Birthday Week

It was my birthday last week and my mum and I spent the day charity shopping and visiting recycling shops in search of anything old, beautiful, or useful. We came back with more than either of us had room for, including a Welsh wool cape, some beautiful pictures, blue 1980s heels, 1500 leather “Grandad buttons” (as my mum calls them), children’s lamps, lemonade glasses, a houndstooth cardigan, 80s earrings, old children’s annuals and Ladybird books...the list goes on.

By our third charity shop I’d filled my leopard print shopping trolley and we still had another seven to go to! After driving to another town to rummage in yet more charity shops we popped to the tip recycling shop and picked up some chipped vintage china. I love the delicate patterns on old china and tend to use mine to display earrings, brooches or badges so that I can appreciate not only the china, but also see exactly what I’ve got in terms of accessorise. It’s easy to lose track when you’re obsessed with anything ‘beautiful’!

My birthday week finished up with my first trip to Northampton’s Bicycle Basket Bazaar, held in the old fish market. The market wasn’t as large as I’d expected but there was a fantastic mixture of handmade goodies and vintage treasures. I left with a pair of hand knitted mittens, two cake stands, a bag of homemade malteser fudge, a tiny cute toadstool and three amazing handmade cards. I picked one for myself and two for friends but I like them far too much to part with them at the moment. Afterwards my mum expertly spotted a couple of charity shops across the road and I emerged 5 minutes later with a French style triple dressing table mirror for only £2 (Madness!), and a couple of pretty vintage lemonade glasses with brightly coloured birds on. We then stopped off at a furniture recycling shop on the way home where my mum bought an old wooden office stationary drawer. The compartments are amazing! She has no idea where it’s going to go but if you love something you just have to have it.