Christmas and New Year....festive time photos!

Happy New Year!

.....I'm not even going to mention the long blogging absence-shaped elephant in the room....ahem....

I hope all you lovely people enjoyed an amazing festive period, and are enjoying the beginning of this brand spanking new year!

I just thought I'd do a post rounding up how I spent my time over Christmas and New Years! As I'm cramming them all into one post, be warned, it is picture heavy indeed!

 

Just before Christmas I popped to my Mums local charity shops and picked up this amazing collection of vintage decorations!

 

A snap of a dressed down Christmas Eve (daytime) outfit...

A newly purchased 1940's silk blouse: £8, secondhand/collectors emporium.

Green and black silk headscarf: bought many moons ago from goodness knows where!

Green plastic beads: charity shop.

1940's repro trousers: Heyday.

 

A few Christmas snaps, including a photo of me and my chums at our traditional Christmas Eve gathering, and my little sister's adorable letter to Santa.

Christmas morning arrived and I awoke at the ungodly hour of 6am.....

Santa hadn't even delivered my stocking yet. I closed my eyes and TRIED to get back to sleep, but to absolutely no avail. So instead I (im)patiently awaited footsteps outside my door and a reasonable hour. But the moment I heard a rustle outside the door, I leaped up, harassed a very grumpy boyfriend to wake up, then plonked our stockings on our feet and commenced stocking opening in a frenzy of paper!

Then, we went downstairs and popped the tv on (a Christmas edition of Horrible Histories) and eagerly awaited the parents coming downstairs!

 

And then came PRESENTS! And boy did my nearest and dearest do well, as usual....

 

A flying V ukelele! This is my second ukelele, so I really should learn to play them.

 

A selection of my execellent presents....including a matching lurex bag and compact once belonging to my Step Mums grandmother, a black velvet dressmakers dummy, antique sewing scissors, a gold tea set, a book by Jon Ronson and taxidermy!

 After tearing through copious amount of wrapping paper to reveal many a fabulous present, we rushed off upstairs to get dressed before the arrival of family for more present opening and breakfast and booze.

 

This is my chosen Chirstmas outfit. Because if you can't wear red and green on Chrsitmas Day, when can you? 

Green plastic beads: charity shop.

Green cardigan: Primark.

Red 1940's dress: a birthday present from my Mum and Aunts, from Mishka Vintage.

Green belt: H&M

 

I wore my hair on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in a fine hairnet hand-beaded with gold beads, over a curl set, and lots of festive hair flowers.

Hair net and hair flowers: by me (Rosie Alia Designs)

 

This was my Dad's chosen outfit. The monkey mask was worn to answer the door to the rest of the family, obviously.

Later on, after an amazing dinner, me and Mr Mike drove over to my Mum's to spend the rest of Christmas Day with the rest of my family.

This included even more present opening, and even more food....along with a one AM game of Just Dance with my little sister and cousin.

 

More lovely presents, including matching handkerchief and glove boxes, a tiny set of amazing vintage nativity figurines, a stocking made by my 10 year old sister....

...and this beauty! A 1930's toaster, which my Mum got my Grandad to rewire so I can actually use it. *Swoon*

  

Me and Mike got to sleep in my Mum's lovely Shepherds Hut on Christmas Day which is always exciting.

We then did LOTS of travelling, heading up to Mr Mike's family in Lincolnshire for Christmas number 3, then back to our London flat for 2 days, then I hopped back on a train to Norwich to spend New Years back with my family.

 

My NYE outfit. I was particularly chuffed with my hair.

Cath Kidston tea dress: charity shop.

Plastic bead necklace: charity shop.

Red patent shoes: M&S sale, £9.

Festive hair flowers, again by me.

 

I went with my family to their friend's house for a party, where we ate copious amounts of wine-spiked cheese fondue, drank very odd shots of all types, and I played a 5 hour Monopoly game with the kids!

Congratulations dear readers, if you have in fact made it this far. 

I did warn you it would be picture heavy!

I hope you all had a fabulous time too!

Pip pip x

My new business venture- I'll Be Darned!

Of late, there have been a few changes in my life- namely, I've gone from full time employment to working freelance and setting aside some time to start my own small business!

Elegant ladies and dapper gents of blogland, may I introduce to you all......

 I'll Be Darned! is a London based business offering vintage clothing alterations and repairs. Don't worry if you live further afield though, as you are more than welcome to pop items in the post to me.

Of course, I can also alter and repair non-vintage garments too, so please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Email me at rosie-alia@hotmail.com for more information.

If you would be so kind as to head on over and 'like' my I'll Be Darned! facebook page, and help me to build my business I would be forever grateful! Please share this with anyone you think might be interested in my services and wish me luck with my new venture!

Pip pip! xx

Snippets of a curious house!

Bonjour!

When I pop back to Norwich to visit my fam, I split my time between my dad and step-mum's, and my mum and step-dad's very different homes!

My mum has a lovely home of shabby chic, natural and neutral loveliness. Lots of homemade crafty things, a kitchen full of homemade preserves and wines, and a garden full of home grown veg! Very economical and self sufficient. And now, a new addition to the garden....a shepherds hut! But more on that when I've had the chance to return home and stay in it- I can't wait!

* * * *

My dad and step-mum's, on the other hand, is packed to the rafters with antique, vintage and secondhand treasures and oddities! The colour scheme is predominantly quite victorian gothic, with lots of display cases and shelves and a big fireplace in the front room. My dad has his "music room"...a room that basically he has  filled with his records, comics and retro and vintage toys and games! AND, we have a 'museum under the stairs'...yep, they turned the cupboard under the stairs into a tiny "museum".

For this post I thought I'd share a few pictures from around the house...

My fathers day present for my dad has taken pride of place on the bathroom door! 

And want to meet the owners of such a curious house?

Daddy Johnson, and Big Rosie (yes, we are both named Rosie)

Family facts:

#1 My dad runs a music college in Norwich.

#2 My step mum is an interior designer.

#3 Paloma Faith has visited our house.

#4 We once had a gig in our house as part of the Orange Unlit Tour.

#5 Me and my step-mum are both called Rosie.

#6 My dad, my step-dad, and Mr Mike's dad are all called Ian.

What are your fam's like? Tell me some interesting facts!

Pip pip xx