dance before I can get dressed, this wins top marks, too. Jolly good show.

Dr Spot

If like me the dreaded blemishes are prone to rearing their ugly...heads at times, then you will have tried pretty much everything. I have. Lots of spot-on gels work, but having been told to look out for ones specifically containing salicylic acid I decided to try this one. It also worked, but didn't suck all the life out of my naturally dry skin, so it receives a merit badge for good behaviour. I prefer the pump bottle version to the tube shown above, but it's worth every penny.

Glad Hair Day Thick Conditioner

Being a redhead, I have naturally quite coarse, thick hair, although it is straight. I'm a big fan of Aussie hair products, but occasionally I slap some of this one on for a hair treat, and it makes my hair all manageable and silky smooth again. Smells sumptuous, too.

Having had such success with this brand, there are still plenty of their products I want to try. I haven't yet sampled any of their cosmetics range - the Sexy Mother Pucker lip products have become a cult classic since their launch in 2006. Apart from the girly look of their packaging I think it's so refreshing to find a brand where, so far, all the range has impressed me and actually worked. I mean, just how much money do we women spend on bath and body products, skincare and cosmetics every year, only to be disenchanted or downright disappointed with them? And their scents just make me feel that little bit more pampered after a rough day.

What is your experience of the Soap & Glory range? Have you got a favourite product? Now you know where all my Boots rewards points go!

Have a pampered and squeaky-clean Wednesday,

Valentine's Day: Not Such a Modern Invention

2012-02-14T08:00:00.001Z

"Roses are red, violets are blue, and here's a Valentine's blog post, from this blogger to you."

Whether you await St. Valentine's Day each February 14th with eager anticipation, hide under the duvet until it's safely passed for another year, or even quite enjoy harping on (sorry) to anyone who'll listen about what an over-commercialised, soppy day it is, there is no escaping the fact the today is the colour red, and is in the shape of a heart.

A Victorian Valentine

Although I resent over-saccharine marketing ploys being shoved in my face wherever I look - and that goes for every holiday - I for one believe that anything that gets folk telling their loved ones how much they mean to them and spreading a few smiles and happiness can never really be a bad thing. Partners, family, friends... even pets - showing you care makes the bearer and the recipient feel good. February is a long and dark month, so a mid-February day of cheer is rather nice.

There remain an increasing number of people, however, who feel so strongly about the commercialisation of Valentine's Day that they publicly and proudly declare that they don't celebrate it. This is perhaps influenced not only by the shops forcing it upon us, but the harsh fact that we're living in a time of austerity. Just as I argued at Christmas that pressure to buy huge expensive gifts for all and sundry needed to be toned down, the same goes for Valentine's Day - and indeed expensive chocolate eggs at Easter. If you choose not to celebrate for these reasons, that's fine too! Love can and should be shown all year round.

The commercialisation argument did lead me to hop on the internet to do a little research. While many tout today as a 'day made up by the card shops to fill the gap between Christmas and Easter' (Mother's Day, hmm?) we all know there was indeed a Saint Valentine, so I decided to dig into the history of this day.

A Valentine's Card circa 1920

It seems that the Christian martyr St. Valentine was not alone. There were in fact a number of St. Valentines. And no romantic connotations were linked to the name until the 14th century. Perhaps we would still honour February 14th as a Christian celebration, had Pope Paul VI not removed it from the Roman calendar in 1969. Perhaps he was bitter about being the only one who had to remain single.

Courtly love was all the rage in Geoffrey Chaucer's time, so this is where the idea of Valentine's Day began to take root. By the following century it had become customary for lovers to swap love letters, flowers and sweets, so the Pope trying to cancel the whole thing in the late sixties almost became irelevant - we continue to celebrate it regardless.

In the modern day its nature is evolving again. While primarily remaining a day for couples and love-sick hopefuls to show their love for one another, the American influence means that it's now common for children, friends, and family members (ah yes, the Valentine's card from one's dad to make you feel better) to send Valentines to loved ones. And I think that's quite a nice direction for the celebration to take. Awwww.

A children's valentine, circa 1950

Having received some very cute cookie cutters in the post from my lovely friend Clare this morning, I'll leave you with the recipe for peppermint creams I shared some time ago. The smallest cutter in the middle is exactly the size I have been looking for to make these scrummy treats!

Whether you celebrate or not, enjoy your February 14th,

Love,

The Victorian House - A Book Recommendation

2012-02-12T08:00:00.002Z

After my post about my Victorian doll's house pub here, I just wanted to pop on a quick book recommendation today.

I bought this book a couple of years ago when looking for an accurate portrayal of everyday life in the middle class Victorian home, to glean ideas for furnishing my doll's house. I expected something rather dull but thought I'd scan it for the information I needed.

Instead I found myself engrossed, finishing the book in three days straight and recommending it to several other history fans since.

The book takes you 'from cradle to grave' through each room in the house; its use and place in family life, also covering household names and brands of the time. Home was a very prevalent theme in the Victorian era, especially as huge changes were taking place outside the front door in the form of the industrial revolution, medical advances and the growth of cities. A man's home was his safeguard from the unknown, and any reputable house was run like a ship.

This theme manifests in ways I hadn't previously realised, such as the way Dickens placed such importance on the concept of a stable home in his novels - just think Oliver Twist. I really wish I'd had this book when I had been studying for my degree in English.

Judith Flanders writes as though telling a story, and as the book is compartmentalised by room, it's actually an easy read. I've just borrowed her Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain from my library, so I'm back for more! I fancy reading her The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime, too. She also has an interesting blog for fellow history-lovers.

Enjoy a relaxing Sunday,

Knitting Books: As We've Never Seen Them Before...

2012-02-11T08:00:00.001Z

It's Saturday, really not a day for anything too taxing. So here are some knitting books I've been finding rather, well... odd.

Apparently.

Strangely... I like this.

Is there ANYONE who isn't cashing in?!

I'd like a cape for cosyness reasons.
But Vampire knits? (I also like this lady's hair)

I hope I never have knits. Especially not before Christmas.

Yeah... this is wearing a little thin now, don't you think?

No comment. Look at the author's name.

Again, wearing thin. 'Simple' does not require a second 's'.

Now this I HAVE to get my hands on. But I'm afraid to.

Have a safe weekend. Watch out for sinister-looking knitting needles.

A Tour Around My House

2012-02-10T08:00:00.005Z

I don't know about you, but I love looking around other people's homes. Not in an 'excuse me while I nip to the loo and then have a quick snoop in your medicine cabinet' kind of way, (no, friends, really, you don't have to worry about inviting me round to your house from now on), but I often think that until you've seen someone in their home setting, with the colours and items they have chosen to surround themselves with, you don't really know them. Home is where we are the most relaxed; the most ourselves.

As you'll have noticed, domestic and social history have always fascinated me. Historic world events interest me greatly, but what I really love is learning about how everyday people like you and me have lived through the ages. It really is true that an Englishman's home is his castle, his own world, sheltered from outside threats, a safe and happy haven for himself and his family.

So after a couple of recent requests I thought today you might like me to show you around my own house.

...My doll's house, that is.

Like many people I find that there's just something about the world in miniature! My dolls house was made for me by my grandad, and I received it for my second Christmas:

It was the Christmas of '89, oh yeah...

And, oh, how I loved that dolls house! It had lights, and was furnished. I never did like traditional dolls, so reams of Sylvanian Families lived in mine instead. And then of course I grew out of playing with it. One day I was visiting Rochdale in my mid-teens, and saw a dolls house and miniatures shop. The shop wasn't selling toy dolls house furniture, but miniatures for adults who collected 1/12th scale pieces and created their dream house on a mini scale. I was hooked.

...And in 2012, quite a transformation.

So I'd like to introduce you to what is now my country pub, The Acton Bell Inn. It's certainly been a labour of love. From hand-designed electric lighting, three attempts to get the right effect roof tiles and two lots of wallpapering inside, it's been so frustrating... and great fun. It's nowhere near finished yet, but I'm just about at the fun stage of making everything to go inside it.

I'm not a fan of roof paper, so the roof tiles are made out of cereal boxes, each individually cut out and then coated with stone effect paint. The bricks are real brick dust, scraped over a stencil, then left to dry before being shaded in with pastel dust and varnished.

I have the perfect weather vane to add!

Let's step inside.

The Taproom

Please excuse the dust. This is the taproom, though it's looking rather bare at the moment. I'm very determined that each room should tell a story, so when the pub is finished it should take quite a few minutes of looking at each room scene to take it all in. The flooring is real Welsh slate, the walls are roughly coated in plaster to make them look white washed, and the beams took seven coats of stain to look sufficently aged. They even have woodworm holes in them! The range you see at the back is the focal point of the room, and at £60 it used up all of my eighteenth birthday money! It was worth it. All the other fireplaces I saw just didn't cut the mustard.

The Bar

The main room of The Acton Bell Inn, this is going to be the busiest scene of all. I wanted a simple country bar, so I made my own. The shelves on the back wall will soon be stocked with stone and glass bottles, and a jar of pickled eggs! Figures will be playing cards and drinking from tankards at the tables, while catching up on the local gossip. The low hanging lamp is there because the room was originally going to house a snooker table, but I've decided it takes up too much room, so the lamp will be raised at a later date. There is a lucky horseshoe above the door.

The Guest Room

The guest room - for it is an inn after all - will be the temporary home of a frustrated writer (I sympathise with him!) The desk will be crammed with papers and ink pens. The trunk at the foot of the bed will be stuffed with clothes - he's a messy bloke - and a map will be spread out on the bed. Our travelling artist is not a local, after all. Curtains will warm up the room, along with a cosy bedspread. The landlady knows how to look after her guests!

The cameos on the wall you see below are a pair of earrings from an Avon catalogue!

And now for a quick hop over the landing...

The Landlord and Landlady's Bedroom

People have always lived in houses of different ages, so although this pub is 'Tudor', I decided that we're seeing it in Victorian times. I don't have room for a kitchen, so this bedroom is the most personal room in the house. It's the landlady's domain, so will be full of fripperies, ornaments and lace. The dressing table will be packed with cosmetics and pretty bottles, and a floral bedspread will add further femininity to the scene.

Unfortunately the back wall is feeling the effects of some eletrical troubles and two wallpapering jobs, so a large mirror or picture will be needed too!

I couldn't find any tiles to fit my mantelpiece so I had a go at making my own from polymer clay. I still need to create a marble hearth.

* * * * * *

Doll's houses and minitaures are now hugely popular across the UK, America, and is the second most popular hobby in Japan, where they often own room boxes as space is at a premium and houses take up too much room.

Creating a doll's house has, for me, meant that this is the closest I'll ever get to being able to visit the past, much the same as the motivation behind so many people choosing to wear vintage clothes and furnish their homes in a vintage style.

When my pub is finally finished I'd love to have a go at a wartime house, complete with air raid shelter, kitchen stocking 1940s food packaging - rationed, of course - and a cosy living room with a wireless. But I'm not sure I'll ever have the room! Failing that a 1930s tearoom room box in the style of Brief Encounter would do nicely!

My dream wartime house. (The brick-effect paper would have to go!)

I've collected furniture for my doll's house from all over the world, but it's really important to me to make as much as possible, so I'm always on the lookout for vintage fabrics with tiny prints, jewellery findings and collecting home interiors and doll's house magazines. I want everything to look as realistic as possible.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. I just wish this pub would produce a pint every now and again!

Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve: Part 4 - The Great Gatsby

2012-02-09T08:00:00.002Z

The Great Gatsby is a title already sashaying around a lot this year, as the film adaptation should be with us before Christmas (what with that and The Hobbit the film gods are really torturing me with the waiting game this year!)

I have always loved the book by F.Scott Fitzgerald, published in 1925. And ever since I studied 1920s and 30s America at school I've been in love with the idea of flapper girls asserting their independence and using the vote, dancing to jazz music until the early hours. Alcohol consumption went through the roof in that decade - not much has changed - which of course was only exacerbated in America by the prohibition laws of the 1930s.

It's easy to forget that Britain was a country emotionally and financially wounded and in mourning, but the decade also saw a determination to embrace life and move forward. It's this image that comes to mind when we think of flapper girls today... and nothing encompassed that almost self-destructive partying, debauchery and swinging attitude like The Great Gatsby.

From looking at the few sneak peeks of the new film issued so far, it's clear that the fashions are not being replicated exactly as they originally were. Carey Mulligan's outfits still show her as having boobs (how dare she!), when she's representing a decade where they were actually flattened down to fit in with the androgynous fashion. Her hemlines are also shorter, more as the modern girl prefers them than they were then - though 1920s hemlines were shockingly revealing compared to the Edwardian dresses that came before. Fashion designers predict that the new film will hugely influence the high street this year, so perhaps the costume department worked in the full knowledge that the clothes worn in the film would have to appeal to today's audience.

The Great Gatsby, 2012

For the genuine vintage-loving folk out there - the ones who like wear original rather than repro or vintage-inspired clothing, these attempts by the high street to give a nod to eras gone by are often annoying. But when it comes to a decade so long ago as the 1920s, I'm all for it. It's difficult to get hold of original 1920s pieces that can actually be worn without being ruined, and of course, the earlier in the 20th century, the smaller women were compared to today. And as mentioned above, wearing fashions inspired by the 1920s means it's accessible to everyone - we like to celebrate our curves these days rather than hide or flatten them (ouch!) so this way we get to enjoy a taste of the twenties while still flattering a fabulous rounded figure.

The Great Gatsby, 1974

I suspect that this Summer and into Autumn and Winter we will be joined by reams of ladies and gents who are wearing The Great Gatsby style as contemporary fashion. But that's okay, it's been done so often before. In the second style board below, the blue sailor dress from http://www.candysays.co.uk/ is actually from the 1980s, and was inspired by the 1920s. Double whammy vintage!

So without further ado, onto The Great Gatsby style boards:

* Dress ~ Miss Selfridge * Shoes ~ Modcloth * Headscarf ~ Accessorize * Gold Gloves ~ http://www.corneliajames.com/ *

* Dress and Jacket ~ candysays.co.uk * Cloche Hat ~ http://www.hatsandcaps.co.uk/ * Shoes ~ Dorothy

Perkins *

Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby, 1974

Already causing controversy: Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby

With Jay Gatsby being the main star of the show, it wouldn't be right not to include a couple of style boards especially for the chaps! The 1920s saw the suit remaining the mainstay of the gentleman's wardrobe, but this isn't to say that fashions didn't change every bit as much as they did for women. Men returned home from war wanting to move forward with a fresh, more individualistic look. Thanks to Hollywood, men were becoming sex symbols (golly gosh!), and were every bit as eager to keep up with the modern and independent woman.

Suits merged to a wider fit, with baggier trousers. Pinstripes came back in too, and suits became a symbol of the powerful working man. Al Capone even managed to influence the fashions coming over from America!

* Suit & Shoes ~ Amazon.co.uk * Dax ~ Boots * Tie ~ http://www.swaggerandswoon.com/ * Cane ~ http://www.walkingsticksonline.co.uk/ * Shirt ~ River Island * Waistcoat ~ Topman * Hat ~ http://www.overstock.com/ *

* Waistcoat, Braces & Shirt ~ Topman * Hat & Shoes ~ River Island * Tie ~ http://www.swaggerandswoon.com/ *

What do you think? I'm really looking forward to the film, and at least I have time to squeeze in another read of the book first!

100 Things in 1001 Days

2012-02-08T08:00:00.001Z

I've been seeing a lot of these lists on other blogs recently, and while I usually love having a good nose at the wild and wonderful hopes, dreams and plans of my fellow inspiring bloggers, the '100 Things in 1001 Days' one doing the rounds at the moment actually got me thinking about having a go myself, for once.

I could go really crazy and drink a
brand other than Yorkshire Tea!
...Maybe that's going a little too far.

I'm a great one for scribbling plans and dreams in pretty notebooks, but all too often the lists I make in life are for dull chores such as buying puppy food, booking a dentist appointment (aaarrrgh!) or buying a birthday present for Great Aunt Gladys. The idea of committing to 100 things in 1001 days is simply to enjoy the special, quirky moments in life. Instead of one day slipping into the next, I get to sprinkle a little magic on proceedings and get more enjoyment out of a time where a lot of us are experiencing the most depressing and debilitating economic downturn of our lives. In other words, it's all about mini adventures!

Now there's an idea...

And '1001 days' sounds much more fun than a list of things I will do by the end of the year. New Year's Resolutions are continuing to go well though - I should add! So I've been racking my brains trying to remember all the times I've had the 'Oooh, I'd love to do that!' thought in recent years, and I'm slowly compiling my list. I'm nowhere near one hundred yet, but here's some things I've added so far:

Go camping for a weekend (no moaning about lack of...facilities!)

Master crochet

Visit Hay-on-Wye again (mmm...books)

Sew a full item of clothing on my own

Start my mini online vintage shop

Watch the Star Wars movies

Complete my copy-editing course

Get my entire family to the Goodwood Festival of Speed for my dad's 60th and brother's 30th

Have a cocktail party

Get another piece of writing published

Have a tv-free month

Finish furnishing my victorian dolls house

Visit Scotland for a mini-break again

Grow a herb garden

Host a three-course dinner party

Make my own ice cream

Open a savings account

Have a completely homemade Christmas

Ride a bike for the first time in fourteen years

Paint a canvas worthy of display on the wall

I'm busy thinking of more all the time! What would you add to your list?

What's Wrong With Your Make-Up?

2012-02-07T08:00:00.001Z

The article below, taken from What Every Woman Should Know: Lifestyle Lessons From the 1930s, a collection of original Daily Mail features from the era, really had me chuckling when I read it over the weekend.

Essentially, the newspaper sent a critic - in the harshest sense of the world - out onto the London scene to inspect and nit-pick over the appearance of her fellow woman, then hold them up as an example to the readership. I suspect the inner-bitch in most women would have nonetheless absorbed every word, just as we poke fun at fake tan lines and botched make-up on female celebrities in mags today. Others' failings make us feel more human, after all.

Most amusing is the blunt tone used by the critic, with lots of use of words such as 'wrongly', 'should have' and 'alas'! I'd hate to have my made-up face inspected by such a scary lady!

"The nails should have harmonised with her lipstick instead of quarrelling harshly with it!"

I'll leave you to have a read for yourself, and perhaps learn a thing or two about keeping young and beautiful, nineteen-thirties style...

The bottom two articles give a fascinating glimpse the beauty market at the time.

Scroll over the article below to zoom in.

Now, let that be a lesson to you, ladies!

In Search of More Sherlock

2012-02-06T08:00:00.001Z

I spent part of the weekend snuggled up inside watching series one of Sherlock on dvd. It was interesting watching with the accompanying commentary from the writers, as Steven Moffatt said things such as 'if we get any more episodes commissioned we must find a way to incorporate a deerstalker into the story," with Mark Gatiss laughing and saying, "Yes, perhaps a paparazzi shot that leads to everyone having that image of Sherlock."

...Of course in series two that's exactly what they did!

Anyway, now I've had my fix of the television series, and knowing I now have to wait until the end of the year for any more, I've been enjoying browsing Etsy for wonderful Sherlock-related items to add to my wish list. In the meantime, I'm going to make a start on re-reading some of the stories.

Fact for the day: did you know that nowhere in the books does Sherlock ever utter the words, "Elementary, my dear Watson"? And there are more references in the stories to Sherlock laughing than there ever are to him using cocaine.

From here

Fantastically obnoxious. From here.

It would take a close look to realise what this is. I like it. From here.

From here.

Tempted to have a go at a few Sherlock illustrations of my own.
What a special addition to a gift. From here.

From here.

Odd. But I get it. From here.

What do you reckon?

How the Rationing Scheme Works: A Wartime Leaflet

2012-02-04T08:00:00.001Z

Another wartime leaflet today, on how the rationing scheme worked, what clothing coupons look like, and the neccessary clothing allowance. I love these leaflets because they bypass the history books and give the reader the facts straight from the horse's mouth.

Just scoll over each image to zoom in!

Enjoy your Saturday. I'm planning a shedload of baking!

Homemade Gifts Vintage Style: A Review

2012-02-03T08:00:00.002Z

Last night saw the very first Creatives Unite! Feel free to take a look at the dedicated page at the top of this one, and if you didn't get a chance to join us, I hope you'll be inspired to next week.

When I said in Sunday's post that I had acquired the book Homemade Gifts Vintage Style by Sarah Moore and would be reviewing it soon, I thought I meant 'within the next month'. But a stroke of luck sauntered my way yesterday evening in the form of some free time, so myself and Miss Bea were able to curl up and enjoy a good browse through my latest papery find. (She snored and dreamed of rabbits, I read).

I'm still reeling from finding it at such a bargain price!

The title of the book is pretty self-explanatory, and combines two of my favourite things - vintage and crafting. I love books like this because I like to have a library of inspiration around me at all times, though all too often I am disappointed by makes that are either too aloof to inspire crafters of all abilities (I am currently a bit of a jack of all crafts), or so simplistic that anyone with even a mild interest in crafts has seen it all before.

This may be more of a comment on where I live than anything, but so many craft books require materials that I either can't find easily, or can't afford. A simple sewing project in one book I came across recently required 3 metres of fabric of different patterns, 4 metres of gingham ribbon in different colours, 2 metres of lace, 2 metres of elastic... I didn't read any further. The best makes for me are the ones I can have a go at with my current stash of materials on a rainy weekend afternoon, or easily pick up on my many thrifting adventures - without spending more than it would cost to buy the finished item from a shop. I still haven't managed to gather all the materials to make a single Cath Kidston shower cap!

The Look

'Never judge a book by its cover' is certainly a mantra I apply to fiction, but in the case of books like this one, looks - the feeling you get on leafing through the pages for the first time, and the photography - are everything. Luckily Homemade Gifts Vintage Style has good looks by the bucket full. Sage green, pink and white seems to be everywhere at the moment, so if we're looking at this from a shallow and aesthetic viewpoint, it wins points just for going to well with my other current reading material and stationery!

The photographs, as you would expect, are beautiful, and I recognised a few from various issues of Mollie Makes magazine.

The Content

I always like craft books where there is a section on 'Basic Kit' simply because, for me, it immediately removes that snob value. That section also makes it clear that this is a book for everyone. It's also helpful as inevitably one crafter's basic kit will differ hugely from the another.

In the introduction the author acknowledges - and celebrates - the huge rise in interest in thrifting, upcycling, vintage and homemade in recent years. Here then, is a lady who is not just jumping on the bandwagon and trying to make money on the latest trends. Here is someone who has always had a propensity for making something out of nothing, and is pleased to be able to share her own experiences and ideas now that the rest of us are at it too.

The book contains sections titled 'Made by Hand', 'Sewn by Hand', 'Sewn by Machine' and 'Cards and Packaging'. I'm pleased that there are simple, ten minute makes and more involved challenges included in these sections; many shy away from the easier projects in a desire to show their worth as a crafting guru. Simple ideas include decanter shampoos, cheese plates, Easter eggcups and button bracelets; all new ideas, but none too taxing.

'Projects' include a tea cosy, a little girl's skirt and fabric diaries, none of which particularly stretch the brain cells, but all still manage to look cleverly sophisticated on completion.

The range of makes included cater for all ages and both sexes. This alone gets the book a big tick from me, as buying for the blokes in my life is always a headache. In my experience men who don't craft themselves tend to fall into two categories; they either appreciate functional, non-fussy handmade items, or they accept your gift with good grace - but you can gurantee it'll never leave that drawer ever again! For the latter group, I don't even try. I head straight to the shops come gift-time. For the former, well, I'm always on the lookout for ideas to stop them marching firmly into the latter group! A notebook covered in tweed fabric, a plain apron made from a shirt, a fabric coat of arms and a decanter of whisky are all makes that appear in this book, and for that I am grateful! Ideas for children... and even the pets, are featured, too.

I'm sure Miss Bea would love a comfy cushion, it might help keep her off mine!

Thrifting at carboot sales and in charity shops can mean you're on the lookout for certain items for a long time before you find them, so it's also useful that the projects span all the year round, from Mother's Day, to Easter, to Christmas. This allows the reader to make a list of wants early, and plan well ahead.

The final section on cards and giftwrap left me a little cold, as I feel there isn't much more that can be said on the subject. That said, I like the fact that the journey of a gift, from being discovered at a car boot sale, to being handed over to the recipient has been covered, and it gives food for thought to those of us who may not think too much about a gift's presentation. After all, you've spent so much time and effort making your gift, you wouldn't want to hand it over in an Asda carrier bag!

Would I have paid full price? At rrp £16.99, no, but only because I never pay full price for books. But I would certainly have been happy to pay much more than the £5.00 I did get it for.

Will I be making? Definitely. It's a book to dip into often for ideas, and the makes are very easy to follow and accessible.

Overall verdict: 9/10

Have you seen this book? What do you think?

Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve: Part 3 - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

2012-02-02T08:00:00.002Z

Today sees Week 3 in the 'Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve' style board collection.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland captured my imagination as a child. I loved the idea of Alice tumbling into a whole different world, in much the same way as I loved the Narnia tales, then later, Harry Potter. I've always been so jealous of characters who can just leave our realm and go on wondrous adventures.

My love of this story was twinned with an obsession from childhood and into adulthood with the Disney Adaptation: Alice in Wonderland. Now I'm [supposedly] grown up this Alice fascination has developed into a full blown love of tea and tea parties, Victorian style and an affection for well-meaning eccentric people!

And I'm not alone. From blockbuster movies to croquet seeing a renaissance, and most recently the huge success of the craft book Everything Alice (which is still on my list to own!) ... it seems everyone wants a piece of the fairytale. I don't think I'll ever grow out my love for this story and Alice.

As mentioned in previous weeks, this often involves incorporating some 'Alice' style into my everyday look. So on this week's board are some of my latest findings:

*Dress ~ Asos.com * Necklace ~ http://www.missbohemia.com/ * Ring and Bag ~ http://www.bluefinchboutique.com/ *
* Boots ~ http://www.misslfire.com/ * Bangles ~ StayGoldMaryRose *

What is your favourite childhood classic?

And one last thing...

Tonight sees the very first session of Creatives Unite! If you struggle to set aside time to indulge your creative side, or find you often start craft or writing projects then never get around to completing them, this is for you. It's just an hour on a Thursday evening where you concentrate all your efforts on furthering your chosen project, knowing there's a whole network of other creatives out there supporting you and doing the same. Anyone can take part! To find out more click here.

How to Make Treacle Tin Lanterns

2012-02-01T08:00:00.001Z

If, like me, you like handmade gifts for family and friends you'll find that the men in your life can be so difficult to please! The majority of craft ideas are geared towards women, and when it comes to buying for the chaps I never find the high street very inspiring either.

These treacle and syrup tin lanterns make great gifts for men or women. They look magical lit up in the garden during any season, and Lyle's traditional-looking tins mean all the work to make your gifts look suitably vintage has been done for you!

A set of three took me less than an hour to make.

You will need:

Lyle's Golden Syrup and/or Black Treacle tins - no leftover stickyness allowed!, tealights, wire/brown hairy string/ribbon, a bradawl or sharp pointed screwdriver

1. First, use your bradawl to punch a hole on either side of the top of your tin. These will be the holes for your hanger.

2. Punch holes all over your tin. As you puncture, before removing the bradawl, wiggle and lift it slightly. You will inevitably dent the tin as you punch, and this will help lift it flat again. You can punch as many or as few holes as you wish.

3. Thread your chosen hanger through, tying a knot on the inside of each hole if you're using string, or simply bend the wire so it can't lift out. It's important to make sure they are really secure because a falling lantern is quite a fire hazard! You can always use a soldering iron on metal hangers if you're happy for your hanger to always be upright. If using string it's a good idea to spray it with starch and leave it to dry first, then it won't droop into your tin and catch light.

4. Add a decorative ribbon to your hanger if you wish, pop a tealight in each, and your lanterns are complete! Please remember that the tins and hangers do get hot. Leaving the lanterns' lids on or off gives different effects.

A whole set of these beauties hanging from the lower branches of a tree or lined up along a wall, look so warm and cheery, and they cast beautiful shapes on their surroundings. I think they are only enhanced by being left to rust slightly (not completely), but if you want to keep yours looking shiny and new then store them somewhere dry and warm.

Finally, a homemade gift most chaps will actually like!

What do you think?

By the way, if you're reading this because you like to create, then my creativity revolution - Creatives Unite! may well be for you! Scroll down to yesterday's post to learn more, or you'll find a dedicated page at the top of this one. It starts tomorrow evening, so drop me an email to sign up!

Calling All Creative Sorts: I Have a Cunning Plan...

2012-01-31T08:00:00.013Z

"If you wait until the conditions are right, you'll never move forward." ~ Jurgen Wolff

I've started an exciting project, and I hope it's one which will strike a chord with you and inspire you to get involved.

Creativity is a huge part of my personality. I'm always seeking to learn new crafts, always thrifting, always leafing through craft books and planning my next make. Followers of Miss Bea's sister blog, Story in a Teacup will also know that writing and a love of reading also play a significant role in my life. I'm sure that you too are a creative individual, whether you love writing, crafting or styling vintage outfits, because that's why you're reading this, right?

I have a question for you, though. Do you ever find that whatever creative project you're working on often never gets finished because you're too busy doing everything else that life demands, or because you hit a bump in the road with it and you can't motivate yourself to finish the job?

Do you love to create but find you're always telling yourself you have to wait for the perfect idea to strike before you can sit down and get on with it, so you never start?

*Leans in conspiratorially* Me too!

We're all human! I do often worry that I have so many things I want to create, so many stories I want to write and so little time and motivation that one day I'll look back over my life and regret not paying this most authentic and joyous part of my personality more attention.

Source: interioralchemy.tumblr.com via Emily on Pinterest

So I've decided to do something about it. And if any of the above has rung true for you, I hope you'll join me. It's going to be run under my other blog: Story in a Teacup, but it's for everyone - knitters and sewers, writers and upcyclers, painters and bakers!

Creatives Unite!

Every Thursday evening - starting with this week - I invite you to join me between 9 and 10pm for an intense creativity session. Whatever it is you do, from blogging to knitting, fiction writing to Airfix modelling, painting to pottery, sit down with your chosen beverage and join me in a solid hour of uninterrupted creating.

I'll be there every step of the way on Twitter, from the starting pistol to the finishing siren. When you sit down to create you'll have the comfort of knowing that there are others out there - hopefully more each week - battling with and coaxing their muse, just like you. With all other distractions switched off, and the clock ticking, you'll be amazed at what you can come up with in that time.

Why?

Because you don't make enough time in your life for what you love. Because you've been telling yourself for years that you have to have the perfect time, the perfect desk, the perfect idea, the right materials, the kids need to grow up and move out, the dog needs a walk, that essay needs writing, the toilet needs cleaning.... blah blah blah.

Because everyone is going through harrowing times in this tough economy at the moment, and creating is one of the best remedies in existence for keeping you healthy and sane.

Source: piccsy.com via Sara on Pinterest

You don't have to create your final project or finish anything in that time. You can use it to plan a plot, research ideas on Pinterest, source your next fabric... it doesn't matter as long as you are concentrating all of your efforts on furthering your chosen project.

It's only an hour, but it may just be the kick-start you need to see your project through.

Like it? Here's how to join in:

1. Register for the session each week. Send an email to storyinateacup@gmail.com, telling me your name and what you'll be working on, or send me a tweet @storyinateacup. Feel free to chat to me about the project via this blog's Twitter @Miss_Beatrix, but the weekly events will be hosted on the former.

2. Get yourself on Twitter, where I'll be tweeting weekly announcements that each session is going ahead, as well as the starting pistol and finishing siren for each session. It's also a brilliant way for fellow creatives to network and encourage one another.

3. The best bit - decide on your reward! Concentrating for an hour on a project you've been procrastinating over can be difficult at first, so we need to keep your motivation high. Your reward can be anything from a cup of tea (or wine!) to a movie at the weekend, a new book... you're a creative person, use your imagination!

4. On completing your hour, tell the world! Send me a tweet or an email, and I'll pass on the great news!

Source: harplounge.com via mysweetiepiepie on Pinterest

"One bundled the kids off to boarding school and

look what one rustled up in one's new-found time!"

The more people we get to join in, the more rewarding the experience will be, so spread the word on Twitter, and Creatives Unite!

Are you in?

A Vintage Fair and a Spot of Thrifting

2012-01-29T08:00:00.001Z

Yesterday I spent a happy hour - despite a debacle with a parking meter that diddled me out of some time (harumph) at the Sheffield Vintage Fair. The fair travels all over the country, and it was with great anticipation that it was received once again in its hometown for its first stop of the 2012.

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I always love vintage fairs, as unlike many high street shops, everyone is welcome - all ages, both sexes and every fashion style imaginable. I went along with my mum, as she loves to reminisce as much as I enjoy discovering new styles and brands for the first time. It also warmed both our hearts to see a full brown set of Hornsea pottery, exactly like the set my nan still uses, a set of bed linen as still used by my gran - at 88 years old she really is the original make-do-and-mender, my gran, and with cringes a-plenty, a good many woolly cardigans which I all to readily recall my dad wearing when I was a child. At least I do remember them being warm to snuggle up to!

The fairs feature a travelling vintage hair and make up booth...
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I can't really talk, as I triumphantly emerged from the fair with a Scottish wool aran jumper. I've been after such a warm garment to wear with jeans or leggings for a long time, and as you've probably noticed, I love wool. At £10 I was pleased as punch.

...And a vintage tea shop!
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Even better, the jumper was not my only bargain of the day. In a branch of The Works (a bargain stationery and books shop, non-UK readers) I discovered this:

It's been on my reading list for so long, and at £11.21 on Amazon I was really chuffed to find several copies hiding under some art books in the shop for £5.00!

It's got a great many five star reviews on Amazon; needless to say I'll be adding my own review soon.

So my thrifting fund was not at all displeased with my by the end of yesterday, dear readers, especially as I also finally tracked down some felt in the right colour, so I can finish making my Miss Bea brooches!

What vintage/crafty adventures have you been up to so far this weekend?

Enjoy your Sunday,

The Joy of Ex Foundation: As seen in UK Vogue!

2012-01-28T08:00:00.006Z

You've probably been reading this blog long enough to have noticed that I love designs with quirky, clever phrases (this love does not extend as far as cheesy chatup lines, chaps).

So The Joy of Ex Foundation, created by Sally Beerworth is right up my street. Sally started her business in May 2011. She started writing a novel to make herself laugh while going through a difficult divorce (an inspired way to cope with bad times if ever I heard one!) and then set up a Facebook page to share some of her humorous phrases. Before long she was receiving requests from fans wanting her words on merchandise, and The Joy of Ex Foundation was born. Its aim? To make others smile!

Sally now even puts some of her profits aside in order to help others who get stuck while going through a difficult breakup.

I am the proud owner of one of her bags, and it's certainly had me smiling all week! I've even had people coming up to me when I've been out and about, wanting to know where I got it from. The design below has been featured in UK Vogue, so clearly this is one business that's on its way up and up!

Even Alfie the guinea pig loves the new bag.

I just love the clever caption on this bag, though I have been carrying books around in mine all week, so I guess that makes me coolly ironic? Yes? Yes? Okay, maybe not.

Check out The Joy of Ex Foundation's website or Etsy shop to drool and giggle over more of Sally's designs - the bags are available with change from a tenner.

Here are some of her other products I have my beady eye on:

I hope Sally's work sees the success she deserves, and that her designs have made you smile, too!

What do you think?

First four images my own, and the last three taken from The Joy of Ex Foundation's website. All of the captions and designs seen are ©Sally Beerworth , All Rights Reserved. Please don't use these photographs or her work without permission.

Vintage Recipes for the Weekend

2012-01-27T08:00:00.001Z

Every Friday I seem to dream my way through the daylight hours, making plans for my weekend. And I know I'm not alone! With finishing making my first cake stand last Sunday, and my eager mass-consumption of fruit all this week to keep the dreaded flu bugs from my door all I can think about for my weekend is, well... cake!

Luckily I met a lovely lady named Amy Alessio via Twitter this week, and she has kindly shared with me some yummy vintage recipes from her vintage cookbook collection. I've been drooling ever since. With many strings to her bow, you can read all about Amy here - and pick up some more recipes to try while you're at it.

These recipes are all at least forty years old. For conversion to British measurements and oven temperatures, just click here.

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Shortening = fat (lard as would be used then, or butter/marg today)
Pan = cake/pie tin
Frosting = icing
Semi-sweet chocolate = dark
c. = cup (See link above to be taken to conversion chart)

Black Bottom Lemon Pie

Bake 9” pie shell

2 oz. semisweet chocolate

4 eggs, separated

¼ c. lemon juice

3 tblsp. water

1 tsp. lemon peel

1 c. sugar

Melt chocolate over hot water. Spread evenly over bottom of cool pie shell. In top of double boiler, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Add lemon juice and water, mix well. Then stir in lemon peel and ½ c. sugar. Cook over hot (not boiling) water, stirring constantly, until thick, about 12 minutes. Remove from hot water. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add remaining ½ c. sugar gradually, beating constantly until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold half of this mixture into egg-yolk mixture. Pour over chocolate in pie shell. Spoon remaining egg-white mixture into pastry tube and make a lattice design on top of filling. Bake in slow oven (325F) 10 – 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

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Peaches ‘n’ Cream Pie

Pastry for 1-crust 9-inch pie

3 egg whites

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

½ cup sugar

4 or 5 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1 pt. ice cream (vanilla, peach, or coffee), frozen hard

Line pie pan with pastry; bake and set aside on rack to cool. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks are formed. Line pastry shell with sliced peaches, sweetening them slightly, if desired. Cover fruit with slices of ice cream. Pile meringue over filling, sealing it to edge of crust. Bake at 425F about 5 minutes, or until meringue is delicately browned. Serve immediately.

Baked Bananas in Orange Juice

6 – 8 medium bananas

1 medium orange, peeled and cut in chunks

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

Dash cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325F. Peel bananas (use slightly underripe ones – green-tipped or yellow, not flecked with brown). Arrange in shallow baking dish. Add remaining ingredients. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until bananas are golden and tender. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Kona Sunset

For each serving, roll a large scoop of vanilla ice cream in fresh grated or flaked coconut; coat well. Then place ice cream in a chilled sherbet dish. Tint coconut syrup with a few drops of yellow food coloring, then drizzle the syrup over coconut-coated ice cream. Top each serving with a mandarin-orange section and maraschino cherry. Trim each with two butter cookies.

Campbell’s Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

2 ¼ cups cake flour or 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

1 can (10 ¾) oz. condensed tomato soup

½ cup hydrogenated shortening

2 eggs

¼ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease and flour two round layer pans. Measure dry ingredients into large bowl. Add soup and shortening. Beat at low to medium speed for 2 minutes (300 strokes with a spoon) Scraping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Pour into pans. Bake 35 – 40 minutes. Let stand in pans 10 minutes. Let stand in pans 10 minutes; remove and cool on rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting or favorite white frosting.

McCall’s Best Red Devil’s Food Cake

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa

1 ¼ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

½ cup soft shortening

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F . Grease well and flour two 8x1 ½-inch layer-cake pans, or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Into large bowl of mixer, sift flour with sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add shortening and buttermilk. (To sour milk: Place 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice in measuring cup. Add milk to measure 1 cup. Let stand a few minutes before using.) Add eggs and vanilla; beat 2 minutes longer. Pour batter into prepared pans; bake layers 30 – 35 minutes; oblong 40 – 45 minutes; or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool thoroughly on wire racks. Fill and frost as desired.

You can sign up for Amy's crafts and vintage cookbook newsletter at www.amyalessio.com.

Enjoy!

Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve: Part 2 - Agatha Christie

2012-01-26T08:00:00.001Z

Last Thursday saw the first in my series of five Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve style boards. I just love books and stories and the escapism they provide, and this is something I like to incorporate in small ways into my style. The first style board kicked off with Mary Poppins, which you can look at here.

Week 2: Agatha Christie

This week was a little difficult to assemble, not because of a shortage of Aggie Christie-style looks out there, but because her books transcend so many different eras, I could have created hundreds upon hundreds of style boards from the 1920s through to the 1950s! All I know is that every time I settle down to watch a Marple or Poirot on television I find myself dribbling over the characters' outfits.

So I went on my intuition. Every garment I came across that screamed Christie! made it onto the screen you see below.

I hope you like!

*Cloche hat ~ http://www.goorin.com/ * Middleton Dress Spring Green ~ http://www.feverdesigns.co.uk/ * Cardigan ~ http://www.feverdesigns.co.uk/ * Shoes ~ Modcloth * Faux Fur Stole ~ Dorothy Perkins * Handbag ~ Lulu Guinness * Book ~ my own! *

* Skirt ~ John Lewis * Knitted Tank Top ~ http://www.thevintagegeneration.com/ * Shirt ~ Next * Shoes ~ Modcloth * Hat ~ Village Hats (http://www.hatandcaps.co.uk/) * Grey Handbag ~ Olga Berg *

I know I could never own every Agatha Christie novel - she wrote over ninety - and my bookshelves are groaning as it is. But I still do a little excited bounce every time I find a tattered edition in a second hand bookshop.

Christie came to resent Poirot in the end, even referring to him as a 'bombastic little creep'. Only a great writer could come up with that sentence! Marple or Poirot, I love them both, and still find it a real treat to curl up with a book or watch the latest adaptation on telly. If you love Poirot as much as I do, ITV3 are having a Poirot weekend this coming weekend. I'll be ogling outfits and trying to guess 'whodunnit' even if I've seen the same episode several times before!

Next week: The Great Gatsby - with a board for the chaps, too!

So I'll leave you with the ultimate question: Do you have a preference - Poirot or Marple?

Making a Cake Stand and Learning From Mistakes

2012-01-25T08:00:00.003Z

I had a crafting day last weekend. The thing is, everything I tried went a little... awry, shall we say.

First of all I was making some felt brooches, and ran out of the colour I needed to finish the job. I had to go on an emergency expedition to Hobbycraft. I don't like Hobbycraft, as it's the supermarket of craft shops, expensive, and puts all the wonderful small craft retailers and haberdashers out of business in these terrible times. Nonetheless, it remained the only craft shop open on a Sunday, and they didn't have what I wanted anyway, so that's karma for you!

Next I decided to make my first cake stand. You may remember this post about how I tracked down the perfect plates here.

This is how it turned out:

Positives first:

I really enjoyed making it, and think it looks really effective, for such a simple project.
I've never owned a cake stand before
It cost me £4.75 to make, including the fixtures and postage
It goes perfectly with my beloved PiP Studio teaset:

It pours well, too!

Things to work on:

Two of my plates are now cracked. I think this is because the only drill I have was too fast. I did use water to keep it cool while drilling the holes, but no cigar.
Schoolgirl error: the middle plate, I now realise, is not straight. The top and bottom tiers are vintage, and the middle is modern. Just shows which lasts, really, doesn't it! So lesson for next time - checking for cracks and chips is not enough - I must check the overall alignment of each plate I buy.

As you can see, on closer inspection the middle plate isn't flat. Doh!

The glaze has also chipped around the holes of two of the plates. This may be because I drilled the plates wrong side down, so there was room for the drill to slip on breaking through on the other side.

One of my mottos in life is 'you have to get it wrong to get it right', so I'm not too upset about the flaws. I've checked through the plates I have in stock and they're all good quality and in fine condition, so I'll try, try again! I may need to borrow a more gentle drill, though!

Apologies for the creases in my tablecloth by the way, afternoon tea devotees; it's just come out of its dry cleaning packaging for the first time since the 1950s, and I can't bring myself to put a hot steam iron to it when it folds back up so nicely in a time capsule-like fashion!

Have you ever had a go at a craft project that went wrong? What did you change the next time?

Make Do and Mend: Easy to Make Slippers from the Second World War

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001Z

Before I begin, I just wanted to say, new followers - hello! Thank you so much for reading this blog, I really appreciate it. It's wonderful to know that while I'm merrily tapping away at my keyboard there are folk out there actually reading what I have to say.

Don't be shy, say hi! And if you think I'm being an utter she-devil for not following back - I keep track of pretty much all of my favourite blogs through Bloglovin' so you should find me on there. I'm just about coming up to the two month blogging mark now, and so far it's been loads of fun, and I've already met so many lovely people through this blog and Twitter.

Thank you! xxx

And now... on with the show!

I have for you a Second World War Board of Trade issued leaflet. As well as being interesting, the best news is that if you're a make do and mend thrifty sort you can have a go at making these slippers yourself! Just scroll over each photo to zoom in.

Mrs Sew and Sew Suggests... Easy to Make Slippers for the Whole Family

I'd love to hear back if anyone succeeds in making a pair of these! If you'd prefer to be able to enlarge the leaflet and print it out just drop me an email at missbeatrixwrites@gmail.com, and I'll be more than happy to email it over to you.

Delicious Recipes for Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T08:00:00.004Z

Happy Chinese New Year! According to Chinese culture, we are now entering the Year of the Dragon.

Source: squidoo.com via Virginia on Pinterest

I'll be marking the occasion in a small way with a home-cooked chinese meal this evening with my family. My dad's a really good cook so he loves to experiment with foods from different cultures.

I'll contribute with fortune cookies!

Although I'd say today's a pretty good excuse for a chinese takeaway (!) here are two recipes you may like to try if you fancy a spot of Monday cooking. One of them will go perfectly with lunch or as a snack if you'd like to celebrate with a small treat, and the other is one of my tried and tested most-loved recipes as part of a main meal or as a starter.

The Hummingbird Bakery's Green Tea Cupcakes

Although it's the Japanese who have a thing for green tea-based desserts, green tea itself is of Chinese origin. The following recipe comes from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, and I can testify as to their scrumminess!

You will need:
* 120ml whole milk * 3 green tea bags* 100g plain flour * 20g cocoa powder * 140g caster sugar * 1 1/2 tsp baking powder * a pinch of salt * 40g unsalted butter at room temperature * 1 egg * 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

And for the green tea frosting:

250g icing sugar, sifted * 80g unsalted butter at room temperature * 20g Matcha green tea powder, plus extra to decorate (available from chinese supermarkets) * 25ml whole milk
12 hole cupcake tray with paper cases (makes 12)

My notes: If you're an old-fashioned girl like me you might usually shirk the electric mixer for the good old elbow grease and wooden spoon instead. On this occasion, learn from my mistake. Use the electric mixer - the consistency just doesn't seem to work otherwise.

Put the milk and green tea bags in a jug, cover and refrigerate for a few hours; preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 170C (325F) Gas 3.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder salt and butter in your electric mixer - or use a handheld whisk - and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Remove the green tea bags from the infused milk and combine with the egg and vanilla extract. Slowly pour half into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat well to make sure there are no lumps. Turn the speed back down to medium-slow and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when cooked. Leave to cool slightly and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the green tea frosting: Beat together the icing sugar and Matcha powder on a medium speed until well-mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the milk. Then turn back up to high speed and beat until light and fluffy; around five minutes.

Bang Bang Shrimp

I tried this recipe for the first time when on a trip to Baltimore in December 2010, when I was taken out to dinner at the famous Bonefish Grill. It was served as a starter and us Brits were sold on it straight away! The next night we visited the restaurant next door, and were amazed when our server offered to go and get us Bang Bang Shrimp from the Bonefish - you just don't see that kind of service in the UK, particularly as restaurants are always competing with one another.

The recipe itself is technically thai, and there are many coveted copies. Luckily it goes a dream with a Chinese meal, so I thought this was the perfect excuse to share this with you. I tracked down the original Bonefish recipe and have translated the measurements. I'm nice like that.

You will need:

For the bang bang sauce:
* 16 fl oz mayonnaise (use light or we're talking serious calories here!) * 3 tbsp chilli garlic sauce * 1 tbsp sweet thai chilli sauce * 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice *

*1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp * seasoned flour (flour with 1tsp cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper) * 4 spring onions (scallions) * buttermilk * peanut oil, or equiv. if allergic.

Clean and de-vein your shrimp, soak in buttermilk in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

Dredge your shrimp in the seasoned flour and deep fry in your oil (which must be very hot). I often fry in the oil in a wok, but again, the hotter the better.

Remove and dry on paper towels.

Place shrimp in a large bowl and toss in the bang bang sauce.

Serve on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with chopped spring onions.

Bang Bang Shrimp is a real crowd-pleaser, I can't wait to make it this evening!

Have you any favourite oriental recipes? Hope this has brightened your Monday!

Organising My Sewing Kit - Help Needed!

2012-01-22T08:00:00.001Z

You've seen this classic style of sewing box before, I'm sure.

I've had this one since I started taking an interest in knitting and sewing as a child, so it isn't vintage (well, to me it is), but I've seen a fair few people grappling over the same kind at carboot sales recently, and thought I'd go and rescue mine from the loft where it's been residing for a fair few years. My sewing materials are kept all over the place and need a portable home.

As you can see it needs a little repair work, and is slightly wobbly, but I'm sure I can easily fix that.

I need your help, though. It's a very practical sewing box and a clever design, but I must admit I find it a little dull and uninspiring, to say it's supposed to keep all my wonderful colourful threads and fabrics safe. Do you think I should leave it as it is, or paint it? Maybe some decoupage?

I'd really appreciate your input!

Have a relaxing Sunday - after trawling around B&Q and getting some funny looks from male shop assistants yesterday (What? a female? In the masonry section?!) I finally managed to track down a 6mm tile drill bit, so I hope to get my first cake stand finished today. That's if the drill bit doesn't blunt after two plates, as the online reviews suggest it might. Sigh!

Thrifty Pirate Crafts!

2012-01-21T08:00:00.001Z

Usually when I'm out and about on the lookout for thrifty finds - plates in particular for cake stands at the moment - it's pastel colours such as pale pinks, blues, turquoises and creams that jump out at me as the ideal vintage treasure for turning into something wonderful.

This was certainly the case when I recently visited my favourite crockery stall. Everything they sell is £1, and although you get the usual cracked saucers etc. most of the goods are just piled into cardboard boxes, and I really don't think they understand the value of some of their wares. This is all the better for those of us on the hunt for a bargain, however!

I was more than a little annoyed on this occasion, though, because as well as knick knacks this stall sells books, including old annuals from the 1970s and 80s. I was in the middle of rooting through boxes when I saw a crate choc full of orange Penguin Classics paperbacks. They had been left out in the rain and had warped. I could have cried!

Anyway, I was just wondering which plates to go for when I spotted this one:

Not quite a pirate ship, but it does have the air of a swashbuckling story.

I know, I know, completely different to my usual style, but I do have a bit of a thing for all things pirate!

A few minutes later I came across this, smaller plate:

So suddenly I found myself planning a gothic fairytale cake stand instead! I love the idea of items telling a story. Now I just need the middle tier.

Luckily I have plenty of pretty pastel plates in stock too!

What do you think?

The 1930s Woman - Changing Times

2012-01-20T08:00:00.002Z

Today I thought I'd share with you another article from The Daily Mail's What Every Woman Should Know: Lifestyle Lessons From the 1930s. This is a book of articles featured in the newspaper during the decade, and featuring items on beauty and health, running a home, cooking and fashion.

What I particularly love is the erratic way in which items are crammed in together on a page! On the second picture below, a feature about uses for your attic is squashed in along with a piece about the realisation of the health benefits of eating fish, and advice on a new solution for removing ink from hands!

Just scroll over each image to zoom in and read the text:

As far as I'm aware this book is still available in the magazine section at WH Smith. It's full of fantastic photographs of some very stylish women of the 1930s, but I'll feature more in future blog posts.

Have a lovely Friday,

Wearing Stories on Your Sleeve: Part 1 - Mary Poppins

2012-01-19T08:00:00.006Z

We all have different ways of expressing our personality and interests through our style. For some this means the clothes we wear, for others it's a loved piece of jewellery, and some choose an image or sentiment through tattoos.

I'm a big fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

I love vintage and vintage style because of my love for history, so this is reflected in the clothes I wear. I also love literature, teapots and wool, so these all play a small part in my style too!

Today marks the first in a series of 5 style mood boards over the next 5 Thursdays, each board centred around style inspiration from a well-loved figure and era from literature. (Don't worry chaps, you'll be getting a board of your own during the series).

Week 1: Mary Poppins

Mary is practically perfect in every way, so you can't very well go wrong! If you're a fan of Edwardian style, this could well be the look for you. Although technically...the film is 1960s...

So perfect, she never had to worry about her skirt flying up in the wind,
as it would for any normal woman.

* Hat ~ Debenhams * Bag ~ The Gifted Penguin * Belt ~ New Look * Skirt ~ Topshop * Blouse ~ theatticpeople.com * Boots ~ Modcloth * Cherry Necklace ~ http://www.retro-jewellery.co.uk/ * Scarf ~ Etsy

* Umbrella ~ http://www.umbrellaheaven.com/

I'm off to fly a kite!

Crochet Inspiration

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001Z

So in this post about Skills Swapping the other day I wittered about how I am learning to crochet. After much squinting at the loops of wool on my hook I came to realise that that the way I was holding my wool was the problem. My friend had advised me to move only the hook, but that went against my knitting instinct and took a little concentrating to get right.

I need a lot more practise, but I'm starting to get the hang of this particular woolly craft. And boy, do I love wool.

Now, crochet is all the rage at the moment. It's true that it's pretty addictive, and as someone who is incapable of watching tv without faffing about doing something else at the same time I can see it's going to come in handy. The only problem is that I find the more traditional crochet projects, such as a granny square blanket, well, a little... bleurgh. Not to my taste. I think it's because they remind me of a) hippies and b) the Dingles' home in Emmerdale.

Er - no.

Mmm. I appreciate the skill involved, but it's not really my style.
source

So I've been on the prowl for some crochet inspiration, because even if most projects are currently way above my skill level, I need the motivation to help me improve my crochet technique. Then the sky's the limit!

Here are some of my favourites:

I plan to make lots of flowers because they can be used as embellishments
on all sorts of craft projects. The colours on this one are beautiful.
source

Such a novel idea!
source

My mum loves owls, so these would make a lovely embellishment on
a bag for her.
source

One word: 'Want,'
source

Tweet me!
source

I need one of these pretty much every day at the moment.
source

I'd like a big version of this hat! Or I could be nice and make one for a young friend
source

Hooray! A crochet blanket I can live with!
source

These are cute source

Lovely colours
source

I'm very into collars at the moment, so this is ideal
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Er...right. Better get some practise in then!

Do you crochet? What's been your favourite project so far?

Jumper Patterns for Dogs

2012-01-17T08:00:00.001Z

Look what I have whizzing through the post on its way to me!

I should probably point out that I'm not one of those pet owners who insists on decking out their beloved pooch in silly outfits, complete with hat and nail polish. I think it's undignified. Nonetheless, Miss Beatrix currently has a plain black all-weather waterproof coat to see her through the winter months, and she's pretty much grown out of it.

Trouble's sprouted rather a lot in recent months... sniffle.

We were in the middle of crossing the road the other day when she suddenly popped out of her coat, and I realised that this time there was going to be no make do and mend. So while I'm on the lookout for a really warm number for when it's icy outside, a plain jumper should do nicely for early Spring and Autumn chills.

A vintage jumper is even better!

Have you got a pet with a penchant for vintage? (Anecdotes about frilly lace collars need not comment!)

Clickety click,

Weekend Carboot Treasures

2012-01-16T08:00:00.001Z

Yesterday I went for a spot of thrifting at my local carboot. Although it's rumoured to be the biggest carboot site in Europe, it was pretty quiet on this visit because it was well below freezing. I wandered around wrapped up like a pass-the-parcel at 7:30am, Miss Bea in tow.

It was slim pickings, but I did come home with this tablecloth for £1:

It just needs a good wash and an iron, then I hope to give it a new life as an apron, like this one from Molly Makes issue 7:

I also got - also for £1 - this plate, which will hopefully make a beautiful bottom tier for my next cake stand:

Along with the third book in a trilogy I have been reading for 30p, I'm really pleased!

Have a great Monday!

The Benefits of Skills Swapping

2012-01-15T08:00:00.003Z

Yesterday I went to visit my lovely friend Katrina. On one of our frequent nattering sessions it emerged that she didn't know how to knit. I do. It also emerged that she does, however, know how to crochet. I don't. The natural solution, of course, was to join forces and teach each other our own skill.

It's all knit and knatter...

Especially as my enthusiasm for learning to crochet suddenly increased on seeing the latest cover of Molly Makes:

Want.

It wasn't quite that simple, as although I have been knitting in the most basic sense of the word since I was five years old, progressing to purl was as far as I'd ever got. Christmas 2006 saw me revive my interest in the hobby, and everyone - everyone got scarves for Christmas that year. But what I call 'knitting in a straight line' is as far as I've ever got.

...Until this week, that is. This week, I bribed my mum with a sherry in return for her teaching me how to increase and decrease my stitches, cast on without getting loopy holes along the bottom edge, and most importantly, how to read knitting patterns in the first place. And as we clickety clicked, we nattered, as we often do. And gadzooks, it emerged that my mum doesn't know how to crochet! So now I'm teaching her, in return for her advancing my knitting skills.

So then it occurred to me: what a simply smashing whizzpopping idea this is, this swapping of skills. And I've been doing it for years without realising! Last year I delivered some business training to a talented freelance photographer who was just starting out on his own. In return, he's teaching me how to improve my basic photography skills so I can take better images for my blogs, Pinterest and because I'm a big fan of capturing great memories.

I have a brother who is basically the other half of my personality. Everything I am terrible at, he excels in and vice versa. Whenever I need practical guidance on issues such as engines, or electronics, he's the chap I call. Whenever he's needed a new CV writing, a letter checking over, or advice on cooking, he calls me.

I taught my dad how to use eBay for the first time to sell some unwanted stuff. He showed me how to work the formulae in Microsoft Excel. That's added a useful new bullet point to my CV!

Now I'm one of those irritating people you come across in life who is forever attempting to learn something. I usually have some sort of course on the go at any one time (copy editing and dog training at the moment), and I'm interested in all sorts of weird and wonderful topics - you should see the variety of my book collection. I'm also very aware that money is very tight for everyone at the moment, and although there are all sorts of other things I would love to have a go at, from swing dancing to the piano, from learning to speak Italian to dress making, I need to eat and pay my electricity bill first. (Boooo!)

So my thought for today is - who do you know?

1. Think about your network

Friends, neighbours, colleagues, relatives, friends of your partner, partners of your friends, business associates, fellow parents, your hairdresser... and most of all - fellow bloggers. Now think about the vast wealth of skills that they hold between them. It could be car maintenance, how to change a plug, how to bake the perfect sponge, nail art, corsetry, the violin, how to do your taxes, photography, capsule wardrobing, maths skills, cooking, fitness or HTML coding....the list is endless! And don't forget the people you know well - perhaps your mum was a whizz with a hula hoop when she was seven and you didn't know - what a brilliant and fun way to get a toned stomach and have a giggle together at the same time!

Who knew crochet could be so hilarious?

2. Think about your own skills

Now come on, really think. If you've been on the planet for more than a decade I can guarantee you've built up some pretty useful talents by now, ones that maybe you don't use that often - or use every day without thinking about it. I never thought about my ability to do basic knitting until a fellow student complimented me on my scarf (yes, another scarf) at university one day in 2006. She asked me if I'd made it myself and said she wished she knew how to knit.

Maybe you're good at English grammar and can help your swap partner to write a professional-looking letter of complaint or write a new CV. Maybe you speak a second language, know how to win at Mario Kart, can ride a unicycle (me neither) or are a whizz when it comes to de-cluttering and can therefore really help a hoarder! Skills swapping is a two-way thing, but I can guarantee that when you've worked out who you need to approach to learn your new skill, you'll have something valuable to offer in return. After all, you're one talented individual, aren't you?

3. Ask! You Won't Be Disappointed!

So you've identified what you need to learn, and what you have to offer in return. The problem with the British population in particular is that we're really rubbish at asking for help. We like to let others think we've got everything under control. But if your one wish in life is to learn to play the guitar, and your best mate's little brother knows how, well come on, wouldn't it be madness not to ask? Or would you rather pay hundreds of pounds to a tutor instead? They may think your request for their knowledge has come out of the blue, but most people will be hugely flattered that someone thinks they're the god of web design or retro make up application, and will be only too happy to show off what they know. And after all, you're offering them something in return. It's a win/win!

4. Okay, so we've agreed that you're talented, but you've got nothing your skills partner might want to learn.

You've thought of someone who can teach you how to embroider, but they're not particularly interested in your knowledge of antiques. No problem. Pay them in time instead. Babysitting, helping them to decorate their dining room, taking their dog for a walk, making them a fantastic cake, lending them your entire collection of House dvds or shouting about how amazing their blog is on Twitter and Facebook will do just as well. A few hours of your time for a skill you've always wanted to learn that will last you the rest of your life? A bargain if you ask me.

If, like me, you're into all things vintage and social history, why not make friends down at the local OAP home or with an elderly neighbour? They'll give you some anecdotes you'll never find in the books, and your companionship in return will mean more to them than you'll ever know.

Some of the most useful skills in life are not ones you'll get a certificate for mastering. Best of all, you get to drink tea or cocktails, and have a really good natter and a giggle while you learn! Your local college can't promise the same. Your new skill could be the gateway to a new hobby, cottage industry or job. Even better, it's free!

Have you got any stories to tell about skills swapping? Bob a comment below! You might give another reader a great idea.

I'm off thrifting at my local carboot and then it's onto some crochet practise!

The History of Tearooms

2012-01-14T08:00:00.001Z

After writing this post about Afternoon Tea-related books recently I was tapping away at my laptop on Thursday evening with The Great Sport Relief Bake Off on in the background. I looked up to see an item in the programme about the history of tearooms.

Well, being the eternal knowledge-thirsty geek that I am, I was straight onto the internet to research the topic further.

The daughter of a baker, pastry maker and later a hotelier, Catherine, or Kate, Cranston was born in 1849. Her older brother Stuart was a tea dealer (sounds dodgy these days, I know but teas were very expensive then), and the owner of three tearooms. These venues were very basic, however, only following on from the male-centric coffee shops that were hugely popular throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century; they offered only the most basic facilities.

It was Kate who went on to make tearooms a favourite gathering place for both sexes and particularly women. She opened The Crown Luncheon Room in Glasgow in 1878. While we often think of traditional tearooms as being in the style of the Victorian and the first half of the twentieth century today, Kate's was considered to be highly contemporary at the time. Cleanliness and style were of the utmost importance. A lady after my own heart!

She had separate rooms for ladies and gents and commissioned George Walton to create a smoking room in the Arts and Crafts style. Unusually, all classes were welcome as well, from well to-do ladies to serving maids. The Miss Cranston's Tearooms - now several branches - became a well-loved name.

By the late 1880s hotels across the UK and America were offering tea in tearooms, and the rest is history.

Kate Cranston went on the become a major patron for Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

A poster designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh source

Tea rooms became very popular with the Suffragette movement, as women would gather where it was considered respectable to be seen unchaperoned in public (ironic) to discuss political matters. So ladies, we can in a small way thank tea for our having the vote!

Ah, tea! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I love nothing more than an afternoon browsing in second-hand books and clothes shops before tea and cake with friends in a tearoom. And it seems that the fashion is coming full circle. In recent years it's the coffee houses that have reigned supreme; chains such as Costa and Starbucks are everywhere. Recently, though I've noticed that tearooms, along with afternoon tea, are starting to make a real comeback.

I personally associate coffee shops with grabbing a quick latté before work, and they're often my chosen venue for a business meeting. I associate tearooms with being sociable, a more elegant, old-fashioned place to meet friends and natter without bothering to worry about the calories (mind you, have you seen the calories in a Starbucks?!) There are also lots of tearooms with craft spaces attached these days, and I have always associated tea with creating and crafting, so these are places where I feel very at home.

And while coffee shops usually pride themselves on the origins and quality of their coffees, over the past forty years cafés have often had main brand or sub-standard teas available. Again, this seems to be changing, as customers demand higher quality teas from all over the world. Traditional china tea services are often in use, and the standards of cakes available is very high (unlike Costa - must try harder. Carrot cake just not up to scratch last time I visited).

source

Are you a frequenter of tearooms, or do you prefer coffee shops?

One's orf for a sticky bun,

Karen Gillan as Jean Shrimpton

2012-01-13T08:00:00.002Z

Check out Karen Gillan in her latest role as supermodel Jean Shrimpton in the BBC4 drama We'll Take Manhattan!

You can read more about her new small screen role here.

We'll Take Manhattan will air on BBC4 on January 26.

I can see some serious outfit ogling coming on!

Have a fabulous Friday,

Red is the Colour of My January

2012-01-12T08:49:00.000Z

Nails Inc in Hampstead Heath and Rimmel lipstick in Signature Red

January seems to be turning into the month of this colour in my life. First of all, this nail varnish - one of my favourites - has been sitting in my bedroom for over a week now, and I've only just got round to actually painting it onto my nails (these fingers have been far too busy writing away for you, dear readers!) The lippie has been my lipwear of choice recently, perhaps because I've been determined to show a cheerful face to the world on dark, cold mornings. Even the felt you see these two items on is part of lots of red felt I've pulled out of my craft supplies this week in an attempt to reorganise my materials.

Now you'll think the above picture has been a futile attempt on my part to make my new diaries look stylish. Don't worry, I am well aware that the smaller of the two is possibly the most hideous, tacky and yucky diary on the planet. Needing a diary and being strapped for cash, I got it for 90p from Wilkinsons. I need two diaries because tiny diaries wind me up, but I need something to carry around in my handbag and don't get on with my BlackBerry. I write an abbreviation in my small diary and then redirect myself to my larger desk version, where I can record details of meetings, etc. Ugliness aside, what drew me to two red diaries? It's a mystery to me!

My grandparents came to visit last weekend, bringing with them belated Christmas presents from aunts and uncles. One gift was this red and burgundy necklace. The colour strikes again.

I've been wearing these shoes a lot lately. They bring a touch of the 1940s to an otherwise quite plain work outfit. It had been some months since I wore them, but recently they seem to have been the perfect thing to brighten my look.

Even Beatrix has been enjoying the colour!

Red, of course is associated with danger, but it's also the colour of confidence, leadership and courage, perhaps appropriate as I'm taking on lots of new challenges (this blog being one of them!) and scary changes at the moment.

It's just like when you learn a new word, then it seems to crop up again and again, or see an actor on tv, then they seem to be in everything! Have you ever come across a certain shade over and over? Did it influence your style, or the way you decorated your home, perhaps?

For now, I'm a lady in red!

A Craft Cath Kidston Makeover

2012-01-11T08:48:00.000Z

Hello there! Your hair is looking lovely today.

You may remember before Christmas this post, in which I wrote about my plans to make over a vintage toy deckchair I had found lurking among my mum's childhood things (along with a valuable but terrifying early Sindy, who thankfully, has now gone to a new home, taking her staring eyes with her).

I was in two minds as to what to do about it, because I rather like its vintage look, reminiscent of seaside holidays in the early 1960s, but as you can see from the above photo, it has an age stain on it.

The deckchair particularly took my interest because I saw one at a vintage fair last year being used to display jewellery. Nevertheless, I decided that some fresh fabric was really what it needed. So I got out my trusty pink sewing machine, found some Cath Kidston fabric, et voila...

It looks much more cheery now, and hopefully will get a display debút soon!

Leather Glove Love

2012-01-10T08:49:00.000Z

Although gloves have been around since Viking times (and used to be fought over because making them was expensive and skilled), they began to see real popularity as accessories in the 11th century, after the Norman conquest. They were worn by the aristocracy, and would be the equivalent of our celebrities wearing expensive designer labels today. They were a show of power.

Queen Elizabeth's beautiful gauntlet gloves. She used to teasingly take
them on and off while sitting in her throne,
before striking elaborate poses with her hands!

Women wore leather gloves above the elbow, particularly to the opera. Gloves were a sign of wealth and elegance, and were much coveted.

By the regency era it had become rude to be seen in public with bare hands.

"While gloves have always had a practical nature they also began to develop symbolic meanings. It was good social etiquette when approaching a person of high authority to remove the right hand glove as a mark of respect. The same was also true for approaching an altar. A lady could show her affection or favouritism to a man by taking off her glove and offering her hand to him." ~ source.

Here are some lovely example of glove-wearing ladies from the 1930s:

This article from the late 1930s suggests that gloves are starting to fall out of favour.

But they were certainly back in in the 1950s - (thease are my grandparents and dad!)
Visit here to learn about glove etiquette, then you can show off your gloved hands with style and grace!

I'm off to make fliratious poses with my hands.

The Vintage Tea Party Book: A Review

2012-01-09T07:38:00.000Z

I mentioned in this post last week that I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of Angel Adoree's The Vintage Tea Party Book through the post. Well it's arrived, and after putting it under my pillow to stop its alluring cover from distracting me from my working week I'm pleased to say that I've now had ample time enjoy it, and am ready to review.

For those who haven't heard of Angel Adoree or this book, she appeared on Dragons' Den in 2010 to pitch for a £100,000 investment in her business, The Vintage Patisserie. It was one of the most most exuberant and endearing pitches I have ever seen on the show, complete with 1920s music and dancers. Angel herself, with her bright red hair and vintage dress, caught the dragons' eye, and despite becoming flustered over the startup figures - and who wouldn't? - she soon won them over with her charm and enthusiasm. Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis offered up the full amount for 40% equity in the venture.

The Vintage Patisserie seems to have since gone from strength to strength. You can visit the website here.

So The Vintage Tea Party Book ties in with Angel Adoree's venture, and her vision to make people feel full and happy with a wonderful nostalgic tea party atmosphere, and mouth-watering foods. As this sentiment just about sums up around 80% of my own character, and I love anything to do with tea parties, well, this book just had to be mine.

This is exactly the sort of book where I openly admit to judging a book by its cover. It's as much a coffee table book and a portfolio of inspiration as a practical guide, so I expected it to be appealing to the eye. In the flesh the book turned out to be much prettier than the photo I had seen on Amazon. A drawing of Angel appears within an oval frame, and the overall effect does a good job at convincing the reader that they really are about to accompany her on a journey.

Angel (left) and her team. There is a how-to for their aprons in the book.

Nevertheless I was dubious about what the contents may hold. Many books of this ilk - ones I have browsed through in bookshops and then rejected - are full of patronising recipes such as 'how to make the perfect cup of tea' or 'making a victoria sponge'. My interest in tea and baking would hopefully mean I have already these techniques and am looking for inspiration, not basic instruction.

Fortunately Angel assumes you know how to put the kettle on, and her tone is that of a friend helping you to grow your ideas into a memorable event. The book begins with her story, how she came to love vintage and start her business, along with photos of herself and her family. This and the double page of thank yous at the end make this seem as much a personal milestone for Angel as much as a guide for her readers. I like that personal touch.

The recipes really are inspiring, and the majority of them simple to make, as another turn off in cookery books and programmes for me is the use of rare and expensive ingredients and equipment. Rather than just flicking through the recipe section, I actually sat and really read it. Recipes are split up into brunch, afternoon and evening, and include cherry and dark chocolate trifle shots, bunting butties, bloody mary shots and trout tartare.

source

What I also love are that the recipes are interspersed with how-tos such as making a fascinator, a vintage apron, flag-making, teacup candles, decorating china, and how to tie the perfect headscarf.

Advice is given on location for your party, invitation templates are provided (the hand-drawn illustrations throughout the book are beautiful, and look like they have fallen out of fairytales), and best of all, the last section of the book is dedicated to a section on style - everything from how to shop for a vintage dress to trying hairstyles, and perfecting your false eyelashes and pout.

Knowing that you and I are biased, dear reader, in that we love anything to do with vintage, I initially wondered just why the book has seen so much popularity. Are there really that many folk out there planning to host a full-blown vintage tea party, and are in need of friendly guidance? Actually yes. Along with the people who, like me, will have bought a copy for the inspiration and to try out the recipes, vintage tea parties, and Alice-themed tea parties are apparently the most popular form of hen party these days. I mentioned too in a previous post bumping into a lady at a crockery stall who was buying teacups for her daughter's twenty-first birthday tea party. So Angel - both through her business and this book - really is cleverly cashing in on a huge trend. And when the trend has come and gone, the vintage community will still faithfully be enjoying this book. It does have longevity.

My copy will be joining the others of its kind in my bookcase, and like those others, I'm sure I'll be dipping into it time and again when I want to impress friends with something scrumptious.

Have you got a favourite vintage-related book? I'm always adding titles to my list!

Have a cheery Monday!

When You Feel Down Try Positive Thinking

2012-01-08T09:51:00.000Z

I love Sundays. A day to sip tea, potter round a bit, take Miss Bea for a walk and try to relax before the working week ahead. It's now a week since many of us decided on some New Year's resolutions, and I hope your first week of 2012 has been a successful one.

For some people, this is around about the time that sticking to your goals becomes difficult, and once colleagues have ceased to talk about their resolutions around the water cooler, and the internet has stopped pushing articles in your face about 'New Year, New You!' and 'How To Become a Skeleton in Just Five Days!', it seems easy to fall soundlessly off the horse, and not bother to fight your way back on..

I have a bizarre but effective solution. Morecambe and Wise. I reckon this duo can be considered vintage in the very best sense of the word, so I'm going to step aside now, and let them help you in the way they know best. I'd also recommend watching this whenever everything in your life starts bopping you on the head and tripping you up. It's surprisingly motivating.

Have a wonderful Sunday, and do let me know how those resolutions are going by dropping a comment below.

With thanks to femaleanimal

7th January 1940 - Rationing is Upon Us

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000Z

It was on this day, 7th January 1940, that rationing began in the UK, removing items from domestic use that would not be seen again by most families for 14 years. Meat rationing had come into force the September before, and clothing and furniture would not be rationed until June the next year; nonetheless it would have been yet another grim reminder, along with the evacuation of city children and the arrival of Anderson shelters and window taping against blasts, of just how significantly a far away battle could affect everyday life at home - making day to day tasks such as cooking, and cleaning instead of queuing outside shops - seem almost insurmountable.

I remember paying a visit to Eden Camp in North Yorkshire as a child, and seeing a chart setting out the rations per adult per week. I understood pounds and ounces, having been taught to bake my my nan, and remember thinking that really, the rations meted out didn't seem so stingy. Having revisited those figures recently, 4oz of butter seems plenty for the week, until you remember that toast was a stable part of breakfast, boiled potatoes were one of the only nourishing foods, both of which would require butter or margarine, and that you would have to do all of your baking out of that amount too. 8oz of sugar would be plenty for my cups of tea, but then you only got 2oz of tea too - (god knows what I would have done!) and again, that sugar would soon vanish into a single cake.

What also strikes me is that the foods rationed are the most basic any of us might have in our cupboards, but that isn't because there were more exotic foods available that were not sanctioned. Britain ate only British - because little was coming onto the island from overseas. Meals, therefore became so much more basic than in previous decades, less appetising, less filling, and yet women had to be so much more resourceful to make anything at all out of the meagre ingredients they had.

Women learning how meat rations work.

Here is a chart I found, outlining the rations:

This is the ration for one adult per week.

BACON and HAM ……… 4ozs ( 100g )
MEAT …………………… to the value of 1s.2d ( 6p today ). Sausages were not rationed but difficult to obtain : offal was originally unrationed but sometimes formed part of the meat ration.
BUTTER ………………… 2ozs ( 50g )
CHEESE ………………… 2ozs ( 50g ) sometimes it rose to 4ozs ( 100g ) and even up to 8ozs ( 225g )
MARGARINE ……………… 4ozs ( 100g )
COOKING FAT …………… 4ozs ( 100g ) often dropping to 2ozs ( 50g )
MILK …………………… 3 pints ( 1800ml ) sometimes dropping to 2 pints ( 1200ml ). Household ( skimmed, dried ) milk was available. This was I packet each 4 weeks.
SUGAR …………………… 8ozs ( 225g )
PRESERVES ……………… 1lb ( 450g ) every 2 months
TEA ……………………… 2ozs ( 50g )
EGGS …………………… 1 shell egg a week if available but at times dropping to 1 every two weeks. Dried eggs ----- 1 packet each 4 weeks.
SWEETS …………………… 12 ozs ( 350g ) each 4 weeks.

In addition, there was a monthly points system.
As an example of how these could be spent, with the 16 points that you were allocated you were allowed to buy one can of fish or meat or 2lb ( 900g ) of dried fruit or 8lb ( 3.6kg ) of split peas.

Babies and younger children, expectant and nursing mothers had concentrated orange juice and cod liver oil from Welfare Clinics together with priority milk.
This milk was also available to invalids.

School meals were started in the war because mothers were working extremely long hours to help the war effort.

It should also be taken into consideration that many of the able-bodied left to hold court at home were also engaging in physical tasks such as building planes or working on the farms, labouring long hours to help the war effort. Inevitably this would have used up a lot of energy - which could not then be replaced with enough food to compensate. As someone who gets positively shaky, dizzy and 'I simply can't go on' when I'm too hungry, I simply can't imagine not having the facility to boost my blood sugar levels sufficiently to carry on. Often mothers went without meals themselves because their growing, energetic children weren't getting enough food to meet their needs.

Ration books from the end of the rationing period.

My dad was born at the end of the year that rationing ended - 1954, and so although he had no experience of rationing itself, he still remembers the ongoing effect it had on the family. The 1950s saw a lot of pride being taken in the presentation of food - not seen since before the war. Entertaining came back into fashion. Dad remembers hearty meals being prepared for lunchtimes when he popped home from school; and says there was a palpable but unspoken joy and pride taken in food again.

I'm not sure how I would have coped on rations. Do you think you'd be able to cope?

I'm off to appreciatively hug the teabags!

Bring Back the Humble Letter!

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000Z

I send a considerable amount of emails every single day. I fire out emails for work, then send out a few to friends and family every evening, not to mention Facebook messages, tweets and LinkedIn. It's fair to say that I'm addicted to Twitter, and love how it lets me communicate with people who share my interests and work in industries I could only dream of. And all this emailing means that we're all writing more than ever before - perhaps not well - but we are. We're sharing our thoughts and feelings, and conveying important information to contacts on the other side of the world - no sooner have we written it, but they could be reading it. If I'm out on a walk and see something interesting, I can photograph it, press a couple of buttons on my Blackberry, and a friend can be joining me in looking at it too in a matter of seconds. And then of course there's blogging! I keep three blogs, and love how instantly I can share my world with others and excercise my writing muscle.

"Look I've got 'Darcy Swims Again' to finish
and two blog posts to write by Friday. It is a truth universally
acknowledged that a woman with too much to do gets bloody stressed."
source

So what I'm about to say is not a tirade against modern communication methods. If anyone were to take email and social media away from me now I honestly believe I would really struggle to cope.

BUT... I would like to make a case for the art of letter writing.

I was surprised to wander into a branch of WH Smith before Christmas, only to find that there was no decorative letter paper for sale. They had watermarked pads for dull, legal style letters (although those too are always typed and printed out these days), and there were tonnes of notecards available for 'thank you for the lovely flowers', and 'hope you're well' sorts of sentiments... but I wanted to write to my friend and tell her all my news, and found nothing I'd be happy to scribble my thoughts on and send.

Many would be happy to write a letter on a piece of A4 lined paper, or write on a computer and send a printout through the post. But this is my point. Receiving a letter should be so much more special and exciting than receiving an email! To stoop and pick up my post every morning, and groan as I count one... two bills, three adverts for PVC windows and wine club offers, a note reminding me I have a dentist appointment, but then... hidden underneath a brown bill, a small, neat, rectangular envelope with a pretty design on it, my name and address handwritten, and a traditional stamp, well it makes my day feel instantly unique and wonderful. That letter gives me permission to at some point during the day set all of my dull, everyday modern tasks aside, make myself a cup of tea and enjoy reading news from a friend. And because the letter is in their own handwriting, it exudes their personality. A handwritten letter can be so aesthetically pleasing - a work of art in itself, created by someone you know well.

I like to seal my own letters with a wax seal featuring my initial

Despite only being in my twenties, the internet is still young enough for me to remember life well before it came on the scene. I have always written letters. Every Christmas and birthday I would carefully write letters to family members, checking with my mother for her approval (I rememember once inadvertently writing to my Uncle Brain - my mum not having noticed I had got my 'a' and 'i' the wrong way round). When I was nine my family upped sticks and moved to a different county, and I left all my friends behind. For years afterwards we continued to be penpals; receiving a letter before I was old enough to be regualrly receiving post of my own was a such an exciting event.

A few years ago I was reading my dolls house magazine when I saw an advert placed by another enthusiast in her early twenties. Feeling the world of dolls houses and miniatures is swamped by the over fifties (it's true, sadly - in fact if there are any younger miniaturists out there do get in touch), she used the magazine to reach out, looking for a penpal with whom she could share ideas. I replied, and though life often puts our creative projects on hold, we continue to write and send each other small bits of furniture even now.

Most recently, myself and my friend Clare (friendly wave to Clare) decided to start writing to one another. We can call each other for a chat at any time - and do, and can communicate on Facebook, but we choose to also send letters because we each appreciate the thrill of receiving a beautiful letter. Clare often decorates hers with stickers and has a fantastic array of paper, and I tend to seal all of my correspondence with a wax seal. It makes opening a letter that bit more special, and gives a nod to history as well.

My nan, now in her eighties, emails me regularly and has even completed a desktop publishing course! Still, I sometimes write letters to her because it's a small way to brighten her day.

And it's not just the recipient who benefits. Handwriting - traditionally something nasty your teacher used to force you to learn, is actually very therapeutic. I find that when writing by hand I think more carefully about what I'm saying. It;s cathartic, and helps me to organise my thoughts instead of just hammering them out on a keyboard and pressing 'send'. Writing the letter, finding and adding the address to the envelope and then sealing it and adding a stamp gives me a sense of accomplishment, of having done something worthwhile.

So don't stop emailing, tweeting or blogging. But how about writing a letter to a friend or family member every now and again? To know that someone has taken the time to sit down and write to you makes you feel really special, and if they write back all the better!

Do you ever write letters? Did you used to have a penpal, or send chain letters when you were a child? Or do you think the art of letter writing is dead and we should all switch permanently to digital communication? I love to read your comments, so scribble yours below!

An enveloping hug,

Discipline. Discipline is the Thing.

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000Z

Today's post was supposed to be an update on my current craft projects, but after my lovely bookshelves came crashing down last week I had to move out of my bedroom while I filled and sanded the wall and repainted. And as I'm painting the teal wall white and then ran out of paint it's turned into a frustrating and uninspiring artistic project all of its own! I hope that the wall will be finished by Friday so I can move myself and my books back in before my family visits over the weekend.

Discipline. Discipline is the thing.

Anyway, we're now on day 5 of 2012. With so many things I want to achieve and try out this year I've been determined to cram more into every day (although I spend most evenings speckled with white emulsion!), and therefore one of my resolutions this year is to try and stick to more of a routine, to allow me to make more time and not live in chaos. I promised to keep you updated on my resolutions so I'm pleased to report that I'm seeing the benefits of the routine already, no matter how boring and self-disciplined I might feel! Blog posts are now written at weekends and early mornings, to fit around the working day, leaving evenings free to create and find more fabulous blog inspiration!

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How are your resolutions going? Have you squeezed any crafty projects into the first few days of 2012?

A Visit to 1923 With Mrs Beeton

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000Z

It seems strange to carefully leaf through my great grandmother's edition of Mrs Beeton's Household Management, published in 1923 and realise that her works had already been in circulation for over fifty years. Even stranger, by the time this now crumbling and ancient copy had been printed, Isabella Beeton had been dead nearly forty years, having died at the young age of twenty-eight - only three years older than I am now.

Isabella Beeton

Despite her age, for the middle class Victorian household Mrs Beeton was the guardian angel of the home, providing advice on everything from bandaging a leg to the proper use of a mangle. Most of her book is taken up with recipes, most of which would still be popular today, and all represented in a format that remains unchaged in modern editions.

You can still buy her works today.

I could write hundreds of blog posts about my copy alone - and fully intend to keep returning to the subject with anecdotes, but today I'll share some of my favourite photos from the book.

Anyone ever come across the word 'unexcellable'?!

This is just wonderful!