Discovering Life's Simple Pleasures, Thriftily of Course.

It is such a delight to join in with others over at Mrs Yappy Dog to share ideas about living a thrifting lifestyle. For me, it is probably more a vintage-style life, with the added benefit of being thrifty. It has to be said, however, that ours is a profoundly deviant lifestyle...quite deviated indeed, from the original view of thriftiness, with it's frugal overtones & a "grin & bear it" kind of philosophy. Our kind of thrifty vintage living is over-flowingly full to the brim with abundance, richness & satisfaction. It provides masses of opportunity to acquire new skills, hone those we already possess & revel daily in life's simple pleasures. I so enjoy the British Country Living magazine & quite recently came across a facing page headed up with these words... just perfect I thought!

This is precisely what I love about being apart of the blogging community...twice in one day, recently, I stumbled upon Picnik a fabulous site that allows very user friendly photo editing & tweaking on line. I was so chuffed to finally manage to put words on a picture as above : )

There is ALWAYS more to learn in the vintage realm...these seed heads are simply the mature garlic flowers. I bought a handful from our local organic shop the other day. They are soo useful..simply loosen & sprinkle in to anything at all. They were brilliant in a potato curry I made the other night!

When was the last time you walked into a retail shop & swapped something for the things that you wanted? Doesn't happen often, I must say. I popped in to the local antique shop a couple of weeks ago with a no longer required pretty little cheese dish & came home with this delightful vintage chic cane tray. Thrifting is a whole 'nother currency. The two bowls cost me 50c each at the Salies last week. An electic mix of pretty old china transform everyday in to a tea party!

When our lovely neighbour gave us blackberries a week or two ago I made a blackberry & apple shortcake (a rare event.. me making shortcake!) it looks so much nicer served on pretty china.

Prisms in our bedroom window create morning rainbows & reminds us that we are loved & that life can be beautiful.

I adore this idea..pretty postcards on a plain wall. I discovered sometime ago that lovely old postcards colour photocopy extremely well. ( I have mine done onto a card called "silk".) This doesn't cost a great deal, preserves the original card & can be replicated as many times as you like. Some of my postcards are over 100 years old. So I am thinking that the copies would be very suitable for this kind of project. 

frankie mag

They also make excellent homemade Christmas or birthday cards very thriftily.

Church fairs & school galas are fantastic places to pick up vintage treasures. The lovely potty on the right was my very first vintage purchase. I bought it from a little antique shop in Willis Street Wellington about 32 years ago & paid $45 for it. Rob spotted the jug & little soap dish at a recent Church fair for $25. I was absolutely thrilled...they look like a nice little family to me.

These lovely magazines were in a bundle of 6 for $2. Op shops are excellent places to keep your eyes peeled for all manner of discarded magazines. Some around here sell for as little as 20c each so considering that the retail price may have been as much as $14 each that's pretty darn good value don't you reckon!

I always keep my eyes open for pretty vintage wall paper. Doesn't matter if it's a whole or part roll. Fantastic for sending parcels in the post as it is strong & mostly fairly waterproof...cheap, kind of recycling & attractive when it comes through the letterbox at the other end.

Works quite well to wrap flowers in too.

One thing that can still be found in abundance, for a song, are vases of all kinds. I have quite a collection now & they are not at all too "precious". So, it was lovely to have a wee person trot around with an old enamel dish to pop the flowers in & what fun to arrange them all in a mass of aunty Catherine's special vases. Such a simple yet delightful thing for a child to do.

And the thriftiest mode of transport ever!! I wasn't even allowed a turn!

Thanks so much Betty of Mrs Yappy Dog for organizing this Thrifty Week & swap. Pop in here if you'd like to be inspired with more make do & mend, thrifty ideas.