vintage – It's Only Vintage But I like it…

Tag: vintage

08
Jul
2017

It’s only Crofton but I like it…

I wasn’t familiar with Crofton until I saw a post on Instagram – I do find, once you’ve filled up your followers lists with people who have the same interests and obsessions as you, Instagram is a great way of discovering things!
Somebody posted a photo of some lovely enamelware – a weakness of mine! I assumed it was Orla Kiely, from the design, but it turned out to be Aldi’s new range of homeware, which was apparently introduced this week.

Well, call me shallow, but after I’d given Baby his toast and first taste of scrambled egg this morning (we are all loving the weaning!) I knew what my mission for the day was.

We headed to our nearest Aldi and gave the range the once over. I was very restrained and only bought the oven dish – I know I’ll use that, whereas the casserole dish – though lovely – will rarely get any use as I don’t often cook casseroles and if I do, with only two of us to eat them, they aren’t that large! It was tough to walk away with only one piece though: those green decals do appeal to something deep inside my soul!

I looked at some of the other bits in the range, and quite liked this storage jar and the pastel pans too. If you’re a fan of the vintage mid century designs and pastel colours it’s definitely worth checking out as a budget alternative. You may need to be quick though, I’ve a feeling it’ll be popular!

It is with a thrifty head on I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

22
Jun
2017

It’s only Squirrel Confections but I like it…

Categories: Home

It’s been a little while. I had assumed my blog might take something of a backseat once Baby was here but I couldn’t have predicted just how all consuming this motherhood business is! We’ve had a little bit of illness, a family wedding and we’ve been battling the intense heat this week, but we’ve survived (and even enjoyed aspects of) it all.

One thing Bubba and I do usually get to do in a week is have a charity shop rummage. In our little part of Southampton there are many charity shops in a half mile radius and we have had quite a bit of success recently. My favourite find is this tin.

I had never heard of Squirrel Confections but the name and concept delighted me so, that I just had to have the tin, even though its condition wasn’t great. A bit of research tells me that Squirrel Confections produced (and seem to still produce) a few varieties of gummy sweets. My Mum remembers buying them from her village shop, asking the shop keeper for “Some of them Squirrel Sweets”.

As usual, I have no idea where it will live or what I’ll use it for, but… I’m sure once I’ve cleaned it up, I’ll think of something!

It is with a craving for wine gums, I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

02
May
2017

It’s only Robin’s Nest Emporium but I like it!

Categories: Home, Vintage

It is always pleasing to see a new independent business pop up. We see many come and go as the current economic climate makes it so tricky to survive.

One of the latest ventures on the on the South Coast that caught my interest is Robin’s Nest Emporium.

It is quite out of the way, but well signposted, so bubba and I managed to find it on foot without too much trouble.

Once inside it wasn’t long before I started to spot some tempting items. This Homemaker China caught my eye, but I’m trying to be sensible at the moment, given that I’m on maternity pay!

There was some gorgeous Meakin china too. Plenty of nice finds if you’re a ceramic-aholic like me!

I would have loved to have taken home either this gymnasium horse or the collapsible village hall seating. I once saw a gym horse being used as seating next to a breakfast bar and it was incredible.

I was particularly taken with this upcycled bedroom furniture – it would be so cute in Baby Vintage’s room, but my sister persuaded me we could have a go at doing it ourselves. She’s nothing if not optimistic!

I have to say, on the whole, I was quite impressed with the prices. Obviously, the Emporium is made up of stands from individual sellers, so the prices vary, but I felt they were generally reasonable.

If you get peckish there’s a cafe which looked very inviting. I think next time we might make our visit a lunch date…

So the real test – did I buy anything? I wrestled with my conscience over the purchase of lots of things, but my treat that day was another vintage milk bottle for my collection. Blue Riband biscuits remind me of my grandad, as he always had some in his biscuit tin.

My verdict is that it’s definitely worth a visit, with a good range of bric-a-brac and furniture, plus some modern retro items for your home, I doubt you’ll manage to leave empty handed.

It is with a wistful longing for a Blue Riband I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

06
Apr
2017

It’s only a Lemon Possett but I like it…

Categories: Food, Vintage

Suddenly Spring is here and it’s nearly Easter! My little man is gorgeous but he’s quite the time waster! Between playing with him, snuggling him and the actual job of caring for him (not to mention the amount of cleaning and laundry he contributes to) I don’t seem to have time for much else!

We have family visiting for the Easter weekend which I’m really looking forward to. I like spending holidays with family and it seems all the more appropriate now I have a little one – I want him to know and cherish his extended family, so it’s good to start early.

I’ve been menu planning this week and chose a rather drizzly day to try out some recipes.

I decided it was time I tried an old favourite – Lemon Possett. I first heard of this in an episode of The Box of Delights. After an icy dip in a river, one of the children asks the maid if she can make him a possett to eat. Having done some research it seems the possett has changed a little over the years. It is definitely vintage – dating back to medieval times when it was a warm milky drink, whereas today it’s somehow become a smooth creamy dessert.

It’s a very easy thing to make. Just three ingredients, only a few minutes of preparation – and allow a few hours to chill of course. I used James Martin’s recipe (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lemonpossetwithlemon_85812) but there doesn’t seem to be much variation in methods. There are a few different flavours – I plan to try the orange and the rhubarb versions!

I served it in my Woodsware Iris teacups with a little shortbread biscuit on the side. Really rather pleased with the overall look. It would be a very good dinner party dessert as it can be prepared the day before, the flavour is lovely and the silky texture makes it feel like a luxurious desssert even though it’s quick and easy to make. For some reason, light, citrussy flavours seem apt for Spring, making it a perfect addition to my Easter meal.

It is with a menu planning head on I say:

It’s only Vintage but I like It!

18
Mar
2017

It’s only a Charity Shop find but I like it…

Categories: Home

It’s been a while since I’ve posted – my little man and I have been busy! Here’s a little round up of the charity shop finds I’ve had. Turns out that maternity leave is a great chance to bag vintage bargains! This stripy Hornsea flour shaker is in lovely condition. I haven’t decided if I’ll keep it or not. It’s a bit 80s for me but at 99p I couldn’t resist!

This little jug was only 10p in a charity shop that was having a sale. Couldn’t resist it, and the bubbles in it might show that it’s quite old. I do love coloured glass.

I once saw a teapot, sugar bowl and milk jug in this Poole Pottery Twintone on a car boot sale and I didn’t buy it. Are you ever haunted by things you didn’t buy? I am. Not this time! I love the colours (ice blue and dove grey) and the shapes of this set.

I also found this cute vintage mirror for a fiver. It’s now hanging in my downstairs bathroom. Baby and I are off to rummage tomorrow so I’m hoping to have a few more bargains to blog about soon.

It is as a satisfied customer I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

01
Feb
2017

It’s only a Handmade Gift but I like it…

Categories: Uncategorized

Back in the summer I decided to hand make some of my Xmas gifts. I’d been told by my midwife to be organised this Christmas, in case Baby came early.aeeiving in Christmas Eve, Baby G didn’t actually impact on my Christmas preparations too much, but I was all ready just in case!

I have a vintage sewing machine which I’m slowly getting to grips with. It’s rather temperamental and I’ve had it serviced and looked at a few times during this project, making it rather a lengthy job to complete for such a small item.

Cloudy man was a present for my sister. She likes things with clouds on them and I thought this little plushie project was quite cute with his little welly boot legs. I got the pattern from Miss Daisy Patterns (https://missdaisypatterns.com/cloud-baby-free-sewing-pattern-tutorial/ ) and found it super easy to follow – even for someone like me who’s pretty hopeless at sewing! The only thing I changed was using those little mirror sequins for the cheeks. I had them in my sewing box and thought I’d use them up. Cloudy Man was very well received and now lives on my sister’s bed.

When we got our first VCR (quite late to the party – in about 1990?) we only had a few videos to watch, one of which – for some reason – was the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We watched it a lot, had favourite characters, loved the songs, found certain scenes dull (fast forward!) and can all quote much of the film verbatim. This gift was for my brother – a quote from the film and the signature shirts worn by the brothers. I’m quite proud of this as I used a cross stitch generator for the lettering, but made up the pattern for the shirts myself.

I like the trend for displaying cross stitch patterns in these frames. It’s rather quaint and somehow fitting. I made a couple of others for family – just silly quotes. They’re very simple to do, but satisfying.

It’s such an old tradition to hand make gifts. You do need to allow time, I started my projects in the summer, but still ended up putting finishing touches to them in December! I always think it means so much more knowing someone has gone to the effort of making something from scratch. They’re often very well received and result in a sense of achievement you won’t get from buying all your presents in Primark. Go on – give it a go!

It is with a smug smile I say:

It’s only Vintage but I like it!

19
Jan
2017

It’s only a Bathroom (3) but I like it…

Categories: Home, Vintage

The great bathroom remodel of 2016 is complete!

The ceramic checkerboard tiles on the floor look great and the silver grout really sets them off. The subway tiles on the wall look classy, so pleased I chose them.

I have fulfilled a long held dream and I have a roll top bath! It really is lovely and so comfy too. I have had a quite a few baths – and to be honest, whilst pregnant it was a real treat to have soothing soaks in my gorgeous new tub! It has a raindrop shower above it and the builders sealed the bathroom floor so in the unlikely event we have any spills or floods the floor timbers and electrics are safe! I love my bath caddy (a gift from Sam and El) and it’s currently housing my Christmas bath ballistics from Lush and Albie’s ducks.

My vintage cistern has come into its own when combined with a nice Burleigh toilet bowl and mahogany seat. It looks better than I could have hoped and love the fact it cost me a tenner! I bought this copper basket to store my toiletries in, and tucked a black towel in front so it doesn’t look messy. I continued the copper theme by adding a copper posser as a loo roll holder.

Another incredible eBay find was this lovely and bargainous sink – £10. It’s in perfect condition and my builder said it would have been around the £200 mark when new so I’m very happy. I love the chrome towel rail at the front. This ladder works rather well and fits perfectly into this nook next to the sink.

This vintage sheet music was also from eBay a while back and I’ve been saving it. I love the fact it’s a Howard Hughes film and the ‘Underwater’ theme makes it perfect for my bathroom. The light pull was left by previous owners, with a clean and polish it looks great.

A mirror and shelf and I think we’re done. These were both eBay finds that my brother put up for me when he came to meet Albie.

It was a long time in the making and cost more than we’d hoped but it’s well worth it and will be the family bathroom we wanted – I can’t wait to bath Albie in here when he’s a bit bigger, singing songs and playing with his bath toys!

It is with a rubber ducky in hand I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

05
Jan
2017

It’s only a Vintage Baby but I like it…

Categories: Family, Vintage

I’ve been a little bit busy…

I’d like to introduce my latest homemade creation: Albert Aneurin Grace.

Albert was an early Christmas gift – born on Christmas Eve at midday, weighing a healthy 8lb 5oz.

My little thinker is a delight and we’re enjoying getting to know him. He brings with him – I hope – a whole host of new vintage experiences. Vintage toys, vintage boys clothes, vintage children’s books and lots more. He’s going to fit right in! Can’t wait to add him to my vintage journey and see what new adventures are out there.

It is with excitement for the future I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

20
Dec
2016

It’s only a Christmas Home but I like it…

Categories: Christmas, Vintage

Here’s my yearly round up of the decorations in my house.

I did debate whether to have a fresh tree this year or just to put up a fake one I have. I thought dealing with the aftermath of a real tree might be one less thing to worry about with a newborn in the house, but my Mum was so horrified when I mentioned this that we went ahead with a real one. Must admit I don’t regret it – it looks and smells so lovely. My friend Becca helped me decorate it, doing the crawling around on the floor and the positioning of the lights etc – things I’m struggling with whilst heavily pregnant! It has my two strings of vintage lights and mostly vintage baubles too. I love it!

My mantelpiece has some plain white lights, last year’s lovely stag (http://itsonlyvintagebutilikeit.com/christmas-2/its-only-a-vintage-christmas-but-i-like-it/ ), a handmade stocking that I got from my Mother-in-Law Barbara, and a few more treasures… I piled some logs and fairy lights into the grate and they make the room really cosy!

My bargain £2 ice skates (http://itsonlyvintagebutilikeit.com/home/its-only-a-pair-of-ice-skates-but-i-like-it/) have a little display of holly and rosehips in them and are hanging in the hall. I think they’re quite effective!

I’d wanted a vintage sledge for ages and finally found a local vintage seller on Instagram who had some available. I fell in love with this one and I think I paid £40 for it, but it’s well made, in lovely condition and – who knows – there might be a little person who wants to use it for its real purpose next winter. That would rely on us having enough snow to actually go sledging, which is unlikely in the South but I can dream! For now Mr. Sledge is our coffee table for the festive period…

My three vintage Christmas themed prints in the dining room have been flipped! I literally have these back to back with other images that I can just rotate during December. Makes life easy!

As with lots of jobs this year, I’m just glad I’ve managed to get it done before my Baby arrives and other things take over! Baby is currently two days overdue and who knows when they may finally appear. We’re trying to relax and be philosophical about it! At least the house is cosy and welcoming – this may be the most exciting (and demanding) guest we’ve had in a while!

It is with a whole new level of Christmas excitement I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!

01
Dec
2016

It’s only a Vintage Bathroom but I like it…

Categories: Home, Vintage

It’s all taken longer than it should (not the builder’s fault) and gone way over budget, but finally! I can share it with you! I’m starting with the downstairs bathroom.

My brother was here at the weekend and he put the finishing touches to the downstairs bathroom. He is essentially Handy Andy to my Laurence Llewelyn Bowen. I come up with odd ideas, he shakes his head and then makes them a reality… This is my long wanted floating shelf. Slice of tree from eBay and rope from The Range. This is a vintage copper posser – it’s for agitating your washing, but I’m using it as a loo roll dispenser… another eBay find!

I absolutely love these tiles! A guy on eBay had a couple of dozen to sell and he wanted £9 each for them. I asked if he’d do me a deal on 6 and he said £30. Bargain! I have to say, I’ve often been pleasantly surprised when haggling with people – if you have the cheek to ask for a deal or a couple of quid off, the response is favourable. My bruv chipped off some very uninspiring and poorly laid plain grey tiles and I think these have so much more character!

This copper towel rail came from jacobre_123 on eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/jacobre_123). I liked the raw look of the copper and it’s not lacquered so it can be polished or allowed to tarnish depending on the look you’re going for.

I think the vintage tiles were a great find, they blend well with the copper towel rail and I’m so chuffed to finally make the hanging shelf a reality.

It is with a love of eBay I say:

It’s only vintage but I like it!