Trinket pot.

Just a quick wee post on my lunch break at work...

But isn't this little glass pot lovely? I picked it up from a charity shop for £2.99. I just had to have it, so of course I had to justify it and it's usefulness...it now holds all my bobby pins! It's a pretty way to keep them all safe on my chest of drawers. I love the delicate blue colouring to it, and the art deco patterning.

Now I'm off to eat mince pies and custard for lunch...well, it is Christmas afterall!

Pip pip xx

Ten things...

Hello lovely readers!

My oh my, it's nearly Christmas! Can you believe it? This last week has been sooooo incredibly busy that I am absolutely exhausted! I have a big ol' list of things I need to do before I go home to see my fam for Christmas, but I just can't bring myself to do any of them when I get in after work, so instead, having exhausted my efforts doing my Christmas cards, I am in bed and fighting back the zzz's to catch up on the land of the blogs...

My friend over at My Spare Time Retreat did an nice little post of ten interesting things about her life other than her Gyaru interests.

Here are ten things about me that you may or may not know:

1.

I have an obsession with vintage suitcases and other such cases. I just love them. There's something about the history of a well worn, well travelled case. I have a lot of different battered cases, with different names written inside, and lined in tatty papers. I also have a most fabulous set of cream 1940's Samsonite suitcases in near perfect condition! 

 2.

I am a Visual Merchandiser for Topman! I have a bit of an obsession with Topman collections such as LTD and their collaborations as well as their smart department product (especially this season with their beautiful Harris Tweed collection).

3.

 

I have a degree in Fashion Design, from which I graduated in June. I specialised in menswear for my second and third years an above is an outfit from my pre-collection. It still amazes me that I actually made it!

4.

 

My maternal Grandad is Indian...well, born in Burma (now Mayanmar) but his family were from India originally. My Mumma's maiden name was Sulaiman, which I have always been jealous of not getting to have myself! This is a very old photo of my Grandad, my Mumma and her siblings (Grandad on the far left, Mum is bottom right)!

5.

I have 3(!) middle names.

My full name is Rosie Alia Epithany Arran Johnson.

Alia...an Indian name and the name of my Auntie.

Epithany...from Silas Marner which used to be my Mumma's favourite film (it should be spelt Epiphany, but my silly Daddy spelt it wrong on my birth certificate, oops!).

Arran...as in the Scottish Isle of Arran (not the boys name Aaron, as people often ask) which is where my Mumma and Dad went on honeymoon when they were pregnant with me!

6.

 

I love typewriters. I own three currently. And I like to use them much more than I like to use a computer keyboard...I'm trying to pressure Mr Mike into trying to make me a modified typewriter computer keyboard (It apparently can be done, he found it on a website somewhere). My dream is to have a modified laptop integrated into a suitcase or some such beautiful exterior casing!

7.

 

I love making things, especially for presents! I enjoy making someone I love a thoughtful homemade and personal present...but then so do my Mum and Step-Mum, so I guess I've been influenced by the wonderful presents I have recieved over the years.

8.

 

I have a lot of name-shares and name-coincidences in my family.

My name is Rosie (Johnson). My Step-Mum's name is also Rosie (Johnson too, because she is married to my Dad). 

Alia is my middle name and also my auntie's name. 

Ian is my Dad, Step-Dad and even Mr Mike's Dad's name.

There is also several family members on my maternal side who share names (aunties, uncles and cousins).

This all tends to confuse people rather a lot!

9.

I am inquisitive....and generally a little bit confused!

I am very easily confused, as it seems that a lot of information just seems to immediately fall out of my head, instead of staying in it and getting filed away under "may come in handy" or "need to know". I don't really know why this is, but Mr Mike spends a lot of time laughing at my questions/cluelessness and saying "are you being serious?".

Oh dearie me!

I like to think that maybe it's slightly endearing? Ha ha!

 10. 

 

My favourite thing at the Wellcome Collection is the glass case of old artificial limbs. I think they are beautiful things and I did a couple of projects in uni where research was taken from studying these! I adore the system of pulleys and levers some have, the lacing of old wood and leather ones and the shiny metal ones still made to look like real limbs. For some reason they really amaze me!

I must sleep now, as I'm literally falling asleep on my laptop.
Why not do this post yourself, it would be nice to know more about you all!

Pip pi....zzzzzz
xx

Christmas! again....

Well hello chaps and chapettes!
I do hope you are all swell. I am FINALLY getting around to posting a few photos of my Christmas tree! Hurrah!

 

Now of late, aside from work, my life has mainly been all things Christmas. I have been popping out to get more presents/things for decorating presents...even though I swore I was done Christmas shopping ages ago. It's just too much fun making/buying/wrapping presents! I also, not happy with the amount of Christmas decorations in our nest, have bought more decs and put them up to make it feel really Christmassy in here.
 

 

Magic Mike the robot, and Mrs Squirrel are very happy on their freshly decorated shelf now! 

Here are some tree photos showing off my most favouritest decorations upon it...

 

 

 

What do you think? I adore it, all my lovely odd decorations look ever so pretty, and with my red berry lights too! Oh, I just can't stop looking at it. 

And this lady here sits atop my tree...

She is a doll that was handmade for me, to which I added the hat, felt dress and festive ribbon belt.

I also made some Christmas decorations of my own the other night, whilst watching tv and in need of something crafty to do. I used scraps of green felt, some leftover ribbon I seem to have been hoarding, and some buttons left over from my graduate collection to create little hanging holly decs. Perfect to attatch to some of my presents, and one for me for my tree, of course!

 Now my tree is happy, with all the presents sitting underneath him...

 

Pip pip!

 xx

Adventures and sleeps!

SLEEPS 'TIL CHRISTMAS!

This excites me. Hugely.
I have been so excited about Christmas now for months....and suddenly it's nearly here!
Yesterday me and my dear chum Matthew went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Now Matthew is my friend from work and Christmas partner-in-crime; we have been encouraging each other's Christmas excitement for months (we went to see the Selfridges Christmas department in September, and I bought him a grow-your-own Christmas tree back then too). We wandered up to Winter Wonderland after work, passing by the Oxford Street Christmas windows and gazing at all the Christmas lights.

As we approached the wonderland itself we got ever so excited! We bought some mulled wine as soon as we arrived, which kept us warm as we wandered around the stalls and rides and talked about all things Christmas.

 

I met this lion. He was wrapped up all warm in a rather fetching jacket.

 

I also met this tree, but he was a bit strange, and grumpy about being all lonely and naked.

This Santa imposter lady-doll-thing was both scary and funny in equal measures. 

The cackling laugh began to make me laugh hysterically.

 

I particularly wanted to go on this London bus fairground ride...but Matthew pointed out it was for children.

  

I arrived home to my flat to find my parcel of mixed vintage and non-vintage Christmas decorations that my parents had sent me and Mr Mike had gone to collect from the depot where they were being held hostage!

So I proceeded to watch Kirstie and Phil's Perfect Christmas and listen to Christmas songs by the likes of Elvis, Billie Holiday and The Andrews Sisters...and decorate the flat! My tree now looks much better than it did before and I even altered a doll for the top of the tree! Pictures of my Christmas decorating to follow...

I also got a special Christmas foods delivery from my Grandad Abdullah (via my Mumma)...this included two bottles of mulled wine, a cheese platter and crackers, and Christmas cake slices! Amazing!

 

I do hope everyone else is feeling festive!

Pip pip xx

Christmas!

Well, Christmas is fast approaching....and I can't tell you just how excited I am!
I LOVE Christmas!
I have been getting into the Christmas spirit for a while now (shamefully, me and my chum Matthew went to look at Selfridges Christmas department in September! We have been getting excited since then), and yesterday I finally got my tree put up:

 

Now, I'm not going to rave about it or post a load of pictures just yet, as I am awating a delivery of vintage decorations courtesy of family Johnson; my local post depot is holding them hostage and their silly opening times mean I cannot get them until Wednesday. In the meantime I put a few decorations on it, as I just couldn't wait anymore to get the tree up! It is currently dotted with exciting red berry lights, and decorated with two baubles, some candy canes, a feathery bird decoration, a fifties plastic bird air-freshner thing, and some tartan ribbon! Improvisation skills.

 

I have now finished all my Christmas shopping; I've technically been done for ages but just keep finding little things I have felt inclined to buy for people! I have started the wrapping of said presents and it is all very exciting indeed! As an avid crafter on such occasions, this year, as I used to do when I was younger, I have been printing my own wrapping paper. So, armed with brown paper, a traditional style Santa (you know, like a nice proper Santa where he should really only be referred to as Saint Nick for fear of offending him) rubber stamp, letter stamps, ink pads, tartan ribbon, candycanes and bells, I have set to work....

Now Wednesday is a day I am very excited about....because I am going to feel very Christmassy indeed! I am exchanging cards with Matthew at work, then after work am going to trundle along to my post depot and retrieve my Christmas decoration parcel and redecorate my tree, and then I shall be awaiting a Christmas treat-food delivery courtesy of  Grandad Abdullah (via Mumma). This is exciting. I have no idea what to expect except for, of course, mince pies! It is all a fantastic Christmassy surprise.

Pip Pip!  xx

And another thing...

You can tell I'm bored right?
Just thought I'd take the opportunity to show off some recent purchases of mine!
My most recent visit to my most local charity shop was very successful...

 Checked scarf, YSL belt, cat brooch.

 

Vintage green hand-knit jumper.

  

Blue rayon 1940's dress, diamante brooch.

Now, the dress was from ebay, original 1940's. It has sun-discolouration on the shoulders which is a shame, but it is a beautiful dress.

The other things were from the charity shop and a total bargain. The scarf is much needed now the weather is beginning to take a turn for deepest winter, and what with my extremely early weekday mornings. The Yves Saint Laurent belt is a lovely dark brown leather waist belt, which was only £1.50. Someone has punched a few extra (and not very well done) holes in it, but still a lovely belt! The cat brooch is fluffy. Isn't it just darling? I couldn't resist it. And the diamante brooch was just what I'd envisaged to put on the ebay dress, so pretty perfect, and very old.
The vintage jumper is my favourite buy though! It is bottle green, and hand knitted, and was a total bargain at £4. It is just what i wanted for the wintery months ahead. I think I might try teaming it with my wide-legged, high waisted tweedy check trousers and a headscarf or hair snood for a slightly land girl look. I might even make some felt holly berries and leaves on a brooch to pin onto it for christmas! It would look ever so cute with a nice skirt.

Anyway, I shall stop boring you and try and find something else to do now to while away the hours!
Pip pip x

Bits and bobs...

It is currently day three (and a half) of being hauled up in bed ill, and I am in need of things to do. I have sat here in my bed having a Mad Men marathon, thanks to Mr Mike for downloading them for me. And whilst doing that, I have been crafting, almost non-stop! I have sat here and knitted and embroidered, and boy am i proud of the results! I wish I could share them with you but it just so happens that they are christmas pressies for special people, so alas I must wait excitedly before I can reveal the fruits of my labour!
How is everyone's chistmas shopping going? I am pleased to say that mine is finished, apart from a couple of wee pressies, for Mr Mike's family and such like. I started early this year as I tend to buy second hand or make them myself, and so it is much easier to give myself lots of time.
 
Now I just cannot wait to get my wrapping paper made (I'm stamping my own) and my presents wrapped and under the tree (which I am yet to buy).
One other exciting thing I can put under my tree is this stocking full of presents from my Mumma:

 

 Yes, this is my stocking <3
Now those of you who know me will be aware that I, as an out-and-out hoarder, have rather a thing for brown boxes, vintage suitcases and the like. This one is simply wonderful....and full of presents for opening at christmas.

Now for any of you looking for christmas shopping inspiration, here are some ideas from Urban Outfitters. I don't often find new things that are to my tastes, but UO is currently filled with all sorts of wonders!
Just look at these fabulous vintage inspired things:

 Bird salt and pepper set, £7

 Horse tapestry bag, £58

 Clock radio £55

 

 AV room green turntable, £150

Beathoven speaker, £15

 

Plate clock, £45

 

Cat bow plate, £6

The thing with UO is the price; they have lovely stuff, but it is rather expensive... or it is to a thrifter like me who frequents charity shops and carboots more than real shops. But they have some fabulous little trinkets for not too many pennies! I have fallen head-over-heels for that cat plate, at only £6. And those salt and pepper shakers could sit happily next to my collection of kitsch animal ornaments without looking out of place. As for Beathoven....well, I want him purely because he looks miles better than my current ugly-beast computer speakers, even if he doesnt exactly fit into my vintage home! 

That record player...expensive, but beautful! But I already have one almost exactly the same but from the 1950's. Mine is tatty and well-loved, just how I like it.

 

Pip pip! x

Phew!

My past tumblr posts are finally copied into here!

New dress day!

Posted originally on 3rd November 2010.

Hello darling readers!
Today is my last day of what has been a lovely week off work (though I somehow don’t feel well rested and I can’t believe it’s over)!
This week has seen a birthday of a certain boy, a trip to the theatre to see the woman in black, a day of gin drinking with the boy’s family, making pumpkin soup and doing a moustachioed pumpkin carving, scary films, the arrival of a beautiful black velvet vintage hat through the post courtesy of my fabulous nan, a comedy night (Holly Walsh gave me a mars bar), and a day of dressmaking. Phew!
This is Mr Pumpkin and as you can see he is sporting quite a fabulous moustache:

 

Yesterday I set about on the task of making myself a lovely dress to wear for working for the Vintage Patisserie this weekend, so I headed off to wood green to pick up some nice black stretch fabric at a bargain price of £1.50 a metre. I made my patterns up on brown paper, basing the dress design on a vintage dress I own and have worn to death since purchasing! I altered the design as I made the patterns and then tackled my nightmarish overlocker and sewing machine… now, overlockers are notoriously troubling, and mine being old and second hand is absolutely no exception, and my sewing machine is just too temperamental.
But this aside I managed to run myself up said dress today! It's not 100% perfect, as my machines just aren’t up to scratch (I need a lovely rich person to buy me a fabulous pair of machines), but here is the finished garment:

Please excuse my gormlessly make-up-less face, I just wanted to show off my creation!
It has nice slightly gathered seams across the front of the shoulders, and a tie detail collar, though the detail is slightly lost in the photo.
Anyways, I really must dash….I have to start work at 6.30 am tomorrow morning, yawn!
Pip pip!
xxx

Mr Mike's birthday surprise!

 Poster originally on 29th October 2010.

Well, today is the boy’s birthday….

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHICKENPIE!
Whilst he was off at work yesterday I was a sneak and used the day to put together some very special birthday treats! Now, everyone loves a good cupcake, right? RIGHT! So, I spent the morning planning, and then went and bought all the ingredients for the “ultimate Mike cupcake”. Now, his favourite choccy is toffee crisp, and he likes chocolatey cupcakes (whereas I’m more of a simple vanilla girl). These are the resulting cupcakes:

 

They are chocolate cupcakes with chunks of fudge in, topped with vanilla icing, crunchy choccy bits, sprinkled with cinammon and topped with a toffee crisp cluster!
I hid all the cakes overnight as I didnt want him to see them til this morning, when I served him a special surprise breakfast in bed! Warm ham and cheese croissants, the “ultimate mike cupcakes”, and a glass of vimto (I know my boy well).

I also provided a nice birthday lunch for him to take with him to work (yes I know, work on his brthday? Oui) consisting of a copy of theNME  to read on the train, a pepperami, a mars milkshake and….a toffee crisp!

Has anyone got any fabulous halloween plans? I have none myself yet, which is rather unfortunate….I shall certainly be carving a pumpkin though!
Au revoir! xx