Grandpa's Timber Box

i inherited this lovely old box that was handmade by my wonderful Grandpa. he actually made 3 of them- my Mum and my Aunty have the others. made with tender love and care; each corner has been secured with dovetail joins, and the top is held open with a sturdy strap of leather. the 3 boxes lined the wall of his garage/workshed in which he loved to potter. they were perfect for holding his tools and odd bits and pieces. i used it for outdoor toys and paint tins for a year, but decided in the middle of the night (as you do!) that it needed to come inside. and to live comfortably in our home, it needed to be painted....white of course! well, the inside is crisp white and the outside is a softer antique white. the girls are very excited, as it will house their lego for the time being. they are both extremely creative and construct the the most amazing things! the 3 compartments are great for dividing the pieces by colour or size. and the top can hold my magazine collection.... well a small part of it anyway!
some people might gasp in shock that i would paint such a piece, but i know G'pa won't mind. he would expect it would end up white in my house and is probably smiling in agreement :)

linked up with House of Grace

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two $2 finds this week

holidays are finally here, and i'm hoping to do alot more op shopping than this busy term has allowed me to do! however i did come across an unusual find in a little op shop up the road the other day. originally a light fitting, i thought this would make a great beachy looking candle holder. i love the blown glass that balloons out in between the metal cage that surrounds it. when i win the lotto, i'll hang it in my beach house!

this morning i went to a great car boot sale at a small church was having in the car park and found 4 old 600ml milk bottles in their carrier. it bought back memories of when my brother and i would collect the milk from the front door, and then leave them out for collection at the front gate. can you see the words "wash and return"? it might have to live at my front door for a bit of fun, but will also get the job of holding flowers once in a while.

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beachy touches

this warm weather is making me really crave a trip to the beach! i am loving getting back into shorts and singlet tops.
i have also felt the need to add a little 'beach' to my family room decor. this sideboard was one of my very 1st shabby purchases and came from Sandy over at Paint Me White. it is such a functional piece and holds all the girls craft and drawing items, as well as bits and pieces of my own stationary. i just love it. it has been topped with various photo frames for years, but this morning i decided to give it a new look. the jars were a 'tip shop' find- $1 for the lot. the old heavy brass footed dish was a market find at $2. it's now holding my glasshouse candle and some beach finds from our trip to Lord Howe Island last September. i've put coral and small shells in the jars. just the look i was after. fresh. simple.
i'm linked up with Country Farmgirl here

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Country Style Freebie

the 1st day of Spring has given us spectacular weather up here in Brisbane today. i even found the time for a coffee while reclined in one of my new adirondack chairs out in the sunshine. while most of us welcome the warmer months ahead on the 1st September, it is also the perfect time for a good Spring clean. i am all set to do a market stall in a few weeks and make some $$ from all the things i no longer need. it's also a good excuse to add new vintage items to my home as well :)
i found an old framed print at the weekend markets and had decided to turn it into a blackboard. after browsing through some fav blogs, i soon changed my mind. i decided to frame the free teatowel that came with this months issue of Country Style. i have been wanting to get a "KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON" poster to hang in the study for some time, but couldn't find exactly what i wanted. i soon realised the frame was the perfect size! Out came the white paint straight away! 3 coats were applied, then it was onto the insert. i cut away the teatowel edge, ironed it, sewed it onto a piece of white sheet, backed it with some soft flannel and into the frame it went. i am so happy with the outcome! the blue is so fresh and cheery. i just love a project that can be completed in less than a day.
happy Springtime :)

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Saturday morning stool makeovers

it feels like ages since i've opened a tin of paint and given something a new look. i bought the cute little red stool last weekend at the markets for a tiny $3. i gave the legs and underneath a few coats of crisp white paint. each coat of paint dried so quickly in this lovely sunny weather we have today. i then stapled on some gorgeous vintage fabric from a find a few weeks ago. i just love it's new look!
the piano stool was purchased through eBay many years ago and has seen the girls through many hours of piano practice! sadly the fabric had seen better days, as the girls often decided to practice in wet swimmers after being in the pool! so easily fixed with my trusty staple gun. love the english cottage garden feel the stool now has.

happy Saturday everyone.

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champagne roses

champagne roses- i had them in my wedding bouquet nearly 15 years ago. the colour is so soft and romantic. i have always been a lover of roses, no matter what the colour, but champagne roses would have to be my favourite.
i must admit, if i do buy myself some flowers (or if my lovely hubby surprises me) it's always lillies- preferably white ones. i get almost 2 weeks out of a bunch and the perfume is just gorgeous. they make themselves so worth the money!
anyway, back to the roses....
my mother-in-law surprised me with the bunch pictured in 2004 when i had a week's stay in hospital- and it was only 2 weeks before Christmas. NOT where i wanted to be! and what a pick-me-up they were! we all know how sterile and unfriendly a hospital room feels, so a bunch of your fav flowers does wonders.
and then there's the name champagne roses. now, i just love an icy glass of bubbles! i'm happy to celebrate any occasion with a glass at anytime! even if it is the fact that i've made it through to friday!
have a great weekend :)

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biggest EVER makeover

i thought i'd show you my biggest ever furniture makeover. we purchased this gorgeous timber hutch when i was 34 weeks pregnant with Emily. it was the last purchase we made while being on a double income and something we had been looking at for ages. we finally decided on this beauty, and we were very happy! back then, i was swept up in the 'country' look- my home was decorated in lots of timber, raffia, country cloth dolls and hatstands.
i had thought of painting the hutch for 5 years before i found the courage to actually do it! it's one thing to paint an op shop find, but to paint a piece that was bought for $999; that was hard!!
one fine February afo, i decided it was time. the hutch was almost 12 years old.
after 2 coasts of 'antique white USA', i decided it needed to be another colour. so off i marched to Bunnings in search of the perfect french grey. i went with 'white albatross' which is anything but white! it was the closest i could find to grey, and it ended up a soft grey/lavender blue. i just love the colour. it compliments my lounge room to a tea!
it was a BIG job to say the least, and took just under 2 weeks of almost daily coats. i couldn't be happier with the end result.

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