Sunday 1 December 2013

My new second hand winter coats

Hello. Did you see the beautiful sunset last night? Wasn't it fabulous. I was hanging out of my bedroom window for this shot.
Then I thought, if I run to the church I might get another one. Five minutes later and it was gone. I love it when the sky turns red. Such an amazing sight.

Yesterday, after the Christmas Fair, I went to see my friends J & T, and their dog Bella. Poor Bella is not feeling so good, she has had her lady bits seen to, and was a wee bit sad. Nevertheless, she found a burst of energy when I rang the front door bell and came charging towards me when she saw me through the glass. Bella is a gorgeous white labradoodle, and so pretty. After an excited greeting, she went back to sitting in her chair again, where she let me whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Poor Bella.
It came up in conversation with J, that she has three jackets which she no longer needs. She has either gone off them, or they no longer fit. She asked me if I would like any of them. I tried them all on to see if they fit me, and Bingo, they did. J mentioned that they would be good for dog walking because they are warm and thick. My goodness, they are far too good for dog walking  This one is a Per Una from Marks and Spencer. It's dark green with a knitted back and sleeves, and a cord fabric front. Nice and long, it's more like a coat than a jacket. It will keep my bum warm.
This jacket has a Crew Clothing label. It's got a fleecy lining, plenty of pockets, and a fleecy lined hood with fake fur trim.

And this one is the icing on the cake. It's a really thick long jacket, quilted lining, fake fur lined hood, with a Fat Face label. It's snuggly and warm. Don't you think it's just fab.

I am chuffed to little mintballs with these lovely gifts, they will last me another five years or more. My friend is chuffed because they have been given a second life. There are some lovely people in my village. I don't mind at all if someone offers me their preloved, no longer needed clothes. I say hand me downs are the best kind. I always wore my aunties clothes when they were passed down to me when I was a child, and my younger sister always wore the things that I grew out of. I guess the habit hasn't left me. It's silly to feel embarrassed about wearing something that someone else has worn before. I certainly don't.
This morning I was awake early, it was bright and crisp, and I had the urge to go for a brisk walk. I had a coffee and put a banana in my pocket to eat while on the move, and set off along the hills, high above the River Trent. I met a couple of runners and a cyclist, and I even broke into a little jogalong myself now and again. The ground was still hard from the frost, but it isn't ideal for running, there are a lot of pot holes and slippery slopes. I am happy to stride along at a fast pace in my walking boots, don't want to bugger my knees up or break my ankle.
It was a there and back six mile walk, and I was timing myself. This went out of the window as a man walking his Rotty dog struck up a conversation with me at the halfway point as I was eating my banana. Then on the way back two more dog walkers stopped to chat. It took me almost two hours to complete it. I could knock 30 minutes off that if I wasn't such a gas bag, ha ha.  
This afternoon I spent an hour in the garden doing some hard digging, I've been to visit two lots of friends, just had my dinner, steamed veg as usual, now I'm going to play with some scraps of fabric. Got to get something ready to take to Craft Club in the morning.
Catch you tomorrow. Toodle pip.

29 comments:

  1. Wow -brilliant gifted coats - you're really "with it" now!

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  2. You're lucky to have such a nice view of the sunset from your window. When I notice it's dusk, I can always walk up to the top of the nearby hill & see the sunset a second time: it sets right behind a mountain, so it's always quite nice.

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  3. Beautiful pics of the sunset. I love your jackets - especially as they have hoods. I have 3 nice jackets and always need to use the hoods sometime during the winter months.
    Wendy (Wales)

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  4. Lovely coats! how nice of J to think of you, and pass them along.

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  5. Lovely photos as usual, you are very lucky to be given those gorgeous coats, and they look great!

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  6. Lucky you getting such beautiful jackets. Sounds like our village, where clothes and other items seem to get passed around and handed down! I've hardly ever had to buy clothes for my son.

    We have had some really fantastic skies morning and afternoon up here in the NE Scotland - pinks and oranges and golds. As you say, they're gone in a few minutes. Just heard that we're in for heavy snow midweek onwards. Can't complain really because we've had good weather up until now. Cold and windy, but sunny and dry. I will look out the second hand ski jacket my sister gave me two years ago. Welcome to the second hand jacket club Ilona!

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  7. With that red sky at night, you must be having a lovely day today? Red sky at night, shepherds' delight and all that.

    Great coats. I don't mind getting clothes from friends, in fact I love it. What's not to love? New clothes that don't cost you anything, and saving clothes going to land fill or the rag industry. I have a friend who regularly gives me the clothes she has grown out of or which no longer suit her.

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  8. Great coats..they should last a good few years..and keep you toasty!
    Jane x

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  9. Those sunset pictures are gorgeous. And I love the coats and jackets, especially the Per Una one, you lucky thing. I'm in dire need of a new coat since losing a lot of weight. The one I'm currently wearing is 4 sizes too big, but shop prices are so high. I'm going to take a look around the charity shops tomorrow and see what I can find.

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  10. Here In Scarborough we had that kind of sky over a week ago, its fantastic, Both my neighbour Gordon and I had the same idea that evening, we took pictures from our back yards/gardens. We had a hint of a pink/gold/red sky last night but nothing like last weeks spectacular sight. Sainsburys look as tho the shoppers are gearing up to christmas, customers trollies and baskets are chocker with stuff that will probably be destined for the trash before it gets used due to the use by dates, I do not bother with the dates etc, nothing wrong with using my nose, & good smell etc will soon tell if things are good still or bad. The only thing I have extra is I have stocked up with the Cat food that has been on offer, I do not own a cat but I have ferral cats that come into my yard for food each day I think word has gotten around, Number 51 gives lovely food to strays and vagabonds as from 2 cats I now get 5 daily visitors., they look starved when they start calling in but after a week or so they start plumping up and looking good, I just wish they were not so scared, but time will tell. The village fair looked a good one Ilona, I went to one last Saturday and there was only 3 stalls and a raffle it was well attended as other years it has had dozens of stalls . The highlight tho was the lunch the chapel put on, so cheap soup/ with bread roll was £1-30 as were various sandwiches with side salad so some of us who meet each week took advantage of a lunch for £2-60
    Danneke

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  11. We had the most beautiful sunset last night in my part of Canada too. It must have lasted about 45 minutes. I got a number of pictures. Lovely coats! Take care. Robin

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  12. Love the coats! It's great to get gifts like that. I had a great lift today, I replied to an offer on Freecycle for a Dualit kettle. I hate my kettle as it pours water everywhere. I managed to 'win' the Dualit and it's like being given a first prize in the raffle. Just what I would have chosen myself if not so expensive. Husband can now have my old one (he says it's OK) so everyone happy.

    Love your sky pictures.

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  13. My goodness, Ilona. Those coats really are trendy. Wear them with pride, I`d say! You certainly will need those coats with winter being here and you still actively going for longish walks.

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  14. That was a good sunset last night - I missed it as I was actually cleaning the ashes out of the fire at the time, but I've seen loads of photos of it today on blogs and on my 365 project site - so many people saw it! Those coats are great, I like all of those and would wear them myself - even better if they are freebies :)

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  15. We were lucky enough to see it out of the car window while traveling home from the NE Sustrans conference in Sunderland. I did get a shot out of the car window that I posted on my blog. It was a super day including a lovely cycle ride.
    Brenda in the Boro

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  16. Wow! Those coats are great! They will last you years. I particularly like the bum-coverer.
    Gill

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  17. What a special neighbor you have! Love the jackets, all three! How wonderful that they all fit so well!
    Lovely sky, too. They never last long enough.

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  18. Lovely coats, and they fit you perfectly! Your lucky day.

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  19. beautiful sunsets, I love the red ones too!
    great looking jackets, how very kind of them to gift you.
    I always enjoy your walks!

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  20. Good for you Ilona, great jackets. I love a secondhand bargain, gifted or bought, prefer those to going and buying new, where there are many alike and the price is too high.
    I think you look great in them all but particularly like the Per Una one.
    Pam in TX.xx

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  21. Nice coats. I have three younger brothers so as a kid you would think that I got all my clothes new. I did get some but most were hand-me-downs some from a neighbour and some from my gran's neighbour's daughter, who was a bit older than me, and her stuff was so much more fashionable. We had to pick through the items to see what would fit and what could be altered. I remember a Cream pair of Oxford bags (very wide trousers from the 70's) and they were way too big so I altered them and made a really smart pencil skirt which I still have today but no longer fits but may fit L one day.
    Carolx

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  22. What a great day you have had - Sandy in NZ

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  23. I love the last photo especially, the view is fabulous!

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  24. Three great looking coats....I'm so happy for you....stay warm.

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  25. OOOOOH Meanie! I say 'sweet nothings' to my lovely pussy cat Tailor - I thought I was the only one in the world that says this! Better that someone enjoys the clothing than it ends up in a high priced charity shop that only someone fairly well off can afford.

    Natalie

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  26. So jealous - Three coats! They all look great on you. I know what you mean about coats covering your nether regions. I did have a weatherproof jacket in a lovely mauve colour, but it didn't cover my bum. so despite all the super duper weatherproofing fabric and technology that went into the making of the jacket I was still cold after walks. A couple of months ago my lovely neighbour gave me a very lightweight weatherproof jacket and I did doubt its effectiveness. I've worn it a few times now and it's brill, covers my bum and and is warm. The other coat was donated to charity!

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  27. What a gorgeous sky and how nice that you got such a good shot of it, last time I tried I just couldn't get the photos to do the sky justice, I must try again now I've got a newer camera.

    Love the coats too :-)

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  28. Don't you just love useful freebies. Nice catch.

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  29. Gorgeous sunset and super stylish you! What a kind and generous friend to think of you. You look fab! x

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