November bargains - an alternative to Black Friday!

Oops, just remembered I have time to squeeze this post in before my internet disappears!  

This month has been quite expensive yet frugal, confusing?  I haven't bought much, on account of moving, but then managed to spend all of my paypal account balance on some bargain expensive boots on eBay.

I figured as I need boots for the winter, I will find some way of smuggling them in to the new house.

So, here we go, the round up:

I started off with this fab rugby top from the pound rail (of course!) of a local chazza.  I've been told not to wear it to matches at our local club, Moseley, where black and red are the only acceptable colours.  Tommy Hilfiger no less!

As it is the season to keep one's bonce warm, I couldn't resist buying this hat.  Another pound find, but quite warm.  It is by Daniele Meucci, who I have never heard of.  It is also not washable, so I washed it.  It came out just fine.  It's also had a lint shave, to get rid of some of those tatty fluffy bits.  The pic is 'before' by the way!

Something for the new house now, well I'm not turning down a rubberwood pan stand for 50p, and a proper Le Parfait jar for the same price!  The other jar, unbranded, was also 50p.

I'm going to finish with a flourish, and my new trio of expensive winter boots.  I've managed to get rid of a few bits and bobs on ebay in the past month or so and forgot the money was still in Paypal.  Several Christmas presents and three pairs of boots later and the account is empty.

These lovely grey leather Fatface boots are usually around £130 but I paid just £42 for these and that includes the postage charge.  Hardly any wear as well.

Bertie boots next, these lovely black leather boots retail at £165 and I paid £34 (including postage).  I've worn them out for the first time today to go walking in the drizzle and they are very comfy, and leather lined as well so really toasty!

   Finally, my last purchase, these stylish Geox brown leather boots, again they retail at £165 and I paid just £37 all in.  Very pleased with my new trio of winter boots.

That's it.  I make that a spend of £3.50  and £460 worth of boots for selling unwanted stuff online, I've got a lot for my money this month!

 I've prepared a further post that I will release for publication whilst I am moving, just so you all don't forget about me.  It's a bit different but I hope you like it! 

It's not goodbye, it's just until we meet again

We have a tentative date for moving.  Well, more than tentative, but not yet set in stone.  I won't cheer just yet, this house buying lark is a law unto itself.  

We are surrounded by boxes and half packed things at present, and some of my charity shopped treasures are finding their way back to the local charity shops, to start another journey with a new owner (it's a charity shop circle of life!).

I will be going offline very shortly and hopefully normal service will be resumed in a few weeks.  I do have access to a roving modem and my very old netbook but will not be blogging in the interim.  For those of you who blog, I may pop up in your comments if I have time, so you will know I am still around!

Until we meet again!

  

New boots and visiting Bonzo

Despite being a professional guitarist, him indoors' favourite musician of all time was the late, great, drummer John Bonham and he pays an annual visit to his grave.  Ironically, for someone who was so loud in his lifetime, he is interred in one of the quietest places you could find, and one of the most beautiful.  

 The tiny village is cluttered with an architecturally diverse collection of large and expensive houses, the Bonham family farm is nearby.  The church is teeny, and completely silent inside.  A visitor book notes travellers from Manitoba in Canada, California USA and Melbourne in Australia, all in the past week.  Whenever we go, we are the only ones there, it feels so private.

Bonzo's grave is generally piled with items reverently left by fans, it appears to be tidied regularly.  Drumsticks, some with messages attached, are piled behind, coins from all over the world are left on the headstone, and other gifts to the front.

I find the last line on the headstone particularly poignant and upsetting

As usual we leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but photographs.  We bid our goodbyes to Bonzo and will visit again next year, when we will be living just a couple of villages away, hopefully.

Not sure how him indoors always manages to take photos of me with my eyes shut but hey ho!

Wearing: New to me Fatface boots, ebay £42 (RRP somewhere over £120)

Per Una jumper  £3.99,

 BlackYak hat 50p,

 Next denim skirt £1 and

 Pink leather Coccinelle bag £1 all charity shopped

M&S knitted tights 3 for £1 from Oxfam but a gift from a friend

Every Lerose has its thorn - more wardrobe rummage finds

Still clearing things out whilst the house sale continues, I re-discovered this vintage dress purchased earlier in the year, still with charity shop tags (and dry cleaning tags) on.

My Lerose buy was just £4.49. 

You can't see from photos but it is gold lurex and black.  

I do love it, it fits beautifully, but I actually think it's a little long!  I'm not sure of the depth of solid black crimplene along the hemline, compared to that around the neck.  They just don't balance to me.  It is generous in length so I may have a look at the hem. There wasn't a belt with it so I've improvised but I think a plain narrow black belt would go better.

I tried it on with boots and heels (leather and from ebay), I prefer the heels myself but I'm pretty sure a decent pair of boots would cut it, mine are fake suede and horrid!  I found a butter soft leather jacket I bought in a charity shop for £15 (George at ASDA of all things!), my new to me Viyella scarf, a vintage belt (origins unknown!) and beautiful gold colour vintage bark effect Carronade cocktail watch (ebay, part of a job lot for just £18).

    See what I mean about the boots?

Those shoes were worn a lot for work.  I was thrilled with them as they are high but really comfy, and with an unusual popper fastening.  I can drive in them too, always a bonus, and a necessity for me as I don't like swapping footwear.  I also feel quite comfy in this outfit, probably because there is more black for me to hide in!

Now I did say last time that I would make an effort with my hair and make-up didn't I?

Yeah, I lied!!  

Linking up, for the first time, with Patti's Visible Monday!  Woohoo!

What? This old thing? - Wardrobe rummage finds

The house sale continues to trundle along at a sedentary pace, so I'm making use of the time to sort through every item in the house and have a good old declutter.  That includes the wardrobes.  Him indoors has already made some jumper donations to charity, I've acquired quite a stash of fabric (still masquerading as items of clothing!) and we have new dusters courtesy of some old t shirts.

Today I turned my attention to the spare wardrobe in the back bedroom, the place where I hide my second hand treasures (and him indoors has a suit, yes, a three piece suit!).  I did have a bit of a declutter about a year ago and sold some vintage dresses I had acquired donkey's years ago, and was rather attached to.  They didn't suit me and I could not envisage ever wearing them, so onto ebay they went.

I have always had regular wardrobe clearouts, and when you buy second hand that's easy to do with a clear conscience I find.  Thankfully, some pieces just get left behind in the sortout. 

Today I found this fabulous black and white swirly pattern velvet coat, one of a few fur hats I have and used to wear, these gorgeous soft as butter leather Clarks lace up boots with Louis style heel, an old sleeveless dress I wear as a pinafore (with lace top underneath which cannot be seen), and a black with silver thread scarf which was a gift ages ago and I do actually wear occasionally.  Oh, and those tights were straight out of the packet but are a couple of years old, I have a tights habit!

When I had put it all on I felt rather mutton, as in mutton dressed as lamb.  Yet not too long ago I would happily wear similar items to go to work in and not give it a second glance.  I don't like this lack of confidence, and wonder if it is to do with approaching 50?  I was more than happy to hit 40 head on and relished in my confidence and attitude.  I follow older bloggers who could wear the same things and look stunning.  I just feel overdressed. Maybe I've been slobbing around in jeans for too long.  Maybe this is the kick up the backside I need to start dressing up for the day?  Make-up wouldn't hurt either!  I do have some so there's no excuses.

So, do I need to bother dressing up more often or am I mutton dressed as lamb?

Outfit

Velvet coat - Birmingham Rag Market £20 many years ago

Dress - Tesco sale £7 years ago

Boots - ebay £15

Tights - Boots the Chemist sale (probably less than a pound)

Black fur hat - Next sale, less than a fiver

Sparkle scarf - gift 

As I'm wearing a hat I'll take the opportunity to link up with the incredibly stylish Judith of Style Crone for her latest Hat Attack!