Fridays' Fab Finds

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

South for the Weekend

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

Finished Finds

   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



Friday Finds

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 !





Today's Treasures

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 :)

A Place for Everything

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    

  
*******

The Right Place at the Right Time

It really is just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
I had the worst Sunday morning ever last weekend at the local trash & treasure markets.
It was the very first time I have ever gone home empty handed ... thats right not a single purchase.
Very disappointing seeing I got out of bed on a Sunday morning early ... some days you wish you'de stayed in bed !
But ... who would have thought ... the very next day I venture into one of the local op shops looking for bright happy fabric I can use to decorate the table for my sons soon to be 5th birthday party.... and there before my very eyes was the most adorable & stunning little beaded lamp.
Absolutely immaculate condition, and electrically checked as in good working order .... but would I have to spend my pay packet to own it ???? How much would you pay for this adorable piece ??
$ 30 ?? $ 50 ?? $70 ???  .....................

I thought it was a misprint myself when I read $ 4.99 but the lady at the counter assured me it was the right price ..... and she said .... I was at the right place at the right time !

This completely made up for a bad Sunday !!!!!

Awesome Aquisitions

Being new to the "Life of a Blogger" and having viewed hundreds of blogs in the last few days, I decided it was time to approach op shopping with new eyes.
There are probably half a dozen op shops / thrift shops in the metropolitan area within a few streets of each other, so with cash in hand, it was time to investigate, and to my surprise after spending a mere $ 8.80, I was thrilled with my new aquisitions.

At home, I am having a red phase at the moment and thanks to my Best Bargain today, this is now my favourite corner of the living room.

                                                                                           

Made of  a heavy metal, the label underneath declares it is originally from IKEA.

I already had the red shade from a previous venture costing all of 50c which I had shelved till I found the right base, and here it is :

                      

                                    

                         Favourite & Bargain Buy LampBase .... $  1.99

                                       

I absolutely love it  & cant believe it was sitting there just waiting for me to walk in & buy.



                                                     *****

                         Other Bits & Pieces      
                 I have always loved old things .... like vintage or antique pieces but having a modern home I never was brave enough to mix it with old world treasures. Here are just a few pieces I have picked up today to make a home for. Too cute & cheap to leave shelved in an op shop ...... 

Cognac Balloon Glasses 20c each



Crystal Cut (presumably) Glass Bowl with Lid 

$ 1.50

 

Brand new Coffee / Spice Grinder
$ 2.00



 



  Hartsteingut  Jug  ( German ) 
 $  2.50

So a good op shopping day and all under $ 10 ....

Gotta love Awesome Aquisitions !