It's all change......

Sorry it has been such a while since my last post BUT it has been all change here and lots of exciting happenings!!!

My website launched mid December - Vintage Simplicity - and that combined with getting a photo shoot organised and Christmas preparations for all of the family left me well and truly flagging.

It is a new beginning for me though as I enter a new world of juggling business with motherhood BUT I am thoroughly enjoying it.

You can see how it all began at the Vintage Simplicity Blog.

Please do follow me on my new blog - updates will be notified via  Twitter and Facebook
Hope you all have a very Happy New Year.

Kerry xxxx

A Pretty Vintage Tea Party

And now for all you lovers of pink!!!!

Again, another big thank you to Hen House for many of the lovely details that have added to this table.

Love

Kerry xxxx

An Art Deco Tea Party

Thought I would share these with you all on this Saturday Afternoon.

I have been tinkering about with my collection all day ready for a meeting with the web designers on Tuesday. 

A big thank you to this lovely lady - Hen House - who made all of the beautiful heart place settings!!!
Would appreciate any comments you may have.
Thankyou.

Love

Kerry xxxx

Vintage Simplicity

My new logo has now been completed - so one step nearer to launch!!! Yippee!!!

Hope you all like it.

I am involved in a wedding photo shoot on the 18th November which is all very exciting. It is based on a 1920's flapper theme and I will be providing all of the vintage china and accessories. I will report on this and show photos after the event.
On another note - some exciting news that I have to report is that DotComGiftShop have written an article called Vintage Blogs We Love and My Grannies Attic has been highlighted along with a host of other gorgeous blogs that I follow. It can be seen at DotComGiftShop - Vintage Blogs. It was really uplifting to find out about this and a big thankyou goes to all involved!!!!

Love

Kerry xxxx

I'm Back!!!!

Hello everyone xxx

Sorry it has been a while since my last blog but our whole familys' lives have just been turned upside down.

Our daughter Molly - aged 9 was diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes on the 4th October. This means that her pancreas no longer produces insulin so she will be insulin dependent indefinately.

When we were told by our GP it came as such a shock to us as Molly was such a healthy child - gaining a place in our local swimming club just a week before diagnosis!!

We were immediately rushed to hospital where Molly & I spent three days trying to adjust to the new life that lay ahead of us.

Molly, without doubt, is the bravest girl I could ever hope to meet. I love her to pieces and I am so proud of her. She has taken this on board like a true star and although we have moments of frustration she really is going about her daily life just like she did before the news.

My other three children have been equally as brave!!! They have been backwards and forwards to hospital at all times day and night and been looked after by countless numbers of people. I love you all too!!!!

Myself and my husband have taken a little longer to adjust - but we are getting there. I think it was because it came as such a shock that is why it has knocked us for six.

Anyway at times like this, I have to keep myself busy so I have been tidying, sorting and re-organising all of my china in the house. A 4 hourly blood testing regime throughout the day has meant that I could not venture to far away from home/school so gave me time to finally do all of these chores.

I hope you have enjoyed a little peek into my china collection.

Bye for Now

Kerry xxxx

Playing around with photography

After a successful meeting with the web designers this morning, I have been playing around today with my new camera - hope you like the results:

Bye for now

Kerry xxxx

All change........

Well the end of the summer holidays has come and gone and we are now fully back into the swing of the early morning school run's. It has taken me until today to finally get back to some kind of normality - where I can gather my thoughts and plan my next course of action.

Summer was well and truly taken up with holidays, day trips and keeping four little poppets entertained. It was at times very testing - especially on the rainy days but I had the most thoroughly enjoyable time!!!

Times are changing around here though!!! I have decided to add a new blog or two so that I can keep My Grannies Attic purely for telling you all about my families goings on and the vintage twist I bring into our home.

My new blogs will focus on my new business - Vintage Simplicity - Vintage China and Accessories Hire. One will diarise the development of the company and the other will be in the form of a blog shop where I will be selling lovely hampers of china and cake stands.

Please hang on in there whilst these get up and running. My branding and logo design should be with me by the middle of next week so please look out for that.

I am also in the midst of meetings - setting up my new website for Vintage Simplicity. It is all happening so quickly now - I have all of my stock sitting ready and waiting for the 2011 wedding season and lots of wedding fairs planned.

Anyway, onto some finds that I gathered over the summer. These are all for keeps and will be proudly displayed in our home (all of my china finds will be shown in my Vintage Simplicity Blog - watch this space........).

This telephone was picked up at an Antiques Fair for just £5. Just the perfect colour for the kitchen - I love it!!!!

I just couldn't refuse this tin when I saw it. A 1950's recipe tin - which I thought was empty until I opened it.......

It is absolutely amazing!!! So much time must have been spent writing out all of these recipe cards and all the recipes are right up my street - all old fashioned yummy foods!!!

Another one of my much loved London Route Master Signs had to come home with me!!! And as we only live just down the road how could I refuse!!!!

I love the look of this Thermos and had seen one just like it in one of my favourite interiors books. All I need now are the flowers!!!!!
That's it for my summer finds - not many but all so so perfect.

Bye For Now

Kerry xxxx

My first ever giveaway!!

To celebrate gaining over 50 followers in just over a month - WOW!!!!- A BIG THANK YOU to all of you - and to introduce you all to my new little venture - I thought I would hold my first ever giveaway!!I have been desperately trying to come up with ideas that will link to the name and theme of my new business and being as I am not at all crafty (maybe one day I will learn!!!) it has been really hard to put a selection together.

Everything in the giveaway relates in some way to either the name or the theme of my little venture. Sorry I am being just a teeny weeny little secretive but I like to keep people guessing when it comes to a new business (although some of you may already know a little more than others!!!)

To make this fun I will put your name into a hat if:

1. You already follow my blog or you become a new follower; and

2. If you make a comment on this post; and

3. If you post a link of this giveaway within your blog posts or your sidebar - please let me   know you have done this by leaving a comment here; and

4.Now to the fun bit!! - if you leave a comment with a guess at the new name - you never know I may even change it for one of your ideas!!!

So all in all you could have four chances to win all of this:

1. A CK Button Tin.

2. Lots and lots of vintage buttons - handpicked at various antiques fairs by me!!

3. 2 Foley Cups and Saucers - really pretty and dinky - perfect for espresso!!

4. A CK Hankie.

5. CK Tissues.

6. 3 sheets of CK Stickers.

7. A gorgeous piece of vintage rose print fabric.

The Giveaway will be left open until Midnight on Saturday 28th August 2010. I know this may seem such a long wait but I have decided to leave it open until then to allow people on holiday over the summer a chance to enter.

Good Luck and Bye for Now!!!!

Kerry xxxx

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Hi Everyone xx

It was a very early start for me yesterday as it was my fortnightly trip to Kempton Antiques Fair. I was up at 4.30am which wasn't to bad as it was so warm anyway, the birds were singing and it was too beautiful to be in bed.

I got to Kempton at 5.30am which was far to early as the traders cannot start trading until 6.30am. I knew I had to be there early though as I had some really special items to find.

I had a wander around all of the vans, which were all shut up so decided to go and get some breakfast. On the way I had a little sneeky peek inside one of the vans which to my amazement was crammed full of just what I was looking for.

I must have looked really strange hanging around the van for just under an hour but I knew that come 6.30 this one van would have a lot of people interested in it.

Because it was such a gorgeous morning a big queue was forming outside of the entrance (I must have been mistaken for a trader to have got in so early - whoops!!!!).

Once 6.30 came it was like something from the Harrods January Sale. Hundreds of people ran in from the entrance gate and made a bee line to exactly the same van I was interested in.

I knew I had to act quick - as soon as the van was unloaded I had to make a decision. And there they were............... a pair of chairs from France - just what I had been looking for!!

They are just so gorgeous and so much so that I would love to keep them. BUT, I am now setting up a business so my business head must take over. I am going to get them re-upholstered in some gorgeous fabric and sell them on my new website (once it gets up and running!!!). Their future will I am sure be fantastic!!!

After my amazing find, I had to calm down and get down to business and find yet more china. It can be difficult sourcing the right kind of china and teapots in particular can be really hard to find. I was in luck though and came across all of this - and all before 7am!!

The first photo is of a complete 1930's tea set - so pretty!!!

The second photo shows two teapots - of completely different designs but will look fab with all of my other mismatched china.

After these early finds, the heavens opened. I was outside and a good 10 minute walk back to the indoor stalls. I got absolutely soaked and when teamed with a white dress and sandals, I really was not a pretty sight!!! On my rush back through all of the puddles I came across this little chap. He was as wet as I was and it was this that made my heart melt!!

Isn't he adorable!!! He may be a little dirty and a little worn but I really like this about him - so much love over the years really does make him unique.

After a coffee and a little dry under the hand dryer in the ladies I felt a little better and so decided to continue my search for just one last item that I really wanted to find. Along the way I picked up these little treasures:

50p each - how could I refuse!!

I just love old Ladybird Books and the ones from the 50's and 60's are a passion of mine but one that I really must share!!

I was at the point of giving up and it still was only 8am. Matthew had taken the day off though so he could come and meet me after the school run so I knew that I had an hour to kill. Another coffee and possibly a cake was an option for me but with holidays just round the corner I had to think of my bikini!!

That obsession with my bikini was a blessing in disguise as I came across just what I had been looking for for months:

I just love this old factory bobbin holder and it is just perfect for what I have in store for it.

Well that was it, Matthew arrived and we had a leisurely stroll around the fair again without the mad dash that I had been doing all morning. I must admit though I did finally have that coffee and cake - oh well, there is always tomorrow!!!

Whilst posting, I would really like to say a big thank you to Hen of HenHouse for these beautiful postcards. It was lovely to get them in the post yesterday on my return from Kempton. I've just got to decide where to hang them now!!

Bye for Now

Kerry xxxx

Here are a few of my favourite things

Just so you can get to know me a little bit more:

I absolutely adore my garden and this was one of my finds at my children's school May Fair. It is a really well weathered terracotta planter - just how I like them to be!!! As a bonus it came with plants too.

Another one of my lucky finds - this time at Kempton Park Antiques Fair which is held twice a month and is only 10 minutes drive from where I live. I love the galvanised buckets and thought this hydrangea looks beautiful in it.

Now this beautiful lady has to be one of my most treasured possessions and was purchased by my husband as a surprise present for me - Thank you Matthew xxxx She is a late 19C Wasp Waisted Mannequin and comes complete on her original stand. I hope you all agree that she is absolutely adorable.

Isn't he just adorable!!! One of my ebay finds - how could I resist!!!

I have many tins dotted around the house but this one has to be my favourite. I just love the seaside scene on the lid and it is just perfect for my bathroom to store all of my children's shampoos.

And now for some of my favourite china:

This has to be my favourite pattern - Shelley Melody - as it reminds me so much of my Grandma who sadly passed away 7 years ago. She had a whole set of this given to her as a wedding present back in the 1940's and it all lives at my mums. I couldn't wait though until it gets passed down to me so I have collected some pieces of my own including this trio.

I am a big fan of chintz and this Royal Albert set is so unusual. I found it at Kempton Park along with another set so couldn't resist - then again who could!!!

I hope this gives a little glimpse into the things that I love and I will be posting much much more over the coming weeks.

Enjoy!!!