excessive blogging leads woman to rash ebay purchase

Just won this rather nice cruet set on ebay. Jie of Sweden apparently. Now I just need to find out what a cruet set is and I'm all set!

WORD OF THE DAY: Prugly: Pretty AND Ugly or just Pretty Ugly?

When they cleared Pete's mum's house we didn't keep much but these luscious items came home with us. Conch teapot and jug anyone?? A quick perusal on Ebay (search term: 'conch teapot' of course) shows 7 separate listings... one seller thinks they might even get £25 for just the teapot. The more realistic are listing at 99p. One reckons it's 'majorlica' - is that like majolica but from Majorca? I dunno if it is or not. I think it's just an earthenware seaside souvenir probably churned out in their millions in the 50s

I think if I saw this in a junk shop I would recoil in terror but because these came from Grannie's and because Pete bought them for her when he was about 12 I love them. Now if I can just find someone selling the matching sugar bowl...

how the lower orders live

I think that if your life is one of such hardship and drudgery that you actually have to crack your own nuts then you may as well do it in style.

Bakelite - The product of the Future!!

Currently bidding on these bakelite napkin rings on ebay... I was looking for wooden ones but then saw these and realised this is definitely the way forward.

I love Bakelite or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride to give it it's real name!!... there's even a Bakelite Museum. DAY TRIP!!

Bjorn again

I'm ebaying again... I LOVE Bjorn Wiinblad and every now and then I have an ebay splurge when I spend hours trawling through Wiinblad pottery and try to buy a few pieces.
This Danish artist designer designed pieces for the Nymolle factory and has a really distinctive style.
I first discovered him for myself when I was really lucky to spot a plate by him in a charity shop window. I hadn't heard of him before but could instantly tell it was Scandinavian. The plate in question is a commemorative plate for Ericsson phones' centenary - I've seen it on foreign auction sites since for about £100 so that was a good find.
After that I went to ebay and started buying the calendar plaques - one for each month of the year they chart a couple's meeting courtship marriage and the birth of their first child (fast movers those Danes I guess). After that a friend gave me some mugs she rescued from her mum who was about to chuck them out.
Everything about his style is perfect - although I prefer his simple line work to some of the colour items and christmas plates.
It just sums up what great style those Scandinavians have.

RETRO-PETS... they ain't just for christmas you know

We have Budgies!! Trying to buy budgies is, it seems, the most difficult thing in the world. Since Bird Flu high Street pet shops have stopped selling birds and the aviary I contacted seemed at one point like it may be a front for some communist splinter cell... "yes we have budgies but they are babies phone back.. no we don't have any phone back next week ... we've got 14 but I don't know what colour they are phone back next week ... we've only got one white one phone back next week."
When the budgie hand-over eventually took place I was in such a crazed state of excitement that I thought she may suspect ME of being up to budgie related shenanigans and refuse to let me have them.
So this exciting news and the joy that is Crufts last week led me to think about pets that people don't have anymore.
When I was a child everyone had a budgie... grannies, aunties, neighbours.
And dog breeds are VERY faddy - you didn't see a pug for years - except Willy on Eastenders - now you can't move for them. But whither the long haired Dachshund?
My Nen had two of these called Hansel and Herr Schmidt (well they ARE German and the war wasn't long over) And looking at pictures of them now they are SO of their time. Especially the photo of Herr Schmidt smoking a pipe - which I will hopefully find and post here.
My other favourite OOF dog is the Afghan Hound... a dog in flares! Schick-a-wow-wow. If you had one of these babies you would - by law I suspect - have to walk it in an outfit such as Bianca Jagger got married in.

(the pictures aren't our budgies - they are still a bit camera shy)

Cash Strapped Fridays

I'm trying a new weekly feature where I highlight something I neeeeed so much but will have to remortgage to afford. In this case it's not even for sale so money really is no object.
Anyway here's Emily Sutton who is ringing all my latest obsessional bells: Birds, sewing and all round loveliness with her fabric Bird Sculptures. Emily is one of the St Jude's artists - it seems all roads lead back to them these days. Time for another trip to Norfolk I think.
They are all gorgeous but I think this little goldfinch really is the best.

and while I'm at it...

Look at this lovliness... Mark Hearld's chinaware at Tate. A lovely man bought me the mug but kept quiet about the matching plate and bowl. yearning wants!

Not Waving but Drowning

I'm back! Easing my way into the world of Blerg with a picture heavy update. We've had a little Oxo box on the dresser for ages - I decided to have a look inside and this is what I found...
a little box containing thimbles and silver sixpences, a mother of pearl penknife, some coins of various ages and nationalities, 6 fob watch keys, two cigarette cases - one with two cigarettes still intact! I resisted the urge to light up. I think this is a poem waiting to happen... perhaps someone else will offer to write it?