Vintage Black Friday ...

First time player ...

here's a few favourite black vintage treasures.

The motif from my stash, the star and diamante brooch last worn in the 80s, the two strands of jet beads, waiting for the right event, as are the black and cream beads. The Italian necklace with the swirls on the pendant could get an outing during winter ...

now I've seen it again the brooch will too ...

see more Vintage Black Friday posts HERE

Five Faves on Friday ...

from one of my all time fave bloggers Pam Sussman HERE

this little gem ...

no more hassel marking button holes, marking holes for punching or book binding ... all that measured spacing is done for you by ...

 Simflex Expanding Gauge buy it HERE

my copy of Ruth Rae's latest Layered, Tattered, Stitched book HERE

standing at North Bondi yesterday with the wind and the salt in my face ...

passing that tiny single story unit right on Bondi Beach front ...

my granny lived there from 1920 - 1963 ... 

I lived there with her 1957-1959 ... 

the unhappiest time of my life ...

yet I still love Bondi so much ???

I'm still gloating plus reading the instructions of my Easter gift to Me.

see more Five Faves HERE.

Happy Easter to Everyone ...

Hope your Easter or Passover is everything you want it to be.

My Creative Space ... did you know?

... you can throw used neck ties holus bolus in the wash on a normal cycle?
Always save the thread, the innards and the label as you unpick each tie.

It takes 30 minutes to iron 18 ties?

You need to fill your steam iron four times in each 30 minutes?
That the stench when the hot iron hits the washed ties is probably from the make up of the fabric ...
or the dregs of the years of dry cleaning chemicals each tie was subjected too! 
My girls agreed the stench was old smoke, old after shave, the smell of a dirty collar, the dregs, aroma or the scungey dribble of a sunday roast or some other culinary delight that nothing could remove from the front some ...
no way ...
this anal Virgo washes every single neck tie after a looong soak in Vanish ...

silk or polyester all in together ...

ironing is an arduous task ...

NOT ANY MORE ...

Happy Easter to me!

My Place and Yours - Show me something you collect ...

The theme for this week is 'Show me something you collect.'
Gadzooks where to start round here?
Collecting all began with this little treasure 25 years ago ...

snow scenes from around the world ...

gorgeous vintage powder compacts ...

beautiful scarves - to wear ...

and more scarves - to wear ...

souvenir travel charms and bracelets ...

jars and drawers of buttons ...

if you need that special button I'm sure it's here ...

little wooden cases of threads ...

the winding of the thread on spools was cathartic ...

dictionaries where answers can be found  ...

pocket watches ...

alarm clocks and more watch parts ...

rare antiqu, vintage and faux tortoiseshell ...
the first piece found 40 years ago ...

there's more collections to show ...

maybe another time ...

collecting is my passion.

see what others collect here

Sunday - A Beautiful Day for a Birthday Party ...

out of the hot pink tulle - a car ...

from the hoardes of chenille - an owl ...

from Karina - bella ...

cousins with blue eyed babies ...

cake ...

four generations ...

My Sunday was perfect - how was yours?

Flea Market finds ...

19 metres of gorgeous hot pink tulle with tiny white spots for $6.00 ...

some of it made perfect gift wrap ...

for a special birthday pressie!

See what was wrapped HERE

Earth Hour - 8.30pm tonight - lights out Sydney!!!

before and after shots of Sydney last year ... see more HERE

look at the difference ...

one hour can make such a difference ...

you can make a difference ... see more HERE

do it!!!

Looking at the sky on Friday ...

Looking at the sky on Friday ...

Sydney - Friday after a 29 degree day ...

see more LATSOF pics here.

One year ago today ... Belle arrived ...

... she's almost perfected her smile when a camera appears ...

... she brings absolute delight to us every single day ...

Happy Birthday Belle. XO

a photofriday entry ::: see more 'children' here.

HO Studley Tool Chest ... DO Want ...

This could easily be on the top of my Do Want list ... click on the photo for a closer look ...

The history of H.O. Studley and his tool chest.

Massachusetts piano maker Henry Studley built his magnificent tool chest over the course of a 30-year career at the Poole Piano Company. The chest lived on the wall near his workbench, and he worked on it regularly, making changes and adding new tools as he acquired them. Using ebony, mother-of-pearl, ivory, rosewood, and mahogany -- all materials used in the manufacture of pianos -- he refined the chest to the point that now, more than 80 years after his death, it remains in a class of its own.
 
Considering how many tools it holds, the famous chest is really quite small; when closed, it is just 9 in. deep, 39 in. high, and just more than 18 in. wide.
 
Yet it houses so many tools -- some 300 -- so densely packed that three strong men strain to lift it.
 
More on the chest HERE

Paper ART by Anna Wili Highfield

Created using NO GLUE ...

see details and more of these amazing scupltures HERE ...

Five Faves meme from Meet me at Mikes

The lovely Pip has a new meme - Five Faves - and asks ...

List your Five Faves for the week on your blog and then link to the post from here! Favourite things you did, favourite things you read, favourite things you wrote, favourite blogs, favourite videos, favourite dinners, favourite people, favourite recipes, favourite blog posts, favourite tutorials, favourite songs... the possiblities are ENDLESS! So what do you think? Do you want to play Five Faves? Please do! Go on! I mean YOU!

My Five Faves wouldn't be complete without mentioning my girls ...-

1 ::  MJ gradually getting her mojo back ...

2 :: My Bella's visiting me ... priceless.

3:: Losing myself in the first issue of Flea Market Style ...

4 :: Wondering if that super bargain will be at Reverse Garbage ...

5 :: Spending way too much time reading the blogs on my side bar ...

Join in and play along or read other Five Faves at Pip's.

My Place and Yours ... Top Drawer ...

This weeks theme from Danielle is Top Drawer .

I have a new, special, top drawer.

Baby Belle came for a visit today ...

to a toy collection courtesy of the market ...

brought home and scrubbed ...

and now here at MaMa's house ...

$2.00 a piece ...

plus a box with a cotton reel inside ...

a pink pashmina, Golden books and a pot thrown in ...

Belle fell asleep on Mummy's lap ...

Blossy came for a look when it all went quiet ...

Belle woke as beautiful as ever.

Belle went home leaving her new toy collection ... 

in safe keeping in a top drawer at MaMa's house!

 Play along or see more Top Drawer's at Hello Owl. 

Flea Market Finds ...

An array of nic nacs destined for up coming projects ...

the two little white boxes have markings on the base ...

Could these be treasures from the orient? 

the hunt is on ... I'll keep you posted!

The most gorgeous cane/rattan case  = 50 x 28 x 15 cms

looking glorious after a soft rub with 'Mr Sheen'  ...

now a home for sentimental ephemera.

See more Flea Market finds at Sophies HERE.

Winner Announced - eBay's Creative Re-use Comp ...

Last fall, ecofabulous teamed up with eBay’s Green Team to launch the Creative Reuse Contest for the third and final phase of the re+purpose campaign.
 
After much deliberation (there were so many incredible submissions!) the winner of the contest was selected – Joshua Pfenning, a Los Angeles furniture designer, who transformed an abandoned couch into a mid-century masterpiece, stripping the original down to the frame and reupholstering it in a green velvet fabric with a soy foam padding.

Gorgeous isn't it???

Happy St Patricks Day to ya ...

Top a da morning ta ya all ...

could there be a four leaf clover lurkin' amongst this lot ...

Happy St Pat's Day ta y'all !!!

Ta be sure, ta be sure!

 image courtesy here

Fleamarket Finds at Her Library Adventures ...

Here's my weekend finds ...

Cookie, chocolate or PlayDoh cutters ... aren't they gorgeous?

Stunning bakelite handles - could the centres be silver?

The sweetest vintage, diamante purse ... I'll add a longer chain ...

look at how it opens up will you?

I forgot to photograph the vintage hat box I scored too!!!

Can you imagine how ecstatic I was with all this treasure?

See more Flea Market finds here.

Please pop back to see what I found on Tuesday!