Giveaway Reminder: Winners announced this Friday March 2nd

Giveaway Announcement

Hip Brown Lavender Tee Bags

A quick Reminder, our first ever blog "Giveaway announcement" will be drawn this Friday March 1st. All Followers/ Subscribers and Comment's from this blog get an automatic 3 x entries. Fans from our Facebook page who also like this giveaway post will also be included. The lucky winners (there will be two) will be asked to pick any item of their choice from either of my online stores Hip Brown Homewares or Hip Brown (Children's Belts). Thanks Rachael x

Brisbane Love

Brisbane city view and Story Bridge by RHonner

Ok, so it's not quite the skyline of Brooklyn Bridge or NYC. However what I love most is: that Brisbane is a friendly city. Where I live in particular, people quite like to have a chat. It's lovely!

A picture of a Bulimba Ferry by RHonner

I like to think it is a big city that has still maintained it's country town charm.

Photograph- R Honner

Definitely not an old, old city like London or France but there is still history.

Bike swap not wife swap by RHonner

Perhaps not as bike friendly as Amsterdam but there is hope.

Newfarm Park by RHonner

 I call these the hairy arm pit trees.

Photograph by RHonner

My children love them!

Tea, Cricket and Citronella

I often find myself craving girly-ness particularly within the predominately male world, I live in. For those of you who do not know, I have two boys, a three and a six year old. Including my husband I am definitely outnumbered! I do not necessarily mind this as I really do enjoy my own girly company. Lately however, I have noticed that my taste particularly in homewares has become less contemporary and more feminine in style. We could quite easily blame this on current trends. I mean Florals really seem to be hanging around! However I often think, it is a result of the crazy boy energy around me and my new appreciation for all things very feminine is my way of finding a balance. Yes too much cricket on the television has me itching for pink florals!

 

Found myself itching for some thrift shopping this week too. I bought this lovely tea cup and then... turned it into a citronella candle for our outdoor living area. The boys will love it, ha! Strangely I kind of feel bad though. I mean, is it a bit sacrilegious to do that to a beautiful tea cup? Surely that would be one of the top three “DO NOTS” for high tea drinkers??

Also found this beautiful big bowl to house all my lovely shells in. The boys and I collect shells from our beach holidays and then bring them home as a reminder. They get very excited by which ones they have found and contributed.

Now what do you think this tea cups best use would be? a) A tea cup (A tea cup for tea drinking?? Now that would be very wild and crazy!) or b) Citronella candle (very much needed in Brisvegas for us outdoor living types)??

Naff Made Lovely!

Post makeover shot of our outdoor living area

Often a little handmade loving, be it bought or made is what can make a great home stand out! It is what gives a house character and that "very much loved" look about it. If ever there was a time, we were motivated to "make better" mass produced items by upcycle or revamp (i.e inject some love and character into them) rather than just throw them out, I would think it is now... So I set about finding industrial, slightly naff or just plain unloved areas of my house with the simple challenge of specifically making them better with a little DIY, love and handmade character. I am a firm believer in not everything has to be perfect straight away, we can make do especially with a little handmade know how. Whilst I am a major fan of uncluttered houses sometimes little items, if they have potential can be revamped instead of being thrown out.

Before shot- This was our functional/ slightly drab outdoor balcony area.

After shot- as seen above, our new loved up balcony area.

Here is our balcony looking quite lovely now. The lattice took 4 x massive painting sessions, now that's why the painters avoided it! The paint colour is Dulux quarter duck. It still has that distressed look about it, only more so. On this particular occasion more is definitely more! I zipped up some outdoor bunting made from oilcloth (bonus- no hemming needed) purely so that the fabric would not be weather affected. The bunting is rather whimsical in style with roosters and chickens on it... I do love a little taste of quirkiness here or there! My up-cycled deckchair is in featured chair position at the front of the table. The flowers were from my garden, nothing bought/ expensive. I think the chairs could still do with some cute flat cushions, ah ha another project in waiting!

 Bookend Revamp

Now that my boys are getting a little older and have way too many books on their bookshelf, these bookends were no longer helpful. I didn't want to throw them out because they were a gift from their lovely cousins! Makeover method: I painted them red so there would be a dark undercoat. I wanted to use a distressed painting style and needed a dark base colour to show through. I then distressed these with Dulux quarter duck and simply hung a swing tag over them.

Industrial made lovable. 

We bought these stools mid renovation because they were actually the only stools we could find tall enough to fit the make shift breakfast bar we were eating all of our meals on at the time. I do have a love hate relationship with these stools... Now that I have reupholstered the black vinyl seat covers, I actually quite like them. Method: Unscrew seat base form chair legs. Cut out fabric circle 5" larger than the actual seat size and staple down onto the under seat. Screw back on to the chair legs. They are now allowed to stay... for a little while at least.

Clock Love

Source: etsy.com via Rachael on Pinterest

I could really do with more time... but maybe more clocks would do the trick??

Source: etsy.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Perhaps a collage of clocks by my bed side table would be helpful??

Source: google.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Or maybe perched on a shelf or table?

Source: google.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Such a gorgeous beast!

Would dearly, like to swap it with my ugly beast!

Tootaloo xx

HOW TO BE A CLOSET TEA DRINKER?

Hip Brown lavender scented Sachets/ Tee bags for your closet/ draws

Hmm as tempting as they look, it really, would not be advisable to drink these. They are NOT actually Tea bags as such! They are Hip Brown Lavender TEE BAGS.... you know, Tee bags as in Tee shirt. They are especially made for the closet, underwear draw or as a handbag/ man-bag fresher (can I just say I do love a man-bag!). They are fantastic at keeping the moth's and silver fish away from your clothing!

Hip Brown lavender scented Sachets/ Tee bag

You can find out more information about this product here http://www.bluecaravan.net/hipbrownhomewares/item/lavender-sachets-tee-bags-for-your-closet-by-hip-brown/... Which Tee bag is your favorite (see happy snaps below)? There is  a re-purposed fabric option or calico. 

Hip Brown Tee Bag: Re-purposed Fabric

 Just out of interest, would you like to see them in other colours too or do you prefer a natural look for your cupboards? I'm leaning towards natural, it is so simple and matches with everything so well but... am always up for a little variety too.

Hip Brown Tee Bag- Calico

Hip Brown lavender scented Sachets/ Tee bags

P.S Remember Tee but NOT for drinking

Let me brighten your day?

Hello Thursday's Post

Thought I'd brighten everyone's day with some gorgeous finds from Pinterest. Nothing like a lil Thursday inspiration! Many of you would have heard about Pinterest already... Its definitely the most talked about out of all the social sites, at the moment. It's the cheapest magazine you will ever lay eyes on!!! and its so much fun to dream/ plan away. Do let me know if any of you have accounts and I will follow.... Always lovely to appreciate the taste of others!

Source: Uploaded by user via Rachael on Pinterest

Would love this box, not sure where I will put it yet!

Source: Uploaded by user via Rachael on Pinterest

Am totally bananas over Bed Heads... just need to convince my husband of the necessity!

Source: Uploaded by user via Rachael on Pinterest

Devine!

Source: naturalhomeandgarden.com via Rachael on Pinterest

Its a bed head illness... Im sure of it!

Source: flamingpetal.co.nz via Rachael on Pinterest

Ok, speaking of lil purple flowers its bye for now, back to work... Currently busy working on some lavender sachets to hang in the closet for my HipBrown Homewares store.  http://www.bluecaravan.net/hipbrownhomewares/

Giveaway Announcement: Do come follow.

Giveaway Announcement

As promised, our first ever "Giveaway announcement" here on the Hip Brown Things blog. Simply click on the "Follow this blog" button! The lucky winners (there will be two) are drawn February 29. The winners will be asked to pick any item of their choice from either of my online stores Hip Brown Homewares or Hip Brown (Childrens Belts). Come along, visit, always welcome to leave a comment or maybe you have a tutorial idea for me to try (it is highly likely, I might have a go). Thanks ever so much for following!

Holidays are lovely but so too is home

Weekend Pottering

I do love walking into my house after a Holiday! Holidays are lovely but there really is nothing like your own bed/ house... and street, the list goes on. Clearly I do love to roam but am also a creature of habit. Thought I share some pictures from Adelaide. Adelaide is lovely, very old world with its beautiful sand stone buildings. Super jealous it has a beach not too far from the city! Beach transfer maybe?? We could swap them Southbank for Henley's beach!

Love wood, love rope, love my boys

 I do love doors but so love chairs too. This lovely one is from my inlaws farm... So  gorgeous!

Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula 

Wreck of Ethel- mostly buried in sand

Um Emu Ethel maybe?? These birds do make me laugh...

P.S My To- do/ Tutorial list is growing… Thinking a corrugated iron  art work (love the stuff, especially when painted) x 4 for our living room, diy valance for the spare room, diy patchwork cotton throw of sorts and I am so dying to use some decorative nail heads, somewhere/ somehow.