Clarks Orla Betty funky retro shoes!

A slightly unusual review from me today, but as most of my readers are ladies, I thought pointing out these new shoes from Clarks would be appreciated.

If you, like me, wear vintage or vintage style clothes and like the colourful and fun, then this new range of shoes designed by Orla Keily for Clarks will sure be a must have for your summer wardrobe. But be aware, these are selling out super fast, so whilst its not quite sandal weather I have bought mine now so that I don't miss out.

As is usual with Clarks, they have gone for comfort here, so despite it being a high heel, you don't feel like you are walking in heels, as the inside padding and the little platform put you in a comfortable position.

I think the strap is a little thin as it did tend to cut in a little bit but considering my first outing in them was walking around a vintage fair with bare feet, I didn't come home with any aches or pains and no rubbing whatsoever, which is a good sign.

There are so many great styles in this range, I also liked these in blue but it had sold out and there are some that do have a thicker ankle strap and are slightly lower, these could be a good second pair to have. 

The styles remind me of childrens shoes in the sixties and seventies, and Im sure I had a pair like these Orla Betty when I was at school in the 1970s.  Theres are so many cool pairs in the range, Bibi, Bobble and Beatrice all really appeal to me, so I may have to go and try these on soon. 

One last major point, Im a half size, (uk 4.5) and these come in half sizes, which is a great bonus.  

If you can't get to a shop, then order online http://www.clarks.co.uk/c/womens-orla-kiely

Top Drawer and Tattoo Style

Happy New Year one and all, yes, Ive been a bit tardy of late in blogging, to be honest I have been very lacking in motivation over the holiday period and am often feeling very blue by January. It's hard to keep your energy and motivation up when you are self-employed and I do think that the dark wet days don't help either, hibernation has set in and knitting has ensued.

But everyone else has battled on back to work and time waits for no man, so it's January and in retail that means the big buying shows for the coming Spring and summer with all the major trade shows being held.  

Top Drawer at London's Olympia also incorporates Home and is a great showcase for the shop suppliers and wholesalers/makers to display the coming trends in gifts and interiors. The show is so vast that I decided just to feature the things that I feel fit into my Tattoo Style ethos.

the perfect presents for your tattooist at Temerity Jones

It pleases me enormously when items which were once thought creepy and maybe too gothic, seep into the mainstream. Some of my personal favourite pieces of victorian, circus, steampunk, crossover can be illustrated here.  Firstly, Phrenology heads and palmistry hands.  

Temerity Jones

Seletti

Phrenology dates back to the Greek era when it was thought that certain areas on the head were responsible for specific functions. This is clearly laid out on the phrenology head but we now see that being tweaked into a more fun object.

Alphabet lights were on several stands, they vary from the large rusty statement pieces akin to old theatrical signs,  to smaller more kitschy ones which would be fun in a kitchen or teenagers bedroom.

temerity jones

PAD Home

Filament light bulbs and cage shades are also hot news in interiors and I welcome the regression away from horrible energy efficient bulbs, sorry but thats the truth.  I love that the lightbulb is a beautiful thing in its own right, now being shaped in a variety of ways and the filaments larger than before like some victorian scientific apparatus.

temerity jones

NKUKU

These look great grouped together and offer a good alternative to areas where a fabric shade would be impractical. 

i-bride France at PAD home

Van Asch Sweden

Victoriana and steampunk, skulls, lace and animals in period clothing, whats not to love. Above you can see how these quite gothic subjects are transformed into something quite delicate and feminine. 

Temerity Jones

temerity jones

Mercury glass is the name for this silver aged effect on glass objects, it is reminiscent of how old mirrors crackle and mist. Personally I love old mirrors, and when buying antique and vintage ones I actually prefer the imperfections. Mercury glass has started to form another of my collections and it looks particularly elegant used at Christmas. For me this look fuses the ethnic style from India with a victorian feel and I love a good fusion. Nkuku has been mentioned by me many times before, for me they are the perfect wholesalers of fair trade products with their eye for mixing country rustic with ethnic whilst hinting at scandinavian cool. I should buy shares in them !

nkuku

Top Drawer is only for shop owners and buyers, not for the public, but I thought it was still worth mentioning these companies either because you may have a shop or you could track down your local stockist. I hope to be bringing you some of these stockists soon as I may be working with a few shops in the future on styling and sourcing.  

www.temerityjones.com
Nkuku
Van Asch
PAD Home

Loppis Love

Loppis Love.

There is nothing more exciting for me than to go shopping for vintage and antiques, it doesn't matter where, I love fine Antique shops like Sally Turner in Wendover Bucks, I love vintage markets like the ones in Milton Keynes and Winslow and I love car boot fairs all equally as much. But there's one type that beats them all, it's over in Sweden and it's call a Loppis.

A Loppis is, generally speaking, a garage sale, on a slightly more professional level.  When driving around the countryside never pass a little handmade sign saying "Loppis" with an arrow pointing up a lane or dirt track. For, at the end of the path will be a world of goodies just waiting to be discovered.

The Loppis can sell anything, new, old, vintage, antique and the downright bonkers. 

My latest jaunt over to Sweden naturally included a day of Loppis shopping, luckily for me, my friend Rachel does occasionally find something to her taste, like the mad steampunk 1930s coffee pot we used in these photos of the "babes in the woods".

A Loppis can be found in a barn, a garage, or even A WINDMILL!!

The above two Loppis are in Grillby, the Windmill still has all its working parts, amongst the bric-a-brac, all except its sails. The owner gives you a lovely talk about its history.

I bought a traditional Swedish rag rug from here, and some mounted deer horns from the other Loppis. Keep an open mind as to what you will find. 

Generally speaking the prices in these places are very good, the owners know the worth to the "Towny" interior decorators, but they are still sensible, a bargain can always be found. One mans junk is another mans treasure.

If you google up a translation of the word Loppis it says flea market, and its a general term that can cover car boot and flea markets too.  I think the Swedish perhaps have one word for their old junk, whereas in the UK we like to narrow it down and categorize the types of junk we are selling ha ha !

The Windmill owners also have a studio for ceramic making and run courses there. The other Loppis has a facebook page, they are called Mormors Lupbod.

Grillby can be found just off the E18 out of Stockholm, just over an hours drive. Its just before Enkoping.