Flying colours

After wearing an unusual (for me) amount of black, I did promise you some colour, didn't I?

And I like to keep my word.

I've had a busy week. 

 

I've been either working, shopping, cooking, doing laundry, or catching up with friends; throw a British Gas engineer visit, two parents' evenings and job interview into the mix, and blogging finds itself at the end of a long list of Stuff To Do.

This is what I wore to my interview. 

A job selling vintage should come with a requirement to wear it, don't you think?

1960s Admyra jacket and 1970s St Michael pussy-bow blouse - charity shopped

1970s Tricosa maxi skirt - antiques centre

1960s vinyl bag and ankle boots - Ebay

Bangle - gift from Fiona

 

I am waiting to hear the outcome of the interview; they will either think I have a passion for vintage and a wealth of great ideas, or that I am an annoyingly gobby know-all .  

 

We shall see.

 

 

1970s maxi dress - £5 sale rail, vintage fair

Jacket, clogs, necklace and bangles - charity shopped

 

 

I match the fuchsia, lavender, and the turning leaves of the Virginia creeper. 

My new-to-me 1970s apron has a distinctly autumnal look to it as well; by rights, it should belong to (pinni)Vix.

 

 

I might just sneak in to Patti's Visible Monday party (even though it's Thursday - oops.) 

Right; more cooking to be done now, and hopefully I'll be catching up with you all later. 

 

It's all go!

 

xxx

 

The morning after

I don't subscribe to the view that you should wear every item of clothing in your wardrobe x times a year (insert randomly prescribed frequency here) or get rid of it.

 

 

If I did, this skirt would be long gone; it was hidden on a hanger behind another skirt and I'd forgotten all about it. 

 

 

 I'm pleased to be reunited with those bathing beauties.

1980s skirt - Ebay

T-shirt, cardigan, tights, shoes, belt and bangles - charity shopped

 

Enough preamble; I guess you want to know about the result of my interview last week?

 

Alas, my feeling that all was not quite as it should be proved correct, and I didn't get the job. The feedback was positive, so that's something. Still, I'm disappointed, rejection is never a pleasant experience. It's been made a little easier to bear by the outrage expressed on my behalf by so many of my friends; fists have been shaken, feet stamped, and the swearing has been both epic and inventive.

 

I really do appreciate my friends!

 

 

 How about a little flamenco action to cheer myself up? Senor Sexy with the crazed glint in his eyes was another rescued item from the charity shop skip...

along with Nell Gwyn...

and Henry VIII with just three of his wives.

 

 

Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Parr, if you're wondering. 

Maybe Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard will show up next week.

 

 

And I couldn't turn down a vintage Thermos, floral tin or a 1960s Spirograph...

or this 1962 novel with the fabulous cover illustration.

 

 

That's Charlie's tail getting in the way. He's killed his first squirrel of the year. I have a feeling there will be many more deaths in our garden before the summer's out...

On patrol.

Minnie's strictly a Lidl cat food kinda gal.

I'm going on a school trip tomorrow as part of the team taking 90 children, aged 5-6, for a day of activities in Ecclesall Woods.

 

And that, my friends, is as much of a challenge as any interview, so wish me luck!

 

xxxx

 

Second Hand News

I hadn't intended to be absent for nearly a week, but that's just how things fell; rain or poor light when I wanted to take photos, busy days, kids hogging the computer. Life. Stuff. You know.

I had my job interview on Thursday. Thank you for all your good wishes, and your feedback about dos and don'ts for charity shops. I really appreciate the encouragement and support.

I won't know the outcome until next week, and of course I'll let you know as soon as I hear. I'd be foolish to make any predictions, but my instinct tells me it wasn't an unqualified success; however, impressions can be mistaken so we shall just have to wait and see.

My interview outfit was good though; head-to-toe vintage, and purchased in St Luke's charity shops, appropriately enough.

1970s St Michael cotton maxi skirt, top, cardigan, bangles, 1960s vinyl bag, and 1950-60s Austrian glass necklace - 

charity shopped

Sunglasses and sandals - retail

 

 I've been picking up bits and pieces in charity shops as always. 

 

What I love about charity shopping is having no agenda, no list of Things To Buy, just an open mind and eagle eyes, a willingness to take the time and look. 

I love this 1970s Miss Mary of Sweden dress. I didn't know Miss Mary made anything other than lingerie, and I can't find any information about their clothing line, but no matter, it's a fabulous frock. 

 

 

1960-70s folksy tea towel

bright sari fabric

1950-60s barkcloth

1960s Midwinter bowls (I'm gradually adding to my small collection of Spanish Garden pieces)

I rescued this children's book from the paper recycling box.

It was republished in this edition in 1976 (the definition of a pound clearly puts it post-decimalisation) but the illustrations are pure 1951, its original publication date.  The text hasn't been edited much; it's still a world where dads smoke pipes, mums pour tea, the car belongs to Dad, the sewing machine to Mum, and children ride their ponies, when they're not trotting along on a camel. And we all go to balls when we're grown up, of course. 

You can supply your own jokes about this one.

 

 

What do you reckon, Jess?

As always, I'll be joining Patti and co for Visible Monday.

And despite being in a rather uncomfortable state of employment limbo, I do have this to look forward to next month;

Yippee!

And now I'd better get started on a marathon catch-up session; what have you been up to?

xxxx

Midweek maxi

Weird weather we've been having; I'm finding a maxi dress, ankle boots and a jacket are my best bet. Cool enough when the sun shines, sufficiently layered up when the wind and rain set in.

 

 

The rough winds have been shaking the darling buds of my cherry tree...

 

 

until the lawn is confetti-strewn.

My friend Joanne and I have missed our customary Thursday meet-ups for the last 2 weeks but made it out today. Four charity shops and a vintage emporium later, and all I bought was...

this set of 6 glass tumblers. They are beautifully cut with fancy bottoms, and have a satisfying weight to them. There's no mark and trying to identify their age is tricky, but I think they have a 1930s look. 

Anyway, it doesn't matter what they are, they cost 25p each and we'll use them everyday for juice and water. Glasses don't seem to last long in our house (and I'm laying the blame at Simon and the kids' door for that) so there's little point in paying more. 

 

 

The groovy black and white 1960s enamel saucepan and Oriental-style tin came home with me from the charity shop this week. I rescued them from the scrap metal bin, so I was allowed to have them for nothing.

So that's a whopping £1.50 spend. Thrifty? I'd say so!

1970s C&A maxi dress - Ebay

Denim jacket, necklace and bangles - charity shopped

1970s Peter Bettley hat - flea market 

 Ankle boots - community fair

The cats always like to accompany me during my photo shoots in the garden. Charlie was showing off by shinning up a tree...

an escapade which soon turned into a rather panicky shuffle downwards, as he hung on by the skin of his claws.

I laughed. He didn't.

Minnie is above all that nonsense. 

I have finally heard that I have an interview for the charity shop deputy manager post I applied for a few weeks back. It's next week; I'm excited!

Any thoughts on possible interview questions? I want to be well-prepared, and I know you lot are seasoned charity shoppers. What are the most important things to you about a charity shop? What adds value and makes you likely to visit/return, and what puts you off?

All ideas and opinions welcome.

And now I'm off to sort through my sewing patterns and decide on my next project. I'll chant fabric choice is key as a mantra to avoid another dressmaking faux pas...

xxxx

Blue looks so cool on Madam...

You are such an encouraging and supportive lot!

 

I think my interview yesterday went well. I think the interviewer liked me.

I know she liked my outfit, because she told me so.

 
I won't hear the outcome for a week or two; I'll keep you posted.

Busy busy couple of days.

Interview.
Meeting with the Head at school.
Coffee with a friend.
Sorting out Seldom Seen for a weekend at Cub Camp.
Joanne's birthday do tonight.
Blogger meet-up in Birmingham tomorrow.

Can't wait!


Hope you have a great weekend, and thanks again for all your good wishes.

.

xxxxx

Are you being served?

Ground floor:

perfumery, stationery and leather goods, wigs and haberdashery, kitchenware and food.

Going up...

Would you give this woman a job?

 

 

 

She's fairly bright, can string a sentence together, has a smattering of social skills, turns up on time, and is willing to work for minimum wage, while smiling and burying her natural bile and sarcasm deep within for the duration of the working day.

 

 

 

I passed my telephone interview on Monday, and I have been invited to a Recruitment Event tomorrow, which involves group and individual interviews.

Since I usually dress like this...

 

... I drew a bit of a blank in my wardrobe when searching for some suitable interview wear.

 

So I panicked, and went and bought something new.

 

It still has its tags on, I might change my mind and take it back, but so far, I'm thinking it's OK.

 

Vix suggested wearing my green 1950s jacket, and who am I to disagree?

I know I can't go for an interview for a high street store dressed head to toe in vintage. 

And I know that if I am offered a job, I will be expected to wear a uniform. 

And I don't want them to write me off from the get-go as a maverick who can't play by the rules. 

 

But I also feel the need to keep just a little bit of me in the mix. 

1950s brocade jacket - Second to None

Betty Jackson Black @ Debenhams dress - retail, sale (linking cos I want a job)

Shoes and bangles - charity shopped

Micromosaic brooch - charity vintage sale

I might swap out these tights for nude fishnets or sheer black; I might take off the fabric tie belt that came with the dress and add a narrow green leather one.

Over-thinking it? 

You betcha.

The last interview I had was 3 years ago. 

 

It was for a job which I should have been able to do with my eyes closed, linked as it was to my old career in mental health. The role was well within my professional skill set and experience.

The panel of interviewers had a sheet in front of them where they ticked a box as I said what they wanted to hear. As the interview progressed, I was aware that they were looking at me, and not ticking anything. 

 

I, quite literally, did not tick m/any of their boxes. And there was me, thinking that was merely a metaphor...

So, err, yeah, I'm feeling a bit anxious. Forgive me.

 

I want not to care. I want to laugh about it, and be dismissive of a recruitment process which seems disproportionately intensive for the position of temporary shop assistant .  

 

But I also want the job. 

 

I want to get back into paid employment, to have half a hope of starting again as a working person, with earning potential. I want my kids to see me as able to do something other than cooking and ironing. Only Eldest (just about) remembers me as a working mum.

(As always, no disrespect to stay-at-home mums intended at all. Only speaking for myself, no judgment implied about anyone else.)

1970s maxi dress - gift from that divine cover girl Helga

1970s English Lady lurex blouse - Ebay

Sandals and necklace - retail (sale)

Bangles and belt - charity shopped 

 

I thought I would get my vintage colour on today, to get it out of my system before tomorrow!

 

The blouse was a freebie; I bought the matching maxi skirt on Ebay, and the seller included the top in the parcel, which was kind.

 

 

So here I am, pondering the elements of good customer service, what skills I have to offer, and how to sell frocks. Or bras. Or toys. Or sheets.

Wish me luck!

xxxxx