When it rains, it pours!

These have been a rather bad few days indeed.

After thinking I had successfully killed the recent virus on my laptop, I turned it on on Monday and was greeted by a rather frightening 'FATAL ERROR!' message....rebooted...gone!!! Everything, and I mean everything, has been whipped clean off my laptop!

I had a little cry...then persisted at screaming expletives at the laptop in various languages...then continued screaming expletives at the virus designer...calmed down a tad, and got on with it. It has taken 3 days of research and endless downloads (onto cds!) of data recovery programmes, and at last! I have managed to find everything again : )

The only thing I care about on this laptop are my pictures...and stupidly I have not backed them up anywhere! I have had to spend a pretty penny to get the full version of the programme to recover it all, but I think anyone will be able to understand the pain of losing all your pictures from the past 4 years...

So as of tomorrow, once Dad kindly lends me his external hard drive, I will be all back to normal, and with a stupid amount of posts to put up here, since I never got a chance to after promising I would on Sunday. And lots has happened in the past 3 days!

I will try and attempt to post at least one thing up tonight, as I am sick of reading IT programmes and information. My brain hurts.

Back Soon!

L.J.

xxx

Help! Blog Issues!

for some reason my pictures won't publish in the right size and seem to have shrunk to a tiny speck! Does anyone know what I can do to fix the problem? Or can anyone tell me if the pictures in my last post have published the right way? A little worried as I've only just deleted a virus off my laptop!

Thank you all : )

L.J.
xxx

I'm Back!

Hello All!

Sorry for being terribly quiet this past week. I've been a tad under the weather, and tucked up in bed, then travelling all the way up to Coventry on Friday to go pick up the new member of the Jardin family. The Mister's new Mistress, Tilly Triumph.

Behold the Mighty 1976 Triumph 2500S Estate:



Just a few quick shots, but we'll head out and take some proper ones next weekend. Needless to say, the Mister made the entire journey home smiling like cheshire cat!

Full update tomorrow! Been a busy bee and much to catch up on, so expect to see quite a few posts this week. Have to show you my latest trinkets from last weekends rummage through the Laines, the Pioneer Bike Run, Our Trip to Cheltenham, and the finds to go with it, and my Granddad's 75th Birthday dinner. Happy Birthday Grampy!

Until tomorrow!

Much Love from Brighton

This is me on an 'I'm too ill to bother' Day

L.J.

xxx

Late Night Hair Styling

Just a quick one as it's a tad late and I have work tomorrw, super early. But I popped back up to see Paula at Hair Essentials in Burgess Hill today as she needed to style my hair for the Wella Hair Competition.

She not only styled my hair but also did my make up, and then headed over to Photo Box in the Martlets for an impromptu shoot. I wasn't expecting a full length photo shoot, so hadn't changed frome earlier, but I think the Green went quite well with my hair : )

earlier on in Brighton

during

after!

Also popped round the the parents and had a play with their new dog Maisy. She's a Jack Russel Chihuahua cross from Brighton RSPCA. She's very sweet indeed, and was so excited, she peed all over my new shoes!!! Oh well, puppies will be puppies, at least the wear leather so wiped clean!

Will post a proper Update tomorrow as we went along to the Pioneer Run on Madiera Drive today. Very Very good day and lots more thirfts  : ) my first outing in a bullet bra tomorrow me thinks! A little nervous, might make me a little self concious at first, but I've been waiting a little while now.

Good Night from Brighton!

L.J.

xxx

New Hair, New thrifts, and New glasses!

Today was such a beautiful day in Brighton, waking up and seeing the sunshine through the curtains...what a great start!

Off we went to Ace Cafe's InCarNation, sun shining, lots and lots of gleaming cars.....and loud thumping music. I think I would have preferred it without the music to be honest! It didn't exactly live up to how I had imagined it, instead of all the hot rods and classics I was expecting, rows of body kitted, fully lowered, bass amp madness were in their place. I feel bad for saying this, but it was really not my cup of tea.

I like to keep an open mind, and understand that, like in music, art, and clothing, there are different genres of cars. This was not my genre.

I felt rather out of place, surrounded by a host of aging boy racers, and 20 something girls parading around nearly naked, and looking a tad orange for my liking. I felt rather frumpy next to them, but who wouldn't when you're confronted with fake boobed, flat stomached, leggy brunettes in slashed tops and a belt of a skirt? Sorry, I'm sure they're lovely girls, but still...it was all a bit in your face.

Anyway, there were some nice cars, and I can appreciate that their owners dedicate a lot of time, love and money on their pride and joy, just as the Mister will soon when the classic arrives.

It was a nice stroll anyway, met some nice people, and soaked up the sun.

We had to head up to Haywards Heath to run some errands, and ended up having a rummage through the charity shops. I always imagined the Heath being quite glamorous in the 30s, as it has loads of beautiful, but aged, art deco buildings, if you juts look up above the high street. I took some while out, and still think Cafe Rouge is one of the best kept ones:

And todays finds:

Ok, not an actual find, but what I wore today. Been playing around with a head scarf for a bit:

Green Dress from Cancer Research for £6.50, one of my favourite colours

Genuine Welsh Wool bag, that'll make Dad and Jen happy ; )

Patterns! And only 99p each! had to resist buying the whole box full!

Cannot wait to get started on this one!

Yet another dress. Bad me. This one's from British Heart Foundation, for £7.99. Perfect for Spring!

I think I did quite well today! 2 dresses, a bag, 4 patterns and less than £30 spent!

I've been meaning to put up some pictures of my new glasses for a while. I actually bought them in January from Frames in the Lanes, from a collection by Dead Man's Spex. I'd been drooling over the website for a while, but wasn't keen on buying a pair without being able to try them on first. Glasses are one of those things you can never be sure of unless you try them first. So imagine my joy when I saw they were stocking them in Brighton!

The Ladies are so helpful, it was a pleasure to try on every pair they had! And I was surprised to find that having Vintage glasses adjusted and fitted with your own perscription is no more expensive than buying a new pair from Specsavers. Never again will I go to the highstreet!

Mine are a pair made by Artcraft, who are still going to this day. I love them!

I'm slowly getting used to my hair now, and started playing around with different styles again. It always seems to take a little while before you get the confidence to play about with a new style I think.

Hope everyone enjoyed the sunshine and blue skys!

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx

Hair Update

Thank you everyone for your help re my hair dilemma! On Tuesday, I finally took the plunge, and hit the bottle. The lovely Paula at Hair Essentials in Burgess Hill, who also does my mum's hair, is taking part in this years Wella Hair Competition, and asked me to be her model, as her theme is all about Vintage, and obvously, red red red!

I have to say, a huge thank you to Paula. She was really fantastic, didn't mind the endless questions I asked her, and explained everything she was doing to me, and also gave me hints and tips on which products I should, or rather shouldn't, be using. Anyone in need of a hair cut in Sussex? Head over to Hair Essentials, and tell them I sent you ; )

Excuse the rubbish photo, I had just got home from having it dyed on Tuesday and headed straight to bed, hence why I am in my PJ's!

Much Love from Brighton

L.J.

xxx

Confessions of a Sewing Machine Junkie

Welcome to my sewing Station:





This is my workhorse. My parents bought her for me as a moving out present 4 years ago. She came from the wonderful Brighton Sewing Centre, who are based over in the North Laines in Brighton. I like to call her Elly.

She's an Elna Air Electronic SU from 1978, and she has done me proud. She even made winter jackets for the Beagles! But sadly she is now making horrible noises and I think she needs a trip to Sewing Machine Hospital. Off back to the Sewing Centre she goes.

My mum has been going there since we moved to England, so about 10 years now, and I just found out that Jenny Leggings over at Jeggings does Vintage works there too! They also have lots of arts and crafts courses running, such as 'Learn to embroider, the old fashioned way', run by the lovely Miss Amy Phipps, who I have the pleasure of calling a dear friend and occasional tutor.

One day, the Mister came to pick me up from work, and pointed at the back seat. First, I didn't realise what it was....had he bought me another suitcase? (I'm in desperate need of more storage) was it a big jewellery box? what was it?!

And then he told me to open it:

I must say, this has got to be one of the best presents the Mister has bought me....there are alot of presents in the running for the grand prize, but this is right up there! He'd seen it in a charity shop at an undiscolsed location, and thought of me straight away. I have always wanted an old school Singer, and it came with all the original bits and bobs, even the instructions and a very old looking ruler!

I haven't used this one yet, and it's a manual hand crank, so not sure I'll fare too well, but I'll give it a go some day soon.

Next up, this cute little children's sewing machine. Another present from the Mister, again, Charity shop find, but I had never seen one before. That's what started off my hunt for more miniatures!

One day while out shopping in Lewes, I picked up my favourite yet. A pillarbox red kids machine, named the Vulcan, and in it's original box too! The chap who sold it for me knew how excited I was about buying it a week earlier, but found I didnt have enough money, and pay day was another week away. So I kept all my fingers and toes crossed for the next 7 days, went back, and she was still there! He'd put her aside for me out of view, so no one would find her while I was gone. He even took my details and said he'll call me if he comes across any others.

I think my favourite detail of this one is the streamlining along the top, and that it's made right here in England.

So imagine my excitement when I popped along to the local Shelter and found this:

The thing I enjoy the most when I come across a possible future sewing machine, is lifting off the lid. What wonders would be under this one? What state would it be in? And how many spares do I have to find before I can use it?!?

Lo and behold, my new Singer, a 1974 model, complete with electric foot, spare bulbs, the original manual, and lots of spare bobbins. I fell in love. It needed a good home, and by Jove I shall give it one! So while Elly is off to Rehab for a little, I shall get acquainted to my new addition...

I am an addict.

And I love it.

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J

xxx

Village Vintage

I picked up the Friday-Ad for the first time in donkey's years while house sitting in the countryside near Cuckfield, and came across a little Ad for a vintage fair in Lindfield, Village Vintage.

Held in the quaint King Edward Hall in Lindfield, I didn't really know what to expect. I've not seen it advertised elsewhere, and it proved to be a little gem of a secret.

The hall was rammed full of stalls and it was a bit of a push to get round everything, fighting through the crowds. This crowd, however, were a little different. Gone were the hordes of 20 somethings, the trendies looking for that Maxi dress no one else will have, replaced by a buzzing crowd of collectors, and a vast majority of yummy mummy's. A very different crowd indeed.

But this made for a different collection of stalls too, lots of habidashery, baby clothes, and homeware, with a few clothes stalls wedged in between. A lovely tea room serving home made cakes, and banners hanging from the walls!

I drooled over many a glamorous frock, having to pass them over as I'm on a very tight Budget right now, but I couldn't pass these by.

An 80's, never been worn, white linen skirt. I think this'll do quite nicely for the Summer, rolling round the seaside:

This red and gold striped dress. The lady who sold it to me told me this used to be her Aunts. A very stylish Aunt indeed! and a snip at £12!

And from the same Aunt, this cute little Boater, for just £5:

Also found a bag and some gloves to go with the dress I have now finally finished. I'm waiting for the weather to improve a little, and then I'll wear the whole outfit to take some pics. Quite excited actually!

Gloves, £3:

Bags, £5 & £3:

In other News, the Mister and I had the pleasure of looking after the Beagles, and also popping in on the parents place. The Beagles look rather happy in my dog's old basket, although it was a bit of a squish!

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx