Opening up the Treasure Chest
Today I kicked the cat off my big carved camphorwood chest in my bedroom. Jez wanted a jumper to go to the skate park. Up until today it hasn’t been remotely chilly enough to fish a jumper out of storage.
Jumper duly delivered I continued fossiking through the contents of the chest. Found some clothes from the 80’s that I not only painted, but wore everywhere. 1985 was a good year for Fantasy Novels I’m thinking. I read ‘em all!
This was the front of my dress. I even attached emerald green gems for the Dragon’s eyes.
And the back.
I had BIG permed hair, and loooong dangly earrings at the time. I’m glad I kept this dress and the other top, if only to prove how bad the fashions were in the 80’s!
But the REAL treasures I found at the bottom of the chest were:
a very old, very heavy, silk kimono that belonged to my mother. Last worn at a Murder Mystery Party set in ancient Asian times, I had completely forgotten about it. I’ve dug a timber curtain rod out of the garage and it’s going on the wall as soon as the Man comes back in from his run.
A very old embroidered silk baby sling that my mother was carried in, and in turn carried me in. Once ironed, it’s going to grace our red chaise.
What beautiful, wonderful treasure!
Similar Posts:
- Blood & Guts. That’ll teach me to help the limping gazelle….
- In bed before 2am? Is it possible?
- Hopeless Beachcomber
- Playing, painting and printing with pixels
- Photoshop (Mis)Adventures
14 comments:
Write a comment:
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate each and every one of them. If this is the first comment you have left, your comment will be held in moderation for approval so you may not see it immediately. Once your first comment is approved, all future comments should appear immediately. You can choose to receive any further comments by email. Simply tick Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.
a belated happy new year to you, my friend! e.
Isn’t amazing what stuff we store away there is always a reason why we kept it but sometimes its hard to remember what that reason was. Although it is good to go through the stuff years later and remember things.
Hi Cindy,
….the 80’s were strange days..I love fantasy, my favourite book, or one of is Ron Hubbard’s “Battlefield Earth”. He wrote with a wicked sense of humour and I giggle throughout this epic. I often wonder if he was having a big joke with Scientology as humour in his early days he had much of …. what I read about the followers of Scientology they do not giggle much when discussing their beliefs Tom Cruise etc…I wonder…I had best not go there or to the religious side of things. What I was trying to say, I enjoy your fantasy theme on your dress and am am picturing the big hair with the outfit. Great to have such mementos of your family.
Cheers Elizabeth
Elizabeth, Scientology was Hubbards greatest novel ever!
Cindy, great dress paintings. Wifey loved them too. All this nostalgia talk has got me going now - particularly the stuff about the “good” plates etc. - We had a lot of that shit going on when I was young…
Hi Guys,
Jo-Anne, when we packed up and left Perth, I ran out of time to go through everything. Just boxed it and ran. I’m in the re-decorating mood after having coffee at the “Clifton Hilton” (the sign by the letterbox) next door. He has such an eye for design, and you should see his collections!!! Even my hubbie said it was probably the worse thing that could’ve happened, showing me through the neighbours’ house and garden
Elizabeth, we have Scientologists in the family (Outlaw side), as well as 1/2 doz other denominations. Makes Chrissy gatherings very entertaining!
I was a sucker for (Sci Fi side)Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Huxley etc)
Fantasy was Tolkein (all of his published works, no matter how unfinished or esoteric), Raymond Feist, Mary Stewart,Robert E Howard (loved Conan!) etc.
I was a voracious reader back then. Had to kill time on public transport somehow!
Tim, today I’ve got together a huge collection of crystal. It’s sitting on the dining table and is going to be swapped for plants from next door. Fair swap I reckon!
Hi,
Nice painting on the dress, although dragons are a bit evil.
The 80’s were a bit of a blurr for me cause of all the drugs and alcohole. I rather liked he fashions of the seventies, flared jeans ect(or was that the 80’s?).
My bigblog is been deactivated (by me)in an attempt to fix the problem I’ve been having, I will try to reactivate it soon.
Ahh yes, flared jeans, I missed them the first time around. The 80’s were skinny corduroys, overalls and rollerskates.
Bugblog keeps on being buggy.
I love that. It is great, but then I have kitsch taste. I also used to read a lot of fantasy and science fiction. I have passions for certain genre at times and read whole author collections.
Keep well Cindy.
I love the dress paintings…..I`m into anything that is different…My kids still reckon I`m a bit of a hippy with the way I dress….lol
I`m always keeping little treasures and storing them away..Especially things that belong to the kids….I have kept so much stuff I need my own shed…..Wonder if hubby will hand over one to me…lol
Hi Ilana and Mandy,
Ilana, I’m a kitschy girl too! Always battling with my minimalist visions of uncluttered surfaces. Never goning to happen though - the bobbleheaded dog will always win!
Mandy, a good girlfriend of mine called my Perth house The Tardis. She could not believe how many treasures I had squirrelled away. You need some crushed velvet fabric in just the right shade of purple? No problem, how many metres do you need? Hey, the roof cavity is a great storage place!
What about the snakes in the roof? They’d be a special treasure. I can’t remeber much about the 80’s it was kid rearing time. Stuff like Taking one to a hockey match at Warwick on Saturday morning. Paying for another to go to Calgary canada for a Marching Band Competition. Trying to pay off a mortgage(can’t spell it). Saving up to take the family to Switzerland so the grandparents could meet their only grandchildren.
It is fun rumaging through treasure chests. Great paintings on the dresses.
Falling asleep in my keyboard……..nite.
Yes, I’m feeling weary too Diane.
Not much has really changed since the 80’s, still paying off a mortgage!
I am in denial about any snakes in the roof. They must be big crickets.
One of my favourite tops (80s too no doubt) was a long sleeved white number with a fantasy mural spray painted on it…..being basically white, I would guess the sleeves went a bit yellow….probably just binned it….
With all my LP’s (silly girl) I think I got it from an alternative market…..
Bit worried about the ‘jumpers’ comment for the skate park…can I assume it was for use at night?
80’s, yes they certainly seemed like a good idea at the time…
I’ve tried to find a jumper at the skate park pic Kim, what do you mean?
Yeah ‘what happened’
Wow what has happened over at your bigblog? Did you delete……was funny to see our first conversations from when you first moved to Cairns….
My previous comment was of surprise that Jez needed a jumper to take to the skate park - worried it was that cold - and what we need to pack - its not long now!!!
Lauren was sick ALL last week, now James was sent home from school Monday and looks like I will be his nurse/slave for more than a week! We had to get a locum out the other night - his eyes were bloodshot, lips and teeth all bloodied, temperature, sore gurgling tummy - all strange things we havent had to deal with before….turns out he has a virus and a heavy cold…back to the docs this arvo…
Just had a look at google maps - street view and have been cruising Cairns - its fantastic - although very slow….
Cheers!