We're Not Flagging Any More!!

There's something nice about living in the same place your whole life. I can't imagine living anywhere other than where I am now. I tried it once briefly for a year but I came back because I was seasick - ie sick of not living by the sea!

So, it wasn't difficult to persuade me to become involved in the first of what we hope will be several community ventures - that of the Portobello Big Beach Bunting Project, the aim of which was to make 100m of bunting in less than three months, each separate flag being made by different members of the community. The rules were very strict. To be eligible to make a flag you had to have walked along Portobello Promenade at least once in your life......yep, that was it.....ONCE - in your life....We were guaranteed thousands.

We started off well. Enthusiasm in the Community was riding high and by July we had the grand sum of...em....10. Panic set in round about the 17th of August. We needed 100 by the 25th and we still had....em...10. But as the 21st dawned and we scurried around the drop off points, fired up the sewing machines, spent three and a half hours sewing and then counted.......we had a massive 140!!!!

In true Scottish Summertime style, the day for unveiling was wet and windy but, undeterred, the stalwarts of Creative Porty proudly climbed their stepladders to hang a grand total of 155 bunting flags from lampposts on the Promenade!

I am so amazed...sorry, I mean proud (!)...that our little crafting group, along with many members of our Community have pulled together and made this happen - group hug guys (okay...maybe not - group wine??).

Bet you can't WAIT for our next plan........are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.....

The Party's Over........

.......and I was so sorry to call it a day!

Had a FANTASTIC time in my cosy little booth at the West End Fair!

After four days of (almost) sunshine and endless hours of fun with the general public I've decided people watching is absolutely the best pastime ever! A big thanks to the man who enquired whether I photographed a lot of groynes....ooo er missus!

Almost as good as my fellow stallholder Little Sister Lucy who was giving out sweets to entice people to look at her silk knickers - I was beginning to wonder what kind of tent I had stumbled into!

However, the real star of the show turned out to be my shelf unit....cobbled together by my talented hubby from a bit of an old pallet and some driftwood we found the night before (true!) on our local beach.

If times get hard in Elle & Pea land at least I know I can send him off down the road to beachcomb his way to keeping me in the style to which I could become accustomed!

You have to keep your options open in this game!

It's Cool To Be Vintage.........

I've always been a fan of vintage paraphernalia. I put that down to the fact that I was what my mother termed 'a late baby' - or, what my sister termed 'a mistake'. Anyhow whatever the reason for my conception I did have a lot of older relatives in comparison to my friends whose parents were in their 20s or 30s when they had children as opposed to my parents who fought in the War!

Vintage for me was gas masks, cast iron ranges, enamel soup pots and wally dugs. Things my Nana actually had in her house.

Imagine my dismay then to discover that vintage now includes things I used in MY day to day life! How did that happen? When did I become vintage?? Things crop up on Facebook all the time - AND I RECOGNISE THEM! I'm distraught.

However, sometimes things turn up which make me happy to be part of the vintage scene. One of these is the very talented Mentalembellisher who makes amazing, vintage inspired jewellery combining all sorts of bits and pieces, sometimes put together in a rather disturbing, but always eyecatching and tongue in cheek, way.

Famous for her Gourmet Killer Bees and rather raunchy photographs, embracing your vintage side always seems a bit more fun when you can wear a pair of acrobats in your ears!

She's not called Mental for nothing.........