Bejewelled Dresser

Funny story

2012-02-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went out to try a new cafe for breakfast Saturday morning and found ourselves lusting after a neighbouring timber table. We have been keeping an eye out for a new timber table for our deck for a while now and this one looked perfect. When we looked around we noticed that everything in the restaurant seemed to have price tags and be for sale. We asked about the table and yes, it was too. We decided to think about it a little more as.. well, it would have been the most expensive breakfast we have ever had! The next day we had decided that we couldn't imagine not having the table and headed to the cafe to ask to buy it. When we arrived there were customers at either end eating off it and since we wanted to see if it would fit in our car we asked if we could measure it. Putting a tape measure at the end, Mr Bejewelled measured while people were enjoying their breakfast! One guy said.. "um, can you at least wait until we've finished our breakfast before you buy the table?!" So funny. The owners ended up delivering it for us on Monday. And that is the story of our new table!

Weekend-In

2012-01-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's been great this weekend. Decided to take an extra long one and make the most of the Australia Day public holiday. The brief burst of sunshine for Australia Day couldn't have been better planned!

And the rainy weather for the rest of the weekend has actually made us want to stay in, which, after quite a few busy weekends in a row, has felt just blissful. It has also provided the opportunity to appreciate some recent home purchases and reworks completed over the last few weeks.. Didn't realise this til now but it seems we have kind of been on a home improvement/refresh binge.. looking back, not quite sure how we have fit everything in!

Grey skies... with no indications of change for at least the next week..

Fresh roses to brighten our days

Roses- just from Woolies

Wooden box - Vintage cigar box from great grandfather

Coaster - 8euro (for pack of 6) from streetstall in Paris

Some beautiful vintage childrens' books with whimsical illustrations

$4 each, op shop

Old church pew = large amount of seating on our deck

A very considered buy (not used to dropping this kind of moolah on stuff for the house!) $500 - Demolition yard

A practical use for colourful old cans

Vintage cans - $2 each, Demolition yard

A bedroom makeover.

New bedlinen (Country Road sale), curbside collected fold up chair painted navy and used as bedside table (free + paint)

Painted wardrobes.. no longer casting darkness in our bedroom!

Paper lightfitting.. an incredibly inexpensive way to freshen things up, no electrician required

Paper shade: $9, Bunnings

Vintage ironing board as entry table
$40 - Demolition yard

Love the 'Instructions for use' sticker on reverse of ironing board..

Bookcase better organised

Our other two 'curbside collection' chairs.. brought back to life with a lick of paint.
Free + paint

Raided the in-laws' wild tomato vines while they are overseas = one killer tomato sauce!
Free!

Saturday night in.. followed by Sunday leftovers. Yum!

Hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Keeping spirits high

2011-11-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Last week I had some surgery and have been feeling miserable staying at home. Not to mention guilty that I have missed more work than I thought I would. My days are a haze of painkiller dozes and bad daytime tv...

Though here are some of the parts I have been trying to make the most of, while (pretty much) house bound.

Pink paddy cake from a local bakery on pretty china

A sweet 70's beach chair found recently during roadside collection - hubby thinks it is hideous but wasn't going to let that stop me!

Beachy new Havaianas.. very impressed I was that I ordered these from General Pants online one morning and had them at my door the same time the next day! (and free postage I might add) PS: falling into online shopping is easy while house bound...

Dogs dropping the act that they don't like each other!

Loving

2011-10-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Peach tea cordial

Vintage sign found at an antique shop

Pretty organisation

Silver & white

The abundance of herbs since Spring hit

My current guilty pleasure.. American Pickers

I find myself quoting the show while op shopping, searching for 'rusty gold'!

Recap

2011-10-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

It was not my intention to leave it so long between posts.. but alas, better later than never right? Here is a recap of the goings on.. at least the goings on caught on film :-)

Finally discovered music festivals (it's only taken me until I was 28) and rocked out like we were teenagers at Parklife. I think we could have been the oldest people there, but hey, still loved every minute!

Chilled out at Qpac's Greenjam Sessions whilst wondering where they bought all the cool cushions & rugs...

Was charmed by an antique trunk and decided to make it our new coffee table

Gave our laundry area a freshen up with a coat of paint for our vintage laundry cupboard and added a pretty plant on top

Watched our jasmine keep creeping in all directions!

Celebrated our anniversary

And was spoilt rotten in the process

Escaped the city and enjoyed some much needed rest by the beach

And spotted a super cute wild bunny rabbit!

Watched as talented truck drivers played tetris with fancy cars in the lead up to Indy

Gave ourselves a 'masterchef like' challenge.. no buying our weekly fruit & veg from fruit and veg shops.. instead only from roadside stalls.. Potato & avocado salad anyone?

Admired tropical produce.. and broke the challenge to buy one chocolate pudding fruit. Yes. You heard that right. Nom noms.

Enjoyed the sunshine!

Red, White & Blue

2011-09-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't plan it this way but it turns out most of my weekend op shop purchases followed the red, white and blue theme.

Dresses, $5 each.

Top: $4 / Skirt: $5 / Top: $4 / Shirt: $6

Yep... And I found another bike.. even fit into my theme!

A bit more practical than my other bike, it has gears. It was like Christmas riding it over the weekend.

At a grand total of $39 I have to say, not bad!

Lemming - Fleur Wood

2011-08-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

I have decided I am well and truly over Winter and thus, my thoughts keep turning to everything Spring.

I have always loved the simplicity and the vintage tones of Fleur Wood's designs and that they aren't too trend orientated. I also adore the designs of her dresses, they always have an unrivalled sense of romance for occasions such as a wedding or daytime date.

The Spring 2011 Collection is no exception. LOVE.

Images: www.fleurwood.com

Locky

2011-08-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

Today was the last public holiday we will have for the rest of the year, well until Christmas anyway, the 'Ekka' holiday. Every Ekka holiday I come over all nostalgic remembering the great times I had as a child visiting the giant carnival that is the Ekka, with all the animals, showbags, rides, dagwood dogs, strawberry ice creams and fairy floss. Despite this, rather than brave the crowds I do favour taking the day to relax and spend time with family mid week instead!

Over the weekend, family welcomed a new addition: Locky. Locky is a Beaglier, that is, a Beagle x King Charles Cavalier. Evidently having spent time with our two crazy Beagles hadn't completely put them off the breed! He is so cute and tiny and excitable and we just couldn't resist visiting today to have a play and cuddle!

Dress: Vintage / Ring (right hand): Sportsgirl / Nail Polish: OPI Barefoot in Barcelona

2011-08-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Night Lights + Laneway Bar

2011-08-13T01:19:00.001-07:00

Last night we ventured out after work and had dinner at Jellyfish (yum!) followed by drinks at The Laneway.. to celebrate, well.. we were toasting "nothing at all". Which was kind of nice because we have made a point to not make too much of a big deal of our birthdays and anniversaries when they come around nowadays, unless they are considered, well, 'milestones'. Brisbane is definitely trying to create the hip-ness of Melbourne in creating laneway type 'precincts', I have to say, this place was pretty cool...

Excuse poor pics, night-time and a phone camera do not make for epic photography!

Shadows on the ceiling

Shadows were created by this..

Hard earned Sem. Sav. Blanc after a long week..

Gone with the wind.. projected onto the laneway wall!

City lights..

Dress: Vintage from op shop / Jacket: Vintage Fletcher Jones from op shop / Belt: Country Road / Booties: Novo / Tights: Ambra (If you haven't worked it out by now I am kind of obsessed with their tights, super thick and warm!) / Bag: See by Chloe / Glazy expression: courtesy of several glasses of wine combined with a long, busy week!

Top of the World

2011-08-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

After a long week and lots of bad behaviour over the weekend (read: pizza, booze and all manner of sweet treats), we went for a fairly epic bike ride today. Here are a few shots from our adventures.

Beautiful Queenslanders

Anyone else think this belongs in The OC?

Someone has a sense of humour ;-)

And then there was this gigantic mother of a hill. Seriously, on a cruiser without gears which weighs a ton, I wasn't about to try riding up this thing. It was basically vertical. Thus commenced the hike with the bike. Mr Bejewelled tackled riding up all the way, with one small stop on the way up. I was pretty impressed!

There was a good reward at the top though..

Dress (under shirt): Sportsgirl / Shirt: Sportsgirl / Tights: Ambra / Boots: Top Shop / Clutch: Vintage from mum / Sunglasses: Vintage B&L Ray Bans / Ring: Sportsgirl / Necklace: Sportsgirl / Belt: Came with random pair of denim shorts

Quite the walking advertisement for Sportsgirl today! ;-)

Resemblence

2011-07-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

Loving it.

2011-07-30T00:55:00.000-07:00

So can't wait to see Kimbra at Parklife later in the year!

Saturday Adventures

2011-07-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Breakfast and then a special treat for after..

A drive around Teneriffe admiring the warehouses/factories come apartments

Quite possibly the coolest basin ever? (yep, I'm this lame taking a photo of a basin in a public toilet!)

Fresh produce and cool surroundings at Sourced Grocer

Citycycling

Dress: Wind and Water (windandwater.com.au) from The Collective Store / Necklace: The Collective Store / Bag: See by Chloe / Boots: Topshop / Bracelet: Tiffany & Co / Usual watch and rings / Sunglasses: Ray Ban / Tights: Ambra

Vintage Stripes

2011-07-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Vintage Dresses: Ebay

I have to confess I have been on a bit of an online shopping binge lately. First the Ebay orders and then a Outnet order and then a Topshop order. The thing that's making me splurge? Streetstyle blogs! Seeing people enjoy warmer weather on the other side of the world is seeing me start Spring & Summer early... But until I can break out the sandals, bare legs and light fabrics, I will need to add opaques, heels and a woolly cardie/jacket and wait patiently for warm weather :-)

Tuesday Giggles!

2011-07-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Midweek Treat

2011-07-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

Mea Shadow Giglio Laser Cut Leather Wedges

purchased from www.theoutnet.com

Already looking forward to Spring...

Sunday Cruise

2011-07-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Top- Cotton On / Cardigan- Country Road / Scarf- Mr B's (He hasn't worn it for ages and I have kind of claimed it as my own..) from Country Road / Pants- Sportsgirl / Ballet Flats- Witchery / Clutch- Vintage YSL / Earrings- Sportsgirl / Bracelet- Mimco / Sunglasses: Ray Ban / Nail Polish- Barefoot in Barcelona - OPI

I came down with a cold late on Friday afternoon (nice timing huh) and thus have spent most of the weekend on the couch under a blanket. Our previous plans for a fun weekend were shot. Determined not to waste an entire weekend feeling sorry for myself, I dragged myself off the couch, added some colour to my face via bronzer, rugged up and Mr B and I went for a short bike ride down to one of our favourite local cafes for their wicked 'cure all' juices. 5 serves of vegies, tick. Instant 'cure all?'...hmmm still waiting... But here's hoping I'm on the mend!

Bastille Yumminess

2011-07-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

At work this week one of our team was lucky enough to attend a Bastille Day breakfast and boy did he get brownie points with all the women for bringing this back to the office! It was impossible to get a photo of this thing before everyone tucked in! Cocoa butter and coconut coated chocolate Eiffel tower... mmmmm

Somewhere miles from here

2011-07-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

We managed to escape for a few days over the weekend to take a winter break. Nothing like getting out of your environment to give you some perspective. It was blissful. Aside from missing the pups to no end, I didn't want to come back!

Outlook from where we were staying

Our little cottage

(mostly) Local gourmet treats eaten while watching sunsets (excuse bin in background ha)

Colourful and quirky peacocks from a kitsch local boutique ;-)

Comfy gear

Btw- loving my new parka. Reached for it most days as it was super chilly!

Parka: Country Road / Knit Dress: op shop / Tights: Ambra / Boots: ebay / Bracelet: Tiffany & Co

Parka & Jaffa

2011-06-29T00:54:00.001-07:00

A couple of Country Road purchases from the Myer Stocktake sale, though I did pay full price for the dress..... hmmm. But I did compensate with the jacket, $249 reduced to $99! It's comfortable and snuggy, has lots of pockets and the shearling collar is removable for when Winter passes. :D

And I just can't help but think about jaffas when I see this dress.... crazy much?

Eye Catcher

2011-06-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

This has caught my eye on my way to/from work the last few weeks!

Road Trip Day Two: Citrus, Sugar Cane & Railway tracks

2011-06-19T04:03:00.000-07:00

Top - Junk / Skirt - French Connection (ha same combo again.. didn't realise that til now!) / Handbag - Vintage / Circle Scarf - Bonds / Sunglasses - Ray Ban / Bracelets - A little boutique & Tiffany & Co / Ring - (two finger) YTBA / Tights - Avanti / Shoes - Topshop

Road Trip Day One: Mountains & Sea

2011-06-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

We decided on Thursday that we were going to go on a spontaneous road trip to Yeppoon on Saturday.. and this was the road trip of road trips for a standard 2 day weekend, that's for sure. We're talking 8 hours each way plus time for exploring = a whole lot of driving! The trip was for Mr B to see another potential 'project car' in the flesh, but we were trying to avoid making this weekend about 'doing things'.. rather we tried to see it as a mini getaway. Really wished we had planned better and had a couple of days off to explore more.. but since we are planning another little getaway next month, we decided to save our leave :)

Car trip essentials

Yeppoon coastline

Top - Junk / Pants - French Connection / Sunglasses - Ray Ban

A distinct reminder we were in North Qld

1770 - An absolutely pristine place and somewhere I have wanted to visit since seeing it on Getaway forever ago!

Yeppoon sunset

Play it again

2011-06-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

For some time I have been wanting to start a record collection however, I haven't had anything to play them on. Usually every visit to an op shop I see them, at ridiculously cheap prices and think how great it would be to be able to play them, crackling and all. This weekend on discovery of a few vinyl classics, I decided to just do it. I figure if we owned records, it would push us to invest in a record player. We found a little one (for not much) which will do the job. We figure if we find we do regularly use it, we'll invest in a better one. At the moment it is sitting on the floor of our living room, until I can find a little display unit at an op shop for it! Looking forward to hunting out some more records now! And keen to get some modern music on vinyl also... :-)

Recent Purchases

2011-05-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Vintage shirt-dress $60 - Paddington Antique Centre

Vintage skirt $40 - Can you keep a secret?

A couple of recent purchases. Glitzy shirtdress I'm planning to wear on my birthday in a months' time with some stacked heels and also casually tucked into skirts. The skirt will be quite transeasonal, I'm planning on wearing it during winter with tights, a long sleeve blouse and a scarf and in spring with a singlet & flats.

I found this great new little vintage boutique at Greenslopes called 'Can you keep a secret?'... There are some amazing things in there! Sometimes I can justify spending a bit more on vintage if the pieces are in good condition and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of them. :-)

Found: On the street

2011-05-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

For reals. Today was my lucky day.

It was put out to be picked up by council collection in a neighbouring street.

Needs new tyres, front brakes, mandatory wicker basket and handle bar streamers but I'm seriously swooning over it's beauty.

Catching up on reading

2011-05-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

Busy with work = behind in my free-reading....... I have collected a number of free mags on my coffee table over the last couple of weeks.. I hate that some of them are full of ads but some are great for the fashion pages and a good money savers!

Go go gadget

2011-04-30T18:10:00.001-07:00

Super pretty 'Google' colours

Mr Bejewelled and I trekked into the city yesterday for a wander around the shops. I brought home a shiny new (Nexus S) toy and I think I'm in love. Being a tech wizz I think Mr has had more play time with my new phone than I have! I give it three weeks until he upgrades or adds something new to his! As I'm writing this post I'm thinking that I'll probably look back on this post 6mths from now it will look very dated as technology moves so fast. But for now, I'm loving my shiny new toy!

DIY Inspiration

2011-04-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

I love these bracelets by Mary Kate Steinmiller of Teen Vogue.. Would definitely love to try making something similar - they would add such a vibrant pop of colour/sparkle to an otherwise boring outfit.

Images - The Coveteur

Childs Play

2011-04-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

A few cheerful buys today to counteract my still-sickness. As you can see I am rugged up with most blanket-like scarf I own and was looking forward to getting out in the warm sun but alas.. the sun did not show its' face today. So I spent the morning op shopping, went to the doc and did some tidying up at home. I picked up the bowl & plate at Vinnies for $4 each. The necklace and greeting cards are from this great little store that stocks all homemade things from a variety of sellers, a lot of them inevitably being Etsy sellers also. I loved the daintyness of this gold plated necklace. The greeting cards and envelopes are made out of pages from vintage childrens' books and if you look closely, you might notice the vintage paper has been sewn onto the page. They are so delicate I'm trying not to paw them too much for fear of damaging them! I might use a couple of these as cards for baby showers and the other couple I plan to keep to myself and perhaps frame.

Outfit:

Dress: Anna Thomas / Scarf: French Connection / Shoes: Sportsgirl / (gold) Ring: Accessories Plus / Bag: See by Chloe / Belt: Country Road

Decked out

2011-04-14T02:51:00.001-07:00

We visited Freedom Furniture on the weekend and found this little white table. So simple, it folds up and can be stored away, between our bar fridge and the wall. We had been keeping an eye out for a little table for our deck to place our drinks on. We wouldn't dare try putting food on this low lying table - oh gosh we couldn't with the dogs, it would just disappear in a matter of seconds, the table would be disassembled on the floor, the serving plate licked clean. Loving having a 'bar area' feel to our deck in addition to our clunky big table and chairs. Sunday Sesh time! Nevermind that it's not Sunday.

Candles & Cake

2011-04-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling under the weather today, I have somehow picked up an annoying little cold. Hopefully it departs soon... I have been comforting myself with big fluffy pillows on the couch in front of multiple episodes of Glee, a handful of new magazines, spesh little cakes we picked up from a local cafe, many cups of green tea and the smell of pretty candles. Believe it or not, the glass one on our coffee table is actually Ambi Pur (sp?). The scent is actually really pretty, not half bad for a supermarket buy! Hope you had a more productive Wednesday than I did!

Popped to my head

2011-04-06T01:57:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been thinking I'd love to sit at home on a rainy day and watch movies.. Mary Poppins being the first on the list. It's such a beautiful story and the costumes are so lovely. (anyone else dreamt of owning the stripe blazer?)

There are some movies such as this one that I'll just watch over and over and over....

Others come to mind... Labyrinth, My Girl, Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Rear Window, Dirty Dancing... the list goes on. And gets more and more embarrassing!

It's funny there haven't been too many more recent movies that I will watch over and over. It's usually tv episodes instead: gossip girl, how I met your mother, glee, SATC etc....

What are your rainy day or lazy Sunday fav's?

Opposites

2011-04-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

Mint green knit - $4 - thrifted

Sheer short sleeve blouse - $2.50 - thrifted

Weekend road trip & op shop buys

2011-03-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since my mum and I had spent time together so this weekend we did a bit of a road trip and visited country op shops. There is one particular op shop that I have visited countless times and each time I end up spending about $100 and walking away with about 15 vintage pieces. It's the kind of store where you lose any sense of time and the world around you as you are transported to a a bygone era. Ok, maybe that is just me...

Here are some pics from our trip

There was a pretty Japanese garden

There is a pretty amazing story behind this place. We were checking out a 2nd hand furniture store and the owner of this store also happened to own a retro store. She was kind enough to show us around the retro store even though it is now closed. She is having a final closing down sale in a couple of weeks time. I was in awe at the interior, fully decked out complete with 50's style diner, dance floor, stage and adjoining rooms with bric a brac, clothing and furniture.

A store we came across along the highway

My purchases

80's painting & gold photo frame

Clear bottle (I thought perfect for fresh flowers) and letter holder

Another tv chair

The newly acquainted couple (+ Marlon)

Vintage floral maxi dress, Anna Thomas silk shirt dress & vintage pink dress

Vintage gold & enamel (I think) necklace

Louis Vuitton Papillon

Lusting After...

2011-03-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

Karen Walker Jewellery... love.

Recent buys

2011-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mixed tights - further reduced down to $2 a pair - Myer

MAC lipsticks in Ruby-Woo and Desire

French Connection Skirt & Pants

DIY Cheap Framed Prints

2011-03-12T16:25:00.001-08:00

Every now and then I see those free postcards at movie cinemas and trendy cafes. For a while I have been thinking I should grab a few and do something with them - some of them are really pretty!

Postcards: free.

Frames: 50c each - Vinnies.

Large painted framed picture: 50c - Vinnies.

Doilies: 20c each - Vinnies.

Those are the pretty ones.. then there are funny ones like this! Not sure it is frame-worthy but a kooky addition to our kitchen pinboard!

Gourmet Goodies

2011-03-05T22:00:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend some work girlfriends and I went on a bit of a road trip to the Sunshine Coast hinterland. It turned into a real foodie trip with all of us buying up on special gourmet goodies! Here is my haul. I may or may not have already got into the Mango Maleny yoghurt and the Organic pink lady apple juice....... YUM!

Night Lights

2011-02-28T03:01:00.000-08:00

I think there is something magical about the way the light dances on our windows at night. Difficult to capture in a photo, definitely more stunning in real life.

Sunday Sun

2011-02-27T03:09:00.000-08:00

Top - Toi et moi, Necklace - Karen Walker, Shorts - Sass & Bide from ages ago, Shoes - Sportsgirl, Bracelet - boutique at Wolloongabba, Watch- vintage Casio. Expression- result of tugging dog, namely Marlon!

We had quite a productive weekend this weekend considering! Yesterday we had breakfast at a new cafe at Wolloongabba called Egg Bistro. They have just opened a few weeks ago and on many a drive to work I have been lusting over this place and wanting to try it! Finally we did. And it was really yummy - v good poached eggs with sourdough and mushies nom noms! Later we went for a lazy afternoon movie session and saw Black Swan. Not sure I'd rush to see it again, but I could appreciate the amazing costumes and Natalie Portman's performance- holy crap!

Today I got into the Fimo again and made a bracelet, necklace and ring. Later on we took the dogs for a nice long walk (read: they actually walked us) and a visit to the dog park. The sunlight as the sun went down over the city was just glorious. :)

Topshopped

2011-02-24T04:39:00.000-08:00

I succumbed and purchased these 'Mali Black Suede Desert Boots' from Topshop last night. I also bought a wooly jumper from the sale section and went to save the pic but it had sold out - so unfortunately don't have any pics to share of it just yet, gah. Looking forward to wearing these boots with everything through winter. Here's hoping they are as comfortable as they look. ;-)

21st Century

2011-02-21T03:43:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend we also checked out the 21st Century: Art in the first decade exhibition at GOMA and had lunch at our favourite japanese restaurant. I'm rather addicted to japanese food and this is evidenced by the fact that the staff at this particular restaurant know us and gave us a discount because we're "regular customers"!

Last weekends of summer

2011-02-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's still typical Queensland in that it was sweltering hot yet yesterday however I thought I'd try to find some op shop buys for when it turns a little cooler. Flicking through the latest issues of Madison, Marie Claire and STYD I was excited to see some new season pieces. For now though these items will need to go into storage since I'll be sticking (literally) to my summer outfits for a while longer until the temperature drops...

Outfit

Dress: Ladakh from many seasons ago

Sandals: Trenery

Bag: Vintage

Necklace: Karen Walker

Sunglasses: Vintage

Watch: Vintage Casio

And yesterdays' Vinnies purchases:

David Jones 100% cotton knit $7

Vintage blue stripe shirt $4

Vintage bow blouse $8

Super soft vintage leather backpack $10

Mixed wooden picture frames $3

The Week that Was

2011-02-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

I have been on autopilot this week. Wake up, drive, coffee hit, work, quick eats, work, get home late, spend not enough time with Mr B, quick eats, sleep, and repeat. I had a major event happening at work which I played a large part in organising and I honestly feel like I haven't had decent rest all week. I am so relieved it is the weekend- I can finally sleep in, spend time with Mr B and the pups and try to regroup and recharge.

Here are some goings on from this week.

My Witchery Trench finally arrived this week - I think it's going to be a great staple piece for autumn/winter. It's fairly lightweight but I figure I can layer when it gets chilly.

A couple of really lovely work colleagues gave me a really cute little decorative crane as a thanks for all of the effort put in this week - so sweet.

And a couple of op shop buys from yesterday. We were out and about running errands and had a quick op shop browse for good measure.

Vintage Casio Watch.. $8

I had been eyeing the ones at General Pants for ages and I can't believe I actually found a vintage one at an op shop. Sure it has a slight crack on the face and it needed some serious cleaning (watches are generally icky things) but for $8 I'm pretty stoked.

The photos really don't do it justice.

Touch lamp $8.

I have seen a few touch lamps before and the ones I have seen have generally had dowdy floral patterns - I really liked the pattern on this one - a little retro and it is in quite good condition.

Today after an 11 hour sleep I'm just going to enjoy some me time and perhaps go for a run this afternoon - hope you are all enjoying your weekends!

Happy Friday!

2011-02-03T12:28:00.001-08:00

If you see a girl running on the street and then suddenly break into dance, it could be me.

This is currently at the top of my playlist :-)

I remember now...

2011-01-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

I remember now why I love (parts) of the Sunshine Coast just as much as the Gold Coast.

We went up to Noosa/Sunshine Beach today for lunch and a trek around.

Noosa River

Markets by the River

The weather fined up and we had lunch at this hip little place at Sunshine Beach. We have been on a few holidays there over the years. I love the small beach town vibe, the natural beauty and how it has quietly become trendy, minus the Hastings St crowds ;-) It's only 5mins from Hastings St but you wouldn't know it. I could have eaten basically everything on their menu - yum.

The view from Dukes

The Sunshine Beach preferred method of transport.. motorised (yes it had a motor) skateboard

Beach piccies

My outfit:

Dress: made by me. The top half is a cut-up vintage dress - the lower half had stains and I thought I could still make the most of the pretty green top half. The fabric for the bottom half & waist tie is from Spotlight. This was my first DIY dress so I'm miles form being an expert but I thought it turned out alright! I kept the tie's edges raw (mainly because I hadn't got around to hemming it yet) but I think I actually like it this way.

Handbag: vintage

Bracelet: lavish homewares @ Gabba

Ring: two finger ring from YTBA.com

Sunglasses: ray ban

Silver Flats: witchery (yep, Witchery flats are pretty much my summer staple)

Wow... feet!

Todays' Op Shop Buys

2011-01-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of vintage necklaces - $1 each

Vintage Simona blouse $8

Funky coloured fabric $1

Onkaparinga rug $6

Today I did a spot of op-shopping this morning and picked up the above from Vinnies. I have an obsession with buying rugs and blankets from op shops and stockpiling them. Do I live in a place with an extremely cold climate? No, I live in Queensland. Do I secretly wish I did? Um, yes. Snuggled up with Mr B by the fireplace in my thrifted rugs, the smell of wood smoke through the house, a full tummy of slow cooked lamb casserole..... Sounds great doesn't it? Gah, I'm sure they'll come in handy at some point and this one was just too warm and wooly to pass up.

Happy Australia Day!

2011-01-26T01:19:00.001-08:00

Hope those of you in Australia have had an awesome Australia Day! Love having a mid-week public holiday and enjoying the sunshine!

Hooray for Saturday: Breakfast, shops & jewellery making

2011-01-21T20:30:00.001-08:00

Today Mr BD and I went to our favourite local coffee shop for breakfast & coffees, a walk around a local 2nd hand clothing store and since I was feeling creative today, we made a trip to the craft store for some moulding clay.

Breakkie was yum - and so filling! Was actually more brunch than breakfast. We came home and I've been having fun making bangles and rings. A lady I used to work with used to make jewellery from clay every weekend to wear to work and it always looked so great. This weekend I finally gave it a go! I found the whole process quite relaxing and it definitely brought out my inner (playdoh playing) child ;-) I went for a red/light pink/cream combo. I've loved the style of Dinosaur Designs forever but haven't been able to justify paying their prices. Mine aren't resin but I think they are quite fun and similar anyway! :-)

Big breakkie - yum!

Outfit

It kind of looks like Milly's tail is hanging out of my handbag and Marlon is almost about to be sat on! Rest assured, no animals were harmed during the putting together of this post.

Top - Decjuba

Scarf - Bonds

Bag - Sportsgirl

Shorts- Sportsgirl

Shoes - Witchery

Sunglasses - Ray Ban

Belt - Trying to recall - somewhere at DFO - maybe Portmans?

Fimo Clay (aka play-doh for adults)

The finished result

Hope your Saturdays' have been just as chilled-out and fun!

Queenslander

2011-01-20T01:32:00.001-08:00

I love how stores are doing what they can to support those that have been flood affected. I am usually quite motivated by the punchy messages on Lorna Jane's t-shirts and tanks but walking past this on my way home from work, I was especially uplifted.

Workwear & New Hair

2011-01-19T00:39:00.000-08:00

I needed a fresh start to the year and decided to have about 3 inches taken off my hair before starting back at work. I think it's amazing how something as simple as a haircut can give you so much more confidence and make a difference to how you look overall. Couple that with less time under the hairdryer/straightener/ less hair product and yippeeee I'm loving it!

I also bought a few new work pieces to start the year. I hate hate hate buying work clothes. I think this is because I have a pretty clear division of what I wear on weekends/casual Fridays versus usual work days and I just don't have as much fun dressing for work. Usually I'll do one big shop of work clothes for the year and that is about it - with the odd pair of additional black patent pumps thrown in for good measure (to combat the city pavements - do city streets wreak anyone else's shoes like they do mine or is it just that I am the clumsiest person on earth?............... Oh... to have a good friend who works at Mister Minit.....)

Joking around...!

Blouse - Portmans from DFO

Trousers - Country Road

Handbag - Witchery

Heels - Signature Diana Ferrari from DFO

What a start to 2011

2011-01-17T12:36:00.001-08:00

Seriously, what an atrocious start to 2011. I can only hope that things improve and we don't see any further surges of flood waters, especially since there is rain predicted for next week. It will take a long time to rebuild wiped out communities. I consider myself very fortunate to not have been affected. My parents in law stayed with us for a couple of nights due to loss of electricity and the rising of a nearby creek but they were the extent of our issues.

We spent the day on Saturday out at Yeronga just helping out where we could. What the water left behind is a foul stench and thick, sticky, toxic mud. Toxic as, the Brisbane river and neighbouring creeks have never had particularly good water quality, especially not through the last week after animals, sewerage, debris and all manner of other things were swallowed.

This site shows just how things changed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/qld-floods/beforeafter.htm

Well wishes to everyone who was affected - I hope you hear some good news soon.

Wet.

2011-01-11T03:37:00.001-08:00

We're bracing for some serious weather conditions in Brisbane in the coming days... My thoughts are with everyone in Brisbane, Toowoomba and other parts of Qld affected by flooding.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/brisbane-prepares-for-worst-flood-in-118-years-20110111-19lvq.html

My favourite sunny day place & vintage purchases

2011-01-02T16:04:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we went down the coast for a beach trip, lunch and some shopping in an effort to make the most of one of the only sunny QLD days so far this summer. This particular spot down the coast is our favourite sunny day spot of all time. We can back the car up to the entrance there, SPF up and head down the track to the nearby flagged area for a swim. Afterwards we have a quick shower before grabbing some lunch nearby. The beach there is just pristine and usually fairly quiet, unlike neighbouring Broadbeach Main Beach or Surfers Paradise.

Afterwards we went and grabbed kebabs and baklava and then went in search of vintage stuff. I bought the glasses & plate at an antique centre for $38 together and then found the 60's tulip print skirt at this awesome little vintage store for $30. I'm looking forward to teaming the skirt with a simple white singlet and sandals. Usually I wouldn't pay so much but sometimes I don't mind spending more than at op shops if you are getting a complete set or something in excellent (basically brand new) condition. The carnations I bought for New Years and just haven't had a chance to photograph yet.

Today is the last day Mr Bejewelled has off before returning to work muhahahaa. Next week that will be me but I have a few more days yet. Planning on making the most of it!

New Years Decorations

2010-12-31T22:48:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the lovely Cate from All Cats are Grey at Night's post here: http://allcatsaregrayatnight.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-eve.html , I made some paper pom poms to liven up our deck area for New Years. I decided to go for a rainbow coloured bunch of pom poms which, in hindsight, looked quite 70's flower power inspired and very festive! We had a fun filled evening of dancing, eating and way too much drinking with our closest friends. I'm not sure I want to take the pom poms down now, they are too pretty!

Christmas Goodies

2010-12-28T01:52:00.000-08:00

Ahh Christmas has come and gone... Now the wait for New Years. We spent Xmas Day hopping between families and then went down the coast for a couple of days. Above are a couple of pressies from Mr BD, Chloe and Louis Vuitton 2011 diary pages for my LV Agenda. The latter is a very practical pressie as usually I get to late January and am feeling lost without being able to track things and make a belated trip to the LV store. Their stationery is just divine and they usually include some little trinkets like the above page markers, stickers and vintage pics of LV trunks.

I'm using the 2 weeks I have off from work over the holidays to relax & recharge, spend time with family and friends, eat lots, drink lots, read, do some crafty things around our home, take some time out for myself and reflect on the year that was 2010. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to squeeze some post Xmas sales and op shopping in as well. Hope you are enjoying the holiday season as much as I am!

2010-12-07T00:56:00.000-08:00

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days I have been rather knocked over by a bout of sickness so this weekend we decided to have a quiet one in, doing a few things around the house including putting up our Christmas tree. I cherish this time of year and really enjoy getting into the spirit. This year I thought I'd take it easy with the decorations on our tree as it's just a little one and in previous years I usually cover it with so much tinsel you can't see the lights, let alone the ornaments! This year the ornaments are the stars...

Christmas time is also a good excuse to pull out old Christmas photos. I just love these pics taken of Milly and 'Santa' a few years ago. The poor (female) Santa received lots of kisses! I can't help but giggle when I see these pics ;-)

Garden Party

2010-11-22T04:15:00.000-08:00

These pictures really inspire me.. I can't help but stare at all of the details and how pretty they are.

More Melbourne

2010-11-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

A few mixed pics from Melbourne.

Beautiful homes at Fitzroy

Main drag at Fitzroy

Little Creatures Dining Hall at Fitzroy (wicked place btw, Brisbane needs one!)

A painfully cute cruiser parked on Collins St

St Kilda

Pretty coffee

Creative City laneway

History of Australian Fashion exhibit at the art gallery

The history of television & cinema at the art gallery

I heart Melbourne. I would love to move there, if only the weather wasn't so different to Brisbane. We felt like such out-of-towners rugged up in our scarves, jackets and boots while local Melbourners walked around in t-shirts and shorts.

Melbourne Buys

2010-11-19T01:08:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of my Melbourne buys... A Toi Et Moi top and Wittner heels. I've been searching for another black heel to tag team it with another pair that I wear to death!

Road Less Travelled

2010-11-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have been on another brief hiatus, this time to Melbourne. I went down for work but then hubby met me down there last Friday and we spent a few days eating, drinking, shopping and exploring. I had been to Melbourne a couple of times before (also for work trips) and well to say I had seen the city would be a serious overstatement. More like the inside of a conference venue. Hubby hadn't been before.

We went on a few trips out of the City: St Kilda, Prahran, Fitzroy and Windsor. I never find stores where I want absolutely everything in store, but I did at Dorothy & Evelyn at Windsor!

http://dorothyandevelyn.com/flash/dorothy.html

Such a beautiful store... The mix of cute vintage dresses, new finds, pretty ornate jewellery and homewares were so beautiful. Considering I had already gone over my luggage limit on the way down (hey, I really needed those 6 vintage summer dresses ok? Not.) I just bought a Toi Et Moi top and a pair of earrings. I definitely could have bought more. Lots more.

Oh Dorothy & Evelyn.. would you consider opening a store in sleepy old Brisbane? (especially since I make it sound so appealing?)

Wall Cluster

2010-10-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post some pics of our wall cluster... we added the Brisbane print not so long ago. It is special for us to have found something retro that is specific to Brisbane.. you see a lot of Sydney & Melbourne stuff around, but not sleepy old Brisbane! I'm thinking now it would be great to find some differently shaped items to add, perhaps a round or oval print or tapestry along with something else...

Lace Mania

2010-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

I found a stack of lace and trims at an op shop recently and have only just got around to taking pics. Some of it is such beautiful quality, particularly the cotton trims. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with it all yet but I'm sure I'll find something to do with them... At the moment I'm thinking of decorating bibs and baby singlets for a friends' little girl.. I think that would be quite girly and cute!

Op Shop Buys

2010-09-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

These are my buys from Saturday. I couldn't believe my eyes when I found this white dress. I had been searching for a vintage white dress for ages but all the ones I had found before it weren't in good condition, i.e. stains, tears or just generally falling apart. It was more than I usually like to spend on things at op shops - $25.. but when I am going to see another one of similar condition? Yeah, I'm trying to justify it...

White dress - Vinnies, $25

Blue & black dress - Salvos, $4

Yellow dot shorts - Salvos $.50c

Floral nightie - Salvos $.50c

Yellow slip - Salvos $3.50

Spring in my step

2010-09-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Spring Everyone. I'm already wholeheartedly embracing the change in season. I went op shopping yesterday for Spring/Summer buys and found this jumpsuit amongst a few other items. When I bought it I thought that I'd turn it into a dress but now that I've tried it on I think I fancy it as a jumpsuit. Seriously looked like the most hideous thing ever on the hanger, but the fabric is quite cute I thought.

I have always thought how awesome those baby Bonds Easysuits would be in Adult size... so super comfortable, even if only to wear about the house.. (yes I know I am so sad, and such a homebody!) Last Winter Peter Alexander did a full length jumpsuit in soft cotton and I was so tempted. When I mentioned it to Mr he just looked at me as if to say 'seriously, am I going to sleep next to a giant baby every night?'

Stay tuned for more pics of my op shop buys in the coming days...

Saturday I'm in Love

2010-08-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've never quite understood why it's 'Friday I'm in Love'. Sure, it's the last day of the working week for most people but it's still a work day. Maybe they made it Friday as it rolls off the tongue easily.

Anywho, some shots from our Saturday where we did what we wanted and therefore didn't work! Breakfast and coffee at a new cafe followed by op shopping and checking out antiques. We both had poached eggs with sourdough and I had ham and Mr had bacon (naturally). It was so yummy and a great start to the day. Hope you're having an awesome work-free Saturday too!

Red Hot Kitchen

2010-08-25T01:20:00.001-07:00

Recently we came to the realisation that we must get a dining table. We have been splitting our meals between the couch and our deck outside (which is great in Summer, not so great in Winter). We had an outdoor heater on our deck and one day when we were expecting friends over for dinner in a matter of hours, we found out the bugs had gotten into the connections during summer... Gah! We hastily made a trip to Bunnings and decided to invest in a new one. But.. it's still cold.. and impractical.. and just too much effort for those everyday meals for just the two of us. We've often fantasised about having an awesome big homestead on a country property where we can fit a ginormous long dining table, big enough to accommodate up to 15 friends with space to spare. We would spend our weekends having 'casual' dinner parties which involved great wine and feasts shared by all (provided anyone came and visited us in the sticks).

Since I can't see us winning lotto anytime soon, the best option for us was to have a 'farmhouse' style kitchen table with a few chairs. I really love the idea of painting different chairs all one colour to create a uniformed look. This was our project for the last 3 weekends, sanding and painting! As you can see, we're still on the hunt for a 4th chair to replace the stool and I'm hoping to find an 'italian trattoria' style chair to go there. The last picture is of our island bench that was in the spot where the table is now. We are having trouble parting with it as it is great for storage and also very practical!

Table - WAC (Wolloongabba Antique Centre) / Miscellanious chairs - Vinnies, Lifeline Supa Store & WAC (Wolloongabba Antique Centre).

It will come as no surprise that my new favourite Saturday past time is a stroll through the WAC followed by coffee at their little cafe! I could literally spend hours there picturing the past lives of all their wares!

Feeling Spring

2010-08-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

Credits in no particular order: Facehunter, The Satorialist, Stockholm Street Style, Hel Looks, Vanessa Jackman.

Tangello

2010-08-11T02:45:00.001-07:00

A recent purchase.. Ginger & Smart 'Tangello' Alloy One Shoulder Dress

I bought it to wear to a wedding in a couple of weeks time.. I was seduced by the striking colour, draping and the gold zip trims!

Considering the bridesmaids are apparently wearing bright coloured Indian saris I'm thinking I can be a bit more daring with colour than I usually would (for a wedding) and won't stand out too much! ;-)

I'm planning on wearing it with a gold necklace and bracelet, black opaque tights with black Zu pumps and a black jacket. An August wedding... It's still going to be a little chilly!

Triumph

2010-07-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a little on the shy side and wouldn't usually post about a bra but... While antiquing with my mum on Saturday I found this Triumph 'Goddess' vintage bra. Brand new with tags. And in my size. I have been lusting after a vintage 50's style bra for ages and thought I would never find one in good enough condition, let alone, brand new!

I love it's pert, madonna-esque fit and can't wait to rock it under one of my 50's full skirted dresses.. Ah, don't you just love days like that where you find something you really really wanted?

Escapee

2010-07-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a claw foot bath on the deck!!

I've been on a brief hiatus to the country thus have not been posting as often as I would have liked! Though it was so nice to get away and relax, cosy up in front of the fireplace with a glass (read: several bottles) of wine, read all my favourite magazines in home clothes, take long baths with a view and forget that work exists even if only for a few days.... Usually around mid year I'm hanging for a break and I think this was definitely what the doctor ordered!

Finders Keepers Treasures!

2010-07-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I dragged hubby to the Finders Keepers Markets. I hadn't been to a Finders Keepers Market before and was pleasantly surprised at the quality and presentation of the wares.. there was so much that I wanted to buy for myself! Alas... I was there with hubby and we were on a mission. We were looking for some quirky artwork for our walls, which are a little bare. We ended up buying a couple of wall prints, one of which I have photographed below..

The Venue: The beautiful Old Museum Building

The Frankie Stand

One of our buys.. A print by Bespoke Press (www.bespokepress.com.au). It is one of 50 limited edition prints handcrafted using an antique 1893 letterpress printing press on 100% tree free cotton rag paper.. We thought that was pretty awesome! We love the quote, it just seems like us as a couple in a v cheesy way.

Here are a few of the other items I was also drooling over at the Markets

Headbands by South for the Summer... Stunning pieces really well made with leather and feathers.

Eat your heart out Blair Waldorf.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/southforthesummer?ref=top_trail

Jewellery from Pigeonhole... Very different and pretty pieces. Particularly love the diamond pendant with the black stone inside.

http://www.pigeonhole.com.au/shop/

The 'TV Chair'

2010-06-27T00:43:00.001-07:00

Gosh, I haven't posted for ages! Mostly because I've been slack in remembering to take my camera when we leave the house and I've generally just been feeling quite uninspired lately....

We went op shopping the other day looking for a new chair for our living room. Since our living room is not wide enough for an awesome big leather corner lounge as we had hoped, we have decided to have one three seater couch and pick up a couple of random vintage chairs from op shops and have them reupholstered. Mind you, now that we've had this chair for almost a week, I'm now kind of liking this fabric and wondering if we did reupholster, what kind of fabric would we look for.... I know definitely something modern but other than that, no idea! Might need to do some more research to get some ideas!

Chair - Lifeline Supa Store

Black Coloured Cushion - Etsy

Pink Cushion - Vinnies

Lace Dress

2010-06-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

A recent purchase from www.princesspolly.com.au. I have been lusting after this dress for weeks!

Can't wait until it arrives!