Are You Being Served?

Before my blog was removed, I'd started to do a series (of sorts) on the different vintage homewares I've started to collect. One of the items that I'd started a post for was this chrome & formica (I believe) serving cart - I think it dates to the 1950s. It was another gift, which is lucky because I've seen these at various places and they generally cost more than I could afford right now.

Oh, and apologies if anyone got excited by the title, thinking this might have been about Mrs Slocombe et al. Ha!

I got this serving cart quite a while ago but we've had things on it and I never got around to photographing it until it needed to be dusted, so everything came off and I had the perfect opportunity to photograph it sans clutter.

I can't say with certainty that it will ever get used for its intended purpose but until the day it does (if that day comes) it is certainly a great way to display other vintage items - at the moment it's being used to show off my vintage teacup collection.

It's very simple and very much like a lot of other serving carts I've seen but I do love it a whole lot.

I think I'm starting to run out of homewares to show off...maybe I'll photograph the vintage teacup collection that is on this, one day?

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Grey Chairs

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the yellow vintage chairs I had found for my future home. Today, I would like to show off the grey vintage chairs I found to go with them. First, though, a little story. When I wrote about the yellow chairs, I mentioned how I fell in love with them immediately...

It wasn't just the colour but the use of two different fabrics in such an interesting (to me, anyway) way and the combination of plain and pattern, too. So, when I was out for a drive, one day, and saw some grey chairs that I thought might go with these I had to go straight over to the shop selling them. When I got up close and saw they were practically the same, I got very excited. It was short-lived, however, when I noticed they were selling the chairs as a set with a 1970s-ish table (very boring and completely useless to me) - I asked if they'd break up the 'set' but they wouldn't. So, I went away feeling a bit sad but hopeful that I'd at least find some nice grey chairs in the future.

But each time I drove past the same shop I had to look to see if the chairs were still there, sitting outside...one day I finally gave in and went back and, to my delighted surprise, noticed they were no longer being sold with the table and that I would actually be able to have my dream grey chairs after all! Hurrah. I put them on hold and picked them up last week and now I can show them to all of you.

As you can see, unlike the yellow chairs, the grey sections are patterned, too, which I think makes a nice little difference between them (aside from the colours, of course.)

I honestly still can't believe my luck! To find the exact same style in the very colour I was hoping to find. I'm sure it helps that they were made by a South Australian company but it doesn't make me any less excited about them.

Has anyone else had such a fortuitous find? I know I've read about this sort of thing on other blogs and it really makes me think about all of the matching sets or even just similar items that are out there  waiting to come together one day.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Bits and pieces

Here are a few other homeware-type things that I've acquired, lately as a follow up to the last post. I have even more to blog about but I think I need to space it out a little bit.

This Bristolite canister was given to me with the Gayware set - it originally would have been one of a set (as the biggest, used for flour) but it happily matches the colours of my other canisters. I've decided this shall be used for biscuits because it's nice and big as a biscuit barrel ought to be, I think.

I like the art deco style details (though it was made much later) around the lip - this is where you insert your label for whatever it may be. They originally came with their own labels but this one's is long gone. I'm planning on making one up with some kind of neat '50s style font.

A set of four TV snack plates in different colours. These were dated as 1960s when I bought them and I couldn't guess any better than that. I love the colours and the shape reminds me of an artist's palette. Bought from a stall at the Fishermen's Wharf Market. You can also see the kidney shape of my little coffee table in this shot. While it's very '50s in terms of shape, I think it might be a bit later.

This Nallyware biscuit container is a bit worse for ware - the knob is missing from the top of the lid and the 'i', 't' and part of the 'u' are gone. But it didn't cost me much and it's the perfect size for my smaller craft supplies. I'm also thinking of trying to restore it a little but I shall tell you how that works out when I get around to attempting it. Bought from a stall at the Fishermen's Wharf Market.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Now Colour Planned for Every Home!

I think it's safe to say that most Australian vintage lovers lust after Gay Ware and I'm certainly no different.

I was beginning to despair of ever finding a set of Gay Ware canisters that I could actually afford when I went to my dad's partner's for dinner the other week. I told my dad how I was on the lookout for some 1950s canisters and his partner brought one of hers out from her pantry and asked 'like this?' I'm sure I said something like 'Yes! Exactly like that' and then she told me I could have them. I honestly couldn't believe my luck.

Aren't they gorgeous? I'm so incredibly happy with them - when I first brought them home I just kept staring at them. (You also get a sneak peek at a coffee table I keep forgetting to take photos of.)

The red and white colour combination is just perfect for my future dream kitchen.

Of course, my search isn't over - as you can see from the two 1950s ads below, there are many items left for me to find to have a complete Gay Ware kitchen.

And look at this window display below - I could just cry thinking about walking past a display like this! Though, of course, one thing that's so satisfying about being a vintage collector is when you find something special or that's usually hard to find, don't you think?

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Latest Op-Shopping Finds

Did some op-shopping on a very warm Tuesday and the best thing was everything I found was priced at what I consider to be 'real' op-shop prices. It seems to be more and more rare to find that these days, with certain items. But enough griping, onto the spoils of the day! (All of these photos are from Instagram because I was too lazy to take some with my 'good' camera.)

 

Some more Paton's knitting patterns to add to my slowly growing collection. I tend to buy the children's/men's patterns for the 'lulz' as they have very humorous photos. One day I should do a post dedicated just to them! (Perhaps.)

 

Not quite a set (missing one cup) but in great condition and it has a little can opener, too. My nonna had a set of these that I remember from when I was little but hers had a green leather case that zipped open/closed around the top.

 

Also not quite a set - looks like these bamboo handle knives are from two different sets but luckily there are three of each so, at least, there's a kind of symmetry. At first I thought they were just made to look like bamboo but, upon closer inspection, they're definitely real bamboo.

 

An old tin for odds and sods. It has 'Cadbury' embossed on the top (and it's definitely the 'Cadbury' logo) but I'm wondering if it's been painted a different colour than its original. I've found a couple on eBay/google (like this one) and they all appear to have a coloured lid and band around the bottom and a circle design on the main part of the tin. Perhaps someone painted it to fit their colour scheme? Luckily, I like yellow and white! I'm not 100% certain it was painted, though - it seems a little too neat!

 

Some EPs from the 1950s and 1960s. I mainly bought these because I liked the covers (especially the Ames Bros - too cute!) but there are some pretty neat songs on there, too. There's a very fun number on the Ines Addio EP but I can't find it on YouTube to share with you all.

 

Some nice little wooden dishes.

 

Fun, chunky plastic bracelet.

 

And these aren't the era I usually write about here but I was pretty excited to find them! Let's Hear it for the Boy is one of my favourite songs.

Edit: Just realised I ought to have said these were from three different op-shops! Oops.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Yellow Chairs for a Red Table

I haven't posted about my vintage buys much lately - this doesn't mean that I've not been buying but I've been buy a lot less. One of the things I've been keeping an eye out for is nice homewares and the like so when I saw these two chairs, in nearly perfect condition, I knew I couldn't leave the store without them.

Even though they're possibly a little dearer than I'd have liked, I honestly don't think I could have forgiven myself if I'd gone away and left them. I love the use of contrasting vinyl and the wave design on the chair backs.

They're definitely more of a lemon yellow than some of these photos look and I'm hoping to find a pair of similar chairs but in grey, one day - I love grey and lemon yellow together. There was one grey chair in the same shop that had these but I'm really set on a pair so I shall keep on looking.

 

This is the table I bought them to go with (eventually) - it belonged to my paternal grandmother and it's the only item of this size I've inherited from anyone. There was a lot of furniture I loved in dad's step-dad's house but, long story short, I just didn't have the storage space for it. I do have photos - if I find the disc they're on, would anyone want to see a blog post on them?

Apologies for the iPhone photo but this is the only shot I have. My dad thinks his mum had the base custom made but he can't be 100% sure. I've not seen another table with a base like this but it doesn't mean there isn't another one out there, somewhere! Also, the table is really quite large but, luckily, the chairs are just the right height for it, anyway.

I may post more of my homewares as I collect them, if you'd all like to see them - maybe I can even just round up all of my vintage of the non-clothing variety for a post?

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Outfit: Heyday Pants

I was very happy on Thursday when the postman came to the door with a parcel that contained the pants I bought from Heyday (I forgot to tell you in my email, Shona)! I've already worn them two or three times:

I went shopping on Friday and wore them with the cardigan I bought from Dangerfield, last week.

They were a bit snug at first but I think they might be a little like jeans, and other pants, because they don't seem as snug, now! I think they look rather nice, anyway, and the fabric is absolutely lovely.

When I wore them out shopping I happened to stop by Dangerfield again and picked up this jacket. Again, it's something I've been eyeing for ages but didn't want to spend 118$ on...I got it for 64$! Whenever I wear it, though, I get this song in my head...actually, whenever I see any plaid jacket or plaid shirt I get that song in my head!

Second day curls that I'm hoping will last one more day...as you can see it's been a while since I dyed my hair.

Today, when I was at the North Adelaide Vintage & Fashion Fair, I found this cute set:

Unfortunately, I was looking for a dress to wear out to dinner next Friday...oh well.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x