Recent Purchases

As promised, I have some goodies (otherwise known as "bits of old junk") to show you.

Firstly though, I would love it if you could help me out with a quick and dirty survey. It is to help me know what you want to see here on this blog - more of this or less of that - let me know your suggestions too!

Here is a link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FQZY799

Thank you! 

And now onto the bits of old junk

Here's some finds I got at the Hammersmith vintage fair recently. An enamel and bead brooch - possibly 30s, a wire brooch - likely to be wartime, and a green belt buckle - 30s again. 

I love belt buckles, but, as I have mentioned before, if they are on an original card I find it SO hard to separate them and use them. Rather pathetic isn't it? Don't you just love how it states it is the "Latest Novelty"?

Here's a dress that I got that needs some repair work (that'll be a post on it's own). I adore the print and it is a lovely floppy viscose, so it's ok that it needs some love. The buttons I got happen to match and are rather indistinguishable in age since they are quite plain, I suspect 50s or 60s but they could equally be 80s. I have a feeling they might end up on a jacket to match this dress though, so that would be 60p well spent!

Have a good day and thanks again for your help with the survey!

Shona

Hat Hair

One of my pressies from The Wolf at Christmas was the book "Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques" by Lauren Rennells. What a great hubby!  He's so clever! (ok, ok, I told him it was what I wanted). Anyway, I am so in love with this book!

available on Amazon

Over time I have worked out that I am allergic to most setting lotions and tried to ignore the issue. Diluting it only does half the trick and I still end up taking an antihistamine tablet in order to not be all blood-shot eyed and snuffy-nosed, which really defeats the purpose of getting ones hair all glam! 

Realising that I needed to see how my hair went with a wet set, using water only, I was feeling rather dubious about it until I came across the techniques in Lauren's book, and was doubly excited when I saw the technique called "Hat Hair". Up until then I had believed that my hair was really a bit too long and heavy for a small 50s hat.

I decided that the Sunday vintage fair at Hammersmith (a "goodies purchased" post to follow) would be an excellent chance to test it out and I spent all Saturday day in pin curls and rollers. Since I would be sleeping on rollers that I thought I would also try out what Charly has recommended to me in the past - and use perming rods where the recipe called for foam rollers at the back.

This was taken after the fair, after I had been rooting around in button boxes and trying other hats on, so it is now a little mussed up and fluffy. I was very happy with the way it worked out though and the curls and height stayed put.

But ha ha! Look at the frizz I got at the back!! To be fair, that was because I was running too late in the morning to spend long brushing it out and blending in pomade, which would improve it greatly. With today being Tuesday though, the curls have settled down nicely and are still going strong so a wet set certainly has more staying power than a hot roller set. With looser curls you are supposed to arrange them around the base of the hat which would give me both a suitable length of a 50s hair-do and be much prettier.

So all and all, I am very happy that I can work on fine tuning my technique and adorn myself with smaller 50s hats. Etsy/ebay here we come!

Lisa Freemont Street, who is enviably knowledgeable about hair stuff, has done a utube review of the book if you are interested (for those viewing at work, be warned: it has sound!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHHXBW5yAJQ


Have a good day everyone! 


Shona x

Resolutions... with cats

Welcome to 2012!

I was thinking of doing a 2011 round up, and I also thought about some chrissy pics, but both seem already out of date. So instead I just have a little brainstorm to share, I hope that is ok. I have resorted to the fun cat pics of icanhascheezburger.com to liven this post up - please excuse that, but I do love a kitty pic!

I don't know about you but with the start of a new year everything seems a bit dull. I don't just mean that the Christmas lights, parties and presents have all dried up, but that somehow the continuous every-day-ness of a new year doesn't live up to expectation. A new anything, even a new year, should be bright and shiny and smell of promise shouldn't it? 

We do tend to build New Years up so that it feels as if something wonderful and unexpected should happen. The sky could be pink, or the Queen could give out free chocolate, or someone could come and match all your socks, that at least would be a good start. Instead, it is just the same sort of day as yesterday. What's that all about?

Methinks we put a little bit too much store in the calendar to make us feel better, and we put too high an expectation on our ability to make well meaning resolutions come true as if by magic. 

The result is, within a week or so we are back at work and feeling more miserable than ever. I have had years when I made a list of resolutions and that didn't really end well. In fact I couldn't even remember them all. I have had other years when I chose just one, and that was not much better. And then I had years when I didn't have any at all, and that was ok, if a little disappointing in itself.

But this year I think I have come up with the best resolution ever. EVER!

That is, to believe in me. Three little words that, despite trying, I still find really hard to do. If I can master that, then I can do ANYTHING I choose -  any resolution, goal or new feel-good habit is possible. The very nature of it allows for changing conditions, changing preferences and for real limitations that are out of my control. So it is a lovely, friendly, accommodating kind of a resolution.

If I have a moment when I am wondering if I can do something or feeling at a low ebb, or frustrated with my progress, then simply recognising that it is time to practise believing more should be enough to rectify any desire to beat myself up (something I am surprisingly good at). The lovely rounding off of this resolution is that by practicing believing in me I am fulfilling my resolution! Result!

I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you, this being a vintage clothes blog and all. I might be a little bit enthusiastic, but wouldn't the world be an amazing place if we all believed in ourselves?

I hope you have a good start to the year, please throw some swaggers out there for me and more importantly, for you. Smooch!

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)