Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The first week of May...

Can you believe it?! I feel like this year is flying by before my very eyes! For most of you the beginning of May probably means that spring and summer are just around the corner. For us down here however it's starting to suddenly get quite cold! As a result getting up in the morning is becoming an even greater struggle than normal, and somehow my enthusiasm for ANYTHING also seems to disappear with summer. Having said that today has been stunning...


Anyway other than complaining about the weather, most of my days at the moment are taken up with trying to finish my university translation paper which means my life isn't all too eventful. It's usually just Brooke and I at home during the days and I am mostly hunched over my laptop, while Brooke sprawls himself out in strange places and sleeps...



Having said this I did manage to sneak out to a dress up party for a few hours on the weekend. It was actually the 50th birthday of my uncle and his best friend... but these aren't your average kind of 50 year olds! The party was about an hours drive out of town down a gravel road along the coast which eventually led to an old settlement from the colonial times. The party included Moroccan tents, Dj's, flame throwers, fire work dancers, projectors, lights etc and apparently didn't end until 8am the next morning! I'll admit I was in my bed by 3am though.
The theme of the party was 'out of this world' so I grabbed some things from work and dressed sort of steampunk styles (actually I just desperately wanted to wear a Victorian dress and these amazing white feather eye lashes!). Here's a silly picture of me and my youngest sister (half sister in case you're confused) before going out...


Oh I have had a rather successful week of treasure hunting though. The other day I picked up this beautiful old telephone table which I need to sand back and re-varnish just as soon as I have the time...


I also picked up this mid century cabinet today which also needs some work but will look great when it's all cleaned up...


After picking the cabinet up I was a little naughty and headed out to Orewa which is a little town that seems to be predominantly made up of old people. As a result the second hand stores usually have a lot to offer. I ended up coming home with a new/ old retro rubbish bin for the bathroom...


This cute 1960s jug which I can totally imagine filling with homemade lemonade when summer rolls around again...


These fantastic chairs which just need the white piping fixed a little...


This cookbook which is a collection of New Zealand recipes from the 1930's until the present day. I can honestly say that I have very little intention of actually cooking any of these meals because it's no secret that the Kiwi's are hardly known for their cuisine. All the same it is very interesting because every decade contains stories from housewives who describe what their lives were like and how they cooked. Makes me very glad not to be a housewife in New Zealand from about the 1930s - late 1950s!...


Oh and lastly this funny old tie that one of the ladies at a church sale we passed insisted I take. It has different images of people playing sports in the 1920s. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with it!...


The rest of my week will be taken up by working at the bar, working at the costume shop, meeting friends for dinner, playing model for somebody entering a competition to become Max Factors next top make up artist, and of course working on my translation thesis.
Ok have I blabbered on enough? Can you tell that I am procrastinating because I don't want to get back to my school work? Sorry I hope I didn't bore you too much.
Until next time...
xx

10 comments:

  1. Ah, it so great when you get a good haul! The mid century cabinet and chairs are amazing! I had a great time car booting (your version of a garage sale!) this weekend. Im still smug with my purchases 3 days on :)

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  2. I love that phone table! And I had no idea Kiwi's had their own unique cuisine - I'm really interested to hear about it if you try any of the recipes!

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  3. The part sounds like so much fun! And great finds. I love the telephone table.

    pixiedrivein.blogspot.com

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  4. You've found some good pieces of furniture there. The telephone table really has its own personality!

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  5. Hi ruby
    oh Im jealous - i wanted to plunder orewa but couldnt find time when I was up there!
    Good on you!
    I got a cabinet similar to that - but a little bigger.

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  6. Oh I know isn't treasure hunting just the greatest!

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  7. Thank you:) It's from an old postcard I bought in Germany years ago.

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  8. Fantastic finds! Those chairs are just darn cute. Your kitty looks so adorable!

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  9. that telephone table is just perfect!

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