We're having a snow day today; the kids' schools are both closed, and although that has scuppered my plans for the day, it's actually rather useful to have some enforced time at home.
I'm finding that working an extra day in the charity shop has blown my blogging schedule (not that I ever really had one) and I need to find a new rhythm.
My hazy shades of winter this week match the garden; green, black and white.
Left:
Windsmoor faux fur coat - vintage fair
1970s Berkertex dress and boots - Ebay
Wrap cardigan - gift from Tania
Necklace and bangles - charity shopped
Right:
1950s dress - gift from Vix
Coat, cardigan and 1920-30s brooch - charity shopped
Boots (NEW!) - retail (half price)
New boots; get me. The lace-up boots on the left are on their last legs (ha!), and my poor feet can't manage a walk to work and standing up all day in heels any more.
So I've been looking for a pair of knee-high black leather boots for ages; plain, no buckles, studs, flaps or fringes, low-heeled, long enough not to appear mid-calf length on me, and within my price range. The charity shop gods have failed me, Ebay prices have escalated too high for secondhand boots without the possibility of return if they don't fit, so I rather reluctantly bought new.
For £50, I have exactly what I wanted. I feel hugely self-indulgent, but pleased too.
Although naturally, secondhand shopping remains my One True Love.
1950-60s (I'm guessing) Austrian-made rainbow glass necklace - £3
1970s Pierre Cardin silk scarf with hand-rolled edges - £1
1970s navy leather bag - £4
In addition to writing a blog post, it has also been good to be at home today to get this little lot washed, ironed and ready for Ebay;
1960-70s dresses, plus a 1960s wool skirt suit.
The couple who have been donating all the vintage stock to our charity shop hadn't been in since Christmas, but turned up yesterday. Sadly, the task of sorting out their relative's house has defeated them, and they have employed a house clearance firm to take the rest, so these are their final donations. I'm a bit gutted, but can sympathise completely with how overwhelming they found the job, and our local hospice has done very well out of the treasures they gave us.
And I have loved sorting through them.
So many dresses...Good labels too, Wolsey and Wetherall are classic British heritage brands, and along with the Carnegie, Cresta and Susan Small frocks, they would have been expensive items in their day.
I'm Ebaying these on behalf of St Luke's, but rest assured I left plenty more on the rails for the discerning charity shopper looking for vintage - 1950-70s coats, dresses and suits galore.
Before the snow.
So bear with me, while I get to grips with what amounts to a part-time job, albeit one which is unpaid. (I'm not complaining - I love it!)
And I'll catch up with you all as soon as I've photographed and measured all those frocks...
xxx
41 comments:
congratulations to your new new boots!!!!! chic, classic, timeless - you will get a lot of wear out of them! today i especially like the sage green/turquoise outfit - what a gorgeous color-combo!!!! have to steal it :-)
you´r doing such a great job selecting all this beautiful dresses!!!!
xxxxxx
p.s.: no school because of that little bit of snow - pah!
Darling Curtise,
As far as we are concerned you are Superwoman, fitting in everything that you do. Normal people would require a fortnight to accomplish all you do in a day and, as for us Lazy Tarts, well, we should require a month and a long holiday to recuperate afterwards.
We love the Windsmoor faux fur and the Berkertex dress combination. It is difficult to imagine that people would part with such timeless classics. Still, they look great on you and the lace up boots add just the degree of edginess which is so you.
We wonder whether you have ever been or considered being a stylist since you have such a fabulously creative eye? However, how that could be slotted in with snow days, family management, charity shop work, washing, ironing, ebaying (is that a verb?) etc.etc. we know not.
But, oh, the Crimplene years......how we recall those with horror. Guaranteed to cling in all the wrong places and set your hair on end with all the static electricity. No, please do not tell us that it is due for a comeback. Even with the greatest styling in the world, we are not to be persuaded!
I've missed you! Glad to hear that things are going well, if rather busy. Volunteering is definitely work, and with three kids and all the everyday life stuff it's plenty. I'll be just patiently waiting for your blog posts, wherever you have time to do them.
I really like both of your outfits today. I like that you can be different - you do both bright colors and subtle colors brilliantly! I love the lace boots, so sorry they are falling apart, hope you still will get some wear out of them. But I am so happy for you that you found this new pair! Just as you imagined it, and on sale - that's just excellent! They will go with so many of your elegant vintage outfits. Comfort is #1 priority to me, especially in shoes.
We are also home - no snow, but everyone got a bit sicky. And yes, it feels good to stay at home. :)
Hugses xxxxxx
Love the new boots look - colours of a stormy day. You are doing such a good thing bringing the style to the charity shop - a little curation goes a long way xxx
I miss having snow days :)
Lizzie Dripping
"Hang on to your hopes, my friend." I love that song. Of course my favorite lyric is "drinking my vodka and lime." The only thing more beautiful than snow in your garden is YOU in your garden. That faux fur coat is amazing. And 50's love for that dress. A Pierre Cardin scarf for a pound? And all those wonderful labels. However do you stand it? I'm with Jane and Lance. You are knocking it out of the park! Co-Sno. Is that my hip hop name? I'm leaning towards Lil' Flake. Or Snow Shorty. Are you Cur-Mo? Or Mother F#%cking GODDESS!
Sometimes you just have to resort to new shopping, it's great that you made such a considered purchase though. Love that vintage wetherall suit, what a beaut! Stay safe in all that snow!
Fabulous new boots - and we have to go the "new" route sometimes, it can't be helped. These are well worth it! I've started sorting and pricing clothing as my volunteer job too - at the Humane Society thrift. I think they haven't had a volunteer before who goes ga-ga at old clothes : > You have a fine lot there going on eBay; that vintage silk scarf is divine. xoxo
Oooh, tell me more about the Susan Small dress (I live in hope that SOMETHING I like that you have will eventually be my size and not be dry clean or itchy material!) and the stripy dress with the collar- would they be my size at all!?
Hurrah for snow days- the wretched stuff has not even made a sniff in my school area though it snowed in my home town (and didn't settle) heavily last Wednesday and made me very late for school!
Sad about the couple, but having experienced my Grandad's house, I can understand!!x
Love your new boots! I just lucked out and found some at the thrift that are lace up combat style. You will be seeing them on my blog, just need to add new laces to them. Love those dresses, so cute! :)
Love the new boots. I've also been spending on new items and feeling the guilt a bit. But good quality stuff can last a long time so we shouldn't beat ourselves up. Once a year I have a little splurge...
Your ebay pile is huge and it's all very time consuming so it's no wonder you're not blogging so often.
I'm glad to hear the charity shop volunteering is going so well. It's my day tomorrow and I really do look forward to Fridays.
Have a great weekend. xxxx
Love your outfits and I adore your fifties dress
So wished I lived near your charity shop! X
I often don't mind the enforced day in too. We've had a lot of changes here and I'm navigating a new rhythm and schedule, I'll get there and work out what feels right just as I'm sure you will too.
How dare work get in the way of your blogging! ;)
I badly want 3 of those dresses please message me your ebay link so I can get depressed about the fact they won't fit me. x x
Great boots!! Footwear is something I still have to buy retail new because I have such a hard time finding what I want! My big wide feet don't make it easy--hardly any vintage shoes pre-80s ever fit me anyway.
I too broke down and bought some new boots this year for winter. I'm delighted with my purchase and have worn them almost daily. Sometimes it is worth going retail.
You've got snow! I'm not alone anymore : )
bisous
Suzanne
I'm dreaming of a snow day off work but no such luck! How lovely to have an unscheduled day at home to catch up with things xx
N-n-new?! Be still my beating heart, I think I'm having a heart attack!
I totally know your dilemma. I also have the requirement that they don't look like gum boots on my skinny calves!
Still looking.
I adore all your faux fur. If you are ever sick of them, you may post them to Australia! Yes, we do have cold enough winters in Canberra. Although not usually snow.
Hope you enjoyed your enforced day at home...I'm sure the kids did! :-)
xo JJ
The photo of the snow looks magical. We do not get snow here so of course it looks great to me. Friends that have lived in snowy parts of the world always remind me of the pitfalls of snow, but I want to look at it as magical so block my ears. Love all your outfits, and new boots, woohoo!! Sometimes you just have to buy brand new, like under wear, I cannot do second hand duds!!
Well shopped and budgeted, Curtise! Add together what you paid for the lovely scarf and the perfect boots, divide that sum by two, et voila!
I love the name Susan Small...then when I saw her lovely fit and flare dress (or top and skirt)...I kinda girl crushed on her!
It's always fun seeing your treasures Curtise. Enjoy your snow day, enjoy your charity shop time, and...well...just everything. If you find your rhythm and you can define how you did it...please share with me. I'm a bit bogged down right now myself.
It must be so sad to have to clear out someone's house; I think I'd struggle to do it for someone I cared about and would probably get the house clearance people in too.
There's no harm in buying the odd new thing. And it's important to look after your feet.
Do you have an link to the Ebay page? Some of those items are EXACTLY my thing, so if they're my size I might throw money at you/St Luke's! (If you don't like to post the ebay link, you could email it to crinolinerobot AT yahoo DOT com)
Wow! SO much snow! It started snowing here yesterday, but then the rain came so it didn't stick.
You have been busy! I love all your new finds.
All your outfits look fabulous, but the one with lace-up boots and black coat is my absolute favourite!
Have a perfect weekend! xx
Still no snow down south for us.
That's a shame about the house clearance company being called in, but having been there and done that sort of clearing out of a house, it does wear you down and lots I would have liked to have kept from my nan's went to charity as we simply had no room :(
xxx
Great new boots! They're worth the money since they will last for ages and get tons of wear.
I love the fur coat!
Yay for snow days!
Both those boots are fantastic, I am so jealous of the black lace up ones, what beauties. I have one pair of leather lace up boots which I recall buying for £2.99, I spend about £15 on re heeling them. They are remarkable and hand made too, the second hand gods where kind to me that day. xx
Wow, what a beautiful snowy day! I bet your kids are having a blast in all that white freshness.
Your display of striped polyester has me swooning. How come we can't get warm colors like that in stores now? I crave rust especially and it's so hard to find. Such a favorite in the 70's.
Your furry coat is lovely, I hope you're keeping that one!
There's almost as much snow in england as we have here in austria! The only difference is that people here are complaning that it's not nearly enough as in the good old times :) Your job at the charity shop looks like fun and the clothes look really good. I also love your fake fur coat!- Mia
That's a luverely snowy scene. I quite like that the snow slows everything down. We're still waiting for it to come this way.
Love the new boots, had to be done I feel.
Fab haul of frocks again. Have my eye of the green numbers.
Loves ya.
xxxx
not feel bad about buying new boots. I never find second hand shoes. Sometimes you just have to buy new
I had to resort to buying new boots too Curtise, one can't wait forever if the right thing doesn't present itself in a chazza. Your black faux fur looks well cosy, just the thing for a snowy day. We've only had a light dusting down here which lasted about two hours. Great ebay haul from your charity shop, the manager must be very happy indeed to have you as a volunteer. Stay warm love. xxx
Look at all that glorious snow … my kids can only dream of a snow day. Rumours abound that kids are mean't to be sent home from school if the mercury rises above 40 degrees … I'm yet to see it actually happen … the sending home from school … not the mercury rising bit.
Love your wintry outfits and enjoy the boots … it's nice to spoil yourself with an extra special purchase every now and then.
xx
It seems universal that those of who depend on charity shops end up buying new when it comes to shoes/boots. I don't have a car so I think of comfortable footwear as my 'transportation.'
What fun to sort through those donations! Those labels are priceless.
I admire your ability to do such photo-filled blog posts with all the other things you have on your plate!
I understand how life gets in the way of blogging sometimes. I'm trying to find a rhythm myself!
Happy to see you in your usual chic ensembles, and with a stunning new pair of boots.
ooh look at all that snow!! i wish is snowed here in winter instead of just being boring and sunnythe whole time - hard i know... would you mide posting the link for the St Lukes ebay store? I'd love to do a little browsing!
Yes, I had to resort to retail for my new much-needed boots this past fall, but my heart will always be with thrifting.
Love seeing the snow - we've had barely any this year, and I miss it. You look gorgeous as always in your vintage (drooling over that coat!).
The advantage of seasons is that we can match or defy its colors and moods.
Your new boots look great! I think it is always worth buying new for something you need rather than buying the wrong thing just because it is second hand or going without a necessity. I LOVE that floral dress. And I love seeing you in shorter length dresses with tall boots. It's a great look on you. I know the difficult of getting tall boots that are actually tall enough to not just be mid calf. I also have troubles getting flat boots because I have a high arch and seem to have difficult getting my foot into a flat boot whereas the angle of a boot with a heel works for me. But it has to be a chunky heel no more than 2-2.5 inches or I can't be comfortable in them.
I'm glad you are enjoying the work and its so cool that you are able to get those vintage pieces onto Ebay. I'm having some troubles sorting out my blogging schedule too. So far it seems like I now spend most of Sunday trying to catch up reading blogs.
xoxo
I went to set up a new ebay the other day and backed out, damn those hackers! your selection is gorgeous - glad you got a snow day! It is good to have some home time, gawd you're busy, I hope you managed some chill time - your boots are lovely! it's necessary to have some indulgence at times and you have hot boots, win-win! I love your outfits and your ballerina cardigan is divine, I have a thing for ballet outfits, I love 'em! x x x
I'm glad you find a pair of boots which fulfill your requirements, this is sometimes hard!!, and they look great and comfy! (anyway, I'll miss your lace up booties!)
And your coats are fabulous, lovely faux fur, and also lovely green coat, you rock subtle colors too and look gorgeous!
And thanks for all that label-porn!!
besos
We got a pile of snow here yesterday, and I was hoping for a snow day but no such luck!
My primary school years were "Crimplene Time" as my grandmother made a lot of my clothes, and that was her favourite fabric. Indestructible, and would probably melt on you if it was set on fire.
Yay for new boots! There are some things you just can't count on finding secondhand. I have to buy my shoes and boots new as I have so many foot issues now. It's hard to find a pair of nice, plain, flat-heeled leather boots anymore.
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