A Thoroughly Vintage Weekend

One of our favourite summer fetes was on this Saturday. It's an amazing fete arranged by a really small village school (41 children only) in an idyllic village in Suffolk. The village is part of the Somerleyton estate and has a real Midsummer Murders feel to it. Each year the fete has a different theme, this year it was the 1940's. The fete is held on the village green with stunning cottages and post office all surrounding it. Guess which idiot forgot their camera? I took some great pics on my phone, but I still can't work out how to get them from there onto here.

We listened to the most amazing band while we ate our ices, Mr Bun won a coconut at the coconut shy, we won wine and sweeties on the tombolas, had a rummage at the bric-a-brac and then my clever man spotted a huge pile of annuals hidden at the side of a stall. At £1 each we grabbed quite a few. The Bun's have roared through all of mine and it's getting really difficult to find any more for them.

Alongside pretty embroidered tablecloths I also grabbed this mini pyrex dish which was perfect to hold my business cards the next day.

After the fun of the fete we rushed home to pack my car up for Little Vintage Love Fair on Sunday. We had a good plan to send the Bun's for tea with grandma, then Mr and I could unload all my stuff at the village hall and have a refreshing drink at the village pub. That way I wouldn't have to get up so ridiculously early the next day and we had a mini date for just the two of us.

Heydon is another idyllic village which is part of another large estate. It's unusual in that there's only one road in which leads down to the big house.

Whilst the cottages are lovely and there's a great pub, tearooms, bakery and beauty parlour we decided we'd find it a bit creepy living there.

I did fall in love with the rambling and slightly messy gardens mind you.

Just opposite the village hall, which was built just after the First World War, is this cottage with it's grand gate.

After a shandy and leisurely stroll, just the two of us, holding hands and being able to talk without being endlessly talked over, we headed back to get the Bun's. We found all three of them playing badminton in the garden just as I did on summers evenings with mum and dad.

Early the next morning I headed off to market to sell my wares with a new member of staff in tow. Little Bun had decided she wanted to have a go at being a shopkeeper this time. She was an absolute star and loved every minute of it. She did a lot of the selling and money handling. When friends turned up she went off for a spot of vintage shopping of her own too. I paid her with a brooch of mine that she chose and a hairslide she wanted from a stall outside. I always wimp out and go indoors as I've had things ruined by being caught out in the rain.

We had a fabulous day. I always love Zoe's events, they are spot on with a great selection of stalls to buy from and lovely people to meet up with. I came home with quite a buys which I guessed you might like to have a peek at. I even bought a small wicker basket to put all my goodies in which wasn't a bad idea was it.

Little Bun found Good Golly for her daddy who adores them and has quite a huge collection now. He's now in our bed along with John the Golly that Miss Rosey bought for him.

Plastic kitsch fruit baskets were added to my pile as I strolled around the stalls outside the hall.

I found some fabulous fabric along with a small piece of vintage patchwork which I might line the basket with. I also spied the most stunning Horrocks day dress which was long enough and looked big enough. I wanted it badly, but it just wouldn't fit across my bazooma's which was most unfair, but saved a penny or two to be sure.

I've been searching for a tray like this one for a while now and I absolutely love it. The 1970's fabric and tray go together perfectly for me.

I also found this wee kiddies dish to match a mug Mr Bun was given a while back. It was the wee Golly asleep in bed that caught my eye first.

When I went back to pay for my basket at the end of the day, I saw another basket filled with gorgeous handmade felt brooches all made from original 1940's designs. I adore anenomes and as they were my wedding boquet, I chose these to have as a permanent boquet.

One last buy is a secret for now. I saw this fabulous linen military waiters jacket and fell for it. I tried it on and it just looked great. It would be perfect with jeans and looked just as good over my floral dress yesterday. I decided to buy it for Miss Rosey's 12th birthday which is at the end of the summer, mind you it might be better to have it before then to get some wear out of it. Hopefully she'll let me share it sometimes.

After a lovely time buying and selling we packed up and headed off home to our lovelies. A jug of Pimms was waiting along with some sweet smelling Roses which Mr Bun had cut and put in the bedroom for me. The perfect end to a lovely vintage weekend.

Just to remind you I'll be closing the Craft it Forward today. So if you fancy your chance at winning either a brooch, Whoopie Doo Pincushion or Jolly Good Egg Cosy then please add your name to this post. Don't forget to say what you would like from the three choices. There'll be two winners who will get a few buttons and fabric snippets along with their make. All the winners have to do it post about it once they receive their parcel and then hold the same Craft it Forward on their blog to share the making around.