Thrifted Treasures

Since I was a child, my village has had a brilliant little charity shop. It’s independent, raising funds for the village itself--and it’s a goldmine! (And also very cheap.)

Only on a rare occasion do I go in and come out empty-handed. This is one of those old-school charity shops, where none of the hangers match or have sizes on them, the paint is peeling from the wall in one corner and you really have to rummage to find what you want.

In other words, it’s the best charity shop experience ever! I do like organised shops, but these charity shops that are independent (one shop only, not part of a chain) with dark little corners of clutter, have a lot of charm!

Here are my finds from my recent jaunt to the charity shop:

I nearly passed up on this gorgeous embroidered top! I had my eye on another one in a luscious orange, but it was a little small. When I held this one up in front of the mirror, I fell in love! (With the top, not my reflection!) It looked huge on the hanger but fits beautifully and looks great with a belt. This will be awesome for when the weather warms up. 

Here's a closeup of the embroidery:

Cost: £3--bargain!

I picked up this scarf next, after having a rummage through the three scarf containers there. Long ago I disliked this style, but I loved the print and colours of this one! I have lots of scarves but there’s always room for a few more, right?

Cost: £1.25, cheap as chips

This necklace was something I picked up because it looked nice with the orange top I tried on, but I decided to buy it anyway because I loved the multiple strands of beads! The price was low because it was missing a clasp; this morning I spent a couple of minutes fitting one which was no hassle at all.

Cost: £0.50 (unbelievable!)

Lastly, probably my best buy of the trip! These pendants had been bagged up to be sold together, since none of them had chains. Some I wasn’t all that taken on, but I’m pretty sure I’ll find something to do with all of them eventually.

I basically bought them for this one:

 Isn’t it beautiful?! That really is a tiny piece of tapestry work in there, not a print. I can’t wait to create a vintage-inspired necklace with it!

Cost: £3.50--that works out at just £0.4375 each. Amazing. Another charity shop might have asked £3.50 just for the tapestry one.

Total spend: £8.25.

Compared to other charity shops, that’s pretty darn cheap. In fact some of the jewellery items might not have even been put out for sale in some charity shops on account of missing chains/clasps.

Were I a complete fashionista, I’d have been immensely happy on this most recent jaunt to the charity shop! I found a narrow-pleated skirt on the sale rail, for just £1.50. Go to any high street fashion store and you’ll pay upwards of £20 for the same thing.

(Unfortunately I’m not a fan of those skirts, they remind me too much of school! )

Still, I’m pleased with my charity shop finds. Discovering a treasure amidst the clutter is so rewarding, and knowing the money will go to a good cause makes it even better.