Hermes alert

Its been a while since I had  an Hermes day at the thrift shops,

and this one, which I found last week  is a cracker. As vivid and joyful and 'in your face' as can be, in perfect condition!

Just right for spring and my collection.

###### EDIT...I realize now this is NOT an Hermes. Guess I was so excited to find it for $3.00 that I lost my mind. But it is a very good fake.

Tra la la

The big time..... Tra la la........ I have just sold a vintage slip  ( not this one) from my etsy shop Boutiquefantastique to

the costume department at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
  Will they be doing a production of A Streetcar Named Desire, in some form,  I wonder?  Wish I could have swapped it for a couple of free tickets.

A year or so ago  a gentlemens opera scarf that was listed in one of my other shop, Foulardfantastique  sold to The Metropolitan Opera costume department......I hope they used it in a performance of Tosca.

Tana Lawn

An amazing find today at my local Sally Ann.

 About 4 yards plus of Liberty Tana Lawn. 

All the more amazing as this shop is usually packed with just about every professional picker in Toronto. I often don't even bother to go inside.

Oh....it was $3.99.

a french blanket label

A surprise was waiting for me when I arrived home from New Zealand.

A French blanket label for my collection. A gift from my blog buddy Lynn.
Its a super label and a first for my collection that is woven in four colours.

Lynn has a couple of etsy shops, and will open a third soon where she will custom make dog collars ( she is an animal aficionado with a very soft heart)
 She also writes a very lively blog about her life and sewing adventures in France. I am a regular follower.

Thank you so much....blog buddies are the best.

now is the hour

  Its been a super couple of months in New Zealand.

We had lots of guests from Canada, England and France, here at our house in Nelson and in Totara.

But all good things come to an end and its time to make our way back to the snow and ice in Toronto.
Brrrrrrrrr.

Saturday morning

A trip to New Zealand would not be complete without a  Nelson Saturday morning market post.

Somehow, on this trip I did not manage to snap many wonderful food stands, though I was glad to find my favorite fruit, The Black Doris plum, still in season.

I bought Olivers present at Pipimoomoo and I was very much taken by the hand carved walking sticks.

 As usual the woodwork is spectacular ....I think I must photograph this booth every year.

The local Pearlie was out collecting with her usual good humor.

As were the boys from Takaka with their  gin. Please note the empty sample glasses in the foreground! It was only 9.30 am!

 One Saturday morning the local Morris dancers were performing in the town but became

so tired they had to retire to a local bar cafe in Trafalgar Street to restore their spirits.

It's so incongruous that the Morris dancers are doing their thing outside the Starbucks on the other the other side of the world..........makes me smile.

a theme?

Would you say there was some kind of theme going on here?

Recent acquisitions from the Nelson, NZ opportunity shops.

Hideous

What is up with Kiwi cars this year?

Usually so elegant,

the  new colors are hideous.

Unbearably  bright and glaring.

It hurts the eyes to cross a parking lot.

 I have to put on  my shades.

Apart from that New Zealand is as wonderful as ever.

Happy hour in Nelson

 First into port...... L'Austral, a French small cruise ship. I seldom see a cruise ship come into Port Nelson.

Quickly followed by the Trans Future 6.
  At  over 60,000 tons

it quite over shadows L'Austral.  I hope the guests did not spill their Moet as the engines thundered,  vibrated and shuddered by.

We certainly enjoyed the show and our glass of wine.