Friday's Finds: Ticking something off the wish list

Remember back in October when I wrote about my ultimate thrift wish list? Well, I recently was able to tick one of those very special items off the list as I came into possession of a set of vintage Nally Ware canisters!

I bought them off ebay for a pretty reasonable price, and they are in good but well used vintage condition. The set is missing the flour canister, but I'm confident I can pick a lonely one up some place or another. I'm convinced they are the perfect addition to my future kitchen, and I can't wait to get my own place again so I can get into decorating mode!

Wednesday Wishlist: Ultimate Thriftlist Edition!

I really want to get back to writing more vintage-related posts on the blog, so I thought that for today's wishlist it might be a nice idea to show you all the vintage items I am always looking out for in op shops and secondhand stores. A lot of these item are really popular at the moment and, as with most good quality vintage, rarely grace my local op shop's shelves but they certainly would be a dream-come-true to own! 

Vintage Canisters

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 Vintage Suitcases

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Mid-Century Furniture

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Vintage dresses

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A Queen-Sized Chenille Bedspread

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All of these items have been on my wishlist for a very long time now and are what I look out for most when thrifting. I recently picked up a double-seized chenille bedspread at a garage sale, but it is just plain yellow and I would love something a little more ornate. I also found the cutest vintage rice canister at my local op shop along with the first reasonably priced vintage suitcase that I've seen, but it was in really bad condition and I didn't have the cash on me for the suitcase when I popped in, as I was only there to fill in time before an appointment. Oh well, I will tick these babies off the list someday! 

Mid Century Style: Far From Heaven

Last week in my Screen Analysis lecture, we watched a little movie called Far From Heaven. Directed by Todd Hayes, Far From Heaven is a contemporary film which is set in a suburban neighbourhood of Hartford, Connecticut in 1957, and shot in the classical hollywood style which was prominent in that very same era. Cathy and Frank Whitaker (Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid) and their two children  have a seemingly perfect upper-middle class existence, but behind closed doors all is not well in their marriage and the cracks are beginning to show. 

Far From Heaven does more than give us a glimpse into the life of this middle class family and their troubles - it deals with prominent social problems of the time including racism and homophobia in a very real and thought-provoking way, and the open ending lends itself well to reflection on where the story might go next as well as the issues the movie has dealt with. It is a stunning visual representation of the 1950's and a movie well worth watching.

The painstaking reproduction of 1950's life is absolutely stunning, with perfect mid century interiors and clothes hand made by the costume department to fit (and hide) Julianne's growing baby bump throughout filming. Commentary by the head of costume design for the movie says that Julianne's growing form lent itself well to the more curvy 1950's look which many of the modern actresses are too thin to pull off. 

I loved this film. That goes without saying! The storyline, the social commentary and the mid century style are right up my alley and I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves a bit of vintage and an interesting, thought provoking storyline. What a gem!

You can find my Mid Century Madness pin board here, or check back in a few days for some mid century inspired fashion and furnishing wish lists.

Friday's Finds: Do you like... cheese?

Okay, so I might be a little too obsessed with Channing Tatum right now, eagerly awaiting GI Joe 2 to hit the screens in Australia, so everything is turning into a quote from one of his movies for me right now, including the title of this post!

Anyway, how great is this cheese platter I found at the Salvos yesterday?

It's been slim pickings for the last few weeks at the two op shops I am able to visit at the bus changeover on my way home from uni, so I was stoked to walk in there yesterday and see this little beaut. He will look great out on the table if I ever make enough friends to invite them round for fondue/dinner/anything-but-wine and cheese.

I also saw some great pieces of furniture which I would have taken home in a heart beat if I wasn't catching the bus home to my tiny little apartment. One particular thing which caught my eye was an antique bar cart with fold down table top which opened up to a really nice size. It was gorgeous, but I had to just settle on the cheese platter for now, since there are other pieces of furniture that I need to put in the limited space in our house. 

Another thing that caught my eye was a set of blue willow mugs which I would have loved to add to my collection, but they weren't vintage and Lifeline had them priced at $5 each! My whole damn teapot was only $14! I kindly let the man behind the counter know that those pieces were overpriced, but I doubt the problem will be rectified. Lifeline seem to like overcharging for anything remotely decent, in my opinion. 

Have you had any luck thrifting lately? Any pieces like my bar cart which you had to leave behind? It's a total heart-breaker when that happens, isn't it?