Three Good Things - the vintage and retro edition!

On Saturday, I went for my final thrift-shopping trip to the charity shops in Beeston before we move out of our house. And I found three good things to buy.

1. Retro Thetford tray

This Thetford tray with a retro floral pattern in blue and purple was just £2.50 from the Vintage and Retro section of the Sue Ryder Shop. When I saw it in the shop it looked a bit faded, but it has scrubbed up beautifully. I love it!

2. 'Scoundrel Days' by A-ha

I paid £2 in the Oxfam Books and Music shop for this. The tracklist includes 'Manhattan Skyline' which is one of my favourite ever A-ha songs. This record will sit alongside my copy of 'Hunting High and Low'. I am now on the look-out for a record cabinet to store all my records properly.

3. Smoked glass serving dish

I am thrilled with this smoked glass serving dish, which is in mint condition and came with its original box (£3.50 - Vintage and Retro section of the Sue Ryder Shop). It is so evocative of the 1980s. I will be using this at our house-warming party when I finally move into our new house.

Linking up with: 

• Three Good Things at Margot and Barbara 
• Magpie Monday at Me and My Shadow 
• The Op Shop Show-Off at Blackbird Has Spoken
• The Nifty Thrifty at A Living Space

Three Good Things - Week Three

Once again, I'm joining in with Liz at Margot and Barbara in listing my Three Good Things from the last week.

1. Sold!

We have definitely sold our house now. I will be sad to leave it, but we had to sell it in order to be able to move closer to my new job.

2. Lavender

The lavender in our garden has been lovely this year. I put some of it in a vintage glass inkwell (a free gift from Homebarn when I went to Cybher).

3. Pizza

This is the most delicious pizza - a Padana Leggera Pizza from Pizza Express. The sweetness of the caramelized onion and the tangy creaminess of the goats cheese, with a salad in the middle so it must be vaguely healthy too! I treated myself to this particular pizza to celebrate the sale of the house and starting my new job.

Three Good Things - Week Two

I'm starting a new job on Thursday, and really looking forward to it. But moving house is proving to be more complicated and slower than I had hoped. 

However, there are always good things in amongst the hard work, and Liz from Margot and Barbara has encouraged me and various other bloggers to join in with listing 'Three Good Things'. So here are my 'three good things' from the last week.

1. 'Electric' by Pet Shop Boys
I love this so much I have been listening to it every chance I get. My son loves dancing with me in the living room, and this album has been a big hit with him too. 'Love is a Bourgeois Construct' is my favourite track. The photo below shows the Pet Shop Boys 'in' my living room.

2. envirofone Argos voucher

Normally when I get a new phone, I stick the old one in a drawer and forget about it. This time, I signed up with envirofone who sent me an Argos voucher for £118.26 in exchange for my old iPhone 4. I am planning to use this to purchase something for my new house when we finally manage to move.

3. Flowers

These beautiful flowers were given to me by my colleagues on my last day in my old job. I think they are the nicest flowers I have ever received.

Three Good Things - Week One

We're moving house soon (if all goes according to plan). This means I've been extremely busy recently. In amongst having too much to do, I want to note some good things as they happen. I've been wondering how best to do this. 

Then I spotted that one of my favourite bloggers, Liz from Margot and Barbara, has started a new weekly series of blog posts called 'Three Good Things' and she has encouraged her readers to do the same. So, without further ado, here are my 'three good things' from the last week or so.

1. New phone case

My new Harris Tweed phone case made by LifeCovers is utterly gorgeous and very practical. 

I bought it as a present for myself after getting rid of my iPhone contract and downgrading to a Nokia Asha 300 contract that will cost me £400 less a year. 

If you want to find out more about what I've done to reduce my annual outgoings, listen to this audioboo about How I've reduced my outgoings by £1000 per year.

listen to ‘How I've reduced my outgoings by £1000 per year!’ on Audioboo

2. Nearly finished '21st Century Boy' cross stitch

This Jolly Red '21st Century Boy' cross stitch kit is wonderful - I love the bright colours. I am very excited now the end is in sight and so is my little boy.

This is how it looked last September, when I first blogged about it:

3. Despicable Me

A couple of people recommended this film to me, so I bought it on DVD. We have all enjoyed watching it together, and my son was particularly impressed with the minions. Here is a snapshot of him wearing the free cardboard 'minion' glasses that came with the DVD.