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

Flowers, headscarves, hairnets and Etsy ~ my brand spanking new shop!

TA DAH!

 

It's here, and I'm so excited! 

I finally got to grips with Etsy and have opened up my very own shop.

Rosie Alia Designs is my shop and it is packed full of handmade hair accessories inspired by the glamour of the past, because every girl deserves to feel like a starlet!

Here are just a few of the items I have been working hard to get listed this week:

I have started uploading some pieces that are just perfect for the festive season, so if you're looking for a little something as a gift or to top off a special Christmas outfit then I may just have what you need!

What do you think? I would absolutely love you ladies to have a little look as I value all of your opinions.

Pip pip x

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

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

Went out for a Christmas jumper....

...came back with these beauties!

Yellow 50's bathroom scales: charity shop, £4.

I didn't even want any scales for the bathroom. But, I couldn't very well leave them all lonesome in that chazza shop now, could I?

Pip pip xx

A very belated Christmas pressie post!

Hola lovely people,

I know it's really quite belated, but I have FINALLY gotten around to taking some snaps of some of my wonderful Christmas presents. So I am going to share these pictures whilst I sit here drinking a G&T and trying desperately to stay up as late as possible (I am working a nightshift for the next three nights, so I need to get into the routine of sleeping through the day).

 

Two beautiful old suitcases to add to my collection!

 I didn't even know that those travel stickers on suitcases you always see in films were even a real thing until I got the case on the right! 

These gorgeous vintage nappa gloves were in my stocking from my dad and step-mum.

And beneath it is a book called 'Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas', published in 1971 and full of lovely illustrations!

Mr Mike got me this crackle-glaze phrenology head, they remind me of the phrenology head and palmistry hands we had in our family home when I was little.

That beautiful glass bauble has a clasp in the middle and is from my mumma.

A beautiful sailorette dress from my dear friend Luci (who has recently had a beautiful baby girl, Congratulations!!).

The dear yellow stocking was knitted for me by a family friend when I was a baby, and comes out every christmas! 

The bag in the background is a lovely brown leather handbag I recieved from my friends in our Secret Santa.

I got a load of cookie cutters this christmas from various people, as well as some lovely christmas cupcake cases, so I am going to have to do some serious baking in 2011!

And the orange ladybird is an old (though I'm not sure how old) portable radio. Alas, I cannot get it working, but I will find it a home because, well, isn't it cute?

This pair of silver bird ornaments hold photos in the little hanging flower frames. One of them has lost it's top branches, and the frames need a bit of fixing up, but oh my, I love them!

 

The union jack wooden bunting on brown twine and these books are all from Mr Mike!

The 'Figure Drawing and Fashion Designing for the Press' book has no publisher's date but from what I can work out is from about 1930 and is a beautiful old paperback book.

The pile of colourful covers are a selection of educational guide books for different aspects of sport and ranging in date from 1959 to 1970, with some colourful quaint, and some frankly very amusing little illustrations and diagrams!

This is a veiled red felt tilt hat made by my incredibly talented nan 'Trishe Darling'!

These vintage patterns were from my auntie, as was the brooch.

The Vogue pattern is from 1955, and the other is a McCall's 1960 pattern.

The booch....oh, the brooch! It's a gold coach with jewels (though it's missing a few) and is a commemorative brooch of the royal coronation in 1953!

I got 'The Unforgettable Glenn Miller' 12".

A red and white vintage childs toy mangle...yes that's right, a mangle! I might actually give it a try one day!

And I adore these old ceramic wall birds, I've always wanted a nice set. Just need to find the perfect wall space for them now!

 

A beautiful edition of 'Complete Needlecraft', printed in the 1940's from what I can work out, though it's hard to tell as there has been many reprints and the book itself is undated). This I can now add to my growing collection of lovely vintage sewing books on my shelves.

I got a beautiful vintage nail set too, in a little case.

And a foot! This foot is amazing...it is a hollow plastic leg with cement-weighted toes and was once upon a time used to display hoisery one would assume! My dad and step mum found this for me, and did some clever snooping, after discovering the name 'Martyn Fisher' printed on the bottom of the foot, aquired a pair of unopened 'Martyn Fisher' tights to go alongside it! How clever! I need to find a place to display my new leg, I may even use it as a vase, fancy that!

And last but not least...

Me and Mr Mike were treated jointly to this television from my parents...

we were given the popcorn containers as a clue and had to venture upstairs to find the tv. And I must say, Mr Mike actually did a little jumpy up and down dance in excitement upon discovery!

Christmas with my nearest and dearest is always a special thing, and with only being able to travel home on christmas eve and then spending the duration of my time at home feeling incredibly unwell and anable to hold very much of a conversation, I feel that I never quite got to express my appreciation to my family for their wonderfulness.

SO...

Thanks you to my mumma, step dad Ian, wee sister Izzy, brother Jake, dad, step mum Rosie, Mr Mike, nan and grandad and my aunt uncle and cousins for their brilliance, and sorry I was such terrible company! I love you all!

Pip pip xx

Post-Christmas bits...

Happy new year lovely readers!

I hope everyone had a lovely festive period! Mine didn't go to plan one little bit. Oh dear!
After months (and I really mean months) of preparation/excitement/anticipation about my couple of days at home for Christmas, when it finally came around I came down so unbearably ill that I missed most of it and spent the hours I wasn't in bed dosed up on various medicines and in Pyjamas. My planned festive outfit only got a brief airing and I berely got to spend any time with my lovely family! Disaster!
Poor Mr Mike too...this year he spent the Christmas period with me and the fam and after all my bigging up of how magical and exciting it was going to be in my house, he ended up having to patiently look after me/fetch me things/listen to my moaning, poor chap!
Anyways, aside from the disasterous timing of my illness, I was grateful to get to see all my fams, however brief, and recieved some totally fabulous presents (which I will document at a later date, when I get organised)!

 

This is the front room at my Dad and Step-Mum's. Boris the boar's head is overseeing the festivities, whilst sporting a rather charming top hat!

 

Now I thought I'd do a quick post to show off the presents I made for some of my nearest and dearest this year, as I've been dying to show off the photos for ages now, but unable to in case surprises were ruined!

 

I embroidered a cotton throw for my Mumma...

 

 

 I did a cross stitch heart and gypsy caravan which I am ever so proud of! 

Underneath the cross stitch it says "Thanks for the holiday * I love you"

My mumma had paid for me and Mr Mike and my little sister to stay in a gypsy caravan for my birthday in October, and it was AMAZING!

 

I knitted my Dad a tweed scarf! I used a gorgeous moss green wool, with hints of

blue and yellow running through it.

The scarf, with my "Rosie Alia" label!

 

I gave my step-mum a beautiful wooden vintage sewing box and filled it with treasures.

 

Here's a photo of some of the bits I put inside the box. 

I made a christmassy green felt needle-holder.

I put together a couple of Christmas food hampers for my Nan and Grandad, and my Auntie, Uncle and cousins. I used wooden fruit crates to put everything in. I think they turned out pretty well!

Anyway, I must dash!

Pip pip xx