Happy Halloween ~

"Double, double toil and trouble.

Fire burn and caldron bubble" Shakespeare

Last night my youngest son Chauncy and I carved our wonderful Halloween pumpkin. By 9am this morning he (the pumpkin) had already left our house as my son is going to a friends party tonight and wants to use it to help decorate. So no pumpkin for me. lol. These particular pumpkins, which are so easy to carve, used to be very expensive to buy here in OZ and you had to especially ask your green grocer and order one in. This year I was amazed to see them everywhere even in Woollies. The good thing is the price has now come way down. I hope you get a chance to do something fun for Halloween, and if you've never carved a pumpkin you should try it as its great fun no mater what age you are.

If you wish to contact us please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Friday Favourite ~ Hidden treasures

One of the little joys about our job is the fun of discovering what I call hidden treasures. This week there were a few, but one I thought I would highlight as a favourite was this cute bedroom or occassional chair.

I love this style of chair and am always drawn to them. You may remember it, as it looks in the first picture, from a previous blog earlier this week. When I had a chance to have a good look at it I realised the covering was a slip cover that some clever person had made. Usually people do this as the fabric underneath is damaged, stained etc. So initially as I saw the first peep of the original fabric underneath, I thought damn, the original fabric is so lovely what a shame!

So you can imagine I was very pleased when it turned out that not only was the original fabric lovely but I can find no trace of damage or stains and it has lovely pleats, piping and upholstery studs on the back. So it is off to find a new home for this lovely hidden treasure.

To see previous Friday Favourites please scroll down.

FUN wet SCARY frustrating DAY

Today has had it all. When I went to turn on my laptop this morning it had stopped working. It is over 3 years old so we just thought of getting a new one BUT then later on WHAT about all the family pictures inside it. So undecided what to do there now. After getting the kids off to school we went to drop some stuff off at the auctions and then to an estate that was based over two houses. We got one load onto the ute and then it started raining when we were driving to take the items to the auctions which luckily are not that far from the old homes. SO we FIRST got soaked taking the furniture off at the auctions. Then we got soaked again when we went back to look at the other old house, which has the old shed, pictured. There was not much there in that house but the shed did have some surprises.

The folks said no one had been in that shed for years. THEY were WRONG. The cute though NOT at the time possum scared the life out of us as we were looking through an old cupboard in the half light soaking wet. I would like to be able to post some pictures of the various things we got from the two houses. BUT when I got home and we had unloaded I went to take some pictures but the camera HAD decided to stop working. Fortunately I had the pictures I had taken during the day on a message stick. I could take it out of the camera and I can use my kids computers (WHICH they LOVE...not). But posting may be light for awhile till I can sort out all my electronic problems. At least as of right now I have had a shower and I am dry.

If you would like to contact us, please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Some smaller items from todays estate

It hard to pick my favourites from all the treasures Kristen brought home from todays estate but the last two pictures of the poker work dressing table set and the Royal Winton Teapot and Jug are probably my picks.

You can enlarge the pictures by clicking on them to get a better look.

If you would like to contact us, please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Some furniture from todays estate

I will try an post some pictures of some of the small items from the same house later today.

If you would like to contact us, please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Some items from todays estate

If you would like to contact us, please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Cottage Garden Peek

Here are a few pictures of some of the Items for Sale at The Cottage Garden Nursery 999 Stanley St East, East Brisbane. Just in is the wonderful old milk can. We always try to have lots of lovely, fun and interesting items for the creative and imaginative shopper.

If you would like to contact us, please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Just in Retro, Beach and Country Vintage .....

Some more cute folding beach style chairs and some fun retro items.

If you want to contact us about anything on the blog please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Friday Favourite ~ New "Foodie Market at The WAC.

I am very excited about the new " GABBA CORK AND FORK MARKET" which will be at The Woolloongabba Antique Centre. It will be a "Foodie" market with the emphasis on value added Grocery lines, wines, cheeses, bakery, small-goods, olives, etc, with a focus on edible foods. There will be an organic grocer and a butcher doing a sausage sizzle aswell. The date for opening will be Saturday November 7th. The Cork and Fork market will be open from 8.00am till 3.00pm
- Entry into the Cork and Fork will be via the Wellington Rd car park entry, and via the rear door of The WAC building once WAC is open at 8am
To learn more about the WAC visit. www.woolloongabbaantiquecentre.com don't forget to click on dealer profiles to see a bit more about theoldboathouse.

Some items from todays estate

If you wish to contact us about anything on the blog please email boathome@bigpond.net.au .

Chest pattern = WEIRD

There is no rhyme or reason in the vintage business. Take the four chests of drawers pictured in this post. The first, a little 3 drawer cedar chest is going up on ebay tonight for auction. Click here to see it on ebay. The third chest pictured is also cedar. It ends on ebay tomorrow night. Click here to see it. We got them within 3 days of each other. Yet before these two, the last unpainted cedar chest of drawers we had was back at the start of the year. So you go 8 or so months without getting any unpainted cedar chests then you get two in three days. The two very similiar pine chests of dawers are even more odd. They came to us within 2 weeks of each other from different houses. Yet they both have been partially restored, in that they have been stripped of paint and partly sanded back and then given up on by their different restorers.

The 5 drawer pine chest will also be going up for auction tonight, Click here to see it on ebay,while the 4 drawer version sold on ebay a week or so ago. Click here to see what it went for.

Off to the Garden Centre

These items are just new to The Cottage Garden Nursery, 999 Stanley Street East, East Brisbane. I am just as you walk in the door in centre of the nursery between Catherine the lovely Florist and the super guys in the cafe.
If you wish to contact us about anything on the blog please email boathome@bigpond.net.au.

High Tea

Kristen found these items yesterday in a funny little house in Camp Hill. The huge and ornate Samavor, with the imperial Russian Eagle stamp, looks like it should have been in a home with servants quarters not in a fibro home with an outside toilet. Shows I guess, just like the old saying says, you should never judge a book by its cover.

If you would like to contact us please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Ghosts of Ebay past.

When we first started on ebay, around the year 2000, there were certain items that were very collectable and would fetch much higher prices with the expanded market of America, Japan etc, then they would in Australia alone. So yesterday when I walked into a garage sale and on top of one cupboard was a set of canisters , a bakelite string holder and a pair of Scottie Dog book ends, it was like some playful dealing sprite was playing a trick on me. For ten years ago those three things probably along with old Art Nouveau Tiles were exactly the sort of things that if you put them on ebay for sale would bring 2 to 3 times the price you could get from them in a shop in Australia. So while it is still fun to find them you can't help but be reminded of those days.

If you would like to contact us please email boathome@bigpond.net.au

Off to the races

It is funny to find these hat blocks with the Caulfield Cup to be run today. Everyone seems to be making plans for the first Tuesday in November. Though if I need a hat I will be buying it rather than making it.

If you would like to contact us please email, boathome@bigpond.net.au

Friday Favourite ~ Patty Cake Heaven

Bulimba Bakery on Oxford Street has the most to die for cakes!!! If you have a chance, I highly recommend their butterfly cakes in vanilla or chocolate. Real cream and melt in the mouth sponge. They really are an every day favourite !!!

To see previous Friday favourites please scroll down.

Some furniture from a local estate

I will be listing these items on ebay tonight.

Click here to go to my auctions on ebay.

Folding BEACH House Timber slat chairs

I loved the aqua blue colour of these timber folding chairs and their naturally worn patina. I can imagine them being used indoors or out.

They are off to The Cottage Garden Nursery, Stanley Street East, East Brisbane, if I ever get organised enough to actually get there.

If you wish to contact us about anything on the blog please email boathome@bigpond.net.au.

To paint or not to paint that is the question?

Sometimes when we first get an item I think ~ that will look great with a coat of white paint . Then once I have cleaned the item and the mixture of old paint and rusty metal is all cleaned up I think I am not sure if paint is really the way to go. The paint everything white philosophy is very popular today but sometimes don't you just love a bit of natural time patina and rusty finishes. After all paint goes on much easier than it comes off. These items are all off to the Cottage garden Nursery 999 Stanley st East, East Brisbane.

With a bit of imagination the old tools make great garden art on a wall or leaning in the garden and the old bird cage looks fun with big candles or a plant inside hanging on a verandah. And the plant stands would also look great doubled as a candle holder don't you think??

If you want to contact about anything on the blog, please email at boathome@bigpond.net.au

Retro Old school Bikes

I nearly always have old school bikes for sale. I will be listing these bikes plus a couple of others this morning on ebay. Click here to go to my auctions on ebay.