Christmas card shopping {Etsy}

Don’t you just love receiving a good old fashioned handwritten card, thank you cards, birthday cards and of course Christmas cards. I scoured Etsy for my pick of the seasons latest leterpressed and printed cards.  

$3.50 Each Via

$15 for 8 Via

$15 for 6 Via

$14 for 12 Via

$20 for 10 Via

Cloud Art ~ Via: Amber Interiors {DIY}

I absolutely adore Amber Interior Design Cloud photograph DIY for her dining room, what a fantastic way to add colour to complement a room.

Here is how she did it:

I took some cool photos of white puffy clouds and had them blown up 28" x 40" on glossy poster paper. It was 30 bucks to blow up and then I framed them in Ribba's from Ikea. I photo shopped the images a bit to make them have that Lomo camera poloroid vibe and Wallah! Big original art for under 60 bucks! Woop Woop!

The inspiration

Our largescale beach photography in the loung room.  

And here is and Etsy Version for $25 

Etsy sellers will commonly to custom orders if you want to order a  larger scale. 

My “Wardrobe Phone” {Shopping}

You would all have such a laugh if you went through the photographs on my phone. It has come to my attention that I have developed Cher’s  wardrobe computer from my favourite 90’s movie “Clueless” on my phone, I refer to my camera phone when purchasing clothes and for outfit selection.

Purchasing clothes, resisting impulse purchases

I regularly take a photos in the change room of clothes I like, I then review the potential purchase at home. If I feel like heading back to the store to make the purchase it’s not an impulse purchase.

Portmans, not currently on website  (I went back and purchased this one)

Top: Country Road

Outfit selection

I take phone pictures of outfits I am happy with, it reminds me of complete “go to” outfits I have put together (helpful in busy mornings). Please excuse the mess on the stair.  

Cue Dress (2009)

I also take pictures to help me decide on accessories for different occasions.

 Portmans $59.95 (on sale now)

Please no judgement here until you try it! One of my girlfriends whom had a laugh at my “Wardrobe phone” has recently become a convert, I receive text messages of change room outfits for opinion all the time!

Pink Pants + Stripes {Fashionable Monday}

Via: pinterest

*****    Shop the look    *****

                         

Witchery $49.95                                                  Witchery $79.95

Asos $109                                                                 Witchery $79.95 

                         

Witchery $149.95                                                      Witchery $99.95

* Witchery currently have a 25% off sale on Shoes and Handbags*

Celine handbag

Anna Spiro Rosey Posey Trellis Lampshade {DIY}

I completed a quick and easy little lampshade DIY late on Sunday night after we arrived home from dinner, I have been on a creative roll lately and decided to add a bit of fun to our dining room lamps with my Anna Spiro (For Porters paints) Rosy Posey Trellis sample that I picked up whilst completing the furniture painting course recently.

9:30pm Unscrew lamps

9:31pm Roll out wallpaper and trace lamp shades on backside of wallpaper

9:35pm Carefully cut out tracings (ensure to leave a 2cm gap for overlap)

9:39pm Use double sided tape on the lamp shade and affix wallpaper to lamp shade

9:40pm Screw lamp shades onto lamp base

 From This

To This

I love how the completed lamp shades look, it will be super easy I decide to change my mind and you know I will and go back to the original burlap lamp shade finish.

I purchased the wallpaper sample from Porters paints (2 x off samples = 1m total for $14).

A girlfriend purchased this sweet little monkey print to cover a lamp for her baby's nursery, I know it is going to look adorable!

Got a spare 10 Minutes?

Porters paints - Furniture painting course {DIY}

I recently attended the Porters furniture painting course, I needed professional guidance as I’ve had many failed attempts at furniture painting (spray can in hand).

So for the Porters paints furniture course you are required to bring one piece of timber furniture to paint, I decided to bring along my little round side table that I purchased on Ebay for $13. This poor little side table had already been through a failed painting escapade (I undercoated the table however I was too impatient to wait for it to dry and started painting colour a few hours later). To get the table back to raw timber I used paint stripper, paint scraper, sandpaper and a lot of elbow grease.

As our home is decorated in tones of black white and grey I decided to paint the table in a dark grey colour using Porters paints Milk paint, the paint is organic and is made from milk by-products (Protein) and mixed with powdered oxide pigment. Milk Paint comes in powdered form (1Kg bags) and you mix it with water by hand and strain it though a stocking, it is super easy to paint has fantastic coverage and a beautiful rustic, chalky appearance.

I only needed to paint one coat on my little table, the paint dries very quickly and once it was dry (you don’t make that mistake twice) I beeswaxed the whole table, I left it for 30 minutes and then came back and did a final buff of the Beeswax. I love how the finished table turned out.

Courses are $150, for more information check out the courses/ classes on the Porters paints website Porters paints

Sydney Flower Markets {Flowers}

On Saturday the girls and I headed to the Sydney Flower Markets at Homebush in an effort to see just how many flowers one can fit into the boot of a car. We arrived at 8am with all of the usual Saturday vendors selling flowers at very reasonable prices.

We did a lap first and sussed out all of the bargains and plan our arrangements, the best deals of the day were 4 bunches of carnations for $10, 3 bunches of roses for $10 and 1 bunch of 25 long stem roses for $15. All up I spent $25 and managed to make a number of arrangements for our home, don’t be afraid to bargain with the vendors just a little, I think they actually like it Vendor: “$2 a bunch” Me: Hands over a $5 note “You can keep the $5 if I can have 3 bunches” (hehe I am a cheeky bugger).

The car boot (room for many, many more flowers)

Florists assistant (Bella the Chihuahua)

And a little something to brighten my work desk.

Hope you all have a fabulous Monday!