Christmas is a-coming.... ! Yes, already!

Yes, I know, it's only the start of September... grumble, moan, sigh...
I will freely admit to being one of those people who moaned every year that the Christmas frenzy was getting earlier and earlier each year, refusing to be drawn in to over commercialisation, yada, yada, yada...

But now that I have joined the ranks of the handmade businesses I have learned that you can never be prepared too early - a lesson I had reinforced just last week...

I was contacted by a friend who is currently pregnant and, with her due date slap bang around the end of December, is very wisely wanting to get ahead of the game and organise some of her Christmas presents as early as possible. And quite frankly, who can blame her! If I was in her shoes, well, I'd be tempted to cancel Christmas all together... except, of course, for expecting a lovely gift from my doting hubby, but hey I digress...

Her rather intelligent strategy, and subsequent question about what Christmas candle scents I would be offering this year, forced me to shift my bottom off the proverbial fence and actually make a decision.  I had been mulling over the question, having drafted out a (long) short list of contenders months previously; but now I have actually gone and done and ordered my fragrances! And I have to say I am rather pleased with my selections.

So without any more prevaricating, I can announce that

The Lime Garden Christmas 2011 Candle Fragrances are....

HOLLYBERRY & MISTLETOE

warm and sweet, but with an undertone of fresh greenery.

GINGER & FIG

hot, sweet and a little bit spicy, yet fruity and mild at the same time.

FRANKINCENSE & MYRRH 

ooooh... lovely warm, smooth, musky and sensuous.

APPLE STRUDEL

crisp fresh apples and warm winter spices.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE

smells just like sounds - Terry would be proud!!

and finally, back by popular demand, last year's best selling Christmas scent...

APPLE & CRANBERRY

warm sweet cranberries and fresh apples, yummy!

I have decided to add a little extra to my Christmas gifts this year too - as well as my Vintage Tea Cup candles, (cup and saucer, with candle in the cup) I have found some gorgeous Tea Cup Trios... That is, cup, saucer and matching tea plate - so they will still be vintage, they will still be candles, but they will be a usable tea set trio too!

A lot of people ask me if they can use their tea cups once they have burnt their candles, and the answer is - ...YES! The beauty of the soy wax that I use is that any residue left in the cup can simply be washed away with hot soapy water - please, please, please, never put your lovely vintage china in the dishwasher! I also take great care when I source the china - I never purchase pieces that are damaged with chips or cracks, so they are always able to be used for the purpose for which they were always intended - a nice, civilised cup of tea!

The beauty of my Vintage Cup Candle Trios is that the recipient, once they have enjoyed their lovely candle, will have a beautiful tea time set to use - perfect for that afternoon pick-me-up treat of tea and a slice cake! Gorgeous!

And finally, here is a few quick snaps of some of the lovely china I will be using...

[Just a quick additional note - I often buy part tea sets, just because I love the china and can use some of the cups and saucers for my candles, with the result that I find myself with a stock cupboard full of additional pieces of crockery. So if you would like to build up your own mis-matched vintage china tea set (very on-trend!) feel free to contact me, and I will let you know what I have... ...in fact maybe I feel another blog post coming on!]

So, yes, it is very early to be thinking about Christmas,

but spare a thought for us traders - we're already on the case!

Bad Blogger!

It has to be said, I have been such a lax blogger recently. Is it any excuse to say that I have been very busy?
Or that my lovely husband dropped my laptop, so it had to go to *hospital* (back fully repaired now, thankfully) ?

Well, I have sat down today and sketched out a schedule for the next couple of months... I just hope I keep to it! My next post - later this week - will be about a fabulous lady and her amazing response to help the poor independent traders who fell victim to the recent riots across England. And then this coming Sunday it will be my monthly Sunday Bookworm post - I can't believe another whole month has whizzed by so quickly! This month's book is Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson - so for any of you who became fans of this talented writer through watching the recent Case Studies dramatisations on the BBC, I hope you will enjoy hearing about this great book.

I also have plans to bring you some great wedding related features - hoping to introduce you to some different ideas to make your special day truly unique, and some gorgeous vintage (ahh, I do love a bit of vintage!) details, accessories and decorations, as well as a few do-it-yourself ideas for saving a few pennies. I will continue to post my occasional recipes, gluten free cakes and treats - that taste even better than the wheat varieties, so your wheat eating friends will, quite frankly, never know the difference!

Here is just a small sneak preview of my next recipe...

In between these posts I will resurrect my Folksy Fridays, fortnightly posts featuring all sorts of handmade gorgeousness from the talented makers as Folksy.com. As well as bringing you news of my own new products, creations and business ventures... and there are some very exciting new developments coming soon (some of which I just can't reveal yet!!)!

So I do hope you are going to continue to watch this space, and thank you for hanging around !

What's the meaning of it all...?

No, I don't mean life, the universe and everything - we all know the answer to that is 42 (and with that I've probably just given away my age!)...

...What I'm talking about is "Vintage" and "Shabby Chic".
These terms are bandied about everywhere these days as popular terms for a new culture of, basically, old things. Or things that are a bit distressed, or pretty in a cottage-y kind of way, or... well, you name it, everyone has their own definitions! And I'm afraid that is my problem. We are straying too far from the real meaning of the actual words.

Going back to basics, and on the same theme, we all know pretty much where we stand with the term "Antique" - it is a word we generally use to describe anything of around 100 years old or more. Lovely, nice and clear. Done.

OK, so what about Vintage? Well, I have researched this one and, getting away from wine (which was difficult, in more than one way!) I can conclude that it is a generic term that refers, or should refer, to an item that is "of old, recognised and enduring interest, importance or quality". Perhaps not quite so clear, but it gives us a good point of reference.  I have often been worried that when I am selling "vintage" crockery (in particular my gorgeous tea cup candles) that I am simply picking up a term and running with it, probably for the sake of cashing in on today's trend for items with age, provenance and beauty. But, as you see, there is no age limit on being vintage (my major worry vindicated), and in fact it would appear to be a rather esoteric handle, that people can turn to fit their items (cars, furniture, clothing, wine... crockery!) just so long as they fit the broad spectrum of being a good example of their own place in time. I like that last phrase - for me that sums up vintage pretty damn well.

Now to the absolute minefield that is "shabby chic"; and I guess I am about to have a soap-box moment! You see this adjective just about everywhere. My regular readers will know that I have an Ebay addiction, so it will come as no surprise that my first gripe starts there. So many items are described as shabby chic - maybe because they are old, maybe because they are a little worn, maybe because they seem to fit the seller's perception of what this term means - but in my opinion, they live up more to the shabby and less to the chic!


Having trawled the internet for a true definition of the term, my old friend Wikipedia has come to my rescue: 
"Shabby chic is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. At the same time, a soft, minimalistic, and feminine feel is emphasized to differentiate it from regular vintage decor; hence the "chic" in the name."

It is the second part of this definition that I feel most often gets forgotten - so many people concentrate on the shabby, but forget the chic part. To me shabby chic should be "faded elegance" or "distressed beauty" - not crappy rubbish that might once have been quite nice, but now really is beyond all redemption!


But there is also a second detractor from the true essence of the term... And I will call this "The Cupcake Revolution".  Now I like a cup cake as much (if not more) than the next woman, and I do also like pretty home wares, and I'm not adverse to the odd biscuit tin or china mug depicting a cup cake pattern. But please. Come on. I will spell this out quite plainly...


A BRAND NEW CAKE TIN IN PERFECT CONDITION BEARING A CUP CAKE DESIGN MAY BE CUTE, BUT IT IS NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE, SHABBY CHIC.


 (Well, maybe give it 30 years, a few dents, a little rust, and you may have a nice retro piece of social history - but you get my drift.)


Sorry.


I have probably now alienated half of the female population, and my Twitter followers will be un-following in droves. But I just had to say it. I love vintage, I love shabby chic, I love faded elegance, I even love cute, chintz, kitsch, retro, classic and cupcakes - but please can we at least try to describe our products accurately?


Please?

And just to show no hard feelings against the humble cup cake,

I do happen to think these tins from Lakeland are pretty lush.

No mention of shabby chic in their description though....

Any One For Tea...??

My dining room is beginning to resemble a tea shop!

A few weeks ago I got a commission to supply 60 tea cup candles as table decorations for a wedding, and I have been buying new stock ever since. Now, with just 6 weeks to go until delivery, the china is stacking up – and I have run out of storage space!

This has been a wonderful opportunity for me – I have totally indulged my passion for shopping for vintage crockery, and I have built up a stock of beautiful, gorgeous and stunning cups and saucers, which I can offer for hire again and again... if I don’t decide to keep a few pieces for myself...

My budget has allowed me to step up a gear and source more desirable items, and focus my interest on the types and styles of crockery that I would like to specialise in. My area of particular interest is in the supply of ENGLISH fine bone china – true vintage pieces, delicate, high quality, dainty, pretty and very lovely – because, sorry if I am going to offend anyone, but historically us Brits do make the best bone china!

My next venture, once the wedding is over, is to assemble a couple of Shabby Chic Vintage Tea Sets – two sets of 4 or 6 cups, saucers and plates, a milk jug, sugar bowl and – of course – a tea pot. They will be totally unique sets; 15 or 21 individual pieces of best quality, gorgeous crockery, every piece different, no two items the same – but toning and matching simply because of their chic-ness and beauty. I just know that they will be highly desirable – and I hope they will fly off the shelves like hot cakes...
Be here to be among the first to know when these are assemble and ready to sell.
(here's a taster...)

If you are interested in hiring or buying my gorgeous          
vintage crockery – or vintage tea cup candles, please
either visit my website, or contact me at
anna@bohochic-boutique.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you...

Car Booty....


Sorry BBC, for stealing your programme title, but it really is a good one, and very, very true.

A morning at the car boot sale will indulge your shopping addiction, pander to your love of bargains (who doesn’t love a bargain!), exercises your inner haggler, and soothes your recycling whimsy... Hmmm, satisfaction on all levels!
To begin with you have the anticipation of arriving and seeing firstly, how many stalls have pitched up, and then secondly, how many fellow punters are going to join you for a rummage. Then the real fun begins... I always have a fair idea of what I want, in general terms, but it is always nice to find a few surprises too. For example, on my latest jaunt I was after vintage crockery, picture frames and anything else I could salvage, restore or up-cycle... but by keeping an open mind I also came across a fabulous box of antique looking glass mineral bottles (not sure whether to restore and sell, or keep for myself!) and a wonderful 1930’s Household Encyclopedia – full of all sorts or fantastic information, and in itself a great slice of recent social history.
My tip is not to stop and linger at every stall – you will be there forever, and you will probably find many “useful” things at bargain prices that will just add to the general clutter that you probably already have at home. Instead you need to perfect the art of “skimming” – that is, walking very slowly a small distance from each pitch, casting your eyes over all the goods on display – and if you are focussed on the kind of things you are looking for, they will jump out at you, and you won’t be distracted by all the other, er, rubbish....

Once you spy something of interest then you can approach closer – pause, spend a second or two sizing up the item before handling it, and mentally deciding how much you want to pay. Ask what they want for it – if it is below your secret valuation, then I say go for it – and if it is more than you want to pay you can counter with a lower offer – but don’t insult the vendor! Not every item for sale will be an absolute bargain, and be prepared to walk away without it – if you’re loathe to do this, then your initial thought on what to pay might have either been too optimistic, or else just way off.
Settle quickly, and move on to your next target – and always have a stock of empty carrier bags with you – it would be a shame to miss out on something just because you can’t juggle all your purchases back to the car! You will be amazed by just how much you can come away with for not very much at all – remember, most people are selling their stuff there just because they want rid of it and hope to make a few pennies rather than simply sending it to the tip.
To give you some kind of an idea, at my last sale I spent an almighty £10.10 and managed to get my hands on:

7 antique glass bottles
2 wooden framed mirrors
An original 1930’s Household Encyclopedia
An autobiographical novel in a series that I am collecting
A small wooden display case
240 glass beads I can use for a mosaic

Not bad, eh???

Where are you going this weekend??