WHAT THE DICKENS?

Norma Jean Vintage is hosting the first 'Miss Havisham presents....' vintage afternoon this Sunday 31st October from 12 - 5pm.

Visitors will be treated to tea in a vintage china cup and a wee bun or slice of pavlova and they will be free to browse the vintage and handmade goodies that will be on display. A great chance to start your Christmas shopping early!

So what will be available to purchase? Expect to find vintage clothing (including party dresses, maxi skirts, coats and jackets), hats, handbags, costume and silver jewellery, homewares, vanity items, small furniture items, Christmas decorations and recycled crafts.

Pretty things from Decadence

Handmade Christmas decorations from Decadence

Teacup pincushion & collectable glassware from Decadence

1980's Dior Camel Coat from Norma Jean

Handmade Fascinator by Norma Jean

Vintage china and glassware from Norma Jean and Decadence

Vintage beaded jacket from Lulu Rose

Handmade jacket from Aubergine Lining

Handmade hat from Aubergine Lining

Embellished hat from The Fol-de-rol Dolls

Quirky necklace from The Fol-de-rol Dolls

Hand knits from Loopy Yarns

Follow the link for more details on the event. Hope to see you there! 

LUST LIST

I was delighted when my Daddy bought me one of these fabulous silver spoon rings at the last Frock Around The Clock Vintage Fair. Made by Jennifer Robinson Jewellery from antique silver spoons these rings are all a little different and range from plain to ornate depending on the engraving of the original spoon.

I have just had a preview of one of Jennifer's latest creations - these gorgeous bangles made from vintage watch parts. They will be making their debut at our next Vintage Fair on Sunday 21st November and I already have my lustful eye on one!

MISS HAVISHAM PRESENTS.........

Miss Havisham presents a delightful vintage tea party afternoon on Sunday 31st October.

You are invited to come along with your friends to this open afternoon from 1 - 5pm to see some of your favourite vintage sellers: Norma Jean, Lulu Rose, Decadence, The Fol-de-rol Dolls and Stray Cat Vintage. Enjoy leisurely browsing in a relaxed atmosphere at Norma Jean's home where there will be tea served in vintage china cups, and home baking served on pretty vintage plates.

There will be also be vintage clothing, handbags, hats, costume jewellery, homewares, recycled jewellery, gifts and Christmas decorations available to purchase.

Admission is free.

RSVP: If you would like to come along and join Miss Havisham at her table on Sunday 31st October for tea, cake and vintage glamour please email Norma (normajeangray@hotmail.co.uk), or contact her via her Norma Jean Vintage facebook page, to let her know how many will be attending and she will give you directions to her home in the Belfast area.

Hope to see you there in your vintage finery!

SEASIDE FROCK

Frock Around The Clock is going to the seaside this December! We are proud to present the first SEASIDE FROCK event in association with Cairn Bay Lodge.

The Vintage, Crafts & Collectables Christmas Fair will be held at Cairn Bay Lodge, Seacliff Road, Bangor on Sunday 5th December from 12-5pm.

Built in 1914, this detached seaside villa resplendent with oak panelling, stained glass, Dutch fireplaces and panoramic views over Ballyholme Bay, will be home for the day to sellers of vintage clothing, jewellery, homewares, collectables, crafts and handmade gifts. You can also visit the Cairn Bay Lodge gift shop for mementos, Irish linen, handmade soaps, vintage postcards and posters, books, bric-a-brac, antiques and works by local artists.

Shop for Christmas presents in the nostalgic atmosphere of yesteryear, drink tea from vintage china and enjoy some festive cheer.

We will be running a raffle on the day with some lovely prizes donated by our sellers, to raise money for Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda.

Admission is free.

THE WAY WE WORE

The Jenny Kallen Jazz Band will be returning to Frock Around The Clock on Sunday 21st November, providing the musical backdrop for our vintage shopping extravaganza, and our special guest appearance will be from the lovely ladies at Living Vintage.

The Living Vintage models will be meeting and greeting visitors at the vintage fair and will be staging a mini fashion show later in the day, showcasing clothing and accessories from the 1940s and 1950s in an atmosphere of nostalgia and fun.

We will also be running a charity raffle on the day, with lots of fabulous prizes donated by Frock Around The Clock exhibitors, the proceeds of which will be donated to Cancer Research on behalf of Living Vintage. The models will carry out the prize draw and present the prizes after the fashion show.

The festive Frock Around The Clock Vintage Fair takes place on Sunday 21st November at the Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast from 11am to 4.30pm. Admission costs £5 for adults and £3 for seniors and students.

JUST GIVE A LITTLE WHISTLE

The Whistle Bait Babies, Northern Ireland's premier burlesque troupe, have performed at Frock Around The Clock in September 2009 and September 2010, paying modern homage to the glamorous pin-up girls of a bygone era.

Available for events, hen parties, and private or group dance classes, The Whistle Bait Babies (Pixie Moonshine, Ruby Monroe and Misty Blue) can be contacted through their website for bookings or more information.

Copyright R&A Photography www.randaphotography.webs.com

Thank you to Rodney Simpson at R&APhotography for the fabulous images that he captured at our last vintage fair on 26th September.

BLUE BELLES

Building on the success of their previous retro dance club nights in Belfast, Bellehoppers are bringing us another swinging '8 To The Bar' but with a blues vibe.

Bellehopper Blues pays homage to the late night juke joints, so we will  be transported back to an era of sophistication at The Black Box on Friday 8th October, where DJs will be spinning the best of Charleston, Swing, Jazz, Blues and Rock 'n' Roll.

Whether you want to chill and enjoy the atmosphere or dance the night away, you are invited to don your best threads and come on down because '8 To The Bar' is the place to be.

A free blues dance class will also be provided at the start of the night to get you ready for the dance floor with authentic dance moves.

8 To The Bar is at the Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast on Friday 8th October, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £6 on the door

For further information about BelleHoppers dance classes, email: info@bellehoppers.com

FUNNY GIRL

The ladies at Living Vintage always present their vintage fashion shows in an atmosphere of fun, but at their most recent evening at Mourne Golf Club they drew out all the stops.

Dresses were enhanced with props from their era, and how refreshing it was to see models smiling and interacting with the audience. Unfortunately my camera batteries decided to run out before the end of the show which prevented me from getting a shot of Joanne and Anna saying goodnight to us all in their pretty babydoll nightdresses.

This is the last lot of images from the Living Vintage Fashion Show at Mourne Golf Club, in aid of Cancer Research, but if you missed my images of the vintage bridal section of the evening you can view them on my other blog The Bride Wore Vintage.

You can visit Living Vintage on Facebook to keep up to date with future events and to view their own photos which are much better than mine.

A SPLASH OF COLOUR

Following my last post you may think that black dresses dominated the catwalk at the Living Vintage Fashion Show, held at Mourne Golf Club last Saturday, but splashes of colour were frequently making us gasp in admiration.

Here are some of my favourite colourful frocks from this lovely evening of vintage fashion and nostalgia.

 You can join Living Vintage on Facebook to keep up to date with future events and to view their own photos which are much better than mine. .

THE LBD

No woman should be without the all important LBD in her wardrobe. Black is definitely not boring and as the ladies at Living Vintage prove, one Little Black Dress is never enough!

Following my last post, here are some more images from the Living Vintage Fashion Show which took place at Mourne Golf Club, Newcastle on 2nd October to raise funds for Cancer Research.

You can visit Living Vintage on Facebook to keep up to date with future events and to view their own photos which are much better than mine.