Thrifty, nifty buys

I have had a rather enjoyable time recently, clearing out lots and lots of old things in my wardrobe, my house, and my head if I'm honest... and finding out that I know exactly what I want in all the same realms, and starting to pick them out! I have enjoyed rearranging and the sea change in my life, which I think was needed, and the joy of selling old things on ebay, means I don't have to feel bad to be spending too much money!

So, I had to share some of my buys with you...

Lovely vintage and vintage style blouses: my love of pale sugar pink remains, and is joined by lovely vintage details on collars and buttons:

Vintage, white blouses - ebay
Polka dot blouse - ebay
Scalloped blouse - New Look

I then went a bit mad with the way that New Look are doing really affordable and lovely 40s style clothes in burgundy, not to mention great hats - a great season for them, and especially cheap as I had a 20% off voucher and a credit note to spend. I also have always adored burgundy, and a renewed love for dresses and 40s shapes and details made this skirt and dress to good to refuse...

The blouse was another vintage ebay find... I'm just buying anything I can in this colour!

Next... I couldn't believe it when I found these amazing 20s, jazz style shoes on ebay and they had a £50 price tag on their unworn soles - and ribbons to tie them up! Why would you ever sell these?

And this lovely hat from New Look...

Finally, I found these lovely items at a charity shop for £2.50, and they look wonderful lit up on my windowsill! My cat seems to like them too...

So, with all this, there should be plenty of outfit posts coming up soon - I'm just completing a similar clear out in our lounge, and need to make space to do them!

P. S. Finally worked out how to get bigger photos up here - and hope you like the new layout!

The Story of the Four Sisters and the Giant's Heart

While we were in Cornwall, we made a daytrip to St.Michael's Mount at the western end of England, and it was the most perfect, sunny, magical day. We arrived at a tiny coastal town and, as the tide was high, caught a tiny boat over to an island which contains a medieval castle, Victorian servants' quarters and wonderful sculpted gardens: the photo below that looks like people walking on the sea is in fact people making their way over to the Mount on foot once the tide had dropped enough for the causeway liking the Mount to the mainland to appear. It was a strange feeling looking back at England from a castle, and more than ever like being in a fairytale. As a student of medieval literature, it was of course perfect for me.

Even more wonderfully, there's a myth about the Mount that says a female giant is buried under the castle after she died when a giant on the mainland threw a hammer to her husband, which accidentally hit her. There is a well on the mount through which her eye is supposedly visible, and a heart shaped stone on a pathway up to the castle that is her heart that I snapped below.

As if all this wasn't enough, the walled landscaped gardens around the castle were also designed by four sisters - a real life Victorian children's storyline! The perfect place to wear my Victorian-style boater and vintage-style shoes :)

Shoes - New Look
Shirt and shorts - Ebay
Hat - Primark

Definitely a day to treasure forever.