Lamp transformation

Ever since i hung the vintage map and then stumbled across the old bedhead, i've been determined to change my bedside lampshades. There's only so much 'mis-match' i can handle in one room. I wanted something even - identicle, matchy.

So i decided to recover my lampshades. I enlisted the help of u-tube. This is the shades on my work bench.

They say to draw the shape of the shade onto paper and then cut out the fabric from the paper pattern allowing a cm top and bottom. I chose to just cut out enough width that looked like it would fit and that was that.

I then sprayed adhesive glue like it was going out of fashion on the shade and also on the fabric. I also added some double sided tape around the top outer shade and bottom. I did this because the fabric is hessian and i intended to cut the top and bottom raw rather than try to fold under and glue (i didn't want to risk fraying). I then left the glue to get tacky for a couple of mins and rolled the shade onto the fabric, smoothed it all off and then cut the excess top and bottom.

This is the finished result.

This one above has a slight fold in the fabric that i didn't iron out well enough prior to sticking, you can see it in this pic toward the top ... i'll pop it on 'A's side. He doesn't care about aesthetics unless it has an engine or resides in a shed.

A close up of the raw edge... looks ok for me 

And this is the duo tying everything together. The map has great muted blues, pinks, yellows and greens so the brighter colours in the shades and cushions give it a bit more life.

Fabric was $8 and the spray $13. For something i'll possibly change again in 6months time (or redo the creased one), it's a total bargain!

Farmers Flowers

I look forward to the farmers markets every month for one reason.

Flowers!

These pretties brightened up morning tea with some girlfriends on the front deck ...

  The kitchen

 The living room

 And the bedroom smells divine with these fragrant roses

 

I'm thinking of getting a canary. I was at cottage garden nursery and the little canary down there sings so sweetly, it really made me smile.

Spring is such a glorious season. The streets are lined with flowers and the smell of jasmine and freshly cut grass fills the air. If only it could always be spring - but then, if it was, we wouldn't appreciate it as much would we?

Hangin'round

Hanging plants are so lovely and can make such a stunning statement. I've just been admiring some - they're very pretty.

Have a great weekend!

x

Chair Revitalise # 2

I've had these chairs for a while and had planned on selling them at WAC once i'd done them up but never found the time. My sis-in-law's mum took a liking to them on Mothers Day. I know ... all those months ago, and i promised i'd 'get onto it' ...

This is 'then' (with the bottoms taken out), oh and a table too, not a traditional match but a match all the same ...

I wanted to preserve the timber arms and legs, it's a gorgeous tone, the cane had discolouration so I pondered painting black or white - opted for white. This is them bandaged up ready to be sprayed.

With white in mind, I tracked down a neutral linen for the cushioning and an off-white piping.  They've been stacked (and a little squashed) in the office for months ... waiting

This is the finished product.

  

I'm really quite smitten wtih them. The timber has come up beautifully, and their shape from every angle is gorgeous.

They look fab and are completely comfy without the back cushion too.

I just need to do a few rounds of fabric protector and this little project is finite. Let's hope they still have a home to go to.

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash

Two Thursday's ago I opened the paper to seek out a movie. Nothing on. Well, nothing that interested us. I had heard on the radio that a Johnny Cash show was playing at the Twelfth Night Theatre. We both love Johnny so off we went.

It was excellent! I mean, standing ovation excellent. The crowd were fab, which always helps, but Tex Perkins (Who was lead singer of the Cruel Sea ) has the most amazing voice and the girl who played June Carter was brilliant too.

It's not a play, they sing the songs whilst telling the life story. Did you know that Johnny Cash only lived for 14 more weeks once June had passed on? She was his life. He was also extremely obsessed with trains and had something like 22 songs about them.

'i hear the train a comin, it's rollin round the bend and i ain't seen the sunshine since i don't know when, i'm stuck in folsom prison and time keeps draggin on ... but that train keeps a rollin, on down to San Antone...'

That's my fave song of the 'man in black'. The point is - if you like his music - go and see it. You will not regret. You've only got a few days ... bit of a delayed post really now when i think about it.

Or there's Doris Day. I saw it a couple of months ago at the Twelfth Night Theatre too, similar deal. Melinda Schneider plays Doris and tells the life story. She's back on too, and although i knew nothing about Doris or her music (except for Key Sera Sera), it was  really enjoyable. Live theatre and music is so good for the soul!

Chair Revitalise #1

When i found these, they'd recently been recovered and painted a horrible colour.

What i think the owner had done, was paint them a pink, and then wanted them to look like cane again and then chose this browny cane colour. This was a little misleading because when i saw them advertised (the picture had been smaller and not very clear at all), i thought they were cane.
Na-ha. Negative ghostrider. A terrible imitation. This was then:

 And this was the fabric. It's an ivory cream base colour with white & floral highlights throughout.

The fabric i liked and was near new so in great condition, it just needed to be crisped up. For a start they were washed. I thought about a yellow for the chairs (there is a yellow in the fabric) and then decided that was too floral so opted for ... you got it. White.

Much better. Clean and fresh. Paint can really make or break and whilst white is a safe option, sometimes it's the only colour that can salvage something. I need to put the buttons back on that back cushion - looks loads better when it's pulled in in the centre.

A little more work do be done on another pair of chairs this weekend - it's great to finally tick some chores off the list!

The Bookcase - Part 2

Do you recall the antique bookcase from a few posts ago? Orginal post here.

The bookcase is nestled into it's new home now. 'A' and our pal R almost broke their backs - they are SO heavy.

Beware - the photos are not good, so you'll need to use your imagination. They're wall to wall across two walls and have been a saviour to house glass, pottery, books, mags and other bits n pieces i accumulate but can't seem to let go of.

Above's with a couple of roller doors open and below is with one closed. With a bit of orange oil, the cedar has really come up well

The other angle was useless to take with my camera, it just looked like a door and that's it, but it wraps around the other wall to the left. These filing drawers are crammed in there too for filing. I have nowhere else to  put jewellery and stuff. I turn a blind eye to this vision.

All of the prints and artworks that were floor to ceiling on the walls have had to come down with nowhere to go. What to do with them i wonder? I feel cleansed and then i buy something and feel suffocated again. 

How about these Readers Digest books i snagged a few weeks ago?I pulled them off the back seat of the car this morning. They were all published in 1966, and have such beautiful covers.

This is my fave cover

They're the perfect size for this old bookcase and i've flipped through a few and there's some good old fashioned wholesome reading to be had here. I'm going to get started on them over the coming months. Suits me that they're short stories, great for a Sunday afternoon lounge about and being that we have just entered the best season of the year, a blanket on the grass is calling me.

Finally, a garden!

This was the beginnings of our new garden last Sunday morning (so a week ago). Nothing fancy smancy.   We're starting small, my back couldn't deal with any more shovelling, and what's with bullants always locating that exact bit of skin on the inside of your foot to penetrate their fangs into?

It's a mixed bunch. I was initially geared to floral cottage gardeny type but that changed - the maintenance freaked me out. Anyway, i'm terrible with plant names and what goes with what so who knows what this'll look like in 3-months. So far we have gardenia's, star jasmin, these ... I think they duplicate themselves? Or I could have made that up - not sure.

I’d seen a big bottlebrush at a local nursery last Saturday. When i went to collect it Thursday I was informed that it's not a bottlebrush but a ‘Christmas’ plant from New Zealand. (Between us, it's apparently much prettier than the Australian Bottlebrush - it doesn't get scraggily and you don't have to cut  it back after it flowers, for the record my allegiance is still with the Wallabies regardless ...)

Bunnings has these at the moment too. I grabbed one of the one's on the left. They flower all year round.

I might add in some Kangaroo Paws if i can find the space. Loving the natives at mo. Here's the end result. A little sparce looking, but it's actually packed, they're all little though except for the christmas tree.

Meanwhile, ‘A’ has wanted to repot his citrus trees for quite some time and built these on Wednesday for the side of the house. Hopefully now they’ll blossom and start paying their way. My alcohol free August has been heavily dependant on Limes and Lemons. With the trees not producing, i've slipped up a few times.

He also added some plants into my fiberglass planters.

The back garden in is disrepair. Palm's have been chopped down and it's now a bit of a ferrol junk yard. The plan for it is currently  'in discussion', which is a problem. Two different visions.

'A' wants the umbrella gone, i'm clinging to it like a liferaft. Admittedly i never sit down there (even when it was more attractive) but i might. It needs a repaint, i'm thinking lime green/white or a light grey/white. Or fuschia, orange ...

I have some before and afters on the go. Chairs. Nothing too fabulous but will share once finite.