Thrifty Finds - No 5

My second hand shopping hoard this time around is a very eclectic mix, but that's the beauty (and frustration!) of second hand shopping; you never quite know exactly what you are going to come across. These are some of my best buys from the past few weeks...

A Dress for Autumn
I don't know about you, but to me, it feels like we've completely bypassed Autumn somehow. The leaves didn't fade to red and gently fall from the trees, and actually seemed to drop to the ground overnight. Instead of having cooler evenings, with the sun low in the sky, it just seems to be getting darker a lot earlier, and raining. A lot. Has Autumn always been like this, and I have simply romanticised the season? Perhaps. What drew me to this amazing dress was the incredible colour scheme - simply Autumn personified. I believe this dress to be handmade, although to a much higher standard than I think I could ever achieve - that piping! those buttons! It always saddens me to see someone throw out something that they have evidently put so much hard work in, even though I know I do the same to some of my projects. I'll be wearing this with some black ankle boots and my trusty fedora, to inject some Autumn colour into my wardrobe.

Books on Costume Design
Although I would never ever consider a career in costume design, it is something that still continues to fascinate me. I love seeing the process involved, from the original sketches, the choice of fabrics, to how the design of the clothes reflects the character wearing them. This is basically dressmaking on the next level. Even though these books are old, they are still a really interesting insight into the small features that are mostly overlooked when we see the finished project. I love flicking through them over a cup of tea - they make great coffee table books.

Starting a Record Collection
A new addition to our living room this month has been a record player. Whilst there is no dispute for me that the sound quality of CDs or downloads are so much clearer, it's actually been great fun building up a little record collection. All of us have such different music tastes that our collection is diverse, to say the least, and covers everything from Pink Floyd to the Beach Boys, and even includes the White Horses theme tune. Ain't no party like a Phillips party! I've added a couple of Simon and Garfunkel albums to the collection, and have made efforts to make our collection a little more modern by adding an Alt J EP to the mix. It makes for really relaxing background noise, depending on what's playing, and I think looks a lot more pleasing to the eye than a CD player.

Sewing the Sixties
I've been eyeing up this set of sewing patterns in a local fabric shop for a while now, and finally bought it a couple of weeks ago. I adored the sixties style designs, however was put off by the fact that the pattern pieces were untidily screwed up inside, and I couldn't tell if all the pieces were there. After checking it over, I was glad to find all the pieces still present, as well as the instructions. I'm not sure how old the pattern really is, and it's a nightmare to try to research - the brand is Woman, and the pattern code is MP3. Go figure. All the items are insanely easy, which makes me eager to get started on them, especially that dress. I probably won't use all the patterns (the bikini and waistcoat don't excite me), but for £2, I can see me getting a lot of use out of this.

Vintage Mirror
Unfortunately, I am not the proud owner of a gorgeous dressing table, complete with vanity mirrors. At the moment, a desk is far more necessary for me, and so I have to find a smaller alternative. When putting on makeup in a morning, I always use a mirror on my windowsill (natural light FTW), but because I have a particularly shallow windowsill, finding a mirror that both fits and looks good is a struggle. Luckily, I came across this beauty in a local antique centre for £3, and it is perfect in every way. I am pleased to report that the smudge on the glass was soon removed with a little polish, and it adds a little glamour to my everyday routine.

Horse-riding Book
If there is one thing which I could be liable to hoarding, it would be books. It doesn't matter what the subject of the book is, if it's presented in a charming way with lovely illustrations, it will heading home with me. I've never been horse-riding, but that didn't stop me from buying this very sweet little book on the subject. It includes sections on looking after horses, the rules of show jumping, as well as a low down on different breeds of horses. I just couldn't resist it.

What have been your favourite buys recently?