Charity shop wins

British Heart Foundation on Western Road, Brighton has become far and beyond my favourite local charity shop recently. Since picking up a Marni top for £4.99 (not even H&M X Marni either) I've found Cos bargains and an authentic Scandinavian jumper - always with plenty of change from a tenner, and often a fiver.

This weekend it didn't fail to disappoint and I returned from my trip to 'Waitrose' with a Paul & Joe Sister smock for £4.99 and a brand new Warehouse peasant embroidered top for just £2.99. Both to be packed away to be rediscovered with joy come spring/summer 2013.

On my Sunday charity shop round I also spotted a House of Wilde padded tie-dye gilet in Oxfam. Recognising the label, a quick mobile Google search confirmed that it was that of the bohemian Australian brand, whose pieces regularly reside in the three-figure bracket. Unlike Oxfam - one of the more expensive charity shops - to have missed the value of this piece, which I snapped up for just £5.99.

No delayed gratification with this beauty - it was straight on my, now very warm, back.

Other top spots of the trip - Ralph Lauren powder pink chunky knit jumper in Spiral (£4) and ceramic Hornsea coffee and sugar jars in Marlets priced at £5 and £3 respectively.

I love Brighton.

Sixties sparkle bow shoes

Psychedelic print, sparkles, bows, mini heels - how perfect are these vintage beauties? And just £9.99 from Oxfam on Western Road!

Any ideas what these marks are about? Samples perhaps?

September bargains

Ooh, it's been a good month for second-hand shopping...

All Saints silk floral dress - £4.99, Oxfam

Zara paisley print shirt - £4.99, Barnardos

Dallas Simpson print - £5, Shoreham car boot sale

The Sarah Lund jumper

Just in time for a trip to The Scandinavia Show next weekend, this Denmark-made wool jumper has come into my life. At £5.99 from British Heart Foundation, it was slightly more affordable than the original Sarah Lund jumper - 280 Euros from Gudrun & Gudrun - and so thick and cosy that it requires no further outerwear.

After all, why would you want to cover up this beauty? Here's hoping for a cold winter...

New season knits & M&S love

It might not be the weather for it just yet - and I'm certainly not complaining about that - but I've already been stocking up on knits in preperation for my favourite season.

Autumn excites me for so many reasons - the crisp, fresh air and bright sunshine, the rich colours, the cosy nights and last but not least, the opportunity to layer and cover up in style.

Summer is silly season for fashion, and if you're not a teenager it's hard to get away with many of the out-there trends. Autumn offers much more interest for grown-up looks.

So, on to the purchases - a geek chic mosaic wool jumper from M&S (£35) and Orla Kiely short-sleeved waffle knit from the Preloved Designer Sale (£42). I fell for the latter when I spotted it on Carrie over at wishwishwish.net early last year, so was delighted to get the chance to add it to my wardrobe at an affordable price.

And while we're speaking of M&S, I'm very impressed with their fashion offering this season. Not only do they have rails and rails of spot-on cosy knits, they've also brought back the bottle green military coat (I really need to invest in one of these classic pieces) and I couldn't resist this Sixties-style geometric print collar dress. It hangs perfectly and is suitable for evenings out as well as work meetings.

Delights of Dieppe

Historical French town Dieppe boasts a plethora of delights for the summer holiday maker. From the picture-postcard harbour, along the cliff-framed beach and up to the imposing hillside chateau, these free treats combined with bargain holiday lets and a £30 ferry return make this a cheap and very cheerful channel hop.

As well as the busy Saturday market offering fresh produce, clothes and hand-made goods, a number of antique shops or 'Brocantes' offer a wealth of second-hand clothes, jewellery, art, collectibles, furniture and more. These Sonia Rykiel 1960s heels were just 25 Euros, but sadly still too small even after the third try. However, I did pick up a Beatles LP and leather saddle bag for 15 Euros total and two pretty animal brooches for 20 Euros. Sadly this bed frame was just a little too big to take back on the ferry...

Marni charity shop super-bargain

Spotting a rare designer gem among the bobbly Atmosphere jumpers makes those hours of fruitless charity shop scouring so worthwhile. And this scoop-neck, bark-print Marni top, just £4.99 (un.believable) from British Heart Foundation, has truly helped keep the dream alive.

It's the type of piece that makes you nervous when taking it to the till in case someone realises that they've made a terrible pricing mistake. But not this time - my second charity shop Marni super-bargain was in the bag before the cashier could even clock the label.

Lewes vintage - Revive-All & Hobo Vintage

Living in Brighton, it's easy to become blase about the vintage shopping opportunities with which we're blessed. Sometimes it takes some extra special finds or an out-of-town discovery to bring back the thrill, and the latter certainly delivered on that this week.

Despite visiting Lewes several times, I'd previously missed the antiques-come-second-hand-bookshop-come-vintage-clothing-shop Revive-All so was excited to stumble across a new hunting ground. Diving into the cluttered shop, I rummaged among vintage tins, 1940s tea dresses and unusual jewellery, while the husband leafed through 1960s Star Trek annuals.

I could have stayed there for hours, finding out the history of particular items from the friendly shop owner. But it was the locked shop at the back of the Needlemakers building that really got my heart racing. The owners of Hobo Vintage had packed up and left for the day, but said friendly shop keeper was only too happy to open it for us to have a browse: our own private vintage shop viewing - it was something of a dream come true.

As well as a covetable display of leather handbags, a huge selection of vintage dresses from the likes of Horrockses and Liberty and glamorous Sixties' coats, the shop also boasted a well-stocked men's vintage section - full of Barbour coats, tweed jackets and even an original pilot's jacket.

As much as I don't want anyone else to know about the secret treasure trove, this is one shop that deserves some local support - go prepared to spend!

Cath Kidston sale steal

A rummage amongst the 'nice price' items in Cath Kidston revealed a vintage-inspired basic today - this fun house and tree print shirt was just £20 reduced from £38. It reminds me of the postcard print shirts and scarves you can often find in the jumble at vintage shops, but this piece didn't have any damage or worn elbows and it fit like a dream in a size 10 (vanity sizing gets me every time)!

That is more than I can say for the post-box red United Colours of Benetton jumper I picked up at the My Swish clothes swap last weekend, but one small moth hole has been stitched up and no one will know that the other is there unless I tell them (oops).

It's pretty tiny, but has a good bit of stretch in it, and I was sold when a fellow swapper said it was "very Sixties". Some things are just meant to be because these two steals work perfectly together for a pleasingly geeky look.

Cat-hartic clothes

I'm feeling a little stressed at the moment, and sometimes when this happens only cats and clothes can bring me round. So here goes:

Kitty pumps - £20.99, Daisy Street

Galaxy cat T-shirt - £12, eBay

Zoe Karssen I Heart Cats T-shirt - £35, Nola Boutique (this one's already mine - at £25 in the in-store sale, how could I say no?)

Louche Kat jumper - £45, Joy

Your Eyes Lie cat T-shirt - £30, ASOS

I feel better already.

Seeing double in See By Chloe

Today I doubled up on See By Chloe and layered these colourful cotton tops with black leggings.

See By Chloe is a brand I love, but can't afford full price, so as per these were bargain finds at less than £5 each. I picked up the yellow tunic top in a TK Maxx sale a couple of years ago for £4.99 and found the purple Peter Pan collar piece for £3.49 in Age UK charity shop on St James's Street, alongside a Carolina Herrera shirt for £4.99 (not my style, but still!).

As a happy coincidence, the colours work together well, with the light summer material keeping the look casual and fun.

Now, to hunt down one of See By Chloe's cat print pieces for pennies... One can dream.

Charity shop salvage - Marni & H&M

A rummage in my local Oxfam this weekend unearthed an exciting find - a piece from Marni's recent collaboration with H&M. This T-shirt wasn't actually for sale at H&M - instead worn by staff wardening the crazy shopping sprees - but I love those instantly recognisable oversized dots so snapped it up for just £1.99.

There was one slight problem: The colours around the neckline had run when washed by the previous owner. But I didn't much like the boxy shape of the large tee anyway, so chopped off the collar, tidied up the edges et voila.

A unique slice of Marni for a couple of quid - you've gotta love charity shops.

Cornwall in pictures

The annual family trip to Port Isaac in Cornwall (of Doc Martin and Fisherman's Friends fame) offers the perfect opportunity to slow down, switch off and enjoy simple sensory pleasures: Stunning coastal views, beach walks, games, reading and lots of delicious fresh seafood.