The UK online Vintage shop, MyVintage, has two promos going on.

• First, they are giving away a free gift with every purchase. Gifts are worth £15-£30 and include scarves, handbags, jewellery, ties, belts and much much more!.

• Second, make your purchase before February 28th and you have a chance to win one of five copies of Isabel Wolff’s book, A Vintage Affair.

Stepford Wives (1975)

There’s a revealing article in today’s Daily Mail about Sir Bernard Ashley, co-founder of Laura Ashley, who died this week at 82.  My one and only Laura Ashley purchase was a long green print cotton skirt purchased in London in the late 70’s from a Laura Ashley store near Hampstead Heath, but I never fell in love with her high-necked Victorian style dresses which always seemed a bit to prissy and puritan to me. It all makes sense to me now when I read that Laura Ashley may have been an original Stepford Wife, a doormat for her husband and business partner.

What a sad life for her family…

Daughter Jane has said that there were times when her mother was often stressed ‘to the point of despair’.

When the children David, Jane, Emma and Nick were small they went to bed at 4.30pm in both summer and winter so their mother could get on with her work uninterrupted.

Only when David, the oldest, was able to tell the time did he realise it was not night. But rebellion was not an option, as he jokily observed later, ‘when you had a father like mine’.

read more: The Monster of Chintz (Daily Mail)

beautifulbridget :: skinny spring scarf

If i keep finding these beautiful scarves, I may just find myself going out on a shopping spree for crochet hooks and yarn. With so many other projects in the works right now, that’s exactly what I don’t need. This one-of-a-kind soft fuzzy scarf is made of an acrylic blend yarn in shades of blue, brown, teal, purple, camel, beige and cream. Yummy! Beautifulbridget blogs here and sells here.

Lorimarsha :: recycled scarves

I’ve been wearing colorful scarves all winter. It seems as long as my neck is warm, I’m comfortable. Lorimarsha has just added these new warm-and-fuzzies to the lorimarsha shop at Etsy. As with all of her creations, the colors will brighten any gray February day. And, by the way, if you’ve ever doubted your personal sense of style, be sure to read this. Hats off to Doretta of Bettina and her “new rules for dressing” and to Lorimarsha for the post.

Beetnik Aesthetics :: Skyline Belt

Loren has added these nifty skyline belts to his t-shirt collection over at Beetnik Aesthetics. You can snag one for only $14. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing Beetnik around for a while. Loren (who just turned 20) is off to a great start with marketing…and I love his logo!

ForMathilda :: Fascinator

Fascinators seem to be everywhere these days. Most seem to be made of feathers, lace and flowers… but Burdastyle has a fascinator-how-to that can be customized to fit your fancy. ForMathilda has several for sale at her Etsy Shop including a few that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day. The one above is made of leather animal print on the outside and black wool on the inside. Fastens with a hair clip.

Dahlia Navy Military Mac

Can’t get to Portobello Market?  There’s a terrific online alternative at Pret A Portobello

With pret a portobello, you don’t have to brave the crowds or the bad weather, or worry about stock availability. You can now have direct access to the great new design talent and quirky fashions available in Portobello Market…all from the comfort of your own home or office.

Fed up with the “samey” fashion from high street stores? Come and browse our virtual market stalls and you’ll find distinctive, cutting edge clothing and accessories at affordable prices. We have chosen the best stalls at Portobello market and created virtual stalls for you to browse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

But what if you want to haggle? Don’t worry, pret a portobello lets you do that too…just visit our Let’s Trade section and you can barter with our online market trader to grab yourself a real bargain.

I think my favorite “market stall” is the Dahlia shop. The military mac shown above is going quickly. It’s 100% cotton with striped lining. Wouldn’t it be perfect for the Spring?