You know it's really been raining when ducks take refuge on next door's roof.

So much sunshine, so little weekend.  Quite a few things to show you this week.

You know it's been raining when the ducks take refuge on next door's roof.

 

I weeded garden bed #1 today, in preparation for planting.  I've hired a new lawn mower man, who managed to cut the lawns and trim the edges without making a huge mess or doing my head in. He seemed to grasp that the lawns are to be cut once a month and not whenever he's short of cash - the reason for the demise of the previous arrangement.  So far, so good. (Relative) garden normality has resumed.

Various outgoings this week: one of my fave fish drawings went to live in Tasmania, in an unexpected but pleasant symmetry.  Handed on some clothing to a friend for use or re-purpose, depending on her mood.  A glimpse of the spare bed, with less spare clothing storage.

I made some Mad Men-type necklaces - really a quick re-purpose of some vintage finds into a more wearable length.  I also found some finished pieces which I'd forgotten I had, while sorting out the 'in progress' drawer. I found a positive pile of sterling silver jewellery this week.  Some of it will no doubt surface later on this page.

I found, repaired and repainted a bookcase to match one I had - thus reducing the tottering tower of acquisitions. It wasn't a big job but not bad for 50 cents.

Before...

Sometimes I find something that just wins my heart, and this week it was a dear little hand carved rustic boat, and an old sieve, which I found in the rubbish pile outside a house where there was a garage sale.  One man's sieve is another woman's hanging shadow box.      I. Love. This.

There were a few other must-haves which arrived this week:  glass squirrel bowl, anyone? 

The room divider will be a work in progress, I suspect.  The girl child has already remarked that she would like it in white in her room.  It needs some TLC on the improvised hinges but otherwise is in good condition, if a little over-varnished. It goes to that vintage 60's/70's decorating theme.

 

But stop, what are these interesting round ceramic plates marked "Edison", I hear you ask?  I'm glad you noticed them.  They were the tops to Edison battery jars, and will make nice trivets.  There was also another old wooden crate, to go towards a larger crate construction in the planning and development stage.

I found a tin of wooden puzzle pieces, destined for re-purposing for jewellery and other things, and a friend who collects kitschy religious pics will just love this one in 3D.

Don't forget Father's Day is fast approaching and you can find my original art for sale here.

Shopping in a cold climate - day 1

I've learned a lot this week, starting with that I'm too old to stay awake for 36 hours at a time and still be expected to think.  Damn you, midnight horror flights.  I'd planned to sleep but unfortunately Qantas was showing Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in the delicious Sherlock Holmes II and that took up the majority of the flight.  Sleep is for the weak, I thought.

The second thing I learned is that the sleep deprived have little resistance to retail spending at 5.45 am in the airport, when you have 3 hours to wait for connecting flight #3.  I found myself seriously thinking about buying Pandora beads, because it was that or eat Hungry Jacks for breakfast.  I wasn't hungry but luckily, neither was I cashed up.  I've done this sort of thing before and I'm well aware of certain...character flaws.  Some would say why bother opening at that ridiculous hour, but I can assure you I was not the only one wandering around stretching my legs and browsing.  I napped on flight #3 over Bass Strait.

After a nice cup of tea with the Sister, we adjourned to the local tip shop for a quick browse.  I intend to make more visits because you can, to a tip shop. We located not one but two new op shops - well, new to me, here. I got some knitting needles (can't really take them on the plane, and I'm on holidays in a cold place - emergency knitting may be necessary) - and a Jo Nesbo book for holiday reading.

After 12 hours reasonable sleep - for me - we mooched to Latrobe, where there were some interesting little shops open.  We spent quite a bit of time in Reliqueware - partly because its possible to just go round and round and keep finding more interesting things.  The dolls and repros aren't really my thing but as sheer display they are fantastic. The handmade things were great. The free fudge on entry was a bonus. 

The pop-up shop of my dreams is vacant, in the main street.

Bolstered by the sugar hit, we surged onward to one of the perennial favourites -the Antique Emporium.  Again, the imports and repros don't do it for me but there are always bargains to be had and the owner, like me, is a fan of the rusty and dusty.   The first thing which jumped into my hand was an Australian Monthly magazine - a kind of girly magazine from 1951 - but how can you not buy a mag with an article entitled 'Scientists explode bomb in woman's brain'?  It did not disappoint.

Two bags of steampunk pocketwatch bits, pocketwatch faces, an antique frame,  - oh the excitement.  On the way out I saw some brilliant cameras and illustrations - I shall return with expendable cash.  The Sister bought a lovely old tin car and a vintage Australiana tin - very nice. 

The bonafide antiques were lovely, of course, and the prices are generally pretty reasonable but unlike some I know I don't want to have to ship furniture from one side of the country to the other. But then I've only been here two days.