A nifty little find...

Whilst on a quick-before-the-shops-close little trip to buy baking supplies, I happened upon this little beauty in the most unlikely of places.

This is a reprint of a 1944 Good Housekeeping guide, giving advice to newlywed women, about to embark on a move across the oceans to join their new in-laws. This includes sections such as 'Making friends in a small town', 'Homemaking', 'American humour' and even a glossary of English words and phrases and their American  equivalents. It also includes poems, stories and excerpts from wartime editions of Good Housekeeping.

Thanks...POUNDLAND!
(Yep, you heard me right)

Pip pip xxx

A trip to see The Artist: what I wore.

On wednesday, me and Mr Mike had a rare day off together, and used it to go and see The Artist in a posh cinema (think sofas, tables, service in your seat) and eat the most delicious cinema snacks (cocktails, honey roasted cashews, and hummus and freshly baked bread).

For those of you who have the opportunity to see this film, and have not: I URGE you to do it. It is absolutely phenomenal.
Honestly, I laughed, and cried...a lot.
I want to see it all over again!

What did I wear for such cinematic luxury? 

  

Faux fur stole: carboot.

Tweed blazer: charity shop, £4.

Felt poppies brooch: carboot, 10p.

  

Dress: Heyday.

I wore my new-to-me tweed blazer teamed with a faux fur stole for warmth....and of course I wore these wonders on my tootsies too. I've wanted a tweed blazer for an absolute age, but have always felt a bit like I'm dressing up in "grown-ups clothes" so I had resisted buying one. Until now. For £4, who could refuse? And I think I am beginning to warm to it! And IN it. (giggle).

I chose to wear my green matt Heyday 'Mary' dress, which I absolutely adore! I simply can't get enough of it. Anyone want to donate me the pennies for another? 

Nope, thought as much.

*looks at empty purse*

Le sigh!

Are any of you going to see The Artist?
You'll all be swooning over the lead, Mr George Valentin!

Pip pip xx

Christmas part one: London

Christmas for me came in two parts this year.

I spent Christmas eve/day/Boxing day at home with my fam in Norwich, Burnham Market and Wymondham.
So the day before Christmas eve, me and Mr Mike hosted our very own Christmas morning. This included stocking opening in bed, present opening around the tree, eating my homemade chutney with cheese and crackers, and a big Christmas dinner (on our laps in front of some aptly Christmassy tv).

All this before 2 pm when Mr Mike had to rush off for his homeward-bound train!

Here's a peek at some of my delightful presents...

 

I've had my yellow and green knitted stocking since I was a baby, and I use it every year.

Mike didn't have one, so I made him a tweed one 3 years ago....I made it huge, so every year I have to buy a lot to fill it! Whoops!

The third photo is the aftermath of our stocking opening. There was paper EVERYWHERE.

 

These are some of my wonderful presents from Mr Mike. 

 Top right is a glimpse of a Tara Starlet dress, and the high waisted Paloma Faith for La Senza knickers I had been pining after for ages. The boy is good!

 

This is me in my new dress on NYE.

I adore it.

In my previous post I mentioned that my mumma and little sister had come up to visit at the beginning of December for some Christmas adventures in London. Well, when they did, they bought me and Mike's presents from my mumma, so I could save them for my Christmas part one, and not have so much to lug back after my stay at home.

My main present was a vintage 1940's dress that her and my auntie paid for when they visited me in November. I am a very lucky girl indeed!

My other treasures from her all came encased in an old suitcase to add to my growing collection (don't ask me why, I just bloomin' love them.).

 

My mumma helped my little sister make me the candle in the teacup...it is glittery and smells of roses!

And my clever old mumma also made me the cigar-box dolls bed. I fell in love with this cigar box for its beautiful colours and the portrait featured on it of King Edward VII (who I have a fascination with for his influence on the development of menswear; I wrote my dissertation on this)!

 

She also made me this cake stand! Isn't she clever? 

She picked these plates up from a carboot. South Creake is a village in Norfolk that my auntie used to live in. Now some people might think it a little odd, what with not being at all religious, that we own things like this! I just own things I think are beautiful, and am thoroughly in awe of some of the wonderful imagery and iconography used in religion. I love the simplicity of these plates and there's something intriguing about knowing how much these little plates have probably seen over the years before they reached us!

This is how I spent Christmas part one (before shuffling off for a horrible pre-Christmas nightshift). 

Pip pip! xx

How I prepared for christmas!

I know I am pretty late with this one! The world of bloggers are all posting their new years resolution, and yet I am just catching up with some Christmas posts. Whoops!

Now, it just so happens that the period running up to and including Christmas is my absolute favourite of the year. I usually start my present shopping in around October (or earlier), and spend many a cold night curled up on the sofa making presents, wrapping up presents and writing cards. I watch numerous Christmas films on my days off whilst making delicious christmas food and planning my presents. I choose presents for people carefully, and theme my wrapping too!

Some people may say I put too much weight on Christmas, as technically it is only another day. But seriously, who can say they don't enjoy the sight of twinkly lights, decorations, opening a thoughtful present, and of course....eating tons of wonderful food! And the opportunity to see members of your family you maybe don't got see often enough throughout the year!

Here's how I readied myself....

My mumma and little sis came to visit at the beginning of December, for Christmas shopping, Winter Wonderland, films, mince pies, putting up my tree and making some decorations!

I got my house ready for the festive period with lots of decoratons, and presents under the tree!

I crafted the following for my fam and friends...

I knitted a cushion cover for my mumma.

I made an owl cushion for my little sis (she literally nearly exploded when he opened it), and a fox for my friend.

I made my dad a set of family portraits in a Victorian silhouette style.

(top row, from l-r: my brother, my dad, my step-mum, me)

And I made some food too!

I made shortbread in 3 different made-up flavours (cranberry and orange rind, ginger liqueur and clove, spiced white chocolate).

I also made some Christmas chutney using my own improvised recipe.

I put bundles of shortbread and jars of chutney in amongst some posh shop-bought food and drink and decorations for hampers for some of my family.

That is how I prepared for Christmas in my little flat!

Pip pip xx