Heartfelt....

It has been a while since I have had time to visit my favourite shop in Bristol, despite working only minutes away from Alma Vale road.

 as always, the window looked stunning. A gorgeous mixture of Vintage clothing and jewellery.....

 Not only does Mandy offer exquisite costume, shoes and bags.... but now you can enjoy afternoon tea either inside the shop - or outside on the pavement in pastel coloured Lloyd Loom chairs.

 .. and also treat yourself to a pretty posy treat from the resident flower girl, Ianthe! To contact the shop - phone 0117 904 2898.

Pretty Scruffy.. a fab reason to visit Chichester!

Last week I had a lovely few days away and by chance discovered this wonderful shop in Chichester.
 Pretty Scruffy is tucked away in a side street, and it's gorgeous green exterior conceals an interior packed with beautiful things.

Textile animals tucked into every corner......

.............and looking out of windows....

But my favourite were these beautiful babies. Exquisite miniature animals on wheels!

I have asked the Birthday fairy to bring me one of these in September....in the meantime I was treated to a gorgeous little brooch.

Hilsea Lido. Work in progress............

   I have always loved the 1930's and last week I got the chance to visit one of the few remaining Art Deco lido's in this country. Hilsea Lido was built in the 1930's and after many decades of being loved and enjoyed it has fallen into disrepair over the past few years.

 However, all is not lost and work is being carried out to restore this wonderful slice of history to its former glory.

Changing huts....

crumbling concrete fountain which would originally have aerated the water for the pool, now planted with flowers.

I look forward to watching the restoration progress, and who knows I might get to enjoy a swim there in the future!

The Dairy House Vintage Textiles and Costume Day

 Just had to share these images from yesterday. It was the 3rd Dairy House Vintage Textiles and Costume Day.

 The sun shone directly onto Chloe's stand which was piled high with exquisite handmade treasures.

 Inside the Dairy House the rooms were decorated and ready for the eager shoppers who arrived promptly at 10 am, and then continued to arrive throughout the day....

 Some of the best photos I took were on the top floor where the light was perfect for my temperamental old camera!

 It was a very special day, and you will no doubt see plenty more photos in blog land this week.
 Here is Niki's stand. How I resisted that cupboard was nothing short of a miracle!

Sadly, the Textile Day marked the end of an era for us. we have very reluctantly given up our space on the top floor, so will no longer be trading from there. The restraints of a full-on job in Bristol and the increasing price of fuel has meant that it is no longer a viable side to our business.