~ Last Night and Today ~

Last night I sat down with a drink and lit my little candle [which sits in a fish bowl along with some precious sand I claimed from a beach I visited ]. It has been some time since I have thought to light a candle at home. Unlike me. I am glad I remembered. I love Sunday afternoons!
Welcome Monday! Here are some new cushions I have made, also some napkins, all with the Beach Vintage label. You can find them in my store.
Do you know it's December in a few days? Oh my.

Project Day - Palm Leaf Christmas Tree

After becoming inspired by the current issue of Real Living Magazine, I decided to try something different [again] this year and make an unconventional Christmas tree for our home. This one is made from a dead palm leaf. We always have loads lying around the place!

• Grab yourself a dead palm leaf, or any large dead foliage or even a branch!
• Stand it up in a basket or tin, whatever will hold it upright.
• Adorn it with odds and ends. I used shells, ribbons, white birds and handmade button decorations [ just grab some wooden shapes and stick buttons all over them with craft glue].
• Add your lights!

I really love the simplicity of this tree. My daughter loved creating it with me - " look what we made mummy, the best Christmas tree ever!"
What a great week. Thanks for all your lovely comments. I appreciate them all. Have a great weekend. Simone xx

~ A Huge Moment for Me ~

For as long as I can remember The Australian Women's Weekly has been a part of my life. Ever since I was a little girl I can remember my mother's copy perched on her bedside table. 35 years on, my mother is still a subscriber and devoted fan, as am I. And now my friends, I am a part of this history, literally. Beach Vintage is featured in the 2010 Christmas edition of the Women's Weekly which is on sale tomorrow! I am so completely stunned and in awe. I need to take a breath. So if you would like an insight into "my" little world grab yourself a copy. A big thanks to Catherine Shields. xx

~ Early Mark & Christmas Window ~

Here is our Christmas window all finished. It is so colourful and happy. I love it. I wanted a simple yet striking display. And of course one of my favourite Christmas quotes is written on a blackboard: " I wish we could put Christmas Spirit in jars and open one every month" [Harlan Millar].
The beach is calling my friends. My girlfriend Jody has called me up and told me to pack my bags for a girls weekend at Stradbroke Island. However can I say no? So I am off on an early mark. Have a great weekend and I will be back early next week. I have some extremely exciting news to share!

~Sneaky Peak~

At the shop today we are preparing for our Christmas window. Here are some pictures of some cushions that I made that will be featuring in the window shortly. This year I am going with a themes of yellow, green and blue. Once we have finished it I will show the result.
Winner Of Rosecraft giveaway chosen by random.org is #18 Camille. Congrats.

Flower and Tins and Things

Rearranging my vintage tins. Throwing flowers in jugs and vases, whatever is around. These are a few of my favourite things to do on the weekend.
This morning I feel excited and ready to start a new week.

Project Day: Vintage Chenille iPad Carry

Our iPad goes everywhere with us. Only problem is the black case that came with it is so unattractive. So I decided to make a cute carry for it.
You will need:

• 6 inch Chenille squares [ I buy mine in bulk from Ebay but you can cut your own or you can use any kind of fabric you like, I just adore vintage chenille that's all!]
• Length of ribbon for a tie [ mine is a vintage floral ribbon picked up at a thrift store].

If you use the pre cut squares like me, you need 12 in total. Basically you just need to cover the height and width of the ipad and leave some grace for a ribbon casing and seams. Lay the squares out on a table and arrange them to your preference.
Sew them together like a patchwork quilter would. Start with 2, right sides together, sew along one side. Repeat until you have 6 sets of 2 panels. Sew these together to make 2 panels [ 6 squares each]. Sew these 2 panels rights sides together leaving a top space of approx 1-2 inches for the ribbon casing.
Fold down the top and sew all around to make the ribbon casing. Leave a gap for the ribbon to thread through. Attach the ribbon to a giant safety pin and thread it through the casing. Tie knots in the end of the ribbon to stop fraying. Turn it right side out, poke out the corners and that's it!
Smiles this weekend. Simone xx

~ Rose Craft Giveaway ~

My newest sponsor Rosecraft would like to say "hi" with a giveaway. This lovely miniature vintage framed rose is up for grabs. Just leave a comment on today's post to win. Will post anywhere in the world.

"I opened the Etsy shop in early August as a way to showcase these little framed pieces I've been putting together for the past ten years or so. The die cuts are all authentic 19th century pieces that have been acquired over time. They are such beautiful "pops of color" when displayed in vintage rooms".
Thanks Rose and welcome to Beach Vintage.
winner drawn Monday 15th November

~ Weekend Bloomer ~

Snippets from around my home this morning. The weekend had me cutting and plucking flowers all over the place in my garden. Over sized foliage looks fabulous in a simple glass vase. Just cut some leaves off a big tree or bush, whatever you have. And of course my Frangipani's are in full swing once again. Pretty blooms for a pretty day. Happy Monday.

Project Day - Craft Storage on the Cheap

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I have a problem in my craft room. I have loads of fabrics and notions, vintage doiley's and ribbons, I just can't stop! I needed to tidy up my act. But I didn't want to spend any money on storage items. So this week I made some free ones. You will need:

• Empty cardboard boxes of various sizes.
• Mismatched Fabric offcuts [mine were left over from some pillows I made].
• Spray Adhesive.
• Pinking Shears.

Cut the side flaps off your boxes. Measure the front part of the box [the part that will be facing you on the shelf]. Cut out your fabric to match these sizes [with normal scissors first]. Then take your pinking shears and cut around each piece [this will hinder fraying]. Press with an iron. Apply each piece to the front of the box with spray adhesive. That's it. It's gives a more quirky edge to my space too.
Have a great weekend. Simone xx

~ Madly Deeply Sewing ~

This week I am madly catching up on some sewing projects I have seen in magazines and the like. Here are some cushions I finished this morning. I got the tutorial from the latest "Notebook" magazine [ November]. These cushion covers are dead easy to make! I used vintage fabrics and men's business shirts. No zips required girls! Gotta love that.

~ Weekend Thrift Finds ~

Got a chance to squeeze in some thrift shopping over the weekend. Here are a few things I picked up. Some amazing vintage haberdashery trim sample cards for $1 each [ I can see these framed ]. A pair of fish salt and pepper shakers for $2 [ they don't look to happy do they? ]. A lovely ceramic bird trinket box $2 and a lovely weathered old pen & bits holder 50c. Hope everyone had a great weekend.