Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Bursting At The Seams

Over the holiday break more and more treasures found their way to Shoestring, so many in fact that it is bursting at the seams.  (Perhaps we will have to change the name and call it “Treasure Magnet” instead of Shoestring?  Nah.)  Some things were Christmas presents and therefore it can truthfully be said that I was not technically responsible for their acquisition, but many of them I have to admit to having purchased myself.  We may need to introduce a policy of “one thing in, one thing out” at Shoestring.  Otherwise there will be no room for us there. 

My sister (who obviously knows me better than I know myself) gave me these beautiful navy blue hand crocheted gloves for Christmas, which has necessitated the creation of an entirely new art deco weekend costume.  They appear never to have been worn and it seems a pity that somebody went to all the bother of making them, and possibly never wore them.  It would be sad to let them go to waste, after all.  So they now have a navy hat, blue and white shoes and navy costume to go with them.  The accessories can really make or break an art deco outfit after all, so we wouldn’t want to let any slip through our fingers would we?
  

Also a present from my sister are these


I have a collection of china with violets and these are so dainty and delicate, they are different to anything else in the collection so far.

And speaking of collections, I fear I feel another collection coming on.  When I found this lovely article in the Salvation Army store and dragged it home


 it just begged to go with these ones which I already had.  

Don't they look pretty together?

Since then I have seen several more items which would be good additions but so far have resisted the urge.  (Though I am secretly hoping that they will still be at the market next time I go back.  If so it was obviously meant to be.)

And in the garden we have this (also a Christmas present from somebody who knows me so well)

For now it houses cuttings of my favourite pelargoniums, but I am on the hunt for some suitably flamboyant and vibrant “potted colour” for the three pots.  

And just in case you should think Mr Shoestring has been entirely neglected in this frenzy of acquisition, he is grinning like a Cheshire cat every time he sees his Michelin man bakelite ashtray.  He saw it months ago in the antique shop up the road and has visited it on a regular basis ever since.  Eventually a kind benefactor took pity on him and purchased his heart's desire for him.  Now he just needs to polish up his new treasure and it can join his other bakelite.  Bliss for Mr Shoestring.