From wallflower to wildflower in a few easy steps

Yesterday was Wig Wednesday and what better way to celebrate the occasion than to create a magic wig wonderland in one of East London's coolest bars which incidentally is exactly what the amazing Samantha Barnes, director of Tangled Wigs decided to do. 

I was thrilled beyond words when Sam asked me if Frocktasia would like to pop along with a rail full of vintage & retro threads.

The event was a fundraiser for CLIC sargent a children's cancer charity and the fabulous theme of the evening was 'Barbie Glam' . I stocked my rail to the hilt with fancy frocks, blingy tops and pink jackets. I also brought a plethora of hats, specs and sunnies, stoles and feather boas so that anyone who didn't fancy a frock could still join in the dress-up fun and frolicks. Mark very kindly helped me cart all the gear down to Barrio East and even stuck around to help set my pitch up, what a diamond dude my hubby is. Mark would have stayed all night but unfortunately he starts work at a really ungodly hour. 

Sam had put together a wonderful team of people to make this a very special night. 

Gorgeous Emma who runs Purple Hearts Boutique had brought along a mouthwatering medley of fabulous jewellery and accessories. Check out her online store for trendy and affordable ladies fashion and awesome adornments.

 There was a lot of primping and preening going on with no less than two fabulous make-up professionals and Neil Curtis who is also Tangled Wigs head stylist.

 Here's wonderful Sam in action, making gorgeous girls look even more gorgeous in Tangled Wigs :)

 I was very tempted to snap up the blonde wig that I am wearing in the above picture.

Sam was doing a cracking deal, £30 for one or £50 for two with 10% going directly to CLIC sargent. I have a fair few wigs but none of them even come close to the softness and wearability of these. The wig that I started off in, was bought from my local wig emporium, it keeps slipping backwards so every now and again you have to yank it forward which can be a little disconcerting for who ever you may be in mid conversation with but the Tangled Wig that I tried on not only stayed put but it also felt really natural  & made me feel very sassy. These wigs are top notch quality for a very affordable price and I'm not just saying that cause I adore Sam, it's the truth.

 Every one was smiling, laughing and having a ball, even the guys in the band joined in the fun. Here they are playing their gig in wigs, all besides the cajón player who decided to go with a Frocktasia hat instead.

Barrio East was a perfect venue for this event, loads of funky peeps kicking about, an absolutely solid and fun-loving bar team and the venue itself looks the bees-knees. Colourful, quirky and altogether brilliant!

 The pink wigs were definitely the event favourite :)

 It was really nice to see the lads get in on the action too....you look fabulous dahlings!

I didn't manage to get many photos of people actually dressing-up in Frocktasia's threads but the in-house photographer was there most of the evening snapping away and there were of course other people with cameras, so I'm hoping some of their pics will be of the two people that got dolled up in the wedding dress and the awesome dude that squeezed into a hot pink evening gown, yay!

It was brilliant evening, Sam really got it spot on! 

I met some fabulously  kind and inspiring people that I would love to hook up with again. I think the 'Tangled Wigs Wig Wednesday Party' was an absolutely ace idea and I'd be the first one to volunteer if there was to be another one like it. It would actually be tremendously cool to do this on a monthly basis cause once rumour spreads I recon it could grow to become a very popular night out. A magical wig wonderland that offers up a liberal helping of hair- & make-up expertise, dress-up mayhem and a fun fun fun photo booth, that is my idea of a perfect night out :)

Wouldn't you want to go to a party like that?

My Barbie inspired ensemble of the day...

Blonde wig,  70s mini dress, lurex tights, lace-up boots,  Frocktasia disco-ball earrings & beaded bib necklace.

I'll leave you with a song from the undisputed queen of wigs, enjoy ;)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Peekaboo spring & Wig Wednesday

I bought the vintage-inspired frock that I am wearing today from a car boot sale, it's labelled Monsoon Fusion.

I've never bought anything new from Monsoon, come to think of it I can't even remember ever going into one of their shops. That's not to say I don't like the look of their clothes cause I do, it's just that their prices have always been a little bit prohibitive for the likes of me. Thank goodness for second hand :)

The Monsoon signature style is very folk-inspired often with embroidery and embellishment, what's not to love?!

Labelled UK18 it's way too big for me in the chest region but when teamed with my trusty suede waistcoat, no problem :)

Spring is still playing peekaboo hence the tights and boots. I was actually regretting not putting on a jacket, it was a wee bit chilly today....bonkers!

The Rhododendron is now in full bloom, I'll give it one more week before moving on to another backdrop. It is very beautiful, the flower clusters are reminiscent of those fabulous vintage petal swimming caps.

I bought a "new" pair of sunnies from the car boot sale yesterday, check these bad boys out...

They are from last years MauStein x Asos colab collection. Sunnies in this collection retailed from £45 to £70 a pair, I paid 50p for mine.

Whilst on the subject of collaborations...

When I met Sam, the founder and amazing driving force behind Tangled Wigs at the last Dandy Lion Market, she asked me if I'd be interested in taking part in an event that she was planning for Wig Wednesday on behalf on CLIC sargent cancer charity.

Charity fundraiser, wigs, frocks, hair- and make-up professionals, music, cocktails and the dolly box...of course I want to take part, I mean who wouldn't?!

You can get in on the action too by popping down to Barrio East, 141-143 Shoreditch High Street tomorrow Wednesday the 22nd May from 5.30pm until 11pm. You will be able to raid my awesome Barbie themed rail, try on a wig and have it professionally styled, there's even a professional make-up artist there to make you look even more beautiful than you already are. After all the primping and preening you also get to step into the dolly box to get some photographic evidence of your fabulousness...

I know it's Wednesday and apparently we shouldn't have fun on a school night but rip up the rule book for once and come down and grab a cocktail or five, this is going to be a hoot and a half and what more it is for a darn good cause :)

Huzzah for Wig Wednesday!

Hope you are all doing great peeps :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Love is stronger than death

After we returned from Scotland a few weeks back we resumed our daily jaunts up to the park. Sadly the condition of Lilo the goose (the angel-winged bird that we had been feeding throughout the winter months) had deteriorated drastically during our week away. Needless to say I logged another query with the RSPCA and also contacted a local wildlife rescue center for advice. They told me that if I could bring Lilo in they would get their vet to treat her and then re-home her with a wildfowl sanctuary. I spent a sleepless night going over in my head how I would borrow my neighbours pet carrier, catch Lilo, jump in a taxi and whisk her off to the wildlife rescue center. However it wasn't to be, we made several trips up to the park loaded with seeds, water, blanket and a pet carrier but we never saw little Lilo again.

I don't like to think that she's gone from this world, she was a tough cookie and despite her handicap she survived a particularly grueling winter. I hope that someone else contacted RSPCA and got them to act on the query, or that somebody did what I was planning to do and took her to a vet or a rescue center.  Mark & I were by no means the only people that looked out for her, she had stolen many hearts in the park, so maybe one of those other people came to her rescue. It's a hopeful thought that makes me happy and one that I think is worth clinging onto.

I just have to sing the praises of a dude on youtube called Scott Coddington, he catches geese by hand and removes fishing line that has been tangled around their legs or captures injured geese to take to the vet. He's amazing. Here are two of his youtube clips...

What an absolute gem of a man, he deserves a medal for his kindness.

Despite Lilo not being there anymore we still make our jaunts to the park.

It may sound all hippy-dippy but our little daily park stroll and wildfowl interaction restores my inner peace.

Speaking of hippy, how do you like my hand knitted poncho?!

No, I didn't knit it myself, I'm absolutely useless with knitting or crochet needles. It was bought from a charity shop a few years ago and it has a rather sweet label that reads "From fleece to finish by Norma McCall". The yarn that Norma used/made is absolutely amazing, the colours are like a rainbow of mottled pastels.

I've actually nicked a dress off the Frocktasia rail today, isn't she a beauty?!

It's an Afghan frock that has been shortened. Most of these dresses reach well below the knees but I think this is a far better length for let say a muddy summer festival, would look swell with the quintessential wellies too. This frock will be back on the rail for my next market priced at £30.

Hand-knitted poncho, Afghan dress, layered tights, 70s boots, Balinese earrings that were a gift from gorgeous Vix

This is my friend Mr Grey...

We hit it off straight away when I told him that I'm not a fan of North Face. He is so incredibly gentle when he eats the seed out of my hand and he even lets me stroke his chest from time to time.

Mr & Mrs Grey only have one little gosling...

A week ago there was a pair of Canada geese with ten goslings but apparently this breed of geese are well known for forming gosling creches. From what I've seen the average gosling number to a pair is around three. These three get a daily dose of healthy seed from us, with any luck it will prevent them from getting angel wing in the future.

The ferocious winds that have been battering London over the past few days have finally abated but it looks as if the blanket cloud cover is here to stay for a wee while longer.
The sun will find a way to break through eventually and when it does I shall be ready with my picnic basket and barefeet...there's a patch of grass underneath a blossoming lilac tree in the park with my name written all over it ;)
Here is 'The The' to sing us out with their beautiful song 'Love Is Stronger Than Death', enjoy :)

Happy Friday beautiful people...
May the sun shine on your path and happiness fill your heart.
Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx

Come Together at The Dandy

Last Saturday saw another fabulous day at The Dandy Lion market.

Thankfully Mark wasn't working so he could come with me this time.

I was faffing so much in the morning trying to decide what shoes to wear that I forgot to bring my "bag of bargains" and a cracking bag it was too. I'll bring it to the next Can't Buy Me Love outing :)

Anyway it wasn't as if we were short of stock...

I was absolutely thrilled to find that my stall neighbour was Tangled Wigs...

It is a well known fact that I am a bit of a wig-o-holic and meeting Samantha who runs Tangled Wigs was a real treat. She's such a lovely woman and I was truly inspired to hear her story of how this business venture came about. We were talking about doing a wig & vintage colab in the near future and needless to say I'm very excited about that.

 Leslie had managed to get another fabulous mix of traders in this month. I am so in awe with all these creative and super gifted individuals I almost feel like I'm cheating rocking up with my frocks.

I guess my gift is unearthing vintage gems but it's not really on par with David Harker's artistic talent or the brilliant creativity of  Bespoke Binny...

There is nothing better that an African print fabric in my book, they are just so amazing!

Speaking of amazing check out photographer Marco Dall'Omo and his Simply Complicated stall or how about the brilliant Alfie Gallagher and his wonderful collection of illustrations & graphic art, also available to buy from his etsy shop.

 Leslie was wearing an amazing 70s frock & here she is in front of her rail of Wunderbar Vintage loveliness and chair full of one-of-a-kind scatter cushions that can also be bought on etsy... 

The funky Catillest Design is run by the very talented Cat Neligan who is "a web designer by day and an illustrator by night". On her stall she was offering up an awesome array of  cool Tees, prints, tote bags and zines.

Then we had regular Dandyites Sue & Mark with their Gorgeous Jewellery stall. Sue and Mark will be trading at the Muswell Hill Market next Saturday & I will be popping up to see them if anybody is interested in chumming along? This month they were trying something a little bit different by adding a few vintage bags, gloves and shoes to their stall besides their awesome array of  vintage and handmade jewellery. 

Here's  Erik on leafleting duty outside The Oxford, well done that man :)

Irfhan Mirza is the creative genius behind Dead Gent Clothing who makes funky hand finished pocket Tees and tanks.

Sharing the downstairs stall with Irfhan was Love Vintage run by a groovy chick & fellow collector of beautiful vintage things. When she told me that this was her first market outing I was very surprised cause her display was stunning, she's obviously a natural.

I was very happy to see the lovely Luisa Cotardo returning with her beautiful & romantic words & roses stall...

Another returning trader was The 3R Crafts with her lovely smile & awesome upcycled wares...

I was also chuffed to bits to see the return of gorgeous fellow Swede Camilla and her funky Mind The Book stall :)

My other stall neighbour was Narcissus Design who specialize in handmade unique antiqued and patina mirrors. Last but by no means least we had a lovely lady with a one-off stall selling some of her collected vintage gems.

This was my favourite mirror by Narcissus Design, it can be bought from their etsy store...

I hope I haven't missed anybody out this time but if I have give me a virtual poke in the ribs and I shall edit the post accordingly ;)

The next Dandy will be on Saturday the 1st of June and if you are interested in keeping abreast with future trader line-ups you can do so on The Dandy Lion FB page.

Big thanks to Leslie for making it all happen, to Aiden & Erik for making the place look smashing and enticing the peeps through the doors, to all my fabulous fellow traders and to the awesome browsers, chatters and buyers that rocked up on the day.

Next month sees the two year anniversary of this fabulous market and I think that Leslie may just have a few tricks up her sleeve for that one so watch this space ;)

Hope you all had a cracking weekend?!

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Mooching around with my mouche

The weather has been glorious these past few days and there has been a veritable explosion of greenery in the park. To think that just a few short weeks ago, we were holed up in our little central heated burrow fearing that the spring would never come. This year spring is like a fashionably late & much anticipated party guest, when she arrived she did so with more flamboyancy than you can shake a stick at. 

No jacket and peep-toe sandals, it really is spring folks...HUZZAH!

Today I'm wearing one of my self made genie jumpsuits and a mouche.

I was inspired to fashion an 18th century style mouche from a bindi patch after reading an interesting history of beauty marks.

I do have a very faint mole there anyway that I usually fill in with liquid eyeliner to make it more prominent but this one is huge and had the cashier at Lidl do a double take.

The jumpsuit is made from vintage fabric that I bought from a car boot sale some years ago. Whilst on the subject of vintage fabric jumpsuits, have you seen Vix's latest curtain couture offering? Totally amazing-zing, that woman knows what she's doing!

Frocktasia vintage fabric genie jumpsuit, Principles crochet waistcoat bought from car boot sale, 80s Pierre Cardin peep-toe sandals from charity shop, still going strong after at least five summers and several holidays abroad, Indiskan scarf which was a present from my mum, sunnies & necklace from car boot sales.

In other news :)

I "made" a summer chair for our balcony. Mark salvaged this armchair from the streets of London a few years ago. I never liked it cause it had those horrendous foam pads on top of an ugly lattice of plastic strapping but for ages I just threw a blanket over it and used it as my offload chair in the bedroom. The other day I stubbed my toe on it whilst hoovering and in a fit of rage I exiled it to the balcony intent on getting rid of the darn thing but before I contacted the council to come and collect it, a creative wave washed over me.

I cut off the lattice of plastic strapping, binned the foam pads and made a "chair sock" from a  heavy-duty canvas fabric. I threaded the sock over the metal frame, hand-sewed the bottom bit shut and screwed the metal frame back onto the wooden bit.

Hey presto, our new balcony chair...

 One more sleep and then it's Dandy Time, yay!

I'll be up early tomorrow morning running around like a blue-arsed fly no doubt. Thankfully Mark will be on hand to help me as he is not working this weekend, so getting there shouldn't present too much of a problem this time around. It will be a grand ol' day I can feel it in me waters, so many fabulous sellers this month, I can't wait to have a wee nosey around their stalls :)

To finish off a might fine tune by Annie Lennox with some heart-shaped mouche action going on, enjoy :)

Have a cracking weekend peeps.
Loads of love,
Jennie
xXx