Sabbatical - The Madrid Edition

Has it really been almost exactly 3 months since I've left Spain? I figured I have to finish writing about my sabbatical in Spain before more time has lapsed and more trips have passed me by.

Madrid was all about creative street art, and lots of interesting murals on the walls and shop fronts/gates/doors. I am still trying to figure out what a mannequin propped up in a balcony mean? I noticed that in at least 3 balconies in different areas. It was too much to be a coincidence. Was it code for some illicit business that takes place in that particular flat? Or just that some really cool artist lives there and nothing more nefarious?

Madrid was also about beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds streaking across the azure. Gorgeous patterns in the dazzling brightness. I could never get enough of how beautiful and interesting the sky was every single day.

And lastly, the huge flea market and the laneways on the slopes with all the shops selling antiques and vintage ware. There we were, most aptly located in our Airbnb apartment with the biggest flea market on our doorstep. We loved checking out the little shops even if that mean trudging up and down the hills and wandering around the flea market and trying to score a bargain at the market stalls. And now back in Singapore, I wear the lovely reversible skirt I bought in Madrid, and as I finger the pretty fabric, I remember my time under the sun, under the dazzling blue sky, under the puffy white clouds.

Sydney, I Miss You

Last trip to Sydney was 5 days before Christmas last year and was an in and out trip, hardly enough time to meet my friends, drink all the flat white to satisfy my caffeine cravings, visit the new cafes that have popped up in Surry Hills, buy all the vintage ceramics and glassware at the opp shops, nose around the Mitchell Road Auction House, gorge on lovely bread from Bourke Street Bakery and Central Baking Depot, walk the parks and beaches... And almost a whole year has gone by without a work trip to Sydney this year, the biggest drawback of the new role. I miss everything and everyone.

So even nursing this (new) cold which followed 2 bouts of walking pneumonia, I am determined to enjoy myself when I get there in 2 days' time. So let me get back to lying on the couch and resting my mind, body and soul. Then I will be ready for you Sydney!!

Exotic Skins - From Hate To Love

 I firmly believe it is a sign of old age when one starts appreciating exotic skin and prints like snake, crocodile, leopard and tiger. When one was young, one avoids these like the plague, but suddenly you get to a certain age, something comes over you and you just develop a love or even an obsession for them literally overnight, with no warning symptoms whatsoever.

Mine hit me about 3 years ago when an obsession just overcame me and I spent nights surfing online shops for exotic skin bags and shoes. This really roomy clutch (snake I think) was procured from Rozelle Markets in Sydney. I had lost out on another clutch to my friend, C who had seen it first and with the laws of shopping, whoever has their claws on the item, gets first dibs on them until they relinquish it. C did not relinquish and so you snooze, you lose. Hence when I spied this clutch on a subsequent trip to Rozelle with C, I grabbed this immediately. And I use it all the time now.

 And then when I was in a departmental store, I heard these 2 pairs of snake skin shoes call out to me. It didn't matter that they were BOTH a size too small for me. I let myself be convinced by the salesgirl that "leather will stretch". I kinda forgot that even if leather stretches, it stretches sideways to become broader. It is virtually impossible to stretch LONGER. Why I didn't realise that then and also for the next few months as I squeeze my feet into these shoes, hoping for the day they will suddenly stretch to fit, will come quickly. My sister, a government scholar pointed that fact out to me recently, it didn't occur to me for some reason, perhaps I was in denial. I don't think the fact that one of us was awarded a scholarship alluded to intellect. But with this realisation, I think I have to let them go.

I drooled over this little 1950s lizard skin handbag for months before I actually purchased it online. It wasn't cheap and I was telling myself that I was buying it for my online vintage business while secretly wanting it for myself. So I needed to turn a profit on that and like I said, it wasn't cheap. But I finally bought it and it was as lovely as it looked online.

So do you agree that it is a sign of old age when one suddenly develops this exotic skin fetish - almost like a from hate to love type of story?

Vintage Treasure Hunter Now Also Seller

I have a new interest which has stemmed from an old interest. Together with my partner in grime, K, we started an online business for all things vintage in March and have started selling retro, vintage furniture, glasses, ceramics, jewellery, bags and other household items through our blog and also our Facebook page. I used to be a buyer and a collector, now I am also a seller. We are really excited to get our new name cards today! Thanks to my talented designer/artist husband for designing them for us.

Another Treasure Unearthed

I love, love, love Rozelle Markets in Sydney. It is one of the last real flea markets left in Sydney, not one of those touristy type of markets which churn out stuff for the tourists. But it is a true-blue market. And it never disappoints. Every visit is a success. I come back hugging some treasure close to my chest, hardly believing my luck. This time was no different. I scored this lovely, genuine snake skin vintage clutch for only A$5. Although it is not in an excellent condition, it is good enough for me and looks just so beautiful. The leather is gorgeous and the size is large enough to pop in my long wallet, blackberry, lippy and gloss, keys and tissue paper. Did I say I love Rozelle Markets?!

Vintage Shopping

I love old things. Some people call them junk. Some people turn their noses up at them because they aren't brand new. Some people wonder where the branded label is. I don't care what these people think, I just love vintage stuff.

My shopping preferences have continuously veered towards trawling weekend markets for unique stuff and thrift shops for treasures. Holding an unexpected find, in the midst of dusty racks of clothes and bags, or turning over an interesting bit of pottery and finding a special potter's mark - all priceless experiences. I've had the fortune of having those experiences and love the thrill of the find, the search that goes before the find.

Now that I've left Sydney, where my flea market shopping can be indulged to the maximum, I've turned to the virtual flea market online to feed my passion and it's grown to be a bit of an obsession. I've spent hours trawling the various shops, the next best thing to being physically present and turning a cup around in my hands, feeling the fabric, opening bags up and looking into them, trying jackets on and looking at myself in the mirror... But the virtual vintage shopping experience has been great. It's yielded many items which I covet. In addition to the jadeite brooch and a ring that I've bought and eagerly and patiently waiting the arrival of, I've been debating which of the vintage bags I should buy. There are 3 or 4 that I have been thinking about, but I have been in love with this carpet bag as soon as I've set eyes on it. After mulling about it for 3 days, I decided I had better get it before some other discerning vintage lover beats me to it and then I would have to live with regrets.

So now I just have to sit back and wait for my purchases to arrive. And try to control my vintage shopping and not let the obsession grow too large, especially when online shopping is so convenient and I have been paying for my purchases with PayPal, in support of the new job that I start in 4 days' time!

Packing, Recycling, Reusing

The apartment was looking like a bomb site for a while before G tried to put things away and hide them in the bedroom so that it was a little more presentable for Christmas. Not that anyone or even Santa paid us a visit.

I was in a packing frenzy, trying to wrap my precious glassware gleaned over the last 4 years from various sources and keep them safe enough to survive the journey. Paper was strewn all over the floor, boxes and suitcases were open, items were repacked. I wasn't that confident that they would survive to be honest. So we've decided to pay the professionals to do the job and we can obtain comprehensive insurance for them in that case. Some things aren't expensive but they are worth a lot, they cannot be replaced because they are hard to come by, especially where we are going. It's kinda price vs value.

I've put up some stuff on Gumtree and surprise, surprise - I've had 1 person respond who was very keen in a few items and is coming to see them tomorrow morning. With some luck, we might get rid of most of them. It is a shame to let our retro pieces go and it is with great reluctance that we do so. Some of the pieces like the replica Wassily chair and the Caroma stool will go to friends and some time down the road, when we visit these friends, we will see some of these old treasures find a place in someone else's lives and giving them the same enjoyment that we've had...

Ten Things I Would Miss About Sydney

1. The weather. I like the temperate nature and the changing seasons, even though I am not so keen on days turning dark at 4.30 pm. I like how the flowers bloom in Spring or even a warm late Winter, especially the luscious pink Cherry blossoms and the beautiful purple Jacaranda. I like the fresh days where it's not too cold. I like the warm days where 30% humidity garners a universal howl from Sydneysiders.

2. Treasure-hunting at weekend markets and opp shops. My all-time favourite activity. I love the different markets and the aspects special to them. Rozelle for new clothes made from vintage patterns and material, Surry Hills for all things retro and gorgeous, Glebe for wonderful, bohemian gift ideas, North Sydney for home-made yummy goodies, Kirribilli for a mish-mash of old cast-offs and new arts and crafts.

3. Great coffee and fabulous cafes. I like the cafe vibes and the lovely aroma of coffee. I like the independent cafes which means no one needs to ever go to a chain like Starbucks, pay a fortune to get a lousy coffee for their caffeine fix. I like how your regular barista remembers your order even if he doesn't know your name. I like the fact that soy milk is widely available for lactose-intolerant people like me.

4. Shop assistants and cashiers at the supermarkets sound genuinely friendly when they greet you and talk to you. Friendliness comes easily to them and is not forced and artificial. It makes going to the shops such a nice experience.

5. Strangers at the bus-stop or going for a walk in the neighbourhood or that you meet going alone to the cinema say hello or good morning to you. Sometimes, they even strike up an interesting and not-so-brief conversation. Once again, neighbourly friendliness is not frowned upon. It makes community living so pleasant.

6. Cheap and authentic Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Due to the large number of immigrants from these communities, they have also brought their cuisine with them and their price range caters to the student and immigrant worker sectors.

7. To-die-for bread. Bread that is solid and heavy and filled with wholesome ingredients, freshly-baked and piled high on the shelves. Fennel and sour cherry, hazelnut and raisins, fig and barberry, caramelised onion, soy and linseed - these are some of my favourite varieties.

8. Bus drivers who will inevitably patiently wait till an elderly passenger with their shopping or a mother with a child, laden with a stroller and nappy bag, has shuffled down to their chosen seat, sat down before moving off. And also drivers who say hello and good morning and passengers who sing out a thank you from the back door to the driver before alighting at their stops.

9. The great parks and beach walks. A free and wonderful way to connect with Nature, breathe in fresh air, look at the beautiful blue skies and just enjoy Mother Nature's gift to our 5 senses.

10. Lastly, the handful of good friends that I've made, with whom I've shared many a soy flat white, Malaysian curry chicken with fried rice and a caramel slice.

Art & Craft Therapy

This morning I woke up feeling like I need a break from the forex trading I've been doing. Last night's loss of $1,200 plus the possible huge loss of an open position was not a good feeling. The upside was the possible huge loss became a loss of $280 which was realised this morning. So I thought I would give all things forex a break and do something creative.

I had already cut out salvagable pieces from my candy-striped flannel PJs bottom the other day when I decided that it was time to retire it as there were "parts" (won't spell out which parts) that were almost thread-bare. The leg portion was still in very good condition and I love the cheerful colours. I figured I could make a couple of pouches from the leg bottoms. These pouches are always handy for popping in odds and ends like keys, make-up for emergency, gum and lollies for that sugar fix which you can then toss into your handbag so that you don't have to rummage around for one of these small items. And if you are a girl who likes to change your handbag to match your outfit, having one of these pouches, makes the switching so much easier.

So in about 45 minutes, I had whipped up a pouch, using nothing but a needle and thread. The button was 1 of many that I had snapped up at a flea market on 1 of my button-crazy phases. I just love how cheerful it looks. I think I feel a bit more cheerful myself after this!

Glass Plate (Footless Cake Stand)

My latest market/opp shop want is a glass cake stand. A one-tier glass plate with cut or pressed patterns on a simple glass pedestal. I looked online (plenty in the US), neighbourhood opp shops and various weekend markets. I only came across one in an opp shop but the pressed glass version was of low quality with an asking price of $25. I turned up my nose at it. Inferior goods with a superior price tag.

Last Saturday, I came across this glass plate. Not quite what I was looking for, but the pattern looked well-cut and the price was very attractive - $2. Was originally asking for $3 but when I walked away not quite decided if that was what I want, the seller quickly knocked it down to $2. Now, I've seen many of these glass plates at various opp shops, there are nice ones and not-so-nice ones but none for $2. This was seemed well-cut and well-priced. So even though it was not a glass cake stand, I caressed this footless glass plate and took it home with a creative thought in my mind that I could transform it into a cake stand by super-glueing a glass candle stick to the back, creating the missing leg. Or it can just stay as a glass plate and I'll keep searching for my glass cake stand.

Another Vintage Find

Being an inveterate collector of vintage glass and ceramics, I love trawling the flea markets and op shops. What greater joy is there than finding a lovely, old item for a bargain price? Bumping into a garage sale with really good vintage items is also a fortuitous event and I've scored a few treasures in garage sales too, most notably my blue glaze Steve Sheridan salad bowl for a meagre $10.

Most recently I've obtained a large, clear glass lemon juicer. This is actually not my first choice because I've had my eye set on a green Depression glass juicer and measuring cup set at the Antiques Centre. But I wasn't that keen on the price of $45 and so had been looking out at markets and op shops for something similar. Unfortunately, the search has been futile so far and I've seen a few clear glass lemon juicers but no green Depression glass ones.

Having passed up on several of these clear glass ones, I finally decided that I would have to get one and not have any regrets in the future, for missing a good buy with this one at only $3 on one of my quick nips into the neighbourhood Vinnie's shop last week. I'm going to use it to squeeze the oranges when I make my orange cupcakes, see they aren't just objects of beauty to be collected and admired. They are functional and I will love the feel of the heavy glass in my hands and am finally going to put the green plastic juicer I have, into retirement.

The Rise Experience And More

We made another religious pilgrimage back to our old neighbourhood this Saturday. We had a whole day of events planned, starting first with lunch at a little Thai eatery in "Thainatown" (little Thailand next to Chinatown) where I had my tom yum noodles and G had his seafood pad thai. This just hit the spot and was just right for the wallet too, now with us on only 1 income.

Then we had a coffee at the Wall, which was quite apt since this was where we had our first date almost 2 years ago and we were going to celebrate that 2nd anniversary with a 7-course degustation dinner at Rise at Darlinghurst later that evening. I have had my eye on Rise for the longest while but my last 2 reservations were aborted for some reason or other which I no longer remember.

A wander around the monthly Surry Hills markets is always a thrill. One never knows what treasure one might chance upon. Unfortunately, I left empty-handed this time.

G had an appointment with Huw at the Light Brigade in Paddo, so we made our way up Oxford St. We realised that the once boarded-up patch of greenery which housed some old structure had been transformed and there were lots of curious sight-seers. So we joined the curious and discovered that it was formerly the Paddington Reservoir which is now disused and had been converted into a park. Some old structures had been retained while a sunken garden had been created. It was a very nice oasis for tired shoppers in upmarket Paddington.

After a few beers with Huw and SJ, with little Leo in tow, we headed off to Rise to meet up with our dinner buddies, Lou and Young. I had discussions with Lou, another foodie about Rise for more than a year, and coincidentally, we had just talked about Rise the week before when we met up for lunch. So it was apt that we finally enjoyed this degustation dinner with them.

We managed to only get seats at the counter and saw the action first-hand. Lou felt that it resembled a factory assembly line and that detracted a little from the enjoyment of the food. I guess the assembly line atmosphere is due to the fact the restaurant was full with patrons taking advantage of the one-week offer of the 40% discount to celebrate the restaurant's 4th anniversary and the chef and assistants were churning out the degustation courses in military precision.

Although a finicky egg-eater who turns up her nose at almost every single type of egg except for the "well-beaten and well-cooked on both sides like a pancake" type of omelette, I actually ate (and even enjoyed) the poached quail egg that was perched on top of the salmon appetiser. This is definitely a first for me, and only goes to show how tasty and non-eggy the egg was.

The sashimi-oyster trio was yummy, the sauces were unusual and added a fusion twist to what one would normally expect. I started feeling a little full at this point and we were halfway through only.

The next trio was probably my favourite. The chawanmushi was again a fusion version with a Thai curry blending with the egg custard. It was just too good as I scraped down the sides of the little shot glass. The little fishball was again a Thai-inspired one with a lovely lemongrass fragrance. The little paper-rolls with chicken stick paled in comparison.

A little portion of green noodles in soy sauce and topped off with a steamed scallop and spring onions, was served in a pretty shell. I enjoyed the presentation and the freshness of the scallop. The chewiness of the noodles was a nice change in texture.

Now onto the main course. We had the chicken confit on greens while the fishisaurus had a king fish main. After all the seafood, I felt that the chicken was a nice change. The portion was just right. Dinner ended with a light and refreshing almond jelly on fresh fruit with amaretti jelly piled on top. Again, I was scraping down the sides of my little glass to try to get every single bit of the dessert. It was yummy.

After dinner, we parted company with our dinner companions, and G and I went to the Victoria Room for a drink as we were reluctant to leave town and go home so early especially on a Saturday night (we weren't THAT old). It was my first time there although I have heard much about the place and the old-fashioned and rather opulent decor was quaint.

Having drunk in the exciting vibes of our surroundings, we were sufficiently satiated and made our way home, happy and contented.

Two Of My Favourite Things

No longer enjoying the convenience of having a vast selection of eateries (cheap and not-so-cheap) at our door step, we started cooking even more than before. Our new grocery bills easily tripled our old bills when we were living in Surry Hills. Our repertoire is not wide, but is probably sufficient for us, for now. We still eat a lot of fish but G says he will start eating meat (sometime, some day, somehow). If one doesn't live in hope, what else does one have? And so, I hang on, hoping that he will see the light and we can start introducing meat into our meals. It is hard to cook meat just for one person and so I never do, and end up eating fish all the time at home. Which explains why I choose meat (any meat! I am not discriminatory when it comes to meat) every single time I go out to eat, I am probably extremely iron deficient.

In a not-so-typical dinner we had over the long weekend just past, we decided to assemble some fresh oysters for starters, sour dough bread from my fave bakery, Bourke Street Bakery, a couple of different cheeses, smoked salmon and trout, avocado and tomato for a tasty and quick meal. I also made a salmon roulade, courtesy of my MIL's recipe which we generously slathered onto the bread. This is such an easy but delicious spread to make. It is going into my recipe archives for future English high teas and picnics.

And we topped off with dessert from Bourke Street Bakery as well, a vanilla & strawberry creme brulee tart and a lemon curd tart. They were absolutely delicious, I can't decide if I like the creme brulee with the caramelised crispy shell or the tangy kick of the lemon curd better. They are both addictive - and probably very fattening too, which makes them so yummy I guess.

The same morning, by a stroke of luck, was also the Surry Hills markets day and we were in the neighbourhood. So we trawled through the stalls and I didn't have to go far. The first stall I stopped at, I spied those vintage pressed glass jelly moulds that I had been eyeing for a while. They were extremely well-priced and I dithered between the 2 of them, one had a diamond top and the other was oval with the dimples. I turned to G for a second opinion and in his infinite wisdom, suggested that I ask the seller if I could have both of them for a discount of a third off. I offered, she accepted and a deal was had. I was the proud owner of these 2 lovely glass jelly moulds, circa 1940s-1950s. I inaugurated them that night with port wine jello but the consistency of jello is not optimal for these moulds as they are too soft to unmould properly. I will put them to the agar-agar test and I'll bet they will come out beautifully.

Good food and finding flea market treasures. 2 of my favourite things. What more could a girl ask for?

May Your Year Be Filled With Abundance

I had been eyeing this range of circle flap handbags for quite a while now. They remind me of fish scales but round, and I just couldn't decide if I wanted a red one which is the kind of handbag I like, a black classic one which would be practical or a mustard one to replace my last mustard-coloured handbag, a colour which is hard to come by in a nice handbag. Decisions, decisions, it was just too hard to pick one, so I put it off and held off getting one of these bags.

So today when I chanced upon a garage sale in the neighbourhood and a similar bag except it was flap handbag shaped like a fish, in very soft PVC, I knew this was it. Quirky! The girl wanted $15, I offered $10 and we agreed on $12.

It got me thinking this was a purchase apt for the Lunar New Year. "Nian nian you yu" that is the traditional Chinese New Year saying - may your year be filled with abundance. Now that is just what we need in these current times ...

Saucers

My slight obsession with ceramics continues. It has been some time since I last bought any. So when MIL (to soon be) brought me to Foragers, a treasure trove of vintage and retro stuff, in Christchurch, I was in heaven. So much so that I made a repeat trip there an hour after I left since the first trip was a hasty one. One needs to take one's time in such a shop, to slowly savour the offerings, touch every item, turn them round and round, look at things from different angles. Then make one's decision as to what to buy.

And so on the repeat trip to Foragers, I slowly fingered everything which caught my eye. I didn't spend very much because the items that I bought were going for a song. I bought 3 saucers, the red-rimmed one on the top left, the floral one on the top right and the green-rimmed one on the bottom right. I think they might match the partnerless teacups I have accumulated along the way. Lovely saucers - 50 cents each. Finding treasures going for a song - priceless.

The other 3 plates? Even cheaper. I picked them up at our lobby, a neighbour must have been moving out and so left several boxes of crockery. I picked the 3 I liked best and left a whole bunch for other treasure-hunters.

I love these little plates, every single one tells a different story.

More Market Finds

This weekend turned out to be another market-filled one. We forgot that it was the Surry Hills markets this Saturday and didn't really have much time except to do a quick 10-minute run through what looked like quite a promising array of wares and treasures.

We had to go meet my sister and friend in front of the Paddington market where they and other (probably Japanese mostly) tourists are parting with lots of dollars, buying stuff where locals don't shop. When they lamented how expensive things were, I had to tell them about the OTHER options available, for instance the Surry Hill markets! As it turned out, after lunch at the Italian deli, Alimentari, we went on an art gallery foray on Glenmore Road, and I sold my sister's friend, A , a 1974 Japanese woodblock print by Haku Maki at JF's gallery (where I pretend I still work - apart from doing the actual successful sales pitch, JF let me do the invoicing and the credit card transaction) for A$750, we didn't have time to go back to SH markets, and did a quick detour into the Fringe Bar markets instead. Yes the bar turns into a market every Saturday - that says something about the entrepreneurial spirit of the bar owners, and the location is prime for tapping into the right demographics.

So I promised to take them to the Bondi Beach markets on Sunday, where things were more reasonably priced and the variety would be no less. And so, they went a little crazy, buying up prints, photos mounted on wooden blocks, dresses and other knick knacks.

After I found my own treasures - a Chinese plate which looked quite old with a potter's mark which I will have to add to my list of marks to research, and a similar-looking bowl with no mark, but with lovely crazing, I left them to carry on spending more money at the markets. I parted with my last $40 and left it to my sister as they were running out of cash with a third of the market still to cover!

Yes, we all have to do our part for the Australian economy.

To Market, To Market

This long ANZAC weekend was pretty full-on. We enjoyed several good meals (including some good pumpkin and Parmesan soup at a cafe run by worshippers of a cult who live in a commune and grow their own food and bake their own bread for sale) , got together with a dozen plus friends, stayed out late (which we hardly ever do) ate, drank and made merry. And we will probably be paying for it the coming week. I have decided I would get on a quasi-Nazi diet for some detox. Fruit, veg and tofu for dinner for the next 5 nights. This is probably the guilt talking. For now at least.

I also managed to squeeze in a couple of visits to Rozelle Markets, the Vinnie's and Salvos at Rozelle which always seem to yield some interesting ceramics, no exception this time where I found a great cheese bell to pair up with the smaller cheese/butter bell I got myself when I first arrived in Sydney and a container with a cork lid. I also got a little creamer jug and a pair Chinese/Japanese teacups, 1 stoneware with some brushwork and another porcelain with delicately painted leaves and vines. I am going to enjoy drinking the really fragrant Oolong tea from Taiwan with these cups.
There is another stoneware dish with an interesting glaze. I always feel that my food will taste somewhat better in these ceramics than in some "normal" Ikea crockery.

Other great finds this weekend include a black hat with flowers and feathers trim, just in case I ever go to the races. I mean for $4, having a lovely, standby hat for that you-never-know moment when you need it, is a good investment I reckon.

And finally, to top it off, I got this vintage, ochre faux leather jacket for $5! It has a 1970s Karen Carpenter feel about it I think and the braid detailing adds another dimension to it. I really, really like it.

So I've had a fantastic haul these 3 days. That's what I love about living in Sydney - all the treasures you can chance upon in the markets and the opp shops. I know that when I leave Sydney and return for holidays, my vacation will be planned around market days for sure.

I Want, I Want

I caved in. I succumbed. I need this 60s Day/Night Sofa bed. No, I want this.

Well technically not this orange one, but in the same style except with off-white covers with black and brown flecks in it. I didn't even realise that the sofa opens up into a bed, although it did say "day/night" on the label. The one I want is even better as it comes in a complete lounge set with 2 armchairs as well. The fact that it opens into a sofa bed like that make it even more fabulous, and increases my "want" meter for it. I now regret that I've not put in a higher absentee bid for it in tomorrow's Design Auction.

Should I ring up the auction house and increase my bid? Or should I just cross my fingers and hope...

Treasure Trove

This was a weekend of treasures.

The bowl of tomatoes and a variety of herbs - rosemary, thyme, Thai basil and mint, was courtesy of S's home garden. An unlikely gardener S was, in my eyes, but he can surely grow some lovely vegetables and herbs. We promptly cooked some tomatoes and herbs into a fish curry that night.

Next was my great find at the Vinnie's in Berry. I had forgotten I had been to Berry some 4 weeks ago when my sister was in town. I had bought my retro ceramic coffee pot, creamer and sugar pot for the princely sum of $5 then. This time, the set of 6 dinner plates, 5 slightly small plates, 5 side dishes, 4 shallow bowls, 4 saucers and 2 cups, was obtained all for the grand sum of - wait for it - $2!! I was almost sure there was some mispricing and asked for confirmation that indeed, it was $2 for the lot. Oh dear, they really need to learn how to price goods better at this particular Vinnie's, there is a lot more money that customers would gladly part with for the things they get here.

We hit the auction on Saturday for the viewing and Monday for the action. I finally got my Christmas pressie from G. He had promised me a floor lamp, with a custom-made shade from the Bondi Beach market. I wanted a wooden one which wasn't too ornate and had trawled through charity shops and ebay for a couple of months. This finally fitted the bill. And the price was very right too - only $35 including the auctioneer's premium.

The green and white tile top coffee table was an impulse bid at the Monday evening 20th century design sale. I was really pleased with this buy, the table was in mint condition which was good because I did not get a chance to inspect it before the sale (as I didn't see it at the viewing and so didn't form an intention to purchase it and hence didn't inspect it). I had seen several orange and white tile top coffee tables earlier but the green and white was more unusual. This win made up (kinda) for the fact that the prices for the sunburst clock, the Kartell round plastic nesting tables and the teak rocket floor lamp that G was eyeing from the viewing,were pushed up by the presence of the traders and also couples who were obviously buying up loads to furnish their houses. Seems like the interests were focused in a handful of items, judging by the heated bidding.

I know I will be back again at the auctions, I just need to find room for the stuff I want - like a Parker dining table and chairs, a couple of West German ceramic vases, a ball clock ... Treasure hunting is my very favourite pastime and living off the finds is a way of life.