Lovely Things: Luscious Lampshades

Do you have a lampshade casting a shadow (quite literally) over an otherwise pleasant space?

We have several in my home which are dated and have seen better days. The great news is that there are many easy, creative ways to spruce up your current shade or start from stratch. Here are some pinteresting DIY solutions:

This innovative crochet shade is easier to makes than it looks! Check out the how to.

Apparently this colourful shade is from by Urban Outfitters, but it'd be pretty simple to create one with a similar impact from scrap wood.

I love how personal this design is - turn on the light and relive happy memories!

Using an old wire basket to create a unique shade. I like that you can see the bulb through it - the effect is very industrial.

I seriously never imagined that veneer could look so attractive. I have been proven wrong! You could achieve this look with just about anything in strips.

Fabric strips tied to an old metal frame - simple to make, big impact.

Have some mixing bowls to spare? Get on it!

This idea made me chuckle. The things people come up with!

It's amazing what a bit of twine can do to a plain old shade.

A hilarious solution to round this up. Just don't use them at the same time, okay?

15.06.13

When I charity shop, I charity shop.

I often see things that take my fancy, but have to be very strict as 1. I am not made of money and 2. I already have enough 'junk' (as some members of my family like to phrase it)

Can't say no to a bit of window shopping though:

In PDSA they had a whole shelf of film cameras and lenses. My sister collects old cameras, so I msged her this pic pronto.

This one was my favourite - such an interesting shape!

I love the simplicity of vintage packaging like this.

I then moved on to Dorothy House where these pretty storage jars in the window caught my eye. I could imagine them looking nice in a country kitchen.

There were three of these vintage mens shaving sets on a shelf. They were so shiny; the inner-magpie in me got very excited.

I love glassware! Especially coloured glass. This dressing table set was very tempting at £5.

I then went to another Dorothy House (there are three in my city) and saw this gorgeous little handbag. I have enough bags as it is, but the embossed leather and embroidery was very pretty.

Gorgeous embellished vintage bag.

I (tried) to try these gloves on but they were so so small it was unreal. Ladies in the old days had tiny hands.

On Saturdays my local market is also on, which is another big incentive to go to town.

A charming old wooden tool box. It has probably been established by now that I am rather partial to drawers.

Glass cases of tiny trinkets.

One seller always has lots of old hardware - his stall is probably my fave.

More cameras (and considerably more expensive than the ones in PDSA!)

Vintage beaded clutch bags - the most mouth-watering objects of the day. I didn't even look at the price tags!

I guiltily confess that I did make one purchase back at Dorothy House...

£6 for this bold St. Michael's shirt. How could I resist?

Love love love the necktie.

WHAT a funky print. I adore this shirt and put it on as soon as I got home.

Barg of the Week: Retro Shot Glasses

I like 70s patterns. And I like colour. And I also happen to like shot glasses. So I guess finding these was a win-win situation.

There are two different sets - the top row with the large floral print and the bottom row with the smaller design.

The top row are my faves. I especially love the bright blue one on the right.

Colour just fills me with joy, y'know what I mean? Who doesn't love colour! 

Even the white one (which isn't a 'real' colour) is eye candy if I ever did see it.

These are tasty, and they were all mine for £2.00. That's less than 20p a glass. You can see these featured on my Sexy Shop Counter post.

Wardrobe: Beautiful Burgundy

It's 'Wardrobe Wednesday', which means time to feature an outfit! My ensemble today:

Burgundy and teal, possibly my two fave colours of all time?

I love the velvet ribbon detail on this blouse.

Very intricate metal buttons.

Gorgeous tortoiseshell buckle on this bag.

Blazer:

From: Guide Dog Trust charity shop

Brand: ARTCRAFT Blazers (vintage)

Price: £3.00

Blouse:

From: Community charity shop

Brand: Urban Outfitters 

Price: £2.00

Skater Skirt:

From: Topshop

Brand: Topshop

Price: £16.00

Cloche Hat:

From: House of Fraser

Brand: Dickens and Jones

Price: £13.50 (reduced from £45.00)

Shoes:

From: Woman's Refuge charity shop

Brand: Saxone (vintage)

Price: £2.00

Bag:

From: Mercy in Action charity shop

Brand: Dents (vintage)

Price: £4.00

Second Hand/New: 4/6

Total Cost of Outfit:

£40.50

Less than the hat cost originally ;)

Lovely Things: Noticeboards

I find it's good to start every Monday with a spark of inspiration! Today I've been looking at noticeboards/pinboards, as the one in our kitchen is too small and not very practical in design. I'm hoping to make us a new one this summer! Here are some of my faves from Pinterest:

A simple yet pretty solution using fabric, string and a frame. I adore the chevron patterned fabric (maybe you can tell from my blog background?)

I'm all for recycling, so love the idea of using a window shutter. It's very statement in that bold green.

This particularly appeals to me as we have an old washboard like this in the shed. Very original idea!

I'm quite a fan of traditional old cork really. I especially love the storage at the bottom of this one!

Blackboards are also a nice element for a memo board. Loving the natural wood look and the cute hardware.

Put it on a cupboard and you get a two-in-one! Genius.

A simple board combined with an elaborate frame makes for a perfect pairing.

A clever use of chicken wire and pegs as an alternative board.

I get the sense that this design is very personal to its creator. Extra-organised too!

Simple but so practical, plus I love the rustic look.

Simple cork in a funky shape. Makes all the difference!

Once again an opportunity to recycle, and so simple to do as well.

Cute cute cute!

It's amazing what geometrics and a lick of paint can achieve!

Another recycling opportunity using an old window frame. I love the patchwork effect this has.

Another basic frame and cork combo, but the room is so gorgeous I felt compelled to share it!

This minimalistic design only uses string, how clever!

Another pretty recycled shutter. It seems that green is a good colour for them!

A final fave is this coat rack and pinboard all-in-one. Definitely a good option if you have a big open hall space. 

So how do you keep your notes and memos in check? I'd love to hear, hit me up in the comments box!