Tesco's Handmade Vintage Christmas

Back in July, when the mercury was hitting 30 degrees in London, I entered into the Tesco's Christmas Grotto to get a sneak peak at what they had to offer for Christmas 2013. I was expecting to see a range of lovely designer inspired Christmas decorations and gifts and a table laden with delicious fare to eat on Christmas Day. I wasn't disappointed.

I just love the deer cushions and I'm sure I could find a home for the lit blossom tree.

What I wasn't expecting to find was the array of vintage inspired and handmade delights to adorn my tree. There was even a hint of kitch which are on my 'must have' list.

Tesco have really scuppered my plans for Christmas this year. I love making things, creating something from some scraps of fabric or some wool but this Christmas it looks like I don't need to because the range has some amazing handmade decorations which I would have spent hours crafting.

I'm sure I could bluff it and convince everyone I have been stitching bird decorations out of my Dad's old tweed cap and wrestling wire coat hangers into bird cage card holders.

Not only that but I am going to amaze some guests this Christmas with my new found confectionery skills when I milk the big Tah-dah moment unveiling these cakes and confectionery.

Admittedly they may not believe I hand carved the chocolate turkey (!) but Yes, I was absolutely up till 3am tempering my chocolate and hand dusting my marzipan fruits. Oh and that cake. Yes I've been feeding it brandy since August. The thing is, the Tesco Christmas Cake has been drinking brandy for months just like you would do at home if you didn't have three children and your need to drink the brandy was far greater than the need to get a cake drunk.

The attention to detail that goes into the confection is astonishing. You see that chocolate cuff around this cake...

Well it has been especially made for Tesco so that it doesn't shatter as soon as a knife even so much as winks at it. It is flexible. And edible. And delicious.

I did get some crafty inspiration though. All I need is two dozen packets of assorted biscuits, 12 blocks of chocolate, 3 kilos of sugar and scaffolding. Gingerbread houses are so 2012.

And should I find myself with 120 eggs, 6kgs of castor sugar and a week I don't know what to do with, I may just whip up a few meringues to build a Christmas Tree.

Happy Christmas list writing x

Disclosure: This post is part of the Britmums project with Tesco.

'Ello 'Ello

Old

This is me, more than 40 years ago pushing a pram.

Today, like most days, I was pushing a pram. This time with my own child in it.

It's a cliche I know but where the bloody hell did those 40-something years go? I only feel, ooh let's say, 25.

I don't feel old enough to be responsible for the welfare of three children who look to me for guidance, support, comfort and food. I may creak a bit more; I may need glasses to read small print; I may need anti-wrinkle cream; I may need caffeine in the mornings. But I don't feel as old as I am.

Is this normal? At what point do you feel your age (perhaps with the exception of immediately after my workout today)? Should I have done more, achieved more, seen more by now? Is that why I don't believe I can possibly be 40-something? Should I be more successful, with a more expensive handbag and shoes? Maybe.

Should I be happy that my children are thriving? Should I be grateful everyday for the love of my husband? Should I go out there and grab life with both hands and enjoy the ride? Should I stop worrying about my age?

Yes.


Joining in with The Gallery at Sticky Fingers.

365project Week 32

I have a new lucky mascot.
He is called Mr Peanut.
He found my photography mojo for me!

I started the week all vintage: peanutty, cobbly, shiny and glidey. I mashed up the old and new: new build glimpsed through old bows and new technology showcasing old builds. I ended the week in a splashy new pool.

I love mash ups. I love old blended with new, traditional with a modern vibe, using the past to influence the now. This may my new 'thang'.

Thank you Mr Peanut.

Joining in with The Boy and Me.

If you would like to see any of this weeks photos in more detail, head over to my 365project.

Vintage Threads

I think of vintage and I think of designer vintage clothing like Chanel, Pucci or Givenchy, and I think of how much you can spend on what, once upon a time, you might have found buried in a charity shop somewhere in Chelsea. Then a whole industry was born out of vintage, and old cast offs were given a very lucrative new lease of life.

As much as I would have loved to have a Mother whose wardrobe I could plunder and launch my own vintage retro clothing collection from, there was an unfashionable side to the 70's that Mum comfortably resided in. Sorry Mum!

Subsequently I have no inherited vintage gems I can share. :(

So to my own purchases.

Ahem.

Right, well I have a couple of pairs of socks that... no probably not.

Digging a bit deeper and behold, my gym gear! Last worn circa 2002. Ten years ago. I could have properly scared myself and tried it on but that would be simply foolish. How to depress yourself in 1 easy step: try on too tight lycra.

I have this T-shirt that I think could be bordering on the vintage. Erasure Phantasmagorical Tour 1992.

I was there, in Hammersmith, with my flatmate and his sister, singing along, loudly and loving every minute. I have no idea why I have kept the T-shirt. It is unflattering. It has seriously faded. It has no sentimental value. But it has been in my comfy clothing drawer (everyone has one of those, right?) for at least 10 years and gets an outing once a year when it gets so cold I need to wear long sleeves in bed. Whoo hoo!

 



I also have this coat which I love and sort of looks retro, in the dark and if you squint.

I bought it in Poland, where it's thick luscious fake fur was an absolute necessity and where, if you are anti real fur you can still blend right in with the Poles (at least you could in the late 90's. But I somehow think fashions have moved on significantly since then and if I was to go back and visit Warsaw, I would look like someone's ageing spinster aunt). That all said, I look like someone's overweight ageing spinster aunt if I wear it here too!



Thank you Melksham Mum who tagged me :) and Motherventing who started this Meme x

And now I tag From Fun To Mum, Stressy Mummy and HPMcQ.
Show us your vintage ladies! And apologies if you already have x