Crafty Blogger Meet

Hi guys! On Sunday I had a fab day getting my craft on the Crafty Blogger meet in Bristol. Hosted by the lovely Paige from Paige Joanna and Sammy from The Cookie Button I met up with my beauts blogger gal Vicki and we headed to The Birdcage for the event! I'd never been in the little cafe-come-vintage shop before but it was totally perfect for the whole event with gorgeously quirky and vintage decor, it's definitely somewhere I'll be visiting again. We were treated to a cheeky slice of delicious cake and unlimited tea, which in case you may not have noticed is right up my street!

3 or 4 cups of China Jasmine tea and a catch up with Vicki later, Paige and Sammy popped round and chatted to us all before we were shown all the fab crafty bits the girls had got together for us to get creative with! There were so many different things to choose from so I ended up grabbing a big old selection of faux flowers, ribbons, bows - you name it, and decided to make a little floral corsage head band. Sammy kindly gave me a few pointers how to attach the flowers and despite a few mishaps with the super glue (webbed fingers was not really ideal) I was surprised at how easy it is to create a cute little head band. 

There were some amazingly creative things spilling out from all the lovely fellow bloggers with big floral crowns to bunny ears and cute little bow ties, but it was Vicki who won the prize for the best creation with her super cool burgandy studded floral head band!! Yay! We were also treated to a seriously generous goodie bag with lots of vintagey bits and bobs inside. I can't wait to go back to my 90's kid roots and crack out the floral scrunchie I had in mine :) 

It had been ages since I'd properly sat down and done anything crafty so a massive thank you to Paige and Sammy for hosting so a great event and being so welcoming! It made a perfect Sunday afternoon!

Outfits deets: I ended up having to have a quick change last minute going for my fave slouchy sports-luxe top from Olive, skinny jeans from Miss Selfridge and Sandals and Bar Necklace from Oasis. 

 

A trip down Oldham Street

Whilst being in Manchester, Oldham Street, Northern Quarter, has become one of my favourite places to wonder around when I've managed to ween myself away from my work. As those of you that may have visited this side of Manchester will know, it's full of vibrant, quirky cafes, music stores and vintage  boutiques, and can offer you an alternative to the bustle of the high street which is just a few minutes walk away. The alternative and artistic feel of the street is embraced very much so with multiple junk shop windows displaying a mish-mash of garments and accessories reflecting numerous eras. A few however show off their enviable creativity featuring simplistic yet eye-catching displays, my personal favourite being Retro Rehab with its statement clock watch display.

For those of you style hunters who are searching for a quick dash fashion fix, I wouldn't recommend this as your top destination. However give  yourself some time to rummage through the vintage treasures you can pick yourself up something that won’t be adorned by every girl on the high street, and not to mention discover some absolute bargains. I managed to find at least a few pairs of nearly-new Converse trainers for £15, which usually would set you back at least £40! My housemate has also been know to barter down the prices a bit, a definite advantage from not shopping in a chain store!

On the other hand though you will find stores like Junk, one of my favourite places for accessories, which will make you open your wallet a bit more for their Made-in-Manchester jewellery. However it's all in the name of sustainable fashion!    

If it's a bit of everything you're after, it's definitely worth popping into Afflecks Palace. Easily comparable to Camden Market with its random pop-up stores and concessions, you'll find anything from fancy dress, vintage sweets, jewellery making to tattoo parlours cased within the multiple floored building. However if you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, pop into one of the many cafes  and make sure you tuck into the tasty homemade cupcakes!