Addicted to stuff

Turquoise and red ochre paired together always makes me think of Egypt.

That magical country is never far from my thoughts at the moment, it will be a year next week since we were there and I can't wait to go back.

My dream trip to Egypt would include a train journey from Aswan to Alexandria...

...some time exploring the white desert...

...and to finish off we'd spend a few weeks in wonderful Marsa Alam by the Red Sea coast. 

There we'd hang out with our Facebook friend & diver extraordinaire Ahmed. 

I got to know about Ahmed when I stumbled across his fabulous blog last year and I would love to go diving with him in real life. 

Both Mark and I are big fans of him and his blog.

Maybe if I cosmically order a big windfall, this dream journey will come to pass ;)

 Anyway I was ecstatically happy to see a small scattering of holes in the thick blanket of cloud yesterday morning. 

The never-ending drizzle had dried up overnight and the temperature was slightly more agreeable so that I could bare arms and wear a low-cut cleavage dress...

...whilst basking in the glory of Ra ;)

It's not just the sun that brightens up my day though, you wonderful peeps spread love and light on to my screen as well. 

I'm humbled by each and every comment left & I love the fact that I can pop over and have a read of what you've been up to as well, it's blooming grand!

To my last post a few of you lovelies commented on how brilliant it would be to find bags of forgotten about clobber. Truthfully, it's a strange mixture of horror and joy. 

I was addicted to hoarding stuff for quite a few years and I am now dealing with the result of that addiction. I would just buy loads of  stuff every week,  wash & dry it, fold it away, stick it in a bag and forget all about it. If I was looking for something, it would often take me days to find it. Like most addicts I was living in denial and if you'd asked me a year ago to stop doing what I was doing, I'd probably come up with some lame-ass spiel about how it was the only thing that made me truly happy (cue the violins). A year ago I still wasn't quite ready to face up to my addiction but the thoughts were certainly forming in my head and shortly after our return from Egypt I decided that enough was enough. I had found something else that made me happy, something that enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams. Diving in the Red Sea was like my wake up call. All of a sudden I just wanted to sell & save so that I could go diving again. My Sunday morning trek to the car boot sale, the jostling with knife elbowed bargain hunters and the inevitable bringing home of yet another bag of stuff stopped at last, hallelujah!

In the past six months I've only been to three car boot sales and on all three occasions I've kept to a strict budget and I've only bought stuff that I know with get used or sold.

It feels great to be free of the buying demon and it feels great that the albatross that has been hanging around my neck for years is finally getting lighter.

Yes, of course I love finding forgotten about frocks but at the same time I am looking forward to a day when I don't anymore :)

I'm not sure if my hoarding addiction was about the need to own stuff or just to get that fleeting buzz from the thrill of the chase/purchase, probably a combination of the two.

It doesn't really matter now, what matters is that I've got a hold on the situation and that I'm working towards liberating myself from the result of years of  accumulating stuff.

I also love how getting dressed seems a thousand times more enjoyable now, mainly cause I don't have to spend  hours hunting down garments that I want to incorporate into an outfit.

That makes me very happy indeed :)

Vintage 70s coat by Spinney, 70s maxi dress by Richard Shops, slouchy hat, 70s boots, Frocktasia grumpy suns earrings  & Ankh necklace, a plethora of brass bangles, opera gloves and retro sunnies.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by having to much stuff in your life?
Hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday :)

No tune today but here's the brilliant George Carlin on 'STUFF'...

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Diving into fun

Two posts in one day, how very extravagant of me!

Truth is I'm playing catch-up :)

Yesterday Mark and I went down to Dive Wimbledon to book me in for my Emergency First Response course. 

Mark actually took the EFR instructor course late last year but hasn't actually done any instructing yet so he's going to sit in whilst lovely Jon is doing the instructing to really learn the ropes. 

Completion of the EFR is a prerequisite for the PADI rescue diver course which is next on our diving to-do list.

So now I've got my course material to dive into over the next few weeks, not to mention my very own private, in-house EFR instructor, to help me along should I get that sinking feeling at any time whilst reading the book ;)

After my morning coffee yesterday I popped up to the loft and found yet another bag full of forgotten about frocks.

There are actually still bags up there that I haven't looked inside for yonks, bonkers!

Inside the bag that I brought down was this delightful crimplene creation from St Michael, I believe it's from the sixties...

Vintage 60s floral print crimplene day dress, 20s tail tux jacket, repro Victorian lace-up boots, tights, driving gloves, mohair hat, soapstone & macrame heart earings, Frocktasia horse-brass necklace & Lanta Animal Welfare tote bag.

Although I absolutely love its yummy raspberry colour and ditsy floral print, it is sadly just a little too large for me so it will be joining the cornucopia of fabulous frocks in my market stock, speaking of which...

I'm very pleased to announce that Frocktasia is now booked up to be a part of  the wonderful Dandy Lion family for three more months, yay!

The next market is on Saturday the 6th of April so a preview post is in the pipeline for that, probably just after Easter.

If you are thinking of coming along to peruse my goodies and have any special requests as to what you'd like me to bring on the day, please feel free to e-mail me with any suggestions or requests on frocktasia@yahoo.co.uk

I will of course also be telling you about my fabulous fellow sellers in a pre-market post cause they are BRILLIANT but not all pitches have been confirmed as yet, so that will be done after Easter too :)

Can't wait for this to roll around, it's so much FUN!

Hope you are all having a great week!

Today's tune is by Inner City....BIG FUN, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

The Chandette

After we went to the Hunterian Museum last Saturday we popped for a quick pint at The Chandos in St Martins Lane. 

It is a Samuel Smith Brewery owned establishment that only stock Samuel Smith products.

Back in 1998 Mark and I spent seven months working there as a live-in bar couple, it was my first ever job in London and I have some fond memories of that time.

When we worked there you could get a pint for less than £2 but our round on Saturday (two pints) came to £8.50, how times change.
I wonder if the wages have followed suit?
N'ah!

These pics where snapped outside the pub. 

I remember getting black fingers from shining that bloody brass behind me every morning.

The pub is slap bang in the middle of the West End near Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square.

It's a real shame that the beer prices have shot through the roof cause it's a fab place for a lengthy drinking session.

Vintage 70s floral print maxi dress, 90s teddy faux-fur jacket, repro Victorian lace-up boots, mohair hat, gloves & Frocktasia earrings.

Here we have 'The Chandos' class of '98 having a wee swalley on a Saturday night which incidentally was  both pay & beer line cleaning day, loads of free booze, happy days ;)

I'm the one draped on the sofa (no surprise there) & the dude sitting next to me is Matt, who is my brother-in -law.

Other news...

The lovely Sacramento bought a vintage shirt from me the other week and here she is ROCKING IT in one of her fab outfits :)

 Raven haired sauce goddess Sarah put her photoshoppin' skills to good use last Friday and grafted the heads of some of my favourite bloggers onto the glowing orange, trashy clad bodies of retro catalogue models. 

At long last my dreams of walking in the footsteps of Samantha Fox have been realized, thank you Sarah ;)

My fellow models are Tamera, Helga & Vix.

The original catalogue scans are from an awesome blog called Retrospace. 

If you haven't heard of it, I can highly recommend adding it to your fave blogs, it's one of my daily doses of unadulterated vintage & retro fun and inspiration.

Today's tune is 'The Model' by Kraftwerk, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Just call me Kelly Kildare

In honour of Saint Patrick's Day I decided to squeeze in to my Irish dancing frock and pretend that my name is Kelly Kildare. 

There's just enough room in this dress for my lungs to keep functioning properly so they'll be no binging on colcannon & Guinness, as for dancing and listening to fabulous folk music...bring it on!

I'd been on the hunt for a traditional Irish dancing dress for ages but on eBay they were always either too small or too expensive.

I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled upon this beauty at a car boot sale a few years ago.

It was more than affordable, the chap selling it said that he was happy to let it go cheap if he knew it was going to a loving home.

I love the fabulously bright cherry red colour.

It came complete with cape sash and crochet collar, I simply couldn't have asked for more!

Sure it's not in mint condition, it's got a few nibbles and marks here and there but it is worth every single penny that I paid for it!

Just look at the Celtic knot applique & embroidery...stunning!

It's been very dreich outside today and the drizzle has been pretty much constant.

We'd run out of bird seed, so we popped to poundland to get a few more bags.

On the way back we stopped off to feed Lilo and friends. 

They weren't that interested  today cause I think they'd already had their fill.

Sometimes we don't bother going up on a Saturday or Sunday cause there are so many other people feeding the birds over the weekend but I do like to pop up if it's a particularly cold or damp day, just in case.

It's been rather windy lately & my flimsy fine hair is being swept in all directions making me feel like The Baldy Man :)

I don't use hairspray so I guess I'll just have to live with it...

Today's Ensemble:

Traditional Irish dancing dress, vintage 50s velvet jacket, Victorian style lace-up boots,  Celtic  folk art inspired earrings, patterned tights, gloves & Frocktasia black rose headdress.

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend...

 Beannacht Lá Fhéile Pádraig!

Today's tune is by one of my all time favourite Irish singer songwriters Luka Bloom, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

I don't want to grow up

In the late 70s I used to watch an animated program on Swedish telly called 'Fabrorn som inte vill va stor' which translates to 'The man who doesn't want to be a grown up'. 

The story is about a 32 year old man who works in an office but spends most his days escaping into dreams about being a kid again.

Here's the opening score...

The idea of never wanting to "grow up" is one that has been quite prevalent in my own life.

It's not that I'm immature or shy away from responsibility but I've just never been able to buy into the whole "You're an adult now, stop doing fun things" malarkey.

If it makes you happy surely you should continue doing it regardless of what age you happen to be?!

The way I see it climbing a tree, having a go on the swings or playing dress up shouldn't have a "best do before date", that's just bullshit!

When I was working at a nursery school in 2003 the other ladies would roll their eyes as I ran around with the kids playing. 

They'd just stand there like playground police, intermittently shouting orders at the kids whilst regurgitating all the crap they'd watched on the telly the previous night.

I'm not one for just standing around and I will find work for myself, if other people struggle to.

Getting involved in the games that the kids were playing made the eight hour working day go a whole lot quicker than if I had just sat on my ass, chin-wagging about absolute nonsense.

I still love swinging around lampposts and walking on walls & balancing on bollards.

Do I ever fear the disapproval or ridicule of others?

Over the years I've become rather indifferent to what other people think cause in the grand scheme of things they don't really matter.

What matters is that I am happy in my own 'big kid' skin.

Thankfully Mark is very similar to me so I don't have to be a completely lone "loon" skipping down the street vaulting over obstacles and swinging off railings.

Vintage jacket, 60s pleated mini dress, tulle skirt, 90s floral lace leotard, 90s scrunch textured leggings, boucle baker boy cap, DM boots  & Frocktasia Earrings and necklace.

 A close-up of my 'Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two' necklace...

I'm dreadfully behind on my blog reading this week but I'm hoping to grab a few hours later to catch up on what you gorgeous peeps have been up to :)

We went to the awesome Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons near Holborn today.

Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photos or film but you can check out some of the rather ghoulish exhibits here.

Hope you are all having a fabulous & funderful weekend.

Today's tune is by The Ramones, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Choose Life

"Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself.

Choose your future...

Like Renton I choose something else too but thankfully it wasn't heroine.

I choose to chase my dreams :)

Life is sweet when you don't have to jostle for space on the tube at seven in the morning to get to work & then spend your day in a drab-ass uniform, working for a complete bunch of wankfists.

Grateful? You bet!

Sometimes I do have to bite the bullet though, when the bills are dropping through the letterbox like evil cluster bombs...usually at this time of year...stinging water rates & another years worth of painful council tax.

When it comes to working for the man I've always had a guerrilla approach, in and out as quick as you like.

It probably has a lot to do with the sort of soul destroying jobs that litter my past.

The longest I've ever lasted in one place was four and a half years at 'The Lamb & Flag' in Covent Garden. The job itself was as brain-numbing as they come but the people were awesome and the owners relished individuals. You could be yourself and dress the way you liked. 

Unfortunately the pub was sold to a big faceless brewery and that's when I jumped ship. 

The mere thought of working for a big company and having to wear a uniform gives me daymares.

I still know a few publicans in the West End so I may be able to get a wee part-time gig in a pub, as long as it doesn't interfere with my Frocktasia marketeering ;)

Today's ensemble was inspired by licorice allsorts...

Vintage 60s bubblegum pink skirt suit, 70s dagger collar shirt, 80s silk tie, J & M pin-badges, layered tights (sheer black & green nets), 80s boots, 50s crochet beret, gloves & Frocktasia earrings.

I'm currently re-reading Trainspotting in Swedish and I'm finding the translation rather hilarious for want of a better word, talk about lost in translation.

Have an awesome Friday folks, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx

Plant loving crackpot

If I were able to have a whole house full of rescue dogs, cats, birds and miscellaneous wildlife I totally would but as things are that is sadly not possible.

There is one thing that we can and do rescue and give a new home to and that is abandoned houseplants.

Mark found this yucca plant in a terrible state a while back. 

The previous owner had kept it in a very small terracotta pot and the plant was completely rootbound inside of it. 

You can see how one of the plant trunks is completely warped & that was wrapped onto the rim of the wee pot.

Instead of repotting the plant they had just put it out with the rubbish as it was dying.

As soon as Mark brought him home, I took a hammer to the pot, liberated Mr. Yucca and re-potted him into a big poundland planter and he has thrived with us ever since.

In fact he has been growing so well that the other day I had to venture up to the nature trail in search of a "crutch" for him.

The warped trunk looked as if it was straining under the weight of his marvelous crown, so I found a perfect stick to support it.

We love our houseplants and like Prince Charles we do talk to them.

 Call me a crackpot if you like but my plants make me very happy and I do like to tell them that :)

Once it gets a bit warmer outside, I shall bring them all out on the balcony to repot them into some fresh soil and bigger pots if needed... 

I call this Yucca plant Odie cause when Mark brought him home he reminded me of the dog from Garfield, all long-necked and lanky. The big pic is Odie today and the one to the right is when he first moved in with us ;)

Question time...

Do you keep houseplants or are you lucky enough to have a garden where you grow things?

Today we had rain & sunshine in the morning, snow & strong winds in the afternoon and to finish off, our little corner of London was treated to a lovely pink sunset.

Today's ensemble:

Vintage 50s jacket, 60s psychedelic floral print mini dress, crushed velvet booties, layered tights (plain red and acid orange fishnets), bangles galore & Frocktasia earrings & horse-brass necklace.

I curled my hair this morning but it started snowing & blowing a gale when we were feeding the birds, so by the time these photos were taken you could hardly tell, och!

It was great reading your comments about 'Lucky Dipping' and eBay purchases. 

I know I'm a nosy parker but I just love reading your wee stories, so thank you for taking the time.

Today's song is by Crowded House, enjoy :)

Loads of love,

Jennie

xXx