༺ A Royal Treasure Chest ༻

I have seen subscription boxes for food items, cute stuff, stationary, make-up; you name it ~ there’s probably a box out there for it! I always thought this was a lovely idea, I mean, who doesn’t like receiving parcels in your mail box ~ and even better, surprise parcels in your mail box once a month! *.⋆( ˘̴͈́ ॢ꒵ॢ ˘̴͈̀ )⋆.*

However, up until now I haven’t come across a vintage subscription box service, so I am really happy to introduce you to Royal Treasure Chest.

I found this small, family run business on Instagram ~ @royaltreasurechest ~ again {yes, okay ~ I’ll admit it… I AM addicted a wee bit Instagram obsessed….  :P}, and was instantly thrilled to see that finally my vintage subscription box dreams have been made into reality!

When we arranged to do a collaboration, I was so happy that I could experience the surprise mail first hand. You can see the contents of my lovely parcel in the pictures above ~ I received a lace fan, a stunning vintage deadstock floral head scarf {that is waterproof! How awesome!} and an amazing 1950’s double stranded pearl and crystal bead necklace.

These items where hand picked for me according to the three categories I choose when I signed up for the box {Jewellery, Ladies' Accessories, Curios & Knick-knacks}. I also had a pretty yellow tulip handkerchief included as a little extra gift, which I immediately placed in my handbag so I could admire it when I’m sobbing into it at the cinema… {ahaha… No, I’m not joking. I cry over movies. And books. And cute ads, and puppies and kittens and those silly Buzzfeed videos ~ and now I’m just embarrassing myself, aren’t I?  Ahem. Anyway, I always carry handkerchiefs in my purse.}

I also really enjoyed the little note that was included to tell me where these vintage treasures originated from ~ Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Denise and Royal had visited a home built in the mid 1800s, where four generations of doctors and their wives had lived. There was a whole attic full of treasures, some of which have found their way into a carefully packed box, across oceans and all the way to Australia!

Being fascinated with history as most collectors are, of course I absolutely love learning the stories of where and when the vintage was found. I think this short account of the items’ background really was the perfect touch to round out a delightful box of treasures.

And if you are interested in signing up for your own monthly box of vintage treasures from Royal Treasure Chest, I am so pleased to be able to offer you all a discount code! Enter “Lavender25” for 25% off your first two months of subscribing ~ can you say perfect Christmas present much?
☆(*ゝω・*）

I hope you enjoyed this peek at a my box ~ did you have a favourite item? I can’t decide between the deadstock scarf and the necklace… I really do need something to save my curls when it rains though, and now I have the perfect thing!

xox,

bonita

Disclosure | This post was created in collaboration with Royal Treasure Chest, and the items I have received were gifted to me, but all opinions expressed are my own.  (✿◠‿◠)

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Ballerina Knit Top | Old
Tulip Bouquet Brooch | c/o Erstwilder
50’s Double Strand Pearl & Crystal Bubble Necklace | c/o Royal Treasure Chest 
Spring Celebration Skirt | Me Made, 2016
Fair Pink Jeanine Sandal | B.A.I.T.

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༺ Teacup Chat with Chatterblossom ༻

The “Teacup Chat” series on Lavender & Twill is a short and sweet spot where we take a glimpse behind the scenes of a brand’s creative process. I am very inspired by all the creative talents I see finding a way to showcase their work. I think it’s fantastic to be able to pursue something you love, and have others love it too.

As we found out in the last post on Lavender & Twill, Chatterblossom is a lovely Etsy shop where Jamie hand crafts and sells stunning, one-of-a-kind floral hair pieces and fascinators using mainly reclaimed vintage millinery supply and trimmings.

So without further ado, let’s get to know some more about the artist we have featured here today!

 

Hello Jamie, and welcome to our teacup chat! Thank you for spending sometime with us today so we can get to know little more about you and your business. What first drew you into creating your hair flowers and fascinators?

About 5 years ago, I worked on a small organic farm where we grew vegetables and flowers and I fell in love with all things floral. I made the bouquets for our farmer’s market each week and loved seeing peoples’ faces when they decided to purchase a bouquet I’d made to decorate their home. Cut flowers are amazing, but also a luxury for most people. And we really relish in it when we can have something so fleetingly beautiful around us for even a few days.

When I moved to another home in another state, I missed working with flowers and I wanted a way to work with them again. My love of vintage and flowers intersected when I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. I found a swing dancing community here and many of them wear vintage or vintage inspired clothing and flowers in their hair, so I started making some hair clips to suit their/my needs.

Then I got a tip from a random stranger about a warehouse full of deadstock vintage flowers right in the heart of Raleigh! So I purchased as much as I could and my venture began in earnest!

Is it tricky to restore the vintage millinery flowers? Have you ever had any past the point of no return? What happened to/with them?

Most of the millinery flowers I find or purchase are new old stock or deadstock, which means they’ve never been used. Almost all of my flowers were found in their original boxes with tags, so they just need some freshening up (with steam and shaping, etc.).

I do sometimes purchase or find millinery flowers in worse condition, but I typically try to get pristine examples if possible.

The flowers that have seen better days I’ll usually use in conjunction with flowers in better condition as a cluster, so they get a second life but aren’t necessarily the star of the show. Or I’ll keep them for myself as I don’t typically mind flawed beauties. They’re just as pretty!

 

It’s been very interesting to find out more about your business, but we’d also love to know a little more about the creative mind behind these beautiful pieces. Every vintage lady I know seems to have their own unique style ~ if you were to describe your personal vintage look, how might you do that?

I think the best way to describe my personal style is “fluid” or “chameleon-esque”. I really enjoy trying to wear things that I’ve been personally told I can’t wear or that seem challenging to put together in a way that “works”.

I enjoy wearing hyper-feminine to androgynous to typically masculine looks. I love both light-filled, floral frills and dark, earthy subtleties and mixing them is even more fun. I don’t worry about “period appropriateness” or wearing only one era as a rule, etc. I love mixing and matching to produce something all my own.

What is the one vintage thing you can’t live without (red lipstick, novelty prints, hats, etc)?

This is a very tough question! Because I change my look so often, I want to say…my vintage 1950s butterfly bullet bra. Ha! It is a softer pointed shape and I have never found a more perfect bra. It suits nearly every outfit I wear it with and it makes me stand different in my clothes.

So I guess it is an unseen thing I can’t live without. I’m going to be one sad cookie when that bra dies.

And finally, what are three quirky things about you that not everyone might know about?

- My first job was as a roller-skating drive-in restaurant waitress and they only played music from the 1950s, so maybe the vintage vibe snuck in early.

- I’m extremely introverted but most people would never guess it because I’m a bit “chameleon-esque” in my personality as well and can morph to suit my situation when necessary.

- When I’m not in vintage attire, I’m typically in hole-y sweatpants and raggedy t-shirts.

Haha, I’m so with you on that last one Jamie! It’s nice to be comfortable if you are not dressed up. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of gal myself. ;)

Thank you to Jamie for sharing her time with us, it was wonderful to have the chance to learn more about her and her inspiring creative work! And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to check out Jamie on Instagram and Etsy. 

But wow… What a collection of flowers! I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes as much as I have. (❛▿❛✿)੭

 

xox,

bonita

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༺ Raspberry Romance & Birthday Blossoms ༻

It’s been a while since my birthday, but we had a lovely day out, and I had a very special blossom in my hair to celebrate!

On Instagram I have been following Jamie of Chatterblossom for quite a long time, admiring her gorgeous handmade hair flowers as well as her impeccable, elegant styling. Much to my joy we connected via email a little while ago, and I was excited to have the chance to work out a two-part feature with Chatterblossom to share on Lavender & Twill. Yay! So be on the look out for part two ~ coming soon!

Firstly though, isn’t this lovely vintage cabbage rose just the prettiest thing? You already know how I’m into anything floral, and I just adore the dainty effect this hair flower adds to my ensemble.

When I was browsing through the Chatterblossom Etsy shop it sooo was hard to know which flower to pick there are so many unique and gorgeous pieces! I also thought that Chatterblossom’s Flower of the Month Club sounds like the perfect Christmas present ~ wouldn’t it be such a fabulous surprise to receive a flower in the mail once a month! And that way you don’t have to agonise over picking just one… (•́⌄ - ́๑)

It was interesting to note that Jamie uses reclaimed vintage trims to create her one-of-kind pieces. I find it brings such a nice look to the finished clip, as there is just a certain style to original vintage that you really can’t replicate.

When my Raspberry Romance clip arrived I was super happy to find that this pretty rose not only filled a vacant gap in my hair flower collection {can you believe didn’t have any red flowers?}, it also happened to be the perfect match for my vintage Swirl dress.

My poor dress which is a bit worse for wear ~ yes, somebody hacked the hemline shorter at one point {whyyy….!  (TT ^ TT)}. It also has a few stains and holes, but it’s such a fun frock with the little red and white daisies embroidered on the bodice. I also have a thing for gathered necklines, so yep. She’s a beauty even if she’s a little wounded.

Then I had to wear my red Lola Von Rose purse to match all the red accents. It seems so strange to me how long I managed to live without a red handbag, and completely crazy now that I have one! I find that it gives me a totally different approach to the way that I accessorize, and it is a wonderful compliment the classic red lip and nail combination, so I am all about that! 

Now that I have shown you the details of this stunning, one-of-a-kind Chatterblossom flower, I want to share about a little feature I’m starting up on Lavender & Twill ~ Teacup Chats. Short, sweet and fun interviews with our brand owners!

As an artist and an aspiring entrepreneur, I am absolutely fascinated to learn about the workings of small businesses, and I thought that perhaps you might like to read about them too. With that in mind, in the the next post we will get to meet Jamie herself and find out a bit more about the creative process of Chatterblossom.  {*hint* Her flower collection is ah-mazing, and I was astonished to see it!  (○ _ ○)!}

xox,

bonita

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‘Raspberry Romance’ Hair Flower | c/o Chatterblossom
Flower Basket Vintage Brooch | Ooh La La!
Vintage 1950s Dainty Daisy Swirl Dress | Ooh La La!
Vintage Embroidery Lace Petticoat | Thrifted
Cherry Pop Box Bag | Lola Von Rose
Lace Daisy Ballet Flats | Target, Old

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