That's it?

I hope the easter bunny was kind to you all but is that really it?
5 whole days of easter fun is finito? Ugh! I suppose there is a glorious up side ... we're soon to be knocking on the door of another long weekend, yahoo!

A productive easter is the best way to describe the past 5-days for me and it seems that most people i talk to feel the same way. The neighbourhood was a buzz of activity. Mowers going, kids playing in the street, the waft of BBQ's a permanent fixture in the air, and to top it off, great weather ... until yesterday that is.

Easter Sunday we all mosied on out to my brother's farm which is about 1.5hours out of Brisbane. It's so beautiful out there even after the devastation of the flood. This is the base of their property, which they can't use at the moment due to fences having been washed away. I'm desperate to have some kind of picnic next to that creek. So pretty.

The view from the house on the property = instant relaxation 

This Cattle Dog has the loveliest temperament of any dog i've had the pleasure of knowing. She and I are now officially BFF's. I must've spent 20 minutes straight patting her head, neck, behind her ears, back, tummy. She's looking at me longingly hoping for more attention. How could i say no to that face?

Someon's laying eggs... there was another one out there perched up who is 'clucky', her picture didn't work out and she looked almost identicle to missy moo below anyway. She's not only sitting on chicken eggs but also 2 duck eggs. How they got in there i have no idea ... there was a duck darting around nervously quacking and wagging it's tale incessently when i was in the yard. I reckon she was the culprit ... laying eggs in another animals nest lilke that, cheeky little thing.

I was given a shop warming gift by my sis-in-law, a lil somethin somethin she picked up at the Toowoomba markets. It's a silver trophy cup and it has a rediculous amount of markings on the base, so is great quality silver but it does need a polish up.   It's for  the 'Best Pig or Pen of Pigs'... $5, she couldn't refuse it and i'm glad she didn't. We both decided it wouldn't like it as much if it wasn't for a pig.

The flowers are freshly picked from their garden. I have cuttings to strike the rose in this pic. Cross fingers it happens for me these thumbs have not an ounce of green on them. 

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Onto Shop 16, crikey, this is a long post ....
Moved some more bits n pieces in yesterday including this Silky Oak Miners Couch. It's been recovered in the black and white version of the moroccan style fabric i'm in love with right now. It just goes with everything. I even threw the cushion on my couch and it looked fab ... this is it.

And in the shop. The large silky oak dining table it's sitting on is also for sale ... for the minute. It's such a stunning piece - i'm having serious doubts about letting it go. The black French glass dinner setting is cute. Only for 4 people but hardwearing stuff.

This large ornate mirror in semi gloss black is quite the headturner. I wished that i had a white wall to hang it on to appreciate it's potential, i visualise it above the miners couch

It's all about black ... this black glass table with gold embossing is rather lovely too. I know that it looks formal'ish, but i keep seeing it between two sturdy manilla cane chairs with neutral fabric to bring out that gold - a black throw over the arm ...

Poppy water jug and glass setting from Portugal. All the stickers are still on it. I love the cheeriness of it.

Anways, that's a couple of the things in Shop 16 at the moment.

This fabric below is going on some cane swivel chairs that will be painted white. It's very pretty. Reminds me of the flowers from my brothers property. The base colour is more cream, but there are white accents in the flowers. I think the white on the chairs will make the flowers more crisp.

Ok, i've prattled on for long enough i think. I do hope you all had a relaxing break. Thanks to those of you with the stamina to stay with me. Enjoy the short week and have a great May day weekend too.

my favourite thing

I've had a good old fashioned tidy up and a couple of weeks ago rearranged the sunroom to accomodate the room divider.

If you remember, it had been black and white and has now been replaced with other stuff. So i moved the black and white hide and cushions into the lounge room with my most favourite item in the house, my 1950's lounge. This is it....

Aint she a beauty!I love, love,love, love her. Actually, quite a few of my fave items reside in this room. The little yellow stool is new on the block and has quickly made it into my top 10. It brings out the yellow in the dress 'Balinese Girl' has on in the frame and lifts the room a bit i think. Perfecto for my morning coffee.

The black and white just seems to work with it in my eye. Not to say that it does in anyone else's ...i'm sure many people would think it's overdone with the tropical print - but i like things a little off centre sometimes. And the hide is making the room feel a little warmer coming into winter.

Oddly, about 10 years ago, i purchased a handmade vintage skirt from the Paddington Markets in Sydney. I pulled it out about 2 years after purchasing the couch and thought how familiar the fabric looked. My sis-in-law turned it into two cushions for me with cute wooden buttons. That's them above. It's not the same fabric but rediculously similar.

I purchased this lounge from a shop called 'Found' on the Gold Coast about 4 years ago. They specialise in mid century pieces. I immediately fell in lust which turned to love very rapidly. The deal was sealed when they showed me the shelf that sits on the back and even though the fabric is a little fullon - i don't think i'll ever tire of it.

I just liked how the sun hit this when i took the photo and i have a massive love of Mother In Law Tongue's at the moment. Cannot get enough of them! I couldn't tell you the last time i watered him and he's still happy as larry. 

Another favourite of mine are my Tretchikoffs.  These 3 girls stick together on the opposite wall to Balinese girl. I admire them often. The trunk hides away CD's and DVD's. It's been a very loyal steed that trunk. When i first came across it, it had pigeon poo ALL over it. I was so offended, pigeon poo haunts me. It seems to turn up everywhere. Took me so long to polish it up but was worth the sore arms and chipped nails.

That's my little bit of show and tell... i'm a very proud parent to that lounge.

I hope your Easter is proving to be relaxing. Still 3 and a half days to go.

happy easter

stay safe and enjoy the break
x

weekend 1

Weekends go to fast. After finalising the setup on the space in the morning of Saturday and doing up a post, i found myself surrounded by a home in disarray. By this stage it was about 11:30am. I also planned to bake a cake and meet the girls for a drink and a 'viewing' of Shop 16 at 3:30pm. Crikey moses i had some work to do!

The girls were so excited about the space, and being that they're a creative crew with independent  likes and dislikes it was great to have some good old fashioned feedback. We then mosied on down to Canvas Bar at the Gabba. Highly recommend.

I did get the cake baked, and following drinks we had dinner with Friends at a local Italian with much to celebrate including the birthday of the fun and fabulous Julie over at Restoring the Old Girl. My packet mix cake was rather pitiful in comparison to the baked from scratch delicacies Jules creates - so i thought that bringing it out at about 11pm was a sure fire way to make it a total hit.

After a thoroughly exhausting Saturday, A and I drove to Springbrook yesterday. We were both tired and lethargic and felt the need for a cruisy drive to look at calm and soothing things. You may remember the Caravan and green besser brick i came across last time we were up there ( click here )? 

This time we saw this

Even the wheels were made of wood - i wonder how long it's been here for? It was on one of the sites that have been demolished. They've been doing a buy back scheme up there to reclaim land to conserve the national park and things are being demolished left right and centre.

I like the colours that years of weathering has brought to it- the moisture in the air up there is incredible, green moss covers everything.

Mist was low yesterday which is when the mountain is the most beautiful i think. A went to explore while i sat in the car and intermittently took photo's of something mossy. The breeze swished the mist around the car - it was freezing cold but smelt of clean, fresh rainforest.

Today i popped into WAC to eye off the space and see how Weekend 1 had faired. It was pretty cool to see some blank space and sold stickers. So i decided to celebrate again and bought this darling honey bunch from the cafe there. He's sitting here in my intray waiting to be eaten - terrified. He's being eyeballed from every direction.

I have bundles of fabric for items of furniture. I just need to decide what will go with what. I like tropical and morrocan prints. Thing is, not everyone else does so i need to put some thought into it. Give me a hand for a tic ... if you were looking for an item of furniture to sit on be it chairs, stools, daybeds, whatever ... what kind of fabric would you like 'off the shelf' style? Tropical, floral, geometric, stripes, block ..

shop 16

Well, it's official. I am the very, very proud stall holder of Shop 16 at Woolloongabba Antique Centre.

It's been a complete whirlwind couple of weeks since i received a call from  Sarah-Jane and Megan from WAC and here i am exactly 12 days later - in like flyn baby.

So this is me.

Love my macrame so it will continue to be a feature i think. The macrame's for sale but not the bottles of plants - they're going to be living here permanently the little darlings.

Some of these pieces will look familiar but i let me say - they much prefer their surroundings amongst so many other fun, eclectic and beautiful things. That centre is christmas, birthdays, tooth faires and the easter bunny all rolled into one place for me.

The carpet tile has made a nice quirky feature on the floor. We had a pile left over in the shed from a house reno and a friend suggested i use it here. GREAT suggestion! I was leaning toward acrylic grass or honan matting. Might change it up down the track ...

The white cane chairs have reversible cushions for the base and also the scatter cushions. It's a fine beige and white pinstripe on the back of the cushions and plain beige on the seat base - gives you the option to tone down the piece if you're not having a red day.

So that's it. So bizarre i'm even posting about this - wasn't in the plan for this year but i am totally excited about this venture no matter what the outcome. Some things just happen for a reason ...

Hoping to see you all there - so much to look at, we've got Katherine from The Old Boathouse and Paint me White amongst something like 60 other stores and of course lil ole me. Have a great rainy Saturday. Cocktails this afternoon with the gals to celebrate. It's so great when you're friends are just (if not more) excited that you are when you do something like this. Friends are the best!

subway tiles and their origins

What a gorgeous marble subway tile.

Look's great in this kitchen. I'm converted from white to marble for our splashback i think, how could i not with an image like this?

Looking at Subway tiles recently, i decided to seek out some in their first habitat ... in the city that conceived the whole idea of this tile. New York baby!

Back in 1901 Heins and LaFarge Architects were employed to design the New York City subway system and in turn came up with the  subway tile. They started laying in 1901 with the subway opening on the 27th October 1904 for business. They used various colours and structural design to create unique patterns and signage for all of the stations.

 

The famous City Hall Subway Station pictured above is so amazing. Over time various companies have been employed on the upkeep of these tiles and they still stand today at an age of more than 100 years.

 This is from 72nd Street

 

Many of the subway station signage and decorative works are done with mosaic tiles as you can see above. Certain stations depending on their locations have motifs representing the station. Whilst the majority of the work on the subways was completed prior to 1904, over the years more modern additions of subway art has emerged like this simplistic one below

Whilst the overall design of the subway system both architectually and decoratively was the work of Heins and LaFarge, a young architect by the name of Squire Vickers was heavily responsible for many of  the mosaic motif designs.

Historically subway tiles were made of painted and fired ceramic, these days they are more enhanced for longer lasting durability, but whether 1904 or 2011, they are still a hardy and aesthetically versatile tile. I never tire of looking at them.

Have a great Friday and even better weekend.

bunny and Raine and Sage

Wowsers this week is going fast and it's a chilly one.

I've been thinking about my winter wardrobe this week and trying to convince myself that i don't need anything. Fruitless waste of time really ... who am i kidding? Look at the stunningness of this cape!

(Last week i copied this picture to an email then exited whatever site i was on. Do you think i can find it again? It's a sign...)

Meanwhile on  the weekend i faffed around the house reworking everything around my beloved room divider. She's a pretty thing. I'll take some pics this weekend when i have some decent light.

Who's that? A friend and I went for cocktails at Ortiga Saturday night ('Southside' was my choice of cocktails for the night - try it) so i stayed at her place in New Farm. That was my bedside lamp. I just kept looking at him before drifting to sleep because he is SO DAMN CUTE!

E lives in a gorgeous Art Deco apartment (my favourite kind of apartment living) in New Farm which she has decorated in her own earthy, eclectic style. I took some pic's and they all came out fuzzy except the easter bunny and this shot of the dresser in a bedroom.

I love the neutral colours. The grey chest of drawers is the perfect shade and being that i have my own love of bevelled mirrors - it's a sure winner for me.

Something else that's been on my mind is a little give away our pal Sonia is running over at Raine and Sage, pop over and check out the fabulous sign up for grabs. I'm desperately hoping i win!!!!
And while you're there, have a good wander around her blog because she's a creative one this one.

Recently she revamped an old spice rack which is now a burst of colour and cheer to house her son's little matchbox cars. This is it. Go see what it looked like before. A brilliant transformation.

I might also add that I am having Indian for dinner tonight. Chicken Tikka Masala and and i cannot wait!