Gentleman's club lamp

I keep forgetting to take photos of this wonderful little lamp that Andrew's mum picked up from a car boot sale. I love the old fashioned style and the evocation of bygone era gentleman's clubs, where rich men went to sip brandy, discuss politics and escape the wife. It's going to look wonderful in the new flat, I'm hoping to wrestle it from Andrew's grasp and have it on my desk while I study.

Suitcases

I've been going through a phase recently of buying suitcases from charity shops. I don't mean natty old suitcases, I mean vintage old-fashioned looking, waiting-on-a-steam-train-platform-for-your-lover-to-return-from-the-war type cases. I need to take photos to show you all but sadly studying keeps getting in the way, by the time I get round to taking photos it's dark and the light in my room is appalling, I'm turning slowly into Gollum in the shade.

Anyway, here's some delicious cases I found on Etsy, I'm planning on getting one for my brother for his birthday, he loved my newest leather find so I feel the need to spread the suitcase love. Photos of mine-own to follow!

I love this one by HappyDayVintage. I love green, it's definately my favourite colour and the rounded edges and quilted inner definately sells this one to me.



Oh my gosh, I'm actually in love with this one from JohnnyVintage. It even has a tray inside for all your little travel items, powder compacts and the like.



Tweed AND leather in one wonderful case? How could I resist! This one is just gorgeous from BackThennishVintage, I've just got to find one in my (rather meagre) price range now...

New Year's Resolutions

So Second Fiddle took a break over christmas and the new year. I didn't really mean to, quite the opposite in fact, I thought the holidays would give me more time to craft. Sadly though these things never work as we mean them to and between seeing the family, working 2 work placements (I'm mid-way through dairy farming as we speak), seeing the boyfriend's family and studying, very little crafting got done at all.

So, this is just a text-only post. Rubbish I know but normal service will resume shortly.
In the meantime, here's my New Years Resolutions. I figure if I write them down somewhere I'm much more likely to stick to them. What are all yours?

1. Speak less, listen more. I come from a long line of women-folk motor-mouths and a week in a bungalow with them over christmas reminded me how much I don't want to end up like that. So I'm resolved to start trying now, with the hope that by the time mid-life hits, when this nefarious disease starts to seriously raise it's head, I'll be prepared.
2. Not take on too much. I'm really bad for not being able to say no, to dinner invites, parties, craft projects, you name it. Invariably these things mount up and I end up trying to be in half a dozen places at once or doing 5 things at the same time and I always end up stressed and upset. Well no more!
3. Get myself out of my overdraft. After not being able to work last summer due to work placements, I'm now severely into my overdraft. It's interest-free and so not that big a deal but Andrew and I want to start saving for a flat deposit now he's got a job and so having a giant hole of an overdraft round my neck isn't a good place to start. I estimate if I'm sensible and make a budget (and stick to it!) I should be out of it by the summer, fingers crossed.