A Few Charity Shop Finds Part One

This post really encompasses the past 14 weeks maybe a little longer.  The original post I had prepared was just too long. I have therefore split it into three parts (at present).

During the past 12 weeks, I have paid several visits to the CS shop close to where I live and I was lucky to pick up a few lovely things.  I am not in there all the time, but predominantly at the beginning of any new month.

First off, I managed to locate a second bedside lamp in the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady Range. I have a lot of items from this range and have been collecting for years.  This range first came out in the late 1970s if I remember correctly.  I  was newly married and could not afford this at the time as we were buying our own home and that was the priority, plus refurbishments were being done as well. It was something that I always liked though.  Since then I started collecting items a bit at a time as I intend to decorate one of my bedrooms with the Rose and Honeysuckle version and I had been looking for a second lamp for sometime to go with one I already have.  I am so pleased to have found this.

The one I found on Saturday only cost me £3 so I was well chuffed.  It has also been electrically tested.

I also managed to pick up two Turquoise coloured lampshades which were in excellent condition for £1 a shade.  These have been put up out of the way for the time being.  I do have plans for these though.  I already have one brass lamp and I am looking for another one to sit with it.  They do not have to be matching, just brass. These shades will go very well with the lamp I have.  I will keep my eyes open for items as I go along. 

I also managed to pick up a wooden shelf with little drawers in it.  It is a herb/spice container with little ceramic plaques on the front in green and cream.  It is made of Pine.  It needs a good clean up, and then hopefully I will find room for it in the dining room.

Lastly, and which I think is my favourite find of the day is a little Writing Chest, also made of Pine.  It needs a bit of a clean down and then I think could also do with a good oil.  It will be ideal to sit on a low table or indeed bookshelf.  It is a lovely rustic freestanding piece.  That only cost me £5.

I do love quirky and interesting things.  Makes them all the more individual.

I then came across a large Roses Sweetie jar for £1.50 and so I quickly snaffled this up.  I use these jars in my Pantry to store bulk food items.  I have done this gradually every so often for quite a few years.  So was well pleased to find this.  The price was a steal as normally the jars go for a lot more money these days whereas when I first started collecting them they hardly cost anything.  To tell you the truth I started off a collection of them, then got rid of them, then realised what a mistake I had made, and have been slowly adding them to my Pantry ever since.  I like the fact that they hold a goodly amount of ingredients, they are recycling something that had been used before thus keeping it out of Landfill.  Very practical storage from my point of view.  It might not seem much, but this modest item is an integral part of my main Pantry for storing bulk items.

The second item I found was a Cheese Dome and plate with a fruits design on it. I thought that this was rather funky. Think it will go well with the autumn pieces that I have collected to date. This is the first piece for autumn this year though. It is quite cheerful and it only cost me £3.  I have a thing about Cheese Domes!

If I get chance to go in again on Saturday I will do as I often find more on a Saturday than during the rest of the week.

Well I did go back and found a few more things.

I have bought a free-standing piece of furniture made of pine.  It is a freestanding wine rack which will go nicely in my dining room and provide extra bottle storage.  I intend making wine again and I will eventually need somewhere to store the bottles apart from under the stairs which because of its size and the fact that I am also turning it into overflow Pantry storage means that it will not just be a preserve cupboard anymore.  A lot of the preserves will eventually go into the Fireside cupboard.  This freestanding wine rack made of pine only cost me £10. I have seen similar pieces priced over £100. It is a little scuffed in places but should work well.  It will need a good clean up and a little TLC all of which can happen in due course.  I intend to have this in the dining room near my corner unit if it will fit.

I also came away with another storage jar. These are the jars that stand upright or sit on their side. I have already found 2 of these and this will make the third one; I paid £1.50 for this. The only difference is the lids. Two of them are grey and one is Silver.

I also found a vintage salt glaze brown earthenware pot without a lid for £2.  I can get a wooden lid made for this, but this should also add additional storage for either in the Little Cupboard under the stairs or on one of the Dressers.   I love vintage pieces like this.

Therefore for £13.50 I have found some more useful items for my food storage and Pantry use.  Re-using/upcycling a few items along the way to boot.  That is the hidden bonus i.e. making use of something that would otherwise not necessarily be used.  I think older pieces have a lot more charm, character and soul than some of the more modern efforts.  I do miss going to car boots though.

I am looking forward to going again to the CS at the end of the week to see what else I can find.  I do not necessarily find things every time I go.  Often they are relatively spaced out and acquired little by little.  I have seen some beautiful vintage furniture in this little shop; often I have gone in after it has been sold.  Unfortunately I do not have room for furniture at the moment which is a pity, as eventually I do hope to have a revamp and re-furbish the rooms with individual pieces of furniture. It does not have to be new furniture and often for me it is a blending a mix n match of new and old that often works the best.  Eventually though I am after a couple of vintage China cabinets to display some of the more fragile pieces and inherited China that I have.  I am a bit of a Collector.

I have acquired some lovely pieces over the years over different categories as well as having inherited family items, some of which I know are older than my 67 years and some of them over 100 years old.  I just love beautiful things as did my Great Grandmother, My Gran, my Nan and my Mother.  A bit of a thing on the female line of both families. All of the items  that I have found complement those items I already have.  I am lucky I know I am, but I have a deep interest in collecting items that I am interested in, as well as having collections of glass, china, dinnerware etc. which I have built up over a period of 40 years.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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