04 Aug 2012
Home Decor
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25 Comments

Little Piano bench gets a Coastal makeover!

Hello!

Sharing my little bench seat makeover…. 

I bought this little piano stool a few weeks ago.  I found him sitting sad and abandoned in an op shop, but after popping on my ‘potential glasses’ (I carry them everywhere 😉  I could see that this little fella would look fab with a little TLC.
  

Before…  
Orange lacquer just had to go and stat!

Sanding, priming and some stripey details were on my to do list for this little project;

and here he is after some Coastal lovin….

So that’s it… my little coastal bench make over and no more orange lacquer in sight!

Not much else happening around here at the moment… we’re caught up in Olympic fever!!  Have you been watching? 


Hugs…
Jo xx
Linking up to these fun parties….

29 Jul 2012
Home Decor
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10 Comments

3 ways with a Large Glass Jar!

Hi there!

Something happened to me on the way to work the other day, I was early (which is a rarity) so I ventured into Target for an aimless wander.  I always go to the book section first, then check out home wares, which is where I found Him. 
Mr Large Glass Jar.  L-O-V-E.
I absolutely love glass jars for storage; my pantry is full of Ikea glass goodness 🙂 

I was thinking this guy was a bargain at $25 but when I scanned him, he was half price!  At $12.50 I scooped him up faster than you could say “And let the games begin”.  I was off and racing, this guy was sooo coming home with me! 

I had no real plan for him but many ideas floating around my head space. 

Finally we were home alone with a few minutes to play… here’s what Mr Large Glass Jar and I got up to…. 

Yes more shells! you can read about these babies here she-loves-seashells-here-there
One Large Glass Jar 3 Ways ~
1. Mini Terrarium
2. Storage 
3. Display
He’s handsome, handy and super versatile and was totally compliant with his location and prop changes…  Now I’m wishing I gotten his brother too! 😉
How would you use him?
Hugs…
Jo xx
24 Jul 2012
Home Decor
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12 Comments

Vintage Doily Transformer Cushion Bag!

Hi!

Is it a bird is it a plane… no it’s a Vintage Doily Transformer Cushion Bag! (huh?)…

It all started with a burlap bag, to which I added a vintage doily I recently picked up at a fab little vintage fabric store.  I wish I could take credit for the crochet but my crochet skills are basic at best.  I imagine this one was made with love by someones Nana 🙂

I decided to snap an Instagram pic of my new tote (I’m a massive fan of bags, totes and baskets of all kinds).  When I looked at the pic of my new tote, propped on a chair it looked like a pretty cute lil cushion (I’m a massive fan of cushions too!). 

It was instant love, but I was torn…  bag verses cushion?? 

Arrghhh I’m not so good in the decisions department.  Then I started to think why can’t I have my cake and eat it too… or as the case may be, have my cushion and tote it too 😉 

I have boys, they have a tonne of boys stuff including Transformers; so it was high time for this mummy have her own Transformer!  and so became…   my Vintage Doily Transformer Cushion Bag!



Handles tucked in = instant cushion

It’s a super simple to make basic tote bag, you could use canvas, calico or any fabric you like… then add a doily or other embellishments and hey presto! Cushion/Bag love.

I’m busy working towards going to market in a few months time, bags and cushions are on my ‘to make list’.
Hope you’re having a Happy Tuesday lovelies!
Jo xx
What do you think, are you a bag or cushion girl?

And for some fun I’m linking up to these fab parties… 🙂

20 Jul 2012
Home Decor
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6 Comments

She loves seashells here there and everywhere :)

Hello Friday!

Oh how I love Fridays. I also love shells, so I thought I’d combine them in this little post.

The kids went back to school this week, so I’ve been busy playing catch up around here.  I started two new projects, more on them soon.  In the meantime my recent shell find….

During the school holidays we had a day trip to Windsor. We enjoyed a sunny pub garden lunch and a stroll around the shops.  It was during this stroll that I stumbled across a little vintage shop. In this little vintage shop was a box of shells, just sitting there looking all forlorn. 

They were silently screaming at me to take them home.  So after some convincing hubby that we needed a big box of shells, they were packed into the car for the journey home.

They sat in their box for the last two weeks or so, and today with the sun streaming in, I had a little play 🙂

I love decorating with shells, they make me happy. 
What do you love to decorate with?  Have you found any treasures lately?
Wishing you a happy weekend ðŸ™‚
Jo xx
30 Jun 2012
Home Decor
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6 Comments

A spot of Vintage Shopping warms the heart :)

Hi Gorgeous Peeps,

I was starting to have serious withdrawals of the Vintage Shopping kind; I hadn’t been for ages!

Sometimes my car just heads in the direction of my local op shops.. as though it’s on some kind of crazy auto pilot! 

This is what happened on Tuesday, I had dropped the kiddies to school, it was raining and I was headed to do the grocery shopping, when before I knew it my car was making a beeline to some local op shops.   I was but a mere passenger 😉


I was particularly on the lookout this time for some vintage fabrics…  but like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re gonna get!

Here’s my loot…

A bunch of gorgeous vintage doilies.

A lime green chenille blanket.

A perfect Vintage tray (Made in Australia, Adelaide. I love Adelaide, but that’s a story for another day)

A chunky wooden lamp with a wicker shade.

I love lamp and trays, don’t know why, they just make me happy 🙂

 
Two ceramic turquoise bowls with new stickers on them.

A pair of silver candle sticks.
   
An old wooden hinged card box.

A large wicker laundry basket.
  
A carved wooden tray.

An Extra large magazine holder… 
perfect for giant mags (huh?)… 

or perfect for fabric storage 🙂

Some stripey and polka dot fabric.

And a partridge in a pear tree 😉
I have a bunch of fun sewing (read about my new BBF here 😉 and upcycing projects planned for some of this loot, and some of it is perfect just the way it is.
Have you found any vintage treasures recently?
Jo xx
27 Jun 2012
Home Decor
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10 Comments

Ikea Reject Ottoman Union Jack Slipcover Makeover!

Hi Lovelies,

It’s been too cold to paint lately so I’ve been having fun getting aquainted with my new sewing machine and rediscovering my sewing moJo! 


Well actually it’s not so new, I got it for Christmas and only recently got her out of the box.  Here she is on the right;  Bloggy friends meet Jan..  Jan meet my bloggy friends 🙂   Now that we are all properly aquainted… I’ll move right along.

So I finally carved out a little mummy space in the corner of the playroom; lucky for me it’s quite a large room so plenty of space for me, my sewing projects and approximately 20 thousand pieces of lego!

I’ve had this little rejected Ikea ottoman laying around for-like-ever!

I got him in the bargain area at Ikea, he was naked except for a piece of foam on his top, but we won’t go there… he’s a tad embarassed about that fact 😉

I decided I’d try my hand at sewing him a new slip cover.  Inspired by the Queen’s Jubilee I went for a Union Jack 😉

I had some calico fabric and a roll of burlap/hessian fabric so I got to work cutting strips. 

I cut strips of burlap and some natural coloured linen (which I trimmed from my too long Ikea curtains… mmmm that’s a project for another day!). 


I then placed them over the seat foam until I was happy with the layout. 




Having never sewn with burlap before, or used this machine for that matter, this took a little practice but after a test strip we were off and racing!

Here he is in his new Bespoke threads….


Jan is my new BFF… I love her!  I had fun with this little project… and I think this little guy is a much happier chappy not to mention warmer now 😉 

What have you been working on lately?  Anyone upcycled an Ikea reject? Love to hear about it!

Keep sparkling! 🙂
Jo xx

~ I’m linking up to these fab parties ~