Op shop loveliness

When I visit op shops, I always go with an open mind.
That way you're delightfully surprised when you find something you adore.
Sometimes I'll leave with nothing.
But other times there's so much loot, I struggle to the car.

There are some things I always keep an eye out for:
wooden cotton reels and sewing notions
vintage recipe books
I found some incredible shoes over the years; and
cushions.

But the cushions have to be the right colour for each project - in this case green.
But it has to be the right shade of green.
I'm after a limey green and a sort of light olive green and an apple green (but not too appley.)


The op shop has supplied all the cushions in my lounge room.
(The greens haven't photographed too well in this shot)

But you can see the colours I'm trying to pick up from the painting.

Total cost for the cushions on the couch - less than $20 for the lot.
Yay me. Yay op shops.

A Woman's Work ....

How lucky am I?

I had a feeling the op shop goddess was smiling down on me when I popped into my local oppy the other day. I came home with a load of treasure which I'll share with you over coming weeks.

Top of the pops .... these two glorious volumes on Home Management, dated 1964.

Now I love a routine as much as the next busy person. Without one, my life would go off the rails. I love lists and I love ticking them off ... and some days when I really need to achieve things, I cross the tasks off the list as well as tick them (I can't imagine what a psychologist would say about this behaviour ...)

But I haven't seen a list quite like this one, designed for a mother with a young baby ....

And this one for special weekly tasks to complement the daily work in the house ...

Thank goodness for Sundays when you are allowed to do the bare minimum!!

You've worked hard all week ... now just sit back and admire that sparkling linoleum in the kitchen!

Kitchen treasure from another era

I always check out the books when I pop into my local op shop. More than anything, I'm hoping to find a treasure that someone has discarded as trash. I've built up quite a collection of recipe books from the 40s, 50s and 60s.

So, when I saw this little beauty I just had to have it.


And at the princely sum of
20 cents I couldn't pass up such a bargain.

A quick check of google told me this little book is nearly 60 years old (so 20 cents isn't bad inflation over that time!)

While I love reading the recipes, I adore the ads. I laughed out loud when I saw this one. I've had to split it in two to photograph it ....

Bottling fruit in the lounge? What a marvellous idea !

If you own a Fowlers vacola, you can do your bottling in the lounge, or indeed any room which has a power point. You're not tied to the kitchen. You relax, happy in the knowledge that your bottling is going on.

And don't you love the lady of the house relaxing in the lounge, with her book while her bottles full of lovely preserved fruit bubble away beside her.

Check out her high heels, lippy and perfect hair .... all ready to receive her hard working husband at the end of his busy day ...

Is it like that at your house ????

I DON'T THINK SO !!!!!

Thrifting Gold

Is there an Op Shop God? If so, she was smiling on me this weekend. In a child free moment (because I was doing the supermarket shopping, which is 'soooooo boring Mummy') I ducked into the retro shop across the road to check out their goodies.

Look what I found!

.

Successful Dressmaking - The Complete Book of Dressmaking, fully illustrated with step-by step instructions, by Ellen and Marietta Resek.

Well I couldn't leave it on the shelf. Could you??

Again there was no publication date, so good old Google had to help me out. According to the national catalogue this book was written in the 50s, possibly 1956 and published by Colorgrave Publications - the printing arm of the Herald and Weekly Times.

The illustrations are priceless!

I love this picture. She's so pensive looking at the pattern - her lipstick is perfect and she's sitting so ladylike on the floor - with her high heels on. A quick check of what I'm wearing today reveals a more casual style - no high heels, no lipstick .... and a lot of fleece material!!!

Anyway back to the book. The introduction says it's intended to be a guide for dressmakers young and old, who's interest and keeness exceed their practical experience and confidence. Hellooooo ...... that's me!!!!!

The book is divided into three parts - pattern making, making garments, then creating and assembling a dress. And just as the cover promises, there are plenty of step by step illustrations to give me lots of help along the way.

The book itself is in excellent condition.The dust jacket has a bit of wear and tear .... but not too bad really. When I took the dust jacket off to see the hardback cover of the book, what a surprise.

Isn't this illustration gorgeous? A perfect pattern to embroider. Looks like that's my next project .... or one of them anyway.

Pop over to Her Library Adventures to see what other folks have picked up at the op shop this week.

Thrifting Gold

I love trawling through Op shops, I LOVE a bargain and and I heart old recipe books.

Sometimes the planets align and you strike gold on all three levels.

I was in Brisbane a few weeks ago and one hot and humid Saturday I spent a wonderful couple of hours rummaging through a number of op shops and vintage shops in Paddington.

Look what I found!

I

The Children's Picture Cookbook is classic!
Included are recipes for orangeade, taffy and lemon delicious pudding, ginger snaps and more.
I love the colours and the illustrations.
Probably from the 50's or 60's I'd say ... and in pretty good condition.
A steal at $2...

And I couldn't resist this little paperback. A book of recipes compiled by mothers and friends of the Wangaratta Boy Scots, dated 1963 - the year I was born.

A lot of the recipes have ticks beside them .... obviously well loved family faves like rolled oats fingers, Churchill Slice and savoury mince. The Chow Mein recipe is kitchily retro.
I'm going to try a few out, when we move back to our house and I have an oven that works.

Will probably give the Chow Mein a miss..

It's the best 50c I've spent in a long time...
I mean what else can you buy for so little that gives so much pleasure ... and feed your family as well.
Cool!