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Christmas Style #2

23 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by lotales in Show & Tell

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Tags

50's, Christmas, Christmas Decor, Christmas Style, diy christmas, Festive style, home decor, kitsch, retro, style blog, vintage christmas

For today’s Christmas style post I’d like to introduce my beautiful friend Mrs Anna Zizzou…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016 Theme:

I think you could sum up our festive home decor as ’50s kitschmas!’

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Describe your festive style?

A white vintage tree with original 50s pastel and bright baubles mixed with a few modern kitsch ones. Most of the old ones have come from charity shops and car-boot sales. (*Buying out of season is a great tip for getting vintage ones super cheap)
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Favourite decoration & why?

Every year I fall back in love with with my decorations and unwrapping each one fills me with so much happiness.
I love all of my baubles especially all together (even off the tree) so would be hard pushed to pick a favourite although I really love the collection of colourful 50s snowy trees that belonged to my grandparents! I love to think how many trees most of the baubles have adorned before and how many presents they’ve seen unwrapped.

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When does your tree go up?

The past few years our tree has gone up on the 1st of the December. My brothers birthday is on December 17th so growing up we always put our tree up after that so his birthday still felt like his birthday rather than Christmas.

Instead we used to drive around in the evenings looking at other peoples trees and decorations to feel festive and I always knew that as an adult I would want to put my tree up in the beginning of December for others to come and marvel at.

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Do you DIY anything?

This year I made some bauble wreaths for the first time using a mixture of old and modern baubles bought from our local charity shop.

I really enjoyed making them and working out the perfect composition. They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love them!

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Anything else you want to share?

My most treasured and delicate baubles always live at the top of the tree, where as the stronger or newer kitsch ones hang lower down to try and survive another year in the hands (paws) of the cats.

I also had to share Anna’s amazing wrapping paper skills this year… would you just look at them?!? She got black paper and drew on decorations in pink, green and white! They looked just stunning under her retro white tree!

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So there you go, another day, another stunning festive style! I don’t know about you but I am loving this series and wish I’d started it early… I think I’ll definitely be doing a follow up series next year!!! I’m just about to draft tomorrow’s post which will be a tropical explosion…. I can’t wait!

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The Collective at The Southcoast Emporium

19 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by lotales in Shopping, Southsea

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Tags

portsmouth, retro, southsea, The Collective, The Southcoast Emporium, The Southsea Abode, Vintagem Shopping

The Southcoast Emporium is Southsea’s newest shop, their unique space has over 20 independent traders selling from micro shops all under the one roof and has just opened a cafe and a hair salon in store! The Southsea Abode Hair salon is run my our lovely housemate Edward Chase so I definitely recommend you visit and book in!!!

The vast majority of the shop is made up of small booths and area managed by small independent sellers and businesses. We (a few friends and I) recently joined Edward to share a small space where we sell a collection of hand picked vintage, retro and second hand items under the name of ‘The Collective’. (check out the top 3 pics for our booth!)

If you’re in Southsea I recommend you drop in and take a look there, It’s a huge space and a big ol’ shoppring experience! Whilst everything in there isn’t my cup of tea, there so much to choose from the there will 100% be something there that you adore!!

(I can also vouch that everything in ‘The Collective’ is awesome!!!! you can even pick up some Mia Mai prints!!)

Here’s some (slightly blurry phone) pics for you….

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Dinner Parties

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by lotales in Eat | Recipes, Show & Tell

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Tags

dinner, dinner parties, dinner party, food, friends, growing up, retro

In our new place we have a dining room and I am loving hosting dinner parties….

We also got invited round to a friends new place where she has just moved in with her finance and their place is just so sweet! I adore it! I have told Anna that I will do a blog post on her house soon!! I missed out on the last place, but it’s even better this time round! keep your eyes peeled!!

Maybe it’s something to do with growing up a bit, but i am really enjoying doing this and much prefer it to my old weekend shenanigans!!

So I thought i’d share with you a couple of pics I snapped along the way (in true blogger stylie)

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These were from our first ever dinner party, my very dear friends Becca and Marc are over from Australia at the mo and its been lovely doing things together again (I miss this girl) and also my other amazing friend Chloe and Steve and their beautiful daughter joined us for 2 huge vegetable lasagnes and a lot of wine!!

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Then we visited Anna & Rudys new place where Anna cooked an amazing meal of crunchy aubergines, stuffed tomatoes, salads, dahl, bread etc etc… It was divine!!! (I’m gonna have to get me thinking cap on now for something amazing for them)

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These last ones are from last week when my friend Kate visited for a catch up and to see the new place… I cooked cous cous with fruit, nuts & basil, baked fish with sundried pesto, cherry toms, garlic and more basil and served it with a mixed green salad and roasted vegetables… I rarely have fish as Maxwell won’t eat it so this was a real treat!!

I can’t wait for my next dinner party now!!

Photo-a-day Diary 22/52

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by lotales in Photo-a-day Diary

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Tags

2013, 2013 in photos, bandstand, boat bar, boat building, dinner parties, photo-a-day, photo-a-day diary, retro, summer

as promised…

22/52

May 2727/05 – a bit of a Castle Road Street Party

May 2828/05 – my boy, he builds boats

May 2929/05 – went round to our friends, Anna & Rudy’s new place and Anna has the most wonderful boat bar you ever did see! Swoon.

May 3030/05 – am loving being able to do dinner parties now

May 3131/05 – Lunch date with Mamma Lo ❤

June 101/06 – wow June…. how did that happen?! Garden hangs with these beautiful ladies

June 202/06 – First bandstand of the summer and it was a busy one!

Now lay me down where I sleep….

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by lotales in Things I like

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

bed, bedroom, bedrooms, bohemian, bohiemian, craft, cushions, design, eclectic, gypsy design, home, homewares, interior, interior design, iron beds, quilts, retro, rustic design, shabby chic, Soft Furnisings, vintage, Vintage bedroom, vintage design

I have been fantasising recently, of glorious bedrooms, and boy-oh-boy…. I’ve got a bit of bedroom envy going on!!!

As you know, my day dreaming “…One day….” results in my Pinterest account, specifically my ‘Home Is where the heart is’ Board (which fyi you can find all the original images and their sources)

Wanna see what I’ve been lusting after?!? Prepared to be jealous?? (ps, advance warning…. this post is a bit image heavy!)

void[0]-1 13932693069 kantha-quilt-smoke-on-the-water search-1 faves-94181585@N00 7721799656 ,une-maison-londonienne-faite-de-bric-et-de-broc,200260,461247 void[0] 13833514515 blog likes-3 17253919 4691480756 likes-2 search 22723950188 http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-bedding/25918665.jsp 6329276530 c07a9ee998f215850799a226884d21bd likes-1 Colorful BeddingAmazing right?! doesnt it make you just want to redesign you entire bedroom?!?!!?

What about you? any rooms you lust after? I’d love to hear your opinions!

Art of the Week

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by lotales in Art of the Week

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Tags

art of the week, fabric, feathers, Martha Negley, patchwork, quilt, retro, vintage

First AOTW for 2013…

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Isn’t it beautiful… the colours and patterns.. so simple. perfect!!

And a lovely twist… it’s actually fabric!!! wouldn’t this make a to-die-for quilt?!

you can buy it here and the print is called “Farmington” by a Kansas City based designer called Martha Negley.

She has a website, but there’s not alot on it… i dont think…

Shame… I still love this though… It has a wonderful retro feel to it with the colours she’s used.

Now… I’m off to go and lust over some fabric… as you do…

 

Art of the Week 3

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by lotales in Art of the Week

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

art, art of the week, illustration, kissing, man in the moon, retro, subtle, vintage, vintage art

I’m back again, and I love that this is proving to be a popular type of post. Thank you for all the likes, please feel free to comment too, I would love to know your thoughts also!

This week I’m going all vintage on you…. unfortunately this is another unknown source. I found it on this Tumblr blog but don’t know who the original artist is.

I’m guessing its an old print, but thats just a guess,  but I honestly couldnt care as I adore it. I dont know what it is that I like so much,their expressions or the fact it reminds me of old fairytales and vintage advertising, but lets be honest, what’s not to love in a picture of a pretty girl kissing the man in the moon!

I hope you like too!

Lotales

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Welcome

Ami Lowman is a maker, blogger & owner of the creative brand Mia Mai who lives with her fiancé in the seaside town of Southsea, Uk.

Ami is currently planning the wedding of their dreams, loves all things vintage, takes too many photos and has a thing for the old, weird and forgotten.

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