A vintage dress and lots of flowers

Well, here I am with Hilary in sunny Teignmouth in Devon!
The trousers were bought from my Barnardo's for 2.00; the yellow linen top from the same place for 3.99. Shoes from a local shoe retailer; P.J. shoes. Bag, scarf and all jewellery charity shopped.

 After a horrible stop/start journey to Devon on Friday, due to a combination of roadworks and Glastonbury traffic; I arrived on a very hot afternoon. We spent the afternoon and evening catching up and went out to get something to eat. The decision to go to Teignmouth on Saturday (about an hour's drive from Hilary's) was made as I hadn't been before and they had a reasonable amount of charity shops. It was a really nice seaside town and despite the heat -  26 degrees; there was a lovely breeze. OH told me the temperature in Bedford on Saturday was 36 degrees!

Some Teignmouth views

Top left; beachfront at Teignmouth, just look at that cliff! A hotel in the town; top right. Some lucky person had this lovely balcony overlooking the beachfront; bottom left and this beautiful street planting; bottom right. We visited 7 charity shops; 1 was closed. I bought  matching trousers and top for 2.99 each and the skirt (below) all in The Children's Society in Teignmouth. We stopped in Exeter on the way back to Hilary's had a look around about half a dozen charity shops; I didn't buy anything except a 30 p ashtray for the garden! I left early on Sunday as I didn't want to get caught up in the homeward bound Glastonbury traffic and the journey home was uneventful.

Monday was the start of a very warm week. The temperatures were in the high 20s right through til the weekend.

This was Monday's outfit.

This skirt by Kaleidescope was worn to the charity shop for volunteering. I have very little pink clothing in my wardrobe, but including this new to me skirt from a Teignmouth charity shop, I now also have another pink floral skirt by Phool, recently charity shopped too. Two pink floral skirts in the space of a fortnight! Of course, I then needed a plain pink top to co ordinate with the skirts, and I was lucky to find one for 2.00 in Teignmouth as well.

Phool skirt. I  bought this in the Hospice shop near my hairdressers for 2.00.

Linen top by Next; 1.00 rail and jacket bought retail from Beales in a sale about 4 or 5 years ago. Shoes; Donegal charity shop. All jewellery and scarf charity shopped.

Tuesday's outfit. I wore this to the food bank.

More pink!

 I needed cool cotton clothing all week. Everything charity shopped. Pink duster/kimono by Lakeland charity shopped in Newport Pagnell, I think, for about 4.99. I've had for it for quite a few years - at least 5. Top underneath by Next 1.00 rail somewhere and white jeans by Matalan. Pink shoes as before. I have one pink tee shirt and that's the sum total of my pink wardrobe! I wore the Phool pink skirt in the week but forgot to take photos...

All jewellery and scarf charity shopped.

I've just realised I haven't updated you about the blackbirds...Mrs Blackbird wasn't sitting on the nest and after about 4 days of this we had a peek; still 5 eggs; but they had been rained on as well as neglected so clearly they weren't alive. I took the eggs out of the nest in case it can be reused at some later point. At least 2 blackbird fledglings made it. I guess the second clutch is only viable if the conditions are right. I have kept the eggs ; one spontaneously erupted and the smell was awful. I'm keeping the eggs outside in a dish out of curiosity, really, and they're covered up so Mrs. Blackbird can't see them...the colour began to fade as soon Mrs. Blackbird stopped sitting on them but they are still rather beautiful.

I walked with my daughter on Wednesday (6 miles) and in the afternoon took her food shopping as she can't drive at the moment. I did my own food shopping at the same time. On Thursday I walked by myself and recce'd a new walk also 6 miles but I didn't recce the start which I know well. It's about 2 miles so the actual walk will be between 7.5 to 8 miles.  I may have to try and shorten it a little but it's something I can work on over the next few months. Apart from an amble, I have sorted out all my walks for the new Autumn programme so I'm feeling a little smug...

This was Friday's outfit. I went to the hairdressers in the morning.

I had errands to run in town in the afternoon and whilst I was there I spotted the clothes stall in the market was having a 1.00 sale. Always worth a look. Last year I bought a very brightly coloured tunic here for 1.00; but I don't like the material, so I wear it as a headscarf now as it's a simple square shape. This time there was quite a lot of linen on offer. I bought two linen tops; a linen spotted dress and a pair of shorts for youngest grandson all 1.00 each! Last autumn I bought a beautiful gaberdine, three quarter length, jacket for OH from this same stall in a 1.00 sale.

I must learn to smile for these photos!
Everything charity shopped. Trousers from Tu top by Next; kimono by Topshop. Can't remember where I bought any of them from. Shoes by Clarks; bought in Oxfam, Newport Pagnell.

All jewellery charity shopped except earrings which were bought retail from All Ears; a local shop that used to specialise in earrings but no longer does.

I didn't do much rummaging the first week of July. I did go with my daughter to one charity shop as she was looking for some items for a project she's doing; and in the course of looking at the vintage section upstairs at our Sue Ryder charity shop in town; I spotted this vintage 1980s dress. Now, I was never a particular fan of the 1980s fashions; I don't like mid calf length dresses or skirts on me, and I don't do belts as I don't have a waist. It remains a mystery to me why I bought this dress; as it is all of those things I just said - yet I love it!  I love the colours and the print.  It's 100% viscose but feels like cotton. The shoulder pads are sponge encased in netting which I've never seen before. It's by Mandy Marsh and cost 10.00. I saw several similar ones on Ebay, which were more expensive, so I suppose it was a bargain.

This one from ebay was described as from the 90s, rare and selling price was 39.00!

I think if my daughter hadn't persuaded me, it would still be hanging on the rail! What do you think? Was it 10.00 well spent?

Jacket from Beales sale, retail; sandals bought from my Barnardo's for 3.00. I can see me wearing this dress with coloured tights  (green?) some Mary Jane shoes, and a warmer jacket for the autumn.

All jewellery and scarf charity shopped. I wore this outfit to visit my son on Saturday.

I stopped and took a photo of this cottage and garden that we pass on the way to my son's. It's a beautiful English cottage garden and I just love it.

Sunday's outfit

This is me doing my minimalist look - for more about minimalism vs maximalism see Suzanne's post here

Everything charity shopped. The top is one of the linen 1.00 tops bought in the market last Friday. Jeans by Next from 1.00 rail somewhere. I cut them and frayed the bottom. Sandals bought from the Cats Protection League for 4.99 last summer.

All jewellery charity shopped.
The warm weather continued into the weekend  and carried on to the following week; although we had some rain on Saturday. I think it's safe to say that summer has arrived!

I got good news the previous week; I get my state pension in September! I now have official confirmation and figures. I've also sent off for my bus pass! Hopefully, it will be waiting here for me when I get back from Ireland in mid-September. No more bus fares when I do the bus walks with my group and I can leave the car at home and take the bus on rummaging trips.

This dress was bought in Bedford Market last year at the close of last summer. It wasn't 1.00, but under a tenner. Unfortunately, it was too long for me and so I put on top of my sewing box and there it sat until the weekend when I decided to take the hem up and wear it. I wore it to the charity shop on Monday.

Dress; Bedford market retail 2018. Jacket charity shopped by Next.

Shoes online retail.

All jewellery charity shopped.
I bought a striped skirt; a winter walking top and a necklace in Barnardo's on Monday and some nice, new to me drinking glasses with water melons on them.

On Tuesday I was at the food bank. In the afternoon I went for a rummage to Ampthill where I haven't been for a while. I did well in Barnardo's and was able to use my volunteer discount! I picked up another boiled/felted wool winter jacket  and a plain and simple,  longer line, navy blue cotton cardigan. from Canada. Both were from the 1.00 rail.  I also bought a lovely Chinese style bag; for 2.00; a necklace, a bracelet and a book.

There are three other charity shops in Ampthill and I bought a couple of CDs in one; a CD of Malawian music which I am really enjoying. I love all sorts of African music and this was my first experience of music from Malawi. In the Mercy in Action charity shop I found, for the first time in this country, what I thought was a genuine 1970s, pure silk, purple floral maxi dress. It had the label ' A Wealth of Nations' in it and it was reasonably price; but it was a size too small. I nearly cried. I should have taken a photo.

I changed into this outfit after walking with my group o n Wednesday morning. We walked 7 miles from the water mill in Bromham to the windmill in Stevington and would you believe it I left my phone at home and couldn't take any photos.

I had planned to wear a green silky jacket with this skirt from Dorothy Perkins, which I bought from the Day Hospice shop for 4.00 a while back; but it didn't look right. I'm not sure about this lace top either but it's what I wore. Can't remember where I got it from or the green top but both were charity shopped.

Shoes online retail. All jewellery charity shopped.

Our garden is blooming nicely at the moment:
We have window boxes at the front and behind the wall we have about three feet of space for more pots; our hollyhocks haven't bloomed this year sadly but the gladioli, my mum's favourite flower, has just bloomed.

I went into town on Wednesday afternoon having errands to run and I bought 6 plants in the market. It's not what's in the charity shops that's tempting me it's all the plant stalls and plants outside the supermarkets! We've planted the new plants out the front.

On Thursday I did a short walk with the group. It was an informative walk: the theme was 'Tree Identification'. We met near the river and walked to a park; where with the help of handouts and divided into groups of three; we attempted to identify a range of trees. It was great fun, and I think I might be able to recognise a few more species of trees. I did the grocery shopping in the afternoon.

Thursday's outfit. Jeans as before. Top by Adini from a 1.00 rail in Barnardo's Ampthill quite a few years ago. White top also 1.00 rail.

Sandals: Clarke's retail. These sandals are on their 9th or 10th year of wear!

All jewellery charity shopped.

Friday's outfit. On Friday I went for a swim after taking youngest grandchild for a clinic appointment and then on to school. The whole week had been hot and sunny and I didn't want to walk in the humid heat. I really enjoyed my swim. It's years since I've done any lane swimming. Any swimming with the grandchildren was always playing in the water. I felt very invigorated after the swim but also
quite sore. My chest, back, arm and inner thigh muscles were aching.

I'd like to start swimming once a week on a regular basis. I did 14 lengths and want to build it up to 20 and then possibly 30. There are periods every day where the pool is open for lane swimming and as a senior citizen it cost me 2.30 not 4.50. I was well chuffed!

Trouser's by M&S in Barnardo's; St. Neots 4.00. Top a recent purchase from the Day Hospice shop; I think for 2.00. Green shoes online retail.

All jewellery charity shopped.


On Saturday we went to my cousin, Marian's BBQ in London. What a lovely day it was. The good weather continued and we ate delicious food; drank plenty and the company was excellent. Two of my brothers came and Julian entertained us with a ukelele.

Amari knows how to chill out!

I didn't get a chance to take an outfit photo so this one will have to do. Wearing a F&F jumpsuit from 1.00 rail with a no label lace blazer.; 2.00 in my Barnardo's. All jewellery charity shopped. I thought the jump suit had three quarter length trousers; but when I ironed it they were normal length trousers. However, throughout the evening the crotch of the jumpsuit began dropping. By the time I came home the crotch was just above my knees! How weird was that? The jumpsuit has now been relegated to the charity shop bag!

Sunday brought cooler weather and rain. After a week of glorious sunshine and temperatures between 22 and 26 degrees; I can't complain! I'm really looking forward to going to Ireland in August  and hope the weather holds. There will be just one more post from me before I take a summer blogging break.
See you in a fortnight!