The Brocante Home Chronicles.

So What Are You Wearing?

This is my Seasonal Scrub Apron, fragranced with linden water and ready to go...

I've got mine. Have you got yours?

The Comfort Drawer

I always recommend that new members kick off the Puttering Programme with the creation of a Comfort Drawer, a delicious idea from Simple Abundance, mostly because, before we get down to the nitty gritty of housekeeping, I want you to create a special little place all of your own...

Sarah Ban Breathnach describes the Comfort Drawer as "all that is required for the spoiling and pampering of a world weary woman...", but to me it is more than that: to me it is a refuge from ugly days, a place where I store tiny little reminders of who I am and what I love, a private little space I retreat to when I've forgotten what really matters..

In Sarah's drawer we find, "a box of chocolate truffles, miniature fruit cordials and after dinner drinks, aromatherapy bath treatments, British decorating magazines, Bach's Rescue remedy, a velvet herbal sleeping pillow, a satin eye mask, rose scented bubble bath, of love letters tied with ribbon, a scrapbook of personal mementoes, a tin of biscuits and a gift sampler of unusual teas..."

And in mine, many of the things above, as well as favorite family photo's, my gratitude journal, photo's of myself on better days (to remind of how I can look...), Finleys hospital tags from when he was born, chocolate, oh and more chocolate, (tied up in ribbon, so I understand it is my emergency supply!), a treasured poetry book, Simple Abundance, face masks and deep conditioner (for extreme self care!), Elizabeth Ardens Eight Hour Cream, a hand written list of favorite quotes, my favorite novel, (The Lover's by Alice Fearney), a collection of reviving oils, my favorite lavender sleep balm, a few kind of miserable Cd's (you know the sort!) and an emergency tin of Green and Blacks Hot Chocolate Flakes...      

All of these scrumptious things are stored in a picnic basket lined with a Liberty Print fabric, and while Sarah suggests wrapping each item up so you feel as if you are opening a little collection of gifts to yourself- I go in and out of my basket so often, it just wouldn't be practical. Maybe I need comforting more than Sarah does!

What will you put in yours?

Originally posted on The HouseKeepers Gazette.

Polka Dotters A GoGo!

Housekeepers I am sorry ( but thrilled!) to announce that after allocating the last few places to all those planning to upgrade in the next quarter, there are currently no polka dot memberships available...

There will be more places available in the Autumn and I will auction any cancelled memberships on Ebay in the meantime...

Please email me if you would liketo have your name added to the polka dot waiting list.

As the notice in the sidebar suggests I will be offline for a week between the 3rd July and the the 11th July and when I come back I will be making a few changes: firstly so that the The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle is more affordable for you (monthly payments anyone?)  and secondly so that it is more manageable for me as the business gets bigger than I ever thought it would be and my committments continue to grow...

Till then lets get back to the business of making life lovely...

The Proper Pleasures...

Somebody asked me today, what The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle was all about and readers, as I stumbled through a rather long winded explanation, it struck me that I couldn't sum it up in more than, well about 3000 words: and then I remembered this article I wrote for The HouseKeepers Gazette and I realised that vintage housekeeping is simply about seeking the proper pleasures and that there is no lovelier occupation...

"  The Vintage HouseKeepers Gazette is our very own little world. A world where furniture doesn't come flat-packed, cakes are home- made,  and the only thing that matters at the end of a long day is falling into a cinnamon scented bath and washing our cares away..

I want to show you the way to a house thats as fresh as a daisy, comfort in a drawer stuffed full of scrumptious treats, and the creation of teeny tiny rituals that will make your heart clatter with joy, nurture your soul and act as a springboard for your children.

But first lets get a few things straight...

The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle is not about working yourself into the ground. It isn't about obsessive cleaning, dusting anything that sits still, or cleaning the loo at midnight. It isn't about lacing our shoes up before we have even got out of the bedroom in the morning, when we would rather sneak down in our nighties, before everybody else is awake and conjure up a coffee before we face the onslaught of the day...

• It is about creating routine but not letting routine rule our lives.
• It is about doing things the old fashioned way and embracing technology.
• It is about knowing when the mantlepiece needs polishing and when cuddling with your babba matters more.
• It is about making life lovely: creating a blank canvas for a prettier life.

I don't want housework to rule your life, but I want to show you how making a home, really making a home, with all the cooking, cleaning and organising that involves, will make a difference to your life. But if you are looking for a sure fire way to develop an OCD then you are in the wrong house..

So where to start? Well, I say with a new attitude.

Dear old Mrs Beeton, the worlds first Domestic Goddess, got it right when she said...

" As with the Commander of an Army, or the leader of any enterprise, so it is with the mistress of a house. Her spirit will be seen throughout the whole establishment..."

Now I am not suggesting you run your house like a military operation! Nor even that you think of your home as a business. You don't work in your house: it isn't a job, it is simply about making a nurturing space for your life. And nobody, not even Mrs Beeton, is suggesting that you have to become a slave to your mile long list of chores...

"..To be a good housewife does not necessarily imply an abandonment of proper pleasures or amusing recreation; and we think it the more necessary to express this, as the performance of the duties of a mistress may, to some minds perhaps seem to be incompatible with the enjoyment of life..."

I don't know about you but I am not giving up the "proper pleasures" for anyone! I am a hedonistic housewife, I want to have fun, to make jobs that should be dull or ugly, bearable, so that I can get them over and done with and get on with the lovely business of puttering, the teeny pleasures that make my house a home .

You know this is a journey without a destination. Six months from now you might pull the sofa away from the wall and find a whole warren of dust bunnies. Or you might not. Perhaps my teeny tiny riuals will give your days order and your fuzzy mind peace or perhaps they will not. But this I know for sure, for every day you choose to make your world a little bit prettier, somewhere deep inside you will feel better: happiness is made of a thousand tiny pleasures that often pass unnoticed... 

But this won't work if you are not willing to put yourself first: if you are not willing to carve out one hour of the day that is just for you...

So from today, think of yourself as Mistress of your house: seek order before beauty, and beauty before everything else. Seek proper pleasures..."

The Story So Far...

Once upon a time, there was a little woman in a little house with a little dream. And the dream came true... 

All of a sudden there was a thriving community of scrumptious girlies in Cath Kidston pinny's, puttering past themselves and making the world prettier one Brocante moment at a time...

The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle has, in a very short space of time, been a rather fabulous success. There are Polka Dot members across the world awaiting delivery of their first yummy little parcels, lots of Gingham members about to receive their first ribbon tied envelopes and a little collective of Chintz members already creating a prettier way of life on the puttering programme.   

I can't tell you what a privilege it is to be putting together envelopes filled with teeny tiny things I hope will brighten many a blue Monday morning: what a thrill it is to see something in an antique shop, that I know will make someone across the world smile: it is like christmas shopping everyday without the added pressure of long lost relatives and turkey!! I am having so much fun, and while only a few of my Circle HouseKeepers are chatting on the forum so far, what lovely, inspirational conversation we are having, and what an absolute joy it is to meet women who share my downright obsession with all things vintage and homely...   

But my favorite part of the circle? The HouseKeepers Gazette. Without wanting to blow my own trumpet-here is the blog I wish somebody else wrote: not because I don't adore writing it, I just kinda wish, that as a Domestic Goddess Wannabee, I could happen across something like it on the net and wait in anticipation for the next post. Over the past two weeks, we have met the Vintage Mommies and Mama Wiskas, re-defined ourselves as Modern Retro Housewives, baked Caraway Tea Bread with Agnes Jekyll, read other peoples shopping lists, made a Housewifes Friend, learnt how to clean with hot water and elbow grease, re-invented ourselves as the bombshells we used to be, created a comfort drawer, read our housekeeping horoscopes, wandered round my house and a whole lot more...

It's been everything I've dreamt of and so much more...

If you haven't signed up, you can try the Gazette and the puttering programme free for seven days by clicking the button on the right, you can join the chat on the forum whenever you want, or you could sign up to receive delicious, scrumptious vintage housekeeping parcels on BrocanteHome.Com... 

The HouseKeepers Gazette.

As a member of the Vintage HouseKeepers Circle, you will be granted exclusive access to THE HOUSEKEEPERS GAZETTE, a dream of a weblog dedicated to good old fashioned inspirational advice designed to help you create a prettier way of life...

The first Vintage Housework E-Mentoring scheme of its kind. The Wooden Spoon Club. The Dear Alice Problem Page. Vintage knitting patterns. HouseKeeping- Horoscopes. Agnes Jekyll. Inspirational and often hilarious advice from Vintage Magazines. Vintage Mommies Coffee Mornings. Letters and interviews with Vintage lifestyle experts. Mrs Beeton. Enquire Within. Shabby Chic. Recipes, old and new. Food the way Mother used to make it. Nana's Household tips. News from the Homefront. Vintage Decoration. Anna Neagle. Miss Manners and old fashioned etiquette. The Vintage Directory. The CountryWomans Diary. The Housewifes Comedy Club. Routines, Ritual and Vintage Celebrations!

Coming Soon. I Promise!!

Attention Vintage HomeMakers!

Dear Readers...

Welcome to The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle, the culmination of my dream to help Homemakers around the country create houses that authentically reflect who they are and the way they want to live...

As an interior decorator, I am inspired by anything worn fragile with time, items previously loved and the type of houses that remind me of my childhood. I want my tiny little cottage to truly reflect who I am, where I come from and who I want to be; to be a haven for my little boy and a nurturing space for myself and my partner. I want all of this and more, but as a modern, working Mommy, I do not want housework to take over my life and so I created a system for caring for my home and family that was neither time consuming, or perhaps more importantly, soul destroying.   

When my sister moved two hundred miles away, she started to bless my days with gorgeous hand tied letters, scrapbooks packed with advice and beautifully wrapped little care packages - treats she knew I would enjoy, and words of wisdom I will treasure forever. We spend hours on the phone, chatting, gossiping and giving each other advice, but it is the letters, postcards and tiny, thoughtful gifts she sends through the post that meant the most to me. Our houses brim with floral cushions, noisy children, and the sweet scent of vanilla, and we share a love of all things vintage.  Over time, we have battled through pregnancies, house moves and all manner of ups and downs, relying on each other for support and advice, words of cheer and when we get together, hugs, kisses and endless cups of tea.   

Not so long ago, a lovely brown paper wrapped parcel thudded through my door and with my little boy on my knee, and coffee brewing in my sweet smelling kitchen, I sat down to unwrap it. There inside was a card wishing me a “Happy Tuesday”,   a handful of vintage glass buttons and an article about antiquing my lovely sister thought I would enjoy -  little things, but on a mundane day little things that brought a smile to my face and cast a different light on the day ahead.

I sat and looked around at my lovely life and it suddenly struck me that I could bless the days of women across the country in exactly the same way. That I could teach them how to create rituals that will transform the way they care for their home, help them enjoy the peace that comes with living in a house that truly reflects the way they live, and bless their days with ribbon tied letters and unexpected gifts.

I want to be the Martha Stewart of reality. I want to create a community we will come to treasure, a place online that reflects who we are and what we love and shows us the way to a prettier way of life...

This then, is the BrocanteHome, Vintage HouseKeepers Circle...

Yours, With Love.

Alison xxx.

Coming Soon! Sign the Mailing List  Here!

Wanted!

OK, so I'm nearly there. The Vintage Housekeepers Circle is almost perfectly, yummily beautiful, the website, with the help of my lovely BrocanteHome Salon members, is close to being launched on an unsuspecting world, and The HouseKeepers Gazette is jam packed with all kinds of delicious treats. 

Now's the time to ask the universe for help...

Number One.

I need six lovely home-makers to join The Vintage HouseKeepers Wooden Spoon Club.  Wooden Spooners need a blog or site devoted to cooking and all things domestic, specialist interest in food, particularly, cosy, comforting recipes that would I suppose fall into the "baking" category, and a willingness to submit at least one new recipe per week and join in a fortnightly "Wooden Spoon" web-chat.

In return, the six Wooden Spooners will have their profiles posted permanently on BrocanteHome, links to all their sites prominently displayed and receive 12 months FREE Silver membership of The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle.

Simply send me an email, with a link to your site and I will be in touch.

Number Two.

I desperately need a banner for The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle.  I am disastrous with web graphics and all graphics programmes and find myself incapable of producing anything remotely pretty. I am particuarly interested in working with someone with an interest in all things vintage and that doesn't have to mean a professional graphic designer.

Again, anyone able to help will have their profiles posted permanently on BrocanteHome, links to all their sites prominently displayed and receive 12 months FREE Silver membership of The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle.

If you think you can help email me with some links to examples of your work and we will go from there.

Number Three.

I need three Vintage Mommies, just to be available for consultation and the occasional web chat. Applicants should be able to show evidence of a love of all things vintage, (preferably with a vintage lifestyle blog or store)   have young children and a house they adore!

Again, links to your sites will be prominently displayed and the Vintage Mommies will get 12 months FREE Bronze membership of The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle.

Further to these cries for help, if you are interested in hearing more about The Vintage HouseKeepers Circle, click here or send me an email and I will add your name to the mailing list.

BrocanteHome Members will receive a discount on membership of the circle, so join up here. It is free and one of the loveliest, new communities on the internet...

Thank you Universe!

 

The Vintage Housekeepers Circle...

When the BrocanteHome Website launches on January 31st you will have the opportunity to become a member of the Vintage Housekeepers Circle.  Depending on which membership level you choose,  I will show you how to create the home of your dreams by creating ritual, embracing authenticity,  seeking simplicity and celebrating life!

As a member of the circle, you will...

• Create domestic bliss with our Vintage Housework rituals.
• Find time for the gentle art of puttering.
• Escape from chaos and learn how the Brocante Home-Makers Planner can change your life.
• Understand the peace of ritual and the blessing of a home that is truly authentically yours.
• Learn how to infuse your day with tiny joys and make your home sing with soul, history and happiness.
• Take delivery of beautiful hand tied letters and vintage care packages sent with love from BrocanteHome.

With limited membership, places in the circle will be issued on a first come first served basis, so join the mailing list now. 

In the next few weeks I will be unveiling more details about The Vintage Housekeepers Circle, as well a whole host of new services from BrocanteHome, designed to create a lovely community I hope you will come to treasure.

Support Honeypot, the childrens charity here.