A thrifting Saturday.

I managed to get out to the Booty last Saturday but missed sunday's booty owing to the fact I was helping out at a large show (which has left me drained for the past few days). I must admit I did gloat when I saw heavy rain on Sunday morning . If I've got a miss a booty outing because of prior engagements it might as well rain on that day.

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Anyhow, the thrifting Gods were kind to me on Saturday. Everyone seemed to be selling very cheaply and its always churlish to refuse something that 'might come in'. On the very first stall I spotted the two above porcelain baskts and bought both of them for £1 each. I don't think they are very old but in the sunshine they looked so bright, sparkly and cheerful that they had to come home with me. Weirdly the DH loved them as soon as I unwrapped them.... Do you reckon the flowery fetish is rubbing off on him?

(BTW he was saying how he'd like some patchwork curtains in the parlour yesterday. I think he's been looking at house magazines on the sly.)

I idly picked up these two pillowcases, and then put them back down again. I have a number of cases and thought do I need any more? Well, when the woman told me they were 20p each I picked them back up and paid her quickly.

They are huge and although it says seconds I can't see anything wrong with them. I have a green patchwork quilt which they'll match really well.

20p! I can't believe I got them so cheaply!

I spotted these papercutting scissors in a plastic bag under a ladies stall. I'm not hugely into scrapbooking. (Ever since I superglued myself to the table I've been nervous of glue products) But occasionally I do print certificates out and thought I could use these scisors to give them a nice edge. When the lady told me I could have the entire bagful for £1 (there is a dozen of them) I handed over the money. I guess they'll come in useful for other things too- if I can drag myself away from the computer and start doing a bit of crafting.

Saturday was nice and hot and sunny so perhaps I was the only one looking for gloves? These are made in Scotland and are a combination of angora and lambswool and only 50p. Original price £6. Gloves always come in. I'm always loosing gloves so its nice to have a supply.

50p was the price of these soaps. Apple and apple candy scented. They are made by Bayliss and Harding so the manufacturer isn't bad. I like a scented soap next to the sink for washing our hands and theses are so prettily wrapped with spotty paper (matches my bathmat LOL) .It's my Dad's fault I'm buying scented hand soaps. He's been rattling on about how good they are and its sort of brainwashed me into buying them.

On the wardrobe challenge I made only one purchase. This red checked ruffled blouse for £1. This is really pretty on and washes and drys so easily. I washed it saturday, wore it to my show the following day and had several people compliment me in it. I'm loving this wardrobe challenge.

I also bought a pile of doggie related things. Brand new collar for 30p (it says Sexy Dog on it and all my lot are falling out over who gets to wear it), two of those extendable leads 50p (for one of my silly dogs who runs off) and two huge fleece blankets for 50p

Last but not least I bought this crocheted granny blanket for 25p.

New Goods - and Old Ones too!

A quick post to show my two new goods that entered my house this last week. And an old one that I've never shown you and just dug out.

Over at the Shabby Chic forum there was a thread about Matalan's new range of goodies ( I instantly fell for the rose and stripe beanbag and the Union Jack Mats) and I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for my local store to get these items in! Everytime I went in I was told that, 'we'll be having a delivery in the next few days' and twice a week for about 6 weeks I heard the same thing repeated over and over again.

Eventually I stopped going in.

Anyhow, last week my sister and I nipped into a local seaside town -Southport- and called into the Matalan store there. I was really pleased to see not only the footstool/beanbag but also the union jack doormats in stock.

The beanbag was reduced to £14 and the mats were £4 a piece. I bought two of the mats, one for the front and one for the back door.

I'm so pleased to finally find these items.

Now for something Old. Long ago when I was bored I began to make a patchwork quilt from thrifted material. Each hexagon was lovingly sewn by hand and then blanket stitched with its fellows and the quilt became bigger and bigger. Then I discovered the internet and poor quilt was left abandoned, almost single bed size but not quite.

The other day I dug the patchwork quilt out and wondered what I should so with it? Bin it? Use it? Finish it?

I've slung it over the sofa until I decide. Patchwork sofas are in fashion at the moment aren't they? Its an interesting idea to have a patchwork sofa....

Wardrobe Challenge more finds

Last weekend, besides the mirror, bags and smellies, I managed to find more items for my Wardrobe Challenge (a new wardrobe of clothes for £100). Yes, I am still buying! My wardrobe is still looking very bare after throwing bags of clothes out and donating many others. I need lots and lots of nice clothes.... :-)

Most of the clothes I bought came from a lady with a huge pile of clothes on her table, the floor, in her car and on two rails. Makes such as H&M, Hobbs, PerUna, Bennetton, Next, Laura Ashley etc and all in beautiful condition.

The pretty skirt above for £1.

I love the fabric and feel of this item and I'd love to be able to say I'll wear it everyday but sadly I'm just not a skirt person. This will be lucky to see light of day once every two of three months.

Note to self; stop buying skirts I have enough!

This little lambswool tank top is from Next and was 50p. It's so soft and warm! The last few days I've been wearing it on in the evening over thin tops and today(as I type) a thin jumper. I can see this is going to be a very useful wardrobe item.

I found two pairs of Jeans at £1 each, one pair of black low waisted slim legged and the other pair are a patchwork cross between cords and jeans. Isn't it funny how clothes sizes vary from maker to maker? Both jeans are size 12 and one fit snugly while the other hang off. Its very confusing.

This jumper is a nice thick one from Bennetton. I bought it with winter in mind and taking the dogs out for walks in windy biting weather.The green jumper on the right is from Old Navy. I've been told that its an american store, don't know if that is correct or not. Anyhow, its a very thick one so another lay by for winter (or maybe next week knowing the British weather!). I paid a £1 each for the jumpers.

edited to add - I have just done a quick tot up and have spent less than £35!

Bag Lady!

I'm getting to be a bag lady!

No, I don't mean the type who pushes a shopping trolley round time collecting 'treasures' off the street ;-)

I mean this type of bags!

As you can see I have a problem developing......and its threatening to engulf my craft room. And ones that don't fit on the rack are hung behind the door...

Cath Kidston bags, Tesco CK bags, Next Bags, Custard Shop, Bullie bags from USA, Bullie bags from Australia, indian tassel bags, JLo, Dior and the list goes on..

You'd think I'd know when to stop but Oh no... more came home with me last weekend.

This patchwork Coach Bag with leather trims for £1.

And the crocheted granny square bag 50p that is hanging on the back of the door.

Now for the Smelly Man.

Nope, I don't mean Stinky Man. I mean smellies as in soaps and bathoils LOL. Highly scented doesn't sound very macho does it?

Two unopened packs of gift soaps/bath oils etc from Boots and Bayliss and Harding at £1 each pack.

I think they may be men's so if you see a woman walking round with a selection of bags over her arm (as she can't make her mind up which to use) accompanied by a man smelling of oranges and fig natural soap that's probably me and the DH.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall....

Who is the fairest one of all?

Please don't answer that. 'Fraid I won't be in the top million!

I bought a new mirror on the Sunday Car Boot so thought I'd give it it's very own post. We did, after all, hang in the following day and that in itself is a major achievement in this house!

This is a very heavy mirror. Not one of those plastic ones but made of solid wood and we had to use a huge screw drilled and set into the wall for miles (well it looked like miles the way the DH was drilling into the chimney breast).

And, of course, there is a story behind me purchasing it....

I was there really early on a miserable rainy morning and spotted a young couple bringing out this mirror and about four or five other mirrors (one was a HUGE white shabby chic one). The dearest was £8 (the shabby chic one) and then they went down in price to £3 for a big square pine one. All good quality and great value. Now I had no room for a huge shabby chic one as much as I'd have liked it but I was in the market for this gilt one and I even had the spot in mind for it.

I pulled it out and checked the back, lifted it up, weighed it up, ooed and ahhed for ages. While I had my hands on it (in case anyone else tried to grab it while I was thinking about it) I chatted to the stallholders. They were a lovely young couple who were so exited about emigrating to Canada and this was the booty were they planned on selling most of their stuff as they were leaving in ten days time. There was tons, clothes, household items etc etc and all priced reasonable but I only had eyes for the mirror.

Now I was planning on a little art deco vintage bevelled edged mirror but the DH doesn't like them (says he thinks of Else Tanner whenever he sees them). So I looked at the mirror and thought why not? I didn't haggle with the price - a fiver? It would have felt rude and I've seen less attractive mirrors sell for more.

Anyhow, as I said, it is a heavy mirror which I found out as I had to cart it and drag a heavy trolley back across the booty, car park, through a farmyard and along onto the main road. Thank Goodness I didn't buy any more furniture that day - I saw some and was tempted!

Here is the mirror in situ in our front downstairs bedroom. I need a couple of big pictures for the walls now to finish off the room but we are getting there....

Oh, and the DH didn't like the mirror! Yet, strangely enough, after my sister had been over today admiring my new acquisitions today he came out with a comment.

"I'm getting used to that mirror Sharie. I didn't like all the flowery rosali either at first but now its all coming together I think you've done a really good job. I don't know how you've managed to bring it all together and I know I couldn't have done such a good job."

WOW! My vintage/shabby homestyle decor must be working! Two admirers in one day. My cup runneth over :-)))

updated photos

I thought I'd post a few photos of where recent finds finally found a home!
First of all the vintage ironwork mirror (£3), originally bought with my craftroom in mind, ended up in our vestibule. At least now we can check our hair before we leave! I love the way it reflects the garden outside - a view that will get better when its been landscaped.

The candle-what-its-name (£2) complete with candles in my parlour window.

A vintage flower painting over the top of my vintage fireplace in my craft/spareroom.

Still more to hang/find a place for but putting the final finishing touches to our home is fun!

Wardrobe Challenge

I did quite well on my wardrobe challenge last weekend, despite terrible rainstorms at dawn.
This brand new with tags Regatta duffle fleece was £1. A size 12 but a big size 12 so ok for wearing over winter jumpers and taking out the dogs.

For another £1 was this lovely River Island swing jacket. It looks great over jeans.

This pretty white cardigan came off a young lady who was leaving the UK for the Bahamas, working there on a three year contract. 'I'm selling off most of my wardrobe as I won't need it,' she said.
Everything was £1, even new stuff with the tags still attatched. Actually, I also bought a high waisted summer top with bows off her, that I've since decided is for the charity shop bag - it makes me look a cross between Rosemary's Baby and Whatever Happened To Baby Jane.
Such a shame, all its tags are still in place but the charity shop won't complain. I've already taken in three bin bags full already of clothes that are now too large.
A few people have said, why don't you sell them on ebay, even if you only get a couple of quid? But I think its a nice way to go about buying a new wardrobe - buy in a new (to me) selection of clothing and give all my old stuff away to our local charity shop that supports McMillan Nurses.

I wore this white cardie the other night and had several people ask if I'd knitted it myself and tell me it looks lovely.



A pretty coverall for summer tops. £1 again

A pretty 50p ra-ra skirt that is so sweet on. I'm thinking thick tights and boots in winter and on its own in summer (its not horrendously short).

A fitted jacket with built in top for £1.

This dress is lovely, butterflies dancing all across it and a big sash. I really like this summer dress apart from one thing and maybe someone can help me over that? My boobies aren't big enough to keep it up! Any ideas on how to keep a strapless dress up^?

Also picked up a pretty crystal Next candlestick holder for £2. It looks even better with candles in it but I haven't downloaded my camera yet.

And a Custard Shop messenger bag for £1.

So, considering it was lashing down with rain and the DH kept telling me that it would be cancelled I did OK. Spent about £12 but got a good few items. I was eyeing the bullie Custard Bag at my local dog show last year and they wanted £12 for it at the time. I do love the Next candlestick holder which I've put in the Parlour window - must show you a photo with candles next time!

Something Pretty (and cheap!)

Saturday's Boot Sale was a rather barren... Plastic tat, broken and chipped crockery, tons of baby stuff (great if you have a baby boring if you havent), clothes that smelt of biscuits, clothes that were too big, too small or just plain too dear and books that were dog eared and expensive.

I did, however, find my first watercolour of the year on a stall where a man had several lovely prints in old fashioned frames and some pretty candlesticks that I forgot to ask the price of. One of the most interesting stalls on the entire boot sale - a little bit of everything and everything had been in his family for a long long time.

This watercolour came in a very old fashioned, bashed plain black frame, with faded sticky paper peeling of the back and the whole thing looked old and jaded. BUT it was a watercolour and I love original paintings. This one is of primroses and primulas in a bowl.

He let me have it for £2 and I brought it home to reframe in this gold one I picked up a week or so ago for £1. Always worth buying a nice frame when you see one, they always come in handy. I did consider painting this white but quite enjoy the richness of the original guilded gold.

Neither the frame nor the painting were expensive but I think the effect is of an expensive painting. What do you think?

While undoing this watercolour from its old frame I found it was painted by a foriegn sounding lady- Olga Aaz (although it is a little difficult to read the surname)- in 1946.

The colours below are more true to real life.

I'm going to put this one up in my bedroom, possibly over my mantlepiece, so that I can look at 'fresh flowers' every morning when I wake up!

Have you bought anything this week that you love?

Sunday Booty - A Queer Adventure

Thank you for your comments regarding my last post. I was begining to wonder if the price hike was in my imagination but it seems that there are quite a few sellers out there who are wanting top dollar for their used goods. Maybe they think they are celebrities?

Sunday I was supposed to be at a dog show but having been under the weather all week with a sore tummy I didn't fancy a long journey to the opposite side of the country and elected to visit the usual booty for an hour in the morning instead.

I bought three vintage Enid Blyton books for 20p each. The third one is 'Folk of the Faraway tree' and I haven't a clue where I put it or why the book from the previous day is in the shot instead?

Spot the unusual title on the centre one? I know its missing its origninal dust jacket but with a title like that my bet is that it's anti-PC and has either been renamed or withdrawn from publication. Again the Faraway tree is mentioned and two children climb into the Land Of The Stupids.... sometimes I wonder if I'm living in that land - especially when I hit the supermarket.

The pretty vintage embroidered hankie case was 20p. I can't leave old linens at that price they simply have to come home with me.

Three watches for 50p each. None of them working LOL as they all need new batteries.

The DH said to me, 'why have you bought broken watches?Its cheaper buying a new watch."

Anyhow, I went to our local shopping centre a couple of days after and asked at the watch menders how much he charged to fit a new battery? £3.99 he said!

I walked away.

A little further on I went into poundland for some of their cheap springwater (lovely BTW) and spotted a huge pack of watch/calculator batteries for £1. I picked them up and showed them to the DH later that day.

He shook his head, "You don't even know if they fit and you need a special tool to get the back off."

I pulled out a pack of tiny screwdrivers we bought years ago, flipped off the back, loosened a screw and fitted a battery. Now I have three watches and they all work :-)

I'm thinking of a new career fitting watch batteries now.

(and don't you just love proving someone wrong?)

Do you like this little charm bracelet? Another 50p find. Brand new, the girl selling it said it was an unwanted present and unused.

I bought another bag from the same girl. Brand new in bag and from some museum. This is one side

And here is the other. This is one I can roll up and pop in the bottom of a handbag. Cost £1. More than I'd normally pay but it is unusual.

On the wardrobe front I made four purchases.
A pair of brand new Per Una jeans for £1, a Per Una raggedy shirt for 50p (I love Per Una - always washes well), Jane Norman top for 50p and a lovely yellow and black t- dress for 50p again.




The yellow t- dress is brilliant for this hot weather. Wore it round the village this afternoon and it was so cool. Mind you, you can't go wrong for 50p!

Saturday Booty Bargains?

Saturday despite being a sunny day with lots of stallholders packing out two fields was a little void of bargains for me.

A large number of stalls were pricing their items very high.

I heard an old fella asking how much a rusty looking screwdriver was and told by a young woman who couldn't be bothered gettting out of her car that it was £2. £2 for a rusty screwdriver!

Out of curiosity I asked her how much her fishing DVDs were (I pay a £1 usually) and was informed that they were a fiver each.

Both me and the old fella walked away. On another stall I saw a book in prominent display with a little hand written sign against it saying, "£15 in shop bargain at today at £8".

I felt like saying, !"Helloo! Car Boot Sale, wake up!"

I also witnessed an argument. Another elderly man walked over to a stall and asked the stallholder how much her shirts were. £2 each she replied.

The elderly man walked away and said to his son, "She wants £2 for them they are only 50p elsewhere!"

The stallholder's face was a picture. She yelled at the top of her voice, "Hey You, Mr Know-All! I'll have you know my shirts are from BHS they aren't cheap tat!"

"I'm entitled to my opinion!" yelled the old man.

"Yeah but you said it so that I could hear you," she yelled back. "Shouting your mouth off so everyone could hear you. Keep your mouth shut in future!"

All the way down the line of stalls I could hear the old man rattling on about the bad tempered stallholder and by the end of the line i was wondering if he was going to go back and punch her he was getting so angry.

Now I do think the old guy was a bit rude but if you think about it the stallhodler would have been better to keep her mouth shut as all he needed to do to get his own back would be to 'accidently' tip her stall over and walk off.

Usually when I ask a price and its high I just say 'thank you its a bit too expensive for me'. No need to get angry and cause an argument. Mind you a couple of times I've asked the price and its been high and while I've stood there in shocked silence the stallholder started putting it in a bag for me. I've had to say, "No, No please I don't want it!"

So what did I buy at this expensive booty? First of all I bought the pure lambswool GAP stripey scarf in the top picture. It cost 50p and I know you just can't get the wool to knit your own for that price. It's a nice long one and I love the pom poms :-)

The guy selling it me laughed, and asked if I was preparing for winter? I didn't mention my 'Buy a complte wardrobe for less than £100 challenge'.

A brand new pink leather purse from Next for £1. I do love my little kidston one but sadly there is no place to hold the notes and I'm always scared I'll lose them when I'm pulling out change.

From the same person as I bought the Gap scarf I also bought this River Island bag which again was brand new. Its a nice deep one so that I can fit in my paperwork when visiting the library. It cost £1. I bought three books for 50p each. One by Terry Pratchett and The other one is Wicked, the life and times of the wicked witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.

The third book is very funny. Its set out a bit like a comic and tells the tale of a murder mystery using the illustrations from a 19century ladies book. I've included one of the illustrations below so you can see what I mean.

Then, cos the winter theme seemed to be running through the red hot summer day (?) I bought 4 glass christmas tree ornaments. Here's two of them. They are brand new with tags and I paid £1 for the 4.

Finally, I found a very nice man who had made a lovely selection of hanging baskets, tubs and troughs. I bought two hanging baskets from him for £10 the pair. I really wish I'd bought two troughs off him as well as I'd love a window box outside one of my kitchen windows as it looks directly at the wooden fence and isn't that great a view! Oh, well. Fingers crossed he'll be back next week although saying that he looked very disappointed at the amount of sales he'd made that day.