Monday 30 January 2012

Checks and Kenneth

Just a quick outfit post to show you what I wore yesterday to go antiquing- nothing too special, but I thought I would take a snap anyway!


Oh, and have you noticed the lovely Kenneth?  (well I can’t see how you couldn’t as his photo is rather large!) He is one of my latest purchases….*sigh*  isn’t he wonderful!
a closer look at the jacket and my curly top!

Jacket- late thirties pattern
Tootal scarf
Skirt- 40’s original and one of my favourites!

Well that's all from me for now, but I'll be back soon with another of my very latest finds, and my, what a find it is... well, in my opinion it is!

Cheery-o's
Tuppy x

Saturday 28 January 2012


^that’s me trying to be sophisticated!

Well hullo campers! Tupney here, reporting back on her ‘Retro Curls’ trial!
So how did I fare?
To be honest, I actually found it quite a learning curve! I consider myself quite proficient at my usual set- I’ve got the sectioning and curling down to a Tee
(though I have to admit that the said Tee sometimes wobbles!). You see, I’m not used to using a hair dryer and curling tongs. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I used them!
Anyway, I set forth into the uncharted world of the ‘blow-dry’ and ‘styling products’ and commenced battle with my Barnet.

So, I did what the man said (makes a change) and washed my hair- simple.. I then found a hundred and one other things to do, like trawl the internet, nosey through my knitting patterns, and I even found time to move some of my old tat around in my bedroom (though, do not  for one minute confuse this with tidying up, as I did nothing of the sort- I just added a muddle to another muddle!). Anyhoo , what I'm trying to say, is that I didn’t follow the tutorial straight away, ending with a result of my hair drying, and  turning into something that very much resembled a throw back of the 70’s glam rock era. Ghastly I tell you. The pictures are so shocking (really they are!) I can’t possibly show them on here!

With visions of the wind blowing and making my hideous hair ‘do’ stick for all eternity, I hurried myself back into the bathroom, and flung my head into a basin full of water, so to regain the required towel dried state. Phew!
- excuse the no make up...
I'm showing the pics in b&w to try and make the pictures a little more viewable!
I then wasted no time by brushing and squirting in all the necessary products into my hair.  I even used my Ma’s brush (not sure what it’s called- I only ever use a comb!) and started to brush and blow-dry in the correct directions to create the root volume……well I certainly got volume…. After a quick snap I continued to keep clonking my head with the hairdryer and carried on with the upside down drying!

A horrendous photo- but needs must!
Oh the volume!
With that stage now completed, I dusted off my curling tongs and fired them up. ( I’m hoping at this point my sister will be also humming the tune from Ashes to Ashes- don’t worry, it’s a sister thing! Are you sis?). For me, this bit was fairly easy, though my hand eye coordination could do with a bit work, as the mirror was showing me all the wrong information! A few neck singes later and I’m all pinned up and ready for a slice of stollen and a cuppa!
Hardly pin up material!
I found using the long clippy clips easier to secure the curls...
...no pics of the back as I was huddled in a small space!
An hour later, lets say, as I was in no hurry- I started to un-pin and brush out. And my
was this a doddle. No knots, no nothing! The brush glided from root to tip- it was heavenly, and it certainly makes a change from my usual brush out! A quick spray and voila- bouncy curls!


quite a nice soft wave at the front- strange picture- I blame it on the limited space ;)


ooo lets fling our head back to show the curls!


trying to get a shot of the back nearly put my back out!
So what do you think? It’s quite a bit different to my usual curly top and certainly doesn’t last as long, which in all fairness is to be expected as it’s not a wet set.
I would definitely say the technique worked, and I was pleased with the result. Lotto!
I’m also quite taken with the Frizz- Ease secret agent perfecting crème. I’m a girl that
usually uses brylcreem when my hair is very straw- like, filled with frizz, and needs much taming!
Heres a picture to show such a time!

I found that this worked extremely well, making my hair look and feel more conditioned (now resembling less like a scarecrow) and without feeling sticky or heavy. Quite the little marvel!

Heres the link once again...

Well done John Frieda and team!

All the very best for the weekend
...
Tupney x

Friday 27 January 2012



Week  two, three and four.
Mugs!
 and a sneaky glimpse of other coronation crackers!

I’m afraid that the last two weeks ‘coronation crackers’ have been bundled up into one. Why? Lets just say I’ve had a few trying weeks! ;)

So here are some coronation mugs to wet your appetite….
 I say, everyone should at least own one coronation mug… Right!
And for an added extra I have also added a lovely clear glass tumbler. Cute, eh!

Ta ta all!
Tuppy x

Sunday 22 January 2012

Quick Curls!


We all know the trials us Vintage girls go through to get perfect hair. Patience is a virtue, and time is essential when recreating such styles- For instance, with the thickness of my hair, and also the growing length, it can take up to 30 rollers (sometimes more!) to create the look I want. It can take up to an hour on a really bad day to roller up, and then you have to let it dry over night, and not to mention the traumas of brushing out time! Its hard work and calls for much dedication! Oh, how I envy those girls who seem to create such lovely curly tops with very few rollers and bobby pins!
Which is why I became very intrigued when I was pointed in the direction of the new John Frieda tutorials on the You Tube! I’ve never been asked if I would like to put links up on my little old blog before, but I thought I would give it a go as they could possibly help us girliewigs out on the days (or in my case weeks!) when a full set isn’t possible…. In the words of Greg Wallace from Masterchef, or is it the other one(????) ‘Cooking doesn’t get tougher than this’…. No no, silly me, I mean ‘It could change your life’! Actually I think it’s the other one, but hey ho!

I’m certainly going to have a bash at the retro curls tutorial and hopefully the halo braid (she says, hoping her hair is long enough!) as wouldn’t that just be the perfect holiday hair do- rather 30’s don’t you think!
I must admit, I’m rather dubious about the retro curls style. Will it work on my hair? I’m not so sure, but I thought with a few changes here and there, (maybe adding an extra row of curls along the back?)…. well I’m sure it could work for the setting guide for a more authentic everyday style! After all I am a girl that tries to be as authentic looking as possible!!!

Well here are the links. There are also 6 more 'style on demand' tutorials to see too. Why not have a gander or even have a go yourself! I would love to hear of your results- Hopefully tomorrow (fingers crossed, as I had a blooming migraine in the night L) I’ll have a chance to fiddle around with my much neglected curling tongs! So watch this space for the results!

For the Halo plait click below!
http://www.youtube.com/johnfriedauk#p/u/5/qcyUZngkORE

and for more John Frieda tutorials
http://www.youtube.com/johnfriedauk

All the best,
And back to the sofa for me….

Tupney x

Wednesday 18 January 2012

A Chubby Knit!


My latest completed knitted- a chubby wonder!

I started knitting this at the beginning of December. I found the magazine on the 4th  (rather attracted by the words ‘make this coat in 12 hours!'), and got home to find that Arran wool came up too fine for the pattern! So Mamma Tupney went in search of a suitable wool baby, and she (the cat’s mother!) came home with two colour possibilities! Mind you, it wasn’t until Thursday (8th) that I finally got round to doing a tension test…. All was well, and by Thursday evening my needles were clickety- clicking, and I was knitting along at great speeds! By this time, I had also fixed in my mind  that I would like to wear this coatee at the weekend ‘do’ we were attending - so no pressure, eh!
On Friday however, I had run out of wool, (Oh, Budgies!) and the only evidence that there was ever a wool baby, was that I now had a completed back and a part front, instead of a little bundle of woolly joy! On Friday evening I was once again knitting away, surrounded by more wool babies.
I carried on knitting throughout Saturday, loosing all hope by the evening that it would be ready to wear the next day, even though I had only the collar left to knit! So with this being the case, I forced myself to get up at about half four on Sunday morning, to once again pick up the needles and knit the twisted rib collar. My determination saw the completion of the collar, but by my normal wake up time, eyes were tired and nerves were frazzled, and this meant I had little patience to sew on the ruddy collar (which actually I have only just done, as it was a real pain in the behind to sew on) Grrrr. L So close- and to think it would have been knitted in three days, if only I had all the wool to hand!

Any roads-up,  here it is… all rather lovely (if I do say so myself) and purple!
oh and 'scuse the large amount of 'me' photo's ;)
My, this stand up collar is just the ticket...
....and look, if I just un-button the lapel and button it to the other side, whistling winds
will be kept at bay!
I say! That's a rather nifty idea.... snug too!


.....Anyone for a motor in the country?

If not then I'll just wear it at Halloween and say I'm Dracula!

Cheerio from a very purple and woolly
Tuppy!
xxx

Saturday 14 January 2012


Don’t have anything good to Witter on about- Haven’t done anything interesting- Am I a grumpy old moo… Yes, yes I am!

So to just keep things ticking over, here’s a sneak peek of my latest knitting endeavour. Oh, and just to add interest, I’ve added Kewpie into the frame too!


Just have the sleeves, back and collar to knit, and then I’m finished!!!

TTFN
Tupps x

Thursday 5 January 2012

Coronation Crackers: week one.


 I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to this year, and the celebrations for the Queens diamond jubilee. (I already have ideas for an outfit and I might even force the family into having a tea party!)
This year also sees the centenary of the Titanic sinkingL, and also sees the staging of the….. (deep breath, keep calm Tupney!)….the London Olympics. There I’ve said it!  I don’t want to bother with the overrated and over anticipated (by many but not me- obviously!) 2012 Olympics- I wont be watching it, and on this blog you will hear no more of it! The only way you would get me watching it is if they had a special event for eyebrow twitching or nose wiggling, which I may add, my sister would most certainly win gold in as she is a master nose wiggler!  Anyway, I’m rambling and veering totally off course!
So my deary-do’s, back to the diamond jubilee....

I have quite the dinky collection of all sorts to do with the ’53 coronation and really do enjoy finding them. So because of this, and the significance of the year, I thought (yes, I was thinking!)  for the run up to the lovely-jubbly Jubilee I would share some of my coronation treasures in a weekly post. I initially thought I would have to show and tell some other bits and bobs from the ’37 coronation too, but having a quick nosey in my diary it looks to be only 22 weeks away, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty…. She says!?

So here goes... week one!
(also a Christmas pressie!)
A Carr’s biscuit tin in rather spiffy condition! 

My, what a handsome pair they make!
Close up of the sides...

The inside and what came with the tin.... just look at the lovely red
 original paper stuff!
 (cannot for the life of me remember what its called!)


Tupps x

Wednesday 4 January 2012

More Christmas Goodies….

More, More? Yes More Goodies- I’ve been quite the lucky young miss this Christmas!
Quite an assortment too, then again ‘variety is the spice of life’ and all that malarkey!

First up....
Santa obviously knew that I like to do a good jig-saw now and then, and this one is certainly a corker with hand cut pieces and made of plywood!
The finished Jig-saw with missing pieces :(- still it was fun putting it together!
A Radio Times cover- He must have also found
out how much I have been wanting one of these too!
(Do I need to get out more?)
I'll have to scour my stitchcrft mags to see if I can see the original!

A yellow and grey (very cheery indeedy-do) Nightdress cas for
my boudoir! 

A tootal childs tie with Galleons on from my big sis!
I think bought with Edmund in mind, though I might thieve it to wear for myself!


What every girl needs.... a marmite crate! Isn't it just super (this is where you nod in agreement !) ;)
An unusual sleeping beauty wall plaque.
Not sure on age-  I would put it pre 60's though....
even 30's/40's?
A lovely 30/40's  stocking box- I do like a nice box, me!


So there you have it- I was also given a stitchcraft, a Tootal scarf and a Bakelite dice shaker thingy, but at this moment in time the thought of taking more photos fills me with dread!

Next up I will show another pressie, but I going to run a mini series so I have decided to keep it separate!

Tupney x

Sunday 1 January 2012

Happy New Year



Lucky girl... she has a nice sparkly dress, beauty, lovely hair (without a trace of frizz!) and she has Bing singing to her.... cor makes me sick!

Well anyway, I didn't really want to start the New year with green eyes so I wont think any more of it!

Happy  New  Year

Tickety Boo Tupney xxxxx

P.S. sorry for the film cutting the song a bit short, but you get the drift!
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