Nostalgia

There is nothing like a holiday in one's country of birth to make one wistful about childhood. This is especially true when one is lucky enough to still have grandparents to recount their memories of one's glory days of youth. I find I'm getting more sentimental each time I return, and even if the same story is recounted for what seems like the hundredth time, I don't really mind so much these days, because who knows for how long these grandparents can continue to tell these tales.
On our last day in Germany my grandmother's husband Hans pulled out a box of photos, letters, drawings and other paraphernalia - anything I've ever sent him. Amongst all this we found some lovely photos of our many hiking trips my brother and I used to take with Hans.
I've decided to post a few of those (I do hope my bro doesn't mind..) because I think they offer a lovely snapshot of a happy childhood, and I really love old photos from a creative/designer point of view, too.


I think I was about 6 or 7 in this photo, taken on one of our many smokos we took during our hikes.

As a child my brother could be a bit of a sook (sorry, it's true!), and this story gets told and retold to illustrate this point. In our day of hiking he somehow managed to get a splinter stuck in his hand here is Hans trying to coax it out from under his skin with a needle; my brother's pained expression cracks me up to this day!

Undoubtedly my favourite of these photos. In Bavaria beer is jokingly referred to as own food group, and Hans would always let us have a sip of his beer for a special treat. Whilst I don't drink much beer usually, when in Germany I drink almost exclusively Weissbier, which is what is pictured here. I just love the slightly cheeky expression on our faces!

I hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I did. The original photos are back in the box of tricks at my grandmother's house for now, but one day that box will reside in one of my cupboards at home, periodically dusted off and wistfully rummaged through.

I covet this

Randomly came across this kick-arse camera bag made of recycled belts. No idea what the lining is like, but how cute is this!! Sadly it seems to have sold already, but there are other great vintage bags on this site to check out.

Silver service for a steal

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to snap up this beautiful silver tea set at the Brisbane Arts Theatre costume sale. Only 15 bucks - what a steal! I've bought the silver polish, now I just need to find the time. I can't wait to use this for a dinner party!

Cast iron skillet

For some unknown reason I decided to buy this second-hand cast iron skillet at the Kilkivan Antiques & Collectables store on the way home from Gayndah. I really like the look of it but I've never cooked with one. My auntie is a real kitchen expert so I thought I could ask her for advice but she just sneered and said she hates cooking with cast iron cookware. Back to square 1. From my very limited understanding of what I've googled I think I need to give it a good scrub and then re-season it. It's got a nice smooth coat on it now, but I'm worried about a little spot in the middle of the pan that seems to be slightly rusted. What say you? Shall I relegate this to a prop or give it a good clean and a couple of seasonings and go for it?

Vintage & Costume Sale at BAT

Brisbane Arts Theatre is holding a sale of its costumes this Saturday and you should come! Prices start at $1!
222 Petrie Terrace, 8am to 2pm.
For more of a preview check out this video by Girl Clumsy.

Antique store worth the 1.5hrs drive from Sydney

If you find yourself in Sydney with a day to spare you should do a day trip down to the Southern Highlands and stop off in Berrima. Not only is the country side beautiful, you will also have to stop off for a visit at this magnificent antique store. Loads of kitchenware, clothing, fabrics, and bits and bobs for around the home and great for styling!

Here's a better shot of the antique last in photo 5

Antique key

Did some antiques shopping in Berrima, NSW, today. Including this key to wear as a necklace.

Patina

Some more purchases from Woolloongabba Antiques. I really love the patina on these old pieces of cutlery, and the shapes. The nutcrackers is currently residing atop the TV in the kitchen, and the knives in a jar on the kitchen window sill.
I'd love to use the knives for serving cake, but one of my friends has a serious germ phobia, not sure how she would deal with that..

Agfamatic 4000 - First try

So I got the film developed that was in the old camera, but out of the 12 photos only 3 were good enough to be developed, but even then they were pretty crap. Motley, really dull and out of focus. The guy who developed them thought it was probably due to the film being exposed to fluctuations in temperature over the years of living in a cupboard. So I got a new film from him and shot with that in Amsterdam - I will scan the results this week.

Cool Old Stuff that Old People keep for no reason at all

We visited my dad's stepmum the other day, and she was talking about all the stuff that's piling up in her unit, old stuff she never uses. Then she pulled out this old camera. It belonged to my grandfather (who died about 4 years ago) - she doesn't photograph, so who knows when it was used the last time. It only had 3 out of 12 photos used. So I went around and snapped a few things in her appartment to use up the film.
I did some investigating and found out that this kind of camera was only built between 1974 and 1976! It's an Agfamatic 4000 Pocket.
This morning I took the full film to a photo house and they still develop this totally-outdated technology. And not only that, the guy STILL HAS ROLLS OF FILM!!! I am so excited to see how the photos turn out. If the camera still works fine I might even buy a few rolls of film.
Once they're developed I'll have to scan them to show you guys.
Unfortunately I'll have to wait until next week as we're doing a little roadtrip, starting tomorrow and returning to Munich on Sunday. So posting may be sporadic, not sure what the web sitch will be.
KKxx