Friends and Family Photo Gallery

Hello! 
How's your weekend been?
Another week into my no thrifting challenge and I'm doing well. Saturday is usually my day to hit the boot sales and charity shops but instead the sun was shining so I took advantage of the good weather and took Bobs bike out for a whizz to Comber. I stopped to munch on the blackberries filling the hedge rows, I love this time of year! I'm going to head back there and fill up a tub so I can have black berries for breakfast.
Myself and the big lad watched a really good documentary film last night We Live In Public, has anyone seen it? I feel like throwing the TV, laptop and phone out the window! I came downstairs this morning, turned on the TV, switched on the laptop, had my phone beside me and was flicking through a pile of fashion magazines!!! OVERLOAD!!!
A quick blog before I shut down the computer! haha!

 One wall in our living room is a growing gallery of friends and family photos. I've thrifted most of the frames so I didn't spend a fortune. I love flicking through old photo albums and nowadays I barely print any photos, so it's nice to have a few favourites on the wall. If you're someone who likes straight pictures you'll not like this, I'm past trying to get these to hang straight, it's all a bit higgldy piggldy.

Mary likes it

I must switch off now! The big lad wants his hair cut!
Hope you have a lovely Sunday everyone xx

Hey! Home Wrecker At Culture Night

Hello!
A couple of photos to share from last Friday nights Little Green Allotments Come to Town market at Culture night , Belfast. The big lad was my stall side kick and we had a fun day, we met really  nice people and sold a few bits and bobs. I was selling a mix of vintage home wares and things I've been making myself, cushions, kids dresses and cards.

My very colourful stall!

There's something about the dark nights that makes me want to hibernate away in my craft room. The weather is pure miserable here, I'm day dreaming of a holiday, lying in the sun.....I'm off to pack for a couple of days away with work. I've been bringing little craft projects to work at in my hotel room, one eye on my craft project the other watching the new series of Dallas, it's predictable, but I'm hooked!
Hope you're all having a lovely week xx

This Week I've Been Mostly Thrifting....

Nothing, but I have some things to share from last weeks trip to Poulty fair.
I've decided that for the time that Bob is in Morocco there will be no more thrifting. She laughed when I told her and said I won't be able to do it but if I can give up chocolate for lent then I can give up thrifting for 8 (now 7) weeks, wee buns (easy)
Last Saturday the big lad, myself Bob and sister Cric headed to Poulty fair. Half way around the boot sale and I still hadn't parted with any of my cash, I'd like to say I came home empty handed but once I'd bought my first item I was onto a roll, the flood gates opened and we were soon all walking round carrying bags of stuff that I'd bought. Here's what I came home with, it's all very brown!

Biscuit jar and tea jar, the biscuit jar had lost it's lid so instead it's being used to hold the kitchen utensils

I also found this very cute globe in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago and the lady in the shop gave it to me for half price because it had been sitting for a few weeks, love it!

 To prove just how much will power I can have, yesterday out with my sister for a cycle, we passed a car boot sale and didn't stop, we did go into a charity shop later on in the day but I bought nothing.I can do it, I can do it! New mantra NO More Thrifting....
 When Bob gets home I'll go thrifting CRAZY!!
Have you found anything cool this week?
XXXX

All You Need Is Love

Hello!
Last night I tried to Skype Bob but the internet connection was terrible and after many failed attempts and only getting as far as "Hello, hello, can you hear me?" we gave up and chatted on instant messenger. I got to see her face for all of about 5 seconds, but we messaged eachother for ages, finding out all the craic from Morocco, Bob's having a good time and getting on well and it was so good to get to chat to her, her hotel is on the beach front! I'm well JEL!
Seems like the right time to share a little craft project I did a while ago, made from vintage fabric, thrifted frames and scrabble letters. Love is all you need or all you need is love either way you say it means the same and it's so true!

I'm off to get ready for Culture Night, it's going to be a busy day!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Oh Yes It's Culture Night And The Feelin's Right, Oh Yes It's Culture night, OOOOO What A Night ( Sung to the tune of Ladies Night)

Friday night 21st September is Culture Night....

There's SO much happening in Belfast on Friday night, live music, poetry, circus, art, drama and so much more, it's going to be AMAZING!!!
 I'll be setting up shop  in The Art College with  The Little Green Allotments Comes To Town
If you're in town be sure to pop in and say Hi!
Bye for now! xx

Bike Swap

Hello everyone, hope you're having a great weekend!
My best bud sister Bob (Kathryn) is going to work in Morocco for eight weeks on Monday, lucky duck! I'm going to miss her like mad but it'll be so good when she comes back!!

While Bob's away she's kindly lent me her bike and I've given her my Ipod. The big lad loves his bike and I've been wanting one for ages so this is a good time to see if I actually will use a bike if I had one of my own. Yesterday evening I geared up for my first cycle and took a spin down the river tow path, loved it! I got heckled by some teenagers though, them "G'is a go on yer bike" me "NO"

I think I'll definitely get my own bike, then myself and the big lad can head out together with Mary in a basket on the front the wind blowing in her fur. I'm lusting after one of these beauties.Pashley bike

I think I might have got the best deal on this swap given the music that's on my Ipod, I hope Bob appreciates the music of Frank Sidebottom!

Bob have an amazing time in Morocco! You're going to have such a good time! I'll be looking forward to the 5th of November and to hear all your stories from your travels! I'll Skype you if I ever figure it out! LOVE YOU!
Have a lovely Sunday everyone xxx

Friday Flowers

Hello!
Yeah it's Friday! To celebrate I treated myself to two bunches of flowers today! I was having a little bit of computer trouble there, it's only taken me about two hours to figure out how to get these photos sorted, and with the big lad still at work I had to sort it by myself, got there in the end! Chicken jug ended up empty, it just didn't suit flowers!

My cutest vase! I just love these cute kitties, cheering up the loo

.  I found my old necklace when I was taking these photos, I must have been going through a Carrie Bradshaw phase, I'm wearing it for old time sake.

Tomorrow if the weathers fine we're heading to a car boot sale, I'm setting myself a budget because the last time we were there I spent way too much, I actually felt a bit sick! Maybe it's for the best if it rains!

Have a lovely Friday night everyone xx

This week I've been mostly thrifting....

To break up my long drive home
Last week I was working in Tralee County Kerry a stunning part of Ireland. On Friday I didn't have to work, just travel home, it's a 5 and a half hour drive back to Belfast and being pretty wrecked after a busy week, I found myself needing to stop for breaks on the journey home. Ireland's motorway networks have greatly improved in the years since I first started my job, gone are the days when you find yourself driving through the colourful towns, don't get me wrong the motorways are great but they're extremely boring! My first stop was a place called Newcastle West, I'd only been driving for about an hour at this point but it looked like the type of place that might be hiding a charity shop or two! It was an I found a great antique/second hand shop.

At this rate the journey was going to take me all day! Next stop a gorgeous place a few miles outside Limerick, Adare, I stopped to take photos of the lovely thatched cottage houses and shops and to refuel with carrot cake and coffee.

 The journey continued, I made some time by sticking the boot down, so much so by the time I reached my next stop Portlaoise the oil light had appeared on my dashboard! Still three hours from home I stopped for a mooch and had to find a garage to help a damsel in distress, Found a garage, 2 mugs and a pair of pretty glasses.

Problem sorted by the kind man at the garage I was back on the road, only stopping once more for a pee.

The journey ended up taking me hours! but it was fun, apart from the oil light coming on, though I managed to get wifi in the garage, so I was happy enough.
I also thrifted this gorgeous Meakin coffee pot, perfect for this time of year, it's beginning to look alot like Autumn round here. I love the leaf pattern, Autumn is my favourite season, sunny days with a chill in the air, tights and boots, leaves on the ground.

And a little glass swan, I'll be using it to keep my kitchen sink plug in, I think it's actually an ashtray, a very pretty one!

And I'm done!! I'm planning a trip to Poulty fair next weekend, if the weathers good, see what treasures are to be found! What have you been thrifting this week?



I'm off to enjoy the rest of my day off, the big lad has kindly left me a pile of ironing his exact words "If you're bored, I've a pile of ironing you can do"

Linking up with Magpie Monday

Have a lovely Monday everyone xx

NKOTB

Hello everyone! 
It's good to be home after a long week away with work, the sun is shining, the pizza is on it's way, what more could you ask for!

Mary has a new friend, forget Seymour, Vito is the new kid on the block and he's already marking his territory round Mary's patch. He's been in eating her food, chasing her around the garden and generally showing her who's boss, not sure whether she loves it or hates it, she's such a scaredy cat!. I'd love to get a kitten, there's two needing a home in the vets down the road but the big lad says NO!

besties

 Maybe one day he'll give in, in the meantime I'll play stick with Vito and Mary.
I'm off to stuff my face with pizza, have a lovely weekend everyone xx

This week I've been mostly thrifting....

Nada, zilch, zip, nothing! I know, I know, I can hardly believe it myself!
Hello! Yes this week I was off work Monday and Friday and have bought nothing, I've changed man, nah, haven't really, just trying to be good! I've been thinking about thrifting instead of actually thrifting not quite the same buzz! So today instead of the usual showing off of my thrifty finds I'm going to show you my favourite furniture finds. Nearly all of the furniture in our house is second hand, we picked bits up through the years in charity shops, boot sales and hand me downs, I love the character of a pre-loved item and the history that comes with it. Love it as it is or follow the up-cycling trend. You can be a bit more creative with a piece of furniture you've only paid a tenner for, sand it down give it a lick of paint, cover it in decoupage or simply change the handles and voila your own unique piece of furniture and you've saved yourself a small fortune! With all that money saved it'll be burning a hole in the old pocket....I can think of one way to spend it....

My favourite furniture finds...

The big lad spotted these drawers in a charity shop, it's vintage nursery furniture

My favourite chair, I bought this about 11 years ago

My Granny and Granddad's coffee table, I can still see it in their living room, it used to sit under the window, I love this table

My advice for vintage furniture shopping is if you see something and love it, GET IT, it's not like Ikea, chances are it won't be there next time you're in the shop and you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't just get it. Also check out Free Cycle and Gumtree in your area.
What's your own favourite find? Or how have you up-cycled a vintage piece of furniture?

Have a lovely week everyone!xx