Monday 23 February 2015

See you later alligator...

Another long absence as I took my daughter up to York for half term. The Viking Festival was in full swing with Viking folk wandering the streets en masse. At least I think they were all Vikings. With the current trend for bushy facial hair, it's often hard to tell. 

We visited the Jorvik Viking Museum where you go back in time and travel through a 'real' Viking village, even passing through their homes. If you have kids and are up that way, it's a must. 

We also visited the York Dungeon and Connie was thrilled to have achieved that when it's recommended for 10 year olds and she's only 8.

She spotted a man trying on evening dresses in Long Tall Sally which led to an interesting conversation.

We also squeezed in a bit of chazzing but found very little. I did score this little Topshop tweed waistcoat though...



 I love, love, love tweed but it's hard to wear without looking like Miss Marple. One of my many struggles in life I'm afraid. 



The car boot sale at Murton proved more fruitful and I found a peg rail to use in the kitchen for £1.


One day, when I finish the kitchen, this will hold my pretty aprons. 

That reminds me, I never showed you what became of my hymn board which is now in use as a tea towel holder with the addition of some iron hooks...


Ta daa!

It took me forever as the screws on the hooks were deeper than the wood so I had to find a thin piece of wood to go behind it and stain it to match...  How very dull.



Now, the two empty spaces are usually filled with number cards turned back to front with our important phone numbers on them. I took them out for the photo in case any of you are psychopaths. Who might want to phone my dentist. Or something. 

Back to shopping...
I  saved the best for last...

At our local car boot sale, I spotted this alligator effect suitcase. I reckon it might be forties or fifties? The boot sales often have old luggage but I hadn't seen an alligator one before so I snapped it up for £4. (No pun intended.)


It had clearly seen better days so I set about bringing it back to life with a tin of shoe polish.


It struck me as interesting that the alligator effect had dried out in the creases though. Almost like a real skin would do. 

And here it is after a little, okay a LOT of polishing...




Good as new eh? I wonder if it might be real alligator after all. A vintage alligator case must be worth a bit more than £4 right? Whatever, it makes a stylish place to store things.

Wishing you fruitful chazzing, thrifting, op-shopping or car booting in your part of the world until next time.


21 comments:

  1. That suitcase is gorgeous! Who knows, it could be real alligator, it's certainly come up beautifully with the polish. I has a wander around a local town at the weekend and picked up a box of small paper roses from a charity (op) shop, I've been practicing dyeing them with inks that I've 'borrowed' from Miss Macs art supplies - so many crafting ideas for them, hopefully I'll even get one finished! xx

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  2. The case has come up really well, hasn't it? Cute little waistcoat too; I know what you mean about tweed, I always feel that a little goes a long way, same with tartan.
    I took the kids to the Jorvik a while back, and was very thankful that my friend and I had bought a voucher online to make it cheaper and allow us to go straight in. The queues were crazy, and I didn't think it was worth the full price. I like the Castle Museum though, and haven't done the dungeons so perhaps that's for our next visit to York.
    I love how life throws up opportunities for interesting discussions with kids! xxx

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    1. When it first opened those queues went all the way around that square. The Castle museum is fab. Reminds me of my Grandad. He was telling me about life in the olden days when we were there and we had a little following of people who must have thought he worked there!

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  3. I do like a waistcoat, as Curtise will attest. I'm sure you won't look like Margaret Rutherford if you wore this with skinny jeans and boots or anything else for that matter. Love the hymn board, I saw one at a fair last year but they wanted twenty quid for it. The crocodile case was an absolute bargain for £4 and hasn't it come up a treat with an application of Kiwi ?

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  4. I love the suitcase - it looks fantastic. I don't think it's safe for me to read your blog - I have a serious charity shop addiction but I've had to admit to myself that even stuff I buy in the charity shops still costs money. I think I need to go to York just for the charity shops.......

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    1. I've kind of convinced myself that because the money goes to the needy, and it's bargainous, it cancels out the cost! I look at it as saving rather than spending which is quite daft. But I do manage to buy nothing new but underwear, mattresses and electrical appliances so I think it's ok. York has a lot of charity shops but luckily so does the town where I live.

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  5. I would love to indulge myself by attending that VIKING FESTIVAL-sounds absolutely interesting, to say the least....the waistcoat is so lovely, as I, too, love tweed (very little of it is seen here on Vancouver Island)...I adore the hymn board, especially with the hooks and lastly the "alligator" suitcase is a huge find, especially now that you have smartened it up...you go, hen...

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    1. Thank you, I think tweed would be just the thing in the cold of Vancouver!

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  6. oh..oh..oh...you know a suitcase drives me wild Em...I am green down to my toes...and at least you can wear tweed in England...here is Oz it's just plain weird :-) xxxxx

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    1. Start a new trend Meg. Perhaps in the winter when it's not forty degrees out. I did think of your suitcase pile when I spied that case!

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  7. I have a tweed suit , a belted jacket & skirt, someone gave me, I only ever wear jeans or combats, but at least I now know I can go to a fancy dress party as Miss Marple ! ♥
    My first day out today after 2 weeks of flu and the shytes. Took 5 bags of books to a chazzer - came home with one bag, so a win.

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    1. I call it a win if I take one bag in and bring five out. But I obviously need help.

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  8. How was the Viking festival? I've always found York crazily expensive when it comes to the tourist things.

    Lizzie Dripping

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    1. It was expensive but I had a coupon for the Dungeon for us two and the two people behind us in the queue which helped. I think the finale of the festival is meant to be the best but we missed that. I think they set fire to a boat...

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  9. Nah, that's herringbone and far cooler than tweed, not in the least Miss Marple and with your great figure there's no confusing the pair of you!
    I love the croc/alligator case, whatever it is was well worth the £4. There's plenty of guides on Google to help you identify if it is the real thing. xxx

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    1. It's good having friends who know their herringbone from their tweed!
      I do believe it is the real deal!

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  10. Your case has come up a treat! If it is the real thing, must be worth a bob or two? Will you be hanging on to it if it is? Great find anyway. Loving your tea towel hymn board hooks. Need to pep up my kitchen, it's starting to look really tired. Like everything around here! x

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  11. The alligator suitcase looks gorgeous after you shined it up! And I love what you've done to your hymn board! I made one for our oldest daughter to hold children's story books, and I'm afraid she may have sold it in her yard sale. I'm not even going to ask!

    I found a similar peg board with a few more details that I was ready to order from Etsy, until I saw what it would cost to ship from France. Yikes! I'll be looking for one on this side of the pond.

    Thanks for sharing your lovely finds and have a great week!

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  12. Don't apologise for the pun! You know how I feel about them :)
    I properly "lol-d" at your Miss Marple and dentist-stalking comment . And now hate myself for using "lol-d" xxx

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