The Joy of Charity Shops: Vintage jumpsuit and old leather wallet

I've had a very good run of bargainous finds recently. My two best recent purchases are an old (sorry, 'vintage') Marks and Spencer jumpsuit and a lovely old leather wallet.

First up, this jumpsuit which I thought was a dress, then realised was not. Either way, my initial reaction to it was "man, that is vile!". It resembes some sort of 1980's fashion monstrosity, but something was drawing me towards it...so I had another look. This time I thought "hmmm...maybe i can work with this".

I gave it a try on - the cross over style suits my figure so wouldn't need any adjusting. However the length was all wrong. Who ever thought that a mid-calf length jumpsuit was a good idea? That would need sorting. Was happy with the fabric - cotton jersey, and in good condition. Ok floral pattern, but the colour is in need of a kick up the arse. A dye job, perhaps....

For £2.90, I decided it was worth a risk and would be a nice little project over the Easter break. I sorted out the length issue, and it instantly became wearable. I'm still deliberating on to dye, or ot to dye...but looking good so far.

My other amazing buy, was this lovely old leather wallet - I think it was originally made for holding your cheque book and cheque guarantee cards (did people really carry around cheque books?)

I thought it was a Mulberry purse from a distance (cue: heart palpatations), and it does look very similar, but at £2.95, I wasn't too upset that it wasn't.

Thinking of making it my new passport holder - what do you think?

I love U's

I think this collection makes up for the fact that, as a child, I'd always be disappointed that I couldn't buy those really tacky 'personalised' name stationary that you'd always find in gift shops and the like. There was always a 'Sarah' pencil case or a 'Rebecca' ruler. There was no 'Ugochi' anything. Unsurprisngly....So I've started collecting the letter 'U'. I didn't realise I had started doing this until The Boy pointed out that I had several scattered around my flat.

I have letter press blocks (found going for a song in Snoopers Paradise, an amazing treasure trove of vintage, collectables and antiques in Brighton)

A letter from an old shop sign from eBay (another bargain - I like to think because no-one else likes 'U's)

And my latest buy is a wooden letter that can be painted and decorated as I so wish (from the lovely Supernice shop on Columbia Road, London).

I don't know anything about typography, I just know I like it. And maybe I should learn some more about it, as I apparently have another obsession in the making.

There's an old office building on my way to work that looks like it has lay empty for years, but I noticed this week that builders are on the site and  some rennovations are taking place...surely they wont want the old 80's signeage currently languishing on the front...?! I think I may have to have words with them - there's a letter U there with my name on it....

P.S - I once told a stationery supplier for the company I worked for of my childhood plight - and they did this for me

Nice!

The Joy of Charity Shops: Oslo style

Myself and The Boy went on a weekend break to Oslo recently; it's a great city with my favourite combination of good shops, good bars and a good vibe. I spent a lot of time gawping at the beautiful traditional wood houses painted in red, blue or white and the ornate city buildings...but me being me, I was most excited by the chartity/vintage shopping. I'd done some reading before we left and knew the best area was Grunerlokka. Luckily for The Boy, there were plenty of cafes to sit in, as his usual waiting outside the shop routine was out of the question when the average temperature is minus 5 degrees.

I saw lots of lovely things, but the best store was Fretex Unika - a part of Salvation Army Norway. Lots of good stuff, not cheap (but nothing is in Oslo. And i mean nothing), but it is well worth a visit.

I got these beauties; a gorgeous pale grey leather 1970's handbag and a pair of red leather gloves with a furry lining. Very pleased with myself. Well, I was until I got my credit card bill...

The Joy of Charity Shops: Ornate table mirror

I spotted this little beauty - shown here reflecting my beloved wallpaper - in a charity shop in Croydon. I've wanted a table mirror for ages, and was about to get a new, souless (and knowing me, cheap) one, when this one caught my eye. £5.99? Yes please...

The Joy of Charity Shops: Vintage London postcards

Here's a great set of vintage postcards of London that I found in a charity shop near my flat. It's quite amusing to look at the pictures of Piccadilly, Carnaby Street, Oxford Street and the like from the late 1960's.

But the real treat for me - and what made me buy the set - was this one:

It caught my eye, because it looked familiar...i turned it over and saw that it was Croydon's Whitgift shopping centre - just 10 minutes from where I live! I love things like that - not only do they look good, but there's a connection too. Not bad for £2.