Bit of this and that

Hey! Funny, I always say 'hey' when little Miss comes up to me. She is now running around saying 'aye, aye, aye'. Lol.

I was enjoying my new note pad until it got a virus and started shutting down on me but I am back after 10 days all all is good.

So here is a bit of this and that...

The junk shop in Mount Barker (South Australia - just thought I would add that due to Mt Barker in WA) from one of my older posts is closing down as has 'make an offer' signs up. I have been eyeing off this retro red dish for a while, I would keep thinking about it from time to time. The marked price was $20 and that's too much for a bargain hunter like me. I really would have liked to pay about $8 but asked what was the best price they could do. $15. I asked it they would take $12 and it became mine. Needs a bit of a clean as you can see.

Picked up this Pyrex mixing bowl for $4. I looove mixing bowls!!

OK, now for other stuff...

The extension is coming along nicely but who is that crazy mum who takes her kids to the top of the scaffold. How irresponsible!!

And from the other side.

Mr M has been talking about building a cubby house for the kids for ages. I told him he better hurry up then because before we know it the house will be finished and as we are doing the inside he is going to be very busy.

Even Garry wants to be part of the action.

More like Mary following the lamb everywhere than the lamb following Mary. Will someone get this crazy kid away from me!!!

Terrible pic but look who we have visiting us making a racket in the tree.

Here is my little 4yo boy who is scared of balloons (he hates when they pop) jumping into the foam pit at his cousins 6th birthday party tonight. Yeah...he is scared of balloons but not this. Lol Mum, Dad and the other adults couldn't help themselves but have a go too.

 Here I am. Excuse the 15 month old baby belly - that will be gone soon especially since I am  trying out for the Olympic gymnastics team.

Mr M is trying out for the mens team.

We had a ball and don't want to grow up. :)

I am looking forward to catching up on all your blogs as I have only been able to check them out on my phone.

Have a great weekend!

Sherry :)

Avalon Collectables

Hey all! I have been doing some serious op shopping and also went to a huge garage sale in the last week. So excited to show you all what I picked up. There is stuff all over the place right now but will get some photos for you as soon as I can.

I have a new lap top and I am telling you it is sooo fantastic to have a computer that is not at deaths door. My desk top is nearly seven years old - yes SEVEN!! Ancient! I do feel a little sad though, it has been good to us over the years. I am such a sook, I can get attached to anything. No wonder I can't throw anything out! Now I just have to up my data allowance and I won't know myself (hopefully start some selling again too). One happy mummy sitting on the couch with my legs over this side and a pc on my lap! Lol. Bliss! All I need now is a mug of green tea and some chocolate.
 
When I picked my gorgeous shop scales (featured in the last post) also I visited this lovely shop in Woodside, South Australia. Although I am more of a thrifter and garage saler I still love to look in antique shops (and sometimes buy).  This shop had a warm inviting feeling when I walked in which prompted me to take some pics for you all.

Avalon Collectables

Such a sweet little shop.



Feeling the retro vibe with this funky red table and chairs. Stunning condition, if only I had somewhere to put them...

I want that pink cake box REALLY bad!

I took a pic of these because I have really good memories of being in the country visiting family as a child. There was a neighbourhood girl who was older than my brother and I  but who wasn't too cool to play with us - she had this game. We had such a fantastic summer holiday that year. It's one of those feel good childhood memories.

I like clocks...not all clocks...but I do like this clock. :)

Just because it looks pretty.

Love this set. Not too frilly.

Lovely green. Just noticed the two kissy couple on the bench - aww.

Will shut up now and just let you look at the pics.

Avalon Colletables

54 Onkaparinga Valley Road

Woodside, South Australia

Vintage Shop Keeper

Hey all! Hope you are having a great day. Last Friday Mr M had a RDO and gave me an hour or so to myself without the kids. I took off to Balhannah, Oakbank and Woodside (South Australia). Some fantastic retro/vintage/junk shops to see.

I spotted these gorgeous scales (I have a 'thing' for scales) at 'The Boys From The Bush' in Woodside.  Had a sneaky at the price thinking that they would be over the top and out of my budget, but actually got a nice surprise. Since my Birthday is coming up... I just couldn't leave them there could I!!

The glass on them is missing and they are full of dust on the inside but nothing that Mr M's little air compressor can't fix. Maybe one day I will get the glass sorted too.

They are just gorgeous don't you think? Come on, tell me how much you love 'em!

Sherry :)

Nom, Nom Weet-Bix Cake

I finally used my new Pyrex mixing bowls (and loved it). This was one of my Nana's recipes but I am not sure where is originally came from (if anyone knows drop me a line and I will give them credit). This one would be for the Aussies because I am unsure if you can buy Sanitarium Weet-Bix overseas. Note Weet-bix is different to Weetabix in the UK (so I have been told).

Weet-Bix Cake

Pre-heat oven to 180c.

Chuck all of this into a bowl and mix:

5 Weet-Bix or 2.5oz of the left over crumbs in the bottom of your box (my cousin saves the crumbs for this cake).
1 tbsp Cocoa
1/2 tsp Vanilla
4oz melted butter or margarine
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 cup Coconut
1 cup Raw Sugar
1 Egg

Look a double yoker!! I recently had a whole carton of these!

Press into a shallow dish or tin. The one I used was 17cm x 27cm but I have used two small ones 19x12cm so something around this size would be fine. Put into oven for 15-20 minutes. It will go lightly brown on the edges (if it hasn't give it a little longer).

My Dad loved this cake with my Nana's marshmallow recipe (below) as a topping, but it's quicker and easier to  use icing. I normally just chuck cocoa, icing sugar (sifted) and water into a bowl and hope for the best however I measured last time I did it and this is about the amount you will need (once cooled of course).

Icing:
1.5 cups Icing Sugar
2tbs Cocoa
4 tbs Water

Poor icing over cake (which is really a slice) while still in tin/dish. Once icing slightly set sprinkle on some coconut.

For something different you could make peppermint icing for the bottom layer and once set add the chocolate icing on the top.

Nana's Marshmallow

4 tsp Gelatine
1/2 cup Hot Water
1/2 cup Cold Water
1/2 cup Castor Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
Pink colouring if desired

Place sugar and cold water into a large bowl and using an electric beater whip gt 3-4 minutes. Dissolve gelatine in the hot water and while still hot add to the sugar mixture. Beat until thick and while. Add vanilla and a couple of drops of pink food colouring if desired.


I used to make this for my family as a kid, it would be gone by the end of the day. I took some to work today and it was a hit (anything sweet at work is a hit though - lol). However it did even better than the packet of Tim-Tams I also took along.

Also made some Pumpkin Scones with help from Master M. He is not a big veggie eater but enjoys these and even eats the raw batter (which I am more than happy he does - sucker!).

Enjoy!

Sherry :)

Meet Garry

Meet the newest member of our family.  She was orphaned from one of the ewes we have on 'The Farm' which is a little bit of land that is left from my Great Grandparents property. She is settling in and becoming less timid all the time. Mr M breeds Wiltipoll sheep (wool shedding sheep) as a bit of a hobby, he only started a few years ago but his little flock is growing. We had to rescue this one from the creek but unfortunately her mum decided that she no longer smelt like her baby after her dip (well I am guessing that is what happened as she didn't want the lamb near her).

Master M enjoys feeding her and Little Miss thinks she is hilarious. Mr M wants to call her Garry (!). Where Mr M used to work the blokes would sing the songs on the radio and would substitute words for 'Garry' (who was another guy who worked there). It was an ongoing joke. Maybe I will call her Garrietta. Hee Hee. Hopefully he will change his mind. All she needs now is a friend to share the yard with.

Great blogs to check out (is yours here?).

Thanks to Tam who has the gorgeous to look at and always great to read blog A Treasured Past for passing on the Versatile Blogger award. Definitely worth making your way over there especially if you love vintage like I do.

Here is what I now need to do to accept this award:

1. Thank the person who gave them the award and link back to them, 2. Share 7 things about yourself, 3. Pass this award to 15 recently discovered blogs.

Seven things about myself...hmm. That's a few, will see how I go.


1. I met my husband when I was 18 and it took him weeks to ask for my number. We got engaged when I was 23 and married at 24.

2. When my daughter was born I was shocked to discover that she had RED HAIR!! No close/direct family member have red hair on either side. The closest being my husbands cousin and on my side my Great Grand Mother and a couple of my Mums cousins. It's a recessive gene you see so it has to be on both sides of the family. Nearly every day I get comments on the hair. I am ready to make her a T shirt that says the following:

No my Dad does not have red hair.
The Milkman joke is getting really old.

Remember that in Australia red heads sometimes are given a hard time and there are numerous nick names for them- some not so nice.

Here is how the conversation went when I phoned my Mum to tell her my daughter was born.

Me: blah, blah, labour story etc
Mum: Blah, blah, questions
Me: There is one thing about her that is a little different...
Mum: Oh...what's that???
Me: She has red hair.
Mum: You mean...like auburn??
Me: No, it's red.
Mum: You mean it's like...a ginger brown colour??
Me: No (looking at little Miss to see if you can classify it as any other colour than red)...it's red.
Mum: Ha ha ha!!
Me: Ha ha ha!!!

I am still amazed at her hair and the fact she doesn't look anything like me when Master M is a lot like me. Hmm, genetics. :)

3.  I am likely the most uncoordinated able bodied person that you a likely to meet.

4. I can put my little fingers in and out of joint - very important information there.

5. Would love to have my own successful online business so that I could quit my job and be my own boss.

6. I am terrified of public speaking.

7. My first car was a Honda Civic 1974 hatch. It was aqua blue. My Dad reconditioned the engine for me just so I could overheat it a few years later and eventually kill it (it put up a really good fight).  Actually, I thought it had had it's day but I sold it to an ex neighbour who fixed it up. A few years later I found myself following it. It made my day to see it happy (but I was a little jealous that it had a new owner). It was such a great car and I was a quite attached to it.  Hmm, will see if I have a pic.

The photos are B&W because I was trying out an old SLR with B&W film (not because it was sooo long ago that I got my first car). I wish the pics were colour because the aqua made it. The day the pic was taken my friend and I decided it would be funny to bite the legs off our jelly babies and stick them all over the car, can you see them on the front bumper?

See in the bottom pic there are magnets stuck above the window near the rear vision mirror.Was my thing to collect magnets and have them around the windscreen as it was all aqua metal.

Recently found blogs to pass the award onto. 

Don't feel obliged to accept (you may have this one already anyway) but we would love to know more about the person behind the blog.

1.  My Friends Call me Nelly - Love this girl and her vintage frocks and finds. Great sense of humor. She always makes me chuckle.

2. crazy house capers - Always something interesting to look at. Simmone and her hubby renovating an old cottage.

3. Martyr-hood - Great read, this lady is amazing with four children under 5.  The author already has this award but thought I would put it here anyway as it is worth checking out.

4.  Sir Thrift A lot - Great title banner (is that what you call it?) don't you think! Retro finds.

5. Thrifted Treasure - lots of funky retro and vintage to look at. Check out Casserole Central, love, love love.

6. I Love Collecting - This lady has soo much to see. I love visiting her blog to see what she has (and how many of each type of thing she has collected).

7. Kit & Nancy - stunning photography, vintage, retro and baking. Doesn't get much better than this!

8. Scarlett Loves Elvis - I have only just added this blog to my list but looks like my kind of blog, will have to check it out some more.

9. Mitzi's Miscellany - lots of vintage eye candy.

10. Timber and Tin  - because I love old Queenslanders.

11. Joyful Treasure Hunting - again another great vintage/junk/retro blog to check out.

I am with you Tam and just putting down these eleven and as you said they are in no particular order.

Will be back soon with some more things I found on our short holiday and to introduce you to a new family member.

Copper Coast Junk

Last week Mr M had the week off before starting his new job today. Very proud of him for getting this new job which required an interview and an online exam. We decided to get away for four nights to the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. First two nights just us and then two with my Mum and sister. That way Mr M could go fishing without feeling guilty to leaving me with the kids. As it turned out the weather was shocking (sunny this week of course) so not much beach action or fishing for that matter. Master M only got two hours of digging in the sand and throwing rocks in the water the whole four days we were there. 

The weather meant though that I got lots of oppies in because there was not a lot else to do. Here is a small selection of what I picked up. Will show you the rest later.

 My favourite first. I saw this on the shelf in the Red Cross at Moonta and thought the tag said $18. Well I think I must have imagined it said $18 because it didn't, it said.....wait for it.....$4!! Woo hoo!! I have sold quite a few plain enamel tea pots (older than this one) and wondered if I should have (as you do) so this one is a keeper. Love, love it!!

It was 4:00pm and we pulled up to an oppie just as they were closing up. Luckily they were nice enough to let us have a look around. I saw this Crown casserole dish without a price on it and was told I could have it for $2.50. Once I got in the car I saw the tag - honest I didn't see it before - it was $5. Didn't feel so bad once I peeled off the sticker and noticed it was covering a chip in the paint!! I also bought some other stuff so it was worth their while to stay open for a few more minutes...umm...make that 15!!

 

Well I have to thank Mr M for this one because I didn't spot it, he did. I hadn't noticed it up on the top shelf for 50c!!! I am thinking Nally Ware?? Needs a little clean.

This was bought at a junk shop in Minlaton for $2. I have a beige one that was my Nana's so I guess that's why I bought this one??? Can't think of why else I did. Hee hee.

 

This fibre glass tray I picked up at Kadina ($2). Pretty funky don't you think?? I also picked up a rectangle one at the same time that I will show you later.

A bit beat up but can salt and pepper shakers be 'chippy'?  Maybe that will save them? They have character...what can I say.

Another colour to add to my salad server collection. Theses must have been very popular, they seem to pop up everywhere. 50 cents.

$2 for the Aussie made Agee Pyrex pie dish. So bright and happy!

My Oppie Map - Yorke Peninsula South Australia. Minlaton was quite a long way. Love Yorks.
source

Have a great week!