Vinnies is a friend of mine

.

 

Oh yes and when i say vinnies i mean Op shop as in St vinnies and salvos and any little op shop i can get my little hands on,its the thrill of the search and it just never gets old, Its hard these days to find things though that make my heart beat fast but it still happens,These are two of my latest finds both of which made me go ahhh.The card stand is something that i have wanted for an age,I live in a small space with a large craft stash (she who dies with the most supplies wins remember) The card stand takes up a small space and fits an awful awful lot on it,Which has freed up more space for me elsewhere and also makes things more easily found and seen with a turn of the stand so i am thrilled,I can add to that hang things off it and have put dowels to hold my washi tape as well.the bargain price was $20 and i happily pushed it out to my car where im glad no hidden camera caught me trying to stuff it in my car ,I drove home with several inches hanging out the window,The smaller one that none the less thrilled me was a set of 12 vintage Chinese paper party  lanterns still in their unopened pack.. For the princely sum of 50 cents not all heart thumpers are expensive.Something about these little paper lanterns makes you smile and feel good .

Its beginning to look a lot like christmas PHOTO TOUR

Well its here December the first,Like every Christmas it comes with its memories and its hopes and dreams,It comes with a year of life as always and loss , A year in which i lost a favourite uncle ,a  grandmother,and my favourite Author,A year where my mother for the first time in her life had no fixed address but thankfully now she does, But also a year in which i gained a grand daughter who fills me to the brim with love and light,Like all years there has been news from friends of hardships and loss and i feel it all.Still Christmas is here and i will welcome it with all the joy i reserve for Christmas. Part of me is still very much a child at this time of year,Searching op shops for4 those treasured ornaments of xmas past,I look forward to making a gingerbread house and cards with my god children,And annoying my son who doesn't realize how much Christmas means to him but it does.My eldest and his partner are at this moment in the Amazon and will be someplace strange and exotic for this Christmas,Fir the first time i am going to be visited by an elf on a shelf.So there is much afoot in my apartment that pretends to be my cottage.Welcome to the Christmas tour,

I love to decorate my dresser here which sits in an alcove on the loungeroom,

My space is smaller than it looks see how close the dresser ,hatbox tree and my two bookcases are,

My favourite tree inside a hatbox found some 15 years ago at the dump.

I love collecting vintage candy dispensers although you wouldnt fit much candy in these !

My new feather tree sits in a top hat above the TV unit amidst feathers and lights

My tiny bedroom come craft room has a tin pram that sprouted a tree

I like lights in unexpected places like this drawer that says believe

 I like trees in unexpected spots too like out of tea cups and in this case a candle holder,

Vintage jars displaying vintage baubles and mercury glass beads,

Iike to use the doors of my linen and bookcase like tiny windows

love the new swag i bought this year atop my cabinets

I made the santa fan and my friend cheryl made the believe tussie (Poppy get out of the lace shelf)

 The kitchen is tiny so just the window sill and top of my plate rack are decorated love my primitive santa hanging here,

 NO cats here nothing to see
Never one to miss an opportunity my Poppy is a most excellent Christmas cat she never touches any of my ornaments although she can climb to any of them,Here she is above my dream drawer on the lace shelf.

My tiny feather tree the old pamphlet holder will house xmas cards as they arrive,

love this little wooden stand with drawers got it at the op shop the other day for $3

Bedroom tree again note santa skipping rope

My 100 year old bed i used a table runner as a bed runner

My latest idea a baby tutu $3-99 ebay becomes a lampshade

Fleeting is Childhoods Dance

.

She Dances everywhere my God daughter she cannot help it,She lights up life like a little flutterby.
So full of light and life and smiles.She tells me she loves me and asks how much i love her back.I love you as much as all the smarties in the whole wide world I say.She laughs because she knows that's a whole lot of love.

Her Ballet class had an open day and of course i was to be there she had no doubt.After four sons a ballet day is long overdue and to watch her almost made me cry. I bought her the tutu and the shoes, you see it was i who told her that she would take ballet when she was only one and two and three hehe,
What a lovely morning to see the baby ballerinas and to smile and smile.

.

.Sometimes god is good he was good today !
So sweet so earnest Maddie knows the routines i was so proud.
And as she danced i thought that in one short week she shall be four and as with my sons her childhood is passing so swiftly. I want to cry out STOP just here just now- just for a while be three and free.

Here's to you my little Flutterby may you dance long in this life and stay just as sweet and beautiful as you were today !

Childhood Places-Magical Spaces Come fly away !!

When i was young (and yes even now) i would see tree houses and sigh, A tree house is a childhood place
but it takes a grown up child to imagine and create those magical spaces.Its not just tree houses oh no its forests and pathways where you just know that a dream has come to life and you are glad in your heart you got a peek.
I have created my own dreams at times inside the places i have made my homes.The pictures below tugged at my heart ,they snagged at my spirit and they took me away on wild little flights of fancy.
I have saved these on my computer at different times so i cannot credit those who are responsible for such beauty (except to say to you  all that whatever souls are made of yours and mine are the same !)

Just follow me along the path-

You have to love  a castle and a tree house combined.

Watch your step and bring a wrap it can get chilly out !

Pygmies did someone say pygmies !!

I do believe Fairies reside here !

Getting tired lets stop for tea !
{photo from Style Me Pretty, by Gia Canali}