Indoor Picnicking

With the small burst of sunshine we had today (after days of heavy rain storms), I immediately started dreaming up picnic ideas just the thing to get me in the summer mood. Then, it started raining again and I adapted that idea for an indoor picnic setting. We have a large screened-in porch off the back of the house, that makes you feel as if you are outdoors, among the flowers and the field of tall grass it looks onto.

Ironically, these images were taken on a sunny day and aren't the best, but you get the picture.

Plus, it can be cool and breezy on any searing hot day and bug free. The best of both worlds! Keep dry and in civilised comfort whilst getting all the lovely picnic feel you want. I am not exactly one to rough it.

Here's what I dreamt up...a little early afternoon picnic party. Classic vintage pieces, accented with the ever essential splashes of colourful florals. And the menu? More of a liquid lunch. Kind of like a Mad Men-style "lunch break" for the girls if Joan was in charge.

Vintage Picnic Basket, Morgan and Moss

Green Daisy Tablecloth, Tuwhittuwhoo

Vintage Roly Poly Chrome Glassware, Whimsical Vintage

Vintage Travel Bar, Working Girl Vintage

Picnic Patchwork Pillows, Sweet Jessie

Obviously I would put on a summer frock...

Striped Summer Dress, Dig For Victory

And the menu...

Hendrick's Gin (above) and Fever-Tree Tonic (below)

...and the even more quintessentially British, Pimms Cocktail. No scrimping on the fruit and don't forget the mint!
I told you it would be a liquid lunch. The added bonus is that all the fruit in the Pimms can double as the snack!

Pack your bags!

I have a love/hate relationship with travel, mostly stemming from my inability to pack light. I swear my biggest problem is the weight/size of the case I use. Before I pack anything the bag weighs about 50lbs, and then I am in danger of paying excess baggage every time. Naturally, I always pack too much every time.

Well, these trunks caught my eye. They made me think about the days that people travelled on the European Grand Tour, journeyed by train or boat, had "help" to pack (and unpack) their clothes and most definitely did not have to carry them themselves. I love the romanticism evoked by the old school travel that these trunks could have ventured upon.

Vintage Steamer Trunk, Junktiques

Wardrobe Steamer Trunk, Hazey Jane Vintage

"Indestructo" Wardrobe Trunk, Gimme Nicole

And of course, the dolls travelled in style too!

Vintage Doll Train Case, Ethan Ollie

Vintage Red Doll Trunk, I'm So Vintage

Wooden Doll Train Trunk, Smarty Pantalons

FOXY FINDS FRIDAY

Foxy Fact: Did you know that a fox's tail is called a brush?

British readers will recall Basil Brush, the puppet character on children's tv during the 60s/70s and beyond. Distinctively dressed in tweed deer stalker, waistcoat, cape and cravat, Basil had the look and accent of a gentleman fox with a nod to the character of Sherlock Holmes in his styling. His catch phrase "Boom, Boom", would ring out every time he told a joke. Basil was always very touchy about his brush being called a tail. And so we all learned that a fox tail is a BRUSH!

Basil Brush, created 1963 (image from BBC)

So, let's get to the latest selection of Foxiness I found this week.

"Foxy Fox" Print by Pamela Michelle

Set of 3 Woodland Animals Hardwood Toys (Fox pictured, natch) by The Wood Garden

"Foxy Force Three" Print by inaluxe

Vintage Gold Clutch by Butter Cookies

Foxy Mama Card by Yevgeniya's Prints

Just in time for Mother's Day this weekend, this card is perfect! Have a good one!! x

WEEKLY REMEDIES

This week, I am loving vintage florals...

1. "Picking Daisies" Dress, April Scott 2. Yellow Floral Cushion Cover, Plonka Home 3. Pink Chocolate Vintage Wallpaper, Lemon Blooms

4. Scalloped Flag Garland, Sparkle Power 5. Screen Printed Linen and Vintage Fabric Cats, Jane Foster 6. Vintage Overnight Travel Case, Blue Bonnet Fields

7. Wall Clock with Vintage Wallpaper, Marsupial Mouse 8. Vintage Hand Towels, Vintage Jane 9. Pink Pear Shoulder Bag, Ali Pink

VINTAGE FIND: Roger and the Fox

Lavinia R. Davis was an American author specialising in children's stories and teen novels (as well as a number of adult mysteries). She wrote predominantly in the 1940's to 1950's (40+ books in all) with 2 of her children's stories winning the Caldecott Medal Honor for their illustrations.

One of those award winning books was "Roger and The Fox", illustrated by Hildegard Woodward and published in 1947.

As you can imagine, this book is right up my alley, but the added bonus is that Roger is Pops' name. Isn't it weird how sometimes you can find something that is just too perfect for words? Well, someone else obviously thought so as I imagine this original copy was a gift to him, and I discovered it in his study yesterday.

The story line is as follows...Roger is a six year old boy whose family have moved to the countryside of Connecticut to run a farm. He is referred to as a "city boy" and hates it. Roger is fascinated with the wildlife he is discovering in his new surroundings and when Seth (his father's farm hand) tells him he saw a fox, he is a boy on a mission.

Woodward's illustrations are so beautifully subtle and paired down, using a palate of black graphite with red and blue watercolour to depict Roger's fox tracking adventures through the Fall and Winter seasons. There is a perfect description of walking through leaves in the Fall as making a “fine, dry, corn-popping, pie-eating, cider-drinking, fall sound”. Davis' descriptive language is punchy and captivating.

Once Roger masters the art of skiing, he discovers that he can move around silently, and that way eventually manages to sneak up on the fox and to his delight, and immense pride, he sees TWO!

You can just see the satisfaction he gets from telling Seth! Completely delightful in every way!

PAPER DOLLS

I have always loved Dolls, and paper dolls were so much fun to play with. The huge range of outfits and accessories for each doll made the possibilities endless. I have to admit that often I would not even cut them out, they just looked too perfect in their books.

Vintage paper dolls come in all kinds, but I particularly like the 1950s families, with their iconic fashions and accessories, with every age and gender covered. Queen Holden (prolific from 1930s-1960s) was a force in this genre, perfectly depicting the rosey cheeked baby, boisterous little boy, sweet little girl, House Wife Mother and Weekend Dad (Think Mad Men to get the perfect picture of the fashion and lifestyle!). I never knew, until researching this piece, just how huge the following for these dolls is. Read their history here.

Nursery School Paper Doll Set

Family of Paper Dolls

For a selection of Ms Holden's adorable dolls, try here.

There are many creative uses of the paper doll form, not least from Etsy. Here are my picks.

Vintage Autumn Paper Doll Garland, Vintage Scraps

Emma Paper Doll Cushion, Chocolate Creative

Vintage Blue Paper Doll Dress Card, Crab Apple Design

Delicate Heart, Wool and Water

I also love the vibrant, glossy and colourful modern paper dolls of today. I have already mentioned Bellle and Boo's Cut Out Belle here. My guilty pleasure is a love for Mary Engelbreit's images of wholesome vintage inspired girls, all with strong identities and characters.

Ann Estelle

Lilah

She has a range of magnetic paper dolls here.

And not forgetting the boys!

Vintage 1940s Boy Paper Doll, Callooh Callay

Don't they just bring out the child in you?