Thursday 22 August 2013

Tiffany Blue Bedroom



I had a touch of writers block with this post so finishing it took a while. About a month ago I repainted our bedroom because I wasn't happy with the colour it was. It was a kind of grey/brown colour. I mean it was OK, I suppose. It gave the room a sort of, umh, sleepy feel. (See, writers block, told you.) But now that both boys are sleeping in their own rooms, I wanted it to become an oasis of calm in an otherwise hectic and cluttered home.


So this was what I started with: brown with a pink accent wall behind the bed. I don't know what I was thinking. I like bright colours and a turquoise blue was an ideal choice for the bedroom. I suppose it took me this long because I read somewhere that blue was the most popular colour choice for bedrooms and I didn't want to be one of the herd, so to speak.

dressing table vanity vintage blue mirror perfume jewellery lucite

I love my bedroom. Sorry, I mean mine and Hubby's bedroom. It is the only room in the house we are keeping a completely toy-free zone. It's a room for relaxing, for getting away from it all. No mess, no toys, no TV or computer. It is the place where I apply my make-up and get dressed.

vintage books shelf pinup fashion history

My bookshelf with light bedtime reading...

vintage jewellery rack necklace bracelet dressing gown nylon 50's 40's

Jewellery racks made by darling hubby.


vintage dressing table vanity mirror seat jewellery bird




Here's another before and after.  I really like the way the blue makes all the other colours pop.

vintage bedroom makeover turquoise blue bright ikea mirrored frame croched bedspread

I still have one problem, though. What to do with the wall behind the bed? I've been toying with the idea of a wallpapered accent wall, but that's gotten a bit old. A narrow shelf would be nice, you know the kind you can prop small pictures on...hmmmh, I don't know.

Monday 12 August 2013

One Sunny Weekend

About a week ago we went to a junk market held in Loimaa, Loimaan Rompepäivät. It is quite an old event as Loimaa has hosted a junk market for the past 20 years. This is a somewhat different junk market as it is held in the city of Loimaa, with some of the streets closed off instead of, say, a large field. I found some bits and bobs including this paper package with what seems to be the front of a pattern envelope attached to it...

vintage 40's 50's pattern nightgown package paper string

I also found a HUGE picture for the boys' room. I saw it and bought it straight away. I had to leave with the seller until we were ready to leave. As I was walking away, I realised that it might be too big to fit in our car. That was such a "woman" thing to do, buying something first and thinking about the logistics later. I phoned Hubby, who had gone ahead of me and explained that I had bought something very large...but the colours, turquoise, red and yellow are my favourites and the old F1 cars are so right for the boys! The picture was actually made by gluing and varnishing a piece of fabric on chip board and then adding a frame. I've found out that the fabric is by Finnish manufacturer Tampella. Anyway, the picture fit, just.

Tampella kangas fabric formula cars autot
Just look at those colours!

I also found a very pretty mirrored dressing table tray. A bit more pricey than my usual finds, but I mean come on, how could I not buy it?

dressing table tray mirrored engraved Anna

dressing table tray mirrored engraved Anna perfumes candy poupee femme prada

***

On Sunday we headed for Forssan Pick-Nick. A truly massive vintage car event in held in Forssa's Pilvenmäki horse track for the 31st time. With 2 500 cars in the show area, hundreds of motorcycles and 30 000 visitors in one day, it's the biggest one day car show in Northern Europe. Oh yes, and it also has a junk market. Didn't really find much there though, apart from a lovely pair of earrings.


50's vintage dress tropical cotton sun pin parrot sea hat Forssan pick nick 2013
Vintage 50's cotton dress bought from friend. Red sandals from Facebook group. Necklace 60's vintage bought from friend. Bracelet, hat and bag modern.

50's vintage dress tropical cotton sun sea rhinestones shell earring Forssan Pick-Nick
Found these gorgeous screw back shell earrings from the junk market.

It's really a day for the whole family to hang out, meet friends, see cool cars and, yes, even have a picnic. This year was, again, a bit of a half-arsed affair as we only took Peanut along and hopped into Hubby's father's car at a nearby petrol station. We saw nice cars, but didn't have a picnic. And didn't see any friends. Sigh. But next year we are going for the whole day, all of us, and we're taking either Bessie or my vintage Volvo. And I'm going to make dates with friends so I don't miss them in the crowd. An we're having a picnic, dammit.

Forssan pick nick 2013


Forssan pick nick 2013

Forssan pick nick 2013 1965 Oldsmobile 98 blue
Our ride for the afternoon: a 1965 Oldsmobile 98



Sunday 11 August 2013

What I did on my Holidays

A few days after the buffalo we, that is to say Hubby, Junior, Peanut and I, went to the nearby "big city" of Tampere and did the touristy thing. The Hubby and I have this tradition of visiting a place in Finland for a day every summer and couldn't at first think of a suitable place. It needed to be close by as Peanut isn't one for long drives. He won't sleep in the car, you see. So Tampere was an easy choice. We started off at Sorsapuisto (duck park) and had lots of fun looking at the different birds on display.

Tampere balcony flowers architechture roses
A beautiful balcony photographed from the Erkkilän silta bridge

Then we went to Tammelan tori market and had some sandwiches. After that we continued to the Tampere Cathedral. The cathedral is famous for its frescoes, painted by the symbolist Hugo Simberg between 1905 and 1906. It's absolutely stunning.

Tampere cathedral altar Simberg
The altar

Tampere cathedral fresco Simberg garden of death skull
The Garden of Death
Tampere cathedral 50's cotton dress red bag vintage
Outside the cathedral. I'm wearing a vintage 50's dress bought from a friend and the red bag was a find from Suvi-Vintage.

Then it was over the Tammerkoski rapids via the Patosilta bridge and to Keskustori square for some ice creams. After the ice-creams it was already noon and nap time, so we headed home. All in all a lovely summer day.

Patosilta love padlocks Tampere
Love padlocks on the Patosilta bridge

Tampere view patosilta bridge padlocks
View from the Patosilta bridge

Tampere Laikunlava stage 50's vintage dress cotton
Performing the "T-Rex song" with Junior on Laikunlava stage

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo



Dungarees - Dungaree Dolls by Freddies of Pinewood
 Sweater - Zara
Shoes - Converse Allstars
Bag - vintage
Silk scarf - vintage

Freddies of Pinewood Dungaree Dolls vintage Converse
Last Saturday was open day at a nearby Arola farm and as Junior really loves animals, we naturally had to go. I wanted to wear something casual and farm-y, so out came my Dungaree Dolls.


We saw ponies, chickens, goats, cows, a humongous pig; you know the normal farm animals.



In addition, the farm also has some more unusual animals. 

Reindeer
An absolutely beautiful pair of white peafowl
Ostriches
Two black swans

The main attraction of the farm is a small herd of buffalo or bison. The newest addition to the herd had only been born the previous night.
The bull



By the way, the title of this post is actually a grammatically correct sentence. It uses the noun buffalo as in the animal, the city name Buffalo and the verb to buffalo (to bully). It means: The bison from Buffalo, who are bullied by other bison from Buffalo, bully bison from Buffalo. The Wikipedia article about this sentence can be found here.

Any linguistically inclined among you will be interested to know, that there is a similar play on word in Finnish. Piilevissä piilevissä piilevissä piilevissä piilevät piilevät piilevät. It uses the verb piillä (to be concealed), the noun piilevä (diatom) and the adjective piilevä (concealed, hidden). Roughly translated it means: The hidden diatoms are concealed in the diatoms concealed in the hidden diatoms. So now if you are ever invited to a dinner party with Fenno-Ugrian linguists, you can wow them with this.

Friday 19 July 2013

Liebster Award


About a month ago Jenni of Rosie the Crafter nominated me for a Liebster Award! Thank you, I'm most honoured!

In order to accept I must 1) answer the 11 questions set to me by the blogger who nominated me
2) pick 11 bloggers I would like to nominate and 3) think of 11 questions for them to answer.

So here goes...

1. Describe yourself in five words.
Unh, I hate describing myself...determined, kind, odd, happy, sceptical

2. How old were you when you first realised you like vintage and old things? What triggered this interest?
When I was very young. I remember that I used to like to look at all the old dresses, lace collars, evening gloves and jewellery my mother had gotten from her mother. Knowing it was old and delicate gave it a special, magical aura that went beyond it just being pretty.

3. How far have you gone with vintage? Is it a trend or a lifestyle? 
It's definitely a lifestyle. Most of my wardrobe is vintage although I mix in modern bits for practical reasons. Our furniture is also a mix of vintage and modern, but the overall feel is vintage.

4. What is the best comment you have received about your style?
I have found that the best compliments come from older gentlemen. The nicest one so far was at the local supermarket checkout this May when an elderly man came up to me and wistfully said:"You don't see enough summer dresses these days. It's a shame. You look very beautiful."

5. What is your favourite outfit?
I must say that I don't really have one. I don't usually wear the same outfit two days in a row. I just can't, don't ask me why, it's been like that since I first started choosing my own clothes. The outfit I'm wearing that day is my favourite one - that day.

6. Your greatest vintage or antique bargain?
My greatest find were these three vintage dresses at a small flea market. The one with the pink buttons was only 2 euros because the seam at the waist had come undone for about 5 cm. The two brown ones were 3 euros a piece. The pink buttoned one is 50's, the cotton one in the middle is 60's and the rayon one on the top is early 50's. What made the bargain so great was that they're all my size!

vintage 50's 40's dresses cotton rayon brown

7. Your weirdest vintage or antique find?
Hmm, you do come across some weird stuff, but the weirdest thing I have actually bought is this. The tag said it was a flagpole tip. It's certainly the right shape. It's glass and not brass as they usually are. Did they make glass flagpole tips? I don't know. It's pretty, though.



8. What are your other interests besides vintage and such?
I read, a lot. All kinds of books; fact, fiction, old, new. All kinds of magazines. Anything on Wikipedia. I just read. And I'm a fast reader. In four languages. I also enjoy music, any kind, except for black metal and death metal. Never really liked those. Oh yes, and I watch a lot of movies.

9. Does someone else in your family or near relatives have an interest in vintage, antiques or history? 
Hubby loves vintage cars and knows a lot about them as well.

10. What is the skill you have learned to master and are the most proud of?
Sewing clothes. I'm still learning but being able to sew something that I can actually wear out in public is something I'm really proud of.

11. What makes you happy in your every day life?
My two little boys. Rediscovering the world with them, teaching them new things. But I also enjoy the little moments I have to myself when nobody needs me.

 ***

Now I had a bit of trouble with the next task. I regularly read a few blogs but all of them either have more than 200 followers or have just received a Liebster award. Hmmm, what to do, what to do? Then it hit me: one of the ideas behind the Liebster award is to discover new blogs.

So I have here a list of 11 blogs, which I have just discovered and would like to share with you. These blogs, to the best of my knowledge, have not recently recieved a Liebster award, have under 200 followers and are active, meaning they post fairly regularly and have posted in the past few months.

My nominees for the Liebster award are:

Anniina from Ce Petit Cœur
Maria from When life gives you lemons
http://giveyoualemon.blogspot.fi/
Anne Kirstine Toft Jørgensen from Frøken Toft
http://toft-toft.blogspot.fi/
Melody from A Vintage Ramble
http://avintageramble.blogspot.fi/
Eva from Evas liv - med sömsmån
http://evaslivmedsomsman.blogspot.fi/
Camille from Livet i Rabarberland
http://livetirabarberland.blogspot.fi/
Anna from Ljuva 50-tal
http://ljuva50tal.blogspot.fi/
K. from Modet i svepningar
http://pimpinett.wordpress.com/
Sheri Bomb from Sheribomb
http://www.sheribomb.com.au/
Elina from Hopeapeili
http://hopeapeili.blogspot.fi/
La Toya from Mid-century Pink
http://mid-centurypink.blogspot.fi/

The rules of receiving Liebster award: 
- You must answer the 11 questions set by the blogger who nominated you.
- You yourself then pick 11 blogs who in turn have under 200 followers. You must then think of 11 questions for the blogs you have picked and also tell them.
- Finally link back to the blog that nominated you
.

My 11 questions for the lovely nominees:

1. What was the first vintage item you ever bought?
2. Where were you ten years ago today?
3. What are you currently reading?
4. If you were hosting a dinner party and could invite any four people, alive or dead, real or fictional, who would you invite?
5. Why do you write a blog?
6. Do you have a secret skill? (something you can do that only a few people know about)
7. What is on your (fantasy) Christmas wish list?
8. List three little things that make you happy.
9. Tea or coffee?
10. What place would you like to visit?
11. Is vintage/retro a lifestyle or a hobby for you?

Saturday 13 July 2013

Restauranta 2013

Today was the second day of the two-day event in Kangasala known as Restauranta or RR. It is what we call a "rompetori" or junk market. Junk markets started off as open-air buy/sell events for vintage car parts. The sellers also brought in other things they found lying around in their garage and slowly junk markets began selling everything from basic flea market stuff such as clothes, toys and housewares to old china, books and other collectibles. Oh yeah, and car parts.

Restauranta 2013 nisuvivu

Restauranta 2013


Many sellers still come to empty out their wardrobes and garages selling things for one or two euros. Then there are the "pros" who tour the country's junk markets the whole summer and their stuff isn't priced to sell, if you catch my drift. Restauranta is the oldest and biggest of all Finnish junk market events. There are hundreds of sellers and thousands of visitors.

Our vintage association, Fintage had a stand there now for the second time. We didn't sell that much, but it was good PR and all in all a fun experience (again).

Fintage Restauranta 2013

As you might have guessed, I made a few purchases.

Restauranta 2013

The big yellow thing in the middle is a Ufox 2S humidifier. This we actually really needed as one of the two humidifiers, we were using last winter, broke. The air gets terribly dry in the winter and this causes Hubby nose bleeds and everyone else to have stuffy noses. This is a vintage item as the Ufox 2S has now been replaced by the Ufox 3S. It's probably from the 70's or 80's. Ufox humidifiers have been available for over thirty years and were first only available in two colours; green and yellow. Over the years it has been made in various colours including yellow, dark green, red, grey and black. Now they are only available in white. The colours may have changed but the shape and basic design has stayed the same. No Finnish bedroom is complete without one...

Ufox 2 S keltainen yellow

I found a darling apron for only 50 cents. I really like the fabric. It has a stain near the pocket (coffee maybe) which I will try to remove, but hey, all this cuteness for just 50 cents!

1950's pink apron cotton novelty kitchen

I actually went back to get this tin. It was a bit more expensive than I would normally pay for a tin of any kind but I just had to have it. It's just so 50's with the plants and the teapots and, as I suspected, it looks very much at home in our kitchen.

1950's tea tin british mod century pink

I had spent a long time looking for the perfect coffee/tea pot and now I finally found it! It's old, it wasn't too expensive and it's just the right size. It's by Arabia and was made between 1917 and 1927. The fact that it has a chip on the rim makes me like it even more. No perfect china in my house!

Arabia U-leima 1917 19527  OL kannu kaadin tea coffee pot kukka siirtokuva

This basket caught my eye for some reason. It was cute and cheap so I bought it. The fabric pouch is probably rayon and maybe 40's or 50's. Love the fans!

basket 1940's 1950's rayon fan

1940's 1950's rayon fan

The pyjama is probably 70's judging by the stylized bird pattern; I don't really know. The fabric is lovely, it has a rayon-y feel, slubby and soft.



I wouldn't say I collect vintage magazines, but I do tend to pick them up from all over the place. This time I bought two womens magazines: Me Naiset from 1957 and Eeva from 1963. I don't normally buy magazines this recent but the couture feature was amazing! And the hair and makeup styles in the ads are unbelievable.





I also bought a men's magazine: Kalle from 1954. It has articles and pin-up style pictures with the occasional nipple. Kalle can still be bought at news stands today, although the contents is now hard-core. I mean, that's what I've heard. Not that I have ever looked. No, sir!

1950's pin up magazine men's porn

Then I also bought a full slip to add to my collection and a 60's suit. It's a light blue and I'm not sure it's my colour. Blues are a bit tricky on me, get the shade a bit wrong and I look like I have jaundice. Anyway I have to make some adjustments to the jacket as well. I know it's supposed to be boxy but I just can't do boxy. It makes me look matronly, portly even.