Countdown to my holiday

Hi Everyone, like many people the world over, I find this time of year very busy with work, family and home.  This year has been no exception: this week I have had to move to a new office (like about 4 metres away from my current office) and assist other colleagues with similar unfathomable re-locations.  Luckily the fruit has been ripening up at my garden /other section and I have been able to de-stress in the evenings by picking raspberries, black and red currants, and one or two gooseberries.

Despite being hot and dusty for most of the week while arranging the moving of furniture and people, and changing phone extensions etc, I have managed to rock a couple of lovely polyester dresses:

1980's (??) polyester dress with pussy bow and pleated skirt, and belt both from the St V de P.  Melissa Boots and a retail denim jacket.   Yummy red currants, top right, mini banana muffins bottom right, prune and port truffles - dipped in cocoa or dipped in white chocolate

Crazy neon yellow green purple and blue polyester dress bought off Trademe, worn with in your face neon yellow flower and Melissa Boots.  Jacket and belt both retail.

It is also the time of year to experiment with food - the prune and port truffles for example.  They were quite messy to make and taste nice, but if I make them again I will definitely adjust the recipe as they were very sweet - even for me a notorious sweet tooth!!   The banana muffins on the other hand are a recipe I have used for more than 15 years and is fail safe. For a special morning tea at work I made mini ones, knowing that one can comfortably eat one or two or three.  Another experiment of the culinary kind is to do with the tonnes of blackcurrants and the redcurrants.  I have decided to turn my hand at blackcurrant liqueur and blackcurrant chutney, and a redcurrant and red onion relish.  

Okay, need to go get some supplies and the sun has come out so more fruit will be ripening.  I am SO looking forward to Christmas Eve - it will be the start of a three week holiday with my family.  YAY.

Bye for now, Penny-Rose

Art Deco Skirt, my talented daughter and review of Restore, Dunedin

Hi everyone, I have had one of "those days" at work which can only be remedied by chocolate.  How do you de-stress after a difficult day?

Today I wore one of my all-time favourite skirts - with an Art Deco borderprint.  I am laughing in the photo because my beloved Black Cat "Handbag" was literally trotting towards me.  He loves being in my blog photos. 

 Art Deco border print skirt - age uncertain possibly from 1970s judging by the sewing.  Bought at Savemart in Blenheim.  Shirt, jacket, belt and necklace all thrifted.  Pink Flower from KMART.  Melissa Shoes. 

I want to show-off a couple of things made by my very talented 12yo daughter.  Look what she brought home on Monday night...an amazing backpack with cool fabric which is a map on London...and she also made her Dad a cushion to take to the cricket!!!  Isn't that so sweet??

Finally I want to show you some of the "goodies" on sale at the local Restore shop. 12 yo and I visited on Saturday while Dad was watching NZ vs West Indies at cricket.  Honestly there there was so much more I could have photographed, this is just a sampler!
 

The doll was in terrible condition - as you can see from her crooked eye - but I felt compelled to sit her up a bit straighter and take her photo.  There were about 20 or 30 pomanders and some impressive casserole dishes.  I bought nothing but did enjoy my fossick.  I wore a thrifted tee shirt and jeans both from Toffs and a vintage choker.  

Restore has been tidied up and some of the displays have been changed.  In the room out the back where the furniture is stored there used to be area for stuff that really should have gone to the dump.  Its all gone now and the furniture area is looking much tidier.  The paintings and mirrors are better displayed and some of the book area has been removed to make more space.  All in all very worthwhile improvements.   

Time for more chocolate, hope you are all having a good week, Penny-Rose xx

Frock on Friday, a few polyester dresses and more

Hi everyone, are you all glad that it is Friday?  I sure am.  It's been a busy week.  Thank you to all those who posted lovely comments on my last post.  The world is a much smaller place with the internet and I feel so lucky to make friends the world over who are supportive and understanding.  

I have a few photos to post but I want to start with what I wore today for Frock on Friday.  In a rare move I actually came home and put on another Frock.  Here they are: 

Left Blue polka dot and stripe polyester dress of unknown vintage, discovered on Trademe.  

Worn with blue plastic sandals from Factorie.  

Right a relation of a muu-muu found in at Toffs.  

There was one in greens and blues but I decided it would be greedy to buy both.  

I love the lurid pink.  It was only $2. 

The garden is looking stunning at the moment.  

I have grown some very large lupins and my beloved peonies are also flowering. 

Here are a few photos from the last few weeks which due to internet modem problems have not been blogged. Some of you might recall that I have been very interested in ducks recently.  I was delighted to find a family of geese protecting three fluffy goslings when I visited a friend a few weekends back. 

  One of my favourite blue polyester dresses from the Milton Salvation Army.

Worn with a genuine vintage Canterbury jacket which I cut shorter. 

I have decided that on days when I don't feel like being in a photo (or I take photos and I think they are hideous) I am going to take lots more pics of my accessories - jewellery and bags and belts and shoes. 

Here is a collage from earlier this week when I wore green and gold and brown:

Green polyester Norman Linton dress (Trademe), green beads which were originally a longer necklace but I shortened to a choker and a bracelet.  Kookaburra brooch, $1 from a market in Ranfurly, Brass rose bracelet from Blenheim, other bangles thrifted.  Green bead ring from the Hospice Shop $2 and Mood ring $1 from a fair at Warrington. 

 

Despite my love of green I do seem to wear a lot of blue:

 Vintage polyester Trevira dress - the only dress I have ever found which has armpit pads to soak up odours.  I removed them as I found them creepy.  They were clean.  Almost as if the dress had never been worn.  Another Trademe find.  The blue flower ring was a retail splurge.  I just love the colour.  

Oh, and then there is my love of pink:

Modern unknown brand tee shirt from the Hospice Shop $2, Modern brand (forget name) pink floral skirt $3 from Toffs, pink Melissa Shoes, pink bangles and a cute ring found at the $2 import store. 

I included the sunset because I wanted another pink photo and I could not find one.

Okay, the heater in this laptop is about to go Chernobyl so I am going to post this before something bad happens.  Did I tell you that you are all wonderful?  Well you are.  Hope you are having great Friday night.  xx