WHAT PHINEY WORE: bosca beauty

WHAT PHINEY WORE: Bosca Dress c/o la coqueta // Vintage Cardigan / Ribbed Tights la coqueta // Desert Boots clarks (similar - the leather version appear to have sold out)

For many months now, I've received a lot of lovely emails and comments from you guys about the clothes Josephine wears. I'm not going to lie, dressing this girl is so much fun and searching for beautiful vintage, secondhand and unusual pieces for her is one of my absolute favourite pastimes.

It isn't always easy though. I find the majority of the shops on the high street stock small versions of (unappealing) adult styles, made poorly for a price that, in all honesty, I can't justify spending. And little girls (especially) dressed as adults is something that just doesn't sit well with me. I want traditional and classic pieces, in beautiful fabrics, prints and colours that I know I'm not going to see every other little girl wearing in the playground. 

So, with so many of you asking where I find these great pieces I thought I'd start a new regular series called What Phiney Wore, in which I'll reveal some of my favourite stores (which I may later regret!) as well as some of the tricks of shopping for kiddos that I've learnt along the way.

Today, Josephine is wearing one of the most beautiful dresses in her wardrobe; The Bosca Dress from La Coqueta. If you haven't heard of this store yet, I urge you to go check out their online shop, or if you're in Hampstead in London, to drop in the store. Launched by inspirational Mama of five Celia in 2012, the brand stocks the most beautiful clothes for babies, girls and boys all proudly made in Spain. All you need to know is I could happily dress Josephine in every piece the store has on offer, and I've bought her the most fantastic winter coat too, which I have no doubt will be popping up in a What Phiney Wore post soon. 

The Bosca Dress is beautifully made from a Liberty floral fabric, and I adore the little detailing of the lace trim on the lining inside and and the corduroy buttons on the front. 

While Josephine's boots are Clarks Originals, if her wide little feet could squeeze into them, I'd surely be buying a pair (or two) of the desert boots from La Coqueta. And maybe a pair of Mary Janes too. 

But it's not just the dresses and coats, shirts and shorts that La Coqueta have on offer. Celia has sourced the best collection of ribbed tights and long and short socks I've found, and Phiney has several pairs in her drawer. In beautiful colours, and of the highest quality, they are perfect for boys and girls alike. 

Of course, I can't finish an outfit without a piece of vintage, and this chunky knit I found in a charity shop just after Josephine was born is the perfect piece to keep her warm on a crisp autumnal day. 

REFLECTIONS

Later this week, on January 18th, we will be celebrating Josephine's first birthday. Celebrating the complete joy she has bought to our lives, celebrating the incredible little person she is now and is becoming, and celebrating our first year as three; our first year as parents.

No matter what people tell you, the advice you're given, nothing can prepare you for being a parent. The overwhelming love and happiness that fill your heart every second of every day; the changes such a tiny being can bring; the awesome highs and the exhausting lows.

This time last year we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our baby. We didn't know if it was a boy or girl growing in my belly (we thought boy!!) and we were going to bed each day wondering if tonight would be the night our baby would start its journey to be with us (baby was already 5 days late by this point). We had chosen the names, washed all the clothes, set up the baby's corner in our bedroom. Our plans had been made.

But not everything goes exactly to plan when you have a baby.

When I was pregnant I remember seeing Claire's post on the ten commandments she'd set herself when she was pregnant. Reading through them I realised that Ben and I had almost exactly the same ideas. I wondered how, on reflection in the months after our baby was born, we'd have done in obeying our own commandments. So here goes...

1. We will birth our baby naturally and calmly, together as three at home. PASSish. Josephine's birth was beautiful. The most wonderful experience. It was calm and natural, but sadly not at home. These babies of ours have their own plans when it comes to making their way into the world and so Phiney was born in hospital. You can read our full birth story here.
2. I will breastfeed our baby, absolutely without doubt. FAIL. Wow, that seems so harsh on myself given everything we went through. But it's the truth. In all honestly I'm not sure I'll get complete closure on the issue until we have another baby and (keeping all fingers and toes crossed) I breastfeed with success. I could write a whole post regarding my feelings about breastfeeding, one year on. Maybe I will. In the meantime, read the whole story here. I just re-read it and my heart broke a little. And then I read all your amazing, supportive comments and it mended a bit. You guys are just awesome.
3. We will use cloth nappies as much as possible. PASSish. At home we use them a lot, but the truth is, for us, disposables are just so much easier when you're out and about. And in the depths of winter, when it takes 3 days for nappies to dry, it's hard. But our plan was to use reuseables as much as possible and I believe we do that. Most of the time.
4. Vintage stores and the charity shop will be the main source of clothing and toys for our little one. PASS. With flying colours, I might add. Apart from gifts and the odd bargain sale piece, the only things that aren't vintage, secondhand or handmade in Josephine's wardrobe are basics. Tights, vests, t-shirts and leggings. Go me.
5. All food will be made with our own fair hands. PASSish. I would say 98% of the food Phiney eats is handmade. It is with great pride I write this, especially given that until around 5 months ago, I could barely boil an egg (Ben's the cook - and a bloody good one - in this house). Now I am the maker of most of her meals.
6. Baby will fit in with our routine, not the other way round. FAIL. Ha! This may have worked until Phiney was around 5 months old, but when we implemented a more structured nap and bedtime routine, it went completely out the window.
7. There will be no TV watching, especially children's channels. Instead we will read and play games. PASS/FAIL. In those first few months, when Josephine would feed then sleep, feed then sleep, I watched a lot of TV. Seriously, a lot. Thank goodness for Netflix. But as she started to play games and be more aware, I was pretty good at keeping the TV off. Today, I'd say the TV is mostly off but sometimes, when we've had a bad night, early morning or a grumpy baby I need a bit of adult company in the day. And Jamie's 15/30 Minute Meals is pure research ;)
8. We will go for a walk at least once a day. PASS. We love our walks. To the park, along the canal, to the shops. Everyday, at least once. It is always a joy to walk and talk to our little bird.
9. We will not clear shelves or move fragile pieces from easily accessible places. PASS. Sure there are days, when I've said 'no' a thousand times, that it is tempting to move picture frames and ceramic pots and cds and game consoles onto higher ground, but ultimately Phiney is doing really well at understanding there are some things she's just not allowed to play with. I'm particularly pleased with passing this one.  
10. We will not use a dummy. PASS/FAIL. Although I feel saying 'pass' is a total cheat. We bought a whole host of dummies when Phiney was born and we discovered that she very loudly made her dislike of being put down known to us. Unfortunately she refused every. Single. One. Now I see it as a blessing (no difficult weaning needed) but at the time we would have loved it if she'd happily kept one in her mouth! 

On the whole I think we've done rather well. Sure, there are a lot pass/fails but heck, I'll take that. High fives to us.

ps. There will be a whole lot more on the subject of my learning to cook and our love of secondhand fashion in a new series I'm going to start next week.

Picture by Tori

TREASURE HUNTING

When you're on a budget, finding something special in a charity shop is, more than ever, like discovering a piece of buried treasure. And when said item has no price tag on and the crazy old lady in charge that morning has to pluck a figure from thin air, you know you could really bag a bargain.

 

This beautiful set of side plates, tea plates and bowls epitomise the style I'm so in love with right now. A simple yet pretty design in a muted shade, with just the right amount of vintage femininity. And all for £4.

I'm pretty sure that this very low price had something to do with a rather delicious nine month old baby charming the pants off everyone in that charity shop.

High fives Phiney - I like your style!

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I have been on a clearing/sorting mission over the last few days. Clutter, be gone! This morning there were four bags lined up for the charity shop (as in those huge blue Ikea bags). After a trip to the village there are now two, but stacks of books and a whole pile of clothes for Ben to sort through are sitting next to them. I am a woman obsessed, and I love it.

Mostly I have been inspired by this beautiful lady's house. So calm and serene. Claire, come style our home will you? Pretty please.

In the midst of all this cleaning and clearing I have had an epiphany. I think I know where I'm going wrong. I seem to have a 'thing' for having all the pretty things we own (especially pretty kitchen things) on display. I'm not entirely sure where this comes from. Maybe my Grandma and her beautiful house? Well, for a clutter-free home, some of these pieces will now be found behind cupboard doors instead. Then admired properly when they're bought out at meals or gatherings. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things this is rather a lame epiphany. In the world of sorting out our home however, I feel it's a biggy.

And the top, you may be asking? I find the only trouble with taking things to the charity shop is the too-hard-to-resist temptation to look around. And then to buy things. A wispy piece of chiffon hardly takes up any room and I deserve a I-have-actually-done-some-tidying-for-once treat. That's my reasoning and I'm sticking to it.

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1. One of the veggie plot in our garden currently home to sweetcorn, courgettes, runner beans and peas.
2. The softest reusable nappies, folded and ready to be wrapped round a tiny bottom.
3. Just some of the vintage clothes in Josephine's wardrobe, including the most awesome stripey dungarees from here.
4. Thrifted wooden toys in the nursery.

Ben and I have always worked hard to live as green a life as possible; we recycle almost everything, make our own compost, grow our own food, rarely use the car and support our local shops and food producers to help reduce our carbon footprint.

When we found out we were pregnant last year, all these things took on a greater importance and meaning. Now we had a real connection to the next generation, the generation that would suffer the consequences of our mis-use of the planet more than any other. Now we were doing our bit to save the planet for our child, our baby. We knew straight away that we wanted to step it up a gear; not only to further reduce our carbon footprint but to set a strong and good example to our children. To teach them the importance of thinking about what they're doing to the planet and the importance of how their actions will affect other people, animals and environments around the world, both now and in the future.

We quickly decided that we wanted to try reusable nappies and that we wanted to avoid a nursery full of mass-produced plastic toys, opting instead for ethically produced, handmade or homemade ones. We also wanted to continue our love for everything secondhand, choosing to buy clothes, books and toys at charity shops when we could.

I'm really pleased, and proud, to say that we've achieved all those things. We use reusable nappies, on the whole, and think they're brilliant; the only new and plastic toys Josephine has have been gifts, although most of our family and friends have really taken on board our wishes and scour charity shops for lovely little secondhand treats. And with the exception of a few babygros here and the odd sale item there (because sometimes those bargains are just too good to resist) the majority of Phiney's wardrobe is vintage and secondhand. It's not always easy (as if I didn't have enough washing to do without a few poopy nappies chucked in), but we truly believe it's worth it.

So when I find a new vintage baby store stocked with delights, you can imagine how excited I get. The prospect of finding a truly unique piece for Josephine to wear, as opposed to looking like every other kid at Baby Cafe, and the comparatively great prices of secondhand to new is too good to pass up.

The lovely Emily, from new online baby and toddler boutique Little Vintage, contacted me recently asking if Josephine would like to try out a couple of pieces from her very tempting collection, and who was I to say no. Quick as a flash those superb stripey dungarees up there and an oh so cute knitted cardigan were hanging in Phiney's wardrobe waiting for her to grow into. Emily also sent the most fantastic romper covered in illustrated animals but, alas, it was too small. I've sent it back to her and it'll be back up in the shop soon. So if you have a baby girl, around three months old, please please go buy it. It really is the coolest.

Below are just some of the great pieces Emily is selling right now. They're good, right? The service Emily offers is second to none, with items quick to arrive and wrapped so sweetly, and she's always updating the shop with items for every age group, from newborn to age six and above. So go spoil that beautiful kiddo of yours and pick out something lovely. Not only will you be supporting this awesome new business, but you'll also be doing your bit towards being greener. That's one less mass-produced item in your home; a few miles spared on your carbon footprint. Oh, and a whole lot of brilliance in your little one's wardrobe.

ps. It's the last chance to enter the giveaways and claim your discount before they close tomorrow so head here for more details. Winners will be announced early next week.

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I have a love for all things vintage. A serious passion. It's a dream to make it my job one day and I have a pretty good collection of crockery, jewellery, furniture, books and plenty of clothes to prove it. But it's nothing compared to Josephine. Already the girl has several more awesome pieces than me, each better than the last. And it's thanks to charity shop finds (a heap of dresses that were 50p each and I bought on the off chance everyone was wrong and we had a girl. Thank God I did!), brilliant Etsy shops and lovely bloggers around the world.

Each and every piece is beautifully made, in the styles I think little girls should be wearing and in fabrics and prints that offer something so different to what's on the majority of the high street. We want Phiney to grow up understanding that being unique is a wonderful thing, and that extravagant consumption and expensive shopping sprees aren't necessary. That instead it's better for the world to recycle, shop locally or support charity and cherish things from the past. Plus it's obviously more stylish too, dahling.

Most of the above is hanging ready for Phiney to grow into over the coming months, and in some cases years. I can't wait to see her rocking such beautiful pieces and hope it instills the same love for vintage that I have. Scouring charity shops and vintage stores with my little girl is just some of the fun I am so looking forward to us sharing. In the meantime she can rely on me to track down more treasures for her wardrobe. I know. It's such a burden.

Some pieces from here and here and gifts from this, this, this and this awesome Mama. Oh and this lady deserves a mention for keeping her eyes peeled for awesome finds/being such a bad influence. Josephine is sending you all thank you kisses xx

ps. 180 followers? Wowza! Hello to you all, new and old. Thanks for stopping by x

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Thankfully the OSG’s are casting their magic touch this way too and I’ve bagged some pretty awesome books (among other things) over the last few weeks. There were a few more I would have loved to get my hands on but boy oh boy these places like to charge a lot sometimes. There was one particular Dick Bruna alphabet book that had such awesome illustrations, but at £20 and with the thought of little grabby hands in my mind, I quickly returned it to the shelf.

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Anything cuter than a baby in stripes? Me thinks not. With the exception of something hand knitted obviously. Hand knitted stripes, you say? Hold the phone...

A collection of Happy Circus booties, knits from my Mum, second hand finds and high street bargains just waiting for our little friend.

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Bump Day. 27 weeks down.

Today my sister and I hit some local charity shops on the search for some bargains to add to our homes. I scored a porcelain rabbit, a couple of Enid Blyton books from the mid-60s and a Fisher Price house that it turns out both B and I had when we were kids, all for the nursery. Oh, and a little something for the cutest baby in all of blogland.

I've been searching everywhere for nursery inspiration recently, and there's plenty out there to be had. I can't wait to start styling up that little nook of our house, ready for the day we bring this little one home.

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Some weeks are full of good things and some full of bad (well, a bit poo at least). This week was a mixed bag.

Bad things this week:

• Our four month old washing machine broke.
• The engineer isn't calling me until Monday to book a time to come look at it, so who knows when it will be fixed.
• The washing basket lid no longer fits, it's bulging that much.
• My lovely work colleague who was unselfishly giving me lifts home from work, and saving me a second half hour trek a day, has been off ill all week and I actually pulled my leg muscles from all the walking.
• On Tuesday I slipped on a paving slab in the rain and pulled my back horribly. Rain sucks.

Good things this week (because it's always better to end on a positive note):

• My Mum has a washing machine and is a part-time launderette in her spare time. For my sister mostly, but now also for us. Thanks Mum!
• No washing = no ironing. Always a silver lining, right
• The Baby's library is starting to grow, with the addition of this book.
• Our local junk shop is a treasure trove complete with chest of drawers for the nursery (£5) and Ercol dining chairs (£4 each.)
• Tomorrow we head to the circus with those little nephews of ours. They should feel quite at home with some crazy clowns.
• Our eBay score of the month (an Ergo baby carrier, used once, bought for the grand sum of £50) arrived yesterday. B pranced about (no joke) with it on for ages. And then we got all sentimental about when the time comes that our little one is snoozing in there.
• The Belly continues to grow and kick and bring plenty of smiles.

And that's all we need really. That makes it a good week.

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I’m feeling so much better now with the whole body issue thing. Largely thanks to all of your completely divine comments and reminders that when the bub is placed in my arms I won’t care a nat about a little podge here and there. But I have a sneaking suspicion it’s also because of those crazy pregnancy hormones sending me up and down and round the houses at the moment. Last night I even got a bit teary over a rather silly little thing. And I’m not a teary person. I’m still learning, but I’m trying to embrace it all. As I start to feel tiny flutters in my belly it’s so easy to forgot all the small things and concentrate on how amazing this growing a baby really is.

And when I see these pictures, it makes my heart skip at thought of when our own little one arrives. Plus I couldn’t ask for a more breathtaking model of these.

So because I’m feeling happy and bright, and basking in the unusual mix of sunshine and weekend, here are some colourful bits and pieces I’ve picked up in some charity shops over the last week. And some vintage textiles from a little store owned by a crazy but kind old lady who I spoke to for about 45 minutes yesterday about dressing babies like babies and the joys of living in part of the city where you walk into the butchers and they know your name. I could have spent all day in there rummaging through the piles of linens, and I’m sure I will be back very soon to find more treats.

Happy weekend to you all, and congratulations Christina for winning this little giveaway. These booties will be high-tailing their way to you on Monday. xx

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Thank you for all your lovely and sweet comments. Our hearts are full of happiness right now and it’s been so awesome to share our news with everyone.

We had our 12 week scan on last Saturday, and everything is looking as it should so far. The strong heartbeat was obvious straight away, despite the fact that Baby was doing a head stand to begin with. After the midwife subjected me to lots of tummy shaking (a risky task with a full bladder) Baby finally settled in a position, with its legs crossed and hand at its head, which allowed the midwife to measure it and confirm our due date. It was the most unreal and beautiful experience. And we wish we could go catch a glimpse every day. We have to wait until we’re 20 weeks for our next scan though, so hopefully the summer will sail by problem free and nice and quickly.

At a rather impromptu BBQ that evening we announced our bit of news to our families, and plenty of celebrating followed. It was the most brilliant weekend.

So now the journey really begins. After finding out more than 2 months ago, we’ve been keeping our fingers crossed everything goes ok. Whilst dealing with the most extreme exhaustion I’ve ever felt and daily 5am to 2pm nausea. Feeling sick has mostly passed and I’m hoping the sleepiness subsides soon too, plus there’s a bit of a bump developing already. ALREADY!

And through it all the boy has been the best husband a girl could ask for. And will be the best Papa a baby could ever dream of. I just know it.

This is a recent charity shop purchase; we’re determined to keep on track with buying second hand for the bub. And why the hell not when you discover a find like this.

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A parcel arrived yesterday from the always awesome Bianca. She picked up these magazines for me when she went home to Oz a few weeks ago and I’ve spent the day loving every page. So thanks bud for this lovely bundle. I’ll treat you to a slice of cake in July xx

And in other news, some recent charity shop finds that I’m rather pleased with. A pretty, pretty dress that’s perfect for the summer and some vintage pillow cases that will brighten up the bedroom. All for the grand sum of £9.

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Cripes. It's more than a week since my last post. I fear this may be a sign of things to come, what with moving and packing, so please bear with me while our house starts to resemble a... well, I don't know what. Somewhere with plenty of boxes and bags and empty shelves and walls.

It's been a pretty downright poo week at work, one of the most stressful in a long time, but it's Friday night and it's going to be a chilled weekend, which is the most awesome of news.

When life is so manic with boring activities like work and packing there's little of interest to photograph, so here are some of the rad charity shop finds I scored when I managed to briefly escape work on Wednesday afternoon. A bunch of stripes all for the princely sum of £5. Perfect for this beautiful summery weather we've been having.

Hope you all have a happy happy weekend and thank you for sticking around. I promise to try and be back soon xx

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Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last post. It’s good to know I’m not alone in feeling this way and really appreciate what a lucky blogger I am to have such awesome readers.

Yesterday B and I were talking about this subject and thanks to him, my genius buddy, and all you gals I’m feeling much better. You know what? I have the coolest husband, a beautiful best friend and a sister who totally rocks. I’m a lucky girl. And I’m keeping the belief that new friends are on the horizon, waiting for me to find them.

And what’s so bad about pen pals anyway? Friends who live miles away are still just as beautiful via a letter or email and are always there when you need a chat. So here’s a shout out to all my pals around the world; school friends, random friends and blogger friends.

These are some brilliant charity shop finds I scored today. A blue and white stripey vintage duvet set with pillowcases and a pair of amazing 1970s 10ft long curtains. There has to be at least 6 metres of fabrics in these babies. And while it kind of feels sacrilegious cutting them up, I'm imagining a few cushions and a quilt backing. And this little haul? £6 in total.