BEAUTIFUL HOME

I found and fell in love with Lulabelle's House when browsing the internet one evening and just had to get in touch with owner Natasha to ask if she would take part in the Retro Rooms Show. I was delighted that she said yes, and I'm sure that visitors to our vintage home and interiors fair will be delighted too. This is an example of what you can expect to find Natasha selling on 6th March.

With over ten years buying and selling experience in the antiques trade, Lulabelle's House are able to source furniture and accessories from around the globe, and with their passion for interior design offer a range of colours, finishes, handles and appliques to add vintage chic to their restyled furniture, creating unique pieces to complement the personality and home of their customers.

Lulabelle's House also hold workshops from Re:store on Main Street, Larne most Saturdays. At these fun one-day workshops which cost £55 you can learn a range of painting and decorating techniques to transform a piece of furniture from Shabby to Chic which you can then take home and treasure. The cost includes lunch, a piece of furniture and all the materials you need to transform your chosen piece! We love the idea of this bargain day out - not only can you have fun and learn some new skills but you get your very own future heirloom to add to your beautiful home! Here are some examples of before and after pieces to inspire you.

You can visit Lulabelle's House at http://www.lulabelleshouse.co.uk/ and now at The Retro Rooms Show on 6th March. Hope to see you there!

MASQUERADE

Now we are on the countdown to the first Retro Rooms Show on 6th March it is time for me to start blogging about our exhibitors in the lead up to the event. As Retro Rooms is the first vintage fair exclusively for vintage furniture and homewares we have quite a few new exhibitors who will be coming along on the day.

One of our first-timers is the collective ReFound - a group of creative individuals, a collection of reclaimed furniture and an inspired 'agent of change', Jill O’Neill. Using unwanted and past-its-prime furniture as the canvas, the ReFound artists transform reclaimed pieces into unique and functional artworks.

The list of ReFound artists is extensive and the ReFounds that they have produced even more so, but I have picked out a couple of my favourite pieces for the blog and sheerly by coincidence the artists are friends of mine.

ReFound piece #034 is by Jude Fenton. Initially she picked the boxes because of their homemade charm and practicality. Says Jude 'I like the mix of functional and non-functional, everyone can do with extra storage so I wanted to create a piece that would be able to house a few loved treasures but also that would be able to stand as a piece of art in its own right. The sketches, text and collages were mostly inspired by textile designs from the 1950’s in particular the work of one of my favourite designers Lucienne Day. I have tried to create a scrapbook effect as if each section has a story to tell. I left the three pieces separate so that they can be arranged in a variety of poses'.

ReFound #044 the 'Masquerade Chair' is by Rachel Hutchinson. Rachel’s work is influenced by the combination of old and new and representing the perpetual motion of generations. Using layered textures with vintage fabrics, papers, paints and hand-embroidered stitching in contemporary compositions to suggest an undercurrent of contained history, narrative and identity. Fascinated by the association between people and objects, concealment and absorption; things left behind, narrative contained, resonance and transference of ownership, the'Masquerade Chair' is a small journey into how fabrics can contain narrative and evoke memory.

Incidentally one of Rachel's ReFound chairs can be seen in the window of Best Vintage on Ann Street Belfast at the moment.

You can visit the ReFound website at http://www.refoundonline.com/ or find them at The Retro Rooms Show on Sunday 6th March.

JOURNEY BEYOND EXPECTATION

Our lovely friend Melita at Bespoke Belfast has tailored some fabulous short breaks in Belfast with a vintage theme; perfect for a getaway with the girls, birthday treats or hen parties.

Melita will plan your super-stylish and individual trip around Belfast's booming vintage scene, including the best specialist boutiques, urban designed funky eateries, alternative activities, buzzing nightlife and beautiful boutique hotel.

And if staying in a luxury hotel and travelling in chauffeur-driven limousines alone weren't enough of a treat you will also receive a personalised itinerary which will take you around some of Belfast's hidden vintage treasure troves, the option of a private showing of your favourite classic film in a 1950s cinema, vintage hair and beauty styling with our very own Frock Around The Clock beauty team Kelly and Claire, burlesque tuition with the fabulous Pixie of the Whistle Bait Babies, and a night on the town in Belfast's bijou cafe bars and retro-themed clubs.

Of course the Pièce de résistance is a Sunday outing to one of our famous Vintage Fairs. Time your trip to coincide with Frock Around The Clock, The Retro Rooms Show, Totally Bazaar or the Decadence Vintage Bridal Fair and you are promised a journey to vintage heaven. For a taster of what to expect here are some images from our last vintage fair on 6th February.

To take a journey beyond expectation you can visit Bespoke Belfast at their website for more details on their vintage weekends and all other short breaks.

FROCKING FAB FINDS #1

Our February Frock Around The Clock vintage fair was jumpin' and jivin' with folks eager to get their hands on vintage bargains and soak up the glamorous atmosphere that goes along with our events.

It has taken me four days to recover and get all the photos uploaded to my computer and over the next couple of days I will be putting some of my favourites up on the blog, but today I had to show off some of my own personal finds from the fair.

I bought this gorgeous blue and gold china Colclough teaset from Norma Jean Vintage to add to my beloved china collection. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it, and because I don't have anything else in this colour I was over the moon to also find this beautiful turquoise blue polka dotted Grafton teaset from Sandra Crawford Antiques. I think you will agree that they go perfectly together.

In fact I thought that they were so beautiful that I had to go out and buy a 'new' china cabinet for them the very next day! I already have six vintage china cabinets but when I saw this one in the Action Cancer Shop in Bangor I just knew I couldn't live without it!

It was black with decades of dust but for only £5 it was a complete bargain and after a couple of hours of TLC and elbow grease it is gleaming and taking pride of place in my hall.

GET THE BELFAST LOOK

Our regulars will be familiar with our Frock Around The Clock beauty team Kelly and Claire who offer vintage hair and make-up services at our fairs, but this Sunday for the first time we will be offering a full range of beauty and styling services to make that alluring vintage look attainable. Forget the London look, get the Belfast look! Here's what we have in store for you.

Vintage hairstyling by Kelly McLean of Ashby Hair Lounge - quiffs for the guys and elegant updos, glamorous curls and beehives for the gals.

Make-up application by top Northern Ireland make-up artist Claire McEvoy.

Super sexy starlet nails by Debbie Hughes of Dazzle Me With Your Tips.

Vintage styling by Lynsey Hakin of Image Confident who will be showing us how to incorporate vintage into a modern wardrobe and put together vintage outfits without looking like we have stepped off the set of a costume drama.

Yours truly (also known as) The Wardrobe Mistress will be on hand to give advice on vintage clothing repairs, alterations and restyling so if you have found a fabulous frock but it is a little too tight or a little too big or has damage bring it along to me to see if the problem can be resolved.

Vintage boudoir photography by Trazanne Norwood of X-perience Boudoir Photography. Trazanne will be selling vouchers for her boudoir x-perience packages at a discounted rate to Frock Around The Clock visitors.

 

POSTER GIRL

Our newest Frockette, Emer Smith, will be making her way from Letterkenny to Frock Around The Clock this Sunday with a stash of vintage clothing and accessories that she has been collecting over the years, including vintage designer pieces.

But like our other exhibitors, not only is she a vintage collector, she also has amazing creative talents. Check out some of her creations that she will be bringing with her - I particularly love the pin-up style posters that she has made for the event!

AMERICAN EXPRESS

A preview of some of the new stock of American vintage costume jewellery that MK Vintage USA will be bringing along to Frock Around The Clock this weekend.

With rock bottom prices you can be sure that this lot won't stick around for long!

SWEETS FOR MY SWEET

Ani & Lulu's Cupcakery will be selling their scrumptious goodies at this Sunday's Frock Around The Clock for our delectation.

We are all about nostalgia and reminiscence at our vintage fairs and what could remind us more of childhood than homebaking and delicious cake!