Hats off! (and onto the wall): A DIY storage solution

I have had this big picture frame in my possession since I was about 15...my Step-Mum painted it pink for me and it had been housing various things within it's frame since then.

Now, as we are finally making some headway with the spare room of me & Mr Mike's new flat I thought that the frame was ripe for reinvention! And what better than a novel way of storing and displaying my hats?

I thought I'd share with you all how to do it.

What you will need:

 A paintbrush, your chosen paint, some strong wire or twine for hanging the frame, a hammer, nails, and a large frame.

*First, be sure to cover the floor with newspapers to avoid any disasterous spillages*

Now get painting!

Make sure you get into every nook and cranny of the frame. I painted the back board in the same paint as the frame, but you could cover the board with a beautiful fabric from your stash, or simply a contrasting colour paint.

 

Wait until the paint is thoroughly dry before hanging in it's designated wall space (you may be an impatient kinda gal like me, but you certainly don't want paint marks on your wall, so just hold tight!). 

My frame is a particularly large and heavy one, so I restrung the back with wire bought from a local hardware shop to give it plenty of strength.

 

Hammer nails carefully into the back board in whatever arrangement you like, thinking about spacing to fit your glorious hat collection in as best as possible.

Et voila!

A simple solution to the age-old problem of so many hats, only one head!

It keeps them from getting crushed in boxes, airs them to minimise the attack of damp that always seems to strike (at least in our home) in the cold winter months, and saves precious space for....well, more stuff!

This is also a great trick for fellow renters who are looking for storage and display solutions without putting too many nails in the wall!

I was feeling a little trigger-happy with the paintbrush so I also gave this chap a little lick of paint as his yellow pine-y appearance was just not cutting it...

 

Pip pip xx

 

Cold weather turbans: my new love!

Frequent readers of the blog may have observed my Nan's incredible millinery skills (all self-taught).

Well, just the other week she called me and told me she had created a knitted turban headband, to which I gave a little squeal and of course asked her to send me one immediately!

When it arrived to me it seemingly brought the cold weather with it...but no matter, because it is a gorgeous creation and warm to boot. I popped it on atop my curls, and there it has remained pretty much ever since!

So, naturally, I just had to share this vintage inspired beauty with you.

What do you girls reckon?

 

The beauty of this is that you can mould the top part to sit however you'd like it to.

 

On it's first outing, I teamed it with a dark green 1930's style dress (a charity shop find, cut from a 1930's pattern it would seem, but using modern dressmaking techniques) and a black beaded cardigan. 

 

My nan has just ventured into the world of technology by way of her first ever Trishe Darling website, and is taking orders currently by phone (an internet shop is next on the list to master, but for now I think the website is more than enough for her to be getting on with).

The turbans are available in a variety of colours, and what's more, come at a cost of only £25 each- positively a bargain for all the wear you'll get out of it. 

Perfect for adding a touch of vintage glamour to any outfit.

Find the turbans and her other millinery creations here!

Pip pip xx

Little Miss Marmalade

This morning my snoozing was disturbed by the postman at 7:30am. 

This seems to be his chosen time for delivering parcels. However, I don't often mind, as it is almost always something to brighten my day (it's not often you get a boring parcel is it?).

This is what the postie delivered to me this morning....

 

A belated Easter package from my Dad and Step-Mum!

Including chocolate, Jelly Belly, Haribo, and this lovely lady.....

 

Meet Miss Marmalade!

 

How could her delightful little face possibly not brighten my day?

I adore getting parcels in the post.

Pip pip xx

A little trip homewards...

For those of you who read my ramblings on this blog, I'm sure you have noticed that there's nothing more I like than to take a trip back to Norfolk to visit my family. That is except from taking a trip home to rummage for pretty things with my family.

So when I got the opportunity to pop home for the weekend last month I simply leapt at the chance!

 Lucky for me, it coincided with the wonderful summery weather which was perfect for a bit of vintage hunting and a garden party to celebrate my Mumma's birthday.

When I arrived home I was greeted by some rather brilliant presents from both sets of parents...

 

I spent the Saturday on a hunt for exciting things with my Dad and Step-Mum, visiting the Loose's fleamarket, charity shops, and an antiques shop. I came home with a few delightful treats:

 

Communist China (apparently) era waste paper basket - £3.50, Yellow 1960's handbag - £12,

1940's sunglasses - £5, jewelled clip on earrings - £1.50.

In the evening I travelled over to my Mum's to celebrate her birthday with a garden party. They have a pretty enchanting garden (vegetable patch, shepherds hut, fire pit, trampoline, climbing frame, wendy house, potting shed) which made the perfect setting for the festivities.

Cue a few drunken people tripping over guy ropes to the tipi; children running wild; an incident with some children, a purple drink, my 1940's dress and resulting in a very soggy me; and some very sore heads in the morning...not mine, you understand! I was keeping myself in a good state so I could fully enjoy the carboot on Sunday morning!

Speaking of which, due to the glorious weather we were enjoying, was out in force. I bought some things for the flat (pewter swan, 1950's magazine wall racks, eggcup, knitting bag....) and a couple of items of clothing (1960's cardigan and a 1940's dress in need of some quite serious tlc) of which I did not get around to taking photos of but I can assure you were all items I truly *NEEDED*...well, as much as anyone can ever need a pewter swan or another knitting bag. These things are surely crucial to my existence, right?!

We were later met by my chap, who drove down to Norwich with a big van to be filled with the backlog of carboot treasures which I never EVER have enough room in my suitcase to get back to London, and some furniture acquired from my parents. What I was expecting to be a few bits and pieces soon turned into a rather crammed van full of belongings! I can tell you that it is very stressful trying to justify to yourself (and your rather minimalist boyfriend) why you need quite so much stuff. I think the prospect of unloading said stuff and carrying it up 3 flights of stairs upon arrival back in London didn't exactly help!

But the main thing is, we did it. Our flat is looking rather cosy and all that stuff o'mine are finding their homes within our little flat!

Did anyone else utilise the lovely weather to get themselves a carboot fix?

Pip pip xx

Photos from Christmas number 2....just four months too late!

Hello blogland!

It's been an absolute age and I'm really not quite sure why I've been away so long...a January full of nightshifts, then a change of job, some of my best friends moving up to London, and the continual settling into/decorating/unpacking and sorting of our flat seems to have left me exhausted and constantly busy!

But for those of you wondering, I am still here, and filled with good intentions when it comes to getting back into the blogosphere! I have certainly missed you all dearly.

*  *  *  *

Now this is a post which I have had unfinished in draft form for several months now and it seems a shame to waste it. So please excuse my absolutely incredible (ridiculous, some might even say) lateness with what is to follow...

Christmas part two: Norfolk

Having had a pre-Christmas with Mr Mike, I set off for a nightshift at work, followed straight after by a very bleary-eyed 6:30am tube/coach/train journey homeward.

Needless to say I was KNACKERED. But this would certainly not be allowed to spoil my Christmas this year. Last year was ruined by my catching of Bird Flu on Christmas eve which meant I spent the Christmas period in bed/sleeping/not eating/feeling generally awful. And I was not going to have a repeat of that!

I got myself a few hours sleep when I finally arrived home to my Dad's house, and then proceeded to start the festivities with my family and best friends. We drank mulled wine, ate mince pies, went to the pub, and then went to midnight mass (where we met a man who genuinely claimed to have once been 'The best choirboy in England', before singing incredibly badly/loudly to all the hymns).

On Christmas morning we travelled to my Nan and Grandad's where we opened presents, ate huge amounts of food (as is obligatory over the festive period) and laughed at my Nan who got so drunk she fell off her chair and crawled to the kitchen!

 

 

 Stuffed to bursting, we headed home and just SAT all evening. We watched tv and ate cheese and crackers and lots of cholocate. Just as it should be.

The next morning me and my brother headed off to my Mum's to exchange a few more presents and eat yet more food!

 

 

All in all, it was a jolly wonderful couple of days.  

A VAST improvement on last year.

Pip pip xx