Another Saturday morning of garage sailing has come and gone. We had a good morning, found a few things that will be useful for very little money. Things like a new wicker hamper for the bathroom, never used for $2. And some shelving perfect for drying and curing sculpture in the sculpture studio for just $4. We love to find bargains but we’re really out to enjoy ourselves too. As we drive around looking for next sale, enjoying the sun, glimpsing lovely front gardens, we enjoy listening to whatever tape we’ve found at some garage sale. Today we sang along with Cat Stevens and songs of the “Tea for the Tillerman”album.
Sometimes you come across things that are a bit different, not always necessarily useful and you get a bit of history to go with your purchases.
Like the post cards we bought from a fellow with a couple of tables set up on the street corner in James Bay. The seller, an older man, told us they had been his late sister’s cards, who had traveled a lot in her day and collected post cards of the places she’d been or just whatever caught her fancy.
The odd ones at the top of today’s post, were a happy find, which we may use in a collage or even send to a friend for fun.
Or like the post cards of these colorful sunsets from Firenze in Italy..
Gazing over the seller’s shoulders we noticed this very bountiful community garden.
But what really drew our attention was this little softly-rounded straw bale shed topped with a roof garden sprouting grasses and succulents. We wandered over to admire it and the roses…
Which brings me indirectly to my next photos. But first let me tell you about why I have been inspired to present the following photos as diptychs.
For the past many months, each week I have been waiting for the next installment of blog from Australia. Louise, a very talented photographer features another suburb in a colorful photo journal of the over 600 suburbs of Sydney. Her goal is to present 52 suburbs. What makes her posts so special? Why do so many followers check every week for her latest photo journals? Well, I’d say it is her unique way of presenting photos in pairs, sometimes connected by color, sometimes by content or sometimes by similarities in curve or line. Go and see it, spend a little time, you don’t have to know Sydney to appreciate her amazing photos. I’d hoped to introduce Louise’s blog by doing a little photo journal of my own neighbourhood. But I found what Louise does much more difficult than it looks. So instead I’ve just taken a page from her diptychs and tried to emulate what she does.
So these next photos displays are my little tribute to Louise’s blog. My attempt at making those connections.
Like the Paint by Numbers of roses done by the next sellers Mom, now in her 80’s. And the roses in the community garden.
Or the colors in a pair of flamingos in a porch window (ok they do look a bit amourous) and the colors of a box of fishing lures at another sale.
Which brings me to my last little pairing of today’s bounty – an old kettle, soon to be a home for a trailing plant, some heirloom squash plants found at the Moss Street Market, the old muffin tin which I hope to make into planters for Hen and Chicks. But then I decided to clean up that old kettle, and somehow it’s just a bit too brilliant now. But I’ll leave it outside, and soon it’ll lose it’s shine and fit in nicely with the old grate in the herb garden.
What fun and what interesting finds!
Hi Nancy, That’s what I like most about garage sailing…you never ever really know what you will find.
Wow, that pot cleaned up well! You must have used a lot of elbow grease, Helen. 🙂 I *love* the diptych of flamingos & fishing lures, such a clever mix. You really may have more of an eye for this kind of thing than you realize — and you may be giving me a hankering to try it out.
I love postcards and have a huge collection, and somehow your cool find had me contemplating my own mortality, wondering who would end up with them when I pass away. Weird thoughts for a birthday girl. 😉
Thanks for the kind b-day wishes, by the way!
Hi Meredith, Actually the pot cleaned up too easily. As for thoughts about your collections after you are gone, I have a collection of over 100 Santa ornaments. When I told the kids that someday they’d all be theirs, they looked less than impressed. But never mind, I enjoy my collections. When garage sailing, you end up at quite a few estate sales and they say a lot about a person’s life. maybe I should do a post one day on that or not. Might be kinda morose.
I think that it is great that your eighty year old Mom painted such a fun paint by numbers.
Hi Jennifer, Glad you like the paint by numbers roses. I really liked them too and bought both pictures at the garage sale. They were not painted by my mom, but the mother of the fellow holding the garage sale. My mom passed away over 30 years ago. When she was alive though, my Dad, who grew roses and orchids always brought her the best ones to put in vase. With a kiss, of course.
Helen,
I so admire your creativity and ability to turn something ordinary into something beautiful or fun. Your photographs presented in pairs are just beautiful – I love that peachy rose. I will have to visit Louise’s blog and see some of her photographs as well. I also enjoyed your pictures of Hart’s garden in your previous post – those rhododendron are beautiful, and what fabulous color!
Hi Liisa, Well, that is high praise and much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the paired photos too. Louise’s site is well worth spending time on. I still haven’t seen all of the suburbs she already done, but I’m slowly savoring each one. As for Hart’s garden, next I’m planning on showing off his garden “art”.
What a great day you had so many treasures, and a very interesting way pf presenting photos. I will head over and check out Louise’s blog now, thanks for the info.
Love the pic’s! Such great colors too…. They would look great framed together on a giant wall.
It sounds like you had a fun day. The straw bale house with the succulents growing on the roof is cute, and I really like the photo pairings! That’s a great idea. Louis’s blog will be interesting to explore!
Hi Deborah, Had another good day of garage sailing this weekend too. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Louise’s photo blog. She has the greatest color sense too.
Hi Jenn, Glad you enjoyed the colors and pics.
Hi Deb, I just loved the shape of the little straw bale shed too. I’m sure you’ll enjoy exploring Louise’s blog even if you’ve never been to Sydney, her photos tell a story about each suburb.
Helen, you continue to expand your creative energies, you really are on to something, thanks for more inspiration :^)