Invaluable Valuables

Having a Ball !

2011-11-22T10:06:00.000+08:00

Checking my emails this morning I discovered I am the successful bidder on a

1915-1923 Pint Blue Ball Perfect Mason Jar

The best part, I scored my pint size purchase for under $ 2 AUD

Who doesnt love a bargain !!!!

I'm not quite sure where it will find pride of place in my home

but in my part of the world these are few and far

between unless you're prepared to pay top dollar.

Lets hope the Postman gets it here in one piece !

Ms V x

For Adrianne with Love

2011-11-16T23:20:00.181+08:00

We all have family friends who have been part of our lives for as long as we can recall.

Often those people are dear to us but not always so near due to geography.

This is the case with our friend who gifted me this amazing chair.

It came with a beautiful wooden desk that I have yet to tackle.

In 2004, I had redecorated a dining room at a friends home. Using a rich burgundy fabric with a fleur de lys pattern. I made table accessories & a window pelmet which thankfully turned out well. Unfortunately my camera skills let me down, so the photo's below do not them justice.

Nonetheless, I loved this fabric & had some spare from that project.

Firstly, the chair base was stripped, webbed and recovered

Then the repair needed only a little wood glue at its dowel joints

and a good sanding, stain and a polish.

I didn't apply a varnish, instead I elected to use a rub on oil

after the stain had dried which feeds the chair

& bring out it's colour.

I have been working on making over this piece for the last couple of weeks

& am thrilled with it's outcome.

Fleur-de-lys from French to English translation is Flower of The Lily.

The symbol represents a stylized lily or lotus flower.

Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty and it is said to signify perfection, light & life.

I look forward to starting soon on the matching desk
and thank our dear friend for trusting me to bring it back to beautiful.

Thanks Adrianne
You are always in our thoughts

Big hugs
V x

Inspirational Reading

2011-11-04T13:24:00.001+08:00

Well Hello Mr Postman....

I couldn't rip open the packaging fast enough.

My new books have arrived. Woohoo !!!!

With these gorgeous books, I'm never going to get any work done today.

Huge Dilemma .... which one do I start with first ???

Decisions Decisions Decisions

Ms V x

Market Madness

2011-11-04T00:41:00.000+08:00

I am convinced that getting out of bed on a Sunday morning, before the sun is up, is absolute madness. I struggle to remove myself from that blissful horizontal position called bed every other day of the week, so how can I manage it on a Sunday morning ???
Maybe its Market Madness. Endorphins and other little neurotransmitters that give me that buzz when I finally find a bargain. Madness is rife in our market goers. I have seen grown women argue over a 50c blouse, children with one elephant ear each only to almost pull poor Dumbo apart, and men bartering a seller down to save a mere 20 cents. On days I have ventured to the markets as a seller I have been almost set upon like a swarm of bees while trying to unload my car.

Could markets be addictive?

Do we really need the items we buy or are we just after the feeling of a

Bargain Rush ?

These few items below definately gave me a moment of pleasure

@ $ 1 or less .......

I love glass jars

and wooden boxes .....

Of all sizes & ages

even my 5 year old cant say no to anything musical

So get out of bed sleepy head and get down to your markets this Sunday

and discover your own

Market Madness

Ms V x

Buffet Beauty

2011-10-18T22:25:00.000+08:00

Firstly I must apologize for my Blog Neglect but I have been busy, busy, busy with reincarnating relics buried deep in my garage. I started this piece in July. In August I culled, holidayed in September and I am pleased to say after a little R & R, October has been fairly productive.

This old pine veneer buffet had seen better days

I had no idea when I first got it home what I was going to do with it,

but as time went on it seemed to transform all by itself !

I started with a primer then chose an Almond spraypaint.

The Almond colour was perfect for the look I wanted, but felt a bit too Queen Anne for this piece so out with the basic flat black for the interior and top.

The weather turned nasty around that time and with cold & rain this piece seemed to take forever to dry.

Frustrated at the lack of progress I decided to ignore the buffet for month.

I went on a short trip to Melbourne & Sydney op-shopping & touring around with one of my good friends.... then came home and spent a couple of weeks of school holidays with my kids.

The weather is now back to beautiful in Western Australia & my boys went back at school.

Time to finish what I started.

Drawers were primed and painted .....

Handles replaced with some nice wrought iron ones.

and finally....

after stumbling across Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures Hutch Transformation Blog,

I was inspired to use matching baskets instead of replacing the doors.

I also added a little labelling to each basket for identification

and now this Buffet is a Beauty !!

I am feeling really motivated now and back on track having finally finished this piece.

Amazing how a holiday and a little sunshine can make all the difference !

*****

Back in Action & Time to Cull

2011-08-08T10:03:00.000+08:00

It has been almost a month since I have looked at my blog page. So much has happened in the last month I still feel like I am living in July. Sickness has been rife in my family, and I spent 6 full days flat on my back in bed with the flu, not to mention the last 3 weeks Ive been coughing non stop. Normally I am in my element in winter. It has always been my most favourite time of the year. This year I am getting a little over it though. Constant raining means the painting projects I have half done cant get finished and I am becoming ever so frustrated with stock piles of garage sale items that sit in the garage where my car should be. Local markets have been empty on Sunday mornings thanks to the cold and rain so alas I wait a little longer and hope for some sunshine.

Yesterday I had my first car accident in over 20 years. Thankfully no one was injured given I had 3 kids in my car . The other party has insurance ( as do I ) to cover the damage being it was their fault. Just a little inconvenient being without a car. Always a bright side being that no one was hurt.

This week I am endeavouring to cull . Kids clothes, paperwork, sort pics on the computer, generally just get a little more organised. After being so sick myself, followed by sick children to care for, things have gotten a little on top of me around the house. I am without a camera at the moment while I am waiting for my new one to be delivered. I bought myself a Fujifilm S4000 Digital Camera after my toddler dropped and smashed my Samsung. Luckily it was old and only a cheapie but I decided an upgrade was long overdue.
The FujiFilm S4000 has a huge 30x super long zoom telephoto lens together with all the features including 720p HD video recording. I really wanted a Canon but the $ 1500 minimum price difference I cant justify paying when I am only an amateur photographer and have little time to learn how to be a professional !
This camera looks the part even if it doesnt have the same pricetag as the Canon.

As soon as this little ripper arrives in at my door I'll be clicking like a cricket to get pictures on ebay and a few other classified sites to cull this house. I am an avid thrift shopper but once I start to feel I am drowning in stuff its time to declutter and move things out.

Sadly back in June my father-in-law, Drew, who I'de previously blogged about, passed away.

He, too, was somewhat of a hoarder but on a small scale. Nanny has been wanting to clear out some of his treasure from his shed. Although she refers to it as junk there may well be some handy things that he would have wanted to pass down to the grandkids, like his tools or fishing gear, so this is another job I should get onto sometime this week for her.

Finally this week, I am also going to start major planning for my up n coming trip to Melbourne.

I need to arrange a hire car & some accommodation along the way and map out our intended route driving to Sydney. I cant wait. A girlie week is long over due & what better way than to Thelma & Louise it from Melbourne to Sydney doing a little op shopping along the way.

I really must get culling if I am going to be bringing more stuff home !!!

A Culling I will go ..... A culling I will go

Ms V xx

Fridays' Fab Finds

2011-07-15T20:58:00.001+08:00

It's been a great week for finds and I have had huge inspiration to get thrifting thanks to all the couples on The Block ... Last week was Second Hand week and the couples had the challenge of creating their room with using only second hand items. I would have been in my element, as were Josh and Jenna who won Bedroom 2 with their talent for using all things thrifty. Take a look here. So my creative juices are once again flowing thanks to this show and I have almost finished the long suffering buffet I have been working on for what seems like months. I am hoping to have it completely bowled over by the end of the week & then will have the difficult decision as to whether to keep her or sell her. Remind me next time not to take on a project like this in winter.

Friday thrifting can be very hit and miss. Today was a slamdunk ... check out this table ... Isnt she a beauty? Better still the price included delivery !!

Big Old Solid Table

Lovely Legs

I was recently reading one of my favourite blogs Red Hen Home who transformed an old table into a masterpiece by adding some french detail to the top. Sadly I dont have an overhead projector & with lousy freehand I'm not sure Im brave enough to take it on, but I really saw this table in a whole different light after being inspired by
Red Hen Home's French Chocolate work of art.

Here are a few other bits & pieces I couldnt leave behind

Nickle Silver Thimble

Apron ... great fabric potential !

Nice Glass Jar

Anchor Hocking Bowl USA Made

Chipfree Cut Glass Bowl

3 Jars

19th Century Picture Frame ARCO
Birmingham England Stamping

Silk Painting possibly Chinese
I love the colours & the fact it is an original & not a printed copy.
I will try to investigate the artists mark below thou not sure where to start
given I cant read Chinese !

So thats the fun over for another week.

Happy Thrifting

Ms V x

Happy 4th July - Go Hug Your Kids !

2011-07-04T10:44:00.000+08:00

Everytime I see this Video I end up in stitches laughing.

My adorable 5 year old loves to break out in song at any opportunity.

He's Priceless in his oversized head phones ..

Don Henley eat your heart out !!!!

He even does a pretty good American accent !

and with America in mind .....

I'de like to wish all my US friends &

my brother who lives in New York City

a very Happy 4th July !!!!

Happy Independance Day

Best Wishes

Ms V x

South for the Weekend

2011-06-27T12:27:00.002+08:00

Not often do I get a kid or work free weekend ... I had to take full advantage and get out of town for the weekend ... Woohoo !!!! My friend, Lynda and I decided to head south to her property in Boyup Brook, almost 300 kms south of Perth.

Gorgeous little cottage with rolling hills in the background & thank goodness for the open fire and loads of wood ... its freezing down south this time of year.....

Lynda, like me, is partial to a little op shopping so first stop was Donnybrook, where we loaded up on morning tea at the local bakery.

Donnybrook is approx 200 km south of Perth and is renown for being the largest apple producing area in Western Australia.

What is it with me & apples ???

My last post had reference to New York City (The Big Apple) and here I am in the SouthWest & I'm seeing apples again ... an omen ????

After a yummy Sausage Roll & Vanilla Slice, we popped into one of the local op shops to check out Donnybrook's bargains. Our original plan was to head to Bridgetown for an Antique & Collectable Fair & silly me forgot to take something along for a free appraisal.

Making a beeline for the Bric A Brac section I took a quick glance around while Lynda tried on a warm scarf. I was completely gobsmacked when I noticed in the back corner of the shelf sat a EPNS ( Electro-plated Nickle Silver ) Glass Cut Biscuit Barrel with a price tag of $ 4 . Well I was in awe, what a find ... even better I knew I had a wonderful little piece to take to the Fair to be appraised. Grabbing a few more bits and pieces along the way I headed for the counter and the shop assistant announced " It's half price day !!"

Are you serious , I thought, $ 2 for a Vintage Biscuit Barrel ....

It really is a great day !!

Isnt it lovely ??? Any suggestions on age ???

The Underside of the Lid showing EPNS mark

Bridgetown Antique & Collectable Fair here we come.

Being a freezing weekend down south, I think kept a few dealers away from the fair because it really wasnt a big turn out for displays compared to some I have seen in other years or towns. However I was very happy to say I found an almost identical decanter to the depression green one I have at home and this was in a lovely pale pink & way cheaper than my green one.

Vintage Pink Decanter

Vintage Green Decanter & Glasses

Another one of my purchases from the same

Op Shop was this item below.

I 'm thinking it is an aluminium camping pot

but as it has no lid it is hard to be sure.

Its similar to a pot my grandmother would sit

on her knee while stringing her beans

Does anyone know what this is ????

On the way home we stopped at other towns along the way such as Collie & Waroona.

If you are ever in the Waroona area, check out the most stunningly organised, well stocked, amazing Antique & Collectables store in WA go to

Drakesbrook Antiques in Waroona

I could have spent hours in this store

It is truly amazing & the largest collection of MoorCroft Collections I have ever seen.

So a nice weekend was had by us girls, driving, chatting, junk food, thrifting ...

Our only downfall was completely forgetting the wine !!!

OMG who does that ??

For those of you dying to find out the appraisal on my Bargain Biscuit Barrel

the Valuer said it would probably fetch anything from $ 65 AUD to the right collector.

Not bad for a $ 2 op shop buy !!

Hope you all had as good a weekend as I did :)

Ms V xx

Postcard from the Edge

2011-06-18T01:22:00.000+08:00

Well its been a long week & truthfully one that saw me hanging on by my fingernails. My oldest son has had exams at school & he isn't renowned for high marks but has previously managed to usually at least pass. This is his first year in highschool & he is struggling, thou like most teenagers won't admit it nor does it seem to bother him as much as it does me.

I remember being in his shoes and the transition from primary school to high school was incredibly daunting, not to mention that paying private school fees is financially pretty tough on me, so I guess I had hoped he'de be a high achiever being in a focused academic environment, but like most parents you come to realise that your children are only capable of what they are capable of . I'm proud of him for trying and he is a polite & talented boy in other areas and is healthy & happy. I do the best I can for my boys with what I have & I have to keep reminding myself that it's ok if they don't turn to be Einstein's.

I enjoyed a week off from my job this week & I sure achieved alot at home. I've have been getting stuck into unfinished projects while the boys are at school . The magazine table that was all rusted I showed in an earlier post is all but finished. I have also given this little box from a flea market a new lease of life & now have a place for my postcards family & friends send from overseas.

Before

During

After

This is one of my favourite postcards from New York of the Brooklyn Bridge.
I am itching to get back there on holidays. One day !

Tomorrow its back to work for me & exams are done for my boy.

Another bite of the apple taken .. Phew

& another day done

Good night all

Ms V xx

Not so Oar-dinary !

2011-06-15T00:15:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago I bought a set of old oars from a local flea market for a couple of dollars. Actually they are probably correctly known as paddles being somewhat shorter than oars. I was fairly pleased when I realised they still had the original makers branding on them, but sadly on closer examination the branding was only on the surface varnish, which was well and truly peeling off and I didn't have the expertise to save it.

Luckily I came up with Plan B & I think it turned out really well thanks to a little decoupaging with my new favourite product Mod Podge.
This is the most brilliant product that allows you to glue, seal & finish your project all in one tub using almost anything, paper, wood, fabric ...
the possibilies are endless.
Mod Podge really does rock !

Before

After

So the Oars are done ....

Now I just need an old wooden boat & it will be

Smooth Sailing

Ms V x

Before Bed Bargains

2011-06-08T00:55:00.002+08:00

Im about to toddle off to bed but before I do I wanted to share my latest bargain finds from Sunday's Flea Market.

I remember my younger brother having a little case just like this about 35 years ago.

If this is the same its in amazing condition for it's years.

So cute

I also grabbed these matching lampbases.

Perfect for my bedroom as the ones I had weren't a pair.

A quick project to repair the shades is needed as they were rather beaten up

which is why they arent attached

Faux Leather Lamps

I'm thinking I might try to utilise this yarn. It was only

a couple of dollars and may be useful on the lamp shades somehow.

Yarn, Wooden Beads & Macrame bits

Also scored this cute little horse stool

originally from Ikea

More Tools and just look at the metal hammer & chisel ...

Made In England with adorable old wood handles

My new favourite Hammer

but the clear winning bargain for the day before I head to bed

is this dollar magazine side table...

Ill be working on this in the morning

Potential ... Potential

Sweet Dreams to all my Blog friends

Ms V x

Mirror to Magnetic Whiteboard - Makeover

2011-06-04T13:53:00.000+08:00

I found this on the curbside with the mirror intact but although the picture doesnt show it, it was terribly pitted & chipped.
At the hardware store I grabbed a 600 x 600 sheet of white galvanised tin,
totally magnetic & doubles as a whiteboard !!
After a torturous time with the tin snips I finally got it sitting perfectly in front of the
mirror which gave it a nice snug fit.

Before

After

I love this cause it stands on its own and can be moved around the house if need be.
Being in a rental I'm unable to attach it to the wall making it perfect as it is for my needs.

As Oprah said on her last ever show :(

"Till We Meet Again"

Ms V

Had to Have Books

2011-06-02T11:02:00.001+08:00

Yesterday's finds were all Had to Have Books

The end of last month was a little tough financially so

I decided to limit my spending but still scored a few bargains

& didnt spend over $ 10 !

Here's what I got

Drawing Books for my young one !

DIY Books

Card Making & other cool magazines.
This was a job lot because they were going in the bin ...
Nooooooooooooo !!!!!

...and some still had new stamps attached to the magazines

BONUS !

Madonna Style
What can I say ... I'm still a fan !

Gorgeous Gardening Hardcover

Spicery Cookbook ..... I love the bright colours

Now the question is.... do I cook, garden, diy or craft today ?

So much reading ... so little time !!!

Ms V x

Finished Finds

2011-05-28T23:41:00.003+08:00

Tool Box to Soap Box - Makeover

After a stressful week I have managed to fit in a little R & R ... thats repair & repurpose, not to be confused with rest & recouperation ... something I never get much time for !

I have been busy getting my little vintage toolbox find finished (I showed a few blogs back) and decided to make it into something neat for my Laundry.

So here's a memory refresh of the original find

.... Before ....

....Followed by a Stain, Varnish & Little Light Sanding Later ....

Finally She's All Done

A New Home in the Laundry !

Practical & Portable

Laundry Sign was originally a brass plaque I found at the local op shop for $ 2.

I used white primer, a lime wash paint & a little antiquing medium.

Happy Tooling

Ms V x

Farewell Pa xxx

2011-05-23T23:29:00.000+08:00

Sadly today we lost Pa .... he passed away peacefully after a short illness.

Thankfully he wasn't in pain & simply stayed sleeping till it was time for him to go.

He was 84. Nanny & Pa were married for 62 years. Their only son, Rod, now 61 was obviously a honeymoon gift. Father & Son had been great buddies through life & with 3 grandsons, aged 24, 13 & 5, to entertain, Pa was always good for a story, a horse racing tip, fishing advice & always for a beer.

I first met Drew ( aka Pa ) when I started dating Rod back in 1994. He always reminded me so much of my own father but was more like a big bear... always welcoming with big hugs, a coldie & the latest race tip. Watching my own dad, being a keen punter & drinker, I quickly learnt racing etiquite & Drew was no less passionate about his bets.

A man of routine he would venture to the local TAB & papershop, then park his car under the same tree at the Peninsula Hotel in Mandurah to enjoy a coldie and listen to the radio for his race results. You could time your watch to where he would be at a certain time of day & he still sat under that tree in his car even after the Peninsula Hotel was knocked down. Eventually he was no longer able to drive, so he'de often be seen on his gopher heading for the BoatHouse Tavern & betting shop. I have to say he was the most consistant man I have ever met. He wouldn't faulter. Rain, Hail or Shine he remained faithful to his daily routine. He was like a fish out of water on Xmas day when the races didnt run but he always put in the effort and enjoyed a family Xmas Day.

In the afternoons when the races were run, he'de share a game of Scrabble or Cards with his wife of more then 60 years, Esther, and was fiercely competitive.

I could write for hours about his interesting life but really I just want to say thanks to Drew. Thanks for being a fabulous father-in-law to me & grandfather to the boys.

For giving us all so many stories & wonderful memories.

I will surely miss asking you if you're having a win today, almost as much as i will miss your reply "Not today darlin, The Bloody Barrrrstards !"

God forbid that you should go to any Heaven where they've no beer or betting.

No doubt, you'll find my dad there waiting with a cold one & a tip for a roughie.

Rest In Peace Drew

We Love You

xoxoxo

The Minds Inner Light Globe - Flick On, Flick Off

2011-05-23T01:01:00.005+08:00

This week I took lots of deep breaths.
Some days Motherhood has to be the most frustrating and trying occupation.
Selective deafness is rife in my house. I have learnt that no matter how loud I yell or scream or rant or rave about anything really, it all falls on deaf ears unless, of course, I said something along the lines of " Mum's going to McDonalds" then I might just get a response from my youngest though the eldest may still not have responded.
Happy Meals can be the best bribery !
At the age of 13,  my Teenager's bribery expectations seem to have hit a high, where a mere Happy Meal doesn't even rate a mention. These days he aims for an extra hours play on the X-Box or, as a long shot, phone credit only issued as a form of pocket money for which the dishes must be put away each day and the garbage taken out, both I might add, I still need to remind him to do daily. After years of wall charts & reward schemes I am now at the point of 2 words..... "Ben Dishes" or "Ben Rubbish". Short & sweet without much dialogue.
As for my 5 year old, my greatest ask from him is that he " Listens, Focuses & Tries Really Hard " and this has become our catch phrase for most things, both at home & for school. A tough call in a household of selective deafness !!
So what does a mother do ????   I must admit when I was married my husband would always reinforce "Boys , Listen to your mother" & that reinforcement was productive & appreciated ! When I say get things done, I only mean the general things that need doing as a way of life such as getting in the bath, homework, taking the lunch box out of the school bag, or go to bed on time to sleep.... The normal daily tasks that aren't brain surgery but must be just as difficult to complete for my children.
Now as the world turns and our children get older you would think that after years of repeating ourselves, we mothers ( & fathers ) would have made some inroads into the minds of our children... wishful thinking on our part ?  Well I'm completely convinced, particularly in my teenagers case, that his inner "lightglobe" is still completely switched off.   I'm sure looking forward to the day it turns on & lights up his mind & my life !!!

So now I go forward about 70 years to my adorable & much loved In-Laws. Regardless of my separation they have always been a big part of all our lives & the boys adore their Nanny & Pa. Sadly after a fall, Pa has deteriorated somewhat and is a hospital inpatient, leaving Nanny, after 62 years of marriage, on her own. Lucky their son, Rod, only lives a few streets away, as am I, cause being independant as she is, Nanny would much rather stay in her own home than come & live with any of us. This week has unfortunately made us all realise that old age & maybe a little trauma from Pa's absence, has dimmed her inner light globe to the point of early dementia. Physically she is amazingly fit for a woman in her 80's & it seems so odd that virtually overnight her memory has deteriorated so rapidly. It must be so frustrating for her ... even so much more than it is for all of us that answer her questions a hundred times over. I remember my own Nan being ever so similar & she would laugh when we'de declare she'de already told us that ! My Nan was so little & had such a lovely sense of humour & I see my children's Nanny following the same path as my own did. The saddest thing is eventually as the minds lightglobe dims & darkens we can only watch her disappear from knowing us at all. Bless them - Nanna's hold our hands for a little while, but our hearts forever.

So in writing this entry I realise I'm wishing my oldest sons Inner Light Globe would flick on, my youngest sons would flick off & go to sleep at bedtime, and their lovely Nanny's would eliminate and shine forever.

*** Thats a Light Globe Moment for me ***

3 generations.... Nanny, Rod & Grandsons

With Love

xxx Ms V xxx

Friday Finds

2011-05-21T13:14:00.000+08:00

Had a pretty good day at the Salvo's Op Shop yesterday finding a few pieces for the kitchen. I think you can never have enough kitchen things especially if you love throwing kid's party's or for coffee mornings for the girls .... which reminds me I must have a coffee morning really soon.

Lovely White Jug ... no chips no cracks

2 Large & 2 Mini Porcelain Ramekins

Ceramic Square Pots

This Childs Wooden Chair was a mere $1 from last weeks flea market.
It will scrub up beautifully.
Bring on tomorrow's Sunday morning haul !

For The Birds

2011-05-20T13:03:00.001+08:00

Today I have decided to show you around my home, well its not mine, but I call it home.
Sadly 18 months ago I finally succumbed to selling my home due to separation. This has taken me a long time to come to terms with , being a house I designed, built, decorated passionately & brought up our children in for over 10 years, so it was with huge regret we had to sell. I always said renting was for the birds. Now I live in a rental property. Famous Last Words ...
Its a brick & tile, large 4 x 2 with a separate office & play room for the boys & a huge paved yard only a street from their school.One of my best girlfriends lives over the road with her hubby & 3 children so its not all bad now I am getting used to the move. I think the most difficult for me personally is living with rules of renting... such as not being able to paint the walls, having vertical blinds which I hate & freaking out if a plant dies or if my kids put a hand print on the walls. Now any of my friends will tell you I am so fussy you could eat of my floor & my kids wouldnt dare draw on walls etc for fear of my rath , so personally I think I am a dream tenant. Shocked I was yesterday when my real estate agent commented on the house inspection by saying.... "It Went Well ! "......... Could I consider this praise ??? Well I guess ?? maybe ?? I might have preferred " The Owners will be thrilled you keep their property so nice " or " Thank you for keeping the home so beautiful & paying your rent before its due date " .... I got " It Went Well " . Not even a comment on the hours spent in the garden. I was rather deflated to say the least.
So what do you think ?? Am I being too hard on my agent expecting her to feather my nest a little ???
Brutally Honest Comments Welcome

Dining Room

Loving The Bird Cage

Bird Cage Wall Decals - so easy & so cheep !!!

Chair - an Op Shop Find ...
I think its groovy with the red cushion

Cute little table - as shown in my previous blog

Moving around the room a little more

My CD Cupboard ... I Love Music
The Beaded Lamp and The Crystal Cut Bowl were also op shop finds

Brilliant Books & My Beautiful Boy !

Tea Anyone ?

*************************

On Sunday at the local market I picked up a neat little stand for my hanging bird.

I didnt want him in the cage where I couldnt admire him.

50 c flea market purchase

Respray done

For The Birds !!

Just Hanging Around !

Sweet Tweet

Feel free to leave me comments & please rejoin my blog.

For some bizarre reason my followers all dropped off the face of the earth !

Such an enjoyable pastime blogging, yet so frustrating some days.

Big hugs

Ms V xx

Today's Treasures

2011-05-14T20:15:00.000+08:00

I managed to find time to stop into St Vinnies today & look what had my name written all over them !!!!

Tub Chair & there was 2 !!!

Cute little old record holder but my books will be beaut !

Clock

Colourful Buckets for my Kids Birthday Party Collection

So all in all a great thrifty day .... just need to rearrange the entire house to fit things in ... Story of my Life & I love it :)

What Every Woman Wants

2011-05-10T10:05:00.001+08:00

                       If you could pick a Mothers Day present what would it be ??

                                             Flowers, Chocolates, Breakfast In Bed ??

                                                    or maybe a new Detail Sander Kit...

Woohoo............ I Love It !!

Thank you to my gorgeous sons for giving me the perfect gift !

****

Bargain Buffet

2011-05-07T01:00:00.000+08:00

As if I dont have enough projects happening at the moment I have to go and buy another relic to repair and renew but who could resist this for 10 bucks !

I had stashed away 6 vintage knobs a while ago, that will be perfect for this buffet & so it's given me even more motivation to get started. Roll on Tuesday I say, which is now penned in my diary to get into the garage & get dirty.

Can you believe this was $ 10 ? I'm still gobsmacked !
Great potential !

Before

Stay tuned !

Best Wishes too for a Happy Mother's Day today ...

May all your hugs be tight ones

Ms V x

Lost in Translation

2011-05-03T23:14:00.002+08:00

Explaining to my friends about the elation of finding something totally bizarre is actually quite humorous. Some of them think I'm completely insane & the others are certain I am, but doesnt every household need their own old wooden toboggan ???

I have absolutely no idea of how it arrived in sunny Western Australia & by what means, or why for that matter ? The only information was that it was originally from Canada & its old ?? How old is the question ?? Now snowfall in WA is a rather rare occurance, unless you live very south west in towns such as Albany or Pemberton, thou having spotted its beautiful 70" lines of smooth, worn, characteristic timber from across the carpark at a flea market, it was sold on eye contact, snow or no snow.

A little TLC will see the timber glow. A single bedhead or a bed itself could easily be a nice repurpose idea. Sideways as an interesting shelf attached to a wall ?? and then there's the obvious .... surely Santa would like to borrow it ??
I'm fairly sure, once restored, it will become part of an eclectic corner in my home to become a conversation piece to entertain my visitors .

I think my passion for thrifting often becomes "Lost in Translation". Some people simply just dont get it & have limited vision .....
but I believe that treasure wants to be found, so crusade on I will !

Same Day Finds

After the buzz of the sled, I wondered what further finds the day would bring.

In no time at all, my car was full to the brim.

A lovely way to spend a sunny Easter Sunday morning.

Much better for the hips than chocolate bunnies !!

Tim Winton
Favourite Author & Western Australian Treasure

Vintage Tool Box

Some Greenery

I only wanted the baskets but some days
for $1 you have to take the lot !

A Little Box - I Luv Boxes

A mini easel

Little White Ikea Bowl

Little Pink Tin Bucket

Curbside Find

**********

Have a Happy Week Everyone

Next Sunday is Mother's Day ...

I hope my boys remember to get their own brekky !!

Best wishes to all the Wonderful Mothers of the World, especially mine !!

A Place for Everything

2011-04-25T16:57:00.000+08:00

Finally managed to pop some pics up of a few of my finds all now nicely in their place....

This is a gorgeous oil painting I had aquired from a secondhand shop recently..
I love the gold frame and how perfect sits on the easel I had shown in a previous post.
The artist is Robert Lai - someone I have never heard of and cant find anything about on the internet.. shame because I'de love him to know how much I love his painting.
You may also notice the green decanter and glasses in the next picture ... I found these at Canningvale Flea Market in Perth... 1920's vintage i think.

Unfortunately as I rent, I am not allowed to paint & can only hang one hook per room pretty much, which doesnt leave alot of scope for decorating.
Given that, however this hasnt turned out too bad so far .

The Green Room

*****

Finished Flea Finds

Some scrapbooking paper I found for $1 made cute tags for baskets in the office.

Hurricane Lamp I showed at an earlier post with the cute little free digger, and speaking of Diggers, today is ANZAC day so I'de like to leave my post by thanking all those Fallen Soldiers who didnt leave theirs.

Today We Remember
Lest We Forget

*******

Happy 5th Birthday My Boy

2011-04-24T01:13:00.001+08:00

Time sure flies when your having fun & the last 5 years has gone by just so quickly & so did a full on day yesterday with fourteen five year old boys at the Fun Factory in Mandurah .

I had only just returned from a short trip to Broome, in the North West of WA, with my boys before the onslaught of Easter Holiday makers embarked on the place.
We spent 5 nice days at Cable Beach Club, relaxing, swimming & of course checking out goodies at the local charity store.
A few bargains I will show you in the near future, but for now I must tell you about the most fabulous cake decorator in the Mandurah area...

I have never had anyone else make my boys cakes before but as I had limited time being in Broome I had trusted Sandy's Cakes to take it on... and WOW what a treat. Angus's cake was truly magnificent. His little face was so excited.
The tables I laid out in matching Ben 10 decorations and made cool little signs for the lolly's, fruit and other treats.

The Fun Factory put on the main party food such as frankfurts, sausage rolls, sandwiches etc & the boys run amok up and down slides and bouncy castles and had a ball.

Best part for the mums was coffee and a chat & this mum was surely happy to be walking out and leaving the cleaning up for someone else !!! Worth every dime !!!

Angus was inundated with glorious gifts from very generous friends and family and had a sensational day...

Happy Birthday my darling boy .... I Love You Because You're You !