Grand Opening of My Vintage Shop

You may have noticed that the blog took a slightly different turn this week. I had been getting into a pattern and trying to stick to a bit of a rough schedule, posting regularly on flowers and floristry with more detailed posts on ideas for simple vases, and a weekly focus on classic wedding flowers.

But this week I was pushed for time and dashed a few posts off rather quickly. You see, I've been pretty busy, working on lots of different projects behind the scenes as well as the usual floristry and interiors styling. One of the things that I've been working on is setting up a vintage shop.

I've been a lover of vintage since I was a young girl and remember sitting at my nan's dressing table eyeing up her jewellery box, and pawing through her wardrobe! As a teenager I started to frequent the local charity shops, back in the day when decent well made clothes were still donated to charity. Later I sharpened my elbows at the village hall jumble sales, and ventured up to London for the second hand stalls at Camden Lock, Kensington Market and Portabello in Notting Hill.

If I'm honest, I should admit that my choice of University was in part due to the sheer number of charity shops in Preston. That and the jolly friendly chap in a little shop called Rags behind the Adelphi. On my first visit to town I discovered his gem of a shop. After watching me rifle through his stock with glee, he presented me with a black felted bowler hat to keep. I left with the hat and a smile and was a regular customer there for years.

That was a long while ago now, but although I no longer have the bowler hat, my love of vintage has never left me. So recently I started collecting a few bits and bobs, things for the home mostly, charming cottagey treasures that are a little bit rustic and a little bit country and I've gathered them together in my Hedgerow Home.

Pop over and take a look.

Images via (apart from Hedgerow Home) from: W Magazine, Kensington Market Archive via Facebook, Vixen Vintage

Location, location

Before I went off on my holidays I spent a couple days in Notting Hill shooting this year's range of  Christmas Hampers for Selfridges. Stuffed full of indulgent treats, I had to be on my best behaviour not to give in to temptation and crack open the champagne and choccies.

When all the hard work was done, goodies and props packed away, I snuck upstairs to grab a few pics of the fire damaged attic. Bone-like branches and a collage of white photos and frames greeted me at the top of the stairs. In the other two rooms, the owner had given the walls a whitewash in parts and left them charred and crumbling in others. Very effective don't cha think? Of course, a nice chair never goes amiss!