The Ghost of Kitchens Past : Op-Shop Show-Off; February 11th, 2014

Welcome back to the second-hand-gadget-of-cooking show-off.


Miniature toilet brush in appearance, miniature broomstick in gait; utilitarian, actually cleanable (the little metal cap retracts) and bristle retaining pastry brush, welcome to my humble implement drawer. You take me back little brush, to home-ec. (aka school cooking class). To the Madame Trelawny-like teacher who always gave me an irritating sympathy/doomed looks when she saw me (a once competitive excuse maker, my " I have reoccurring nightmares about drowning and I was too tired to get up this morning Miss" was a big mistake. To the A grade because even though I burned my cake I gave a marvellous (also confabulated) critique as to why. From the best school lunch of the week (a Friday morning class). From the spacious, sunny classroom of messy, tasty fun past, to the current tiny kitchen of messy, tasty fun present (Claud and I just made pies), for all of 20c.

An InLinkz Link-up

Op-Shop Show_Off; January 28th, 2014

 

From my before-Christmas-$3-box-of-tricks. A small silver platter. Husband thinks it is silver plate though isn't hallmarked. In service, serving up Her Royal Claudness'es breakfast.

Clip-Clop: Op-Shop Show-Off; Tuesday Jan 14th, 2014

Claud was gifted this hobby horse recently by it's original owner who was given it as a child by her grandparents who bought it out from a London department store quite a few years ago. Claud imaginatively name it 'pony' and loves it to bits (literally, she chewed the ear, adding to it's, is-it's-eye-missing-or-is-it-winking, long-loved patina.

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...

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).

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'!

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!

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?

Chris Weaver Tablewear: Op-Shop Show-Off: September 17th, 2013

 

This piece of pottery gives me that pleasant, slightly giddy feeling I get when I look down at my feet at the beach and see a shallow tide wash over wind blown sand ripples. Ahh.

It's maker, wild-west-coast potter Chris Weaver has a show at Form Gallery, Christchurch right now. If you can get yourself there I can promise you'll be over taken by all kinds of pleasant feelings, lust likely the primary one (they are very affordable in the way that craft is and art isn't). Or you could just find one of his quiet, evocative pieces of tablewear, in this case a leaf bowl ($3) down the op-shop if you are my very observant husband. Or two, since he also found an antique iron inspired sugar bowl last year! 

I'm not surprised at all at the lack of appreciation of his genius that has meant these have been donated to an op-shop, I see all kinds of wonderful how-could-you-ever-part-with-it things in those places, I am just simply, joyfully, jump-up-and-down grateful.

I don't use the word genius lightly. I have a piece of his celadon pottery, a salt cellar, from the 2006 Canterbury Potters Exhibition where he was guest potter, which I can say unequivocally is the most sublime piece of pottery I have ever beheld. I know it's irritating for me to say that and not show you a photograph (it's behind perspex to protect it from earthquakes, kids and cats, which makes it difficult to photograph-and makes me a hypocrite!) but also because like any truly great piece of pottery it is the feel of the thing in your hands (or even the feel of it in use) which is the biggest part of it's joy. 

This does not have a makers mark, but if you like to pick up pottery at op-shops there is a great resource on the New Zealand potters website which can assist you to identify NZ pottery with a makers mark.


p.s Chris Weaver also makes his own pottery tools, from native timber driftwood and other beach gleanings. See, told you. Genius.


  

Driftwood Pottery Tools

Pretty as a Picture: Op-Shop Show-Off; September 10th, 2013

I know most people participating in the Portrait Project  are keen on turning their pictures into books of the snapfish kind, and I'm not ruling it out for the grandparents, but not content with looking at our dear wee darlings grubby faces all day long we are keen to get these photos up and around the house too, and have been on a serious photo frame hunt. A serious but unyielding photo frame hunt. The op-shops are full of second hand versions of the expensive-yet-cheap-looking photo frames you get in photography shops, and photography shops the unblemished version.

Perseverance paid off in the end though as this absolute beauty turned up in a box of old picture frames at Rangiora Sales (known to locals as Rangiora Auctions, though it hasn't run auctions for half a century), a place well worth a visit if your in the area and have a half day to spare, it runs the gamut from spare parts to antiques. Wear warm clothing though, it's always absolutely freezing in there, even in midsummer.

Leather backed (I've yet to identify the leather, it looks like snake skin) and made of oak, decorated with a art nouveaux style gilt-metal flora, it was perhaps a Canterbury School of Art, arts and crafts era student project. I think it suits this favourite photograph of Claudine so well, not to mention suiting our Arts and Crafts bungalow, and is now in pride of place on the mantelpiece. If you are at all interested in that era or style, Simplicity and Splendour, The Arts and Crafts Movement in New Zealand, by Ann Calhoun will be in your local library if you are in New Zealand and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Ok, so one down, only another 103 to go!



Seriously though, any tips on where to find good looking photo frames so I can have a corresponding photograph of Findlay on the other side of the mantel would be most welcome.



If you have a second hand lifestyle related post you'd like to link up here, please do, we'd love to read it  x

A Basket Case: Op-Shop Show-Off: Tuesday September 3rd, 2013.

 

This woven pandanus basket is the double of one I brought home as a keepsake after we were married in the Cook Islands (20c, the Rangiora Charity Barn). If I remember correctly weaving is done, by women, only on one of the more remote of the islands and then brought in by boat to Rarotonga for sale to tourists. Much Cook Island weaving is exquisite, art-gallery worthy stuff, but I fell in love with these rough and ready to use ones (I also ditched the fancy necklace I'd planned to wear for the ceremony for a woven coconut husk fibre and Cook Island black pearl one I picked up there too). My original basket is a handbag for 'best'; this one is looking pretty dangling from a door handle, reminding me of relaxing beach holidays past, whilst earning it's keep as a cell phone, wallet, & keys receptacle.

Viking Man: Op-Shop-Show-Off: August 27th, 2013

Teak, rabbit fur and hemp rope. Made in Denmark, mid-century. I can find out nothing else out about this unmarked little Viking warrior I picked up at Riccarton Market for $3, other than that his country-men are very well travelled. But I don't need to, he is going straight to the little boys room (which is still swimming underneath a tide of stuff-to-be-let-go-of). Not much progress on that front as the little boy in question has been putting us through our paces on the sleep front, rendering any activity other than moaning about how tired we are irrelevant. Hence the late post today, totes forgot!

Right, I'm off for more coffee before he wakes again! Do link up anything relating to second hand living and I shall happily prop up my eyelids with matchsticks and enjoy perusing x

A Little Give and a Little Take: Op-Shop Show-Off: August 13th, 2013

It's uncanny how having a baby, and then another one can shrink your house. The play corner, craft desk, high chair, recliner, play mat, hammock and a hundred thousand toys leave a once spacious room with just a few feet spare in the centre. The spare rooms no longer spare. Never minimalists, we were a High-Stuff-Household even pre-children, with heirloom belongings, a dozen hobbies between us (crafts of various kinds, kayaking, snowboarding, mountain biking, furniture renovation, studio pottery collecting et al) not to mention we both like to play in op-shops. Terry, he likes to find a thing, an old thing and find out all about it. He has an extensive find-out-about-an-old-thing library (mostly op-shopped). Me, I have my list (needs), but I'm not opposed to occasionally being seduced by something random I clap my eyes on (pretties) either.

We are pretty restrained on the whole on the buying stuff front though, truly,  and my distaste for clutter ying tends to balance out Terry's hoarding yang.  Yet somehow, despite regular yinging out, trying to organise the spare room into a new baby's eventual bedroom; and moving completely out and then back in after earthquake repairs has brought a lot of stuff to the surface in the manner of a shaken jar of muesli. And it ain't all raisins.

I found a definition of hoarding lately that I'm using as a touch stone to resolving our "is this life's messy clutter or unhealthy hoarding?" confusion. The definition says essentially that if stuff impedes your activities of daily living it is hoard. Can't step foot in the garage? Hoard. Can't see the bed in the front bedroom? Hoard. Can't hang Terry's shirts in his wardrobe? Hoard. Can't fit your excess soup in the deep freeze? Hoard. Can't find anywhere to put down your craft project out of reach of kids? Hoard.

Or, according to Terry, "we need a bigger house!".


My urge, nay my desperate freakin' need to seriously downsize our household contents has coincided perfectly with the Down To Earth De-clutter-a-thon, so without further ado, here is the tally for this week:-

• Three carrier bags full of hoard to the op-shop. I was heartened that none of it had originally come from an op-shop: my 'need or absolute must-have' op-shopping policy works, even if i do have occasional bouts of restraint remorse. Most were gifts of little utility or, ahem, taste. Hoarded because it didn't feel right to give away gifts I took a deep breath and just let them go. It felt good. I need to brave making suggestions for gifts when they are in the offing (not my style at all). Whilst I was there I picked up the above ombre silk scarf, $4. Naughty, hand-slap!
• Gave away 3 huge bags of black peaches from the deep freeze as we won't have time to make jam before the next ones are grown and picked.
• Gave away 2 litres of frozen expressed breast milk to a needy mama and babe via Eats on Feets.
• Sold a set of plan drawers (which held a yet to be dealt with hoard of paintings and prints) on Trademe.
• The ones that got away. Two very stained too-small t-shirts of Claud's which Terry dug out of the bin for his rag-bag(s).
• I also signed up for The Travelling Stationary Box and am going to have the mother of all stationary de-stashes this week (two drawers, a desk and random boxes so far!). 

I'd love to know if anything is off-limits in the de-stash at your place? Gifts aside, I really struggle with the children's toys in that since they are not technically mine I feel it's not my place to get rid of them...what do you think?

p.s. How many bags of rags do you think is too many?!

I am a girl in a material world:Op-Shop Show-Off :Tuesday August 6th, 2013

Retro Linen teatowel, $8 Trademe.  To be transformed into a Martha Stewart Linen Tea Towel Sun dress for Claud at some point in the not too distant future (approx. before next summer is over).

An off-cut of sheepskin, 50c, Rangiora Charity Barn.  To be transformed into a Sarai Mitnik Faux Fur Collar (featured in Mollie Makes Magazine, way back) for Claud at some point in the distant future (before next winter is over?).

Navy wool blankets; $22. Trademe. The last of the colours I needed for my Hudson Bay Point Braided Rug Project (TBC sometime in the next decade?).




Op-Shops. Making making affordable for all.


Have you bought anything second hand for making or creating purposes lately? Do tell!

The Hewn Spoon. Op-Shop Show-Off: 30th July, 2013

This flat bottomed wooden spoon was thrown in when we bought pottery from an elderly local craftswoman/ex-craft gallery owner. She suggested it was made by Levi Borgstrom, but its not. It's teak I think, not a local timber, and it's rustic with a capital R.  It's clearly hand hewn, somewhat inexpertly too as there is a random chisel scrape in the bowl of the spoon, and the tail is just unevenly hacked off. What it does share with a Levi Borgstrom (we're into treen and have a few) is it's ergonomic comfort in hand. The handle still feels like a branch rather than dowel.

The main point of difference from a Borgstrom though is that I'm actually allowed to use this one! The husband lives in fear of dying before me. Not because you know, I'd be lost without him, or he'd have a shorter life or anything, he just worries I'd feed the cat out of the Hamada and stir my broths with the Borgstroms. (I will too, I hate fetishising craft). In the meantime this wannabe is perfect for scrapping off all those congealed, slightly burned bits in the bottom of a pan after a roast which taste so good or make gravy, and hack you off when it comes to pan scrubbing hours later.

I have several well used wooden spoons in my kitchen, including one that always smells of curry, but I could never contemplate buying a used one though my local salvos stocks them. Ick and tut. Surely it's unhygienic?! Except, perhaps if it was old/carved then I might scald it before I used it? Not that I ever scald any of mine. Also, a sycamore chopping board is high on my op-shop wish list and I wouldn't mind if that was obviously used either, just because I'm just so desperate for one. And I probably wouldn't even bother scalding that. No. Logic.

So, I'm interested to know, is there anything you just couldn't contemplate buying second hand, logically or illogically, or is it all fair game?

At which juncture I'll just mention one of the highlights of our honeymoonal trip to Paris; the obligatory flea market jaunt. Stop romanticising about pre-loved Hermes scarves and chipped stoneware jugs right now and instead imagine...a second hand g-string stall (true story).




As always, I'd LOVE it if you linked up any second hand shopping related posts x

Agee with me? Op-Shop Show-Off; July 23rd, 2013

Ah, the Agee jar. Not just for preserves? How do you use yours?

Le Moulinette de la rogue: Op-Shop Show-Off July 16th, 2013

 I found my handwritten recipe notes from the Italian cooking class I took years ago as I unpacked another box of household effects post earthquake repairs a few weeks ago.  Cat's heirloom cookbook came to mind as I laughed at the memories evoked by the scrawled entries, missing ingredients and stains (we were encouraged to drink red wine steadily through every class. heh).

It's a testament to the brilliance of the course and my love for Italian food that I've retained all but one of the dishes we were taught in our current family eating repertoire. Gnocchi was my nemesis. Initially I embarrassed myself in front of the class by being repeatedly incapable of picking up the skill of the fork wrist flick necessary to shape the little buggers. Undeterred, privately I attempted to make gnocchi again.  Close your eyes and imagine chewing a slug cum one of those escape-from-you-hand-toys and you then know how that turned out. 

That issue was the lack of a potato ricer, but ever the grinch I just couldn't bring myself to spend $50 on a single use cupboard cluttering gadget and so since I've tried pretended gnocchi doesn't exist. Which is quite hard for a pasta and potato addict. I get really excited when I see it on a menu, especially when it's paired with sage and I vow to revisit it often. Then I go to the deli, prevaricate over the $50 potato ricer and put it back again... until next time. 

A few weeks ago I had a lightbulb moment as I was reading the deeply wonderful Rachel Eats. An old mouli: of course! I hunted, and held out for one with the three blades so it could multi-task. Trademe once again came up with the goods. For half the price of a new potato ricer I couldn't press "Buy-Now" fast enough.

The Mouli was invented in 1932 by Frenchman Jean Mantelet who was dissatisfied with his wife's lumpy mash! It proved immensely popular and lucrative and Mantelet's company morphed into Moulinex. My mother still calls a food processor a "Moulinex" in the same way she still calls a vacuum cleaner a "Hoover"; they were and remain big in Europe.

So there I was this morning, full of good intention: crack knuckles, crack gnocchi. Photo gnocchi,  eat gnocchi. Do foodie linky with Ange; Treading Gently... Linky with Hettie, and then Op-Shop Show-Off the hell out of my mouli baby. I fed in the first steamed potato and the mouli handle promptly disintegrated in my hand. Sigh. After I made potato cakes, scarfed potato cakes etc I emailed the seller.




Hi there,
I just used the mouli this morning for the first time and unfortunately the plastic turning knob just disintegrated in my hand. I've attached a photo so you can see what i mean.
When my husband gets home i'll see if there is anyway he could make/attach a new handle-i've been looking for a mini mouli with three disks for ages so id prefer to fix it if i can; but in case we cant could you let me know how to go about returning it to you/obtaining a refund.
Thanks,
Max Bennett


and he replied

Hi Max

Sorry to hear that you have broken the handle.

We used this item for over a year and never broke it and you have managed to in very short time!. Seriously I cannot be held responsible for the way in which you used it so unfortunately there will be no refund.

There is a way that the handle can be fixed:

Get a piece of hose clear black whatever that is slightly bigger or less than the handle top, heat it and force it over the flange.

Alternatively a large wooden ball from a craft shop, redrill it out and slip it over the handle end loosely. It could be held with a locking clip of some sort if a more permanent solution was required.

Sorry that is the best advice I can give.

Kind Regards

James

Sigh.
Here is the reply I want to make:-

Ah salesman of shoddy goods, your are also a peddler of shoddy advice. Husband says neither of these methods will work. But I am impressed with the surprising detailed thought you've afforded this issue. Must have been quite hard without an actual mouli in front of you. A cynic might think you gave this some forethought and reached the same conclusion my husband did, but then decided to sell it rather than put it in the bin where it belongs. I am that cynic.

ps. Your lying about the kind regards too



I'd also quite like to add a bit in about 'fit for purpose', 'consumer guarantees act', 'give me my money back you toad' etc but according to the Trademe site there is no comeback on private seller sales such as these. I did not know that, did you?

I haven't decided yet whether I shall vent with a further email as outlined above, or just let it go like a fart; it stink but I'll quickly forget it,  so if you have any suggestions for additions to my draft email, or any op-shop fizzles of your own to share please feel free to make me laugh!



Next time gnocchi, I'll get ya, next time  *shakes fist*

Handy Scandi Tablecloth:Op-Shop Show-Off:Tuesday July 9th, 2013

I'd been very fixated on the vintage Danish tablecloths Danish blogger Birgitte sells on Etsy.

Then I think I found one. Rangiora Charity Barn, $2. YES!

Things that shriek "YES!" No ironing necessary; looks and feels like thin woven wool; good looks.

Things that say "nah, but I love it anyways". It's a long, long way from home!

It would be kicking a serendipitous gift horse in the mouth to mention that I'm a little disappointed it's too small for my dining table so instead I'll say I'm thinking maybe oversized scarf/wrap as it's just too lovely for relegation to my pet textiles cupboard.



*It was so brilliant to see so many of you linking in last week with some class finds. Hope you've had as fortunate a week and can link in again x