~ The Trouble Is ~

The trouble with living in Australia is there are so many beaches and so little time! Our caravan is calling and we are off for a break to Lennox Head on the NSW North Coast. Lot's of beaching and thrifting ahead over the next week. Promise I will be back soon with stories and goodies to share. Take care. Simone xx
image inside my caravan taken by me

~ My Latest Purchase ~

I couldn't help it. I bought these beautiful cushions last week. They are made from vintage fabric by the very talented Irene from Re-Vintaged. Florals get me every time. I think they look fabulous on my wing back chair. Happy Monday to you all.

Project Day: My Dish Cloth Table Cloth!

pin right side together

cut off the bulky bits so the tablecloth will sit flat when joined

make sure when you join it all together the seams line up straight

I have an extra large dining table and find it almost impossible to find extra large tablecloths to fit it! The ones that I do find are so expensive I just cant justify buying them. So I decided to make my own out of tea towels/dish cloths. Here's what I did:

• I purchased a pack of 12 tea towels in mixed reds = $9.97 from a local discount chain store. Its best to get stripe or check ones as you can cheat and follow the straight lines when sewing together.
  
• Lay down the towels on the floor in the finished pattern you would like for your tablecloth (mine was 3 towels across and 4 down).
• Pin towels right side together along one side as shown in pic # 2 . Cut off the excess bulky seams with pinking shears (otherwise the tablecloth won't sit flat).
• Sew the sides together. Repeat this process. I joined 3 together along one side (see pic #3) then I repeated this to make 4 separate pieces of 3.
  
• Join (sew) all pieces together to make one whole piece (your finished tablecloth) making sure you line all the squares together at joins. Think like your quilting.
  
• Press with a hot iron.
  

All this and my tablecloth cost under $10. So happy with the end result. Hope your weekend is filled with super duper joy! Simone xx

~ Love This ~

I have a small collection of vintage aprons sitting in my kitchen drawer. I thought these were really cute ideas seeing they don't get out much. Clipping them up with wooden clothes pegs to make cute window treatments. Using them as chair skirts. Fun.
pic # 1 from here. picture # 2 from here.

~ Dead Peoples Stuff on Sale ~

This sign made me stop and think. Of all the things I have bought at junk shops, I guess maybe some of them are from a dead persons house. Makes me look twice at that vintage ornament or my vintage measuring cups. I wonder who used them before me........
I took these photographs out front of an antique store I visited recently (in the beautiful little country town of Newrybar, NSW). There was loads of gorgeous stuff for sale but I had no room in my car to take anything home. I just loved the 2 little white kitchen chairs out front. I am heading back next week, I wonder if they are still there.......

My New Headache Cure

2 Pain Killers + 1 Cupcake = Making life a little better this morning I think!

{ Summer Days Drifting Away }

Summer is almost over here in Australia. Last weekend was spent on the beach at Stradbroke Island soaking up a little sun. Here are some photo's of our wonderful weekend [at my friend Jody's beach house]. It was hard not to relax.
[all photo's taken by me on stradbroke island]
pic # 1 - 6 : jody's beach house
pic # 7: making sandcastles on flinder's beach
pic # 8: beautiful flinders beach
pic # 9: setting up for lunch on the beach

Project Day: Italian Cake Lamp Shade

[this was the project I had planned to share with you last week]

Last Christmas one of my friends gave me a Italian festive cake. You know, the ones in those round cardboard boxes? The box was so pretty I couldn't bear to throw it away. This is what I did with it instead:

• Remove the underneath and eat the cake (thankful I can type with a mouthful).
• Using something round as a guide cut a circle out on top of the box.
• Using an an existing lampshade (you will need one that fits snugly inside the box) , I placed the cake box on the outside of the shade (so it has protection from heat).
• Put the lamp back together and it is done!

Now it sits in my revamped spare room with a new bedside table ( remember my dilemma?) which is an old ammunition case made into a country/quirky table (Ebay purchase).
Hope you all have a splendid weekend. I am off to Stradbroke Island. I have some pretty things to show you next week. Simone xx

~ New Day New Treasures ~

Here are a few things I picked up this week. Nothing too worthy, but lots of beautiful things [in my eyes]. When I am thrift shopping I never use my head. Only my heart.

pic # 1 - vintage sewing goods $1
pic # 2 vintage knitted tea cosy $0.50c
pic # 3 vintage plastic hanging laundry hamper $3
pic # 4 vintage children's books $1.50

~ Fallen Blooms and Shabby Chairs ~

These blooms have been falling down from a lovely blossom tree at the side of my house. They looked so pretty laying on the grass. We gathered some up for display this morning. Tiny delicate petals. Pure pretty.

~ Seeding for the Soul ~

I don't know about you but I never had a vegetable garden when I was a kid. It would have been so much fun. Maybe that's why I have one now.

Every time I head out to our "little plot" I always take my daughter and she helps pick whats needed. So this day was no exception [apart from the fact I had my niece over too]. We decided to make a salad for dinner. The girls picked what I told them to and then washed and prepared it all. Just like a pair of old ladies. Sorting, laughing and most importantly learning.
It made me stop and think and smile.
Have you stopped and smiled lately?

This Weeks Love Affair

This week I have discovered a house so beautiful that I have fallen in love with it in an instant! It is a beach house available for holiday lettings in New Zealand. Can you see why I feel this way? Looking at these pictures, I just can't fault it. I will have to let my husband know the bad news. I have to go there. Soon.

PS: thanks for all your well wishes and concerns for my friend & I last week. xx

~ Sorry ~

Today I had a wonderful project to share with you. A shiny happy feel good one. As per usual I had pre-photographed every thing during the week. It was all ready to go. But here I sit at 5am and I can't press the publish button.
You see yesterday something very sad happened to someone close to me. Something that has dampened my spirits, weighted my heart and stolen my good mood. So today I decided I can't pretend to be happy. I cant pretend the world is good and everything is great. Because today my friends, things are not great. Hope you all understand that I will share this project when the sun starts to shine again. Simone xx
photo from flickr

Watch This Space

It's not often that I recommend other peoples websites. But I recently discovered Louisa's Ebay store "Vintage by Lou Lou" . I must say this girl has really got an eye for vintage finds and I love her style! I want to buy everything she has for sale, purely because of the way she styles her adverts. That's right, all of these pictures are items she has for sale in her webstore. And most of it starts at $10! What a clever girl she is. I am bidding on a few of her items so please don't outbid me. Hope I win them!
PS: Winner of my Coastal Living Giveaway chosen by randam.org is #19 Melinda from Country Dreaming. Congrats Melinda, please email me with your details.