Life: the Leeds vintage kilo sale

For the last couple of years now I've developed a love for vintage fairs. There's just something so satisfying when you find a piece of clothing which feels as though it's been saved for you from past time. Knowing you're going to get a lot of wear out of something which nobody else will be able to pick up in the high street shops is a discovery to treasure. It's the unique characteristics that you wouldn't find on your average day to day piece that I love about vintage clothes and how you can bring back the items from the teddy boy era and include them in the current trends. 

The Vintage Kilo Sale is an event I've heard about previously but one I've never had the chance to visit whilst it's being in its (and my) hometown of Leeds. To sum it up, a Vintage Kilo Sale is a widened opportunity for you to grab a bargain and experiment with trends you may not have otherwise considered. Tons of clothing, shoes and accessories ranging from the 60's-90's are displayed throughout in rails and tubs for you to pick and mix whatever takes your fancy. It works by grabbing a large bag upon entry, placing your rifled choices in there and then when you're done (or when whomever is accompanying orders you to stop and drags you away) you take it to the weight tills where you will be charged £15 per kilo. It's certainly an ingenious way of doing your shopping. If you think about it, a kilo could be added up with 4-5 lightweight items or a new coat (like I did, just call me Joseph) with space for another 1 or 2 items and that's your wardrobe stocked up in a measly fraction of what you'd usually pay.

When I received an email from the lovely Jenessa asking me if I'd like to come along and take part in a little blogger challenge, I accepted straight away. (To be fair, how could I have hesitated? Me? Shopping for more clothes? Never!). The fair took place in Riley Smith Hall inside the student union in Leeds Met University. As I wasn't familiar with this part of town I made sure I left myself plenty of time, which actually turned out to be a bad idea. The North unfortunately got hit by more snow on Thursday and typically, as soon as we (the we meaning my brother who I dragged along with me) walked out of the door, it started again. After a dreadful experience of getting caught in a bitterly cold snowstorm blizzard and losing track of where I was, I finally arrived an hour and a half later looking as though I'd just stepped out of a shower (makeup disaster and flat hair; not a good look, guys). After my brief greeting, I got started! 

 

As the kilo sale had been live for 2 days, there wasn't as much choice as there'd usually be. Don't get me wrong, the rails were organised, filled with variety, detailed designs and the atmosphere was fun, music playing and lots of young people searching for great bargains but obviously, I had less of a selection than I would have done if I attended first thing Wednesday morning. That's the only problem with vintage fairs, as exciting and unpredictable as they are; once something's gone, it's gone. Not that, that mattered though. 

After a good rummage through the presented rails I found this gorgeous creamy beige belted coat which was the perfect match to the desired spring jacket I had in mind. As well as that, I came across this basic but more upper class basic white/Ivory top with pretty buttons in a couple of sizes larger. Me and my oversized clothing go hand in hand so this will be the ideal comfortable shirt I can just throw on.

I can pleasantly say my first vintage kilo experience was a positive one. I'd highly recommend going to one because you'd be surprised at what you can uncover. As they travel city to city compromising their excellent value and quality, you can find out if or when they're in your area by following their Facebook page. Easy peasy. 

Have you been to one of these events before? What are your thoughts?

Bridie x

*this blog post was in exchange for a free kilo and free entry at the fair

Life: my Christmas Day

So, another Christmas is over with. After all that planning and preparing it goes by in a flash and all that madness and enjoyment seems to all come to a sudden halt. I do think the build up to Christmas always seems better than the day itself but having that one day of celebrating with the ones you love the most and realising what really matters , makes it all worthwhile. There's nothing I love more than seeing my family happy; the long awaited get togethers, the noise, the mess, the drunkards, and the duped gifts just add to the appreciation of the finer things in life.

I've had another amazing Christmas this year. Waking up on Christmas morning and still feeling sleepy is a sign you're getting old but that nostalgic excitement still niggled as I eventually realigned to earth and registered that it was the 25th. As always, once we'd all risen from our pits, me, my Mum and Brother opened our presents from each other and cherished some mother-children time before the day grew busier. I spent half of the day with my main ones (Mum, Brother, Grandma), devouring a beautiful Christmas dinner (with the decorating the table duty completed by yours truly may I add) at my house with just the four of us and finishing off by (again) opening our gifts from each other. This year, I spent a lot more money on my Mum and Grandma because of how much they do for me all year round and I was so pleased they loved all their presents. In my eyes, knowing someone is so grateful is often more rewarding than the receiving of gifts. In the middle of opening presents we were pestered around 3 times via the phone by my little (when I say little I mean she's 10 going on 40) cousin, wandering how much longer we'll be before we go round to her house because she couldn't wait to see us and give us our presents. Finishing off as quickly as we could, we spruced ourselves up, carted the 10 bags of gifts into the boot of the car and headed off to my Auntie's for the continued fun.

Before the small ones arrived and the chaos began, we once again exchanged gifts (there's a lot of different present opening moments in my family) and then we waited for the rest of the family to arrive. Once the children dived through the door in excitement, that's when I really did feel the Christmas magic. My second cousins, now 3 and 4 are at that adorable age where they can sit down and open presents, take notice of what they have been bought and say thank you themselves. Hearing what Santa brought them, sitting and playing with them and seeing them giggle and smile from ear to ear is seriously heart melting. Christmas is so precious when you're a child and it sucks that you have to grow up.

As the night went on and the love and laughter from all generations kept growing, we decided to sit and watch some camcorder tapes which we have just recently had put on to DVD's. Christmas is always a hard time when you have lost loved ones but reminiscing on the special memories and looking back on the brilliant Christmases we've had the privilege of celebrating with them makes it easier and it was lovely to do that as family. They never really do go away and the emotion bouncing off each other makes up for their absence. 

You may have noticed 70% of these pictures feature some kind of nibble. I open handedly admit I have consumed way too much food this Christmas and New Year period and it doesn't stop there. Along with the boxes of chocolates I've had bought, the Celebrations and Heroes, the ice cream, the cakes, the boxes of biscuits, nuts, and the huge Christmas dinner, there's the snacks I've been grabbing for two days non stop now. On Christmas evening and Boxing Day, we had the luxury of the best kind of food possible (buffet food) and took advantage of the many sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, cheese and pickled onions, crisps, pastries, garlic bread, chicken skewers and of course the left over turkey (I really don't think there's a limit to how many meals you can make from one turkey). Today I'm heading off to my Grandma's for another roast dinner and on Wednesday I'm going out for ANOTHER meal to celebrate New Years Eve and my Mum's birthday. I just can't seem to stop eating. I feel so disgusting and bloated, I know I shouldn't be doing it, and my skin isn't responding well but I just can't stop. Someone please send help.

From then until now, all I've been doing is trying to recover from the sudden laziness and lack of motivation I've developed. The only motivation I have had was dedicated to catching up on the ever so dramatic soaps and taking a look through my many amazing presents. I'm not one of those to desire designer gear, I'm definitely not a cliche Michael Kors/Pandora/£700 handbag kinda gal and my family don't go overboard but I'm always appreciative for what I get. This year my gifts mainly included skincare and beauty sets, some personalised bits, and vouchers and money but I will be doing a full round up post of my Christmas gifts and buys once I round them all together.

Speaking of Christmas buys, the bargain filled Boxing Day/January sales are becoming dangerous and I'm still in the midst of browsing websites and hesitating whether to click on the add to basket button. So far I've purchased this Mango dress, this New Look dress, the Alpha H Liquid Gold, Origins Energy Boosting Bests, Soap & Glory Think Pamper Gift Set and the Dove Be You Gift Set and No7 Protect & Perfect Gift Set for my Mum. Have you picked up anything nice in the sales and how was your Christmas? I can't believe there's only 3 more days left of 2014, let's make those count!

Bridie x

Life: Cawood, caravans and cute restaurants

This weekend I headed off on a small Friday - Sunday break with my mum, auntie, uncle and cousin in their brand new cosy tourer caravan. Cawood was where we settled, pretty much between Selby and York - two districts in my hometown of Yorkshire. It was a place they've pitched up at more than often and the people and setting is all too familiar for them. For me, however, it was my first time in a long time to stay over. There's something about dainty villages and the fresh country air that appeals to me, even when there's not a heap loads to do and even when it's just for a few days. It's like instantly a holiday means an escape and with that escape comes lots of photos. Of course, my camera was carried with me as a first priority and I even had a little helper this time. My 10 (going on 30) year old cousin took charge of my camera for the majority of the weekend and actually, I think she did a damn good job. 

Upon arrival we headed off to the on-site restaurant and what a treat that was. It was the most delicately pretty restaurant, I was surrounded by vintage pieces, stunningly unique lamps, sky blue walls and many cutesy extras that made up the shabby chic vibe. The salt and pepper pots all had a character to them, each table was decorated with gorgeous flowers and each seating area represented and looked different. Not to mention, the food was delightful and all homemade. I went for the Chicken Parmesan and the Sticky Toffee Pudding and I enjoyed every scrap! As we wondered off into Selby Town Centre on Saturday afternoon, it also came to my attention that Selby seemed to be full of overly cute eating habitats. We rested in Little Miss Muffins for our mid lunch stop off and I can't judge the two of them when it comes down to who beats who in terms of elegance. 

Part of the reason we decided on this particular date was because it was an 80's weekend in the club. Now, my music taste destines from the 50's era up until recent so for me, that suited me just right and I'm so glad I pledged to go because it was much better than expected. On the first night there was a Madonna and George Michael/Wham tribute and on the second, UB40. UB40 ended the weekend on a high and their performance even got me on my feet, which is a rare scene for me (dancing's just not my thing and I apologise for everybody's harmed vision from the sight of me awkwardly grooving). Aside from the fun had inside the club, it also continued during family time. I had such a laugh and it was nice to spend time with my Auntie and Uncle for more than just an hour or so which is all that usually happens at home. The beautiful lake surrounding the camp was an added bonus. It spoke nothing but tranquility and contributed towards the relaxation. We were so lucky with the weather too and it meant we could soak up the views without having to worry about basing your plans around rain, wind and coldness. All in all, I had a lovely time and it was just what I needed - even if I am still feeling the effects.

Summer at the seaside

Last week, the usual gang (me, my mum, brother and grandma) took advantage of the lovely, sunny weather and headed off on a trip to the Yorkshire seaside town that is Bridlington. I've been visiting Bridlington ever since I was 8 year old, when my grandma owned a caravan on a caravan site near the seafront. I've had the happiest times there and every time I go back, it's like retreating my childhood. It's a basic seaside place and there's not a whole load to do but I still get that same excited feeling when we plan a day out. I think the thought of being in different surroundings, soaking up the sea air, inhaling the sickly, mouth watering smell of candyfloss and donuts, strolling along the peaceful, fresh looking beach despite it being nowhere near warm enough and enjoying the sound of the noisy seagulls, the children on the fairground rides and the repetitive songs in the amusements explains why it's so great. There's something about the seaside that makes spending £5 worth of 2p's just to win a keyring that would have only cost 50p in a shop acceptable. It's full of the simple things that make you happy, even the car journey on the way back when you have the road to yourself, watching the sunset and singing along to your favourite song with no regrets. 

We set off at 10am and headed on a steady journey, stopping off by a favourite cafe of ours in another of our favourite places, a dainty village named Stamford Bridge (not the football stadium) for some late breakfast/brunch and I devoured the best crumpets I've ever tasted. When we arrived, we strolled round the shops, took a walk on the harbour and had an ice cream covered in all carbs possible before the weather started deteriorating (typical). Afterwards, we dropped in to my grandma's friends' house just around the corner from the centre. They're Londoners who retired in Bridlington influenced by my grandma's caravan and how pleasant the Yorkshire countryside was. We spent a good few hours there and in that time spent, we barely got a word in edge ways. They're the loveliest, most comical people but by god, are they loud haha. Once we had ventured off (after another half hour of talking when we said we better go) we finished off the exploring down the sea front as we'd not had the time in the afternoon. Starting from the bottom end where the rides, the arcades and the boats were, we slowly wandered through the promenade, up to the top where the walk-able bit of beach and the overly pretty beach huts were. The tide was in but I eventually found a pebbled area of sand to stand on and whip my beloved camera out. It was empty and only accompanied by the odd dog walker but that's what made the peace and tranquility. Finally to end a satisfying day, we stopped off at the local Sizzlers pub and guzzled down a well needed meal and an extra treat, the chocolate fudge cake I shouldn't have been eating (oops!).

Despite knowing my way round Bridlington with my eyes closed, I never recognized how many photo opportunities there were until capturing the atmosphere of a place became a passion of mine. I always say pictures speak more than words and no matter where you are, even for example, in an abandoned, desolate street there'll always be a chance to capture the moment.