I heart Garage Sales.

The last two and a bit weeks have been horrible and I've been doing it pretty tough.Today has been my first day off in 10 days, I've done over 60 hours in the last week and thats not including the three days this week I went into work at 7.30am to sit and type up pages of information to send to the stupid banks. Its nearing the end and the final decision is out of our hands.
I spent this morning getting up at 7am and having my mum pick me up to take us to the Farmers Markets at New Farm. On the way there, I was reading the weekend shopper part of the Saturday Newspaper, which is about 50 pages of classifieds of people selling everything you can imagine. I searched the pages of garage sales and deceased estates and found one in Northgate which was advertised as a retro house. I pleaded with Mum to take me there first, bear in mind it was only 7.15am and Mum knew the 'dealers' would have been waiting there from 7! When we got there, there were people leaving with truckloads of things, but I still managed to get a great lot of things for only $50.
I got a lovely huge lamp/kidney table which had two levels which was only $15.00 and in perfect condition. I got a beautiful large painting of roses for $15.00. I got an awesome little pouffe/stool of cream vinyl and wooden legs for $5.00. A great wire magazine rack for $5.00. Some pink pepper and salt shakers, a pink fruit bowl, a rose ceramic soap holder, 3x ruby red carnival glass vases, 2x orange vases, a telephone salt and pepper shaker, a lovely log napkin holder for 50 cents. My mum took the lamp and pouffe home with her.

Northgate is a lovely old area of Brisbane, where my Mum actually grew up just before I was born which is full of Qlders and Federation like houses. Its beautiful with large tree lined streets and qauint little shops. The house that we went to was a beautiful neat little 50's house, all intact and in perfect condition.

After that, at about 8am we went into New Farm. The farmers markets are on every 2nd Saturday and is full of gourmet and local food produce shops/stalls. It also has little stalls of people selling beads, hand made soaps, organic meat,flower producers, local cheese producers and beautiful bakers like sol breads. Every little stall has little taste tests and My mum and I pretty much ate ourselves silly on these alone! It was beautiful, New Farm is quite a trendy place and though it is sometimes full of pretencious rich yuppies, today it was mainly just foodies! I got some beads for Judy, bought a delicious corn on the cob to eat on the way home, a madras curry paste pack( you got free testers with this awesome sri lankan rice and naan), some vietnamese vegie rice paper spring rolls for lunch, some pumpkin and pepita bread, pita bread chips, and some hand made tapenades, one sweet capscuim and tomato and another a very garlicy humous! Yum!
We're going to take Stevie next time we go so he can pick out some things as there was a english stand selling home made pork pies and lemon curd.

Tommorow I'm going to Madeline and Courtney's school fete which is always good. They have a really excellent trash and treasure there, so I'll be on the hunt for more goodies.
I've asked my work to have atleast every 2nd saturday off so I can go to garage sales.
I'm not happy at work though as I'm totally getting taken advantage off. If we dont get the house, I'm going to put my name down for jobs anywhere whilst I apply for public service jobs.
Speaking of work, I got two presents from work customers this week, one a hand embroided kitchen towel and card from a nun called Sister Cecilla Norris and a set of handmade bookmarks with famous qoutes on them.

On Monday Stevie and I are going to Paddington to potter about the antique shops on our day off together, he's going fishing again on Tuesday (obsessed I say!) and we're heading out to see some bands tonight. Its good to get out and about and have our mind off the whole will they wont they/ house problems.
I'm not very confident but think that the more it drags on the more I'm getting less connected with it all, so I think I'll be able to handle it a little better.

Pictures of my goodies when Stevie gets home as I can't find the batteries to my camera.