A Bird's Eye view of all things chic and unique

Fur shrug courtesy of Lovely and Vintage

 On Sunday 30th January, Vintage Twee had a stand at the most coveted event of the year so far, the Vintage Chic Wedding Fair. Located in Birmingham's newly renovated arts and media hub, The Custard Factory, the venue for the fair, The Old Library was built in the 1850’s but fell in to disrepair during the mid 20th century. Luckily for us vintage wedding lovers in 2001 it was renovated after receiving funding and now stands as one of the cities most versatile and unique event space- you can even hold your wedding here!
Helped by the lovely Nia of Gallery6 Studios, Vintage Twee began to meet future brides from the Midlands and the fair was soon in full swing with talk of all things lacy, vintage and tea-related! In particular our Party Picks proved to be extraordinarily popular with packs flying off the stand! Now coming in a range of colours, they are an easy way to add a little fun to your special occasion!

Now, proving the desire for something unique at your wedding is still burning strong, the stalls were an amazing range of the loveliest vintage styled products any bride could wish to see! A few Vintage Twee favourites are pictured here and as you can see fun was to be had! The exhibitors all had the same thing in common- the responsibility to provide brides with that special something to make her wedding day full of elegance, glamour and of course, vintage chic!



Cotton and Crumbs



Vintage Glamour Days



Beautiful tea cup ring

One of our favourite vendors was the talented Amy, from jewellery company, Blanche and Lola. Creating the most beautiful jewellery from authentic vintage pieces, each Blanche and Lola creation is individual- you will never be caught wearing the same thing as anyone else!
Hand crafted and original, combining vintage with modern, the collection includes the gorgeous tea cup ring, the vintage carousel necklace and stunning pearl necklaces. A new contender on the vintage jewellery and accessories market, be sure to check out the website for that special piece for your big day!



Vintage Carousel Necklace
Available from Blance & Lola

Lovely vintage necklace, perfect for brides
Available from Blance & Lola

 So it seems we have Mr Alfred Bird, the inventor of our favourite winter warmer, custard, to thank not only for the sweet yellow dessert we all love, but, for the fantastic Custard Factory where we got to meet some great people, share a passion for all things vintage and of course, dress ourselves up all girly and gorgeous!

The Art of Tea

Today has been one of the nicest Sundays I've had in a while. Sometimes you have to make the conscious effort to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of every day life to indulge yourself in a moment of relaxation in whatever form suits you. Of course, you cant take this creative tea lover completely out of her comfort zone...therefore what better than to combine the two loves of my life – art and tea.

Nestled away in the leafy suburban town of East Didsbury in Manchester, lies a hidden treasure called The Art of Tea. With it's old couches and armchairs, high beamed ceilings and antique mirrors, this place resembles that of a 1940s living room, complete with mismatched chintzy china and teacups. The walls were adorned with the work of talented local artists and the bar displaying all kinds of delicious cakes and pastries to tempt your tastebuds. My friend Charlotte and I ordered two hot chocolates with whipped cream and marshmallows (there is no other way to have hot chocolate, correct?) and shared a piece of strawberry cheesecake which came beautifully presented with a little fresh strawberry on top.

But venture further back into the depths of the café and you will find a whole different trove of treasures...as one of the best second hand bookshops I have been to in Manchester lies tucked away just waiting to be discovered. We were welcomed by the friendly owner, humming Sinatra classics as he tidied and restocked the many books that filled the small space. The shelves are lined with old copies of Charles Dickens novels, Penguin Classics and the Bronte sister's best sellers...their dusty book jackets and gold leaf pages calling us over to thumb through. We resisted the temptation to purchase the whole set of Shakespeare plays and just enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by all this lovely literature in such a warm and inviting place.

I can say with some certainty that I will definitely be returning to the wonderful place known as the Art of Tea, having finally found somewhere that I can enjoy – with or without the company of a good friend, book or my trusty laptop.

The Art of Tea, 47, Barlow Moor Road, East Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6TW.

Open 9am-11.30pm Mon-Sat & 11am-10.30pm Sun
tel. 0161 4489323

Girls will be girls!

Recently, Joanne was asked to source some beautiful images of early 1900 ladies for a lovely Vintage Twee brides favours. On a hunt in North London trawling the antique shops and book stores, a real vintage treasure was uncovered. Weighing in at a hefty few pounds, the Girls Own Annual dated 1899 is a fantastic collection of handy tips, hints, articles and pictures aimed at young ladies entering the prime of their lives.

The impeccable condition of the book means it has the ability to transport you back to a time when it was most important to please your husband, run the home and look beautiful. Not much has changed there you might be thinking! Compiled of one penny articles on homemaking, general tips and anecdotes it really is the most interesting read this year! Scattered throughout are images of those elegant Victorian ladies which are so perfect for the real authentic touch to the Vintage Twee range.

Unfortunately, there is a problem with acquiring such wonderfully unique items when usually your first thought is how you can tear it up! There really does seem to be something so spellbinding about this annual that its now taken up permanent residence on the Vintage Twee bookshelf and most definitely isn’t about to see the scissors anytime soon! And so, the hunt for a replacement begins… lets just hope the next purchase makes it to the shop floor!

On a final note, don’t forget to enter the competition running on this great blog http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/ to win some Vintage Twee Christmas baubles! The competition is only open until Sunday 12th December so enter and you may become the proud owner of a set of hand-crafted vintage inspired decorations.

Remember the 1940's with Meltham..

If you love all things nostalgic and beautiful just like us Vintage Twee girls, then you can’t afford to miss the fantastic “Meltham Memories” 1940’s event this weekend, Sat 17th and Sun 18th July at Meltham, Huddersfield. Situated in the historical county of Yorkshire, this incredible event will have you blinking back 70 years in a heartbeat. Think vintage vehicles, parades, performers, dancing and a huge sense of community spirit. This year they also have a vintage fair in the Town Hall, selling all manner of hats, shoes, uniforms and jewellery. And guess what….? In the Vintage Tea Room you’ll find Joanne, displaying and selling the latest and greatest products from Vintage Twee! This includes our current top selling item, the cute and unique Party Picks! From 10am-4pm, come along and we’ll raise a mug to the live music from up and coming star Natasha Harper, daughter of the famous Paul Harper. If some reason none of the above convinced you to swing by, then how about getting your hair and make up done vintage style? Bethany Davies will be on hand to give you that 40’s starlet look and in case you want to remember it forever, there will be a professional photographer present so you can get your portrait done!

Picture courtesy of Haworth Vintage Fairs
http://www.haworthvintagefairs.co.uk/

Almost time to go, but if you haven’t yet ordered your copy of Vintage Life.. don’t delay! We received our copies yesterday, turned straight to page 44 and there we are! The column looks great, big thank you to Vintage Life Magazine for the opportunity.

Take a peek at the enchanting Emporium...

There's nowhere better to go for a taste of true Britain than the capital itself, London. This week the Vintage Twee girls are united in the leafy suburb of East Finchley, north London to promote our products to the greatest tea lover of all... Her Majesty the Queen! Well, ok, maybe we haven't quite gotten to Buckingham Palace just yet, but we're sure if we did Her Royal Highness would love the ethos behind our work- unique, vintage and providing something special to decorate even the most prestigious of tables!

In our search for the perfect place to launch Vintage Twee south of the border, Joanne visited the very welcoming Lucinda Cooper and Helen Hodge, owners of the Emporium Tea Rooms, close to the beautiful Muswell Hill. The Emporium Tea Rooms is an astounding and nostalgic step back in time to a place where the tea is sipped, homemade cakes are on offer, and the atmosphere is entirely retro! As well as serving delicious food and drinks, classes and parties are on offer for both adults and children and encompass a range of the most fantastic ways to spend your days that we can think of! Events such as the “Storytelling and Pudding Evening” and “Traditional Afternoon Tea” party packages are available, not to mention indulging in crafts such as knitting, painting and crocheting! There's even an option for the Hen Parties- fancy group tuition in cupcake decorating complete with a Strawberry Cream Tea? Lets face it, who doesn't? Then contact the team and book yourselves in for some guaranteed giggles and gorgeous girly fun.
 

 The ladies wholeheartedly support local talent and sell handcrafted jams, sweets, toddler clothing and toys – most of which have been made by the craftspeople of the surrounding areas. Joanne took along a selection of our goods and we are now pleased to announce that Emporium Tea Rooms are official stockists of our popular Tea Bag Holders, Eat Me Party Picks, Recipe Cards and. Tea Pot Gift Boxes! A visit to the Emporium is an absolute must whether you live in London or not so don't miss out on this fabulous little gem of a shop!!
 
 

http://www.emporiumtearooms.co.uk/