A fairy tale

Once upon a time there was a tatty but adorable vintage christmas tree that had just been thrifted. In the same house there was a little dolly, wearing an ugly homemade playsuit, who had been bought at a jumble sale many, many years ago. The little dolly looked like she might make a nice little christmas fairy, so her ugly outfit was unpicked

And lo and behold, her makers mark was discovered and guess what? She WAS a real vintage christmas fairy all along. A little fairy in disguise.

The little dolly was ever so happy to have a new outfit, and to be a special christmas fairy once more.

And she lived happily ever after.

The End

feeling pious

Apparently little girls like to dress up as brides - I didn't, I always wanted put a blanket over my head to be a nun!

I had very romantic, fanciful notions of piety (I blame some of the stories in my vintage bunty annuals!)

I still have a little bit of a 'thing' about being a nun to this day

I got this little carved angel from a jumble sale when I was about 6 or 7, so I could play at being a pious nun

I don't think i would make a good nun in real life through - no. 10 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods' - I am forever coveting vintage treasures

so, I think I am stuck with the occasional pious daydream and trinket

But that won't stop me enjoying the jam I got at a church fair last saturday, 'Blessed and approved by the Cannon', apparently!

And I still adore my 'Monastique' (I kid you not!) rose hand cream made by australian nuns, that I won at tombola at a nunnery :)

label love

I heart sticky labels at the moment. How much greater is this little blanket, just cos of the little sticky label that was on it - "crocheted by a 90 year old lady"

And I nearly missed buying this ugly little box until I noticed the label - "full of buttons"

Full.

Of.

Buttons.

One of my greatest thrills in life is riffling through an old button box (I'm sure you blog ladies understand!)

What i like even more than the pretty buttons are the random little 'treasures' that inevitably seem to find their way into button boxes. I am quite sure I must have been a magpie in a former life...

3-6-9 the goose drank wine...

My mama brought me this little lady from a car boot sale a few days ago. She has made herself right at home in my dollies house.

She totally reminds me of one of my most loved songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnCB7oni8o

My friend once said that it made no sense, as who would want a rubber dolly AND be old enough to be kissing soldiers? then she said "oh wait, I can't believe I just asked you that"

I don't know what she means....




I much prefer sailors ;)

I'm baaaaa-aaack!

Did you miss me? I haven't actually been anywhere - my aged laptop finally gave up the fight and refused to switch on/sparked when I poked it last week.

So I now have a shiney new laptop, ooooh! (oh but the expense! I will not think about how many bargainous treasures it equates to, I shan't I shan't!)

£1 treasures like this dolly

And this knitting bag plus a few sets of my favourite coloured knitting needles

Or this fabby 'bambi' cross stitch

Which I have hung in my bedroom on my little £2 shelf that I have finally put up

Or the 50p wire heart I have finally hung beneath it (filled with cards that a few of you may recognise - plus my prized possession, a cupcake birthday card from 'the' colin & justin!)

Oh no. I'm not thinking about all the glorious pretty things that might have been

:( waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! why do boring necessities cost so much????

I am going to try and cheer myself up later with a cup of tea and an early night with not one but TWO brand new (to me) sets of pillow cases on my bed. Pretty rock and roll, huh?

dolls and sneezes

oh look, its been cold and autumny for about 2 minutes and I have a cold already :(

I got a few bits and bobs at the weekend, as usual, including some more bedding/blankets (yes I am obsessed). they are in the wash at the moment so no photos yet.

I also got these 2 little ladies (sorry about the dark photo)



I rescued the baby doll, she was all lost and lonely on the street. She was naked when I found her, but about 2 minutes after I picked her up I went into a charity shop and came across this little outfit for 50p. Couldn't resist.

I also 'needed' this little dutch doll. She was the cutest one out of a collection of costume dolls, but she had lost her shoes so I shamelessly nicked the plastic yellow clogs off her friend. I am bad to the bone, oh yes.

Right, I'm off to find a cure for the common cold (may involve tea, blankets, and an evening of TV)

rat-a-tat-tat

Before it rolls round to the weekend again, I had better catch you up with last weekends thrifty finds

I started off on friday afternoon, selflessly giving all my money to charity.

Well, in exchange for a few bits and pieces. Not quite as selfless as I make out perhaps...


blue buttons, fabulously ugly shell necklace, and a snowdrop brooch that reminds me of my grans garden, which was at the bottom of the button box (the brooch, not the garden...although I do like the sound of having a garden at the bottom of a button box)


Vintage pillowcases and some more coloured knitting needles


THE MOST AMAZING cross stitch kitten cushion in the world


And an 'extortionate' teapot. Thats right ladies and gents, I spent five whole pounds on one item. I tried to put it down to conserve my finances, I really did. But it was a lost cause. We are in love. And I do need another teapot... what if my other 3 break?! A gal's gotta be prepared...

Ahem, anyway, on to my traditional saturday tour of jumble sales/table sales/fetes... I hit the jackpot on one bargainous bric a brac stall


Green glass flower bowl and posy mirror (been hankering after one of these mirrors for ages)


Queen mothers 90th birthday mug (to go with my very favourite fergie & andrew wedding mug - I have an odd sense of humour) and a little floral eggcup and sugar bowl thingie


Old mini biscuity trays, 2 pudding bowl/moulds, and an ugly utensil holder chef with a wee face that only a mother could love ;)

And a cute cute cute blue teacup and yellow mini-cake standy thingie


Look how nicely it goes with me new teapot! Tea-riffic, if I do say so myself


I also picked up some material bits for crafting

An abbacus...which will surely come in very handy, no? Some vintage hankies, and brand new peach blossom perfume & elizabeth arden creams


A few books & ladybird flashcards


I'm not sure how old 'The real life picture book' is but I'm guessing it is pretty old as this toddler is SMOKING!!!!


And a little brass cupid charm, which was my only purchase from a little antique fair I popped into. My mother rather cruelly named him 'wee gnome-sh*te' (!) as she thought I had been ripped off (£3) - a lot more than I usually pay but I got it down from £5, and I know it costs them a lot to hire out a stall!

Ah, another job well done.

£20 spree....

What can a gal get on a £20 shopping spree at a jumble sale and a couple of table sales, I hear you cry. Are you sitting comfortably? Then lets begin...

Lets start with clothing...


50p for the lot! 2 pairs of shoes, black jeans, and a jumper new with tags. And I couldn't resist this vintage pinny, even through I have far too many already.


This bundle was 'fill a plastic bag for £1' - cropped jeans, 2 tops, 3 vintage windmill hankies, 2 nighties new with tags, scarf, victoria plum bag & vintage handbag


I really like the bag, so let's have a close up!


Now on to the crafty goods - a handmade patchwork bag, 2 handmade cards, 2 balls of 'peter pan' wool, and pink knitting needles (a girl can never have enough pink knitting needles)


Now for the 'clock section' - enamel wall clock for my kitchen, felt man clock, and a pink 'next' watch with a GIANT face (just the way I like watches!)


Do you like my new hot air balloon lampshade? It was 20p and all dusty and tangled. Well, it still is dusty, I just put it up to see what it looked like. I looks ace in real life. Is it wrong to be in love with a dusty lampshade? Is it wrong that every day my house looks more and more like it has been decorated by a child? hmmm....


Homeware and kitchenware now. Handknitted pot hlders anyone? Vintage egg cosie? New stripey ironing board cover (you know, just in case I ever decide to iron anything). Lakeland tupperware thingies? Box full of cupcake recipe cards?


Or how about a new icing set, a set of star shaped placecard holders, 2 polka dot plastic beakers, a glass lid for a pyrex dish, a little bucket or a lakeland plastic lettuce knife (which apparently stops the edges from going brown - this has been on my jumble sale wish list for ages)



I also picked up a 'few' bits of jewellery. Just 7 necklaces, a bracelet and a pair of earrings (ahem)


Boo hoo my camera doesn't seem to like close-ups. But you get the jist.


Got to love the phone number of the jewellery shop on the box of this green necklace - 'FOU 1407-8 (2 Lines)'. When were phone numbers last like that???


Not many books/dvds today - a few old fairytale books, a big 30's-ish needlecraft book (which seems to be magazines bound together rather than a book??), and a copy of 'school for seduction' which I remember wanting to see at the cinema a million years ago.


Nearly at the end now. Just a few knick knacks to go. Vintage red gingham bed for a dolls house, little shell box, and a glass bauble with sand and shells isnside it.


Another knitted teddy for me to tart up with buttons and bows, and a set of pink russian dolls.


And finally, a butterfly card wallet, a brand new digital photo frame keyring, and a brand new 'burts bees' toiletry set.

I also got 2 vintage christmas decorations and 2 things for my present stash, which I sent away to live at my mums house and forgot to photograph.

Phew. Best haul I have had in a long time! I can't bring myself to tidy it all away yet... I've made a 'display' of goods in my room for me to admire at regular intervals throughout the day ;)

An award, a tablecloth and some new tat!

Yay! Look! I got my very first blog award, from the lovely Annie at Birdcages & Butterflies, thanks Annie! xxx

I have to list my 5 latest obsessions...

1) Mary Poppins Comes Back - I'm reading this at the moment and I'm loving it, even through I got a funny look on the bus this morning for reading it (not the first time this has happened, I can assure you)

2) Blankets - I'm attempting to knit my own (hmmm not looking that promising!) and I've also bought a couple of fab ones lately (MUCH easier!)

3) mismatched pillowcases - i recently got another two pillows for my bed (I used to have just the two) and I like how I can now stack up four different patterns. Yay!

4) blogging & recording EVERYTHING! I've not had my blog for long, but I have caught myself going 'oh, I wish I had brought my camera so I could blog about this!' a few times already

5) making badges - I dug my CS badgemaker out from my mums, where I was storing it as I didnt have a good place to keep it, and now every book, picture and scrap of material I own is potentially wearable (I have a bit of a 'thing' for jewellery - will have to post pics of my 'shop' one of these days...)

I will have to research who hasn't had this award already and come back and edit who I am going to pass it on to ;)

Next on the agenda - I need your help as I have a very serious decision to make. Very very serious indeed. I nicked this vintage snow white tablecloth off my mum (I have had my beedy eye on it for a while) -


I do love it, and I am definately going to keep it, but I'm not sure if I should keep it for tea parties and the like ;) or have it out on my 'found table' everyday, instead of oilcloth. I still want to paint the legs, and if I kept the cloth I think I would go for the salmon pink colour that is on the cloth.

Hmm or would floral oilcloth be better? Whaddaya think?

Lastly, I have to show you my new tat (I know, I know, all I seem to do is shop, but I just started training for a new job so I'm not doing many hours yet... and its far too tempting to 'pop in' to a few charity shops, especially when one of your loveliest friends invites you out for an afternoons perusing)

I was very reserved though and only got 3 bits - this china posy brooch, and this floral skirt (new with tags) - yes, I am wearing it already in this photo!


And this little bitty teeny tiny toadstool demanded to come home to my little bitty collection


Aww, see, I couldn't leave it behind, it's only a baby!