Not the best start as a blogger!!

Hi to anyone reading this - I was going to be so good and blog regularly but by the time I have so many its time to go to bed !!

So this is only my second blog - I have just left a comment on Sophie Honeysuckle's blog re her beautiful new units and whilst chatting to her about what kind of house I was trying to find (and which I never will in this area) I realised that as I described what one of the houses I really like had - how much I actually liked it - so thanks Sophie for making me decide.

I went to a car boot yesterday and bought a lovely pine corner cupboard for £10! I am so thrilled I just need a new house to put it in now. I am looking round here and knowing how much I will have to get rid of - even furniture but I still need storage on the wall don't I. This downsizing is going to be very hard.....................I have viewed two houses this week and I long to find a Victorian/Edwardian house with a garden and no kitchen and just enough £ left from the move to have cupboards like Sophie's. I am struggling to find my vintage house in this area which is where two kids still living with us(21 & 19!!) want to stay. There just arent the properties available. I found a lovely 1928 semi with a lovely kitchen diner - beautifully done, modern and clean looking, a complete contrast to the lovely old fashioned lounge with its original fireplace and bay window. All the doors have been stripped back and beautifully repainted and the original handles put back on. Roll top bath, lovely high level flush! Bedrooms are a bit nipped for a six foot welder son! and a daughter with a clothes fetish! there are fitted wardrobes which will help but they are very modern. The garden is lovely and it has a cellar (no garage) its just that its difficult to downsize. We are doing it now (me 51 and Hubby 61) so we can enjoy the our earnings with no mortgage and no car loan and smaller bills. We have a lovely house here but it has to happen as we are sick of working to live and Alan can also retire at 65. I digress - the other house we visited was soooo sensible (70's bungalow with loft conversion)we wouldnt have needed to get rid of anything but it had no soul..........when I told Alan he said "I didnt like to say but I prefer that one as well but the other is so sensible!"

Anyway back to what I got on BH Monday - a roman blind in exactly the fabric my friend wants which was £4.00 and I will make into cushion covers for her. The boot didn't yield anything else but we then went off to a local fleamarket. My husband was thrilled to get two vintage cameras for a good price and I did well off a lovely stall that has stuff for. I got a lovely vintage childrens book in vgc, an old collars box, a brand new brass triple hook (Past Times) for my new wall storage!, a Denby jug - dark brown with a pale blue inside, four matching Denby cups and saucers, and a little jug . I then went over to a lovely hospice stall where they get the loveliest scarves, hankies and my downfall - old linens. I wasnt disappointed and was happily rummaging whilst talking to a lovely lady who cant resist hankies - I shall loOk out for her at the next one in October - I told her about blogging and she was so excited she was off to have a look at http://www.vintage-home.co.uk/ which is where I found blogging. Anyway readers I got the most gorgeous Barbola mirrors ( the lady I met checked them and assured me they were real) plus this was a hospice stall not a dealers - one was £6 and one £10 - I bought a tray cloth for 20p and the lady let me have everything for £15. I was grinning like a demented woman!!!! I came straight home and cleaned them up very carefully with a toothbrush and cotton bud - the difference was amazing - they have pride of place on my bedroom drawers. I have wathced them on ebau for so long but the command huge prices now.
We are off to Shropshire in the morning to stay in Ironbridge for a couple of days - havent been there before so looking forward to it. Here's hoping I have some responses when I get back -
Alchamillamolly

My First Blog - Aaaaaaaargh!!

Hi to everyone out there - tonight is my first 'blog' - scary...............
I have been reading about so many peoples lives for about a month now and am so relieved that I am not the only fabric-aholic out there. I have just had my perfect hour in town today - a charity shop and a surprise little 'do' in the Town Hall where I picked up some goodies. The usual guilt purchase of beautiful embroidered linen (£3.00)! ( I have loads of it already)but I cannot bear to see it not being appreciated for the work that has gone into it. A lovely vintage mirror, not a mark on it (£2.00), a mini rug to use as a table runner (50p), three beautiful deco? cups, saucers and plates (£2.75) A triple folding mirror (not old but useful!), a glass jelly mould(50p) and a new M&S make up bag complete with label! - I already have the lovely big folding wash bag from a charity some weeks ago - how wonderful. It never ceases to amaze me what people will discard.

We are eventually going to move from where we have lived for the past 12 years and it will be a big wrench. We want to get rid of the mortgage and car loan etc so we can enjoy life a little more. We have two people wanting our house but its the usual story of them having buyers but those people needing buyers etc. etc. I know it will happen eventually so at the moment I am just enjoying being here with the space I have before we go. I am being nudged by two gorgeous little visitors as I write this - they are Phoebe and Alfie - my son Adam and his fiancee Vicky's kittens we are babysitting for a week! I am in love with them but they adore Alan my husband - I said its because he's always sitting down and they can sleep on him without being disturbed!!

Well - I hope someone picks this up and reads it. Phew.......... I am a lover of: vintage allsorts, shabby chic, art deco, arts and crafts, art nouveau, William Morris, linen, old children's books, in fact anything wonderful, beautiful and handmade.