YELLOW BIRD PLATE

It's got a bird; a yellow bird. It's a plate. Maybe Italian? I couldn't resist. €2 in the VdeP in Athlone :)

The painting was an eBay find that I had framed locally.
I love its lush brightness, it makes me happy.

SUSSEX FINDS

I'm just back from lovely Sussex in England where the availability of vintage finds is always second to none. The charity shops (we started calling them 'chazzers' on this trip) are stuffed with reasonably priced gems and there are many, many shops in every town. Not everything I buy is vintage but almost all of it comes in shades of blue. It's an addiction.

I was in England on a research trip for novel #4 (which I posted about at my writing blog here) but I was also on a mission to explore as many chazzers as possible in the small time I had. My husband is endlessly patient with this activity and my 7 yo daughter is fast becoming a chazzer enthusiast. (Chazzerist?) Anyway, let it suffice to say that I hoovered up as much blue and turquoise items as I could manage to pack in our carry-on only bags. And I left so much behind - things that were impossible to carry such as these fab chairs in the Debra shop in Crawley:

If you are a fan of mid-century modern, get yourself to that shop. Sideboards for £40.Tables for £20. Unbelievable value. They had v little bric-a-brac there but I found this Balinese frame for £1. The books - a Collins Adam Bede and a Penguin Tortilla Flat were also bought on this trip.

Willow plate - £3, St Catherine's Hospice shop
Aztec blue plate - £2.39, Sainsbury's
Spanish plate/trivet - £1.25, British Heart Foundation shop

Blue jug - £1, St C's Hospice
Floral jug - £3.50, Cancer Research UK

Clear & gold paperweight - £5, Oxfam

Teeny millefiori paperweight - £3

Sass and Belle jewelry tree - £3.50, Cancer Research

Turquoise ball vase - £3, Oxfam

Is it really YSL? Who cares at £6.99?

THE STOREYARD - AGAIN!

I blogged about The Storeyard before, a great antiques and vintage shop in Portlaoise. We stopped by there yesterday on the way to visit friends in lovely Kilmuckridge, Co. Wexford. It's as fabulously eclectic as ever. And as pricey. We wanted to go to the café but it was closed - waaaaah. Still it meant we discovered somewhere new in Portlaoise - The Pantry. Fab choc chip scones. Fab pear and vanilla scones. Yum.

This is new: a lucky dip table for charity.
You pop money in the box and take your pick...

...my pick: a Japanese plate. The most 'me' thing there:
it's blue, red and it has a bird. Love it. 

Juno found it cold so I shawled her into my scarf

Half of each: choc chip & pear and vanilla scones. In The Pantry, Portlaoise.

Beautiful Tinnabearna Strand in Wexford

CLARA CAR BOOT PLATES

I've had a very eventful year both personally and work-wise. Result? Badly neglected blog. In good news I have not stopped my charity shop and market trawls so I have a lot of new stuff to show. I found these pics which date from March (March!!). I got all four plates for €2 at the Clara car boot sale. Beauties, each one.

NEW DRESSER FOR OLD

I sold my old dresser some time ago. We have a small house and I love furniture but it was always too big for the space. I put a  china cabinet in its place but was keeping an eye out all the time for a smaller dresser to replace it. I found one - at last - in Lynn's Antiques in Athlone. It's not as old as I might have wanted but it is well and simply made and I may paint it eventually. For the moment I am enjoying its honeyed brown wood.

Before pic 1

It needed a bit of work before it would suit my needs. I got pine beading in B&Q yesterday, so I could put plates standing up on the shelves and I also got cup handles to replace the ugly brass ones that were on the drawers. My hubbie stained the beading and put it on the shelves and he changed the handles, so the dresser is in place now, looking lovely. It's great to be able to see my stuff again! Here are a few pics.

Before pic 2

After pic 1

After pic 2