Antiques, Cakes, and Pleats

Antiques - need  I say more? This past Sunday, after church, the hubs and I had a little adventure in what I'm now referring to as the Hogwarts of antique stores. Seriously, this place looks like a little old mill house from the outside, but when you get inside, the tiny rooms jam-packed with antiquated delights just keep going... and going... and going... and going. And going. After what seemed like the fifth floor of exploring, I turned to head downstairs, only to find that the staircase lead up to yet another floor of treasures. If you're anywhere near me over here in England, Bourne Mill Antiques in Farnham is totally worth a trip. I cannot emphasize that enough. And it's not hoity-toity antiques, either. Once we're moved into our new place, I'm going to be using finds from there to decorate our new abode at every opportunity.

On a completely unrelated note, I've been in the mood to bake things lately. It kind of sucks, because I can't eat what I'm cooking (the woes of the gluten-free life), but I suppose my waistline will thank me. That being said, it didn't stop me from concocting this vanilla cake with tangerine buttercream. If you like dense, moist cake and bright, sweet citrus, you'll probably fall head over heels. I know, I know, where's the recipe... I'll be popping it up on Street Cred as soon as I get a chance.

So yesterday I had to do a little sewing - put a button on Steve's coat, fix the hemline on my mother-in-law's skirt. But once I get into the sewing mood, there's no stopping me. Out came the vintage collection and the alterations began. This pleated teal early-1970's Leslie Fay dress is a favorite, but it needed a few nips and tucks before it was wardrobe ready. I love snatching up old Leslie Fay dresses in thrift stores whenever I can; my grandmother worked in their dressmaking factory, and it makes me wonder if maybe she had a hand in the making some of the dresses in my own collection (as if I needed a reason to have more emotional attachment to my vintage stash).

I'm really itching to go thrifting lately. I still can't get over the lack of true thrift stores in the UK - these charity shops just will not do. I want my massive warehouse of old stuff that I can browse through for hours, seeking out those gems that make it all worthwhile. It's a bit of a downer that I can't enjoy it as much as I used to, but I'm sure to get my fill (and bring an extra suitcase full back) next time I'm in the States.

*Apology for the blurry photos. I only had my phone on me in the antiques shop, and the dim lighting did not help!*

Car Boot-y

Apparently, due to more language barrier difficulties, I wasn't properly communicating what I wanted when I asked to go to a flea market here. To my current knowledge, what I should have been saying is "car boot sale". It's the same thing. It really is. It's a bunch of people who pull up in their cars/vans/trucks and unload random stuff onto folding tables to sell cheaply & quickly. And they're usually on a Sunday. I don't know what a flea market is over here, but from what I've gathered, there might be fleas involved and I probably should stay away. Lesson learned; another language barrier is overcome.

Sunday was bright and sunny, seemingly the last glimpse of warm weather for a while. After a lot of nagging over breakfast, I convinced  the hubs to drive me to a bi-weekly car boot sale in Ascot. I'm now even more excited to find our own place and begin decorating and filling it. The mid-century and antique furniture, the mixed ornamental china patterns, odd paintings, and travelers' treasures from all sorts of places laid on blankets and metal tabletops. We stood in awe at a table displaying one man's collection of WWII artifacts - German Uboat captains' uniforms and rings, Nazi soldier passport books filled with stamps and notes of where they had been stationed, medals, antique firearms and even movie props - like an old rifle used in the film We Were Soldiers. You just never know what you're going to find at one of these sales, and that's what makes them so much fun to browse.

I managed to wander away with a hippie-esque floral dress for £2, and an antique lapis lazuli bracelet (if you've seen my outfit posts, you'll know how much I love lapis). I'm still sitting here dreaming of "the ones that got away": a long vintage mink coat, a retro picnic basket, and a small antique bistro table & chairs painted with delicate flowers and birds. I think that my personal heaven would be wandering around car boot (flea market) sales for eternity.

As far as the photos go, this was my first time playing with Lightroom. The pics were all taken on my phone, so I had limited resources to work with, as well. I'm still unsure how I feel about it; I know that it's a lot simpler than Photoshop, and quicker, but as a control freak I'm partial to the precise handling that only Photoshop allows. Oh well! Practice makes perfect.

Back At It

It didn't take me long to sniff out a few thrift stores over here. In fact, I found a street in town that has about 5 of them. They're not the massive Salvation Army warehouse types that I'm used to; they're more like small boutiquey places, each run by a different charity organization. I've already found a dress that I'm loving - this mixed floral number is so cute and easy to wear, and I can throw a cardigan over it to transition into the cooler weather we're already having. Can't wait to keep exploring and see what all these local charity shops have to offer my wardrobe!