Sometimes the thrifting is just too good!

I went to a delightful Garden Party/Car Boot Sale at the weekend and I was surprised by the amount of stuff a small venue could provide.

One lady had some beautiful things on her stall and she informed me that she was selling of the remnants from her Fancy Goods shop that had closed down the previous summer. We actually got talking because I had with me my lovely Cath Kidston bag and she pointed out the glass jug which she told me was Cath Kidston.

Does anyone recognise the pattern?

Sadly the glasses had already been sold before the shop closed but the jug was only £2 so I quickly handed over the cash and popped it in the CK bag.

This lovely silver pomander (about tennis ball size) was also from the same stallholder and again was £2.

Yet again more delightful things came my way off this stall...

Four cup cake candles that just look like the real thing. I'm keeping them on my cake platter as real cakes don't last long enough in this house. They were 50p each.

Lastly from this lady I 'sort of bought' a cushion and cover. My sister bought me this cushion and I bought her a stuffed sheep in exchange!

I loved the detailing on this cushion.

I sauntered off to look at the other stalls then and bought a set of ten fishing dvds for the DH for £5 and two more dvd films for 50p each.

I picked up this pretty little bag for 50p. The colour of the silk is a darker than in the photo and the leaves are made from embroidered seed pearls. Lovely, clean and very pretty.

I also bought a big dog cage for £5 that is like brand new as the woman's dog wouldn't sit in it. I think this brings my dog cage count up to 6 but as several of mine are rusty I'm going to have a clean out and bin the ones that give me orange rust coloured dogs.£5, I still can't get over the fact it was so cheap. One guy on a nearby stall was trying to sell his for £35.

From the dog cage woman I bought a vintage white drawn threadwork and lace tablecloth for 50p.

Lastly I bought this pretty spray of poppies for 50p.

I'm thinking of buying some blue cornflowers to go with them for summer and then swapping the cornflowers for wheat later in the year.

The lady selling the poppies offered me a huge mountain of flowers and a big wicker display basket for £3, thinking about it I should have taken the lot but it was one of those boot sales where you seem to collect and collect the further you go round. It was a genuine one with no professional sellers just a lot of people out to declutter their houses and have a good time.

A brilliant day.

Where does time go to?

I've been busy. I seem to be playing 'catch up', continually running around chasing my tail and never getting anything completely done.

The computer might as well be binned as its going to cost far too much to repair so I've lost a lot of my favourite links as I don't know how to transefer them over to this new 'puter. I say new but in actual fact its been sat here virtually untouched since I bought it and the laptop. Laptops are so much easier to live with aren't they?

I've been fenced in Boot Sale and thrifting wise by the weather. High winds and driving rain don't make good booting weather although I did get some writing and researching done for the stories I'm writing.

So what did I find at the teeny tiny boot sale that the local hospital managed to hold on the single sunny day?

A HUGE enamel jug for a £1.

Also came across a stallholder selling something a little bit out of the ordinary.... A box of greetings cards from the 1930's and 40's. Not cheap but reasonable considering their age; I picked up the two pretty cards below. The robin one is dated xmas 1935.

Don't ask what I'm going to do with them as I haven't a clue. Far too historical to cut up. Perhaps I'll pop them in an album with some vintage cards I have from my own family or maybe it'll be the start of a new collection.

Does anyone remember Camberwick Green?

Robert Harrop has created several ceramic designs which have become very collectable. I've a few of his Doggie figures and several of the rarer ones are now several hundred pounds. Anyway I spotted this Post Office scene complete with box for £5 and bought it purely because I've never seen any Robert Harrop sell for so little before. Its cute and I always liked Camberwick Green as a kid but I'm not sure if this is a keeper. Should I venture onto the dreaded ebay with this?

Next up was a Quality Street tin filled with buttons for £1. I really liked the tin.

Lastly was this little vase/pin vase for 20p. I'm going to use it too keep long matches in on my fireplace.

I've also had some more luck on the giveaway front. Elizabeth over at Making Good Use (address on sidebar) emailed me to say I was the winner of her giveaway. A very useful pillowcase bag in a pretty floral colour. Thank you Elizabeth! She also sent over some pretty handerkerchiefs, a knitted dishcloth and chocolate! What a wonderful prize! You've really got to check Elizabeths site out she is so innovative and is a great thrifter!

Researching....

I just thought I'd share with you a look at my recent reading lately. Nothing exciting in the way of crafts, thrifting or house renovations but research for my time travel romance that is going to be set in the Stone Age.

You wouldn't think a lighthearted story would need such a h-u-g-e amount of research would you yet the above books are just a small portion of it but there's nothing worse than reading a novel and spotting incorrect stuff going on in the background.

Anyone else having the huge downpours of rain and high winds? Its not looking good for my thrifting this weekend and I had a very special booty lined up......

ttfn

Sharie

Weekends finds

I've been having computer problems of late...

I have two computers set up a laptop and a desktop but rarely use the desktop ; all my writing goes on there, my pictures and my email programme so when I tripped up over the powerlead I knew I was heading for trouble.

Anyhow, I've sort of lost the laptop at the moment. I plug it in to charge the battery and it fails to charge - a friend of mine had the same problem and it involved dismantling the entire computer and soldering a loose connection. I think it may be cheaper to scrap the entire computer from the sound of it.

So, this is being tapped out on my desktop and I've had a right rigmarole trying to get the photos downloaded off my camera on to here I can tell you.

So, first off a little trip to the charity shops where I picked up a couple of interesting things

This single duvet cover and pillowcase I picked up just for the fabric alone. Its by Dorma and a very vintage looking soft pattern that I thought would make a nice curtain for somewhere. The other side is green with white polka dots. It cost £2.

Next up was these 'whatsitsname' . If you know what they are do post and let me know. At first I dived on them thinking they were cushion covers by Cath Kidston but no, they are by Laura Ashley and are some kind of mats. Placemats? For a £1 the pair I brought them home with me.

Last weekend I went to one boot sale and only picked up a couple of items but had some lovely long chats with stallholders. Part of the fun of going to these places is seeing characters and listening to stories from peoples lives. I'm a bit of a collector of information you see and maybe someday will jot down a story based on what I see and hear when I'm out and about.

Only the other day I overheard a conversation between a shop assistant and her friend ; the shop assistant was telling her the reason why she was such a shy girl at school was because she was raped by another family member at 10 years of age and then again by a boyfriend at the age of 20. I must admit I felt a little guilty overhearing this conversation so I did walk away.

Now where was I? Oh yes... car boot sale.. plenty of chats but not a lot of goodies.I did buy this mirror for a couple of quid.

I've been looking at vintage bevelled mirrors but just don't seem to be able to 'bond' with any so I was quite pleased when I found this very heavy vintage one that was pre-shabbied. Its going to go on the bedroom wall over the fireplace.

Two rolls of beaded trimmings for £1. Haven't a clue what I'm going to do with them... trim a lampshade perhaps? Any ideas?

Creative Writing Class - possible publication!

I was going to put up my story that I read out to class but I am very pleased to say that it has been taken by the tutor and may be published in a magazine!
No I won't be rich; unless you can count my happiness at having others admire my work and I don't think that counts :-)
So sorry for the pictureless day and thank you all for all your lovely comments on the last post.

Emma Bridgewater at the sunday car boot sale!

Ok, Ms Emma Bridgewater was not at the sunday car boot sale in person but her goods were!

I'd better start at the begining instead of partway through the story hadn't I? I had planned on a nice jaunt down the riverbank with a packed lunch but the weather forecast stated rain in the afternoon so the dh offered to take me to the HUGE car boot instead. Now that's an offer I couldn't pass up :-)

So there I was on a wild and windy field at 7am viewing a mass of stall holders unpacking their junk.... sorry treasures. The dh lingered behind me like a bad smell so I hovered pulling out bits of rubbish from under stalls which I had simply no interest in until he got bored and wandered off on his own. I know that sounds a bit odd but I simply can't cope with someone watching me when I'm treasure hunting. That disapproving stare and the constant, "What do you want that for?" "Don't look at that its horrible" and finally the , "where you going to put it?" whimper. Ugggh!

So, first treasures of the day were my Emma Bridgewater tins. I simply adore the blue lining!

First up is Miss Dotty Biscuit Barrel

then Miss Dotty Cake Tin

Also found on the same stall was a set of three wicker storage baskets. I got both tins and all three baskets for £4. They had some red gingham curtains on there too but sadly too small for my windows.

And to prove that things I find are useful on arriving home (once they have been disinfected) I then put the baskets to good use,storing my under the sink cleaning supplies and veggies.

The dh thankfully made an appearance at this point and took back my first lot of delights back to the car.

Then I found a huge pile of gardening books written by Geoff Hamilton all 4 for £1.

I used to love watching Gardeners World when Geoff H presented it. Such a down to earth fella who liked to find ways to save you money, not like that lot now who seem to want you to spend it as fast as possible.

In fact I seemed to buy an awful lot of books at this booty! The dh obligingly took this lot back to the car while I carried on going round.

Next the dh found me gazing in astonishment at something bulky on a mat behind a woman's stall....


"What have you seen now?" he groaned, probably thinking about trudging back to the car with another load of stuff (we'd parked a long, long way away too).


I dived across a mountain of stuff lying on the floor and clasped two cushions....
Ikea Alfhild ones complete with original inners at £1 each. I've shown the DH these on ebay and he's seen the silly prices they've gone for on there (sometimes £25 each). I've already got a set of two so now I've a set of four and even the DH was smiling at my bargain.


I also found a packet of perfume. Well a bottle of perfume in a crumpled packet. Vanderbilt for £1. Many moons ago I was given this perfume by an employer as a Christmas gift and I've always loved it ever since yet for some reason haven't bought any for years.
Finally, I bought this gold framed mirror for £2 with the intention of painting it (I'll put it on my to-do-list)

So I had a REALLY good day on Sunday despite being half frozen by a bitter driving wind that seemed to blow straight through me. I hope you all had as nice a weekend as I did?

ttfn

Sharie

Saturdays thrifting finds

Saturday was a nice sunny day and the boot sale was already in full swing when we arrived at 8am (starts at 6am).

I'd just started to look around when an elderly man came over and grabbing my arm said, "You've got your jogging pants on today then?"

I gazed at him in confusion and he repeated his coment.

I looked down at my camo combat trousers in confusion.....eh? Thinking he may have wandered off from his minder I replied, "Oh I have my camoflage pants on today; I'm trying to blend in with the trees."

I'm thinking the guy mistook me for someone else as I haven't a clue who he was (although saying that I was still half asleep).

My first purchase was a pretty christmas sign for 50p.

Errr...... doesn't look very big there does it? In real life I'ts about 6 foot long and I had to stand on the sofa on tiptoe to get it all on. I took several photos of it and none of them look great so this one is the best of a bad bunch. Perhaps I need to do a camera course? They are running one at my local library - sadly booked up at the moment but hopefully I can get in on the next one.

Then I found this....>

A Royal Doulton Brambly Hedge beaker 'summer'. Isn't Brambly Hedge sweet? Its rare for me to find any at our local Booties and this one was £3.50 (boxed) and dates from the early 1980's.

The third find was the H_U_G_E pine frame at £3, bought especially for my Keep Calm And Carry On poster which I bought last year for my birthday. Now I have to find somewhere to hang it.

Things I saw and didn't buy include a lovely vintage bevelled mirror with wooden scrolling to the sides and bottom. I picked it up examined it and then asked the price - £10. Rather expensive for one of these mirrors especially since the mirror was damaged at the top. I'm hoping that now I've seen one that I really like another will appear cheaper- sometimes it does.

So that was all I bought on Saturday but Sunday was a different matter! I was supposed to be going to a show and then taking a picnic along the riverbank but ended up going to a booty instead. Brilliant day,super little finds but I'll post about them next time.

ttfn

Sharie

May Day Bank Holiday

Ah the bank holiday weekend and its promising to be a nice sunny one! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned?

This morning I went to the local car boot sale and picked up a couple of bits and bobs, nothing huge as I'm sure the economy is affecting the quality of goods being sold. Its a case of, 'Thank you but I really don't want a two foot high musical plastic dragon, no, I don't read martina cole novels and yes my local store sells ceramic doves on a stick for less than 2 quid so I don't need one of those either.'

Anyhow, as I don't have my camera with me ( the dh has nabbed it)I can't show you my pretty thrifted items. Boo Hoo. I'll promise to show you them next time.

In the meantime I thought I'd let you know how I went on at my creative writing class this week when I read out my story.

I read out Cinderella part one and was greeted by silence. 'Is it that bad?' I thought, 'why didn't someone tell me and spare me the misery?'

After a few moments one fella said, "What book have you got that from?"

Deciding that he wasn't actually accusing me of plagurism, I replied that my inspiration came from the fairy story Cinderella.

'Yes but you've got all the descriptions of the house and her life from a published book haven't you?"

'No,' I said getting annoyed, 'I got it out of my head.'

He gave me an unconvinced look and said, 'How long did it take you to write it? A week?'

I shook my head, 'Ten minutes.'

I got a long stare before he replied, 'Well which of us is going to be her agent!'

So, I suppose that was a good result :-)

Also while at the library I picked up some bedroom reading.

Mr Brown's War - diary of a gentleman during the war. I'm hoping its as good as Nella Lasts but I still have to start reading it, I'll let you know if it's any good or not.

Tomorrow we may be going for a walk along the local river. I am booked in a dog show but don't think I'll be going.

I'll probably bake a few pasties to take with us

I made this huge pile of chicken and veg last weekend and they were delicious! I know, I know I'm supposed to be on a diet but I forgot to tell you... I hit my target weight!!!

Besides the freshly baked pasties I'm in the process of using this.....

My Panasonic breadmaker which has been used virtually on a daily basis for over a year now. I've got a lovely granary loaf baking right now and the smell of feshly baked bread is filling the house.

Have a Great weekend everyone! Don't forget to blog about it!

ttfn

Sharie