Kids stuff.

Visit to ‘Little Granny’s’ house last Saturday. Little Granny is my husbands grandmother. She is the last remaining grandparent between us, and is 86 (or is it 87) years old. Her house is a stereotypical Granny residence. You know the one. It’s a bit dark because the blinds are part way down and there are china cupboards filled to the brim, retro furniture and black and white family photos. Don’t forget the ticking clock in the back ground (every Granny has to have the loud ticking clock). She is a lovely Granny and my children are lucky they are able to get to know their Great Grandma.

Of course any trip to the city on a Saturday is a chance for garage sales (yes, I am a GS freak), but why can we not find any until it is time to give up? As soon as we decide enough is enough because its morning tea and the kids are getting grumpy, we start to see garage sale signs. Hmm. We didn’t pick up a lot but my husband grabbed a bargain with a $2 golf club and a $3 retro Mario Brothers hand held electronic game. The game is from 1982 and the original priced is marked as $39.99!! I bet that would have been a lot back in those days. I once bought a Donkey Kong Jr game by the same maker when I was in my early twenties. It had been my favorite electronic game as a child. My friend owned it and she would allow me play it if I brought her little cubes of cheese to school. She loved cheese but was ALLERGIC to it and wasn’t allowed to eat it at home. I swear I didn’t know that is why she wanted me to bring her cheese! Her mum ended up lending it to me overnight, hoping that I would get over my addiction. At the same GS today, they were selling this wonderful pin ball machine (for $350!) but of course something like this does not stay up for sale long. 

I am not sure what it is with me and girls toys at the moment? I guess it’s having a girl after a boy and normally buying cars, trucks and motorbikes. I picked up a three piece set of doll furniture. A bath/change table and cupboard combo with a bed, wardrobe and accessories (monitor and pretend baby products) for $20. It will have to stay in storage until little miss is big enough, but I don’t think it will be that long. In the past we have purchased up most of my sons outdoor play equipment at garage sales. A slippery dip for $10, Hills swing set for $15 (but did need some new seats), wooden sand pit for $35, oh and I have to get a picture of this for you…

...a car rocker that reminds me of the one my grandparents had. The type of toy that could take your fingers or toes right off for just $10. I was planning on sanding and painting it and may get around to it one day. Yes, it has become a bit rustier since we got it but that happens. This crocodile rocker was $35 and was looking a bit healthier a couple of years ago (as in the pic). It seems to get a bit of weather under the verandah. Looks cute and strong enough and big enough for mum to have a go too!

I would also like to mention A Farmer's Wife who has tagged me for an award (thank you). She has a blog titled Life in the Country which is all about being a mum and wife on a farm in Western Australia. It is a very interesting read with some stunning photos of the land.

I think I am supposed to say 7 things about myself. I will make it short and sweet.

I would have to be the most uncoordinated person I know. Most kids playing cricket will try and catch the ball. I would stand so far away that the kids had no hope of hitting that far and therefore I would not have to try and catch it.  I once owned a red VW convertible beetle. No fuel gauge or heater and the doors would swing open if you didn’t shut them properly. It was gorgeous. I love the curves and the chrome of beetles. Hmm. Seven is too many. Just one more.  I have known my husband since I was 18 and in a couple of years I will have known him as long as I haven’t.  Now that makes me feel old.

Oh no... you have been baking again.

My Nana was a fantastic old fashioned baker - yummy biscuits, cakes and scones.  I remember staying at her house one time and spending a day baking with her. She was a very 'neat' baker which is opposite to what I am. Back then she had a wood oven and so did my family. These ovens would heat the house, cook the food and heat the water. This was not in the dark ages but the 70's, 80's and 90's. My Pa was a wood merchant in the old days so wood was plentiful. It could be difficult to get cooking times spot on as you lost a lot of heat opening the door and depending on how well the fire was going the temperature could change. A great room heater though, I burnt many items of clothing and even my bum on our wood stove taking advantage of the heat.

Nana would bake every Friday and stock up on goodies for the week ahead. She and my Pa always had a sit down morning and afternoon tea and sometimes we would be lucky enough to be at her house just at the right time. If my Pa was out working he would take baked goods with him and a one litre bottle of cold tea (with tons of tea leaves in it) to wash it down with. We would often find these bottles of tea around the family property.

My nearly four year old son and I like to bake also. I am a messy baker and sample the product in the process (unless I am baking for someone other than my husband and son, then it is all seriousness). My son and I get tea spoons and dip them into the bowl, eat it, then dip in the back of the spoon and eat that. We usually end up with about three dirty spoons (but never double dip!).   Here I am, in the kitchen with flour everywhere and my son and I licking the spoon.  I can feel my Nana's disapproving looks from beyond the grave and have a giggle to myself. I think she would find it slightly amusing, but she would certainly have something to say about it.

As a child I would bake at home. I remember running the recipe book out to Mum to ask questions time and time again. Mum has two sets of the old Pyrex mixing bowls that I have fond memories of. A few months ago I had one of them sitting in my cupboard waiting to be returned - white and aqua blue. I really liked having it in my cupboard and have decided that I will start collecting a few for myself. Funny thing is I have likely come across lots in my travels and looked past them.

I picked up the Jadeite Fire King mixing bowl and pie dish (above) at the Lions sale we went to a couple of weeks ago. Again I paid eBay prices (more than I would normally pay at a garage sale) but I just love the colour. I have done a quick Google the markings it make it mid to late 50's. Check out this link if you are interested:

Fire King Jadeite

My son is not able to do much at the moment due to surgery he had on Monday. He asked to do some baking today. We made some vanilla biscuits and cut them into car shapes. My daughter has been quite clingy today so most of the baking was done one handed. You should see the mess we made! I just have to get it cleaned up before my husband gets home, I am getting tired of the comments such as 'oh no, I can see who has been baking again'.

I would lose my head...

I was just trying to put my little girl to bed when I got a phone call from my Sister-In-Law. She had send my husband an SMS and then received a call back from his phone. It wasn't my husband on the other end as she had expected, it was a lady with a croaky voice. This lovely lady told her that a girl (girl - I love that) had left a phone at her garage sale today. Oops. That would be me. I really would lose my head if it wasn't screwed on. Luckily my husband didn't mind fetching it as it was the same sale that I had bought him some X-Box games from. So he is off to the 'garage sale ladies house' (as she called herself) at 8:20pm to pick up his phone and see if there are any other games he might like. Worked out well in the end. Note to self: do not leave personal possessions at garage sales, they may be sold.

Do you remember I wrote a couple posts back that I missed out on a set of red vintage scales at a garage sale? Look what I found at a garage sale today! Very strange that I should come across the exact same set of scales a couple of weeks later. They cost me $10 which is more than the others would have cost, but it's a fair price. At the same sale I also picked up some cupboards for my husbands shed. He is always on the look out for storage and for $40 for two wardrobes they will do the job (once he puts some shelves in them). I almost forgot about the faux tortoise shell knitting needles that I scored. They will likely be sold on as I am not a knitter (unfortunately - I would love to be).

This is one of the things I am yet to show you from last weeks garage sale finds. I picked up this gorgeous dolls house for just $6. It has some sticker residue and needs a bit of a touch up, but I think it's lovely. Now all it needs is some furniture and a family!

My husband has just returned home with four more X-box games. I guess that makes up for me nearly losing his phone. :)

Saturday Finds.

It is Wednesday and finally I have some time to show you some of my weekend finds. I found the lovely pink Depression glass square footed bowl at a Lions shed sale. It wasn’t a bargain, but not overly expensive and because it is for me not to sell, the price was right. It is in fantastic condition.  I started out buying Depression glass to sell because I wasn’t really interested in it. Somewhere along the line I have changed my mind and now really like it. Like most collectors though I prefer the green, blue, pink and yellow over the amber but quite like the frosted amber glass.  Now I look back at some of the glass I have sold with regret. Oh well (sigh), I am sure they are being loved by someone.

I saw the aqua blue and gold 50’s bowl two tables away and I had to stop myself from jumping onto and over the table to get there. I have to admit though it looked a lot better in the dingy shed than in real life. Still in pretty good nick though. I am thinking it may have been a punch bowl due to its size. I think I will keep this one also. Hmm. This is happening more and more.  

Just found this one on the net:

50s punch bowl 

The hand painted blue pitcher vase is marked ‘Made in England’ on the bottom and I think ‘Celtic’. I am guessing with my untrained eye 1930’s? I Googled it but could not find anything similar to it (in a hurry anyway). Great condition apart from a tiny, tiny loss of paint on the lip.

The pretty plate is marked ‘Royal Staffordshire Pottery, AJ Wilkinson Ltd, Honeyglaze’. I have a thing for the simple china patterns like this one, however not sure if this will be a keeper or not.

I welcome anyone to comment on the items I find and please feel free to correct me on anything I might write about them as I want to learn as much as I can.

More to come…

Kitsch!

Cute or ugly? Tough call.

Had a bitter sweet day today. The morning was quite traumatic due to a 7 month old with back log issues (will say no more), and in the afternoon I attended my first 'High Tea' at a ritzy hotel. Quite a contrast I must say. It was nice to be a bit 'la de da' for an afternoon. 

OK, so I said that I would get back here with my Saturday finds but unfortunately I didn't get the photos done when it was light (the flash doesn't do them justice). Instead I thought that I might show you a few of the things I have sold in the past. Actually, I may still have that cookie jar somewhere... 

I think they have a tacky sort of quality don't you? The kind of possessions you remember from your childhood because they were bright, interesting and stood out from the rest.

Very tall S&P shakers!

 Will be back with the first of my finds tomorrow. 

1960's Budget Box

Did I do ok today or what!!

Went for a bit of a drive with the family for something to do. My husband spotted a garage sale first as he normally does. I had a gander at it and managed to break something!!! Luckily it wasn't really worth much so I told the owner and gave her a couple of  bucks for it. She was happy with that but then hounded me to buy something else (not because I broke her thing, just because she wanted sales). I picked up a jug but put it back down and said 'I am fine thank you, bye'. She shouted after me, 'come on you want to buy something! The jug! 50c!'. I replied 'no, no I am fine thankyou'. She seemed to get angry and kept shouting after me 'look, you buy something!' I picked up my pace 'no thankyou' and jumped in the car. Hmm. She was a bit scary!

I will be back later with some photos of the things that I bought. I have 3/4 of an hour until I have to go out and my daughter won't sleep! Most likely she will wait until we have to go into the car and then scream it down. Oh the joys... :)

5 op shops and only one buy :(

We had nothing planned for today so I text my sister to see what she was up to. It was 9:15am so I assumed she was still in bed when I didn’t hear anything back. She is a bit of a sleepaholic, well, excessively sleep dependent anyway. I decided it was time to bank the cheques that have been sitting on the sewing machine for forever (yes, that gorgeous old Singer in the pic). Right next to the bank is an op shop and one just a bit further down the main street and then one even further down and then two on the other side of the road on the way back…you get the picture. I told my son if he behaved (he loves the pram skateboard but gets bored in shops) we would get him a gingerbread man on the way back to the car (was proud of myself as I resisted, will forget about the choc mint ice cream I just got into). The gingerbread man bribe worked well. The walk was really just something to do as the op shops in Mount Barker are packed with clothes and shoes but not what I am after. I did pick up the retro girls sheet pictured that I thought might be useful for a crafty person to use as material. I did see a lovely Shorter and Son pitcher but priced a bit high for me as a bargain hunter. My SIL rang me and was telling me about an op shop in the city that had only just reopened after Christmas and was packed to the rafters when she went today. Hmm. I wish she wouldn’t tell me these things. We got home and had lunch and I got a text from my sister saying she had only just got up at 12:44pm! Some people have got it made me thinks!