The biggest and best vintage fashion fair is this Sunday at the Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire. Doors open at 12pm, be there early to avoid the crowds and to find the best pieces first. Here’s a recap of the event.

I may be pushing it, but I’m bringing the little man with me decked out in vintage…including these rad kicks.

I am in desperate need of new make up, but as a new mom on unpaid maternity leave, I’m dead broke so it was great to get the expert thumbs up on Rimmel products by Boylan. I love the look he created for the stunning model and may even try the green shadow on my eyes. Here’s some pics from the party (via the Rimmel Ireland Facebook page)

Fellow new momma and me. I love her lip colour!

Boylan making magic

The gorgeous result. Who knew budget beauty could looks so good?

Rimmel is available pretty much everywhere and now in A|Wear Henry Street too! While you’re there stocking up on lippy, check out the pretty frocks in the Closet. My friend and I were making a mental shopping list for our next night out without the babes.

Yesterday I had my first proper facial and I now realise the error of my ways. Facials are vitally important and should be as essential as going to the dentist and optomitrist. My skin was desperate. After 7 months of general neglect as a busy mom and with the baby taking all my nutrients from pregnancy and breastfeeding, I’d lost the glow. But thanks to the sublime Dermalogica facial and the deft hands of Niahm, I now have the face of a 25 year old me.

I seriously cannot stop touching my face. It is so soft and smooth and, this is embarrassing, I thought I had freckles. But no! They were blackheads. Yuck! Now all gone. I’m hooked and am now going to add regular facials to my life, along with the Dermalogica products. Thanks to the gals at Beaut.ie, I learned you can get the products cheap and delivered to your door on Adonis Grooming.

Here’s my quick review of last year’s event and here’s what I wore.

You can find out more at VintageIreland.eu and here’s what the folks at Vintage Ireland have to say about the event.

The fashion renaissance continues into 2011 with the return of the Vintage Fashion and Decor Fair to the Royal Marine Hotel on Sunday 17th April.

The enthusiasm for vintage shows no sign of abating, and fashion on sale at the Vintage Fair ticks all the important boxes for today’s savvy shopper: ethical, eco-friendly, good value fashion, and with Ireland’s best vintage sellers all conveniently gathered under one roof.

A veritable one-stop vintage supermarket, the Dublin Vintage Fair covers all areas of 20th century fashion, from clothing to jewellery, hats, handbags, shoes and accessories, even including vintage powder compacts, scent bottles, sewing patterns and fashion prints, along with unique 20th century decorator items and homewares. The event runs from 11am till 6pm.

We were married and lived in Boston for several years, so Make Way for Ducklings was a very special find (it’s about a group of wayward ducklings in Boston and there are statues of the little birds in Boston Common). The other book, Corduroy was one of my childhood favorites! Both books are in excellent condition.

I have wanted kitchen scales since we got married and I inherited all of the hubby’s metric recipe books. They always seem way too expensive or not right for our kitchen. These were perfect! The right color, the right size and in perfect working condition. To the owner, they have gone to a good home and will be used to bake this week!

Black and white vintage frocks for spring. Both are cute with DIY potential. The black dress could use a little embellishing and sprucing up, maybe a shorter hem. The white dress doesn’t quite fit (but it will!) and has a hole that needs mending, but it is my new project. It is going to look amazing with my gold obi belt and leopard heels.

@32WeeksΞ It can be difficult to balance work appropriate, weather appropriate and bump appropriate wear once you hit the 3rd trimester–especially in the summer. The pencil skirt and blue top have been great investments. They both have adjustments to suit your bump so that your wardrobe can grow along with you. That’s really the key to maternity dressing.

Also important–accessories and making the most of your silhouette. Although this top has a thin blue tie, I wanted to make sure that what’s left of my waist stands out. I added the sash to break up the blue and keep it looking sleek, not tentlike. But I’ll be honest, everything really revolves around these fantastic earrings from A Box for My Treasure. I picked them up a few months ago at the Crafty Market have worn them tons. I love the blue windmill print (just like my toile curtains). They really pop against my dark hair and I always get compliments when I wear them!

You may have noticed that I’m exclusively wearing leggings these days. I stopped wearing maternity tights a while ago because they were too uncomfortable and hot. Leggings can get a little hot when it’s roasting, but I’ve noticed that my legs tend to have less swelling and aches when I wear them. Nothing scientific about my research, but well worth a try if you’re struggling in the (lovely) summer heat.

PS: The lovely, lovely jewels from a Box for My Treasure can be found at markets around Dublin or on Etsy!

♥ Genuine chocolate leather satchel in perfect condition €5 ♥ Airplane silk scarf €5 ♥ Vintage 1970s avacado green beaded necklace €4♥ 1980s Moscow Olypics pin (gift from my hubby, and affordable too at €3) ♥

♥ For the baby: Set of 1960s story books including Dick Whittington and his Cat and Beauty and the Beast (where the Beast is a monkey) all for €5 ♥

♥ For the Baby: Dino Records T-Rex Clock €12 ♥

The summer is a perfect time for Dublin Flea. Don’t you dare miss it, especially if the weather is nice! Dublin Flea is the last Sunday of every month at Newmarket. www.DublinFlea.ie

Last Saturdays – Airfield Bazaar (Dundrum)

Last Sundays — Dublin Flea (Newmarket)

(Thanks to Retrorumage for the tip on Airfield. Check out the blog & shop for some amazing furniture)

Yesterday I headed to lovely Dun Laoghaire for the Vintage Ireland Fashion and Decor Fair. It was amazing. Choc full o’  vintage dealers and collectors from Ireland and Europe. The folks at Vintage Ireland organised a great event with competitions, fashion shows, lindy hop demos, makeovers and a ball to top it all off. I only wish I could have stayed longer to soak up the atmosphere even more.

It was almost overwhelmingly lovely. Luckily for my wallet, I’m now getting to the rapid growth stage of my pregnancy so I couldn’t take advantage of all the wonderful dresses that filled the hotel ballroom. It was like visiting a museum of pretty things, with something to interest anyone–from 60’s cocktail dresses to cat-eye glasses. I actually liked all the odds and ends like old suitcases, porcelain pandas and record collections (I scored a few great pieces for my vinyl collection–a gift for the little-guy-to-be).

The next Vintage Ireland Fashion & Decor Fair is in Galway on July 18. Don’t miss it!

Follow the frocks and fashion on @VintageIreland

More info here