Forget Ebay...Etsy is where its at!

Annoyed with being outbid? Well move over Ebay....let me introduce you to Etsy!

This site is amazing! It not only sells handmade delicious items but also brand new items. From wedding dresses to customised gear stick knobs the site is chock blocked with exciting items.

Here are some of my favourites after a quick trawl for kitchen wear.

Pinup apron... *swoon*

made by the lovely Loveland and Sea. I adore this apron! I love the cowgirl. damn christmas just passed...I want!

Leopard mittens? gggrrrr!!!

Made by Stitchingram. What pinup cant resist some leopard print?!

I adore recipe cards and these are perfect for my kitchen so yes I will be buying! Available from Through The Looking Glass

These utensils are adorable! Not sure i would want to use them in case they got dirty....for show only. Available from Tokyo Rose Accessories.

WOW!

So when you great aunt Mable comes to visit bring out the cakes on this stunning and unique stand. I love it! I really do! Available from My Eroom.

happy hunting! Just be sure to check that the items can be delivered to you. And the best thing is that Etsy convert the money to your local currency too! AWESOME!

Festive Footwear

Fed up with trudging through the wet and cold in footwear that is only practical and not pretty? Well I have been scouring. Here are some of my favourites:

These I spotted on the Office website...Red for Christmas and the bow for a feminine touch. Practical wellies but  definitely not dull!

Ok so they have a heel but it is only small AND they are leather! I actually own these...I love them oodles. Sexy almost Victorian feel to them. Team with a skirt or dress...or for those who dare tights and high waisted shorts...bbbrrr but sexy look. These are from Office too...

I love the colour of these ankle boots and the colour! With the brogue detail these chelsea boots are on my want list of Santa! I found these on the Dune site...snap them up and they come in two other colours: black and tan.

Ok ok I know these arent practical but who can resist sparkles at Christmas time? yes I know you need to take care with these heels too but lets just say if you fall over...at least your feet will be pretty! Again another Dune find!

These are fun...the psychobilly appeal is here for me. This is take on the staple 'creeper' shoes. I found these in Debenhams...

I adore these creepers! Pointy toes and purple! Ding dong...I will buy these! I found them at Underground! Fab collection of creepers! 

Wedding Hell

A lovely and good friend of mine is getting married! WHOOPAH! So excited. Sadly her joy has been short lived  as she has found it near impossible to find a dress she likes. Being a plus size 1950s/rockabilly fanatic means she wants a dress to reflect this. With a tight budget she doesnt want to go down the route of a custom made dress if she can get away with it...seems like I am off to the rescue...

Here is what I found:

I have fallen head over heels for the dresses at Elizabeth Avery. Sadly not many items over a size 14. My favourite of her dresses are these two...

A quick glance on Etsy saw a few items. This one from Ellana Couture is pretty but again only up to a size 14.

Another look on the internet threw up a few other style dresses and in a variety of sizes and all over size 14!

This one is available here!

I realise all the dress above are of the tea length style so I have also been researching longer dresses.

Very old school Hollywood. Not entirely sure on the giant bow but it is beautiful... It can be found here

needless to say you have to look further afield to find plus size vintage inspired dresses...but thats not to say they arent there.

Just a Jump To The Left

Owing to a rather busy last few months or so, save for a few moments on the internet I have had no time to shop. So when my lovely boyfriend decided he was fed up with my sulky face...or uninspired wardrobe he took me out for some retail therapy.

Excited I headed out...I did feel at the end of the day that I would have much rather not gone. Whilst it was a fabulous time spent with the boyfriend, the shops were uninspired and I was miles away from the nearest vintage shop. I did however purchase a beautiful 70s inspired jumpsuit. Not at all my usual style but the boyfriend was right: it looked pretty lovely on. He even selected a star belt and before I knew it we were sipping coffees (soy latte for me and a mocha for him) laughing at all the dodgy hair extensions and soggy Ugg boots scooting past us.

Rocking an attempt at a beehive and my beloved Rockalily lipstick I attempt here not to look like a muppet.

FashionFinder

Ok I am officially obsessed with this new discovery I made on the famous ASOS website. Its called Fashionfinder and you simply upload images of your own outfits and/or create your own using the ASOS stock. Its pretty addictive and there is even a community. A sort of fashion Facebook but without the awful 'pokes' and exes stalking you. Over time with each activity you do you earn credits and work your way up the fashion stylist ladder..its addictive...really addictive.

I rather like how creative you can be with the fashion though my outfit creations seem heavily influenced by Vivienne Westwood and 50s starlets...AAAHHH! My only criticisms would be the lack of 'plus size fashion' garments you can find in their stock and the search criteria isn't always very good e.g. searching black clutch bag doesn't always bring up all the black clutch bags.

Anyway enjoy! Befriend me!!

The Hunt Is On...

THe hunt is on and the prey has been spotted...ok thats rubbish! I am on a mission to find a killer outfit to wear to the Curves of Couture fashion show I have been invited to. This is a huge event with the UK's first plus size only catwalk show organised in conjunction with the British Sciene Council and Models of Diversity. Being a plus side woman I wanted to be a part of it and hey presto was invited as a guest (VIP!). But dilemma...CAN I FIND A DRESS? nope! I want a vintage number that doesnt make me look like a frumpy dumpy. God I'd even wear a new dress as long as it was my style and size...

The hunt continues. suggestions greatly welcome as are donations.

High Street Finds

I am a stereotype. I am really am. By this I mean I love shopping. So each time I pop out I find myself taking photos of vintage inspired or simply garments I like from high street stores. I love my original vintage garments but its not always practical.

So from my recent pooters about the shops here are what I have found of late on the high street. Where possible I have included the price and shop.

From Oasis...£55.
very much a 50s bombshell halter dress.

Therapy House of Fraser
On sale from £55 to £35
Very sweetheart 50s pinup.

Coast on sale from £125 to £69
60s style wedding dress perhaps?
Think beehive and Jackie O

Back of Coast dress.

Yumi in House of Fraser. No price found :(
Cutesy pinup dress. 

Mikey £16 in the sale.
LOVE! Perfect for the showgirl

La Perla Ding Dong

Wow! La Perla seem to have swallowed some of Lady Gaga's sense of 'style' and created some glamorous sophisticated takes on it.There are a lot of new arrivals but its the JP Gaultier collection that is by far and away the best. Very much a 40s take on some futurist styled lingerie...makes me think of the that famous film Metropolis. I can see the likes of Katherine Hepburn swanning about her boudoir in some of this snazzy numbers.

Metropolis 

WOW! La Perla. Copyright La Perla

Copyright La Perla

Hair Patches

The other week I was heading to a party and couldn't find a hair flower to match my outfit. So after much riffling I decided on a clip I had bought from somewhere. Whilst it wasn't the hair flower i wanted it was the perfect cutie hair piece that the outfit needed.

I cant recall where I purchased this but given how simple it was made thought I would pass it on so you can all have a go yourselves.

Taking a simple hair clip and patch you can create a perfect hair accessory. Glue the patch to the clip and hey presto done. Simple.Not at all teaching you to suck eggs at all (yeah right).

Bettie Page-esque patch hair slide

Glued hair slide and hey presto instant hair accessory. Bad ass!

Enjoy!