Brisbane Adventures with Nan

On Wednesday I had the pleasure of taking my Nan to Brisbane for a PET scan and appointment with a specialist. This made for a great opportunity to spend quality time with Nan and so I was thrilled to have been asked on this all expenses paid trip. She has stage four breast cancer which has moved to her liver and the scan and appointment was to check that the cancer wasn't anywhere else in her body and organise for the diseased part of her liver to be removed. Thankfully, the only cancer is close to the surface of her liver and can easily be removed!

We stayed at the Dianna Plaza Hotel which is a few blocks from The Mater Private Hospital on Wednesday night because she couldn't see the doctor until late Thursday afternoon, after the scan's results had been delivered.

Wednesday afternoon, after Nan's scan, saw us get completely lost on our way to the hotel and although I was frustrated and tense at first (I haven't done much city driving before) it turned out to be the most brilliant part of the trip, because we stumbled upon a slice of heaven...

The Woolloongabba Antique Centre! Via

We didn't have time to stop just then, but seeing all the antique shops in the area, we promised ourselves we'd return after lunch.

Yum Cha at what we thought was the hotel's restaurant followed, then a quick rest for Nan in the hotel room before we returned to heaven on earth itself.

We spent the rest of the afternoon going between antique shops until we came to the massive Woolloongabba Antique Centre where we centred the rest of the afternoon's activities. Nan got tired around 5:30 after a few hours browsing, so I snapped up these little beauties:

And off we went back to the hotel.

Only to return the next day for the whole day!

I spent the whole time in WAC with an ear to ear grin and a yearning for a wallet full of cash as I drunk in the sight of the 50's style diner, the silent movie theatre and the dozens upon dozens of stalls of antiques! We enjoyed lunch and afternoon tea in the diner at WAC and had an absolute ball browsing through the stalls, me trying on frock after frock and squealing with delight at my discoveries and Nan frequently stopping along her trip down memory lane to fill me in on this and that about growing up in the 50's (my favourite era). It was great spending this quality time with Nan and I'm sure it won't take me too long to make it back to Brisbane and the Woolloongabba Antique Centre again!

Why I need a record player

The silent Theatre

What I want to do if I ever get my hands on some vintage suitcases

A WORKING hamburger phone just like off Juno! Sissy nearly died when I showed her this!

Taxidermy animals at Urban Antiques. Te polar bear and the brown bear were absolutely awe-inspiring to see in such a sad but strangely wonderous state!

A closer look at the beautiful vintage ads I bought. There was a whole stall of them at WAC! I picked these out especially to match some fabric I bought aaaagggeeessss ago in Spotlight and plan to make an ottoman out of. They will look great on the walls in the lounge room above it! Little did I know when I picked it, the outfit in the bottom ad was actually Nan's going away outfit when she got married! The ad is from February 1962 and Nan and Grandad got married that May. Knowing this sealed the deal for me - I had to have this ad! 

If you're ever in the Brisbane area - check out Woolloongabba Antique Centre - it is well worth it for all the vintage, kitchsy, antique goodness and the music they play there is just awesome!!