I'm back

after a slightly longer break than intended.

Having spent most of the summer holiday de-cluttering and tidying, I've been trying to exercise some self-control in my thrifting.

It's rude not to browse charity shops after you've just donated bags of stuff, though, isn't it?

I seem to have accidentally adopted a red/orange theme in my recent buys.  They're not colours I normally buy, but I am enjoying their cheerful presence in my kitchen at the moment.

This "Thetford" heat-proof tray was the first of my red buys.   I was looking at a huge tub of old buttons on the counter, and the helpful volunteer fetched this tray from the back of the shop for me to empty them onto.

The buttons were all a bit manky and boring, but after I thanked her for getting the tray, I asked if it was for sale.  She seemed surprised that I would want it, and said "£2?".  Yes please!

These storage canisters were still wrapped in their original tissue paper, so until I got them home I thought I'd just bought three.  I specially love the tiny ones.  A real bargain at £1.

I love everything about this Myott Ceramite coffee pot, another £1 bargain that I almost didn't buy because I never use coffee pots, though I drink so much coffee I probably should give it a go!

These Hornsea salt and pepper pots were actually put out on the shelf after I'd looked at the bric a brac and was browsing the books at the back of the shop.  As I was walking back through the shop I just glanced back to make sure I hadn't missed anything and there they were.  Even better, they were marked at 50p for the pair.  I've never seen this pattern before and have had no luck with Googling - does anyone know the name of this design?

Hope everyone has had good thrifting luck, I'm looking forward to catching up with all my favourite blogs.

I'll be linking up to Selena's Thrift Share Monday, and anyone else who'll have me!

The drizzle in Brizzle...

...prevented me from taking any photos, but didn't stop me having a sneaky thrifting break.
Last week we went to Bristol to visit my 90 year old Gran, who started me off on this whole thrifting thing many years ago. It was a good visit, lovely to see her and she especially enjoyed spending time with her great-grandson, who is now a good few inches taller than her.
Sadly she doesn't get around so well now, and she isn't able to get up the steps to her garden, so she gave me this wonderful copper-topped table, which is just what I needed.
It has the most beautiful patina, and apparently cost 50p at a car boot sale about 20 years ago from someone who was refurbishing a pub.
I love it!

(Yes - I do have a garden gnome. He was here when we moved in, buried under a ton of undergrowth, it didn't seem right to evict him and his wheelbarrow makes a good outdoor ashtray).

We did have a little wander around the local area in the drizzle and I was horrified by the prices in the charity shops, until my thrifting-spidey-senses spotted a Salvation Army shop down a sidestreet. It was one of those lovely shops where you just know you're going to find something if you rummage hard enough, and sure enough......

I love pigs, love Dansk, love £1 bargains, my work here was done!

I hope everyone else had a good week.

For non-English readers : Drizzle - very fine misty rain
Brizzle - Bristol, as it sounds when said by the locals

Should they stay or should they go?

After a few weeks of feeling hopelessly overwhelmed and not knowing where to start, I have this week begun to clear my small spare room, in preparation for some major sorting-out.

This has meant no thrifting. I have really missed it, but clearly I have enough tat and should not be allowed any more until I have regained control of the room.

It was good to be re-united with some of my vintage sewing supplies, boxed up for nearly 2 years since my house move.

These are just the pink ones, I have loads of old wooden cotton reels.
I'm never going to sew with them, they are beautiful, but there is nowhere to display them, and whereas they looked great displayed in my previous Victorian property, they don't quite work in this 50s house.

So, should I pack them up and keep them or give them a go on ebay? All advice gratefully received, as usual.

Hope everyone else has been out and about finding thrifty treasures, not barricaded in a small room by boxes!

Friday French Favourites

Some Paris photos this week, all taken almost exactly 6 years ago.

Scorching August morning, under the Eiffel Tower. Well worth making an early start to avoid the queues.

Beautiful bridge detail with dramatic sky, taken from the Batobus on a very hot, overcast afternoon.

There are so many wonderful buildings in Paris, but this was one of my favourites.

For more French loveliness, pop over and visit Selina's Friday French Favourites

Blogger.... Grrrr.....

A message to all my followers - Blogger is failing to display my "Followers" gadget, which is making me very angry and frustrated (which is why I keep changing the design of my blog, in the hope that a change of template will bring it back!).

Fortunately, I still have you all on my dashboard, and am still able to visit your blogs.

Quality not Quantity

So much for not thrifting during the school holidays - this week I have been in only one charity shop and somehow managed to spend the most I've ever spent on one charity shop item!

I saw this table in my local British Heart Foundation furniture shop late on Wednesday evening, thought I recognised it as being in the style of John Piper, agonised over spending £25 on it and more practically, over the prospect of either carrying it home on a rush hour bus or coughing up £10 for a taxi ride.

Late on Wednesday night, when I admitted to myself that I wasn't going to stop obsessing over it, I Googled it and found that it was a John Piper design, which made me realise that I had no chance of ever getting another one for £25.

In the manner of an Oscar acceptance speech, I'd like to thank the following people, without whom this table would not be sitting in my living room right now :

Thanks go to -

The best boy in the world, for getting up at the crack of dawn during his precious school holidays and accompanying his mother to a charity shop

The very lovely barista from our favourite coffee shop who whisked the table out of my (slightly struggling) arms and effortlessly carried it to the bus stop whilst reassuring me that I had done the right thing in buying it

The bus driver who merely raised an eyebrow as I very casually boarded his bus with a table under my arm

The local bus company for choosing to put the bus stop directly outside my house

Linking up with Sophie's Flea Market Finds

Saturday French Favourites!

Some beautiful shops, all in the lovely city of Nantes, starting with Passage Pommeraye, the best shopping arcade ever!