My house?

When I have my own place, a space I can decorate and clutter and flutter about in, I would like to fill it with stuff. Lots of stuff.

Like some of these niceties from Urban Outfitters:

I want my house to be full of:

Vintage suitcases
Trunks
Big frames
Small frames
Bunting
Old records
New records
Huge lampshades
Brolly stand
Hat stand
Photos
Mis-matched furniture
Mis-matched cups and saucers
And general knick-knackery

It will take me a great deal of time to find these at a reasonable price.

I reckon that if I start looking now, I will have a hoard of cool stuff for when I can buy a house for me and the boy, in 2030 or thereabouts.

Sigh.

Sales schmales

I am staying away from the sales for the following reasons:

1. I cannot afford it

2. I don't want to buy something someone else will be wearing. I know this is difficult to get round, and it explains why I look like a Granny most days.

3. I have only left the house to go boozing, swimming or volunteering and haven’t passed many shops.

I have not been to Westfield (which is just down the road) or any other super super shopping centre to indulge in any red-ticketed madness.

I would prefer getting something in a charity shop that would last longer, look better and possibly have hundreds of stories trapped in-between every stitch.

The reality is as follows:

1. Charity shops need to be visited frequently to get the good goods
2. It will take lots of visits to find that coveted item
3. There is no guarantee that you will ever get a certain something you are looking for
4. Some charity shops are really expensive (even when the clothes are vile).

Maybe sale shopping isn't looking so bad after all...

Jammin' till the jam is through

Our first jumble is done diddly done. It got of to a shaky start but we met some lovely people, ate some lovely cakes and sold some lovely goodies too.



We didn't sell as much as we hoped to sell, and there wasn't too many people there, but we still made a pretty packet.

A pregnant lady bought my faux fur coat. I hope it keeps her and her bump all lovely and snug.

Meet the neighbours

Rag & Bow vintage

Beaming boy with his bargin bounty. I bought this is a second hand store in Budapest.

Musician/comedian/all round bundle of lovliness Helen Arney did a great set on her ukulele, and bought a lovely netted skirt from us too.

To think that jammin' was a thing of the past

We're jammin'

And I hope this jam is gonna last.

All packed and ready to sell

2 large vintage cases, one medium sized cardboard box, one ikea carrier, 1 washing basket, 1 large Selfridges bag and one plastic bust later we are ready to roll.

It's a jammin' christmas

Come join us!

Shedding some layers

I really need some money to feed my spending habit and fund my 3 week trip to Mumbai, Pune and Goa in February.

I had decided to part with some of my lovely clothing by setting up an eBay shop.

I thought I would be able to part with my well-loved and well-worn threads easily but it has been distressing trying to value them individually (especially as I don’t know how to value them properly). I felt bad for deciding some clothes were better than others. And I felt bad for keeping some and not others. Did I really want to part with them?

A few weeks ago I put the first lot online.

I was offended that no one had made any bids for the first 4 days. Did they think my clothing was not good enough? Were they vintage snobs? What about all the vintage virgins I wanted to capture? Didn't they see the bounty I had on offer?

As soon as poeople did start bidding, I felt a tinge regret. Darn it. I did quite like that dress…

Should I have put a once-loved item on eBay? Am I going to get mugged off? Am I being greedy by not getting rid of more? Or am I being an idiot by selling items so cheaply and not valuing them properly? Am I sitting on a goldmine of vintage nuggets or are my goodies one step away form a landfill?

Frick!

Take advantage of my lack of valuing skills here!!

Slackety Slack

I attempted to go cold turkey on the clothes front but instead I have been buying more than ever.

I have failed royally, but I now have enough clothing to wear a different outfit every day for the next 3 years. Cha-ching.

I have stocked up on goodies from all over England:

London
Bristol
Bath
Manchester
Newcastle
Maidstone

Eastbourne
The magical 140 bus route
Numerous jumbles sale
And Budapest

..and have come accross some little gems.

My wardrobe is brimming. As is the shed, the loft and the boy's bedroom floor. Eeeek.