A bit of a rummage

I have been doing a bit of rummaging this week...

I couldn't go walking last Friday as it rained heavily until 3 pm. I was so disappointed as I was looking forward to the Greensand Ridge walk, but it's no fun walking in the rain.

I bought these blue beads in the Red Cross last Monday. Earrings bought from Sainsbury's years ago. All other jewellery charity shopped.

Everything charity shopped except the boots - Christmas present 2015 from OH. The cardigan is from Monsoon and was 1.99 from the Red Cross. The trousers are by Roman and I think they were from Barnardo's in Ampthill. Can't remember where I bought this top; I've had it ages but it's a first time wear.

I went walking on Saturday with a different Rambler's group and did 6 miles in and around Sandy. I went early and had a browse around a couple of charity shops. I bought a silver necklace for £1.25.

Everything charity shopped. Dress from Red Cross; shirt from a £1.00 rail somewhere. Boots bought in St. Ives for 4.00. All jewellery charity shopped.

I bought these beads in my favourite charity shop in Killybegs, Co. Donegal for 2 euros. One of those bloody loops has escaped; I should cut them off but I like how they stop the garment falling off the hanger...I had to get rid of the checked shirt as, when I went to tug it down under the dress, my finger went through the material and ripped a big tear in it!

Monday's outfit. Everything charity shopped except boots - Christmas 2016 present from daughter. Youngest grandson took the photos so they're taken from a sitting down position! He won't be parted from his i pad that boy...

"Amari,  why don't you stand up and take the photo?"

I managed to find a replacement for my blue checked shirt in the Red Cross on Monday for 1.99.
There were so many donations to sort it was difficult to move round our sorting room - the Health and Safety people would have a field day in there. There was so much to get off the floor and into the storage room for steaming I didn't get a chance to sort the jewellery (which is my favourite thing to do) and there was a big box of it.

On Tuesday I was at the Guildhouse. It was a beautiful day and I'm sorry I didn't take advantage of the weather to go walking in the afternoon, but I'm trying to chill out when I've volunteered in the morning and catch up with blogs etc. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are my walking days and Monday and Tuesdays are for volunteering. That way, I have a rhythm and a routine to my week and having been used to the structure of a working week; I wanted to keep some sort of structure in my life when I retired.

Everything is charity shopped except the red desert boots bought online and the watch - a present in 2012 from daughter.

I bought this chunky blue necklace recently for £1.50 in the Salvation Army. It's next door to Lidl so I usually have a quick browse. I definitely have an addiction to costume jewellery! All the jewellery is charity shopped.

Rain again on Wednesday morning so no walking with the Ramblers.
Instead I went into town to return some of my library books and I picked up our train tickets to London. We're going to London on Saturday to meet up with my eldest brother and to celebrate my birthday which is on Thursday 9th. My youngest brother is coming with his son, my nephew, and his other son who lives in London is also coming; as well as my daughter and my OH; there'll be 7 of us altogether. My eldest brother has booked a pub restaurant in or near Battersea Park. My eldest grandson is working so he can't come but we will be popping into his restaurant to say hello and maybe have a drink there, too.

It's much cheaper to buy the train tickets from our tourist information centre. I bought a group save - 5 of us travelling from Bedford to St. Pancras with underground zones 1 - 6 included; for 13.85 each. The same 5 tickets without the underground zones was 70.00 online - 14.00 each.

I bought this pot from the donations box at the 3:16 charity shop.

I also had a pleasant hour or so rummaging whilst in town. I bought a lovely colourful dress for 3.75 in Cancer Research which I'm planning to wear on Saturday. I couldn't believe my eyes as I left the Cancer Research shop with my dress (and a silver necklace bought for 1.75), because across the road was yet another (new) charity shop - a Mercy in Action outlet store. And it was the grand opening day! We now have 13 charity shops in Bedford town centre/bus station area and 10 others scattered about - 23 in total!

 Of course I couldn't resist a peek in the new charity shop and had a glass of fizz and some cake (only a teeny tiny bit, unfortunately) as soon as I got in the door. Did I buy anything? I'm afraid I did. A tribal printed woollen waistcoat from the Sweater Shop for 1.50; a white linen tunic for summer, 1.00; a deep blue linen grand dad shirt for 2.00, and finally a book by Elizabeth Taylor (not the actress) which is not one I've seen in the Virago editions. It's an old hardback called 'A Wreath of Roses'.

Thursday was my birthday. I was 63. I still feel 18 inside although I'm a lot more savvy than I was at 18!

 Everything is charity shopped except the red desert boots - bought on line. The skirt is by East and was bought from the Guildhouse about a month ago for 4.00.

All jewellery charity shopped.

Someone who shall remain nameless let the wax from the candles drip onto the cake...

I had a lovely birthday.  And it was a beautiful day; a warm and sunny 15 C degrees. After I did the food shopping I went for a 7 mile walk, and when I got home I had a wonderful birthday cake and lots of lovely presents - an Amazon Fire stick; a floral DAB radio; perfume; chocolates;  a bottle of wine; some earrings; new pretty knickers (much needed!) a beautiful box; perfumes; a CD and a very special scarf printed with  bloggers including me - see below.

On Friday, I did another morning at the Red Cross shop as the manager is off sick and they needed more volunteers. I don't mind the odd extra shift now and again. The day flew by before I knew it and I managed to sort a lot of the jewellery and get it out on to the shop floor.

Top, jeans and jewellery charity shopped. Jacket bought in a sale at Beales (a local department store now taken over by the Co-op). Boots; Christmas 2016 present from daughter.

I bought the earrings this week on my Wednesday rummage; 1.49 from the Heart Foundation. All the jewellery including the watch is charity shopped.

That's been my week - how was yours?