News — Vintage

I was thinking about my day and wishing I had more time in my day! I wonder if like me, you sometimes wish for more hours in the day? Well, we were all given an extra hour in October which was fabulous, the clocks went back an hour and hey presto, my wish was granted! So, what did you do with your hour?

What Did You Do With Your Extra Hour?

My hour was quickly and so easily consumed with my normal day to day chores, walking our lovely dog, meeting John at work. We then went into London for a delivery of furniture, had supper, managed a cup of tea when we got home I actually couldn't remember where our 'extra' hour went!

So as much as my wish was granted that Sunday, I know that they don't all come true. We need to work for our dreams, hopes and for our wishes to come true.

We now have had Halloween and Bonfire Night and Guy Fawkes, so it has been a very busy time of festivities and experiences for many of us. I am sure that there will be lots of wishes being written and spoken about very soon with Christmas looming! 

Guy Fawkes Night Celebrations...

Here at Lovingly Made, we wish for a bright morning most days, as I wake up, I open the windows and look outside and hope that the sun is shining! They say that the first 3 minutes can dictate your mood for the rest of the day, so I wish for the day to bright first thing, that my first cup of coffee to be hot and delicious and then my morning walk or yoga practice to be mood lifting. 

We have been busy in the Boutique with weekly arrivals of Antique & Vintage Furniture arriving, so if you are wishing for that elusive piece of furniture, then do pop by, as we have fresh piece arriving every week. We also have our very popular Christmas Wreath Making classes on our website too, so if you wish for some time for yourself, then this is the 'go to' place - 3 hours of pure indulgence just for you and a beautiful luxurious, exquisite door wreath too to take home!  

The Start Of A Wreath - Christmas Wreath Making Classes Here In Our Workshop Studio...   

Wishing for some original Christmas presents and decorations? Well, we are not a typical shop like your 'High Street" shop, we find 'one-off' unique gifts, special handmade object's-da, signature valuable items, French glass, handmade wooden items and handmade painted decorations, so come over and see for yourself.

Unique Christmas Gifts, One-Off Finds, French Glass, Original Handmade & Handpainted Decorations...

So, what wish would you like to be granted today? 
Let us hope that your wish can be granted, or at least in part, that you can help make it happen.
Hope to see you very soon in our Boutique, there's a whole lot of wishing going on! 
x

CHANGING THOUGHTS

Well, I think I have made May's blog by literally 'the skin of my teeth', being a Bank Holiday Monday' too.  John and I have finished our deliveries this morning, I have finished washing a couple of beautiful handmade quilts I found whilst 'treasure hunting yesterday', some silk and linen, Vintage 'Love Birds', a gorgeous Union Jack flag, terracotta pots, French plates and brocante. Now all I now need to do is to clean, polish and dress our Boutique before Thursday when we re-open. 

Vintage Love Birds...

So, behind the scenes, we are always working, our thoughts are always changing, and our thoughts changed so much this week with the devastating news that Manchester faced as a City. The people of Manchester certainly had their lives turned upside down and their thoughts changed literally. We send out our heart felt sympathy to all of those families and friends who lives have been so terribly affected. 

Thinking of Manchester...

Change can be so quick. It can also be a slow process. Whichever way, change is ever constant in our lives. It can be unwelcome, it can be harsh, it can be kind, it can be thrust upon us but it also can be of our own fruition and wanting.

In our newsletter which you can subscribe to, we have written a lovely piece about Change, and there is a link which talks about 10 powerful benefits of change, from Personal Growth to Strength to New Beginnings.   All of which can help us with our lives. 

Whatever change is, whenever is comes, one thing is for sure, change certainly is that, change.

Change can come into our lives personally, affecting our own lives and that of our family and home. We can change our homes to reflect our personality and that is where we come in... We source our furniture with love, passion and true feeling and we are very passionate about what we do and where our furniture, brocante, treasures, unique curiosities come from too. The beautiful furniture and uniqueness we source and buy, is lovingly thought about; it brought back to either our home if needs be or mostly, to our Workshop to be cleaned, hoovered and treated, polished, waxed.

 Washing Quilts at home...

In our Workshop, between John, Carol and myself and sometimes even my Mum and Dad are involved;  we change the first appearance of the not so gorgeous 'looking' duckling to a beautiful Swan.  Everything has been 'Lovingly Made' originally, hence our Company name and ethos. We literally do lovingly change it where and when needed, into something lovely, clean, presentable, hoovered, treated, dusted, waxed, polished and if necessary, painted.

Our aim has always been to forage for unique finds just for you.  Our prime objective is that you can offset your Vintage find that you have bought from us and blend it effortlessly with the furniture that you have at home; so you don't have to change too much at home too quickly or just add a few pieces to your existing furniture. You can change just a little bit at a time, harmoniously, giving your home an individual touch, just like you.

 

Vintage Urn and Clock...

We feel that without a little Vintage furniture, the odd curio, the little French brocante, modern day interiors can look and feel a little soulless, and conversely, without a modern day context, you could say that some Vintage piece could look a bit out of place, a bit fussy even.  It is the very clever change and mix of the two that makes if work so well.

Change is all around us and one of the most important changes is that change of re-loving, reusing, recycling and repurposing our furniture, something that we at Lovingly Made are so, so passionate about. 

Vintage Wooden Treasure Box...

We simply love the past, we love that furniture was so well made, lovingly made in the past, the wood, the craftsmanship, the joinery, the love in which it was made. The change is now, we can make such a huge change and make it in our homes too. We can look after the old, bring recycle the old and bring it back to life!

Vintage Bistro Chair...

Vintage pieces were made to last, designed to last, built to last, made from materials from strong sturdy materials, good strong wood.  Metals forged from handmade forges, with workmanship that would cost you a small fortune now. The ironwork of true artisans. Sofas and chairs with Horsehair and strapping, leathers and linens handed down from generation to generation. Don't you just wish you had kept them all now?

So, continue to press that 'Changing Thoughts' button, for all the right reasons, let's start making a change together. Buying Vintage Furniture helps the Earth, and how about a little rebel against the modern day age of cheap day mass production?

We hope we continue to always be pressing ours, to be looking for the lovely individual pieces of artisan, individual, crafted, resilient, beautiful furniture, treasures and vintage pieces that make a house into your home.

 

 

 MARCH - SPRING INTO SUNDAY TIME CHANGES AND MOTHER'S DAY

Our Opening Hours Have Changed!

It's March - so we are thinking...
The month of Spring - Spring Cleaning and most importantly Mother's Day!

So let's get a Spring in our step with 3 top tips for Spring Cleaning!

We all know that you would love to know those top 6 cleaning tips so your home is in tip top Spring Clean ship shape condition for when your Mum comes around for Sunday lunch or indeed you might be taken out for lunch!

Spring Cleaning Top Tips

1) Cleaning those windows. To start, dip your sponge into a bucket

of warm water and a few drops of mild washing up liquid. Wet your window; rub dirt away. Dampen squeegee; starting at an upper corner, draw it down pane from top to bottom. Repeat, overlapping strokes and wiping rubber edge with sponge after each stroke.

2) Once or twice a year, you might find the need to clean your wooden or metal blinds. Here is how! Wipe wooden blinds with a few drops of gentle wood cleaner on a nearly dry sponge. Metal or Aluminum blinds can be washed outdoors: Place them on an old sheet on a slanted surface, and scrub with water and a noncorrosive cleaner. Use a hose to rinse well, and then dry the blinds really, really dry with a towel to prevent rust.

3) Now this is a good one - You should replace the batteries in your smoke detectors every six months. Use the day you set your clocks back as a reminder, and this will be a good reminder and you will be happier too! Change the batteries again in spring, when you set your clocks ahead.

What does your mum mean to  you?

Mothering Sunday 

Having read and read a lot on this, I can only come to the simple conclusion, that there is a lot of evidence of historical and religious reasons why we celebrate Mothering Sunday.

Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday, is to me, quite simply a day to show our love, gratitude, thanks and appreciation to our wonderful, kind, generous, wonderful mums everywhere, if we are lucky enough to have one, through our acts of kindness. However we can, as simple as they are, be it a telephone call, a visit, a cup of tea, a kiss, a hand hold, a bunch of flowers or something which is so precious, TIME...

Mother's Day both have different origins; although they represent the same meaning, they originated very differently. We all celebrate the day but very few people actually know its origin. The original meaning of Mothering Sunday and Mother's Day can seem a little lost in these days of commercial present pushing by the media, so why not give the simplest gift of all, your time, a hug, a kiss, a chat - I know that is what I would LOVE THE MOST...x

If you would like to read a more factual article, then this is an interesting article from The Daily Telegraph "The true origins of Mothering Sunday"

Enjoy your month of time changing with us this March.

We look forward to seeing you here in our Vintage Boutique, our Vintage Workshop and our Courtyard...
Lots of Lovingly Made Love,
John & Trixie - and Charlie of course, our meet and greet dog and best friend...
x

FEBRUARY - THIS IS THE MONTH OF LOVE

• February is one of our favourite months of the year, especially as it is the month of Love! Subscribers to our VIP Newsletter will be enjoying their discount code this month too.
• With February being the month of love, we are thinking about Building your Perfect Bedroom and together with why 'Sleep is so important'.
• We are also delighted to announce our new "Vintage Workshop", our fabulous new Boutique shop for more Vintage furniture shopping!

 BUILDING YOUR PERFECT BEDROOM



Building Your Perfect Bedroom... (housetohome.co.uk)

Thinking about your perfect bedroom, well, from the moment you walk into your bedroom, you need to feel relaxed. First things first, lighting. Fit some low wattage bulbs, and the magic will instantly start. Your eyes will be soothed.

You can never have enough cushions, blankets, quilts, wooden domed trunks, throws, embroidery, empty frames, and mirrors can instantly add incredible space, colour and personality to your room. Think textures, think colour, think different types of wood, painted, French, English, they add character, depth and warmth.

Your bedroom needs to be the place where you can escape the hustle, the busy hectic part of your day, the time to relax, unwind, chill, to read, to truly be yourself or yourselves -think about this room carefully. It is your sanctuary. Candles, music, books and lots of love...x

Think textures, think colour...

You can then think about the furniture you can add to you bedroom that can give you the storage you need to make you feel settled and organised, a great way to feel in control of your sanctuary room.

Bedside cabinets are a great place to pop your glasses and bedside reading book, or cup of warm milk or hot chocolate. Not to bring your laptop. A definite no! No 'screen time' at least half hour before sleep time.

Chest of drawers are a great storage solution for jumpers, teeshirts, lingerie and getting sorted here, sorts out so many clothing issues! 

A worthy note is the revolution in 'the perfect bedroom', is that sleep is the new power house!

WHY SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT

"We are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis", writes Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post. Such an interesting piece, and  I really found the article an enlightening read and perhaps we can all transform our lives, one night at a time.

She writes how we need to redefine our success through our well-being, her thoughts and discussion is the how the backbone of sleep being our gateway of to a more fulfilling way of living and how it can transform our lives.

Why sleep is so important...

The results are amazing to read, how sleep must be seen as not time wasted, but time so well spent in our lives. how important it is to our well being.

Today we are so fast-paced, looking at our mobile phones at approximately 100-150 times a day without even knowing it, looking at computers, laptops, always connected, connected some how to something, not giving ourselves time, not giving ourselves permission to stop, forgetting to give ourselves a good night’s sleep.

The Sleep Revolution  sounds a big alarm bell to tell us to listen to our bodies, to actually wake us up to go to sleep, have a good nights sleep, enjoy sleep, it truly can transform your life, make us feel so much better about ourselves, it gives us energy for the next day, to literally face the day. YOU choose, a good nights sleep, quite literally, the old addage 'SLEEP on it' makes it oh so much better in the morning, doesn't it?

NEW VINTAGE BOUTIQUE SHOPPING SPACE

Introducing

"THE VINTAGE WORKSHOP BOUTIQUE"

  

The Vintage Workshop Boutique is opening...

We are delighted to let you know that we are opening our new Vintage Workshop Boutique space, to accommodate more of our lovely vintage furniture as poor Charlie is feeling the squeeze! The Vintage Workshop Boutique is opening 'softly' over the next few weeks or so.

Within our collections will be Vintage French finds, Vintage foxed mirrors, weathered and worn English Elm and Oak chairs and tables and dressers with faded charm. Littered amongst them will be copious carefully hand picked unique emporia that John and I will be looking for far and wide over the next weeks and months or so.

 

Vintage Treasures arriving soon... 

We are very humbled and grateful to you all for your support, and the continued requests that we have for the preloved vintage and contemporary furniture that we have here at Lovingly Made. 

The Vintage Workshop will also be an area that Trixie will continue to work in showing you how she cleans, restores, waxes and paints furniture. She is joined by Carol on a Saturday and sometimes we are fortunate enough to have her a weekday or two!

The Vintage Workshop where we will also be showing you how we clean, restore, polish and paint...

As Spring approaches with every day, we will be looking towards the Courtyard area, with lots of developments, vintage buys, interesting curios and fabulous finds for your garden.

Enjoy your month of love with us.
We look forward to seeing you here in our Vintage Boutique, our Vintage Workshop and our Courtyard...
Lots of Lovingly Made Love,
John & Trixie - and Charlie of course
x

 

 February - the month of love...

JANUARY - WORKING ON THE WORKSHOP!

The Workshop 

It is really hard to believe how long we've been using The Workshop and how many classes we have had in it too! It really was about time that we gave our lovely Workshop a lovely 'lick of paint' All sounded a great idea, but it meant a lot of hard work ahead. Not that John or I are afraid of hard work!

Some of the Classes in The Workshop

So, John and I need to pack every single item away, from needles to tables, to bunting to twinkly lights - John loved that job! All packed away, it was then, we realised jut how much the room had served us so well. It really has had some footfall, and John is going to work out how many classes we have had over the last 5 years!

    

Getting to work with paint

John started off with painting the floor, which did take the longest time and was the hardest part as it was a really tough paint to apply - being non-slip specialised paint!

I then snuck in and got the really exciting job of 'cutting in' - oh deep joy! and applying Hammerite paint to the sink metal area. Lovely job again! 

We then waited for everything to dry properly when the weather was at its coldest (of course it would be!), and then the fabulous job of putting everything back again!

But we have got there and it does look great and we have had a chance to re-think The Workshop and are going to use some of the space as an additional Vintage Furniture Boutique space too - as we are able to open our Workshop room doors to our Customers too look, touch, feel some more of our glorious Vintage furniture...

We hope you love the Workshop as much as we do - some interesting classes coming soon, some beginners Floristry and starters Furniture Painting classes too...

Our 'Drop In Hobby Club's' - Thursday's Knit & Knatter is always popular and Friday's Fabric Friday is a lovely way to come and sew and sew and sew - 10.15/12.45 - join us - (follow this link)

 

 

The Workshop

We look forward to seeing you at Lovingly Made, be it in The Workshop or in our lovely Vintage Boutique, either way, the coffee is on!

Best wishes, 
Trixie and John and Charlie, our best friend, meet and greet dog...x