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Our Vintage Life

May 17, 2013 in Our Vintage Life

Not really much to tell about our last week as I have spent most of it with a very poorly knee. Having had a lump removed last week I havent been able to walk properly since.

So what have I done…listed stock that’s what. I have listed 50 items this week and to be honest I’m now listed out. The highlight? Well it clearly has to be 2 Ladderax units.

Mr YVL bought them last week and they are fab.

Ladderax was designed in 1964 by Robert Heal for Staples of Cricklewood. They are modular storage units designed with ladder supports made from wood or metal. The idea is that they simply float from the floor.

Gosh I would love to keep them but hey….they are up for sale!

Having spent so much time in my office, both children decided they wanted some office action too. They got up early to “sort things out in their office”. They counted money then made cup cakes from Lego. Vintage tea shop me thinks!

The business and our National Vintage Award nomination was featured in the local newspaper and their website. We were very chuffed to say the least and they wrote such nice things about us! Read the actual text here.

On that note, we are 2nd place…and still need your votes!!!! (Which you can do here)

The rest of the week has seen me cooking up some new vintage plans with some other great people. From PR our book “Style your modern vintage home” (which is available to pre-order now!) to vintage workshops, the year ahead sure looks rosey!

What have you been up to? Any thing much vintagey?

Tags: awards, book, furniture, ladderax, workshops
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Vintage website hits big

May 15, 2013 in Your Vintage News

Last week we were featured in our local Sunday newspaper. It was in the Beds on Sunday’s Business section, and here’s what they wrote!

An online vintage clothing and homeware retailer has been nominated for a top industry award.

Cranfield- based Your Vintage Life is one of 4 retailers to have been shortlisted by the National Vintage Awards for the title of “Best Online Homeware Shop”.

The business sells one-off vintage pieces from the 1920s through to the 1980s, focussing on classic clothing and retro homewares and will find out next month whether they have clinched the award.

Joint company owner, Kate Beavis, who has more than 20 years experience in retail management, said: “We are so excited to be nominated for this award.

We set up the business 4 years ago, selling vintage fashion, furniture and homewares so to be up against such great businesses is amazing.

We have had such a great few years building up our international customer base as well as providing pieces for the BBC, National theatre, Cath Kidston and even to G Plan!

The business has enabled us to branch out too; we write a regular blog, run small business workshops and my first book is out this summer. We have just gone from strength to strength through difficult financial times so to be recognised in this category is fantastic.”

The final four now face a public vote before finding out whether they have made it to the judging panel in June. The final awards ceremony will take place in Birmingham on June 27th.

To vote for Your Vintage Life, go to http://thenationalvintageawards.co.uk/vote-here/best-online-shop-homeware/

Tags: awards, press
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10 of the Best: 1920s Vintage Fashion

May 14, 2013 in Top 10s, Your Vintage Wardrobe

The long-awaited Great Gatsby film is due out in the UK this week, and with this there is a frenzy of desire for all things 1920s. And who can blame us: the glamour, the frivolity and the beading is enough to make any vintage gal swoon.

This week’s 10 of the Best features 1920s vintage fashion (watch out for 1920s homewares next week).

1. No vintage fashion list would be complete without Love Miss Daisy. They are so clued up they even have a Great Gatsby section on their site filled with dreamy style. This dress is our favourite.

2. Every flapper needs a headband and these wedding accessories are amazing. Beautifully handmade by Debbie Carlisle we love this style best.

3. The cloche hat was worn by every lady in the 1920s. It had a comeback last season (remember the John Lewis advert?) This vintage original is stunning.

4. These small compacts with a loop for your finger are the perfect accessory.

5. Real Green Dress handpick stunning vintage clothing and this 1920s dress coming soon won’t disappoint.

6. Here at Your Vintage Life have this amazing bridal tiara headband which was worn in the 1920s then again in the late 1950s. You don’t need a wedding to wear this!

7. This sash pin from Catwalk Creative Vintage is so pretty and would brighten up any lapel.

8. This flapper beaded handbag is a joy…almost too good to use! maybe just hang it on your bedroom wall instead!

9. This leather clutch bag is a more practical choice yet no less beautiful!

10. Back to Love Miss Daisy for number 10: this 1960s Flapper style dress will see you through the summer as well as being the perfect party Christmas dress!

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Your Vintage Life has been nominated for a National Vintage Award! if you think we deserve it as the Best Online Homeware shop then please vote for us by clicking this link! Thanks x

Tags: 1920s, bag, dress, fashion, flapper, style, wedding
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Our Vintage Life

May 10, 2013 in Our Vintage Life, Your Vintage Home, Your Vintage Kitchen

This week was about two things only: finishing off our kitchen and sitting in the glorious bank holiday sun.

Finally, it was good weather on a holiday! We literally haven’t had a day off since Christmas so we really enjoyed Monday. We had a barbecue with family, drank Pimms, ate great food and enjoyed our children playing in the garden.

Kitty played on her vintage trike.

I took photos of some of the flowers as well as did some weeding. I love these Bleeding Hearts which are always one of the first perennials to bloom.

We bought these metal flower stakes at Peterborough Antiques fair last March. They will be great for staking the delphiniums but also look quite architectural too.

It was blissful!

The kitchen is almost complete…just a bit of tiling left now. Having not had a kitchen for 5 months this is very good news indeed! We have added 2 stainless steel shelves to display our vintage 1960s Norwegian CatherineHolm cookware as well as other bits we love. We posted this picture on Facebook and got 85 likes very quickly, so I trust you love it too! The cruet set was a rare find and came with the original box…the last set on ebay sold for over £400! We thankfully paid about 2% of that for them!

Last night I went for a minor op in hospital so now I cant walk very well. Years ago a small piece of stone lodged in my knee after a drunken falling over episode at a Pixies gig. It has been causing me agro for years so now as the time to remove it. Lovely!!!

What have you been up to recently? Any vintage DIY work? or just sitting in the garden?

We’ve been nominated for an award! We are up for Best Online Homeware Shop at the National Vintage Awards. We would love you to vote by clicking here …

Tags: cathrineholm, garden, Norwegian. bike
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Link Love

May 9, 2013 in Link Love

10 vintage 1980s fashions that you can wear now.

The ugly side of photo sharing via social media

On the local front: this VE day celebration sounds cool.

Vintage radio show up for a Sony award..yes you heard right!

We still need your votes!

Are children’s books sexist?

The sun’s come out so we need new shoes!

We still havent seen the Bowie exhibition and this is just making us want to go all the more!

We also want to go to the Lichtenstein exhibition at the Tate.

This weeks vintage hearts are available to buy here

Tags: 1980s, art, fashion, music, shoes
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10 of the Best: Vintage picnicware

May 7, 2013 in Top 10s

Finally, we have great weather…and on a bank holiday too! We had a lovely day yesterday, barbecue, badminton on the lawn and a bit of sunbathing (in between drinking Pimms!)

So this week’s 10 of the Best features vintage picnic ware available to buy right now!

1. Loving this beach party ice bucket and glasses dating from 1979. It will brighten even a dull day’s picnic!

2. This hand tooled leather set not only is practical, it looks great! Perfect for your boozey picnic!

3. We have a whole cupboard full of Tupperware but we don’t have this set. Love the colour too!

4. Life’s a Picnic make unique hampers crammed full of vintage wares. This one is our favourite!

5. We have the classic retro Pac-a-pic set for sale at Your Vintage Life. Orange, TV dinner style..what more could you want!

6. All picnics need a blanket and this one is a bargain and such a lovely colour!

7. This Brexton vintage hamper is great, it has everything you need for the perfect picnic.

8. This 1950s set is too cool. With the vinyl carry case with countries on it sure will bring a retro vibe to your afternoon!

9. All vintage picnics or camping trips need melamine. Here is a whole set of orange Gaydon Melmex….looks like the inside of my cupboard!

10. These picnic chairs date to the 1930s. Easily folding, they will fit into your car leaving enough space for all your Pimms!

Tags: 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, gaydon, melamine, picnic, tupperware
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Our Vintage Life

May 3, 2013 in Our Vintage Life, Your Vintage Home

We spent all weekend at the Festival of Vintage in York. Approx. 8000 people visited to enjoy dancing, shopping, music, classic cars as well as see our room set.

Last year we styled a 1950s kitchen at the Epsom Festival and were asked to do another one this year. It was a 1960s lounge, full of teak, dark red vinyl and some fab accessories.

The stereogram played 1960s records all day.

The bar was set up complete with Babycham, Snowballs and a bottle of Liebfraumilch.

All items are now for sale so if you fancy one of them get in touch! We also sold pretty vintage dresses to lots of lovely ladies so overall we had a great time.

The rest of the week has been dedicated to installing our new kitchen…pictures to follow I promise!

My mum gave me this 1970s mirror for our new downstairs bathroom. She sold mirrors in the 1970s and even had a pop up shop! (Very ahead of her time!) The design is very of the moment with the 1920s style. It goes really nicely with our green glass and olive and white deco metro shaped tiles.

Wednesday we received some exciting news that we have been nominated for an award! Best Online Homeware shop for the National Vintage Awards. Voting ends on 31st May, so I bet you will hear us talking loads about it before then! (Please vote for us here!!!)

This weekend we are relaxing in the sun and finishing the kitchen……Have a great Bank Holiday everyone x

Tags: 1960s, awards, living room, mirror
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Link Love

May 2, 2013 in Link Love

Who loves the 1920s style, and the dancing? We do!

Coco Chanel was a style goddess, is Kiera Knightley?

Who has booked their tickets for Goodwood? What you wearing?

Who is a polyester queen? Let’s embrace the 1970s!

Need hair styling advice and using a headscarf? We love this lady who always delivers!

(Shameless plug alert!) We love an awards ceremony and we have been nominated for an award!

We love this sense of nostalgia courtesy of Vintage Scoops.

This weeks hearts are available to buy here

Tags: 1920s, 1950s, 1970s, chanel, fashion, goodwood, style
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We Love….J.H. Lynch

May 1, 2013 in Your Vintage Home

We love J.H Lynch. But who is J.H Lynch?

This is in fact a bit of a mystery. He painted ladies, looking seductively at the viewer, often semi clad throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Joseph Henry Lynch was born in 1911 and died in 1989. His prints were mass produced and sold through shops such as Boots. Rumour has it he destroyed or gave away his paintings as he was frustrated at his lack of recognition.

Tina is the most iconic vintage print; clutching a tree, in a forest, naked. Painted in 1961, this print sums up the retro look sought after today.

Tina in a green dress is rarer, but no-one knows which was painted first.

source

The Nymph sees another near naked lady, Tina, coming out of the water.

source

Woodland Goddess is another popular painting, painted in the early 1960s.

source

Autumn Leaves, painted in the late 1960s featured a different lady, still looking seductively at the artist.

source

Then there are a series of women that are rarely found. There’s Tanya…

Tara…

Zena….

Maria…

We have a Tina but recently sold our Nymph…which I’m regretting already!

Which is your favourite?

Tags: 1960s, 1970s, JH Lynch, painting, picture, print, Tina
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10 of the Best: Vintage Kitchens

April 29, 2013 in Top 10s, Your Vintage Kitchen

As Mr YVL is busy, as I write, fitting our new kitchen I thought I’d trawl the net for the top 10 vintage kitchens available to buy right now!

Ours is new….yours doesn’t have to be!

1. Now not the most practical buy you gotta love a Sindy kitchen. I wanted one so much when I was younger!

2. This 1950s vintage free standing unit is so cool, especially with the pretty glass windows.

3. This low unit by Fleetway is such a great colour. Needs a bit of TLC on the top but it’s sure to cheer you up in your kitchen.

4. This set looks like the ones we have just ripped out….although this one is for a dolls house!

5. This free standing unit needs a lick of paint. I would keep the red colour though!

6. Fancy a project? Then this 1950s English Rose sink unit is for you!

7. Don’t fancy a project? Then how about a modern version of the English Rose?

8. We missed out on one of these at auction once and I’ve never forgotten it! A 1950s kitchen table covered in formica vegetables..what’s not to love?