Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
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Crafty times: the zipper flower part 2
Well crafters, there’s good news and there’s bad news.
The good news is, the zipper flower is done. Ish.
The bad news is that it just about defeated me and I’ve finished this project with one zipper amoeba and a whole new appreciation for Velcro, snaps and ties.
Zippers are a tricky business, and to turn one into a flower, well, I think that takes a little more dexterity than your correspondent here could muster. Only those who play fast and loose with the whole representational thing are likely to call my little craft a flower. It is a zipper amoeba.
Here’s how I did it, along with a few tips on how NOT to do yours.
First, I consulted a very handy tutorial on craftster.org. Once I had an idea of what I was doing (or thought I did), I gathered my crafting components: needle, thread, scissors and zipper. I had run out of black thread and so had to buy more, which nudged my costs above the £5 mark, but not too far out of reach: all in, my bill was £6.30.
Everything you need to make a zipper flower
Posted in Crafting, Fashion, Uncategorized
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Behold, the Spirit of Christmas..
Last weekend I (and two lucky ticket winners, though not as a power-shopping trio) took a seasonal spin round the Spirit of Christmas Fair (hereafter referred to as the SoCF).
I wanted to kick off my Christmas shopping early this year, hopefully with a few inexpensive and unique gifts. Every year I end up needing more hostess/thank-you gifts than I expect to, so I had my eyes open for suitable fare.
Let there be fairy lights
The SoCF was just as billed – a glittering, twinkling celebration of gifts, crafts and all things consumable. There was nary a high street label in sight, and most stalls were staffed by, if not the people who made the goods, certainly the people who ran the business. This made shopping a little easier, as you could get a bit of information about the goods for sale and where they come from.
Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my favourite bit was the little cafe at the centre of things. My shopping sidekick E and I headed there first for some mulled wine and mince tarts – sustenance, you see – before braving the crowds and wading into the melee…
Time to hit the list
Calling to mind an earlier OolaMoola challenge, E’s handbag budget was £100. She was looking for something pretty, big enough to hold a Mac and some paperwork, and, most importantly, “grown-up and professional”. Tall order.
Luckily for us, the SoCF was teeming with handbags that fit the bill. The event attracts a lot of small businesses and artisans, so the goods on offer tended towards the unique and high-quality, but fortunately lacked the hefty price tags similar bags sport on the high street.
E bought a beautiful pink and black handbag from Timepieces, a brand that specialises in Italian imports. Leather-lined, many-pocketed and multi-strapped, it fit the bill and came in at £5 under budget. Success – and a fiver for the mulled wine fund.
Handbags by Timepieces
I tried on, but didn’t buy, a gorgeous silver butterfly ring by jeweller Kimberley Selwood. I loved her stuff, especially this delicate piece, but alas jewellery was not on my list.
Silver butterfly ring
I’ve read that velvet is *the* fabric this year, so when saw a Jane Means ribbon stand I took a minute to look for some lush velvet ribbon I could use to tie my hair back. I spent £5 on four lengths of ribbon (two of them velvet – score!).
Ribbons from Jane Means
I also found a few packets of festive napkins and similar items to set aside until the inevitable hostess gift panic moment.
All in, the SoCF provided a refreshing alternative to high street Christmas shopping, though it was a more chaotic experience than the tried and tried wine-and-a-laptop online shopping special (a favourite of mine). Worth a visit next year? Absolutely – even with the £15 ticket price.
Posted in Uncategorized
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Spirit of Christmas Fair ticket giveaway
It’s 6 November, which means Christmas is a mere 48 days away. If you’re a last-minute sort, Christmas shopping won’t have graced your retail radar yet, but if you’re someone who likes to get it done sooner (all the more time to quaff mulled wine, you see), your ship has come in…
Let the Christmas shopping commence
OolaMoola is giving away four weekend tickets to the Spirit of Christmas Fair in Olympia this weekend. The event has been featured in Home & Garden magazine and is stacked with gifts, glitter, and all manner of delicious Christmas treats.
The Spirit of Christmas Fair
Here’s what you’ll find at the Fair
This year, more than 600 companies will have some sort of food, drink, gift or service on display. The list of who’s coming features lots of local, ethical and handmade brands like Chameleon Earth Fair Trade leather goods, luscious Cowshed body products and Gwendolyn Carrie handmade shoes.
Even if you’re not up for shopping just yet, the Spirit of Christmas Fair is the perfect place to take in your first taste of festive spirit, with wines (mulled and otherwise!), chocolates and all manner of seasonal treats to be had.
Our tickets come courtesy of jewellery designer Kimberley Selwood, whose gorgeous new Plume range will be on display. Here’s one of her cuff bracelets — I think it’s really delicate and unique… something for the stocking, perhaps? (One can only hope!)
A Kimberley Selwood cuff bracelet
How to get in on the action
Tickets are valued at £15 each and are good for admission on Saturday or Sunday. We’ll give the tickets away in pairs so you can take a friend with you to soak up all the seasonal festivity.
To win yours, hop onto Twitter and be the first (or second!) to retweet our Spirit of Christmas Fair tweet. Good luck… and happy shopping!
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Uncategorized
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As good as new baby gear for a fraction of the cost
Most mums are familiar with the NCT (National Childbirth Trust), but how many are aware of the nearly-new sales that take place locally to them every 6 months or so?
Down our way, in the London mummy-ghetto that is East Dulwich, the NCT nearly-new sale is a hotly anticipated date that finds its way into the diary weeks in advance. I had been warned by a couple of friends that I should turn up early to bag the good stuff. I can’t usually be bothered to queue for anything, but when it comes to shopping for The Noodle, I’m a willing slave.
The queues were long and the morning so cold that I regretted my sweater dress and boots and wished for a ‘duvet’ coat - the kind you see Spanish tourists wearing in London whatever the weather. I froze for 40 minutes, whiling away the time on Google reader and surreptitiously sharpening my elbows.
At 11am sharp, the doors opened and the hordes rushed in. It was organised chaos, with mums just about managing to be polite to each other as they scrabbled over jumpers, coats, trousers, toys and even bigger items like a brand new Bugaboo. There really was some great schwag to be had.
I had set myself a budget of £40 and hoped to find some warm clothes and new toys for The Noodle. I’m pretty pleased with what I came out with:
1 pure wool Benetton cardigan (£4.50)
3 pairs of tights (£1.50)
1 wooden shape sorter (£3.50)
1 bag of duplo including a bendy caterpillar (£4.50)
1 pair of pompom slippers (£4)
1 pair of dungarees (£4.50)
1 sleeping bag (£2.50)
1 wooden bead puzzle (£2.50)
Total: £27.50
When I got home, I took real pleasure in hunting for the same articles online to find out how much money I’d saved. I discovered that the overall value when new is £174.00. Bargain! And I came out unscathed - all in all, a good morning’s bargain hunting.
Here’s a video of a slightly more spacious NCT sale than the one I went to:
To find out where the next NCT sale near you is, go to their Nearly New Sale Finder and put in your postcode. The added bonus is that most of the money goes to the charity to support new parents, so you can feel warm and fuzzy as well as a little bit smug.
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Family, Uncategorized
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Final winner of the great beauty case giveaway…
This is almost sad:( I’ve had the most exiting week, giving away a gorgeous beauty case from the ladies over at Beauty-Boxes.com every morning. But now, alas, it’s over..
Not before we announce the final winner, though… we asked you to tell us which fashion label is your favourite and why.
Congrats to @JediPrincessJo - our final beauty case is on it’s way to you!
If you didn’t win this time, watch our blog in the future for other giveaways and exciting stuff we might do. And don’t forget to challenge us with your budget dillemas - we try to solve every single one!
Posted in Uncategorized
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Visit to the Covent Garden Real Food Market
The Covent Garden Real Food Market is in full swing. If you haven’t yet stopped by the West End’s answer to Borough Market or Broadway Market, get thee to the east side of the piazza, and soon.
The Real Food Market at Covent Garden
I wandered over to the Real Food Market last Thursday at about one-thirty. I planned to grade it on three criteria: selection, quality, and price of food. Here’s the breakdown and a few individual recommendations… Read full post
Posted in Bargains & Markets, Food, Uncategorized
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Save on your daily cappuccino
Have you stopped picking up a cappuccino or latte on your way to work in a bid to save money? When you consider the cost of a daily cappuccino can total £500 throughout the year, it makes perfect financial sense to minimize such lavish spending on coffee consumption. After all, there are far better ways to spend £500!
While avoiding the temptation of the coffee house is great for cash flow, a girl still needs her caffeine high, or at least this girl does, but the question is, what constitutes a suitable replacement? There is of course the trusty cafetière. Handy in the home and office, especially if you’re making coffee for a crowd, although I find the cleaning involved can be a little tiresome…
For those times when you don’t want to mess about with the whole brewing business, then these sachets of instant, yes, I did say instant, coffee from Starbucks may be just what you’re looking for. Available in Colombian and Italian Roast flavours, the coffee has a full-bodied taste, and is a great alternative to ground coffee. Read full postPosted in Food, Uncategorized
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Notes on new challenges
Winging their way over via email and bat-phone… two new challenges from OolaMoola readers:
“I am looking for cheap eyebrow threading. I currently pay £17 but have paid £3 in the past but need somewhere near Greenwich or on the DLR route between Canary Wharf and Bank. Any recommendations?” — Adah
“Can you design and make a unique headpiece — ie fascinator or hat — for a special occasion like a wedding or day at the races… on a budget.” — Rachelle
Fear not fair readers, I am on the case!
And looking back to my first post, I heard requests for recipes (sushi so far, and more to come this week), shopping tips, travel tips (Whitstable in June, and more to come in July) and a budget spa break…
Any more for any more?
Posted in Uncategorized
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Oh no! It’s all gone wrong
So I embarked on this challenge, full of positive energy and things were looking great!
But then what happened?
It’s been silent from me for a while and I bet you’re dying to know… All I can say is that unfortunately there was a lot of food going on in April, topped with late evenings and no time for running or any type of health enhancing activities… a combo that lead to a massive fail on my part!
I believe in second chances, though. So here we go again! I was snooping about in a second hand store last week and suddenly stumbled across this:
A sign to get back in the game? I can totally see myself using that thigh master when watching movies at home….
It won’t help me loose weight without other calorie burning exercises though, but it might help me stay on track and remind me to get off the sofa. I’ve already tried the wheel - it’s not that easy! Not sure if that was a great buy (even at £1) - lots of reviews online says it will do nothing for you. I feel it in my arms, though…
Total spent: £3.50
Full price of exercise wheel: £5
Full price of thigh master: £12Total saved: £13.5
Posted in Uncategorized
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Designer-style walls for £30
I would love to wallpaper one of the walls in my living room. I particularly love the hand-finished garden birds wallpaper by designer Louise Body. The only problem is that her wallpaper starts at £95 a metre.So I was particularly delighted to discover that Louise offers a wallpaper sample service, which really got my thinking about alternative options. You can select up to six different A4-sized samples for a total of £6.50, plus an extra £1 for postage. Well within my £30 budget!
I paid via PayPal and waited for my samples to arrive. In the meantime, I researched some framing options online. IKEA is by far the most affordable in terms of quality and style.
When my samples arrived, I took them along with me to IKEA to choose the frames. The black RIBBA frames were perfect, at £7.43 each for the A4-size. Only thing is that I needed three of them for a good “collective” effect, which would take me slightly over budget. Still, I decided that I would be saving lots of money anyway, so I went ahead and bought three at at a total of £22.29. Read full post
Posted in Decor, Uncategorized
