Sunday Market Madness

So I went to the markets.......and spent a bit of money....oops!

Mmmmm....yes. Markets and me. Not a good combo when trying to save moulah for paying off mortgage to Pear Tree Farm.....must remember that.

So I went to the markets. I had a game plan. Just vintage cutlery. That  was all I was out to get.

Did I stick to my game plan? In a word....no.

However I think if I show you all my market loot you will understand my weakness.

My mum, sisters and I went to the markets in Melbourne on Sunday. I could hardly contain my excitement. I felt the feverish thrifting frenzy come over me as we arrived at the stalls. However I did manage to control myself somewhat and even tried to appear nonchalant as I enquired about the price of yet another set of aluminium picnic cups. 

There was a plethora of vintage wares, soooo hard to walk past them and try to resist. I managed to find some vintage cutlery, a little metal trunk, a chippy white box, some sweet vintage Christmas ornaments and lots of other things. I did spy the most gorgeous long white chippy pew-bench seats (but I did not buy them....sigh) Firstly, they were rather pricey and, secondly, I didn't have the landrover to take them home in. Thirdly, I don't have anywhere to put them in our tiny house that we are trying to move from and already don't have enough space or boxes for my ever growing stash of vintage china....and other bits and pieces, and Fourthly and probably the most convincing, I don't think I could have handled any more raised eyebrows from Mr PTF.

So I shall give you a snippet of my day in Melbourne, come and have a wander with me through the market madness....

Here is the cutlery I found. I had this idea that I would start collecting some old cutlery for an everyday set and maybe keep in tin cans in a wooden cutlery/tea caddy/tool tray type thing. Dunno, just an idea so far. But I am loving it.

I also spied these lovelies. Some vintage glass Christmas baubles, at 50 cents each, could you really go wrong here? I am not 100% sold on the colour of them, as I was hoping for red and silver, however I snatched them up anyway.

I loved just having a potter here and there. Practising restraint and just soaking in the market atmosphere. Enjoying the uniqueness of some of the stalls. 

To own the truth though, at times I did feel a little irked that things that you can find at a thrift store for a pleasant $2, or better yet for free from your parents or grandparents shed, were being labelled as 'vintage' and sold for an arm and a leg.

I did go slightly weak at the knees when I found this little shoe box/stool. I am thinking I will stencil some numbers in black paint on the top of it. What do you think? I just love what Melissa does with her stencils, so I am thinking I will have to follow suite!

I also found this metal trunk which I am debating about whether to paint white. Any thoughts? I do like it as is but I think it may look a little overpowering.

I love the faded blue inside this trunk, not to mention the black printed lettering.

Now I don't normally look for clothes at the markets, I don't really know why. I think I just can't be bothered trying them on over my clothes and peeking at myself in tiny, distorted mirrors to see if they look any good. However, I did spot this cute old blue plaid coat.....and...well....I bought it! I mean I was on a roll, frittering away my moulah, so why not eh?!

So I didn't stick to my game plan.....

But I found these...

I also spotted this lovely old box, nice white and chippy. It was so coming home with me then and there!

Don't you think it was all worth it?

I do!

There were quite a few other purchases made on the day, however as they are presents for certain people for Christmas, I obviously can't take pics of them....however sorely  I am tempted!

So somehow I frittered away all the cash in my wallet....and there was quite a bit there (Sorry bout that Mr PTF). Actually I think the sum total was around $80. But my justification is that my most expensive purchase for the day, (the metal trunk) was only $20 AND I bought quite a few Christmas presents for people....amongst all my other purchases.

And that is money well spent in my book.

Now don't forget to send me a comment if you want to be in the running to get sent a little red thing that may look a little  something like this.

See you soon for the winner of this little red beauty and a little Christmas tour round my little place.

xo Rachel

My 'Thrifting Compulsion'......help me!!!!

I've got it bad!

So...I have a bit of a problem...

I just lurrrrrrrrrve to go treasure hunting in 'op-shops,' however I think I will call them 'thrift stores' from now on. To me it just sounds better. Don't know why. OR maybe even the phrase 'to go 'Bric-a-Brac....ing?' (that is my new word... I think) to me the phrase 'to look for bric-a-brac' is so much more appealing, it has a cutesy sound to it maybe...

Anyway, so back to my problem....I can't seem to resist looking for old plates, cups, bowls, glasses.... actually it has now extended to cutlery and old egg beaters and not to mention old linens, vintage children's books or materials.

 I mean, I already have an old set of egg beaters (courtesy of Mr PTF's grandma....I persuaded her I 'needed' them. I did..) and yet, I am still drawn to all these things. I already have a rather large stash of blue and white china and floral tea cups... but does that stop me? I am afraid not.

There are numerous reasons why I should not indulge in this obsession.....

We are moving house.

Our new house does not have that much storage.

I am running out of boxes (and so far all I have been packing is china....and I am not half done in that department.....)

We are supposedly saving our moulah so we can pay off Pear Tree Farm.

The people at the store are probably beginning to recognize me and that is kinda awkward.

Mr PTF continually raises his eyebrows at me and my 'treasure' (actually, this has never put me off and probably never will so it probably doesn't count does it...)

Nevertheless there I am, often on my hands and knees trawling through crates of china and cutlery, boxes of books... unable to resist the urge to 'just have a quick peek.'

But enough about my guilt....don't you want to have a look at all my bargains?! I'm sure I heard you say yes.

Bargain number 1.

A beautiful cut glass bowl.

 I am thinking it would look gorgeous with some roses floating in it as a centre piece or even some tealight candles....mmm!

Bargain number 2.

A faded blue-handled set of egg beaters

Now my justification for buying these egg beaters, (despite already having a pair) is that I was not going to buy them for me you must understand. I was buying them...for a friend...you know.......mmm just have to think of who?

I must tell you a bit more about them though. I had gone in to the thrift store under the guise of dropping off a whole bunch of clothing that had not sold at our disastrous garage sale (more about that another time). However I could not help but notice this beauty in the window. I saw the price was $10 and to me that was not bargain material...so I asked the lady kindly if she 'didn't think that was a bit much?" to which she replied she thought that was "maybe a bit cheap dear" as she was sure she had seen a pair for $30..."They are quite collectable now, didn't you know?" drat the woman....she was onto me! She then said she would have to ask the manager. He went on about how these wretched beaters dated right back to the 1940s....I was not convinced. I said I had seen a pair for $8 and would he take that for them. He agreed and even took another whole 50 cents off the total price of all my 'finds'...ah I could kiss him....not really.

Anyway on to bargain number three

Bargain number 3.

A gorgeous white serving dish with scalloped edges....think that's what I love most about this one. Plus its 'whiteness' and not to mention the lovely little embossed pattern around the edges. sigh.

Bargain number 4.

Ok so this one is not exactly vintage...but I still have a place in my heart for it....maybe not in my cupboard...but definitely in my heart.

Bargain number 5.

Love these 1950's (I think?) tea cups. My mother-in-law came round one afternoon recently and we sipped tea from them together and we had such a lovely time. She told me they took her straight back to afternoon teas with her relatives when she was a girl. They are really just plain-jane  Johnson and Johnson tea cups but I still think they are sweet.

So there you have it... 'thrifting' or 'bric-a-brac.....ing' (which ever term floats your boat)

my one weakness. Hahaha!

Have a lovely afternoon.

 I am off to thrash Mr PTF on the tennis courts.....did you hear that Mr PTF? Thrash you!!!!

See you soon,

xo Rachel

On 'thrifting' and hard-rubbish crawling

Hard-rubbish Collection

This weekend we went up to Melbourne to visit family. On our way up I spotted people's hard waste sitting innocently on the nature strip out the front of their houses. In Melbourne every so often, the council send out a notice to homes that you can get rid of any hard waste such as old mattresses, chairs, broken furniture, fence palings, wood, almost anything really and they will come and collect it free of charge.
On spotting this hard waste....something started to happen to me....my eyes started to quickly scan the streets, my heart started to beat a little faster, my fingers where clenched with excitement....could their be any treasure amongst all the rubble? Was I going to spot my long coveted items....ie a pie cooler, a shabby chest of drawers, a vintage mirror...anything that I could possibly do up? Mr PTF annoyingly, did NOT slow the car down to an extremely slow crawl along the streets, as I would most certainly have done had I been behind the wheel....this may have been to do with the fact that we are currently trying to de-clutter our house and garage in order to sell the house and move and are not wanting to accumulate any more junk vintage treasures. Or perhaps it was the peak hour traffic? Anyway...as we sped by all the potential treasure, I resolved that this weekend I would go on a thrifting/junk crawl around the streets of Melbourne.
The next day as we were going on a walk to the park....item no. 1 was spotted! A beautiful old wooden screen door. I love it! My lovely hubbie had to go back and get the landrover and pick it up after our walk....on the condition that it would have to stay in Melbourne until we move. No probs there, as long as I could keep my beloved old door! In the afternoon item no. 2 was snatched up as I drove home after a beauty appointment. A lovely old wooden chair....perfect for the verandah at Pear Tree Farm.
That night after dinner I talked Mr PTF and my accommodating sister into coming on a junk crawl with me. In the cover of darkness we drove around the streets near my family's home. It was quite hilarious at times jumping in and out of the car, swallowing our pride and perusing peoples junk. I am happy to report however that it was not in vain. We had success! I found a wicker basket, perfect to store Little O's ever growing pile of toys, some old gardening tools...to appease Mr PTF, and a gorgeous white bed head, which I have plans for (more about that later).
So successful were we and so many more streets to cover than we could possibly do that night, I determined to go again the next morning.
Its true....
I had junkit fever.
I had it bad.
Almost to the point where I was having withdrawals and was anxious about the fact that there could be vintage beauties out there....waiting for me...and I could not get to them fast enough.
Oh dear.
I convinced my other sister to come with me the next morning and for some reason she said yes. So off we went. Well, what a morning! 2 and a half hours later we came back with a car full to overflowing with vintage goodness. We found gorgeous old wooden chairs, a big metal trash can (Oscar the grouch style) a lovely vintage map of the UK in a black frame, a white lantern, an outside table for my mum a green vinyl foot stool, some huge near new white picture frames and a blue and white ottoman/dressing table stool. We were pooped, but rather pleased with our car full of loot. In fact the only reason we came back was because we literally could not fit any more stuff in.

With more than one raising of the eyebrow from my dear Mr PTF on our return....he agreed to help me unload my goodies and even admitted that some of them were bargains....a big admission indeed.

Here are some pics of some of our finds.
I didn't have my good camera with me so unfortunately these will have to do.

So there you have it. A weekend of junking. What fun I had and what fun I shall have fixing all my treasures up and finding places for them all at Pear Tree Farm.
No bites yet for our place, its been on the market for a week now....fingers crossed.
See you soon
xo Rachel