Charity Shop Art

Apologies for the long absence in posting, I have been living under a rock, studying hard and not getting much chance to check out the shops. I did do a round of the charity shops near the the university to pick up some cheap textbooks (saved well over £100). In the Barnardo's bookshop on South Clerk Street, they have baskets full of vintage postcards and photographs which would look lovely in lots of little frames, mounted up on a feature picture wall.

I only have the one very pretty white Ikea frame which I've been dying to put something in. When I was flicking through a travel book, 3 little tickets fell out to the Doge's Palace in Venice. They were beautiful, intricate prints, and they reminded me of visiting Venice when I was little, so I bought the book for the sake of the tickets, and to dream of a day when I can afford to go back to Italy.

C x

Shelter 'Rebrand' Edinburgh Shops

Shelter Scotland have announced plans to rebrand their shops in an effort to attract more customers and donations. All 8 Edinburgh shops will get a makeover, with the Stockbridge branch getting first dibs. You can read a full article about it here. 

From volunteering in a particularly well-branded charity shop, I hear plenty of comments from customers praising the character and care put into the layout and decoration of our shop. Good branding should make a charity shop feel like a boutique, and add to the sense of treasure-hunting while you flip through the rails. On the other hand, bad branding (or a complete lack thereof) results in dull, lifeless charity shops with a lack of distinctive personality: bare walls and endless, unthoughtful rails are off-putting right from the get go, and you'll need serious stamina to find yourself a buy among them.

I've frequently found things in Shelter Stockbridge, and personally, I wouldn't have put it at the top of my list for getting rebranded - the window displays are always kookie and whimsical, the endless Baroque music charming and the rails sorted by style rather than colour or size appealing for treasure-hunters. I hope in an effort to draw more footfall, Shelter don't spoil the individuality of their shops for a generic 'high street' look, and continue to promote the obvious creativity of their staff and volunteers. 

As always, I love to hear your comments.

C x

Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair

Y'all know I heart vintage. But you also know that I am a stingy son of a gun, so I'm not a habitual vintage shopper. I still thought I would check out 'Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair' when it hit Edinburgh yesterday, and honestly, it was heavenly. No ripped old tatty Laura Ashley granny dresses in size 18 like the vintage rails in some charity shops seem to be filled with: instead rows of neat sport blazers, thick knit Arran jumpers and regularly sized silk blouses and leather shorts. The jewelry stalls were neatly laid out, no need to spend ages untangling chains and prices went from dirt cheap to moderate but sensible for real vintage jewelry. I was surprised at how much menswear there was, and indeed how many men came along, but what surprised me mosst was how little kitsch there was - I always think of vintage fairs as being filled with Dita Von Teese clones in Vivien of Holloway bombshell dresses with perfectly permed roll fringes, but in fact the fair was full of average people just looking to get their hands on something no one else has.

Wanna see what I got?

Diamante & plastic pearl brooch, £4, Rare and Flair

Lee Cooper t-shirt (for the gentleman), £5.

Ralph Lauren cotton shirt-cum-nightshirt, £5.

Poodle plastic brooch, £2, Goodbye Norma Jean.

I really don't have anymore room in my wardrobe for clothes so I was very strict with myself, tempted as I was to splurge on a cute 70s red batwing dress ("But when will I realistically wear it?").

So the next time the fair is in town, I will pop back along, perhaps armed with a little more idea of what I actually want to find. Have a gander at the website to find out when the fair is coming to your city: theaffordablevintagefair.blogspot.com

C x

Those Were The Days

New favourite shop! 

www.thosewerethedaysvintage.com 26 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge, EH3 5AL.

(the facebook page is currently the best place to stay updated)

The lovely Claire started off at the Barnardo's Vintage shop in the Grassmarket (soon to be RIP, and merging with Barnardo's Stockbridge), then bravely set out starting her own boutique, filled with finds from L.A. and London. All the stock has been expertly cared for and restored (none of that damp smell you sometimes find in vintage), and honestly, just a quick rifle through the rails is a complete joy. The 1950s tea dresses are incredible (so much tulle!), but you can expect anything from the 1930s to 1980s, a bridal section to make you squeal and a guys rail with awesome rare vintage t-shirts and polos.

I doubt I can make you appreciate how fun this new shop is unless you go pop in yourself. I spotted an Aerosmith Nine Lives t-shirt on the facebook page and couldn't resist. I just need an excuse to buy a very VERY pretty dress and I'm back there in an instant.

'Nine Lives' t-shirt, Those Were the Days; jacket, Barnardo's Vintage; skirt, Primark.

C x

High Street Clothes in Charity Shops

When is it okay to buy high street in charity shops/thrift stores?

In my rules of charity shop rummaging, I wrote that in general, you want to go for vintage/designer and avoid high street clothes. But there are plenty of exceptions.

You can change colour, size, even decoration, but the one thing you can't change about clothes is the material. Clothes from the high street are often made as quickly as possible so that they reach the high street while the 'microtrend' is still in. To achieve fast turnaround, materials need to be easy to sew/print/size, so tend to be made from thinner, cheaper material, like thin cotton, polycotton and polyesters. By the time they reach charity shops/thrift stores, cheap material will be well worn, so if it doesn't look tired and worn yet, it may not be far away from it.

But sometimes, there are some real gems. High-end high street shops like Whistles, Hobbs, Jaeger, Cos, Banana Republic and LK Bennett produce high quality clothes, and charity shops in affluent areas frequently receive these types of donations.

Hence my love of the charity shops in Stockbridge, one of the most affluent areas in Edinburgh. Recently, I found this gorgeous Whistles top, featuring a crochet Peter-Pan collar, in Barnardo's. Whistles is a great, high quality company, so I didn't mind the £10 price tag, more than I usually think to spend on a top.

I'm currently job hunting, and I think this would be perfect for office-wear with a smart pencil skirt and cute Mary-Janes. Very Emma Pillsbury from Glee.

(source: What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear)

Franca at Oranges and Apples recently wrote an excellent guide to Edinburgh Vintage and Charity Shops, outlining the best places to find good quality pieces. One shop I'd additionally recommend is the Shelter shop on Teviot Place (Bristo Sq). Its vicinity to the university means there's a great mixture of clothes. I picked up this Banana Republic wrap cardigan for a bargain £5 (the buttons on the sleeves, ohmyIlovethem):

And that's the plaid skirt I got in the Lands End sale a couple of months ago - I LOVE burgundy :)

But I don't want you to think I don't appreciate low and mid high street brands! They regularly make good quality clothes, but finding them in the jumble of charity shops might just require an extra bit of rummaging.. Charity shops have become more savvy in recent years to only stock good quality clothes, and send worn, overused clothes to fabric recycling companies. These can be made into blankets for the homeless and for the Red Cross. This is why you shouldn't bin clothes, even if they're ripped or stained - still donate them!

C x

Edinburgh Blogs

Presenting a quick list of Edinburgh-based blogs that are well worth clicking over to:

• Greener Leith - Green living and community participation in Leith (relevant to anyone interested in Scottish green living)
• Chatiry World - Crafts, baking and things to see in Edinburgh. Her guide to Independent Shops in Edinburgh is excellent, it's exactly the kind of thing I'd like to do (but now don't need to).
• Veggie Lady - I had no idea this blog existed but I love it, it's as though it was written for me. Fantastic recipes that can be adapted for any budget.
• The Edinburgh Blog - Mainly restaurant reviews, among other things to see and do in Edinburgh. I particularly like the range of budget and luxury places.
• Thingy Bobs - This is filled with lovely things, music and book recommendations, style and interiors, all written by an Edinburgh-based French lady (which, by default, equals good taste).
• Miss Smidge - is a personal blog, filled with lovely photos and inspiring things. She also organises Edinburgh blogger meet-ups, which I might go to, if I can pluck up the courage...
• A Daddy Long Legs Is Not A Father - is a girl after my own heart. A superbly written blog about life, music, film, and anything else that catches Ali's eye. She also has great taste in literature.
• Cupcake Couture Beauty. Fashion. Baking. I don't think more description is required. But this is a great blog, and it's one of Edinburgh's most popular too.

C x

PS - If any other Edinburgh bloggers want to be included on this list, drop me a line!

How To: Charity Shop Finds

I was a bit naughty this week. I popped into one of my favourite charity shops - PDSA on the Royal Mile (bit pricey because of the prime location, but not a Primark cast-off in sight) - and bought FOUR new tops. Oops. NO MORE CLOTHES SHOPPING!

Silk-mix top £4.99 - Loved the contrasting green details, but is unfortunately dry-clean only (I'm going to risk it at a gentle cycle and see what happens)

Silk peter-pan collar blouse £3.99 - The previous owner must have been a bit more endowed in the chest area than me, but I'm pretty sure a good steam in the bathroom will reshape it (wishing I had done this before I took the picture). Otherwise, it wouldn't be a big job to re-dart the chest to pull it in a bit.

Lulu Castagnette cotton-mix cardigan £3.99 - What a find! I used to wear LC clothes when I was a kid, but I hadn't realised they made womens-wear too. It's a tad baggy around the hips so if it doesn't reshape in the wash I'll have to keep belting it (luckily I have one in an almost identical colour)

Cotton wrap-over blouse £2.99 - This one is by H&M. Normally, I don't buy high street brands in charity shops (they're usually not great quality) but I'd been looking for a wrap-over shirt for ages, and usually they're cut for someone with bigger shoulders than me. It's more décolletage than I care to show during the day, so I'll wear a camisole to keep it modest.

Quick Guide to Charity Shop Clothes:

• Most clothes can be taken in, even if it's just a couple of stitches at the waist to tailor it a bit. However, clothes that are a bit small need to have ample material inside the seam to be let out (which is unlikely).
• Silk and cotton (including mixes) are the best materials to buy. Polyester and other man-made materials generally don't last, so if they're not already a bit blooby, they will be soon after you give them a couple of washes. 
• Like I said above, best to avoid high street brands unless it's something really special (and made of good quality material).
• If you're terrified of the rails of disorganised clothes, do what I do and just let your eye find colours you like. Then you can look at material/price/size. In that order.
• Check for marks and tears. Don't buy anything you aren't positive you can fix easily (well, duh).
• Dyeing is always an option, but I think that the cost of the dye will probably be more than you paid for the item in the first place, and isn't really worth the effort. Maybe if it's really, really special and perfect in every other way. Maybe.
• Don't be a hoarder (I could write a whole post about this, maybe I will...). Donate it back to charity if you only wear it once. I totally understand wanting to hold onto things you buy on the high-street or beyond that took a bigger chunk out of your wallet, although I bet I could still coax you to part ways with it...
• Wash everything before you wear it. For this reason, avoid dry-clean only clothes unless it's something special,  you can afford the dry-cleaning bill, or you can live with the consequences of attempting a hand-wash/gentle cycle.

C x

Edinburgh Vintage

Despite the economic downturn, there is an abundance of unusual shops in Edinburgh, and since it's apparently 69 sleeps until Christmas, it might be time to start the list for Santa.

• Arkangel & Felon just popped up this year. It's pretty expensive, not really suited to the average student budget, but they have lovely labels like Anonymous by Ross & Bute, and the vegan shoe brand Beyond Skin, and the vintage interior of the shop is so pretty it's worth peering in just to admire.
• Iconic, on the other hand, has been around forever. I like to think of the shop as where all the really good stuff from charity shops end up, although they have a reasonable collection of local crafts, crockery and collectibles with four-figure price tags for the mega-minted.
• Bra Bohag - used to be Retrospective & The Bicycle thieves, which was a cracking little vintage shop - now the owner has now turned to mid-century furniture. It's not a student shop, most furniture is into the hundreds, but it's worth the wander over just to have a drool and picture the Ercol dining chairs replacing your Ikea Ivar wobblers.
• The Red Door Gallery sells a lot of the art students' creations, and put on some proper weird and wonderful exhibitions. Almost everything is affordable (I make art sound like such an consumable thing?) so it's a great way to treat yourself before loan day.
• Godiva have been in Edinburgh for years, and I'm actually more of a fan of the menswear, the womenswear can be a bit too twee (but there are gems). The vintage Disney T-shirts are super trendy and a steal at £12.50. 

Not a shop, but an event coming to Edinburgh soon is the 2010 Fiddle Festival. It's got a super line-up of gigs, ceilidhs and workshops, running on the 12th - 14th November. Check it out!

C x

Charity Shop Finds in Edinburgh

Found the best bargains in a wonderful charity shop today. Bethany Christian Trust have the right idea when it comes to utilising the high volume of high value stock that's available in Edinburgh. In other words, thank goodness for the old ladies of Midlothian who give away MaxMara suits, Calvin Klein winter coats and M&S Autograph woolen goodies.

I was in the BCT Newington shop today, but I've been in the Morningside and Stockbridge branches and they're all full of little gems.

Goodies today:

Mounted North by Northwest Print, £2.

 Daks Collection Wool Jacket, £15

Episode Pencil Dress, £4.50

Best Edinburgh charity shops to see:

• Oxfam Bookshop - Stockbridge - filled with rare editions and classic Vic lit, you won't find a Dan Brown novel in sight.
• Mary's Living and Giving Shop - Stockbridge - Mary Portas' pop-up charity shop with donations from designers, celebrities and the Edinburgh elite, with the likes of Christopher Kane, Ralph Lauren, Pringle hanging on the rails, donated by Jamie Oliver, Grazia magazine, Lauren Lavergne ...you get the picture. 

• Oxfam Music - Stockbridge - Sheet music in a charity shop? Musicians rejoice! It's also got 'decent' vinyl, with classic jazz, funk and rock covered, a pretty good selection of CDs and occasionally musical instruments. Dandy.
• Shelter - Stockbridge and Newington branches - Filled to the brim with Topshop, M&S, Gap, Reiss, Calvin Klein, Thomas Burberry, Barbour etc etc. Menswear is particularly good.
• Oxfam Books - Newington - Given its close proximity to the university, half the shop has been filled with academic books and textbooks. I got a Davidson's Principles and Practicles of Medicine, RRP £46.99 for £6 a few years ago.
• Cancer Research - Morningside - Super place for posh shirts. Thomas Pink, Burberry, Calvin Klein...I don't know why they seem to accumulate here but there's a great selection. 
• St. Columba's Hospice - Morningside - For furniture and bric'a'brac. I'm told that when the rich old people of Morningside die, this is usually where their stuff is given to. I can neither confirm nor deny this but there are lots of lovely old things in there...

Recipe: Bhindi Masala

I was inspired by a visit to my favourite Indian restaurant, Kalpna, last night to give my first of what I hope to be many Taste posts, aiming to give you lovely people a few good recipes. Hey, you might even want to invite me along for dinner one night and cook one. I'm just suggesting.

Kalpna recently underwent a huge renovation, converting it from a trendy student curry house into a place of fine dining and soft lighting (is it just me that appreciates understated lighting in eateries?). Plus, it's all vegetarian/vegan so it demands experimental cooking (there are only so many ways one can curry a carrot). The South Indian dishes, I'm told, are particularly excellent, however disappointingly unsuitable for me and my fellow mushroom-allergy sufferers. Still, there are plenty more dishes to choose from. I will present to you my new favourite; Bhindi Masala (aka Spicy Okra).

Serves: 4 hungry people
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
Okra (Bhindi) ---- 500g
Tomatoes ---- 3 big juicy ones
Onions ---- 2
Green chillis ---- 2
Cinammon ---- 1 stick
Cloves ---- 2
Bay leaf ---- 1
Garlic cloves ---- 3
Oil
1 heaped tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (or squeeze of lemon juice)
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
Pinch of salt
Parsley for a fancy wee garnish, if you want

Method:
1 - Cut the okra (remove stalk and make sure it is completely dry), tomatoes, garlic cloves, onions & green chillies.
2 - Heat the oil then well-fry the okra
3 - Remove the okra, place on paper towel and let the excess oil be absorbed.
4 - With a clean pan and more oil, now fry the cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf for 30 seconds, then add the onion and green chillis and fry until the onion has started to lightly brown.
5 - Add the garlic and grated ginger. Fry for another minute.
6 - Add tomatoes, chilli powder and salt. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft, then add the garam masala powder and dry mango powder. Simmer for another 5/6 minutes
7 - Add the fried okra and stir gently for two minutes, then serve.

Kalpna Restaurant