chandelier makeover

i decided to paint up one of the cute chandies i found on the weekend. i unhooked all the crystals, gave them and the chandy a good scrub, and put it back together. and i'm so glad i gave painting it a shot!
i'm so happy with how it's turned out.

i find it's quite difficult to get a good photo of a chandelier!
it's not attached to the wall yet, but it gives you and idea of how it looks.

don't those old crystals look stunning against the white?!

it will go in the corner here somewhere near Emily's pretty handpainted sign.
she is on school camp at the moment, so want to get it hung before she gets home tomorrow. it's so strange to wake and see her room empty. i just hope they are having an absolute ball and aren't getting any rain!
can't wait to get her back tomorrow afternoon!!

i'm linked up here with Beach Cottage's Linky Blog Party!

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Sunday treasures & a painted box

my day started rather early- the alarm went off at 4:20am! we have purchased an almost new car in Melbourne. for those followers who don't live in Australia, it's a 2 hour flight from where we live in Brisbane, or a 2 day drive! i dropped Mike at the airport for his 6am flight. he is now in our new car and on his way North.

i left my sweet little sleeping beauty's at home and headed straight from the airport to the markets.
lots of treasures today- yay!! pretty pottery pieces above and an American Beauty dish.
and below, a lovely old cut crystal vase.

i knew this print would be perfect above the daybed in the study.
love the muted colours.

a french inspired pot for $1.

i wasn't sure about these little chandies at first, but the crystals got me.
and for $5 each, i decided to take them.
i'll paint them up and maybe hang them either side of Emily's bed.

this cute knotted silver bangle was only $2 and pairs up well with my Tiffany bracelet.

i am a bit of a hippy at heart (as many of my friends know ;) so was thrilled to find myself a couple of dresses. this white one still had the tag attached and was only a dollar.
needs a good iron of course (and a wash) lol.

Dotti boho dress and pretty crocheted top.

i'm always on the lookout for storage ideas that work. i find in our home, that if i try and keep things ordered in 'lidded' boxes, items just pile up on the lid.
so when i found this cute box, i knew it would be perfect for keeping the study desk neat.
it's a good size and holds everything within arms reach. and no lid means things are more likely to be put back properly!

love it's curves :)

before....

i felt a bit mean painting over the cottages, as someone had
painstakingly painted them all on by hand!!
and here it is in it's new home

i'm off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday
Kate x
i'm linked up with Beach Cottage's Good Life Wednesdays!

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spoil yourself

hello hello :)
i hope you are all having a lovely Tuesday. mine started (once dropping the girls at school) with a quick trip into Coles to grab a few things, and i spotted these Lisianthus. so i bought myself a bunch, as well as some for a friend i was meeting for coffee. they are so soft and pretty. very 'rose' like i think. i am loving them in a few of my milk glass vases.

oh and i managed a trip to IKEA yesterday. with another friend :)
and we had the best time. coffee. shopping. lunch and more coffee. another wizz around to see if we had forgotten anything. and we had. so more purchasing ;)

and there was lots of new stock. check out these gorgeous teatowels. they also came in the prettiest dusky pink. love the cross stitch detail.
i'm going to make some cushion covers with them. i bought a couple of white cushion covers too. you can see one on the left.

and more candles were purchased. of course.

and they look good in here i think.

and this arrived in the mail! i am off to sit and have a browse ;)

hmm, come to think about it, these last 2 days have been all about me!
it is nice to spoil ourselves once in a while :)
what have you spoiled yourself with lately?
Kate x
and Erica! please contact me so i can get your Memory Book off to you!
mlewisd@bigpond.net.au

i'm linked up with Beach Cottage's GOOD LIFE Wednesdays ;)

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10 minute candlestick makeover and a WINNER!!

i picked these lovely candlesticks up from an op shop yesterday. i have been wanting to paint up my own set, and have a feeling these may have been made in a wood work class at school? they seem very 'handmade' and solid.

the rain has set in for the weekend, so best i don't get stuck into any large painting projects!
it's very overcast, so the photos aren't the best.
i made up a table runner with a curtain. just folded it in thirds. that way i can use it as a tablecloth too.

i didn't want a thick painted look, so smeared the paint on with an old washer.

i rubbed it into all the grooves as best i could,
not worrying about missing a bit here and there.

it turned out to be quite a messy task!

there goes the nails!!

i wanted the timber colour to show through, so rubbed off some of the paint with the dry end of the washer.

and here's the result!

i love how they have turned out.
they compliment my dining room perfectly!

before....

and the WINNER of the five year memory book is
Erica!!!!
please send your contact details to
mlewisd@bigpond.net.au
so i can get your parcel in the post!!
Congratulations!
thankyou to all of you who entered :)

enjoy your weekend
Kate x

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don't forget...

i picked these cushions up this week. i love the natural colour of them both.
the top one was advertised in last month's Real Living magazine. Only $10 from K-Mart.
the bottom one was an op shop find and looks great with my other daybed cushions. love those little wooden buttons too.

i will be drawing a GIVEAWAY winner this weekend. you can enter by leaving a comment on my giveaway post here. the odds are looking pretty good, so why not?!
Kate x

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tea anyone?

here's my finished project with the cute castors! i have wanted an old tea trolley for years. i have bid on them on eBay a few times and missed out.
so when i spied this one in the corner of someone's shed, i asked the price and it came home with me. (at a very good price i might add :)

here's how sad and sorry she was when i bought her home!
she was pretty battered and worn, and you can still see her 'scars' through the paint, but i like it that way.

oh there are the castors again. sigh. love them.
they are so wobbly and rickety, but that makes me love them more.

the timber handle is missing from one end but that doesn't matter.
it all adds to her vintage charm.

i was surprised on Friday afternoon with these beautiful soft pink roses.
don't they look gorgeous in my old jars?

the trolley is going to be used for our little cockatiel's Cherry and Keira.
the base can house their food, toys, etc. all hidden nicely in that rustic basket.

oh there are those 'to die for' rusty old castors again :))

hello rusty lovelies.
yes i know i'm a little loopy when it comes to vintage ;)

i took a couple of pics of my roses early this morning too.

now i just need to learn how to grow my own....

i am listing a few lovely pieces on eBay today.
here's a couple of pretties that are going up for auction.

there are some other pieces that i painted up recently and blogged about that are for sale too.
just click on m eBay button to the right of my page to take you there.

i've had some questions about the paint that i use. i prefer Dulux paints and buy it straight off the shelf. no 'colour' mixed in at all. just white low sheen.
if i don't want a stark white finish, i opt for 'Antique White USA' by Dulux also.
i then seal my pieces with Porter's Sealer which never 'yellows'.
hope that is of some help to the painter's out there!

happy Monday
Kate x

i'm linked up with A STROLL THRU LIFE
and BEACH COTTAGE good life Wednesday's!

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