Vintage Heartthrobs: Sherlock Holmes
Benedict Cumberbatch Print from QuoteArtisan on Etsy
We took a break last week so I knew I had to come back with the big guns. Now of course we all love a bad boy, but that’s too obvious right, at the end of the day you need someone you can take home to Mum and who could be better than infamous sleuth Sherlock Holmes? For me the ideal vintage heartthrob can intrigue your intellect as much as your heart and he has the most fabulous lines, ponder this,
“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.” Arthur Conan Doyle
Over the years Sherlock Holmes has has many faces, portrayals and ok, often he is an eccentric older chap and perhaps not your obvious choice. I also have a soft spot for Hercule Poirot and Detective Barnaby, (the first one, Tom Barnaby, obviously!) so maybe it’s just my love of sleuthing but more recently Sherlock Holmes got hot, right!?
First we had Robert Downey Jr, actual bad boy, giving Sherlock a steam punk, hold on tight things just got crazy, make over. It probably helped that he also had Jude Law in tow as Watson. The fast paced action and clever twists gave us a new Sherlock, one that made you sit up and pay attention but praps not one you’d take home to the parents.
But then, oh then, came Benedict Cumberbatch and a new generation of Sherlock lovers, fans and obsessives was born. The full length mac and scarf look, along with some help from Dr Who, got fresh appeal it could never have imagined. Let’s face it, anyone who can pull off a deerstalker hat and pull in the ladies that fast is a force to be reckoned with. I love the print above from QuoteArtisan an Etsy business based in Cardiff. Thank you Arthur Conan Doyle! Do any other literary heroes set your heart alight? I’d love to know.
Now, get out. I need to go to my mind palace…
Desired: Can Neon Pink and Vintage meet? Top 10!
I love one offs, hand mades, vintage and unusual items so I particularly enjoy rummaging through Etsy for exciting new finds especially British made and designed. Etsy is filled with incredible British talent, so I want to use my ‘Desired’ posts to support them and hopefully do the hard part of the rummaging for you!
Today I want to show you that a love for neon pink and vintage can be combined to add some modern vintage prettiness to your life, in 10 fab finds, I hope you agree!
1. First up how gorgeous is this hand painted and restored typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs?! I would love to write letters on this, I imagine myself using personalised stationary and wearing my hair up and peering over my glasses to adjust the paper. The best part is that the restoration was done by Rebecca at Rainingcatsandfrogs so you can see more images on her blog here.
Restored Pink Typewriter from Rainingcatsandfrogs
2. I am currently trying to teach myself to crochet, it is not easy but it is fun. So I have a huge amount of appreciation and love for the gorgeous hand made items by Belinda at Binkee. I love the neon finish on this lampshade. The crochet gives it a touch of vintage style and the neon pink gives it a gorgeous, stylish edge.
Crochet Lamp Shade from Binkee
3. Funk up your fine dining with these awesome screen print napkins from Sophiesho!
Screen Print Nakins by Sophiesho
4. Pow! I adore this skirt by LauraJaneFashion and the cut and jacquard print give it a vintage feel.
Skirt by LauraJaneFashion
5. Poppycock! I’m pretty sure Poppycock comes under vintage sayings and this print by HectorandHaddock would brighten any wall.
Poppycock print by HectorandHaddock
6. Ok so we’ve got the perfect hot pink skirt but now you need some wow factor studs to go with it right! I’ve found two, these sparkly numbers are by Ditty Drops and come in a variety of colours that pop!
Sparkly Pink earrings by Ditty Drops
7. These beauties from Moonchie also come in a variety of colours but its the gold detail I really love, got a bit of a magpie thing going on at the moment I think.
Hot pink and gold earrings from Moonchie
8. This one is for my crafter friends and anyone who is obsessed with washi tape as I am. ChambyandCor have an incredible range of washi tapes and the best part is they have a listing for 5 tapes for £10!
Neon Pink Washi Tape from ChambyandCor
9. This clutch from LoraDoraSutton would be handy for weddings, parties or transporting your tablet. I love this blue and pink combo.
Neon Clutch by LoraDoraSutton
10. I’m currently hooked on The Good Wife and am trying to catching up on Netflix but I really would find one of these Cozereaders handy for watching in bed. They have all sorts of pretty floral patterns too.
Coz-E-Reader
Well that’s all for now, neon and vintage gets a hell yeh from me. Do you like to mix neon twists with your day to day styling?
Vintage Heartthrobs: Gilbert Blythe
I bet you didn’t see that coming, I hope to keep you on your toes with these heartthrobs. The romance and love story between Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley captured my heart from a young age, I loved getting lost in the Anne of Green Gables books and tv series. I would have happily thrown on a straw hat, pigtails, lace up boots and a high neck dress to pretend I was Anne or Diana. The outfits, the Canadian town etiquette, the history, the language, yep, Gilbert Blythe is most certainly a vintage heartthrob of period drama. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find any suitable photos for you this week but you can relive the trailer here and some Gilbert and Anne moments with suitable music here.
Despite monumentally messing things up from the word go by teasing Anne when he calls her ‘Carrots’, he also begins on the lifelong quest for Anne’s friendship and eventually her heart. He is persistent, smart and he knows what he wants, it also helps that he looks rather dashing in a waistcoat and cap. He’s witty, funny and skilled in romance, the flowers and love letters are plenty and let’s not forget he rescues Anne on a number of occasions, notably from a pond. What is it with these vintage heartthrobs and water sources?!
Anne is stubborn and let’s face it, the lady doth protest too much, I’m pretty sure she secretly knew she loved Gilbert from the first book too but where’s the fun in that. Gilbert comes back stronger following her refusal to his first proposal, he survives typhoid, becomes a Doctor and eventually marries his sweetheart and together they have seven children! Gilbert Blythe will always have a place in the hearts of old fashioned romantics he embodies good values, romance and strength of character, oh if he were real he’d be snapped up in no time!
Tea Tasting Notes – Countess Grey
It’s National Afternoon Tea Week so I’m drinking plenty of tea and it seems like a good time to share some of my favourite teas with you. A while ago I wrote a short review of Twinning’s Peppermint tea but, as a tea geek, I’m always trying new teas and would love to share some more of them with you. I’d love to hear which teas you’re enjoying at the moment too or do you prefer to stick to one type of tea?
I recently picked up a box of Fortnum and Mason’s Countess Grey tea bags. This tea has rocked my world. I actually tried it first a couple years ago when celebrating a friends birthday with afternoon tea in their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. I tried to get some at Christmas but they had sold out so I guess that’s a good indicator of how good it is too.
Among tea lovers it may seem a bit controversial to have opted for tea bags. Don't get me wrong I love a properly brewed loose leaf tea but sometimes I just need a decent speedy brew. You obviously don’t get the same cup of tea that you would from loose leaf tea but the standard of the tea bag teas from Fortnum and Mason is so good that I really don’t mind. In fact there are moments in life when I’d drink just about any tea you pop in front of me, surely I’m not alone!
So lets get down to it. As John Torode might say, first you get the comforting bergamot aroma typical of Earl Grey but it’s quickly joined by delicate yet refreshing citrus notes. For me this tea is perfect in the morning, I have to have a cup of tea in the morning but I also enjoy a glass of juice so for me it is kind of like drinking tea and orange juice without that horrible taste in your mouth. I love the uplifting orange citrus and I think it would be a perfect pick me up in the afternoon too. They recommend trying it with a slice of orange or lemon and I plan to try this too.
Fortnums offer a range of luxury teas available in tea bags or loose leaf. The packaging is a gorgeous shimmery Fortnums green, the Countess Grey comes with a strip of hot pink and every time I get a packet out I feel like I’m being a bit decadent, yes such is the life of a tea geek. At £3.75 for a box of 25, thats only 15p per tea bag, I think its pretty reasonable and you they are available online too.
I hope you guys find this useful, I know there are plenty of tea geeks among you, so will you be taking afternoon tea this week?
Please note I have not been paid or sponsored to write this post, all opinions and photos are my own.
Bake Off and Biscuits!
The Great British Bake Off started this week and with that ovens and mixers up and down the country were no doubt switched on and kitchens filled with the warming smell of freshly baked treats.
I’m sure we will all choose our favourite bakers as the weeks pass by (there’s always someone who bugs you right?!) but in many ways that’s why the first week is so interesting. Each baker is new and brings with them new baking tricks and secrets. I thought Nancy truly deserved Star Baker this week, a baker with a guillotine is a serious baker for sure. It was a shame to see Claire go, she seemed fun and I know from experience how tricky those mini cakes can be.
Next week is biscuit week and with rain on the horizen I felt inspired to whip up some Italian cantuccini biscuits. They are wonderful with a strong coffee any time of day, my favourite recipe includes grated orange and lemon rind but I also added chocolate this time. I’ve posted a video of the process on my Instagram account, @teatimetreatery and a similar recipe by the lovely Gino D’Acampo can be found here.
Sneak Peek: Street Feast London
We recently swung by Dalston Yard to get a sneak peek into Street Feast London and find out how street food is rocking the London foodie scene. It’s running every Friday and Saturday evenings 5pm-Midnight right through to 27th September. We’ve heard great things and from the looks of it, this is a street food arena as it should be. They are offering a rotating variety of street food stalls alongside regulars including Pizza Pilgrims and B.O.B’s Lobster. For more information and this weeks line up click here. For now we hope you enjoy our behind the scenes sneak peek!
Vintage Heartthrobs: Dick Van Dyke
This week’s vintage heartthrob, Dick Van Dyke, has been nominated by our friend and super blogger Miss Sue Flay. At first I was taken aback as I immediately thought of Diagnosis Murder and as much as I love Dr Sloan and his sleuthing ways, surely Dr Sloan Jr, Van Dyke’s real life son, and Dr Travis are the heartthrobs of that show?! Although his smile still sparkles and he’s always wearing super stylish suits, I guess he’s still supercalifragilisticexpialidocious…
Then it struck me, of course Dick Van Dyke is a vintage heartthrob, indubitably, how could I overlook his starring roles in Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Wouldn’t it be nice to don a lacy white dress, grab a parasol and jump into fantasy land for a jolly holiday with Bert, because, don’t you know, gentlemen like him are few! I’d also be quite keen to meet the cartoon turtles, they seem so polite and helpful. Or how about twirling around and tapping away to ‘Step in time’ on the roof tops of London!
Now in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Van Dyke, for me at least, is at his most dashing wearing a waistcoat and supervising his amazing breakfast machine while singing to his on screen children. Ok so I’m mostly interested in the breakfast machine but still. I remain terrified of the Child Catcher so the fact the Van Dyke’s character saves the day, whisks Miss Scruptious up into his arms at the end and carries her to his flying car all add to his heartthrob status. Now if only we could all have names like Truly Scrumptious!