Lilies for Kate

Doily Bunting

2012-02-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

yesterday i set to work at the sewing machine with my doilies
and came up with a couple of doily buntings.

you can buy doilies from Spotlight, but they are readily available
in your local op shops.

i thought these lovely pretties went nicely together.

you can buy this webbing from Bunnings for about $9.
great for sooo many projects!

i cut the doilies in half

and then cut the webbing to make thin strips.

measured it out, then began sewing.

easy peasy.

i then cut up a couple of large rectangle doilies to make the 2nd one.

i really like this one!

so pretty and delicate.

i bought some yummo AQUA paint today to paint up a couple of pieces.
can't wait to show you!

Kate x

doily earring keeper

2012-02-27T11:04:00.002-08:00

what you need:
*bamboo hoops from Spotlight- starting from $2.50
*vintage doilies (i have a never ending stash!)
*you can also buy doilies from Spotlight.

place doilies over hoops to work out what size doilies will fit best

loosen the outer hoop, place doily between hoops and tighten-
adjusting doily as you go.

once firmly in place, you can either trim the edges or tuck them in behind.

you could paint the hoops of course, but i'm liking the natural look
against the various doily colours.

then choose your favourite earrings and hang up with some pretty ribbon.

i've used a piece of pearl string to hang mine

i'll be selling these through my facebook page here.

Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life
house of grace

day at home sick & some candle making

2012-02-23T14:49:00.001-08:00

hello to you all from rainy Brisbane!
today was the perfect "day at home" kind of day.
i have been battling a fluey cold all week, which kinda got the better of me over night.
with the tissue box as my best friend and not much voice, i decided to spend the morning in the kitchen by the warmth of the stove melting soy wax and pouring it into
vintage containers of all sorts.

here is a gorgeous "made in France" jar soy wax candle.
Baby powder fragrance. oh so yummy!
'Le Parfait Super' scribed across the front.

remember the cute little cups i found at the markets?
i polished them up and here's one made into a candle!

pretty English rose china

German cup on blue floral saucer

more fine bone china on an unmarked saucer exactly the same as the one above

cute glass jug candle

silver plate baby cup with matching spoon candle!

such a warm relaxing activity to do on such a rainy day!
our house is currently filled with rose and baby powder fragrances!
these soy wax candles are all for sale on my Lilies for Kate Facebook page
the perfect reusable/refillable Mother's Day gift :)
Kate x
show and tell Friday

patchwork tablecloth

2012-02-19T09:31:00.001-08:00

good morning all!
i tackled the patchwork quilt yesterday from start to finish yesterday.
love projects that can be done in one sitting!

i'm super pleased with how it turned out.

here are the fabrics (vintage sheets mostly) i chose.
i found the embroidered white cotton in Spotlight on special.

i used the largest quilting square, and worked out that i would need
4 squares x 7 squares to cover our 1m x 2m dining table.

i laid out the squares out on the lounge room floor to work out the best
configuration.

such a happy tablecloth!

this would also be a cute curtain idea, and could easily be turned into a quilt one day
if i wish :)

Kate x
show and tell Friday

a labour of VINTAGE love

2012-02-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

over the weekend, i finished my raggy quilt.
here it is on the spare bed in the study.

i started it back in October last year and would've had it completed within a few days,
but i ran out of wadding! the wadding had been purchased years ago, so of course Spotlight didn't stock it anymore! i couldn't find anything similar to the wadding i had already used, so
i packed it all away. i carried a sample of the wadding with me everywhere trying to find a match but to no avail :(

i then made a cot sized raggy quilt which you may have seen in this post here.

a couple of weeks ago i ended up buying some wadding because i just couldn't bear
the quilt sitting unfinished! the wadding isn't as soft, but once all put together you can't really tell the difference.

so here's where it all began!
i got out all my larger fabric pieces and folded my favourites into squares to work out what
looked best together.

it wasn't long before doilies entered the plan

here are the fabrics i decided to go with. mostly vintage, but a few are from Spotlight.

wadding squares ready to go

i used an old flannelette paisley patterened sheet for the back.

here are a few squares laid out after being sewn together

i didn't have many small white doilies, so most doilies used were cut.

now it's coming together!
1st two rows are attatched

a few months later, almost at the end!!
here i'm about to join both halves of the quilt and can you see the tiny scrap of cotton left
on the reel??!! ARG!

then about 2 hours of snipping all the edges to get the raggy effect going and wha la!!
complete :)

i started running out of fabric towards the end so had to cut up a few linen hand towels- this pretty embroidered one was a fav.

it has ended up being a generous double sized quilt.

i sooo enjoyed making it and hope to make more in the future.
next sewing project- a patchwork tablecloth!
if it looks any good, i'll be back to show it off to you!
Kate x

Happy Valentines & beachy blues

2012-02-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!
hope you all have a special one celebrating however you choose.
we don't make much of a fuss- i usually get flowers (and i just love receiving flowers!) and we have a nice dinner. Might have to buy the flowers on behalf of Mike this year as he's home sick!
The girls have spent hours making Valentine's cards and craft for their friends which is so sweet!

any hoo, onto furniture!
i found this fold up table at an op shop and thought it deserved a makeover in
the beachy look! i sealed with Zinsser (you can see it showing through where i have sanded)
and then painted with this gorgeous blue found on the mistint trolley at Bunnings.

i don't usually sand my pieces all over, but this table was asking for it!

Titantic ring found at the markets. Ceramic hanging shells were a gift
from a friend many years ago.

german vase, mason jar and wicker baskets.

folds up easily to store away.

before....

1st day of supply teaching for me today! off to teach Prep and let Mike rest at home!
(note to self: buy flowers on way home!!)
Kate x
a stroll thru life
twice owned Tuesday

Sunday Market Finds

2012-02-13T06:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!
the beginning of another week!
i thought i'd show you my finds from yesterday morning's
market trip.
i spied that timber box in the hands of a woman setting up her stall and
asked if it was for sale.
"Well it is, but they are very popular so i'm not sure what price to put on it."
A slight pause then, "How's $3.00?"
SOLD!

she also had this lovely old mirror, which now resides on my bedside table.

the next stall i stopped at had these darling silver plate spoon and cup sets! $2.00 the lot!!
Salt container and whiskey label 50c each.

Christopher Vine melamine cups. 3 for 50c.

i love timber bowls. sometimes they get painted, but i'm liking this one as is.
$1.00!!

these once retailed in Target for $24.99.
i LOVED them, but couldn't justify the price.
glad i waited. got it for $2.00 yesterday!

nice soft knit tops, Sportsgirl leather belt and a Clinique makeup bag.

last stop is fresh fruit and veg. here's about half of it!
Emily just about knocks me down as i walk through the door!
she loves her fruit :)

off to wake my sleeping beauties!
Kate x

white bookcase cabinet

2012-02-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

last Sunday i posted on a pair of bedside tables i did up for someone.
here is the bookcase that is going off to the same home.

i wish it could stay here! i had fun setting out some of my vintage wares
for it's bloggy photo shoot.

love these french preserving jars that i picked up for next to nothing.

this cabinet could be used for so many things. it would be ideal for
books, linens, crockery and cutlery, collections of any sort, or a mixture
of all the above!

just waiting on some lovely big glass knobs to finish it off.

thankfully Alicia over at Time Worn Style posted on painting
with this before i started. i wasn't looking forward to sanding this baby,
and fortunately didn't have to in the end!
i just slapped on 2 coats of this. great stuff. will be using it all the time!

here's the cabinet after a coat of Zinsser.

before....

Kate x
a stroll thru life

revamped coffee table

2012-02-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

here's a coffee table i finished this morning.
painted up in a lovely french grey.

now that our floors are white, i'm feeling the need to introduce some other colours
through furniture.

old books picked up from the markets

timber candle holders i found a while back- rubbed over with some white paint.

a little of my milk glass collection and a timber footed bowl i found on our
holidays in Caloundra.

before....

Kate x

a pretty pair of bedside tables

2012-02-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

i finished these lovely bedside tables for a lady over the weekend.
the old hardware was replaced with 4 gorgeous glass knobs which give
off the perfect amount of sparkle.

roses from the hubs ;)

rose scented drawer liners.

i used a low sheen white gloss which shows off all the detail beautifully

no sanding done on these. just a lovely classic white finish.

cute pair of mini pottery vases

ready and waiting to be picked up by the owner this afternoon.

before.....

Kate x
homemaker on a dime

a stroll thru life
house of grace
very merry vintage style

french clock with shelves

2012-02-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

this clock was one of those pieces i just couldn't walk past- purely for it's shape.
the actual clock and mechanism were completely ruined,
so my handy man pulled apart a clock we already had and
fit it in.
all it needed then was a good scrub and onto the wall it went.

$2 silver plate vase i picked up last week.

having the shelf space is so practical and useful,
and adds a bit of interest to a usual wall clock.

the roman numerals got a bit cut off, but glad i could give this piece a new lease on life.

before....

Kate x
funky junk interiors

french grey side table

2012-01-31T10:43:00.000-08:00

this little cutie got an overhaul in a lovely mistint shade
of french blue/grey.
a gentle shabby around the edges gives it just the right amount of depth.

MDF 'love' from Spotlight. painted white and sanded.

you can find it here on eBay along with some other pretties.

before....

the sun is shining, so i'm off to paint!
Kate x
very merry vintage style

cute finds in K-Mart

2012-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

good evening to you all-
i rarely blog at this time of the day, but dinner is sorted, washing machine is cranking,
dryer is on, Kacey's bags are packed for school camp and the entire
contents of the bag is labeled!

i was on my way into Coles this afternoon before school pickup,
when pure procrastination took over-
i found myself in K-Mart to check out what was on offer
in the home wares section.

i stood for ages staring, trying to decide on spots or stripes,
aqua or latte?
$2 each?? oh please!! how could i not take some home?!

$2 water-come-vase bottles

cute clocks (mr. roman numerals came home with me :)
the larger clocks below reminded me of the ones you can get at IKEA but
these were only $10.

lovely soft blue bath sheets for $10 each.

standard bath towel size were $5, as were the bath mats.
for some reason, the quality of the face washers and hand towels were not
as good, so i left those behind.

my purchases ;)

i made it to Coles in the end :)
Kate x

pink polkadot raggy quilt for a new bub

2012-01-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

happy Australia Day!
hope all you AUSSIES have enjoyed your day so far!
our plans kind of changed due to the masses of rain we have had this week,
but we have had a relaxing, yet productive day at home anyway.

last night our neighbour brought his brand new baby grand daughter over
to show us. she wasn't even 24 hours old and so tiny!
i was really in the mood to sew this morning, so decided to make a soft
raggy quilt for the so far not yet named bub!

i already had a nice stash of pink polkadot flannel, as well as some white flannel
that i used for the wadding.

a quilting square, rotary cutter and board is also needed.

i cut a few squares and laid them out to help decide on the size.
i wanted it to sit well in a cot, but also be a handy size for the pram, bassinette
and later on maybe a play mat.
the quilt was also backed in the polkadot fabric, so i cut twice as many of those as the white.
the quilt was going to be 5 squares x 7 squares, so i cut out 105 squares altogether.
that took about an hour.

you can see the 3 layers here. i then ran a cross through each and every one
of the 35 squares. the centre one got a doily sewn on it. of course!
another hour for this step.

35 squares ready to be made into a pretty raggy quilt.

i then sewed the squares into strips.
(there's my yummy coffee in the background :)

5 strips with 7 squares in each!

the strips are then sewn together. it's all too easy really!

then to get that raggy effect going, all the edges are snipped.
(washing and then throwing it in the dryer gets the raggy edges looking less uniform)

i then went right around the outside with the machine and then snipped those edges too.
yes i really do like polkadots. that's my cute sewing box you can see in this shot!

tied off with a clay tag

i reused a TYPO bag to wrap it up, and glued paper doilies over
the word TYPO on each side of the bag.

a sweet MDF flower i painted with blackboard paint sets the bag off nicely.

i so enjoyed making this quilt and it only took about 3-4 hours.
(i forgot to measure it before wrapping it, so can't tell you how big it is whoops!)
Kate x
house of grace
my romantic home

back to work wardrobe basics

2012-01-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

as mentioned in my last post, it was back to school this week.
so that means back to work for me!
i did go back last week, but it hardly feels like it when there are no students at school!

i am permanent part time, so it was nice to meet a friend for a good coffee
after school drop off today,
and to also have a wander around some of our favourite stores.

i was after some basic tops for work, so started in Target as i usually do,
but they had nothing. after searching all the "cheaper" stores with no luck,
we went into Country Road.

i grabbed these simple sleeveless tees for $29.95 each.
not on special, but CR always washes and wears so well.
i teamed the white tank with some 50c beads i picked up from the markets.

this cute flower necklace was reduced to $2.95 and is from
Forever New.

love the little beaded tassle that hangs behind the flower.

we then popped into Laura Ashley just to look.
but found a huge range of clothing heavily reduced!
This sweet ruffle tee is oh so soft and was
$69 down to $19.95!!

bling necklace $14.95 from Forever New.

and i just fell in love with this gorgeous ecru colured shirt.
the collar and all the trim down the front is 100% silk.
sets it off beautifully!

the actual shirt is a tencel/silk blend.
$109 reduced to $29.95!!

black chunky beads $2 market find.

how teacher-ish is this pretty cardi?! oyster in colour and
ever so soft. all silk trim- including the pretty removable corsage.
i think this will look great with a black singlet and black work pants.
pearl and diamonte necklace market find for $2.

such lovely quality and attention to detail.
originally $139, but down to $39.95!

i would never usually shop here, but so happy with my purchases!
the perfect boost to my work wardrobe.
if you live near a Laura Ashley store, i recommend a visit!
now, to decide which top to wear tomorrow.....
Kate x
beach cottage

a hole in your fav top?

2012-01-23T06:45:00.000-08:00

today is back to school for many i know. my eldest is off to
Leadership Day today, as she is in Grade 9 this year! she is also about 1cm
off being the same height as me, and is fitting into some of my shoes and clothes.
and i'm not short. oh help me!
so i have one last day with Miss 10. we're going to hit the shops,
and do coffee, cupcakes, hot chocolate, and sushi.

anyhoo, here's a little project i got done over the weekend.
so sad when i pulled one of my fav tops in my fav colour out of the
washing machine while away at the beach on holidays to find this.
it was kind of my fault, as i forgot to pack hoisery bags. who remembers
hoisery bags when packing for holidays anyway?? not me :(

so i was truly just going to throw it out, as the 2 holes are right at the front.
of course they are! then i got thinking. and i found the answer
in my HUGE stash of doilies that i showed you the other day.

so i started to pin and photograph.
i thought this doily combination was going to look perfect until i tried it on.
wrong!
looking a bit stupid with a huge doily right at the front!
(mind you, some of you are probably thing that this whole doily fixing idea is totally stupid lol)
so glad i tried it on before sewing!

hmmm, too big i'm thinking.
oh but the cute one on the pocket. yep. great idea.

umm no! tried it on and not liking the pocket doily!

so this is what i went for in the end.
just the one. luckily the holes were close together.
and right at the front of course.

i then sewed a cross through the doily with the machine.

and hand sewed the rest. nearly killed me.
took 200 times longer than i expected.

and if i hadn't done enough hand sewing?
i decided to try some doilies on a pair of op shop jean shorts.

i can't stress enough how important it is to try before your sew!
i thought the bigger doily on one side would look awesome until i tried them on!
it really looked rediculous!

did one on the back pocket though :)

so there you have it. in my mind, doilies can fix up
your favourite top. and make your jeans shorts rock.
i promise i won't wear them together.
Kate x
homemaker on a dime

Dreamworld Fun

2012-01-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

i hope you are all having a great weekend!
i thought i'd break away from thrifting finds and furniture makeovers today
and show you some pics from Dreamworld.
we were generously given a 21 day family pass from my Mum, and managed to get there 3 times.
visit one
was all about the rides!
so we started with 'The Rapids'.

supposedly that wasn't "thrilling enough" so it was then onto
the scary rides.
Me: i'll pass and just watch thanks ;)

"The Sky Rocket"

"The Avalanche"

a little bit of peace and tranquility amongst the screams from surrounding rides!

"The Claw"
my 3 loves mid air!!

"The Shock Wave"

"The Giant Drop"
seriously, Mums should be given awards for letting their kids get on this!
it goes up slowly to 120m in the sky, then drops at 135km hour.
apparently the closest thing to skydiving!

White Water World is attached to Dream World with numerous
pools, slides and thrill rides to choose from.'
Here's Kace in front of a giant bucket that fills and then dumps!

heading home after a mammoth day!

visit two
Mike took the girls this time as i had to return to work.
Lining up for the "Motor Coaster"

ready to get on the "Reef Diver"

Kacey took this award winning shot of this stunning peacock that was roaming the grounds.

soaking wet after "The Log Ride"

visit three
Mike headed back to work so I took the girls for our last visit.

after a couple of hours enjoying White Water World,
we took time to check out some of the animals.
This inquisitive tiger was checking us out in the viewing area.

lovely scenery overlooking the Billabong.
Home to many fish, turtles and eels.

saying hi to the wallabies

Em offering this one some food.

the most content and satisfied koala i have ever seen!

i would have to say Dream World is definitely my favourite of
all the 'worlds' on the Gold Coast. Something for everyone.
That's it for school holidays. all done and dusted.
Back to school next week.
Kate x

pretty finds via instagram

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

here are some of my recent finds.
love the old jug, but a shame it didn't have the matching bowl.

the cutlery isn't old, but will look lovely in a jar next to my Granny's bone handled knives.
haha, you can see the reflection of my polkadot phone cover many times over!

i can never walk past anything crochet.

a cool candle in a bucket that can one day be repurposed.

piles of crochet and needlework.

i'm thinking of making a quilt with it all!

Kate x

blackboard placemats

2012-01-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

happy Wednesday to everyone!
i have a fun and inexpensive project to share with you today.

if you love browsing the op shops like me, i'm sure you
have come across more than a few daggy sets of placemats.
well next time you do, how about buying a set and having a go at this!

i found these for $2.

i gave them i light sand

Kace was keen to help, so she did the 1st coat of Blackboard paint.
she'd had enough after that, so i finished them off!

such a simple and thoughtful gift for someone wrapped up
with roughly cut sheer fabric.

or use them yourself!

our table is all set for tonight.

i think these would be great for b'day parties. they could
then be sent home as a party favour.
or fabulous at a wedding!

picked this rusty old beauty up last week too.

i have other sets that are for sale. email if you are interested :)
Kate x
very merry vintage style
a beach cottage
house of grace
funky junk interiors

working some magic with my staple gun!

2012-01-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

here are a few stools and a boudoir chair i picked up the other day.
out came the staple gun and some pretty fabrics for an afternoon
of stapling!

boudoir stool no 1.
before....

i decided pink polkadot fabric would be the way to go with this one.
but....
it just didn't look as good as i was expecting it would.

so i stapled some crochet from a cushion insert over the top.
LOVE it now!

boudoir stool no 2.
before....

i dressed her up with a vintage fabric that matched her
gold scrolly legs.

sooo pretty!

no 3. boudoir chair.
before....

this girl got the pink gingham treatment.
how cute would it look at a little girls dressing table.

and lastly, shaggy boudoir stool no 4.
before....

a bright pop of vintage blue and red.

3 of these cuties are off to a new home tomorrow.
the little crochet topped stool is on eBay here
i have some other things listed too :)
Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life

Lounge/Dining Rooms made over

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

the floors are done!!
i was so excited to be able to move everything back into the dining and lounge rooms,
and potter and style the afternoon away yesterday.
and it's feeling white white white! love love double freaking LOVE it!!

i was up with the birds at 5am
(just like when i styled my bedroom the morning after the floors were finished)
filling jars and fish bowls with greenery and flowers.
i'm really kind of liking the fish bowl vase :)

for those newer followers, (welcome and SOOO happy to have you following!!)
we have also painted the floors in our bedroom (as mentioned) & walk in robe
as well as the study.

cute mini suitcases i got yesterday from a lovely bloggy follower
who was having a massive clean out. oh, i came home with the best stuff!!
piles upon piles of doilies and vintage linen, milk glass, stools,
chandelier, trolley and more! chocked the sportswagon from the front seat to the boot and home i came with a nice big smile on my face :))

some piccies are a bit dark sorry. it was quite overcast this morning.

while the floors were being painted, i was repainting my lovely old hutch.
it went from french grey to white. yep i know, what a surprise!

another blackboard has found it's way into the house.
pink this time.

the dining room.

i'm thinking a nice white or cream rug will work well in here when the weather cools down.

the dining room was painted 1st, so it then became the lounge room while the lounge room floors were done.
i quite liked it! i felt very cosy and cottagey. (if that's a word?!)

painting begins in the lounge room....

carpets rolled back in the dining room

dining room before....

colour of hutch before....

that's it for the major stuff until next school holidays!
i'll be back to show you some of the treasures i came home with yesterday very soon ;)
Kate x
My Romantic Home
funky junk interiors

chandelier find, flowers & painting

2012-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

hi everyone and happy weekend to you all!

i picked these pretty yellow centred lilac flowers that grow
every so happily over the rockery near our pool,
popped them in an old silver plate vase with a few leftover lisianthus,
and took a couple pics against the crisp white of my kitchen hutch.

there's been a heck of alot of painting going on around here.
Mike has been painting more floors and walls, and i repainted my kitchen hutch
as well as some champagne bottle candle holders you will see further down.

for some reason, every school holidays, we spend the majority of the time living
in absolute chaos while making changes around the home!
the outcome is ALWAYS worth it, but the process drives me nuts!
it's all good though, renovating always helps me to have a good chuck out along the way,
as well as getting jobs done such as washing curtains, windows & lounge covers,
& cleaning out cupboards etc.
fingers crossed we get it all done before school goes back!!

i couldn't wait to get to the markets this morning, as they haven't
been on for the last 2 Sundays because of Christmas and New Years Day.
ARG! nearly killed me!!
and, they didn't disappoint.

found this beauty. glass drops too :)

another mirror. hmm, a bit different i know.
i figured i should take it home seeing it's the 2nd time i've seen it
and it being only $2. Beverley obviously doesn't want it anymore!

a copy of Little Women. bought it soley for the teal cover

and care of instagram, here are my painted champagne bottle
candle holders. My lovely MIL had them cut off and made into holders.
She also gave me a full bottle to enjoy ;)) Being a little too green in colour for our home,
i painted the bottles and then sanded them around the metal detail.

before....

another instagram pic- loving this free app.

can't wait to come back show you our finished dining & lounge rooms.
hopefully very soon!
Kate x

homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life
a beach cottage

vintage cane shelves- styled 3 ways

2012-01-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

morning to you all!
here is a cute little vintage cane shelf unit i finished
painting up yesterday.
i styled her up in 3 different ways, to show
she would be perfect in many rooms of the home.

1. kids bedroom or playroom.
great for storing baskets of toys, books and maybe even the pet fish!

2. in the bathroom
to hold hand towels, candles, shells and soaps

3. in the office or use as a bedside table

i love me some shelving with a vintage touch!

what would you use it for?

before....

Kate x
a stroll thru life
a beach cottage
the shabby creek cottage
my romantic home
homemaker on a dime

1st project for 2012- making clay tags

2012-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all!
We had a great night seeing in the New Year, and enjoyed a BBQ with friends.
After a bit of a sleep in and a slower start to the 1st day of the year, i had a go at making
clay tags. something i've wanted to do for ages!

although they are nowhere near the standard of shop bought ones,
i had so much fun making them.

what you need:

*air dry clay (i got mine from Craft Riot for $7.99 for a 500g bag)
*cookie cutters (on special for $7.99 down from $14.95!)
*a selection of stamps (i found an alphabet set in Kikki K and got some cute animal
*stamps from TYPO that were reduced also)
*rolling pin
*skewer to poke holes through the top of tags
*cake racks for drying
*ribbon & string for hanging

500g clay made 22 tags. that's about 36 cents each!

let them dry overnight.
thread ribbon or string using a skewer to poke it though

a perfect finishing touch for a gift.

i made this one by lightly pressing an old doily over the clay

this one was made in the palm of my hand with the last
little bit of leftover clay.
i think it's my fav ;)

i will definitely be making more.
and next time i think i'll buy the larger bag of clay!

Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life
a beach cottage
the shabby creek cottage
my romantic home
funky junk interiors

linky party mentions & fav posts of 2011

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

lots of the lovely blogs i follow are showing their most viewed posts
for 2011. i have really enjoyed looking back over their adventures, finds,
projects, etc, so thought i'd have a little 'click' around my blog stats and
see what went on this year on my little blog.

a talented graphic designer friend used the above pic i took in my bathroom for a flyer she
was doing up for a women's event. i was excited that she thought my photograph was
good enough for her work!

i have had a few mentions when linking up to bloggy parties.

my post on painting our bedroom floors was mentioned,

as well as my wall of mirrors in the family room,

my french country vignette,

and dear Grandpa's drawers that i made over.

so i clicked on my "all time" stats,
and these 7 posts came up as being viewed the most.

Too Many Magazines

Vintage Daybed

Laundry Makeover

Painting Silver Plate

Treasures Found Today

Blackboards & Messages
(also mentioned in a linky party ;)

and my Painted Filing Cabinet

blogging with you all has been such a joy,
i look forward to being inspired by the blogs i follow, and hope to bring you many more makeovers, finds and mirrors in 2012!!
can't believe we are about to say goodbye to 2011.
what a whirlwind of a year!
see you in the New Year!!
Kate x

vintage kitchen trolley cabinet

2011-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

this sweet cabinet has been done up for a friend of mine.
and i'm so pleased with how it's turned out!

i painted the outside in 'white albatross' which is really a soft
lavender grey colour, and the inside white.

lots of storage for pretties and well as the practical
bits and pieces needed at arms length in the kitchen.

and check out those cute castors!

love the bowed sides. adds such interesting shape.

it's a lovely old piece that has been in the family for many years.
you really don't see furniture around like this anymore!

it's will be back in it's own home Christmas Eve :)

cabinet before....

Kate x
house of grace

vintage CHRISTMAS card garland

2011-12-19T14:02:00.001-08:00

do you remember i mentioned finding vintagey Christmas cards
back in this post?

this is what is was! a gorgeous vintage book full of unused Christmas cards.
i wasn't totally sure what i was going to make until i started
popping the cards out of the book.

once trimmed up, i ran them through my new laminator

cut them out and hole punched them.
i then used some natural twine to string them altogether.

i had a few left over to hang on the tree,

and to use as Christmas gift tags.

Christmas decorations are already 50% off in many shops,
so i grabbed these colourful sparkly ones from Spotlight and added them to my
silver branches

Merry Christmas everyone!
Kate x
a stroll thru life
a beach cottage
the shabby creek cottage
my romantic home
funky junk interiors

french style drawers & yet another mirror

2011-12-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

i found these cute drawers yesterday.
although solid, they were looking very neglected.
being black, i decided a soft grey would be best.
i lightly sanded them so that a little of the original black could peek through.

geisha girl in purple and white from the garden.

the mirror was a find while up the coast on holidays.

it's looking much better with a few coats of white.

mirror before....

drawers before....

the mirror will be going in our bedroom with the other white mirrors.
i feel another 'mirror wall' coming on....
the drawers are for sale and will be on eBay in the New Year.
email me if you are interested :)
Kate x
homemaker on a dime
house of grace
the shabby creek cottage

holiday snaps & op shop/market finds

2011-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

good morning!
as promised, i'm back with some holiday pics and finds from our week away.

flowers growing by the beach

stunning ocean views

making drippy sand castles

finding teeny tiny crabs

blue skies as far as the eye can see
(well most of the time)

the water temp varied between 22-23*.
perfect temp for me!

rusty signage. yes we all love ourselves a little bit of that.

breathtaking sunsets that were so different every afternoon.
this was my fav :)

the view from our balcony taken with instagram

daily walks along the boardwalk

Kings Beach- around the corner from where we stayed

and on our last full day, we celebrated our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

and in other exciting news, here are some of my op shop and market finds!
these cups were my 1st find and remind me of Rachel Ashwell.
50c each! oh, but they were having a 20% off sale, so 40c each lol!!

lovely vintage style picnic basket, star fish, teacup and saucers,
and a 50c cut glass napkin ring to add to my collection

another white double chenille bedspread, doilies
and vintage jars from Italy and France.
there are more finds, but they need some paint before i show you!

now, a couple of small business shout outs!

Caloundra had a twilight market stall where i bought these
yummy soaps. She also sells at the Eumundi Markets every Wednesday and Saturday. All natural, and handmade. No palm oil or animal fats used. 'and they smell amazing!
you can find Kareena on facebook
www.facebook.com/mysoap

And then there's Josephine's Pearls. she makes all her own jewelry using sterling silver,

pearls, beads of many kinds and vintage coins. If you buy form her website, postage is free Aust Wide. She also sells at the Eumundi markets
her web address is www.josephinepearls.com

i bought the turquoise bracelet with sterling silver cross and the gorgeous
watermelon cross below on a leather strap. it can also be threaded onto a silver chain.
(and the super sparkley earrings were from a local jewelry store in Caloundra)

enjoy your weekend!
Kate x

Study floors painted white!

2011-12-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

hi everyone!
we are now home from a totally amazing and relaxing 8 days on the Sunshine Coast.
sadly, it went SOO fast! we have looked forward to this holiday ALL year, and just like that,
it's all over :(
i hit the op shops almost the minute we arrived, so have some finds to show you later.

before we left on our holiday, Mike finished painting the floors in the study.
He did the floors in our bedroom not that long ago. you can see the post on them here.
He is absolutely SOLD on the whole painted floor thing, and can't wait to get stuck into the formal areas next!

so here you can see the study with the carpet gone.

filling the cracks is next.

filler is then sanded and ready for painting.

this is the pic i left you with in the last post.

3 coats later!
couldn't be more pleased.

$15 mirror from the markets last week.

before....
oh, and if you want to see the post on the painted filing cabinet,
go here to have a look!

i was completely exhausted once school finished for the year, but after that
beach holiday, i'm back and motivated to get stuck into some more projects!
i'll be back tomorrow with some holiday pics :)
Kate x

ps the winner of my Christmas giveaway didn't get back to me, so i did a redraw.
the lucky winner is the lovely Kim! you parcel will be in the post next week!

giveaway winner

2011-12-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

hello everyone!
i've been a bit slack when it comes to blogging lately!
and i'm 2 days late in announcing my little Chrissy giveaway- sorry about that!
it's been a big week to say the least.

firstly, the winner is
Kate from Rosealilly!
please email me Kate so i can get your Christmas pretties off in the mail to you!

here is a pic of Kacey and myself just before heading off
to her school Celebration Night.

she only has one more year of Primary school to go.
i just can't believe my baby is so grown up.
(here she is getting high on sugar with a friend on the last day of school!)

Mike came home with these the other night.
$3.11!!! i so enjoy a bunch of flowers when they are on a good special!

oh, and we are busy painting more floors white.....

will be back later with the finished product!
so glad the holidays are here!! another year of work and school behind us.
such.a.good.feeling!!!!!
Kate x

a little Christmas giveaway!

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

well, i think it's time for a little Chrissy giveaway.
what do you think?!

i have this gorgeous crisp white cotton Christmas stocking to giveaway!
it's brand new with tags still attached.
RRP $16.95 from Freedom.
lovely silver/grey stitched detail.

oh yes, i got one for myself too!
matches my wrapping this year perfectly!!

and i'm also including this sweet white crotchet heart.
from Ikea- comes in a pack of 4.
L.O.V.E them!!!

will post world wide.

all you have to do is be/become a follower of my blog and leave a comment.
that's it!

i have these stars hanging all over the place!
great on the tree, a bag, a door knob, whatever takes your fancy :)

thankyou to all of you for your lovely comments over the year.
every single one makes me smile :)
good luck!
i'll draw a random winner at the end of next week!
Kate x
Homemaker on a Dime
very merry vintage style

getting into the Christmas spirit & some child free time!

2011-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

we have never put the Christmas tree up this early!
but we were all feeling a little holiday-ish, as the girls were packed
and ready to head to Sydney for a couple of fun filled days with their grandparents.

so, as we do every year, we put the tree up with Chrissy music playing, the girls
wearing Santa hats complete with food galore!
( Em and Kace choose what we have- and healthy options must be included!
They dished up enough for about 15 guests haha!)

a glass or 2 of champas must also be had by Mum, and a beer for Dad.

Once the girls were on the plane, we headed off to the
Chandler Markets (got this great mirror) followed by a stop at
Ikea for a few more Christmas supplies (and white coathangers :)

and then onto the Woolloongabba Antique Centre where i got to see
Sandy's Shop from Paint Me White.

i took some pics of some other fav shops.
love that cane bed head :)

quaint pieces in this little corner

gorgeous old change table in Tiffany blue

and then into the city for lunch and Christmas shopping.

after a 5:10am start, we came home exhausted at about 3:30pm!
an easy dinner and a DVD were in order.

then it was wrap wrap wrap and under the tree with all the gifts.

my mirror in it's new home

Christmas is definitely looking a little more relaxed and beachy around here this year.

i tied lots of silver star ribbon and made paper doily cones to
hang from these sparkly branches

we've thoroughly enjoyed our child free time, but i can't wait to get my girls

a bit later this morning from the airport!

have fun decorating your home this festive season :)
Kate x
ps i have listed alot of vintage items on eBay. click on the button on the right hand side of
my blog to view.
my Romantic Home
house of grace
funky junk interiors

15 minute DIY tablecloth

2011-11-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

here's a quick and super duper easy DIY project for anyone!
and don't tell me you can't sew, because neither can i!

what you need:
*3 metres of pretty fabric (i got mine today from Spotlight.
they have 30% off store wide until 8pm tomorrow night!
i got this fabric from the curtain section. the fabric i used is 120cm wide
reduced to $7 a metre, so that's a good priced tablecloth!)
*scissors, pencil and measuring tape

my table is 2 metres long, so i cut the fabric down to 240cm.
(i like to have some leftover for another project)

i'm a shocker at doing things to plan.
i just go by eye, fold over about a 1.5cm edge and go for it.
do both the shorter ends of the fabric first.

so as you can see, i'm no perfectionist!

ta da!
my new duck egg blue tablecloth.

and i promise, it took only 15 minutes to sew.

table before....

what are you waiting for?
go and make your own now! it's too easy!
Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life
a beach cottage
shabby creek cottage

this week's finds & happenings

2011-11-13T13:55:00.000-08:00

my week began with a long awaited trip to Ikea with my "fav
Ikea shopping buddy" to check out this year's Chrissy dec's.
you might have seen one of these crochet stars in my previous post.

these cute crowns are very "Rachel Ashwell" don't you think?
so pretty popped on a table, hung on the tree, or atop a bottle of wine.

i love a bit of paisley, so had to grab a packet of these glittery dec's.
each year, i like to hang a little Chrissy decoration off my wrapped pressies.
i might use these this year.

here they sit in my newest milk glass find.
in a couple of weeks it will be time to get the house looking festive!

yesterday i did my first craft and arts market stall.
my tea cup candles were very popular!

my friend Bek is a talented sewer, and had a stall full of beautiful
children's clothes.

it was then home to get the house ship shape for a bit of a dinner party.

i'm kicking myself for not getting some pics with the guests!
we had a ball and sat outside all evening. the weather was lovely.

a market find from this morning.
a huge tray marked on the back 'made in India'.

i'm thinking it will end up in the middle of my coffee table stacked with candles.

after a couple of 4:30am morning starts, i'm
thinking a nanna nap is in order for this afternoon!
enjoy doing whatever it is you love this Sunday :)
Kate x

"the smallest walk in robe in the world" makeover

2011-11-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

beware!
extremely unglamorous blog post ahead!!!
don't be fooled by the 1st pic, i just had to start this post with something pretty!!

welcome to my walk in robe.
actually, the smallest one in the world.
come on in :)
(oh and don't mind the 18 yr old beyond had it carpet!)

we had manged to cram SO much stuff in here.
i was quite impressed with myself when we pulled it all out.
i could have filled a small truck lol!

so, here it is in all it's messy crammed glory.
part of me can't believe i'm doing a post on this, but hey, this is real life!
i love sharing what i get up to with you, as well as creating an online type
journal to look back on.
so here goes.

it got to the stage where it was too hard to keep tidy.
the top shelf was so deep, it shadowed the clothing below making it difficult to see.
we store everything from clothes and shoes in here,
to Christmas presents, luggage, bedding and light bulbs.

and the crappy little mirror just wasn't cutting it!

step one.
hit up IKEA for as many white timber coat hangers as i can carry.
(this wasn't enough, so i got more yesterday :))

step two.
smash out shelves with a hammer, rip out gross carpet and
pull up timber and concrete nails.

step three.
concrete nails leave holes behind, so fill holes and
plaster walls.

step four.
find alternative clothing storage in family room.
cram what's left into both daughter's cupboards leaving them very
unimpressed.

step five.
choose a storage system that doesn't break the bank.
a quote from Howard's Storage took my breath away.
Ikea was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than that.
but, the best price was found at Bunnings.
a system called CLEVER CLOSET.
and it's ALL WHITE!! (big smiles from me)
oh and a $5 tub of mistint paint in a really nice colour
also found it's way home with me)

step six.
install it yourself.
well, get your husband to while you sit back and watch
from the bed with a glass of wine.

step seven.
hang clothes temporarily to make sure you leave the right amount
of space between shelves.

step eight.

foof and potter getting everything back in.
done!

ok, let me invite you in to my newly finished walk in robe!!
break down of costs.
*Clever Closet system: just over $400.
*walls painted in Dulux Antique White USA. already had some left over.
*floors painted white. $160 for 10L tin. painted both walk in robe floor and bedroom floor.
*Ikea white coat hangers $9.99 for pk of 8. total: $130
*Vintage light from Salvos: $22
*Ikea Hemnes Mirror $119

double the hanging space and
total organised bliss : PRICELESS!

cute light fitting

very hard to photograph my divine new mirror but here it is!

there's my sweet little dolly sitting in the corner
that i've had since i was a baby.

lovely white timber mirror.
seems almost made to fit :)

white timber coat hanger love
(don't get me wrong. there will always be a place for crocheted and padded
coat hangers in my wardrobe. they're down on the bottom shelf)
throws and blankets stored in pretty bags and pillowcases.

so there you have it.
our now very functional, teeny tiny walk in robe.

thanks for coming along :)
Kate x
house of grace
very merry vintage style

pale pink birdcage

2011-11-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

this sweet birdy cage was my 1st find at the markets yesterday.
bird cages are popping up everywhere in this house.

she wasn't quite as pretty as this when i found her.
for some reason the previous owner had umm wasted alot
of time painting her a ghastly shade of purple.

not being able to leave her behind just because of the yucky colour,
i decided it couldn't be too hard to paint her up right?
wrong!
it was a worse job than 1st thought!!
took me ages shoving the brush into every nook and corner.

totally worth it though :)

before....
yep, beyond hideous!!

i've been painting all weekend. time for a break.
i'm off to IKEA to check out Christmas decorations,
and to try and buy myself a new mirror for our walk in robe.
back soon :) Kate x

homemaker on a dime
house of grace
very merry vintage style
a beach cottage

market stall

2011-11-05T16:29:00.001-07:00

hi! hope the weekend is proving to be a great one for you all!

next Saturday a friend and i will be doing a market stall together.
i have spent hours making teacup candles.
(the one above is a favourite :)

27 to be exact!
i always keep my eyes open for pretty teacups, jugs and
any other little containers that would make the perfect candle.

i've also been madly painting up blackboards to sell as well.
the glass jar you can see to the right is full of chalk filled organza bags.

sweet matchboxes that will compliment a pretty candle
and look lovely on display.

vintage suitcase full of raggy wreaths.
just in time for Christmas, or can be hung all year round.

i snapped this pic of my 'first to flower' agapanthus
when i got home from the markets this morning.

we will be at the Samford St Pauls Anglican Church
12th November 7-12pm for those who might like to pop in.
Kate x

my baby turns 10

2011-10-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

another successful Birthday and party was had over the weekend.
i can't believe my baby Kacey Rose turned 10!!
and what a blessed 10 years it has been as her Mum.

Emily did up the blackboard for her party. she's so talented and creative.

after my usual Market trip, we were straight into the party preparation.
Kacey wanted a blue/green/white theme. fits in well around a pool party :)

i found this whopping big vintage jar at the markets for $3.
perfect filled with blooms and greenery from the garden.

Present time with the guests.

one of her friends did up this little posy from her own garden.
so thoughtful

while the girls were inside playing "Pass the Dare" (as Kacey calls it)
i set up the party food.

they all received a pool toy to play with later.
here's Kace getting all embarrassed while completing her dare!

it was then into the pool!
yep, i just sat back in my adirondack and kept constant count
of the girls 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 every 2 minutes!!

one of my happy agave plants growing pool side.

the cake!
so yummy and easy. we bought the lamingtons from our local bakery,
topped with cream, flake chocolate and of course basketball candles!!

it was such a lovely afternoon.
off to a slower start today thankfully!
Happy Monday everyone :)
Kate x

crochet, finds & white concrete floors

2011-10-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

after being absent from blog world for almost 2 weeks, i'm back!
and it has been a crazy 'almost 2 weeks' at that!

it began with someone driving into my car door as i was about to get out,
my eldest daughter sprained her neck and had one of the worst cases of wry neck our chiropractor had ever seen,
my cousin came to visit for a weekend,
a friend had a 40th,
throw in multiple chiro appointments and work,
my youngest turned 10 today,
her party is tomorrow, the house is a bomb site,
and top it off with an all day conference which was on today!

and in amongst all that, we have been ripping up carpet and painting floors!
and i am THRILLED with the outcome!

our carpet is going on 18 years old, so it was time to get rid of it.
not wanting to shell out 1000's of dollars at this time of year, we opted
for painted floors. all thanks for the idea goes to Sandy over at Paint Me White.
many of you know she has painted her own floors white and has been living with them for 2 years. i would never have thought to do it myself!

so, following what she did exactly, we set to work.
Kace loves to help out. once the carpet was gone, she painstakingly pulled out the timber edge
and concrete nails along one wall. Mike did the rest :)

all the holes and cracks were filled and sanded.
the room was an absolute cloud of dust!

here's the room all prepped and ready for paint.
we left mirrors and pictures on the walls, as well as the curtains hanging.
i won't do that again. they all needed a thorough clean and dust.

after 3 coats of white, it was looking pretty fabulous!
Mike just went around the edges of the skirting boards with a white silicone sealer
to get rid of all the gaps.

the next afternoon we moved everything back in.
i was then up the following morning at 5am styling away!
i popped some fresh greenery from the garden into Grandpa's water jug and
placed this gorgeous basket at the base of the bed. i found it last week (along with
other bargains you will hear about further down) at the markets for $3.
the little white crochet blanket was made for Em by her Great Aunty Phyl when
she was born.

the tablecloth was $10.
the perfect romantic touch draped across the end of the bed.

i'm definitely loving the crochet in our bedroom right now.
it has found it's way onto pretty much every surface!

the floors have a lovely soft satin finish to them, and are actually
warmer to walk on than tiled floors.

$2 English SADLER biscuit barrel filled with flowers.

Kace decided she wanted matching bedside tables in her room, so took ours.
so we are currently going the mismatched look.
I encourage the girls to 'shop' the house for things they might like for their bedrooms.
they enjoy it and i love seeing them think through their own decorating.
if you want to see how i did the frames up above our bedhead, you can visit that
blog post here.

here's a quick and cute idea. thread smaller round doilies onto the
hook of your coat hangers to pretty them up.
top with some pearls.

the floral cushion was $1 and has a lovely Sanderson feel and print to it.
it was originally a cover for a lounge seat.
i took the block of foam out and replaced it with a large cushion insert.

50c vintage choccie tin.

i might get some rugs for the cooler months, but
will enjoy the floors bare over Summer.

the walk in robe floor has been painted too.
it's still a work in progress as we gutted it and will shortly install
a new hanging system to maximise it's usable space.

bedroom before....

ok, now onto party prep for tomorrow's pool party!
Kate x
House of Grace
Homemaker on a dime
Beach Cottage
very merry vintage style

matching blackboards

2011-10-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

i had a request from a friend for 2 scrolly blackboards for her sisters
for Christmas.
and the very next day i found what she was after!

it was a student free day yesterday, so i spent the whole morning painting them up.
the edging of each is so pretty.

more teacups waiting to be turned into teacup candles

they are both a great size.
what a great gift idea :)

my crystal napkin ring collection.
found 2 more last week to add in.

close up of the scrolled detail.

before....

Kate x
linked up with
A Stroll Thru Life
Homemaker on a Dime
Very Merry Vintage style
Beach Cottage

road side tea boxes & a storm!

2011-10-15T00:19:00.001-07:00

i dropped my daughter and her friend off at a birthday party
as this late afternoon storm rolled on in.
the above pic shows what i was facing as i drove home!

then the hail started!
i couldn't get the car in the garage fast enough.
you can see our driveway and lawn dotted with hail.

Mike helped me drag my road side finds out the back,
as i had to photograph them and show then off to you all
STRAIGHT AWAY!!

looky what i found!

these old tea boxes were sitting on the other side of the road
to where i dropped the girls at the party

these babies were in the back of the car pronto!!

thankfully i got my hot little hands on them before the rain did!

i spotted these further up the road.
and old flour sifter and a cute bowling bag.

check them OUT!!!

these made me come pretty close to doing a road side happy dance!
i'm totally in love with them, but not sure what to do with them exactly.
any ideas??
what would you do if with them if you were the lucky finder?

i also found some vintagey Christmas cards inside one of the boxes.
i'll show you those another time :)
Kate x
funky junk interiors

Lilies for Kate Facebook Page

2011-10-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

Lilies for Kate now has her own page on Facebook!
my blog posts, homey pics and makeovers have all
been showing up on my personal page, but
the time has come to separate Lilies for Kate
from Kate!

now be patient, this page is only a day old!
if you so desire click here and 'like' my little page.
i'd love to have you following along ;)
Kate x

more tea cup candles & my wall of mirrors

2011-10-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

hi and happy weekend to you all!
i visited a church garage sale this morning and came home
with some lovely goodies including these 2 awesome mirrors.

you may remember a while back when i did my first mirror display
on this wall. you can see what it looked like here.
i decided to expand my display and here's how it turned out.

i think it makes the ceiling seem higher and the room bigger.

i hate the air conditioner. what an eye sore.
when we paint this room, i'd love to paint over it.
has anyone done that before?
i couldn't imagine it could look any worse than it does now!

a crisp white fluffy chenille bedspread found at the church garage sale too

and some vintage linen. the floral sheets are a little worn, so i
plan to cut them up and make some cute carry bags.

another batch of teacup candles made this morning.

great for stocking fillers, secret santa or teacher pressies.

i used soy wax and a lovely floral scented oil.
the house is smelling so good!
you can see how i made them here if you would like to give it a go.

Kate x
linked with Homemaker on a Dime
A Stroll thru Life
The House in the Roses
Very Merry Vintage Style
Good Life Wednesday
House of Grace

super quick OTTOMAN makeover

2011-10-03T14:08:00.001-07:00

i love to inject a bit of colour into the house over Spring, and i've
come up with a quick and easy way to do it. (i'm sure many of you bloggers out there
have already done things like this anyway ;)

NO spending necessary!

what you need:
*tablecloth or single sheet
(i prefer vintage ones of course :)

fold in half then tuck neatly around the top of your ottoman.
that's it!
in the above pic i used an old tablecloth.

here i've used a pink stripe single sheet

Laura Ashley comes to the party here!
i found this gorgeous tablecloth at a half price sale.

here's an old favourite. almost identical to one of
Cath Kidston's prints, but was a cheapy from Pillow Talk years ago.

i also draped a cream chenille bedspread over the lounge for a cosy touch.
the girls think it looks like a throne now!

from table....

to ottoman!

before....

Kate x
head over to Ness' blog Marley & Lockyer
she's having a giveaway!
linked up with A Stroll Thru Life
Very Merry Vintage Style
House of Grace

Homemaker on a Dime

what to do with a random basket?

2011-10-02T14:17:00.001-07:00

this little wire basket was found in a Noosa op shop for $1.50.
i have many different baskets and boxes around that i use for decoration and storage.

here are some ideas for those 'random' baskets you might have lying around.

use them to hold old jars

and maybe fill with flowers

display or store your face washers and towels
(for yourself or guests)

hold children's craft bits and pieces

or a toilet roll holder!
(still looking for my galvanized pail :)

cute. just as it is :)

Kate x
linked with A Stroll Thru Life
Very Merry Vintage Style
House of Grace

a treasure box of treasure!

2011-10-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

i came home with some great treasure this morning! it paid off getting
there with the early birds that's for sure!

my first find was the cute tin above. i love old tins, but have never come across one
as pretty as this and as cheap- $5!

it was definitely a morning for old boxes.
here's a peek of the biggest one i came home with!

this one is perfect for the side of my lounge.

another box. this time a timber hat box. sadly it was missing it's
leather strap.

a little pie crust dressing table tray. matches my vintage mirrored
box to a tea!

another teacup and a billy can. hmm.....
probably didn't need the billy can lol!

and here's my biggest treasure of the morning and
I LOVE IT!!!!

love it, love it, love it!
can't wait to paint it up this week.

here are all my treasures stacked up, so get get an idea of how big that box is!!
the husband isn't too sure about it ;)
he was thrilled when we had to return with the trailer to pick it up haha!!
stay tuned for it's makeover!

oh and see that book?
it's called the "LADIES HANDBOOK"
apparently 1st printed in 1912, this copy was done from the original
in the 1940's in preparation for the baby boom after the war.
it's a ladies handbook of home treatment. it covers topics from the founding of a home,
pregnancy, caring for your infant, diseases, cures and simple 1st aid in the home.
i will enjoy flicking through this one! apparently quite a sort after book too.

back to school tomorrow!
Kate x

the holidays have been good to us!

2011-09-30T15:23:00.001-07:00

we are home! what a good feeling after being away for almost the entire

school holiday break.
we had a fabulous time in Sydney staying with my brother and his family.
i took masses of photos, but i won't bore you with all of them!
here's a few to show you a little of what we got up to.

my brother has a boat, so we kept an eye on the forecast and picked
the BEST day for our day out on the water.

here's little Indi. such a treasure. such a cruisey baby.
this was her 1st trip out on Daddy's boat.

Josh enjoying the crystal clear water.

the girls found lots of starfish while searching through the water.
that was pretty exciting!

we also spent an afternoon down at "The Rocks" where we met up
with my Dad and Rhonda for lunch and a catchup.

standing just under the Sydney Harbour bridge i took this pic of the
Opera House.

after a jam packed week,
we were up before dawn to board our plane back to Brisbane,
where we unpacked, had a nanna nap, repacked, and headed 1.5 hours north
to beautiful Noosa.

here i am supervising pool play at the resort where we enjoyed a FREE holiday stay.
now this "FREE holiday" has a story behind it!

earlier this year, i sold some lovely shabby pieces to a lady through eBay.
her name is Cherry. she lives in Noosa. the day she drove to Brisbane to pick up her purchases
i was working, so left them at my front door for her to collect.
we had spoken once on the phone, and txted each other many times- one txt from her informing me that she would like us to stay in her little holiday apartment at a time that suited us.
no charge! well, we were pretty blown away to say the least!

we collected the key, opened the door and this was what i saw!!
decorated so nicely for a holiday unit don't you think?!

main bedroom. with towels folded up like bath robes!

shabby oars

and we still hadn't met Cherry at this point!

my 1st morning walk down the the river.
this was about 30 seconds from where we were staying!

Cherry called a few times to tell me about different shops (including op shops)
that i MUST visit.
her friend Jan owns "The White House" at Noosa Marina.

the girls and i couldn't resist taking home a few souvenirs.

yesterday's weather was stunning, so we decided to head
to Sunshine Beach. Is that not the perfect name?!
the last time we visited this beach i was 36 weeks pregnant with Kace
and Em was 3!!

wave jumping

love this "hey let's hold hands and jump together" pose :))

i treated myself to this yummy french looking tote i found another
cute shop called"bella rustique"

and finally, on our last day, i met Cherry!
she picked me up and took me back to see her place.
she poured us both a glass of wine and showed me around. and what did i photogragh 1st??
the toilet of course! love this old pail she uses to hold the toilet rolls.
a rusty old pail is now on my list of things to find!!

her laundry and bathroom are combined. she's made the most of the
space by using shelves and baskets to hold everyday items. she painted this slate wall white.
can you see the shower curtain in the corner of the pic? it's just a curtain liner
(apparently easy to find on eBay) which Cherry has threaded with rope to hang it.
love it!

she has a loft style bedroom. soo cute!
the bedroom floor, ceilings and stairs all painted white.

love the pops of colour. here's the vintage candelabra Cherry bought from me.
as you can see, it fits into her decor perfectly :)

so there's a snippet of our last 2 weeks!
i hit many op shops, but didn't find much. i have a couple of things that i'll show you
later.
now onto the washing, picking the birdies up from their sitters,
and getting my baby packed for grade 5 camp!
Kate x

holidays & finds

2011-09-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

school holidays have arrived and boy do we have a great 2 weeks planned!
off to Sydney tomorrow to stay with my brother, sis-in-law, nephew and
brand new neice Indiana. looking forward to lots of baby cuddles, chilling out, shopping at
many of Sydney's outlets, op shops and markets, and spending quality time
with family.
we then head to beautiful Noosa for a few nights before heading home to organise and
pack our almost 10 year old off to school camp!

here are a few of my most recent finds.
above, a hobnail milk glass candle by MOR,

this great little vintage inspired brass clock,
(perfect in the study)

a chunky timber vase that i've already painted in a
soft grey white,

another lidded glass jar (great for holding shells, lollies for parties, soaps etc)
and a pretty English Rose ROYAL ALBERT cup.

vase before....

i hope to be back to show you lots of great finds from our time away!
Kate x

so much to love about Spring

2011-09-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

while the girls were playing out the front of our house after school this afternoon,
i took a few snaps of the new colour that is popping up everywhere.

love how you can see the bottle brush flower unfolding here. they look like little
pony tails :)

a pretty posy of plumbago

Friday is just around the corner ;)
Kate x

shabby old rocking chair

2011-09-12T14:48:00.001-07:00

good morning!
the count down to school holidays is on here!
the girls are very happy to only have 4 days left before a nice
long 2 week break.
we have a great holiday planned too!

here is my lovely old scrolly rocking chair. all done!

i just love her. she is now so feminine and pretty.
fits right in here!

Kacey my youngest rocks away in it all the time.
well she did, until i came home from the markets on Sunday morning
with a $40 elliptical rider! most of us have at least one child that NEVER stops.
and when i say NEVER, i mean never stops moving, talking, jumping and bopping around the house!
i would love to have just a handful of her energy!

for some reason my photos are a bit BLAH this morning.
LOOOVE the curves and scrolls.
sanded to show a bit of her original colour.

pretty fabric was cheap as chips from Spotlight.
wishing i bought more now!

my staple gun died half way through the process,
so she sat like this for a few weeks

before....

Kate x
linked with a stroll thru life
homemaker on a dime
House of Grace
a Beach Cottage
very merry vintage style
the shabby creek cottage
Funky Junk Interiors

painted filing cabinet

2011-09-03T22:53:00.001-07:00

this weekend,
i painted up our old 'mushroom pink' filing cabinet and the mirror on top.

even the key got the white treatment!

now that the hedge has been trimmed right back outside the study window,
the light is streaming in.
even on this cloudy afternoon.

it feels like someone has turned a light on in the corner of the room.
i love it's new chalky white appearance.

before....

my love affair with white paint continues :)
Kate x
linked with Homemaker on a Dime
a beach cottage
very merry vintage style
House of Grace
a stroll thru life
Funky Junk Interiors

SpRiNg Is HeRe!

2011-09-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Spring has arrived.
The warmer weather is here.
I decided to change the outside linens.

there's a bit of a lilac theme going here!

found this metal punched bowl in Target.

another perfect day in paradise :)

Kate x

blackboards & messages

2011-08-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

i always keep an eye out for old vintage frames and
paintings, because they make the best blackboards.

when it comes to using a blackboard, you are only limited by
your imagination.
they are great in the kitchen for shopping lists and menus,

for leaving messages for loved ones,

or keeping those never ending "TO DO" lists.

each one got a different colour

before....

you can see some of my other blackboard creations in these posts
here and
here.

Kate
x

linked up with a stroll thru life
homemaker on a dime
house of grace
a beach cottage