Thursday, July 7, 2011

Brilliant Haul at the Garage Sale

Mr Shoestring was feeling very restless on Saturday morning and I put it down to the fact that he had solved his problems with water and was at a bit of a loose end.  He decided a trip to the garage sale in the next town was in order and this suited me fine.  What a worthwhile trip it turned out to be!  I found this fabulous art work ($2) to add to the landscape collection.  At this rate the collection will be internationally famous!  (If not for its quality then for its budget constraints.)



Also I could not resist this embroidered picture - is it The Girl With The Pearl Earring by any chance?  I am planning to turn it into a shopping bag; it cost me the princely sum of $2 also and I think with a nice handle and some sturdy fabric to create the gusset, bottom and back of the bag it will be a useful addition at Shoestring.



Mrs Peaceable suggested that I find a pearl and sew it in place so she really does have the pearl earring.  I may have to scratch through my bead collection and see what we have in stock.  "The Girl" came with a picture frame which Mr Shoestring removed upon our arrival back at the cottage, and used to frame the last landscape we bought; you can see very little goes to waste and Mr Shoestring is becoming a master of our "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" philosophy.    Here are the landscapes nesting together on the wall.


It was very difficult to resist two seascapes also for sale ($2 each) at the same garage sale, but the cottage is very small and the walls will be groaning under the weight of the landscapes if the collection keeps growing at its current rate, so sadly we left them behind. 


Mr Shoestring found this lovely flying bird tap and some odd brass fittings which he was desperate to have.  He does not need them right now but he is convinced that in time he will find a use for them.  Hmmm, taps and more water fittings, there is definitely a theme emerging.  That prolonged period of water worries has obviously had an effect on him.  Anyway, he was very pleased with the tap and installed it straight away. 


And in the garden this weekend the broad beans were blossoming away happily and the broccoli was ready to be harvested.  Shamefully though, I am so proud of the broccoli (the first I have succeeded in growing ever) that I am loathe to cut it, and if I don't cut it soon it will be going to seed.