My Dream Auction!!

When I was looking for vintage props for our wedding I became a little addicted to checking websites of auction houses and placing online bids.  Sure you miss out on the excitement of being at the actual auction but when you are living half way across the world from the actual auction you don't really have much choice.  

Although the wedding has been and gone, my addiction continues and this week I discovered the most exciting of all exciting auctions yet.  Auction 428 - Medical, Dental & Pharmaceutical items is happening on the 8th May at Leski's Auction House in Melbourne.  291 wonderful, quirky and in some cases, a little creepy, items!

Coincidentally my great friend Simon worked on this collection in his previous role, he has impeccable taste.  It is my dream auction collection!!

These are my favourite items:

Hospital heater on tripod with extension arm

Vintage dental instrument trolley on wheels

DISPENSING BOTTLES: with polished pontils, labels, 18cm tall, all in good condition & all with stoppers

Vintage hospital trolley with glass shelves

Group of prints (in frames) of hand drawn historical figures relating to the medical & scientific professions, including Charles Darwin and Pierre Curie. (9 items)

Imagine turning this vintage trolley into a table.  Like this one here

And there are a couple of things I won't be bidding on:

Female hand held urinal!!

2 early vintage urinal bags

Can someone who lives in Melbourne and won't have to ship their purchases across the country please buy lots of items so I can live vicariously through you?

You can find the full collection and details on how to bid here.

M xx

DIY Drinks Trolley

I like the idea of a drinks trolley.  To me it evokes something glamorous and decadent,  straight from the vaults of old school Hollywood.  I am sure any drink I would make from there would taste that much better because it came from the drinks trolley. Whether you fill the shelves with bottles or just use a select few along with some vintage decanter bottles there are so many styling options.   

 

So I was pretty excited when on a recent trip to here I found this run down trolley... as soon as I saw it I thought drinks trolley...  a neon drinks trolley!

The best part of my DIY drinks trolley is that it was super easy to do!

Materials I used:
1. fine sandpaper
2. White Knight spray paint in fuchsia

All we needed to do was give the trolley a good clean and a quick sand with some fine sand paper.  We then sprayed the trolley with two layers of fuchsia spray paint and let it dry.  It took less than two hours and all up cost me less than $15.

Anyone keen for a drink?

M xx

Images: here, here

Bargain!

Recently a friend and I decided to take ourselves on a second hand shop tour on a Saturday afternoon.  Our plan was to head south of Perth and see what treasures we could find.  Turns out the best treasures are those within 2 minutes of your own house! 

After leaving my friends street we spotted a garage sale just winding up.  Five minutes later I left with this amazing (and working!!) vintage sewing machine...  for $15!  

 It just needed a good clean so after an afternoon spent polishing and cleaning my new addition is looking great!  

How gorgeous is the little storage box for all your threads!

M xx

Vintage Prints

Two of our best friends gave us this awesome vintage print 'Take a Day at the Seaside' as a wedding present.  We've just recently had it framed and it is now taking pride of place in our lounge room ready for some new friends to join it on the wall.

I'd love to start a collection of vintage prints and posters and there are so many great options around these days.  If you would like an authentic original poster then the best place to look is at Vintage Posters Only.  Like many small businesses Vintage Posters Only has grown from owner Sam Johnson's personal interest in vintage posters to now stocking a varied range of posters from around the world.

My pick of his posters are:

A more afforable alternative is a reprint of the original advertising poster. A La Mode Studio have a great range and are all reasonably priced.  You can shop them here or here.  My pick of their current prints are:

Thanks C and S for such a great present!

M xx

UPDATE!
A La Mode are currently running a sale through Temple & Webster! If you haven't subscribed yet to Temple & Webster make sure you register and check out the great sale prices.

I want a new man...nequin!

Samantha Wills recently posted the below image of her New York apartment to her instagram.  There is a lot I love about her apartment but what caught my eye in particular were the beautiful mannequins she has on display.  

They are not to everyone's taste, including my husband who thinks they are creepy, but I love their curvy shape and how they can instantly add character to a room.  Not only can they be used as a decorative feature they can also have a functional purpose.  Hang your favourite necklace or scarf on one; loop your belts around the waist or pin your favourite vintage brooches to the fabric ones.  I currently have one in our spare room that I have hung a handmade necklace we bought in Kenya. I think is is time to start expanding my mannequin family though and the below ones would do nicely please.

M xx

Images: here, here, here, here