Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties

My budding little empire!

I've wanted to start my own business for a very long time. I've had all sorts of ideas, but nothing has ever felt exactly right.

Until late last year, when I came up with the idea of a business which combines all of my favourite things, ideas and skills I've picked up over the years. 

I - of course - love vintage fashion and vintage style (I work freelance as a vintage stylist). I enjoy making things and getting creative. I am a qualified Holistic Massage Therapist. I love rummaging in charity shops, car boot sales and flea markets. I love delicious beauty products that make you feel fabulous. 

And parties. I really, really enjoy parties.

So when I added all of these ingredients together and added some sugar - Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties was born!

How does it work?

Well, I make a lot of lovely products - natural moisturising creams, lip balms and body scrubs that use only natural ingredients and make your skin glow. Delicious chocolatey treats. Jewellery made from vintage toys and game pieces. Vintage teacup candles using only Eco Soya wax and pure essential oils. 

Natural Moisturising Cream

Vintage Teacup Candles

Delicious Chocolate Treats

Jewellery made from vintage children's toys

I bring everything to your home or venue of your choice - for FREE! 

And then I spend the evening (or afternoon) pampering you and your guests with massage treatments and vintage styling - Bettie Bangs anyone? Or a Victory roll or two???

A gorgeous Rockabilly updo

Lovely Victory Rolls

Another glamorous and happy lady!

You and your guests get to look through my suitcase of goodies and buy some of the lovely products on offer. 

Table set up for a party - in your home or venue of your choice

And nothing at Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties costs more than £6.50! That includes styling and massage!

Kind to your skin, kind to the environment AND kind to your purse strings is how we roll at Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties!

My business is still very new and I'll be working on the promotional side over the next few months. I've been accepted as a trader at the UK's biggest Vintage Fair - Lou Lou's - so I'm looking forward to having a stall there and bringing Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties to the masses!

Until then I'm happily pampering, styling, crafting, rummaging for treasure and having parties!

Dolly Cupcake Vintage Parties is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

If you'd like to order any products/book a party or make an enquiry, please check out my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/dollycupcakevintageparties or email me at dollycupcakevintageparties@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks for reading :-)

Review - Bow Hoe Brighton

Handcrafted bows and accessories using vintage fabrics

I was really excited when this beautiful parcel arrived:

Bow Hoe Brighton sent me two of their gorgeous handmade bows to review. They were packaged beautifully with logos on the packaging and stickers and a cute pink badge too.

Bow Hoe Brighton make their bows and accessories from vintage and unusual fabrics. Each of their bows has a history which is something I love in my clothing and accessories and why I will always opt for vintage over new. Bow Hoe transform old unused dresses, curtains etc into something new and beautiful, whilst retaining the history of the garment. Each bow comes with a label telling you what it used to be.

They were much bigger than I expected! I thought they'd be around the size of the type of bows you see on hair clips but I got a pleasant surprise when I opened the package and saw that the bows were much bigger than that - definitely statement hair accessories!

The first one I wore was this lovely grey floral-patterned bow that was once a curtain! 

The pink and grey colour combination on this bow is beautiful and feminine. I'm wary with florals and don't often like flowery patterns, but I fell in love with this bow immediately and wore it right away. It's funny to think that years ago it was hanging up at a window!

The other bow in the package is this stunning nautical creation, made from a 1960's sundress and a vintage button. 

I love all things nautical so I had a little squeal when I found out that I was going to be reviewing this little number. 

I have lots of outfits that will be topped off beautifully by this amazingly eye-catching bow. And knowing that someone wore it as a dress in the 60's makes it even more special. This will look lovely with many of my Summer dresses, but for now it is creating a colour pop with my Hell Bunny Winter coat.

As you can see, it's a great big beauty so definitely a statement piece which will top off any hairdo nicely and make even really bad hair days (like the one I'm having here) pretty!

I am delighted with my beautiful bows from Bow Hoe Brighton (and I also LOVE that name!) 

Most of the bows range from only £4.00 to around £8.00 depending on the fabric, style and size (Bow Hoe do mini bows too).

I definitely recommend checking out their other stunning bows and accessories (they also make 90's scrunchies!) on their Facebook page and Etsy shop. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter too to get the first look at their new items.

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BowHoeBrighton?ref=l2-shop-info-name

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bow-Hoe-Brighton/1529041574004804

Instagram: bowhoebrighton

Twitter: @bowhoebrighton

Lots of love and bows,

Laura Dolly Cupcake xxx

Review - Little Miss Savage

Gorgeous retro inspired handmade bandanas and accessories

I was a very lucky blogger on the day that this pink and perfect little package arrived for me to review...

Little Miss Savage is a haven for gorgeous one-of-a-kind retro inspired pieces, all handmade by the creative and very talented Emily Savage, who sells them on Ebay and Etsy.

Emily makes bandanas in all sorts of gorgeous fabrics and she's also a polymer clay artist, sculpting beautiful details on cardigan clips, earrings and necklaces. Her bandanas are made to order with a choice of fabrics on both sides. She also makes personalized tattoo heart jewellery, make-up rolls and beautiful pinup girl brooches.

The first thing I tried on were these fabulous pink glitter stud earrings from The Retro Collection.

The photos don't do these earrings justice - they are so sparkly and the colour is a stunning deep pink.

They are chunky but not heavy - they are so light and comfortable to wear. I didn't have any earrings like this in my collection. They are so unique and eye-catching. Little Miss Savage sells these beauties for £7.99 a pair on Ebay, along with a huge variety of other shapes and colours. I have my eye on the pink square studs with the glittery stars, but there are soooo many beauties to choose from! 

Next, I wore the beautiful flamingo print bandana. The bandanas are Little Miss Savage's signature pieces and what Emily is most known for. There are around 30 main fabric choices and 20 reverse-side fabrics. There are three types of bandana style too - original, bow and skinny. Emily makes bandanas to order, so you can have fun choosing two pretty fabrics!

Mine has flamingos on one side and pink polkadots on the other (I adore polkadots). 

The bandana is beautifully made and very soft (some bandanas I have are quite stiff and uncomforatble to wear - not this one!) The flamingo print is bright and fun, while the polkadot side is more subtle - I like wearing the flamingo side and turning over some of the polkadot side to create a cute trim. Flamingo bandanas made to order with custom choice of reverse fabrics are £6.49 from Ebay or Etsy. 

I teamed mine with this cute sweater by Miss Fortune (can you tell I love pink?)

I think my favourite thing from the little box of goodies are these amazing flamingo cardigan clips.

This is the first pair of cardigan clips I've owned and I'm addicted! They are so pretty and well-made and make a nice change to my usual statement necklaces. 

The detail is gorgeous - knowing that Emily made them herself makes them all the more beautiful and unique. The quality is so good and they just look beautiful. I teamed them with this flamingo cardigan by Banned because there's no such thing as too many flamingos!

The flamingo cardigan clips are available from Little Miss Savage's Ebay shop for £6.49.

All three of my Little Miss Savage treats are stunning - beautifully made, extremely high quality, quirky and unique.

I think I've found my new favourite shop.... and I think it may soon be yours, too. 

www.littlemisssavage.co.uk

Facebook - Little Miss Savage

Instagram @littlemisssavage

Lots of love,

Laura Dolly Cupcake xxx

Homage to Hell Bunny

A little dedication of love to one of my favourite clothing brands

Hell Bunny is a UK brand specialising in vintage inspired 50s style clothing with an alternative twist. They release two seasons a year offering beautiful cardigans, skirts, corsets, shirts and many more gorgeous garments as well as the classic dresses that they are most famous for, created by their amazingly talented in-house designers. 

I first fell in love with Hell Bunny 6 or 7 years ago when I lived in London and spent an obscene amount of time shopping in Camden Town. 

Among the myriad of weird/colourful/wonderful shops on the High Street, I spotted a stunning white mini dress on display - it was patterned with purple unicorns and rainbows and I had to have it. Had to.

It had a little black collar, two cute black buttons on the front and detachable straps - quite frankly, it was the dress of my glitter encrusted dreams.

The first Hell Bunny dress I fell in love with - purple unicorns & rainbows!

I was gutted when they didn't have my size in stock but consoled myself with this - my first ever Hell Bunny dress.

My first Hell Bunny dress - the dress that changed my style

This cute black and red dotty dress was very similar in style to the unicorn dress. It had the little black collar, buttons down the front and was the same length and style, except this was a halterneck and had a black satin ribbon belt. They didn't have this in my size either, so I sized up - I wasn't leaving Camden without a Hell Bunny dress that day!

This was not only my first Hell Bunny dress - it was the first rockabilly/vintage/50s/pinup/fabulous dress that I ever bought. This dress changed my style completely. 

I've worn it hundreds of times and although it's past it's best as it's been worn and washed so often, it's still in my wardrobe and it comes out for a play every so often.

I did eventually get my unicorn dress thanks to Ebay - in two different styles. The one I'd lusted after in Camden and also in a t-shirt style with short sleeves and ties at the waist and back of the neck. 

These are vintage Hell Bunny and I haven't seen the t-shirt style in YEARS!

Vintage Hell Bunny! T-shirt style dress

As I love this style so much, I went on to buy another halterneck mini with the collar and buttons. They are so comfortable, even when heavily pregnant! No boring old maternity wear for me - I styled my bump in Hell Bunny!

Styling my baby bump in Hell Bunny

Stylish Hell Bunny baby bump

The next dress I bought in this style was the pink skull-print 'Perky'. 

This is the most detailed pattern on any dress I own - check out the skulls, eyeballs and bones!

'Perky'

This is my favourite Summer dress, usually paired with black cropped leggings, a bolero if it's cool and an ice cream cone.

The next Hell Bunny dress I got was in a completely different style - the purple tartan 'Zipper' dress. 

This was a Christmas present from my husband a few years ago. It's still one of my absolute favourites and continues to look amazing despite it being well worn and washed. This dress is just beautiful. The tartan fabric is thick and soft, making it a perfect Winter dress. It falls just above the knee, with a full skirt which looks fabulous with or without a petticoat. This was a halterneck dress but since I already have a few Hell Bunny halters, I altered the straps to make it a shoulder-strap dress. The rich purple colour is stunning and I love to wear it teamed with a black bolero or little black shrug. The two faux-pocket zips and full zip down the front gives the 'Zipper' dress its name - and also a bit of edge and just the right amount of cheekiness. 

'Zipper'

Another eye-popping dress is the stunning 'Skippy'. This won me 'Best Dressed' at Missy Malone's Burlesque Review, and it's no surprise - the detail on the Skippy is amazing. Black with white dots, a fitted corset-style top with red ribbons criss-crossing the back. Red buttons down the front  and a full, flouncy skirt with ribbons that act as drawstrings and can be pulled up to show as much leg as you dare! This is one of the most beautiful dresses I've worn. Photos don't do this dress justice. It fits as though molded to me and the way the skirt flares out at the bottom...wow! It's a dress that won't go unnoticed! Oh...and I actually bought this dress to wear to a wedding!

'Skippy'

Winning 'Best Dressed' thanks to Skippy!

Next, I treated myself to two Hell Bunny dresses that I'd had my eye on for a while - the elegant 'Gery' and the vibrant 'Perry'.

'Perry'

The Perry is in the same style as my early Hell Bunny dresses - a halterneck mini. This one is patterned with eyeballs! Again, I altered the straps, making holes in them and adding buttons to the back of the dress so that I can wear it with either shoulder straps or a halterneck. It fits beautifully and as expected is so comfortable to wear. 

The Gery was bought for a friend's wedding and I've worn it many times since. I always feel special wearing the Gery as it's so pretty and elegant. The dress is black with tiny pink polkadots and pink satin buttons all down the front. The shoulder straps have bows on them, as do the pockets and there is a waist tie that can also be tied in a big bow. This dress is knee-length and looks great without a petticoat but better with one for added oomph. I bought a Hell Bunny petticoat in black to wear underneath and of course it works perfectly with the Gery. The Gery comes in other colours (purple polkadots, blue polkadots and I think there's an all black version too). This is probably my favourite Hell Bunny dress, it's simply stunning. 

'Gery'

When Autumn came to a close I had a tough decision to make - which Hell Bunny coat would see me through the bitter Scottish Winter? I decided on the Mika in red, as it was so thick and cosy with lots of fake fur for added snuggliness!

'Mika'

This coat is amazing. It keeps me soooo warm and looks fabulous. You could honestly go out dressed in a bin bag, and with this coat over the top you'd still look fabulous! The hood has detachable ears (I prefer to wear mine without) and big pompoms on the hood's drawstrings. It's the best coat I've ever owned and I plan to wear it until it falls apart (which won't be happening any time soon, as the quality is so good). 

It has loads of detail - the toggles are the traditional style you'd find on duffle coats (think Paddington Bear!) There are three sets of toggles down the front of the coat attached to patent shiny black hearts on either side.The hood is trimmed with black fake fur as are the cuffs and there are two black fake fur pockets. The coat flares out at the bottom trimmed with more black fake fur, so you really get that cinched waist/kick flared skirt look - really it's like wearing a beautiful dress - as well as keeping you warm. 

I was in town before Christmas and when I got to the traffic lights, there was a girl next to me wearing the black and white version of this coat! 

As well as the dresses and the coat, I have a Hell Bunny corset that I picked up for a bargain price in Camden market and plan on wearing to my next Burlesque event. I also found this cute little tie-front checked shirt with a heart-shaped pocket when out charity shopping one day - amazing find! 

Not just dresses and coats!

Next on my Hell Bunny Wish List is the Sugar Skull wiggle dress - I would LOVE this! If/when I get it, I promise to review it!

My next Hell Bunny dress???

Hell Bunny don't have their own website, but you can buy from lots of fantastic alternative clothing websites such as  http://www.bluebanana.com/section.php/65/1/hell-bunny?a=lauwi , www.popsoda.co.uk , www.tigermilly.com and Ebay.

For more Hell Bunny photos check out my Instagram!

Laura Dolly Cupcake xxx

Writing Comedy

Melting Pot at The Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh

As well as being a vintage loving, pinup adoring wife, mother and cake enthusiast I am a comedy writer.

I have been writing short stories, long stories, poems, diaries, songs and scripts for many years. Some horrendously cringe-worthy, others not too bad...and some...well....quite good.

I should probably point out that I am also a published poet - I won a doll and had a heartfelt poem about my Uncle's puppy published in Twinkle comic circa 1987. Since then, I've written down everything from lists of who I hated at school (with illustrations) to horrible teenage poetry about why I was such an outsider and how no one understood me. 

Then, a few years later I decided to take it more seriously. 

I had two short plays performed at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre and when I heard the audience laugh along with my character's mishaps something fell into place. In 2012 I realised that comedy was what I enjoyed writing most. The more OTT, the more crazy and ridiculous the better. Which brought me to my monthly night stand at Edinburgh's top comedy club.

Melting Pot has been running at The Stand Comedy Club for years. It's a monthly sketch night where new (and established) writers submit sketches of around five minutes long on any subject (and I mean ANY) and a troupe of actors perform each sketch.

There are ten sketches performed during Melting Pot and at the end, the audience votes for their favourite. An extended version of the winning sketch is then performed the following month.

There are four actors each month, and around eight in total so there is a good chance that if you submit a sketch you will see it being performed by a few different people which brings a new perspective, changes the characters slightly and keeps things interesting.

Melting Pot is run by John MacIsaac who is also one of the actors, and the compere Susan Morrison whips the audience up into a frenzy with her madcap crude banter before the show even begins. 

My first submission to Melting Pot was in 2012. It was a sketch called Cut Price about a robbery in a hairdressers and the police intervewing the suspects and witnesses. The characters didn't speak English - they spoke broad Scottish - so one of my characters was an interpreter who translated the Scottish slang for the benefit of the police and the audience. 

Cut Price won Best Sketch of the month and then later went on to win Best Sketch of 2013. 

You can see Cut Price here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To3c2a6icOo

I have submitted seven sketches in total and I've won three times and also come runner up which is really encouraging for me since I did become very lazy about my writing and went through dry periods where pen just didn't touch paper at all.

My sketch The Trailer was a tongue-in-cheek film trailer also written in broad Scots, I also wrote Talent which focused on young Pinky Palmer, a talent show wannabe. Buddies for Old Biddies was about a patronising volunteer in a residential home who was scared off by a feisty old woman and Film Buffs featured a competition winner who won the chance to review films on TV - despite not having seen any of the films.

Name Dropping was my runner up and one of my favourites that I've written. This was shown twice at Melting Pot and received raucous cheers because it's rather crude! Two seemingly posh ladies having afternoon tea and trying to outdo each other by name dropping all the celebrities that they are friends with/have slept with. 'Noel Edmonds is my f*** buddy', anyone?

My other winning sketch is Babies. This sketch probably got the best response of all of them, the audience laughing and wincing in equal measures as one of the characters goes into labour on stage and her friend regales her with horror stories of death - and worse - in the delivery room.

You can see Babies here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OxP0Cmx7Zw

Melting Pot is such a gem of a show and has been invaluable to me for getting my work seen, performed and reviewed. 

That's why I am so sad that the January Melting Pot will be the last one.

It really will be a sad loss to new comedy writers like myself as well as the audiences who pack out the venue each month. 

But with the energy of Susan the compere, the genuine comedy talent of the actors and of course the weird and wonderful hilarious sketches, Melting Pot will definitely go out with a bang.

Laura Dolly Cupcake xxx