Tuesday, August 31, 2010

my perfect picnic

Scored this fabulous find today at Vinnies. It's a mammoth basket and there was some sneaky Tupperware hiding inside too! One of those trays for marinating meat and four nicely coloured snack plates. There was also a matching sunflower tablecloth inside too.

So, my perfect picnic will be using this basket (with extra addition of champagne 'glasses!'), a bottle of French champagne and filled with 'The Italian' from the super duper Sydney Picnic Co. If you haven't checked this company out before, click now and take a peek. It has the yummiest picnic menus ever, I guess I should be attracted to the Brit but the Italian dessert option is too good to give up.

Hints are being heavily dropped to hubby seeing as our anniversary is coming up in November. Just got to try and convince him that spending $165 on a picnic is so totally worth it!

Sunday, August 29, 2010

my place & yours


I would really like to live here in this pink beach side cottage, with my mum living next door and a boxer dog running around the garden.

I live in a unit in Sydney. And it's not pink! And I'm not allowed to have a dog! ...BUT, I moved to Australia to escape the city (of London). I lived in Queensland for a while which was nice, then Melbourne which was even nicer and then met my hubby who is from this part of Sydney and will NOT move anywhere else. Which is fine as it's a beautiful spot that I live, on the ocean, renting a unit and I am so grateful that it is not London. However, I do hope to vacate the rental soon, buy a bit further down the coast, a ramshackle house (I could paint it hot pink!) with a lovely little craft room overlooking the ocean!
I could probably get a boxer to run around the garden, but unfortunately my mum will never be next door.

Pop over to Danielle to play along..

week-a-boo

I ate ice-cream

I painted a plaster magnet
I fed some roos
We were waiting for daddy to get back from sailing

Pop over to Claire to join in.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

last day today...

....leaving the cheeky birds behind to go home and......
.....make more mobiles and bunting for my brother's wedding. And whilst we're on the topic of handmade weddings, check out this gorgeous wedding I found on Design Sponge. If I could do my wedding over again, this would be it! The chairs are beautiful against the neutral surroundings. Check out more pix from this wedding here.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

my friends, where are you?

Where exactly did Oliver, Nancy, Martha and Spotty end up? Here I am, still on holiday, reminiscing and wondering what happened to my long lost friends. Funny the only name I don't remember is the dads, and he's the only one I have left. I'll find him when I get home and maybe seeing him face to face will spark a memory. And whilst I'm on the topic of missing people.....
Apple Dumpling, Strawberry Shortcake, Marmalade something?, Blueberry Pie (?), Apricot whatever and Lemon Meringue WHERE ARE YOU! (I had quite a collection thinking back).Probably making a mint in some antique toy fair. Come back, Kitty needs you!
And as for Fluppy. I begged and pleaded and begged and pleaded until I got her. And then she was gone! (note; I got the Apricot one with the cool felt sun visor, not sure if I named it or not. Or did they come with names?)
BUT....there's a happy ending to this tale.These guys (charmkins) survived the blitz. They still live with me, in the bottom of my top drawer amongst my knickers. Weird I know, but they are there and I know they are safe. I'm still dealing with the fact I bit all the loops off as I couldn't connect with a charm, I wanted them to be people, and real people don't have loops on their heads.

Who are you missing from your childhood?

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

big thank you...

...goes out to Vicki at shoppe girls for featuring kitty n' kitsch today!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Handmade ♡ Kitty n' Kitsch

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will know that I regularly like to post about
my handmade finds on Thursdays. Today I came across Kitty n' Kitsch


Shabby Chic wall hanging pocket organiser is just divine for all your little girls pretties.


Handmade decoration for any little girls nursery or bedroom with pastel pom poms, bows and hearts.


An absolute favourite of mine is the yacht garland or hangings great for any nautical
themed room.



Tuesday, August 24, 2010

outside of a dog....

.....a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. ~Groucho Marx

Sunday, August 22, 2010

i really really really want.....

THIS!!!!
It was my favourite toy and now it makes noises and moves. I would actually like the original one, my old one! and yes I'm obsessed with living in the past I know. Bizzarely, I still have the dad but he's all dressed up for a day in the office with a cute little tash (from what I can see this dad's a little more retro-maybe the 2010 version is a 'stay at home daddy'). How PC!
The pup looks the same though. And pleased to see he still lives in the same 'doghouse'.
Two questions; Why did my mum insist on me throwing out all my toys during our 1989 house move, and Why do I only have the dad left from my treehouse? How did he survive the move? AND he made it to Australia? Figure that one out.

Does anybody have their original version of this still? Come on, make me as green as this house.

The new super posh renovated version is available here.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

flea market finds....

I only really notice how much I buy from op shops when I'm surrounded by rich people that probably don't even know they exist! So, I'm here on my island holiday wearing the above (but not all at once) , all of which have been bought from the local oppie, really wanting to advise all the Tiffany, Pandora and sparkly warkly Diamond clad women around me how to save a buck or two!

Friday, August 20, 2010

i'm not voting...

...which I'm not so secretly happy about. But if I did these guys would get my vote. They are much smarter and much nicer to look at than any politician I've come across so far.....

Image via here

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

my creative space.....

My girlfriend just returned her Chloe bunting to me as she bought an amazing quilt in Berry with lots of vibrant pinks and reds so I had to brighten it up a bit. I just happened to buy some super sweet paisley, stripes and strawberry fabric to match the quilt perfectly! Voila!
She needed to buy more bunting for a newly born Sophie, so I used the O, H and E from the original Chloe to make this one! It all worked out a treat.

I'm also making some name plaques for bedroom doors, will post one soon.

Dive over to Kootoyoo for more lovely craftiness!

i am here...

.....for a while. It feels pretty good. I'll be back in Sept.

Cheerio x

PS Fabulous photo from here

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

green sieve, green mug

Kitty amusing herself half an hour or so before her mummy and daddy tied the knot. I am with this beautiful little thing 24/7 so when I see moments captured on film that I was not witness to, it fills me with intrigue and makes me smile.

Loving the green theme Pip, my favourite colour in every way!!!

Friday, August 13, 2010

doilies into action...

I HAD to put the tinsy winsy doilies into action last night. It was playing on my mind BIG TIME what to do with them. My friend has been badgering me for yonks to make some hair clips, and hair clips are a real concern in my household. I buy really pretty not so cheap ones at markets and expect a 22 month old to look after them and find them if they're lost. Needless to say the collection goes from 50 to 0 in a heartbeat.

So with mini doilies and some lady jayne specials from the chemist along with a rummage through my button box, voila!

I think I'm going to be really greedy and keep all of them. Just because I've (Kitty's) 'misplaced' so many!
Oh and I also decorated this beautiful crochet newsboy that I just received from Daisydew last week. I'll keep changing the embellishment on this to keep it fresh.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

doilies!

I just received my doilies from Pretties Etc. I love them! I have 48 of them. How cool is that? What will I do with them? Don't ask silly questions like that, that's something my husband would say!

Actually, I really want to use them for my brother's wedding. I think they thought the doilie idea was a little too nanna for them, but I'm thinking a little bunch of these in the middle of the table with a few coloured candles on would look gorgeous. Or placed in the little nooks around the barn with a small coloured tea light on top. I'll take them home with me anyway and see how much convincing I can do!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

my creative space.....

Finishing off my kitchen tidy. Decided against specific labelling and just put a cute little saying on instead. Like I did for my children's pocket organisers. Then you don't feel obliged to pocket what it says.

Really enjoying the embroidered writing. And still loving Lollihop font.

Pop over to kootoyoo for more crafty goodness.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

a childhood memory...

This plate was given to me from Uncle Fred (doesn't everybody have an Uncle Fred?!) and Aunty Betty when I was born. Time has done it's dash on the date but it sat on my bedroom shelf for my whole life. I never remember a time it wasn't around. It survived the trip to Australia and I only just realised today that it's made by Wedgwood! How's that? 34 years later.

Like I would have cared about that when I was little!

My mum so loved the name Georgina, and is so sad that I've only ever been called George since!

Monday, August 9, 2010

cute fabric-at my house

Little bit in love with this fabric. How cute is the boy on stilts and the hula hooping girl? Found the best shop on Botany Road which is right here. If you get chance please go there it's so exciting. Chances are you already have. Am still reeling in the shock of hubbie actually pulling over to allow me to explore a fabric shop. He must be after some serious brownie points.

I also made this cake at the weekend just because Beci Orpin said it was the best cake ever. I'm nearly agreeing with her. It was seriously good. Especially the icing.

We also walked around the city a lot this weekend. I love doing that as you stumble across so many goings on. My favourite stumble was over this food market. I tried olive oil, Chinese dumplings, sourdough bread, chicken chipolatas, chocolate potato truffles and pretty much didn't need lunch after all that sampling!

Just discovered Lou - thanks for hosting At My House!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

my creative space....

I've been a busy little bee this week.......Started a kitchen tidy at midnight last night. It will have two pockets and I'd like to label them. What two things do you need pockets for in your kitchen? In mine it's takeaway menus and receipts. Would be interested to hear your ideas on this one? I'll go with the majority...

...and I made a little boat that set sail to Melbourne yesterday to lovely Erica at Recycled Fashion....


..and I finished 30 metres of bunting for big bro's wedding (couldn't decide what to use for the tape so cut out some calico with pinking shears). This was also very economical but a bit time consuming!

At Kootoyoo there's lots more crafty goings on.