Matador print

Another brilliant bargain vintage print from Spiral charity shop - possibly 1950s? Change from a fiver at £3.

The merits of Midwinter

The birthday treats keep coming - the joys of being born in a month when people are away on their hols. Below are a couple of very well-picked gifts from a friend and fellow Midwinter ceramics fan: a Sienna vegetable tureen and yellow tea cup and saucer with pretty pussy willow detail.


The latter is perfect for a ginger and lemon herbal tea and dark chocolate fix. Yums.

From fine to fabulous - exciting hair news

Fine-haired women rejoice - Trevor Sorbie claim to have devised a way to put a spring in your step with a permanent wave treatment. Similar to the Eighties' perms of your-mum's-head fame, the waves will last until they grow out.

The treatment is only available at the Covent Garden salon from 2 September, priced at £180, but will likely to be rolled out to regional branches if it proves a success. And with big Seventies hair, well, big at the moment, and my locks frustratingly flat, I'll be first in line to trial 'The New Wave' when it comes to Brighton.


Oh, and while I'm talking about hair, I have to mention my recent bargain hair care revelation: Creighton's Beautiful Brunette range, which has made my aforementioned lifeless hair multi-tonal, thicker and super-soft over the past week. And where is this magical serum sold you ask (we'll, you don't, but Im going to tell you anyway) not at Trevor Sorbie or any other fancy salon, but Poundland - POUNDLAND! Now that is a product worth stockpiling.

West German pottery

Like many mid-century lovers, I'm a big fan of West German pottery. The geometric patterns, abstract artwork and textured finish makes the pieces an interesting addition to any living space, and instantly recognisable as designs from the post-war years.

Whilst not being uncommon, the demand for West German pottery - or W. German as the pieces are marked on the base - has pushed prices up over the past decade. However, I was lucky enough to receive a lovely small blue vase as a wedding present last year and recently picked up a large floor vase for just £5 and a small plant pot for 50p at the Brighton BHASVIC car boot sale - total bargains!

Large floor vase - £5, BHASVIC car boot sale

Small plant pot - 50p, BHASVIC car boot sale

Small vase, wedding present

H&M's cosy new season trends

On Thursday 25th August, H&M will open its first ever shop-in-shop on the ground floor of Selfridges in London, which will include a selection guest curated for the launch by super-cool DJ and model, Leigh Lezark.


"The curated pieces are, I feel, modern classics everyone should have in their wardrobes," Leigh said. Adding that she's "tried to throw in some colour", in reference to her love of all things black.

From the preview, it's clear that we're not talking about bold and bright colour pops, but rather a muted pallette that fits with this season's Sixties' vibe, championed in Vogue's Autumn/Winter 2011 Runway Roundup.



But while I'm not sure that "everyone" should have jersey mustard-coloured hotpants in their wardrobe (I certainly should not), the soft-line cocoon pieces Leigh has chosen look very wearable for the winter.

I'd be quite happy to hibernate in the over-sized cardigan from January through March.

Chair charity

I love getting things for free - who doesn't - and I also enjoy a bit of a project, so when I came across this mid-century hardwood chair covered in paint and grime our by the bins (I really should have taken a 'before' photo - it was in a sorry state), I felt that it deserved a second chance.

A good scrub, sand down and layer of varnish later, it's been given a new lease of life and a home in my bedroom. Typical of mid-century style, it's sleek but simple, practical and timeless. And I think it's quite beautiful.




If anyone thinks they know who may of manufactured this style, I'd be very interested to know.

Birthday treats

It was my birthday last week, and I was well and truly spoilt. Not only did I enjoy a delicious over-indulgent tapas meal with friends, complete with chocolate mousse birthday cake, my lovely husband presented me with a Roberts Revival radio, now filling my ears with new tunes courtesy of 6 Music whenever I'm in the house, and two Ridgeway Parisienne plates (picked up last weekend at the fantastic Brighton Retro Fair).



I also treated myself to a pair of Melissa for Vivienne Westwood jelly skull-detail powder pink heels, reduced from £120 to £49 through designer sale site Cocosa.com - still more than I'd usually spend on shoes but a real investment bargain!