Saw this and thought of you x

To catch a husband is an art; to hold him is a job.
Simone de Beauvoir

Today

Someone said something to me today that I really never expected them to say. It threw me straight away, took my breath away and made eveything seem different. I don't know why it shocked me so much but I have to say it has truly surprised the skin off me. Sometimes you think you have the measure of a man and then they say something that makes everything go topsy turvy, your head goes dizzy and you lose all power of rational thought. The blood rushes fom your head to your heart and you forget yourself for that moment. The certain thing said would have seemed very insignificant to anyone else but not to me.

Preaching to the Converted

Glorifying the ’50s Housewife & The Rise of Cath Kidston

By Cate Sevilla

Whether or not Cath Kidston’s florals and polka dots make you want to vom or squee with joy, there’s no denying Kidston’s success in the recession, and as a business woman in general.
The Guardian have a lovely little feature on Kidston, describing how after being diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Kidston quit the interior design business and started up what we know now as Cath Kidston Inc.
Her rose bud ironing boards and baby blue tea cosies have seen her sales increase from last year's £19.2m to £31.3m, and while entire chains like Woolworths are closing down, Kidston is still opening stores.
So what is Kidston doing right, that everyone else is doing wrong?
Apparently it’s a combination of nostalgia and the fact that since millions of people can’t exactly sell their homes, they’re trying to make the best of their domains. And what better way to do that than throw up some polka dot bunting and dress yourself in a floral house coat, I mean frock.
But mixed in with the nostalgia and the reality of being stuck in your too small flat that just won’t sell...there’s something else.
Zoe Wood explains that Kidston’s popularity also stems from the fad of women embracing the image of the '50s housewife:

“...celebrating baking, afternoon tea and knitting, have become addictive for a generation of women whose busy working and home lives have led them to idealise rather than practise domesticity. “

Between all of us at BitchBuzz, we’re obviously not adverse to baking, knitting and do tend to love us some Kidston . However, you have to wonder where all this came from. Why are women loving this stuff again? Or did it ever go away?
I suppose a lot of it is just liking what you want to like.
We’re not afraid of liking things that aren’t “feminist enough”. In some cases,  a lot of strong, independent women loving corsets and all things domestic is a raised middle finger in the direction of the 2nd wavers.
“See? I can be a feminist and bake a casserole for my boyfriend at the same time!”
But with all those "vintage” dresses, £10 pearls, love of cupcakes and tea and the illusion that we all only care about nomming on baked goods and looking retro-tastic and pretty...it get’s pretty confusing.
Is it silly and frivolous or ironic? Is it genuine or just a simple passing fad?
Even I’m confused by it.
While I do drool over a lot of bits and bobs I see in Cath Kidston’s shops – I suppose the way I feel about Kidston is similar to the way I feel about fairy cakes and girly cocktails.
Individually, I like it. Different pieces, whether it be a Kidston polka dot wallet or 1920s tea party in Covent Garden, it’s fun. But when I look at Kidston’s collections as a whole, my eyes bleed a little. Just as this subsequent movement of faux nostalgic “let’s bake and drink tea and go vintage shopping and then bake some more” makes my brain haemorrhage.
When it’s all mashed together, it just doesn’t seem authentic and/or tolerable.
I’m not saying that people who like to knit or crochet and bake and enjoy their afternoon tea in a  Kidston tea cup aren’t genuine.
 What I am saying, is that mixed all together, it’s a bit overkill, isn’t it?
Everything in moderation...
Just as Albert Wolsky advised that when it comes to '50s fashion that: “One should not overdo it.  It's very easy to slide into total costume." The same should be said of our apparent love of florals, nostalgia, and glorification of the ‘50s housewife.
I suppose I’m just more of Coco’s “simple elegance” school of thought. I believe that too much of a good thing makes you sick. I like to save my Vivienne of Holloway dress for special occasions and my cupcake baking for when I’m going to a dinner party.
Otherwise, I’d just feel like a try-too-hard Stepford Wife, high on icing sugar, and low on noughties realism.

POSTED IN: LIFE

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:24 (GMT+00

Read more: http://life.bitchbuzz.com/glorifying-the-50-housewife-the-rise-of-cath.html#ixzz1sgLaL5vH

Goosebumps

Goose bumps on a person's body

Goose bumps, also called goose flesh, goose pimples, chill bumps, chicken skin, funky spots, Dasler Bumps, chicken bumps, people bumps, or the medical term cutis anserina, are the bumps on a person's skin at the base of body hairs which may involuntarily develop when a person is cold or experiences strong emotions such as fear, nostalgia, pleasure, awe, admiration and sexual arousal.^[1]

I get a kick out of you...

When you have a shop you inevitably get regular customers... Now this can be annoying but also it can be comforting. When you manage a charity shop you get a very ecclectic range of customers. This week I've had some very strage experiences that have really affected me. On Tuesday it was my first day back at work after a lovely little break from work and I was feeling fragile... So I put my Ella Fitgerald cd on and submerged myself into a large black coffee and my misery (standard Tuesday). Then this lovely lady comes in for a browse and to escape the horrid rain that was soaking everyone in Sheffield. She started lightly humming along to the music and then came over to the counter and proceeded to tell me about her husband passing away late last year after 52 years of marriage. Ella Fitgerald was his favourite singer and she said it gave her so much comfort to hear it now. She said initially the memories attached to it hurt too much but now she could hear him telling her to enjoy the music and think of him. I made us both a cup of tea because we were both on the verge of tears and then settled down and just had a natter. When she left all I could think about was how much she had treasured those 52 years and she said they had both been married before and they said there life started all over again when they found each other. It was all too romantic and full of love and hope that I couldn't not share it x

Race for Life

Well I'm all entered for the Race for Life on the 17th June. I'm doing the 5k but wish there was a 10k so I could really push myself. I am starting training propely next week. I will am going to carry on running 3 times a week for the first 2 weeks then up it to 4. I need to start accurately measuring my distance but I nomally do 3 miles when I'm limited to how much time I have. As from next Monday I am going to stop drinking during the week (except for special circumstances, which incidentally, doesn't include a bad day at work. 2 days a week I am going to run before work and 2 days I will run after. I'm also going to get my once a week swim in somewhere fom then. I love swimming so much and just want to get back into the routine of going, have a lovely vintage swimsuit to wear that is actually far more practical than any modern bathing suit I've ever seen. All of this, along with work and my lovely market stall will keep me super busy and distracted from all affairs of the heart and hard times in the life of me! Excellent news I'm sure you will agree. My reason's for running are the normal run of the mill but important to me, reasons. Out of respect and love for my grandparents and also because of my cancer scare. I will post the link for sponsorship so please sponsor me if you can xx

Tracey Thorn

The best place to be in love is in a movie

Romance.... the lost art x

Onwards and upwards

I must take charge of things and make better, well thought out choices. At the moment my head is all over the place and I may not be thinking my decisions through carefully enough. I act impulsively and sometimes running away from things seem the best course of action but life never really alters as dramatically as I expect it too. People let you down (fact) and hurt you (superfact) and often it feels that escaping them and all that surrounds you will give you the best protection. Maybe it does in the short term but long term those deep seated feelings, problems and issues will still be there. Traditionally I run to the hills the minute things don't go the way I want or expect them to. I feel like doing that right now, this very minute but I have anchors that are stopping me. This is the first time in my life that I have stopped and considered my actions, considered the impact of me running away on others. I would love a crystal ball so I would know if the promises made to me were true, if things really are going to get better!

Well hello there

Good Morning! I've been a bit busy recently so not been able to get on here as much. Market times have been really good recently, the good weather helps, plus an influx of wonderful linens and vintgae fabrics has given The Vintage Cause a good boost in sales. The regular pitch helps of course, a godsend! I'm super looking foward to my break away next weekend, the thrill of not having to get up at 6:20 6 mornings a week is the most wonderful part.

So i've been doing some research into the vintage underwear recently. When explaining to customers why I never get larger sized clothes in I have to explain that this is partly due to the change in womens shapes over the years, waists aren't always as nipped in as they used to be. The biggest impact though is the underwear we where. I try to wear vintage bra's or vintage inspired underwear as much as possible because it gives a smoother shape under garments and is more flattering to my squidgy body. It isn't always easy to find the right cup size though, D or DD, but there are some wonderful vintage inspired ranges that cater for bigger boobs, What Katie Did, Stockings and Romance to name a couple.

Here are some pics of my fave things!