HAPPY NEW YEAR! A look back at 2011

2011 has been a busy, busy year for us. So before I get to trying to choose my outfit for tonight (decisions, decisions!) I thought I would have a little reminisce about the adventures, challenges and good times of the last 12 months...

This year we have done more travelling than ever before. We used to do one or two vintage fairs a month, and usually not travel too far from our Birmingham base, but this year we have been all over, calling in at Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Macclesfield, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Shoreditch, Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Stratford Upon Avon, Stoke On Trent, Torquay and Winchester.

Me looking cheery in Bristol

A trip down the pier in Brighton

Beautiful Leicester Cathedral

Crazy crowds at Harborne Carnival

When the morris dancers joined us at The Prince Of Wales, Moseley

Anna Fur Laxis at Ruby Slipper's Retro Romp, Torquay

We also hit the festivals full force this year, taking in Friends of Mine Festival, Beach Break Live, Hop Farm and Strawberry Fields Festival. Camping is still not my favourite thing, but there were good times a-plenty!

Bargains-a-plenty at Friends of Mine festival

It's a big yes to Beach Break Live

Prince performing at Hop Farm Festival

The most glamourous place to be at Strawberry Fields Festival

We finished up the year at Clothes Show Live, the biggest event we have done yet! It was exhausting and exhilarating in equal measure and we were definately in need of a rest by the time Christmas came around! Here is a picture the photographer Jemma Dodd took of our stand...

So that's been our year. Of course the real stars of the show have been you, the customers who have met us along the way and picked up some vintage goodies. We have seen so many great items of clothing pass through our doors this year and make their way on to a new home. Here are some of our favourites (well ones that I could find on my computer!)...

As well as our eBay shop and website, we started selling on ASOS Marketplace this year, so our fab model Aly came to work her magic. We're hoping to do a lot more of this in the new year!

And finally, we worked with some amazing photographers, models and make up artists on some photoshoots. Here are a couple of my favourites...

So all that is left to say now is a big thank you to everyone that has helped make 2011 such a great year for us. We'd be nothing without all the people who host fairs, come and shop, buy from us online, read our blog,  like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and generally keep us going on this road. We have big plans for 2012 - we're turning 5! So watch this space for all the new developments. We hope you all have a super duper New Year and wish that 2012 is everything you hope it will be! Happy New Year xxx

Minimum Mouse at Clothes Show Live 2011

Our stand - it wasn't this quiet very often!

We're just recovering from one of the busiest weeks of our lives - Clothes Show Live 2011! This fashion behemoth sets up camp once a year at the NEC in Birmingham (which conveniently happens to be just down the road from our house) so this year we decided to take a chance and be a part of it. Our little stall was part of the Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair area which, though I am biased, was one of the best areas of the show - full of unique treats and with a more laid back and less corporate vibe than some of the areas.

Vintage Jewels

More of Anita's Vintage Fair

It was a long 6 days - with screaming girls, pumping beats and bargain hungry shoppers everywhere, we were tucked up in bed by 10pm most nights! Not being a viewer of Hollyoaks or TOWIE I was quite amused by the regular stampedes of girls chasing after people from these shows, but I was more appreciative of the free Haagen Dazs and Diet Coke being handed about from time to time! It was interesting too, as the people who came to shop at our stand were often not our usual market and hadn't really shopped for vintage before - we had many questions like 'have you got this in another size?' or 'have you got more of these?' and some interesting comments from people who struggled to understand that the clothes had been worn before, but for the most part the people we met were enthusiastic and friendly, and it was quite exciting to see people taking their first steps into vintage fashion.

Our neighbours were the superb Le Keux Events & The Vintage Salon, who were offering vintage hairstyling and makeovers, and were also doing demonstrations about vintage hair on the Inspiration Stage. See below for a picture of my sister Elise, who came along to help us out on some of the days, having had her hair and make up done and looking very glamorous.

Also next to us were the lovely folks from Vintage Life Magazine, Trunk Junkies Vintage, Kate and Aud, Love The Baroness, Your Vintage Life and Borderline Vintage and over in the purple zone were our friends from Syd & Mallory - you need to check all these folks out, they're amaazing!

All in all it was a rollercoaster week, but an amazing experience!