Monday, October 5, 2015

Tarnished Frocks and Divas, a Visit to The Centre Of The Universe, and The Bridges of Matamata-Piako County

It must have been a little while since I last wrote, but I have a good excuse.  I have been away to the biennial Tarnished Frocks and Divas event in Tauranga with the lovely Wynn and friends, which was a wonderful girls' weekend away and a chance to talk ourselves to a standstill.  I am ashamed to admit that I made it no further than Paeroa before becoming distracted and making my way, as if in a trance, into Junk and Disorderly where I bought this article which is perfect in every way - it has flowers, it has a bird, it is twinkly and has a touch of gold and some pink.  What could be better?

In the summer time it will be just the thing for serving cool refreshing beverages.  (If summer time ever arrives of course, but we must travel in hope.)  And it looks so happy with the old cannisters in the kitchen too.

The weekend after Tarnished Frocks and Divas Mr Shoestring and I went to visit The Duke and Duchess of Ringloes in Napier (The Centre Of The Universe) but along the way we had to call into every op shop we could locate.  It would be rude not too after all, and a terrible wasted opportunity.  I do believe that op shops out of big towns have a few more genuine "old school" treasures on offer and I was very happy to find silk stockings with seams.  They are bound to be fragile after such a long time waiting to be worn but still will be just the thing for next year's art deco weekend even if they don't have a long life.  

The 1950s hat has a good wool felt base and I'm hoping that once I remove the plaited overlay I will be able to do something more 1930s-ish with it.  (What usually happens is that I lose my nerve though, or inspiration deserts me, so really must try harder this time.)  

We had a wonderful visit with the Duke and Duchess and they had cleverly found a deco book a bach for us all to stay in, complete with art deco kitchen, bathroom and decor.  We were as happy as kings and had a great time talking (over each other most of the time in our determination to speak before forgetting what we were wanting to say), eating out and relaxing, 

When Madame La Poste was last visiting Shoestring Cottage last she cast her eye over my shadow box (which only has a few treasures in it, sad to relate) and pronounced that it would benefit from having some old cotton reels displayed within it.  I wailed tragically, "But I don't have any!" so while we were in Napier I made a beeline for some in Decorum, and now the shadow box has the beginnings of a new collection.

Of course a road trip isn't complete unless one can add a priceless work of art or two to one's ever-expanding collection and I couldn't go past these magnificent landscapes



This one is an original but I was mortified when Mr Shoestring pointed out the last painting I bought featured a bridge as well and that I was on my way to a new collection.  


Of course they had to be hung together, which necessitated some reshuffling of the paintings on the walls and Mr Shoestring (possibly losing interest in the project) proclaimed that the bridges of Matamata-Piako somehow doesn't have the same ring as The Bridges of Madison County, but I think that was a little mean spirited of him.  (He didn't miss out entirely on our road trip, having made a beeline for this little knife to add to his collection of kitchen wares.  And I bought him the most beautiful silk scarf too.) 


I brought home a few more pretty old lace hankies as well, I want to put them all onto a muslin curtain one fine day and probably have enough now - just a question of time and putting in a bit of effort, sadly.


This weekend we finally managed to get back to Shoestring for the annual Cruise In.  I don't know whether I have seen so many vintage cars with matching caravans before, these two little babies particularly tickled my fancy.  I was fantasising about having my very own little teardrop caravan but as Mr Shoestring rightly pointed out, where would I take it?  I want to be always at Shoestring so probably not a practical plan.  Also Figgy may not be up to towing anything much larger than a rubbish bin.  They were very lovely though.  



In the garden I have been very taken with the acid colours of this geranium/pansy combo, so much in the spirit of spring.
but a lot of other things were looking a bit sad, having been buffeted by howling gales and torrential rain.  At least there are signs of the season in the offing, lots of lilies are through the earth and the climbing rose is promising a great season.
As Mrs Peaceable and I enjoyed a coffee and put right most of the troubles of the world I knew good things were just around the corner for us.