Fifteen minutes of frock fame

Mark and I took some time-out after moving. We needed it, the process had made big demands on us, both emotionally and physically. Thankfully we were able to take our time over things. 

When we first moved up we went straight into hyper-drive trying to find a flat. 

I'd trawl the net in the evening, Mark would arrange viewings in the morning and then off we would go traversing Glasgow, on the hunt for our new home. 

Our budget was quite low so the quality of what was on offer was very often hugely disappointing. 

Damp damaged buildings with signs reading 'No Loitering' nailed up above the entrance. A plethora of claustrophobic boltholes, riddled with mold, ripped woodchip & stained carpets.

After three stressful weeks we finally found a place that we could see ourselves in, it's not quite the five bedroom Victorian  townhouse that I cosmically ordered but it's definitely the cream of the crop in our budget category.

I will give you a tour of the house at some point, just need to don a pair of marigolds first and get it up to Hello Magazine standard.

Over the past few days the wheels of productivity have slowly started turning again.

We've booked a market for Frocktasia's relaunch on the 9th of February . It is called Little Birds Market and it is a monthly do held at an amazing venue here in Glasgow called Sloanes.

We've applied for a stall at another market called Granny Would Be Proud but it's yet to be confirmed. Today Mark and I took a little research trip to check out Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair that was in Glasgow for the day and both of us agreed that it would be a great one to get in about next time it is in town.

So it's back in the saddle for me and to be honest, after all this "time-off" I'm feeling well and truly up for it.

In my last post I promised that I'd share the pics that Mark and I took on our micro roadtrip to Largs. I played around with them on PicMonkey (that I still use religiously). As a complete Jennie Pinchpenny I still haven't upgraded to Royal but I have to confess, that of late I have been sorely tempted. For some reason the wretched skin under my eyes has decided to not just puff  but also wrinkle up and some days it looks as if I've super glued skincoloured  raisins underneath my eyes. I feel the need for some PicMonkey surgery. Are any of you lovely peeps using PicMonkey Royal and if so what do you think of it?

Anyroad the pics...these were taken en route from Largs to Greenock by the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire. We shot two frocks, the first one is an Indian dress that I picked up from Holloway market a few years ago and the second is a stunning 70s Jean Varon frock that I scored at a car boot sale last year.

Hope you liked them? We are hoping to do plenty more of these wee photo sessions in the future. There are so many stunning backdrops to take advantage of  nearby to us and so many frocks yearning for their fifteen minutes of fame here on the blog.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

A Satisfied Mind

The weather here in London has been absolutely delightful of late and I quite literally live on the balcony at the moment. When it gets too hot out there I grab a blanket and hit the park as there is usually more of a breeze going on there. Yesterday I sat stitching little bags for my stall and today I was making love-beads for The Mini Festival this Sunday. I've sorted out my rail already and have even managed to complete a stock preview folder on my FB page. I'm feeling rather on top of things for once but it won't last, I'm far too much of a flapping flibbertigibbet ;)

I hadn't seen the geese for a few days but they were there again today. The youngsters are starting to look like adults now, soon I won't be able to tell the difference. All that downy fluff is all but gone. When I get a few spare minutes I'll do a timeline with some of the pics I've taken of them over the past two or so months. 

There was a lovely cooling breeze in the park today...

African wax print dress, Handmade Kenyan belt, earrings (all from car boot sales),  80s Pierre Cardin sandals (charity shop), 80s sunnies (eBay) & Handmade African necklace that was a gift from my beloved mother.

...that completely scuppered the outfit pics ;)

The only bad thing about this weather is that my hair goes all funny. I may need to attack it with another dose of Henna before the weekend, either that or hide it under a hat.

This is actually what the majority of my outfit pics look like...the ones that end up on "the cutting room floor" that is ;)

Last Sunday I treated myself to a rare trip to the car boot sales and it was as if the vintage gems had just been accumulating in my absence awaiting my return. I could have bought so much more but it was hotter than an oven and I was really starting to struggle with my bag. Everyone else is canny as a fox, bringing along  trolleys and even wheelie suitcases but alas not I. Anyway I had just about spent all my cash after bagging the lot below and I couldn't wait to get back home to put my feet up and relax on the balcony.

When is the best time to bag an autumn/winter coat?

On a baking hot day in the height of summer of course, when no sane person is buying them cause then you can usually take the haggle highway straight to bargain city.

I was over the moon to bag this gorgeous vintage 70s rust coloured chenille coat in near mint condition and this awesome ornately embroidered Moroccan burgundy velvet caftan gown...

This is the rest of my amazing-zing car booty looty... 

Vintage 70s psychedelic print maxi dress made in Germany and a wedding worthy frock labelled Pat Farrell for Fiona Dresses...

 Two stunning maxi frocks by Jean Varon. I'm starting to build up quite a collection of Varon frocks now...

 Two 60s/70s swimsuits, the psychedelic one is labelled Twenka and the floral one is by Berlei...

 Amazingly voluminous nylon ruffle petticoat made in the US. I've been after one of these for an absolute age and I bagged this from my vintage trader pal who was there to offload some of her awesome stock...

80s Liberty of London silk scarf that was lurking at the bottom of a £1 bargain box...

I can't wait to wear a couple of the frocks at some point. I am currently taking stock of all my vintage dresses and if you are interested in having a wee peek I have made a folder on my FB page entitled Frocktasia's Vintage Wonderland. It is no where near finished yet but I'll get there eventually.

I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite singer songwriters Jeff Buckley, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Ruddy reflections & fabulous frocks

I was so intensely happy to see the back of last week, I could have cried tears of joy on my way home from work.

It was just one of those weeks that dragged on like a vexatious Eastenders omnibus or a jukebox stuck in a brain-numbingly ceaseless loop of Steps "greatest hits".

Friday night was celebrated in a flurry of fajitas and non-alcoholic cider and today we went for a relaxing stroll along the Thames.

We made a quick detour to Brick Lane to take in a few of the vintage shops that are sprinkled in that area but for once I didn't buy a thread which for me is almost unheard of behaviour.

Never mind I've got a car boot sale to go to in a few hours and I daresay I shall not return from it empty handed.

The weekend is zipping past like a blue bottle on bennies and Monday already feels uncomfortably near.

It feels like time speeds up at the weekend and there are so many things that I want to cram into those two gold dust days.

I just never quite seem manage it all & this frankly bums me out somewhat.

Too much running around like a headless chicken to amass bits of paper with some old crone with a crown printed upon them and it's not even as if I've got a well stuffed mattress with mullah...OH NO!

As quick as I can make them, some other fecker claims them...tax, rent, bills, bills, bills!

I wish I could live outside this detestable loop, break free from the perpetual hamster wheel & move

somewhere nice with lots of trees, far far away from Starfucks designer coffee shops & groTesco.

Anyway enough of my rantings, here are a few snaps taken during our lovely riverside stroll...

I'm wearing: Vintage 60s psychedelic paisley day dress, DKNY longsleeved top, ribbed tights, vintage 80s cowboy boots, wide leather belt, vintage 70s camera bag & vintage 80s sunnies.

Here's my lovely hubby wearing a folksy top that I bought for him at last Sundays car boot sale. In the background you can see 'the shard' or Mammons butt plug as I like to call it.

FROCK ON!

In my last post I showed you some of my latest frockquisitions & I'll end this post with some pics of the rest of my recent frocking loot...

Have a fantastic Sunday peeps ;)

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx