This year it seemed to me that Winter ended one day and Spring began the next. A few weeks ago I was stomping home at 5pm in the dark. This Friday I was out in the evening, serene Spring sunshine about, and a bright chill in the air. Just lovely. Befitting this sudden spree of blue […]
Tag: Thrifty
Cheap Thrills and the Dangerous Miss Jean Brodie
Here it is again, the arse-end of winter. What’s a girl to do but stay in and eat condensed milk straight from the tin with a spoon. I’ve also been buying lovely things, as is my wont. (And reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, so I can brush up on my morningside accent and use words […]
Hearts, Books, and Butterscotch Sundaes
When it’s driech and chilly outside, there’s a hangover in the post, tomorrow is Monday and winter is starting to be a thing that might happen again – then it’s time to wear happy clothes… … eat some takeaway, put on the Mamas and Papas and get some good reading. Tonight I’ve been reading short stories […]
Charity Shop Love: Shoooooes
These Carvela beauties came in at £3.99 in Oxfam the other day… I bought them because I found I couldn’t physically let go of them once I had them in my grasp.
They’re both wonderfully high and really, really comfortable, and oh those straps looks so fantastic. I like to call them my ‘But Officer…’ shoes. Yes, I name my shoes sometimes. Judge me!
So far these shoes have had two outings: one to the dancefloor of a 1980s themed club, which, frankly, ended in disaster in many ways (a sticky dancefloor, regrettable dance moves, demanding George Harrison songs from a bemused DJ) but the shoes remained disaster-free. I also went high-brow and took them out to the ballet for a bit of culture. They rose to the occasion magnificently. They’re so well made that there is no wobble when you stand in them – a properly aligned heel is a joy indeed.
Anyway, in other shoe news, I picked up these ACTUALLY MAGIC* glittery heels in topshop for a tenner in the sale, and I have yet to let them outside because they’re just too darned precious. Maybe by Christmas I’ll be ready. These shoes need to see the world.
*Not actually magic.
The £16 Dinner Party
A little while ago I read an article in a magazine about hosting a £50 dinner party, booze and all… and I kind of thought, what? Is that hard? I mean, if I had £50 to spend obviously I would be buying a bottle of champagne and maybe a packet of twiglets (no, I jest) but really, is it so hard to feed 6 people? Today I just so happen to have bought dinner for six of the fambly, and it came to a princely £16.27. Including flowers. Here’s how:
1. Flowers (from marks and sparks) £4. (with added daffodils and some little purple flowers from the garden).
2. Main course: Roasted vegetable tagliatelle with parmesan and garlic bread for six.
(2 packs tagliatelle, sundried tomato paste, tenderstem broccoli, a red pepper, aubergine, runner beans, red onions, rye, barley and wheat bread: £9.25, Morrisons).
3. Pudding: rainbow jelly cocktails with strawberries (3 packs jelly £1.02, stawberries, £2, Co-op).
(From the cupboard: garlic paste and parmesan cheese).
And if you were trying to do the whole thing for £50, you now have a splendid £33.73 to spend on BEER!
The moral of the story is: dinner is about the company y’all. And if you have friends who get insulted by a lack of sirloin steak at the dinner table, you need new friends. Also, magazines are kinda full of rubbish.
Power Cuts
Which led to this! A low-tech and peaceful afternoon.
I re-strung a necklace (bought in Oxfam for 99p) and made some bright swishy earrings for me and my mum (green for me, red for her). Then I pondered how much I rely on my kettle. And my laptop.
Amy Jardine 