Double Denim Outfit Post, My New Red Handbag and some Vintage Sunglasses

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend-it's great to see Spring is officially here and the sun is shining today even though temperature wise it is cooler than in the week.

On my day off midweek I decided to wear my degrade denim shirt that I got from the Voucher Codes swap shop party last month and I paired it with my 7 For All Mankind indigo straight jeans that I've had for a while (originally thrifted). I think this shirt does work well with a darker denim rather than a bleached or lighter colour denim and I'm wearing my Matalan navy ballet pumps:

Even though ballet pumps are flat shoes and in theory should be comfortable, by the end of the day my ankle and foot was hurting- I believe I can't wear flat to the floor shoes for a long period of time so it's just as well these didn't cost me too much- the shoes themselves are great value for money at £6 a pair but I don't think this style of shoe is a regular for me!!

In one of my previous posts I mentioned how I've been searching for a red handbag. I've looked in charity shops and decided this morning whilst in town to look in the department stores. I went into Dorothy Perkins, River Island, T K Maxx, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer and although I did see a couple of bags I liked, they were either just too small or too much money for non leather. I didn't really want to pay £25 upwards for a bag that isn't leather- I was tempted by a Jasper Conran cross body bag in Debenhams which with their 20% discount would have made it £28, but it was just too little.

On my way back to the car I stopped off in a local handbag and shoe boutique that has been in my town for years but I've never been into. I spied this red quilted bag and reduced down to £10 I knew I had to have it: 

It's rather more of a giant wallet on a chain as the inside has credit card slots, a zipper compartment and 3 clear compartments for keys and phone, definitely big enough for carrying the essentials and style wise it's quite classic and ideal for day or evening.

For a non leather handbag the price was right and just an ideal size too! 

If the weather's nice then I may go to the boot sale tomorrow morning- I managed to pick up a pair of vintage 70s Ted Lapidus sunglasses at last weeks one for just 50p-it's inspired me now to get a cracking little collection like my lovely blogger friend Vix at Vintage Vixen- hers include a few Ted Lapidus, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent so watch this space for future finds!!

My vintage Ted Lapidus 50p find from last weeks boot sale

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Thrift Inspiration.....Net-A-Porter & Blogger Style!!

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great week-the weather overall has been pretty awful with some being a lot worse off than others in different areas of the UK. I do so hope you haven't suffered very badly with flooding and the like. It is so sad and soul destroying for people who have lost goods and treasured possessions because of the continuous floods- I hope and pray they will be able to get their lives back on track as soon as possible.

My week has been busy with working at different libraries but I have the weekend off-yay!! When I go to different towns for work I always try to sneak in visits to the local charity shops. Wednesday lunchtime saw me browsing at six during my lunch hour, bagging a bargain and still having time for a sneaky McDonalds before going back to work! 

Style wise I've noticed that I go through phases-if it's not denim and jeans, then it's jackets and coats and if it's not neither of these then it's handbags!! Like jeans and jackets, I can never have enough handbags- if I spy a quality one then I'm there like a homing device!!

I've been on a slow burning mission to get a slouchy hobo style leather bag- I have a good few totes, structured handbags, cross body bags and clutches but wardrobe purges over the years have seen me get rid of my slouchy hobo styles. Here are my favourites at Net-Porter of what's influenced me:

Elizabeth and James textured backpack, £445

 Anya Hindmarch Maxi Zip satchel £795

Chloe The Marcie £1195

Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier Hobo, £350

 Proenza Schouler PS1 Large Satchel, £1440

So this is what I found below- a gorgeously buttersoft, slouchy hobo style leather black bag by All Saints for a fabulously frugal £3!! It is actually so roomy-it has three large compartments, a front zipper pocket and inner compartments too:

To be fair, I most probably didn't need another black bag, but I really couldn't pass on this one and on days when I need to store my brolly, hat, scarf, lunch and other general bits and bobs it's great to have just one bag that doesn't look like you've stuffed your whole world in there and can't close the zip! I've culled four bags that no longer make the cut in terms of quality and size so I don't feel so bad buying another one!

On that note, another bag which has been on my radar thanks to the lovely Michelle of Myfashionable40s is this Autograph leopard and black leather cross body bag. She blogged about it here in November and I couldn't indulge at the time as I had bought the wedge boots in the same post when M&S were doing their 20% off. However last Sunday whilst browsing ebay I was ecstatic to find it for less than £25 on a buy it now!! 

It arrived on Thursday and I'm so pleased with it-everytime I've seen Michelle wear hers I've been thinking how it was 'the one that got away'. It really is so versatile and stylish and the perfect size too and the money I spent was gifted so I actually didn't spend my own money-yay!!

So two 'new to me' handbags for February and having bought a red woolly hat in Dorothy Perkins on Tuesday too, my total spends thus far is £8-not too bad, but I had envisioned a couple of weeks ago that I might be doing Avril's Frugal February style challenge-it's been an unfortunate fail there for me but I shall certainly be trying to be as frugal as possible for the rest of the month.

How is your February going style and frugal wise? Wishing you all a good weekend-i'm having a relaxing one with a dash of housework thrown in and also looking forward to Sunday evening when the next installment of Mr Selfridge comes on-my TV highlight of the week!

Thrift Inspiration..........For Autumn Tote Bags

Hi everyone!! Whenever I am on thrifting trips I'm always looking out for jackets, bags and jeans as first things to look for. I love thrifting bags as you can generally find really great quality ones that are leather or a good quality fabric for so little. 

If money were no object then I would definitely be choosing this gorgeous patchwork Fallabella bag by Stella McCartney-so many trends all in one: metal chain hardware, the colour of the season-oxblood, faux snakeskin and mock croc, this really is a lovely bag for Autumn:

Stella McCartney Fallabella Tote bag, £760

Earlier this week I found this fabulous leather patchwork oxblood tote bag for £5.99 at a neighbouring town's Oxfam charity shop. It's a perfect size, not too small and not massive but certainly big enough for all essentials and a fold up umbrella too:

It's ideal for daytime wearing and I'm so drawn to the rich colour too. It reminds me of a brown leather slouch patchwork bag that I bought for myself on my first ever girls holiday when I was seventeen from Ibiza and I used it until it fell apart, it really was a special bag and I'm hoping this one will live up to expectations!!

This next find was from my local Sue Ryder charity shop a couple of months ago and I absolutely adore it. It's pure wool carpet and I'm sure it comes from Morocco, it has such a hippy boho chic vibe to it and was a bargainous £3.99:

In the early 90s I went to Morocco for the weekend for a 'Diamond Hunt', it was a tour operator's educational as I worked for a major travel agents at the time. It was an amazing adventure and I brought home a wool rug for my mum that had been hand loomed by local Berbers in the Atlas Mountains. The bag really reminds me of the wool rug that unfortunately is no longer around as my mum got rid of it when she moved house last year.

Do you have handbags that have a sentimental value to you?

Wishing you all a really great weekend, it's pouring with rain and cold and windy where I am at the moment-(ugh) so it really is so right to turn on the heating and get the layers at the ready!!

Thrift and Vintage Inspiration, The Liberty of London Bag with a past!

Hi everyone! My latest thrift find was this gorgeous brown leather mock croc messenger bag by Liberty of London and I bought it earlier this week in my local Salvation Army for just £1.99:

I really didn't need another bag as such, but one that leaves you hands free is always welcome and the bag has a real 'Heritage' vibe which seems to be always in trend come every Autumn season. Another buying plus is it's leather and from Liberty's of London!!

It is an ideal bag to take shopping as I can fit the bare essentials of my phone and purse in it and still have some room left over. I generally always come back from town with food shopping bags so a handbag that goes cross body will really be handy. 

The bag is Italian leather and I know for a fact it is at least nearly 20 years old, because I found an interesting piece of paper in the side zipper pocket:

The previous owner obviously loved their Arts and maybe attended this exhibition for the private viewing?? Having this in the bag really feels like the bag had quite a 'cultured' life before it finally came to me! I can't promise it any visits to future art exhibitions, but I'll certainly try to use it as often as I can!!

What is your bag of choice to use at the moment? Do you stick with one bag for weeks on end or do you like to chop and change your handbag on an almost every day basis?