Sweet Charity

I think somewhere there lies a secret chamber. This chamber holds many secrets but once a month, a meeting takes place. An evil one. Attended by all the billing companies. Electricity, gas, internet, phone all are in attendance as the conspire to align billing dates. Tax and insurance are represented too as evil maniacal laughs fill the room.

Now I don't have actual evidence that this place exists but as I look down at my post lying at my front door, I genuinely believe it does. When Beyoncé and her girlies say about 'Bills, bills, bills', I used to leap around the dance floor like a mad yoke to the catchy beat but the lyrics had no meaning at all. Bills? Sure that's what mam and dad are for!

For a self confessed shopaholic, bills are evil. These evil little things that arrive at your door and snatch your shopping fund. Okay, so yes, I guess electricity is probably a wee bit more important than those new shoes you've been drooling over but there are times even I question not taking the Carrie Bradshaw approach to the situation. Buying vogue instead of food because it fed her more - well that's all well and good but chances are she didn't live with a man at the time. And lassies, you all know no amount of issues of vogue makes it worth living with a 'hangry' fella.

So what's a gal to do??!

I need my fix and bills need paying so one quiet Monday afternoon, on a walk through my little town, I ventured into a charity shop. Now if years ago, I had seem me that afternoon I would have been a little disgusted. 'Charity shops are full of junk and a bit smelly, Lucy! WTF are you doing?!', would have been my thoughts. But desperate times call for desperate measures ladies, and my habit needed a fix.

Truthfully, I had no expectations of what I would find as I entered the shop but within minutes of browsing, I hit gold.

Not actual gold obviously but in fashion terms it was a little jackpot. Nestled in amongst some dodgy looking jumpers, A limited edition Zara blazer in my size. Now some of ye are thinking 'So?' right now but any gal who knows her fashion understands the significance of my find that day. In simple terms, if blazers were celebs, this jacket would be Kim Kardashian. A quick try on confirmed it fit like a glove.

The price? Seven yoyos baby!

I'm pretty sure the girl at the till though I was hopped up on drugs or something as I gleefully handed over my coins to her and skipped out the door with my lovely new blazer. I was delighted with myself having added a gorgeous new jacket to my wardrobe AND still being able to...you know...eat!

The merits of charity shops had been told to me for years by my dear mammy, who would always go into them for a rummage, but I just couldn't see the attraction. Who would want to wear second hand clothes bought in a dodgy smelling shop?! I mean do they even clean the stuff they get?! What if I buy something and the person who donated it sees me wearing it?! - were a few of my (now unfounded) concerns. Well, turns out when you're broke and/or looking for something that nobody else has (I'm looking at you Penneys!), a charity shop is a little goldmine.

Don't get me wrong, like panning for gold, there are good days and bad days but like any true shopaholic - I'm a trooper!


Forever in the Sky
Lucy x