It’s come to my attention that all I talk about at the moment is our wedding. I don’t want to be that bride (even on what is, technically, a wedding blog), so this week, I thought I’d take a break and talk about a few of the other things I’ve been up to, in between panicking about lace doilies, writing what feels like the war and peace equivalent of invitations, and dreaming about bridesmaids who refuse to get up and get their hair and make up done on the day (it’s been a fun week).
I mentioned this last week, but recently I was lucky enough to volunteer at Royal Trinity Hospice‘s head office, where I got to help out with their eBay shop. As some background, Trinity Hospice is London’s oldest hospice (it’s been going since 1891), and added Royal to its name in July of this year (by appointment of the Cabinet Office and Buckingham Palace, which is pretty cool). They have a few shops dotted around the area, and I wish I lived closer so I could explore all the vintage clothes I heard about while I was there! If anyone’s up for a trip to Balham, you know where to find me.
Keeping with the charity theme, on Friday, the John Lewis Christmas ad came out (friends from outside the UK, this generally marks the start of the festive countdown. Everyone looks forward to seeing what they’ll come up with, and it makes it perfectly acceptable that I’m listening to Christmas carols while I write this). But it didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy like in previous years, where we’ve seen a snowman travel for miles to buy his snowwife a fetching hat and glove set, or a hare buy his friend – a bear – an alarm clock so he doesn’t miss Christmas while he’s hibernating.
It made me feel very sad.
Called Man on the Moon, the company has teamed up with charity Age UK to highlight their “No-one should have no-one at Christmas” campaign, and it’s beautifully done. A little girl called Lily is using her telescope and sees an old man living on the moon, looking a bit lonely. So she tries to get in touch with him, but it’s impossible. Eventually, Christmas rolls around, and (still not entirely sure how), she manages to get a gift to him via the medium of balloons. I won’t spoil the ending, but it is very sweet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuz2ILq4UeA
By coincidence, a fabulous human being I went to university with, Samantha Kennedy, works for Age UK, and has been working hard on this very campaign (read more about it here). So, I asked her how I could help. She directed me to my local branch, and long story short – and CRB check permitting – I’m going to be a volunteer visitor for the charity very soon. I’ll be honest, getting to look at old photos and reminisce about days gone by with someone feels like it’s going to be more of a treat for me than the ones I’m visiting, and I am excited.
And onto more frivolous things (sorry). Also this week, for the first time ever, I was a finalist in a “Best dressed” competition. (I lost out to a lovely little girl called Willow – she was a well-deserved winner!)
I headed along to T
he Secret Vintage Fair at Thorpe Hall in Peterborough last weekend, and had a blast. My hair had not behaved itself, so the lovely ladies at Hairaid Shelter (awesome company name, I think you’ll agree) rescued it for me. I even managed to track down a milk jug and sugar bowl for the wedding stash, my first ever pair of vintage gloves, and two amazing cupcakes – I was nice and gave one to The Boy, despite wanting to devour them both in the car – all while listening to excellent retro music. Who’s in for the next one?
Side note: if you plan on buying a coat like this, be prepared for anything you do to take approximately three times longer, as people want to talk to you about it, ask where it’s from, whether it’s real (vintage and/or fur) and (occasionally) if they can touch it. Which, I’ll be honest, I thoroughly enjoy. Because I’m a) vain b) a big fan of talking and c) obsessed with this coat.
Photo by Dexter Morgan Photography
And speaking of vintage fairs, there are now only two weeks to go until The Vintage Wedding Festival. After talking to our (wonderful) wedding coordinator, I discovered there are going to be actual workshops where you learn to make things. As someone who has limited creative ability, but a lot of enthusiasm (tying our wedding invitations tested me, and I’m still only two-thirds of the way through making my first ever dress, because the dressmaking pins keep biting me, but I’m still keen to handmake our wedding favours), I am very, very excited about this.
Next week: back on topic, with food, glorious (wedding) food!
Something Definitely Happened 