Vintagey Goodness.......

What a fun week I have had with some great finds. I "won" again at my favourite tender centre!! Much to the disgust of people whom shall remain nameless!! I thought these baskets were just great when I saw them.

I was the only bidder and thankfully my offer was accepted. What about those plastic flowers on the taller basket - fantastic!!! They won't be staying there though. I'm going to have a go at making a liner for this basket and maybe the other one too.


Mandy over at The Old Dairy is a lady who lives locally and has a lovely blog. Mandy was very kind to give me her inside information where one of her favourite thrifting spots is. I am so glad she was generous in sharing.

I visited this little second hand shop this week and found an absolute Aladdin's Cave of treasure.

I love glass cake pedestals and was lucky enough to find this cute little one.


My other find of the day was this lovely set of cream mixing bowls. I love sets of mixing bowls. These are in very good condition with just a little crazing.

I finally got to some of the bits I have had in the shed waiting to have a makeover. I have three of these old stools. Excuse this awful photo - but you know how it is - I just had to get on with the job.

I just gave the bases a bit of a scrub up and then used my great new toy - the stapler - to put some lovely spotty, dotty goodness on the tops. I think they came out great.

There is only one other person in the house that shares my enthusiasm for them though. So not sure what to do with them. I may have to find an outlet for some of my creative experiments.

This little stool was also a tender centre find. I found it quite amusing that it has a little tag on the bottom boasting that it was made with European labour only!! Just imagine! What a different world we live in now.

A good scrub of the base and a new upholstery job and it is looking quite lovely - once again it was not met with any great enthusiasm around here! What is it that people just don't get. Lucky I have my blogging buddies to admire my work!!!

Crinoline Ladies......

I had a big rearrange and clean in my bedroom this past weekend. I have a bit of a Crinoline Lady theme going in there now!!

I love these beautiful embroidered ladies. My first apron as a little girl has lovely crochet ladies around the bottom. I have had a dressing table set for as long as I can remember too.

I found this beautiful large doiley a while ago on a thrifting adventure. I seem to buy these old linens with the intention to make them into other lovelies, but when I get them home and inspect them, often they end up getting soaked and starched because they are too good to cut up!!

I have put this one on my bedside table.


I had a lovely morning on Saturday at the Antiques and Collectibles. I was a little disappointed. Not many bargains, all fairly pricey bits and pieces. Beautiful all the same, I just wasn't there to spend huge amounts of money.

I did however buy one beautiful cloth with matching serviettes.


It is in beautiful condition with all the stitching and crochet edge totally intact. This in turn was the inspiration I needed for a big clean and rearrange in the bedroom.



During last week I enjoyed some time in the sewing room and finally was successful in my attempt at covering some books. I have tried a few times to do this unsuccessfully. The lovely Hen had made some beautiful ones in the last little while and she was very kind to put me onto a great tutorial.

I have covered a notebook, a little sketch/scrapbook and a diary.

The one at the front is covered in an old doiley - I did actually cut one up.

Pottering......

I have had a lovely clean up on our back deck this week. To be honest the windows from the kitchen and the french doors out onto the deck were so disgusting we could hardly see out of them.

I have had a lovely time pottering with some plants to smarten it all up. This old bird cage was another find a couple of weeks ago. BJ was quite disgusted about the "operation" I had to perform to get the plant in - all for a good cause I say!!

This little arrangement is on the bench outside the kitchen window. I've been really enjoying the view this week.



This little set of tables was a very lovely Christmas gift. It has taken me all these weeks to get some pots and plants organised for them.




I love this table which is also on the deck. I started a little pot of box and hopefully will be able to clip it into a small hedge. Another lovely birdcage and a very old blue enamel jug sit with it. The jug is precious to me as it was always at my dear Nana's house, it is old and rusty with holes in the bottom - beautiful to me.

We had a lovely shower of rain last night. Last weekend I planted some veges out, this too has taken far too long to get organised since the holidays in January.

The lettuce and corn looked beautiful this morning after their heavenly drink last night.

I've also planted beans, tomato, snap peas, basil, parsley and peas. Even though the peas are a dwarf variety I have planted them beside this trellis to give them just a little more support.

I have been fascinated by herbs since I was about 13 I guess. I really enjoy having this old set of laundry tubs to grow some lovely herby bits and pieces in.

I have had quite a productive week, which feels quite pleasing. I also baked some cakes and slice and also had some stitching time as well. I quite like this new arrangement!!

There is a great antiques and collectables fair on this weekend in Toowoomba, so I will be there bright and early tomorrow I hope. I love a good look around at those types of fairs!!

A happy weekend to all!

Happy Valentine's Day......

I have had a lovely evening home tonight. It's quite cool, blowing a gale and some very light rain as well. As the afternoon closed in, I had a quick tidy up, lit the candles and lamps and cooked dinner.



I have so enjoyed being home and even put my feet up on my "new" stool and enjoyed some lovely magazine reading!!

It's a big week this week, having enjoyed my birthday earlier in the week and our wedding anniversary tomorrow. I received some more Pandora charms for my bracelet and enjoyed dinner out with my family. I also enjoyed a very special lunch with my Mum on Monday and then stretched the celebrations out a little longer with lunch with two dear friends the following day.

It is our 22nd Anniversary tomorrow - too scary to even think about!

I gave this little arrangement to BJ tonight. The Rose Garden in Toowoomba sell roses and arrangements for Valentines Day to raise funds for the park. What a lovely job they do.

Wishing you a happy Valentine's tomorrow.....

Thoughts and Prayers.......

Such a sad day here in Australia. So many lives and homes lost in the devastation of the bushfires in Victoria. Whole towns have been burnt to the ground. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those families who have lost loved ones and to those who have lost everything they own to fire. The death toll stands this afternoon at over one hundred people. Some have lost also their livelihood with the loss of businesses and also complete farming setups, fencing and machinery.

While fire ravages and southern part of our country the northern part is drowning in flood waters. One poor little five year old boy was taken by a crocodile when he followed his puppy into a flooded creek. Many towns just wait now for the water to recede and then the cleanup will begin.

I feel so blessed today, to be safe in my home with my family safely with me.

Thrifting Fun........

Life is settling into a back to school routine or should I say madhouse life!!! The children have been back to the new year of school for two weeks now. We are gradually sorting out who has to be where and when.

Finally, my life has been sorted a little too. I am not at the shop so much, just checking in and keeping up with the book work etc. I feel much happier with this arrangement.

I am having a bit of a struggle getting organised to achieve what I want though. By the end of this week just gone I have felt as though I have done a bit more of what I wanted. Coffee with friends, stitching, cleaning that has been very neglected and some gardening, even a trip to the hairdresser. Pure bliss.

Two weekends ago I had a trip to the Tender Centre again!! I love that place! I "won" too!!! I was the successful tenderer on a few things and was thrilled to bring them home to my house. I got some great old womens' magazines from the 50's and 60's - don't you just love the ads of those old books!, a set of five star shaped glass jelly moulds and two great old footstools.

I just love both of them. The first one had been painted a lovely pink but the upholstery on the lift up lid was dreadful.


It had hundreds I'm sure, of tacks and staples holding the old fabric on. Once this was off I was able to use the old cover for a pattern for the new.

The old braid came off really easily, so a good soak in Napisan and I was able to reuse it. I had this beautiful piece of fabric in my stash. I was so pleased with my first attempt of re-upholstering a piece. I bought a staple gun to use - I've wanted one of those for ages. I have big plans for it!!


I am going to put this in our bedroom. I was thinking I might use it to store my winter hats, gloves, scarves etc.

The second piece is also quite lovely. It had two coverings on it - both chicken prints. The staples in this one were unbelievable - all over the place. I had sore fingers by the time I had pulled them all out of both pieces.




This one is a seagrass footstool/box. The lid lifts off completely and will be a great storage space for magazines or stitching. I also had this piece of fabric, so the cost of these two pieces completely redone was only around $40. Fantastic - I love looking for wonderful thrifty pieces.

I will use this one as a footstool with my rocking chair.



I am having a lovely Saturday at home today. I had an early start as No.2 son had to be at work at 6 a.m. so the day seems to be really stretching out!

I am going to my sewing room now to get started on No.1 sons' quilt - which is way overdue. My poor boys have really missed out on handmade from me for too long.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend - especially all those blogging ladies in England enjoying their snowy weather!