Royal Wedding Firts Kiss - Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

The marriage of Kate and William has officially been captured for the ages.

After a whirlwind of canid shots captured the royal nuptials, now we're getting a first look at the bride and groom's official first kiss. This is art print is drawn by hand with a calligraphy feather and Indian ink then digitally enchanced.

Handmade print by Juri Romanov-OrangeOptimist

The first Royal kiss. Royal Wedding 29.04.2011.Limited edition 11"x14" Handmade print by Juri Romanov-OrangeOptimist

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A Royal Week

The week started with my Pa's 65th birthday on the Bank Holiday Monday, and what better way to celebrate than a Royal-Inspired day out to Windsor? I was wearing the Nautical Nancy Halter Dress as it was a glorious day. We had a lesuirely lunch by the river at the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel.

St George's Chapel is truly breathtaking both architecturally and historically. It is the resting place of  many Royals including Henry VIII, Charles I and the Queen Mother, and more recently saw the marriage blessing of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles.

Having long been interested in Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) - the long suffering, but devoted, wife of Edward VII - it was very special to visit the place of their wedding in 1863 and see their final resting place, marked by a suitably imposing tombstone.


The wedding of Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra 1863



The State Apartments are home to notable paintings from the Royal Collection, including works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Tintoretto and Cannaletto, not to mention Royal portraits such as the famous work of George IV by Sir Thomas Lawrence. There is also an interesting exhibition in the Drawings Gallery currently, celebrating Prince Philip's forthcoming 90th Birthday on 10th June 2011.

I last visited Queen Mary's Dolls House aged 8, wearing a pink tweed coat, white ankle socks and brown Startrite Mary Janes! I was probably even more in awe now that I can fully appreciate the incredible detailing. The Queen's bed chamber splendidly recreated in gilded miniature, and the long table in the Dining Room set with fine table linen and china! 

Very excited to watch the Royal Wedding yesterday I set my alarm clock at 9am so as not to miss anything! Lovely to see Catherine went for a similiar style to Grace Kelly's wedding dress. After watching the Royal Wedding from the comfort of my armchair I was excited to attend Old Amersham Street Party.

Luckily the sun came out, and it was wonderful to celebrate a very special day with tons of community spirit and catch up with lots of people I hadn't seen for a while.

Tug of War

Wearing the 'Captain' dress by Bettie Page Clothing.

The Mayor

The friendly Mayor seemed to be enjoying himself! However you spent your day, whether in  your own town, a pub, at home or in a park, I hope you all had a splendid time embracing good old fashioned patriotism!  

mini break...

I have a brand new job that started this week & 2 visitors this weekend - so I am taking a mini weekend blog break. 

I'll try & be back on Monday with last weeks favorites. 

Till next time...

Have a lovely weekend. 

xo, 

Brittany

Custom Sticker Graphic Design Round Labels

Custom made round sticker design 1.5 x 1.5 inches, 300 dots per inch . Custom orders are always welcome, just contact me what size and shape you'd need for your sticker. My email is photosprint.etsy [at] gmail.com

How to order a Custom Sticker Design:

-Click on the link to my online shop here
-Check out this listing & purchase it via Paypal
-Into the block "message to seller", please write your ideas and requests about the sticker design
-Include your Shop Name
-Select a Font from this site http://www.dafont.com/ and send me its name.
- Email where to send the banner and avatar

Delivery Time:
-I will send you the 3 versions of the sticker in 1-5 business days.
-Your sticker design will be delivered to you via email as a .jpg and .pdf
attachment.

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Custom made round label design

All the images from this listing are part of my portfolio. Please have a look
to see the work I have done for other Etsy shop owners. My designs are
original, you will receive a one of a kind sticker design that is designed personally
for your shop.

Frakes gets her Frock on

Her twitter name is Bunny Bisous, her first blog was called Julia Lapin (lapin means bunny in French), her current blog is called Yes! A Bunny Stream of Conch, and its logo depicts two bunnies touching each other's noses, yet Julia Frakes' favorite animal is not a rabbit. In fact she names many different animals - horses, moose, goats, pheasant, cats, dogs, pigs; in that order - except rabbits. "It's just an old nickname from around the time when I worked very closely with Paper Magazine, prior to starting a personal website in 2008," she thinks back. And I guess it stuck. Appropriately so. Because 21-year old Julia Frakes is a tiny little mouse with a tiny little voice which no moose or pig could possibly relate to.

For our vintage outing Julia and I visited Frock, an expensive-looking, beautifully curated vintage store on Elizabeth Street. It must have been one of the coldest days of the year. Snow was still piled up in smutty-dirty, icy globs on the sidewalks and the temperatures had reached alarming depths. But we braved it all like champs because much like me, Julia Frakes adores vintage. "I am a history major and politics buff, so perusing antiques and vintage wares is definitely the most rewarding and thrilling of shopping experiences in my book," she tells me. On the - though rare - occasion that she shops, Julia gravitates towards the elegance of the 1940s or the aura manifested by Vogue UK during the 1970s - "that distinctive mishmash of woolens and plaids, scholarly menswear paired with the era's delicate prairie aesthetic, as captured by such legends as Sarah Moon, Francesco Scavullo and Norman Parkinson". But her greatest source of inspiration is the 1982 Vogue edition of More Dash than Cash by Kate Hogg. "The high-and-low, bucolic-cum-urban manner of dressing as captured in Hogg's credo and the dreamy images contained therein have since had a sweeping impact on my whole fashion philosophy."

Late 70's Yves Saint Laurent rive gauche grey wool hooded cape 

w/braided trim & Late 80's Valentino red silk sleeveless dress

Galanos 70's black wool sleeveless dress with scalloped edges

Geoffrey Beene 70's floral print long sleeve cotton top

Sonia Rykiel 70's black/red knit cardigan

Art to Wear 80's earrings

When I ask Julia to describe her personal style she comes up with the most fascinating backdrop for her fashion education. Before she was a Fashion Writer (she writes for The Journal, Paper, Dossier and Vogue Nippon) and model (she is represented by Next 'Special Bookings'), she lived in Pennsylvania where her family ran apparel manufacturing factories. Growing up in this textile environment "certainly spurred a lifelong appreciation for all of the handiwork and fabrics behind domestically-produced garments, not to mention a deep-rooted respect for old-school Americana like Pendleton and Ralph Lauren," she recalls. But what's so much cooler is that she quotes Heidi, Switzerland's national treasure from the namesake book by Johanna Spyri, as the eccentric, spry optimism at the heart of her style. You might remember a very young Shirley Temple in the 1937 movie adaptation. "That sprightly spirit and exuberant attitude has surely become more polished while I have grown up,  but its distinctive ragamuffin cheerfulness—always with something a bit off," she elaborates, "—is definitely something that I still cherish to this day." So while Julia took hints from a children's tale to adopt her personal style, her massive knowledge of history and fashion literature have attributed to a grounded yet girlie sense of style, minus the bunny ears. 

80s Lanvin Floral Print Linen Dress & 80s Yves Saint Laurent Purple Wool Cape with Velvet Trim

& 70s Lanvin Leather Clutch

1940's alligator clamshell bag with root beer Bakelite closure

Early 70's Mollie Parnis black/brown silk chiffon tiger print caftan 

over black jersey tank maxi 80's Isabel Canovas dove grey suede

clutch with mink trim and braided rope shoulder strap

80's Geoffrey Beene emerald green long sleeve silk 

dress  & early 70's Courreges creme/dark green wool 

car coat. Navy & white polka dot tights by Chloe Sevigny

for Opening Ceremony and Fogal, black platform mary-

janes by Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony, socks by

Hansel from Basel (available at Jane Leslie & Co, Julia's

mom on-line gifts store) and Thierry Lasry, "Obsessy" 

sunglasses, all Julia's own.

Late 60's Pierre Cardin mint green wool dress

Early 90's Chanel "messenger" style briefcase bag

Miu Miu sunglasses

inspiration...

The 1970's are one of my favorite decades. The long hair, flowers, super huge shades, kick ass vans, fabulous music festivals & a feeling like you could change the world...




{sources}

xo, 

Brittany

Vintage Bazaar In Frome!

Ooh I have had a lovely day sorting out all my stock for the Vintage Bazaar, this Saturday 30th April in Frome - I went to look last time and it is a very beautiful fair, not just vintage fashion but antique and vintage homeware, mirrors, haberdashery and much more, here is a link to their website...http://thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com/ Here is another picture from the shoot...I love them all, this is a 1930s Kimono (Haori) in thick silk, a 1940s wide snakeskin belt and a crazy antique asian necklace on her head....
Lots going on this weekend, a funeral of an inspirational friend, Gill Hodder, tomorrow, she has been a vintage costume collector all her life I think, I have been buying from her since I was 14 years old....she will be missed for more than her vintage that is for sure. Then THE wedding on Friday, Frome Vintage Bazaar Saturday and Joey's birthday party on Saturday night...thank goodness its Bank Holiday again....XX Love Samaya

blogger feature... strawberry moth!

You might recall I blogged a bit ago about the lovely Strawberry Moth featuring me over on her blog (if you didn't peek at the feature, you can check it out here). 

Her blog is lovely so I am happy to have had the opportunity to dig into her brain & borrow some of her wonderful photos... 

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Tell me a little bit about yourself...

I am a northern girl turned southern gal curently living in Savannah, Georgia with my dashingly debonair fiancee and fuzzy hound doggy. I am a vintage lover and collector, managing one of the cities coolest vintage stores by day and working on my own vintage business dreams by night. I recently started my own company Time Traveling Empire, which brings one of a kind vintage clothing and accessories to the web world. My blog, Strawberry Moth shares personal stories from my vintage lifestyle, shop owner confessions and updates, and all around inspirations full of retro love. Overall I'm just a red headed girl with a vintage spirit!

Strawberry Moth, I love the name it is very unique - how did you come up with it?

I'm sure I got my obsession with collecting odd and unique things from my Nanna. When I was little I would go and visit her in the summers and spent every waking moment hovering around her hoards of vintage dresses, collections of old toys, and stacks of retro reading material. She used to call me her little moth because of my love for dusty dark places. I kept the nickname and threw on a dedication to my strawberry colored crop and the name Strawberry Moth was born.

How & when did you start falling for vintage?

I remember my very first vintage piece. A cream 1950s prom dress with an embroidered overlay. My mom and I found it at a rummage sale when I was 9. I adored that thing. I used to slip it on to do my chores, pretending I was Cinderella. Or wear it to a friends house for a tea party. I think at the time I didn't realize how special it was because it was vintage, the thing that was special was how it made me feel when I was wearing it. I have always been somewhat of an odd bird, so as I got older I started to develop my own sense of style. I have always trickled in vintage pieces here in there because that feeling when you put something with that much history on is unlike any other! When you wear vintage you can create a style uniquely your own, that's why I love it so much.

I see from several of your outfit shots that you are a hat lover, I love this because I too suffer from hat addiction, tell me about your favorite hat in your collection...

I love hats! Its a great way to skyrocket your look into style stardom! My favorite hat would have to be my 1940s tilt hat with navy velvet trim. I love the silouette it creates and have included it several time in my outfit posts.

In addition to your lovely blog, you also have a pretty killer vintage shop Time Traveling Empire...

Time Traveling Empire is my recent vintage fashion venture. I have been collecting and hoarding unique vintage pieces for over 5 years. As I began seeing the want for vintage grow and the love the fashion world was showing designs of the past, I wanted to be more than just a collector and share my pieces with other funky fashionistas like me. Time Traveling Empire is still a baby business, it went live only 4 months ago and I have been overwhelmed by the postive response I've recieved from the online community and other vintage lovers from all over the world! I can't wait to see what it grows into and my goal is to make the Empire bigger and better with each passing month. I have recieved so much support from friends, family, fashion bloggers, and stylish strangers...it has really been an amazing start!

I love love your sketches of your outfits, do you sketch or paint outside of  your blog?

I majored in costume design in college. I have always been a doodler but found a love for illustrating clothing and putting my love for fashion into my work. My main creations are mixed media collages. I use a lot of found objects, vintage textiles, and 50s advertisements in my pieces. I'm currently working on a collection to put into a local show at the end of the summer.

Anything else you would like to share?

The blogging world has opened up a connection to other vintage vixens and fellow fashionistas from all over the world. I have made some wonderful friendships and connections through blogging that I wouldn't have otherwise. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for both my blog and my shop, and I can't thank enough the other girls out there who also have a desire to express themselves through what they're wearing...you all are a true inspiration.

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Ain't she just lovely??

Don't forget to head on over to Strawberry Moth to check out her lovely blog, oh & you must look at her killer vintage shop here!

xo, 

Brittany

Free tickets to The London Vintage Fair

I just received a wonderful e-mail from Alberto Ricca, the Managing Director of P & A Antiques with free tickets for myself and friends to the London Vintage Fair and Vintage Bridal Fair on Sunday, May 8th in the Hammersmith Town Hall.
If you want a ticket, please e-mail me and I will send you the e-mail to print out and take with you.
I wish I could join you! Happy shopping!

my weekend in photos...

I had such a lovely time this weekend! My family came to visit from (parents from Ohio & sister from Boston) for Easter weekend & it was SO nice to see them! We did lots of shopping, dinners & spent Easter Sunday with my local family. My cousin & his wife recently has twins - so seeing them is always so much fun!

It's hard being so far away from my parents & my sister - but it makes it so much more fun to see them over the holidays!

Enjoy some snapshots of my weekend :)

How adorable are those little nuggets? A boy (Reed) & a girl (Emerson), too perfect!

Also, how adorable is my sister Brooke (see photo number one)? I am trying to make her move to Denver so we can live by each other again, I miss my little sister!

Hope you got to spend sometime with your family over the weekend :)

xo, 

Brittany

the rainbow wall, round 2...

If you have been following my blog for a while you might remember my outfit post with the rainbow wall. Well we were in Boulder over the weekend, & I just had to grab some photos of my lovely sister, Brooke, in front of this fabulous wall once more.

the details:

top: zara

skirt: ?

shades: betsy johnson

shoes: target

bag: vintage/thrifted

How lovely is my little sister? 

xo, 

Brittany