Able Mabel Archives - She and Hem

Head2Toe Bedminster Project

Posted on 29 June, 2019 by She and Hem — No Comments ↓

We were recently invited by Bedminster BID to come and spend some quality shopping time in good ol’ Bemmie as part of their #Head2Toe challenge, which celebrates all things thrifty. As a couple of potential future Bargain Hunt contestants, we are always very happy to rummage for hidden treasures which is fortunate as Bedminster is a haven of quirky second hand shops, cool vintage shops, and of course, your humble charity shops. We jumped at the chance to spend some time in an area of Bristol that we don’t often get to explore, especially when set the challenge of pulling together an outfit each.

We waved farewell to our toddlers at Windmill City Farm (we didn’t leave them to their own devices, the Dads were there too) and set off with our money bags to North St, West St and East St.

As vintage lovers, we headed straight to two favourites on North St, Rhubard Jumble and Patina Vintage (conveniently they are pretty much opposite each other). They are both such lovely shops and we spent a very long time admiring their wares and trying on all sorts of wonderful things. We even spotted some Able Mabel headbands in Rhubarb Jumble, a place where we both found success! Victoria left with with an exceptionally jazzy animal print shirt, whereas I found the perfect pink jumpsuit!

We then hit A LOT of charity shops which was excellent fun. We naturally got sidetracked by all the fun toys and books for the girls but we also had a lot of success in the clothes department too. We both hit the jackpot in St Peter’s Hospice where Victoria found the perfect pair of M&S trousers, to go with her funky shirt, for the princely sum of £5.99! I (Jo) was on a complete roll and managed to bag an entire second outfit for £5.98. The poppy print dress and red belt go perfectly together and yes I am aware how smug I look about it! I must say, as a pregnant lady, I find charity & vintage shopping especially rewarding. It’s really hard when most of your wardrobe doesn’t fit anymore but nobody wants to spend a fortune on clothes that they might not want to wear post baby!

So, what do you think? Did we do well with our outfits?

J&Vx

This post was written in collaboration with Bedminster BID, who kindly paid for our new outfits.

Able Mabel Headbands

Posted on 17 April, 2019 by She and Hem — No Comments ↓

Able Mabel styling one of my bridesmaids.

If you are not local to Bristol, you may not have heard of Able Mabel, also known as Emily. We first met way back in 2014 when we did this awesome shoot at Heartfelt Vintage, and then again, when she was my (Victoria) hair stylist for my wedding in 2015! I wish she could style my hair everyday. Emily is one of those annoyingly clever people who can do everything. Not only does she do bridal hair and make up and runs kids and hen parties, but she also creates incredible bespoke headpieces including hats and headbands! When we first saw a glimpse of her gorgeous handbands on Instagram, we both thought how ‘She and Hem’ they were, as they are so quirky and colourful. So we were thrilled when Emily got in touch to ask if we’d like to pick some to style. Heck yes.

Aren’t they lovely? Our little ladies also got in on the action and don’t they look adorable? They are two seriously stylish toddlers. Neither of the girls have ever kept a headband on for as long as these. Ok, so we may have bribed them a teeny bit with some chocolate treats, but they both seemed to forget they were wearing them after a little while. Hair play girls, hair play.

Able Mable announced yesterday that her Liberty print children’s headbands, like the ones the girls are wearing, are going to be available on Bob and Blossom very soon – so keep your eyes peeled for that! If you’re in Bristol, you can pick up a headband at either Heartfelt Vintage or Rhubarb Jumble.

V&J

Headbands kindly gifted

A Heartfelt blog post

Posted on 17 December, 2014 by She and Hem — 4 Comments ↓

Today we are going to share with you a true Bristol hidden gem in the shape of Heartfelt Vintage. This beautiful boutique and cafe very often feels like a local best kept secret due to the fact it is neatly nestled away on Alma Vale road in Clifton, just off the beaten track and the hustle and bustle of Whiteladies Road. If you haven’t been before, it’s a truly unique and beautiful space at which we have both been guilty of playing dress-up on more than one occasion!

It was recently taken over by a new owner, the lovely Kate, who clearly has a fantastic passion for vintage fashion and also for providing customers with an experience as well as a service. She kindly invited us to attend a Making and Makeover day, which marks a new direction for Heartfelt as she looks to put on more events.

she and hem | heartfelt vintage

On arrival we were invited to take a look around the store and to start putting together an outfit to be styled later in the day. As we were first to arrive, we got straight to work looking through the many stunning pieces on offer. Kate has curated a wonderful collection of vintage and vintage inspired pieces and we were truly spoiled for choice! Everything is so pretty and we created a bit of a fashion storm in the changing rooms!

she and hem | heartfelt vintage

After we had chosen our outfits we were introduced to Able Mabel, who gave us a masterclass in how to make the perfect 1950s style fascinator. She had laid out all the pretty bits and bobs we needed and talked us through the process. Neither of us are particularly crafty but actually found this to be really good fun and are both pleasantly surprised with our handiwork (the blue and red efforts above). It was rather lovely all sitting around the table together and sewing, whilst drinking bubbly darling, and proved the perfect task to complete whilst having a good old natter.

she and hem | heartfelt vintage

After all that hard work it was time to reward ourselves with a spot of yummy lunch from the Heartfelt menu. They make most of their food from scratch which really adds to the homely comforting vibe of the store and, we can now confirm, is delicious. Once we had been suitably fed and watered it was time for Able Mabel (a woman of many talents!) to transform our tresses and for makeup artist Evie Smith to work her magic on our sleepy Sunday faces! We were then given our styled looks to put on and, with that, we were transformed!

she and hem | heartfelt she and hem | heartfelt vintage

And, as you hopefully agree, it was quite the makeover indeed! We LOVED our new vintage looks and giggled a lot at how doll-like we suddenly appeared! We would definitely like a team of people to get us ready every day! After recovering from the shock of seeing ourselves so glam, we went for a fashion shoot with photographer Su Barclay. Su is so lovely and really put us at ease with her directions and enthusiasm. We can be very awkward indeed when we aren’t in control of the camera so it was nice to have someone so supportive behind the lens! She took some fab shots too, so thank you Su!

All in all, it was a brilliant day and hopefully the first of many great events at Heartfelt. Thank you ever so much for inviting us over Kate and to everyone else there that day for making it such a success!

J&V