Treasures From My Travels......My Lucky Day !

It was a warm sunny Spring afternoon.....

We had been busy doing kids things all morning and now it was time for Mummy to have a turn !

I grabbed a map of the local area that we were staying in on our trip, jumped into the car and off we went. We had planned on heading down to look around at the other coastal towns nearby and this sunny afternoon the weather was perfect for it.

The grumpy boys in the back seat weren't at all happy about spending time in the car but were bribed by a trip to the sweet shop to soften the blow.  They knew that Mum would be on the hunt for antiques and the thought of that brought them dread (why do boys always hate shopping ? lol).

We drove for quite a while looking at beautiful beach breaks and the crystal clear green ocean.

I had my trusty camera around my neck (yes...even in the car !) ready for photo opportunities. My husband and boys kept spotting kangaroos and wallabies grazing along the side of the road next to bushland but somehow I kept missing them ! lol  Here I was perched up on my seat watching and waiting but never seeing a thing ! (I am in glasses denial !)

After an hour in the car and plenty of moaning in the back seat about how much further we pulled into the CUTEST little town. It was right on the beach and only a few shops were there.

IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT THAT I SAW IT !!!!!

VINTAGE !!!!

I am still unsure as to what the name  of this store was. All that I know is that seconds after seeing this sign I was off like a shot out of the car, handbag in tow and putting my antiquing skills to good use. I love shopping in country towns. The prices are always really reasonable and you just never know what you may find.

Well didn't I hit the jackpot !!!

From the moment I walked through the doors I saw mountains of lace everywhere.

Not just your everyday lace doily finds......GORGEOUS LACE !

Hyperventilating inside of myself I played cool calm and collected and strolled through the store. The store offered a little bit of everything. There was a bit of junk but amongst the junk were pretties.

After looking around for a while I began to gather my treasures.

One by one my collection of lace grew !!

Juggling my purse and pile of lace I heard a voice behind me ask why I was taking the doily out  of the front window.  Thinking it must have been a joke I smiled and turned around. An elderly lady stood there with her hands on her hips !

I explained to her that I hoped to buy the lace and hoped that it was for sale.

After relenting and a big sigh, she explained that she had just redecorated the window !

OOPS !

THEN she said to ignore all of the price tags and I could have any doily or piece of lace for a dollar a piece ! (SMILE !!!!!!!)

I secretly wished that I could have a shopping trolley to fill up to the brim.....$1 for beautiful lace !

Incredible.

The lady went on to explain that she had lived in France for many years and this is where she had collected most of her collection. She had so much of it that she had finally decided to let it go.

After initially having me thinking that she was a little grumpy, she turned out to be a little sweetheart. She told me stories of her travels and the antiques that she had collected over the years.

She showed me beautiful bed coverlets and tablecloths and I am certain that I must have been drooling. I carefully gathered up my new 'babies' (lace, jug covers, tablecloth and postcards) and went to pay.

AND THEN I SAW THIS ! (below)

It was in a glass cabinet and was so fragile that it was beginning to perish. Tiny crumbs of paper lay at it's base, obviously really old !

I LOVE OLD ! lol

It is dated early 1911 and is a sweet little Nestle home hints and recipe book.

It's pages are brown and worn but it is adorable

I have already begun to cut up some of the damaged lace for projects but a lot of it is so precious that I can't bare to part with it.

There were too many to photograph but here are some of my favourite pieces.

and did I mention that we munched on these delicious pink sugary treats as we drove along....

That's another wonderful thing about country towns.....they almost always have a sweet store !

The photo does not do it justice, this tablecloth is stunning. I have a soft spot for the art of tatting and this sweet tablecloth has patches of tatting all over it.

It is in such fabulous condition too !

This piece is a beautiful doily with knitted edges. The needles that knitted these edges must have been soooo tiny !

This doily below is my favourite !!

It is made of the finest voile, is delicate and truly perfectly preserved.

This lot of lace had been safely kept in a chest for many years away from the dust and sunshine therefore being in amazing condition for it's age.

and of course I found some more pretty antique greeting cards !

After stopping for an hour and my little darlings hopping one by one out of the car to 'get Mum' I left the vintage store a very happy girl.

Don't you just love it when you find bargains like this !

Thanks so much to you for visiting this week and listening to my tales of my travels. I have really enjoyed sharing with you all. For those that live here in Australia I can highly recommend visiting Berry, NSW. I loved visiting and will one day go back and visit again.

Have a great weekend and I will see you all again next week.

Melanie

x

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