Monday, January 30, 2012

Upcycle your Deck Chair Tutorial

Weekend Pottering 
Have you met our very old, clearly unloved and ok, a tad embarrassing director’s chair (see photo insert below)? Perhaps you have one just like it! This chair, was the odd one out, the very sad ring in especially needed for BBQ's/ dinner parties?? I know! It was playing the part of the sixth balcony chair, where five of those six chairs matched and it did not. Naturally and understandably it hid at the very far end of the table. 
  

well if you must... meet our old directors chair

Our new re-upholstered directors chair
Now, do meet our lovely new director's chair post makeover, and looking more regal even and a touch more fabulous in this nana floral upholstery fabric with added bling/tassel. It has now moved rank to featured chair posse, directly at the front of the table. Super easy to do, Directors Chair Tutorial to follow.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A splash of Red

Thursdays Post: A splash of Red
Colour has always inspired me. Red in particular is a personal favorite of mine. I use it a great deal in my work and especially to decorate my house. I do use other colours too purely for the sake of room mood however red is my constant and my signature. For me personally, its one of those stand out colours that helps tie everything in. Do you have a favorite colour theme that you regularly like to use?
 Me- Up Town Manhattan 1996
Here is a picture of me at age 22 in New York City, up town Manhattan. I loved this red door so much so, that now that I own my own home, I too now have my own my own red door. Do please scroll down!



Up town Brisbane 2012 (Well... North West actually ;-0)
 
Here is one of my favourite mothers day gifts, it decorates the window by my bedside. Naturally I love it because my three year old August(Gus) painted it for me... and because its a lovely, beautiful shade of red. Its the personal touches that also make a home, don't you think?
 

Here is a lovely vintage thrift shop find. I love the red tin lid and the warratah flowers. It lives on top of a cupboard in our kitchen with a few other savvy jars and things. Not everything fabulous needs to cost a fortune!

Hip Dotti by Hip Brown. This photograph compliments of http://www.facebook.com/NHphotography

Initially the entire Hip Brown children's belt range was lined in a red zephyr vinyl. This was a primary consideration for the Hip Brown label design by Jude Robinson, I wanted the label to be just as important as the colourful belt! Things have progressed and I use other colours now too... Its important to shake things up a little!
 
Hip Oli Belt By Hip Brown.
P.S There will be no Thursdays Post next week due to family commitments. Also all of my online stores will be closed until Sunday February 5. Thanks for following!
xx





Monday, January 23, 2012

Styling with the simple things

Weekend Pottering: The Simple Things 
I really do believe that its the simple things (the little bits of added detail) that slowly transforms a house and makes it into a home.


This picture frame was a wedding gift, it had been sitting in our middle cupboard for a good while. Surprisingly, I was a little stuck with what I should do with it. I have now finally found it's purpose (albeit kitchen bound, in my favorite room in our house!). I have framed a tea towel by English artist Rob Ryan. It was a freebie/ collaboration with Inside out magazine for their 10th birthday issue. I really love the detailed work of this artist (gorgeous) and that it matches our lovely green kitchen tiles perfectly! The silver frame looks good next to out oven range hood too.



How fabulous are these vintage scales?? My mum, Trisha gave them to me... love a little handing down through the generations! Can you believe they have been hiding in my kitchen cupboard? And only allowed out for baking expeditions??... shame on me!



I have now rehoused them. And I think, they like their new home. They now sit in great company way up high on a cupboard in my kitchen. Its one of the first things you see when you walk through our front door! So big cheers for cupboard finds this weekend... So, what is hiding in your cupboard?



Monday, January 16, 2012

Up-cycle your Flip Flops Tutorial

Hello
One can definitely be forgiven for a seemingly sluggish start to the year... have been very absorbed by mummy world, amplified by the School holidays and all its busy-ness. I must have been sounding a tad overwhelmed, well ok, perhaps a lil bananas mad even
because my husband insisted it was time for a lil mummy break.

 So, off I skip for a lil me time combined with some retail therapy. I was actually needing to buy a pair of shoes to wear to a wedding. I was seriously having one of those days where I fell in love with at least three pairs. Eventually I decide to purchase the wedding pumps that I needed. They are bit cute (see happy snap below) yet on a day to day basis impractical for a busy mumma of two. So I reluctantly leave the store still thinking about the super comfy fabric shoes I had just tried on and how I wished to have them too.

Then a little creative design idea occurred to me, that this was simply an opportunity to up-cycle my spare pair of flip flops. Do read below for the tutorial...Thanks for joining me in blog land, Mwah x
Wedding Pumps