Peace and Dandy

 Right now I'd love to ride out of town with hubby and a tent, hit the coast of Cornwall and just spend a month walking along the cliffs and feeding off the powerful natural energy that place holds.

 In the summer I loathe living in a big city. I miss the sea, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, the lovely smell of seaweed & taste of salt in the air. 

This mornings walk to the post office assaulted my nasal passage with a stenchfest of  feculence and decomposing scraps from the butcher. Often the street outside looks as if it's been cluster-bombed with dog turds and I find myself  almost hopscotching in order to avoid all the filth. Retch-inducing mattresses (complete with piss stains and bedbugs) are just dumped in the street and left for days. The only slight refuge from reeking refuse is the park. Thank goodness for the park!

Thank goodness for its beautiful inhabitants that put a smile on my face every day.

This is Baby Grey that I've mentioned before but he's not so Baby anymore. He should be ready to try those pretty wings of his out soon, I'd love to be there to see it when it happens :)

Today I've been busy preparing my stock for this coming Saturday's Dandy Lion Market...

 This month I decided to do something a little bit different and throw a few more separates and some funky 90s clobber into the mix as well. I've been making and revamping stuff for next Sunday's Mini Festival but I'll be bringing a few of the choice bits that I've made along to The Dandy, like this funky PVC leaf necklace/headdress...

 I made an even bigger one for someone who likes to make a bold style statement and like me lacks a soft-pedal when it comes to dressing ;)

I got severe cramp in my fingers whilst hand-sewing all those individual leafs together but watching Black Books on YouTube made almost bearable.

 Needless to say I'll also be bringing the usual medley of vintage & retro frocks. This one is a newbie on the rail...

 Mark isn't working this weekend and has very kindly agreed to assist me on the day, so I'll be able to bring a few more bags and shoes as well.

I'll also be bringing some more of my handmade accessories too.

 As I already mentioned I'm trying out some different stock on the rail this month, it's mostly late 80s/early 90s separates...

I would have killed for some of these pieces back in the day, that dead-stock bikini is amazing but I just wouldn't be able to do it justice...much like Madonna it simply demands a young body to cling on to.
I'm bringing a whole heap more but if you want to see the rest of it you'll just have to poodle along to The Dandy on Saturday ;)

To go with the 90s clobber here's Sabrina Johnston to sing us out with a euphorically happy tune, enjoy!

Happy Friday folks, hope you will have an extraordinarily good one.

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx 

Summertime

What a week it has been, my feet have hardly touched the ground.

Both Mark and I were completely zonked out after last weekend but thankfully managed to grab a reasonably restful Monday before charging full steam ahead into Tuesday.

We still try to squeeze in our daily jaunt to the park cause it lifts the spirit and is a great energy booster.

Fabulous 70s block print maxi frock, 80s sunnies & platform Hawaianas.

After a smashing Sunday at the Dandy pop-up market, I decided to treat myself to something I've been after for ages...

When my mum went to Morocco in the late 70s she brought back one of these fabulous robes and I remember playing dress-up in it as a kid. Sadly it disappeared in one of our many moves and I've been hankering for another one ever since. It is totally trippy hippie and I can't wait to wear it.

Whilst on the subject of hippies, I've decided to go with a "Far Out" theme for my rail at The Sunday Mini Festival next month. I am currently going hole punch bonkers making one-offs to bring along on the day.

Here's a fringe waistcoat that I made from a 90s suede dress...

I met up with Mike who is organizing The Sunday Mini Festival last Wednesday at the Biddle Bros pub in Lower Clapton for an evening of  beer & fabulous singer-songwriter performances by Allegra Shock , Jaime Wyatt , (fellow Swede) Emil Lager and Meg Cavanaugh. Meg is also one of the acts at The Mini Festi  :)

Then on Thursday I had another delightful visit from Jo. She came to try on some frocks for a friend in The States. I'd primed my rail with floaty creations and hippie style dresses galore. I even let Jo try on my favourite ever maxi that I was sent by Helga some years ago, she was smitten :)

I still have another meet-up with Jo before she heads back to the US. We are going for a spot of lunch tomorrow and afterwards Jo is taking me to a "secret location"...I'm very intrigued & excited:)

This was the beautiful view outside my home office window on Thursday evening...

On Friday I took some pictures of the geese. This is The Grey family, look how big Baby Grey is now...

There are two pairs of Canada geese, both with two young ones each. The goslings are loosing their down now and two of them are starting to look more like the adults. They are still adorably cute though...

Friday was also Summer Solstice or Midsummer as it is more commonly referred to in Sweden. It is much more of a big deal over in Scandinavia and people like to really celebrate it. I marked the day by wearing this very colourful and summery frock that I wore to my sixth form college graduation back in '92.

It had been raining in the morning and there were lots of snails that had been and still were trailing across the graveled path. I saved a couple by airlifting them to safety and putting them down in the high grass ;)

Happy Midsummer :)

Barbara our friend from Berlin came back from her shiatsu course in Wales and we had a lovely night in with veggie fajitas, red wine & a bunch of old photographs :)

The midsummer moon was magical...

Then along came Saturday and another eagerly anticipated colab with Tangled Wigs.
Sam has just launched her fabulous new Happy Feelin's Collection and a new issue of Tangled Magazine is in the making. Sam brought along four absolutely stunning wigs and I'd put together four festival inspired outfits for the photo shoot. Beautiful Natasha did a grand job modelling  and Sam & I shared the camera responsibility. The pics came out brilliantly and I can't wait to see them in the magazine. I had a wonderful time and I absolutely adore working with these fabulous gals :)

After waving Barbara off, I spent the afternoon editing pics. Mark had a boys night out planned with two of his best friends and headed out late afternoon. The three of them came back to the house around 9pm, laden with pizza and beer. We stuffed our faces before heading to the local watering hole for a quick one and then ended the evening by having a wee drinking session in the house before crashing.

I was incredibly happy that unlike last Sunday we could just kick back in the house all day and that is exactly what we've been doing. Mark and I perched ourselves on the sofa, "watched" a couple of DVDs and lazed the day away, blooming marvelous :)

So tomorrow I'm meeting up with lovely Jo and then I have to crack on with preparing my rail for the forthcoming Dandy Lion Market and organizing & promoting the vintage market for The Mini Festival...no rest for those who want things to be wicked ;)

To sing us out here's Janis, enjoy ;)

Hope you are all doing grand?!

loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Absolutely Fabulous

On Saturday night Mark and I went to celebrate Sue's big birthday at The Bull in Highgate.

We've only known Sue and Mark (of Gorgeous Jewellery) for a few months, so we felt very honored when they invited us to attend this special occasion. Leslie and Aiden were there too. It was really great to meet so many of  Sue and Mark's lovely friends and family.

 Frocktasia effortlessly blending immaculate ladylike with common as muck. Sod the champers, this old girl prefers pints of bitter ;)

The party was fabulous, Sue's son and Mark delivered brilliant speeches, Sue treated us all to an awesome poetry reading, they'd very generously made it a free bar all evening and there was gorgeous finger food, sweets and cakes for all to eat. A special playlist with all Sue's favourite tunes had been made up and after a few brilliant ales from the pub's very own micro brewery I was hitting the floor like my name was Dancing Queen.

I bagged the dress that I was wearing from eBay the other week, it's labelled 'Global' and I think it's probably from the 50s. This is a perfect frock for dancing in, so much lovely swishtastic fabric!

We had such a brilliant time and I feel so incredibly blessed to have met such wonderful people as Sue and Mark, they ROCK!

On Sunday morning, I had promised Leslie that we would be at Talacre Road by eight at the latest to help set up. At half seven the alarm went and I waded through a gloopy mist of dancing pink elephants to the bathroom, steeped my bedraggled body in a bath, applied a generous dollop of slap onto my festering features and proceed downstairs to peel Mark off the kitchen sofa. Neither of us could face the bus journey so a taxi was ordered and we arrived just in time to put up the 100 meters of bunting that Leslie had spent days making.

It took me a good few hours and a hair of the dog to get back to some semblance of normality.

Thankfully Leslie and I were stall neighbours and that was not only a joy but a blessing too cause all the things that I'd completely forgotten about, brilliant Leslie had remembered, like rain covers for instance.

I also got to borrow her deluxe rail again, what a star this fabulous woman is...

Friend of the Year? You bet! 

Mark had to shoot off at lunchtime to collect Barbara a friend from Berlin who was stopping with us for one night before heading on to Wales.

There were loads of fun goings on at the Carnival all day :)

No Dandy post is complete without mentioning my fabulous fellow traders, as always they rocked my socks off and filled even my hungover riddled mind with awe :)

I fell in love with London's History Recycled, the brainchild of the super talented Amelia Parker. She makes stunning and unique pieces of jewellery from fragments of clay pipe stems collected along the banks of the River Thames. How awesome is that!

Lionheart Stationers specialize in hand illustrated and bespoke stationary but also design beautiful handmade clothes. You can peruse their creative wares in their well stocked etsy shop. 

 Full Stop Shirts is a brilliant concept T-shirt company that create unique Tees designed to be a reflection of the wearer. Their 'Me-shirt' comes printed with a list of the wearers favourite things and can be ordered from their awesome website.

 I was chuffed to bits to be trading next to lovely Claire of Bright River and her fab fella. Not only was Claire selling her wonderful original photographs and art prints but she had also brought along a rail full of wearable goodies too, I was eyeing up a fabulous Bavarian style frock on her rail.

 Vicky of Dolly Plops was working flat out all day putting her face-painting and henna tattooing skills to good use.

DBUN Designs sell fabulous greetings cards and smartphone covers and behind this small company lies a very inspiring story.

We were blessed with some awesomely sharp looking carnival revelers too. Just check out this stunning chick...

Sporran handbag, simply ingenious!

We'd had a few light showers but in the afternoon the sun decided to make an appearance and there was much rejoicing. The rain covers could come off, the umbrellas put away and exchanged for sunnies.

With the sun came Jo who was wearing the fabulous frock that she picked up from the Frocktasia stockroom when she visited last week. Here she is with our friend Barbara from Berlin.  

I hope that Jo will be able to visit once more before she heads back to the US, we had such a lovely time hanging out the other day and I've still so much to show her ;)

 Some close-ups of Leslie's stall, featuring her awesome handmade scatter cushions that you can buy from her etsy shop and her brilliant vintage button bracelets...

Whilst we were all basking in the late afternoon sunshine these two super stylin' chickadees rocked up at my stall and bought a Frocktasia necklace each. Needless to say I was beyond thrilled, I mean come on, how awesome are these girls :)

Despite the rain throwing a wee spanner in the works early on in the day, I had a fantastic time at The Dandy pop-up and loved the fabulous community and carnival vibe. Once the sun peeped through the clouds everything was just perfect. The numbers swelled and people were eating, drinking, laughing, chatting, shopping, bopping and just having a whale of a time, it was brilliant! 

Yes, that's me having hair of the dog number two ;)

Mark and Barbara helped pack all my gear up and very kindly brought it all home and I stuck around to help take down all the Dandy decorations including the 100 meters of bunting.

I got home to a bowl of pasta, that I scoffed in five minutes flat and after a little catch up with Barbara it was straight off to bed for some much needed regenerative sleep.

I had an absolutely fabulous weekend, hope yours was just as good ;)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx