I was rummaging through some pictures that hadn't yet made it onto the blog, and came across these; destined for an outfit post that never materialised. So here they are now!

This is what I decided to wear to this years Brighton Tattoo Convention back in the depths of chilly winter. Not that I'm complaining about the current glorious sunshine and warmth, but I doubt I'll be getting a chance to throw this jacket on again for a while, and it seems a shame to hide it away another 6 months, heh. 

I don't tend to frequent Beyond Retro very often, but popped in to show a family friend's teenage daughter that vintage clothes didn't equate to grandma's clothes and that I wasn't weird for wearing something someone else didn't want. She changed her tune pretty quickly once inside, and I happened to stumble across this jaw dropper of a jacket. Wowser, are those some shoulders or what?! I like to call this one my Cruella Deville jacket.

I also got twiddling with my hair, one does have to make an effort for the Tattoo Convention, and I love the people watching! Looking at these pictures has reminded me that I've gotten lazy with my hair of late and really should start putting a bit more of an effort back into it. I can't even remember how I did this, but I'm sure going to give it another go :)

Outfit details:

Vintage fur Jacket - Beyond Retro, Brighton

Dress - Etsy

Vintage wool Scarf - raided from the Mister's stash

Vintage black velvet Hat - Lewes Flea Market

Sunglasses - Betsy Johnson

Bag - Christmas Present

Yellow Pumps - Primarni

Much love from Brighton,

L.J.

XXX

More Crochet Flowers!

After having shown you my most recent crochet project in its finished state, I thought I'd share with you how the idea came about. 

My friend was getting married and had asked all the girls to get together to make some flowers up for her bouquet (which turned out stunning by the way, such a genius idea of hers!). After an evening of wine and stitching and bitching, I felt really inspired to have a go at making some out of crochet instead of fabric. I found a basic pattern online and altered it slightly to make it my own design, and attached them to pipe cleaners wrapped in green wool as a stem. With a few added leaves, they looked quite pretty, but what could I actually do with them?

They sat in a project box for a month or so until I came across them again and had a light bulb moment.....why not weave a few of them together and stick a few hair pins through the stems? Voila....one crochet flower hair slide done! And here was my very first attempt:

Say hello to Charlie Beagle!

A little close up of the flowers. I also wrapped one around my finger to make up a ring. I was really pleased with how this turned out, hence why I've been trying to come up with a more polished version. I think this could easily be used as a statement broach/pin on a jacket, dress or even bag, so I'm thinking of making them multifunctional, what do you recon? 

Much love from Brighton, 

L.J.

&

Charlie

XXX

And now you're back, from outer space...

...however no sad faces being sported here!

I'm back again! I can't believe the last time I popped on here was in April, how time has flown! Hope you've all been well?

So you might have been wondering where I disappeared to after my previous promise of returning. Well, I've been spending a little time really thinking about what it is I want to do, what's important, makes me happy and gives me fulfillment in life. I've realised I've recently been moaning and groaning that I never had enough time to do the things that I'd enjoyed, such as crafting, spending time catching up with friends and family, and making plans for the future. A lot of my time had been wrapped up in work and studying for work, and the dark winter and frightfully chilly miserable spring just wasn't motivating me to do anything other than the essentials. I've finally got a summer break from evening classes, and I'm taking a slightly scary jump into a new job starting a week on Monday (wish me luck!). I finally have the time and freedom again to get creative, which includes a long overdue and missed return to blogging. 

The Mister and I have also just returned from a 3 day holiday along the coast on a little beach just down the road from Bexhill. We've had the most amazing time exploring Hastings and Rye for the first time, and met some lovely people as well as found some amazing beauty spots to take in the views. I feel totally refreshed and recharged, and today's sunshine back in Brighton has just put the cherry on the cake. I feel like a new person. A new person who's been a busy bee crocheting away at a new project. Can you see what it is yet?

For anyone who keeps an eye on my Facebook page, I posted a few pictures up of crochet bits and bobs I've been churning out, including some red roses which I fashioned into a makeshift hair-slide. I got some really lovely feedback off the back of it, and so I thought I'd try my hand at a more finished crochet piece. 

Featuring a green crochet base and two crochet roses in pinks, I added some snowdrops, a little robin (picked up in Hastings!) and a couple of vintage buttons from my stash, I'm rather pleased with this one! What do you think?

I've made a couple of these in different colours with different flowers and bits and bobs from my overflowing hoard of haberdashery. The Mister and I will be holding a stall at the July Johnny loves June Vintage fair in Shoreham on the 21st and I'm hoping to be able to test the water and see if anyone would like to take one home with them. Keeping my fingers crossed, it would be a dream to someday somehow make a living from a hobby! 

So on to today's happenings. The Mister and I decided that 3 rounds of Crazy Golf at the Hastings International Championship Mini Golf course on Thursday wasn't enough, and that we had a score to settle. If you didn't know already, we're a little Crazy Gold mad and play quite a lot! Today's arena: Brighton Adventure Golf on Madeira Drive. Here's me sporting my best golfer's pose:

For any fellow lovers of The Chap Magazine you might recognise the setting from one of their covers. Unfortunately for me, the Mister won this round after I royally ballsed up on the first 2 holes (the course was faster than I thought...my excuse and I'm sticking to it, hehe!), although I did managed to score at least 1 hole-in-one. Next time!!

Outfit:

Flower hair-slide - Made by Me!

Vintage bangle - Roedean Vintage & Collectors Fair

Vintage pale pink knitted top - Charity Shop, Haywards Heath

Vintage pink wool cardi - Lewes Flea Market

High waisted pedal pushers - Rye

Mexican blanket pumps - Primarni

Much love from sunny Brighton,

L.J.

XXX

A very Seventies Sunday Best

The Mister's Mum has just passed on a couple of her 70's dresses to me after a bit of a clear out at home. I don't normally think of wearing 70's bits as I didn't think they were my style, but after being given some, and playing around a little with some other bits in my wardrobe, I've finally managed to find a way of making 70's work for me!

I've teamed it up with a a very wide brimmed fedora hat, a crochet shrug made by moi with a vintage fur collar attached and a chunkywood necklace purchased from a flea market, so date and origin a mystery heh. 

It turned out quite the windy day. Wind + Fedora = chasing after hats through the park. Our neighbours must think we are rather odd, but at least it gives them something to natter about ;) 

Dress - 70's family hand-me-down

Hat - T K Maxx

Shrug - made-by-me!

Vintage Fur Collar - Marina Boot Fair

Necklace - Seaford Flea Market

Boots - T K Maxx

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx

Experiments in Crochet

 I've mentioned previously that I've been devoting a lot of my spare time on developing my crochet skills and working on more projects. I was taught by my babysitter when I was around 6 how to crochet, but after a few failed attempts at making bits and bobs in my teenage years, and not having the patience to stick to patterns, I forgot all about it and started sewing instead. Last year however I vowed to change that and get back into crochet, thanks to my very inspiring friend Miss Amy Phipps, who, together with She's called Claire own and run Super + Super HQ. Amy taught me how to Hairpin Lace Crochet in July and reminded me how much fun it is to work with wool, and also how easy it is to improvise once you've learnt your basics.

I've now passed on some of my knowledge and taught a few friends, two in particular (you know who you are!) who have picked it up stupendously quick and have made some amazing piecesalready, in under a years worth of time!

When I've not been helping others along with their projects, I've been learning how to freeform and improvise to come up with new ideas. I'm so sad I forgot to take any pictures of the Christmas presents I made this year, so I've been making sure I document projects since then, including these two pillows:

I saw a pattern for a circular owl on Pinterest, and used it to come up with my own circular designed owl, and then a little fox too! Both pieces are worked in the round, changing colours as you work. That's definitely a new trick I've learnt this year, changing colours properly and neatly in the right stitch so you get crisp lines. Really really pleased with how these two turned out, and I've had lots of offers of adoption for these tow, who will be making their way to their new homes shortly :)

What do you think?

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx

A Frosty Spring Walk

These pictures were taken in February, I never got around to putting them up on here but still wanted to share them with you because it was such a pretty afternoon in Tilgate Park, even if it was freezing cold!

We were out on our weekly Saturday afternoon walk with Charlie Beagle and stopped to take a couple of snaps of one of my recent acquisition; a thick 70's wool tweed jacket to keep out the chills.

I fell in love with the lapels of the jacket, that curve! And the green white flecked wool went perfectly against my freshly dyed auburn hair. People ask if it's my natural colour, alas it is not! I've wanted to be a natural red head all my life though, does that count? 

(should have remembered to move our cups of tea out the way though, oops!)

As I've mentioned previously I've not really been curling my hair much recently, but have been pinning up the front bits and playing around instead. Here is one such example, I've pinned up 3 curls from the centre front down the side to swoop it out of my face. Quite liked how this one turned out :)

And some detailing from the back. I don't know what the technical terminology for it is, but I really like the triangular reinforcement bits either end of the back vent, I'd really like to try something like that out on a future project...not quite sure what yet....just know I'd like to. Any ideas what that's called?

Much Love from Brighton,

L.J.

XXX

Tilgate Park, Crawley

She's Alive!

Well hello there, long time no blog! 

I cannot believe I haven't been back on here since January... I swear I've lost the plot a little of late, because I have no idea where the last 3 months have gone! I am putting it down to studying by night, working by day, and stuffing in as many woolly crochet projects as I possible could in between, I just haven't had the time to get myself blogging again. But I really have missed it, and all your lovely messages while I've been on a little blog-break have made me itch to get back into it. 

And I had to pinch myself when I logged on earlier this week...I've sped past the 100+ followers mark in my absence *jaw drops* THANK YOU!!!!

So I thought I should get back into things with a little outfit post, a Sunday Best! Thank you everyone who has been taking part and spreading the love of the Sunday Best Campaign, I have a lot of reading to catch up on and can't wait to see :) 

Without further ado, a collection of snaps prancing about on Kemptown seafront, in a nice quiet spot down from our flat:

The Mister and I headed over to Shoreham yesterday for the 1st Johnny loves June Vintage Fair. For a first time, it was packed and now on my favourites list! Forgot to take my camera along, d'oh, but managed to pick up this pretty little springtime dress for £10. Bargain! 

I paired it up with a little jacket from a To Be Worn Again kilo sale and it being super light, probably set me back around £2. Have I mentioned that I love a good bargain?  It has the cutest elephant buttons and an embroidered elephant on the collar, super sweet! 

In my time away I've got a little lazy when it comes to doing my hair, and have been keeping it in its natural state and haven't curled it (apart from an aaaaaaaamazing photoshoot I did recently which I will tell you all about this week, promise!). However, I've been loving playing around with pinning bits of it up, and have nearly mastered the art of finishing getting up and out the house in under 20 minutes; there are upshots of being super busy sometimes, heh. 

Also, my hair seems to have grown a hell of a lot!

It's really lovely to be back again, and I'm finding it really inspiring getting back into reading all the blogs out there and finding new ones again. I've missed it, and I shall try my best to get back into being online again as often as possible, but please do bear with me should I seem to disappear off the planet again, I will be back!

Dress - Johnny Loves June Vintage Fair, Shoreham

Jacket - To Be Worn Again

Petticoat - family hand-me-down

Gloves - Flea Market, Lewes

Sunglasses - Betsey Johnson

Much Love from Brighton,

 L.J.

XXX

Oh I do love to be beside the Seaside!

I do love Brighton Beach, but sometimes it's nice to head along the coast to the less touristy parts of our beautiful Sussex Coast. 

Having worked in Worthing for 5 years up until a recent change in career, I forgot how much I love the more rustic and old-school seaside town it is. Lancing is just round the corner, and on a recent charity shop hunting trip, the Mister and I decided to finish the day with a stroll along the promenade, and a spot of posing with the fishing boats...as you do!

On a windy day like this, headscarves are called for!

You will very rarely spot me in jeans, these are the only pair I own, but am looking to invest in some new ones. If anyone has managed to find some perfect jeans, please do tell! I have spent years on the look out to no avail.

I've also been messing about and experimenting with hair-do's a little more after having picked up a few tips from the Vintage Hair Lounge. Would highly recommend you pay them a visit if you ever get the chance, they are a lovely duo and have so much knowledge to share, very inspirational! I shall be posting up a picture tutorial very shortly as requested :) thank you for all your lovely comments!

On a hint from a charity shop manager in Shoreham, we made our way to Green House in Lancing, the most humongous charity shop I have ever had the luck of coming across. Jaw dropping stuff, the place was an actual warehouse and was stuffed to bursting point with furniture, bric a brac, clothes and an amazing haberdashery section to boot. Not only that, but they were selling some 70's G-plan-esque furniture from £20!!!! If we only had room in our little den... 

Go bag yourself a bargain!

Much Love from Lancing,

L.J.

xxx

Pussycat Pussycat, Where have you been?!

...I've been up to London to visit the Queen.

Well....not really (but I do wish!)....haha! 

A very belated Happy New Year to all, and an even more so belated Merry Christmas! 

I decided to put down the keyboard over the festive period so I could crack on and get the mountain of presents finished, and then just enjoy and indulge myself. I'm happy to report this plan was a great success, however many a box of chocolates have had to offer themselves up and are no longer with us ;) well worth it!

Christmas was spent with my nearest and dearest, and I have to admit, I was itching for them all to open up their presents, this was after all my very first home made Christmas! Stupidly, I failed to take pictures of 99% of the presents I made, so cannot share them with my lovely readers :( sorry. Will do better next year.

I absolutely loved making everyone's presents, and have learnt a few lessons for next year:

Leave more time for completion

Vary the crafting techniques (not everything has to be crocheted!)

Plan further ahead and prep. I have leftover bits and bobs coming out my ears!

However, one present I can share with you is what I made for the little furry ones in my life. I realised none of them had their own stockings, so of course it was my duty to make them, and stuff them full of home baked dog biscuits. Of course the cat didn't miss out, she got catnip instead (very funny!). So here is one of them, made for Charlie Beagle:

I was so happy with how these turned out, and they loved them just as much, as Maisy can prove. I'm thinking of making a few of these for the local dogs trust.

Now normality has returned, I fully intend to make a come back to the blogosphere; it brings me so much joy writing this blog, and how I have missed it so.

Much love from Brighton,

L.J.

xxx