Le Petit Chat Noir Vintage Fair

The greeting-ladies set the tone for the event with
 their fabulous hair and make-up..

On Sunday, Cork saw it's only proper vintage fair arrive at the Flying Enterprise complete with victory rolls and bunting. I have several friends in the UK who craft and sell at vintage fairs and I wonder all the time why we don't have more of them here. It seems that (in Cork, at least) there is quite a strong interest in the vintage and classic.

Just inside the door I found Aoife from Potty But Posh. Aoife makes beautiful hats, as I learned at the wedding of a mutual friend in February. (I'd meandered over to the table she was sitting at because all the ladies had such  amazing headwear!)

Below are some examples of  Aoife's work. She also sells her hats and headpieces in  Miss Daisy Blue, in the English Market in Cork. Miss Daisy Blue is a vintage clothes shop and also had a stall set up at the fair.

Potty But Posh

Potty but Posh

A treasure-trove, as usual!

This was a stall by one of my favourite shops in Cork (also in the Market!) Peacock and Ruby had a selection of their fine vintage-style wears on display. I love this shop so much and always bring friends to stop in when they visit from outside of Cork.

The 'peacock' from Peacock and Ruby

A purchase! From 'The Gilded Rose'

One of my favourite stalls was this one called 'The Gilded Rose,' which was run by a very nice lady! We had a great chat about her crocheted flowers and I ended up buying the pale blue barrette you see above

Congratulations, Le Chat Noir! It was a lovely event - I hope we'll see more soon!

.

I thought these hairbands were
 very cure and great value for money!

A selection of hand-crocheted soft-furnishings by 'Flour'

This was unusual! Historical coins. 

These cakes were INCREDIBLE! I had a mint grasshopper mini
cupcake. Seriously - Swell, if you're reading: can I PLEASE have
the recipe?!

Note: This is how you set out an eye-catching table! These designs are by Silkscreen Sweetie. She wins bonus points from me for having bunting... :)

PRIORITIES

Dear Amy,

You need to sort out your priorities. What have you been spending your 'free' (non-teaching/event organising) time doing for the last, let's say, four months?

a) Cleaning and decorating a house you don't own.
b) Sewing baubles and soft furnishings.
c) Twitter.
d) Going from infection to 'flu to infection.
e) Being involved in a lame-ass T.V. show competition.
or
f) All of the above.

Oh, Amy. You idiot. You don't need to tell you what's missing here, but just in case you really are that dim, I'll spell it out for you.

M.U.S.I.C.

Yes. That thing you'd like to do as a career. That thing you're massively, overwhelmingly passionate about but unbelievably inferior in. Oh dear.

I feel rather strongly that you should get your backside in gear, get back to studying singing and piano and start writing again EVERY DAY. That malaise you've been feeling; that sort of weird gnawing in your stomach and tightness in your chest? That's all the unwritten songs in you, eating away at your soul, trying to get out. That uncomfortable feeling in your brain? Feels a LOT like a sinus infection? That's the Amy of the future calling to you and really super hating you for wasting so much time and not improving yourself.


Here's what I want you to stop doing:

1.i Spending money.

I'm not actually sure where you're going with this, but let me remind you that you're not very wealthy. That trip to Florida you insisted on taking (though I understand why) was incredibly expensive. You don't need to spend any more money. You're cool. It's cool.

1.ii. Neglecting the dog.

THE POOR DOG. The weather was FINE for the last two days, you neglectful asshole. She loves you. That poor dog just wants you to bring her out so she can smell things. This  refers back to number one. Do NOT join a gym - you can't afford it. The dog is your gym.

1.iii So much crafting.

This is a hobby. You enjoy it. You are not going to make any more from it. Maybe take a sabbatical from sewing after Christmas. Use the time to practice for another piano grade, or to get back into researching opera, or even brush up on your baroque counterpoint harmony theory! You do NOT need to spend money on any more fabric, thread, buttons or anything of that nature. Go to the Saturday morning knitting group. Improve your knitting in that weekly slot.

2. Cleaning the house.

Just pick, like, two days where you do one hour. Stop spending your life tidying and cleaning, it's moronic. If you were practicing or writing, you wouldn't make a mess anyway.


Write songs. Record them. Upload them. Play the piano. EASY.

Quite frustrated and definitely hacked off at you.


Amy~*~

Knitmas

MY KNITMAS PRESENT CAME!! Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?! The postman came at EARLY o'clock this morning - I swear I was transported back to being eight years old on Christmas morning. It was so exciting!!

Here is the artily arranged window photo.

A breakdown of the delights.

LOOK AT THESE HARRY POTTER-INSPIRED CHARMS! LOOK AT THE OWL!! They're Gryffindor colours!! In real life they look soooo pretty. I've been informed that they're stitch markers for circular knitting. (*n00b*) They came with a 'coffee candy.'

I'm saving these for the Christmas holidays and I'm not sharing. x

LOOK AT THIS COWL. LOOK AT IT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SEA WAS KNITTED INTO A WARM NECK ACCESSORY. I love this. I'm wearing it right now.

In the dark (it was early) I thought this was blue but it's actually a gorgeous shade of teal-blue. It's kind of sheeny like a peacock feather - I LOVE IT! I would never buy yarn this nice for myself! It's made of silk and merino. I'm going to have to do some serious research and thinking before I decide what to do with this!! 

THANK YOU, KNITMAS SANTA! x