Free background from VintageMadeForYou

Sunday 21 April 2013

The Modern Household Fairy and The Sewing Room

Oh dearie me, do you think that you can actually "catch up" on life?
I am always busy & doing things but I just never seem to get "there" & wouldn't I say it's just because there's not enough hours in the day. It's just that there's always so much more to do...sew, make, create, invent, read, visit, gather, write or cook & that's not even to mention garden!! That's where blogging is very useful since it's difficult to write a blog without taking photos, well, unless you've got an awful lot to say for yourself & nothing much to show! And photos are very good for reminding you of all that you may have done or accomplished, after all.
It was still very hot & profoundly summery only a few weeks ago when I bought this wardrobe from the Saly's..
The best way to tackle things for me is bit by bit...just doing the next thing & then the next until..
you only have the inner window frames to paint, only by then it may be a lot colder than when you began & there could be a lot more rain. This little room has been an extra bedroom/sewing room for quite some years now, but as I may have mentioned before, there was a slight crisis about the time that nobody could actually walk around in the room any longer! I still have a huge Trade Me pile to process but the little room is now looking fresh & pretty & I can get to everything once again.

Just as we were moving things back in after painting, I finally found a set of shelves for the wall from The Mart for a very reasonable price. I have literally been keeping an eye out for just such a thing for years & years & had almost given up hope of actually finding anything suitable.
The bottom shelving is very handy & pretty with my vintage sheet collection tucked in to it's shelves...usually cotton, bright & gay, vintage sheets are so useful for a myriad of purposes.
Lots still to sort out, but now all fresh & clean.
Quite a contrast from the yellow & blue that we began with..
We even managed to put down some secondhand carpet that we bought several years ago & that has been sitting in our neighbours garage all this time..oh the dear long suffering Margaret..we owe her a million dollars in rent by now! I had scavenged a good lot of almost new underlay that was being discarded in the interim, so the carpet laying cost us $9 for the tacking board & $17 for the hire of the knee-kicker (never heard of such a thing until the other day!)
Our bright summery skies have quickly become wet & sodden this past week, not that we didn't need the rain after a very droughty summer, mind you..but what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon?
Ah ha just the ticket.
Would be useful if we could remember how to play more than Last Card & Fish, of course. Ok, so we stuck to Last Card this time around & no Rob, we can't play solitaire!
 Not sure that I'm thoroughly comfy with this..yes I love the plates...made in China, but the "Cathy" brand is pretty cheeky..
  & at $3 each they really are ideal for caravaning.
I found three pretty little tea cups at St Vinny's this week & then a lovely inspirational picture over here.
So, while sorting the sewing room I fluffed with lace & the cake stand...
not presently in cakely use.
I can hardly believe that I have not yet killed my african violet & it is even producing more flowers.
Don't know what happens with me & indoor plants..at least they do grow outside for me.
The next "Good" has just arrived in the letter box.
Not quite as sparkling as the last issue (hopefully yours will reach you soon girls).
Since most of you don't have access to the magazine I thought that I would share this wonderful back page with you. I think I might have to copy it & put it on the cupboards in the kitchen (so I can see it a lot) & I'll take it over to Audrey, my lovely learned friend across the road. Her whole world has always been books, history, cats & learning. Oh she is such a dear 84 year old soul!
The Modern Household Fairy, not to be confused with The Garden Fairy, of course!
After posting the little poem "Forgiven" last week I remembered that Melanie Safka sang the poem in a little song called "Alexander Beetle" in the 1970's. Here 'tis:


Thank you so much for visiting me.
Have a lovely week dear ones & do let me know if you ever figure out how to catch up, won't you!
Much
♥♥♥♥♥

22 comments:

  1. Oh Catherine that room looks so pretty.

    The picture with the shelves of vintage sheets and blankets and the hooks with the necklaces makes me want to spend some times in that room.

    I do love picking up vintage sheets. With the idea ONE DAY I will learn to quilt and make a beautiful big blanket with them.

    Thanks for sharing

    Alisa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alisa, you are so sweet..& so such a curious (as in desire to learn), creative soul.
      I am glad that you like to gather & have dreams. I feel certain that one day your sheet collection will be put to very good use. I am amazed at how many things I had found in the last 6 months..not too sure what they would be used for & then discovered that they were in fact waiting for Lucy!

      Delete
  2. Oh, I don't even try to catch up and I think your tactic of "just do the next thing and the next thing" is the best way.
    Your sewing room is magazine worthy, GK!
    The cake stand with the doilies and teacups is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your sweet comments a& lovely friendship Pom Pom...I am so grateful x0x0x

      Delete
  3. I love the paint colors you chose for your room, the green especially. Shades of light green are some of my favorite colors. I painted my kitchen a nice light apple green to match my grandmothers kitchen & I have loved it!

    My African violet has bloomed nonstop since last November! It has been glorious. I've had a hard winter, spending most of it in bed or laying on my couch. it's been so cheerful to lay there & see my happy violet sharing space with me.

    Thanks for such a cheerful visit. You always share such fun things.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Jenny, thanks so much for taking the time to chat..yes isn't light green such a heart-warmingly nostalgic colour. We call it vintage green now. How lovely to paint your kitchen to help capture such precious memories of your grandmother's kitchen. Was she a good cook? I wonder what dishes you loved the most in those times?
      I am sorry to hear that it has been such a hard winter for you. I hope that the spring brings you a whole new lease of life!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

      Delete
  4. Oh my goodness - such beautiful photographs of a lovely room. I think I want to live there!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so sweet Liz, thank you.
      I am thinking that you could pop over with your pretty violet china & have tea with me in the sewing room...what do you say?
      Have a lovely week Catherine x0x0x

      Delete
  5. It looks so cozy! Thanks for sharing and blessings to you and yours,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much...always lovely to see you x0x0x

      Delete
  6. Hello Catherine, a beautiful colourful post & what a treasure your room has turned into!!! A most inspiring place to work in or maybe just to sit & ponder... Would you mind please telling me the colour name of the green paint you have used on your wall shelves as I have been after that particular shade of green for a stool I have been wanting to make over. I love your doiley/china cup stand also. Yes we have had the rain & things have greened up but our gutterings didnt cope quite so well. Happy week my friend, Julie Xox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello dear Julie. Oh yes, with the deluge the gutters here were well and truly overwhelmed. Of course the leaves are falling in full volume now, but I am so enjoying being able to work the soil again! Now, the green...is called "Amulet" & we painted in a semi-gloss water based enamel. I think the Resene paint was on special..but I don't think it matters too much. We got it at Mitre 10 Mega. Let me know if you need to know exactly which colour chart it came from (not sure off the top of my head). It's quite a bright vintage green, but we love it..deeper at night of course.
      Hope it's a good week for you. Love & hugs Catherine x0x0x0

      Delete
  7. I completely agree with Liz, Catherine, I would dearly like to spend, at least, a few days in your house. Those shelves stacked with vintage sheets is such a pretty sight to behold! And those 'new' cups on your cake stand? I'm gently swooning here in my little house in France!

    I do agree with you about getting things done bit by bit. I also agree that there are far too many things to do in a day and I dearly wish I didn't need to sleep. I know you don't like eating sugar so I was wondering whether you get an energy slump at some point during the day? Mine tends to be around 4pm which is why I usually partake in a little sweet thing from time to time.

    Happy, creative week to you Catherine.

    Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello dear Stephanie, thank you for popping in & your lovely comments. I was thinking of you today as I was out in the garden & noticed that there are more & more wee fragrant violets emerging under the fruit trees...in perhaps 5 different colours. We, of course, are heading in to autumn. I am intrigued to read that violets are very useful medicinally for coughs, chestiness & congestion. I am sure that they would make a heavenly tasting brew.
      I tend to do a great deal of snacking on fruit...perhaps that is the same kind of pick me up, as you suggest & my sweet treat. Our guava tree has just begun fruiting, they are known as a cherry guava here...I wonder if you have them in France?
      I always love to see your delightful creations streaming through Facebook...what joy!
      Much love & friendship.
      Catherine x0x0x

      Delete
  8. Hello again Catherine, I loved catching up with you :). Your room looks so pretty now,love the cake stand with the colored dolies and teacups tooHappy Monday,xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your visit & sweet comments x0x0x

      Delete
  9. You have so many beautiful things :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you my friend, I know, I am very grateful.

      Delete
  10. i love seeing into your home, always so many interesting things that catch my eye. like your sewing box (did you paint it that colour yourself or did it come in that celadon green?). either way it's perfect and i live in hope of finding one on an op-shop jaunt one day. and the bakelite radio, and the white wicker box and...you get the picture, i like your taste x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Max, sorry for the delay in replying to you..you now how life catches up with you sometimes eh! I found the box a while back on Trade me, just before the postal rates changed so it wasn't too horrendous for the people to post. I adored the paint colour & still do. It's a really interesting piece of furniture painted but would be fairly ordinary just brown wood, I reckon. I have come across other's in various sizes since, so just keep your eyes peeled & remember the paint trick. I might actually try & match the colour...I'll let you know if I succeed. It's always bit by bit, here & there. Hope you're feeling heaps better. Much love Catherine x0x0x

      Delete
  11. Hello Catherine,

    Delightful post. I am going to be bringing my doily's out of the linen cupboard now. Thanks for the inspirational post.

    Enjoy your weekend.
    Bev.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Bev, thanks so much for your lovely comment. So glad that we can all inspire one another & that I came across someone else's creation & then just re-created it in my own style, with what I had on hand. Hope that you have fun making something with your own bits & pieces. Of course, the best thing is that it's all easily dismantable, so you can enjoy it for a while then just pop it all away again. Hope you've had a good weekend. Much love Catherine x0x

      Delete

So lovely of you to leave a comment. Thank you!! So sorry if you've tried to leave one & it hasn't worked. You are welcome to email me at catherine@sunshinevintage.nz instead, if you'd like to, much love Catherine♥

Related Posts with Thumbnails