Sunshine & Magic

I signed off on Friday promising to show you an amazing charity shop find and here it is. 

Braving the sub zero temperatures and black ice, we'd popped into town last Friday as we were running short of toothpaste and as usual couldn't resist the lure of the charity shops. In the Air Ambulance Jon called me over to show me a curious teak cupboard engineered to fold out into a home office.

 

The manager was equally fascinated and we spent ages pulling out the worktop, playing with the integral task lamp, altering the height of the shelves in the cubby holes and then closing it all back up again. 

We decided it would make a fabulous home for all my sewing stuff and, as the price was so good, were more than happy to pay for the shop to deliver it.

Back at home I did a bit of research. The original design originated in Indianapolis in 1874 and was known as a Wooton Desk and, after proving to be hugely popular, the design was copied by several leading European furniture makers and renamed The Magic Box. Although the maker's label on ours has been removed, the blue metal task light indicates that it was made in Norway by Leif Elvestad in the early 1960s. Some of the prices they command on line are astonishing, the cheapest I found sold on eBay recently for £790 and a couple on a well-known vintage interiors website both sold for in excess of £4000! 

Dear readers, I give you the Magic Box....

Along with my sewing machine and overlocker, I've managed to get all my sewing notions, patterns & sewing books inside, eliminating the need for my crafting cupboard, the 1950s Formica kitchen table on which my sewing machine sat, the packing crate in which my overlocker lived and the vintage suitcase where I stored my patterns. That's what I call magic! All four items will be making their way to the charity shop but that'll have to wait, it's my birthday on Friday and, in what has become a tradition in recent years, I'm off to spend it in the sunshine. 

We loved the subtropical paradise that is North Tenerife so much last year that we're going back. 

You know us, we're a pair of cheapskates who refuse to pay for hold luggage and so everything has to fit into a carry-on. We're flying with Jet2 so are allowed a bag measuring a maximum of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (and weighing in at up to 10kg).

My bag measures 52cm x 32cm x 17cm and weighs 5kg.

So, what am I taking for five nights in The Canaries?

Two maxi dresses, one from Anokhi, bought from their Chowpatti Beach branch in downtown Mumbai back in 2020 & my new All About Audrey maxi was bought with some of the proceeds of my Vinted sales, a vintage Indian Imports of Rhode Island maxi skirt (eBay, 2021), an off-the-shoulder blouse (H&M via the hospice charity shop, 2023), two All About Audrey wraparound tops (I bought the orange sari silk version in 2018 & the marmalade velvet was purchased with more of my Vinted profits), a vintage Phool quilted jacket (bought from an online vintage boutique back in 2019) and the reversible bolero I made last weekend using offcuts from a couple of charity shop curtains, a pair of shoelaces and a broken necklace.  

I'm wearing three of these garments to travel in and, as we'll be walking to the train station at silly o'clock, I'll have my thermals on underneath! 

I'm travelling in my cowboy boots and packing my Teva sandals, wearing the teal fedora and packing the straw one, packing my vintage Moroccan kilim bag and using the metallic raffia bag as my personal cabin bag, packing a vintage belt and wearing the embellished wool pashmina which was a gift from my lovely blogging pal, Annie.

I don't think I've ever travelled with such a small amount of jewellery but they're all pieces I love so I'm happy to wear them on repeat. The vintage Charles Horner bracelet was a birthday present from Jon last year and I've acquired a few more vintage charms in the year I've owned it. The turquoise bracelet was a charity shop find as was the huge Murano glass pendant; the silver fishtail earrings and the turquoise studs are from festival trading friends, Shilpa Silver (website HERE). I've had the rings so long they're almost welded to my fingers. As I had a gel manicure with Charlotte at True Beauty, a wonderful salon in Walsall, my Pine Green nails won't need touching up for weeks. As always, I pack my jewellery in my carry-on and put it on once I'm through security. 

Toiletries: 2 x bamboo toothbrushes, toothpaste, bamboo interdentals, Lush Karma solid parfum, plasters & painkillers (for Jon's poor knees!), bamboo cotton buds, Superdrug face wipes, Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Honey serum (decanted) & 2 x Calypso Once a Day in factor 30 (decanted), Soltan Once factor 30 facial sunscreen (which doubles as a moisturiser), Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton Eye Lift, Alumine Soy & Baobab shampoo sachets & the remains of the conditioner that came with my hair dye, Patounis olive oil soap, my facial sponge from Kalymnos, Lush Aromaco deodorant bar and a travel nail kit with tweezers & emery board. 

Make-up: 30x magnifying mirror, Milano "Colour Fetish" lipstick in Passion, Studio, London creme blush in Embrace, Revolution "Mulberry" eyeshadow, 2 x brushes, Barry M waterproof black kajal pencil, pencil sharpener, Barry M Feature Length mascara, Barry M Eyebrow Wow! pencil.

Hair stuff: Tangle Teezer, hair bands, hair grips, hair stick and velvet scrunchies (thanks, Nikki!) I've also packed a shower cap. 

Glittery bikini (Accessorize sale last year), Decathlon sports towel and some retro-styled sunnies (a birthday gift from Monsoon!) I'm also taking my silk wrap (Cape Cornwall via the £1 charity shop) for lounging around on the balcony, Kobo ereader, phone, reading glasses, two pairs of knickers & two pairs of socks (one to wash and one to wear.)

In the olden days I'd study the relevant guide books before travelling and often the information was way out of date, nowadays I join the Facebook pages and get real time info posted by travellers and residents. This week there's not only two rastros (flea markets) but there's also a car boot sale! Yes, I know I'm only travelling with a carry-on but if we do find something amazing we'll always find a way, like we did after snaffling a few vintage gems in the charity shop we found.

See you when I'm 58!