Another week, another coffee shop – this time with a cappuccino in hand. Oh, and I couldn’t resist including a photo of Honey napping away. She blends perfectly with the autumn leaves now, like a little needle in a haystack! In the summer, she was so easy to spot outside, but now? She’s hidden in the season’s colours. Autumn has a way of transforming everything, doesn’t it? When the weather’s good, it’s absolutely glorious. But when it’s not… well, it can feel so rotten! Thursday was one of those glorious days and I spent most of the day indoors taking photos of vintage, because when the sun is out – that’s a photography day. In the low sunlight months it gets more difficult to take photos of items from the shop. Sunlight is my favourite lighting, artificial lighting just doesn’t seem to do the items justice.

Each autumn, I find myself slipping into styles from the 1930s and the early 1970s. It’s like these decades just call to me this time of year. Right now. My current obsession is with 1930s and early 1970s jumpers. I’m quite lucky as my skin doesn’t freak out when I wear wool, so I get to enjoy wearing these beautiful vintage pieces instead of just admiring them from afar. My collection is small for now, but I’m on a serious hunt to expand it.

Speaking of expanding, I ventured into new territory this week – my first ever live in person auction. It was a proper auction, with people with paddles bidding against one another. I’ve been to vintage fairs and markets before, but this was a whole new world. First impression? It was very cold. If you’re planning on going to an auction, my advice is to wrap up warm and bring a hot drink – trust me, you’ll thank me later.

There were so many people that it was impossible to get a good look at the items up for auction. I mean really impossible. There were around 600 lots crammed into every corner, even hiding under tables and behind other items. I learned pretty quickly that it’s a good idea to take advantage of the open viewing days they offer beforehand. That way there is time to thoroughly inspect everything without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Especially as I was dealing with home-ware from house clearances. When it comes to vintage clothes, I have such a good idea about what I want in the shop that I am pretty quick and decisive, but with these items I was a little overwhelmed at times.

While I didn’t bid on anything this time, as I was mostly there for the experience –I left feeling a bit more prepared for the next time, and there will be a next time. Maybe this time, I’ll come home with some treasures. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes and any new tips I pick up along the way.

Until next time, Collette x