Junk Shop Tales.

Does my vintage look big in this? I found this original vintage dress on a market for a measely £10.

Let me tell you a story. Not so long ago I bought a bike from a junk shop and called it Ethel. Its a classic 1960's Raleigh model designed specifically for a woman. Not only is Ethel in fine working order, I also bought her for a mere £20, a totally un-hipster price from my local junk shop! The benefit of living for most of your life in a small West Midlands town is that you start to know shop owners. Like Naggie the lovely French Muslim man who runs the gift shop Treasure Island, or my new friend who owns my new favorite junk shop. 

Junk shop owner (we haven't swapped names yet) called me over this afternoon to tell me about the bike. He said it was bought in by a man in his 80's who was giving it away because it belonged to his wife who had sadly passed away. The old man wanted to know that the bike had gone to a 'nice person.' Well Junk shop owner told the old man all about me explaining that I was a 'nice lady.' He mentioned how overjoyed I had been and that I'd returned to say thank you stating that my families dog had also taken to running alongside it. 

How great is that? Not only am I mega chuffed that I got a vintage bike for peanuts, in the process its managed to make an old man happy knowing his wife's bike has I quote 'gone to a good home.' This is precisely why I love vintage/charity shops because you are buying stories and life histories, can you say that about your river island top?  

This week I've been scouring charity shops for frames for the purpose of creating a surf art wall for my new seaside abode. Wilkinsons (to my UK readers) sell sample pots of emulsion for a measely £1.10 which is exactly what I used to jazz up the frames as well as some wave painting. As you can see the surf art is really starting to come together. 

I've also been busily crafting shabby chic flowers which is an almost free way of creating table art, all you need is some scrap magazines and sticks! 

 A scene from Birmingham, this is near the Custard Factory which is a great hub for artists and vintage! 

Here's my shabby chic flower arrangement, I'll show you how to make these in a post shortly.

 Above and below are all my own creations I've been making over the last few months. The frames were salvaged from charity shops and spruced up with sample wall paint. Eventually they will hang in my seaside home a la surf wall! 

Point Break so bad its good right?! Love this find on Ebay, it will be framed to go along with my surf wall art project! 

The sunnies (please excuse the ridiculous face I was doing duck lips on purpose!) were 50p from a Christian charity shop. Again so bad they are good right?! Amazing how ghostly my self portrait function makes me look on my phone! 

     





































Until next time 

Stay strong and surf well
Love

Skateboarding is not suitable for children under 36 years of age.

    

I'm 25 years of age and I first learnt how to skateboard last year, in the skating world I may as well be 86. When I'm skateboarding, much like when I'm surfing, I couldn't give a rats ass about how I look or how old I am to be picking it up. Its something I envy Californians for, they seem unfazed about being a pensioner, owning a skateboard and knowing how to shred. 

Despite being 25 and Mr Sunny (the boyfriend), being 27 on Sunday afternoon, having watched me tootle about on my penny board, he bought a skateboard and we went to play in the park. His skateboard was terrible (the wheels barely revolved) but I could see that he was good. He'd learnt back when he was a kid in Nigeria, which is an unusual situation to say the least. I could tell from the smile spreading across his face that it was perhaps something he'd forgotten he liked and missed. 

Mr Sunny doesn't want to be featured on this blog, he has a corporate job which means a certain level of sensibleness - The photographer in me is stomping her feet however because I got some wonderful shots of him in black and white skateboarding. I did however get some atmospheric pics so here's a round up of our weekend playing! 

You see I wear the same clothes all the time! Can I skate in this...yes ok, I'll wear it then. 

Hopefully I won't get in trouble for this...I couldn't resist putting one photo up of Mr Sunny! I know he looks like he's standing still but the wheels on that skateboard were so rubbish that the man wouldn't pass a tortoise in a race. He did show off some neat little tricks though. 


 




































This photograph is one of my favorite photos I've ever taken. Not because its especially good or pretty but because of what it represents. This is Birmingham city my hometown and I took this two hours into a deep conversation with Mr Sunny, the kind of talk that makes you feel like you've found your kindred spirit. We'd spent hours and hours together already prior to this photograph, so it continues to amaze me that I never notice time when I'm with him, only that it never seems enough. 

I'm trying with all my might to embrace this feeling of bliss and not to let my fears of losing it spoil living in the present. 

So how are you my darling readers? How was your weekend? 

Stay strong, surf well 
Love

Parallels.

 

 

Above photo courtesy of Jemima Stubbs Photography. 

My life runs in parallels, one being the person I am in the Birmingham city and the other the surfer girl who lives and breathes Saltburn. I shared a wave with one of my best friends this weekend which has inspired contemplation upon parallels and how these two pieces of my life meld together. 

Whilst most of the UK was swamped by snow and rain I traveled with the Land Locked Surfers up to a relatively dry Saltburn. I hardly noticed the less than perfect conditions on Friday being that I was so happy just to be in the ocean at all (we ended up staying there five hours). 

It had been almost 2 months since my last surf.

Saturday we somehow dragged ourselves out of bed at 6.30am in the morning and were in surfing by 7.30am. Watching the sun rise over Saltburn cliff was a 'pinch me' moment, something which I'm unable to properly articulate, there are no words of photos which would do that sunrise justice. 

I've come home bone weary, full of cold but elated that I got to pursue my passion with wonderful, like minded individuals. I always come back a little out of sorts because these snippets of life in Saltburn remind me of the one I'm striving for. One of predawn surf sessions, walking a dog along the beach, warm locals and dear friends. The funny thing was no sooner had I gotten home I got messages from my best friend who said she felt exactly the same. Its the magic of Saltburn I guess, it seems to have this pull over us. 

You know me by now, I don't like to let things get me down for too long, I'm not looking upon Birmingham with disdain I'm seeing my hometown as a greenhouse, it's sheltered me and helped me grow but now it's time to get out and try finding some new soil. 

One day, in the not so distant future, I think Saltburn might become home. 

Fingers crossed. 

Until next time stay strong and surf well
Love

Lion Skateboarding.

I said to myself I wasn't going to blog too much around Christmas but then stuff started to happen which I'm dying to tell you guys about! 

My cousin Dekland had seen photos of me skating on my penny board so asked if he could get one for Christmas. He was lucky, he got a beautiful tie dye model which he wanted to show me. Thus I found myself playing outside in the winter sunshine, forgetting that I'm actually 25 and probably should be inside cleaning the dishes away with the adults. 

I started out the day trying to be glamorous this is how I looked: 

(Photos courtesy of my little sister Laura who manages to whip me into shape when it comes to posing properly)!

I swear this was a 'look at the camera Soph' instantaneous shot, its proof my sister is a great photographer as I certainly don't look like this very easily. She just told me what to do and voila I didn't look petrified in front of the lens! 

 

I like wearing clothes more than once this is why I'm recycling my sea leggings, I knew with a pair of heels and a smart jumper they could look snazzy! 

I'm like a drunk baby gazelle when wearing heels but Laura insisted taking photos maybe as proof that occasionally I do wear something other than skate shoes or going bare foot! 

Sorry this isn't supposed to be a shot of my boobs, I've included it because my hair is a rad colour that I've never seen before. Must be a combination of light and camera magic because it hasn't been dyed! 

 Well this look lasted all of about five minutes. I went to visit my family and quickly got bored tottering around in heels not really being able to do much. So I borrowed trainers off my sister's boyfriend Steve and then the fun began! 

Lion Skating (This is a reference to location). 

 

 

This is one of my favorite photos, its my little cousin Tiegan learning how to skate. She was an absolute natural and started picking it up real quick. She also took the majority of these photos she happens to be a really natural photographer, I am a very proud big cousin!

Happy Boxing Day!!! (Or the day after Christmas for anybody else who isn't British)! 

Until next time, 

Stay strong, surf well 

Love