bigbucketgirl

A box.

vintage writing paper, originally uploaded by big_bucket_girl.

I bought a box. Crazy some may say to pay 50p for an A4 size box with birds on. But..please let me explain that its not just a box! I didn't realise what it was until i'd grabbed it in my fist and wasn't letting go incase anyone grabbed it! but inside is an immaculate, beautiful, old fashioned writing set, all intact...paper, notecards and envelopes all tied up with ribbons. G.o.r.g.e.o.u.s.
(I will post photos later as my camera batteries have just died)

Who can I write to?
I'll stare at the box and gaze lovingly at the contents while i think...not a difficult job!

Resilient. That's me!

Oooh!, I feel the need to apologise profusely and genuinely for my sporadic existence here on my forlorn blog. It is due to the most tenacious worm known to man. The most fierce, aggressive and downright rude worm. My computer is seriously ill and the technicians are doubtful to its survival. The worm has done bad things. The main thing is that our photos are safe due to various vaults and photo packages and an ever growing mountain of cds! The internet connection is the main casualty and where my lovely Alexander Henry wallpaper used to be..is now a vicious, vile image of a skull telling me that my privacy is at risk. Hmmm, thanks for that. I would have listened if it was just a little waning triangle. The skull image is really disturbing and the kids are scared stiff. Still, me being me...i turned it intoa lesson on e mail and internet security! They know more than an ICT lesson in chool will tell them! DD had to ask whether it meant Ebay would still work! Bless. She is desperate for a copy of Patrick by Quentin Blake!

So anyway, aside from worms chasing me...I have got on with filling the hours(!) away from blog land with some serious charity shop rummaging. The kind of rummaging that means getting down and dirty, cobwebs and all. I have had crocery, linen, 70's bedcovers still in their packaging, children's books and more in my latest hauls...but the ultimate find, and the item that is making my heart sing out, was buried deep under a table. It was being used to prop up stained Fifi bedding but there was a tatty, torn cardboard box. With some old looking letttering. With some old parcel tape. With some old looking dust! Something had caught my eye and I was not leaving without finding out what was in it! Stubborn, resillient...

over the moon!

All working, all complete (with a few extras!) and ALL for the princely sum of £2. TWO POUNDS. Let me think..that's about $4! A wonderful object, a wonderful retro delight that has survived the years to take pride of place in my kitchen! It has made beautiful banana bread and in doing so has won the hearts of my family! The kids thought I was quite insane. Picture the scene...me, the 8yr old, the 6yr old, and a very light pushchair with the 2yr old in it. No DH. He was at the football. We went to a very early Xmas fayre. We won 2 bottles of wine on the tombola, bought 2 vintage bedsheets, half a dozen books, a few jigsaws..you know what its like...when the prices are literally pennies! It was after we'd bought the bargains and were leaving the hall that i looked at the ramshackle stall behind the door! The kids were tired, laden down and hungry. The cake stall was calling and they did not want to look at 'old peoples things' and broken picture frames! I used my stern 'I know what I'm doing here' kind of face, and the 'don't pick on me just because Daddy's gone to the football' tone of voice to tell that I would only be one more minute! I know i did jump up and clap my hands when I finally saw what was in the box...and then assumed i'd inflated the price by at least a tenner because of my undeniable excitement!

Me: "How much?"

Bemused lady behind stall: "What for?"

Me: "For the mixer?" (using my most disinterested tone!)

Bemused lady and equally bemused colleague behind stall: " What did you want dear?"

This went on and on. Eventually, I persuaded them that I did indeed want the mixer and that i truly wanted to give them money for it. They shook their heads, rubbed their hands together, called another lady who looked me up and down and shook her head in disbelief, "Is £2 ok?" SOLD!

The fun really did begin then..trying to negotiate kerbs and busy roads with the big kids laden with their treasures, the 2yr old wrestling with a huge wooden spoon that he had to have and a kenwood chefette balanced on the handles of the pushchair. The wine we'd won earlier almost got opened and drunk...i figured i wasn't going to waste the wine but could off load the bottles into the bin to lighten the haul! Rummaging at its best!

Incase anyone was wondering, this post is coming from an friends computer, so no little wormlets in the system.I had to borrow, beg and steal time to get here to use it but it's been worth it to show you my Chefette! I feel the need to christen her. A name beginning with C? Celia? Clara? Celeste?? Any suggestions? I'll leave it with you...and any Chefette experiences to share?

Oh, and more delight to share was one of the jigsaw gems that we picked up.

That's all for now....I'm off to a Parent Teacher meeting for the 6 yr old. The 6yr olds that I know is as good as gold, polite, honest and clever. Honest! The worry is that the same 6yr old is a nerd. A bookworm. She searches charity shops for books illustrated by John Patience or Eric Carle, begs for money for vintage Amelia Jane books, and has a photo of Quentin Blake by her bed! I'm not sure 6yr olds are supposed to call the teachers attention to compare illustration techniques during lessons! She has a true passion, one that I am happy to fuel...lets just hope school see it that way!

When 1 just will not do.....

Do you get those days when you just KNOW there's something out there for you?

I trawled the charity shops today with money burning a hole in my pocket. (That would be my £5 budget and remaining worldy wealth..all in coppers and small change!) There were a few OK things in Oxfam, nothing in Age Concern etc. but I kept going and walked to the other end of town (pushing very content DS#2), and missed out on popping into the chip shop(!) in order to save my pennies. The last remaining charity shop was open(not the most reliable shop) and the lady in there today was lovely. There was nothing particularly grabbing my attention, but then i saw a jar of buttons. Here we go.... i asked if i could tip them out and chose 7 green buttons, different sizes, and asked how much they were..."Oh!" she said, "is that all you want?" Immediately i felt like a tight fisted miserable old git. The thing is I shop A LOT in charity shops for a whole host of things and I know that  give more than the Average Joe. This does not make me a better person, however, it does mean I have become 'picky' in what I want and don't want! So...I could live without the rest of the buttons(today at least!) and I could buy the green ones without attracting DH's attention and re-starting the vintage button debate that he never wins! As all this was running through my brain, and I was congratulating myself for having some self restraint...she said "because you can have the lot for £1" It wouldn't surprise you I suppose if i were to tell you that self restraint flew at break neck speed through the window and I picked up the jar with my tight fist! and practically threw the money at her!

This is my bargain. What do you think...all for 100 pennies. That's less than a penny a button. So glad i went out today...

However...there's  more..pleasing as the buttons are, a girl cannot live on buttons alone and..so..i kept ferreting around and came across the biggest thing today to brighten my world(aside from the obvious ups of being a mumma to three lunatics darlings), is that tucked away at the back of the shop, being used as a way to display fungus filled shoes!?, was this little gem of a vintage suitcase. It is beautiful in a blue and gold hinge kind of way! When I clocked the price tag of £4, I must admit I thought that was a little expensive, but I was already counting out the money! The hope was that the shoes weren't included in the price! When I was looking inside to check the lining etc. the lady( the lovely one who had just sold me buttons!), pointed out that it was a 3-in-1!? What did that mean? I was afraid to ask, so was mighty amused to find that the suitcase had another 2 inside! Oh my! Oh what joy! Oh what will DH say! Me thinks i'll have to say they've been under the bed for years! They're all clean and tidy with no marks inside or out. I haven't decided what to put in them yet...my stuff, DD's bits, toys?

So here is number 1.

Would you like to see Number 2?

Here's Number 3 for pure indulgence on my part!

And...i'm sure you're going to love the insides.....

Sheer loveliness. DS#2 now crawled on lap and is maniac where laptop involved...there may be a break in transmission...

WOW!

Well, wow. Sorry incase you dont get the idea...WOW!

My day was going well...a little too well...

*the kids were angelic (good chance i'll find out the damage later...),
*the weather was dry and bright,
*there was even white bread and crisps in the pantry( you know..the staples of a stay at home day feast!)
*A Playmobil extravaganza lasted almost 3 hours,
*they played musical instruments to Lily Allen and Razorlight(not an easy task for a 7 and 6yr old)
*they asked to go out on their scooters and they volunteered to come to town with me on them. This usually means a lot of putting the scooters up and down before going into the bank/post office etc and generally jammed fingers and frayed tempers. Today the scooters behaved, the kids were still angelic, sensible, polite and mindfull of others.

I waited for the downpour, the lightning to strike...the ground to open up and flames to lick my heels...but NO! WE HAD OURSELVES A LOVELY DAY WITH NO POUTS OR ARGUMENTS, NO SQUABBLES! NO SQUABBLES.
I'm worn out thinking about it..no squabbles. Doesn't feel like my life writing that! Don't get me wrong..I truly believe that squabbles are part of life and essential in sibling relationships..i have a sister after all!, but its been a truly lovely day today without them.

To top the day off with dream topping and glace cherries...I went into the Oxfam shop with the blessing of my cherubs, and found this beauty.

Even more beautiful when i got it home and I saw the heart pocket. Hand sewn and starting a new life here. It cost me the ripe sum of 79pence. BARGAIN.

I will wear it tomorrow and wash the outside windows so the neighbours get to see!

Little treasures.

chop 2, originally uploaded by big_bucket_girl.

This I found in the charity shop last week and couldn't resist. As DD and DS are learning to peel potatoes and carrots etc then they need a chopping board of their very own! This is the one for DD. I found an autumnal one for DS for the time being, but daresay will be on the hunt for something a little more masculine!

Posting form Flickr because I'm in work adn we're not allowed blogs here! :( , hoping that it doesn't chop half the photo off.

Jug and Cup

jug and cup, originally uploaded by big_bucket_girl.

These two and their slightly cracked friend, called me in to their charity shop and begged me to buy them. They didn't have to persuade me! The print is actually a deep khaki green colour. Wonderful. I'm not sure if there is a specific name to this design but i'd like more of it!

Blogging this from FLickr because it's quicker!

Breakfast book.

My almost daily tour of our charity shops(because you never know!?) leads me to find wonderful old books that my kids adore. I couldn't leave this on the shelf....

It has stunning illustrations....

and simple enough texts. I've been reading 'a creature a day' to the kids while they eat their porridge. They've asked me to keepan eye out for more of the same series!

After hearing about the squirrels, our school run in the morning has become a squirrel hunt! Binoculars at the ready...because you never know!

Robin hood (School walk 4)

robin hood, originally uploaded by big_bucket_girl.

This was a wonderful charity shop find on Monday for a mere 20p! It's the favourite story of the moment here and Saturday nights are spent watching the 'hero' on BBC. Despite the awful reviews and some mediocre acting..what better TV for a 5 and 7yr old on a Saturday night! We watch as a family of four all snuggled on the settee. The woods on the way to school aren't big enough to house Robin and his men but further along, on the walk home when we're not on a mission(!) we can go to the bigger end of the wood. I still can't let the kids call it a forest(!) but we do go regularly to the Forestry proper(!) to look for deer. (DH hoping as I type that we haven't missed the annual deer cull and subsequent sale of venison. As a vegetarian this DOES NOT appeal to ME!).
The kids imaginations are not stifled by mere 'woods' and so the scenarios for Robin role play are intricate, energetic, and often hilarious. DD is definitely a merry man not Maid Marian. Even though DD likes the costumes etc. the thought of kissing Robin doesn't appeal to her at all! Now if it was the chance to kiss Kevin Costner as Robin then I wouldn't say no!

So, this is the last school walk post and I'd better go and check the blog to see if it works! Then I'm off again to the fridge to top up my chilled Chilean white(!) and I'm off to Manda at Treefall to see what she's been up to...

Tablecloth heaven

I snapped this up at a charity shop having a half price sale! £2.99 for a wonderful, intact, never opened vintage screen printed tablecloth. I LOVE IT (me singing and dancing).

School run needs to happen now.......jet powered skates anyone????