Mantlepiece Monday .... running late

First of all, I have to admit to being so busy with my Market Stall, and other family matters this last week I've hardly had any time for Blogging or Op shopping or anything else much.

Was lovely on Sunday to meet Claire from Jemima & Geraldine  at the North Melbourne Market, she's posted photos on her blog.

Now, my Mantlepiece, well to start with it is just on 3m long... so it has room for lots of 'pieces'.  I will report every Monday on some of the items, promise, starting next week. (will need to do a bit of dusting first!).
I will link up with Estelle, at Fortune Favours... lots of nice people have posted over there, lots of nice Mantlepiece collections to see...

Hottie Cover Challenge..... The Story Continues ...

Well as you know I and 59 other lovely bloggers took part in the Hottie Cover Challenge.... the lovely Cam at Curly Pops collected all of ours and delivered them today to the Open Drawer ready for the exhibition.

The Exhibition runs from 1st to 24th July, and I hope all of you that live in or around Melbourne will have time to pop in and vote and maybe buy,  and definitely drool, over the vast array of different Hottie Covers. Almost next door to the Open Drawer is a lovely cafe, and just across the road is Leo's Supermarket, if you feel like a bit of a 'different' supermarket experience too ... ...  ...
It is during the School Hols, so make it a great day out.

the AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S Complete HOUSEHOLD Guide ..Illustrated

just look at the cute illustrations on the dustjacket. The same design in pink, grey and yellow forms the endpapers too.
272 big pages, 36 pages of Glowing Colour, more than 100,000 words, 150 photographs, drawings and diagrams.

What more could the 1950s Aussie Housewife need?

The hand drawn/coloured illustrations are terrific. Home plans, repairs, how your garden could look..so much to aspire to.
Chapters on When you Build
Home Repairs
The Garden
Childcare
Careers for the Adolescent
Cookery
Home Entertainment ... and they mean organisation and etiquette, who to invite, what to serve   ... not which DVD to hire!!!
The Art of Letter Writing
Dressmaking
Handcrafts and Hobbies
Pets

 interesting left handed sewing machine !!!!

the artist was probably a man !

Culture.. how to broaden your intellectual interests
Health
Legal

So there you have it. Dates from 1953.
This was indeed a lucky find for me at an Op shop recently, I've read it and I am happy to report I've been doing everything right!!

on my Mantle

Estelle over at Fortune Favours... suggested we post pics of things on our mantlepiece.

Well I do have various bits and pieces on the mantle during the year, but at Christmas time, I decorate this 1880s Salesmans Sample miniature cast iron fireplace and pop it on our mantle.
So Estelle... here's my first contribution!

another 'Blue' Week

The week started out with a few bits of this and that, and ended with lots of goodies!

First I had some great bargains over at Ashburton, at their Linen sale, which I mentioned on the I Op Therefore I am blog ..  but Friday afternoon I outshone all my expectations.
First this large blue glass Mid-Century Biscuit Barrel (Cookie Jar). It is in wonderful condition, except the bamboo handle needs some tlc. Made in Japan for Counterpoint San Francisco, it is about 17cm high and 17cm wide at the base.

Then I picked up a sweet picture of some Carnations, I just liked the colouring, they may or may not stay here.
About to give up and go home, happy, for a well earned cup of Tea (Vic always puts the kettle on at 4.30pm) when I saw this very grubby little Travel Case / Cosmetics Case.  It has cleaned up ok, but the metal fastenings on the handle are rusty. Inside it is taffeta lined, with a mirror in the lid, and a cute little lift out shelf/jewel box.

I will keep this, and use it for storage. very good for my gloves & stockings collection maybe?   Nelly asked about the stockings I got this week. Just some Kolotex Clings, and 6 pair of Holeproof Beauty Fits, all from the 1960s/70s all boxed. ~ they are packed for the Market already.

I hope you all had a wonderful week, finding treasures to add to your life's enjoyment.  Join like minded fossikers over at Sophie's we all love to share our stories.

getting ready for the North Melbourne Market ... next Sunday 26 June

I have managed to turn last weekends messy spare room into ORDER. Hung and priced all my items for next Sunday's market at North Melbourne, [44 Errol Street for you locals]  Being an indoor market with lots of different rooms, all warm and friendly, it is the perfect way to spend the day.
I will have a couple of racks of retro / vintage clothing, including lots of coats, jackets and jumpers, as well as some scarves, gloves, handbags, buttons, buckles, table linen, and various other bits and pieces that I know the browsers at Nth Melbourne always love. (like 6 pair of 1960s STOCKINGS) yay.

This lovely coat is from the U.S.A.

Fingers crossed for nice weather to entice all the shoppers out.  If you are in Melbourne and thinking of coming along, I'll be in the Corridor between the Lobby and the Ballroom, C4, pop in and say HI.

what a mess !

I have just been reading a few blogs while I have a cup of tea (or 2), and everyone seems to have been crafting, or out eating, drinking, walking in the country, and I am here making messes everywhere.
Now that I have decided to try to do at least One Market a month, and still sell on eBay, I have a few plans for a little Storage Studio (more about that another day, I hope)
First up, I used the lovely sunny days to wash and iron a few recent retro clothing purchases. Then I sorted my clothes into Summer / Winter jumpers cardigans / Blouses & Shirts / Coats and Jackets.  Then I bagged them into hanging garment bags on racks in the garage for the time being.

That went very smoothly, so I unpacked a few tubs and suitcases and sorted ... Household Linen, Buttons and Laces, Fabrics, gloves, hats, handbags ... you get the idea..

Next I have to put them away neatly,... tomorrow maybe!

I had so much stock, bits here, bits there, so I had no overview of how many Tea Towels or how much fabric I have.  By the end of this week I will have it all under control.  Then I need to work on the Storage Studio idea..

Stay tuned.

more and more Flea Market Finds . .

wow what a week... OK I did do a lot of Op Shopping, because hubby had a few appointment he needed driving to, and I never just go to the doctors... always have to have Op Shop Therapy too.
Linen, linen and more linen seemed to jump out at me this week. Above is a huge circular pot holder, backed in plain green cotton with what feels like sacking lining. It is indeed an oldie, but never been used. Check out the cute fabrics !

Then there was a nice  Hexagon pot/plate stand, much more modern than the potholder, but cute.

found that together with some lovely crochet doilies, and a few embroidered 'guest towels'
and of course I found some more floral pillowcases, a floral 1/2-apron,  and a small stash of Tea Towels

Finally, the sweetest Lingere draw string bag. Bright green fine cotton, lovingly embroidered with the lingere on the washing line. Cute or what?

But that was not all.. oh no.. I also found a wonderful hardback book  The Australian Women's COMPLETE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE, illustrated. Not dated, but I'd guess 1950s, in feet and inches, pounds and ounces and Pounds/Shillings / & Pence. I'll have to make a blog just about this book next week, the colour illustrations are fantastic.

So, if you have had a wonderful Thrifting Week.. be it one or many treasures, post a link over at Sophie's Flea Market Finds, and check out what everyone else has found.

The Hottie Challenge. .. finished ♥

Happy to say my Hottie is finished.  I am not a great sewer or crafter like some of those who have taken up the challenge, but I did have a few ideas.  Those that know me, know how much I love old and vintage things, and I love to re-cycle.  So.. my hottie cover has been constructed from a lovely old tablecloth with floral embroidery. There were many holes in the body of the cloth, but the embroidery bits were worth saving, I added an old vintage lacy collar (again only 1/2 a collar), some buttons, a bit of crochet off a torn white hankie, and a few felt flowers from a massive bag of felt bits I picked up at a 1/2 price sale.
The only thing I really bought 'retail' was a packet of eyelets to make the hanging holes.

There was so much of the tablecloth to save I even used one corner for the back of the Hottie.

Pop over to Curly Pops blog to read about the Hottie Challenge and view some of the entries.  You will be amazed.

Op Shop Finds .. BONANZA

 

This week started out fine, dropped into a few of my favourite Op Shops and picked up a few interesting pieces. A small brass and enamel picture of a little girl, two supersoft leather belts each with leaves attached.  The gum leaf one is probably from the 1980s but the Autumn leaves one is definitely much earlier, probably the 1940s. A nice Art Deco inspired embroidered and crocheted doily, and one 1970s floral pillowcase.   I was happy.

Then, on Friday I re-visited the shop where I'd bought the pillowcase (and a couple of books for hubby to read), and the Lady behind the counter said 'Oh aren't you the lady looking for floral sheets?'  oh Yes, indeed I am .. ..  oh good I just got some in .. ..

drool... Yes! please ! a pair of Sheridan pillowcases in their packet and sheets and pillowcases in a pink and purple pattern, new, never used! never washed"  Heaven.

I kept looking around the shop, assuring her I'd take the lot.. she said "and there are a lot of bright single colour ones too, don't know who's going to buy bright pink sheets these days"

-- err that'd be me too.

I haven't even unfolded them to check for sizes or anything yet, they came complete with a Marcella/damask (?) bedspread too, with Waterlilies on it.

Did I mention it was my lucky week this week?  

I also purchased two near new black / grey jumpers for myself, nice and warm and just what I was hoping to find to replace a few in my wardrobe that had seen better days.

So I suggest you always tell the ladies in the shops what it is you are looking for, sometimes, just sometimes they remember you and the Op Shop Fairy drops off a bag of YOUR speciality the next day.

Pop over to Sophie's to check out all the other good luck stories this week.

a Big Thank You . . .

Where do I start?
On Friday I visited the Shabby Vintage Junk Fair over at Ashburton, not so much to buy, but to catch up with some blogging friends I have made over the last few months here.

When I popped in to see Irene, from Irene's Re~Vintaged  she said, "Oh I have something here for you".  The sweet girl, with all the work she's had getting ready for this huge fair, she had time to think of me with a 'gift it forward' present.. I was totally Amazed. Thank you Irene, and she could not have picked a better present .. a note book with the map of NY on it, and some amazing paper clips. ♥

How was the Fair I hear you all asking? It was great, so many talented ladies with such a wonderful array of items.  No... I didn 't  do any shopping, except to pick up a copy of the latest Guide to Op Shops in Victoria... a must have.