Creating space, creating a habit

I've been decluttering my craftroom.  I still have a little more to go, including a box of stuff on the floor that I can't seem to find places for, and some things to take to school. I'm giving away some fabric and I've sorted through my scrapbooking things. But I still have a room packed full of things.

During last year I found this little 2-seater sofa at an op shop, and it changed everything about the room. But until now I had no time to really make it all work. 

Originally, I had these cute vintage velvet wingchairs in my craftroom. I loved the look of these chairs, they were a bargain, were in good condition and had just the vintage vibe I wanted. 

This is how I had the sitting area of my craft room set up originally

(on the other side of the room is my desk and most of my craft supplies) 

... and then I rearranged when we inherited this lovely leadlight cabinet.

But the trouble was that the chairs only looked cute. They didn't feel so great. When I sat on them I felt both constricted by the arms and wobbly on the seat cushion. My great plans of sitting daily to read the bible and pray on these chairs came to nothing. We sat on them on Friday nights for date night, and the rest of them time they just held piles of stuff, and I wondered why I didn't sit on them more. 

Then came the sofa.

Not vintage. Not the best colour. But comfortable.

A real game-changer.

And now I get to my new habit:

Each night I light this little candle

I open my little pencil case (a gift from a Korean student) and take out a pen.

(I keep the matches in there, also)

I open my bible

And my day-to-a-page diary (Aldi)

and I get reading and writing and praying.

You see, when I was younger I read my bible everyday, but as I got older, I found it hard to make the time.  This year I've discovered a few other things about me:

A lighted candle helps to remind me to stay and read and think, not to jump up and do something else. It makes the time a bit special (and smells amazing, the nicest vanilla candle I ever met ;)

A diary with pretty pages, smooth paper and the perfect sized page and just one page seems doable, compared to my old burnout style of writing pages and pages in a journal one day and not touching it again for months.

It helps to have a colourful bible and pencil case that coordinate, because I'm just that kind of girl.

A reading plan from my minister for our church to read Matthew 14-28 in the month of January has really helped. Especially when I recoloured it and made it pretty to match my diary ;)

I have a couple, but just a couple, of other reading and resource books in the pile for when I have extra time.  I plan to re-read the Jesus Storybook Bible again soon, I just love it, and it's not only for kids.

The other thing I've done is moved some suitcases which were piled up in the centre of the room. They were handy for storage and putting things on when I'm sitting at my desk, but not worth it in the end because of the cramped feeling they gave me. I also had a nest of tables in here, which felt rickety and not quite right. Now I manage with the little table attached to the standard lamp. And in case you're worried, I still have the olive velvet wingchairs, one in the craftroom next to the sofa, and one in the living room. And I still have some furniture from this room and elsewhere that I need to find space for, hmmm.

I'm so pleased that I was able to use this holiday time to manage the space and feel of this room, and to finally use it to accomplish one of my original aims of this room - to have a quiet space to sit and read and pray each day.

Afternoon Tea Party

Afternoon tea today for Mum's birthday.

Chips, crackers and dips

Sausage rolls and party pies,

Cheese and spinach savouries.

Homemade gluten-free sausage rolls

(yum)

Sandwiches: egg, chicken, pesto, cream cheese & sultanas

(gluten-free & regular varieties)

Blueberry Almond Birthday Cake GF

Swedish Chocolate Cake GF

Caramel Creams GF

100s and 1000s biscuits GF

Armenian Nutmeg Cake GF

Choc Chip Cookies

Peach and Date slice

Chocolate Cupcakes

Everyone brought a plate of food or drink,

I made most of the gluten-free foods.

We decorated the table with some butterflies

(cut from an op-shop copy of Pride & Prejudice)

and pretty labels for each dish.

I pulled out all my pretty vintage china

and a vintage embroidered tablecloth.

I bought some pretty pink-edged lizianthus,

and my aunt & co. surprised me with a lovely

arrangement of proteas in a gorgeous pot.

(a late "thinking of you" gift for my surgery!)

It was lovely to see most of the family again,

there were about 20 of us, and to celebrate Mum's birthday

A good way to spend a winter afternoon.

And a good way to spend this winter evening:

eating leftovers and watching To Kill a Mockingbird.

On the kitchen bench

I was rewarded for forcing myself out the door this morning to go for a walk.

I'm hoping that if I keep pushing myself to be active in the mornings

the dizziness might improve.

(The plan doesn't seem to be working, but it does help to alleviate boredom).

So I dragged Emily out for a walk around the block

and we came upon a garage sale - the most interesting kind

where the entire c1960s contents of the house are on sale.

I was most restrained and just bought this cute Pyrex casserole dish ($2)

- I've always wanted a snowflake Pyrex casserole dish :)

and I love the size of it, great for veges and small dishes;

and a sweet little jug ($1), just a cheap reproduction, but it makes me happy.

And we bought a wheelbarrow, but that doesn't fit on the kitchen bench.

And actually, now I remember that it's still at the garage sale,
waiting for Steve to collect it later.
I couldn't wheel it home, and Emily wouldn't.
Lucky for her - when we got home there were two cute boys on the doorstep
collecting for the Salvation Army.  Bad enough to be seen carrying a casserole dish, 
let alone pushing a wheelbarrow!

Also on the bench today,

pears in a cute white bowl given to me by my mother-in-law,

and a finger.

A plaster-cast, creepily realistic mold of Laura's finger,

complete with Laura's favourite turquoise nailpolish,

made in a science class some time ago ...

which somehow last week appeared on the bench 

and seems in no hurry to leave.

Adding a certain something to the everyday kitchen vignette.

* * *

Hope you are enjoying your Saturday.

Saturday morning op shopping

While Laura was iceskating and Steve rehearising,

Emily and I went op-shopping.

Looking for a long, flowing white dress

for a photography project for Emily.

Alas, we didn't find a dress, but we did find

one 1/2 price sale, and one 20c book sale!

These books cost me $2.60 in total!

These ones for Emily not so cheap, $12.50 total

This one perhaps my favourite, for just 20c!

 

 

Love these tea cosies.

Fun and frivolous for 50c.

Looks like we've got lots of reading now, 

but Emily might have to change her photography plans ...

Also this morning I've been baking for church morning tea

and making egg sandwiches and am wrapping gifts

for our big family party, celebrating about 12 birthdays today.

I picked up some Alexander McCall Smith books for 50c too,

one for me and a few duplicates I'll pass on to someone else.

What are you doing this Saturday morning?

Thrifted Lately

It's never too soon after Christmas to buy more Christmas music.

Just what I wanted - more Bing, and more choral music.

The piano CD will be good for my students.

One of my advanced piano students can use this book,

she is playing a Chopin Nocturne for 8th grade piano.

 

Laura will like playing from this one.

This book of sonatas is for me ... or perhaps one day for someone else.

Emily has this sax book already,

I might sell this on ebay,

to make another parent glad of a bargain!

I can probably make back the cost of all the

books I bought in that visit to the op shop.

I love that some days I can go into the op shop 

and find great sheetmusic for just $1.00.

I know for a fact that some of these books cost around $30.00 retail.

(This week I had to buy a certain saxophone piece.

No second-hand copies available,

No time to order in from the States, 

I had to buy it new in Australia

so that Emily can perform it in a few weeks.

$27.95 plus postage

for one piece, just 4 pages long!)

* * *

But the most exciting thing I found that day at the op shop

was something I've been looking for, 

and waiting for,

for about 17 years:

My very own copy,

for just $1.50,

and enjoyed just as much now

as when I read it once on loan in 1996!

(When I was too much of a 

cheap-skate to buy it new for $29.95)

* * *

What have you found at the op shop lately?

Op Shop Score - Vintage Case

Look what turned up at the op shop this week!

A sweet grey-blue case 

in good condition

complete with rusted locks

and starry interior

and some happy vintage fabric!

and a saxophone book for Emily.

All for $12.50!!

Woohoo!!

Now I have the fun of deciding what to 

keep in my new old little case.

It's actually just the right shape to hold DVDs

vertically.

but I won't do anything so mundane.

(despite having put DVDs in another vintage case!)

No, I'm thinking something more fun for me.

Perhaps sewing supplies?

Or my latest thought is painting/drawing supplies.

I love that it opens from the top 

so you I keep everything upright

if carefully packed.

Any thoughts???

Thrifty Thursdays

Dropping in to the op shop after bible study

on a Thursday has become a habit,

since I started shopping at a much better op shop.

The car just seems to know the way and 

even without my planning it,

there I am, turning into the carpark.

Today I found a turned wood bowl.

Rough and unpolished.

But after some sanding and oiling ...

I have a beautiful bowl to hold tools in 

for my stamping classes

(which I've just begun teaching again)

Why would someone make a bowl and not finish it?

It always makes me wonder.

Remember the quilt I put together out of 

a stack of thrifted pieced squares?

But I guess we all have unfinished projects 

that need to move on at some point.

But this bowl, like the quilt,

have become useful objects of beauty now,

which makes me happy.

And then there was a little soft crocheted rug.

Yes, I could make one myself,

but I love the colours of this one,

and you just can't have too many rugs in winter ....

... right?

I think Laura will love this rug.

The op shop has been good for games lately.

These two historical-themed games today for $2.00 and $3.00,

a few weeks ago the game Loot for just $2.00,

I'd just been tempted to buy it full-price for $22.00

so was very happy.

It's fast becoming one of our favourite games ever.

We'll try these ones on the weekend,

or on second thoughts ... perhaps after the Olympics!

This was the second week I've found some Tupperware,

including the vintage icing sugar duster.

And a pretty glass jar for just 20c.

What goodies have you found lately?