Comfort shopping...

I'm not sure if it's the onset of Winter or just my current life challenges but I have been feeling the blues a little recently. I am sure it has been obvious from my recent blog posts. Given that I am trying not to succumb to the temptations of chocolate to chase the blues away I seem to have found a replacement by way of comfort shopping! I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly better for my weight loss efforts but not so great for the budget!

I have been to the op shops three times this week and come home with plenty of treasures. I also had to leave some behind due to a lack of that awful stuff we call money. I comfort myself with the knowledge that there will always be new treasures to find. Anyway here are a few of my 'comfort' items.

I actually bought this teacup and sandwich plate a few weeks ago but had forgotten to photograph it. I adore the blue. Sadly it didn't have the saucer with it so I am hoping I might find an orphan that matches sometime. If anyone has one I'd love to buy it from you! It is a Royal Albert pattern.

I found this fabulous old glass jelly mould for $3.99. It's about 6 inches deep and 5 inches in diameter.

This is a pretty Paragon trio I found recently. Paragon make the most gorgeous designs. I wish I could afford some of their more ornate ones.

This is a little jam dish that I kept coming back to. The gilding is worn so it has been well loved. It was made in Australia and only $1.99 so home it came. I don't often see things that are made in Australia.

A Royal Vale trio. It's funny that I love teacup sets so much. I don't drink tea at all but I suppose there is no rule that says I can't drink coffee from a cup? Then again maybe there is!

This one was an ebay purchase. A lovely nylon? netting food cover/table throw with a crocheted crinoline lady in each corner. My photo doesn't do it justice. It's actually a lovely bright lemon colour.

A very practical purchase and such a bargain! I found this like new Burberry brand raincoat for just $10 at a local op shop. The sleeves are too long for me but otherwise it fits beautifully. It has two deep pockets, chunky buttons and sleeve detail as well as being fully lined with a nice check print. It's not my choice of colour but I really don't care for that price! My girlfriend and I went back to the same op shop a few days later and they had another one, exactly the same but a different size AND it was priced at $80 which we thought was outrageously expensive for an op shop EVEN if it was a Burberry! I assume mine must have been priced incorrectly or perhaps just by a different staff member.
I also bought some lovely children's books and another item which I'll share in another post as this one must be a mile long by now. Do you comfort shop or do you head for the fridge when feeling a little down?

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Op shop delights...

After my dentist visit yesterday I decided to stop at two of my local op shops on the way home. I found some beautiful battenburg lace, a cutwork runner and the FIND of the month was a divine old sandwich plate.

This little gem was just $3. Can you believe it? I grabbed it up immediately and when I took it to the counter to pay the lady looked quite perturbed and showed the price sticker to the other serving lady. Much frowning ensued  and she told me she thought it had been marked incorrectly and that I had found myself quite a bargain. I just smiled politely and said oh yes I expected it to be more than that. Inside I was terrified they might refuse to sell it to me for that price.

It has printed on the back "Weatherby Hanley Royal Falconware". I have seen other pieces of theirs with the crinoline ladies on.
It is in beautiful condition, a little of the gilding is worn as you would expect of a vintage piece but there are no cracks or chips. I know next to nothing about china and just buy what I like but the pattern on the ends of this plate suggest it might be from the art deco period to me.

This is the cutwork runner I bought. Just $2. It measures approx 40 inches long by 14 inches wide.

A couple of close ups of the embroidery. It's machine done but still beautiful.

I found 4 of these lovely battenburg lace doileys. They are approx 10 inches long and 6 inches wide. $1 each

More battenburg for $1. I think this is a doiley or a tray cloth. The embroidery looks hand done. It measures approx 16 inches long and 10 and a half inches wide. (Folded in photo)

Two more pieces at $1 each. Not sure if these are doileys, tray mats or placemats. They have a slightly different embroidered pattern on them, again it looks hand done. 16 x 10 and half inches.
Needless to say I came home with a smile on my face.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows (try your local oppie)
Helen

Tuesday trinkets 5 ...

An odd assortment to show you all this week.
First up my very favourite diamante necklace, a gift to me from my beloved Mr. B. I'm guessing this lovely piece is from the 1940s.

This next necklace is hand faceted amethyst and I believe dates back to the early 1900s. It isn't very 'pretty' but up close the facets on the crystals are just amazing. It is very heavy.

Next up is one of my many glass bangles. These are wonderfully smooth to touch and my understanding is that this ruby colored one was from the early 1900s. My photo really does not do justice to this gorgeous vintage piece.It is not as orange looking as this photo shows it to be. It is a deep ruby red.

I am unsure of the age of the next bracelet. It shows some signs of wear as is often the case with vintage pieces but it was so delicate and pretty I had to add it to my collection. Note the safety chain which suggests a quality item. The roses are made of an early plastic.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at this weeks trinkets.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Birthday blues...pity party warning!

It was my birthday yesterday. My birthday usually passes quietly with little fuss. (much to my despair)
Don't get me wrong, I hate being the centre of attention but on my birthday I always wish I felt a bit more special. I suppose I haven't really asked my family to make it more special but for me it's one of those things that just aren't the same if you have to ask. (like valentines day)

I received one card for my birthday, just one. My children did remember to wish me a happy birthday. My beloved Mr. B gave me chocolates and a chiller/cooler bag that has been on my 'wish' list. To be fair Mr. B never forgets my birthday and usually gives me a lovely card but he hasn't had much time to himself starting his new job.

Maybe I just have the Winter blues but I still felt a bit disappointed with my 'special' day.
I spent yesterday at home doing housework and playing around on my computer. My online friends and family made my day special by inundating my facebook page with birthday wishes. My thanks to them all.

One other person that made my day special was my ex mother in law. We still get on well and my son stays with her during the school week. I never expected a gift from her (I don't think she gave me one last year) so it was a great surprise when she handed me a lovely gold gift bag with two boxes inside.
This is what she gave me....

Aren't they just divine? I love them to pieces. I know where she bought them so may just have to go in and see what other matching pieces are available! I love that the little spoon in the sugar bowl is made of china as well.

The one card I received was from ex mother in law.
We had cake and coffee in the afternoon and that passed as my birthday cake. Since I am trying to lose weight I suppose I shouldn't care that nobody organised a birthday cake for me at home but I did.
Oh well next year I'll organise my own I guess. End of pity party, it's still good to be alive.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen