Shoestring Splendour

Magic Market Morning.....Great Finds!!

2011-08-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies!! Its been awhile since I last blogged. Life has been way too hectic with end of finanical year stuff URGH!! But now thats all over I can get back to MY life...treasure hunting and blogging and enjoying myself. This morning after a few weeks of icky wet Melbourne Sundays today was predicted to be beautiful and it didn't let me down. When dawn broke and the sun began to shine I was already ladden with treasures and still wandering round one of my favourite Sunday markets. I got a bumper haul!! I just love all my treasures but I got a couple of WAAAYYY cool and WAAYYY valuable buys. Firstly the amazing funky 1960's Annodised desk fan...these are quite rare and this one is in complete working order....OMG!! The other rare and beautiful piece was a Antonio Borsarto Italian Porcelain wall plaque. Its signed and has its original stickers. These Borsarto pieces are very, very collectible and comand HUGE prices. Though I paid a bit for this one I just think its stunning. The Madonna and Child....his work is so beautiful and there is something emotional about his pieces. This one is heading to ebay soon if I can bare to part with it!! Another gorgeous treasure is my amazing Italian Cherub vintage swing mirror. I just love the little cherub and the soft pastel colours...the mirror has some foxing another feature I adore. Hmm can I part with this ....maybe!! The hat pins are gorgeous...the cards...divine. The little tins..so cute and the other stunner is the drop dead GORGEOUS old floral and gilt frame...its just to die for. Very high Victorian...not sure of its age but its definitely quite old. Mmmmm. Oooh and the little cruet set.....with its sweet sillohettes.

I just kept finding treasure after treasure...the gods were certainly on my side this morning. I found some packets very handy and handsome upholstery pins and for $2 they were a steal!! I musn't forget the gorgeous old Smiths Dark Room timer...very industrial and cool. The last little bits were the decanter tags...very sweet.

You may notice all the treasures are sitting on a DROP DEAD GORGEOUS vintage leather..(yes real leather) case. That was an op shop find earlier in the week. Its just stunning..the patina is amazing and the interior is clean and lined in gorgeous fabric. Its probably only about 30 years old but its in immaculate condition and I just love it. Keep? Ebay? Keep? Ebay? ARRGGH I just don't know.

Well thats my day..how was yours...love to hear from any other treasure hunters and their best finds this weekend......ciao for now....Sam

What a haul!!

Amazing Rare Retro Annodised Fan!!

More more more treasures!

And the girly bits!!

The Antonio Borsato - Madonna with Child ..sigh

Its nice to come home!

2011-06-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

Ahh all clean and tidy....not for long ..kids will be home soon!!

On this sunny but chilly Melbourne day I walked into my house and had to smile at this view of my dinning area. Is there a view in your home that makes you smile everytime you see it. It might be a corner that works really well, or a cupboard full of your favourite china...or even the pleasure from making your bed with all the cushions and your favourite linen......tell me I would love to know!!

I FOUND MY HOLY GRAIL

2011-06-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog awhile ago, in fact I think it was the lovely Alcia from Time Worn Style and she posed the question....What is your holy grail, you know, the piece you have been searching for and haven't found yet!! Well for me it was a pair of antique enamel opera glasses. I have bid on so many pairs on ebay and they always go sailing past my budget. In fact some of the really pretty ones go for well over a thousand...way out of my league. Then this morning my other half and I trekked out to Sandown Race course to go to a collectors fair. I had a strict budget...I was not going to spend more than $200 for the day..money I had saved from the SVJX!! Well after spending a little on lovely old books and a couple of lovely vintage Steiff toys...I saw them. My breath caught in my throat and I made a bee line for the stall and the case they were displayed in. I held my breath...omg they were GORGEOUS....there is no way on earth I can afford them I thought....maybe the lovely dealer would just let me hold them for awhile. I asked...he got them out..the case was divine..the opera glasses were amazing. I asked the price...OMG....Just a little more than the money I had left....could I find an ATM...could I rob a passerby.....I stood there clutching them....mentally working out what money I had left....I was well short and that was after haggling for the best price too. NOoooooooo I can't lose them...I couldn't bear it. Then my lovely other half after looking at my face...and knowing how much I have been searching....pulled the extra $$$ from his wallet.. I have never been so in love with that man as I was at that moment!! They are mine..and I love them....the glasses that is hehehe oh and him too heheh. Below are some pics of my darling opera glasses and the other wonderful bits and pieces I had already bought. I have promised said Other half that I will ebay the other pieces so I can keep the glasses. And I will...well maybe not the little bunny ..heheheh

My babies...I adore the colour and the enamel is in good order

My holy grail....Im in heaven

I have seen many French pairs but these are marked Thomas Way Adelaide...YAY

If anyone is interested everything but the opera glasses is heading to ebay!!

My Sale on Ebay

2011-06-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

For those you who couldn't make the SVJX and because having decided to part with some gorgeous shabby vintage treasures I have decided to have an online sale on ebay. Starting this evening at 8pm I have a HEAP of really lovely items up for sale...starting at the bargain price of only $5.00. There are gorgeouspices of roses antique china, beautiful old tins..and so much more so pop over to my ebay auctions and have a peek...I am sure you will find something you will love. Click on the link at the top right hand side of this page and voila..you will be transported to treasure hunters heaven!! Above is just a couple of tempting photos of items listed!!

Back to treasure hunting and my new old dresser!!

2011-06-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Morning girls!! Well after recovering from the SVJX it has renewed my passion for treasure hunting!! I have been out and about scouring Melbourne for treasures and have found some lovely ones!! I was soo excited to find a gorgeous old Melbourne hat box which is heading for ebay....its sooo lovely!! As I have mentioned my style and taste have been evolving too so I am parting with lots of my more shabby style pieces in favour of more hmmm...what to call it...hmmmm perhaps more rustic, french industrial. I think the influences of my trip to England and France have finally filtered through and my style is evolving into a less pretty more traditional English/French cottage style. There are some shabby pieces I don't think I will ever part with which have been moved to my spare room and my daughters bedroom. My lovely 16 almost 17 year old daughter has been in the USA on exchange for the last six months and is due home on Monday so over the weekend I am going to revamp her room (clear out all the junk that hopefully shes forgotten she has) and make is a feminine boudoir...pics to come.

Check the hat box in more detail on my ebay site...its sooo lovely!!

I just adore this piece..its practical and pretty!!

See less shaby pretty and more ummm interesting???

OH and my prize purchase from the SVJX is my awesome old dresser for my study..pics below..I just love it and I guess its indicative how how my taste is evolving..though the dresser is quite shabby I have filled it with pieces that are more to my liking these days. Stay tuned for the transformation of my daughters room from junk heaps floordrobe to pretty boudoir!! Hat box and dresser pictured above!! I would love to hear from you girls as to what you think my style is?

Phew Exhausted but WOW what an Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza!!

2011-06-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

Wow what a fun packed, treasure filled, exhausting couple of days. for those of you who didn't know the second Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza was held on Friday and Saturdy just passed. And wow was it amazing. So many wonderful people to meet and soooo many GORGEOUS treasures. I must say everyone, vendors and shoppers alike were so lovely...I had almost lost my voice by the end!! I sold heaps and bought a few treasures for myself. Check out below for a few of the treasures I bought. What is not pictured is the FANTASTIC glass front dresser I bought from Jen of Vintage Living...I adore it and because I always buy little bits and pieces I was determined to get myself a really nice piece of furniture this show and wow..its great. Will post a pic of it soon..its sooo dark in Melbourne today I cannot get a good one!! I love the roses painting I bought from Ms SVJX herself..Tamarah ..oh and I also nabbed the French tin from her. The stalls were absolutely amazing....Every single one looked fantastic and was filled to brim with vintage treasures. I must thank the lovely Natalie from Newcastle...a reader of my blog for the lovely bottle she gave me as a pressie...so lovely of you Natalie!! Also thanks for Michelle from WA for making the trip and giving my favourite old doorstop and eiderdown a new home. To Kelly and Leanne...get your blog going girls!! And to all the wonderful, wonderful ladies who took the time to chat to me..thank you I loved it!! Having made such a heart wrench to part with some gorgeous items for the show I have decided to stack my ebay shop with many more shabby vintage items over the next few weeks...some from the show and others I didn't even get time to put on my stall because of the rush....check it out if you have time....some beautiful items will be for sale. (just give me a day or two to get listing). OH and I had to post a pic of the amazing lightfitting/chandelier I just bought for my kitchen. I nearly fell over...its quite french in style....and it was a tiny...tiny $49.50..OMG!! All the glass shades are original and intact...mmm...oh well I love it.....what do you think?

Sold some roses prints and bought an original painting..mmm

There is just no way I can resist a French tin!!

Ta Da!!

$49.50 I kid you not......wait till you see it up!!

Chaos coming together - A sneak peek at my SJVX Stall

2011-05-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

It looks like a jumble in the pic but wait till you see it first hand!!

Mmm lovely birdcag and stunning barbola mirror...oh and the jelly cupboard too!!

Roses anyone?

You can just see the gorgeous handpainted cupboard underneath all the pretties

I know, I know it looks like a bit of a jumble..but believe me its coming together and will look AWESOME at the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza (click side button for all the details). My front room is probably not the best place to have a trial run but thats the only place I know I wont have kids running through. I have a great screen to hang all the pics on ...so it will look like a little shabby 'room' at the fair. I have decided to part with some of my very favourite treasures for the fair. There are some gorgeous pieces of furniture..some amazing roses prints and paintings. FANTABULOUS fabrics and some of most pretty china. I have decided to concentrate on the Shabby Theme because my home decor is changing and I really don't have room to hang on to all my roses and florals even though I love them. Don't forget you can book ahead to be an early bird and have first pick at not only my treasures but all the other stalls too. I really hope to see lots of girls from the blogesphere and my ebay site too. Come visit me.....I know I will tempt you with something!!!

My how things have changed!!

2011-05-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Over the years my tastes have changed and when I look back at my blog posts I can see the evolution of my taste reflected in my lovely front room. I just adore this room and apart from a few minor things I think its almost exactly as I want it...for now. One of the joys of being a vintage treasure hunter is coming home and working out what I definitely cannot part with and where and how the piece works in my home. There have been Sundays where I get home from the market with a treasure and I spend the rest of the day totally reorganising the house ..what starts with..hmmm that can go there...snowballs into ....oh ok I will just move that piece of furniture...and that one....oh and that can live in the bedroom now. Much to my long suffering hubbys delight (dripping sarcasm here)..I end up moving the whole house around..with his help of course. But thats what I love...a new piece...and a new look. Something in ...something out is my rule...so when I keep a new piece I must part with an old one. This is how my front room looks at the moment....and I am in love with it...for now hehe. Oh girls I will be posting preview pics in the next few day of some of the amazing treasures I will be taking to the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza. Make sure you check them out as I have some fantastic pieces. If you don't know about the SVJX then click on the button on the side of my blog...if you are in Melbourne you just HAVE to come..its amazing.

-Treasures for the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza!!

2011-05-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

A box full of treasures....LOVE the binoculars!!

The old watch I found in the most divine old Dunklings Jewelers box!!

I had a paintbox like this one when I was a kid and this still has all its paints inside...wow

Hiya bloggers!! If you have seen the button at the side of my blog page you will know that the second Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza is almost here!! Last year I was lucky enough to be part of the inugural Extravaganza and what fun that was. Girls imagine a beautifully decorated old Hall filled with stalls and those stalls were absolutely jam packed with wonderful treasures. It was sensational. I remember wide eyed vintage lovers just in raptures over the beautiful items for sale. We all had a fun packed couple of days. I particularly loved meeting in person people I have dealt with on ebay for years..putting faces to names was just brilliant. Now that the second show looms closer the level of excitment is growing....the show will be bigger and better with more stall holders and lots more divine treasures. I will be having a stall again and I have been collecting treasures in readiness. I have decided this time to do a mix of some of my signature shabby floral pieces but also mix it up with some great old vintage industrial/french industrial pieces too. So there will be something for everyone. This weeks market finds reflect the style of the vintage industrial pieces....Love the old Reckitts blue box and the wonderful old binoculars...they have a tiny compass in them too..soo lovely!! I would love to hear from bloggers who are coming to the fair.....let me know what styles and pieces you are really interested in so I can make sure I have something thats such to make you gasp. Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza is on at the Ashburton Scout Hall (337 High St, Ashburton, Vic) check out Tamarah's blog for the dates and all the details but clicking on the button on the side of my blog!!

And please come say hello..I would love to meet you all. Cheers Sam

I'm BACK Lots of Market Finds

2011-05-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all you Aussie Mums out there!! After a very hectic time I am back blogging and will try to post at least weekly from now on. Being Mothers day here my lovely son decided he would come to the market with me this morning and buy me a lovely breaky. I had a lovely time and bought some great treasures. Not sure what I am keeping for me and what will go to ebay yet hehe. Firstly I spied a gorgeous bird cage...pretty sure it has no age but it was pretty dirty and had some tatty old faux birds in it ...got it home and it scrubbed up well. The cutlery is beautiful old mother of pearl handled with gorgeous engraving...they might end up in my collection hehe. I am not normally drawn to oriental pieces but this wonderful old incence burner just caught my eye because it just screamed quality and blimey its heavy. And of course I always keep my eyes peeled for gorgeous old books and these four leather spine old French copies of Les Miserables fit my bill exactly and for only $15 the set I snatched them up. Amazingly, inside the cover of the fourth volume it has a signature...SAMMY Paris...gotta love that. The teacup and saucer date from the 1930's and its a fortune tea leaf reading cup with all the symbols ..a little spooky and a bit quirky and made by Aynsley. Apparently they issued a little booklet on how to read tea leaves with it so I will have to hunt the interent to see if I can get one. The last photos is of Bernice...she is a dressform....made of very thick card studded together...I get the feeling she was one you would collect each piece with a magazine and fit her together to make your own dress form. Never seen one like her before!! If anyone does know about her I would love to know.

Spare Room Makeover Complete

2010-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

I bet you girls have been wondering about my spare room make over. Well I haven't posted about it because I wanted it to be a surprise for my Aunt and she reads my blog!!! But its finished...shes on her way here so wont get a chance to read this before she arrives. I LOVE the way the room turned out. Just to fill you in I stayed under budget YAY. The bed was a $50 ebay purchase. I spent another $150 at Spotlight for the curtains and doona. The other linen was all flea market finds....wonderful as new white doona set with valance and pillow cases just $25!! The cusions on the reading chair were only $3. The bedside table - market find $20. The chest of drawers only $75 at an op shop and I spent a further $65 on the prints on the walls. The lovely patchwork coverlet was a $11.00 ebay find and the LOVELY standard lamp was $120 from my favourite antique centre. And the chair was another ebay find and only $15!! (I bought two chairs for $30 woo hoo) The other little bits and pieces and enamel ware I already had...oh and the light fitting was a $15 market find. Figure in another $40 for paint for the drawers and bits and bobs like curtain rail etc and the whole project came in under well under my $700 buget....YAY..... Here is the finished room. Love to hear what you think.


Decided to go with Blue and White English cottage Style

The enamel ware was bought with my Aunt in France so I wanted it in the room

Draped an old lace table cloth over the $15 chair ...looks good dont you think?

The room looks so l ight and airy..hope she loves it!!

Little bedside cupboard is a great place for mags....decorating ones of course hehe

I am really pleased with how it turned out, especially as I pulled all the pieces together over time and didn't actually put it all together till yesterday (yep I am a deadline junkie) so wasn't 100% sure it would work. But to me it works perfectly and is a very pretty comfortable room for guests. I will probably add a few more prints to the walls over time....when I come across ones that are right but aside from that I am very pleased. Would love to hear your comments. Cheers Sam

A Legacy of Laughter and An addiction to Collecting - Thanks Nan

2010-10-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well its been quite a week. Flew to Sydney with my eldest son for my Nans funeral and it was a lovely service. The wonderful thing about my Nan was that she had a way of being able to connect with people on any level and make friends everywhere she went. That was more than evident at her funeral which was a celebration of her life, her family and her friends. She had a sharp wit and a fantastic sense of humour and was the life of any party. The day brought together (probably for the first time in many many years) all of her children, grand children and even her eldest great grand children and back at my fathers house we laughed. shed a few tears and told stories and toasted her well into the wee small hours of the morning. Thank you Doreen Grace even though you have passed your legacy is as bright and vibrant as you always were. Love you Nan!

When I think about my Nan when I was a child I am sure it was her that started my love of boxes and containers as every time I visited her she always had a box of goodies for me....sometimes lollies and little toys but most of the time things of hers like old costume jewellery or make up samples anything pretty and girly (I was the first grandchild and after three boys I think she had a ball finding girly bits for me). I still have that love of boxes and containers. Thought I would take a few shots of the pretty old boxes I have collected over the years....so here they are, hope you enjoy the pics as much as I enjoy the boxes hehe.

A great way to store your fabrics!!

Craft stuff fills these pretties!!

More craft goodies over flowing from this one

Mmmm I love these..they hold my old crystals and buttons

Two French boxes and a lovely italian florentine one....love the colours

My tiniest box, an enameled and gilt pill box mmm love the roses

More French boxes...I am soooo addicted hehe

Weekend Market and Garage Sale Finds!!

2010-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Howdy girls!! After a pretty icky week I was determined to get out and about this weekend and do lots of garage sales on Saturday and hit the market early today. And I did!!! Sadly there wasn't the massive treasure trove I had hoped there would be but I did manage to find some sweet pieces. Below part of my haul...I really love the part dinner set, its backstamped Czechoslovakia and I think its just very elegant and really quite French in style. Check out the photos of the rest of my haul. I did get some really nice new in their packets linen which I haven't photographed yet. Some of the linen will be put aside for the spare room so I will show you that later. As I said not a huge haul but enough to be pleased that I got up early!! Hope you are all having a great treasure hunting weekend and please let me know your latest and greatest finds!!

Love the part dinner set...especially the tureen and the gravy boat!!

Mmm so elegant.....love white and gold!!

Lovely old religious tin backed prints....mmm roses!!

Ooh Cath Kidston Make up bags and gorgeous vintage valentine cards

Love the beautiful embroidered doiley and the old roses print. Duvet set is really pretty too

Oooh I bought a great double bed on ebay for the spare room. Its not the antique bed I really wanted but its scrolly and will do once I have put my stamp on it. Hubby and I picked it up yesterday....only $50!!! Will pick up a mattress and take some photos soon. Project spare room is coming on ....more photos soon.

It might be next weekend by the time I blog again. So sadly my Nan passed away on Thursday...it was a merciful release but even though I knew it was coming it was still a shock!!! I have had a sad few days hence the reason why I had to get out and treasure hunt as that always helps lift my spirits. I will be traveling to Sydney for the funeral next week so please understand if I disappear for a few days.

Hugs Sam

Catalyst For an Unplanned Makeover!!!

2010-10-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

The plan this weekend was to remove the icky desk from the spare room and work on clearing it out etc. But its funny how life works. Saturday morning with coffee in hand I wondered into my study to check my emails and found our eldest cat mid PEE on the icky carpet that I hate anyway. After much screaching by me and humiliated skulking away by said cat I had had ENOUGH....I pulled up the carpet in the corner of the room and peaked underneath...OH YEAH BABY....floor boards!! Right!! well I would rather have unpolished floor boards than cat pee carpet so. Another few screaches, this time of joy and my MM came down from the spare room to find me carrying boxes of crap out of the study and muttering BLOODY CAT. One whiff of cat pee and the look on my face (its his cat) and he kindly suggested he help me....hehehe. Somewhere in the midst of clearing the room...MM suggested that if we were taking everything out it might be a good time to paint (he had the paint out to patch where the desk was in the spare room)...Silly Silly man..... Long story short...one weekend and a few arguments later and voila....a totally pee free and LOVELY room. We will get the floorboards polished eventually but for now...I would rather clean unpolished paint splattered boards than cat pee apricot ICKY carpet. It also forced me to clear clutter and organise myself better. Still got some pictures to put up and curtains to make but hey...the whole thing only cost me $50 for new rollers and brushes...we had enough paint left over from previous rooms and now I have a pile of stuff to ebay that will well and truly cover the cost. Down side is now MM knows just how much STUFF I have collected heheh. Below is the transformation....what do you think??

OOps finally thought to take a pic....icky carpet, and apricot walls YUK

Ugly pine panel wall ...oh I am itching to paint

Walls painted carpet gone.....mmm good bones

Oh so not perfect yet but better than cat pee carpet

It looks so much bigger and brighter!!

Cleared out clutter and now just ebay stuff and my faves!!

Spare Room Transformation Starting Point

2010-10-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Right embarassment aside here is the before photos of the spare room. Its not a big room but will make a lovely spare room for guests. Where to start..well usually my decoratings is treasure driven. By that I mean I usually start with an inspriation piece which helps me chose the colours and style. For the spare room I have chosen three pieces. I picked up two beautiful old prints from one of my favourite antique shops and scored a lovely crystal and brass ornate lamp from the market. So they will be my base for colour and style. I am going to pick out the soft pinks and blues that are in both pictures and go for (hmm how to describe it....hmmm) a sort of English country house look..little more formal than a cottage but not as grand as a stately home (like I could afford a stately home look lol). I have a very limited budget so every penny will count. During the transformation I will update you on the budget, how much I spend on each piece and what my favourite money saving decorating tricks are.

Yes the walls are white but the junk is everywhere!!


Old chairs, old beds..first thing is to clear the junk!!!


The Inspiration Pieces!!!

Ok, The big picture cost me $45 and the smaller lovely one I bought unframed and popped it in a frame from my stash. It cost me $25 all up. I will be using the large lamp from my previous post...cost $20. And the Lloyd Loom wicker cupboard also in previous post...cost $20. Luckily the walls have been painted Antique White USA with left over paint from my living room. So spend so far....$90 and I haven't bought any major pieces. I need a bed, light fitting, curtains, bed linen and a chest of drawers...and I really have a tiny budget of around $700. So lets see how I go!! Any tips or ideas?? Love to hear from you!!

Spring has Sprung & The Markets Liven Up!!!

2010-10-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well spring is definitely here in Melbourne, not only are the birds and bees buzzin but so is the market..YAY. I set out early this morning and had a fantastic time treasure hunting and socialising with my other treasure hunting mates. It was a bit of a bonanza morning for me with some darling finds!! I get so excited when I find a treasure and its nice when you meet up with like minded girls we enjoy oohing and ahhing over each others treasures. I have been after a crystal light dome for sooo long and they always sail past my budget on ebay so I was doing a happy dance when I picked up one today for only $20!!! Its certainly a keeper!! I also found a darling little wicker cupboard perfect for the spareroom project!! See the tall lamp..its quite French in style and I think I nearly snapped the ladies arm off when she told me I could have it for same measley $20 price tag YEEEHAAAA!! The fabbo red and crome clock is a French Japy one...and hmm what else ohhh the divine pair of old photo frames...I have already popped two of my favourite postcard in them...mmmmm...anyways scroll down and have a look at my haul!! Don't you just adore warm spring market days!!!


Some of this weeks haul..LOOOVE the cupboard!!!

See my lovely dome and gorgeous frames!!


Fabbo French Vintage Japy Alarm clock...came in its original box too..happy dance!!!

All in all it was a fantastic morning!! Now I have not forgotten the spare room project and have a few ICKY before photos to post this week!! Its a mess right now..but at least its been painted in Antique White USA...have to get hubby to remove the hideous grey melamine desk attached to one wall though....ooohhhh honeeeeyy ....damn it Bathurst is on today.....he is glued to the tv....maybe tomorrow night hehehe.

Treasures Found and Exciting News

2010-10-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well hello bloggers, I have been so slack and not posted for awhile but I have been taking photos and have lots to show and tell. I will start off with some treasures I have found recently trawling the charity shops and markets. Don't you just LOVE it when you spy a treasure in amongst the trash? I know I do...its my adrenaline rush and I have to admit to being quite addicted to it. It would be fantastic to own a HUGE house in which I could keep all my treasures but you know how it is..you just cannot keep everything so of course things end up on ebay just to help keep clutter at bay and allow me to keep treasure hunting hehe. Right here we go. Market on Sunday turned up some lovely pieces. A gorgeous floaty flowery dress, a beautiful old loving cup trophy from 1935, the prettiest pink and green roses skirt and THE most divine set of old scales (I think theses HAVE to stay even though I am not sure where to put them heheh). A few days later I did an op shop and antique store run and voila more treasures. I ADORE the pretty old tea towels don't you?? The lamp base reminds me of the nordic style and I think I am going to decorate my spare room in thats style so I may not part with it (more on Project spare room to come). I had a bit of a glass day with the MOST lovely candle sticks...crystal salt and pepper shakers and lovely cake stand.

I will post again very shortly. I have had some exciting news. My lovely Aunty from England (who is my soul sister and took me to France last year) is coming for a visit...SO I am in panic stations because my spare room is empty and I need to make it into a gorgeous, gorgeous room for her...she will be here at the end of November YIKES so I have heaps to do ...I will be posting every step of the decorating and asking for feedback along the way so check in regularly to see how I go....arrrggh the pressure....her house in England is lovely and I hope I measure up ..not that she would mind at all but you know how it is girls hehehe

Life, Family and the art of treasure hunting!!!

2010-09-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Howdy girls!! My appologies for not posting or replying to posts for a little while. Have had a little trip to Sydney to see my darling grandmother who is, at the grand age of 88, fading fast. She has had a wonderful innings, achieved so much and loved so many that I know she has no regrets and though I am so sad to see such a strong indomidable woman taking her last bows I am soo proud of her and the dignity she shows in face of ...well..the indignities of old age!!! Doreen Grace you are a trooper and I am much the better for having been your grand-daughter. Right..that said I will do exactly as my Grandmother and that is to ....keep calm and carry on!!!

Once back in Melbourne and a little melancholy my lovely other half decided we needed a treasure hunting day (don't you just love a man who realises the value of theraputic shopping!!). We had a great day and I came home with some great bits. Heres a few of the lovelies.


A lovely vintage Laura Ashley tea set for two


The SCRUMMIEST old Westclox clock I LOVE this!!


A really gorgeous Pink roses picture, photo does not do it justice!!


THE most DIVINE Old Flue Cover!!! This is my table laden with goodies...not sure what I want to keep for myself arrgh

It was a great day and really theraputic!! The Laura Ashley tea set dates back to when her pieces were made in ENGLAND and not China and you can sooo feel and see the defference in quality..its sooo nice!! I didn't get to the market this week...shock horror!!!...because it was sooo wet here this weekend..I snuggled into bed and had a sleep in..how SLACK!! But I got up to some projects ..more to follow soon!!

Phew what a WONDERFUL Extravaganza

2010-08-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well girls what an amazing, wonderful EXTRAVAGANZA!! Set up day on Thursday was fun, with all the girls stressing, and arranging and rearranging of booths...and not just a little OOOHing and AHHing over everyones treasures!! Doors opened at 8am Friday and it was really busy most of the morning with lots of laughing and oohhhing and aahing and chatting. What I really loved was the opportunity to meet all the wonderful bloggers and ebay girls face to face. It was AWESOME. I was really pleased at how my booth looked and to think almost every piece came from my house...treasures that had been packed away...or shoved in a drawer because I had run out of display room. I sold lots and did swaps with other booth holders for treasures that had not sold on Saturday afternoon. We had an absolute BLAST!! I would like to express my thanks to Tamarah of Shabby Vintage Junk Blog and to her lovely Mr SJV for all the hard work put in to arrange this FAB show!! And also to my fellow booth holders...it was SOOOO nice to meet you all and to work side by side over the two days...I really enjoyed every moment. If you missed out this time.....I hear that there will be another one coming up in the new year so you MUST keep your eye on our blogs and make sure you don't miss it. If you love vintage like I do...you will be GOBSMAKED when you come to the next Shabby Vintage Junk EXTRAVAGANZA!!! First three pics are some photos of my booth and then three photos treasures I found and HAD to have. I particularly LOVE the little terrier and the roses painting oh hang on I love the jug and the forties religious roses and of course the gorgeous old Victorian chair. The chair came from a well know Melbourne furniture makers own office so its such a beautifully made chair with the most DIVINE patina...hmmm maybe my decor is changing....adding a little bit of dark here and here. Cya in the blogesphere!!!!

Oh Bliss!! A sneak preview of some SVJX pieces

2010-07-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

Oh I am sooo excited!! My pieces for the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza are coming together and I am starting to feel confident I will be able to fill my stall with pieces that I am happy to present. Here are just two sneak previews. One very pretty pink vintage bedroom chair and a DIVINE little Queen Anne wingback sofa in the prettiest hardwearing ROSES tapestry!! I have lots of gorgeous smalls but was worried I wouldn't have enough large pieces. The settee and the chair are just two..I will also have the MOST divine old scrolly table and chairs...along with a GORGEOUS old scrolly rocker and lots and lots of other pieces. Oh I can feel my excitement building. Not long to go now...remember girls 12th and 13th of August at the Ashburton Scout Hall. Be there!!!

My Vintage Crafty Corner

2010-07-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

When I was small my mum had a sewing cupboard...the front opened from the top and dropped down to reveal not only her sewing machine but all her trims and cottons and fabrics...to me as a small girl it was magical!! For years I was on the hunt for a cupboard like hers and finally I found one. So I set about filling it with all my crafting items all stored in my pretty vintage containers. I love vintage fabric covered boxes and lovely old tins. After a few hours of sorting and playing around this is the end result!! To me it brings back all the memories of mum sewing away and me making dolls clothes (however wonky and shonky as I never was and never will be a sewer). Now every time I open the cupboard I remember that feeling of magic!! Take a peek and let me know what you think!!

Now with a place for everything and everything in its place I SHOULD be able to not only keep it tidy but also find time to do some crafts now that every thing is to hand. The time I spend creating is definitely my ME time. What do you love to do in your ME time?

Awake before the Alarm - Market Finds!!

2010-07-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday Mornings are the ONLY morning of the week that I am awake before my alarm goes...well mostly!! This morning my eyes sprang awake five minutes before the horrible BEEP BEEP of my alarm. Oohh boy was it cold out there...I rugged up and set off for the market..hoping that there would be some treasures as I had not been able to get there last week. Well there wasn't a HUGE amount but I did get some really darling things. The Victorian shell souvenirs are my favourites....they are dated 1866!!!! Love the crest of the Prince of Wales thats engraved on one of them. Found some divine mother of pearl handled antique cutlery, some lovely old wallpaper borders with roses on them. In the bottom of a box of junk I spied this awesome little glass pot with a silver lid and the portrait of a really pretty lady...its sooo sweet. The double sided picture locket really caught my eye as usually the pictures in these are not that nice but this one has such a pretty girl and her handsome beau on the other side. Funny but the girl on the portrait pot is similar to the girl in the locket. Oh and I do love the gorgeous old chocolate box. It was FREEZING and I wasn't up for the push and shove at one stall where the lady was unloading some gorgeous stuff..I did manage to snaffle two DIVINE old embroidered sheets from her and later when the crowd had eased I got some great English Decorating Mags...which I intend to browse through later this afternoon with a coffee and some scones....well they are English mags!!.

Today hubby and I are sanding, grinding, painting some of my lovely old scrolly pieces and getting them looking spiffy for the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganza coming up. I have booked a large stall so am getting some bigger pieces ready. I HOPE I have enough stuff to fill my stall!! If you are a Melbourne girl you MUST come along as there will be some GORGEOUS stuff for sale. There are some wonderful dealers and it runs for two days. 13th and 14th of August at the Ashburton Scout hall. Check out my friends Tamarahs Shabby Vintage Junk Blog for all the details. Its gonna be ssooo much fun and there are going to be some

So there you go, my market finds for this week. I will pos

Preview

t some pics of the scrolly furntiure we are doing up and a bit of a how to comment on what we did and how they came up later in the week. Love to get your comments so please post away. Have a great week. Hugs Sam

This Weeks Finds

2010-07-13T04:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes getting up in the wee small hours is soooo worthwhile!! After a day out treasure hunting on Friday I was still in the zone so on Sunday morning I made my early morning swoop on my favourite market and came up trumps!!I founds glomesh!!a lovely bag, little lighter and OMG the MOST amazing vintage Rhinestone belt (oh for the days whan I had a waist heheh) and two DIVINE English EPNS serving dishes...SOOO Elegant!! Later Sunday my MM and I took a drive out to the country and found a great garage sale YAY so here are the treasures I found!! The groovy retro bedspread is amazing it came in its own purpose made case and had not even been taken out since it came from out from Italy in the late 60's WOW. Loving enamel ware as I do its gonna be hard to part with the darling little pink candle stick holder but with lots of expenses looming on the horizon I MUST be strong and list all my treasures this week. Sigh!! The gorgeous Eiderdown above is from one of my very favourite sellers Tamarah!!

A room full of Treasures!!

2010-06-21T04:10:00.000-07:00

Omg a little bit of weak Melbourne winter sunshine and I grabbed my camera to photograph my favourite room. This is my 'front room' as my Mum would have called it. Previously it was a horrible 80's apricot and the fireplace was brick...and not nice bricks either. After a coat or two or three of Antique white USA the back drop was complete. Its amazing how your collected treasures come look so much better against the right backdrop. Still have lots to do in this room....new carpet...curtains and recovering my antique lounge suite but its starting to come together...needs a little pop of colour but hope to do that with the curtains and the lounge. What do you think out there?

All the Small Things!!!

2010-04-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered if you are a BIG girl or a SMALL girl and I don't mean body size!! ....well I myself am definitely a smalls person. If you look around my home there are so many little bits and pieces that I just LOVE and cannot part with. Whilst I can walk past a piece of furniture and think oooh thats nice at markets and antique malls my eyes are always drawn to tables of little bits and pieces. Don't get my wrong I have lots of lovely big pieces of furniture but when I buy them its always with two things in mind. One...is it practical for purpose and two...how can I display some of my collections on or in it? Perhaps I have inherited my love of little things from my lovely Nanna who was a huge fan of anything miniature or "wee diddy" as she would call it and she would always fill one of her kitchen drawers full of little treasures, old paste jewellery, pretty buttons and ribbons etc for me to sort through. Perhaps its just part of the hoarding gene I struggle with on a daily basis. Anyways...girls here are some photos of some of my favourite little displays in my home. Some of the lovely antique picture frames I bought in France. The Rhinestone clocks I just LOVE that I have bought from some wonderful US ebayers. Other pieces I have picked up at markets and even from Charity stores. Give me a box of bits to sort through and I am in seventh heaven. Which reminds me....a friends Gran rang the other day...she wants me to come sort out all her vintage paste jewellery for ebay....YAY!!!! Give yourselves a hug for me girls....bye for now. Sam