Found Friday

Just in the nick of time - a really quick FF as I am still packing and we move tomorrow.
Still a lot to do - far too much stuff. But one more little thing can't hurt right?

My FF this week is courtesy of an unknown neighbour on what is soon to be my former street.
I love hard rubbish and trash piled high outside someone else's house always warrants a longer than average look from me.

This neighbour has in the past been responsible for me dashing across the road without shoes and returning with a washing basket full of art glass, 70's plastic ashtrays and a cat shaped teapot, among other things. Yesterdays parting gift to me was this pink luminous art glass vase. I couldn't leave it as it was - abandoned on the street - I definitely needed to offer it a home.

I have loved living here and will miss it - thanks street for my final pressie.

Neon, Neutral and Natural

I am currently loving the trend of contrasting neon colours and neutrals.  I have been seeing it everywhere since last year. Often they are in a natural material as well which highlights the synthetic quality of the neon. I think it may be the 80's child in me - of course we weren't as sophisticated as these pieces in either the way we put it together or in the fact we called it glow.
Here are some of my favs

Found Friday

I forgot to mention that the little house we are moving to used to be Craig's grandparents and he has nice memories there so it is kind of sweet that our little boy will be living there even though he never met his great grandparents.

Looking around the yard doing a little bit of a tidy I turned up a bit of a fence shoved under the house and found this little guy in this state.

So we just need to dust him off and find the perfect spot for him to watch over us.

Craig recalled that he has been at the house since his grandparents lived there.

I have now declared him the house mascot. I have a good feeling he will take care of us.

As a side note I asked Craig to take this 2nd pic for me today while he was at the house working - the

message I got back was "We need glue" - a brief moment of panic and superstition before I checked my emails and found it - he's hilarious.

Little Houses on the Hill

So my big news is we are moving. We are headed west, not the wild west in a wagon or anything,
but the south west of Sydney. In 2 weeks we will call a new place home.
This little place actually (pre makeover).

It is little! Quite little compared to where we are now and thinking of all our stuff in there - a lot in the garage mind you - is daunting. But it is charming and we are grateful for it and the opportunity we have been given to make it a home.

I will outline over the next few months our plans for it. For now I am spending my days sanding, painting, cleaning and packing in preparation for the big move. Super big as we have been where we are now for 6 years and we both have collector tendencies.

I think it may be the idea of this little house that has helped me see all the cute little house things there are at the moment, I have seen them everywhere - you know how you suddenly see what you have or have just read about everywhere because a little light has been switched on.

Below are some of the cutest on the street - I have found some myself online and in magazines but am also quite enjoying 'Little House' pinboard on Pinterest - you might like it too.

Left to Right
1. Painted handmade houses fabechsfabrik.blogspot.com.au
2. Wooden house chopping boards ferm-living.com
3. Concrete house candle holders sinnenrausch.blogspot.com.au
4. Town blocks via 'Little House' pinboard on Pinterest via anthologymag.com
5. Candleholders via 'Little House' pinboard on Pinterest via designsponge.com
6. House shelves ferm-living.com

Someone's stich in time

A chance discovery at an Op Shop a couple of years ago ignited in me, yet another, little collecting passion.
I chanced upon an embroidery that someone had donated to the shop in it's most beautiful started yet unfinished state. For me the unframed and unfinished nature of the embroidery was what appealed the most. When I bought it I had no intention of finishing it myself and while I would like to learn to embroider I have no intention of finishing any of them I have collected ever since. I hope to frame some, make cushions of others and generally admire them just as they are. I think I like them as little statements of the reality of most of us - we start projects,
or new skills, with the best of intentions but life somehow gets in the way of us finishing. I also like that you can still see where they started, they are not perfectly completed but tampered with templates of potential.

Here is a corner section of one of my favourites (barely touched but still started by someone at sometime)

Found Friday

My purchases last week of a wooden toy car and a set of wooden shapes reminded me of a whole box of cute vintage toys I had collected for my son, some before he was even a twinkle, and filed in his room for when he was ready. He's ready - yeah!

So today I unfiled them for him and also to show you.  We had fun. The pull along duck was an instant hit and I am sure he will get to love all of them as much as I do.

Oz it up Day

Happy Australia Day all. I enjoyed mine and while I don't go in for the flag waving (I actually dressed my son in an Austria t-shirt for the irony) I say each to their own and I in did take part in a compulsory sausage sizzle with family. While I enjoyed my snag sandwich with onion and barbecue sauce (as is the only way) I contemplated what little Ozzy discoveries I would like to celebrate.

The first is the beautiful, Australian nature inspired, furniture and linen of Melbourne based Bonnie and Neil - here is just a taste of their beautiful products

The other is this beautiful home in Victoria by architect Chris Clarke. To me it seems the essence of Australian living and the story behind it speaks volumes of the Australian character. The original house was destroyed in the 2009 bushfires in Victoria but Chris has rebuilt it in the same spot to be fire-smart and sustainable. What resilience! I first saw it featured in House & Garden mag earlier this year and have just discovered it is was on the Australian version of my all time favourite show Grand Designs (alas on pay TV so I am yet to see it). 

Here is the whole photoshoot from the magazine - note the pool - um drool! I hope you enjoy looking at the images with a glass of Australian wine or a good cuppa (not Ozzy technically but we embrace
it like it is) and a lamington.

Got the blues

I woke up yesterday morning with the most unusual image in my mind and no idea where it came from.
It was of an indigo crackle dyed egg. These ceramic ones are close but not quite - the one in my mind was darker.

Funnily enough the last image I saw that night, as part of a documentary on nanotechnology of all things, was something like this - indigo dye dispersing in water.

I felt rather inspired by this strange synchronicity so I have gone in search of all things blue including the beautiful effects of dip dye and tie dye in the magically exotic indigo hue.
Here are some of my favourite discoveries

(Left to Right)
1. Silk shirt from xsilk on Etsy 

2. Dip dye cushion from Bird and Wolfe 

3. Overdyed vintage Rug from Loom
4. Artist Il Lee ballpoint pen on paper image via anthologymag.com

5. Shibori linen pillow by Kevin O'Brien through www.abchome.com

6. Dip dyed candles from Martha Stewart
7. Elephant Ceramics image via Design Sponge
8. Sun print doily chair via www.homemadesimple.com
9. Tie Dye leather clutch via Need Supply Co

There were so many other beautiful finds so if you are feeling the blues too here is more via Pinterest
it's sure to cheer you up.

Found Friday

This weeks favourite finds

A blueberry muffin recipe to die for - Streusel who knew! (the Germans presumably)

A sad little (well not that little) dolls house from the Salvos (only $8) needing some TLC and a home. Is it for my son? I think in all honesty it's for me. Will I be OK when it gets overtaken by Spiderman and his friends in a few years - that remains to be seen. The renovation begins. It may not be my only renovation this year - but more on that later.

Wooden toys from the Op Shop. This cute little truck and these colourful shapes. Happiness is $2 toys. I think so far myself and Craig have enjoyed the shapes as much as Ryder ever will!

Found Friday

Found - Inspiration
I am more than a little addicted to Pinterest. On one hand it is a great place for discovering ideas, looks and undreamt of places and things - on the other it is a stealer of time and sleep (note to self Pin less do more).

Today however Pinterest delivered this week's FF - major inspiration in the form of Dottie Angel - blog, shop, book, image gallery etc etc. I have so enjoyed discovering this blog and reading about Tif and seeing her home and creations. She makes beautiful unique things (that word doesn't do them justice) using many of the same style vintage fabrics, doilies and aprons that make up my collection. Seeing them has inspired me to go ahead and make Dandy as is my intention this year.

I have the sewing machine, the ideas and am discovering the motivation - stay tuned as to whether I can 'find' or acquire the skill.

Dottie Angel