weekend, we

Hi everyone, how was your weekend?

Ours was nice - very local, relaxing, and productive. Saturday was all about a morning car boot sale (aka. community rummage sale) and an afternoon visit to Portobello Road for lunch and shopping. It was actually the first time that I've ever been to that market without going to the antiques section! Felt like such a local simply going there for sewing trimmings, fresh produce, and flowers.

Sunday was focused on the home which was easy to do since it was so grey out. We listened to the radio as we did our chores, prepped for the week, and in my case, prepped for the next couple of months. I've had tons of projects and ideas on the back-burner but now I'm committed to making them happen in 2012. Anyone else planning on putting their lingering ideas to work this year?

{show & tell} london finds

I haven't done any serious vintage shopping since Margate but here are four pieces that I've recently picked up while out and about in London.

1 - Hand-hammered brass necklace purchased at a charity shop (thrift store in the States). It has the ethnic/tribal feel that I love in jewelry + it's brass (I LOVE brass).

2 - Re-purposed vintage skirt from Pop Boutique in Covent Garden. Skirts are where I tend to like my prints so I couldn't resist this comfy cotton number. It's definitely going to Madrid and Sicily with me!

3 - A social commentary cartoon from 1924 that depicts two women in the "pre-bobbed period" - see damsels in distress - to "and today" where they appear to be liberated, chatting it up in their short skirts and pants while checking out portraits of different men. This was too good to pass (purchased at Portobello Road).

4 - Ceramic vase that has a great sand texture on the top half. I bought it at a charity shop, and am pretty sure that it's not vintage, but since it was thrifted I figured it was still worth sharing.

Do you have any recent show & tells?

{market memo} portobello road

I didn't do my homework. Rather, I listened to locals who told me that the best day to do Portobello Market is on Friday very early in the morning when the tourist crowds are minimal. So, I got there at 8am thinking I was primed for the good stuff but nope, that was still too early.

Oh well, I thought, figuring that my premature arrival gave me time to eat a proper breakfast and still be one of the first shoppers to pounce. Within an hour I was surprisingly over the urge to shop and simply began to enjoy watching the vendors set up their tables and store owners open their doors. It was like witnessing a ritual that I'm usually to preoccupied to notice. Even before the first boxes of goodies were taken out of loaded vans I was able to walk the then peaceful road totally uninterrupted. Having been to Portobello on a Saturday when the crowds of people are practically overwhelming, it was a real treat to actually be able to walk freely, chat with vendors, look up, and stop and admire the many signs, typography, and colors of the street.

I always like to do markets early in the morning but at least now I know that I can sleep in  for Portobello on Fridays.