Pretty Vintage Home @ Dotcomgiftshop

Recently I said January is the month for fresh starts and new experiences and so a few weeks ago I placed my first order at vintage inspired Dotcomgiftshop.  I've been visiting the site and receiving the emails for quite a long time but I just never got to the point of placing an order.  I think I'm one of those people who are seduced by free delivery and have always been put off by the £3.95 postage charge.  I think if it were less I'd be more inclined to frequently order bits and pieces rather than fill my basket and forget about it!

I finally decided to purchase a few items that I've had my eye on, and with the early January sale on, the prices were all the more enticing.  My order arrived earlier this week.  It took a little longer to turn up than I was anticipating (especially as I'd paid for the delivery, and orders I'd placed elsewhere online - which were free p+p - had come before this did) which I'm guessing was down to a successful flurry of orders down at Dotcomgiftshop central.

Anyway, here's what I got >

Blue Retro Vintage Kitchen Wall Clock

There were three different colours of the clock: cream, red and blue, and I was undecided whether to go for the bold red or the powder blue for the kitchen.  After much deliberation I opted for the blue.  I'm happy I went with this colour because although it is not the same vibrant blue as on the website, it works well with my other kitchen decorations and is actually a much nicer shade.

I was unsure what the clock was constructed from when looking on the website but I can now confirm it is wholly plastic with the exception of the metal hands.  The blue fascia has a good depth which makes it hang prominently from the wall.  The face is cream which is complementary to the vintage look.  All three colour options are £6.95 each in the sale.

Pantry Design Set of 3 Cake Tins

I first mentioned these lovely looking tins in a post last year when I was deciding which cake tins to buy.  I bought some different ones but because I still loved these I knew I had to buy them in the sale.  I paid £6.95 for them which was a brilliant price, but I was gutted to see they dropped again in price to £4.95 on Monday, the day my order arrived.  Oh well!

These tins are really well made and I love the matt finish of them.  They are really very small cake tins, not the same sizes as my Tala tin set, and you wouldn't be able to fit a family cake in the two smaller tins (I guess that's why they're labelled as biscuits and sweets!) but their adorability lets them off.  Very pretty and uber retro.

Pantry Design Set of 2 Tea Towels

This tea towel duo came so daintily presented with its turquoise ribbon and tag, it would make the perfect housewarming gift.  It was a shame to spoil the party and untie it!  The cotton tea towels are a good size and thickness and both display the song birds print which match the cake tins above.  I'm really pleased with these and think they look really good.  They're £3.95 in the sale on the website.

I've already been back on the site checking out what other goodies are in the sale.  There are some matching Pantry Design items including a set of 6 spice tins down to £3.95 and a set of 3 coffee, tea and sugar canisters now at £4.95.  Also some pretty and practical storage bags, such as the kitsch Suki Jumbo Storage Bag for £2.95.

Are retro themes your thing?  Do you love a vintage kitchen or do you prefer a more modern, simplistic look?  

Becky x

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Next Home Haul

I love reading blogs finding out what other people have been buying.  It's a great way to discover what goodies are out in the shops to buy and the trends people are picking up on.  I love the feeling when I've found something I think is a fantastic find so I thought I'd extend my retail pleasure and share my recent purchases with you!

I've been lusting after so many Next pieces since they first set up their autumn window display showcasing a gorgeous fruity colour palette of complimenting items.  Canvas art of pick your own raspberries, cosy leaf green blankets and quirky candle holders in the form of giant yarn reels.  I'm updating the house and already had the theme plan for mossy greens, berry reds and aubergine purples so Next's display was exactly what I was looking for.

I had £20 in vouchers burning a hole in my purse so I went into Next today.  It was quite a task deciding what to spend it on because everything was so appealing.  I would actually liken it to the feeling I used to get in my local shop when I was little, looking up at all the jars of sweets.  Yes, it was pretty pulse racing stuff!

This is what I bought - 

Meet my ceramic owl ornament!  He's a huge 19cm high and cost £8.  I noticed the owl theme ran through the collections including a smaller owl with a tea tight holder on it's head, two small owl salt and pepper pots, an owl mug and an owl dish.  Phew!  You'd be all owled out!

I also bought these - 

These coffee, tea and sugar canisters are sold individually for £5 each which I think is a really great price. They're weighty little things painted in a ecru coloured high gloss with cute sayings etched into each of the lids.  The sugar canister is a berry pink shade with 'cute as a button'.  The coffee - a lovely sage green depicting 'a stitch in time saves nine' and the sugar - a salmon pink - 'sew a little happiness'. 

I have a necklace which my parents gave me a few years back which these pots remind me of.  It's a silver button necklace which says 'cute as a button'.  Funny coincidence!

I love how these canisters are so unique and give off a cosy feel.  I'm an avid cross stitcher so appreciate the sewing connotations on another level too.  Three unbelievably adorable little pots will sit all too proudly on my kitchen counter!  I'll be replacing my stainless steel Brabantia set so this will be a totally new look.  

The shopping experience within the store wasn't as appealing.  Wherever I was and whenever I tried to look at something the same two members of staff would be there, not giving two hoots (owl. ouch) that I was stood there.  I thought they were pretty rude to be honest, that they felt it was so well mannered to not even acknowledge a customer, even go as far as prevent me from looking.  I know staff have a job to do but there's a way and means to go about it.

When I came to buy my purchases I was told that the canisters were proving a popular seller and informed me that they'd sold twelve sets already.  That kinda made me feel like my sale wasn't anything special which put a dampener on my glee.  Then I was told they'd ran out of wrapping material and bubble wrap so I had to have my purchases put straight into the carrier bags.  I thought this was really bad.  If the store knew they were running out could they not have popped into the WH Smith opposite them and picked something up?  Shopping these days has become a luxury and being a customer of Next you come to expect a particular service.  Amazing products.  Really poor service.

All in all, I'm really chuffed with what I found today.  There were so many things I could have bought too and everything seemed to be decently priced which surprised me.  I think I've found my excuse to add to my fruity autumn theme!

Becky x

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My DIY Boudoir Chair Project

I love the shabby chic vintage look with its soft whites and pastel colours, it can look very cosy and welcoming when partnered with pretty accessories and floral patterns.  I'm updating our bedroom to eventually be the theme I'm aspiring to which in turn will provide the perfect feminine boudoir for any home based shoots that I do.

Earlier this week I won an auction on ebay for a rickety old wooden chair which I ended up winning for a bargain 99p!  Some people may have overlooked the chair because of it's sad and abused state but I saw the potential in that it's a fabulous solid wood piece of furniture and I was keen to set about refurbishing it.  I've never done anything like this before (I'm more of a cross stitcher or card maker) so I was also keen to prove to myself I can be DIY handy too!

The chair in its original state

The chair's initial condition was heavily used and dated with it's varnished appearance.  To get the chair back down to a blank canvas, safety specs in position, I sanded down every inch to remove the varnish and give a good surface to paint.  It took a little effort doing this but was imperative to do the job effectively.

The first coat of paint

I decided I wanted to paint the chair white and opted for a satin finish which would have a glossy sheen to a degree without being too shiny.  The paint was a one coat gloss but I found I needed to paint the chair fully with three separate coats, allowing to dry in between each coat.  I made a point of painting in the afternoon so I could fully open the window for circulation of fresh air.  Whilst I was painting I had Wimbledon on the tv.  My other half pointed out that Katherine Jenkins was watching the tennis match and me being a fan of hers, quickly moved on my floor protection of newspapers and sent my mug of coffee flying all over the carpet.  I never was much of a multi tasker.  :-P

Today my chair is finally finished!  For a finishing touch I added a floral button padded cushion which I secured to the back section of the chair.  I love the end result and it sits with pride of place in the bedroom.

My finished chair

Have you taken on any home projects of your own?  Or have you been inspired having seen something on tv or in magazines?  If I can do it, I bet you can too!

Becky x

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