Christmas Late Night Opening

On the 17th of December, I will be holding our christmas late night opening!

A time to enjoy a drink and a cheeky mince pie, to meet with friends, to buy yourself a Christmas outfit or just a well deserved treat!

It will be from 6pm ,but as usual, I will be there all day!

Please come along, with friends or family.

You are all welcome!

Love
Becky

A Very Merry Heartfelt Christmas!

That special time of year has come around again, it has gone so quickly and to think that at the end of January we would have been open a year!!! Wowsa!

What a success! For me it has been a blast and I am so very grateful to be a part of this wonderful creation, I have learnt so much, met so many lovely people and made some fantastic friends!

I want to take this time to thank everyone who have supported us this year, we are so very grateful and appreciate every bit of generosity and friendship.

We hope that everyone has a fantabulous Christmas, over indulge! I will, and then worry about the few extra pounds later, thats what New Years resolutions are for!

As its Christmas, opening hours will change....

Wednesday 22nd December - 10am - 3pm


Thursday 23rd December - 10am - 5pm


Friday 24th December ( xmas eve) - 10am - 6.30pm

Christmas Day - CLOSED

Boxing Day - CLOSED

Monday 27th December - CLOSED

Tuesday 28th December - CLOSED

Wednesday 29th December - 10am - 3pm

Thursday 30th December - 10am - 3pm

New Years Eve - 10am - 3pm

New Years Day - CLOSED


Normal hours resume.

Vintage Wedding Shoot

Hey guys,

Sorry its been a while, much to tell you!

Back in September, the Heartfelt team decided to do another photo shoot with the great Martin Hill! Vintage Weddings was the theme, and Mandy wanted to do a different take to what the average bride might want to look like on her special day!

I have managed to get hold of some of the shots from that day!

Similar to the shoot back in February on the trainlines at Crowcombe Heathfield, we decided to use the same models, Kate and Annabelle Hinckley and of course the amateur in the team, me. Having done this before we are always very aware of the demands and effects of volunterring ourselves to model but as usual you can always guarantee that its going to be an amazing experience and you get dolled up!

We needed the right setting and for us it was Chapel Cleeve, an old hotel, very famous in this area. It is owned by Jeannie Wilkins, such a lovely lady who made us feel very welcome. The building is outstanding and so traditional, it was amazing to see the inside and all the paintings and furniture that she had on display.

Although it was September, typically for us it was freezing, but when you have to produce shots, you have to suck it! As for me too, heels are not my forte and by the end of the morning my feet were literally killing me. As ever though Kate and Annabelle were amazing, they are always the professionals, and always make me feel confident too.

Mandy didn't want to dress us in the traditional white gowns, she wanted to do things in her own quirky way, which is always exciting! The dresses that we got to wear were from our shop and they were gorgeous, you simply cannot imitate these pieces, they are unique, and each have their own story to tell, they have stood the test of time!

With the help from our team, we were once again able to transform ourselves and look the part! Bella Hodge, the master of make up artists, created beauty. Susie Logan with her floral designs produced some beautiful bouquets for us to hold and Susan Hinckley, the ever amazing wonderwoman who always gives us her support and love.

It was a fantastic day and have a look at the shots!

Winter Warmers

With the competition and fashion show that we had organised it was undeniable that Mandy had to bring dear old Mollie over, her collection was divine and definately couldn't be shipped over by plane. The journey was certainly a long one but was sure another opportunity to bring over a selection of new clothes from ZOUM in France and some Vintage items too.



Whenever Mandy comes over its always exciting, a great chance to try on what goodies that she has brought over with her! Very tempting!!



The shop is now fully stocked again, as always though!! Full to the brim with Winter warmers.



Come over for a brew, the kettle is always on!



Love

Becky

WWW

We've decided to go for it.



ONLINE is the way up!!



Whenever customers come in from afar, one thing they always ask us is whether we are on the internet and we say unfortunately we aren't but now we have decided to bite the bullet and go for it, so watch this space!!



With Fran, Mandys niece on board we are well on the way to establishing ourselves in the virtual world.



In the new year we should be up and running. Fingers crossed!!

20th of November!

Hi guys,

On the 20th of November I am holding an evening opening in the shop! A chance for friends to get together with a glass of bubbles and browse to your hearts content.

Sometimes our lives can become really hectic and retail therapy for me is always the best remedy.

I know its a Saturday evening and your probably usually glued to the telly with Strictly and X Factor on the go but please press record and come on down!

It will be from 6pm onwards, bring a friend too.

You can't g wrong with 15% DISCOUNT either!!!!

Muchos Love

Becky
xxxx

Aaaarrrgghh Crikey!!

Its been too long guys!! I'm so sorry.

Much to tell you all.

Of course you will all remember the competition that we held this year to find "Somersets Young Fashion Designer Of The Year 2010"....its now over.

Everybodys hard work and dedication paid off and we ended it all on a high on the 23rd of October at the lovely Regal Theatre in Minehead.

The week running up to the competition was hectic, me and Mandy were actually drowning in a sea of to-do lists, there were moments of complete and utter chaos and times where we thought the jobs would never get done, but with a great team of friends, we got there.

With 16 contestants through to the final, there was much to be done, the rehearsals were on the Friday and Saturay before the show, and unfortunately there wasn't as much time to prepare everything comfortably, but a bit of faith goes a long way.

As well as the competition we were running a full on fashion show too, Mandy spent her whole summer creating a collection of gorgeousness. With beautiful fabrics, she worked away in the silence of her open barn. Whilst out in France, I had had a sneak preview of some of her pieces but was totally blown away when she returned to old Blighty, I was the only one!!

It came to the evening event, crunch time, all contestants and models had been preparing all day, it was there chance to show the public what they had created! Models were responsible for the whole image of their model and it was interesting to see the end products.

Mandy on the other hand was in charge of alll her models, she had the look in mind of what she wanted and needless to say there was HAIRSPRAY, HAIRSPRAY and oh HAIRSPRAY!

The talent of the contestants blew us all away, such committment and dedication was put into their garments and judges had a very hard time deliberating who the winner would be.

After the contestants models had strutted their stuff it was time to spectate the full on fashion extravaganza that Mandy had put together. A non-stop collaboration of Bridal by Susan Hinckley of Parham House Brides, Dunster, Millinery by award winning Tracy Chaplin, Vintage by Heartfelt, Watchet and Autumn/Winter collection by Mandy Hawkins of Heartfelt, Watchet was greatly recieved by such a supportive audience.

After much umming and arring, the judges had reached their decision, there was 1st and second places in all 4 categories and one overall winner.

Results:

1st in 18 & under day wear: Kate Rogers, 17 from Glastonbury.

2nd in 18 & under day wear: Jess Coombs, 18 from Radstock.

1st in 18 & under evening wear: Kitty Tredwin, 14 from Wellington.

2nd in 18 & under evening wear: Shannon Watts, 16 from Taunton

1st in 18 & over day wear: Eleanor Gall, 19 from Axbridge.

2nd in 18 & over day wear: Holly Spencer, 25 from Cullumpton.

1st in 18 & over evening wear: Marissa Harmon, 25, Somerset.

2nd in 18 & over evening wear: Vicks Thomas, 25, Old Cleeeve, Somerset

The overall winner was Georgia Rose, 17 from Wells.

Winning design is below.

All creations of Mandy Hawkins are now in store and also we await gorgeous pieces from winning contestants.

All in all, the evening was a great success and we are delighted with how it went. With it being the first, of course there were a few hiccups and mistakes but this has been a big learning curve and we are pleased to say that next years competition is in the pipe line and we're heading for the top!!

We would like to say a BIG thank you to all who entered and all who supported us.

BIG PATS ON THE BACK!!!

Lots of Love

Becky

xxx

Tracy Chaplin

Whilst living out in France Mandy has learnt how to felt and has created her designs that you may have seen in the shop. Mandy learnt how to master this technique with the help of Tracy Chaplin, an artist is so many talents also living out in the south of France.

Tracy Chaplin is a Milliner who has an interesting and varied background, she attended the Royal Ballet School, has worked in the fine art field and has also practiced and taught Alternative Medicine.
Tracy Chaplin has created and run courses in Felted Textiles and it is here that Mandy met her. Tracy has attended a millinery course with Rose Cory, Royal warrant holder and milliner to the Queen Mother alongside creating her own designs and selling them in boutiques all over the world.

She is busy creating designs for our Competition finale and fashion show, very exciting times but here is a sneak peek at some of her early designs

The Finale and Fashion Show

Tickets are going rather fast in the shop, I have a limited number of great seats left. You don't want to miss out so contact us now!!!!!

This night is going to be fantastic.

Love

Heartfelt

Bon Voyage!

Last week I managed to get away again for a little break at Chateau Hawkins, some very kind family members took over the shop to give me and Theo the chance to spend some time with everyone all together.

We had a lovely week and much of the time me and Mandy were out gallivanting in Molly, her new but old Citroen 3CV, chasing the trees of the scenic meandering roads. The little beuaty can't go very fast but it simply is a must have for out there, who want's to go speeding when you can enjoy the ride and have a few giggles along the way.

With 3 "vid greniers" and a trip to the local fripperies we managed to pick up some quirky bargains, a trip to one of them saw us trying to squeeze a beautiful cabinet that Mandy is going to work her magic on into the back of Molly, it was so funny listening to the two gentlemen bickering about which way was best, this food shopping trip turned into an adventure and we found ourselves travelling along alot slower but it was realxing all the same.

A couple of gloomy days found us curling up with the dogs and watching a few films and a lot of gorgous meals and delicious desserts found us bloated and guilty but we were happy, we were lucky this time to actually see the sun, May brought us snow!!

A lovely bonfire built by Theo was a slow starter but was lovely to watch along with the lightning in the sky, why is the sky always much nicer out there than here I ask.

The week was amazing and I'm so lucky to have such lovely family.

This dress.........

I thought I would show you some snaps of our latest window display, haven't done it in a while but thought this is one that you just can't miss!

Finding different ideas for the window is sometimes a challenge but when I picked out this particular garment, I knew the rest would just follow easily and the dress is sort of a jaw dropper in itself, to me it is anyway!

The beautiful original 1950s prom dress is a stunner on its own but so sweetly it comes with a little bolero and also its very own tiara and veil, yes ladies you read correctly. The dress has had so many lovely compliments it must be flattered tee hee....

Of course the dress is old, so of course it comes with some noticeable wear and tear but honestly to me that would mean it was perfect, I would choose a dress that had tonnes of history compared with a new mass produced outfit any day! They just don't make clothes the way they did back then. So much demand I guess means short deadlines.The colour is subtle too, nice and light and very easy to match with goodies in the shop. As you can see I've displayed the window with a few beauties that you may want to wear with the dress.A few selected pair of heels, a gorgeous vintage brolly/parasol, a selection of jewellery and of course a pair of vintage gloves and purse.

Let me know what you think!

Becky

xxx

Competition Finale!!!

Hey guys,

Remember me telling you about the finale of our competition, well the date is 23rd of October and it will be held at the Regal theatre in Minehead at 7.30pm.

This will be a great event, a celebrity panel of judges including fashion designer Alice Temperley, Actress Susan George, fashion designer and Central St.Martins lecturer Sophie Gorton, award winning photographer Martin Hill, designer and business woman Susan Hinckley and Heartfelts own Mandy Hawkins, will be deciding a winner of Somersets Young Fashion Designer Of The Year competition at the end.

Plus you get a chance to see displays of Vintage, millinery and bridal fashions plus a peek at Heartfelts own label designs.

Tickets are available from me at the shop or you can ring the Regal on 01643 706430 or visit their website.

Ticket prices are £12 adults, £11.5o for friends of the Regal, £6 students.

Come along, don't miss out on this exciting event!!

Love

Becky

xxx

New season!

Hey guys,


Its going to be your last chance to snap up our Summer bargains, soon the new stock for the Autumn/Winter will be in! Exctiting times but please please please do NOT miss out! There are so many lovely treasures to be seen.........

Come in and browse, have a cuppa tea!

Becky
xxx

Browse Online!

Hey guys just a little note to let you know that I have put selected Vintage dresses on our blog that you can buy!

There is a little link on the top left below "available to buy" and it says "The Real Deal" PLease click on this and check out the gorgeous frocks we have on there.

If you are interested in any of them please let me know!!!!!

Becky

xxx

SALE!SALE!SALE!

You should really come down to the shop if you haven't already! We have our Summer sale on and there are plenty of bargains to be had!

Don't miss out guys!

Becky
xxx

My new blog!

I thought it would be cool to do a separate blog for myself, use it like a diary really but fill it with things that I think are interesting and things that I have opinions on, its still being worked on but have a ganders.

You can get to it by clicking on BeeBee at the side of this blog.

Becky
xxx

It's CARNIVAL time

With being a new business in the town, it's our first time to be able to join in with the carnival. About a month ago when I was away in Belfast, we got given a leaflet at the shop to do with a competition they had running for the local businesses in Watchet.

The idea was to dress your shopfront or window in the style of Superheroes and Villains in order to get the town in spirits for the upcoming carnival weekend. Give the town something to talk about.

The perfect opportunity to get creative, something I like to be and I absolutely love taking the time out to do the window!

So......Superheroes and Villains, you have to think about what stock you have in in order to be able to do who you want. We thought about doing Catwoman but I think that in the middle of Summer you need to project some colour into the window. So Matt, Mandys eldest son, suggested Miss Pamela Isley, aka Poison Ivy!

What a great idea! We had plenty of green goodies and a splash of orange and red was a must to really reflect her appearance in the Batman film.

There were a few contestants when it came to choosing a dress for Delores, but I knew we had this gorgeous vintage number which had a subtle floral design. It's cut beautifully on the back and is ideal for summer party.

I managed to get some Ivy from the back garden and got plenty of tissue paper to adorn the windows with. I spent all day doing the window and I was literally sitting in a greenhouse, the heat from the sun and the lights above me was immense lol.

I tied bits of the ivy together and suspended it from the celing and also thought a cheeky little bit wrapped around her legs would top it off. The Windows are decorated with cut out ivy paper shapes, in different tones of green and red. Let me tell you, I spent the majority of my time trying to get these little cut outs right, it took me several attempts but eventually my plans worked.

The rest just flowed, sometimes its nice to just be simple, a few bits here and there.

Tell me what you think! Lets hope people like it!

Becky

xxx

He's done it again!

Step Shurman has produced another fantastic painting, to compliment my painting we decided it would be nice to paint one of the fashionistas of the 1960s. A true style icon and timeless beauty.

We thought it would be a good idea to choose a photo of her from my book that a couple of close friends gave to me as a present when I started out on this new venture. Her posture and elegance is resonant in all her photos.

In addition, we thought it would be nice to reflect one of our gorgeous vintage dresses from the shop into the painting, one that would compliment her in every way.

Take a look!

The colours are fab, its better when you see it hanging up in the shop, I feel like it should be hanging on my wall! The way Step has painted her is stunning, especially her silver skin tone, its so soft and totally suits her, her pose is subtle and elegant and you can feel her humbleness through the painting, definately worthy.

A real icon and I'm sure many young women like myself are envious of her in some little way.

This original is on sale in the shop so come see, be blown away.

Becky

The Second Stage

We are now into the next stage of the competion for Heartfelts search to find Somersets Young Fashion Designer Of The Year. The moodboards have been submitted and it was great fun looking through everyones ideas for what they would like to produce.

The entrants who have gotten through to the next stage have been contacted by letter and it is now time to put their ideas into a garment or two, depending on if they have entered Daywear, Evening wear or both.

The garments have to be completed and delivered by Friday the 27th August, which gives them an extension of one week.

We can't wait to see these creations.

Last time I blogged about the competition we had a date but no venue, we are pleased to announce that we are now hosting it at the Regal Theatre in Minehead. It's going to be a fabulous evening with so much happening.....tickets will be on sale soon from their box office so don't miss out guys!

xxx
Becky

Sugar and spice and all things nice!

With Mandys return comes goodies, the shop has bundles of interesting pieces again, a real mixture of beauties. From all over, theres always something that will catch your eye.


With Summer here, we've decided to have a sale, clothes and shoes have been priced down and you can find some real bargains, come and see!!!


The displays are ever changing to keep things alive, I love playing with everything and making things different. Its a real buzz!




Heres a few snaps of the shop, don't miss out!

We would love to meet you and offer you a drink whilst you browse.

Becky

xxx

Belfast

Slap my wrists, I haven't blogged in ages, to be honest its been hectic and balancing things can be difficult at times as I'm sure you're aware. Lets travel back........

Mandy returned to Blighty on the 16th of June for a much needed catch up yet mainly to run the business whilst I took a brisk trip to Belfast with my family to see an old band that I grew up listening too. It was fantastic.

Belfast was gorgeous, a quick 50minute flight and we had touched down into pastures green, much like Exmoor, it seemed like home from home. The journey from the airport was only 20minutes, which was a nice change and soon we were out of the fields and into the big city. Check-in wasn't til 2pm and it was still pretty early, people were on there way to starting a fresh day and I was on my way to the shops!
Shocking I know but I can't believe I have never been to the city of London yet I have been to Belfast, when your a country bumpkin its hard to believe how all the shops you have ever heard of and more can be in one place. Heaven they say. Even more shocking, I wasn't there to spend, I'm terrible you see, I have way too many clothes but not enough at the same time, and with Theo in my room too its pretty crowded, actually I'd say he's just as bad as me. So no, sightseeing and the gig was all that was going to happen and any road once I start I can't stop and with only hand luggage you're pretty limited.

With our hand luggage safetly stowed and ourselves a bit worse for wear, or should I say me, 3am isn't the right time for me to awake, we set off for the sights. Lovely buildings everywhere, we found the city hall and took to the shade, the architecture was beautiful, fantastic ceilings and stain glassed windows. My camera was non-stop.
Moving on we found a lovely traditional pub, I think it was the oldest, the place was unaltered from the past, little booths and match striking plaques were still visible. With dad and Theo being big Guiness lovers, it was unfair to not have a pint of the usual in a traditional Irish pub.....say no more.
With check-in time upon us we took to the rooms, footie was on and a nice shower was in order. The next day was a busy one, we were off to the zoo and then the gig was at night, so there was a lot to pack in, grub and slumber was needed.

The next morning we awoke prepared for a full day, it was exciting to go to a zoo, Theo had never been to one so it was a must really. The animals were sooo cute, we found some sweet little prairie dogs in the wild but later found that they had obviously escaped, tunnels leading to a pen, great escape comes to mind. Our insightful taxi driver told us that during the war many of the dangerous animals had to be put down because of the risk to humans and when the zoo got their first elephants they had to be walked up through the town. Imagine that. There were many animals to see and also many great views of Belfast. Well worthed visit.
It was time for the gig and we were all excited, everyone walking there in good spirits, across the Titanic quarter, the arena was minutes away. A long queue but a fantallydastic night. We were elated that we had seen our favourite band as well as another country.
With gorgeous sights and gorgeous views, our stay was ending. We had enjoyed every second, the locals are so poilite and helpful and walking around it was clear to them somehow that we were tourists, but I suppose you can take the girl out of the countryside but can't take the countryside out of the girl.

Becky
xxx

Forgotten Treasures!

How could I forget to blog about my trip to Lynton and Lynmouth!

On the 30th of June me and Theo were due to go Zorbing!Yes Zorbing, funnily enough its not some word used to describe laser beaming aliens, maybe thats just me, but its when you submit yourself into a huge inflatable ball and allow yourself to be rolled down a long hill!

Anyway that didn't go to plan due to the weather(wind and inflatable balls don't mix) so we re-booked that adventure and took off for a nice trip to Lynton and Lynmouth. With Theo behind the wheel I could take my shoes off, relax and enjoy the scenery for a change. It really is a beautiful part of the country that we live in, after you've gone through Porlock, you can easily lose yourself, you can go for miles without seeing anything but gorgeous views of the hills and the coast. Although I quite like seeing the odd sheep who has strayed from the field and has plonked himself on the verge by the road, I find it amusing that they are unaware of the passing traffic, totally unaffected by mans opinion.

After arriving and a having a detailed look round we decided to play putting, well Theo loves it, So he decided on that one really. I'm temperamental with putting, just aim for the ball and hope for the best. Theo won naturally!

Onwards and upwards literally, up the steep incline to Lynton on the little train, it was so much fun, just don't look down lol. We reached the top and after a sweet little walk around the town i found a lovely little shop, not long been open, April fools day to be precise, I introduced myself to the lovely lady their and mentioned our shop too. Her shop was full of vintage pieces, not clothes but furniture,books, photos, music, lots of interesting bits and bobs. I came accross some beautiful photographs that were used as postcards to loved ones, pictures of women from the 20's looking so chic and sophisticated, how times have changed lol. I had to have them, they work perfectly as display pieces in our shop.

Moving on I found another little flower shop which had gorgeous straw hearts in different colours, come to think if it in every shop we went into there were hearts made out of all different materials. I bought a few of these as we like to adorn our shop in gorgeousness and keep our displays looking beautiful and different. With Theo happy with a purchase of Robert Browning poems it was time to move on......

After many bags of flavoured fudge and a delicious take away of fish and chips, we came to the conclusion that it was well worth the trip and made the scenic journey home.
Becky
Heartfelt
x

The First Stage

The deadline for entering our competition to find Somersets Young Fashion Designer Of The Year has arrived, its now time to get creating!!!

All who have entered are now requested to put together their ideas onto a moodboard or into a lookbook, whichever they prefer. The season is Autumn/Winter and there are two age categories, which are 14-18, this was changed after we had interest from Wellington School, and 18-26, which equally has had much interest.

The 2nd of July is the date in which the moodboards have to be submitted by and after that is the much awaited weekend of excitement. Mandy, I and an intimate panel of judges will look through all the entries and decided who will go through to the second stage of making up their garments.

We now have a date for the final too, Saturday the 23rd of October will be the evening. We still are yet to find a venue so any ideas or interest would be greatly appreciated.

Becky
Heartfelt
x

The Perfect Birthday Gift

As you all know a very talented artist has joined the Heartfelt team and is showcasing some of his amazing pieces in our boutique. Step Shurman is talented beyond words, as it is my 21st birthday on Monday, Mandy wanted her gift to be special, she kindly asked Step to paint a portrait of me from meeting with me and connecting with a photo from the vintage shoot we did at Crowcombe train station.

Wow!

Words cannot describe how elated I am, I cried, its absolutely beautiful and I will cherish this forever. Everytime I feel a little lost, I'll just look at this amazing piece of art. I think that the way he has painted this and the colours he has used as definately captured me. The way in which my dress pattern continues up onto my skin is the perfect blend to portray fashion and the individual, fashion is under my skin, literally.

I love how I can see birds flying in my head piece and the shadow of what I can only describe as a pixie flicking her gorgeous long hair up into the air. Details of the portrait just keep standing out and every little piece is like a piece of me.......

Breathtaking!

Get yours done! You won't regret it!!!

Becky

Heartfelt

La Nouvelle Fenêtre

The dress above was the centrepiece for the previous window, it became very popular immediately! Wth lots of attention it was clear that it wasn't going to stay there for long. Delores would soon be standing there in the nudy!

I decided after a good few weeks to take it down and therefore change the window , the dress is now going through a list of hopeful ladies, desperate to be whisked away and worn at some delightful event. Delores now needed a new frock, and I just the perfect one in mind, an equally gorgeous dress, just a little less extravagant. A genuine 1930s piece.

To shade her from the sun, a sweet 1940s straw hat topped with a hand made felt flowers pinned to it. A cute little set of pearls and a sweet pink necklace drop from her neck. I thought it would be nice to pin her dress up at one side, I imagine the dress to have be worn at a beautiful summer picnic, light and free enough to frolic in.

I then embellished the window with gorgeousness. Finding bundles of girly things is never a problem in our shop, its just a case of knowing what works. With the netting flowers from the Alice window, I wanted to give the sense that Delores was enjoying herself on a chic picnic outing.

Adding pieces to engorge the picnic factor was definately a fun and interesting challenge, I thought it would be great to use the ornate tea cups we were given and fill them with luring treats, use a lot of pretty colours and flowers to add to the environment and decorate the window with vintage fans that would be a must on a hot summers afternoon. Plenty of vintage sunglasses and a lovely pair of croched gloves fall nicely on the other bits and pieces that make up the window.