Car Booty (again!)

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning (actually it was still dark !) for the Car Boot.

It was drizzling but I took my chances and went anyway.

I made a nice few £££s (to counteract the Matalan trolley dash yesterday!).

We chatted to some lovely people both on the stalls next to us and had some delightful customers.

And the sun came out !

Plus I went with a boot full and came back with less than half of what I took.

All in all a good day :0)

Here's what I wore (in anticipation of the sun coming out!)

Matalan pink vest top (£1), Tesco white vest top (£2), Matalan Skirt (£3), Balerina Pumps - Charity shop (£3), New Look Bracelet (£1), Necklace - Car Boot sale (50p)

I'm at work all day tomorrow but I don't mind Sundays, a 6 hour day and it's lovely and quiet so I get lots done.

Tomorrow evening will be spent deliberating over what to pack for our forthcoming holiday to Cornwall, I think it might be a case of ..................... !!!!

Cheap As Chips.

It's school hols time and trying to keep the kids occupied is still no mean feat even though they are teenagers ! I do love the long break though, being able to spend so much time together is great and finding new places to visit and things to do is great fun. Obviously, it has to be cheap !

Mornings are usually a breeze as they're still in bed but the afternoons prove a little more difficult, especially when hubby is on nights and we have to be quiet as a mouse until he gets up.

I was feeling a bit lazy so thought a portion of chips on the beach would do very nicely for lunch and kill a bit of time along the way. The littlies managed to sneak in a chocolate dipped ice cream too ! I do like to spoil them occasionally :0)

Tomorrow, we're off to do a car boot sale to try and make a few pennies again. It's supposed to be a glorious day but I think an early start will be in order - they queue at 5am for a 7.30am start at our local one - yikes !

Today's outfit is a real cheapie ! Matalan have a sale on and a quick jolly over to Bognor today for some shoes for my eldest, ended up in a two hour shop-a-thon ! My ebay winnings are depleting fast !

Tunic (no label so I have no idea who it's made by) £1.04 (ebay). Trousers DP (£3 in the sale), Sandals (Matalan sale £5), Bracelets (Matalan sale £1.50), Earrings (Matalan Sale £1), Ring (Matalan Sale £1.50), Headscarf (New Look Sale £1), Necklace bought for me by my darling hubby on valentines day xx

Excuse the really poorly painted toe nails - I can't find my varnish remover !!!! I promise next time they will be pristine and presentable!

Total outfit cost - £14.04 if my maths is right?!

There are more goodies from Matalan too but I'll save them for another day x





20 questions ......

I've pinched this question/answer thingy-majig from Danni (hope you don't mind Danni !) who in turn borrowed it from Sophie .

I figured it might be a bit of a 'get-to-know-me' post and maybe get me a few more followers - I seem to be a bit of a 'billy-no-mates' !!!!

What is bothering you right now?
The fact that I have to have an ECG tomorrow as my heart murmur is doing funny things to me !
Do you like celebrity magazines?
No not really, but I'd read one if I was bored enough.
When was the last time you were ill? Why?
Ermmmm that'd have to be Boxing Day with that blasted norovirus, I thought I was going to die!
Do you feel you belong in a different era? 
Not really, I'm happy to move along with the times and embrace the future.
Who owns you? 
My kids, I'm a big softie and give in far to easily when it comes to them.
Favorite country in Europe? 
I haven't visited many but of the few that I have been to, I loved Turkey.
Did you skive off school?
School? No. College? Yes.
Ever played an instrument? 
Nope.
Favorite alcoholic drink?
G & T
Do you follow fashion?
I do but don't necessarily dress to the current trend unless it's something I like.
What colour are your eyes? Do you like that colour? 
Green, I've often been told I have cats eyes (not sure if that's a good thing or a bad !) I'm happy with my eyes :0)
What is the furthest you have travelled from your home? How far was it?
Turkey. Told you I'm not very well travelled !
What is the coldest temperatures you have experienced? Where were you?
That would have to be helping out on one of my son's school trips to Butser Farm 2 years ago. Sub-zero temperatures, the toilets had frozen so the kids had nowhere to pee and we were outside all bloody day ! I've NEVER been so cold !
What is the hottest temperatures you have experienced? Where were you?
I think probably here in the UK!
Imagine you have three wishes. List them. (A million more wishes doesn't count)
1. That my children grow up to be happy, healthy and kind and appreciate the good things in life.
2. Straight hair without having to get the blasted irons out every morning!
3. A huge boat, you know the kind, one of those yacht thingys with all the fancy leather seats, round beds, bar and all the posh champagne. I'd sail around the world !
Are you keeping a secret from the world? 
Maybe? But if I told you it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?!!!
If you could go back in time and give advice to yourself ten years ago, what would you say?
Enjoy the kids because they grow up too bloody fast.
How have you changed in the past 10 years?
I've gotten smaller to the tune of 5st. I'm still lacking in a bit of self-confidence, but blogging is actually helping I think. I think I'm a bit wiser too, don't take any bulls**t off anyone like I used to!
Is abortion wrong? 
No, everyone should have a choice.
Do you like long train/car journeys? 
Train? Don't go on many. Car? Yes, but oddly enough, only if I'm in the driving seat.
Have you ever considered writing a novel?
No, I don't have a very good imagination.
Have you ever punched someone in the face?
No.
What is your sense of humour like?
Quite dry. I do have a (bad) trait of winding people up while remaining deadly serious and letting it run for a few days ! I do love a good can't-get-your-breath laugh :0)
Are you a good person?
I like to think so, others tell me I'm kind so that's good enough for me :0)

Inspiration ......

...... for me comes from other fantastic blogs that I love reading .....

Laura at A Daisy Chain Dream for her fantastic baking skills, ability to make me browse the web for hours with her recommendations on fashion and footwear (any excuse for me Laura !) and her ability to pick herself up and dust herself off no matter what life seems to throw at her !

Vix for sheer envy at her fabulous ebay, car boot and jumble sale finds - she is my hero !

AThriftyMrs for her expert thought-provoking blogging posts and always having something interesting to discuss.

Alex for her determination on her weight-loss journey, her wonderful outfits and historical blog posts (I learn so much from your travels!)

There are lots more that I could write about too but this would be a very long post indeed if I did.

I hope the above ladies don't mind me giving them a mention !  xx

I wonder if you can guess who inspired me to make these beauties  ....

We're off for a celebratory charity shop jaunt this afternoon after my Ebay dolls sold for a mahooosive £350! Not bad for a £16 outlay ! Obviously I won't spend it all, just a little bit ?!

Lazy, hazy days ............

Perfect weather for a picnic by the river ...

Excuse the wally's who are pulling funny faces !

We hopped, skipped and jumped on the train to Arundel with a few goodies in a rucksack, my 'Pimms O'Clock' picnic rug that I won on facebook and a bottle or two of ........

(you will sooooo have to excuse my gormless look and tired eyes, I really was in a 'can't be arsed' mood today!)

With beautiful views of the castle and the river,

some cute little ducklings on the walk down to

the boating lake,

and some wonderfully old buildings, Arundel really is a smashing place to visit.

We're really lucky to have all this on our doorstep and part of my 'bucket list' is to make more of all the wonderful places we have here in West Sussex.



Sad Sunday ....

 ........ such a short life, such a talent and a huge loss to her family and fans.

While I wasn't a massive fan of Amy's, I did enjoy her music and her distinct voice. There's no point in getting into the 'lifestyle' issues she had, she wasn't the only musician to live like that and she certainly won't be the last !

RIP Amy x

Going once .......... going twice ...........

GONE !!!!

The auction yesterday was SOOOO much fun ! We arrived (nervously!) at 9.15 am and managed to get a 45 minute dash around the room, picking out lots we liked the look of (there were quite a few!)

Both me and hubby do have quite a 'good eye' (and an element of luck!) but even so, it was hard to know where to begin! There were over 800 lots in total and it was piled up high and cramed into boxes down below. It was a general household auction so you name it and it was there ..... washing machines, wardrobes, tools, garden furniture, chairs, paintings, toys, ceramics, nik-naks etc etc.

Bidding for the first time was a bit of a heart-racing moment (well, it was for hubby, I made him do it all ! hahah) I was most surprised when we won our first lot for the measly sum of £4 !! I couldn't quite believe how little the items were going for ..... wardrobes £4-5, units £10ish, boxes of paintings (of which we got one!) £4-£20, toys £2 a box ...... you get the idea ....... so we thought we might start bidding on a few more items :0) Not having the benefit of viewing some of these items previously, we were bidding blind on some lots ....... maybe a bit stupid????? Maybe not !

I'll not reveal too much at the moment but a little haul of a box of vintage dolls for £16 is so far netting us over £100 on Ebay {does a clappy, happy, wiggle dance around the room} !!! There are other little gems that we have plans for too - car booty maybe?

As Del Boy once said (I think he said it a few times actually) ........... "This time next year we'll be millionaires !"

Here are a few of the pictures from the £4 lot (there were 8 in total, but these are my favourites) .... I don't think I will be parting with any of these as I have plans to pop them up on the very large stair wall once we've decorated.

'The Dead Bird' by Greuze (a print, I don't think it's the original !) The frame is stunning on this. The picture is a little morbid, I wonder if she found the bird like that ? I shall have to investigate a little more on this I think ....

'A Bottle of Mateus Rose and a Baguette' - reminds me of our holiday in france last year :0)

I have no idea as to the title of this painting, it's my favourite one. Vivid colours (not picked up very well by my photo) and such a beautiful scene.

Again, no indication as to the title but reminds me of here on the South Coast and all the fishermen bringing in their catch to the beaches.

Another fishing scene, there seems to be a theme going on here ! Farming is in my blood, not fishing !!!



Will we be going again? Absolutely ! 

The big reveal .....

Don't get too excited, it's not that amazing !

It is, however, fresh and clean and tidy and a lot less messy than it was.

 Excuse hubby's Harley Duckson on the bedside table ..... I wonder how many other full grown men still have a rubber duck !

So, there it is, fini .... well, almost, ...... just the coving to go up but need to wait for our wages to hit the bank account !

Today is a bit of a sad day, my baby boy (who's nearly 12!) is leaving school tomorrow and it's his 'graduation' to secondary school tonight. I will be wearing sunglasses indoors !!! The end of an era, no more school runs in the piddling down rain, snow and hail (because it's never sunny when school run time arrives!) Lay-ins in the mornings, no more packed lunches to make (he's old enough to make his own now!)

What's a girl to do with all that spare time? Shop? Garden? Who knows ? .......

I'm very excited about tomorrow, we're off on a 'date' to an auction. I've never been to one (an auction, not a date !!!!!) so I've no idea what to expect. I just hope I don't get carried away and end up with a bootfull of stuff ! I shall have to sit on my hands I think.

I've gone 'casual' today

Top (Dorothy Perkins sale), 3/4 lengths found in the loft (I think I paid 50p at a car boot sale for them),

bangles (car boot purchase £1)

Flip-flops (Dorothy Perkins, paid full price for these, yeowch !)

I found this pretty bag in a charity shop today for £4, and it now contains all my handbag goodies :0)

I may do a handbag reveal tomorrow if I'm feeling brave !

Kids ..... who'd have 'em !

I've spent 3 days at the various local hospitals this week for 2 of the ankle biters and I think I need to ban my son from anything and everything ! Just lately he's been a bit accident prone ..... a deep cut that needed hospital treatment, a fractured thumb through his goalkeeper training and yesterday a possible fractured arm (again through goalie antics !) I'm happy to say that his arm isn't broken but he's damaged it quite badly and won't be returning to footie in the very near future !

Anyway it all culminated in a week of running to and fro, especially since it's the end of term and there are discos and parties to attend ....... and I ended up with a headache and having to go to bed at 8.30pm last night !!!!!

I was up at the crack of dawn so I'm going to make the most of my day and get my bedroom finished :0) I'll let you all have a sneaky peak later ........

Ok ........ so I'm no David Bailey !

Please excuse the poor quality of the pictures I'm about to release ............ you've been warned ! hahaha
I thought I'd be brave and do a couple of outfit posts and all it's really done is confirm my hatred of the camera ! It's really hard to get over the whole body image thing but I'm doing my best. I think this will be a long learning curve (which might have to start with a new camera !) I'll keep plodding along in the hope that one day I may be happy with what I see in front of me. In my defence, I'm no where near as bad as I used to be! This time 2 years ago I'd have run a mile from a camera.



Anyway, enough waffling .......... !!!

Today's outfit - Monsoon Top (charity shop £3), DP trousers (£5 sale), necklace and bangles also DP sale (£2 and £3)

I picked up this dress today in a charity shop for £4. It's M&S (old label) and I took a bit of a gamble on it, wasn't sure if the print would suit, if the length was right or if the belt would go but I think it works? Shoes are my old faithfull wedges that are about 10 years old !

Top DP sale (£5), leggings (ermmmmm can't remember!) Shoes are an Ebay purcahse, I think I paid about £2 for them.

Oh, and the mirror was a car boot bargain to go with the new bedroom - £10. I've been after one for ages so didn't mind paying the price the seller was asking.

Hopefully the wardrobes will be here tomorrow and I can show you all the new bedroom !

A waiting game .....

I'm itching to get the bedroom finished ...... hubby's been decorating all this week and it's starting to come together but the new wardrobes haven't arrived yet ! Delivery is expected on Thursday so I should have the bedroom back to some sort of normality by Friday/Saturday.

I admit to being a bit of a clean-freak so the mess and clothes lying around everywhere is starting to really get to me. But, at the end of it, I will have a much bigger wardrobe which can only mean one thing ......... more clothes ! ..........

Topshop dress via Charity shop (£7). A bit more than I would usually pay but Charity shop prices are not cheap round here !

Ebay purchase (£1.47). Not tried this on yet so I've yet to pass judgement as to 'suitability' !

Another ebay purchase (£1.20). Will do for the winter months teemed with either jeans/leggings and boots and a long-sleeved Tee underneath. The marks are from the camera, not on the jumper !

I'm a bit 'un-photogenic' so forgive the lack of outfit posts. No matter what pose/light/angle a photo is taken of me, I always look bloody awful ! I'll try to gain some composure and a little confidence and do a few next week so any hints or tips for a novice would be most welcome !

On a final, but not less-important note, my relative has come out of hospital today. Although the road to recovery is going to be slow and she's still very poorly, it's good news and I'm delighted that she's well enough to recouperate in her own home with family amongst her. Suffice to say, a HUGE bunch of flowers went winging it's way to her from us. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing !

Spring Greens .....

...... Not the eating type, the colour !

I've been thinking about a bedroom colour scheme for ages now and (as usual) haven't been able to make up my mind. So, off we trundled to B&Q for some inspiration. I knew I wanted a 'feature wall' of bold paper and the rest to be plain. Originally, black and white tickled my fancy but carpet colour choice proved to be very limited. Aubergines and pinks also rated highly but some of the prints would have kept me awake at night ! The bedroom needs to be clean looking, refreshing and relaxing ...... so I walked straight past the colours I thought I wanted and opened my mind .......

this is the one we eventually settled on.

Now, I'm still not 100% sure what it's going to look like on the wall but I'm hoping it will have the desired effect ! I know it won't be to everyone's taste but I think with the 'accessories' and furniture and if I can get the right bed linen, I might just be able to pull it off !

I'm off to the car boot this morning to see what I can lay my hands on so you may be lucky (or unlucky !) and get two blog posts from me today. That's if the cloud that's suddenly decided to plop itself over my house, clears up! I think I'll take the brolly, just in case ............

Thank you for all the kind comments, my family member is slowly mending although a bit of a hospital stay is needed to get her better. Things are still quite serious but not as bad as they were a couple of days ago. I'm on the lookout for a nice present other than grapes/magazines/balloons (no flowers allowed as HDU) - that's my challenge for this week !

Have a good weekend, whatever you're up to xxx

There's no such thing as a free lunch .........

..... well there is in this house ! (Well, almost free .....)

On the menu for dinner last night was:

Bacon and Onion Flan (Onions home grown, pastry home-made)
Courgette fritters ...... yum !

Mashed spuds (home-grown)

Strawberries (the last of, booo hoo!) and cream.

Tonight is spinach and ricotta canelloni and if I can get outside between the rain showers, I'll hopefully get some rasperries to have with some meringues and cream. (Not good for the diet so I'll just have an incy wincy portion!)

I'm stuck in today waiting for a new (replacement for the other 2 that have broken down within a month of having them!) dishwasher. I also had some sad news that a close relative is in hospital and quite poorly so I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps. I've no make up on and feel pretty grotty, so there'll definitely be no outfit posts today ! What cheers you up when you're feeling sad?

All Creatures Great And Small

I'm loving all the bold colours on the High Street this summer, I seem to be going through a 'butterfly' phase at the moment .................... I bought this the other day (in the sale of course!)

This is gorgeous, shame that it's sold out in my size

And this little beauty is sold out too .....

This is stunning but way over my budget:

And these are quite cute !

But I think I would have to draw the line at this, as beautiful as it is !



And just to finish the outfit off:

When my new wardrobe arrives, maybe I'll have space to indulge in a few more flutterby items xx