Introducing Beach Vintage Candle & Soap Range

As some of you may already have heard I have launched my own range of candles and soaps under the Beach Vintage Home label. I put them on the shelves a few weeks ago just before I opened my new shop. I really didn't expect to sell as many as I have in only this short time, but I am re ordering with my supplier already. Thank-you to all my supportive customers.
The are six different fragrance's in the candles and five lovely soaps. You can view the entire range in my webstore. My favourite candle is "Rainwater" and in the soaps I adore "Nudie".

Project Day: Quick Fix Bathroom

Our house is over 20 years old. For the most part it has not dated. But there were rooms I wanted to change as soon as we purchased it. The bathrooms and the kitchen. Having done two out of three I was left with my 1980's bathroom and little budget left. We decided to work with what was there. We got the old 'flash gordon' lino ripped up last week and new lino put down. Today I have decided to recover the front of the vanity sink with oilcloth. Here's what I did:

• Remove handles on all cupboard doors.
  
• Lightly sanded the front of each door/drawer. Wipe clean.
  
• Measure the dimensions of each space to be covered and cut out the matching pieces of fabric [ oilcloth is a great fabric to work with, coated in PVC plastic you just wipe it down with a damp cloth].
• Using heavy duty /craft wood glue I painted it on quite thick and then attached each piece carefully, smoothing it out. Rubbing the edges with a damp rag/cloth
  
• Gave it a few hours to dry.
• Re-attached the drawer handles.
  

Add some wicker, blooms and vintage knick knacks and it was finished. I am happy with my new/old bathroom!
Have a great weekend everyone. Thanks for all your encouraging comments and visits this week.
Simone xx

~ Still Time ~

Look what I am up to today. It's called being still. Here are some images from around my home this morning. My first morning off for over a month. Outside on my deck the wind is completely null, dead still. Inside I plan on being still too. I have my unopened copy of Country Style. Lots of fabrics and notions that have been sitting still for too long. And I decided to throw my vintage peacock tablecloth over my sofa this morning. Just to make it feel right. What a wonderful day!
PS: Winner of my coastal living giveaway chosen by random.org is #Loui from Mountain Mermaid. Congrats and please contact me for details.

~ Thank-You ~

What a wonder time I have had over the past couple of days. The response to my new shop has been overwhelming. A big thank-you to everyone who popped in and said hello from 'blogland', I really appreciate your support. Also a big thanks to all the wonderful customers who came and bought! Thank-you so very much. Phew.....now I need to take a breath or two and catch up with all of you. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

~ It's Time ~

Hi everyone. My new shop "Just Plain Gorgeous" will be open for trading this coming Friday 20th August. To all my wonderful followers here is a sneak peak of the shop before I open the doors to the public. This is your own private viewing. An exclusive!

If you live in or near the Brisbane area I would love to meet you. The store is located at 162 Oxford Street, Bulimba. I will be in the store this Friday/Sat/Sun.

As this is a really hectic week for me I will be back blogging next Monday.

Love to all. Wish me luck! xxx

Happy Monday & Coastal Living Giveaway

In Australia it is still winter, so the cover of the latest issue of Coastal Living is making me crave summer right now. This issue is jam packed with coastal influences and I am loving the article " Before's & After's". Can you believe the transformations of some of these beachy homes? How ever do they do it? If you would like to win a copy of this inspirational magazine please leave a comment today. I will post anywhere in the world. Good luck.

winner announced Monday 23rd August 2010

Project Day - Covering Myself

Hair spray, deodorant, creams, and the list goes on. And they all sit in our bathrooms looking [most of the time] drab. I decided I wanted to see more "pretty" in my bathroom today. You will need:

• Scraps of paper and fabrics
• Spray adhesive
• Scissors
• Pen

This project works best with item that are perfectly cylindrical. Odd shaped items are harder.

• Make a pattern of each item by tracing around the edges on the reverse side of your paper/fabric.
• Cut out the pattern and trim off any excess so that it fits snug.
• Adhere the piece to your item with spray adhesive making sure you have an overlap so it will adhere nice and neatly.

Use all kinds of scraps in different patterns. This gives a mis matched look [which I love so much!]
Now I think that has made a wonderful difference don't you.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Simone
xx

~ I am Back from The Cold ~

Oh my goodness, I forgot how cold Melbourne can be. And how wet Melbourne can be! I returned late last night and had a fabulous time away. Just before I popped on the plane last night I purchased the latest edition [ September] of Notebook magazine to get me through the flight. After a few wines in plastic cups I turned the page to see Beach Vintage had been mentioned in an article about decorating with Vintage Style Roses. Big thanks to Vera Klein [again]. If you have not seen this article is is by far one of my favourites in the magazine to date. Beautiful styling. Thanks Vera!

PS: Congrats also to Irene from Re Vintaged - I noticed your vintage cushion immediately!

~ What's in A Name ~

After much deliberation on what to name my new shop it was decided. I wanted a name that summed up all the lovely things I am selling, and something that was a little quirky. Here is a quick snap I took over the weekend from the front of the store. So that's that. It's done! It's Just Plain Gorgeous I think. I am off to Melbourne for the August Trade & Gift fair. Hoping to find some new and exciting things for the shop. I will be back Thursday. Toot - a - loo!

Project Day: Recovering Lamps

I have decided to recover some lamps for my new store. I have done this before on smaller lamps but this time I am working with quite large ones. But the procedure is still the same. I am using plain white shades in cylinder form, which I find are easier to cover.

• Grab some fabric [heavy patterned cotton is best I find].
• You will also need: braid or trim, spray adhesive, a glue gun, dressmakers chalk, sharp scissors & a ruler.
• Spread your fabric out on a long table. Place the lamp shade on the fabric. Starting at the seam inside the shade trace along the sides of it [ with dressmakers chalk] while rolling the shade along the fabric until you get back to the seam you started at.
• Repeat for the other side of the shade. You should now have 2 lines running along the fabric.
• Join the lines up with a ruler allowing a 2cm seam at one end [ iron it over to give you a neat finish when the ends match up]. Cut out the pattern. You should now have a piece of fabric that when wrapped around the shade fits fairly perfect!
  
• In a well ventilated area generously spray your shade with the spray adhesive. You will also need to spray the cut out fabric piece. Wait a few minutes for the glue to become tacky.
• Starting again at the seam on the shade, carefully attach the fabric and press out any air bubbles as you go. If you make a mistake you can peel it back off and start again. But work fairly quickly if you can.
• Trim off any excess fabric around the edges of the shade with sharp scissors [being careful not to cut into the shade]. Allow glue to dry.
• Using a hot glue gun attach your braiding or trim to the edges of your shade, again beginning at the seam and ending by folding a small seam at the end of the braid and gluing down securely.

As you can see I am getting carried away with all kinds of fabric and trim. Fun fun. Just like my upcoming weekend. Hope yours holds just as much adventure! Thanks for all your beautiful words this week. Simone xx