I spy with my little eye...a bit of Cath?

Last week I took the The Big Man's Mum and Dad to a local market.  The Big Man's Mum likes markets and I must admit I use to turn my nose up at them, but now I'm a true convert.  Looking for that every elusive bargain to spend my (the Big Man's) pennies on is such a thrill. 

Whilst we ambled along, (the Big Man's Mum was walking with an elbow crutch, but that's a whole other story), I spied a rather "interesting" stall.  "Could it be?  Surely not?  What if it is?"  Pushing my disabled Mother In Law aside and dragging the Wee Man behind me I dashed to the stall and gasped.  Obviously not at those prices.  It can't be!  But did I care?  Not in the slightest.  

I wanted to take a photo of the stall but I'm sure the stall holder would have taken offence though probably not to the extent that she would have called the police, considering what she was selling.  

It was CK heaven, think of all the CK bags, in CK fabrics at market prices.  T'was heavenly.  By the time the Big Man's parents had caught up with us (disapproving looks included), I had a haul of bags in front of me deciding which one I wanted.  I wanted all of them obviously but I'm sure the Big Man would have had some chose words for me if I'd gone home with the entire collection.  

After some posing in front of a shop window and getting strange looks from the patrons of the bookies, I finally chose this gorgeous beauty. 

Lookey at the gorgeous flowers.  Pink and blue and all pretty looking.  It makes my tummy go all topsy turvy. It has all the pockets and space I need to carry all the Wee Man's stuff around with me.  Though probably not to the extent of my gorgeous tote bag from Cartier.  

The Wee Man got in on the act too and posed with a London print bag and insisted I bought that one instead.  As much as I love the London print I just can't see myself with it.  Maybe if I were four years old and London bus mad, I could have though.

As I paid I for the bag, second guessing my choice all the while, I noticed the Big Man's Mum barking her usual orders at the Big Man's Dad (he's ever so slightly hen pecked!).  She'd decided she wanted some CK action too.  Now I must tell you something about my dear Mum in Law.  She is a self proclaimed shopaholic and will buy things for the sake of buying things.  This drives me insane, as she will happily spend £20 on something that will spend it's life in the back of a cupboard.  I could go on, but I won't. 

I tried in vain to talk her out of buying a bag as I knew she would not use it.  It's not her style at all and it was way too big for her.  She has trouble getting around and the last thing she needs is a huge oilcloth bag swinging at her side.  But it was to no avail and she promptly bought a a bag because she "..wants one!".  Sigh!  

Can you guess what she's done with the bag that is of no utter use to her?  The bag that is way too big for her and will hinder her already hindered movement?  The bag that her insane shopaholic magpie mind insisted she buy?  Go on have a guess!

She gave it to me!  Her beloved, caring and thoroughly deserving daughter in law!  Yippeee!!!  That night she posed  with it and decided it was a bit too big for her and she didn't like the design and Dad in Law hated it too.  So I got it, cos I'm a good girl!  

So I have two.  Lookey, lookey, see. 

Bless my Mum in Law and her Shopaholic ways.  Bless her insane mind.  Bless.  

...Car Boot Loot #4

It's wet and miserable outside.  But I'm all warm and fuzzy cos I gots me some bargains at the car boot.

Can you tell I'm excited?  

We'd decided to venture a bit further afield and try a car boot sale in a town that's a wee drive away.  The Big Man, in his wisdom, decided to take the country roads and not the motorway.  Forty minutes later we finally arrived.(NB the journey home, via the motorway, took all of fifteen minutes.  GGRR!)

The car boot was held in the town's market with each seller given a real market stall.  It was all rather civilised and not the usual free for all that I am use to.  Lots of lovelies but all a bit more pricey than I am use to.  So we left empty handed.  

But after lunch I decided to brave the wet weather and go to my good old faithful car boot sale.  The rain really had driven sellers and buyers away and only the really committed and ardent car booters were there today. (That would be me)  There must have been only 10% of the usual number of sellers.  More pickings for me.  And pickings I had.

A brand new box of Cath Kidston stationery all for only £3.  It really is rather gorgeous and I can't wait to write my first letter with it.  It's been a while since I wrote an actual letter with a pen and paper, I'm more an email kind of girl, but with this gorgeous stationery who can resist.   Now who will I write to?

I did a leap and a dodge to get my slippery hands on this little tea cup.  It really is so sweet and divine.  I've been on t'internet for most of this afternoon trying to find the maker and how old they are but I'm having no luck at all.  Anyone know anything about this mark?

I am a bit of a storage-aholic.  I like baskets and jars and boxes and anything else you can stash things in.  I spotted a wicker basket to add to my collection.  It, again, is brand new and a bit too shiny for my liking.  I like a bit of dirt and history.   But for £2 I can't really grumble.

So that was my lot...well it wasn't really.  I picked something else up for Aija my swap partner for the Faith Hope and Charity Shopping swap.  I'd really love to show you it but it would spoil her surprise.  Promise I will as soon as she receives it. 

This post is shared on "Flea Market Finds", "Treasure Hunt Finds" , "Amaze me Monday", "Magpie Monday", "Thrift Share Monday"

...use of her new Cath Kidston bag in London

It was the Big Man and my wedding anniversary on Sunday.  Nine years, or so he tells me.  I'm not good with dates and anniversaries.  It all started a few years ago when I conveniently forgot how old I was(!)

We had a lovely day.  In the past our anniversaries have been all about rekindling our love for each other.  Dinner, presents and whispering sweet nothings and then along came the Wee Man.  Now we have a no present and no card rule.  Mainly because it's just too much effort and always a struggle to buy presents for each other.  Just what do you buy a man who doesn't want anything?!  So I've given up and to play fair I've asked him to give up buying me presents also.

But saying all that Sunday did turn out to be a lovely day.  We all trooped into London and the Wee Man "drove" a DLR train all the way to Greenwich.  Where I disappeared off into Greenwich Market and the Clocktower Market and the boys went to the Maritime museum.  That's where I got to use my new Cath Kidston bag.  The one I got free from Easy Living Magazine.  Look what I crammed in it.

I had a fabulous couple of hours mooching around the markets.  It's the first time I've been able to have a good look around without the Big Man or Wee Man whining.  It was arts and crafts day at Greenwich market and there were lots of lovely and very overpriced goodies there e.g. tea cup candles for £20 and over!

The only thing I got from Greenwhich was a "Keep Calm and Carry On" metal sign.  All rusty and full of charm.  It's for a friend's birthday and I do hope she likes it, rust and all.

After a dish delish lunch.  Yummy, yummy in my tummy.  NB This was shared between the Big Man and me. I did not eat it all myself, though I wouldn't have minded if I did!  Ho Fun noodles with roast duck, vegetable spring rolls and some mouth watering chicken wings.  Looking at it now, there is a distinct lack of greens.  Oh well.

We headed into Covent Garden where again the boys went off to the Transport museum and I got to mooch around Covent Garden Market and Jubilee Market where it was craft day.  I bought a couple of scarves, one for me and another for my friend.

It was a fab day, though I'm not sure it can be called a good anniversary if I spent most of the time away from the Big Man.

The Cath Kidston bag was great.  It's light and can be folded into practically nothing.

It lives at the bottom of my bag now, ready to be whipped out to carry any goodies I collect on my travels.

It holds a lot of stuff for such a smallish bag.

I'd crammed a fair bit in.  You can see from the contents of the bag that I am a bit of a leaflet hog.  I like picking up leaflets and menus and business cards.  I love reading them.  The Wee Man has unfortunately/ fortunately inherited up this habit of mine.

All in all a good day and it did pain me to wrap and post the metal sign.  It would have looked great in my porch.  Oh well will have to keep an eye out for another one.

...a Cath Kidston purchase

Yesterday we were in London and I got to have a very teeny ickle browse of the Cath Kidston shop in Covent Garden.  In the four minutes I was there (literally four, I'd timed it!), I saw some gorgeous CK wrapping paper and my first thoughts were, decoupage.

Unfortunately the thought of carrying a 70cm cardboard tube of wrapping paper around London with me dissuaded me from buying it.  I spent the day and night kicking myself, so this morning I hot footed it to my local John Lewis to see if they stocked it.  They did!  Yay!  I got me a roll of Cath Kidston wrapping paper for a whopping £5.  Slightly more than I would spend on a roll of wrapping paper, but hey, it's Cath.  Luckily the Big Man hasn't spotted it yet(!)

What do you think?  Pretty isn't it?  First thing on my list to decoupage is a wooden tray I picked up for 50p from a car boot sale.  Just need to get the other unfinished craft projects finished first(!)