Spring is in the air and unusually for me, it's making me want to clean and tidy and generally act all domesticated. We moved house about 2 years ago and the storage unit has been heaving with stuff ever since. We're finally getting round to tackling it properly. The house is now full of boxes and my enormous collection of Sylvanian Families but we'll get it all sorted eventually, I'm sure. I keep getting distracted by random discoveries though:
This rather funky coffee pot. I can't find anything about this specific design online but it's by Ridgway and an identical shaped but differently patterned design (Homemaker) is dated to 1955-68. An example is held in the V&A - ain't that swanky?
This rather funky coffee pot. I can't find anything about this specific design online but it's by Ridgway and an identical shaped but differently patterned design (Homemaker) is dated to 1955-68. An example is held in the V&A - ain't that swanky?
One of my brother's old pieces of schoolwork. Apparently I was ferocious even at age 4.
A bunch of dresses that need altering. I really must get cracking with the sewing machine.
A bunch of dresses that need altering. I really must get cracking with the sewing machine.Oh, and a hilarious assortment of family photos. Some of my mum's old outfits really do deserve a post of their own. Need to find the scanner first though...I know it's in a box somewhere...
Beautiful coffee pot, my mother has the whole Ridgeway set, they are really lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love finding mementos, such fun - that piece by your brother makes me laugh!
Amy
Narrowboat Lucky Duck
www.nbluckyduck.blogspot.com
OMG sylvanians, i went on that guide weekend a couple of weeks back and some of the girls had some with them, and it made me want to dig out my colleciton, i had hundreds! i hope they are still in the attic.
ReplyDeleteMy sister is to this day *traumatised* as she never got a Sylvanian Family canal boat- this is going to be the year I track one down and give it to her at Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI loved them too- still find myself pausing for a good while in the Sylvanian aisle whenever I'm out shopping for toys for friends' kids!
I really need to sort out all my old crap at my folks' house- but it it seems so unsurmountable a task I've put it off for ten years and counting!
xxx maddie
I never had a single piece of sylvanian families stuff. I survived it. I really need to get spring cleaning!
ReplyDeletehttp://cgdn.blogspot.com/
I love that teapot and those dresses look interesting - gorgeous fabrics.
ReplyDeleteMoving house is what started our clutter problems and that was almost 8years ago. My Mum has never officially unpacked everything, instead there are boxes everywhere with forgotten treasures in. I have tried to tackle it on so many occasions, but yet I am still finding stuff of mine hidden away in their garage! It’s so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI want to see your collection of Sylvanian Families so badly Alex! x
That quote from your school-aged brother is a classic.
ReplyDeleteThat coffee pot is very cute, the yellow lid and chunky design stop it looking twee.
Get that sewing machine out, I'm dying to see more of those frocks and you did such a good job last time. xxx
I love your brothers school work, its so cute! I think you really should do a post of your mums outfits, it would be fun to see! x
ReplyDeleteIt's autumn here but my house could really do with a spring clean. Already! We have heaps of boxes left and are waiting on a fair bit of new furniture we've ordered. It could be up to 10 weeks - what the? That's a fifth of a year! Crazy :S :p
ReplyDeleteI love the teapot. And I can't wait to see what you do with those dresses. I haven't gotten my machine out of the box yet. Ouch.
My favourite thing about this post was the comment the teacher left on your brother's work. Brings back memories of my own little comments, oh how I miss primary school at times :D
Hope all is well with you. Gonna get something in the post by next week xxx
Eeee Sylvanian families! I used to have a house of theirs and spent so many hours playing with little bears and racoons and rabbits... Love that bit of homework, I can't bear to throw too much of that out, it's always so lovely to look back on xx
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have your very own Aladins cave! I love finding random things that make me smile.
ReplyDeleteYour brothers work is soo sweet. Fancy kicking him. Sounds like something my neice would do to my nephews. You made me giggle!
X x
Love that coffee pot, so 50s. I think everyone has boxes of stuff waiting to be sorted through.
ReplyDeletethat coffee pot is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThis is why it takes me so long to sort things out - I am forever taking time to look through stuff! I LOVE sylvanian families - I have a photo with the giant(ish) bunny I had that played a tape and moved it's mouth.
ReplyDeleteWould LOVE to see some of the old family photos, I just love old photos!
ReplyDeleteI had a huge clean out too this evening, doing a car boot on saturday morning! x
haha your brothers school work gave me a chuckle :P i should probably have a spring clean but i'm not too great at cleaning or clearing things out! x
ReplyDeletethat coffee pot is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAhahahah, love the writing from your brother. The coffe post is lovely, make sure you use it from now on xx
ReplyDeleteFirst, I love that tea pot! It is fabulous. It looks like it is from Anthropologie :)
ReplyDeleteSecond, your brother's school journal is so cute. Siblings can be so interesting.
I love the colours in the fabrics in the last photo, the blues are amazing. And you're right actually, about the article and Geoffrey's comments. I didn't think about that. I was more stunned anyone had said that at all, but as you say it could have been exaggerated. That book sounds really interesting and I would love to read it, if you're ok with that? And I can ompletely understand what you were telling me he was talking about, it's possible the article was written from a bias viewpoint and hadn't been properly researched. Thanks Alex :) xxx
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just tagged you for a blog award! :D
ReplyDeleteMy gawd,that coffee pot is sublime!!! Jealous!
ReplyDeleteAmazing what comes out of the woodwork,isn't it?!
I like to cook.That's as domestic as it gets for me! Bugger cleaning!
Like the looks of what's waiting to be altered.........I wait to see!!!
Love!xxx
HAHA!!! That entry from your brother is TOO FUNNY!!! So adorable!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you on your comment to the ads in my last post. Those quotes are totally not necessary in selling the ads, the clothes speak for themselves!! Good observation ;)
Awww - I had sylvanian familys! I think they might still be in my Mums loft.
ReplyDeleteThe entry in your brother's schoolwork is hilarious. I have three little brothers and I think I ruled the roost in my capacity as big sister with a rod of iron. I'm surprised any of them came out of it liking women at all
Love the colours of those dresses, can't wait to see your alterations.
ReplyDeleteLove that teapot! And I used to collect the sylvanians too - oh happy memories!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the piece of schoolwork - the description and the comment underneath, brilliant! I love discovering old things like that. I have a short story my brother wrote about eight years ago (he was 10) - involving "a last alliance of men and elves heading up the cliffs of Doom" (sound familair? :-))
ReplyDeleteAnd yes. Parent youth-fashion is always hilarious.
Sylvanians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhh I still have all mine, they take up 3 shelves on my landing. My mum made me keep them for when I have kids ha ha x
ReplyDeleteGood look with the sewing projects - will be worth it in the end! xx
ReplyDeleteYou know, I never know where to start with clothes altering. I'll merrily give a bash starting a dress from scratch (not necessarily successfully I hasten to add) but an alteration just foxes me!
ReplyDelete"She kicked me and I fell over!" naughty Alex!
ReplyDeleteLove spring cleaning for this very reason. I'm trying to spring clean at the moment but just now all that has happened is I've emptied out a cupboard and the spare room looks like a bombsite. x
Oh and the green book is Great Expectations. x
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh Sylvanian Families! I love them! I still want the manor house DESPERATELY.
ReplyDeleteI love your brother's schoolwork - I never appreciated the dry comments teachers left when I was a kid!
Aw such a pretty teapot, I love things like that. Also that little piece of writing by your brother is so funny xx
ReplyDeleteLove the coffee pot! Your poor bro - that's so funny! I was never allowed Sylvanian Families. Or a Mr Frosty. :(
ReplyDeletechips at the moon and pea look amazing, yumyumyum
ReplyDeleteBow Dream Nation xx