Saturday 26 June 2010

You gotta love a bargain!

I've alluded to it before I'm kinda broke right now, building a business is a costly affair, and I'd rather build the business than spend money on me, so I just have to suck it up.

This doesn't mean that I don't look at stuff to buy and want stuff, it just means I don't buy stuff much however I've had a couple of great bargains on ebay lately and it's becoming a little addictive! You'll remember I got those fabulous oriental figures for 99p you can see them here in a previous post.

So ladies and gentleman I have now bagged my second 99p buy in a few weeks, YAY!

You know when you see something photographed badly but you know it's going to be cute, well here it is



A very cute 1950s lampshade, it's a bit smaller than I thought so doesn't fit the lamp I had intended it for, but I know where it's going to go, here's a close up of the pattern



Really how lovely is this, fab bright colours, great condition and best of all 99p!!

Thursday 24 June 2010

Catch up!

I'm back! Nearly recovered and I have a confession I am the worst blogger in the world, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I intended, so all those who were expecting a run down of bands, events and outfits at the Rockabilly Rave are going to be very disappointed in me!

I do have to explain myself though, I am working and when I say working it's long long hours, not everyone stays up all night drinking, so stalls have to open at 11am for those who have gone to bed early and want to do some shopping, we finally close about 9, have some dinner and then get dressed and go out ourselves, so as you can imagine trying to remember to take pics within this timeframe is kinda tough!

However I did take a couple and someone took one of us, so although it's limited I do have some!

As usually the Rockabilly Rave was a fabulous event full of fabulous people who know how to party....

First up big thanks go to Liz, Chris, Simon and Nina for the fabulous cocktails delivered to our stall on both Friday and Saturday night, they were so welcome just when we were wilting, a cocktail was delivered and we were rejuvenated YAY! See photo below....



Paul has his eyes closed in delight I think, although as you can see from the photo we have already consumed the contents, I can't remember what the cocktail was but I do remember it contained absinthe and 3 different types of rum, YUM!! I stole this photo from a friend on Facebook so please excuse the quality!

I didn't get to see many bands as by the time I got out I just wanted a dance & drink, as many of you will attest to who were there, apologies to all those unsuspecting victims I dragged up for a jive....

We did have a great time though and the most fabulous news was my husband took some of his paintings with him thinking people might be interested and buy, he sold all 3, we were both so proud! I'll take a pictures of his paintings one day, however I think paintings look awful when pictured with digital cameras but I'll give it a go.

I went around and took a few pics before people started arriving of the stalls, I know you would die with envy at the stuff that was there, to name but a few, Rocket Originals, Home Sweet Homestyle, Freddies of Pinewood along with some of the best vintage clothes dealers none of which have websites which I can link to sorry!



There's part of our stall set up next to Outerlimitz who were fabulous neighbours with fabulous clothes and accessories, and you know what they were next to me all weekend and I totally forgot to buy the parasol I was going to buy! Told you it got busy...



Here are Rocket Originals setting up, with Kay & Martin on the left and on the right Jan from Home Sweet Homestyle. This is what it's like before everyone arrives, everyone beavering away and also buying from each others stalls, we're all terrible for that! Some of my best customers are other stall holders!


 

There's Paul (my husband), Kay (still working hard!) and Debbie from Bumblebee Vintage Clothing.



Ah some rest before the madness begins, Jo from Freddies of Pinewood chatting to John Day who sells the most fabulous vintage clothes ever, no sorry he doesn't have a website.



So sad this pic came out so dark, John has some sensational stuff, but here's more!



Boy could I spend some money on this stall! I think in my life time I have also bought my whole body weight in shoes from John!

Sadly I didn't get pics of Debbie & Mickeys stall who also sell the best stuff, but you can see their stall in a previous post here, or Tamara's stall either, sorry guys!

All in all I had a great time, and last but certainly not least I was very very lucky to get a pair of these before they sold out YAY! Thanks Kay and Martin. I would highly recommend them as I haven't tried a softer pair of shoes in years, but as I said, you snooze you lose, they're sold out. But if you see them on ebay or wherever cos someones is parting with them get them!


Right now I have to catch up with the past weeks worth of work and sleep!!

Monday 14 June 2010

On the road again!

There will be blogging silence for a few days as I'm taking Notorious Kitsch on the road again.

We're off to the Rockabilly Rave but of course it's work work work with a bit of fun thrown in if I can stay awake long enough!

I love doing these events as I get to chat to  loads of friends who we only get to see once or twice a year.

I'm going to try to do a little video as usual however at these events I'm very tied to the stall so it won't be very inventive, but at least you'll see it from my point of view. We're sharing a chalet with Kay and Martin from Rocket Originals, more tempation coming my way no doubt, Kay is forever telling me what they have planned for the future and I just drool which is most unattractive!

These events are so different for me now as I work rather than party, I'm afraid I just can't work all day then party all night, I really want to but I can't!

However I thought you might be amused by a photo taken at Hemsby many many many years ago, we were clearly dressed in fancy dress and we called ourselves the Wild Women of Wonga! There were far more than photographed here, we were more like a mob!



We took the place by storm, won the fancy dress competition which was cash and we promptly converted it into cocktails! Some dutch courage was taken before we dared leave looking like this, so the cocktails kind of sent us over the edge. It was quite a night and I do know one of the ladies woke up looking exactly the same, with the plastic bone still in her hair!

Saturday 12 June 2010

Ah those were the days!

A really good friend of mine, Jerry Lunn, posted some old pics on Facebook the other day that he'd taken when we were both rather young! I had to put them up as I can't remember ever looking that good OR maybe I didn't realise at the time and now I'm looking back on it thinking damn, why didn't I know I looked like that!

These pics were my first photo shoot as a singer, I guess I was about 24, I can't quite remember but now almost 20 years ago! I loved that dress, it was soooo stunning, it was an organza over silk but incredibly delicate and one day it just finally fell apart, the shape of it though was to die for!




I'm really glad I had shots like this done in my younger days, not that I'm old but hey I don't look like this any more!

Hope you enjoy them!

Thursday 10 June 2010

Relaxing, how do you do it?

Really I'm serious, any tips welcome!

I have realised only in the last few months - yep finally at my age - I find it very very hard to relax! I do work very hard as I run my own business and that doesn't just mean a 9-5 situation, I'll often be working til 9 at night and very often at weekends, so when I get time off I want to make the most of it but I struggle like hell.

Of course this is exacerbated by the fact that I'm broke, and before you say anything I know that there are a lot of free things in life that are relaxing, I guess what I'm saying it going out for nice meals, days out or going shopping for the day are out of the question, oh and we don't have a bath just a walk in shower for Paul's accessibility, so a long hot soak is out, which I miss.

Anyway today I came across a photo which combines all the things that make me relax, so for now to relax I'm just going to stare at this photo!!



So what makes me relax? My lovely husband (mmm sometimes that is, sometimes he drives me insane!), the ocean, palm trees, blue skies and being in California. Really when I look at this photo it's like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders. I could really do with winning the lottery so I can get us back out there cos believe me there isn't much in way of blue skies and palm trees in the UK right now!

I am serious now, any tips for relaxing on the cheap, bear in mind, lack of funds & disabled husband so no long walks anywhere as I'll be doing it on my own!


Saturday 5 June 2010

Loving what you have - part 2!

My husband and I were talking this morning about a chair we used to have years ago, I have no idea what happened to it, we must have sold it, we have bought and then sold so much in the past 20+ years. Then it occurred to me that as someone who has been collecting mid century clothes, homewares and music for this long sometimes you forget what lovely things you already have, you are constantly searching for the next thing, believe me it's habit after all this time!

So I went around my home this afternoon and took pics of some of the things that go largely ignored but actually give me joy when I remember to look at them. I hope you like them too.

This Hula Honey sits on my bedside table, I love her. They have done so many of these recently in plastic but she's an original and made of some type of pottery, she's sadly got a couple of chips on her hair flower and at the end of her ukelele, but this just means she's been with me for a loooong time!


I also like the detail at the back with the little pineapple at the base!


This is one of those little ornaments that sits on a cabinet and you realise you haven't truly looked at it in years, it's rather cute isn't it, very 50s in colour and style, I have dragged him out and put him in a more prominent place!





These are the most fabulous drinks coasters in their own container. Again I forget I have these even though they are always there! Sad really cos they are lovely.


I have got loads more in the house that I know I don't appreciate enough - or in fact even notice! - but sometimes doing a post like this helps me to appreciate those little things I already have!

Friday 4 June 2010

A great ebay bargain!!

First of all I don't buy much as I'm trying to build my business and that comes first before me and stuff. I also don't really 'need' anything having collected for so many years, in fact I've been getting rid of things rather than buying them, however that doesn't mean I don't look! Well hey there could be something out there that you've been searching for years for, or you just can't live without, or whatever. Anyway I often look on ebay, it's window shopping for those without money, I can't trust myself to window shop at antique markets and fairs, I would spend money far too easily!

Anyway I rarely see things on ebay that I think are a bargain, I know people get them but clothes wise I certainly never see anything in my particular curvaceous size ;o) I do see some fabulous material but that always seems to go for a lot of money too, I used to get such bargains on there material wise!

But this week I bought something on ebay for the first time in AGES, and for 99p, yep 99p! I couldn't believe it, you know when you see something and you think they've put that in the wrong category, well clearly they had cos I scored it for 99p WHAHOO!

Here it is!




I know I wouldn't even get them that cheap in the US as I've seen similar stuff on my visits! I'm rather proud of my bargain.....

Have you scored any spectacular bargains lately?
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