A new venture

This weekend if you have been on twitter you may have noticed that yet again I had a rant about Ebay and posted about it HERE  I think it could quiet possibly be the straw that broke the camel's back.  Anyway, not someone to stay down for long, I have always been a fighter and have dragged myself  and my family back from the much more serious stuff in the past.  I was galvanised by this latest attack to put into action a dream that I have had for sometime.  I have set up my facebook page HERE  and intend to turn my love of vintage and thrifting into a money making concern if I can.  I have already booked a Vintage Fair for July and together with a friend I am embarking on another venture renting out Vintage Tea Service's for Shabby Chic/Vintage weddings or Tea Parties.

This means that I can now shop at boot sales and charity shops to my hearts content, safe in the knowledge that my items will at some point move onto another beloved home.   I have always loved the philosophy of Rachel Ashwell,  the creator of shabby chic when she said that most of the items that she found at yard sales etc she loved for a while and then passed them on. 

Here are some of this weeks finds as part of Liz's MagpieMonday post  as those who read my blog regularly will know I always manage for the most part to find great value bargains and today was no exception but because of my new ventures unfortunately I will no longer be able to tell you just how great a bargain they were.  Hope this won't prevent you from enjoying them with me and the excitement that goes along with securing a fantastic piece.

Various pieces of vintage Linen tea towels, napkins and runners, some cotton and some linen every piece a total work of hand embroidered art and a total bargain.  Along with the basket that was full of photo frames. Don't be afraid to ask if these are for sale, the lady was only too happy to tip out the frames and sell me the basket for 20p !  Woop!

Gorgeous Milk Jug cover, used a lot "in the pre-convenience days" to keep the flies of milk or food . This pretty crocheted one has lovely glass weighted balls on the ends and a tie top.  I love it and bought it along with some of the linen above and the lamp shades below from a lady who had THE most gorgeous stall, with many, many pieces I could have bought, including some French Monogrammed linen sheets that I have been coveting forever ! but can't find at the right price, unfortunately hers were out of my price range too.  Big sigh, I will just have to keep searching but what about this for an amazing coincidence, I gave her one of my cards so that we could keep in touch and she said her name was ........ KAREN JONES !! How spooky is that ! 

Totally perfect and too die for pale blue and cream Laura Ashley (silk?)  lamp shades for £3 each, exactly what I was looking for for my bedside lamps.  I can't tell you how thrilled I was to spot these. LOVE ! LOVE! LOVE! and no, these will most certainly not be moving on anytime soon.

Really pretty Glass Luminarc plates. These are quite modern but absolutely lovely, very fine and delicate you can almost see through them. Not plates I will be serving the boys with. 

Here is my tale of woe, doesn't happen often, but I spotted two of these gorgeous glass paraffin lamps and dashed over to the stall, the lady was besieged by buyers all haggling.  I asked the price of the two lamps again silly money for the quality and the style, so snapped them up.  I paid and was putting them into my bag when some great oaf pushed me from behind reaching across me to get at something and I heard a horrible cracking sound ! Booo! one of the top sections of one of the lamps had smashed !  Hubby assures me we will be able to find a replacement but I was gutted.  Still here is the surviving one. 

I had a few more lovely finds but will catch up with these later in the week.  Please pop over and see what everybody else found this week at .Magpie Monday

Boot Sale Bounty - Magpie Monday

We were up bright and early to go to the boot sale this week, as hubby only has 2 weekends off shift per month now we have to make the most of our weekends.  Arriving at 6.30 with a light smattering of rain I wasn't hopeful.  Not many stalls but loads of people on the hunt for bargains.  As a seller I hate it when people all lunge at your table as you are setting up, so I tend to hang back when I am there as a buyer.  No killer instinct !  This didn't stop us from getting some great bargains today though.

First up this fab chair for £5, we are almost at the end of our renovations on the house and hubby is building a bookcase/computer desk in the corner of the living room where we can house the family computer.  I wanted a chair that would be comfy but also fit in with the style of the room.  This chair will get a few coats of paint and a nice seat pad and hopefully will work well at the desk.

Next up two storm lamps.  The lady had them half full of sand with the most awful brown candles in them.  She wanted £5 for the pair, its always a good ploy to hesitate and not say anything for a moment or two.  I'll take £4 she said.  I told her actually I didn't want the candles or the sand and could I have them for £3, ok !  Deal done.  Nice wash in hot soapy water once home and some nice white candles and they are transformed !

I love candles and am always on the lookout for them.  This pack of six 12 inch Mayfair candles had the original price tag of 46p on them.  I paid £1  ! That's inflation for you.

I love to find books that are a bit different, I came across these four in immaculate condition and with beautiful covers and quirky titles.  I haven't heard of the author Edward Monkton (I know where have I been)  they are fab books and I got all four for £1.50.

Just along from this lady was a chap selling lots of selvage bits and pieces including this mirror he only wanted £2 for it!  It would have originally been attached to a dressing table.  We of course snapped it up.  Just need a bit of a clean and new fixings on the back and it will make a lovely addition to the top of our stairs.

Trying really hard not to buy anymore china I'm afraid I couldn't resist when I saw these. I seem to have accidentally started a collection of buttermilk coloured china.  Its the most beautiful soft yellow and amazingly all the pieces I have match perfectly.  The cups and saucers and milk jug are JB Honeyglaze ware and are in immaculate condition and a steal at £4. 

The large Jug was 50p and is Alfred Meaking and the gorgeous Tureen was £10 but I couldn't walk away from it, its sooooo gorgeous I keep looking at it. 

Next up a great find by my hubby these lovely Pewter Salt and Pepper pots made by Viners, again a steal for 50p !

and finally, because I can never resist a beautiful glass (and am always breaking them) three really heavy cut glass tumblers for 20p each.

So there you go, quite a collection this week and total spend of just over £27 !  I am really pleased.  Don't forget to pop over the MagpieMonday to see what the other girls have been upto this weekend.

Wooden Beauty

Beautiful old wooden shoe trees, purchased for 20p each yesterday.

Red, White and Blue, It was a right Royal Do !

You would have to have been from another planet not know about the Royal Wedding on Friday.  It was a glorious example of Britain at its best and I cried and laughed my way through it.  I gasped when I caught sight of the dress (Grace Kelly couldn't have done it better ).  I cried when Jerusalem was sung (forever in my mind the anthem of England), I cried for the loss of Princess Diana and how proud I am sure she would have been of her wonderful son.  I laughed at Prince William's expressions, both to his wife and his brother. 

A truly wonderful day to celebrate a marriage between two people who are so obviously in love.

This week's MagpieMonday post is a red, white and blue tribute to being British and  actually how proud I am to be English, regardless of all the problems our country faces at this time, we are still a pretty cool nation and we certainly rock when it comes to putting on a celebration.

Its also picnic season and not for me the shop bough sandwiches in a carrier back.  I love the romance of real china and pretty accessories.  I found most of these items last week during my trip to the charity shops in the neighbouring town of Topsham.

A pretty alternative to a picnic hamper or backpack.  This red, white an blue flower patchwork satchel has a plastic wipeable pockets inside making it ideal to carry food items.  It cost me £1 and is immaculate and looks unused.

In the same shop I found the gorgeous hand embroidered linen bread roll holder, again in immaculate unused condition and a steal at 50p !

Further along, I came across 4 double handled soup bowls with matching saucers (white of course) for £2, no marks, I think they are probably a recent vintage. They would be ideal for desserts on a picnic or if you are really posh how about a Gazpacho !  The large blue and white bowls are Beacon Hill by Hostess Tableware of staffordshire again quite new but really pretty and at 10p each I couldn't resist snapping the two of them up.  The small blue bowls I found with a collection of cups and saucers a while back in my regular charity shop, again 10p each. I bought the whole lot for the princely sum of about £1.20 !

I couldn't pay tribute to the royal wedding without showing you the guardsman I found a few weeks ago in my regular charity shop.  He is wooden and comes apart (child's puzzle thingy)  Doesn't he look smart !  He cost me £1 and guards the toys in the twins bedroom.  He cost £1.

How gorgeous is my Union Jack butterfly ?  I purchased this card off etsy along with several others about a year ago and made them into pictures using cheap frames from The Range.  All machine embroidered on dupone silk, far too nice to give as cards.   

My tribute to Will and Kate may you have a long and happy marriage.  

Please take a moment to pop over and see the other entries in this weeks MagpieMonday and I am also taking part in ApronThriftGirl

I miss my flowers

One of the things I miss most around my home is all the flowers I used to buy when we were "living the dream" .  After the bubble burst one of the first things I had to give up was the extravagance of buying flowers.  I was spending about £50 a month on them, obviously when times are tough this was first to go, along with trips to the hairdresser, new clothes etc.

Since moving to this house with its established garden I wait for this beautiful  Weigela to flower and my goodness it never disappoints me.  It only stays around for a short while so I make the very most of its beautiful blooms.

An invitation from the Master of Vintage Clothing & Magpie Monday

To my shock and delight an invitation popped into my inbox from the true Vintage Clothing King - William Banks-Blaney who is holding an event at the V & A Museum to mark the wedding of William and Kate Next Friday.    Sadly I will be attending a not so prestigious party at my next door neighbours house, otherwise I might just have popped on my Manolo's and jumped on a train to London. 

This did get me thinking though about my own love of vintage and thrifted clothes and accessories.  Bargains have been few and far between for this week's Magpie Monday so here are some of the beautiful designer items I have collected over the years and although most don't now fit, I just can't bring myself to be parted from them.

Emporio Armani Ladies dressing gown, purchased off Etsy and THE most gorgeous mink coloured silk.    I love the detail on the back.

Ralph Lauren Tweed jacket, totally too die for tayloring and wonderful buttons.  I adore Ralph Lauren and snap up jackets whenever I can from Ebay. 

Another Ebay 100% Silk Ralph Lauren Jacket in a beautiful soft cream, I wear this with wide legged trousers or the Silk Skirt below.  Only when there are not any children about though !

Devine Ralph Lauren softest of soft fluid sik skirt again another Ebay find and as new !

Palest Pink Silk Ralph Lauren.  This was advertised as a dress, but it is totally sheer and you would need nerves of steel and a figure like Kate Moss to get away with it.  I wore it as a nightdress on a few occasions! Sadly it no longer fits.

What girl doesn't want to own a killer pair of Carrie Bradshaw Manolo Blahnik shoes !  These are my totally gorgeous, too die for Sneaklo Porc Velour Rose Mules as worn by Carrie in Sex in the City.  Purchased prior to the birth of the twins they are rarely worn now as you can see but I take them out from time to time, just to look and stroke !

Finally, a PUCCI Bag again off Ebay and a total steal, appears brand new with all the tags included and the dust bag.  The lady who sold it must have been distraught at the price I won it for but bless her she still sent it to me, not so sure I would have been able to part with it if it had been the other way around.

A selection of some of the beautiful clothes I have managed to buy thanks to Ebay, Etsy and other internet sites.  As I have always maintained you really don't need a bank full of money to buy quality designer pieces, they last for years and if you stick to classic styles you can wear them again and again year in and year out.  Please pop over and see the other MagpieMonday entries.