The One That Got Away, A Couple Of Charity Shop Finds and Complete Disaster.

Charity shop shopping seems to have become such a huge habit in the past six months. In Wolverhampton my “fix” was a 20/30 minute bus ride away, in Evesham it’s just a 10 minute walk (if that), so it’s a no brainer to go mooching once or twice a week.  Evesham also has two largish “antique” type places, plus The Georgian House, which I think does clearance, but the clearance seems to come from some wonderful old places.

It will always be the shop where I had to let my dream mirror get away, I had to see sense as it was absolutely mahoooooooooosive and was so heavy that it would have undoubtedly pulled down my lounge wall had I attempted to put it up!!! I admit to going all glassy eyed when I saw it, as it’s very much like the mirrors I had admired (and secretly stroked) in Marc’s London flat. 

The ornate gold frame was also mirrored, it was gorgeous!  I so wanted it and I had even got the price down everso from slightly from £180 to £160 with free delivery, before I got sensible and with regret, let it go!

I now keep my finds small! Like this beaded tea-light lamp above, which cost me £1.  Not everyone’s taste I know, and in the past I wouldn’t have looked twice at it, but in the New Year, when I am having compartment shelving built  at each end of the spare bedroom, it will be perfect, as I want it to have a eclectic “Bohemian” feel, hark at me (!!!) with, hopefully, many more colourful finds.And, as you can see it, it’s perfect with the bedding I have already bought from Next.

Because I am planning the room, probably more than any other room, I have been going out with a list of things to look for, a bedside water carafe and glass was on such a list and the above couldn’t have been more perfect for just £3.50. The small, pressed glass tray was bought on an earlier “expedition” to the same shop for 50p, just the marriage I wanted.

On my list at the moment is a strip of rich purple velvet to go across the end of the bed, but I think I may have a long patient wait for that and some tall, old, purple glass candlesticks to go on, what the moment is my only disaster (for now).

• The mirror for the room came from Dunelm, I loved the shelf and the fact that you can also hang things on it, like a guest towel, toiletry bag etc. (the original plain, white knobs have since been replaced by my trademark “diamond” ones), but the colour was wrong ……… oooooooo-wer

So……… I painted it with some chalk paint from the bottom of a tin, surplus to The Lovely Laura’s requirements that had seen better days.  NOT A GOOD IDEA.  The paint had got thick and the finish was absolutely awful, it had gone well beyond it’s use by date!!! I should have stopped after the first few brush strokes, but no, I preserved till it was all covered, aghhhhhh!

Fortunately, being chalk paint it comes off pretty easily, I have just got to do it!!!! Hopefully I will get it done before Christmas when I have a free afternoon.  Then, I am planning on painting it “properly” in a similar colour, but in a matt gloss.  Fingers crossed it works this time.