And so.....a brand is born....

It is no secret that I am a curvy lady...and as documented in this blog just before Valentines Day I went on the hunt for some sexy (not slutty) underwear that first of all didn't make me look like a piece of pork tied up at the butchers and secondly didn't make me look like a lady of the night.

I did manage to find some but to be honest there was not much out there....so I thought I would create my own....how hard can it be...right...!!??

It turns out it was not as easy as I first thought but I persevered and now I have the hang of it.

Basically I wanted to create a range of lingerie using gorgeous ribbons and vintage buttons that will allow women to adjust the pieces to fit them so on those days where our bodies are just not behaving we can adjust the sides of the knickers so that we don't get that lovely muffin top effect....a thing I know only too well.

Each piece is made to measure, will feature beautiful ribbon fastenings and vintage buttons and will be a total one off.

So here is a sneak peek at our first item of boudoir underwear for the curvy lady.....

I am sending out samples to some lovely volunteers so I should have some reviews back in a couple of weeks but if you have an suggestions, questions or queries I would really love to hear them...!! xx

Perfect Picnic Dress...

This weekend I was lucky enough to buy some simply amazing pieces for Hummingbird Vintage...and I have decided to do a little blog each day about a different dress.....

Todays dress is the Picnic Dress.....it is a 1960's knee length tea dress with the most gorgeous print ever. It has really beautiful puffed sleeves which are not restrictive at all and a tie at the back to really cinch the waist in. This dress brings together both the lady like and the floral trend which are meant to be HUGE this Summer...and...lets be honest...can there be a prettier dress out there...??

It is absolutely perfect in every way....and I can really imagine someone wearing it with white woollen tights....

...and brown brogues......

The Picnic Dress is £30 and can be bought at Hummingbird Vintage by just clicking on the Hummingbird logo at the top of this blog... x

Cancer and cupcakes...

Those of you who have read my blog before will know that Mother is currently going through the big C which although tragic has also had it's funny moments.

I awoke on Saturday to streaming sunshine so I decided that I should take a trip to the seaside to see Mother dearest and bring her some joy..!!

Sadly upon arrival I found out that she was sadly very sick and not up for any form of fun...however this did not stop her changing wigs half way through the day so that I got to see both her Jane Fonda and her Teri Hatcher look....I prefer Jane..!!

So as she couldn't go out I decided to go and find some joy to bring to her.....and I found a real hidden treasure called Fancy Nancy's...!!

To be honest I almost dismissed Fancy Nancy's as just a wedding cake shop...but luckily I was drawn in by the VERY kitsch window display.

Inside the vintage kitsch-fest continues and the shops decor is simply beautiful...infact I would actually like to live there but it felt a bit rude to ask as we had only just met...

...each shelf is practically groaning under the weight of really gorgeous items perfect for cooks, people who pretend to cook (me) and people who just love kitsch...(again me). 

I also found...some simply fabulous cupcakes....

...and (this was the highlight) EDIBLE GLITTER....as you can imagine I bought a number of different colours

However what Fancy Nancy's is famously known for (they are actually famous) are their wedding cakes and rightly so as they are the most beautiful and original wedding cakes I have ever seen....

Best thing about all of this is that that they are just about to open up an online shop so everyone can get involved with the amazingness that is Fancy Nancy's.

So after a good 30 minutes wandering around in a haze of cupcakes and kitsch wonderfulness I headed home with cupcakes to cheer up Mother and the intent to bake her some extremely glittery cupcakes for the next time I see her....I mean...what woman in their right mind wouldn't be cheered up by glittery cupcakes...??

Secret Shoes and Dreamy Designers.....

Now....those of you that have read my blog before know that when God was handing out legs he gave me a pair that....at best can be described as sturdy. After almost thirty years I have come to terms with my misgivings but what I haven't come to terms with is the fact that I can't walk in high heels.

I think the fact I am curvy means I am less able to skip around on sky high heels without the fear of falling flat on my face but this doesn't mean I don't dream of walking down the street in heels without a care in the world.

Don't get me wrong I do have a few pairs of high heels but they all have one thing in common....a low chunky heel which these days in the land of the super platform skinny heel is hard to find....or so I thought.

I am now going to let you into a little shoe secret (which I may regret as I would really like to keep these all to myself) called Cinquanta 50. These gorgeously vintage inspired Italian made shoes are just divine and the best thing is that each heel is only 50mm high...hence the name and gloriously chunky. The team behind Cinquanta 50 worked together in the fashion industry for 5 years before realising the footwear currently available was totally impractical (I couldn't agree more!!) so..viola...a brand was born.

Here are my current favourites...prepare for some serious shoe envy.....

The colour and detailing on these shoes in simply gorgeous....a new twist on the classic 1950's court shoe...

The shoe everyone everyone should own.....at last a stunning pair of black courts that I will actually be able to walk in....

Over the knee boots that I can walk in....get me a pair now....

Wedges are not going away this season and this shoe boot is bang on trend...

And here is another trade secret for you....one of the amazingly talented team behind Cinquanta 50 is also behind another project.....it is a new...and dare I say improved version of Net a Porter called Style Passport. It is launching in Spring 2011 and is bound to be huge..!! To get the most uptodate launch news from this fabulous new venture go to their website www.style-passport.com and sign up....I for one can't wait.

Fairytale Fashions....

As we all know London Fashion Week (LFW for those in the know) is in progress. As a vintage lover I do not normally take much interest to be honest but when I heard that the Vintage Queen Vivienne Westwood was creating an Alice in Wonderland inspired collection my interest was piqued.

As you can imagine I love a kitsch theme fashion collection...and to be honest if I could I would infact dress up in fancy dress most days.

Here are some of the gorgeously interesting outfits from the Vivienne Westwood Red Collection....

Sadly I live on an orange juice budget at the moment so Ms Westwoods clothes are waaay out of my price range but here are some lovely bits and pieces that will make you feel like a fairytale princess....warning there is a kitsch fest coming up...!!

For me this dress has everything....nipped in at the waist, floral print and it is in this seasons key colour of mint green...what a beauty..

Motel - £39

Lace ankle socks....great with pumps, great with heels...someone get me a pair quick....

Miss Selfridge - £4

I am a big fan of striped tops as they balance my hips out a treat....this one would look great under a black ballet skirt with shiny red shoes

Topshop - £26

 ....themed make-up...I almost hyperventilated when I saw this....what more could a lover of kitsch as for in life....I ask you..!!

Urban Decay - £28

With its ruffles, net skirt and girdle waist this dress has a real fairytale vibe to it.....

Topshop - £35

 I have no words for this necklace...I just love it......

Topshop - £9

 And...of course...a little bit of vintage...this dress is pale blue with gorgeous white embroidery....very Alice in Wonderland indeed just add white knee socks and black pumps..!!

Hummingbird Vintage £30

Looking good and doing good....

Now...although I love nothing more than coming home laden with shiny new purchases it does give me a case of the guilts and it is not long before I have almost convinced myself that half of the items should go back and then I should give the money to charity....almost..!!

So imagine how pleased I was when the charity shops started upping their game and creating vintage sections....I can get a great outfit and give to charity at the same time....I am like a better dressed Bob Geldof!!

One of the most well known charity shops that has recently launched its very own vintage collection is Oxfam.

They have re-vamped their website and the vintage section now includes a shop by era option and a guide to vintage fashion...!! Also they have produced these simply gorgeous ads to help promote their vintage fabulousness which include a story about the piece...

....I really want the blue dress in the middle...SO MUCH...!!

And here are my lovely vintage finds from the Oxfam website...the prices range from £10 to around £50 and there are some truly lovely pieces on there....

This 1970's Liberty print dress is gorgeous and will be bang on trend with the Seventies making a come back this Spring/Summer

£49.99

 Again another piece that is very 'in' is this mint green dress. Fashion mags have been gabbing on about how mint green is THE colour this season so this is the perfect mix of totally fashionable yet one off...

£24.99

This piece I have put in because I am a sucker for both florals and purple and think it is lovely. Would look great with a tan belt to really cinch in the waist and tan peep toes.

£19.99

I love this skirt...high waist..check...bright colours...check...below the knee..check...would look great with a simple white vest and gold jewellery

£14.99

Oxfam regularly update their stock to it is worth visiting more than once just to see what new treasures they have on there..!!

And whilst we are on the topic of charity I wanted to bring to your attention the  story of Preloved Reloved....in a nutshell a lovely lady is only wearing second hand clothes for a year in order to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support. What a great gal...you can read her story here Preloved Reloved .
As this is a subject very close to my heart Hummingbird Vintage will be trying to help out Preloved Reloved as much as possible so watch this space for further details...!!

A Perfect Vintage Sunday....

There is nothing I like to do more on a Sunday than have a nice long walk around London and then reward myself with a roast dinner, red wine and possibly cake...!!

I currently reside in the lovely area of Shoreditch but my first foray into London life was when I got my first job in London at the young age of 21 working for a fabulous company called Logisitk (you need an event planning....go to these guys they are fab..!!) who were based in Islington.

Ahhh...Islington....possibly one of my favourite places in London...EVER!! And although its neighbour Camden is more widely known for its vintage fare Islington has some surprises up it's sleeve...!!

First of all I have to tell you a bit about the walk...we started in Hoxton and walked the length of the canal to Islington. Nothing interesting there you may think....and you would be wrong...as yesterday the canal was packed with houseboats....!!

I love houseboats and am currently trying to convince the boy to live on one but am not having much luck. To me they are like a vintage gypsy caravan but on water...bloody amazing


Anyway...back to the rest of the day...!!

When we finally made it to Islington I forcibly dragged the boy down to Camden Passage where two of my most favourite vintage shops and my most favourite place to eat reside.

Lets begin at Shock and Soul.....upon entering this wonderland you would think it is just a normal vintage shop...however as you delve a bit deeper you would find amazing beaded gowns, fur coats and some quite mental accessories. The shop staff are absolutely lovely and to be honest I had to practically be dragged out of there before I bought a green beaded dress which I didn't need but am sure would make me look like a glam tinkerbell.

Next we moved on to Annie's Vintage....now this place has a very special place in my heart as it was one of the first places I ever bought vintage clothing. It is a true vintage treasure chest full of gorgeous dresses (again ...two of these had to be wrestled out of my hands) and other vintage fabulousness. You can buy almost anything in here...amazing wedding dresses, petticoats, ribbons, capes, beaded dresses, ball gowns...the list is endless and I bloody love it. It is also loved by the likes of Kate Moss and Pearl Lowe so it can't be bad..!!

And last but by no means least the food...!! Now sadly we couldn't get a table here as it was packed as per usual but I just wanted to tell you a bit about it....the place in question is The Elk in the Woods.

To me this place is the perfect mix of vintage surroundings and amazing food...the wine isn't bad either.
If you do ever visit be sure to book in advance and try the chocolate fondant and mint ice cream...it is to die for....!!

So that was my Sunday of canal walks, vintage treasures and roast dinners....what a prefect way to spend a Sunday..!!

The Elk in the Woods
Annie's Vintage
Shock and Soul