The Leopard Anchor

A diary the age of me

I found this in a cute old van my Dad bought last year, it's from the year I was born. The ads in it are adorable!

This is my favourite double page. I love the word "fruiterer", I've never heard it before!

And I think this is as applicable today as it was in 1985:

"Please support the enterprising traders who are endeavouring to extend a continuing service to the community with which they are proud to be associated."

It's so important to shop local and independent, support small businesses in your community.

xo Kirsty

Holiday peeks: thifting & antiquing

About 90% of the photos from my visit to Canada are of old things, I can't get enough. Let me tell you, thrift stores on the other side of the Atlantic are on a whole different level. With that in mind, this post is pretty picture heavy even though I was ruthless and only picked my absolute favourites. This is a mixture of thrift store finds and cool stuff found in an amazing antiques barn.

The best thrift store I visited was a Salvation Army in a tiny town north of the farm.

This photo is about half of the main section, there is also a separate furniture section. It was HUGE, and it was by no means the biggest we visited.

I had to be dragged away from most of it, all my favourite things were too expensive or too big/heavy to bring home. My local charity shops will never seem the same again.

xo K

Why do we like what we like?

I'm afraid I am that annoying child that won't stop asking why, luckily with age came the ability to internalise my questioning. Just lately I got to thinking about taste and style and where they come from, how they develop and why exactly we like what we like.

For my personal taste the answer is dead simple:

Style-wise (florals, pretty dresses, ultra feminine) it comes from rebellion. I grew up with three older brothers, we watched boy TV shows and played boy games, my mum put me in girly clothes a lot but I had a pretty masculine childhood for the most part. I've also grown up and worked in a grubby, typically manly, distinctly non-floral trade (the motor trade) my whole life.

General taste-wise (retro, old, quirky, shabby) it is plain to see where it comes from, here are a small selection of things from my family home.

I don't think I stood a chance of growing up to like normal, modern things!

How about you? Is the evolution of your taste as clear as mine? I'd love to read your comments (or blog posts).

xo Kirst

What do you do on your days off?

This week I have had two days off, much needed let me tell you! I've had a fab time. One day spent alone, relaxing and thrifting, scribbling in my notebook and spending some time in my studio. The other spent with a good friend, fabric shopping and eating, and a bit more eating.

One of my favourite ways to spend a couple of hours, chai latte, treats, notebook & my headphones.

Accidental charity shop visits, I got lured in on my way past and found these treasures! I'm especially delighted with the camera.

Craft shopping.

Cream tea.

Making things for my Etsy shop (coming soon).

Fabric shopping is always a pleasure. Went to Hansons again.

What do you do when you've got time off of your day job?

xo Kirsty

 

 

A spot of vintage on a rainy Sunday

Gosh, it's really raining isn't it? I'm not complaining, I quite like the rain (in small doses).

I was supposed to be in London today, but it didn't pan out and I had to stay local. Thankfully there was a great vintage fair in Bournemouth today, the quality of wares on offer was fantastic and the lady selling old records while playing her jauntiest tunes made the atmosphere perfect.

I picked up one dress that was a bargain at £10 (there was a little of the old over-inflated pricing going on at some stalls). It needs shortening, a few months ago I would have ummed and ahhed then re-stitched the hem by hand, now I laugh in the face of such minor alterations!

The stall that had me squealing and skipping over to it though was a different beast, it had hundreds of vintage patterns and thousands of buttons. It was BLISS! I got a decent haul there, my lovely friend found the anchor buttons for me.

I am a teeny bit scared of the vintage patterns, I'll definitely be doing the two Colette patterns I've got lined up before I attempt any of them.

xo Kirsty