Something useful for the weekend??

I have been looking for a nice weekend bag for a while & not had much luck. Ok I admit that I'm rather fussy and I don't want to pay crazy money either.

Anyway I found a lovely website today with patterns! Amy Butler Design has some gorgeous items in fabulous fabrics to buy. For some reason I think that I might have enough patience & skill to make a weekend bag ha ha. If I actually do I shall post the evidence - it will most likely just be a pile of fabric!!

She also has lots of other patterns for bags & cute dresses. All very inspiring indeed and definitely worth a look. xx

A very busy craft & vintage market

Wow, the attendance for the Waterfront Market in Ipswich was incredible. Deben Events certainly know how to advertise & there were loads of blogs, flyers & emails bouncing around telling anyone who might listen. Many thanks to all who helped pass on the good word xx

It was sunny much of the day, the location was gorgeous and the stalls were brilliant. Too many nice things to buy & lovely stall holders to gossip about vintage with.

As always it was great chatting to the owner of the most unique stall & fellow blogger Beach Bygones stall is literally all about the beach – vintage swimsuits, floral swim hats, picnic baskets, wind brakes …. It’s brilliant.

Also there was my fabulous vintage loving friend Emmie looking brightly coloured and very pretty – a contrast to my harsh & haggered all black & lack of sleep look! I thought it was fine to go to a Keeping Abreast Charity Ball & get 4 hours sleep & then pop off to do an event. Not drinking helped, but maybe should have returned home before I became a pumpkin!!

Then there was the rather glamorous Kathy who we were on a stall next too. She packs her rail & high end vintage clothing into her convertible – no boring estate car or small van for this lady! We did however discuss the merits of a magical pop up stall… if only they existed!

The little pussy cat went to a good home too.

Anyway, it was the day of the t-shirt & vest top. There was a lot in interest in the vintage scarf tops & the new granny vest. Looks like I had better get making before the Woodbridge Weekender (another brilliant event of vintage & contemporary niceness on Sat 12^th & Sun 13^th June in Woodbridge Suffolk)..

It was a nice but long day & by the time I got home I was pooped. Pizza, a hot bath & bed for me.

Amazing New Waterfront Craft & Vintage Market

Sunday 16^th May 2010 10am to 4pm

After seeing lovely Emmie last night (a collector and seller of fabulous vintage clothes that I can never resist) I’m fired up for the Waterfront market this Sunday. It’s going to be a mix of Vintage & Contemporary – clothes, accessories, homeware, crafts …. Lots of nice things to simplify it!!

Anyway I have put in a request for good weather so come along and enjoy the view whilst you peruse the stalls. It’s a lovely location with chi chi bars, cafes & restaurants. There is also a boutique hotel which my mama informs me is fabulous!

No excuses for not coming to say hi (unless you live miles away, like in a different country, or even county!) as I have a charity ball that I’m attending to raise money & awareness for breast cancer the night before. I’m so dedicated to my events that I’m forgoing the champagne, wine & cocktails though!! That’s a surprise to all who know me!!

Anyway please pray for good weather & even better attendance on Sunday for us, hopefully it should be loads of fun xxx

Ipswich Waterfront, Suffolk. IP4 1BZ

Sugary Sweet Sunday

Flying Fifteens Tea Rooms

I met up with some fabulous friends for a spot of afternoon tea on Sunday. The weather was not too bad out of the wind and the sun was a welcome surprise. As usual we chatted over each other in an attempt to catch up with all the latest goings on in each others busy lives.

The venue is a cute tea room on Lowestoft sea front called Flying Fifteen. Their homemade scones are excellent, meringues are perfection and their tea selection is so large it has it’s own menu! There are homemade cakes galore, the service is very good and it’s relaxed and friendly.

It’s definitely worth a visit if you are in Lowestoft, a nice escape from the hustle of the esplanade with great sea views too. (this picture is the beach below the cafe) The garden is lovely and on a hot day you can shelter under sun umbrellas whilst sipping exotic teas. The Blue Safire tea was my latest experiment and rather good. Of course it’s all done properly here, with loose tea served in china tea pots with cups & saucers of course. Cakes and scones are presented on tiered cake stands with doyleys. They can’t be bad, as they have won The Tea Guild's Award of Excellence for the past seven years!

If you're curious as to where the name came from... Flying Fifteens takes it's name from a 15ft long keel boat.

19a The Esplanade, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0QG. 01502 581188.

For the bank holiday weekend I had a jolly jaunt to Holland. Saturday was spent in Leiden sipping ice cold beers in the sun on a barge bar! It was so nice I could sit there without a coat - hurrah!! Sadly the rest of the weekend was rain, rain and more rain.

Whilst exploring the pretty cobbled streets of Amsterdam's 9 Streets taking in the incredible architecture and fabulous boutique shops and cute cafe bars I spotted this dress display. I guess it was a wedding designer's studio.

I was saved from spending a fortune as most of the shops were closed. This meant more Euros for beers, although sadly drunk inside this time!

All in all I had a great lazy weekend of a little couture, a little culture. De Bijenkorf Department store has a fabulous new cafe / bar & restaurant area with stacks of the latest fashion & decor & lifestyle magazines which we poured over whilst sipping smoothies and mint tea - it was 11am, hence the no wine sipping!All in all I had a great lazy weekend of a little couture, a little culture. De Bijenkorf Department store has a fabulous new cafe / bar & restaurant area with stacks of the latest fashion & decor & lifestyle magazines which we poured over whilst sipping smoothies and mint tea - it was 11am, hence the no wine sipping!

We popped into Casablanca for a cheeky G&T, sadly we missed the magic show that was on in the very cute but tiny theatre upstairs. We were more than compensated by the incredible escargot in amazing garlic butter, lobster bisque, gambas in more garlic heaven yuuuum. It's a fabulous bar with a circus theme, friendly people, good music, amazing food & entertainment too!

Now I'm back in Norfolk I need to undo all the drinking & eating, so it's a sad detox & exercise time boo.

The image below was a rather nice looking shop - lucky for me they were closed but I swear I heard my bank manager gasp a sigh of relief! xx

My Birthday Hot Date!!!

Well thank you to my fab friends bloggers and non alike who helped my with my mini crisis (pathetic girly moment of what to wear). My mummy lent me a gorgeous vintage lace prom dress in the end!! I felt like I was going to the opera in a posh frock & pearls.

Well we went to By Appointment in Norwich which is a gorgeous restaurant filled with eclectic mix of antiques. The food was incredible and it was really friendly & relaxed - not at all scary and snooty like some posh restaurants are.

I was treated like a princess by my lovely date and drank champagne (maybe a little too much) and was a little tipsy!!

The photo is me being shy after my tart au citron turned up with a Birthday message & the other diners sang to me - oh the shame!!! ha ha

I shall definitely be borrowing Mummy Butterfly's dress again, but might add a big satin ribbon, shash or cumberband for colour...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, I've had an amazing weekend with wonderful friends - and my now boyfriend!! xxx Claire

Dinner Date Dress Dilemma

Oh my gosh, I have a date this weekend.

This is quite an unusual thing for me as I tend to busy myself with making jewellery & accessories, selling them at events & seeing my friends in between. Ok if I'm honest, I have been avoiding it all together - bad dates with Mr Boring are quite off putting!!

Anyway I'm being taken out to dinner by a rather lovely gentleman (I didn't think they still existed!!). We are going to (I have just been informed) a very posh restaurant in Norwich. Now I have a "what to wear" quandary. I'm hoping that someone can help!!

I refuse to purchase as I have lots of pretty dresses that I rarely wear.

The 1st image is a beautiful silk handkerchief dress with embroidery from Laura Lees. It's quite summery and very forgiving for when I eat too much yummy food!

The 2nd is an image I love from M&S of all things! I have a pink & red beaded skirt from Karen Millen which is rather opulent & I have a couple of fabulous vintage brooches I could use to pin the cardigan as in the image.

The third is me on the right hand side! I couldn't find a picture of a similar dress on the internet - darn it!

It's a beautiful beaded & sequinned vintage shift dress. I had pinned a giant (Carrie Bradshaw inspired) corsage onto it. I won't be wearing those stockings again as they make me look like a corpse!

I also have a beautiful hot pink 1920s cocktail dress, but it's boned (and tiny) and not good for dinners hummmm.

Any inspirations would be very gratefully received xxx

Thank you