Magpie Monday - Raindrops on roses... and bright copper kettles

Last week we spent a delightful day in Hitchin, Hertfordshire and blitzed the charity shops there.  I go fairly often and they have a whole host of charity shops and lots of lovely vintage boutiques.

Myself, Ruby and my mum and dad - three generations of bargain hunters (it's genetic!) hit the town in search of gorgeous things.

I actually came home with a very impressive haul, but this week I'm just going to share two items with you, and save the rest for further Magpie Monday posts.

These two are my absolute favourite items, so you may have to forgive me for being quite so excited about them.

You will now be familiar with my odd fetish for old jelly moulds. What you don't yet know is I have another obsession for...vintage umbrellas!  I have loads of them.  I love them.  Some people like to co-ordinate their bag and shoes - I like to co-ordinate my umbrella with what I'm wearing.  To be fair, it does rain a lot and I don't drive so they do get a lot of use.

I spotted this one in a big umbrella holder in the Sue Ryder shop.  There were several in there of the plastic or wooden handled variety, but this one twinkled at me with it's lovely silver coloured metal handle.  I slowly slid it out, filled with excitement (oops sorry, this is degenerating into umbrella p orn!).  First up, it was a weighty umbrella, which instantly told me it was either vintage or a very high quality make (or hopefully both).  None of your cheap, modern imported tat here!

It had this beautiful engraved decoration on the handle which made it really special.  I knew already I was going to buy it no matter what, but when I saw the price I nearly tripped over myself getting to the counter with it - £2.75!!! 

It was a rich, antique rose colour, oddly not a hue I have in my current collection!  Tipped with a very lethal 'anti-mugger' silver spike on the end. I just fell in love with it.

I've learnt from bitter experience to check umbrellas before purchasing them.  Often I've found a gorgeous vintage brolly and got it home to find the mechanism jammed or a ruddy great hole in it.  I undid the tassel tie, and opened it up (piffle to the superstitious brigade). Well.  What can I say.  I let out a little squeal - partly because I caught my damned finger in it and drew blood, but mainly because of what I found inside...

Isn't it just the most adorable brolly you've ever seen?  I actually can't wait for it to rain.  I shall skip and twirl and splash in puddles in just the most glamorous way imaginable.

It also taught a valuable 'don't judge a book by it's cover' type lesson.  You never know what treasure is lurking within.

I cannot fathom why someone would get rid of such a darling umbrella, but I'm very glad they did, because now it's mine. All mine. Mwah ha ha.  If I'm EVER stupid enough to leave it in a luggage rack on the train I shall cry real tears, and offer a reward for it's return.

My second item also induced a little sprint (well, ok more of a canter) from me.  I spotted this in the window of the Salvation Army shop.  Fair enough, it's not a kettle, but a jug wouldn't have gone with the lyrics in the title!

I was getting quite impatient with all the old dears in my way, so desperate was I to get to it and nab it.  I couldn't reach it without disturbing the entire window so I had to ask the assistant to get it down for me (cue more impatient foot tapping while she served an endless queue of people).

Finally she passed it over to me " its a bit battered and old my dear" she said. Pah!  "That's fine, it's like me then" I smiled back, knowing full well that if she'd been the type of assistant to use the words 'antique' and 'rustic' it would have probably added another nought to the price.

But I was very happy to pay £2 (yes, £2!!) for the copper pitcher. It weighs a tonne - it's got to be worth more than that scrap!  I just need to find a suitable slim vase to slip inside so I can use it to display fresh flowers.

Ok you pedants, they're tulips not roses and it's a pitcher not a kettle, but still...




All in all, a very happy haul.

What did you find?  I'd love you to grab the badge and link up, or share on the Facebook page or Twitter using the hashtag #MagpieMonday. I'm looking forward to lusting over your treasures. x


Grab my button
and link to my blog
<a href="http://missielizzie-meandmyshadow.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy135/missielizzie/MagpieMondayBadge.png" border="0" alt="Me and My Shadow" /></a>