Pigs, Peanuts And Pretty Pointless Movies: What You Can Find At A Car Boot Sale

It's May Day bank holiday everyone! Well, to be honest, I'm not as excited as I sound, because my bank holidays are less holidays than extensions to the weekend, which basically means slightly more time to finish homework projects/mess around on my iPad. So nothing particularly special. The only thing that really set this one apart was the sudden increase in temperature (it was significantly sunnier than when I posted about spring a few weeks ago), which I guess gave me some opportunity to sit or walk around in the garden, even if it was doing homework.

However, perhaps it's a reckless exaggeration that all I did was work and do everyday things this May Day. Because we did just go to a car boot sale yesterday! Yay! I never used to treat car boot sales with so much enthusiasm, thinking they were just another pointless thing my mum likes, but lately – I don't know if it's the new pig collection, more excitement in searching for new books and movies, a stronger interest in shopping or just a broadening of horizons since I started secondary school last September – I've sort of enjoyed searching around for little gems there a whole lot more, with their non-brand-new look and cheap prices.

So the one we went to was in a town near the country house, but I'll quit talking (only for a bit, though) and show you the haul, starting with the new inductees of my pig collection...

I was taken aback at the amount of pigs on sale, as I was only expecting one or two, or maybe none at all.  But car boot sales have surprised me again, and I came home with this load! The pink and brown pair at the front have a delightful homemade look, with their pathetic expressions, dot eyes and imperfect paint, and they're great as a combination together. The two plastic pigs next to them are a bit conventional pale-pink-pig, but I probably wouldn't have bought them if they hadn't been such a cute mother and piglet pair.

And then we get to the back row and the piggy banks. I don't intend to use these to store money, because I don't really get pocket money, I just ask my parents if I can have money to buy something or I get money from the bank on debit card. When I was younger, I used to use a red piggy bank (this will soon be in my collection, along with another wooden pig I found in my bedroom) and then a cute Japanese waving cat bank, but those days are far behind us.

But anyway, more about these piggy banks. While the turquoise one on the left has a cute unhappy face and interesting colouring, it's the one on the left I really love. Its cheeky expression, especially when viewed from the side, is a masterpiece of paintwork and the purple fish on the side is a unique touch (the pig is from Malta, if you were wondering). All in all, a great pig haul (Haha, that rhymes)!

 Note: If you've never read Peanuts or Calvin & Hobbes, you probably won't get any of the references in this passage. Just to warn you.

I'd never really read much Peanuts before now, although I am a huge and slightly obsessive fan of Calvin & Hobbes, the cartoonist of which cites Peanuts as a major influence, which is what drew me to them. When I first picked one of these up at the sale table, I thought "No. This isn't like any of Calvin & Hobbes, this is way too babyish. There's no hidden meaning behind these strips." But then I realised, that's sort of the point. The simplicity of the drawings provides immense charisma with just a circle and two dots, and the simple speech and jokes of Charlie Brown and the others are in some ways a lot more readable and charming than the philosophical points and often pretentiousness of Calvin's discussions with Hobbes, his parents and his teacher.

Also, I guess they're both very synonymous with other cartoons of their times: Peanuts has the innocent humour I've seen in books of 60s comics, and Calvin & Hobbes has the same cultural references and artistic criticism of other 80s and 90s cartoons and kids shows. Overall, I probably prefer the cynical yet amusing rants of Calvin, but that doesn't make Peanuts not enjoyable for a lighter read. And it definitely didn't stop me reading one and a half of the five books we bought (for £1!) on the car ride home and later placing it on my toilet reading pile :) (which used to include Calvin & Hobbes, but I've read and reread them too many times, apparently :()

Ah, now the movies. We bought many more than this, but these are the ones that really interested me: A Handful Of Dust, a historicy-romancey thingy; Along Came Polly, which is quite a famous rom-com, which I've heard lots about but somehow avoided seeing; and a totally random film I know nothing about, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The only one I've seen so far is the latter, but I think the review will need a post for itself, as will the other movie reviews. I guess that's why I've just described it as "totally random" – I don't want to give so much away that I can't write the review! Anyway, reviews of all three coming soon!

And, finally, the bench on which I photographed them all! This will probably be used for drinks, food, outdoor decorations, maybe a seat and, of course, a photography pedestal on our country house patio, which is where all the photos are taken. I think it's quite a unique turquoisey-blue on here, sort of teal blue, it reminds me a bit of my Scout shirt :). But I think it's a nice blue that goes tastefully with the sparse red decoration. Also the star cut-out with the red inside is an interesting touch: it's not as brash as having a painted red star would be, but it's still a unique, eyecatching addition and sets the bench apart from all the rustic-style furniture that's popular right now.

What do you think of my haul? Do you ever go to car boot sales? If so, what do you buy? Don't hesitate to comment!

-DP :)

My New Collection Of…Pigs?!

Hi everyone. Right now I'm sitting on a small brick wall, blogging on my iPad, in front of a luminously green lawn, all alone save a woodpigeon. It's sunny but with a cold breeze. The grass is wet with dew. No prizes for guessing that this weekend we're in Suffolk at the country house, not London.

OMG, just realised that that first paragraph sounded WAY too much like last week's "Spring Is In The Air!!!" post. Sorry. You now have every right to say "Shut up, DP, and if you're going to talk, talk about something other than random picturesque landscapes! How about that weird post title you made up!". Well, to be fair, you had the right to say that before, because this blog believes in freedom of speech and as far as I'm concerned you can think whatever you like about my writing. And photography and videos and whatever else I happen to publish online. But I'm going off on another tangent (today is a very tangenty day, and I think I just coined a new word. Maybe it'll go viral). Better get to the point, and quick.

Anyway, now we can forget that second paragraph ever happened. And besides, you're probably wondering somewhere deep down in your brain, maybe even subconsciously, about what on Earth the titular Pig Collection is. Well, when we were on holiday last, my mum was telling an sad tale during breakfast about how a few years back she lost some of her postcard collection, which she'd had since she was five. Then I thought that I don't really have a collection of linked objects that I'd be really sad about if I lost one of the set (well, I suppose I have my collection of blog posts, but they're not really material…), and I asked my family for suggestions on what I should collect. There were weird, wonderful and just plain mad ideas put forward, from objects the length of my handspan (right, genius. What do I do when it changes?) to coyotes (oh, you see a lot of those on the souvenir shop rounds, don't you?) to six-inch-long objects (here lies DP, who always had a tape measure slung around her shoulder) to practically every animal figurine you can think of. And conventional things like snow globes, stickers or gemstones. My dad even had the "practical" idea of carrying on one of our family traditions which has existed as long as I can remember: getting a decorated tin every birthday and Christmas. They're nice tins and it's a fair idea, but that's something my parents made up, and not me, so it feels like too much of a prerogative. So I had to say no.

So the crisis remained unresolved until about a week after school started again. My mum was down at my Nana's house in Rottingdean and they were discussing the collection issue. My Nana collects mini, mainly high-heeled shoes which she displays on her bathroom cabinet, which I think is a lovely idea, but a) I don't want to copy her and b) mini shoes aren't really my thing, I much prefer real ones :D. However, before the shoe phase, I discovered my Nana also collected…PIGS! Now that's more up my street…

So my mum accepted the collection suggested, so Nana (hey Nana, and thanks!) gave me a couple to start my collection off! Aren't they so cute? I love how they aren't really straight pink piglets, but they're designed in a more sophisticated way. Also, they don't seem picture perfect; like people, they both have little appearance quirks, which I think makes them more real and not just figurines. The black pig has his green eyes and his broken leg (although that is something my dad is mending at the moment) and the glass pig has those red ears. And I genuinely think there's expression in those little eyes on the glass pig, especially in the solo photo. He looks like a despondent piglet stranded in a sea of wooden table, poor thing.

As you've probably gleaned, I have found what I want to collect. I am so sure of this (and I love the two first inductees so much) that I have placed them in the part of my bedroom I call the Cute Animal Shelf (see picture below). The empty part of said shelf is now officially devoted to my pigs, which I will always keep an eye out for!
-DP :)
PS Remember to enter my Swan Quiz contest, to be in chance of winning a feature on this blog of your choice! Check out this post for more details, the contest closes on the 22nd May.