Yay! I've got a shop!

Today I drove up to Elgin, north Scotland, with a car full of vintage and handmade goodies and got my very own 'shop within a shop'! It's fantastic to see my stock displayed inside a beautiful shop amongst thousands of books. Hopefully the customers will love Nina's Apartment @ Yeadons of Elgin and help it to become a well known place not just for quality books and stationary, but for quality, eclectic homeware too. I will regularly update the stock with vintage and retro crockery and stoneware, fabrics and linens, suitcases, furniture and of course my own cushion designs.

Please pay this wonderful bookshop a visit if you ever happen to be in the area.

I am so excited, I think it deserves a big High Five! Yeehaa!

Nina's Apartment @ Yeadons of Elgin
32 Commerce Street
Elgin, Moray IV30 1BS
tel: 01343-20542411

Travel post: Italian vintage in wonderful Tuscany

I was lucky enough to spend all of last week on holiday in beautiful Tuscany, Italy. If you've ever been there you will know how the area is steeped in history. Cities like Florence and Siena are like fabulous outdoor museums with churches and 'palazzos' around every corner (as well as gelaterias and equally mouth-watering bag and shoe shops).

I didn't have much time for treasure hunting (too busy eating, drinking and catching up with my mum and sister who joined us on the trip!), but did find a great little shop in sunny Siena I wanted to tell you about: Aloe & Wolf.

Hidden away in one of the charming side streets off Piazza del Campo, this little vintage shop is packed with the most fabulous treasures from the 50s, 60s and 70s - although mostly clothing rather than home decor. I am not a great vintage fashionista (I often find the clothes are sort of just not 'it'), but I tell you, Italian vintage clothing is something else! Glamourous, well fitting and great-looking.

The shop also sells handmade, 'upcycled' designer bags by 2Periodico, a lady in Rome, and guess what: I bought one. Re-using pages out of vintage fashion magazines, covering them with plastic and combining them with recycled pieces of soft Italian leather, these funky bags were just to much of a temptation...

If you need a great place to stay in Tuscany, I can thoroughly recommend Borgo San Benedetto, a country resort, hidden away to ensure rest and relaxation, but well placed between all the big and small tourist spots too. Lovely apartments, bed and breakfast, pool and a fabulous restaurant on site too. And yes, that cute guy on their homepage is real - I've seen him with my own two eyes ;-).

Borgo San Benedetto, apartments

Here are some other impressions of my lovely week.

Duomo, Siena

Piazza del Campo, Siena

Picturesque street in Siena

The yummy 'Panforte' cake

Palazzo del Campo, Siena

Me doing the relaxation part

Candy Belle Vintiques vintage fair in Aberdeen

Nina's Apartment will be selling beautiful vintage goodies at the Candy Bell Vintiques fair on the 28th of April and I am SO excited about it. (Gutted at the same time, as I am not going to be able to man the stall myself as I had already booked a holiday....but luckily I found a willing friend to help me out in times of need..I will be there in spirit, BIG spirit!)

Currently sorting out my wares I will be selling vintage linens, suitcases, retro kitchenalia, my handmade cushions, a couple of pieces of revamped furniture and other wonderful found treasures.

There will be lots more vintage gorgeousness I am sure with some of the other sellers being Cushie Doo Vintage, Heart Art Aberdeen, Peapod, Flourish, Storm in a Vintage Teacup, The Closet, Vintage Phoenix, LKVintage, Johnny Come Lately and others.

I bet you can find some treasures there. Hope those of you who live in the area will go!
It's held at the Thistle Caledonian Hotel on Union Terrace, which is here:


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Turning a page... Nina's Apartment will soon be selling at Yeadons Bookshop

 

I am so excited to share this news with you all... Not just a little bit... but UBER excited! I will be partnering up very soon with one of the best booksellers in the UK; Yeadons Booksellers in Elgin, north Scotland. This shop, one of the oldest continuously trading bookshops in Scotland - already established in 1887 - will be the perfect environment for my eclectic mix of vintage, handmade and upcycled homeware. It is a beautiful 1930s building, tastefully decorated with custom made shelving and vintage furniture and stocked with a carefully chosen, eclectic selection of books.

Recently Yeadons started selling vintage homeware alongside their books, which went down a treat with the customers, complimenting the great mix of books and stationary and the friendly shopping atmosphere. From next month Nina's Apartment will be 'moving in' with them adding to the selection of wares with vintage treasures, handmade cushions and revamped furniture. I can't wait!

In the meantime, have a look at this Vintage Inspiration board on Pinterest, to get you in the mood for for what's to come...

Back to winter woollies...vintage crochet blankets love.

So we are having some freakish weather up here in Scotland. Barbecues and sun hats one day, 10cm of snow the next. What's going on?! Anyway, nothing we can do about it but go with the flow (or snow for that matter). I had to get an extra blanket out the cupboard the past few days to keep warm and got the idea to actually go and stock up on beautiful hand crocheted 'granny' blankets for my etsy shop too.
Really beautiful ones (in up to date rather colours than seventies ones) are hard to come by though. Maybe I should find a local granny to make me some. Or learn to crochet myself...!

Here are some nice blankets I sold recently and one that I have just added to my shop.

 

This blanket is currently available in my Etsy shop