Magpie Monday

I'm writing this on a Friday due to being a tad busy of late - but I shall link it with MissieLizzie's Blog for Magpie Monday where it shall be admired!

On Monday I popped into town for something or other in my lunch hour. While there I wandered into a new Charity shop I have not seen or visited before and I wasn't hunting for anything (although my current charity shop hand bag had just come all unravelled and broken that very day)

So when fate tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out a fine brown handbag I stopped for a look.

I'm not a designer handbag kind of person. I don't think I have even spent more than £25 on a bag and that was probably a one off. If a bag is over £15 I deem it 'pricey'. But (as the art fans say) ' I know what I like' and I liked this, it was big but not too big, smart but not too smart, casual but not... well you get the picture.

It had lots of sections inside, zip up pockets and compartments, phone pockets. It was, in short, lovely.

It was also £7.50. in  Charity shop! I paused but still bought it, even the woman at the counter paused and said "£7.50 is that OK?" as though I may not have noticed, or, more likely, as if I looked like the sort of person that couldn't afford a £7.50 bag.

I have loved the bag since then. Today I read in the BBC News about a lady that stole designer handbags to sell on Ebay and for some reason I peeked at the label in my new bag and googled it.

My bag is a David Jones, RRP of about £50

I feel unexpectedly smug.

Quick Update on Magpie Monday

Remember my lusts on Magpie Monday?

Well guess what?

My husband is a darling and bought my some gifts

A rather super felted bag and two silver bangles.

Aren't I lucky!

Magpie Monday and Art (daaaaaaaaahlings!)

It seems I only have time to blog once a week at the moment! How lucky that I should choose a Monday to blog. This weekend there may have been trips to the rather fabulous Worthing Open Houses Art exhibitions (don't panic it's happening again next weekend and I strongly advise you to visit some of the houses if you can) and much admiration for some fantastic art. we especially enjoyed to modern take on art at Gallery26 (who you can also follow on twitter) , some delightful seaside paintings by Brenda Brooks and the amazing sculptures by Alan Tobias-Williams.


But it wasn't all culture, oh no, I did find time to buy a large, yet smart 'mummy bag' at a charity shop for the princely sum of £4.99. Perfect to fit a myriad of mummy goodies in yet still smart enough to use for business. The only downside was DD ensuring I sent at least 4 handbags I already own, to a charity shop in exchange. (I may have a handbag habit, don't judge me)

So here is the beauty

Posted as part of Magpie Monday - Hosted by the super MissieLizzie

Magpie Monday

I hope I’m not going to get into trouble but today’s Magpie Monday is not something I bought but something I desire. Like the magpie I must have been in a former life I am drawn to the shiny, the glinting, the beautiful and like the woman I am in this life, I’m drawn to the frugal, the 2nd hand and the unusual. I adore retro items, beautiful things that conjure memories of past times as well as feeding my love of the fabulous in the ‘now’. And while at the Nineveh House in Arundel at the weekend, all these desires were fulfilled in some jewellery that has to be seen to be fully appreciated. The jewellery of Jenny Shutler at www.numerous-aspects.co.uk/

If I told you that you would wear a fork as a bangle you’d probably think I was crazy, but if it was a gorgeous silver 50s cake fork, beautifully curled into a thing of pure loveliness, or a set of sugar tongs to clasp your wrist in a warm embrace, or even the sharp silver tines of a fork to dangle from you ears and catch the light like mini chandeliers you may change your mind . So today‘s Magpie Monday is a true ‘Magpie Moment’. I am adding these to my own personal wish list and hope to carry one off to my nest very soon….


Posted (with special permission!) as part of Magpie Monday over at missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.com

#MagpieMonday another #Freecycle Delight

Just a quickie this week. A fabulous freecycle bargain (ie it was FREE!)

We needed a spare bed for the guest room which until now have been used as an office, in fact it will still be an office and I'm sitting in it now typing this, but sometimes we'd like to utilise it for what it was designed, a guest bedroom.

I saw someone offering a futon on freecycle. 'In good condition' well i was sceptical but asked politely and was offered the futon. When I went to collect it i was very pleased to see it was in nearly new condition! Had a lovely cream cover (removable and washable) and was really just what we wanted.

It fits in the room beautifully, and gives us the perfect sofa to sit and watch our freecycled 2nd TV :-)

Posted very late as part of

Magpie Monday - the overload edition

My parents are staying for the Bank Holiday weekend and as my mum taught me all I know about charity shop shopping and bargain hunting it was inevitable that we would spend a morning trawling local charity shops.

Despite only a two hour reconnaissance we have an impressive haul! I told her that her bargains should be included on the blog too. so first up are my mum's goodies.

 She bought two pairs of shoes (she's loving wedge heels now they are back 'in' - I'm jealous I can't wear heels due to my CMT)

 She bought a cat print fun fur jacket as she's envious of mine ;-)

 She also bought this lovely embroidered and beaded bag, originally from Accesorize, which I spotted and she nabbed while I was deciding if I needed another handbag!

 A skirt and top, the skirt is linen and the top is a Jaeger one

Two very pretty bowls, the china one to be a soap dish (it is just the right size) , it's very delicate and cute, the glass one she has no idea what to use for but in true Magpie style, she bought it because she liked it!

And then the goodies I bought (which actually are not as awesome)

 

First I was attracted the suave good looks and roguish moustache of Ian Stewart , unable to resist his 50's charms I bought him to play on my retro portable record player.

 I bought a teacup and saucer for Mr Tattooed Mummy with the witty slogan, "I don't go to the Gym - I garden" which is very appropriate.

I bought a small bag for myself featuring My Little Pony - it's quirky and odd and is a source of embarrassment to DD so my work as a parent is going well.

 

 I found the perfect match for a previously found and adored pyrex bowl (see here) so was very happy with that.

I bought two annuals for DD at 50p each (cheaper than a comic!) and she was thrilled.

And I scored a copy of the SIMs (deluxe edition) for PC which I haven't tried but have always wanted to - for £1

So all in all a fine haul. How did you fare? was there a drought? or a flood of great bargains in your life this week?

Posted as part of Magpie Monday over at

Magpie Monday and the further adventures of Mr Tattooed Mummy

So, last week I blogged this, as a link up to Magpie Monday. (If you didn't see it - pop over to have a read - the rest of this is only amazing if you know the back story)

And some bright spark told Mr TM 'he needed one for coffee'. Now we don't drink instant coffee, we have the real deal and it lives in the fridge in an airtight container, so I thought no more about this silly idea.....but Mr TM did not forget.

On Thursday we went to Chicester to row on the canal

(which is lovely and well worth a visit) and after an hour of lovely rowing (in a boat, with oars - not arguing!) , watching ducks, herons and water rodents we had a picnic and then strolled into the town. Unable to resist the lureof a charity shop (Chichester has many) we wandered into a few and Mr TM had (unknown to DD and I) his eyes peeled.......

So! after a trip to the Scope shop, and for the grand total of £4 we are now the proud owners of..............drum roll.............. three matching lidded jars!

but that ladies and gentlemen is only the beginning, for this jar was part of a set......

Including an actual sugar bowl

a small shallow unlidded bowl of no clear purpose (currently holding our dishcloth)

and last but not least two matching mugs!

So that's it! he wins again! I may as well give up! and he's forbidden to buy any more of these jars EVEN if he does see another one! Where are they from? who made them? are they local? we don't know! There is no makers mark! any ideas welcomed.

Posted for

Magpie Monday

Finally! only a few weeks late I have the post that is here to show you that not only mummies do Magpie Monday.

For these goodies were aquired at local charity shops (for local people) by none other than Mr Tattooed_Mummy!

He was on the look out for a container for the washing up brush ( we are a dishwasher free house hold - how retro) when he found this

Which I agree was very pretty and suited the kitchen. He planned to discard the lid and use the container, but then the same day after finding this gem (for less than £2) he found this!

which was instantly put to use, leaving the pretty lidded pot with no job! How lucky then, that I needed a new sugar pot!

Now Mr Tattooed_Mummy was very proud of his bargain purchases (both under £2) and flushed with his success he came home yesterday with a a treat for me.

While out with DD he had spotted another little something, that he couldn't resist.....

What were the chances! so now we have a matching tea container....watch this space, as Mr Tattooed_Mummy becomes a confirmed Magpie!

Posted as Part of Magpie Monday - at Me and my Shadow

With a song in my heart.....

So it's nearly time for Magpie Monday over at the blog of Me and My Shadow again, and it seems I'm always either early or not there at all! So this week I'm here at the party and early too.

And what a party it is! This week's Magpie Monday find was gained completely free via the amazing Freecycle Network. I'm not often lucky enough to get the things that are offered that I really want but this week, well just look

The young among you will think it's a suitcase, in fact the older amongst you may also think that unless you had one of these retro delights.

Once opened all is revealed!

Yes! It is a record player! A tiny and gorgeous portable player of musical discs! And it works perfectly!

Cue hours of sifting through a terrible and embarassing collection of 45s ranging from old Chuck Berry's, original Elvis tunes (are you lonesome?) and onto the 1970s and 1980s with Roxy Music, City Boy,Scritti Politti and even some George Michael!

I have had a very enjoyable musical afternoon, listening to 'proper' music, complete with hum, clicks, scratches and glowing diodes.

I am old, nostalgic and very happy. What a super magpie find. 

Do you still have any records? Want to come round and dance in my bedroom?
 

Written for Magpie Monday 

Retro Goodies and a kitchen of delights

On Friday I took a day off work, the lovely horse mad DD had a 'Pony Day' at the local stables, so lovely DH and I wandered around some charity shops. We laughed at the oddities, sneered at the self help books, bought some art books....and then, I saw....this

well what's a girl to do? it was so pretty and my pyrex dish had recently succumbed to unexplained damage, so I practically 'needed' it. £2.45 and it was mine! Oh the joy, I found I was really really happy to own it. I mentally shouted at myself "get a grip! you are not a 1950s housewife to be thrilled by kitchenware!" but it was no use. I love it.

After someone on twitter mentioned there was a blog that dealt with  lovely finds in charity shops I decided to blog about it, but also to look around and see what else I had 'collected', magpie fashion, over the years...

The first thing i realised was that we inherited a lot of stuff. The very plates, cups, bowls etc that we use on a daily basis are pretty retro...

and the eagle eyed will have also seen, that along with the Chelsea Bird themed crockery there is a recipe book, a retro recipe book ('old' for the un-trendy). It is a book from 1968, by the amazing Marguerite Patten, called simply 'Everyday Cookbook' and it's a gem. I inherited it from my mother in law and as I gazed at the pages I realised that I owned many things that were in the book, and used them in my everyday cooking too!

So here are some examples, pictures of the item, with the book opened on the relevant page, see how good you are at spotting 

 This first one, the scales, I found in the same charity shop as the pretty lidded roaster. And even though I already have a set of scales like this (and yes I use them to weigh stuff they are not just for show) I couldn't resist buying them, they were too cheap, too shiny, too pretty (I am a magpie!)

 This next item once had a lid but DD broke it (sad face) I inherited it from my mother in law as well and the exact same dish is used several times in Marguerite's cook book. Semi claim to fame.

 This coffee cup (one of a set) is inherited from my Grandmother, they are so delicate you can see light through them, I rarely use them because I prefer a mug, but they really are lovely.

And of course not kitchen is complete without a mixing bowl

And while I was looking at the cook book i thought how it was so sweet in what were 'new' foods (oh the exotic avocado!) and what a kitchen should look like

Now I think I'm doing quite well, my kitchen is fairly 'domestic goddess' like

 but then I saw that the late 60's early 70's wasn't all about the food....

So I was pleased to declare I use this next thing, a lot :-)

Anyone for Baby Cham?

Posted as part of Me and My Shadow's Magpie Monday

Post Script - I just searched Ebay for "Chelsea Bird" and was shocked! maybe I should stop eating off of 1930's plates and sell them! (then I could buy up all the pyrex/opalware) 

The new lidded roaster I bought is listed there for £20 so I feel even happier now!