Saturday, September 21, 2013

Doilies, a trip, & the tale of a stool

Hello dear friends & readers
(warning ... this may be a lengthy post ... you may want to grab a cuppa or a tipple or two)

This past week I have taken a flying trip to my Mums (who lives about 4 hours away from me)
There are 2 main highlights of visiting with Mum (aside from Mum, of course)  . . . the 1st is Op shopping (there are 5 Op Shops in Mums little town), & the 2nd is visiting my friend Claire ... I managed to do both this quick trip  :-)
(a footnote for my overseas readers ... here in New Zealand we call thrift shops Op Shops, which is derived from the word "opportunity")

Beautiful Mount Egmont ... I grew up thinking everyone had a mountain out their bedroom window
(yes I know they now call it Mount Taranaki but NOT me . . . . )

These are the doilies I managed to acquire on my Op Shop foraging
(I have yet to soak & wash them)

plus the gorgeous vintage sheet they are resting on was an Op Shop find for $1

Now before I go on, you really must pop on over to here & read eco ethel's post on joining her B.A.D. club  ...  I think this is a great idea & I am sure there are many out there who would want to "join" ... eco ethel is a girl after my own heart ... she just loves a doiley,  or two,  or three . . . 



These little vintage cut crystal salt & pepper shakers were another Op Shop find . .  .  since returning home I have filled them with vintage buttons & decorated them for the Cottage (VERY tiny vintage buttons for the taller pair I might add !!!!!)

While I was at Mums I managed to decorate this horseshoe for my son & his partner Sarah who are getting wed in my garden in late November

Woops . . .  hope Sarah isnt reading this blog post ???!!!
I cover real aluminium horseshoes (like they use on race horses) ... (a dear old soul in his 90's gives them to me as he spends his days hanging out at the racing stables)

I wasnt able to find any silver letters anywhere - I usually buy these from cake decorating shops - I had neither the time nor the energy to traipse all over Hamilton City searching,  so I bought gold ones & found my can of spray paint 


worked perfectly fine as far as I could see . . . 

Visiting with Claire . . .  always such a buzz & an inspiration - I am never disappointed, in fact her home has popped up a few times on my blog posts . . .this is what greets you as you knock on the door ...
One of Claires creations - "dont open the door" I yelled to her "I am drooling"

  she had recently made a new quilt & it was hanging on the wall ...

my photo does NOT do it justice - it was stunning
Claire had been redecorating her t.v. room in quite a masculine theme as this was her husbands lounge mainly 
 I just fell in love with her handmade plant holders

I am seriously hunting for the Mr's old wooden rulers now !!!!!!!!!!
Op Shop belts  -  I LOVED this one - simple but effective

Claires Country Room
I know that  Michelle has posted about Claires country room here before ... & in fact,  lots of Claires creations as they belong to the same craft group - a very talented bunch of ladies

You have to look in every little corner, nook & cranny
The window seat - where I sat dribbling !!!

Claires new vintage table filled with birthday gifts & treasures


Lastly, this was in her entrance hall - my photo has chopped the top of it off (unfortunately) but it was a torso she had made from chicken mesh wire & stuffed the "skirt" with old dressmaking pattern tissue, then fashioned a light bulb inside so the whole shape lit up at nights ... it was just beautiful (& amazing) & I could imagine how stunning it would look glowing at night ...


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now for the tale of the footstool ... on my last visit to Mums back in April I rescued acquired this old footstool from the Hospice Shop for the princely sum of $4







I unpicked the cover (which took hours & contained about a million staples), removed the 4 "feet" then when I was doing some of my paint revamps, they got a sand & a quick wax/coat of paint



After all my patching & piecing with my doilies & linens back here, I decided that I would like to make a patched doiley cover for the top ... to be honest I didnt know what to cover it with but this look just kind of appealed to me




the long rectangle piece on the left is actually a vintage pillowcase



I am so thrilled with my $4 stool "revamp" . . .  naturally the Mr has been forbidden to stick his grubby cowshed socks on top of it !!!!

And then just this morning - slipping on our very wet steps, hurting my derrier & my back, feeling rather sorry for myself, hobbling out to the mailbox, licking my wounds . . .  a package ?????   to me ?????


beautiful soft hand-crocheted heart mats in the palest shade of blues
a surprise from a dear friend across the miles . . .  a blogging friend - sore back & posterior forgotten :-)    
So beautiful, such a lovely thought - thank you so much dear Amy

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - thanks so much for being patient with me through this rather lengthy post - hope you enjoyed all the eye candy
much love/hugs/friendship to you all,.
Julie x0x0x

16 comments:

  1. I love this post and will probably come and read it again! your footstool is absolutely perfect - and your friend has a very interesting home, she makes very stylish things - especially the ruffled lamp. I think your mountain view must be the best view from a bedroom window in the world! Betty

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  2. Another drool session for me! Love the wee stool, I must get you to explain your painting/waxing process.
    Claire's house is dreamy, just like someone else's house I know of!!!!! She has some real treasures.
    I remember the ole mountain, I did see it two or three times in the 10 years I lived there!
    I grew up near three snow peaked mountains, pure beauty.

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  3. Thanks for the B.A.D. link...perhaps an armchair and sofa to match that gorgeous foot stool?
    What a crafty lot you are...I must go 'opping' more often (I did wonder what that meant). xx

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  4. That footstool is way to beautiful to put ANY feet on! I love the vintage sheet and $1, what a bargain! Looks like you had an amazing trip

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  5. Another newsy interesting post Julie!! Neat that you got down to your mum's and the extra creativity it sparked is fabulous!! What you do with doileys never ceases to amaze me!! I can see you were in seventh heaven at Claire's place :-) Lovely little hearts too. We started our married life and sharemilking career in Taranaki, looking at that mountain from our bedroom window, it was lovely.

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  6. Hello Julie,

    Seriously drooling right now! Glad you were able to spend some serious money on those doily's. The footstool is so lovely, I can just imagine if anyone dared put a foot on it. Love the gifts you received from Amy, I wonder what you will attach/make them into?
    Enjoy the rest of the weekend.
    Bev.

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  7. Oh Julie I do hope you're ok after your slip! That must have given you an awful fright...ouch! What a beautiful day in Taranaki. Nothing quite like a clear view of Mount Egmont eh. 5 op shops in Hawera is a bit unfair! I love the B.A.D Society hook up..thanks for the link. I am now a life member for sure. I will love & mend to the end my dear doily friends! What a lovely combination of highlights, glad you had some nice time away. Utterly brilliant footstool make-over...just perfect & certainly not for big smelly feet. I always felt that there would be just the right use for some of that lovely embroidery down one end of a pillowcase, it's just seeing the perfect position isn't it. Have a lovely week dear friend. Love & hugs Catherine x0x0x

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  8. Claire's home looks amazing and I love your footstool makeover, it's beautiful! Hugs Wendy

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  9. Hello popped over from the link at eco ethel's...to see you footstool....its very very lovely...clever you...bestets sunday wishes
    daisy j

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  10. The new revamped footstool is so pretty! I would be so mad if anyone used it though, though I'm sure my cats would love laying on something like that! And how wonderful of your friend Amy to send you a surprise package! That would be so exciting!

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  11. Hi, found you through eco ethel's link. Love the footstool. I want to be a member of B.A.D. too. Love Sundays .... hope you had a good one. Jacqui (aka Knitting with Ethel)

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  12. doiley footstool. . .oh be still my beating heart!

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  13. Love the footstool very, very cool!!! Saw Claire today and she said you had been down! No wonder there was no doilies in the Op shops today! Loved your post on Claire, she was lucky to take home the welcome sign that is on her door!! I love it!! what are you going to do with your new hearts? Hope all is well, Michelle.

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  14. Dear Julie
    What a wonderful time you've been having!
    YES Julie I agree it will always be Mt Egmont to me too!
    Loved all your op shop finds, gorgeous doilies and salt and pepper shakers - YUM drooling stuffs!
    Your friend Claire's home is inspirational - especially for me is her window seat with the dreamy collection of cushions - I love the rosy one and the exquisitely pleated yoyos - be still my beating heart!!!
    The next image is jam packed full of beauty in coconut ice colours of soft pink and white. Again those little floral doilies and rosy plate aww.....
    The torso with the tissue skirtl!!!
    I can see you came away from Claire's full of inspiration - I love your recycled footstool it's totally gorgeous!!!
    Amy is one of blogland's Queens of crochet - a set of perfect soft blue hearts - yumyum!!

    A post full of loveliness Julie - inspirational!
    hugs
    Shane



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  15. Sorry Julie I forgot to add - sorry to hear you had a fall - it can really shake you up.
    Maybe you should have it checked out and xrayed.
    Take it easy
    love
    Shane xox

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