Never a Thread Lost or Wasted

Thread, string, cotton, twine, yarn, ribbon, cord...

I am a bowerbird in many ways, especially when it comes to string. A piece of twine from a label, a length of string from a gift, even the funny little bits of ribbon they insist on sewing into the shoulders of clothing... in my home it has no chance of ending up in the rubbish, I horde it all in jars, remnants from Christmas and birthdays, bows tied with love, beautifully presented purchases, some wrapped around wooden pegs and pinned neatly, ready for the next adventure!

Sorry I've been absent lately. Things became super busy out of nowhere and the posts I left half done quickly became irrelevant as time slipped by. But I have plenty of things to share and talk about, stashed away like ribbons in a jar waiting patiently to be used!

Refreshed Office!

I've been meaning to show you this for a while... the photos weren't coming out amazing (it's a small room) but hey, I'm fairly pleased with how it's all come out so here it is anyway!

Unfortunately I wasn't very good at taking before photos, so just imagine boxes of junk surrounding a tall roll top timber desk with random things blu-tacked to the wall... and that's about it. 

I sold the roll top desk and for the same price bought this white desk from a friend. I love that it has lots of storage and the rustic paintjob means I don't have to worry about the surface if I'm painting or cutting!

Did you know it's really cheap to make your own shelves? I purchased the brackets on sale at a local hardware store for $5, and the timber cost about $4 - so under $10 for a shelf exactly the size I want! I painted the shelf with left over paint from my window frames (a warm white gloss). I really liked the industrial type look of the brackets.

The floor lamp means I don't have to use bench space for a lamp, and it's adjustable for projects that need a little more light. The frame is actually from our engagement party decorations and the poem is:

"The sun brings forth beginnings,
The moon holds in darkness,
As above, so below,
For there is no greater magic in all the world
Than that of people joined together in love"

Cute huh?

On the wall, the wire organiser I found on ebay, and the J is also from our engagement party decorations which I bought from Typo! In the frames I have a cute little postcard made by a local artist to Bruny Island, which I picked up when I was over there about a year ago. If you have never been to Bruny, I highly recommend it. Beautiful beaches, great places to eat and so much inspiration! We camped for a week along a river right near the sea and it was lovely, I didn't want to come home... "Linger" is handwritten by me as a reminder to take time to be in the moment, relax and just enjoy the right now. I'm not very good at this, always looking into the future, the next step, and thinking about the ways I can make things better... but sometimes the truth is that life is pretty perfect right now, there is nothing wrong with the here and now so it's my little reminder of that. The third frame is actually a piece of wrapping paper! Its embossed metallic copper which I just love, it wrapped a gift for our engagement from my mum so not only do I love the paper but its a reminder of all the things that my mum has given me, and how even though I might not see her as much as I would like she loves and cares for me always. The little compass I have had for years, I love compasses, they remind us that no direction is the wrong direction!

I realised when doing this post that I haven't done a very good job of taking a photo of the shelf but as you can see I have my lovely print block purchased from A Creative Lifestyle and my timber pencils from Trees 4 the Wood. Also the brass scales from the market are up there too!

It's not finished yet, I want to get a board to clip up inspiration things (the frame won't be staying) and some more items for the shelf... I want to stick with the grey/black/white theme my house has but I'm feeling like its missing something. What do you think? Do I need colour, or a plant, or just some more things? 

Market Find: Brass Scales

Wasn't the weather on the weekend just magic? I love the hot, muggy feel in the air before a storm, and it was so much fun watching the clouds roll in across the river. 

I decided to kick the year off with a visit to the Sorell Market on Sunday, and met a lovely lady with a great collection of vintage and antique items for sale. I almost didn't ask how much this lovely piece was, but when she mentioned the rock bottom price of $5!!!! I couldn't say no!

When I asked her where the scales come from, she said they lived in her dad's shed for many years. A lot of the items for sale were from her grandparents and dad's years of hording, and although its hard to let good items go, a person just doesn't have the room and after all you always have your memories! I'm glad she told me the story, I couldn't help but think of my own dad and all his collections, and how my sister and I are still wondering where to keep them all...

I couldn't wait to get the scales home for a polish, and posted a sneaky picture on Instagram to try and make everyone guess what my find was! The guesses were great (vase, hookah, candle holder, door knob, barometer!) but no-one guessed correctly!

And here they are all polished up! I love the little enamel flowers, and I think it looks so much better all shiny.

I can't wait to give them a home in my office revamp!

Transforming a step ladder

For the past couple of years I, with the help of my family, have been renovating my plain little suburban house in Hobart.  It was a "renovator's delight" back in 2011, and has slowly been transformed into a bright and modern home. By current standards, my house is small - only 10 squares, with a single bathroom and three small bedrooms. I love it though, especially now that the major works are done and it's just the trimmings to complete.

The part I have enjoyed the most is decorating and bringing together the interior with furniture and art and items I've collected over the years. I've had to be mindful of the potential resale as this house is also a stepping stone for me, which means a neutral interior - white walls, pale floorboards, grey tiles... perhaps not very inspiring but its a palate which allows me to bring in colour where I want it, and means when its time to sell I don't have any major changes to make with floor coverings and wall colours, and not doing things twice sounds pretty good to me!

Out of the three bedrooms, one is mine (obviously), one is a guest room and one is an office and craft room. The guest bedroom has a double bed, and even by putting the bed hard against two walls, I only have about 35cm for a bedside table - and let me tell you, there are not many options out there for very small bedside tables!

So when I went looking for inspiration I fell in love with these:

Aren't they just the sweetest?! Lucky for me, I just happened to have my eye on the perfect little ladder! I bided my time and when the poor rickety old thing finally gave in and its owner decided it was destined for landfill, I quickly whisked it home for its new life!

Here she is! Obviously in need of some serious TLC, I'm looking forward to transforming this little piece into something new and great!

This poor step will need repairing or replacing.

With old furniture, I can't help but wonder what it's story is. The marks underneath means its probably home made. Was it a school project, proudly bought home by a budding furniture maker? Did an experienced man whip this stool up for his wife to reach the heights of her pantry? Maybe it was a gift, or simply an item made from scraps someone had lying around....

I will never know its story (the previous owner can't remember where she got it from), but I look forward to adding to its useful life, and showing you how it comes out along the way!

Shopping Locally this Silly Season

I know it might seem a little typical of the times, but as we head into the silly season, where Australians are forecast to spend a whopping $32.6 billion dollars on food, gifts and home decor, I want to get on the bandwagon and really encourage you to think about where your dollars are really going.

Perhaps, in this crazy world of excess and commercialism, its truly time to sit back, reassess how we do this time of year, and make a conscious effort to be more local with our spending. Because money spent at retail chains and corporate giants simply lines the pockets of shareholders, whereas spending money with your local retailers helps keep their doors open, their kids in out of school activities, and means they can then contribute to their local community as well. It also means you can have more of a say about the conditions your gifts were made in, and where the parts of the gift were sourced.

Why buy a mass made candle, when you can support a local person who makes beautiful candles from Tasmanian beeswax? Think about it. You're supporting the farmer, and the creator.

Perhaps think a little further - if you buy a range of local jams and relishes from a stall at the Hobart Farm Gate farmers market, your dollars are supporting a local maker, a local business, and your lucky gift recipient is eating a preservative free product made from locally grown fruit and veg which is in turn supporting a local farmer! That's at least three lots of families who live in your area, send their kids to school with your kids, and work and (hopefully) support the community you work and support. Perhaps the maker had their labels designed by a local artist, perhaps their business cards were printed with a local printer.... the flow on can be endless if you think about it.

And here's another thought - what about buying second hand? The vintage craze is well and truly in full swing so why not take advantage of the trend and buy your loved ones a vintage cake tin, or a retro vase, or a antique tea cup? Recycling, a unique item, and also supporting a local shop or market stall are all advantages of something that's used. 

Use the opportunity to tell your gift receiver your new philosophy behind the gift - nothing says thoughtful like a person actively supporting local this time of year.

So if you're still with me, here are some places you can start looking right here in Tasmania:

Gorgeous artwork from My Little Pixels

Aren't the dreamy colours in these pictures beautiful?! Isn't it nicer to decorate with a local artist, with images from Tasmania, than the mass produced items from the big retailers? 

There are so many that I love, the trouble would be picking which one! Anna Jane also makes her artwork available in phone cases, pendants and calendars!

You can find My Little Pixels on Etsy and Facebook. (And Anna Jane is having a sale at the moment too! Woo!)

Vintage finds with A Creative Lifestyle

Jane must have the best luck ever in finding on trend and sweet items out and about, because her Etsy shop is packed full of pre-loved vintage pieces! I especially love the more industrial style items like wire baskets...

...vintage keys...

...and these quirky wooden shoe forms!

I purchased some great items from Jane, and they came wrapped in old dress patterns and she included a sweet gift too - I can't wait to show you once I finish my craft room upgrade!

Especially good if you don't have the time to go scouring yourself, why not give something unique and pre-loved this year?

Cards with an Australian twist with Trees 4 The Wood

Don't you think its funny that here in Australia people still insist on cooking winter meals at the height of summer, and decorate their homes with frosty santas, snowflakes and wintery evergreens? I see this style in seasonal cards all the time and that's what to love about Grace's hand printed, linocut Christmas cards, featuring local fauna and flora.

What's not to love about this hand printed, hand painted card? Aren't they the sweetest thing! 

And see that funky pencil there? You can buy those from Grace as well! In fact it was these very pencils that lead me to her Etsy page in the first place!

You can even check out Grace's blog to see how she hand prints these cards, right on her kitchen bench! 

Beautiful Books with Jennifer Skelly at Red Parka

Do you love books? I sure do and what better way to support a local bookshop by buying a local book? Especially a book about local birds!! With both words and illustrations by Jennifer, you can check out her funky stuff here on her website. 

So there you have it. Just a couple of the endless options of items you can buy this silly season from local people. And don't forget, local markets (both traditional and artisan), the Farm Gate farmers market and the new Hobart Twilight Market are also great resources for finding local sellers. 

I know this post is only scratching on the surface! Where do you shop locally? Any Tasmanian favourites?

*This is not a sponsored post, I genuinely think these artists and sellers rock, and you should totally buy me a present from them!*

Market Find: Tea Cup

Are you a crazy market lover like me? Going to markets has long been a love affair in my family and now I can't resist stopping in for a look at any country market that comes my way.  Since living in Hobart I've become a semi-regular at the Sorell Market (don't you just love their hand written calendar?!), and especially on their long weekend markets which seem to attract far more stalls than the good amount that go on a regular Sunday.  All the usual things are there like crafts, bric-a-brac, veggies and plants, stalls selling food and old tools and books. Part of the market is indoors at the Hall, the rest spreading outside the front and back of the hall, the rear carpark and the paddock area next to the Hall. 

I don't always buy things at the market but this time I found the cutest teacup I just couldn't resist. Pale green with a ivy design, its fine bone china from England and says its from the Romany collection underneath. I love the little leaves, different to the flowers that are usually found on teacups, and what better way to enjoy a herbal tea on a Sunday afternoon!

Perhaps this is the start of something new to collect?!