Antique Lace.

 

A bit messy isn't it, but l wanted to share ALL of this lovely bed throw including the fringed edges. lt was found at the market a couple of weeks ago and the seller thought it to be over a hundred years old. Not in perfect nick but let's face it what IS at that age:-) l'd like to give it a wash but l'm not brave enough in case it shrinks or falls apart....like the long sumptuous (genuine) fur coat Mum bought (at a jumble sale) many years ago, she put it in a bathtub of warm water to give the lining a bit of a scrub and the whole dam thing fell apart. Poor Mum l can still remember her having a cry over it....of course fur's not too PC these days but back then it was a FANTASTIC find.

 

 

My garden is still scant of flowers  however the next door neighbors' lovely blossom tree was hanging oh so temptingly over the fence....l'm sure they won't mind:-)  

 

l have 2 buds on my peony rose bush and since it's about 4 years old and never flowered l'm pretty keen to get a bloom. l reluctantly rose at 4.20AM this morning to cover them up. It was so cold l was worried it would frost and burn the buds off. l've already wrapped the entire bush in bubble wrap to protect it from the wind. Let's hope all this molly coddling pays off:-)

 

More old earrings...these with a British lion on each one, not to wear of course...they'd be hideous, but to pull apart and use somehow. Shell trinket box, a couple of dollars from the market.

 

 

Old perfume bottles... the darker blue ones are LouLou,..a wonderful scent...BIG back in the day.

 

 

    

 

More experimenting with paint.....l splattered and finger painted this tutu onto a tshirt....

 

Loved this shirt..... spotted on the $2.00 rack at the salvos..won't wear it though.....it's a bit small....but hey, l'm happy for it to hang around:-))

 

 

 Lovely bedroom  jenniferrizzo. via pinterest. Chandeliers in a dodgy position though:-)

Beautiful vintage....oxygenart. via pinterest.

 

 

 So glad you could stop by, hope you have a fantastic weekend wherever you and whatever you're up to.

 

 

 

 

Til next time,

 

Bron. 

 

Top Tips for Vintage Shopping.

Recently Laura from A Dream Away had a competition on her blog to win a Jack throw and guess who the lucky winner was ....yep, it was me.... It arrived the other day and was the inspiration for this weeks' post. Laura not only sent the lovely throw she made, but also some beautiful sweet smelling lavender bags in dainty florals and a pair of pierced metal hearts....all of which you'll be able to see in the pics:-))
Thanks so much Laura!!

l set up a corner of the family room. The lamp was "dressed" in a new skirt to match. On the chair is an apron l found at the opshop last week.....Frills and hand dyed lace...SO my thing haha!!
Made by Aussie company. missrosesisterviolet.



Remember last week l was going to write some tips on vintage shopping and didn't, well l finally got there.... TA DA!!

1. Know what you love, which prob'ly sounds like a no brainer,  but for years l brought home lots of stuff that l only half liked cos it was cheap or sort of useful, only to be throwing it out months later 'cos l couldn't stand the clutter. To help you decide check out magazines of interest, pinterest and blogs. Really analyse what elements most appeal to you. Make up a moodboard and pin only what you LOVE.  That way when you go shopping, you won't be confused or coerced into buying what doesn't TRULY resonate with you. Styles and trends change but you'll find yourself looking and loving the same type of thing over and over again.

 

2. Know what you need... This might be a physical list, say on your phone, or may be just a mental list. Of course not everything you're after will be sitting waiting for you (though it DOES sometimes happen:-)) but it really helps to guide and prioritise as to where you'll begin looking and on WHAT you'll spend your cash, especially if both time and money are limited. 

 

 

3. Go vintage hunting often.... The people scoring the best stuff are the ones that are putting themselves in a target rich environment most often, and that means popping in to your favourite online auction site, opshop, or weekly market whenever you get the chance. It only takes a short amount of time to have a browse, especially when you get to "know"your regular haunts, that way if there IS a bargain to be had...... you may be in just the right place at the exact right time. Going often also helps us hone our skills, allowing you to SEE what the inexperienced may not.

 

 

4. Be selective.... When buying large core pieces of furniture for your home, it's better to take your time, as these are things that we tend to keep for longer. To buy high quality at a great price can take time so l guess it means being patient as well. l spent more than 12 months searching for "carved" dining table chairs, but eventually found some at the market at a price l was prepared to pay. l've also been looking for a dressing table for over 2 years however the EXACT style l'm after STILL hasn't come up... back to waiting, waiting :-)) 

  

 

And lastly 5. Recognise potential....Sometimes we come across furniture or accessories that people are giving (or almost) away. If it's a style you love but not the colour, fabric or finish, these are the bargains to think about creatively. Here we can let loose and experiment.... try out new paint effects, upholstery, mosaics or maybe turn them into something else altogether.....if it doesn't work out it's no big deal.

 

 

Found a couple of South American religious candles and an empty liquor bottle at the Salvos, bit of a strange mix l guess, but l liked the look of them all together.

 

 

Found another old enamel brooch, pretty pansies.  

Funky frou......... alicya-arteego. via pinterest.

 

 

 

Pretty romantic.....fabulousfifi.

 

 l  hope the vintage shopping tips help, they're prop'ly most useful for those of you just getting into the vintage scene....be warned though, vintage shopping is highly ADDICTIVE:-))

Thanks so much for stopping in here, wishing you all an awesome weekend coming up...l'm working so no market on Sunday....Waah!!

Til next time,

Bron.

Corner of the Garden Room.

   

 

 This WAS going to be a long post about vintage shopping...but just couldn't make it happen this week, however l still wanted to post.....Luckily l managed to take some pics earlier in the week.

l set up a corner of the garden room with some of my favourite recent vintage finds.

 

The sweet ladies at the Friday opshop insisted on GIVING me this lovely old bookmark....it was my favourite find:-))

 

 

Forgot l even had this cane basket.....it  usually sits in a cupboard... storing balls of wool. 

 

 

Colourful old enamel butterfly brooch....another to add to the growing pile l already have. 

 

 

 

  

 

Cups and saucers always remind me of visits to my Aunty Mary. (Mums' sister). Tea at her house is ALWAYS served complete with cup, saucer and matching cake plate on a clean tablecloth. Mum, Sis and l get in a panic that we might spill our tea, or worse chip or break something. Clumsiness is rife in our family, so it's not a good mix :-))   

 

 

Also found some vintage millinery flowers....pink roses, who could resist.
 Aqua flower friendly jar's from  Typo.  $3.95 each.

 

Interesting old tea cup. The hook on the back allows it to be hung flat against a wall....kinda funny too:-))

 

 

 

Last of all is this bejewelled "genie" jar.

 

 

 

Spring bedroom. indulgy via pinterest.

 

 

 

Gorgeous kitchen. amazingbedroomdecorationideas.  via pinterest.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for popping in here.....

 

Til next time,

 

Bron. 

  

 

Painted Lady....Or two.

A little bit country....

 

 

Thought I'd go with something a little different this week....a bit of a Summery country feel with faded colours, woven straw hats and wild blooms.

 

 

Hats for all the family....an absolute necessity in our hot dry Summers.....l decorated a few with strands of shells, wooden beads and woven belts.

 

 

l've  also been painting and l'm starting to realise that if l paint too many more canvasses, l'll need more walls to hang them on as l'm running out of wall space FAST. (and my own gallery just isn't an option right now haha!!), so l recently began experimenting with different types of fabrics to paint on so the art can be turned into other things.....These couple of lady heads were painted onto a light cotton fabric and sewn into cushions.

 



 

Casual comfy bed throw with (cute) fur pompoms.

  

 

l went for a walk and filled my basket with flowering wattle.....little did l realise l had hitchhikers on board until it was all too late!!! Earwigs, flying insects and other unidentifiable little blighters....

Well it could've been worse l guess.....like maybe a tree snake...haha!!

The Golden Wattle (acacia pycnantha) is Australia's national flower.....and blooming everywhere at the moment:-)) 



 

Part of my beaded doyley collection. My clever Mum crocheted a couple of them.

Pic from one of my moodboards.

 

Part of the magnoliapearl. booth......... sweetpeahome. via pinterest.

 

Vintage and cream......miss frenchies via pinterest. (blog removed) 

  

Crusty rustic walls and lovely linens...pinterest (shabbychicloves). 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely and encouraging comments. I hope you have an awesome, inspirational weekend.

 

 

Til next time,

 

Bron.

 

If you feel like you're in need of a bit of a chortle, my little cartoon might help :-))