The best 1980s cake decorating book. EVER.

 Hi!

A confession: I love 1980s/early 1990s cake making/home decor/DIY books. Obviously the best and only place to get them is from charity shops. 

Today, I think I may have found the best cake decorating book ever, from 1985. Here are a few examples of why I think this. 

The first cake is a 21st birthday cake. We have the 21 year old man on the top tier; below this though we have 1st, 7th and 14th birthday representations. Nothing odd here... except the 14 year old cake-boy is smoking a fag and drinking a pint! 

I think "Fun events: Teenage party" may be an oxymoron for most adults.

However, I think Polly Pinder was ahead of her time regarding those parties advertised on Facebook, where friends of friends of friends and strangers turn up.

What can be better than a riotous teenage party cake? Well, passing your driving test (for which there is also a cake) as well as FAILING your driving test! Yes, why not have a cake to celebrate not passing your test? The.. ahem, 3... times I failed I would have loved a cake!? Actually, thinking about it, what better way to commiserate than gorging on cake!

And so we leave the turbulent teen years: it's now time for the grown-up world.

Riiiiight...

Just going to add here that at our (histology department) Christmas do last year, the last person (erm... me) left the pub at 8.30pm. Debauchery!

The next cake is probably my favourite. I just do not get it: but at the same time love it. WHY? Why would you make a cake for this "occasion"?

Yes, SWINGERS!?

There are more excellent cakes in this book but the last I will put here is the Harassed Mother. 

Well, it's only three years until he's drinking and smoking!

I didn't get this cake when I first glanced at it. I wondered why she'd put "harassed" when the children looked so well behaved. Then I noticed they're bound and gagged. Genius!

In my opinion, this is the best cake decorating book ever. Polly Pinder, I salute you!

Love Leigh, Christmas lights & DOV discounts!

Well hello there.

So close, so very close to Christmas. So close in fact, the Christmas lights in Leigh are being turned on TOMORROW! 

The event includes stalls, entertainment, fair rides, live music and a procession. Plus food and drink: including roasted chestnuts and HOT. MULLED. BEVERAGES. And of course the lights get turned on. 

Then on Saturday it's the Love Leigh Road day. Where you're invited to experience all the wondrous shops, cafes and restaurants along the Broadway's younger, cooler sibling of a road, Leigh Road. I hear there will be lots of discounts and promotions going on! Check out the Facebook page for more info. Or follow @loveleighroad on Twitter. Another great local Twitter account to follow is @LeighonSeaSS9 who have all the current news and info on Leigh life and events. 

So, at What the Butler Saw it's a late opening on Friday for the Leigh lights event. And we - Den of Vintiquity - will be there with 10% off everything! Even already discounted items! 

We'll also have 10% off on Saturday too, for Love Leigh Road. So for Christmas present buying - get you tush to Den of Vintiquity!  

Check out some of the items we have in at the moment. 

Last weekend we brought in a painted cabinet that has had lots of interest. It's vintique and painted with Farrow & Ball's Incarnadine. The photo does not do it justice. 

If you can't get to Leigh, but see something you like, contact me!

If you do come down, make sure you wrap up warm. 

So, hope to see you tomorrow and Saturday for all the fun!

Dawn

Vintage handmade wedding dress

I've had a rubbish day at uni and I can only look forward to work tomorrow (!?), so I'm posting these pictures now. Two posts today because lovely vintage stuff cheers me up! 

This hand made wedding dress was in an auction in Norfolk. It came in a suitcase, with a Teddy bear. 

It is the smallest item of clothing I've ever seen. It's doesn't even fit the mannequin. I've not take the measurements yet, but it was obviously made to measure. It's made VERY well. It'll look great when it's dry cleaned and pressed. 

My mum and I have guessed it's 60s/70 but we're not sure. 

The quality of the pictures are a bit dodgy as I used Instagram, which doesn't show the detail very well. It does make the photos look pretty though. 

There are around 10 buttons but we only managed to do up two as it didn't fit the (roughly size 8) mannequin. 

Train. 

It came with the garter too. And something blue. 

And the veil! It came with the veil. 

I'm a soppy mare at the best of times but this is so... so, je ne sais quoi.  Poignant? 

So. There is a crinkly, handmade vintage wedding dress. I will be getting it dry cleaned and the crinkles removed professionally. Then hopefully a lovely, vintage bride to be might be able to give it a new home! 

Once again, thanks for looking!

Dawn

Vintage kitchenalia! Vintage sledge!

'Ellloooo.

Thought I'd post some photos of items we won at a Norfolk auction last week. Some are for Den of Vintiquity, some for meeeee (and my mum).

When we saw the lot that included this we knew we'd have to have it. My mum is looking forward to making a chocolate snowman cake in the next couple of weeks. The teddy cake tin came in the same lot. 

Stretched for time at the moment, so I've not looked up what the story is with this flask. It has a cork stopper which baffled my mum and me. Not that it takes much to do that. 

I will be attempting to attach these moulds to the kitchen wall at sometime. Thinking of hunting out more and making it a feature. I love the tarnishes.

One lot seems to have come from a house where the kitchen colour scheme was yellow. I've not taken any photos but there's also a vintage meat grinder in yellow. This 1950s cream maker has the instructions with it. 

Now this. This is glorious. A vintage horned German sledge. Just in time for Christmas!

My mum also brought a vintage wedding dress down from Norfolk. But to do it justice I'll give it its own post. 

The sledge and some of the kitchen items will be in Den of Vintiquity soon!

Thanks for looking.