Vintage Fair This Saturday!

Time to set off and join us if you can at The Cotswolds Vintage Fair this Saturday 27th...

There will be 35 sellers offering original vintage & antique goods alongside a carefully selected range of handmade treasures inspired by the past including homewares, fashion, furniture, textiles & trims, china, kitchenalia, books, toys & games, jewellery, ephemera and much more!

Lavinia's Tea Party will be creating a vintage style tea room offering homemade cakes and sandwiches, served on the prettiest vintage china and weather permitting all set up outside overlooking the most glorious Cotswolds landscape.

Doors open at 10.00am and entry is £1.00. If you happen to have a copy of the August issue of Homes & Antiques magazine, we have a special offer on their events listing page which means free entry ~ just bring the page with you!

Toddington Village Hall, Stow Road, Toddington, Glos GL54 5DU.

Full details of the event including stallholder & visitor information, directions to the venue etc. can be found at The Cotswolds Vintage Fair blog.

Hope that you can make it!

Ali x

Two day open house (one week to recover...)

I think it must be my age...but it has taken me almost a week to get the house back to normal and restore my energy after my open house sale last weekend...

I would like to say a big thank you to all those lovely customers and friends who stopped by, made purchases and supported me again ~ it was so nice to see some familiar faces and new ones!

Thank you also to the other fabulous, talented ladies who joined me in my home selling their own wares, for arranging everything so wonderfully and for making it such an enjoyable couple of days ~ much merriment and mayhem...

Angela Evans' whiter than white linens and English embroidery

The tea room (hastily arranged under a gazebo due to poor weather...)

Chloe Vintage ~ handmade bunnies made from antique textiles

Beautiful & unique clothing & textiles from Philippa Bowes

Flowers everywhere...

Lucy Bloom's eclectic mix of homewares...

Hesta Nesta's gorgeous quilts & textile treasures...

Some of my own collections of goods for sale...

My Mother's Vintage Costume Jewellery...

Watch this space to see if I am brave enough to have another event in my own home...!

Ali x

The 'Vintage Summer Boutique'...

Oh, what lovely summer weather we are having ~ who knows what Friday & Saturday will bring ~ sunshine or rain? Whatever the weather The Vintage Summer Boutique will be open, outside in the garden if the sun is shining, or indoors if there is the chance of getting wet! The house is currently being turned upside down in preparation (have always been told to have contingency plans!)

Whatever the weather, you are welcome to join us ~ here are the house rules:

1. Please turn a blind eye to all cobwebs that haven't seen a duster lately.
2. Please be patient with dear husband and father who have been roped in as caterers.
3. No squabbling with others over the gorgeous merchandise ~ once it's gone, it's gone!
4. Please understand that ours is a family home and there may be the odd piece of lego found underfoot or dry piece of toast under the sofa (but you shouldn't be looking under the sofa!)
5. Only those with a friendly disposition and highly developed sense of humour allowed. (Ours is still just about intact)

Looking forward to meeting you all...

Ali x

The 'Vintage Summer Boutique'...

I am hosting my first ever summer open house sale this month! Yes, I know I need my head testing and there are not enough hours in the day but sometimes a girl just has to do what her heart tells her. My heart and head love to talk vintage ~ and what better way to do just that with other like minded souls than at a vintage style garden party?

I shall be joined by a small gathering of talented friends with a gift for making, displaying and selling their beautiful vintage stock and hand~made creations. Lots of lovely goodies to be inspired by...

Tea and home~made cake served all day (on vintage china of course!) and the opportunity to browse, chat and enjoy a thoroughly (unashamedly) old~fashioned girls' day out. Shabby Lloyd Loom chairs on the lawn, a cottage garden, a bit of bunting and (praying for) sunshine, hope you get the picture!

If you would like to receive an invitation to The Vintage Summer Boutique, please contact me with your details.

I do hope that you can make it....

Ali x

The Avington Brocante

I am really looking forward to having a stall at this lovely fair on Thursday this week ~ the first time that I shall have been there...

Set in the beautiful house and grounds of Avington Park ~ there will be approximately 30 dealers offering decorative antiques, furniture, accessories, textiles, garden ware and more...

Entrance fee £5.00. Open from 9.30am ~ 4.30pm with refreshments available ~ do come along and say hello if you can!

Avington, Nr Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1DB.

Ali x

The Summer Cotswolds Vintage Fair

Last year I participated in a lovely new fair in the Cotswolds and recently learned that its current organiser was unable to continue with the commitment of any further events this year.  So, I stuck my hand in the air, waved it around a bit and offered to take over the running of The Cotswolds Vintage Fair.

I have made contact with all those stallholders whose details have been passed on to me, and hopefully you will have by now received an email with a new booking form and information.  It would be lovely to hear from you all!  New stallholder applications would be welcome too ~ please contact me via the link on the sidebar or take a peek at the new dedicated blog ~ The Cotswolds Vintage Fair. 

The date is set for Saturday 27th August and will be held in the original venue at Toddington Village Hall ~ set in glorious Cotswold countryside with views to die for.... weather permitting we shall have a vintage style tea room on the lawn...

I am prepared for more sleepless nights, making bunting in my dreams and putting on a few pounds tasting the sample bakes from the cakemaker ~ well someone has to do it!

Wish me luck...

Ali x

Jeanne D'Arc Living Magazine

It's here!

Issue No. 2 .... has arrived from Denmark.  Oh me oh my, this is like receiving a special gift from a thoughtful friend everytime the big white box arrives from Jeanne D'Arc Living.  It never, ever disappoints, each issue is fresh, unique and like no other magazine on the planet.  

Thank you to all the lovely customers that placed orders and reserved your copy ~ they have been despatched today, just in time for the weekend when hopefully you will find a quiet, cosy corner in which to squirrel yourself away and read...

or dream...

sigh...

 

 

wish for...

and sigh again...

There are just a very few copies left ~ available here.

Have a lovely weekend!

Ali x

Love Works Wonders

It really does, doesn't it?

Happy Valentines....

Hearts and flowers to you all...

Ali x