Life lately has been a little hectic… but I’ve still found time to squeeze in some charity shops and a little car boot sale-ness…
Now as lots of you know I have a lot of old china and teapots etc so recently I’ve been searching for novelty mugs instead. Partly based on this mug I found for my mister… I’m hoping to find a Zoe version. (If anyone ever does find one, let me know!)
Anyway, I came across this Scotland mug in a charity shop and thought it was quite stylish for a tourist mug! Scotland, I’ve been there!
Then early one car boot sale morning, we came across this baby… a boxed Singer sewing machine. (I was starting to think they’d all gone thanks to All Saints’ window displays!) We cautiously asked how much it was, trying to be all nonchalant of course and probably failing!
And oh my word, she wanted nearly nothing for it. So much so that I temporarily felt bad that we were paying so little. But then the thriftaholic in me took over and kept quiet… (Yes, thriftaholic me is hard-edged!)
And here my Singer is… ain’t she pretty? And she works perfectly too. Even just turning the handle is deeply satisfying.
Now in the last while, I’ve developed a bit of a thing for old cameras (some of you may have noticed that!). And especially instant cameras.
But I’ll be honest and say what first attracted me to this camera was the box… yip, look at the rainbow arrow! So colourful! (These sort of things really stand out in a grim, grey car boot sale!)
Now the funny thing about this camera is that it’s huge… you lift it up and it completely obscures your face. That gap on the right hand side there? That’s the handle. Yes, you know something’s a bit cumbersome when it need a handle!
Oh yeah and it can’t stand up. Put it down and it sort of drops to one side. Yeah, you can kind of see why they don’t make these any more right? Which isn’t to say that I don’t love it.
I do. Especially as it had one piece of instant film left in it… which my other half accidentally took a ghostly shot of me in the kitchen with.
I like to imagine some 70s family being really excited to own this camera, only they were saving that very last shot for a special occasion. (Yes, if we’d know there was one left, we’d have maybe tried to take a better shot!)
(Um, this is to prove that I have a bit of a camera obsession going on right now… see that little white Instamax on the top right? It was a present from us to us in Japan. Ridiculously cheap. So sort of counts as a thrifty find right?!)
But this… this photo negative envelope is currently my favourite camera-related find.
It’s just rather glamorous… and so far away from the Boots disposable cameras from my childhood!
Even inside is just brilliant… “What to do with your best snapshots? Have them enlarged… and make them into real pictures”. Only your best snapshots mind you!
Yes, I’m a sucker for old packaging. Even this bit gets me. So pretty!
I also picked up my first piece of Pyrex. Now ages ago someone tweeted me to say that Pyrex always reminded them of me and I had to tweet back to admit that I have none. (Oh the shame!)
But now I have these three triangular little dishes… which I suspect where originally six dishes to hold veg/accompaniments in?
They’re surprisingly handy, so much so that I’m keeping an eye out for another three to complete the set.
And this is my 40p jug that a car boot sale man dissed me for buying!
I have a sort of thing for milk glass and I thought this was rather cute… and you know, jugs are pretty useful really. So I handed over 40p then moved on to the next stall where a man tried to convince me that my new jug was worthless and I should really buy the brown jug he had for ยฃ14 instead.
Um, no. I’ll stick with my little floral number instead thank you very much!
And nearly my most random find (I think the next one takes the title) are these old National Geographic magazine maps. Technically they came with the magazines… so I had to flick through a HUGE pile to find the ones with maps (and not just big pull-out posters of scary looking spiders! Who wants those? Who?!)
No idea what I’m going to do with them… but I’m sure they’ll be involved in a future craft project.
And here’s the title for my most random find ever… this little knitted bear!
Yes, one night when walking home I spotted this wee guy lying in the street. I took a snap of him (yes I am a total instagram addict!) and then popped him on wall in the hope the owner would come back for him.
The next night, I was taking the same route home and there was this bear, now lying in the road, looking grubby and kicked about. So I took him home and tweeted his picture but no-one claimed him. Instead I just washed him andย he’sย been sitting about the flat ever since…
Until the day our fox-owl-cat decided that the bear belonged to her. (Again if you follow me on instagram, you’ll know this is a cat that likes cosy things!) Isn’t this possibly the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? I think I ‘awwwwed’ for about 30 minutes on seeing this!
So that’s my lot recently… well, apart from the uber cute little telephone table I picked up. But that’s a story for another day!
I love the jug and what a bargain! My Nana has a dinner set in that print, it’s 70s-tastic.
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Yeah, more than definitely worth the 40p! Stylish Nana ๐ (My Nana had 70s style plates but they were pretty much all brown for some reason!)
Love the Singer! The windows of All Saints with those beauts make me sad ๐ Also the camera and the bear โ LOVE!!
Yeah, me too on those window displays! I dread to think what will happen to them all when they’re done with them too!
So many fab finds here – still having a chuckle about WM Blackadder too ๐ What a great Instagram you have! I’ve started following (I’m @paravent) Love your cats and that gorgeous little knitted bear who just had to follow you home! Have a great week. Kx
Ah yes… if you look at the address of WM Blackadder, the phone number only has 3 digits! That blows my mind! ๐
Oh and thank you so much… both on the instagram (and the cats and bear!). Have a lovely week too!
I love that you rescued that sweet little bear! Whenever I see things like that I hope that there are people like you to give them a good second life!
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It’s surprising I don’t bring home more things… I even feel sorry for lost gloves etc! Think my mister would maybe draw the line at me bringing home those!!
I’ve got a small collection of the same maps that I found at a car boot! They’re so interesting, I thought about using for crafts but I can’t bear to cut them up! I think I’ll scan in some of my favourite sections for craft use then frame them one day ๐ Love the sewing machine too!
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Ooh scanning in is a very good idea Lucy! I was fretting a bit about cutting them up so that’s a definite plan ๐
Oh my goodness! Amazing Pyrex!
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i think your jug is very pretty much better than a brown one.
and i am glad the little bear has a new home, i didn’t like to think of him being left all by himself in the street ๐
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Yeah, me neither Lottie! I’m still a little sad I never found his owner though… maybe one day!
a lovely singer!your camera addiction is great…could be worse…!
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WOW! I looooove that white camera!!! So cool!!!
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My gran had those Pyrex dishes – seeing them again brought back many a memory. I love them!
Oh cool ๐ Do you know if they were a bigger set? (I know that’s a big ask on the memory skills!)
Conversation Pieces recently posted..Thrifty finds… sewing machine, my first Pyrex & a lost bear
Such good finds, and Fox Owl Cat is breaking my heart.
What a treasure trove. When I saw the picture of the fox-owl-cat with the teddy I thought you had set it up. The look on their face is just precious.
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Thanks Michelle! Yeah, people have asked that about seeing pics of her watching TV or being tucked under blankets too… I swear she does all these weird little things herself! She does like hugging things though, she hugs me when I pick her up ๐
I looove your finds. That camera is great (can you still buy film to fit?) and that Kodak packaging: cute!!
Thanks Iris ๐ I found an expired pack on ebay but didn’t buy it (no idea why not!)… will need to track down more!
Oo, your finds are so pretty!! I love the Pyrex and the camera collection is growing nicely, I just cant pass up on a vintage camera or 3!
Oh and ยฃ14 for a jug, it was a car boot after all. Maybe he took it back home with him or a local charity shop. Get hunting.
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Love your finds. Did you know that jug is actually part of a coffee set. I have the exact same one!! I was window shopping on etsy as you do ๐ and came across this jug with matching cups and saucers. I would never have thought it was used for coffee. I also found a Singer but it had been pulled out of its table and left outside someone’s house. Still works, need to figure out how to box around the exposed bottom (oooh er) lovely post ๐ x
Wow, thanks Lana! I didn’t know that! Will now be on the look out for cups and saucers… so it’s a coffee pot really! Definitely worth the 40p then!!
Good luck with the bottom ๐ And good find… though who would put one out in the street? Crazy people!!
I’m so jealous of everything you bought!! You got some really amazing finds! Love the Singer and the Kodka bits x
Gorgeous finds!
I have the dinner plates and side plates which go with the little jug; I used to have some mugs, too, but they were tiny and I was decluttering and they went… *sob* I’ve lost count of how many of my friends have told me their grannies had the same set!
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love that little bear don’t mean to spam on you page but perhaps these guys could be friends (http://navyandbrown.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/walter.html) we found him at the charity shop for 20p we were going to give him to our friends little one but couldn’t even bring ourselves to give him up! I love that someone even took the time to knit yours a scarf so nice of you to rescue him.
Hey, a fellow La Sardinian;)
Perfect stuff! Congrats on the Singer, that is wonderful news indeed:D
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I have the cup to match your 40p jug! Stylish.
I love your finds! Especially that sewing machine! The All Saints window displays always make me so sad – so many of them that could be in good homes like yours (or mine!). And what is going to happen to them when they decide they’re no longer trendy? I hope they don’t bin them! xx
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Oh I always look forward to your posts, you always manage to make me want all your finds. I wish I still had all my easter egg mugs from the 80s – you know, all the ones saying Wispa and Malteasers etc. I think I had the same mug as the one you found for your other half though, and the egg cup matching it is probably still at my parents’ house.
I had a kitten which had a soft toy too – your cat pic is lovely although she does look as though she’d take the hand off anyone who tried to take teddy from her!
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I saw the cat photo on instagram and awwed out lout. I love that you rescued the little bear. I have a little green wooden car on our bookshelf that we found abandoned/lost in the streets of Paris and we couldn’t leave behind! x
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That last photo is so lovely! That is one contented cat.
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Zoe, I think you and me were meant to be together. Seriously, it’s fate and only a matter of time before our thrifty union is made. ๐
We manage to find so many of the same things at Car Boot Sales!
x
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I love (& miss) a good car bot sale. To think we had a camera like that Kodak EK in our pay box when we were little, I would love it now! Happy treasure hunting x
Crikey, what a haul! Love that sewing machine. We went to a vide grenier in France last week and there were so many beautiful sewing machines, as well as tea sets, old linen, beautiful kitchen pieces, and wrought iron beds. It was AMAZING. But we couldn’t bring much back which broke my heart, just a few serving platters. Still thinking about an art deco tea set now…
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That singer sewing machine, it reminds me of my grandma. We used to have it at home. I love these old stuff here!
Fox-owl cat and that bear are just adorable! I also love your little milk jug! And your cameras. You have such a good eye for these things!
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Thanks for sharing your wonderful post and photos. I have a Singer sewing machine like yours, it is mounted on a solid wood table stand and is hinged so that the Singer will fold downwards and it becomes a flat table. It also has lovely wrought iron legs and a pedal. It takes pride of place in my hallway and I love it. I also love your Pyrex pieces. Pyrex is so overlooked and yet the designs of them are simple and functional. I think they are one of the best inventions ever. Best wishes, Sonia.
I’m mega jealous of your camera collection, especially the instant cameras!! Also, I have that exact same orangery flower pyrex, all my kitchen stuff is old hand me downs from my grandmother.
Gemma
http://www.instantlondon.blogspot.co.uk
That sewing machine is beautiful! I was given one similar by a relative and it sits proudly on my desk!
http://www.styleisalwaysfashionable.blogspot.com
Oh so many things to like. You do have a great eye for thrifting. Adore the camera display and that background mini moderns wallpaper. Cute bear, it looks like the ones they used to sell at Cath Kidston. x ๐
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