A Thrifting Weekender in East, West & North London

Posted on: September 28, 2011

As Autumn approaches and my favourite car boot sales close their trunks for winter hibernation, I say bye-bye to 5am weekend starts with boot-sale-burger breakfasts and look forward to jumbling alongside roasts, tea and cake. Continue reading »

A duo of vintage events to hang out at this Saturday.

Over the past few years London has become a hotbed of mini affordable vintage happenings in pubs, working men’s clubs and the good ol’ jumble sale venue of choice the local church. At this time of year I would usually mourn the closing down of my fave car boots but with so many thrifty events popping into my facebook inbox there’s really nothing to start panicking over. What it does mean is I can now enjoy a lie-in at the weekends and a cup of tea or a cocktail and cupcake or a roast dinner which many of the venues also serve up alongside the thrift. How civilised! This Saturday I’ll be starting my day at the North London Vintage Market to scour for affordable midcentury knick knacks then heading west to rummage through my pal Hazel’s Rag&Bow rails of super hot vintage threads. Continue reading »

A Gal can’t be Thrifty all the Time!

Posted on: September 23, 2011

After all that thrifting we decided to splash out... Continue reading »

Cocktails and oysters

Cocktails and oysters

One of the best parts of New York is the food. The sheer choice is mind boggling and the street food truck craze is the current trend local start-up businesses are getting into. From the TriBeCa taco truck to the Mexican ice truck you can eat whatever and whenever you like. Hurrah. Quite the revelation when you’re back in the UK afterwards and on the way home from a gig can only get a microwave pasty in the all night garage! On our last night in NY we decided to go all out and treated ourselves to an evening in Maison Premier Oyster Bar in Williamsburg. Like a larger version of my fave teeny tiny bar in Le Marais in Paris Le Petit Fer a Cheval it oozes charm and serves up the best Mint Juleps with 30s style gangster waiters all too happy to recommend their fave oysters from the huge list. Ooh la la.

A Thrifter’s Top 10 To-Do’s in New York

Posted on: September 21, 2011

I'm just back from a whirlwind 7 days in my favourite city New York. Here's what I got up to in no particular order... Continue reading »

Brooklyn Flea Market

Brooklyn Flea Market - a specialist vintage typewriter stall

I’ve been following the Brooklyn Flea on Twitter and wot not for a while so although we were heading out to spend the weekend in Long Island a quick pit stop was made in Fort Greene in Brooklyn for Saturday’s flea market. They also run in Williamsburg on a Sunday and other events throughout the year. What a treasure trove of homewares, clothing, accessories and bric-a-brac. The best part? Seek out the streets around the flea where locals have ‘stoop’ sales in their front yard. That’s where I picked up the best bargains! Continue reading »

Poodle Planter? No, it’s a Pen Pot!

Posted on: September 6, 2011

I love a novelty ceramic planter but don't find I buy that many posies to put inside them. I do however, have an astonishing amount of stationery... Continue reading »

Poodle Pup taking care of my face stationery items

Poodle Pup taking care of my fave stationery items

If like me, you don’t really shop on the high street and prefer to thrift and find second hand items then you often have to vary the use of what something was intended for in the first place. You gotta get creative! My latest obsession is ceramic animal shaped planters and I just figured out they make amazing pen pots! What better thing to have sat next to your computer than a sweet little eager poodle holding all your fave stationery bits ‘n’ bobbins… I have one in the shoppe right now, click here and hope to find many more to house all your stationery needs.

Thrifting with Pals – A Good idea?

Posted on: August 29, 2011

On the whole second hand shopping for me is a solo pursuit, except for bank holidays... Continue reading »

Beautifully embroidered bunnies - a picture my pal found *JEALZ*

A close-up shot of a pair of beautifully embroidered bunnies - a picture my pal found *JEALZ*

I thrift as a job and I’m really very lucky. It does mean I mostly go alone as it’s not a social thing where I stop for cuppas and chats – except for bank holidays. I like to get a gang o’pals together and we head off out to a field not too far from town and hunt down treasure. This morning one of my thrifting buddies picked up this delight – an absolutely adorable hand embroidered pair of bunnies frolicking in the undergrowth. I helped him carry his swag off the train but didn’t quite manage to sneak off with it……. damnit. Must sharpen up my stealing a picture under my sweater routine.