23 May 2010

Les Marchés au Puces - { The Market of the Fleas }


When I was a wee kipper my parents bought my older brother and I an organ for Christmas. It was a whistle inducing whizz bang number up on a stand with one hand for the melody and one hand for the chords. We bashed around on it for a few weeks when it became quite obvious to anyone who endured our relentless playing of Hot Cross Buns that lessons were in order. Enter Mr. Lynch and his shiny black briefcase.




Each lesson began with a review of the previous lesson's homework (homework I completed seconds before Mr. Lynch's little grey Laser pulled up in front of our house). The value of a crotchet versus a minim, treble clef versus bass clef and the wonderful Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit!

I always sat on my hands during this review eager to appear scholarly but secretly wishing he'd cut the prattle so I could get onto learning that new Debbie Gibson song I knew he had tucked into that briefcase. Debbie also shared manilla folder space with such unforgettable anthems as We Are the World, The Lambada, Chariots of Fire, Star Wars and my all time favourite...The Neverending Story! Don't mock, it was the Eighties! And yes, I sang along.




As thrifting has been a little light on this week I thought I'd share my all time flea market find. When Hubby and I were travelling around France we couldn't resist...o.k. I couldn't resist this gorgeous little piano found in an antique store in Avalon. Bijou was not even a magical thought in our minds yet we still purchased it and lugged it home...in a back pack too! It cost an absolute pittance so we thought we'd chance getting it back into Australia and to our delight we got it home! (We did declare it, promise!). It now takes pride of place in poppet's room and she enjoys playing it daily. Perhaps I should look up old Mr. Lynch. I wonder if he still has that black briefcase? I wonder if he has any Delta Goodrem songs...mmmm!

For other wonderful treasures please be sure to visit Sophie's gorgeous blog.


20 comments:

  1. What an amazing little piano and what a lovely story to go with it!

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  2. You just bought back so many memories.... especially with Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit. I'd forgotten all about that little ditty!

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  3. oh wow! thats such a beautiful piano, i love it!
    well worth the extra bulk in the backpack!

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  4. Yes, I have memories of 'lovely' piano lessons! (and violin - even worse!)
    What a gorgeous find - and even more special, because of where its from!x

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  5. What a gorgeous treasure! I can see why you would be so proud and why you would go to all that effort to lug it back home in your backpack. I'm sure it will become a family heirloom. Have a happy week. xo

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  6. Beautiful heirloom. Love the faded powder blue colour. Chops sticks were my favourite. Still are!

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  7. the most beautiful piano I ever did see
    and those girls and the colour
    just precious

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  8. this is absolutely gorgeous ... i would have dragged it across the world as well.

    http://misstracianderson.blogspot.com/

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  9. I love it! its just waiting for Bijou to strut out some chords and in no time you will be grab a hair brush and be singing by her side! Oh and I just noticed your Etsy shop is open, so will delay getting some much needed sleep and go check it out!

    Thanks for stopping by and hope your have a delightful, crafty, thrifty spirited week ahead...xxx

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  10. Ah, Chariots of Fire! I played that for months and months. I'm sure my parents were so sick of it.

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  11. Ok, Steph, that does it. You have to come thrifting with me...next time you're in Iowa. :P

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  12. That piano is simply devine and definitely a one off find! Please, please tell me where you got your ballerina fabric! Your shop is so beautiful.

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  13. Oh it's gorgeous, just beautiful. Well done for lugging it back from France, some things are just worth the effort! I particularly love the ballerinas. x

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  14. Wow! That is just gorgeous!

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  15. That is just the prettiest little piano, what an incredible find! Very, very special.

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  16. Great story - I had tears of nostalgia in my eyes when you mentioned all those songs - I know all the words! Lovely piano and I admire your determination in backpacking it all the way home!

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  17. :) What a find and yay to a hubby that will put up whith ones crazy ideas (or maybe it is just that our hubbys are as mad as us!)

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  18. Great story and the piano is just gorgeous! I used to play piano but this skill is long forgotten now.... Thank you for sharing!

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  19. Love love love your little piano! I would drag one back from overseas too!

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  20. he he that is hilarious and quite a feat.

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Your words brighten my day! Thank-you so much for joining me on my adventure. x