Tree of light

I just thought I would write a quick post about the new Christmas light that I made. My lovely mum gave John a box of chocolates from my beloved M&S but the box was quite a special little wooden box with a clasp. Once the chocolates were all gone (it doesn't take him long), I took the opportunity to recycle the box so I filled it full of fairy lights. It now sits proudly in my lounge like a little festive beacon.

A very cheap Crimbo decoration. Don't forget to look differently at everyday things, you might surprise yourself with what you can up-cycle! 

Green with envy....

I am very lucky to work with some wonderful women, one of which is Miss Selina Bracey, the owner of these shoes. I am always asking everyone to let me know if they find any second-hand bargains that I can write about and she was kind enough to bring in these beauties for me to see.

They were found in a little place called Chipping Sodbury, just north of Bristol, in a St Peters Hospice shop no less! And they cost a mere £4. She has admitted that she has not yet worn them but for £4, they can rest in her wardrobe guilt-free.  They are lovely dancing shoes, Ginger would be proud I am sure.

The backdrop for the photos is Caldicot Castle, which is just down the road from our new homestead. I  happily while away the hours there with my beautiful dog, watching the birds on the lake and kicking up the leaves. It's a lovely place, heaven for dog walkers. I have met so many nice while walking, already we feel part of the community.

That said, I am not quite sure Phil the Park Ranger was too impressed with Solo the other week. He got into a field of sheep and had a go at sheep herding. I was quite impressed to be fair, he seemed to know what he was doing. The tale got around and people now stop me and ask if he is the dog that caused all the commotion. 

That's my boy. 

On the eighth day of Christmas, a true friend gave to me.....

A gorgeous hand-painted, Polish china jug.

I met my friend Ewa at university 7 years ago. We had both signed up to do a French and Tourism degree at the University of the West of England in Bristol. From that first day I met her, she has never ceased to amaze me.  Firstly, for the fact that she started a university course after having a beautiful baby just a few weeks previous. Secondly because she is an incredibly funny woman and I have always been impressed at how she gets the British dark, sarcastic humour. To me, being funny in a language that is not your mother tongue, is always very impressive.  And thirdly because of her un-resounding attitude to never giving up. She has had to deal with so much in her young life and at times has had little or no support other than what she herself, has brought to the table. 

She never complains, always puts on a smile and continues to fight for all the things that are important to her.......family, roots, and the constant belief that there is a much better life out there for her and her gorgeous son and she won't stop until she gets there. 

To say I am proud of her would be a massive understatement.  In the last year, she (and her friend Gabby) have worked tirelessly on building up their own business (often while working full time in another job they hate so they can pay the rent and chase the dream). And it is finally coming to fruition. 

The Chouchou is the result. You can buy beautiful handmade Polish goods, pottery and other handcrafted items. It's still in its infancy but the foundation is there and it can only grow and grow. 

So take a look, you may just find something you like and place an order. And if you do, you can do it knowing that you are supporting an amazing woman that I am privileged to call my friend. 

Fine Dining.....

Since starting my blog, I often stress that I have nothing to write about. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't spend every waking moment in charity shops spending all my money. But I keep forgetting that I also started it so it could become a sort of online scrapbook, a record of my journey along this amazing road called life. So with that in mind, I thought I would post about my house and the work we have been doing renovating it.

This is our dining room (banqueting hall as I like to call it!), finally finished all but a bit of radiator paint and a cream carpet. I wanted it done for Christmas Day so this is the one room where we decided to do a "quick fix".  No stripping out everything and re-plastering. We have just painted, wallpapered and put some finishing touches.

 I am not sure if you can see this very well but I have painted "Bon appetit" above the patio doors in red paint. If you click on the photo it's a little clearer. It was my step daughters idea and I thought it was lovely. We needed something to take away from the fact that we ran out of wallpaper and we didn't paper above the doors. At £50 a roll, we made every bit stretch as far as possible. We even naughtily went back to B&Q for an extra long sample to fill the last bit of wall that we needed.

 Eventually I will have the chaise longue covered professionally (pictured below just behind the table) but at the moment a sofa throw will have to suffice. It does the job though. All the dark wood furniture was John's from his old house and again, eventually we will try and strip them down and vanish them as there are a few bits of evidence of where the legs became dog chews (not my beautiful boy I hasten to add).

 I am so pleased with the result. I am going to spray paint the radiator gold, and the plan is for a cream carpet (I wanted red but my friend Harriet made some comment about the red room of pain
from Fifty Shades, so I was overruled).  Cream will mean that it is not a dog friendly room so he will
be most perturbed to be put out at mealtimes, instead of sitting proudly at my side waiting for scraps.

While writing this however, I have been reminded that the gold mirror that takes centre stage on the wall, was in fact from a charity shop in Weston. It was £10 and although not a very popular choice with John (or many others to be honest!), I love it and he can appreciate that it sets the room off nicely.....even if it would never be his personal choice. 

As for other goings on in my life.......

I had a trip to the hair dressers and I have changed my hair colour to red. I do this every few years....I get bored and want a much warmer colour than my own. 

John is making good progress on project "Imelda Marcus" upstairs. The dressing room is starting to take shape.......hoping for a completion date by February. 

And I am trying to get myself into the Christmas spirit but failing miserably. Not sure why, just not feeling it this year. Just watching all the madness in BHS (our little concession is right next to the Christmas shop), it has made me realise how materialistic we have all become. People fighting to get just another item for so and so, or the 20th present for a child that already has a Kindle, Xbox and goodness knows what. I think the essence of Christmas has been lost along the way sadly. Family, food and fun should be the order of the day and maybe a little gift to put a big smile on someone's face.

I have already had my Christmas gift from the lovely people at Santander who kindly gave us a mortgage when so many other fat cat banks said No. So Santa, you can bypass me this year. I am already in credit. 

Cheer me up Chepstow!

What do you do when you want to cheer yourself up? I am sure that depending on who you posed the question to, a million different answers could be heard. One of my favourite things is to have a lovely bath, full of expensive over the top bubble bath and a glass of wine. But alas, in Merchant-Locke Towers, that is not to be. Not yet anyway.  The water tank cannot support my kind of baths. It barely fills it to cover your legs. This would normally be a massive issue for me as I also love baths when I am feeling particularly cold (which is all the time) but John has a list of priorities for the house and sumptuous bath time isn't on it.

So, I returned to another old fave in a bid to cheer myself up. Pop out for a little treat (and not of the posh cake kind). I took myself off on a whim this morning to the next town along from us here in Caldicot which is Chepstow. A lovely little place steeped in history, housing a lovely castle and a fabulous array of charity shops and second-hand emporiums. I went with a budget of £30, justified by the fact it has been pay day recently, a carrier bag (they aren't freely given in Wales) and set off in search of vintage delights. I have to say in terms of cheering myself up, it was very successful.  

Between the Oxfam shop, the British Red Cross and some more local, independent second-hand shops, I came out with a bevy of beauties and all still under budget.

This gorgeous dress from Jaeger has to be the find of the day. Being a lover of second-hand clothing, I don't often get to feel true luxury because most of the things I love have already been loved by someone before me. But occasionally you are lucky enough to find a new item, still with tags and that lovely, crisp, virgin feeling the minute you slide it on. That was the case with this dress. It was £12 but the original tag said £165. I often remain dumbfounded as to who these people are that give away items like this to worthy causes. And also, why the shop wasn't charging more for it or at least not trying to sell it on-line to get the maximum they could for their charity. Anyway, it was obviously my lucky day. Everything about it is beautiful. The feel, the colour, the style. Perfect. 

Still in the same colour story but a very different style, I couldn't pass on this Chanel style cardigan. Black and cream would have been amazing but this is still a winner. I am not a lover of cardigans unless  there is something a bit different about them.  Chanel style copies.....yes. Audrey Hepburn style twinsets..... yes. Heavily beaded numbers a la Joan Collins....yes. Standard cardi's....NO. So in a bid to not look too much like a member of the "blue rinse set", I plan to pair this with my red high heel ankle boots and skinny jeans. Wide leg classic black trousers or even cigarette pants would also look great for a slightly classier look. And a heavy string of pearls if I am feeling very daring.

I have written before of my love of all things cobalt blue and although this top is a tad smock-like, it 

looks lovely on. Originally from Zara, it was priced at £3.25 and is in great condition. 

Despite my endless wardrobe options, tops always seem to vex me somewhat. I don't know why, I am just not good at finding ones I like or ones that suit. I went through years of just throwing  a smart suit jacket over a vest top for a quick down how pub outfit rather than try and find a top I was happy with. They still cause me problems now but I am starting to favour a few key pieces that I love and feel confident in and I hope this will be one of them. I think a nice, silver, statement brooch will set it off perfectly. 

And finally.....

This won't be everyone's cup of earl grey and it was definitely one of those impulse buys you know you will question later BUT......I am a big fan of the Wilma Deering look (lovers of Buck Rogers unite) and when not wearing her spray-painted cat suits, she was occasionally seen in dresses like this one. Quilted collar, cuffs and belt, finely pleated throughout and in gorgeous jewel tones. Here comes that sentence again......."it's a little tight", but I shall be tackling my weight (again) in the new year and until then I shall not give up on the idea of this dress.  

No matter how much John mocks me. 

What's a girl to do....

I tried, I really did.

These lovely beauties came into my life this week at work. First of all my initial thought was "god dammit, another refund killing our sales...". Then I made the mistake of opening the box on the way to put it in them stock room.  And therein lies the problem.

My size, my style, my everything. And even better? They were now in the sale so I could buy them for much cheaper than the original price.  My job does have a plus side. Sometimes. 

The majority of my shoe collection is still boxed up in the garage.......and the spare room......and the bedroom and so on and so on. I have genuinely forgotten many of them and it will be like Christmas when they are re-opened. 

Progress update on the house? ......slow but sure. It's hard working on anything on top of full time jobs, especially this time of year when your body seems to want to hibernate in front of whatever the wonderful BBC wants to project into your lounge. I am also an expert at procrastination, my husband isn't quite so bad which is a good thing. He will just crack on while I will just ponder the idea for the evening. So, for now, we are awaiting building regs permission to continue with building the en-suite before anything else can be done.  That means the dressing room is still not able to take shape, other than in my imagination. Still not sure if we will be back in our bedroom for Christmas but I shall remain hopeful that Santa will grant my wish. 

That said, I have had so many wonderful wishes come true in my life, maybe I am starting to use them up. Maybe it's not about wishing for things.....

It's about turning your dreams into reality yourself. 

I should be so lucky......

Woe is me. This weekend is my first weekend off with John in ages and it will be my last, at least for a few months, as I have recently been given the unwelcome news that I now have to work every, single Saturday. Oh for the joys of retail management.

Of course I am very happy to have a couple of days with John and my boy, BUT.......Lou Lou's Vintage Fair is coming to Bristol tomorrow and every fibre of my being is telling me that I must go. Every minus digit in my bank account however is telling me otherwise. It only visits Bristol twice yearly and I was working for the previous one so I already feel that I have missed out somewhat. It's such a lovely event. Housed at the glorious Passenger Shed at Bristol Temple Meads, for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, it is transformed into a vintage utopia. There are hair stylists, makeup artists, what feels like hundreds of stalls, vintage music and live bands. It's all there, right down to the 50's style cakes in the cafe. I love it and could happily while away several hours there rummaging.

One thing I would like to improve however is my bartering skills. They are non-existent and I have even been known to end up paying more than originally stated. Shameful.  Anyway, I don't think there is much hope of me going. We have an exciting date with B&Q....and jobs galore to follow. None of which include anything vintage or second-hand. However....a girl can still dream. And if I was  to be lucky enough to go....I would wear.........

This lovely full skirt with black ribbons stitched all over it. It makes such a lovely swishing sound 

whenever you move (a pre-requisite for any skirt of mine).  This came from St Peters Hospice months ago and is actually a size 16 but I am never put off by a big size rail. It's always worth having a look.....sizes differ so much between brands and although bigger than needed, it sits nicely on the hips. I think it was around £4, originally from Coast.

And, I would have paired it with his soft white black and white cardigan. Also originally from Coast, but bought from  a charity called the Shaw Trust, which is a great charity that helps disadvantaged and disabled individuals get back to work. 

So, not really the GI Jane 1940's look with a victory roll as per many a vixen that will be at the show,

 but girly and vintage none the less. And instead of this, I am set to wear my scruffy stuff, ready for whatever DIY dream job john throws my way. Still, not the end of the world. I could be at work this weekend. Happy days. 

Take a seat.....

Ok, this is getting slim pickings now. 

My charity shop "splurges" are becoming few and très far between as the house and all it's glorious little jobs are keeping our bank accounts very busy. So that leaves me pondering what could I have bought but not yet bored you about and I forgot about my lovely little telephone table that I have proudly placed in our hallway. I bought it months before we moved house, from the British Heart Foundation  charity shop in Weston super Mare. I say shop, it's more like a warehouse full of kindly donated, pre-loved furniture for super bargain prices. I thought it was a lovely little piece that would fit nicely in my vision for an eccentric English home, full of mis-matched items that serve as quirky talking points. It is in lovely condition, possibly mahogany, that appears to be straight out of an episode of Upstairs Downstairs. 

Only problem being is that it fits perfectly in a certain place in our hallway but that place is nowhere near the phone point for which I had hoped it would be used. I have this idea of an old vintage french-style phone in cream being our phone of choice. That is still the dream, we just need to think about logistics. 

And possibly long phone cables. 

The house is coming along slowly. I am trying to ignore John's recent comment about the fact that we possibly have around 4 years of work to do. We have finished our dining room (banqueting hall) so that it is fit for Christmas Day at least. I will post some pictures soon, we just have a hole in he ceiling to sort first!  Other than that life is becoming a big blur of work, Christmas lists, commuting issues and other mundane time fillers. Not the most exciting time I must admit but I am still incredibly happy to have a home with my Man (and the dog of course). All the other dull stuff pales into insignificance really. After a difficult year for so many people that I love, you have to remember the things that count. Home, family and a Smeg fridge.....constantly stocked with chilled wine. 

I'll have a V please Bob...

Ok, so this is not going to be the most exciting post ever but then it's not all about beautiful gowns and treasured finds. Sometimes the most simple things can be treasured to. After all, I seem to be dressing up and going out less and less (as our funds are getting less and less) so it's important to find joy in the everyday too.

So here goes....my name is Louisa Merchant-Locke, and I am a fan of the v-neck. They have been a staple item in my wardrobe for years (many thanks to my beloved Marks and Spencer who seem to produce them in every colour imaginable). But they also seem to be a staple item in charity shops also. So year on year, when I think mine have been through the wash a few too many times) I replenish the stocks. The ones below are what I have bought this autumn for no more than £3.50 each. Some brand new with tags and super-soft!

I tend to go for slightly oversized ones so they have that slouchy look (that's just made me feel really old as I know 10 years ago I was squeezing into size 8's trying to get them as fitted as possible).  But they are so easy to wear, and smart too. You can pair them with jeans for lounging around the house, or if you need a quick fix, you could swap your jeans for some wet-look leggings, leather trousers, cigarette pants or even a smarter pair of tight jeans, matching colour heels and a statement necklace and you are evening ready.

This week in BHS they paired a turquoise v-neck with a black leather-look pencil skirt, white shirt and a real statement gothic necklace. Very edgy for BHS! The funny thing was, our deputy manager didn't seem too impressed with the "look" and asked if I would wear it. And of course me being me and him not realising I am quite eccentric when it comes to fashion, said yes, of course. I think it showed customers a different way of wearing the classic V, and I was pleased they dressed the mannequin slightly more fashion-forward (even if their target customer is slightly more fashion-behind). 

So there you have it, don't let your V's languish at the bottom of your wardrobe, screwed up and unloved. Dig them out, dust them off and wear them with pride.  Or even better, treat yourself to a couple of new ones from your local charity shop. Go for some nice bright colours such as jewel tones to ward off the winter blues.

If you can think of other ways to wear them or if you have some great looks you have created...be sure to let me know.....

Give it some wellie!

One of my frequent dilemma's is how to look a little smarter while walking my wolf. I have got into a terrible habit of not really caring what I look like when I take him out which is not good and very unlike me. After all, today could be the day when I bump into Hugh Jackman while out and how is he ever going to fall in love with me if I look like I'd just spent a week sleeping rough? 

So, in a bid to smarten myself up, I snapped up these smart wellies yesterday at our local charity shop when I popped into town. They were £5 and because are are fur-lined, they are super warm. At a glance, they look like smart brown boots which is ideal because it will encourage me to smarten up the rest of my dog-walking ensemble. So today, I tested them out for the first time and I wore them with thick black leggings and my black poncho and it looked much better. My normal look is scruffy jeans with holes in them (and the occasional paint splash) and my bright pink waterproof jacket (don't ask). So maybe that is the way to go moving forward.....dress the feet and the body will follow. 

Solo doesn't look too impressed though! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY....

Looking at the calendar it has just occurred to me that I have been writing nonsense in my blog for just over a year now.

I started my blog back in October last year, after my friend Gemma inspired me to get started and here we are one year on and I have a handful of loyal followers and an audience that seems to span around the globe. So I just wanted to take the opportunity to say a massive thank you to all of you that keep tuning in.....it means so much that there are people out there that are interested enough to keep on reading and commenting.   So to all of you, wherever you may be.....

Thank you......

diolch i chi

Merci.....

děkuji

Gracias......

Dankie

dziękuję

謝謝

Danke.....

þakka þér

Paldies....

ありがとう...

σας ευχαριστώ...

aitäh...

Grazie

Terima kasih

Hvala

D'akujem

நன்றி

спасибо

شكرا

A nod to the Fonz......

Since we moved to Wales, the downpours have not ceased. Wave after wave of monsoon style floods that seem to fight us in every direction. Today is my day off and yet again, I am sat looking out onto a very dreary afternoon wondering if I will ever see the sun again.

That said, it is an amazing feeling to finally be here, in my own home, regardless of the weather or the mountain of DIY projects that keep impatiently tapping on my shoulder. We took root upon welsh soil just over a month ago and the house has certainly kept me busy and out of the charity shops on this side of the bridge. I have popped into my local ones in the town but only very quickly and not really with any genuine time for truffle hunting.  My charity shop of  choice - The St Peters Hospice has been replaced with the St David's Hospice, which seems to have a chain of shops here in South Wales.  The local one in the town is quite a large shop as it also stocks second hand furniture and to my surprise, a couple of weeks ago we saw a beautiful, retro Bosch fridge sitting proudly in their window, hoping for a new home, just like the picture below....

If I hadn't just adopted my Smeg fridge, I would have been sorely tempted but it was very expensive for a charity shop purchase and I am not sure they priced it correctly for the market that it was in.  It was around the £500 mark and no matter whether it was nearly new or even brand new, people don't spend at kind of money from electrical appliances in a charity shop. It wasn't in the window for long though and I would love to find out how much it actually sold for. 

Anyway, I digress. Again. 

This post is long overdue as I bought this jacket on my last pilgrimage to the bristol charity shops before we moved at the end of September. I found it in the St Peters Hospice in Downend, Bristol on their dedicated "retro rail" that seems to allow them to increase the prices ten-fold for merely employing the word retro. But anyway, love struck and that was that. A different style for me and I can't help thinking it is somewhat reminiscent of Arthur Fonzerelli in Happy Days (a black version obviously, I think his manhood would have been seriously questioned if he were caught in powder blue). Probably on the cusp of being too young a style for me now but I have a love affair with coloured leather and I am attracted to any leather that is out of the ordinary. I am still searching for a sunflower yellow leather pencil skirt....one day I will get lucky. 

I haven't had chance to sport it as yet as I seem to have spent the last month in nothing but clothes fit for the builders yard (outside of work anyway) and I am dying to get back to my silly, eccentric self that has fun with fashion. That is, when we finish my dressing room and I can finally unpack my clothes and shoes. 

Do until that day, my lovely soft leather jacket will remain hung up and rearing to go. I may even call upon it for our Grease themed Christmas party at work. Just add a full circle skirt, polo neck jumper and neck scarf. Super cool.

Greetings....

Just a quick post to show you  the pottery plaque that I made a few months back. The colours weren't quite strong enough so I had to return and re-apply another coat so it could go through the firing process again. 

And this was the result. I am really pleased with the outcome and it proudly hangs in my new hall, welcoming guests as they walk over the threshold. That is, if they can climb over all the tools and DIY equipment that clutter the hall currently. 

Bore - da means good morning to all you non-Welshies!

Humbled.....

One day last week I was having a particularly stressful day at work. Nothing was going right and it was one of those days where you feel like you are fighting a losing battle. And (I am sad to say) that those days are becoming more and more frequent. 

But then to my delight and surprise my lovely friend Sue popped in with a belated birthday present and like me, she too has a love for all thing vintage. She had bought me a lovely cushion and has been collecting vintage brooches at different vintage fairs over the past few months that she had pinned onto the front. She was with me when I found my beloved Dior brooch at the Bristol Ashton Gate fair that I cannot currently find but then we still have boxes upon boxes to go through since the house move.  

Apparently there would have been more of them but she told me she was being too fussy and spent too much time selecting just the right ones. 

What a lovely gift, and it is true that thoughtful gifts do mean so much more. 

Ps.... I haven't yet finished posting about all my other lovely presents that I received for my 40th in July so apologies to all my friends that read this and are thinking "she still hasn't written about it!" I will get there, I promise

New beginnings.....

At last......

I can steal a moment away from the DIY to spend a cherished moment getting back to my blog. Apologies for the lack of posts over the airwaves.

As I said in my last and very quick post.....we have finally moved house and I have never been happier. John and I were finally able to buy a house together after many disappointing complications.  But here we are....new house and a new town - Caldicot in South Wales. It's very different from our beloved Bristol but only 25 minutes away over the Severn bridge.

The house itself is huge (in comparison to what we were renting in Bristol). We keep smiling as we walk around as we are not used to so much available space (which I of course will have no trouble filling with bits and pieces and trinkets galore). Now house buying is not for the impatient, a trait of which I am terribly guilty. I hate clutter and mess and dirt, so the in-house renovations are very stressful for me, as are all the spiders that Johns DIY keeps disturbing. We have guttering to replace, new kitchen and bathrooms to install, re wiring, plumbing, an en suite and a dressing room to build......the list seems endless and that's not even including the decorating (the more pleasant side of all this commotion). But because it's ours, there is a real sense of achievement in everything we do, no matter how small so I am determined to enjoy every dusty moment.

I have a clear vision in my head for every room and thankfully John is just happy for me to be in charge of the fluffy side of buying the house. Colours schemes and decorating don't really float his boat. So, with that in mind, we (I) have made inroads into the dining room as I wanted it decorated and ready to receive guests for Christmas. It is the one room we have decided to do a quick fix in and not replace ceilings and re plaster etc. We need one small haven at least in this ever growing building site! So pics soon to follow once it's finished which will hopefully be this weekend.

And I couldn't finish without posting a couple of pics of my favourite things....

This is our beautiful, coveted SMEG fridge. second hand of course from the wonderful SMEG Outlet store. I have dreamt of having an old 1950's style fridge for longer than I care to admit and when John found this little beauty on a clearance offer at less than half the normal price, we snapped it up. The kitchen won't be done for a while so she's not exactly sat in surroundings befitting of her grandeur but no bother. It is still the jewel in our crown. 

And this lovely postcard was found on Etsy and it just seemed like it had been made just for us. It was designed by a local artist Clare Phillips (Clare Illustrates) and the wording says.....Remember we may not have much, but we'll always have Bristol. It is lovely and I smile every time I walk past it in our hallway. The gorgeous Clifton Suspension Bridge is in the background and that is where John proposed to me so it has a lot of meaning for us. 

One of tens of pictures I have to grace the walls of our new home. 

On the move.....

Hi All....

Just a quick post to apologise for the lack of activity but we have been busy moving house.  We are finally in but have a million boxes to unpack and a new town to explore. Normal  service will resume soon!

Take care,
Mrs M.

Wot Not!

There is no better way to spend a rainy, already hungover, Sunday afternoon (in my book) than a good old rummage at a reclamation yard.  And even better, I managed to persuade John to accompany me, that way I know I won't be able to spend much. Ideas of the new house are occupying my every moment so my hunter gatherer instinct is on red alert.

Wot Not is a great little yard out in the lovely north Bristol countryside.that is full of everything you never knew you needed. From rugs to jugs, clocks to pots, signs, blinds  and the occasional rabbit hutch thrown in for good measure.  I love it and came away with just what I was looking for. 

And then some. 

I have always wanted one of these etched mirrors....one of Chanel or Louis Vuitton would be a gem but for now, I am more than happy with this little Martini mirror. It used to be my drink of choice until an ex-boyfriend introduced me to his drink of choice......wine. 

This ceramic painted shoe weighs a ton, it would make a great doorstop for my dressing room to be until John reminded me that there will be no door, only a doorway. Still, it will sit proudly on the floor.

And this? This is what I have been after all along. A footstool. I am going to revamp it somewhat (well hopefully Mum is), with a bit of wood paint and some lovely new material ready to be showcased in our new lounge. 

So there we were, driving home content with our purchases until we stopped off at my sister-in-laws. I mentioned the footstool and would you Adam and Eve it? She had one upstairs, unloved and forelorn waiting for a slightly nuts and eccentric young lady (I'm using artistic licence), to adopt it. 

So, we now have two footstools to lovingly restore. But that's ok, all these projects will keep me busy and out of trouble. And out of the charity shops......John hopes. 

In those shoes?....

Thankfully, we have been having some lovely weather for September so I took the opportunity to go to take the wolf to Ashton Court Estate and use the gorgeous backdrop for a few photos.  What of I  hear you cry? Why shoes of course! 

As the house move gets ever closer (two weeks now!), I have also found that I am getting a little nostalgic about leaving my beloved Bristol. I feel like I want to try and squeeze in as many places and landmarks before we go, not that we are moving far but the city is so beautiful, there are so many elements that I will miss seeing on a regular basis. 

Anyway, back to the shoes. These wedge evening shoes came from my favourite St Peters Hospice shop in Fishponds. Originally from Clarks  they cost £4 in the charity shop. I am a sucker for vintage looking brooches and ribbons, so these ticked all the boxes. Pretty, pretty, pretty.....

The following two pairs were not from the charity shop (I am ashamed to say) but I am all about the bargains and for me, unfortunately, many roads still lead back to Marks & Spencer. I also had  a voucher that was burning a hole in my empty pocket. They were in the sale (of course) and both pairs were £7. So no need for guilt.

And finally, I thought I'd throw in a picture of my gorgeous boy for a bit of eye candy......

Oh what a perfect day...

My day off last week was spent with my lovely Mum....craft Oracle extraordinaire.   Lots of craft projects were planned although without actually making the effort to collect all the necessary utensils from the relevant craft shops, our "plan" was somewhat limited to what we could produce from  around the house. And by house I mean my house, the one that is constantly shrinking ready for the move. That said, we had a very productive morning. A wonderful walk with the wolf on the fields near me, lots of tea, one picture for me, one potential cushion cover for mum. Oh, and lots of chatting about more ideas and what we would like to do without actually getting any closer to doing them !

This is was I created. Using one of my mums large selection of cutting tools, I cut out lots of bird shapes from coloured paper and using glue dots, placed them on a piece of card. I was quite pleased with the outcome for a first attempt, and love the raised effect of the cut-outs by using glue dots. I will re-post a picture once it is properly framed. At the moment am just enjoying playing around with art to be honest, I know I am no Van Gogh but surely we all have to start somewhere.  Anyway, I will keep posting about my art ideas and my projects so maybe you can be the judges.  

I had such a nice time this morning that I felt inspired to buy a few more art bits this afternoon. Some tissue paper, crayons, sticky lettering even some clothes pegs etc, etc, etc....so stay posted for the final results. Good or bad! 

One of my ideas involves these poker chips and the sticky lettering. No judgement please ....not yet at least. 

And this is what I am going to try and attempt with the crayons. Although I am now suddenly not so confident. Apparently you just add a warm hair dryer and a steady hand

And lead us not into temptation...

Well this weeks good intentions have already gone to pot.

Yesterday's lunch at work was a respectable cup-a-soup and a packet of mini cheddars. Job done. Diet attempt "box" ticked. Until 6 pm last night that was, when I received a text from a restaurant in Bristol advertising two for one meals on Monday Madness. Doomed. And when I say restaurant, it wasn't just any restaurant....it was ZaZa Bazaar, the biggest buffet restaurant in Europe and one befitting of my enormous appetite. Luckily for me, John was tired and uninspired at the thought of having tea at home so my suggestion went down well and we prepared for the feast.

I haven't dressed up for a while and even though this wasn't a particularly big night out, I took the opportunity to grab a second-hand number that I haven't yet worn. We've been lost in a world of packing and cleaning lately because of the impending house move so it was nice to make an effort and get some nice togs on! 

The top was a silky black cross-over top embroidered with gold thread that cost me around £2 in a charity shop a few months back. In this picture, it looks like a jumpsuit but the Ali Baba trousers are separate and not second-hand but my beloved Marks and Spencer trousers.  A nice comfortable outfit to allow for 3-4 courses of lovely food. 

Next stop......elasticated waists. 

Where have you been all my life?

I am not sure whether to be surprised, shocked or in awe of my Mother for introducing me to  pinterest. For those of you still living in the dark ages as I have evidently been doing, I beg you to take a look. 

It is a website that is made up of photographs, sort of like an on-line global album full of pictures to inspire, to provoke and perhaps to make your day a little better. I have been particularly interested in  the DIY/Crafts section and it is amazing because a lot of it is based around what you can do with reclaimed and pre-loved items. Right up my second-hand street! Who knew there were so many things you could do with old glass jars or wine bottles? And the list goes on from transforming old and decaying furniture, re-using an old trampoline, ideas for old bric-a-brac and crockery. I could go on all night.

I absolutely love it. It's not about buying anything, it's just about idea sharing, putting your thoughts out there into the void and seeing what the rest of us may do with them. You can select subjects that interest you and either just enjoy them for what they are OR as I've done, you could chose to become a magpie and steal some ideas for yourselves in the knowledge that maybe, just maybe, one of these ideas may just enhance your life a little bit. It could be how to make an ideal kids toy, how to take that perfect sunset photograph or just a cute photo that may remind you of your first pet in some way. It is truly inspiring and I am addicted. 

You can save any pictures that you love to "boards" and I have posted a link to my own personal inspiration board below. A lot of what I saw and saved, inspired me to do some arts and crafts today of which I shall post about later but for now, please take a look.......

Inspiration

Where will you let your ideas take you.......? 

Escape to the country...

As moving house draws ever closer, our current home becomes more and more bleak. Rooms are being emptied, furniture dismantled and the garage is getting fatter with all our boxed up goods. So this morning I decided to escape for a while rather than watch John take down another wardrobe. And what better place to escape than the giant car boot sale on the edge of Bristol. I was quite restrained however as I only took with me £15 in cash (so as not to collect too many things that I know would just push my  long suffering husband over the edge). But as it turned out, I needed a lot less than that......look at what I managed to buy for just £5.

This end table was £1 and I still can't believe it. I have big ideas for this. I'm either going to do some kind of painting on the top or a mosaic design, not sure which. Below are a couple of ideas that I liked from Google. I am not sure mine will be as impressive but the intention is there!

 These beauties were priced at £3 but due to a tiny mark on the inside of one of them, the lady sold them to me for £2.50. She actually had two similar pairs and just never got around to getting a refund on them.  Lucky for me as they are brand new. Love them, love them, love them.

And I also found a scrabble set (something I am always on the hunt for). I'm going to start making lots of pictures out of the letters, I just need to invest in some box frames but something tells me this isn't the right time to be replenishing the house with more items. Not if I value my marriage.