Oxfam Team Up with Dawn O'Porter to Launch Vintage Fridays

VINTAGE FRIDAY FOR OXFAM - FRIDAY 1 AUGUST 2014

Oxfam and Dawn O' Porter want to see you rocking your finest retro chic next Friday to raise money for a great cause. 

It's simple! Just don your fave vintage outfit or accessory with pride for #VINTAGEFRIDAY and donate £3 to Oxfam by texting Vintage to 70066, helping to transform lives around the world. Remember to share your pics! 

*'Messages will be charged at £3, plus one standard rate message. By texting consent is given to future marketing by Oxfam. To unsubscribe from SMS send NOINFO to 70066'

DIY VINTAGE SWAP-SHOP - FROM MONDAY 28 JULY 2014 

We're calling upon the public to hold their own #THISOLDTHING vintage sale. Rally friends or colleagues together to do a closet clear out - be it at work, university or front room! 

There are no set prices, buyers can donate what they think the item is worth. All the profits and any items left over can be donated to Oxfam to help fight poverty around the world.

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For more info: www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/vintage

Join the conversation: #THISOLDTHING and #VINTAGEFRIDAY

Does Looking at these 1980s' School Lunch Boxes Get You as Giddy as it Gets Me?

In the 80s, choosing your lunchbox was one of the more pleasant parts of doing the back-to-school supply shop. American kids seemed to have metal lunch boxes, but in the UK we had plastic ones, which sometimes came with a matching flask. Did you have any of these beauties?

Now we have our own kids, it's their turn to choose their character lunch box. I find the school supplies from George at Asda are priced well. I've seen some shops' lunch boxes creep up to almost £15 in places, but Asda have all their lunch bags under £10, including the Minion print bag for £6 which my son has his eye on.

This Turtles lunch pot is only £1. Super for sending in sliced fruit and preventing it's squashedness by noon. 

While you're there, remember to take advantage of the well priced school uniform pieces which come with a 100 day guarantee.

Lots and lots of cheaply priced school bags too.

Museum Selection Shares The History of Garden Gnomes, plus Win a Hare Garden Ornament

Gnomes are one of the top ten answers that pop up when you ask the general public what a kitsch item is to them. Weirdly though I don't feature them on www.TheWorldofKitsch.com often. Why? I don't know, I just don't like them. I think they are tacky in a bad way. 

I mean I have plastic lawn flamingoes, and they aren't exactly middle class norms, but I just don't like gnomes. The front garden needed a little spruce up and something new, so I've ordered an ornamental fox on Museum Selection, which I will blog about when he arrives. 

Until then how would you like to win your own ornamental hare for your grassy patch? It's a little different from a guard dog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Museum Selection for this gnome infographic.

Sarah Rooke- Queen of Kitsch Cakes

I have lots of pals in the baking business, all of them so talented. I don't know Sarah in 'real life', but by naming her business Kitsch Cakes, she definitely got my attention.

I always like to show you what Sarah has been up to lately, so here are some of her spring and summer collection. 

Bricks 4 Kidz- Learning Through Lego

Just a quick blog if your child loves Lego and you're looking for an activity this summer. The Belfast Bricks 4 Kidz Facebook has details of workshop days as well as weekly themed classes in their creative workshop.

We went to a space themed class today which my son totally loved. 

Bricks 4 Kidz is a franchise, so if you aren't from Northern Ireland, have a Google for a local branch near you. 

Car Lifting at the Belfast Motor Show

Ultimate Strongman Jonathan Kelly from Newtownabbey holds the title of 2 x Ireland’s Strongest Man and is the current record holder for the ‘Irish Deadlift Hold Record’ which saw him lift a 1 tonne car, engine side, for 41.07 seconds. 

Jonathan will be hoping to hold on to this record as he challenges two other strongmen to take the title ahead of the Belfast Ultimate Strongman Giant Weekend.

Both Sean O’Hagan, Ulster’s Strongest man and Clarke Beck, Ireland’s Strongest man 2014 will attempt to beat this at the Belfast Motor Show which takes place this weekend at the King’s Hall. Visitors on Saturday will be able to watch the competition between these two men at 1pm.

Pictured are Glenn Ross, 5 times UK Strongest Man and organiser of the Belfast Ultimate Strongman Giant Weekend 2014, with current ‘Irish deadlift hold’ record holder and 2 x Ireland’s Strongest Man Jonathan Kelly from Newtownabbey along with Kerrie Mann, organiser of the Belfast Motor Show.

For further information on the Belfast Motor Show please visit www.belfastmotorshow.co.uk, to find out more about the Belfast Ultimate Strongman Giant weekend which comes to Belfast on the 21st - 25th August please visit www.ultimatestrongestman.com

Votes for Bunnies- The Stuffed Suffragette

From Amanda's Autopsies on EBay.

Aquabeads Not Just For Girls!

Michael, like most kids his age, has been Loom Band crazy the past few months and loves anything creative. We received the Aquabeads Jewel Starter Set a couple of days ago and he's already made dozens of little creations. The packaging is very girl-orientated, but boys and girls alike should love the ease of making little models.

I was pretty pleased with the mess-free element of the beads too. You don't need an iron, or heat, the beads stick together with a small spray of water. After drying for an hour you can lift the beads off and they'll stay stuck together. 

Michael loves them and already has requested I buy him more beads! 

You can connect with Aquabeads on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to share your child's creations.