Charity Shop Success at Last!

After bemoaning the rise in prices and scarcity of bargains in the charity shops of late, this week I seem to have struck lucky.

On my first outing at the beginning of the week I came back with ...

...this gorgeous amber pressed glass water jug and tumbler set (£2.99), a sewing pattern for kitchen accessories including a lovely apron pattern (50p) and a pair of rose printed pillowcases edged in a heavy vintage lace (80p).

I have bought the pillowcases to use in a scrappy patchwork quilt that I am making for my granddaughter in shades of pink. As well as a fair bit of fabric to add to use in the quilt I get the bonus of several yards of lace!

My second outing was following the announcement of partners in Lakota's Faith, Hope and Charity Jubilee Swap. After perusing my swap partner's blog, I headed off in the hope of finding a few suitable swap goodies at the only charity shop that is actually close to where I live. To be honest I wasn't expecting to find anything, thinking that I'd really need to travel the 15 miles to Bishop Auckland where there are more shops to peruse. luckily I was totally wrong in my assumption and as well as getting three perfect items for the swap (which obviously I can't show you yet), I also got a few very nice things for myself.

Now you know how I told you I had recently got an allotment? Well what with all the rain lately, it has been kind of muddy and it has proved to be a bit of a pain cleaning off my boots after every visit, so I thought a pair of wellies to keep at the allotment would be just the job. The problem is, as Alex pointed out in her recent blog post about wellies, they are generally just not made to accommodate those of us ladies blessed with well rounded calves. I was so happy therefore to find a pair of wellies complete with adjustable sides! The only problem is that they are three - yes three! sizes bigger than I take, however when I tried them on they weren't as big as I thought they'd be and with a thick pair of socks they'll do just fine. As you can see in the picture below they are also rather faded except on the inside of the leg, they must once have been a super bright paisley but have mostly faded to yellow and green. Again though not a problem for me as they will be kept at the allotment and only worn while I am there, so for a measly £2 they were snapped up.

I also got this pretty cotton top (50p) for the summer - in the hope that summer will arrive!

A smart dress for work £3.50.

Last but not least a small Phoenix casserole dish complete with stand. 

this is a perfect size now that there are just two of us.

Let's hope this is the start of more fabulous bargain finds.

Linda xxx