Thursday, April 26, 2012

One Mans Trash . . .

Hi friends,  hope your week is going well out there . . .
You know that old saying . . . "one mans trash is another mans treasure" - well that was probably written about me   -   Yours truly ! ! !   :-)    I just adore old junk things.  I often think I am perhaps living in the wrong era as I so love the older things from previous eras.
 Mostly this addiction began when we were sharemilking and moved around alot and in those days you could still find treasures under the old hedges on lots of the farms we lived on.  And boy oh boy, could I haul it home ! ! ! * * ! !    In the end our friends and family didn't want to help us move farms anymore because there were so many loads required shifting all Julies old junk bits & pieces! ! !
Also this "addiction" was fueled by the simple fact that I didn't have a large enough bank balance to buy alot of the things I craved and so had to do the old "silk purse from a sows ear" type of thing.  
I have a poster that I have framed that says "Make Do And Mend" - yep that's me alright, making do and mending ! ! !  :-)
And so it was on a recent visit from my dear brother that he walked through my house and simply shook his head.  So when I showed him that I had started a blog (which I am still excited about) - he commented "why dont you put pictures on of some of the old rubbish things you have in your house"  (I think he thought secretly to himself "they wont believe it!!!")  So here goes for my posting today   . . .    some of my wonderful junk treasures that I surround myself with and call home, and I hope that (like me) you enjoy peering into other peoples homes sometimes too . . .
The above are some snaps of my lounge room. (just a small sewing machine collection going on here...)
This pic shows my Dads old ladder - Dad was a painter/paperhanger for all of his working life and this was his favourite ladder and still has the old bent nail on the side which I hang things from . . .   it now holds my quilts and some teddies (still miss you Dad )
this is the end of my lounge room where I have an old wooden ironing board displaying some of my old doilies and linens and an old heavy iron (found in a haybarn) - no I don't do my ironing here :-)



the above is an old violin and case that belonged to a very dear friends Dad (who used to play on it) - we are missing the fiddle for it.  Behind is an old expandable sewing case which was rescued from an old wool shed and painstakingly restored (by me) . . .
this cabinet in my diningroom had chooks living in it (when a very dear friend gave it to me),and a drawer missing - amazing what a bit of elbow grease and sheer determination can achieve ! ! !  (this is one of my very fav pieces)


Just in a corner of my dining room is a little display using my Grans old cooking bowl and a pyrex dish which she used to use ALL the time and I have filled with rosehips (can you see the dust . . . ??)
and lastly for today a pic that probably totally contradicts everything I have just shown you . . .
Cos lets be honest . . . . its hardly Living Simply is it now . . . . ????  But I love this little sampler cushion that sits in a wooden trug on a little chest in my dining room.  This is where I sit in the winter when we start having fires and I can sit here and stitch and watch the flames of the fire flickering.
Hope you enjoyed the little tour of some of my home and (if you like) I'll be back another time with some more pics.
Also hope you all had a pleasant Anzac Day yesterday - its good to take the time to remember all those brave and courageous men & women who lost their lives for us all - I was heartened to hear on the radio that more and more young people are coming along to the Dawn Parade and Anzac Services - taking the time to remember the past - what can be wrong with that I ask.???
Have a good rest of the week my friends, take care out there  . . .
Love Julie x x x
(hope you noticed no pics of Mr Fat Fluffy today - told me he is rather weary of having the camera pointed at him lately . . .all this fame is soooo tiring  - he needs a nap)


4 comments:

  1. HI Julie.
    I am so glad you shared some of your home with us.
    It is so full of fun finds. Love your vintage sewing machines. It is amazing how you have restored and taken your time to give these things love again. It is all beautiful and yes simple is hard nowadays, we just have too many options today.
    Your gingerbreadman ornie collection is too adorable.

    Have a great day!
    Amy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Amy,
      thanks so much for your lovely comment - I always appreciate when people take the time to read my blog. So glad you like my gingerbread ornie collection too - I put it together last christmas and enjoyed it so much, I left it out all year to bring me pleasure. Thanks again - kind regards, Julie :-)

      Delete
  2. Hi Julie...oh what fun to see all your lovely bits & pieces...well some of them anyway ; ) What sweet stories & recollections connected to your treasures. That's what I love about blogging...it gives you a chance to tell your stories & you get to keep them at the same time. Good for you finding all that junk in the hedgerows..I would have helped you lug it home if I'd been there! Love the old trike in the garden & you did a beautiful job of the sewing box. Well love it all really. Oh dear it's seems you have outed me...here I was touting that living simply was a good thing & well, actually my life is so full of stuff.. it's not really simple at all! But at least it's fun & authentic. Much love Catherine x0x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello there Catherine and thank you for your lovely comment - I am SURE you would've helped me haul all my "finds" home from the hedgerows !! We couldve had a wonderful time !! Like you, I do so love the old things and appreciate that they bring me such pleasure. Yes my life is full of stuff also but everytime I try to pack some away, I end up bringing it all back out again !! Have a lovely week, Love & friendship, Julie :-)

    ReplyDelete

Hello, & thank you for taking the time to comment on my posts - I read and appreciate each and every one of your comments :-)
I always prefer to reply to your comments by email unless you are a no-reply-blogger in which case I will reply to your comments in this section here. Thanks so much for stopping by to read & comment on my blog x0x