Austria Exclusiv, Camino Del Inca - Christmas display (not cheap)

Just like last year the shops are filling up with Christmas tat and the Peruvians seem to produce tat almost as well as the Americans. Every time I go into Wong I'm temporarily blinded by disco ball like baubles, lose myself in a forests of fake trees, and get slightly disturbed by those toddler sized Father Christmases who wobble at the knees and blast you with cheery Christmas ditties. I might sound a little scrooge like, a little 'bah humbug! 'if you will, but actually I LOVE Christmas. I love the twinkling lights, I love the darkness illuminated by sparkling shop fronts, I love glancing into someones warmly lit living room from the cold night to see their tree sitting proudly in the corner of the living room. In short, I love Christmas in England and in a wider sense, Europe. There's
something special about that mix of darkness, coldness and the promise of lots of chocolate and the other day, strolling back through the shopping centre at Camino Del Inca I spotted something that, for me, encapsulated it all...

A Christmas carousel:

It didn't photograph entirely well but its actually rather stunning. Sadly, the price is rather stunning too - s/.1600. Still, very occasionally things come along that are actually worth paying a little bit more for, Just think how beautiful this would be in the middle of your dining room table with the candles aflame and the little figures dancing around. I love it and despite being a bargain hunter I don't think the price is all that bad considering it would be something you'd keep for life.

Oeschle, central Lima - table mats and (really) bad stuff

In the search for a Halloween costume for my daughter I strolled into Oeschle and...well, if I was of a more fragile disposition I'd have fainted or been sick or put on some dark glasses or something. You'll see why in a moment but for now, the one good thing I found (and I use the term 'good' loosely).

Table mats:

A reasonably uninspiring bamboo table mat that probably wouldn't last that long but only costs s/.2.90 so it wouldn't really matter that much. They'd probably look good beneath some square white plates or if you were serving something oriental.

The bad bit!

I know this blog is about nice and reasonably priced things to buy in Lima but I've decided that today, those who peddle the opposite committed such a heinous crime that they need to be named and shamed. I'll just do the naming, they can do the shaming all by themselves.

I won't go on too much as these things really speak for themselves, but that chair costs £236!

At least now you understand why some days I don't have anything to blog at all.

Wong, Primavera - teapots and cups

Well I have been quiet over the last few days but it certainly wasn't for the want of trying. I'd have a much fuller blog if I'd chosen the title Expensive Ugly things that look like they're from the 70s. Anyhow, while trawling the aisles in search of dinner last night these two things caught my eye...

Tea pot with integral strainer:

There might actually be a snappier name for these things but I'm afraid I don't know what it is so we'll have to go with it. I really wanted one of these when I lived in London and had money for such frivolities such as loose leaf tea but after seeing the price of one in the Tate Museum (I'd not actually seen one before then) I was rather put off. This, however, is cheap! Apparently (I think its always worth saying that) this was originally s/.39 but is now much more reasonable. In English money we're looking at just over  £4, which is an absolute steal.

Yet another mug:

Problem with these things is that they're so reasonably priced and when I see a nice one - which isn't as often as you'd think - I want it. I think this is a nice classic design and would sit nicely in a muted modern kitchen.

Metro, Plaza Norte - wall stickers

Wall stickers:

This is proper cheap, cut down from s/.7.90 apparently. I think this would be really cute to decorate the area around a baby's cot. You can also just about see the child's height chart that goes with it but I didn't intend to include it as I couldn't really take it out of the box to show it properly. I get enough weird looks as it is just photographing things in stores. For less than a Pound I think these stickers could really brighten up a room and, with a little imagination, could be a real bargain.

Saga, Plaza Norte - prints and tables

Dining Table and Chairs:

Ok, so its not ''cheap'' but its not bad for what you're getting. Dark wood might not be everybodies favourite, and its not usually mine, but bear with me because this really is the best of a bad lot. At least its a fairly classic design and the seats are a nice neutral material rather than the fake leather they favour here. s/.1299 is £278 which I don't think is all that bad for something like this. The publicity tries to make out that it was previously s/.2553 or £546 which I think is a bit of a leap of the imagination.

NOT CHEAP!!!!

I hate to break my own rules, especially after one day, but I couldn't pass these by, not when I'm such a fan of this sort of thing. I looked everywhere for pictures like these in London and couldn't find anything within my price range but think I probably would have splashed out for these. They're s/.49 each or about £10 which is a little pricey for prints.

Metro, Lima Centre - prints, plates and wash baskets

As I said, Cheap. I never realised how overwhelmed by cheap pretty things I was in England until I arrived here and found myself in what seemed to be a style desert. Maybe there are nice things if you go a bit upmarket - I once found a standard looking chaise longue for $1700! - but I'm a hardened bargain hunter and hate the thought of parting with more than I need to, so it's to the cheap places I go. At home we have Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, all of whom have a pretty good offering of homeware at very reasonable prices, but here their equivalents just made me want to weep. Still, like I said I 'm going to stick to my remit so here goes...

Dining Set:

Ok, so I know it's just a few cups and plates but as the majority of the cheap stuff here is plain white I think this is quite jolly. 

Wall prints:

I've noticed that homes in Lima seem to feature a lot of blank wall space and paintings to fill them aren't all that cheap. I think these make a nice alternative to religious icons.

Laundry basket:

If you're short on space or you have kiddies these pop up bins are ideal for everything. I think they're supposed to be laundry baskets but they could just as easily house soft toys. This one comes in a range of designs including pink bears and rockets but this was the one that caught my eye.

A mug:

I know! I know its just a mug but you've got to cling to even the smallest thing here. It hasn't photographed entirely well but it does have some birds on it. Its just such a happy design compared to everything else on the rail that I couldn't pass it by without taking a pic.

Why am I here?

About a year ago I moved to Lima, Peru, and about four months ago I decided to make that move more permanent and take some serious steps towards settling down and building a life here. I gave up my journalism job in London, sold all my things and, most sadly, sold my flat. I'd loved that flat. It was only an ex council flat in one of the saddest looking blocks in Penge but it had been mine and I'd transformed it from a cat hair infested pit into something resembling my idea of a perfect London pad. Now, 6000 miles away from all that I was, I find myself starting from scratch, trying to make a home and finding the choice of home decor on offer in Lima frankly depressing...and expensive. So in an attempt to build a new home and (hopefully) offer inspiration to others for theirs I'm going to document all the things I find that I like and would want to buy. I have only three rules, as my blog name suggests...they must be in Lima, be pretty and, above all, Cheap!