Boot Sale Saturday

Hi everyone!! Today's post is about the boot sale that we went to on Saturday, which is currently held at Chigwell Rise in Essex.

Hubby was doing one with a selection of vintage items, antiques and general household items that we no longer wanted and I decided to come along to be an early bird to catch some goodies.

This was the view from our window queuing to get in at 5 am on Saturday morning, so cold yet so lovely to see the mist and dawn rising over the fields so early:

Once he had paid the pitch money to get in (£12) he started to set up while I decided to wander around and wait for for people to start setting up and selling. As you can tell from the frost, it was freezing cold and I was glad I had my layers of a tee, sweatshirt, scarf, gloves and parka on, with my hood glued to my head for the first couple of hours!! First tip of the day, make sure you wear layers- as the morning proceeds, you will start to lose them but they will be well needed the earlier you start.

I haven't been to a boot sale so early for years, it was glorious to see the dawn rise and take pictures of the red sky beckoning a new day ahead:

Another tip is to make sure you take a fair amount of change and some carrier bags with you- sellers won't be too happy to be greeted with a £10 or £20 note at 6:30 in the morning and having your own bags will save time to dash on to the next eagerly sought after bargain too!

So by about 6:45 a lot of stalls were set up and buyers were descending on sellers like their lives depended on it-what a frenzy!! I didn't know whether to elbow my way in or wait my turn, I think you have to do a mix of both to get those all important first bargains!!

The boot sale is held in two adjoining fields so it was good to cross over every so often to catch new sellers setting up. Another tip-if it is very early don't always buy on the first price that a seller says (unless your heart is set on the item of course) as in a couple of hours they may well be welcome to a bit of haggling.

I was fortunate to bag some lovely pieces but another tip is just because items are cheap does not necessarily mean they should be bought for the sake of it-in the heat of the moment it is tempting to buy up everything you see because of the low prices but you do still need to be selective about the labels and items you choose. If you do see something that you are in two minds over, then do buy it-going back for it means it won't be there later!!

Don't be afraid to haggle either- if you're reasonable in the offers you make and are polite and friendly it's odds on you will get that item for cheaper but if not, at least you asked! Also don't be put off by something if it is a bit dirty or has some loose stitching-this is an ideal way to haggle and it's not hard to do some cleaning or repair on something when you get home.

 By mid morning the layers of scarves, hats and gloves can easily be replaced with those well needed sunglasses from SmartBuyGlassesUK and an open jacket-it's amazing what a difference a few hours makes!! As you can see the sunshine there was positively glorious by midday, even if parts of the field were still waterlogged-another tip, make sure you wear your walking boots or wellies if the weather has been previously rainy, the fields can still be squelchy and muddy even if the skies are blue!

We packed up shortly after midday and headed to our local supermarket to stock up on some fresh crusty rolls, sausages and pure orange juice for a home made brunch for when we got home. Boot sales can be expensive for eating out and you don't always get quality food for the money, so we just had cups of tea and some fresh donuts there and ate later. If you are doing a boot sale then it's a good idea to bring a thermos flask of tea or coffee and some home made sandwiches to keep you going, plus plenty of change and carrier bags too.

You can google to find local boot sales near to you and I would certainly recommend them whether you are a seller or a buyer-getting there early regardless will inevitably set you up for a good day and if you can be back home again for around 1 pm to enjoy your afternoon, what's not to love?!!

Have a great week-I'll definitely be checking out a couple more booty's by the time the week is out-have you any plans to visit a boot sale this season?

Pops of Neon- Outfit Post

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend, the weather here in the UK has been really great- I even managed to have a lie in my hammock on Saturday afternoon, I really think Spring has arrived-hurray!!

Yesterday I also reorganised my wardrobe so all of my summer clothes were easily accessible. Summer skirts, blouses and tees are all now at hand to start wearing and with this in mind I decided to wear something that included neon in my outfit.

Whilst on twitter last week I saw a Marie Clare feature on Primark's Spring/Summer 2013 range and on browsing, I saw an amazing scarf that I had to go and check out. Unfortunately the said scarf was not in my local branch but I still managed to get hold of a different one (scarf addict that I am) in cream and black. I also decided to check out the costume jewellery and nabbed a few pieces too-notably neon which for me is the ideal way to dip into this trend for the Summer season.

So my Sunday outfit of choice was this old favourite blouse which is by Topshop and was a boot sale find a couple of summers ago for just £2. Im wearing it with my Japanese Michiko Koshino boyfriend style jeans and my hot pink studded flats:

I'm also wearing my new Primark yellow neon hoop earrings:

Here is a close up of the top-it's a real favourite find with a lot going on. Embroidered neon stars, skulls, birds and floral and leafy swirls:

A close up of my hot pink neon suede style studded flats which are really comfortable and a perfect weekend shoe:

For such a small area of blouse, there is a lot of detail going on in such a variety of neon and cobwebby stitched detailing:

Here is a close up to show my neon earrings- I really love neon but now I'm older a touch of it works better for me rather than investing in a particular item of clothing for this trend. Saying that, if I found the right item I would get a bag or footwear in neon yellow-it goes so well with white and denim for trendy Summer styling:

I am linking this outfit post to the lovely Patti of NotDeadYetStyle for Visible Monday.

Will you be wearing neon this season-maybe you already have an item of clothing or accessory in this trend or are you too awaiting to find the right piece for you?

River Island Biker Jacket and Jeans

Hi everyone! The week has been a real mix weather wise, we've had glorious sun, downpours, gales and clouds so for the moment bare legs and no jackets are still off the agenda for the moment!

I decided to wear my newish River Island biker jacket which was a half price bargain in the mid season sales, reduced to £35. Its a perfect trans-seasonal jacket as the body is Melton wool and quite lightweight too providing just the right amount of coverage and warmth for an unpredictable British Spring day:

I also chose this style for the black pleather sleeves so it could work as an evening jacket when the nights are cooler too and still look smart:

I'm wearing my Topshop skinny flares which I thrifted a couple of years ago from the Sue Ryder charity shop, a recently thrifted Zara Mans chambray pinstripe slim fit shirt (also from Sue Ryder) and my Peacocks sandals that I've had for quite a few summers now:

This outfit I've just realised is all original high street- no vintage or designer in sight!!

Wishing you all a really good weekend-I am hoping to get to a couple of boot sales, replenish supplies for my ebay selling and if the weather's good I'll definitely be in my hammock in the garden with a magazine in one hand and a nice cool drink in the other-fingers crossed!!

Summer Shoes in Pastels, Metallics, Neon and Classic Colours

With Spring and Summer truly on the way it will be such a great relief to put away those furry boots, wellingtons and thermal socks for a good while!

Over at DefShop they have a lovely range of different sneakers and hi tops in colours ranging from neutrals, pastels and metallics- here are a pick of my favourite ones:

Jumex orange sneakers, 19.99 euros

Silver metallic Lucky sneakers, 19.99 euros

As for sandals, metallics and neons are going to be heavily on trend this summer-I'm really loving these pairs which are not only stylish but will go with so many summer outfits whether you're at the beach, city shopping or having a day out with family or friends :

Jumex silver sandals, 24.99 euros

Jumex neon sandals 24.99 euros

For a more formal look in the day, an evening out or a for street style look with skinny jeans, then opting for a pair of classic court shoes in either pastels or chic black is a perfect style choice too for the coming season:

Lucky shoes 24.99 euros

Friis and Company, 49.99 euros

I hope these different styles and colours give you plenty of shoe inspiration for your next footwear purchase!

The Last Day for Faux Fur?

Hi everyone! As you can tell from the poor lighting quality when this photo was taken on Saturday morning the sun was gloriously shining and it felt like the day was really going to be promising- I did even contemplate that the layers I had on were going to be too warm.

Well thankfully they were just right as about half an hour after the photos, the sun disappeared and there was definitely a nip in the air, so I was pleased to have my trusty Debenhams Maine faux fur gilet on that I bought last Autumn at a local jumble sale for just £1.50:

I was chuffed to be able to leave a scarf at home- I know I love them but having to wear them all winter has turned into a chore rather than a pleasure so I decided to wear my new from last month purchase-my black wool Fedora from Topshop:

I notice that they have a lovely variety in for Spring, ranging from different colours as well as being made in straw or wool, I am loving the light grey and nude colour ones!

My weekend was a mix of thrifting, chores, relaxing and catching up with the social media that is blogging, tweeting and instagraming-please follow me on all of these if you have not done so already- it will be so much appreciated and of course I will happily follow you back too!

I am linking this post to the lovely Patti at NotDeadYetStyle for Visible Monday. I do so hope you al have a great week ahead-now the kids are back at school normal service can be resumed-hurrah!!