Are your cupboards still full Brismod?

Thrifting loot from today. Someone must have thrown out their Finnish and Danish glass in the past week. Of course I snapped it up in a heart beat. First a set of 4 Festivo wine glasses by Timo Sarpaneva in their original box.  The polystyrene insert still squeaks beautifully. What did I pay for these beauties? $3 for the set.

Next is a Tapio Wirkkala Ultima Thule bowl about 15 cm across. Grand total of $4.

Finally a Holmegaard Kluk Kluk decanter. I have 4 of these in various sizes and colours already including one just like this one. Of course I didn't ever pay the low, low price of $8. Bargain. So Anita are your cupboards and shelves still full? Or can I twist your arm to take these off me?

Religious kitsch

I have a confession to make. I have a thing for religious iconography. No let me be honest. For religious kitsch. Life size statues, little statues, paint by number Jesuses, crucifixes and rosary beads, old religious books particularly ones preaching the evils of alcohol and cautionary tales of children straying from the path. I'm sure it has something to do with my Catholic upbringing. Remember the scene in the Blues Brothers with The Penguin at the top of the stairs? Yep. Just like that. I'm an atheist these days but I still have a thing for the trappings of my youth.

Love the good guide dog tale in this book. John lost his sight in a chemistry lab accident.The bad photos below are of parts of my 1916 Hibernian Society marching sash. Love the metal work, the embroidery, the history. Lesson learnt though is never let a blind husband handle the framing. This is what he chose. Needs something lighter and a bit brighter. Perhaps a perspex box. This one looks like one of those smelly footboot sports memorabilia frames ;) I have a lot more bits and pieces around the house but these will give you an idea of my collection.

Me at 13.30 on 18.11.12

I had to take some new head shots for a magazine article. I hate having my photo taken. Thank goodness my husband is blind and can't take them for me. He would run in terror as I swore and cursed and bitched about how I hate having my photo taken. I hate taking photos of myself but the difference is that I can't run in terror as I swear and curse and bitch about how I hate having my photo taken. So here are two photos. Me at 13.30 on Sunday 18.11.12. After dozens and dozens of shots. Must put my lipstick on straight next time .... *%#*##! :)

Thrifting

First up I have a disclaimer. These pics are from a couple of weekends ago. I just haven't had the time to get them up. I find myself drawn to a more limited colour palette lately. Or maybe that is all I'm finding in the thrift stores and secondhand shops in Ioswich. My friends laugh that I have a thing for brown. Whenever they are out hunting with me they will hold up the ugliest piece they can find and yell "It's brown. You want it?" I'm also collecting old books for my living room shelves. To read too. Love an old book and I'm so sad when I see someone throwing them out. Favourites? Love the stoneware salt jar. I use it in the kitchen for utensils but it may end up a paintbrush pot. The banker's receipt book is useless but soooo beautiful. Pounds, shillings and pence.

New old books. A complete set of Dickens as well as Victor Hugo and Dumar. 1936. The blue set is a self education series from the '20s. Love my cinnabar vase from Kim. And look there's the owl she sent me too. The multi-sided die is from an old children's game. The West German is one of my favourites. No thrifting find that one. Bought it in an antique centre. My murano millefiore vases were a secondhand shop find though. They are huge and gorgeous.

Turkish coffee anyone? Complete with ashtray :) I'm going to use the cups and tray as part of my holidays table settings. Kelvin found me the old rusty pot stand. Love it but have to keep him from painting it with Killrust. He wanted to clean it up for me. The stool is actually an old kitchen chair with the back cut off.

Of course I didn't need another retro dinner set but I picked this one up for $6. 6 dinner plates and 4 side plates - Japanese. Next time I play fairy opshop mother to Anita or Carmel this might have to be part of the loot. Finally a timber slab. It used to have ugly wobbly legs but I wanted it as a serving board so off they came. I'll have to strip off the awful orange varnish before I use it though. That's it for that weekend ;) I have picked up more since. I know. I know. I'm addicted!

Indian printing blocks

Part of me is tempted to stamp up some fabric with my printing blocks but I love the old paint colour that's on them already. I think I'll just leave them sitting on my table for a little while longer.