I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted, that's utterly disgraceful. It's mostly explained by the fact that Adam and I have been celebrating our wedding anniversary with a short break in Cambridge. Adam studied at Emmanuel College and as an alumni he is entitled to stay at college when he's in town so that's what we did.
At the ripe old age of 37 the full on under graduate experience was, erm, wearying. The public areas of college were lovely but the accommodation was a bit like bunking up in a young offenders' institute and please don't get me started on the stench in the Union bar toilets - I'm trying to expunge it from my sensory memory.
The highlight of our trip (for me anyway!) was the plunder of Oxfam - my beautiful, bubbly wine goblet and butter dish are pictured. I just love the rich pickings of charity shops in wealthy towns, added to this is my recent discovery that the kind of stoneware crockery I like appears to be hugely unfashionable at the moment and - therefore - abundant and cheap in charity shops. It is, however, impossible to find a whole matching set of anything. I had a blinding revelation after seeing the Roughluxe Hotel on Hotel Inspector the other week and realised that pieces don't have to match, just be from toning colour palettes.
I feel I've been set free - no longer do I have to reluctantly leave lovely plates behind because there are only 3 of them. Now I can buy them and look forward to even more charity shop foraging to find a few more in a complimentary shade. I get to go shopping, I get Lovely Things at a bargain price, charities get some money, I get to congratulate myself on not falling into the consumerist trap (much!) and I get to give new life to stuff that could have been dumped in landfill. Everyone's a winner.
Blending tones.. now there is a good idea. I tend to buy everything in white as we break everything and then it doesn't matter :) Love that wine glass, I had some which were the same in blue tones, before my friends broke them all!
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of the Roughluxe Hotel. It appeals to me. As does your lovely wine glass, even more lovely when filled with fav. wine.
ReplyDeleteso for the winter you have abandoned one form of foraging for another.....I can see all your pickles in fancy jars next summer from your charity shop hunts...what fun!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not one for shopping but I have to admit I do frequent the charity shops for glass products to engrave or paint...it's amazing what unique items you can pick up!!
a4you - Glass engraving and painting? Wow, that sounds impressive - hope you blog about that!
ReplyDeleteLiz - funnily enough one charity shop I visited had a whole shelf full of assorted white crockery at 49p per piece.
I'm not sure how I could tie it in to my allotment blog and I really don't have the time to have another blog on the go But I will see what I can do....randomness can be fun!! :-)
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