In our family we love traditions. One of the best ones is the "Family Birthday". Your Family Birthday is the day of your real birthday (rather than the day of your birthday party) and it's a day where you get to do whatever you want, all day long. Everyone else in the family joins you in each of the selections you make - where we go, what we eat.. it's all up to the birthday boy or girl. It's one tradition we try very hard to keep and up until this year we managed to organise days off work and school for everyone.
2011 has been a little different. We had J away for two months and then a new job to contend with and in the muddle we have had some incomplete family birthdays. Today was my turn. J left the house early and will be getting home late tonight so I decided to keep both kids at school/preschool and have the day on my own. Jemima was really sad that I'd be spending my birthday alone. For her there seemed to be no worse fate than a birthday with no-one to celebrate with. I tried to explain that sometimes mummy's love a day on their own but she just looked at me and said "WHY?"
Despite telling myself that a day in the house alone would be blissful I did feel a little lonely. Usually birthday's in our family involve a trip out somewhere or a busy lunch with all of us together. I had to stop and remind myself how fortunate I really am.
Fortunate am I that my birthday landed on one of the two days a week that are my child-free mama rejuvenation days.
Fortunate that the skies opened and winter returned because it meant that I had an excuse to light a fire and enjoy its comfort and warmth.
Fortunate that a bunch of flowers arrived from family just as I was beginning to feel homesick.
Fortunate that I have a truly good friend who always manages to say the right thing.
So that's another year down. The last 32 have been pretty great. I can't wait to see what the next 12 months will bring.
The Retro
I'm sitting in my new living room after everyone else in the family has gone to sleep thinking about all of the second hand goodies that we've collected in the 18 months that we've been in Australia.
To my left is a vintage teak Parker cocktail cabinet that we bought for $60 from a Vinnie's store in Wollongong. To my right is an $8 armchair that I bought off ebay. Next to that is a noguchi style coffee table that we got off the side of the road. Around the corner is a 70s Chiswell table that I found for $30. All of that sounds like an awful lot of retro doesn't it? Here's a picture of our main living room which will show you how you can incorporate a bit of vintage into your room without looking like you live in a second hand store. All of our rooms are done on a tight budget and we rarely buy anything new.
In this room we have a few vintage pieces but we've balanced them out with some new items. The sofa is new but from a discount store and was bought for a bargain price. The rug on the floor was $49 from Ikea. The black and white cushion was from Target. The paintings on the wall are from our trip to Vietnam and they're framed in Target frames which were $15 each. The Parker is on the right and we've used white ornaments to link to the rug and our newest addition, a 1950s china cabinet.
Here is our $30 1970s Chiswell table with some $14.95 Ikea chairs around it. One of the easiest ways to incorporate a bit of vintage into your house is to buy a classic old table and surround it with modern chairs.
Yesterday my husband and I went off on one of our favourite adventures. We were looking for something to use as a TV cabinet, but we didn't want a TV unit, we wanted something cool. We mapped out our route planning to hit 3 or 4 thrift shops before school pick up. At shop number two (which was a dud) we found ourselves across the road from thrift store heaven. It was a huge surplus store with ridiculously low prices. I found an old wooden crate from 1958 with SYDNEY printed on it that I really wanted but had no space for. My son loved the old wheels and telephones. There were tables and tapestry chairs, shelves and sideboards. Eventually we found what we were after, a 1950s display cabinet with glass sliding doors. It was even small enough to fit in the tight space we had for it.
The Irish owner was good fun. He saw our selection, nodded his head approvingly, then said "So, you're liking The Retro then?". We do like The Retro. We like it a lot.
$25 and two cans of white spray paint later we have a new TV cabinet. We've left the timber legs and veneer strip around the frame and have painted the door, top, and sides. It had a quick primer first using Zinsser odourless undercoat.
Incorporating The Retro into your home is easy and cheap. A good vintage piece will cost you a fraction of a new item from Harvey Norman or the like and it will retain it's value.
Here are my tips to get you started:
1. Have a browse through some design magazines to see what you like, or join pinterest.com and let your imagination go wild. Do you like 1960s teak or do you prefer the loud colours of the 1970s?
2. Google and ebay are your friend. Have a look at vintage pieces online. Check out Kartell, Parker, Chiswell, Noguchi, Eames.
3. Think about the function of your furniture and be creative. Your TV doesn't HAVE to go in a dedicated entertainment unit. You can remodel a china cabinet, small wardrobe, or cocktail cabinet and it'll do the same job while looking great.
4. Once you know what you like, map out the vintage stores in your area and make a day of it. Check ebay or your local secondhand websites regularly.
5. Don't overdo it. One or two vintage pieces in a room is probably enough. Make sure you balance it out with some new items and don't be scared to mix and match. My $8 armchair has an Ikea throw and a yellow cushion that I made out of upholstery fabric on it.
6. Tie it all together. My living room is linked by the use of yellow, grey, and white. Put something that links with the other items in your room on your vintage piece of furniture so that it looks like a cohesive design.
To my left is a vintage teak Parker cocktail cabinet that we bought for $60 from a Vinnie's store in Wollongong. To my right is an $8 armchair that I bought off ebay. Next to that is a noguchi style coffee table that we got off the side of the road. Around the corner is a 70s Chiswell table that I found for $30. All of that sounds like an awful lot of retro doesn't it? Here's a picture of our main living room which will show you how you can incorporate a bit of vintage into your room without looking like you live in a second hand store. All of our rooms are done on a tight budget and we rarely buy anything new.
In this room we have a few vintage pieces but we've balanced them out with some new items. The sofa is new but from a discount store and was bought for a bargain price. The rug on the floor was $49 from Ikea. The black and white cushion was from Target. The paintings on the wall are from our trip to Vietnam and they're framed in Target frames which were $15 each. The Parker is on the right and we've used white ornaments to link to the rug and our newest addition, a 1950s china cabinet.
Here is our $30 1970s Chiswell table with some $14.95 Ikea chairs around it. One of the easiest ways to incorporate a bit of vintage into your house is to buy a classic old table and surround it with modern chairs.
 |
| Parker cocktail cabinet found at Vinnie's for $60 |
 |
| Freebie coffee table that we're using as an occasional table. |
Yesterday my husband and I went off on one of our favourite adventures. We were looking for something to use as a TV cabinet, but we didn't want a TV unit, we wanted something cool. We mapped out our route planning to hit 3 or 4 thrift shops before school pick up. At shop number two (which was a dud) we found ourselves across the road from thrift store heaven. It was a huge surplus store with ridiculously low prices. I found an old wooden crate from 1958 with SYDNEY printed on it that I really wanted but had no space for. My son loved the old wheels and telephones. There were tables and tapestry chairs, shelves and sideboards. Eventually we found what we were after, a 1950s display cabinet with glass sliding doors. It was even small enough to fit in the tight space we had for it.
The Irish owner was good fun. He saw our selection, nodded his head approvingly, then said "So, you're liking The Retro then?". We do like The Retro. We like it a lot.
$25 and two cans of white spray paint later we have a new TV cabinet. We've left the timber legs and veneer strip around the frame and have painted the door, top, and sides. It had a quick primer first using Zinsser odourless undercoat.
Incorporating The Retro into your home is easy and cheap. A good vintage piece will cost you a fraction of a new item from Harvey Norman or the like and it will retain it's value.
Here are my tips to get you started:
1. Have a browse through some design magazines to see what you like, or join pinterest.com and let your imagination go wild. Do you like 1960s teak or do you prefer the loud colours of the 1970s?
2. Google and ebay are your friend. Have a look at vintage pieces online. Check out Kartell, Parker, Chiswell, Noguchi, Eames.
3. Think about the function of your furniture and be creative. Your TV doesn't HAVE to go in a dedicated entertainment unit. You can remodel a china cabinet, small wardrobe, or cocktail cabinet and it'll do the same job while looking great.
4. Once you know what you like, map out the vintage stores in your area and make a day of it. Check ebay or your local secondhand websites regularly.
5. Don't overdo it. One or two vintage pieces in a room is probably enough. Make sure you balance it out with some new items and don't be scared to mix and match. My $8 armchair has an Ikea throw and a yellow cushion that I made out of upholstery fabric on it.
6. Tie it all together. My living room is linked by the use of yellow, grey, and white. Put something that links with the other items in your room on your vintage piece of furniture so that it looks like a cohesive design.
29. Vintage Tea Towels
I love vintage tea towels. The brighter and cheesier the better.
I found a pile of them in a thrift shop about a month ago and I bought the lot. Who could resist them at .50c each! One of them made me smile when I opened it up in the store. It's a 'Wedding Anniversaries' tea towel complete with a list of themes for each anniversary. I was intrigued by the psyche of the person who bought it. Why would you need it? Did she use it to wash dishes or just put it in the cupboard? Was it a reference point for the approaching date...
"Frank! Our anniversary is coming up, better check the tea towel."
It was too funny to do nothing with so I made it into a simple cushion by folding it in half and sewing around the edge (right sides together) then stuffing it with hobby fill before sewing up the gap.
Another great find was a limited edition screen printed tea towel on linen fabric. I bought a cheap canvas and pinned it on with drawing pins. It'll go above the fireplace in our new house. I washed it first to get a couple of small marks out and then had to spend over an hour ironing it. It's still not perfect! If you know a way of making linen silky smooth let me know.
I have lots of tea towels left in my cupboard and I'm continually on the hunt for more. What I really want is a retro Blue Mountains one but I haven't had any luck yet.
We're moving into a bigger house in just over a week. I can't wait. Since I found out that we got the house I haven't been able to sleep because I'm too excited about decorating it. I have so many ideas, and knowing me I'll want them all done at once.
Happy crafting everyone!
I found a pile of them in a thrift shop about a month ago and I bought the lot. Who could resist them at .50c each! One of them made me smile when I opened it up in the store. It's a 'Wedding Anniversaries' tea towel complete with a list of themes for each anniversary. I was intrigued by the psyche of the person who bought it. Why would you need it? Did she use it to wash dishes or just put it in the cupboard? Was it a reference point for the approaching date...
"Frank! Our anniversary is coming up, better check the tea towel."
It was too funny to do nothing with so I made it into a simple cushion by folding it in half and sewing around the edge (right sides together) then stuffing it with hobby fill before sewing up the gap.
Another great find was a limited edition screen printed tea towel on linen fabric. I bought a cheap canvas and pinned it on with drawing pins. It'll go above the fireplace in our new house. I washed it first to get a couple of small marks out and then had to spend over an hour ironing it. It's still not perfect! If you know a way of making linen silky smooth let me know.
I have lots of tea towels left in my cupboard and I'm continually on the hunt for more. What I really want is a retro Blue Mountains one but I haven't had any luck yet.
We're moving into a bigger house in just over a week. I can't wait. Since I found out that we got the house I haven't been able to sleep because I'm too excited about decorating it. I have so many ideas, and knowing me I'll want them all done at once.
Happy crafting everyone!
28. Six Things to Make with Doilies
Have a lovely collection of doilies that you don't know what to do with?
These 6 simple tutorials will show you how to get those doilies out of the drawer where you can admire them.
(1) T Shirt with Doily Applique
+(2).jpg)
Materials:
1 Plain t shirt. Mine is a $3 shirt for my 7 year old daughter which I bought from Kmart.
1 Piece of vintage linen - circular doilies work well.
Thread and a needle
Here we go...
Making the shirt is as simple as placing your linen piece onto the t shirt and carefully hand sewing around the edge. If you place a piece of card between the layers of fabric it will stop you accidentally sewing through the back of the shirt.
(2) T Shirt with Cutie-Pie Sleeves
In 2009 I bought my daughter a top from a market in Queensland that was made with a singlet top and some floral fabric sewn on as sleeves. Cute idea, and very easy to make. I have two round cornflower blue pieces of embroidery that I plan to use as sleeves on a top for her this summer. Nothing could be easier sewing a doily onto a top to make little capped sleeves. Just cut your doily in half and pin under the existing seam at the shoulder and sew it on. For more ideas and step by step instructions see Jessica Wilson from scrumdillydo's article for Craftzine :
(3) Doily Lampshade
Materials:
A collection of large doilies
1 Balloon
Wallpaper paste OR PVA plus cornstarch
String
Rubber gloves
Here we go...
This tutorial has been doing the rounds on the Internet for some time, but it's such a goodie that I have to include it here. The original pics are from Shannon South from reMade USA and the lamps are available in the reMade store.
All you need to do is blow up the balloon and mark with a pen where your light fitting will be inserted. Make up a thick paste with either wallpaper paste or a combination of PVA glue and cornstarch mixed with water. Dip your doilies then lay them over the balloon, smoothing down any bubbles. Don't place any doilies where you have your pen because that will be where your light bulb will be inserted. Overlap the doilies at the edges. Hang it to dry and then pop the balloon.
(4) Doily Candle Holders
Amanda from craftsbyamanda.com came up with these sweet little candle holders made from doilies and mason preserving jars. Just spray your doily with a good quality craft glue then press onto the (clean) jar. Finish by decorating the tops with twine, buttons, shells, or whatever takes your fancy. Pop a tealight candle inside enjoy.
(5) Doily Bowl
This is a stiffened doily made into a bowl shape by using either starch or fabric stiffener (available from Spotlight). thehappyhomeblog.com has a great step by step tutorial. Remember the sewing paper pattern lightshade I made earlier in the year? The concept is exactly the same here. I love the look of these bowls, I'll definitely be on the lookout for some more doilies so I can make a few of these as gifts.
(6) Doily Cushion
This is a bit gorgeous isn't it? Smile and Wave's tutorial on thebeatthatmyheartskipped.co.uk shows you how you can create a cushion by overlaying doilies onto fabric. For a more simple idea try sewing just one doily onto a plain cushion you already have by following the same technique as the Applique T Shirt above.
I hope this post has convinced you of the truth - doilies are cool! I'd love to hear your comments and if you make something with a doily make sure you let me know how it went.
These 6 simple tutorials will show you how to get those doilies out of the drawer where you can admire them.
(1) T Shirt with Doily Applique
+(2).jpg)
Materials:
1 Plain t shirt. Mine is a $3 shirt for my 7 year old daughter which I bought from Kmart.
1 Piece of vintage linen - circular doilies work well.
Thread and a needle
Here we go...
Making the shirt is as simple as placing your linen piece onto the t shirt and carefully hand sewing around the edge. If you place a piece of card between the layers of fabric it will stop you accidentally sewing through the back of the shirt.
(2) T Shirt with Cutie-Pie Sleeves
In 2009 I bought my daughter a top from a market in Queensland that was made with a singlet top and some floral fabric sewn on as sleeves. Cute idea, and very easy to make. I have two round cornflower blue pieces of embroidery that I plan to use as sleeves on a top for her this summer. Nothing could be easier sewing a doily onto a top to make little capped sleeves. Just cut your doily in half and pin under the existing seam at the shoulder and sew it on. For more ideas and step by step instructions see Jessica Wilson from scrumdillydo's article for Craftzine :
(3) Doily Lampshade
Materials:
A collection of large doilies
1 Balloon
Wallpaper paste OR PVA plus cornstarch
String
Rubber gloves
Here we go...
This tutorial has been doing the rounds on the Internet for some time, but it's such a goodie that I have to include it here. The original pics are from Shannon South from reMade USA and the lamps are available in the reMade store.
All you need to do is blow up the balloon and mark with a pen where your light fitting will be inserted. Make up a thick paste with either wallpaper paste or a combination of PVA glue and cornstarch mixed with water. Dip your doilies then lay them over the balloon, smoothing down any bubbles. Don't place any doilies where you have your pen because that will be where your light bulb will be inserted. Overlap the doilies at the edges. Hang it to dry and then pop the balloon.
(4) Doily Candle Holders
Amanda from craftsbyamanda.com came up with these sweet little candle holders made from doilies and mason preserving jars. Just spray your doily with a good quality craft glue then press onto the (clean) jar. Finish by decorating the tops with twine, buttons, shells, or whatever takes your fancy. Pop a tealight candle inside enjoy.
(5) Doily Bowl
This is a stiffened doily made into a bowl shape by using either starch or fabric stiffener (available from Spotlight). thehappyhomeblog.com has a great step by step tutorial. Remember the sewing paper pattern lightshade I made earlier in the year? The concept is exactly the same here. I love the look of these bowls, I'll definitely be on the lookout for some more doilies so I can make a few of these as gifts.
(6) Doily Cushion
This is a bit gorgeous isn't it? Smile and Wave's tutorial on thebeatthatmyheartskipped.co.uk shows you how you can create a cushion by overlaying doilies onto fabric. For a more simple idea try sewing just one doily onto a plain cushion you already have by following the same technique as the Applique T Shirt above.
I hope this post has convinced you of the truth - doilies are cool! I'd love to hear your comments and if you make something with a doily make sure you let me know how it went.
27. China Plate Frame
Time: 15 minutes
Cost: $5 or under
Materials:
1 china plate - look for one that is flat in the middle rather than one with a raised ridge because it'll be easier to place your photo
1 photo
Glue
Clear varnish and brush
Scrapbook letters (optional)
Here we go...
This is a quick and easy project that you can make for very little money. I picked up this Italian blue and white side plate for $1.50 in an Op Shop today and I decided to make it into a photo frame.
Give your plate a really good clean before you start.
Choose your photo and find a circular object to use as a template. Cups and small bowls work well. Hold you photo up to a window pane face down and draw around your template. By drawing on the back of the photo you'll avoid any pen marks in the image, and the window will help you to place the circle in the right place.
I cut a circle out of paper to put behind the photo, but you could skip this step if you wish.
Glue each layer together, then glue the photo onto the plate. Measure so that you have the photo right in the middle of the plate.
Place your letters around the frame and glue them down. Use a cotton bud (q-tip) to clean up any glue around the letters.
Give the whole thing another wipe to remove any dust or fingermarks.
Take the plate outdoors or open some windows then give the whole thing a coat of varnish.
At this stage you could tape some wire onto the back so that you can hang it on the wall, or use a cute plate display holder on a shelf.
Other ideas to try:
A vintage floral plate with an old photo or cut out from a retro magazine
Bright coloured plate with photos of your kids. Put hand or finger prints around the plate before varnishing.
Make a matching set for Grandparents or for Mothers Day.
Choose an image you love from a postcard, magazine, or poster and match one of the colours in the image to the plate.
Experiment with other things to glue around the edge - buttons, gems, twine spelling out words.. . you're limited only by your imagination.
Happy crafting everyone!
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