thriftiness

Linking in with the newly found gorgeous Sophie from Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds.


We desperately needed a tea cosy and little blue tea cup and saucer just matches so nicely.

Cute lime bread bin, fowler bowl and red saucepan to help make scrumby muffins.


Hope everyone is warm and dry and all little ones are tucked up into bed.

xxx

today i'm loving and interested in

                These Autumn days that are fastly fading.

I have been searching for an Australian vintage tray for my breakfast.  There are so many french imitation ones around.  The do look lovely but these finches really made my heart sing. I love our native birds.  Their cheekiness, their prehistoric cries, their amazing ability of surviving in harsh remote environments and their beautiful songs.

               A sweet floral crystal glass bowl .  Just right for a salad or fruit compote.  And some divine indian linen napkins that one can embroider your initials in deep red thread.

I am sad that a most beautiful shop is closing down in my neighbourhood.  It has the fabrics stock that one dreams about and is full of such creative possibilities. When I heard the rent that is asked in this district I was quite shocked.  At least $3000 a week!  I have been popping in and out and thinking and planning what I could start off as a sewing project.  Being such a novice  I always left in awe and empty handed.  Soon they will no longer be, so enthused by the 25-50% sale I am plotting my way.  I just started now with some sample fabric cut offs and am currently ploughing through the very few sewing books I have to create "my stash".  Not anything to adventurous but would love to start off with a simple bag for my little man to collect his sticks and stones, an apron for me and maybe even a tote  bag and a matching belt.

I also lashed out on some felt pieces and also very cute little balls of felt.  Thinking of making a garland to decorate Che's room.  Any ideas anyone how to hang this together?

Oh yeh, and some travel cups for our trip to work in Broken Hill.  This is now in writing.  No backing out now.


Lastly this afternoon whilst sipping my cup of warm 'AKTA -VITE" (it says on the tin for nursing mothers and that is still me), I was listening to Counter Point on Radio National.  It was an interview with David Engwicht, from Creative Communities.  It caught my attention in how he admitted after years working in community consultations, it doesn't work.  Thousands of dollars are spent and it often ends up  with community forums where there is complete externalisation of the blame and no individuals of the community are taking any responsibility.  The perception that we pay our taxes, we elect local councils and government and they should fix it.  Often the consultation never gets to the root of the problem.  He gave an example where a community in NZ were going to have to spend $50 000 to put in speed humps in residential areas to curb traffic flow.  But when really asked what was the main concern of residents it was that there were a few young lads who do burnouts in their cars at night.  He asked had anyone asked them to stop.  Of course not.  He approached them and realised this was not a design issue it was a social problem.  What the boys wanted was a place to indulge in their cars and have a right all time.  They were bored and a bit disenfranchised.  There was an abandned air strip that was made available.  The boys happily moved on.  Wow.  Can it always be this simple?  I am really interested in this stuff.


This is probably my longest post ever.

Hope all are having a good week.

PS.  Thank you for reading my ramblings and especially new followers.  How very blessed am I?

today i'm loving

A little angel left us some preloved clothing from some funky Dude on our front door step. It only just fitted. There was a strong southerly blowing today but our little man was still chomping at the bit to be outside. Perfect attire for an expedition into Mummy's newly made sand pit.


Our backyard is noice and long but a bit suburban. If we end up staying awhile after returning from working out west, I am planning to make a dinosaur garden, more pots of herbs and vegie tubs and would love Dada to put his woodwork skills to good use and build something to climb on.

Our winter greens are coming along, but some little creature is chomping on the celery stalks. I have now decided to try some Derris powder. An old mate of mine swears by this. Otherwise the leaks and beetroot and rocket are going along well too.


I'm loving these gummies I scored for one dollar from a garage sale in astonishingly beautiful Wattamolla. I've been wearing them all day. An old dairy farm had just sold. I also could not go past these little beauties for 5 dollars each.



With the organisation of our kitchen, I had been eyeing off these handmade ceramic bowels from Berrima Pottery. The are perfect for our morning porridge.

It was such a relief to be at home today. I love feeling some sense of control over our lives and making our home warm, calm and running smoothly. I thought about running down to a playgroup and remembered I often come home quite frazzled. Toddler play with older and younger ones seems to be all about Mummy doing damage control. I am conscious of when I will be working fulltime again and how will I cope. Everyday I find more and more of a connection with my son. He does baffle me at times. I find it one of the challenges, getting to know who he is. Everyday is different. Sometimes I'm not up to the challenge. But when the day is all about caring for our lives and bringing us together and I am so focussed on the task and not stressed out about something I cannot actually change, everyone is happy.


And lastly but not in anyway the least, another most glorious angel wrote to me to let me know I was the winner of her most fabulous giveway. The most amazing and capable and lovely Posie. I am so lucky and very very happy. XXXXX.

Paques

The Easter break seems to come around at just the right time, does'nt it?  I think everyone feels just a little depleted, especially this year.  I'm wondering what Easter means to everyone?  Not being of a demoninational religion, although christened a Catholic, I do feel that it is the recognition of the suffering of the innocent.  There has been so much of this of late.  So  grateful to be able to pace ourselves and enjoy this beautiful shining season.

Our Easter started with my Parents arriving and then a visit from a much loved uncle.  We've had a few doggies mates stay.  Having those extra pair of hands to wrangle baby, clean and cook lots of comfort food is a blessing.

Meet  Missy.

We have been exploring and op shopping.  Really loving these little loaf baking pans.

This was the first time our Parents have met.  The thought has always made me nervous.  They all hit it off.   Today we had a yummy lunch.  BBQ lamb with lemon and rosemary marinade.  Roasted Kipfer potatoes and pumpkin, roasted carrots and steamed brussel sprouts.  This was all topped off with home made salsa verde and home made gravy.  Delicious.  The cake was a treat from the local Gumnut bakery.

Our little boy is such a Trojan.  Despite a high fever of 39 degrees he was still up for a egg hunt.  He learnt to peel them very quickly.  So much fun!

Phew, after all the eating, drinking and exploring a little lie down and breast feed was needed.  A 40 minute kip to recharge.  I could hear the Currawongs singing to each other and see through my bedroom window families enjoying a late afternoon walk.  All so comforting.

Tomorrow my stepfather is participating in the local Anzac march.  So much history for our little man to learn.

Sincerely hoping everyone has had a very peaceful and happy Easter.

my creative space

Here I am brave enough to join along with kootoyoo and her crafty tribe.     I have been dabbling a bit with crochet chains and re learning stitches from my early childhood.  Just thought making some home made dishcloths would be a good start.  As with any beginner getting the tension and finishing off  right seems to be the hard part. 

I am very excited about my vintage finds with this outdoor setting.  I found the table at a garage sale about 6 months ago and have been on the lookout for some cheap chairs that would match.  Yesterday drove past a seconds shop and did a double take.  Asked best price and got a good deal.  Really happy how they blend together.

It has been raining here a lot but there has been little pockets of sunshine that make the autumn leaves glimmer.

Have a lovely thursday.

thrifty storage

In an ongoing attempt to get organised and be comfy, I put my name on the kitchen dresser above.  Our kitchen is cosy, but the glasses are in with the cereal and coffee mugs are on the kitchen bench.  Everytime  I sneak into Dirty Jane's I have to restrain myself from putting my name on so many lovely vintage rustic gems.  Che really loved the old horsie.  The dresser gets delivered this Friday.  Marty doesn't know yet.

Have discovered that our house that we lovingly restored and sold last year is being sold again.  Don't know why but this makes me feel sad and I am feeling regretful about selling.  It was such a labour of love restoring what most people would have considered a knock down.  But then we were in mortgage stress.  I would not be spending all his precious time with my son.  My days are now blissful.  I have to remind myself that I used to cry  a lot in the car on the way to work.  We have learnt so much and now have a bit more nouse and skills for when the time is right for us to purchase again.  In the meantime, yes being comfy is pretty good.

the pledge to be thrifty

Well we have been residing in our new abode for  2 months now and have been very tempted by certain purchases to make our days comfy.  I confess there are some things we have purchased new but I do find it hard how it could be otherwise.  We splurged out on a new king size bed.  But how can you buy a second hand mattress?? My old mattress was already 15 years old and has been up and down this continent.  And then of course you need new linen.  Grannies I do not think had such need to lie in star fashion  in their beds next to their loved ones.  But they still probably had many little bodies lying next to them.

And alas our printer went kaplunk.  Urgent run down to local electrical appliance store as needed to keep studying +++ and Marty had urgent stuff to make sense of in hard copy.  Mind you the whole of the next day was consumed by installing and trouble shooting this contraption.   GRrrrrrr.

Feel  happy about our dining set.  Table from neighbourhood garage sale and chairs from local vintage wares market.  Whole set together $220.  Found granny chic hand embroided table cloth yesteday.  Lovely.

We miss having fresh herbs growing out  our back door so have started making a potted garden in a our  paved area.  The clever little snails love eating the spinach though.  We have also started our worm farm again and the wiggly lovelies are doing their magic.

We have decided to stay here in this house for another year.  We are not ready to embark on home ownership and the fall down the vortex of renovations and cringe every time interest rates are raised.  Finishing my studies in Paediatrics and then looking more at being healthy and spending more relaxed time with bub, man and doggies is on the agenda.

Little man is now 11 months old.  He is just starting to point and babbles constantly in his own language.  Less screaming to communicate is so nice thank you very much.  We must learn though to be more wary of bossy 3 year olds.