Lounge and Dining area De-Cluttered

 



Only just made it!

Feels really good to complete the china de-cluttering on time.....just scraped in at 9 PM on 31st January.

This is where my china collecting began!

Can you spot the fault in this picture?

My Dad gave this beautiful Royal Winton breakfast set to my Mum on their engagement. After I was married and we built our first new home, they gifted it to me.
After a few years I noticed that the milk jug has a rose on the handle instead of

the tigerlilly flower that is on the tea pot and tea cup handles! "OMG" I thought! Someone else is out there with a breakfast set with the tigerlilly flower on the milk jug and a rose on the other pieces! So my search began to find a milk jug with the tigerlilly flower.I eventually found one in my travels.....can't remember where, but I do remember, my hand went out all by itself and picked it up (anyone who is a collector will know that feeling).My daughter J said..." But you can't change it over, you will spoil the history". Hmmm what to do what to do!  Look close on the tenth picture down, you will see what I've done :-)

LOUNGE DONE!

After



Before



I  know what you're thinking...

not much changed here!

Hmm... actually there is more china in the AFTER photo!

 

 

 

 

 

After

Before

OK, not much different...



Not even going to show the Before for this one!

 

I give up...only showing the AFTERS for the lounge from now on!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DINING AREA DONE!

Only AFTERS here too...not really sure if I'm de-cluttering or re-cluttering!
But at the least, everything is dusted and rearranged.

 



 

 

Once again, I know what you're thinking,I know there's still a LOT of china, but I did take out at least twenty pieces. For me, that's a huge achievement!(Love my china).Some of the pieces were damaged so I will make them into something useful, and sell the other pieces.......That is unless I look at them later and decide I can't part with them!

Gotta go now and work out what I'm going to de-clutter in February :-)

see ya xo



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Furniture Restoration

Today (15/01/2013) is officially the first day of my furniture restoration endeavours!!

 

I found this dressing table in my travels, searching for old damaged furniture. It would have originally had a mirror attached, but the mirror was gone and a lot of the veneer was peeling off. I've sanded it back and now its ready to paint!

 

 

  

Painted! :-)

 

 

 

Shabby Chic! 



Finished product!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  I'm so excited! This is the first piece of furniture I've restored that's for sale.

 

 

 

Planter Stand, also for sale!

 

 

 

Sorry I have to run along, as it's the 30th now... only one day left in January to de-clutter my china...going to be cutting it fine!

 

See ya xo 

 

Mum and Grandma's Handy Work

Mum's Embroidery

This is where I got my love for sewing and handy work.
 

My mother was a very talented sewer, a perfectionist as you can see by the detail in her work. She was taught by her mother, who won many blue ribbons at our local agricultural show each year with her fairy knitting. I remember in those days the Show was one of the big highlights of the year in the community. There was always very strong competition between the country women with their entries in the baking, preserves and all sorts of sewing and needle work, but grandma usually come out on top with her fairy knitting. Grandma's daily routine was to get most of her chores done in the early part of the day and to prepare a hot lunch for grandad. Grandad came home from his farm work for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. There was never a shortage of home made goodies. I remember my stays during the school holidays with them very fondly,lovely home made biscuits (Anzacs, cinnamon raisin and jam drips to name a few). Later in the day grandma would sit and do her fairy knitting till it was time to prepare dinner, which was usually cold meat and salad. If I remember rightly it was at this time she would send us down to the chook pen with the scraps and to collect the eggs. I used to love helping grandma preparing meals, baking the biscuits and she always had time to teach us how to play card games and board games

Grandma's Fairy Knitting

As her grandchildren grew up, got engaged  and married, we all knew what our gift from grandma and grandad would be, and very much looked forward to it. No prize for guessing what we would get. She knitted a supper cloth or something similar for each of us.



Perfection!



Mum's Embroidery

Oh dear.... just realised I only have two days left to finish my china de-cluttering for January, EEK.... better get my skates on!!

see ya!



Plum Jam YUMMM!

I Love my family and neighbourhood, people are so generous!

 

My brother in law knows I like to make plum sauce, so when he heard our neighbour had these plums that needed a loving kitchen to be cooked in, he thought of me! :-)
There is about 10kg so to begin with I've made some plum jam... next is the plum sauce!

 PLUM JAM

INGREDIENTS

4kg dark plums
8 cups water
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3kg sugar
1-2 packets of Jam Setta (from supermarket if needed)

METHOD

1. Combine plums and water in a large preserving pan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered,for one hour.
2.Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pan and stir, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to an hour or until the jam jells when tested.
3. Pour the jam into sterilised jars and seal.

Makes about 20 x 250g jars.

 

Tea for two!

 

 

 





Kitchen and Living Room De-cluttered !

Started de-cluttering in the kitchen!



 

Then moved to the living area ! 

 

 

I think I'm happy with the result :-)

 

Next.... Lounge and Dining area!

 

Hmmm.........now it starts to get harder! The lounge and dining area is where I keep my favourite china collections and I find it very hard to de-clutter, even the damaged pieces. :-(