And the winner is.....

Brittany_Va-VoomVintage!! I stole a picture of you from your blog, I hope you don't mind

Congratulations, whoo hoo!!

Please contact fiona@heydayonline.co.uk for your voucher code and we hope you enjoy spending it.

Thanks so much to everyone taking part in the competition and good luck next time.

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and an amazing New Year, see you all in 2012.....

2011 Christmas gift voucher give away!

We are in the countdown to Christmas now - my gosh it rolls around fast doesn't it? Still, not fast enough as I am quite capable of eating all the almond icing before it gets on the cake.  Hmmmm...

Stephanie Valentine, Winner of the 2010 WWII re-enactors magazine Pin-Up Competition, photographed by Tony Nylons

As this years Christmas treat I have decided we are going to give away a £25 discount voucher to one lucky reader. £25 because Christmas falls on the 25th of course!
A voucher (which will be in the from of a code for online shopping) seems most fair in that it is international (unlike last year's plank of wood) and also unisex (just LIKE last years plank of wood). 
We are going to finish the competition at Midnight Sat 17th December BST. The code itself will be valid for a whole 3 months, so there is no rush.

The competition rules are straight forward and offer three chances to get involved...

• For one entry, leave me a comment below. 
• For another entry, you can retweet my give away.
• For a third entry, post about the giveaway on your own blog!  Three chances! Whooopee!

Please take careful note that each time you enter you must leave a separate comment. Don't leave me one comment saying you've done all three things, as it will only be counted once! 

If you commenting to say you've retweeted or blogged, please post the link.

The competition will close THIS Saturday 17th December 2010 at Midnight BST

This is me

Today it was unseasonably warm. As in, too hot to get dressed. I'm wondering if our upstairs neighbours forgot to turn their heating off and we were the happy beneficiaries while they went to work. It was also gloriously sunny.
Because I had my hair in curlers I wasn't planning on leaving the house, so it was the perfect day for a last-unexpected-summer-dress-mostly-inside-anyway day. 

(I'm deliberately looking to the side because I am terrible at looking into bright sunlight)

So here is just me, without make-up and my hair in curlers. If I don't expect to meet anyone I let my face breathe, even though it makes me feel quite naked. Typically and ironically, not one but TWO people dropped in on me to see me like this today! Grrrr!

I don't really like to share me un-done, it is a bit uncomfortable to be honest. But I think it is important to let you know that some days are not altogether glamorous at Heyday Headquarters. 

This is a one off Fleur dress just made for me. I collect simple "not too poofy" petticoats anywhere I can find them to co-ordinate with my Fleurs. This one was actually an old Monsoon skirt from a charity shop that I took up. It's silk so feels LUSH.

No outfit post from me would be complete without the SHOES now would it? I picked these up from the charity shop for a tenner yesterday. (Anyone else notice that charity shop shoes have really gone up in price over the last couple of years?) They are unworn Clarks and I know I get on well with them so that is ok. The style is "bombay lights" and they currently come in black, navy and burgundy. (They also come in flats, worn here). From the front they look quite authentic enough, and the heel is a good shape, but I wish they would cover the heel in the same leather, because they would then be 89% vintage looking rather than 73% vintage looking, if you get what I mean.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a good weekend - be it glamorous or just comfy. 

See what happens when I look straight at the sun?

My most beloved vintage possession

Today I thought I would tell you about my most beloved vintage possession. My knees. While the rest of me will be turning 40 next year, my knees are going to be 198. I swear my mum picked them up cheap second-hand.

Earlier this year my dodgy knees took a sudden turn for the worst, and I was off to see the surgeon. Both of them (knees, that is, not surgeons) were diagnosed with mild arthritis. Yick. In fact Double Yick. So dancing was been off the agenda for most of the year. Stairs, curbs, hills and wheelchair access slopes were all mountainous. It was depressing. I felt ALL of my 198 knee years.

During the year I've put on a bit of weight. BUT, I don't care...

Because, through lots and lots and lots and lots and still lots more BORING physio exercises aided by hours of Poirot, (thank-you Agatha Christie) I have been cleared of needing any kind of intervention, because my little knee caps are now going where they are supposed to go and not whipping off around the side of my leg-bone. (Ok, so I also don't care about technical terms today). If I look after them they should last me for another 198 years.

Today my elderly knees and I had a little celebration in that I pulled out a pair of heels that haven't seen any use.  Yes I KNOW you have seen me in heels in outfit posts, but that was mainly cos I missed them, so would put them on for a wee bit and for the photo.

But today I WORE heels. 

Thank you Miss L Fire for designing something worth all those painful lunges and leg lifts.

Hurrah!! I kiss my knees!! Smooch!!

(And please, if you have a bit of you that is feeling a little bit more vintage than the rest of you, go get it looked at, it might take far less work to make it right if you don't leave it like I did)

The last time I saw Paris

Hello!

I've had a bit of a horrible cold so please excuse the gap in posts. It is nearly all gone now thank goodness.

I have to update you on my recent trip to Paris! We got a cheap deal on the Eurostar and just went for the weekend, starting out really early on Saturday morning. There is a bonus when you have been to a place already, that you no longer need to do all the tourist things.  Here's a quick round up in pictures.

Lego Christmas tree at St.Pancras Station. It was really a bit too early to be enthused with anything, but this made me stop in my tracks! It must have taken hours.

Outside the Rex theatre. Retro Chick has been there recently too.

Buying macaroons from a beautiful bakery

My really really old bag. I don't know HOW old. Definately older than my normal time period of 30s-50s, anyone with any ideas? I bought it in Texas. The seller told me it was French so it was neat to give it a trip home. It's been around the world and back!

Shopping at the markets. Meet Lili who sells buttons and beads, lace, braiding and all things embellished. Her shop sucked me in, filled as it is with such wonders ( her stand is Marché Vernaison, Stand 6 - Allée 1).  While really chatty, and keen for me to blog about her, she got all shy and hid behind lace when the camera came out! She has a website that includes a bit of the history of the markets (I use Google translate).

Dribbled over French magazines from the 1930s and large posters just down the way from Lili's shop. Paul also got all bashful when it came to taking a photo. He has a GORGEOUS website so you can dribble yourself now.

Listening to Gypsy Jazz music and drinking mulled wine. This café was practically in the market area so it was like being in heaven (no room for dancing though) for both of us. I did leave hubby there while I went back for a second quick scout.

I'll leave you with the vintage flowers I bought from Lili which will someday to find themselves onto a hat. That vintage postcard is her business card - with the shop details stamped on the back - pretty eh?

Autumn arrives with a thud

Hello my lovelies

If you are here in the UK then you know all about Autumn arriving. It seemed to arrive yesterday, without proper ceremony, after teasing us in the lurking-days-of-summer-ish-ness weeks we have had. It has put my normal wardrobe rotation and organisation in a bit of a delay. It has been so mild that I was still swanning about in a long cotton house dress some days, so it didn't make sense to dig out ALL the warmer things.  (Solanah, from Vixen Vintage, by the way, is the Queen of Wardrobe Rotation [HRHoWR]. Go here for some inspiration)

So already my day is revolving around when to turn to gas fire on. I find myself doing bargaining with myself, like: "not until after tea", "not until I have a proper jumper on at least", "I can't justify it today" and also regularly... "I wish we had a cat to accessorise the fireplace with". It is clear that it really is time to bring out the woollen heavyweights.  This is my favourite sweater dress. It is warm and toasty and green.

I know it looks like I am deliberately holding my stomach in, but in truth I was trying to show you my bracelet

The left collar needs a brooch because, despite many a wet-towel iron it is determined to pop up a bit. This mustard enamel brooch I think is from the 30s. The bracelet is 50s or 60s.

And my leopard print shoes. These were the bargain of the century, a few years ago at the Brighton Jukebox fair. £10! If I had known they would prove to be so comfy I would have brought more, but, you know how it is with cheap shoes, they can be expensive if they are uncomfortable.

I hope you all have a good warm weekend!

Shona

Me Tarzan, you Jane

Quite a lot of you know that I'm a Kiwi living in the UK. To try and blend in a little I don't say "mate" so much now and I have learnt to use the alternative, British words for things. "Flip flops" instead of "Jandals", and "Wellington Boots" instead of "Gum Boots". I try not to ever say "pin" or "pen" because it just gets TOO hard.

I still have my accent, and it gets stronger immediately after speaking to a fellow countryman. Anyway, so... the point is...when I told my lovely friend Jenny that I was wearing a Tartan dress she was wondering what on earth I was going to turn up in - hearing "Tarzan" instead.

Ever since every "tartan" item I have is now a "Tarzan" one. Jenny and I know what we mean!

Anyway now I have a new alternative word, albeit more American I believe. This is one of my PLAID skirts. I love it. It's pleated. It is REVERSIBLE!

My all-seeing googley eye dog is coming along for the day

And here is my lippy - It is Red Hot Red from Rockalilly.  I love it! lots of red lippys make my lips crack and peel in a horrible fashion, which, really, isn't the look I am going for. But not this one. YEAH! There are some new limited edition shades in store there now so I might include one on my Christmas wish list. 

See ya Mate!

Cardigan - Custom Clothes

Skirt - vintage, probably 70s or 80s, ebay

Shoes - Clarks

earrings and brooch - vintage

Whoop-sie Daisy!

When announcing the winner of the Daisy Chain Fleur dress it looked like I stuffed up and this upset a few people. I can understand that, especially when such a nice dress is at stake!

On investigation, it seems that the Random Number Generator image does a crazy malfunction when you copy it from the website to the blog. It puts the numbers back to their default setting of 1 and 100. So even if it had landed on 306 it would have looked like it the entered numbers were 1 and 100 (see, told you it was crazy)
Here look at this, when I chose 1-500:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:427Powered by RANDOM.ORG

So the good news is to all of you that had were crossing your fingers and rubbing your rusty trusty horseshoes, you WERE in the draw properly and fairly. It was only that the winning number happened to fall under 100 that it looked like there was a real error.

I am really sorry that it happened that way. I hope we can still continue on together, after all, I'll be planning something for Christmas next (and no, it won't be a plank of wood like last year, as fun as that was!)

Shona

Daisy Chain Fleur dress WINNER!

Hello!

What a pleasant thing to do on a wet and grey Tuesday morning! Yes, my first job today is to announce our Daisy Chain Fleur dress winner.  You all left such nice comments that it was a shame I couldn't give something to each of you. I do love getting comments - it makes me feel like I am not talking to myself!
And now, on with the main event...Drum roll please

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: 

Result:

59Powered by RANDOM.ORG

So that lands on Lindsay Lane of http://petticoatsandpinup.blogspot.com/

Lindsay - have a look at our sizing charts and send us an email at shop@heydayonline.co.uk with your size and address and we'll get that off in the post to you.

We will of course do another giveaway when we reach 500 so do keep watching this space

Have a happy day

Shona

PS: I have just set up a sale on the Fleur dresses - all of them are now £60 for a limited time. Go get em!

Butterfly dress

Hello my lovelies!

I am thrilled so many of you are entering into our competition. It is lovely hearing all your comments. If you haven't entered yet then please do so! It closes on Monday evening. Good luck!

The week is whipping by so fast and this weekend will too as on Sunday we are trading at the Northern Military Expo in Newark. Do pop along and say Hi if you are around there.

Since the weather is really starting to turn, I took the opportunity to wear a dress today because soon it will be to chilly to wear. It hasn't had an outing yet and I had already planned the whole outfit for an event we did about a month ago and it seems a shame not to wear it.

I think it is late 30s to early 40s, as it features full sleeves at the cuff and a hook and eye closure at the side. It could equally be later, especially since it is home-made, so it could be an eclectic mix of what our mystery seamstress had on hand at the time. Pattern + fabric + collar but no zip. Zips were hard to get in the war years. Or maybe a zip was too hard for her (remember they had just come in domestically) and she knew her stuff when it came to a hook and eye placket so stuck to that. That is one of the things I love about vintage, is the sleuthing part of it.

In a moment of MASSIVE accessorising ability, I pinned a Cath Kidston hair clip to the strap of one shoe. Ahhh the stylish-ness off it!  In fact it lasted very well and I will use that trick again - I quite like a bit of modern whimsy. (The shoes are from good ole Clarks by the way).

I took fabric from the hem and made a belt, and this buckle from my stash was begging to be married to the dress. Good match eh? The buckle might be older than the dress, but the colour and butterfly-like shape was just too perfect. And since it is home-made, our mystery seamstress could have had a stash of buckles just like mine...or maybe hers was a just a wee bit smaller...(a-hem)...

Two little crocheted butterflies also were at home here worn as scatter pins. They are cooler in the pair rather than just one don't you think?
I best leave you and get myself organised for a big day here tomorrow so toodle pip till Tuesday when I'll announce the winner of the Fleur dress! 
Have a good weekend.

Shona

Daisy Chain Fleur dress GIVEAWAY!

Hello everyone! 
We have just cranked over 400 followers and I am both thrilled that all of you are interested in joining me here, and a bit amazed that you signed up to listen to my ramblings! Thank you!
To celebrate we are going to do a a giveaway of the black Fleur dress with white daisys.

The winner can choose her size, from XS to XL. You can find more info on our website here. The daisys are vintage trims and are simply sewn onto the dress. If you wanted a plain black dress they could be taken off, or you could re-arrange them to your hearts content!
In addition to the dress itself, I have collected a lovely set of vintage earrings and a brooch that will compliment it perfectly. I found the earrings first, and then months later, found the brooch (to much squeals of delight). The earrings are lightweight plastic with clip on backs. The brooch seems to be the same plastic, and is the same colour, but is ever so slightly different because the petals are not quite identical. The difference would not be noticeable once they are attached to your earlobes and cardigan. 

The rules for the giveaway are the same as normal:

The competition rules are straight forward and offer three chances to get involved...

• For one entry, leave me a comment below. 
• For another entry, you can retweet my give away.
• For a third entry, post about the giveaway on your own blog!  Three chances! Whooopee!

Please take careful note that each time you enter you must leave a separate comment. Don't leave me one comment saying you've done all three things, as it will only be counted once! 

If you commenting to say you've retweeted or blogged, please post the link.
The competition will close Monday 7th November 2011 at Midnight BST
Good luck everyone! 

Jukebox Jive Show 2011

Happy Friday dear readers, and a big hello to my new followers that have taken me over the 400 mark! I am chuffed that so many of you are interested enough in my ramblings and want to read about my little adventures. Welcome!

As promised on Twitter (I am HeydayVS if you want to follow me there too), I have a give away planned for you to mark this milestone, so keep your eyes peeled as I will announce that over the weekend. YEAH! we haven't done one of those for a bit so I am looking forward to it.

For now I thought I would tell you about some of the neat jukeboxes for sale last weekend at the first ever Jukebox Jive show. I apologise for the poor quality pics, the lighting wasn't the best for my camera.

This one was my FIRST favourite and I might have dribbled a bit when I saw the colours. The colours in real life were a bit deeper and teal and red happen to be a fave combo of mine

It was on sale by these too chaps, Bill and Terry from the Jukebox Company. This crazy sputnik shaped one seemed to be their favourite as I saw quite a bit of  fondling polishing and dusting going on. Bill and Terry were lovely chaps and informed me that Jukeboxes started out like this, with everyone having headphones to listen at the same time. Hmmm... not so much dancing then huh?

Then I turned the corner and saw this one tucked away a bit and fell head over heals in love. It is from 1939 so that would be typical, as I tend to fall for designs of all kinds from that year. Note the colours and basic shaping that would lead to the "electric rainbow cathedral" shape that we are more familiar with. This one is the oldest one at the show but at £6250 it is not a bad price really, considering those colour panels are BAKELITE. yum yum! (NB: I turn 40 next year and I think this would be an ideal present)

The owner of the 1939 one also owned this one, which was the most expensive at £12,500 and made in 1956. You can see more at www.jukeboxgallery.com. Corwin, pictured here, came all the way from Holland to share these delights with us. I would have dribbled on a few more, but he was busy and one has to whip around quick when you are also manning a stall.

Lastly, I leave you with a quick pic of Katie the organiser. She undertook a mammoth job in pulling together her first show of this size, and while she was a little worn out by Sunday, I hope she decides to do another next year.

Have a good start to the weekend dear readers and watch this space for that giveaway!

Jukebox Jive Show and outfit post

Hi Y'all

We are a bit excited here at Heyday towers as we are trading this weekend and for a change we don't need to be away from home!  It is the Jukebox Jive weekend near Heathrow. Even though it is the very first one, Katy, the organiser seems to have pulled out all the stops - there are rows and rows of classic cars, bands, food, jukeboxes (well, naturally), music, and lots of shopping to be had. Do come along and visit if you can! Rocket Originals will be there as will Home Sweet Homestyle and Lipstick and Curls.  All of them are great friends so there will be a fair amount of catching up going on in the quiet moments.

Even though the word "Jukebox" makes one think of the 50s, all the traders there will have other decades for sale too, so if you are a 40s buff, there will still be plenty for you to dribble over. In fact, Jukeboxes have been around for longer than we tend to think anyway.

And now onto the pictures....!

I am making the most of the mildly warm weather and, wearing skirts and dresses before it becomes unbearable

This is one of our Olivia blouses teamed with a waistcoat knitted by a friend's Mother.  The big egg shaped tree behind me always amazes me, since I never actually see the gardener trim it (we have a shared garden, so it is not OUR own gardener btw)

The skirt is again the one from our wartime suit. It is getting good use right now!

And the shoes are old ones from Remix in the states.  WARNING: do not to click on the link if you are trying to save money!

I hope to meet some of you at the show, do come and introduce yourself if you pop by.

Bling Bits and Dancing

Last Thursday Mr Wolf and I went with a bunch of dancing friends to the International Ballroom Dance Championships at the historic Royal Albert Hall. It was the 59th (!) year it was held there.

First up - what does one wear? It is absolutely impossible to arrive overdressed at such an event, unless you happen to have a barrel of swarzkofski crystals and oystrich feathers you can dunk yourself into. A lot of people come straight from work, so the audience is just in "whatever". But me, well, I am, (as you might be aware) never KNOWINGLY under-dressed. To bridge the comfort + dressy gap I decided to glam up one of my Mary dresses with a couple of bling bits (bought in the States, not vintage). They are just brooches, and in a flash of inspiration I picked up two, not just one, to act as dress clips.

The effect was really very good, considering three ladies stopped me to ask where I got my outfit! Now, I know the dress is my design and all, but really, the effect of two cheap modern pins would work the same on any plain dress. Perfect for desk-to-date days and light weight holiday packing too.

The event, which was compared by a friend of mine (name dropper me!) Karen Hardy of Strictly Come Dancing fame was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. And that was just the outfits! Of course, they are not vintage - but "vintage" includes being obsessed with a darn good dress. Which I am.

Of course I took about a gazillion photos, and here are just a few. (sorry, some are a bit fuzzy, they moved a bit fast for my camera at a distance in the dark)

Weee!...Cinderella moment

Stunning colours in the heats

This lady was one of my faves of the latin finals, probably mostly because of her Marilyn-esque hair

This Danish couple won the Professional Ballroom division. And she got my vote for best dressed too.

If you have a young daughter I bet she would LOVE this type of event. Maybe not this particular one as it is long and runs late, although there was one tweeny in our row who was completely transfixed.

The men though, well, as nice as they are, I do prefer mine a bit rougher and hairier. Just as well huh?

Rocket Girl

Hello all you lovelies out there
Last weekend we were trading at the Hemsby Rock and Roll Weekender  and I just gotta say - weekenders tire me out! Oh man, I always start the week like death warmed up!  It might be the 3 days standing and talking, it might be the early dash to the Hemsby car boot on the Sunday, or it might just be that this is the last in a long run of events/trips/outings and it has taken a toll.

Fellow stallholders, Rocket Originals were there as always, and I treated myself to a couple of their jumpers for my early autumn wardrobe.  This is the first one to show you - The lovely Red with Ivory jumper.  Now, being a big busted girl (and "big" is a, ah-hem... polite understatement) you would think that a high neck sweater would make me look even more dumpy/frumpy and made of 95% boobage. But I have discovered that as long as it isn't chocker-high neck, and if the colour on the shoulders is lighter than the rest of the body, it actually does me some favours! I happen to be very narrow in the shoulders, so much so that I have learnt  never to buy shoulder bags with two straps as I can never keep the second strap on.  So the shoulder widening illusion created by the lighter colour, combined with the darker colour over the boobs balances me out.
The skirt I am wearing is the one from Heyday's Wartime suit.  I have found it invaluable in this warm but autumn weather - so easy to wear, doesn't crease, comfy, and, you know.. slims and skims the lumpy bits. I imagine it will be just as useful in springtime with or without the jacket.



So, back to telling you about Rocket Originals...I also  picked up a bit of HOT shoe news for you, Rocket are about to bring out their "Nancy" sandal (above) in a lovely dark green. Ohhhh! - can't wait! This shoe has got to be their comfiest yet and as I completely thrashed my white pair this summer, I have also picked up the red pair too as you can see. Already having two colours of the same shoe won't stop me as being a red head I have lots of outfits that will go with green shoes. Indeed, florals always seem to go well with green - Mother Nature being the queen goddess of design and all that!


Back soon with more vintage adventures,
Shona

I'm back, with Shoes

Ohh I know, I have been away ages! It is one of those things that once you get out of the habit, it is hard to get back into, like exercise, and eating spinach, or doing your accounts. These last few months have been really busy at Heyday Central and I have been super head-down-locked-into-work mode. But, since you know a bit about me already, you will likely know that it will be SHOE NEWS that brings me back!

My birthday has been and gone (getting older is just one of the things I have been doing!) and Mr Wolf took the hint (written in big letters on his notepad) and bought me these for my birthday from Miss L Fire

He really does love me!

Sadly, by the time my birthday came around and I got them onto my feet I found they were a touch too small for me. I might have done it if they were leather, but raffia just wouldn't have given enough. And by then they had sold out of the size 6s.  Argghh! Shoe birthday anguish!

So, I ended up with these, which I am just as happy with! They are so comfy to walk in, and I had been lusting after them since I saw Yesterday Girl in them at the Chap Olympics.

Aren't they stunners? I confess I have taken the top flower off, so I am left with a tidy cute bow that is a bit more "me". Being a make do and mend girl I have saved the flower to put onto another pair of shoes when needed. I like doing stuff like that

So, now that I am back, I have to let you know that I have a wee give-away coming up, as well as lots of interesting bits of news.  In the meantime, if anyone has a pair of Honolulu Red size 6s to sell then I am buying!

New glasses from Dead Man's Spex

I know why the weather has been so wet recently here in London - it is because I have new Sunglasses!

These were received in the mail just the other day after been promptly fitted out with my prescription by Darren at Dead Mans Spex.

I meet Darren at Hemsby twice a year and once at Twinwood in August (I LOVE Twinwood).

I think I love the case even more than the glasses. Do I use it or keep it safe so it stays pristine forEVER?

Thanks for my new Glasses Darren
(Hoping for sun now)

Shona xx

PS: I won't leave it so long between posts next time - promise
PPS: I have a give away coming up so stay tuned! It's a good 'un