Ta-dah! Tuesday - Minute Make - Map Letter

Hello, bit late this morning as we've had a busy weekend away and I hadn't written anything for today's post. But hey, the fact that I did this project all of 10 minutes ago proves that it really is a minute make! I picked up the plain wooden letter 'Z'  - for our surname - at Allders department store for just a couple of quid as they're sadly in administration again. [Although it's good for sale bargains]. The very very elderly motoring atlas of Great Britain was 10p at a boot sale as it was over five decades out of date and completely falling apart. 

I found the page with South Wales and simply stuck it down to the letter with decoupage glue before cutting around it with a razor blade. The previous owner of the atlas has made disparaging comments in pencil all around the coast -  for Gower it says 'beautiful bays, popular, but no hotels. Mumbles might be OK if desperate'. Charming! Mind you, some of the B&Bs along the coast road have been there since the ark docked further down the bay. Carmarthan is deemed 'disappointing' and 'useless for visitors as shut on Sundays'.

X marks the cultural hub that is Pontardawe. We were the village with a nightclub - a sticky-carpeted mecca for valley boys and girls

Did you watch the Opening Ceremony for the Olympics? I had a great time with the other half, a bottle of wine and Twitter - it really comes into its own when massive cultural events are televised, even if you're not usually a fan. I thought Danny Boyle did an incredible job, my tongue even removed itself from my cheek on one or two occasions. If you fancy saying hi - I'm @FHCShopping.

Oh, and the Christening was lovely. Sorry to disappoint but Boy2 behaved impeccably in the Church and afterwards, where my sister had laid on enough cakes to feed to the five thousand (most of whom had been invited). The boy of the moment - nephew Gethyn - is a complete doll, although he was happier once out of his Christening gown. It belonged to his great-grandmother, clearly he's not a fan of vintage yet.

Baby G

What have you been up too? Link up below as usual.

Lakota x

Frock on a Friday - Hell Bunny Asuka

Due to popular demand - cough, cough Sarah Misfit - here is my new dress. And me in it. Yes indeed, expect rivers of blood and plagues of locusts and all that soon. I won it in a blog giveaway from the delightful Betty Bee, and the dress was supplied by Soho's, who stock all kinds of rockabilly/alternative/goth type gear. Nice isn't it? It has a massive twirly skirt and the print has koi carp, skulls and scary geishas with sewn up mouths. Also rather fabulously, the dress I'm wearing is available in sizes 6 to 20. The sizing comes up large due to the shirred elastic at the back - I'm in a 10 which still has plenty of room in, rather than the 12 I sent back for being way too big. Bear this in mind if you buy, although it makes a pleasant change! Hell Bunny do lots of other 50s shaped dresses with amazing prints, I may well add some more to my wardrobe now I know about the label. Thank you very much for a brilliant prize Betty.

This is the one half decent picture. And I still had to crop a Thomas the Tank Engine tent out to my right. I need Sarah's photoshop skills to put me atop a unicorn or something.

Trying to get one photo which didn't make me want to rip off my own arm so I had something to beat the camera with was traumatising enough, so don't be expecting outfit posts too often. It doesn't help that Mr FHCS - the one with a decent camera  - smirks the whole time and only takes about 9 pictures before admitting defeat. I have pointed out that if he was a wildlife photographer he'd be lying on his stomach in a hide for 17 hours waiting for a rodent to scurry past, but he claims this would be preferable.

Dress - Hell Bunny - Asuka Print

Felt flower - homemade

Petticoat - eBay

Sunnies - Guess via TK Maxx

shoes - not on my feet

Like The Grudge, only with her hair up

Have a lovely weekend y'all. I'm off to my nephew's Christening. At the last one I attended boy2 was confused by the priest's robes and kept bellowing 'Is that the King? Where is the King going?'. That's when he wasn't chanting 'Evil, evil, evil' through the rest of the ceremony, having heard the Godparents being told to renounce it. Sigh. He always makes an impression.

Lakota x

I hope you've all been and entered my giveaway. You can win lovely jewellery from Gemmipop Designs.

Ta-dah! Tuesday - Gemmipop Designs Giveaway

What do you think of my new brooch? I bought it from the lovely Gemma at Gemmipop Designs on Etsy, who I discovered via our respective blogs. I love how she's brought the traditional cameo design right up to date, and the fact that it kind of looks like me when I have my hair back.

I went for white because I knew immediately which jacket I'd wear it on, but cameo lady is also available in loads of other shades. She's made from acrylic and costs £6.00.

Gemma also uses her laser cutter to create lots of cute animal brooches, as well as necklaces, earrings and cufflinks. Here's a few of my picks from her shop:

Pear brooches - £6 each - apple also available

Fancy Goldfish brooch - £6.00

Cat's Eye Glasses necklace - £12.00

Poodle brooch - £6.00

Star Earrings - £5.00

Black Swan brooch - £6.00

Happily, Gemma has offered one follower of Faith Hope and Charity Shopping £10.00 to spend on pretties from her shop - yay!

The giveaway is open to all followers of my blog - UK and overseas. All you need to do is visit Gemmipop Designs and then leave a comment on this post saying which your favourite item is. Please also state how you follow FHCS and make sure you leave a way for me to contact you.

For an extra entry you can follow me and Gemma on Twitter, also tweeting I've entered to win @gemmipopdesigns jewellery with @FHCShopping http://tinyurl.com/btbum2o

Alternatively you can gain an extra entry by blogging about the giveaway or putting the following badge on your blog.

I will draw a winner on 5th August. Good luck!

Do link up your ta-dahs as usual, that's if you've done anything other than eat '99s now that the Summer has finally made an appearance. [I'd really appreciate it if you'd please link back to this post if you do add your own.]

Lakota x