Mums are amazing

Last time I wore the dress I am wearing today was on the 18th of May 2010.

Now you're probably thinking that something very special happened on that particular day or that I have a photographic memory but the truth is I cheated.

How?

By looking back in my old style diary ;)

I know I haven't worn it since cause it has been carefully stashed away in a bag of vintage frocks in the loft until yesterday.

This flirty vintage mini frock was a gift from a dear friend that used to live with us, it belonged to her mother who wore it to various dances in Fort William back in the 60s.

This is another one of those frocks that I couldn't possibly bear to part with.

I actually feel as if I'm its safe-keeper rather than owner and I therefore want to keep it pristine should Claire or any of her nieces ever want it back.

I only have a handful of my own mum's garments from the 70s/80s in my wardrobe but they are highly prized possessions indeed. 

There's something really special about wearing them; the feeling is akin to getting a really loving hug just when you need it the most.

I've blogged about my mum's vintage clobber before, you can check the posts out here & here.

My mum is a wonderful & wise woman, she is the kindest and most patient person I know. 

She's been a solid rock for all her six kids throughout our lives and whenever we've fucked up, no matter how many times, she's always been there to bail us out and get us back on track.

When we were on holiday together over Christmas mum was feeling quite overpowered by the heat and even a small physical exertion made her feel almost faint, when they got back to Sweden she went to see her doctor and was diagnosed with an outrageously high blood pressure. 

The doctor even told her that she'd probably had a narrow escape from getting a stroke out in Thailand.

 She's now on pills that are slowly bringing the blood pressure down but most importantly she's lost a bit of weight & knocked booze on the head which is very good. 

You can't tell her to take it easy though, cause she just won't, she makes a workaholic look like an idler. 

She runs her own business, selling mainly kids stuff on Swedish eBay and works on average a ten hour day, I only wish I had inherited her gusto for hardcore toil.

It's not mother's day in Sweden until the last Sunday in May but I'll be sending my beloved mamma lots of positive & loving vibes tomorrow anyway :)

Vintage 60s psychedelic print dress, lurex tights, 80s boots, retro PVC coat, lurex bucket hat & Frocktasia earrings.

Here's the outfit that I wore on the 18th of May 2010...

it's a bit Pippi Longstocking meets the Twilight Saga-esque, not sure if that was what I was aiming for ;)

Hope you will all have a lovely day tomorrow.

If mummy is still around make sure you take the opportunity to reach out and tell her that she's AMAZING!

If mummy lives in your heart, then why not wear something that she used to love in honor of her memory.

Here's to all the mums that have been, are and ever will be...you ROCK!

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Two peas in a berber waistcoat?

Since my last offering was full of frocks, I thought I do a completely frock free posting today.

A little while ago did a post featuring my beloved mum & some of her clothing that is now taking pride of place in my own wardrobe.

On my last visit to my folks I sorted through a box of old photos and I was thrilled to find a couple of mum wearing some of the garments that I still have.

After finding these photo's I felt a strong urge to try and recreate my mum's look myself, so today I gave it my first bash.

My mum bought this woven waistcoat from a berber market in Morocco back in the late 70s and I remember her wearing it quite a lot teamed with her impossibly tight jeans and clog boots.

At the time we were living in a small white-bread Swedish village and no doubt my mum was considered a bit of a bohemian for wearing stuff like this.
Here's my mum in the late 70s or very early 80s...

...and here I am thirty or so years later ;)

So what's the verdict, two peas in a pod?

I did want to curl my hair like my mum used to do hers but I managed to completely destroy my curling tongs the other week. They snapped in half after I clumsily dropped them on the floor.

Never mind, I've still got my bendy curlers, so all is not lost.

The weather here in London has been amazing today, so I decided to kick start my biannual domestic cleaning extravaganza by washing & line dying all our rag rugs...curtains next!

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

Dampening discord & nurturing nostalgia

In the light of what's been going down here in the urban jungle of late, I've not been in a good mindset for blogging and I'm still feeling a bit off key; the figurative grand piano has taken a great big knock and it's playing woefully out of tune.

So I'm just going to give you some pictures of my mummy instead cause I'm missing her very much at the moment.

It's at times like these I wish I could turn around to the nearest adult and ask them to phone my mummy to come and collect me cause quite frankly...
"Jennie doesn't want to play anymore!" ;)
Here's my beautiful mamma Ewa:

I believe she was 15 years old when this was taken. I wish she'd held onto that frock ;)

These two photos were taken when mum did a spot of modelling for a local photographers studio. She was only 16 years old but looks atleast twenty I think. A year later my  mum gave birth to my oldest brother Pelle.

Tea & fag break on the balcony in August 1965.

I think this was taken on a trip to Poland in the 60s, check out the groovy print on the dress...yeah baby!

This is one of my favourite pics ever, my mum looks amazinlgy stylish & beautiful. I return to this photo for style inspiration again & again.

A knitted ensemble this time teamed with a cute smile. Check out the funky furniture...I'd so have that in my house today.

Here's mummy clad in a fabulous floral blouse with her pigtail plaits, giving yours truly a sink bath ;)

My mum became involved in local politics in the 70s, I guess that's where I get my activist streak from ;)

She smoked for years and years but then one day when she was fourty-odd she binned her stinky sticks and haven't smoked since ;)

Here's a local news clipping from 1976, it reads "Mother of five & ninth name on the town council list Ewa Andersson,29, demands more childcare opportunities & jobs for women, 5 year old Jessica & Jennie who is almost two agree" ;)

Here's the three of us again, several years later at Christmas, all wearing Laura Ashley style fine frockery.

Yesterday's outfit incorporated one of my mum's dresses from the late 70s.

A very elegant 40s inspired frock...

I've teamed it with a pair of vintage heels, Coach bag, 80s sunnies and a pair of crochet & stone heart earrings... all from car boot sales ;)

I love wearing my mum's old clobber, it makes me feel a little bit closer to her ;)

Close-up for you fellow print geeks ;)

Here are some other treasured bits & pieces that used to take pride of place in my mums wardrobe...

She LOVED clog boots back in the late 70s & early 80s.

This top was handmade my a woman that lived up the road from mum when she was a teenager. Mum wore this on the night she got together with my bio-dad.

This was another staple in my mums 70s wardrobe, I remember admiringly looking up at that yellow sleeve when I was the size of a midget ;)

That's all for today folks!

Hope you are all keeping safe in these crazy times.

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx