Sometimes, things that come your way are just too lovely not to snap up.

Even if they are a bit… odd.

Even when they aren’t necessarily useful, and you don’t really know what you are going to do with them.

On Sunday, whilst lad and his dad were watching their favourite football team get beaten at some small, bleak ground somewhere miles away, I decided to pop out for some me-time. Some fun my way, which has nothing to do with standing about in the cold, watching sport.

I spent a happy hour at the craft fair held annually at Nottingham Contemporary, Christmas shopping and chatting to makers I knew (I’m proud to say I knew quite a number of them.)

And I popped along to a pop-up in the Lace Market, where the upper floors of a lovely, recently-renovated old building hosted a great temporary local-food cafe by Small Food Bakery, where I indulged in some delicious lunch.

But better even than those two things was another pop-up, held above a charity shop.

My hopes were not high as I climbed the countless flights of narrow stairs, imagining moth-eaten old clothes and the smell of damp as my reward. But once I had more or less stopped puffing and panting, I found myself surveying a small attic room stuffed to the gills with vintage treasures.

It turned out that the pop-up belonged to someone I vaguely know.

Jane has been selling vintage (she is on Etsy as Vintage Goodlife) possibly even longer than I have been buying it – in fact, my sewing table was bought from her over twelve years ago, when she had a shop in town.

I remember Jane’s partner delivering the table, and my mortification upon finding it wouldn’t fit through the front door of our old house, necessitating a long and tricky detour along our back alleyway, in the dark, to get it indoors.

I was pregnant with lad at the time and I remember apologising profusely as he manhandled the table down the narrow path and up the garden, to which the lovely man just said, “It’s fine – you’re nesting.”

Anyway, Jane has always had a great eye for wonderful old stuff.

I bought a 1930s crepe dress (the floral fabric in this somewhat blurry photo) for a tenner, a felt belt printed with a floral embroidery pattern (a future project!) and some presents.

And I also bought two boxes of vintage stamens.

Yes, that’s right, stamens.
Jane thought they were probably originally meant for millinery.

In the back of my mind I have a vague vision of doll-related uses for them.

But really, I just wanted them because they are beautiful.

And actually, now that I’ve had time to ponder upon my purchase, that seems to me like the best reason that I can think of for buying anything. ♥

Post Script:

I originally thought that Jane’s pop-up vintage shop was open for one weekend only, but she tells me that she is open again this coming weekend, December 12th and 13th.

Should you be in Nottingham and would like to visit, you will find her upstairs at My Sight Charity Shop, 10 – 12 Carlton Street, Hockley, Nottingham NG1 – map here, opening times here.