Treasure Hunting in the New Year

My first parcel to arrive after New Year's Day was a little treasure I found for a snip to add to my growing vintage collection of wedding wreaths and it is so pretty

 

 

 

 

 

 

We usually head down the hill on Friday to the city for supermarket shopping ( I  still can't get used to the hairpin curves on the winding road) and sometimes we have to time to check out my old op shop haunts. LOVE this old linen half finished embroidered table cloth. I have found a few over the years and always grab them . This one was $4 at the Animal Welfare Shop

 

 

 

 

We did a road trip on Saturday to a couple of old historic country towns nearby and stopped at 3 op shops in Mannum ( on the Murray River)  and I found my second pie crust mirror ....I want 3 different shapes for my bathroom.....for $2...YAY!

 

 

 

 

This is the pic I posted a few weeks ago of the first one I found at Savers . I'm hoping to find an oval or round one  

 

 

 

A pretty bunch of hydrangeas bought at the Farmer's Market

 

 

 

Stopped a cute General Store/ Second Hand Shop in a tiny town called Palmer, and bought a couple of  small things yet to be photographed

 

 

 

 

In the garden this week we harvested our first carrots

 

 

 

 

Started free ranging the girls

 

 

And scarified the lawn

Love this book I'm reading from the Library this week   

 

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Nancherrow

 
 

The Old and the New

 Its been a mild day today in the hills so we took off for a long drive and I found a couple of sweet finds. A Victorian book  by the same author of a book I picked up on my birthday weekend in October...the gilt is beautiful

 

 

 

Another old bottle to add to my collection

 

 

 

 

A trip to the city Friday to hunt down bargains at the  Freedom sale....new aquamarine cushions

 

 

And my favourite buy there (I saw these 6 months ago at full price) there was 1 left..YAY a glazed and crackled large  apothecary jar ( perfect for my pink roses)

I was totally spoiled this Christmas by my darling husband...what a brave man buying a handbag...a gorgeous watermelon pink tote and tucked inside a bottle of Coco Mademoiselle

 

 A Victorian picture locket with a paste amethyst stone  from about 1900 made by a company Wightman and Hough in Rhode Is, from my Mum

 

 

 

It has my initials engraved under it !!!!

 

 

 

This is an advert I found on the web

 

 

In the garden this week...netting the fruit trees from the parrots, planting vegetable seedlings and my girls are losing there baby feathers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linking up with :

The Dedicated House

A Living Space
Knick of Time
French Country Cottage
Ivy and Elephants
Common Ground
The Colorado Lady
Shabby Art Boutique
The Thrifty Groove
Chic on a Shoestring
Country Farm Home
My Romantic Home
Sir thrift-a-lot
Rose Vignettes

Rooted in Thyme
My Charmed Home
Blackbird Has Spoken
Elizabeth & Co
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Finding Fabulous
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A Quiet Country Christmas

This Christmas feels a bit out of kilter ....a new house in a country town instead of our freshly decorated city home, losing Dad, and awful heatwave ...it reached 111 degrees and all my lovely flowers fried, but Christmas rolls on!

 

 

I finally finished my Rich Irish Christmas Cake. It has about 4 Kilos of fruit which is soaked in whisky and stirred every day for 3 weeks. Baking takes about 4 hours and more whisky poured over while it is still warm. Boy is it heavy!!

 

 

The unbearable heat has turned the hills to gold all around the house

 

 

Early evening from the front porch.

 

 I was a little tense as the temperature soared to 44 (111)

hoping the bushfire sirens wouldn't go off!


A couple of survivors were the Nepetas (catmint)

 

I sprayed our 12 week old girls with water every couple of hours

 

A light thrifting week but I did find this very old soda siphon bottle for a song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas from my Family to yours

Linking up with :

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A Living Space
Knick of Time
French Country Cottage
Ivy and Elephants
Common Ground
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The Thrifty Groove
Chic on a Shoestring
Country Farm Home
My Romantic Home
Sir thrift-a-lot
Rose Vignettes

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Blackbird Has Spoken
Elizabeth & Co
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Finding Fabulous
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Summertime in the Hills

I must admit to feeling a little flat this Christmas after losing Dad a couple of weeks ago so this year will be a little quieter in our new house

Love this little find.....very old mercury Christmas balls, marked made in Occupied Japan...and I love the patina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found this  1960's fan in a country town shop on Friday...love the colour

 

 

 

 

Lots of lights went up in the garden... thank heaven for solar battery packs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our fruit orchard is loaded with ripening fruit and we have had to net the trees from the flocks of cockatoos

 

 

 

Apples

 

 

Nashi Pears

 

 

Tomatoes

 

 

 

Lettuces and Beans

 

We were given 15 pots of pink and blue Salvias which we dotted around the garden...all free at $15 a pot !!

 

 

 

Outside the back door ....smelling very perfumed...the first of the Gardenias in flower

 

 

.....and a loaded down Star Jasmine

 

 

 

Princess Alexandria of Kent

 

 

some days have been very hot and spoiling the English roses so I pick them and let them dry naturally in a vase

 

 

 

 

 

Dusk

 

From the Library this week

 

Linking up with :

The Dedicated House

A Living Space
Knick of Time
French Country Cottage
Ivy and Elephants
Common Ground
The Colorado Lady
Shabby Art Boutique
The Thrifty Groove
Chic on a Shoestring
Country Farm Home
My Romantic Home
Sir thrift-a-lot
Rose Vignettes

Rooted in Thyme
My Charmed Home
Blackbird Has Spoken
Elizabeth & Co
 The North End Loft
Finding Fabulous
Lavender Garden Cottage