How to brighten a dreary day.

It's a dull dreary day here.  I'm not normally at home during the day on Tuesday but since the weekend I've felt a little under the weather - though I certainly feel much better than I did :o)  So, here I was thinking I'd really like to brighten things up a bit around here.  I remembered something I've had tucked away in a cupboard for about five years. (Car boot find, can't remember exactly how much but certainly under £5)

A bright and breezy daffodil tea set!

Then I dug out a favourite table cloth beautifully embroidered with spring flowers..

(charity shop a few years ago which was under £4)

Then I got two pots of Tete a tete from the garden and squeezed placed them

in my 60p basket from a few weeks ago..

Added the tea/coffee pot I got the other week,

(£1.50 charity shop)

'found' some long forgotten lovely (hand emroidered with sweet spring flowers)

 linen napkins

Ta-dah!  A smiling Spring table :o)

Then, still being a little bored (!) I thought I'll re-dress the dresser

I haven't seen so little on it for at least a couple of years - other than on cleaning day ;o)

My tea set plus another favourite sandwich plate that I've had for

more years than I care to remember, purchased for about 50p

from a car boot sale.

(What makes you think I LOVE daffodils?)

I've had this 1940's Burlington vase for just as many years, I'm pretty sure it was

from a Car boot sale too...certainly not more than £1

There's always a drawback to moving stuff round though....

What on earth am I going to do with this lot now?

!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great week everyone

Best wishes to all

Another day at Dagfields :o)

I've had a really great day out with two dear friends at Dagfields Antique and Craft Emporium.

They picked me up from home at about 9.30 am and we set off on a cold and miserable damp day for Cheshire a journey of about 35 miles.  We arrived ready for a days mooching and buying!


Then the fun began...there's the shabby chic look

the lovely, but to my eyes overcrowded look

(where does the bed begin and the cushions start?)

The classy furniture...

Loved this unit :o)

Vintage accessories - dig those golden shoes!

The clear, clean layouts.

Another vintage frock and some Victorian pussy cats.

A truly AWFUL porcelain statue..(shudder)

A lovely Victorian ewer and bowl in blue and white, of course!

Swarowski crystal do-dahs.

Jewellery, I can't believe I actually took this photo and didn't 'see' the blue glass heart!

Chucks 'n chicks!

We stopped for a sit down and some lunch...and then started again :o)

Looking at more -

Trinkets and teasmades.

Lovely lamps and magical mirrors.

Super sized hurricanes on crazed glass tables.

And the mirror I fell in love with!  (sadly, no where to hang it)

What did I buy? 

A 'spare' small meat plate just in case I break the one from my 'special' set

which are the identical make, colour and pattern....see on my dresser!

It is only the second piece I've EVER found and a bargain £3.

then from the leather shop

Sheepskin gloves - reduced to £5,

and something I really did need :o)

And a pair of these sheepskin boots...reduced from £88 to £60

We called in at Slaters Craft Village for a quick look round but no purchases as they were just closing for the day - and I left my camera in the car :-(

Then home again, skint and exhausted!

All in all a great day, lots of laughs in fabulous company.

Hope you've enjoyed a visit to Dagfields with me,  see you all soon,  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Best wishes to all

Happy Valentine!

                  I've started to put a few hearts out as a simple decoration for tomorrow,

                   (though it's not 'the norm' to decorate for Valentine's day in the UK).

I've added a little romance to the mantle..

Cupid is at the centre with a heart shaped pebble, next two polished stone hearts,

             then I've used two of the heart shaped seed heads and added a silk rosebud to the centre.

Then there's red tea lights, and dangling down beneath crystal candlesticks a beaded heart at either end

(they usually hang from wall sconces either side of our bed).

Lastly a large red silk rose before my Grandmothers candlesticks.

Okay, I know it's not that brilliant...but I think it looks sweet!

Happy Valentine's day tomorrow..hope your love treats you to something special.

Best wishes and hugs!

As promised, bargain catch-up.

Hello folks!  As some of you may know I haven't posted much since before Christmas, so there's quite a few bargains to share with you :o)  You may also know I'm trying to have a clear out (!) and I've decided to sort out a few items to take to the charity shop on each visit....I've kept this up over the last week (so far), today I took a pile of books and a lampshade that I never used.  Saturday my dear husband sorted his wardrobe out, so they got two sacks full of clothes - some new, unworn with tags..and I thought it was women who bought clothes and didn't wear them LOL!

Right, make your self a cuppa and get comfy....here goes....

This little piggy hangs in the kitchen, I got him just before Christmas at a cost of £1.

Then, just below it hangs this..

the colours are much brighter than shown, as the sun was shining across it when I took the photo.  I LOVE what it says :o) and it was £2.50

I found this beauty a few weeks ago, it now resides at the bottom of our bed though I took this photo in the bathroom as it showed up better.

It's pure wool and 3 foot long x 1 foot wide.  Someone had spent hours making it and I'm certain it had never been used as the back is as pristine as the front, I thought £7.50 was a bargain.  Don't you just love poppies?

A dinky minature teapot about 2 inches high was 50p, and now sits on top of the microwave, cluck, cluck!

This pretty blue and white bowl is about 10 inches diameter with a lovely shaped edge was a snip at £1.75

it's bound to end up in the kitchen ;o)

Just the thing with Valentine around the corner...80p for the set.

Now, talking of Valentine...

These gold painted seed heads were only 50p the lot, I got them with another 4 bunches of different seed heads (all the same price) with the intention of using (some) of them at Christmas, but, as you know that didn't happen.  The heads are each 3-4 inches high and fitted to sticks.  I love the heart shape and I'm sure I can use them in some sort of Valentine vignette.  I'll post the results...

Then I found this little sweetie

  Just about 4 inches long and £1, I'm sure I can find a nice home for it!

AT LAST!  I've found a sweet little cloche, 4 inches high and also a pound :o)

Then it got even better.....

This dear little sleepy cupid on a golden pine cone box is only 2 inches high, and I LOVE it!

Sorry, it's so small and I'm finding it hard to get in focus.  Here's a view of the back of it

and when the lid is removed...

there's cupids arrow through the heart .... guess what I matched it up with?

PERFECT.

(The runner it's sitting on was purchased today for £1)

(Oh dear, sorry, the colour's a bit wishy-washy). 

This tiny little golden pineapple is also 2 inches high, and was £1.50.

Does anyone have any ideas what it was for?  Those are a tiny pair of tweezers that fit inside it.  It is stamped on the bottom 'Made in England' (such tiny letters I needed my magnifying glass).

This pretty 'daffodil' coffee pot was purchased weeks ago for £1.50 - you'll be seeing it again very soon!

This funny little basket was only 60p, it was the blue and white handles that attracted me to it.  Measuring about 8 inches across, I can feel the spray paint will be out soon to brighten it up.

Some of you may remember the tall vase (18 inches) that I got last year, well how could I resist it's little brother for £1?  The colour is not as nice as the big one, but I have plans to put them in the garden in the spring with a trailing plant in the tops :o)

Friends who visit regularly know about my fascination with paperweights and glass, well this little clock joins the two together.  Caithness are well known for their paperweights..it's 2" square

side view

Stick with it...nearly finished!

It's hard to photograph paperweights when it's sunny...well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

This is a Caithness Glass one called 'Petunias' and it DOES really look like one - honest ;o)

and cost £2

This is another Caithness one called 'With Love' a pretty flower with a red heart in the centre. £1

(I've just found that this is a current model designed by Helen McDonald and costs £42).

Well, here's hoping you've stuck with it and enjoyed seeing my bargains.  Lovely to see another new follower, welcome :o)

Sending my very best wishes to you all.