Time After Time!

Retro is the word of the week! It recently came to my attention that I am constantly surrounded by vintage and retro inspiration. The old film on a Sunday arvo, my favourite vintage woolly cardie for the chilly days, my antiquated teacup that sits in my much loved cabinet (which reminds me I should get that out) every time I pass by, not to mention half the jewellery I wear (either family heirlooms or antique store finds). I'm surrounded by it!

Really it all came to light a couple of Fridays ago, after a monumentally busy week. I needed an afternoon off, to just..."slob around", (thats what my family like to call it). So I switched on the tellie and to my delight there was an old Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr movie,"The Grass is Greener". It's a good one!!! You can never go wrong with a Cary Grant movie, I say. But there was a character in this movie, played by Jean Simmons, that really made me stop and think. With her wacky personality and out there fashion, what can I say...this character, 'Hattie Durant', quickly became my hero. 

For you out there who are not familiar with Kate Spade NY, its an American Fashion House that initially specialised in handbags, but since then has branched out into shoes, accessories, household goods, you name it. Known for their bright, vivacious colours and simplistic style there is a strong retro twist to Kate Spade NY designs, that I absolutely love. Making vintage relevant. What a grand idea!

There are so many vintage bits and bobs around that are over looked. I have a mental list of things to keep my eye out for, when I'm out and about, things like old fabric and sewing patterns, old books, magazines, maps, postcards, lace, wallpaper, postage stamps... My list could go on and on. But these are just a few things that you can actually reuse. 

I have an embarrassingly large collection of postage stamps for example, which are great for spicing up a handmade card, including in a collage badge pin, or using in a art piece for the wall. Vintage magazines are great too, not only do they smell wisely weird , but the imagery is always so classically beautiful even the adds in the back for shoe polish or hat making courses are great as kooky wrapping paper. Every so often, I get my old 1950s designer mags out just for a good retro pick me up. 

Speaking of old mags, I'd been dying to go to this new comic book cafe that had opened in Oxford on the Cowley Rd. So I ended up spending the good part of an afternoon with a friend in 'Inky Fingers' drinking AMAZING homemade Chai and reading old comic mags. 

Actually it got us thinking of the good old days (Haha I'm only 25, I make it sound like I'm an antique myself). Those fond days of mischief at school, memories of dangerous trampoline stunts at my friends house and making mum buy up on strawberry bubble gum to collect all the barbie stickers for my lunch box. Those were the days. I wonder where that lunch box went???

Retro inspired I say!! What other old gems will I find to add to the collection of inspiration?