December

   I am in sunny California for Christmas. Before I left drizzly England I took some photos of Beatniks' Christmas window,and some snaps out and about walking round my 'hood ( sorry, the local lingo is catching on )

The last leaf left

Katy waiting

As the crow flies

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas

and a

Happy

New

Year

Air of December

December.  Already.  The shop is busy.  Although the air is still mild we have been selling lots of woolly jumpers and fur coats and jackets ( fake fur of course ).  We also have a fine selection of jewellery.  I'll show you a very small glimpse... ( a small glimpse mainly because I haven't got around to taking many photos).

That would probably be a nice photo if goldie the dog brooch didn't have a price tag sticking out of its arse (how did I not see that?)

Perfect gifts!

When I was closing up the shop earlier I caught sight of the darkening sky, and the trees opposite looking all of a sudden bare leaved and beautiful.  I had to take a snap....

A perfect view.

Happy

shopping!

Autumn Shade

It is Autumn already, well at the time of posting Autumn is already on it's last golden gasp.  I have been so busy with Halloween that this season of all seasons almost passed me by.  Luckily I made it out to some beautiful woods the other day and the sun joined in as well.  I had one of those moments of just being absolutely thankful for my life.

I like those moments.

Katy seemed to be having a nice time too, although this is her getting a bit bored with me taking ten minutes to photo some leaves.

And now for something completely different....

Halloween!

I know.  A bit late.  I'm not being very together with posting the latest shop going ons.  I'm not sure why, but better late than never.

Our Halloween window display was Hitchcock inspired.

We also had the wolf bride and usual Halloween suspects

The best thing that happened, apart from being lovely and busy, ( thank you Beatnik customers ), Elle came and helped us sell some Halloween goodies....

Thank you Elle, you were the best Halloween sales girl ever!

Some more Autumn loveliness

Outside Beatnik

Outside my house.

Happy

Autumn

Golden 

Days.

Blue Light

I've just come back from Iceland.  I fell in love with it a little.

It was something to do with the roads long and empty, the sky massive and ever changing.

I loved hiking high into the hills in the freezing air and finding a hot hot stream to bathe in.

A bit hilarious and chilly getting changed though, but so worth it.

This was a tad too cold for a quick dip.

Luckily for me I have the perfect excuse to visit again.  Son Louie has been signed by a basketball club near to Reykjavik, so he's there for the season.

A useful guide to tying a tie on the side of a shop in Reykjavik. 

An idea for some graffiti art on the outside wall of Beatnik perhaps?

It is far too busy to do anything about that at the moment.  Halloween is almost here so we are turning Beatnik into the perfect costume shop for all your ghoulish and non ghoulish needs.  I'm very excited to make a start on our Halloween window, photos to follow hopefully ( As long as it turns out ok )

Enough shop

More Iceland

Watch this

Good luck Louie

x

Lost In France

September, where did you go? It was one of those months when everything went a bit hectic, nice hectic, but you know, sort of busy. I went to France for a few days.  The sun shone and the days were long and lazy.  I found time to mooch around a couple of antique fairs and bought a few things for Beatnik.  My French is pretty much non existent but it's surprising what you can recall when you need to haggle a bargain.


The light was soft and golden, I hassled Elle ( my sons girlfriend) into modelling some of the clothes I bought.

Check flannel shirt

Eighties fluffy jumper ( eighties fluffy car )

Seventies Liberty print dress

Sixties wool dress with embroidered skirt

Autumn cardigan

Eighties jumper

 Autumn sunset

I'm back home now in the swing of things.  The kids are gathering conkers from the chestnut trees in the park by Beatnik.  The jumpers and coats are on the rails.  

Welcome Autumn.  

Merci Elle

x

Colour My World

September is here.  Summer is closing her emerald door until next year.  I wish she wasn't.  I'm still enjoying the gauzy skys and light filled evenings.  I like wearing tee shirts and taking Katy for long lazy woodland walks.  


We are busy stocking the rails with jumpers and coats at Beatnik, which is always a sure sign that Autumn is knocking at our door. (Go away Autumn I'm not here)


One last look back at my very colourful August.  In fact it's almost all the colours of the rainbow.

There goes Summer.

There is a photo of some plum jam I made, my first ever jam making adventure.  I got the recipe from here

It is the most delicious jam I have ever tasted

Even though I do say so myself

Girls On Film

Exciting things have been happening at Beatnik.  A television film crew dropped by to film some stuff for a certain reality tv show that we are not allowed to mention just yet ( it's about eating).... I know, not really that much relevance to vintage clothing, but what the hell, we'll take any publicity that we can lay our hands on.

Star of the show ( nice bag ) 

The photos I took were not that exciting.  Just cameras and fluffy microphones. Wish I could say more, but mums the word for now.

Exciting happening numero 2

Sometimes a lovely little find happens

Some Biba playing cards 

And a lovely beaded purse.

Exciting-ish happening numero 3

   

I entered a photo competition with this view I took on the way into the shop.

I didn't win

I entered this one too ( a detail from the church opposite my house)

I didn't win with that either

Never mind.  Life can't be exciting all the time, that would just become, well, a bit boring really.