My visit to Narnia !

Well Happy New Year to you all, hope it's started off well.

I had a very happy moment when I found my camera lead!! Sad but it meant that I couldn't get on with my little creative projects. It also stopped me from blogging all my usual nonsense, so not all bad ha ha!!

Anyway I took some photos when I was away in the mountains of France at Christmas that I wanted to share with you. With the streetlights and all the snow I felt like I was in Narnia. Although I hadn't come out of the closet I did have on a rather yummy faux fur & furry Russian styled hats to keep me toasty warm mmmm.

I'm a big baby la la when it comes to skiing for reasons I have yet to work through with myself a a Paul McKenna book ha ha.

Anyway I managed to put my big girls blouse moments to use & scoped out a few good bars & cafes he he. One particularly nice & sunny point I took myself and my camera on a little snappy snap jaunt. I found this chalet with sparkly chandeliers on it awwwwhhhhh the inner magpie was awoken.

After all that glitz I dragged my bestest friend (and rather good skiier) off the slopes and into a very glam (and pricey) wine / cocktail bar. It was very minimalist with Philip Stark tables & chairs and lots of cool lighting & big windows. We managed to whittle away a bottle of rose wine

- well when en France!!

This last little one is my buddies on Christmas day - yep by lunchtime we were back on the booze despite having all had far too much bubbly on Christmas eve hic! xxxx

Tonight I'm gonna party like it's .... 2010

Oooh it's nearly time for me to get ready for NYE 2010.

I do love to party & love dressing up.

I have the radio on playing The time of my life by the Black Eyed peas (dirty bit) ha ha ha I think it's the naffest song ever - but the Dirty Bit makes me laugh every time!!

Anyway I've been thinking about my outfit tonight. Nothing too tight as I've been eating 3 course dinners for a week,

plus the hugest Christmas Dinner ever (well this year anyway!).

I have this little pink dress that was Gossip Girl inspired for Miss Selfridge. Yep, I'm a sucker! I love Gossip Girl & SATC & The City isn't bed either. Bit of a pattern forming there!

My ski boot bruised shins will be hidden behind some fabulous Wolford (bought in the sale of course) swirly floral patterned & seamed tights. I have chunky black heels too & a cute clutch bag made from vintage leather by my very clever & talented friend Helen oh and I bought the yummy brown clutch too - oooh couldn't help myself.

So after spending Christmas en France, I'm due time with the family (plus I'm broke ha ha) don't tell them though!! Spending NYE with my parents & Grandmama and parents very cool friends. Something I haven't done since I was about 12 oooh scary!! ;-)

We are all set for a glam dinner party with lots of bubbles, party games & laughter until we cry i imagine! It's rather exciting.

Wishing all of you a very fabulous New Year wherever you are & whatever you are doing xxx

One year my friend Al & I stayed in and at midnight we ran round the garden with sparklers - it's good to be childish xxx

Happy 2011 in advance & thank you so much for reading my guff blog he he Love Claire xx

Let it snow...

I'm back from France!
Well I have survived my very 1st Ski trip.

No broken bones, no injuries at all - well maybe a little dent in my pride!

I didn't manage to conquer my fears of skiing, not even sure what the fears were to be honest. Clearly I am just a big girls blouse - I like to think a rather nice vintage frilled one, worn with layers of classic pearl necklaces!!! he he :-P

The lovely things of my holiday were spending a week with some of my bestest buddies and making some new friends too.

Christmas Eve was a mad one drinking far too much Champagne and laughing our heads off! Christmas day was a slow starter, without any more Champagne. It was everything I could have asked for, lazy, relaxed, nice gifts, lots of hugs & laughter and then a huuuuge roast dinner cooked by someone else!!

The scenery was lovely and everything was prettily covered in snow. Once I find my camera lead I will post some Chrismassy piccies.

I did have a bit of a sulk at having to wear suitable clothing & clompy boots everyday & the only vintage I managed was a faux fur for evenings out & a vintage brooch on my furry hat.

I should also announce the arrival of my shiny new nephew, I am secretly calling him the Radish as his middle name is very similar (it's Bulgarian) and he will probably be a little ginger lad. He arrived, eventually just in time for Mummy to enjoy Christmas without a smiley tummy!!! Welcome to the world little fella.

Anyway it's New Years Eve already, how did that come around so quick????

Ok now I'm going to sound like a super spoilt brat but this time last year I was in New York with my buddies, it was the best!

This year as I've over spent from my holiday pot, I'm spending it with family & close friends. Kind of a role reversal with Christmas.

Anyway I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too, filled with love & laughter xxx

Christmas Meets Noddy

It’s been ages since I posted anything. Although I have been super busy, I have managed to have a quick sneaky peak at other people blogs. If they can find the time….

Anyway I have been creating – mostly a mess in my living room!! I have jewellery laid out on the floor (late shop order) ready for ticketing, Christmas decorations overflowing from 3 boxes, presents and various brightly coloured wrappings piled high on the chairs.

Last weekend me and Mummy Butterfly had our first weekend off in ages. We have been doing lots of crafty craft fairs & ladies evenings. We took a trip to London to go to a perfume making workshop & a customising vintage clothes workshop.

We stayed at a wonderful hotel – the Town House in Bethnal Green, it was a special treat to thank mummy for all the help & knitting over the year. Not yet had a chance to count up just how many fabulous scarves she knitted throughout the year, but we sold over 100 in the last couple of fairs which was very nice indeed.

Anyway due to a special offer we ended up with an executive suite at the hotel, very contemporary but fabulous comfortable space. We enjoyed it so much that we cooked in the little kitchen one night. I’m sure that no one else ever does this, but we had been walking round London for 9 hours & we were pooped. Feet up, nice food, rose wine flowing, magazines, good music & plenty of chat & creative ideas. All in all a nice evening. We did manage to pop down to the bar for a couple of cheeky (and scrummy) cocktails too yum!

We tried a few different things like the Museum of Childhood which was just down

the road. I defy anyone to pop in there (it’s free too & has a great restaurant) and not have an awwww I had that toy moment! I saw on of the earliest Noddy toys. I was a huge Noddy fan when I was little, I always wanted his shoes, they were red & rather cute!

Sunday we went to Columbia Road Flower Market. Well if we hadn’t been getting the train home (and already had too much stuff accumulated) then I could have bought all sorts of berry decorations & fluffy cotton plants. So many lovely festive things that would have been fun to decorate my house with. I think this weekend I shall put on my Christmas playlist, drink mulled wine & dance around to Maria Carey All I want for Christmas (I love it!) and put up the crimble decs.

It was uber busy but we still managed to find some fabulous shops. Vintage Heaven sells lots of crockery & homeware. The café at the back is sweet, run by gorgeous super friendly & helpful people. The food & coffee is highly recommended & prices very reasonable.

Another super find was J&B The Shop. Oooh full of vintage homemade yummy things. London prices if you know what I mean, but a little bit of vintage eclectic lushness. I could have wrapped myself in it like a warm comforting duvet.

Anyway this is turning into a marathon ramble. It was supposed to be about the workshops.. will post that one later xxx

I suck at Skiing!

Oh dear, I feel I should update those of you kind enough to read about and comment on my ski lessons. ... having put the pressure on myself enough to wind myself into frustration (ski trip at Christmas & no more free time), I became a grouchy teenager with every muscle in my body tensed up in annoyance that skiing didn’t come naturally to me!! Ha

Admittedly reading back my own admissions has made it all very clear that I was being very silly indeed! This week I shan’t care a jot (ok, I shall try not to) and have a glass of mulled wine or something before hand!! Surely that’s medicinal!!

Soo shame of all shames, I managed to become Bridget Jones by skiing off across two lanes wobbling all over the place arms flailing and fingers crossed that I didn’t take anyone with me. The spectators were crying with laughter at my embarrassment & debacle. Blood filled my cheeks in shame and I blended nicely with the (very sexy) bright red safety helmet so that I probably resembled a cousin of the Ribena Berries.

Not satisfied that I had made quite a pillock of myself I later managed to fall over on my ski instructor – into a tangle of skis. I had promised my friends that I would do this but only if he was young & very cute…. Hummmm a lovely man but not quite hitting the hottie status sadly. Definitely in minus points now.

Can’t wait for this Tuesday’s lesson arrggghhhhhhh

Dreaming of a white Christmas

Seems most people have been skiing, except for me. A couple of friends thought it was a good idea to go for Christmas.... being the only one in the group that can't ski I thought I’d better have lessons pretty quickly and try & catch up – positive thinking eh?!! In my humble opinion it’s not the most sartorial sport of choice but hopefully lots of fun!

After nipping into town for a peruse at ski jackets in the hope of something reasonably priced that I don’t hate….. hummm the best on offer was a red & white affair. I’m transported back to the 1980,s when I had a white lightly padded jacket with red piping & lots of pockets & press-studs. Yum! I also had a red & white bedroom – v cool at the time with striped wall paper, heart cushions, white frilled edge sateen duvet covers - oooh very Dynasty – or just nasty??!! Ha ha.

Anyway back to 2010… Oh I don't know, all I can think about is can I customise a ski jacket???? Is that taking things too far?? I mean I love the 80's but ski fashion is sooo naff - or am I looking in the wrong places???

And so I turned up to week

one’s lesson in a black vintage faux fur jacket – it got some looks… I can honestly say I thought they would hire out jackets duh! What was I thinking? Thankfully no one I knew was around & my group were all too kind or concentrating too hard on not falling over to laugh at me semi glammed up in a sparkly gold roll neck, vintage coat & a silver helmet ha ha ha.

Oh and sadly skiing wasn’t my forte either. Always hoped I would be a natural at something – just not found out what it is yet ha ha.

Anyway any advice on skiing, what to wear – anything really. I am totally clueless!!! xx

Oooh was also thinking of checking out the charity shops for Christmas jumpers as pressies - nice group photo maybe??? Yummmm a hottie Christmas card idea ha ha

A Little Bit of Sparkle

It's been ages since I wrote, I have been busy working, gardening, cooking, cleaning pfew it's tiring just thinking about it all ha ha. Anyway some nice things have happened in the midst of my catching up with real life.

This little sparkly vintage bag has been off to a photo shoot wooo hoo!! ha ha

I have a little picture of one of my vintage bags in the November / December edition of Brides Magazine. It's rather exciting being mentioned in a big glossy magazine - even if it's not for something I made myself.

They had some nice ideas for sparkly things that would be great for Christmas & new Years parties - like glitter covered cupcakes and jewel encrusted napkin rings. Hummm might just inspire me to organise a dinner party...