On The Hunt For...

For the past two weeks I've had intentions of visiting the local Sunday morning swap meet but things have popped up that have stopped me from going. Fingers crossed I can go for a browse tomorrow (if I can work up the motivation to head outdoors in the chilly morning weather). Paul has had a big day today so I'm sure if I sneak out with Grace, he'll appreciate the sleep in. There are a few things I’m on the hunt for at the moment, certain pieces to add touches of character to our place and to help create that homely feel. Here's some examples of treasures I'd love to find...



One thing I'd love to get for Grace's room is a little open shelf display similar to the one above. Young children always collect bits and pieces and I'd love something to be able to display all Grace's little trinkets and treasures on and where she could change little collections around as she pleases.



Next on my radar are some little glass bottles to use as vases. I often save old jars for this purpose but something cute like the bottle above would be lovely to put a single bloom in. I like to have small arrangements like this dotted in different spots around the house or on the table when I am entertaining.



A few weeks ago, Grace snuck into our pantry and broke my salt shaker. It was never really my style anyway so I wasn't overly fussed and now I have the excuse to look for some cute salt and pepper shakers. Mum has some tiny ones from my grandparent's house which I love. Hopefully I can find something similar one day.



Last up, I'm looking for old, decorative picture frames which I will possibly paint white. I love the detail in the one above and the way it is still a simple design.

Sometime in the next few months, we're planning a little holiday down south where I'm looking forward to browsing in the various country town antique shops so if I don't find something at the markets, fingers crossed they can be found on other travels.

What treasures do you mainly hunt for at second hand stores or flea markets?

If you wish to purchase any of the items above, you can visit their Etsy stores:

#1 dovetailvintage #2 AMradio #3 Midwest Finds #4 Maude and Lola #5 AMradio

Shades Of White

Image from Country Living via Brabourne Farm

You know how when you write a word over and over and then you start to look at it in a strange way and wonder whether you’re actually spelling it correctly because you’ve seen it so many times? That’s a bit how I feel today with the colour white.

After five quotes, we’ve finally decided which company to go with for our blinds in the children’s bedrooms, study and laundry. The company we’re happiest with seems to have better quality fabrics (they apparently have a higher thread count) and they come with a five year warranty. In saying that however, choosing between two different shades of ‘white’ is making our final decision a bit difficult.

I’ve moved the samples from room to room and tried them in different lights but everywhere I look, the whites in our home are so varied, which is something I’d never noticed before. Our walls are not pure white, they are more of an antique white with a slight stony touch. Our skirting boards are pretty much a true white and are different once again to our doors and trims (although Paul tells me when he has holidays next, he’s planning on painting these more like our skirtings). Our Ikea kitchen cupboards appear to be more of an antique white, Grace’s bedroom furniture a bright white and the white picture frames around the house have more of an antique shade to them. Who knew whites could be so varied?

At the moment, I’m thinking of going with the more antique white textured blind fabric which will blend in best with the walls. I don’t want our blinds to be a feature but rather a continuation of the wall colour so I think I’m on the right track. In any case, the other sample has a slight lurex thread through it which I’m not overly keen on and I’m sure this would bug me on a larger scale piece of this fabric.

Hope you're all having a terrific Thursday. I'm off to look at those samples for one last time...

Take Two: The New Bed

Photograph by Bob Smith via House to Home

You’re all going to think I’m totally crazy, but I’ve decided to sell the bed frame we bought for Grace. On Thursday night, we bought another ensemble base instead (lower than the one currently in our spare room) to go with our existing virtually new mattress. In hindsight, I think I was sucked in by the prettiness of the bed we recently bought and didn’t think about the practicalities of it or its design.

There were a few reasons for my change of heart. From a practical point of view, I decided that having a bed frame against the wall was going to make it very difficult for me to make the bed. I know many people have such beds against walls, but anything that makes my pregnant life easier these days is a positive in my books and the new ensemble base on wheels makes it super easy to tuck in blankets and sheets. The new base also has no hard edges so I have no fear of Grace hurting herself on the bed either when she sleeps or is running around in her room playing and being a good ten centimetres lower, if Grace does fall out of bed at night, it’s not of concern, especially with a few pillows placed on the floor.

From an aesthetical point of view, the ensemble bed option suits Grace’s room better. While I’ve always preferred the look of a bed base, our bedrooms are super small which means visually, it is important to minimise how imposing the furniture feels. I won’t have the effect of the carpet continuing under the bed, however the extra space we’ve gained is beneficial and most noticeably, the lack of a footboard makes the bedroom feel less ‘closed in’. When we got the pretty bed frame home, I also didn’t like the way the mattress wouldn’t sit nicely within the frame and kept sliding around. The visible slats under the mattress really bothered me.

So, those are the reasons I used to explain to Paul why I had completely changed my mind and gone down the ensemble bed path and why we now have not only our old ensemble base to sell, but also the pretty bed frame. Most importantly however, I feel at peace with my latest decision and Grace has been sleeping pretty well in her new bed since Friday night. Thank you all for the advice you gave me over my bed debacle.

Now it's time to decorate Grace's 'big girls room' and add some pretty touches like those in the image above. To satisfy my wish for a pretty bed, I am going to be on the lookout on Gumtree and Ebay for a nice headboard. For now that’s not a necessity but it will definitely finish off this corner of the room better. I am also in the planning stages of the patchwork quilt I am about to make which I will share with you as I make some progress.

Have you ever made a furniture purchase you later regretted?

Our Wintery Week In

This week, we've had a lot of heavy rain. I haven't complained at all though as our garden is loving the extra soak it's been getting. It's fantastic for all the new plants we recently bought and put in.

Being stuck indoors a lot this week, Grace and I have had fun with various activities. We've played dress ups (I gave Grace my basket full of hats, scarves and handbags to play with while I sorted through my wardrobe), we have watched snails climbing up the window in the rain and we have done some baking. We have also been enjoying afternoon teas with mugs of Milo to 'warm our bellies.' One morning, when the showers stopped momentarily, we put on gumboots and went into the garden collecting leaves and flowers. Inside, we patted our finds dry with towelling paper and Grace arranged them all onto a piece of contact. Once finished, another piece of contact was placed on top of the flowers to create a 'flower picture'.



Today we've going out for a morning coffee and then we'll be spending the rest of the day at home. I've been a bit overwhelmed by the untidiness around our place this week but I've lacked the motivation to do anything about it. It's been a case of 'where do I start?' So this afternoon while Grace naps, I need to do a lot of cleaning up to get things back to an acceptable state.

This weekend is a long weekend in WA and I'm aiming for a little bit of 'me' time. I'm meeting my sister for breakfast tomorrow morning and then I have dinner planned with a friend on Sunday night. Hopefully I'll get a chance to check out fabric for Grace's quilt some time over the weekend too. Other than that, I'll just be pottering around the house. What about you - what are your weekend plans?

Nest Pretty Things

Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your reassuring words on my last post regarding Grace's new bed. I appreciated you taking the time to share your own experiences and advice and you have given me some great ideas. I've decided to think about things for a week or two before I make any decisions. I'll let you know what happens...

Today I wanted to share with you a gorgeous Etsy shop I stumbled upon a little while back called Nest Pretty Things. Its owner Tamar creates a range of pretty pieces of jewellery, several of which I have my eye on. I love the way Tamar's pieces are packaged and presented and the way she styles her product shots. Here are some necklaces that I am particularly drawn to...

All photos by Tamar of Nest Pretty Things