Back!

As Dorothy said, ‘There’s no place like home.’ Holidays are wonderful – a time for lots of talk,  more exercise and new sights. I was in Wellington and of course had to visit a few op shops.  I don’t know if I just hit bad days but I found nothing except a book and a lovely paua shell. What struck me is how poor the linens are. Just newish cotton mix sheets without the retro appeal. None of the op shop goodness that my city offers. And grot sheets were $6!

So yesterday I returned home and had time to go to my two favourite op shops. And there were some lovely sheets.

 

 

The last photo is a tin tray.

Below is my cupboard with my favourite pure cotton sheets. I found some delightful washi tape that is fabric and looks like a vintage sheet pattern  – so I put it top and bottom of the shelf.  There is no more room now for sheets – I will have to start getting rid of some if another favourite is found. The other  photos are pillowcases. Such an easy way to change the look of a bed.

Sorting out…

The light shade was faulty, the lighting company didn’t drill a hole when replacing it and the plaster ceiling crumbled. A new mould was made, ceiling replaced and painted. This involved moving stuff collected… So now there is a sort out to do. Things to sell, to give away and to store.

I actually enjoy the opportunity that change presents – clearing out is cathartic. I try to only buy things that I love and this week was no exception. I am selling some things to make room for new ones. This West German vase is divine mid century modern. Big items work well. The lava like texture is very satisfying – and the dirty colour perfect.

So many retro fabrics found on Friday. All freshly laundered in the autumn sunshine.

A big wire flower.

On Saturday morning I went to a garage sale just along the street. I wasn’t early, but there was this gorgeous hand blown blue bowl. $8!! Flowers from the market.

Early Saturday morning.

Rich jewel colours

A Crown Lynn vase

A very cool retro sheet found today.

And the piece de resistance – the sublime jug found at the local op shop on Friday.

Easter

Five days off… Bliss. Time to do a few projects, get out and about, and into the garden. The flowers are nearing their end for another summer and autumn is definitely in the air. The Cosmos knows that it should keep flowering and lasts so long in a vase. I tend to avoid blue, but this particular blue vase is divine. The centre piece under it is a potholder with a sack backing.

I bought steel wool and took to the steps I bought last week. Today I polyurethaned them. There was a lot of dirt to get off and a bit of skin lost, but I love the result.

As for the knitted chickens, these I bought at the Hospice op shop complete with marshmallow eggs. Some elderly woman doing her bit for the Hospice cause. There were two trays of them… What a lot of effort. So adorable!  There was an Easter egg hunt yesterday and these two chickens were the favourites by far. 

A $2 find – handcrafted excellence. I love the texture and shape. 

Some K Mart silliness that made us laugh.

Friday linen wonderfulness

Oh my goodness! My heart was racing! An impromptu trip on a gorgeous early autumn Friday lead us to going for a drive down the coast and over the hill to the best blue cod and chips lunch. It was a feast by the lake. We were so close by then to a small township that we drove on. And there in one op shop was a room stacked with linen. A whole little room packed! Bliss!

Here are the finds!

Saturday morning market

Off early this morning to the market and joy of joys the flower lady was there with buckets of bouquets. She tells me this is her 12 th year selling and today is the first for this season. It was hard choosing with such bountiful groupings of flowers. This is what is in my kitchen table this morning.

This strawberry was in my garden. Nothing could compare with nature’s beauty. 

But this table cloth is pretty gorgeous with its black outlines and strong colours. I found it at the boot sale I went to last weekend. 

Friday friendship

Today friends came for a late morning tea. I love this illustration depicting comradeship and the retro colours and shapes. Today sitting around my kitchen table with colleagues I felt so grateful to work with people that I genuinely like. It was a great way to while away a few hours chatting and laughing.

Then of course I had to do a bit of shopping. Just a quick trip… And I found a sheet and three pillowcases. The blanket was found yesterday, there were a pair of them. I washed them both and hung them on the line this morning. One went home with one of the visiting friends.

More felt and green glass

Three green glass dishes for 30 cents! I dropped my one of these a few months ago and it smashed. So I was very surprised to find three today. I use these as the cat’s  milk dish. Three might be a bit excessive!

This felt garland/ bunting is hand made in Nepal and bought at the Eumundi market. I had intended it for the Christmas tree but it is all sparkly strawberries and red and silver this year. So the Stars have been relegated to the hall.

 

 

Felt on Monday

Today just as I was walking out of the op shop with no finds, there on the table was this lovely little handmade purse. I can’t imagine why anyone would give this away. Green perfect. Felt perfect. Toggle perfect.

Yesterday I put up the Christmas tree. This toadstool is so cute.

At the Steiner Fair this year I bought this flower – so cleverly crafted.

And at last year’s Steiner fair I bought this notebook. The crafts are so delightful that it is hard to decide what to choose.

These toadstools are the softest hue. I found them in a shop near Noosa. A holiday momento.

A gorgeous gift and a great find

How lucky am I! Today my clever friend gave me the choice from two dogs that she had made. It was a hard decision as both were made of divine coloured blankets. I chose this one- aqua,  orange, a red button, a lovely expression… Oh I love it! And how kind to be gifted this work of love and cleverness.

Last week was a bonanza week of finds. The army issued grey blankets to all soldiers. The one on the left might have been one of these.

Check out these great labels.

I buy dog blankets for ‘Jack and Polly’ when they are lovely. This striped one has such a great set of colours through it. Quite unlike anything I have seen before.

 

And my great find is…

Today when op shopping I found this German vase. What a delight! $12!! Sometimes I am asked what I collect and I don’t collect anything. However, I do have a few of these West German vessels. I love the earthy colours. They sit atop my piano.

What a perfect addition.

Poppies and Bright Colours

How I love to pick flowers from my garden…and now spring is upon us I can do this regularly. Poppies have such beauty- the way they open and drop the two encasements is a delight to watch. As I have got older I like bold colours more and more. My kitchen is filled with red, green, orange and yellow. This is a bit of my windowsill – always cluttered- minimalism isn’t for me. Except for the box which my daughter gave me for Christmas,  all that can be seen are op shop wonders.