Saving the planet and feeling passionate about preserving
vintage:
Recently I have been struck by how, as a society we have
really got behind the ethos of recycling, seeing the positive in second hand
and helping to reduce the tonnes and tonnes of discarded items clogging up
landfill and our environment. This has got to be a positive move and I’m sooo
hoping it’s not mostly down to a trend or phase, the word ‘vintage’ can earn
you a whole stack of ‘trend setter points’ at the mo. I’m hoping that shopping for trendy, unique,
one off vintage pieces has fuelled a fire that some of us have had burning
within since birth. For some people they seem to have been born with an extra chromosome,
I think it’s commonly known in the medical world as the ‘scavenger’ chromosome!!
I have this running through my veins. Long before the welcomed days of
awareness of where our waste actually goes and back in the 70’s and 80’s when I
was just a lil titch I would follow my Dad around scrap yards, junk shops, and
pop-up tips in woodland and old quarry sites looking for treasures. When I
thought I may have found a treasure I would rush to show my Granddad who
dabbled in the antiques trade. The thrill of the chase has remained with me and
still to this day I am wired to seek out treasure from days past, the
pre-loved, made to last artefacts from our past.
For me the journey has just began when a treasure has been
found, I am then concerned with making sure this treasure is appreciated and
will keep on giving its owners immense joy for years and years to come.
This 1950’s (?) shawl is an example of my ‘scavenger gene’ in
action. Thankfully I was in the right place at the right time and happened to
notice that it was on the verge of being sent to the rag trade because it had
several small holes in and the tassels were completely tangled and knotted up.
That fire within me roared and sent me into action, I rescued the shawl from
the black bin bag and made a donation to the charity that had been given it. I
then lovingly cleaned and repaired it until it looked as good as the day it was
bought. I was then faced with the task of seeking out someone who would
appreciate this vintage shawl and see its full potential ~ I have decided a
vintage clothes seller will be most best option and so I will be taking it to
the Newbury Antiques Fair to seek out a trades person who will continue with this
rescue mission and who can pass it on to someone who takes this special piece
of clothing home and loves it just like the lady did who chose it back in the
very beginning of its life over 60 years ago.
This weekend we meet our friends in the middle of a field
which was located in the middle of nowhere = heaven. They have been ‘wild
camping’ for a week and sadly due to work commitments we have not been able to join
them so as soon as we could we headed straight to their field in the middle of
nowhere.
They are wild camping pros and much prefer this type of
camping (as appose to setting up on a site that has facilities such as
electric, washing up stations, lights, shop, etc.). There were other wild
campers there too and I was keen to know from their experience why they
preferred this camping experience to the more commercial one. This is typed
word for word what they told me (controversial but an honest opinion from a camper
with over 20 years’ experience): so here goes ...
This is how camping used to be, slowly over the years it’s
got dressed up by the middle classes which has bumped the prices up and spoilt
it for the true campers. Due to this
it’s harder and harder to find genuine camping sites.
For a week away wild camping is true escapism, laid back and
relaxed, there are no rules. We live day by day to rules, wild camping there
are no rules. There are no pitch numbers, no designated bays and you CAN play
music, chat until past 10pm, forage for wood and build campfires, this is how
camping should be as appose to over commercialised camping where people go to a
site that’s like home from home, sit in their caravan and watch TV. There is no
interaction on these sites, no community, no spirit.
I for one can really see the appeal, its back to basics and
a total detox. Away from technology, distractions and anything remotely
resembling modern day life. It’s just you, a field, a chemical toilet and a hut
with a shower heated by a gas bottle. Who
needs a desert island when you have wild camping??
The drive home ...
Sadly we were only able to stay a short while but at the
next available opportunity we will also look to find ourselves a hedge and
attempt live alongside it. To be continued …
~ ~ ~
So this week has seen a virus wreak havoc through our home and one by one we have had taken to our beds. Whilst I was taking my turn at being ill in my bed my mind wandered from
"Urgh, I don't want to think about how ill I am and that I am missing a brand new general auction that my friend and I have had planned to attend for months"
to
"Oh how I would love to visit Morocco".
I then spent a delirious couple of hours (only stopping to hoover up half a box of Weetabix my son had accidently dropped/squashed all over the kitchen floor at breakfast time)dreaming about this beautiful destination and all of the things I would do and places I would visit.
So ...
To see this view with my own eyes would be a must.
Then I would take a trip to this stall and spend way too long trying to decide which glasses to buy (note to self, must take bubble wrap with me on this pie in the sky trip)!!
I would then think "phap, I'll just buy all of them" because I would have to dash to meet up with a friend here ...
(How beautiful is this room - really big sigh, simply stunning).
Then we'd go out for a lil spot of retail therapy, Moroccan shoe stylie ...
My personal fav's are the pink sequined ones second from the left along the bottom row. I also think I need a pair of the pink pompom beauts for padding around the house in.
Then as the sun goes down I would cosy up around this beautiful fire with my family ...
Where we would sit around my new table catching up on the day and discussing tomorrows plans (and I would try and think of ways to break the news to my husband that I had bought several hundred pretty glasses and that I think they should be packed in his suitcase)while sipping mint tea brewing nicely in my new teapot ...
Oh how I am keeping my dream alive and my fingers crossed that one day ...
And that something is definitely Marrakesh.
~ ~ ~
I have stumbled upon a really lovely blog (I'm sure some of you have already discovered this treasure that lives inside our computer) but if you haven't I want to share it with y'all.
Its called Lamb and Blonde and it's where you'll find the most stunning photographs of fashion, interiors, books, far away places, weddings ... the list goes on and on.
Here are just a small selection of my fav photos as a taster and to whet your appetite ...
I urge you to down tools at the earliest possible moment, make a cuppa, curl up and while away a welcome break looking at virtual eye candy.
Ah, and ... breath ...
~ ~ ~
Until next week, bye y'all xx
As seen on modvintagelife
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