Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Festive Finds

I am a Christmas FREAK! I get excited for months beforehand, playing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You", watching the Budweiser Clydesdale Horses Christmas ad on Youtube (they don't show it here in Australia) and of course my new favourite Christmas movie "Love Actually".

I yearn someday to make a mega-haul of fabulous brightly coloured vintage mercury glass ornaments still in their boxes like almost everybody else in blogland seems to be doing but for now I am happy with these little festive finds...

These funky cards were $1 for five, haven't been able to bring myself to send them yet.


I LOVE these ice-cube trays, they cost 50 cents, it's such fun having Santa and tree-shaped ice, even though they will probably melt within seconds in the Sydney heat!

Hello Deer (or is he a moose)? Either way for $2 I wasn't passing this cutie up. S and D love him, he's the perfect size for their little hands to clutch and push around.

This assortment of Christmas baubles were $1. I love these old threaded ornaments, they remind me of when I was little and Dad was putting up the tree, we would go through all the decorations and I loved fidgeting with them and pushing the thread apart and back together.


Christmas glasses for 20 cents each.

What could be more festive than red snowflake pyrex?


One of my few gripes about Australia initially was how much less festive Christmas was here for us at first, I was used to the Northern Hemisphere where Christmas means cold nights, evenings spent huddled around roaring fires, Christmas lights twinkling on short days and the possibility of snow (the only white Christmas in my lifetime in Dublin was the year we left Ireland, typical!) However, whilst I still have the occasional twinge for a cold Chrimbo I am now almost fully acclimatised and love the Aussie Christmas, I think having kids does that - the wonder and excitement of Santa is back, buying stocking fillers, making lists...

I digress, this book was a great find for $3, it's the Aussie angle on a Christmas feast, featuring beach buffets, bbq tips as well as incorporating the traditional turkey and ham feast (which we Paddies still insist on preparing every year).


This was the motherload of Christmas hauls, not strictly thrifted as they are from Myer but too good a bargain not to share. It was last January at the very end of the sales and they had 90% off the already marked down prices, when I brought $180 worth of decorations to the cash-desk expecting to pay $18 for them they charged me $1.80 with a rather haughty sales assistant assuring me it was 90% off the initial 90%, who was I to argue? Yaay!

I think even in the hot Summer evening sun I may be tempted to partake in some traditional mulled wine heated up in this gorgeous enamel stove-top jug which I picked up for $1.50

Only 16 days to go...

15 comments:

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Oh such bargains and I love the $1.80 for the ornaments!!! But truly I love the red snowflake pyrex! Oh be still my heart!

Engracia said...

I LOVE the cards, LOVE the Pyrex and LOVE the enamel jug and I ADORE Xmas. Santa has been good to you so far with these great finds. See you Sat. Exx

Evelyn said...

Those are awesome finds! I love the cards and the snowflake Pyrex, I wish I would come accross one of those.

Sonya --Dime Store Thrift said...

I love Love, Actually TOO!! What a great movie!!

Becky said...

Love the enamel jug!

Missa said...

I'm pretty sure he's a moose and I'm positive that he's awesome ;) Love the stove-top jug too, I've been into enamel lately. Wish I had one to heat up some spiced cider in, yum!

Anonymous said...

Pretty pics and great finds! Think he's a moose ... I live in Canada, I better know eh?

mylittlebirdie said...

These are fabulous. I love the cards, very retro and the ice cubes so very cute. What a haul from Myer good score dont you love errors like that in your favour! Enjoy!!!

Vonlipi said...

Reading about Xmas with no snow seems all so foreign. Of course you can have Xmas anywhere, but I would miss the snow for sure. I am in Quebec and we had 6 or 7 inches of the white snow yesterday and it is minus 7 celsius right now....brrrr!

Come see my pictures of Pyrex Delphite in the snow!

The Queen of Clearance said...

you found so much great stuff at such great prices! I love it all! The pyrex is soo cute!

Maria said...

The red pyrex is beautiful! The rest of your finds are amazing, but I'm a little obsessed with Pyrex- so that one is my favorite.

littlebyrd said...

I love all of your Christmas decor!! And Love Actually? Really one of my all time favorite movies. I watch it every single year!

Kim said...

I had no idea that red snowflake Pyrex was made! It's perfect! You are very lucky to have found it.

Mushee said...

Awwww, those thread baubles remind me so much of our old decorations!

Cynthia said...

Love the pyrex.