Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair and a Film or Four.

It’s been a lot longer between posts than I planned. 

Life and all that. 

Things are ticking along, there have been highs and lows but you just keep on keeping on don’t you.

I started Pilates last week, that was interesting. The woman running the class went at a cracking pace with no pauses and only came round the room once to check all was well with our ‘alignment’. 

Some needed to hold a ball between their knees but mine was very good apparently. I mentally thought 'I should bloody well hope so too after all the money I’ve spent on the Alexander technique over the years!'  

Sadly the natives were far from friendly. When I arrived they had already set themselves up in the corner of the room.

 All 4 of us newbies came in and smiled and said ‘hello’ and were treated to the same sour faced once up and down followed by said faces being turned away. I just thought 'oh dear, whatever'.  

Maybe they will improve if you go regularly, but on the other hand would I want to chat with people who behave like that? 

Himself and I took advantage of the last few weeks of Orange Wednesday to see a few films. 

As a cheer her up, Himself, Nephew Number One, and I took Mum to see The Shaun the Sheep movie (Mum has always been a big fan of Shaun), it was bloody brilliant, absolutely hilarious and definitely the right feel good film to cheer anyone up.

We also saw Kingsman : The Secret Service (just the two of us for that, my Mum would have passed out at the language!)

How can you go wrong with Samuel L Jackson as a lisping evil genius and Colin Firth swearing like a trooper and kicking the crap out of people?

If you don’t mind a bit of violence and some seriously foul language, I highly recommend it, it’s an ace film. 

Big Hero 6 was our last Orange Wednesday outing. Another based on a comic book, and a mostly aimed at children film, but also highly entertaining.

Finally yesterday we went to a special preview of Suite Francaise because Himself writes a film blog and gets random freebies, so why not? 

I enjoyed it but it’s a pretty bleak film. The love story side of it was a bit mawkish and I was a bit disappointed that it fell back on using the standard template ‘evil nazi’ for all the Germans except the hero, but overall,and on the whole, it was good and there were some gorgeous frocks and hats!

So last Saturday Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair was in Reading, I was going to go but then in the end I didn’t. 

This Saturday just gone, it was in the Town Hall in Oxford, and this time I got my shit together and went.

I hooked up with Alex from work (the girl I visited the flea markets in Paris with) and we had a very thorough browse!

We got there on the nose of midday when it opened, which it seems was a good thing to do because by the time we left it was so busy it was bordering on unpleasant.
The Town Hall is a beautiful building and over the years I have been to various events there, from record fairs to work Christmas parties where I just might have been very, very drunk.

There was a great mix of stalls and an interesting variety of prices. 

A couple of the stalls were crazy expensive and others were very reasonable indeed. 

We both bought 2 dresses.

                                I particularly loved this one but it was too small and £95!

Alex got a couple of stunners, a fab pink 1960's one and a glittery 1970's number, though one of them needs Vix’s vodka/water spray treatment apparently. I'm happy to share that tip around.

  

I bought a couple of projects as seen below.

This dress was £15, I loved it's unusual side buttoning front and the spring like apple green. It took two cycles in the washing machine to get if smelling spring fresh however! 

The cotton washed up beautifully but sadly the once white buttons have discoloured badly. So project one is to give it some shape with a few darts at the waist and bust and choose some new buttons.

Next up this black patterned frock for £22. I was drawn to it and ended up going back twice and just having to buy it even though I fear it may be a tad too small.......

I love the ruffles, again to the side rather than the middle, (clearly I'm leaning to the left at the moment.)

A couple of the seams have come undone, and no it wasn't me trying it on and bursting out! I'll stitch it up and see.

I also bought this pendant and elephant brooch which I wore to work today.

After we had been round the whole hall once and then gone back again to look a second time, we retired to the other room for tea and cake.
I have to say the cakes were absolutely delicious and it was good to sit down and chat and not feel rushed.

I know it's a bit of a cliche now but I still love a bit of mismatched china, just give me a bloody great wedge of cake and don't be selling me cupcakes!

I shall leave you with my quote of the day, overheard whilst rummaging through a rack of clothes from a lady with the most cut glass, ringing, upper class accent I’ve heard in ages saying 

"Of course I do wear it, but it doesn’t half ride up my arse".