I find MANY Treasures but the ones that mean the most come from my Friends....!

Hello Treasure Hunters NEAR & FAR....!

THANK YOU all for your WELL WISHES from my previous post....I'm SLOWLY making my way back to you in between trips to storage & out foraging in the Hard Rubbish....No REST for the SELF EMPLOYED hey what....  :o) ~~

I hope this post finds you well & NECK deep in Treasures....  :o) !  Speaking of which, I find Treasures on my travels in the HR, Op-Shops, Markets what have you but the ones I ADORE....The ones that make me SMILE OUT LOUD are the ones that come from my Friends & I'm ITCHING to show you three in particular....!!

** sigh **

A while a go I discovered the SWEETEST blog over in the UK called Bobo Bun....As I was reading through older posts I came across the MOST ADORABLE floral knitted brooch I had EVER seen & promptly emailed the GORGEOUS Lisa advising I needed one TOOT SWEET....!

Lisa being the accomodating Lovey that she is promptly set about making one & I am MIGHTILY PLEASED to advise that it arrived yesterday....I have worn it MOST every waking hour since....Excepting for a short while when I went to my storage unit to move stuff about....But it was CLOSE by so I could gaze upon it's LOVELINESS as I sweated away....  :o)

It came mounted on the most DIVINE vintage childrens playing card which I've OBSCURED here so you'll have to take my word for it....AND the tiniest 'MOO' card I've ever seen....** LOVE ** ....!!

Just check out the CRAFTWOMANSHIP....You WON'T get that out of China will ya....!!

The second Treasure I want to share with you came from my Friend Sue from Montreux....Remember when I introduced you to Sue here & here....Well a couple of weeks ago at the Market, Sue stopped by my little space & showed me this ADORABLE trophy she had just found....I couldn't help but SQUEAL out loud when I saw it all danged up with it's peely paint & dark patina....Sue promptly handed it to me & said "Take it it's yours....A 'leaving work' gift."....Well SERIOUSLY Friends I KNOW you will understand this when I write this was one of those occasions when I ALMOST peed my pants in my excitement....I LOVE moments like these you share with Friends....They're just PRICELESS....THANK YOU Sue....I'll TREASURE this little SWEETY ALWAYS....!!

And last but by NO means least is little Rufus....I don't think I've introduced you to this little fellow but if I have it doesn't matter because I'm SURE he's just as SWEET second time around....!!  Rufus comes to me compliments of the GORGEOUS Catherine over in New Zealand....This WONDERFUL blogger has several blogs you MUST go & visit....An Angel In The Garden, An Angel In The Kitchen & An Angel On The Porch & is a SWEETHEART to boot....One day I received a note from Catherine simply saying that she had found a lost soul (Terrier) that needs to make his way to me & could she have my address....A short time later, Rufus arrived & while initially he lived with my vintage cookie cutter collection, he now resides on a shelf in my hutch where I see him numerous times a day when I walk by....Each time I do....I SMILE OUT LOUD....!!

So there you have it....THREE Treasures....THREE Friends....LOTS of smiles....!

Wherever you are, I hope you have a Friend or THREE who make you smile too....!!

Cheers for now,
Tamarah :o)

Goodbye 'Pesky Day Job'....HELLO creative FREEDOM....!

Greetings Friends....!

PLEASE forgive my lack of posts....I've just returned from Fryerstown Antique Fair where I participated for the second year as a vendor....Alas, here in Oz we don't have internet access out in the middle of nowhere so I've been UNPLUGGED for over a week....And I SO MISSED you all....!!

Anyways....My BIG news FINALLY....I've resigned from 'the pesky day job'....YEP....There you have it....My last day has come & gone & I am F-R-E-E....

Goodbye BEAUTIFUL building I walked past every morning on my way to work....

Goodbye BEST VIEW in the office from my window seat....

Hello FREEDOM to be creative....(my space at Fryerstown)

Hello FREEDOM to express myself any way I SEE FIT....

Hello to making my OWN RULES....

Hello to TAKING CHANCES....On ME....

....I'm SURE you know where I'm goin' with this one....  :o)

Hello being able to visit Op-Shops during the week & finding TREASURES like these two Granny Rugs I found today whilst running errands.... :o)

....Along with these DELICIOUS silk scarves one of which is a HEAVENLY Liberty....

And these two CHARMING golden books which I plan to use for a SPECIAL project....!

It goes without saying I'm sure that this was NOT a decision lightly made....Mr SVJ & I spent a great deal of time over the Christmas break discussing the pros & cons & crunching numbers....But in the end, it came down to the fact that I NEED TO BE HAPPY with how I earn my living & WHO I'm surrounded by during my working hours....!

Once the decision was made, I sat down & wrote my business plan....Not an EASY task just quietly....My main focus for 2011 will be the Shabby Vintage Junk Extravaganzas scheduled for May & October....I'll also be establishing an on-line presence via Etsy & RE-establishing myself as a Seller on eBay & attending various Antique Fairs & Swap Meets around Victoria....!

Now I have a HEAP of blogs to catch up with so I must away but before I go though I would like to THANK YOU all for your concern re my recent misadventure with the 'not coolant'....When I went to the Doctor last Monday he had a look at my throat & advised quite STERNLY there was SIGNIFICANT inflamation....No wonder I sounded so HOARSE....He recommended no talking for the NEXT week which was a bit of a bummer with Fryerstown looming....To cut a long story & all that....I'm pretty much back to normal....!!

Cheers for now,
Tamarah  :o)

Leather Suitcases.... ** sigh ** ....!

Hello Vintage Enthusiastes & Keepers of The Past....!

As always I hope this post finds you all WELL & HAPPY....! 

I've had this post in my draft file for a while & while I'm ITCHING to share my BIG NEWS with you, I'm a little under the weather so I thought I'd set this one free into the blogisphere & come back with my news when I'm feeling more like my old self....

Today I thought I'd share with you my LOVE of Vintage Leather Suitcases....!

I have vintage suitcases stashed ALL over the place....All styles & sizes ranging from the BEAUTIES you see below, to brown cardboard Globites, hard creamy canvas ones with stripes right through to retro vinyl overnight bags....I think my FAVES though would have to be my leather ones....There is just somethin' SERIOUSLY SEXY about their battered exteriors that I can relate to....hahahahaha....

This SWEETIE is a recent Hard Rubbish find....Isn't he GORGEOUS....  :o)

This HANDSOME fella was also a HR find from a couple of years ago....!

This AWESOME piece is a French suitcase & was a gift from Mr SVJ last Christmas....!

This little fella was a gift from a vendor at the market who wouldn't take any money for it 'cause the latches wouldn't catch....??

And this precious guy was also found in the HR around a year ago....!

Together....They form a tower of DELICIOUSNESS that makes my heart SING whenever my eyes rest upon them....!!!!!

Each one tells a story of hopes & dreams & distant lands once travelled....The scuffs & stains whisper to me of another life lived....I LOVE the way the old leather smells....I ADORE each & every one & could NEVER imagine parting with ANY of them....!!!!!

Do you have a leather suitcase collection....?  I'd LOVE to see them if you do....?

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing....I hope you're having a FAB day....!

Cheers for now,
Tamarah :o)

Confessions of an IDIOT....Or as Ma Gump would say...."Stoopid is as stoopid does"....!

Hello Everyone....!

Well this is NOT the way I wanted to start the years posts....I wanted my first post back to be a CELEBRATION....I wanted to share with you some WONDERFUL (now that I'm over the shock of actually doing it) news & talk about the multitude of plans I have for 2011....

Instead....I feel COMPELLED to confess to an act of UTTER stupidity....One that I STILL have trouble reconciling in my own head....!!

I'm at home today from work with a sore throat bought about by having to siphone hospital grade disinfectant out of my radiator....YES....Laugh if you must & to be honest....If YOU had written this post & I was reading it I'm SURE the corners of my mouth at this VERY moment would be turned up in a smile....!!

** sigh ** ....To back track a little....A couple of years ago Mr SVJ put this container....

....under the sink in the laundry....The print on the label is QUITE small but the contents are G-R-E-E-N so for the last couple of years whenever, I've seen it I've just associated it with COOLANT 'cause it's FREAKIN GREEN....!!

Fast forward to yesterday....I've unloaded the van from the market & thought as I was goin' out into the HR, I should make sure I have enough coolant in my radiator & overflow bottle....Turned out the radiator needed a top up & the overflow bottle was WAY LOW....!

I walk back inside my mind racing a HUNDRED miles an hour with everything I need to be doin' rather than playing mechanic, go into the laundry, get my 'coolant' & head back to the van where I proceed to pour the NOT COOLANT into my radiator....I pour for a while humming my HR ditty (....you know "Hard Rubbish is the place for me"....ala Greenacres) when the thought enters my head that the coolant doesn't SMELL like coolant....hmmmmm....But did I STOP pouring....NO....I kept on goin' until the 'GREEN' reached the top of the FREAKIN radiator....

ONLY then did it occur to me to turn the container around to look at the label....You can ONLY imagine the STREAM of expletives that exploded from this otherwise SWEET mouth as I ran inside SQUARKING for Mr SVJ....!!!!!

Needless to say he was PISSED (....& NO....Not Aussie pissed as in DRUNK AS A SKUNK but ANNOYED pissed....!!!  Like I did it on PURPOSE....PULEASE....!!!!!) & the animated conversation which ensued was not conducive to ANYTHING productive....

He went out to his van & grabbed a long hose & I found a bucket & the syphoning began....Unfortunately, this is where we (me & Mr SVJ) had a MAJOR difference of opinion about how this should be done which resulted in an angry exchange (....what are we FIVE....arghhhhhhh) & Mr SVJ went back inside....BUGGER....!

So I was left to syphon as I BELIEVED it should be done....Giving one ALMIGHTY great suck which, due to the inclination of my head being lower than my ASS (please don't ask me to drawer you a picture)....I sucked up a GOBFUL of NOT COOLANT....Unfortunately, this made me cough BACKWARDS which means I swallowed some of the bloody stuff & it also went up my nose....DOUBLE BUGGER....Feeling a little groggy at this stage I went inside to flush myself out....Unable to find a straw (you'll have to use your imagination here), I found a pen & went about trying to get the FOUL taste out of my nose & mouth.....!

So's I'm just sittin' here at the moment waiting for the receptionist at the Doctors to call me to see if I can get into to see the Doc where I'm pretty sure all he is gonna' be able to do about my throat is prescribe rest & lozenges & tell me that was quite the STOOPID thing to do....And YES....I will be inclined to agree....I now understand completely, the line form Forest Gump where Forest is talking to the lady on the park bench & says, "My Ma always said, 'Stoopid is as stoopid does' "....!!!!!

I'll be back tomorrow when I'm not feeling so sorry for myself to share with you of my PLANS for 2011....!!

Cheers for now,
Tamarah