Sunday, February 8, 2015

Selling stuff, rainy days and sending flowers to those who need cheer...

Over the years I've been a tad greedy and a wee bit manic buying and amassing collectibles...
since retiring I have re-evaluated my focus.
It's gone from "more is better" to "less is more better!"

Please excuse the bad grammar.
I phrased it this way because I overheard a young man ask his father....
"Dad did you know that Spiderman is more stronger than Superman?"

It is very therapeutic cleaning out the clutter, washing and tidying up cupboards and drawers...
rearranging the storage space and rediscovering what treasures we own are not currently being used in our home.
The question is do we keep it or get rid of it?


Lovely daughter and I have rented a shelf in a case at the local antique mall on Fort Street.

We are selling jewelry, silverware, mid century modern teak, and art glass.
I have a few gorgeous china cups and saucers that I am going to take in soon.


Someone commented recently that silver was on it's way out...
I love silver and keep ours polished...many prefer it tarnished for the Shabby Chic look.
If it is on the way out it is a great time to invest in a few pieces as the prices will be low...


This clay raven plaque has a First Nations feel to it...
it is rather naive and simple but that's what drew me to it.
It is an unusal piece and most probably unique.


Our local village shop Surroundings stocks a mix of old and new.
I cannot pass by without stopping in to see the owner.
She carries such wonderful things...


I try not to "get carried away" when I peruse her shop.


It was a blustery wet and rainy day...
one for gumboots and a brolly.

I popped into visit Kristiane after I walked through the muddy puddles of Beacon Hill Park.
I've known K for years and have bought quite a few things from her shop.
We always chat and exchange pleasantries when we see each other...
she's a lovely woman.


Spring is coming early to the Pacific Northwest...
we've had a very mild winter and unless we get a dump of snow the gardens will be a riot of colour very soon.


As an antidote to the gloomy grey skies I bought a cheap and cheerful primula...


I could have bought a carload but I am trying to be sensible and save money for Euros.


I browsed the flower market...
and thought that the cats would love to munch on these tulips!

Mr. HB and I have sent several beautiful bouquets and a lovely orchid from Thorn and Thistle to friends and family who have been ill or hospitalized after major surgery.
In times like these my way of helping is to send cards, flowers and take food.

I hope that you are enjoying better weather and that you are in the best of health.

"If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want."
  
~ Elbert Hubbard ~




23 comments:

Anonymous said...

From Margie in Toronto - I envy you your flowers and milder weather - it has snowed all weekend here in Toronto and we are under another cold weather alert. I cannot wait until the end of February!
You have such lovely things, I hope you do well with your sale.

Lorrie said...

Your flower photos are so full of life and color. Wonderful after the rainy week we've had. I wish you good success with your wares at Vanity Fair. I love wandering through Oak Bay and Fort Street, but don't often make the time to do it.

Madame Là-bas said...

It's lovely to have such an early spring. I saw two daffodils in bloom this morning. I love to look at vintage and décor items but I have no room. I have a lot of silver and I prefer the polished look. My closet is getting more sparse and I am planning two and a half months in Oaxaca with a carry-on of clothing. Less really is more!

Duchesse said...

What a wonderful service to provide to those who wish to sell rather than donate carefully-chosen things. Good luck. IMO this is the time of life to pare down rather than accumulate.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

I would be very tempted by all of the lovely things for sale on your "shelf". I love silver but it does need polishing and I am one of those who likes it nice and shiny. Resale shops are great places to find special items.

Susan said...

Like you, I have decided that less is better. I've consigned quite a number of pretty things from our home and still have so many things that are lovely, but I do not need them! You are right about silver not being vogue right now. I've kept all of our nicest quality pieces, but have jettisoned some of the lesser ones that I had never used anyway. I've always wanted to have a small booth in an antiques mall/shop. I hope you and your daughter are very successful. How much fun it must be to have a daughter to share this enterprise!

Stephen Andrew said...

Oh I don't think silver ever goes out of style. Perhaps out of trend, but never out of style. We have hundreds of years to prove that! I think a silver tea set is classic. Although I admit that I don't drink tea (I've only just started drinking tea at all) only out of porcelain. Because my silver is old, I worry about the possible porosity of the lining. So I do understand that if it won't be used, it's a rather high maintenance piece of decor. I saw a quote last night that holding onto objects comes down to one of two things: holding onto the past or fear of the future. Well that certainly stung me a little! it was easy to justify when I catered because my China, silver, and crystal were in consistent use. They sometimes sit unused for months now. But it is a very good feeling to me to loan my pieces when a friend or family member is having an event and doesn't have enough of her own. I have one set of china that has been used at two friends' weddings and three friends/cousin's baby showers! So it's hard to assess whether those good feelings of sharing it are worth keeping it. I don't opt to use it personally though, as it's very floral pink and I like white or blue and white.

Jeni Molyneux said...

I too have been getting rid of collected stuff...antiques etc to have a bit of considered space. Now I feel that one beautiful object can be enjoyed so much more than a collection. I am really enjoying a much more minimal lifestyle both in home decor and personal style.
Today the sun shone and I looked out at a bank of snowdrops too. Not long till the Spring and Paris .....

Sandra Salin Salin said...

Oh, I don't even want to think of how much paring down I need to do. It overwhelms me, I do love your quote. It is perfect! That rain looks so beautiful. I'm one of those Southern Californians that desperately needs rain.

A Lovely Inconsequence said...

Leslie, are you selling your little mink brooch??? I love the way that looked on you!

Kristien62 said...

Your beautiful flower pictures are a welcome respite to the expanse of white outside my window. A foot of snow fell today on top of the 10 inches we already had. And youngest son lives in Boston. I was looking forward to visiting there on Valentine's Day to discuss some wedding plans for him and his fiancée. But current conditions will probably postpone our trip. I so look forward to seeing our snow drops and daffodils poking through the snow.

Your silver is lovely. A few of my pieces ,which were tucked away, have tarnished beyond hope and I'm ashamed that I let this happen.

Jill said...

I think that might actually be an owl, rather than a raven, and an Inuit design, rather than First Nations. It looks like an Ookpik, or like the Enchanted Owl by the artist Kenojuak. Either way, it's adorable.

No Sacrifice Bags said...

I could never part with my 'good' silver; but I have a few pieces (just silver-plate) here in Florida that are so oxidized they look like Rhodium. Sulphur in the air tarnishes silver. These pieces are beyond polishing, so I either leave them, or have them powder coated in some fun colour.

I hope your sales go well!

Anonymous said...

And the pearls? Selling the pearls?

Jill said...

Anyone looking at your beautiful photographs of your silver could not be persuaded it is on the way out. All of your photographs are amazing - are they all taken with the little camera we saw a few posts back?

I loved all your pieces for sale and find it very difficult to part with things I love.

I hope your little sale is successful.

Anonymous said...

re your upcoming trip to Paris, this young blogger, who writes under the pseudonym Paris Stilton, was featured on House Hunters International. Her blog A Good Forking has restaurant reviews and offers "bespoke Paris tours" Check it out at http://agoodforking.com/

Deb said...

You had some lovely stuff. I hope they all found good homes :)

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Yes the mink brooch is going and one of the strands of pearls....I have several other strands and realized that I had far too many...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

You have made me rethink the plaque...
I wish I knew more about the piece.
I hope someone likes it enough to purchase it for their home.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I saw a fabulous floral arrangement in an almost black tarnished silver compote and it looked like a still life Dutch Masters painting...you've got some great ideas Donna!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I use my IPhone and the Canon Elph to take pictures for the blog...
fear not, there are quite a few lovely things still here in our humble bungalow!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I read several of her Paris posts and she has some great restaurant reviews...
thank you!

Anonymous said...

Most welcome. Our favourite breakfast place was Le Petit Cler, sister to the well-known La Fontaine de Mars, in the 7eme. We were able to have eggs and cafe au lait. Bon Appetit! Anna