Caboodles

I picked up this vintage Caboodle case at the weekend from the boot sale. It cost me £1 and found the pastel colours very eye catching. (I am obsessed with pastels). It's perfect for storing all my make-up in one place and is pleasing to the eye as well.

When I got home I did some research on Caboodle's and discovered the first design was made in 1987. I don't remember these cases to be honest as I was born in late 1989, but I can imagine girls storing their hair scrunchies in them and going to sleepovers. The inside has a mirror as well and different compartments so it's easy to separate all my bits n' bobs.

Did you have one of these as a kid?
Check out this advert! I love it :)

One of my most expensive boot sale finds so far

Hi all,
I'm loving this weather we're having. I hope it stays :) Are you enjoying it?
Me and Mike drove to the beach this morning and beforehand we went to a boot sale. I always like to check out boot sales in different areas as it's interesting to see how it differs from the ones in my local area. I don't usually have much luck with ones that are on Saturday, but because we were passing anyway we thought we'd check it out, especially as the weather is so nice. This led onto me picking up this dress handmade from Cath Kidston fabric. It cost £10 which makes it one of my most expensive boot sale finds so far (it ties with a pair of pink Dr Martens I got a few years ago for £10 also). I hesitated and pondered over the dress for a while as it's quite a lot to part with for something I can't try on, so was quite a risk. Luckily the risk paid off and it fits great, apart from it being a bit shorter than what I'd usually wear. It has a really cute babydoll type fit. I love it and it really reminds me of summer.

Here is a (rubbish) photo of me wearing it. Mike was doing the food shopping so I had to improvise.

Clothes that tell a story

This is one of my latest purchases from the boot sale. I've been looking for an acid wash denim jacket for a while now but didn't want to pay loads on Ebay or on the high street so I am glad I waited it out. This cost only 50p, and is covered in Canadian patches which is really interesting. It makes me wonder what the story behind these are? Who it belonged to? How old is this jacket? etc.

I tend to not think about the story behind second hand clothing, especially vintage clothing. It's a bit too morbid for me. But this jacket really got me thinking, it's a kids jacket so I wonder if this person is in their 30's or 40's now. Although, I feel bad because I am going to take majority of the patches off as it's not my style. 

Have you picked up any boot sale bargains recently?

Boot sale haul (Vivienne Westwood) and Cath Kidston freebie!

I love it when I have a good boot sale day! Despite the recent weather over the past week or so, I still managed to pick up quite a good haul even though the boot sale was half the size it usually is. 

I spotted this Cath Kidston bag on the floor and as I went to have a closer look the lady said I could have it for free because someone broke the plastic handle. I was like YAYYYYYYYY :D :D and when I got home I attached another bag strap to it, so now it is useable.

This adorable vintage hat was originally from St Michael. I got it for 50p and I can't wait till it's not windy and I can wear it out with cute summer dresses.

From the same stall as the hat I also got this Cure t-shirt (originally from Urban Outfitters I think) for £2 and denim Topshop shorts for £1.

This cute dolly style dress was only 50p. Yippee!

I also picked up this Vivienne Westwood Boudoir bag for £2. And you all know I am a sucker for anything Vivienne Westwood...especially when it's this cheap.

And lastly, I got this purse for 50p. I think I may use it for putting make-up and daily essentials in.

Bumbags & socks

I was too lazy to get my SLR out and snap photos of what I bought from the boot sale recently, so I thought I'd be a bit different and take some on my phone, and add some hearts for added cuteness!
I fell in love with the Moschino bumbag the minute I laid eyes on it. I held my breath as the seller told me the price of only...£3! YES! I was so scared she was going to ask for an amount over my budget. I haven't had a chance to wear it yet, as it's difficult to match with what I wear as most the stuff I wear is babydoll style dresses so the bumbag doesn't sit right with it. Mike say's I should wear it to vintage fair as I'll look like a market trader lol.


You probably recognise these socks from Topshop summer 2012. Someone was selling a whole box of them for 3 for £1. They were all brand new, so I stocked up on them. I frickin' love pastel colours, wish I bought more now!!

Vivienne Westwood leotard

A few weeks ago I went to a boot sale and it wasn't great. I felt a bit deflated, and was browsing a rail which had very plain clothing like vest tops etc, but as I was about to walk away I spotted a VIVIENNE WESTWOOD for sock shop leotard!!! It was £5 and I snapped it up right away! I actually used to own this in black a while back but sold it on as I didn't wear it. Hopefully I will wear this one, just need to lose a bit of weight first. I've gained a stone since getting married last year ha!

Hello stranger!

I know...I know...I've been neglecting this blog :( Recently I've been so busy, and when I'm not busy all I want to do is sit down and rest. Hopefully I'll get back into regular posting, especially now that the sun has made an appearance. Speaking of which, here are 2 buys I bought the other week from the boot sale. I'll do a bigger post of clothing etc that I've bought once everything is out the wash.

I couldn't resist buying this mirror for £2. I deliberated over buying it for ages, but if there's one thing I've learned it's that I would rather buy something for cheap and regret it (can always sell it on), than walk away and regret it, especially at boot sales where you may never see something like that item again.


I also got this pretty box for £1.20 (Very odd price). I always have lots of bits and bobs so this is good for hiding them. I'm a bit of a box hoarder as well, I have so many in all different patterns and sizes.

Monchhichi

Recognise these little monkeys? Maybe from when you were a kid? I've recently started collecting monchhichi toys and managed to accumulate 4 in the space of 3 weeks. The total cost was only 55p. The first one cost me a mere 5p (yes that's right, 5p), from a jumble sale. I always make sure I check all tables, including the kids table as you never know what you might find. I had a grin on my face the whole day.
The second one was bought from a boot sale for 50p, it was hidden deep in a suitcase of cuddly toys. I reached in and pulled it out.
The third and fourth ones I got together for free from a lady on Facebook. I'm a member of a few groups similar to Freecycle/Freegle where you can get rid of/or claim unwanted items for free. It's a great way to 'pay it forward', and of course it brings me many gems such as these. Hopefully I can continue collecting and finding bargain Monchhichi toys.

Dolly shoes

One of the good things about having small feet is that I can buy cute kids shoes. I found this pair of cute buckled dolly type shoes from a boot sale a few weeks ago for £5. They are brand new so it's a fair price. They are incredibly comfy and I am over the moon that I found them. I love pairing them up with lace socks and peter pan collar dresses. Bring on summer! *cough*

How does your garden grow...?

I do have a garden, but I don't venture into it during the winter months. This little potted plant will do me for now until spring comes around and the flowers start to bloom.

The plant was 50p from a boot sale a few weeks ago, it fits perfectly in this Cath Kidston egg cup..yes, an egg cup. I bought it from the same boot sale a few stalls down. It came with a blue one as well and for the set it was £2. It's so cute and lives happily on the window ledge.

I'm back! Battersea boot fair and charity shops

Hi all!

I'm back! It has been a busy few months, I had no time to think about blogging and my brain seemed frazzled. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things.

Last week me and Julia went back to visit Battersea boot sale. It wasn't as big as it usually is but that was expected due to the recent weather. We still came away with some lovely things, and obviously as usual I come away with regret because I didn't buy a pretty coat I saw. It always happens.

Here are a few things that I did come away with.

I originally wasn't too keen on the colour of this dress, I never wear blue but I just couldn't resist buying it as it has a squirrel print on it and is a lovely shape. It was a lot more than what I would usually pay (£5), but I knew that Battersea boot sale prices were higher than normal ones. The labels inside is cut out so I am not sure where it is originally from..although the fact she cut the labels out makes me think it's primark lol.

At the bottom of this box of random bits and bobs I found this doll thing with a pear outfit on. It's very random and creepy but I love it, plus it was only 50p.

I did purchase some other items but they aren't very interesting, plus most the other bits were for Mike (I'm such a lovely wife hehe). After the boot sale, me and Julia drove past some charity shops so we decided to pop in. There were 3 charity shops a few doors apart from each other and I managed to buy something from each one. These Vivienne Westwood badges were at the bottom of a box of cosmetics, they were 25p each! I'll never wear them but it's always exciting to find stuff like this :)

The first two figurines weren't bought from a charity shop but were bought recently from a friend on Instagram who has her own shop in Cornwall (hoping to make a visit to her shop in the summer). Check out her shop on Facebook Fine & Dandy. I had specifically been after ornaments of these characters for a while so it was meant to be when I saw she had two for sale. Strangely enough, the larger ornament was from one of the charity shops. It was such a strange coincidence considering I had only just received the smaller ones in the post recently. Now they live happily on the fireplace in our living room :)


The last item I bought from one of the charity shops was a Slipknot t-shirt, ha! I used to be quite the fan of them when I was a teenager. It was only 50p so I thought, why not? ;-)

Battersea boot sale VS Capital (Pimlico) boot sale

A few weeks ago I decided to check out the above two boot sales. Reason being all the boot sales I usually go to have stopped for winter so I decided to venture further afield and explore.

Both Battersea boot sale and Capital boot sale have tons of reviews online raving about how the quality of goods is much better and you have a higher chance of finding bargain designer goods.

Battersea boot sale.

Upon arriving me and Julia decided to opt for the £3 entry instead of the 50p entry as that is when it gets extremely busy. £3 is a bit steep to be honest but we paid up as we were expecting goodies galore. Upon entering we stumbled across a real mix of stalls, the prices seemed to vary from the usual prices of 50p upwards to £10 for a dress because it was 'vintage'. One stall in particular was amazing. Loads of Topshop items including those stripey seaside style denim shorts from the summer for only 50p (score!). Me and Julia got quite a haul from that stall. We then plodded on and found some really expensive stalls but we didn't really find any designer goods. (Vintage Chanel bag...one day..one day). Overall is was a good boot sale, although once it gets to the time when entry is 50p it gets extremely busy to the point where you aren't able to move so I highly suggest you opt for the £3 entry.

Capital (Pimlico) boot sale.

A few weeks after Battersea we headed to Capital boot sale in Pimlico (They have two different sites). If you follow them on Twitter you get free entry if you quote the password at the entrance. We were a bit disappointed with this boot sale as it just seemed to be full of stalls with baby/kids items. Not many stalls with clothing and in general the stalls seemed empty, despite the actual boot sale being rather busy at some points. The good thing about this boot sale is that there is an indoor and an outdoor with a seating area. We didn't purchase much from this one but all is not lost as the entry was free. And we also met a lovely man called Joe and his pet parrot named Maxi.

Boot sale and charity shop haul

It's been a while since I've done a boot sale/charity shop haul post, so I present to you a couple of items from one of my latest hauls. And yes, I am attempting to go to boot sales over winter, although I don't really to expect to find much. And unfortunately for Mike he won't be getting any lie-ins just yet.

This nightie dress was originally down to almost my ankles. I got it shortened and it is now one of my favourite dresses. I feel like a doll whenever I wear it. It cost me £1.50.

This nightie was also almost down to my ankles, got it shortened and voilà. It cost me around £2 or so from a charity shop.

Another dress which I got shortened (Are you seeing a pattern here?). It has a sailor/tennis girl theme to it which is quite contrasting. I love the collar though. It cost £1.50 from a boot sale.

And finally, I bought this crazy jumper from an indoor boot sale for £3.00. I think it was an impulse buy as I was drawn in by the sleeves. Haven't had a chance to wear it yet so I'm not sure if it's a keeper yet lol.

Anyone else going to attempt to go to any winter boot sales?

Longchamp at a boot sale

Yup, you read that right. I got a genuine Longchamp bag at a boot sale. The girl wanted £5 but I managed to get it for £4. Amazing price, and the weird thing is that I was thinking about purchasing a Longchamp bag recently as I received a giftcard for Selfridges. Very strange. Anyway, this bag is a really great size, plenty of room for all my stuff and great for when you are in a rush and need to quickly stuff all your possessions in a bag and go! Also, a big THANK YOU to all those who have congratulated me :) It really means alot.

Boot sale haul

What would you like to see on my blog? more outfit posts? Let me know your suggestions.

Here is a few bits from my latest haul, I buy soo much more than this but I only photograph the interesting bits. I don't want to bore you too much with it all.
This coat was only £1.00 from an elderly couple. It's a great addition to my collection of coats as I don't have anything like this.


I am in love with these peach corduroy trousers, I was originally going to cut them into shorts but they look really good as trousers rolled up. These cost 50p.

These thick floral trousers were 20p and are age 11-12 but they fit very well. They remind me of when I was growing up.


From the same stall as the 20p floral trousers I also picked up this Bloc Party t-shirt for...20p. Amazing!


Blythe t-shirt yay! Cost 50p :) Great addition to the collection.

From the same stall as the Blythe t-shirt Mike got this Muse t-shirt for 50p. He's a big fan of them and saw them live in his early teens.

25p blouse

This blouse only cost me 25p from a boot sale. I love the lilac colour which makes a nice change to the usual white blouses I find. It's the perfect find to wear to afternoon tea or to a nice picnic in the park. It's just a shame that summer is now coming to an end but I am prepared to layer up and lovely chunky knits and knitted knee high socks.

Hermès at a boot sale!

So upon going to my favourite boot sale I stumbled across a stall of vintage goodies. Unfortunately most of it wasn't of much interest to me but then I found a box of old scarves, I always make the effort to look at them incase I find that ever so wonderful £1 Chanel silk scarf that I didn't buy a few years ago because I was young and didn't understand designer items. Anyway, my jaw dropped when I pulled out a Hermès scarf....for 20p! The lady was chatting to someone about how she was clearing out her mothers goodies. Amazing! I also picked up another Celine Paris scarf for 20p as well.

It was meant to be

I had been 'watching' this blouse on Ebay for around a month now but could never justify the cost because the shipping was so high. I had been putting it off for ages and then one day I found the exact same shirt at a boot sale for £1!! Can you believe it? It was something I would have never expected to find at a boot sale especially seeing as the shirt is from China. Soo happy!

Here is the Ebay link for the original seller who has them for sale if anyone is interested click here.

Battered and bruised

I purchased this satchel from a recent boot sale for £2.00. I had seen the sellers at the boot sale each week, I'm assuming they were having a huge clear out as each week they always have something different to rummage through. The thing that strikes me most about this particular satchel is that scrawled inside it has a date saying '62 and the name Sally along with a surname and other scribblings. The following week I saw the same sellers at another boot sale and one of the women answered the phone as Sally! Amazing! The satchel belonged to her when she was a child, which makes it even more special that there is so much history behind it. The only unfortunate thing about this is that it's very battered and bruised, I've cleaned it a bit but I am not sure what else I can do? Does anyone have any tips for cleaning this type of leather? Obviously I can't really chuck it in the washing machine. I'd love to revive it a bit.

My boot sale Yves Saint Laurent belt

Can you believe it's mid-August already? To be honest it feels as though summer hasn't even begun. This month me and Mike have been on a major budget, a ton of bills all at once and pretty much everything we own breaking at the same time is never fun. Lucky for me I shop at boot sales eh?
I was going to save the best till last but I can't help myself. I found this YSL belt which I assume is vintage at one of those stalls that do house clearances. As I picked this beauty up I was scared that the woman was going to say some outrageous price, but when she said 50p I was overjoyed and bought it immediately. The shorts I've paired the belt with is also a boot sale purchase which I bought for £1.




This scarf by Celine Paris was £1 and from the same stall. I don't really know much about this designer but from what I've read I have found out that Celine without the accent above the 'e' is vintage. Not too sure when they started introducing the accent.


Next up is this Carvela bag which cost 50p.

As you all know I love sailor style clothing. My wardrobe consists of many sailor style dresses so here is another. This cost £1.50 and it is actually a top but it's quite long so can be worn as a mini dress/tunic.


And lastly, I purchased this St.Michael bag for £1.00 (not that I need anymore bags). I have another different bag with the same pattern as this so I'm adding this one to the collection. It's big and spacious so I can chuck everything in this one when I'm in a rush.