Cape Town...

I'm not sure what it is about Capes but I love them.  Any colour, any fabric, they can instantly transform an otherwise dull jeans and a jumper combo into something a little more stylish.

The one pictured above was a very kind gift from my friend Vicky.  She found it in a charity shop near her home recently and knew of two people (myself being one of them) that would love it.  Her other friend passed on it so I became the lucky owner. It is a lovely black velvet fabric and last night I paired it with my leather trousers, stone jumper and suede shoe boots. Because of their shape, capes seem to work better with trousers as opposed to dresses, although I have paired them together on occasion. Considering that is not a particularly dressy look, I have to say I felt amazing.  I am so lucky to have such a thoughtful friend.

Capes featured big in the Autumn/Winter 2014 collections in many different guises.  From Ralph Lauren to Yves Saint Laurent, they were everywhere.  The ultimate winter cover-up.  My version however would have had a slightly different price tag thankfully.  Even if I won the lottery, I couldn't imagine paying the extortionate prices for designer clothing.  I would still get joy from rummaging around the charity shops (I do however exclude an obligatory "trolley dash" around Louis Vuitton in Paris from that statement, that would be a must, even with the guilt).

Anyway, just a quick post today.  It's my day off and although John did leave for work this morning, half an hour later he was back.  Home with a very poorly sounding car.  So tentatively, we are off to the garage at 1pm to find out our fate.  It's a good job I don't have expensive taste.  We are not destined to be rich!

In the black...

Valentines Day.  Your stepdaughter is with you for the weekend (glued to her phone and the sofa) and your husband is plastering walls. You've done all the housework, the only potential change in the status quo is that the current husband in question may stop the DIY for the England rugby match in an hour.  So with no exciting prospects on the horizon, what's a girl to do?

Ditch them both and go shopping.

With a precious (and rare) Saturday afternoon off, I high-tailed it to Chepstow, the nearest town with charity shops a plenty. I, myself, was getting over a cold and as tempting as my step-daughters attitude towards a lazy afternoon on the sofa was, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity of an hour or two to rummage around the shops.

Yet again I struck gold (or black in this case) with my purchases.  Funds are particularly tight at the moment due to said plastering.  We have started on the hallway as our next project but it seems a never-ending toil of dust, stripping (not in the 50 Shades sense unfortunately) and plastering before we can get down to any of the creative niceties that I like to get involved in.  Therefore, available cash was minuscule but as it turns out, I didn't need much.

In between the five main charity shops that I normally like to peruse, I came away with this little Karen Millen number (pictured above) for £8.99 on the "buy one get one free" rail so I became the proud owner of another black number for free. And ironically, the second item in question is in fact an vintage Wallis dress (where I work). The minute I saw it I was instantly transported back a few years ago remembering a film that I once watched called The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Jude Law.  In one scene towards the end of the film, Kate's character escorts an elderly Gent to an awards gala and the dress is pretty much a carbon copy of the one she wore.  Simple and understated with classic lines and in a fabric that just seems to glide over whatever lumps and bumps you are trying (I am trying) to conceal.

The picture above doesn't do it justice but I am struggling to find any place in the house that's not covered in dirt, dust and building materials. I will post another one when I get chance to wear it.

I am not normally attracted to black, I know its a wardrobe staple but I usually go for bright colours. These two just spoke to me for some reason. Karen Millen clothes are made so beautifully and the first dress was flawless (apart from a missing belt) so I couldn't pass up the chance. There is often some kind of unusual detailing and with this dress, it was the cuffs on the short sleeves, they require cuff links to go through the holes which I just loved.  Cuff links for a lady! Despite loving the idea however, due to my slightly "larger" frame, neither cuff will be done up anytime soon. My elbows are free for now.

The second dress was not what you would call an instant hit until I tried it on and received a compliment from the elderly volunteer that worked in the shop.  If he thought it looked nice with his poor eyesight (judging from how long it took him to work the till), and my hair being reminiscent of Edward Scissor hands thanks to the wind, then who am I to argue.

To top off an already successful shopping trip, the last shop I went into appeared to have a lonely pair of petrol blue leather shoes that also wanted to come home with me.  Nothing fancy, in fact they are Clarks Shoes, usually synonymous with moaning school children that beg their parents to go anywhere but Clarks for their school shoes but for comfort they are unrivaled. The brand seems to have shed that once banal image associated with black lace-up monstrosities to produce a much wider range of styles (and some quite high prices).  So when I found this pair for £5 with new stickers still attached to the sole (£45!), my feet were over the moon. I am somewhat lacking in the comfortable work-shoe department (god knows how) so these will go a little way to seeing that my feet get some kind of a reprieve at least.

Oh and I almost forgot......I found a (possibly authentic) Louis Vuitton tote bag. It was hiding on a back shelf in the same shop and I almost didn't spot it. It was wedged behind a pile of forgotten bags that looked like they'd all spent far too much time in the bottom of a very old wardrobe. But there she was. All £3 of her. 

Happy, happy days. 

One Direction...

Well that was a turn up for the books......

Last Wednesday I had a day out with my friend Jo in Bristol. Our primary objective (other than to while  away a cold winters day together) was to visit to National Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Bristol Museum.  It is a touring exhibition that visits various cities around the country throughout the year so you have to make sure you set aside time for it.

We went to see it last year and it may become a bit of an annual pilgrimage for us as it's something I really love. I am always in awe of the photographers and the images they capture. They are a true testament to their technical skills, their patience and their eye for a perfect pic. What I love also are the stories behind the images. One person died in his mission to capture that perfect moment after hiking in the snowy wilds of Poland. The pictures are grouped into categories such as ones that show the plight of our ever ravaged planet, illegal animal trafficking, climate change but above all they all serve one purpose: to highlight issues affecting our natural world through one click of a shutter. A few of my favourite images are shown below, all available from the above link.

These are just a fraction of ones that I fell in love with. I could have stayed staring for hours, slipping in and out of dreamscapes and thought provoking discussions with myself. I am so grateful that there are people out there that capture planet earth for us in ways that many of us will never experience.  

So after our morning of high culture, we headed for Clifton village, a stones throw from the museum, for lunch and some post-Noël charity shop trawling.  Clifton is always good for treasure hunting, especially this time of year when the charity shops are laden with unwanted Christmas gifts. 

Strangely though, in almost every shop, I noticed myself heading with more purpose for the bric-a-brac section, than for the clothes (or even shoes!). Has my house and all it's associated projects 

become my new love? Now that I have the dressing room I have always dreamed of it seems the house has taken over in terms of priority and I never thought I would say that. Maybe I really am 

getting to that age where your wardrobe plays a less important part in the jigsaw of life and your nest is truly what makes you happy. 

So I wanted to share with you what I found...

A small globe with all the country name written in French. I adore globes and maps and the suggestion of places not yet discovered and the reminders of places from my past. It was only £1.99 from the Oxfam shop. 

Continuing with the French theme.... A small wall plaque that I will hang in my hall.  The translation is "our home is so lovely, live here and happiness will find you". It's very heavy, made out of pottery but only around 15cm long.  And at £3, it touched a place in my heart. Another wall filler! 

And finally this vase which was £6 from a vintage shop. It's the perfect colour for my lounge and looks lovely with small flowers bursting out of it. 

Three things for the home and nothing for the dressing room. 

Maybe I really am becoming a One Directioner.