Getting to the Bell Bottom of it: The Vintage Vix Interview

In the riverside town that I call home, I've walked past a Victorian graveyard several times and thought how utterly exquisite it looked. Aside the fencing, how beautiful are these structures?! I had the kids and dog in tow so my timer photography had some hilarious results whilst trying to take an 'outfit shot' for the blog. I don't know why I try to do a "model" face or pose, as I end up looking startled or constipated, my favourite photos are always the natural ones. My entire outfit in these shots is second hand (other than my pants and socks)! The suede waistcoat is vintage 1970s from Vinted (£15 which is an bargain for these heirlooms), the shoes are Clarks artisan from eBay, the flares are Oasis £5 from Scope charity shop and the crocheted jumper is also from a charity shop (I forget how much and where because I've had it YEARS). 

I'm not comfortable showing my kids online (just because they haven't given me consent to share photos yet), but I couldn't resist this little cameo of my eldest. I walk that tightrope between being fiercely private of my kids and in equal measure feel fiercely proud of them and want to show them off to the world. Parenting is not easy to navigate in the digital world. 

A graveyard may not seem the most obvious place to take your kids for a walk (and there were a few moments where I had to scoop up a toddler from nearly walking over someone's grave - not ideal), but there were so many amazing things to spot. My eldest loved looking for the gargoyles on the building and we had a peek through the windows to see a really cool alter. 

What is it about Victorian churches, I just love how gothic they look, I'm instantly transported to the world of Bram Stoker or Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. 

I always want to strive for honesty on le blog, especially as I'm going for a 'curated journal' obviously I'm going to keep some aspects of my life private, but I also don't need this space to be a highlight reel. Life is about the curves and the juts in the road. I am in the THICK of parenting, in the THICK of my relationship, the THICK of living. I'm here for it all. 

This week has been a vast improvement on last where an entire ill household really took its toll on my mental wellbeing. Someone said recently that the days are long with kids but the weeks go fast and I couldn't agree more. You get whiplash over a twenty four hour period swerving from feeling utterly hopeless and like you're losing your sh*t to over the moon, giddy happy when you witness your kids do something sweet, or you have a moment. It's a myriad of emotions (sometimes all at once), but I feel so utterly grateful for it all. 

On this tangent of honesty I've got to say thrifting is hard these days. Twenty years ago you could go into any charity shop and pick up a bargain or even find a vintage treasure. Perhaps its inflation, perhaps its my southern postcode, but I'm finding it increasingly hard to find bargains, or even good quality stuff at a reasonable price. It still narks me that you'll find Primark stuff priced higher than it was in the original store!

That being said I attempted a chazza shop with my infinitely cool and drop dead gorgeous mate Adelle. She's an artist, looks good with literally any hair colour, lives on a narrowboat and travels the world with her dogs and her husband's band Tankus. She's also one of the original Land Locked Surfer girls (a Facebook group I started over ten years ago), and has been on numerous surf trips with me, everywhere from Norway to Saltburn!  

I must have annoyed the crap out of her keep asking if I could take her picture, look at her gorgeous gothic outfit! 

You can't see her tights but she'd got these amazing moon and star snag tights on, Adelle won't mind me saying she thrifted her dress - what a find I'm so jealous! 

With just the littlest baby in tow, we went to the Pablo Lounge in Abingdon and had mushroom pasta (her) and falafel ciabatta (me) to eat. 

I love a candid shot of my mates, although I forced her to have her photo taken (she's not a narcissist like me), I always adore the ones where I catch them between shots. The decor at Pablo Lounge is to die for, I love how they mix vintage paintings and wallpaper with an industrial aesthetic. The food was reasonable at £8ish for each meal and utterly delicious. 

We caught up about the mutual goings on in our households(boat) and the weird coincidence that we've both become utterly obsessed with Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid. Having studied the book in English A Level, I love the TV adaption and think Elizabeth Moss is doing a stellar job as June Osbourne. 

Well my lovelies, I'm heading to Birmingham to whisk my sister off on a birthday adventure (with baby in tow), so before that I need to spend some quality time with my toddler, we're having a mommy daughter coffee date (me not her - good lord nobody needs a toddler on caffeine)!  

See you soon! 

Love Soph 

x