I have too many shoes

I have been a lazy blogger, I have a week's leave and I'm at home catching up on errands and stuff I've not been able to do until now. I've also managed to retrieve some images that I've taken over the past few months but haven't been able to load onto my laptop, due to reasons unknown to my un-technical mind. So this post is really a little bit about a bit of that . . . Summer shoes have staying power Do you have summer sandals in your closet that you dig out year after year and they never date and are perfect for those sunny days?  I've got a few sandals that I've had for years that still are perfect to use. My friend Karen has these great sandals - a new purchase and a pair from last year, that will be her Summer heroes, perfect for her current holiday in Istanbul. Zara, Istanbul, 2010 Debenhams sale, 2011 One person's trash is another person's treasure A few years ago and you wouldn't have seen me shoppi...

Times are hard for everyone and I'm trying to resist the temptation of just running off to town and spending copious amounts of money on pretty things that I possibly don't need. I have clothes in my wardrobe that haven't been worn yet, the weather is exceedingly crap and I need to save money for my big birthday milestone (posting later) so I have hidden my car keys and purse and stayed indoors this bank holiday weekend.  However I did have a retail scratch to itch and needed to get some fresh air, so I took a walk to my local charity shop (for our local cancer hospice) and purchased a couple of things, a scarf from Tie Rack for £1 and a cute little ornament for £2.  So I gave a little money to charity and save myself from spending money on something that I don't really need, although resisting the temptation to spend on shoes is painful!  I'm building up a nice collection of scarves and the ornament is part of my collection...

I need to get organised, I really should have written, reviewed and posted this days ago! I had a really nice day last Friday in Preston  which is about 15-20 miles from Blackpool.   The main focus of the day was to take a browse round the charity shops with my friend Sylvia as we'd done a similar trip a couple of years ago to source jewellery to create my vintage wedding bouquet. here's one we made earlier Things have changed, I'm not sure if you've noticed with your local charity shops but a number of those found on the high street have really increased their prices.  Now, I'm not saying that its not important to support the shops and help raise much-needed funds but at the end of the day, they are still selling secondhand goods so this should really be reflected in the price.  I do think that they can put off potential customers.  One shop actually had primark and Matalan products for sale at a higher price than they would have been brand...

Last year was the first time that I actually bought something I could wear from a charity shop.  I paid £4 for a pair black peep toe shoes that had never been worn and I use them as my summer go-to shoes for work.  Previously my purchases from charity shops was limited to brooches but I've been inspired by the My Style Blog to reconsider charity shops and car boot sales as an alternative choice to the high street, no VAT is an added bonus, while supporting a charity.  My nearest shop is about 10 minutes up the road and supports a local hospice.  I've started to pop in on a regular basis to check for bargains.  This weekend I had my first successful purchase was this Marks and Spencers jumper (never worn and tags still attached)  helping me towards the Spring/Summer 2011 trend for stripes.  I did also spot a Max Mara polka dot jacket for sale at £25 but sadly not my size but the fact I had recognised a quality jacket made me c...