Pasg Hapus! (Happy Easter from the valleys)

Pasg Hapus! Shw mae?*

Hope you're all enjoying some time off with your families - did you miss me? I've had a lovely time down here in South Wales which astoundingly is enjoying the same weather as the rest of the UK. Don't worry, I'll get to the bargain hunting, but first here's a picture of the boys on our favourite Gower beach, Caswell Bay. Isn't it amazing?

Boy2 has achieved flight :-)

Anyway, we did make it to a local carboot sale, which had the odd hidden gem in addition to the 'misshapes' meat stall and stand selling plastic guttering (still with dirt from the houses they'd been taken from). The former was pronounced a 'Tidy Buy!' from the signage. I'm all for a bargain, but I do draw the line at non-specific meat squished together and sold at a boot sale! Despite being no longer 'local' they allowed me to pay my 50p, and I found a few bits and pieces.

Vintage Portmeirion egg holder (large size) £2

I'm going to put bread in this on the table for Easter lunch

Another 60s bud vase

Pottery rabbit belonging to my mum

I also bought a School Friend Annual from 1956, some French glass bottles which I'll put bubble bath in, and two bags of shells. I stumbled across a great bit of driftwood at the beach (literally, it bloody hurt) so I have a plan to make some kind of coastal mobile affair out of that and the shells.

The husband and I also got a chance for an outing without the children, and spent the day in Cowbridge, a small market town not far from Cardiff. It's absolutely lovely there, with antiques shops and markets galore, boutiques and gifty type places, a couple of good charity shops and free parking in the cattle market. What more could you ask for? Well, this sign was an immediate order to investigate:



Vintage, Handmade and Tea-room? We'll be going that way then

Outside Happy Days Vintage Emporium was a selection of plants, outdoor bunting made of oilcloth, vintage clay pots and so on, and inside was a treasure trove of furniture, clothes, homeware, books and ephemera. Prices were on the whole pretty reasonable for a dedicated indoor vintage market, where everything has been handpicked for enthusiasts by enthusiasts.



Traditional Welsh blankets

Hand dyed wool

I want one of these - no room in my kitchen, but still...

Love these chests, but reckon one of us could create something similar for less than £130

Mr Charity Shopping sneaked off and ordered a scone and Earl Grey

I think I'd been a while...

In the end I came away with a traditional Welsh blanket from Ruby Redhead's stall. It's a large one, and the colours are still bright and new looking. My camera hasn't quite got the colours captured, but it's a bright spring green and a light salmon pink - typical 50s shades. There are two tiny moth holes which I can repair, but on finding them the lovely proprietor knocked £8 off the price - so it cost me £30. Similar sized blankets which are woven today by companies like Melin Tregwynt cost £225. That said, their spot patterns are gorgeous modern classics and probably well worth the investment.

Blanket. Headed for the freezer just to make sure there are no living moths!

We took a break for lunch, then continued the shopping frenzy. I almost missed this Red Cross shop thinking it was a boutique (for ladies of a certain age, admittedly). It's next to The Linen Closet - which I know a lot of you would love - full of goodies from Cath K, Emma Bridgewater, Dotcomgiftshop et al.

Charity shop window



50s sputnik eggcups - 50p the pair

Charity shop frame

Friendship Globe bauble

Made by glassblowers at the end of the day out of oddments

I bought various other bits and pieces like a Christening gift for our friends' baby - we went for wooden bookends with a Noah's Ark design rather than the traditional but impractical bangles or rattles - and some great greetings cards, although I haven't photographed them as they won't be funny unless you know Wales. (Mocked up book covers with titles like Cwtch 22)

Finally, it wouldn't be Easter without a bit of baking porn. Look away now if you don't want to see a cock and balls...



You looked, didn't you?

(Traditional Simnal cake - the 11 marzipan balls represent the apostles. Judas doesn't get one)

Lakota x

Linking up as usual to Sophie's Flea Market Finds
Penny Pinching Party
The Penny Worthy Project
Thrift Share Monday
DebbieDoos Newbie Party
Magpie Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Twice Owned Tuesdays
Thrifty Treasures
Vintage Thingie Thursday
Thrifty Thursdays

*Happy Easter. How are you?





A hippy vibe to the thrifty finds...

I seem to have unwittingly been thrifting to a colour theme this week, with various lovely shades of purple, orange and gold jumping out at me.

First up, and my cheapest find was this groovy tea tray for 50p

There's no label on it, but it seems to be made of vintage material that's been laminated. It looks a bit like it's been encased in fibreglass. I tried to do some research and found an old post by by Caren at Tea and Chickadees on her collection of 'FAB' trays (FAB standing for fabric) although all hers seem to be circular, not to mention made in North America. Maybe mine is a homegrown version of the same idea?

I found yet another bubble base bud vase, I don't really want to become a hoarder, but as they're so cheap and pretty I can't stop buying them! Someone local is obviously slowly purging their collection and I'm taking them in.

Amber bubble base vase £1.00

Goldfinch greeting card (new) £2.95

Gold frame £3.50

tablecloth £2.50

The gold frame was the one thing I actively went looking for this week, after buying the bird card and thinking it would make nice artwork. I had to lever all the staples in the back of the frame up with a knife blade, chuck the existing print and had a bit of trouble getting the chipboard back in again, but I'm really pleased with how it looks now. Also, I finally found one of the hand embroidered bits of granny handiwork that everyone else seems to track down with ease. It's really well done, and has only a couple of tiny spots which I may be able to get out when I wash it.



Bookwise, I found Delia's Christmas for a quid (must stop with the cookery books now) and the first Harry Potter for 30p (no, not the first edition hardback!) for my eldest. Finally, I was able to carry all my booty home in this purple and orange basket handbag :

Basket £1.20



I'm quite in love with this bag, and think it will go well with my 70s dress. What bargains did you get this week?

Playing this week with Sophie.
Also linking up for Thrift Share Monday and Magpie Monday
And linked up to Newbie Party

Original art and 60's beauty tips!

Hi everyone - here's all my finds from the week, some good bargains to share.

There was a half price sale on at St Christopher's Hospice shop (my favourite local one, without the 'vintage' know-how and pricing of those in more up-market areas), and it really brought the bargain hunters in. I had the smallest boy with me, so no chance to look at clothes - I just had a quick glance at the homewares whilst we had our usual battle over the china. (Me hissing 'put that down!' and him attempting to use a plate as a steering wheel whilst making engine noises).

Anyway, I found a pale blue bud vase to add to my collection - it was filthy, but is now sparkling again and was only 50p. I also got a couple of cheap and cheerful Indian style shell bangles, but my favourite treasure from St Christopher's this week was a framed original watercolour of the Place du Teatre in Paris. I can't make out the signature (cos obviously I'm usually an art expert) but I love the style and with the 50% discount it cost the princely sum of £1.25. What do you think, was it a good buy?

The Gods of charity shopping were also smiling on me in the Mencap shop next door, where I found an embroidery hoop for £1.00. Ok, it's not a thrilling buy, but at my craft group the evening before we'd been told that it would be helpful to bring one the following week as we'd be learning some stitching skills. And there it was, the first thing I saw when I walked in. So now I will fit right in on the tram to Croydon, like Jane Austen at a crunk night.

Me - on my holidays

There are four charity shops on the main drag in Beckenham, but my trip there was pretty much fruitless. Anything remotely 'vintage' is pounced on immediately - and to my mind, usually overpriced. All I came home with was a cheap but sparkly 'emerald' look brooch for use in a craft project, and a glass jar (smelling strongly of synthetic vanilla) which I've put my buttons in.

A trip to West Wickham (fairly posh village-y high street) just yielded books, but included a couple I was pleased to find. Farmhouse Cookery: Recipes from the Country Kitchen (£2.00, St Christopher's) is a fantastic Readers Digest book from 1980 which I can really recommend. It has all kinds of idiosyncratic regional specialities - savouries, baking, preserves and beverages - and a section at the end of each chapter including favourites from around the world. My mum has a copy, and I remember being fascinated as a child by the section on making sweets. I think this photo had a lot to do with it.

I'll be sure to report back if I ever get around to making Acid Drops or Peppermint Mice, although looking at it now the Toffee Apples look positively medieval!

Finally, I was amused by this piece of personal grooming advice from a 1969 copy of The Dairy Book of Home Management (£1.99, Oxfam)

Legs must be slim, trim and well shaped, and free from hair and fuzz, dry skin and scorch marks, to be really beautiful.



Scorch marks?! What did they use to depilate back then - a flame thrower? Sheesh.

I'm linking up this post with more Flea |Market Finds over at Her Library Adventures and Apron Thrift Girl for Thrift Share Monday.