And the dish ran away with the spoon: Op-Shop Show-Off: December 3rd, 2013

$8. Rangiora tip shop. Modern Czechoslovakian bohemian porcelain, 'Blue Onion' pattern. Pretty.

Still mono-syllabic with tiredness I'm afraid, but fortunately my nose for an op-shop find is unaffected!



How are you?

How's your nose for a bargain? On fire or fizzling?!



Link away either way, if your keen :0)

Little Red Hen: Op-Shop Show-Off: Tuesday November 27th, 2013

It had to be mine. It must be Scandinavian or Italian, do you think?

Rangiora tip shop, 50c.



Late, and brief this week. Apologies. Fin is waking approximately hourly at night and we are zombies, though he seems as sprightly as ever, if not more so!

With a rainbow under my arm: Op-Shop Show-Off; November 19th, 2013

This vivacious older sister of trug was brought home for me by my clever op-shop roving husband. As I tote her around the garden she radiates good cheer, and makes me wonder, who made her and when? I find baskets easy to love but very difficult to date-and-locate. I like to think she was made by a hippy back-to-the-land girl of the 60's, but perhaps it was the therapeutic handiwork of a lifelong asylum resident, or even the product of third world child labour..?

I have an intense love for basket work and consequently have many, many baskets both new-made and op-shopped around my home, all pretty and purposeful. A few years ago (pre-children, ha!) I had the urge to learn how to basket-weave but searched fruitlessly for someone to teach me. All anyone knew was that 'there used to be a basket weaver at Salt-water Creek'. Recently I looked again, to find someone willing to volunteer teach at our local community garden, more successfully as I saw the most beautiful baskets in our local organic farm shop and contacted the maker, who agreed with enthusiasm. Her baskets are colourful like this one, but the colours are from natural colour variants of willow! I am beyond excited that in a couple of week I shall be learning how to make a proper woven tee-pee! Dream-come-true!

I read an op-shop show-off entry a few months ago, where a person had found a beautiful piece of pottery they had made in art school decades before in an op-shop! Did you see that? How incredible! Though I'll pass on being reunited with any of my ditched pottery projects personally (all heavy bums and sharp edges) I've yet to part with any of my other 'craft' projects (too hard won, I'm not naturally crafty) but if I could pick anything I once owned or made to find in an op-shop it would be one of my loved childhood dresses. I seem to be able to remember them all so vividly; but especially the purple marle long sleeved dress with built in black with brown flowers corduroy waistcoat and matching tie. A hand-me-down from my older cousin it made me feel quite grown-up and rather sophisticated when I wore it aged all of 5 in the late 1970's! Or the pale blue gingham zip up dress with deep front pockets and a peter pan collar. The zip made the most deeply satisfying zipping noise ever which I played like a musical instrument for hours on end!



If you could find anything from your past in an op-shop, what would it be, and why?







PS *I'm co-coordinating the Rangiora Community Garden craft classes over summer, where I'm teaching braided rug making (very informally, ahem!) on alternate Thursdays at 9-10.45am. I'll be there this week if you would like to join in (gold coin donation, or time bank hours, or some donated time in the garden or teaching craft yourself). If you are of the crafty persuasion we would LOVE you to volunteer to share your crafty skills in a beautiful outdoor setting, very informally, to small groups of local people.
Max 03 3132340.

Have a great week everyone!

and...

45/52

Just sneaking in week 45/52 portraits of my children in 2013, in the nick of time...

Claudine
Gardening from a nearly 4 year old perspective. It's all about the mud and sprinklers.

Findlay
Almost nearly nine months and upright. I do believe we'll have a walker by Christmas!


Joining the portrait project for the 45th time this year, over there at Che and Fidel.

Chop, chop, chop on wood: Op-Shop Show-Off: Tuesday November 5th, 2013

The annual elderflower cordial making, always a pretty affair, with fragrant confetti redolent of long hot down-under summers, rendered even more lovely by the addition of a previously op-shopped WMF lemon juicer; and last weeks find, a Dansk teak bar chopping board for slicing lemons. ($2. Salvation Army).

44/52

Claudine-At messy play. She thought the squelching noise of her wellies on the way home was absolutely hilarious.

Findlay-Having examined the entire perimeter of the house and garden he is now attempting to scale Mount. Mama and other upright unexplored territory...

Taking part in the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel

Serendipity-do-dah :Op-Shop Show-Off:Tuesday 29th October, 2013

So there I was, minding my own business, reading blogs on my phone, supervising the two napping children in the back of the car. Terry was outside, pillaging the Rangiora tip shop, when I came across a (nother) mouthwatering recipe on Petite Kitchen. Whilst resolving to try out the Ginger and Coconut Muesli recipe ASAP, I was also salivating over the cute muesli storage jar in the pretty pictures. So when Terry came back I popped in quickly myself on the of-chance of scoring one. Serendipity do-dah, serendipity day, my oh my what a beautiful day.

3 French parfait preserving jars; 2 L, 1.5L, 0.75 L. Seals intact, plus extra seals. $6.

The muesli is very much deserving of it's fancy jar; it tastes light and christmassy, especially with dried cranberries.








*The muesli in the open jar though is a tweaked, no nuts Nigella concoction

43/52

 

 Findlay-"Aww, you look so cute, let me just get my camera... Fin...Fin?". He found his feet last week, this week he found fast.

Claudine-Post sausage sizzle, mid-terrier racing, pre-bouncy castle blowing over. All the fun of the A & P show (in a gale).



Week 43/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013. This year is passing as fast than a terrier after a cat!

Quilts Like Hugs

WHAT A QUILT HUG FEELS LIKE

*Photograph by Linda at the fascinating Wetcreek Museum blog.





There is a marvellous local to me woman in the blogosphere whom makes the most marvellous quilts, quilts with extraordinary healing properties. Quilts that hug, and hold and comfort people in all kinds of situations. She makes them and then she pays for each one ($120 or thereabouts) to be professionally finished before giving them away; over and over and over again. Until now. She can no longer afford to do this. 














Beautiful too aren't they. She cannot be allowed to stop!


So, a gaggle of local bloggers and friends have banded together to fund raise to buy her a machine capable of professional quilting so she can continue in her crafty good giving ways. They are 2/3 rds of the way to the $3000 (gulp!) goal.

There is a Blessing Deb Facebook auction coming up, to which I shall be donating some op-shopped item of awesome, when I get my a into g!. And bidding my a off in too! Do have a look.

Or you can, if your feeling in a straightforwardly generous mood, donate directly:-

03 1592 0638896 00 Westpac 

 T Aldridge & J Van der Heijden 

For overseas people who wouldlike to contribute there is a paypal account the details of which can be obtained from treenamarie@gmail.com

TIA x

Fete Acompli: Op-Shop Show-Off: Tuesday October 22nd, 2013

Welcome Spring. Season of dung-outs and school fete fruitfulness.

Welcome another lovely bit of home-hewn kitchenware.

At last, an elusive chopping board: alas not sycamore, but Rimu; from the white elephant stall (actually a massive room full of proper old stuff, for which we were supposed to make an to make an offer. Which no one did as the lady manning it suggested ludicrously low prices without prompting. Hence I scored a box of lovely and useful things that should see me Op-Shop Showing-Off well into the new year. For all of $3).

*Pretty pickings courtesy of Claud.

Apparently the origin of the phrase white elephant was from the white elephants, revered in India, given as presents to frenemies, who then struggled financially to keep them. I wonder what the origin of the word Tombola is?! I do love these fine English fete-tastic words.

It is like home away from home, up to a point, at a school fete in 'Pommy-ora'. Castles were jumped, ponies were baulked at and rainbow cones spilt. Devonshire teas were slurped as the grown ups idly watched kids wreck a car with mallets taller, and probably heavier than them. Bunting slapped in the breeze above the heads of the floss-sticky kids queuing for Harley rides, the seats carefully covered with a blanky between goes to avoid leg burn on the sun scorched rear seat. Sigh. Only at school fete in 'Rang-hoon'!

42/52 Portraits of my Children in 2013

Claudine-Ever since we mentioned she might be getting a bit too heavy for the backyard swing she has swung at every opportunity, apparently desperate to squeeze every last swing out of the thing before she has to hand it over to lighter little brother.The promise to build her a tree house in recompense is helping us avoid the shriek-y 'but it's mine" tears.


Findlay-The forager, eating dandelion leaves. He's also eaten cat biscuits and half the contents of his sister art box this week. Aided to raid by his new-found skills in wall-to-wall rolly-polys, pushing up on all fours, crawling backwards, and then crawling forwards-all in the space of one week. OMG. It's all on!


Week 42/52 of the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel.

I'm not a little teapot, short and stout :Op-Shop Show-Off : Tuesday, Oct 15th, 2013

Spring, and all my thoughts have turned to the garden. As you can see from the background to these shots all my actions have not yet turned to my garden, but op-shopping garden gear with rustic charm is surely a step in the right direction? Oh galvanised steel watering can, how I love thee. And get thee gone green made-in-New-Zealand-but-alas-still-plastic watering can. Oh, you've gone already (thanks to two recent episodes of ultra high winds I presume). A totally justifiable purchase on practical as well as aesthetical grounds then! Garage sale, $4.



What do your thought turn to in Spring? Spring cleaning? New Wardrobe? Helping others?


If like me every season is second hand shopping season for you, do link up!

41/52

Claudine-Was desolate that the orphan lamb had no name and christened her "Blackberry", a general name applied to all nameless creatures, such as the dead bumblebee on the windowsill ("I can't wait until Blackberry wakes up and comes to play").

Findlay-In mutual dotingness with his 13 year old cousin Quinten, from who's lap he didn't shift all afternoon.


Week 41 of the year long portrait project based at Che and Fidel.


Back to ye olde iphone for me next week as a certain someone who shall not be named but who is currently in the dog box fatally dropped my DSLR this afternoon....

*My favourite from last week was this cosy reader at We Stood Together.

She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain :Op-Shop Show-Off: October 8th, 2013

Three little words that make me go weak at the knees. "Rotary Book Sale". Can you guess who's is who's?!

p.s Excuse the tardiness, wrangling two sick children, you know how it is.



“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.” 
― Louisa May Alcott, Work: A Story of Experience


*p.s Amy just advised me of a art show happening soon at the at The Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, in Masterton in which Anne Taylor explores op-shopping, recycling and consumerism. It looks fantastic, I only wish I could get there. Maybe you can?

40/52

Findlay
Is serious about food in general, but asparagus in particular. Other food gets waved, flapped, slapped and dropped as a prelude to being stuffed in, but asparagus is different. He quietly, tidily concentrates until every tiny little bit is all gone, and then looks sad it is all gone!

Claudine
On our first beach visit of the seasonal year, an impromptu trip to Corsair Bay en-route elsewhere. "Let's go catch fish with our hands" she shrieked theatrically, whilst rapidly disrobing and wading in.




Only 12 weeks left of Portrait Project at Che and Fidel.


* My favourites from last week were the roly-poly princess and cheeky Bell

Bottled-Up: Op-Shop Show-Off: Oct 1st, 2013.

We went to swap a New World mini missing from our collection today, amongst other keep-the-kids-entertained school holiday larks. As we drove home I spotted the long forgotten Save the Children op-shop in Kaiapoi and wistfully asked Claud if we could go in. Probably sensing a buy-me-stuff opportunity she agreed with alacrity. I was taken with this lady as soon as I set foot in the door, whilst Claud took to a pair of ex-Burger King bambi deely-boppers. Fin cooed and gurgled, charming the elderly shop assistants who swarmed him.

Isn't she a funny old thing! She has appeal similar to that of a kokeshi; just a suggestion of an ear and a nose and no mouth, rendering her somewhat inscrutable. Her rather mod-darlek dress appealed too, and then I registered that she was a bottle, slip-cast, and somehow fathomed that she poured through her eyes-which thrilled me! Of course when I inspected her properly I saw the head is in fact the lid and the body the bottle, separated by a cork. Only slightly deflated, I gave it a good sniff but there was no lingering smell to give me a clue as to it's original bottled purpose.

So here she is, in her virgin, just found, un-marked and unresearched state. I would love to hear your theories as to where she is from, what she is for etc. before I set forth to try to identify her...


Or, of course, you could just show-off in the usual fashion!

39/52

Findlay-Claudine has an infectious, rolling giggle, Fin chortles. Especially when tickled by big-sis. He looks like he would chortle doesn't he!

Claudine-At the 'come as your favourite book character' night at the library. Still, inimitably Claud; all dirty and nose-picky.



My photos have gone all weird and grainy. Please laptop, don't die, please, I'm begging you...


Week 39 I think, of the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel

A Snip? : Op-Shop Show-Off: September 24th, 2013

I've seen these variously described as bonsai tree pruners, needlework scissors, vintage twine snippers and as "... ideal for all kinds of historic re-enactment scenarios". However, despite their ye olde look these Spear brand scissors are modern, cheap and of the Made in China variety. I almost baulked at the price tag ($5, Salvation Army) but was won over by their handsome looks, lineage notwithstanding; and their utility-they are very sharp. I, I shall call them present string snips.



What would you use them for?

38/52

Claudine
My little spring-sprite prancing to Glazunov and pretending to "poop" out eggs!
She is wearing a Whole Family Rhythms inspired jasmine crown (I won their Spring workbook, lucky me). She wore the crown none stop. Plastic tiaras no longer required in this household-hurrah!

Findlay
Dribble, dribble, dribble. Chew, chew, chew. Drool, drool, ping! First tooth officially popped.

 Participating in the Portrait Project at Che and Fidel once again by the skin of my teeth-Fin is sick again :0(



*My favourite this week was the magical portrait at the end, of child riding dog. wow.