just a few things I've seen here and there that I like...have a look, you might like them too...

gorgeous industrial lights made from bed springs

available here

and while I was checking out the lights on etsy I found these

upcycled 50's Pyrex, Cinderella pattern in duck egg blue

 I love the way the light illuminates the pretty colour and pattern on these bowls, and I think it's such a cool (and practical) way to display your favourite piece of vintage Pyrex...if you can't bear the thought of drilling into a piece from your own collection avoid all the angst and get one here

I discovered the next gorgeously whimsical pics on the interiorist

breathtaking aren't they...

by Spanish artist Lorenzo Duran

I've seen this done with paper of course...it's everywhere...but using leaves? and a dry old Autumnal leaf at that! Amazing!

And because we've got a stack of old crates in our shed (all picked up from the side of the road, including an old Schweppes one recently Yay!) I was looking for some inspiration and came across these

I cannot remember for the life of me where I found these pics...please let me know if you do and I will credit the proper person.

Do you like the crate "thing"? Have you ever liked it or are you over it? I still really like it and anyway, we've got to do something  with all those crates...can't leave them stacked in the shed forever! (can we Anth?)

I really like this idea for a house number too

easy-peasy and effective!

via one fell swoop

Lastly a pic of my own (as if you couldn't tell!) of a house I drove past, I know it won't be everyone's cup of tea but I like it...alot

like or loathe?

Here's a pretty t.towel to say Ciao (it's another Italian)

More little notes on the real Lucy Violet...

When Lucy's number one (and only) son read this post (please check it out if you haven't read it...it's a good one, if I say so myself...) he sent me a lovely email telling me how much he loved it and that his Mum, Lucy Violet would've been thrilled to see it too. Awwww. 

He also explained the mystery of The Four Musketeers...they were four couples (I did guess that much!) The women were Lucy's workmates when she worked as a milliner in Melbourne, and they remained great friends throughout their lives until one by one they "dropped off the perch" (as Lucy would put it) She was the last one standing...as I've already mentioned, she was a week short of her ninety ninth birthday when she died and still lived in her own little weatherboard cottage in the Dandenongs. Amazing, don't you think?

He also sent me this wonderful photo

St. Kilda 1954

(there's a slight touch of The Joker about you Terry...)

it's him, all dressed up in a costume made by Lucy for the Old Buffers Parade which was held in South Melbourne.

(Any info on the Old Buffers would be greatly appreciated)

His email went on to say " Lucy was brilliant at creating and sewing...she made all of the neighbourhood dress-up costumes (no t.v. in those days), Upper Gully State School basketball uniforms, Upwey High school play costumes etc etc"

I can attest to Lucy's skill as a seamstress because, guess what? We still have that costume! Yep. And apart from a few stains, a missing button and one small tear it's in perfect condition. Look...

taa-daa!

how special is that?

I can't quite remember how it ended up in our hands...I think Lucy gave it to us for our eldest daughter to wear for dress-ups...I do know that it's been in at least one school play since we've had it...

Fifty seven years old and still going strong!

don't you love this print?

More Lucy Violet stories to come...

A tea towel, then finito...I can say that because it's an Italian one...ha-ha

x

My thriftiest finds for the week were all rescued from a rubbish bin! Can't get any thriftier than that, can you?

little vintage pamphlets and books

Some of these little booklets are not dated...the oldest with a publishing date of 1922 is Weaving with Paper Rope (but I'm sure some of them are older than this) and the most recent is Artificial Australia by Robin Boyd which was published in 1967...there's one for nearly every decade in-between AND for nearly every interest too.

Have a closer look at some of them...

check out that mermaid

and one of the colour plates...

Swallow-Tailed Wrasse

I'd love to put a date on this, please leave me a comment if you can help x

For those of you with a political bent there's this...

published 1954, one sixpence

(complete with mouse poo stuck to the cover btw)

(Don't you love the moustache and cigar a previous owner has added to the cover?) 

If you've got "green thumbs" you might like...

it's almost time to start pruning them, isn't it?

Planning a trip to Perth? I can help you out too

Things to see...

(this cracks me up...Perth City of Excitement?)

and places to go...

the "Big Smoke" 1956

Make do and mend

A tea towel...and I'll end

thanks for reading...sometimes I'm soooo not funny!

Linking to Sophies and Apron Thrift Girl  



A Tale of Two Vases continued...

10/10 to Lyndel, Woolfie, Ms Trashsparkle, Loo and Tammi
Well done girls, you were right...this is the vase I paid $19.95 for



however, as we all know, this does not mean it's worth more than the other one (which most of you liked more btw) just that I was totally sucked-in and paid more!

The stripey jug has no markings, but it definetely has some age, is hand-painted and has a nice mid-century shape...the pricey vase (it reminds me of a tropical fish, with that fin and those spots)is signed Vlasta



Of course I've googled Vlasta, and The Rameking  has come up trumps (again!) Vlasta was a small pottery studio in South Melbourne started by Czech immigrants Josef and Vlasta Cap in the 1950's...according to the Rameking, Mr and Mrs Cap set it up to take advantage of the post-war shortage for homewares and to capitalise on the upcoming 56 Olympic Games (held in Melbourne)

p.s. the rameking's blog is definetely worth a look at...so much info, particularly about Australian pottery...

So although I know a little more about the the vase I'm not sure this info really explains its price...I do know I like both vases and as Ms Trashsparkle pointed out, I actually got two lovely vases for $20.95, and if you do the maths, that's nothing to complain about...right?

Thank you too to everyone else who took the time to comment...one thing's certain...we all agree that prices are on the up and up in our local oppy's...one quick recent example from me: old (vintage?) woollen blankets just like these priced at $25.00! A couple were even thirty bucks! With holes! (I paid three dollars each for mine...from a friendly little op-shop)

Now, completely and utterly unrelated BUT... how wonderful is this desk

and the blackboard, chair, and vintage pennants are o.k. too (ha-ha)

pic via Bohemian Hellhole

(there's nothing hellish  about this blog, one of my faves)

I'll show you my thrifty finds tomorrow...here's today's tea towel

x

EDIT: Alison is another clever cookie

Oh deers!

more about this sweet sticky tape later...

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you've got something nice lined up to celebrate the beginning of the weekend... just remember nice doesn't have to be fancy (although fancy is good) it's wet and cold here in Perth at the moment so nice for me will be staying warm, watching The Block (can't help myself) and Escape to the Country  on telly while drinking a gass of wine or two...B-O-R-I-N-G I know, but I quite like boring sometimes...

Now here's a little story for you...I'm calling it The Tale of Two Vases...

There's been a bit of discussion on this blog about over-pricing in op-shops (thrift stores/charity shops). Yep things in most op-shops are definetely getting pricier...have you noticed this too? Usually I put things straight back on the shelf I picked them up from if I think they're too pricey...

(remember Daryl Kerrigan's quote in the movie The Castle? "tell him he's dreaming" well that's me)

  

(just in case you're not from Australia and might like to check out the movie...)

But a few days ago my resolve wasn't as strong as it usually is...I "fell in love" (slight exaggertion) with a vase that I couldn't resist and I paid top dollar...$19.95 for it. A few days earlier I bought another vase which I like almost as much, but this one cost just $1.00

Here are the vases...

(in no particular order)

I thought it would be interesting to see which vase you think is the pricey one and also, the one you like the most...please leave a comment and I'll do a big reveal in the next day or so. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on this...

Do you stick to a budget when you're op-shopping? Or not?

I am definetely not doing a good job of K.I.S.S today but before I finish I want to show you the very lovely pressie sweet Micaela (that's where the pretty sticky tape comes from) sent me all the way from Texas

Check out her card

AND the most beautiful tea towel

not only all the way from Texas, but all the way from 1959

Wow!

sorry. this pic is bigger than Texas!

thank you Micaela x

and thank you too, for reading Lucy Vi Scarlett's nickname for my little blog (which I like very much btw Scarlett)

x

Here's some more of my most recent "acquisitions"

lots of showing (I'm going to try my best to keep a tight rein on the telling!)

How about a quick game of Bingo to get things started...

guaranteed to liven up even the dullest party...

see...it says so on the box!

An ashtray, perfect for resting your fag when it's your turn to roll the dice...

butterflies and matadors?

(if the bull doesn't get you, smoking will!)

 A cheeseboard

and all that remains of its label

Some lovely old woollen blankets

Check out their labels...

make goodnight a certainty...sweet

finding labels like these is one of the reason's I like old things so much...



and I really like the little patch of darning I found on one of the blankets

and this gorgeous yellow blanket stitch too

This would look pretty cool in your mid-century bub's bedroom

well I think it would anyway.

I've saved the pretty bits till last

I thought of Scarlett and Jem when I found this...

and this too

I think it's an old chocolate or biscuit box, although there's no label so I'm not sure...what I like most about it is the detail in the vase...I'm not crazy about cats (sorry x) but I do love that vase...

Well, I think I've been successful at "keeping it simple stupid" today, what do you think??? Just a tea towel and I'm out of here...

bye x