From Bed Covers & Babouches to Bollywood & Books - This Week's Charity Shop Finds

 I'm probably the only person in the world to create an outfit entirely around a bag but just look at that handsome Indian prince astride his horse.

We've been out and about stock hunting all week and the Black Country chazzas have been ransacked for super cool vintage gear to keep our rails topped up. Of course, it's inevitable that I'll find a few things that I need to keep - like this bag which cost me the princely (ha!) sum of £1.99

My poor hands are destroyed by all the gluing I've been doing lately, thank goodness for Barry M Nail Paint to detract from the damage. This colour, Cardamon, has been discontinued - why oh why do they keep doing that with colours I like? Luckily I found a replacement bottle in Age UK for 50p. The Indian bejewelled cuff was £4.50. Everything else, with the exception of the Lapis ring Dad bought me when I was 11, is from India.

Here's the massive 1970s pendant I was wearing in my last post. I suppose goat fish boy isn't everyone's cup of tea hence the reason why the lady in the charity shop gave it me for free.

Here's the vintage maxi skirt I was wearing in my last post. It's a bizarre thing, the green part is polyester and the floral trim is cotton. I found it on a sale rail for 50p. I wasn't sure if it was a keeper but the waist is a perfect fit and that strange contrasting hem makes me look really tall - a bonus when, like me, you're a short arse.

Don't adjust your screens - knitwear-phobic Vix bought knitwear!!! I'm sick to death of being cold and I was pleasantly surprised at how these two looked when I tried them on. Isn't it funny how much more attractive things seem when the charity shop reduces all their stock to £1?

They're not old - the acid green mohair cardi is from Miss Selfridge and the daisy print, Scandi-style sweater is by Henry Holland, but at least I'm prepared for our next visit from the Beast from the East, due to hit the UK during the Easter weekend. 

I loved the colour of these £1 Moroccan babouches and was super excited when I discovered that they were my size. They're unworn so I'm assuming they were given to someone as a coming home from holiday gift and they didn't fit.

How much do Jon & I love this brilliant bed cover? We're dazzled by it! It's got an emerald green fringed trim which I omitted to photograph. It was labelled Brand New which made us laugh. Yes, it was unused but we don't think it's been new for at least forty years! It was £10 which we thought was a bargain.

Did your Mum/Grandma one of these fold out shoppers? Both of mine did. This psychedelic beauty fits in my coat pocket and will be perfect for an impromptu charity shop purchase. Cost? 50p

I loved the embroidery on this £2 contemporary satin wrap. While both pieces of knitwear are a UK Size 6, this is a UK size 16. It just goes to show that modern size labels make no sense whatsoever.

I buy a pile of paperbacks most weeks (and subsequently donate a pile back).

Being a massive fan of espionage novels, William Boyd is one of my favourite authors and I was thrilled to find a book by him that I hadn't read. I love contemporary Indian fiction so I'm looking forward to devouring Graffiti My Soul. An Auctioneer's Lot are the memoirs of BBC's Bargain Hunt & Antique Road Trip expert, grumpy Phil Serrell. I always see Jodi Picoult books in charity shops which is hardly surprising as she's one of the UK's best selling authors. I mistakenly assumed she wrote chick-lit - which I detest - so I've never bothered buying any of her books but I came across both My Sister's Keeper & Small Great Things on my e reader and really enjoyed them. While her work isn't high brow but the subjects are thought-provoking and the endings are never predictable.

I've travelled the Bombay to Goa road many times over the last 20 years and I absolutely love this film from 1972. The songs are brilliant, the characters hilarious and Amitabh Bachchan's psychedelic wardrobe is to die for. Female lead, Aruna Irani, is so beautiful. This 99p DVD will be Sunday afternoon's entertainment.

How could I write a blog post without mentioning my doll's house? My friend Tina spotted these upholstery fabric samples from high end Spanish interiors company Gaston y Daniela when we were out charity shopping yesterday and suggested they'd make great rugs. How right she was! Full-sized it retails at £100 a metre, I paid £1 for a fifth of a metre. 

WEARING: 1960s Wetherall of Bond Street cape (£4.95, YMCA charity shop, 2006), River Island boots, Floppy felt hat, vintage tooled leather belt, 1960s Stainless steel choker, Indian Prince bag, vintage floral maxi skirt, fringed bodysuit (all charity shopped, eBayed or car-booted)

Have a fabulous weekend!

See you soon.

Linking to Patti & the gang for Visible Monday and Judith, The Style Crone, Hat Attack #57.