Carboot Tips for Sellers

Since I returned from Munich I've had a renewed urge to de-clutter. We seemed to manage so well on just the necessities whilst we were out there, both in terms of clothes and home-y things, so I decided to have a massive clear-out. I've been tackling a little bit day by day from my wardrobe to the kitchen cupboards to the bookshelf, with the eventual aim of holding a stall at my local flea market. I like to hold a stall every now and again as they are a quick, easy way to make a bit of money and they're good fun too! So, on Wednesday, I held a little stall in my local town of Arnold in Nottingham and began selling my things! Although it was a good sale, there were things that I could have done better so I thought I'd share my tips with you today.

1. Presentation is key

My best tip for making the most money at a carboot is to display items well. I'm always amazed at the dumped piles of clothes you see at markets like this, I'm so surprised they sell anything at all. Customers often hurry through the market and only glance at each stall to see if they want to look further. If your stall looks well presented - arranging things at different heights, putting your best items in the centre of the table - you will get more people looking at your stall and will get more sales.

2. Go with a friend

I made the mistake of going by myself this time - never again! When you get that initial 'rush', when customers left right and centre are screaming 'HOW MUCH IS THIS?!' at you, you need a buddy to help you out otherwise customers will leave if they wait too long for you.

3. Prepare, prepare, prepare

Take a packed lunch and a hot flask of tea. Not only will you will need it, it saves you spending your hard-earned cash at the over-priced burger van. Take warm clothes. Whether you hold your carboot in the early hours of the morning or, like mine, into the early evening, you will get cold standing around. Take a fold-up chair if you have one. And remember to take carrier bags and lots of change!

4. Be realistic about what will and won't sell

There is not point carting down your GCSE Maths study books from 1998 or your moth-eaten jumpers, these things won't sell! People come to browse carboots because they want a bargain, not because they want your old things.

5. Resist the urge to browse the other stalls

It sounds obvious but I've done this so many times before! There's no point de-cluttering only to bring back even more than you had before. Resist the urge!

I hope these tips help!

Kaleido

I love these new Kaleido trays from Danish design store Hay. Brightly coloured and geometrically shaped, they are the perfect home accessory. I can see them as a centre piece on a coffee table, maybe filling them up with those bits and pieces that just end up as clutter - sweets, pens, loose change. What do you think?

There are five differently shaped trays in the collection, but they are all sold separately and come in lots of different colours so you can mix and match to suit your tastes. A great piece of design that's practical too.

{Images: Hay}

New Vs. Old: The Things I Brought Back from Munich

I'll be writing a proper post about my time in Munich soon, but today I want to show you a few things I bought back from my travels over there. Munich has a good mix of old and new in terms of shops and markets, reflecting the city and it's history, so was a bit of a dream location for me. There are plenty of regular car boots and flea markets where you can find vintage treasures (if you are English-speaking and Munich-based try out toytowngermany.com for lists and dates) as well as contemporary homeware and stationery stores for more recent products. Below are some of the bits and pieces I picked up on the high street.

I bought lots of washi tape for a few craft projects I have in mind, some good quality bakers twine, some pegs (also for a craft project), some coloured pens and some notebooks from a shop called Semicolon. The postcard is a picture of my new favourite drink - Augustiner's Edelstoff - mainly because that's all the beer gardens sold! The heart? Well, I couldn't leave Munich without one really!

Now for the older things.

The photos aren't great, sorry! I've included a few close up shots so you can see the details in some of the pieces. The embroidered hankies are so sweet, they show a typically dressed Bavarian couple - the man in lederhosen and the woman in dirndl. The tear-out floral sheets are from a book I was given for free, the Bavarian soldiers were a bargain at €1, though I did notice later that the red one is missing arms - ooops! Finally, the vintage hanger is my favourite find, I love the typography and the cream clippers, I think it's so chic. Another bargain at €1. The rest of the items are, from the top left: a set of hand-crotchet hangers, a hand-made tapestry, knitted pan-holders, a prettily illustrated children's music book, a vintage Munich postcard, some doilies, a few meters of lace trim, seven vintage gold-coloured buttons and a mint green vintage jumper. Phew.

I hope you've enjoyed having a peek at all my new things! Hope you all have a great weekend.

{Images: Laura Blanksby}

Toast A/W 2012

Cosy interiors fit for autumnal weather - take a look at the latest collection from Toast.

Doesn't the floral bedlinen in the first image look beautiful matched with the striped pillows? So cosy and inviting. This is only a small selection of what's available, there's lots more on-line including wicker storage boxes, storm lanterns and chunky knit socks. Head over to their site to view their lookbook or go shopping.

{Images: Toast}

Geometric Jewellery

I found these pretty geometric jewellery pieces at the British department store The Hambledon and wanted to share them as I thought you'd love them as much as I do. The sweet triangle and hexagon pendants, brooches and studs are bang on-trend and are reasonably priced too.

The painted necklaces are £24.95 each and the sweet triangular studs are £15.00 a pair. There are some lovely solid silver triangle pendants too which are worth a look.

The Hambledon is a bricks and mortar store in Winchester, Hampshire, but they have a great website (easily navigable with pretty photography!) and ship worldwide, so make sure you have a peek this weekend!

{Images: The Hambledon}

Summer Pastels

At the back of my diary lives a list I call the BIG LIST. On it are things that I like but can't afford just yet. So there are things like a Falcon enamelware bake set, an Ercol studio couch and a set of Diptyque candles amongst other things. A good thing to have, you might think, never having to worry when someone asks what you want for your birthday/Christmas etc, except that the list grows almost on a weekly basis...eek! The latest addition to the list comes in the form of a pastel-hued satchel from leather specialists, The Cambridge Satchel Company.

These new pastel satchels are available in lemon, rose pink, lavender and duck egg blue but are strictly limited edition so you'd better make up your mind sharpish about which one you want! It's 100% the rose pink for me but I have a bit of a thing for lavender as well at the minute since buying this pretty Topshop nail polish. Click here to view the full pastel collection.

If you live around the Cambridge area, Cambridge Satchel Co. are having a Clearance Sale this Saturday and Sunday (11th & 12th August) at the Guild Hall so it might be worth popping down to grab a bargain. If not, the company are also offering free UK delivery on all satchels. For details just head over to their on-line site.

{Image: The Cambridge Satchel Co.}

Flea Markets in Munich

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I've moved to Munich for the summer. Even though it's only for a few months, while the OH works on an important project, I'm still excited to embrace German life and get to know the city.

Of course, the first thing I did when I found out I was temporarily moving out here was to google local car boots and flea markets. The first one I found was Auer Dult, a flea market held three times a year, selling everything from local food produce to antique educational wall charts. It was with great delight that I discovered the market was on during my stay so I wasted no time in getting there and headed down straight away.

The market had a good mix of everything vintage and new, though, disappointingly, there was a large amount of JML-style stalls too. We promptly avoided these and focused on the antique and vintage sellers nestled in the heart of the market. 

There were lots of lovely designer-makers at the fair selling their wares. This bright stall was one of my favourites with the cute fishy bowls, plates and cups. However, due to lack of space, I had to leave empty-handed.

There was lots of vintage furniture up for grabs, including this super cute wicker chair. I was quite smitten with that wicker basket too. I've wanted one since watching Moonrise Kingdom (if you've seen it you'll know what I mean!).

There were lots of crafty stalls around too which was great for me, though less great for the OH as he waited while I rummaged through box after box of ribbon and material.

To top all this flea market-y goodness off, there was a mini fairground complete with ferris wheel and carousal. And I even made a new friend.

I'd definitely recommend a browse around this market if you are planning a trip here. There was a great vibe to the place with the fairground rides, traditional Bavarian food stalls and lots of vintage goods. It's only on three times a year though so make sure you check the dates!

{Images: Laura Blanksby}

San Francisco: A mini guide

Gosh, it has been a while since I was last here! Sorry guys but I promise over the next few weeks normal blogging service will resume! One of the reasons I've been quiet is that I've been on my holidays. The OH and I went on a two week break to San Francisco and I can honestly say it was the coolest city I've ever been to-friendly locals, gorgeous scenery, plenty to see and do and so chilled out! So, because I loved it so much I've decided to write a mini 'guide' on where to go, where to shop and where to eat.

Where to go 

Golden Gate Bridge:

This 1.7 mile long bridge is an absolute must-see. The bridge is a little way out of the main districts of San Francisco so most people hire bikes to get to it and cross it. However, we got the bus to the entrance and then walked across it and I'm so glad we did as it gave us longer to take in the sights and also time to look out for sea lions swimming below!

Alcatraz:

Again, this is another must-see while you are there. The notorious prison is on it's own island in the middle of the Bay so you have to take a ferry to get there. Once on the island you can take a tour of the cells, courtyard, dining hall and gardens. I recommend doing the audio tour too as you find out some interesting things about the island and its legendary inmates, including gangster Al Capone.

Fisherman's Wharf:

Although a bit of a tourist trap, there is still lots to see at Fisherman's Wharf. The seafood from the street stalls is great (get the crab!), the street entertainers create a great atmosphere and a walk on Pier 39 will take you to a herd of sea lions soaking up the afternoon sun.

 

Golden Gate Park:

Before you begin a stroll in Golden Gate Park, please be aware that it is massive! It stretches all the way from the ocean to the Haight district, which is around 50 blocks! You really need a full day to explore the park fully as there is so much to do here. We walked to the end closest to the ocean and saw the bison paddock, walked through the relaxing Japanese Tea Garden, went to the Californian Academy of Sciences (which has an aquarium and indoor rainforest), saw some art by environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy at the MH de Young Museum and ended our day with a picnic with food from Wholefoods Market, a gourmet supermarket which lines the entrance of the park at the Haight end.

Ferry Building:

The ferry building is a large stone structure which used to be the main ferry point in San Francisco. It now holds the largest farmers market I've ever seen. There's a great mix between independent restaurants, gourmet food stalls and market produce. And there are specialist stores galore here from cheese, to mushrooms, to honey. After we had a good look around we ended up plumping for shrimp tacos, and I can tell you that this was the best meal I have ever eaten. Ever.

Lombard Street:

While you are in SF you have to take a walk up to Lombard Street, ''the world's crookedest street''. When you consider that SF follows the grid system, this twisty street in the middle of it makes it look all the more crazy. Hydrangeas line the street all year round so if you are a flower lover it's worth going to see for these alone.

Alamo Square:

Alamo Square is a small park in between the Haight district and Hayes Valley (two bohemian shopping areas which aren't to be missed) and is lined with the most spectacular Victorian houses I have ever seen. Also know as ''Painted Ladies'' these houses were built in the aftermath of the San Franciscan Gold Rush and have been maintained beautifully since. The grand houses line the whole park so it's worth walking around the entire park to have a good old nosy!

The Mission Murals:

A trip to see the street art in the Mission district should be on everyone's agenda when visiting SF. Hand-painted murals line practically every street in this vibrant Mexican neighbourhood so it's a great way to spend an afternoon. I'd also recommend grabbing a burrito from one of the many Taquería's, a walk down Valencia street, and a sit down in Dolores Park for some great views of SF.

Ocean Beach:

A trip to the beach may not be what you come to SF for, nor may it be in the guidebooks, but a walk along the breezy Pacific wrapped up in a cosy cardi and drinking a take-away latte makes for a lovely couple of hours. Have a peek in the Cliff House, the old Victorian entertainment house, which has been restored as a museum, shop and restaurant. There are some great views from here and it's a great place to begin your beach walk.

Yosemite National Park:

As we were in SF for quite a while, we took a two-day trip to Yosemite Park, a four-hour drive from the city. If you can spare the time I really recommend coming here. The scenery and wildlife I saw here was absolutely breathtaking and will stay with me forever. We hiked up to Bridalveil waterfall, Half Dome rock formation and took a trip to see the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove, the tallest trees in the world. We also saw a native black bear going about it's business, a sight I will never forget.

Where To Shop

San Francisco is shopping heaven for me as it's full of vintage, thrift and craft stores and also has a great flea market scene. Downtown shops are good (think Anthropolgie and Urban Outfitters) but it is in the outer districts where you'll find the best places. 

Haight Street: 

Haight Street, which is split into the Upper Haight and Lower Haight, is a long stretch of quirky cool stores. It's got taxidermy at Loved to Death, craft supplies at Mendels hardware store, vintage frocks at Decades of Fashion, pretty flowers at Xapno and classic Bowie records at Amoeba Music.

Fillmore Street:

If I lived in SF (one day!) Filmore is the place I'd hang out in on Saturdays eating brunch and browsing the independent stores. There are a lot of great cafes (see Bay Bakery, below) alongside homeware, gift and stationery shops which make it the perfect place for me. My favourite shops were Jonathan Adler for designer interior accessories and Paper Source for fun craft supplies and beautiful greeting cards.

Valencia Street:

Valencia Street is located in the Mission district and is a real hipster area. I walked along the whole street and found a pop-up bicycle shop, a thrift emporium, a few vintage homeware stores and curios store, Paxton Gate.

Hayes Valley:

Hayes Valley feels a little more wealthy than the likes of Haight and Valencia; the shops are a little pricier and the cafes a little less bohemian. It's a great strip to walk down though with plenty of designer-maker shops selling everything from handmade vases to hand sewn cushions. There's also a great little store called Flight 001 selling luxury travel accessories. 

Japantown:

This area has a great selection of craft and stationery shops selling washi tape and craft paper in abundance.  

Flea Markets:

Unfortunately I was unlucky enough to miss all of the regular flea markets while I was in SF but I am told that the monthly market on Treasure Island (you have to cross the Bay Bridge to get there) is fab. Check out dates for when the fair is held here.

Where To Eat

We found eating out to be quite expensive in SF, especially when you added on tax, the new health insurance tax and service charge, so we tended to nip to the bakery for breakfast, a local cafe (or picnic) for lunch, and local bar for our evening meal. That means there aren't many restaurants in my 'where to eat' guide, just the best cafes, bakeries and supermarkets instead!

Open sandwich at Bay Bakery, Fillmore Street (complete with my initials on the crockery!)

Gott's Diner, Ferry Building

The world's best shrimp tacos.

House of Nanking, Chinatown

Have the sesame chicken with sweet potatoes, it's AMAZING.

Liguria Bakery, North Beach

Cinnamon and raison focaccia. I'll say no more.

Molinari, North Beach

This is an Italian deli right in the middle of the Italian neighbourhood, North Beach. I had the house-cured salami on house-baked bread and it was divine.

Bay Bakery, Fillmore Street

A gourmet cafe and bakery in the heart of Fillmore Street. Great choice of open sandwiches and salads all served on pretty French-style crockery.

Chantal Guillon Macarons, Hayes Valley

A beautiful little store specialising in the classic French macaroon. More flavours than you could ever wish for, I had the Earl Grey flavour and it was lovely. You can buy the macaroons singularly or in boxes of 12 where you pick the flavours yourself.

Wholefoods Market, Haight Street

The Wholefoods Market lies at the entrance of the Golden Gate Park so is a great place to pick up some locally grown, organic picnic food. There's a deli counter, salad bar, exotic fruits and a bakery.

{All images: Laura Blanksby}

The Discovery of a Local Flea

Last week I was SUPER excited to discover that my home town holds a flea market every Wednesday night, so this week I made it my mission to head down and snap up some bargains! I'd heard that the locals are on-the-ball so I headed down early to join the 200-strong queue that were waiting for opening time. I can see why there was such a huge queue as there were some real bargains to be had. Everything was so cheap that some stalls were cleared within half an hour!

Here's a couple of snaps of what I picked up:

I found a lovely cream crotchet throw with gorgeous scalloped edges, a red velvet cushion cover, a beautiful old brass photo frame, some doilies, buttons and these two amazing sugar shakers. No photo would do these glass shakers justice as they are so so lovely. They have striped bases topped with a diamond-cut pattern and are in such good condition.

I also found a copy of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady (a print of which is in the photo frame above and below). I plan on using tear sheets from this book to frame.

Here's a couple more pages from the book that I will frame:

Here's hoping that I can snap up something just as good next week.

{Images: Laura Blanksby for High Street Home}

Geometric Crush

The geometric trend is in full swing and I couldn't be happier. I love the pattern (and often colour) this trend brings into a living space. It really lifts a room! Below is an image I found on the fantastic blog, SF Girl By Bay, and while I adore everything about this room (the oil portrait, the mid-century-modern headboard, plump white pillows) it is the geometric throw that really gets me going. I just HAVE to have it!

However, a one-off piece like this may take years to find, so in the meantime I'm opting for one of these soft blankets from the Human Empire shop.

Don't they look just super cosy? The blankets are 100% wool and come in all the pretty colours shown above. You can find Human Empire on-line here where there are lots of other contemporary accessories for your home. Be sure to check out these coasters if the geometric bug has got you too!

{Images: SF Girl By Bay; Human Empire}

I've Been Thrifting Again!

I've been thrifting again and this time I've uncovered some GEMS. Here is my loot from my last couple of trips.

I found this mid-century sewing box in my home town centre and decided to walk away, convincing myself that I didn't have the room for it. But an hour after I got home I was on the phone to my mum begging her to pick it up for me as I just couldn't live without it! Luckily it was still there and I could bring it home with me that next day. Phew. The floral pillow was a lovely little find I thought as you don't see many circular-shaped ones any more so I snapped it up straight away. The only problem is that it had a decidedly large rectangular pillow stuffed inside it, so I'm now on the lookout for circular cushion pads. Recommendations are greatly welcome!

Below is a selection of other bits and pieces I came across on my travels.

The fabric scraps were a bargain at 75p each and are great for me as I'm just learning to sew after getting a lovely Singer sewing machine for Christmas. My plan is to start simple and turn these fabric remnants into envelope-flap cushion covers. I will approach zips and buttons with caution and in due course! I fell in love with the leather saddle bag as it's just so teeny tiny! I don't know if it will be entirely practical as I can't fit anything inside it, but at least it looks pretty! My other buys were the sweet crochet hangers, vintage pale pink cotton and these dessert glasses (which came as a set of 6).

{Images: Laura Blanksby for High Street Home}

Christmas Wish List No.17

I've blogged before about how much I like Chocolate Creative, and these new door knobs just makes me like them even more!

Apologies for the grainy picture, but you get the idea of how great they look, especially as coat hooks. So original! Below are some close-ups:

Ah, aren't they just perfect? Close-up you can see the embroidery-like detailing on the flowers, which is just so pretty. The hooks measure 7cm (diameter) by 5.3cm (depth) and are £15 each with a choice of 5 designs. There are also some plain hooks available in pink, red and yellow if florals aren't your thing! See their fantastic on-line shop for more details and where to buy.

{Images: Chocolate Creative}

Thrifting!

Those of you that follow my twitter ramblings will know that I often do a bit of thrifting, and last weeks session happened to be a very fruitful one. Having put on my flats I headed for my local town (towns are always so much better than city centres for this kind of thing don't you think?) and set out to buy, well, whatever really! For those that are interested, here is my loot from that trip.

What do you think? I'm super-pleased with my purchases, especially as the whole lot came to less than seven pounds, hurrah! The crochet cushion cover has to be a favourite as it's a nice big size. I'm going to mix it with other textured cushions and put the on my bed to create a nice cosy space for the approaching winter. Also the little pink box with the dried flower lid is just a beautiful trinket, I can't believe I was so lucky to pick it up for just one pound. The lovely old lady in the shop said it was a very old piece too as she received something similar for her 21st birthday all those years ago! I'm going to use it as a mini jewellery box. The rest of my lot includes a very prettily illustrated Gulliver's Travels book, a Penguin Fruit Growing book, a vintage floral cushion cushion cover and a very dirty piglet which I just couldn't leave behind! He needs a good wash, a new nose and re-stuffing! But when he is finished I hope to give him away to my new nephew.

See you soon and happy thrifting! x

{Image: Laura Blanksby}