Found Friday

A little collection of finds to shine on you this Friday.

I had a day of finding a week or so ago where I found little jugs everywhere I went. Abandoned by their tea sets who'd long since moved on they are now part of a new family of sorts. On the same day I found this metallic splatter pattern contact - oh the shiny possibilities of covering things, perhaps old school book style. Last but not least today I got an opportunity  after a busy week, to take a leisurely weed walk and gather these pretties and make them shine like flowers. I am now finding farmers friends everywhere - but it's worth it.

I hope your weekend is shiny, bright and groovy too!

Appreciate or Emulate

Here's how you can climb every Mountain at home, in love, out and about and on your very own

This weeks decorate ideas are all, rightly, for little explorers

I think there is nothing more beautiful than a mountain wedding - it lends itself to some beautiful decorations and a 'running away to the hills' atmosphere. I fantasise often about winning the lotto and flying my family and dear friends all to the Spanish Pyrenees where mine and my mans love flourished in our adventures together around small pockets of the world - here we could have a mountain high celebration of our own. In the meantime I will enjoy these pics from some beautiful mountain weddings - hope you do too.

This wedding on Mountain Side Bride, above, in particular takes my breath away - every little detail including that red dress oh my!

It's all in the detail of this Rocky Mountain Wedding via Style Me Pretty. I especially love these vintage postcard feeling favour bags.

Vintage and intimate is the vibe of this couple for their Colorado Mountain Wedding as seen on Ruffled

Lastly this is not so much a wedding as a Love Festival on a hillside in California from Green Wedding Shoes

Everyone is rocking the mountain look

Him - wearing, among other things, a Mountain Print shirt from Nemis

Her - I love this mountain print scarf from Totokaelo

Them - Uber cute leggings for bambino from Salt City Emporium on Etsy and this clever and cute top by Swallow Return

This could be where I tell you to take a hike but as that is neither polite or in some cases practical I thought instead to show you a little experimental DIY I did today.

I was inspired by this

And by a mother that hails from the Blue Mountains and 2 lovely sisters who when together visiting said Mountains as children were snapped by many a foreign tourist standing in front of the 3 Sisters -
to have a go at making my own rubber stamp.

Trust me when I say this was a very quick and rough first attempt but I am reasonably happy with the results - there may not be an eraser left standing in the house by the end of the weekend as I practice and get stamping.

She'll be comin round the mountain again I suspect as I have loved every minute of this one.

Found Friday

I have found much this week to be excited about, little trinkets and treasures - unfortunately I have not found the time to capture it and show you so I will have to play catchup.

In the meantime here is a little snippet of some of this weeks finding goodness captured in the autumn light falling over my bed.

Sometimes in finding I see a pattern or theme emerging over the week or even just in one shop - this all came from one place and for me it spoke of the feeling of winter arriving soon and the textures and colours - some leather boots, a woollen nanna rug in wintery tones, more needlepoint and a snuggly green cardy to keep me (and my growing bump) warm. Browns, greens, reds, navy and grey - all for me winter tones especially red because winter is when I need it most, a splash of colour to ward off the wintery blues.

I hope you find your splash of colour and something (or someone) to snuggle up to this weekend too.

Finding Everywhere

The hills are alive indeed. Come climb every mountain with me and reach new heights

1. Sage Mountain Design Plate by Natasha Lawless Design available through UK store Not on the High Street
2. Super sweet Mountain Peaks Mini baby blanket by UK designer Donna Wilson but luckily available in Oz via a few stores listed here 
3. Case 3776 Mount Fuji Tissue wallet, so named after the elevation of Mt. Fuji in meters, from goodbymarket by designer Tomohiro Ikegaya available through White Rabbit Japan
4. An absolute favourite of mine Swedish artist and designer Elisabeth Dunker is behind Fine Little Day and this is her Mountains Tea towel, and free worldwide shipping!
5. Another beautiful piece Mountain Print Cushion by Natasha Lawless Design available through UK store Not on the High Street
6. With 2 lovely sisters and childhood holidays spent at our grandparents in the Blue Mountains home of the 3 sisters this mountain range cushion really spoke to me. The Sisters wool mountain range pillow by Three Bad Seeds via Etsy
7. Too cute Hand Printed Mountain Leggings in Mint on Black by Thief and Bandit Kids
8. Little Red Stuga's Kebnekaise knitted pouf, named after the highest mountain in Sweden
9. I covet this Blue Mountain Embroidery Felted Brooch by Jump Up for my collection
10. Let him sleep for when he wakes he will move mountains print by Yellow Button Nursery - perfect for any nursery - also available in pink
11. Hand-printed 100% Cotton Mountain Napkin Set from Spark Box Studio

I am giddy with it all and this is only a very small selection of what I am finding everywhere. I hope you enjoy!

Found Friday

This weeks Found Friday is short and sweet and crafty.

I have a thing for the craft section of Op-shops - all the abandoned projects and scraps of completed ones sing to me. I also love nothing more than a surprise bag of craftyness that you can't quite see inside and only find the treasure, hopefully, when you get to unpack it at home. I think it makes me feel like a kid again in that lucky dip excitement way.

Yesterday, among other things, I bought one such abandoned bag of craftyness - inside these little bead people, some angel wings and buttons. I'm thinking it is an omen for a good weekend ahead.

I hope you get some surprises of the good kind this weekend!

Appreciate or Emulate

I am inspired at the moment by finding watercolour effect everywhere I look. I shared some of my finds in yesterdays' Finding Everywhere. 

I have been inspired before by watercolour projects of my sisters where she has created her own beautiful wrapping papers including a beautiful one she made for my birthday gift last year with apples drawn in white crayon resisting the vibrant watercolour splashes she added on top. I am wishing I had pics of that to share but with help from a then 18 month old to unwrap sadly I don't.
I was also inspired by her to do watercolour food colour painting with my nephew, and son, which I wrote about here.

It now seems everyone is awash with this dreamy effect.

Below are just a small selection os splashes, splats, drops and drips for the home, the occasion and you. You can also get all wishy washy yourself if you chose by checking out the great DIY's I found.

Artist Alisa Burke's Rubber cement resist watercolour paper tutorial - using a similar technique to my sister. So many possibilities. Alison also has online watercolour classes.

Sweet and colourful DIY watercolour tags from Eat Drink Chic 

And a DIY Watercolour and Calligraphy Birthday Card from Oh So Very Pretty

And they are aren't they? Oh so very pretty!

Finding Everywhere

Watercolour has been splashed all over lately. The dreamy effect of colours running into each other is trending in everything from homewares to fashion to full wall treatments - more to follow in this weeks Appreciate or Emulate but for now here is the watery colourfulness I have been finding everywhere

1. The Muse Multi hand painted canvas and suede Clutch available at Down that Little Lane store
2. Beautiful day original illustrated card by Lauren Merrick Illustration also at Down that Little Lane
3. This spectacular Surprise hand dyed tassle necklace from mur Mur via Etsy
4. Bonnie and Neil are amongst my favourite Australian homeware designers, here is their Pink Water Colour Ceramic Plate
5. Scrunch Designs's Watercolour Hand Painted Resin Earrings available from madeit.com.au
6. Bonnie and Neil again - what a bold statement this is for any table - hand screen printed linen watercolour orange table runner 
7. Queen of watercolour splashes - Amy Sia's Ardour Custom Clock for Deny Designs
8. Kavita Kriti Hand painted silk scarf via Etsy
9. Abstract watercolour cushion by Scottish textile designer Fi Douglas through Mildred and Co in New Zealand
10. World Map Watercolors Poster from zazzle.com.au
11. Lily Partoneau Summer Days iphone case from Etsy

Would you splash out on any of these?

Happy Mothers Day

I can't be with my mum today - she lives too far away - but yay she will be here in less than 2 weeks for a visit!

This little pic makes me think of her and her beautiful garden picked simple yet dynamic arrangements that adorn her bench and tables. Wish I was arranging one for you today mum.

Happy Mothers Day all you special ladies.

A vignette or 7

I participated last week in The Interiors Addict's Instagram photo challenge 7 Vignettes.
The idea is a list of themes is published for the first 7 days of each month and you have to create a styled vignette based on that theme and post it to Instagram tagging Interiors Addict and generally also a guest judge - using the hashtag #7vignettes. If your on Instagram I recommend searching the hashtag, you will see lots of great styled pictures from some very creative people - stylists and not.

It's lots of fun and for me it's a chance to practice my styling - especially as I'm not studying or in a position to assist stylists at the moment - the main way you learn the ropes so to speak.

Below are this months themes and my vignettes for each


HANGING

LABELS

TIMBER

COLOURFUL

PORCELAIN/CERAMIC

DINING

TRAVEL

This month the guest judge was The Woodfolk store and they generously gave an overall prize and a prize for each days theme. I am so thrilled to say my Day 6 Dining entry WON! I was so excited to wake up to that news on Thursday morning.

The overall winner was the stylist Boiled Eggs and Soldiers, aka Sam, and what a deserved winner her vignettes were consistently stunning - even her celebration shot - see them all via her Instagram feed http://instagram.com/boiledeggandsoldiers

My lovely prize from The Woodsfolk is an under the sea LoveMae bamboo dinner set - I can't wait until it arrives in the post and see how they impact on toddler dinner time - fingers crossed.

I hope to join in next month too, if time allows, so if you like follow along on Instagram and I will also post my February entries later so you can see those too.

Found Friday

THIS WEEKS FINDS

A weed walk, as I like to call them, hunting and gathering for little botanical gems in the neighbourhood, on verges and in parking lots, yielded these beauties among others.
Happy colours for the home.

A lucky preschool drop off find on the path outside the school heralded what was to be a great day - first day no tears! These blossoms were a sign of my little mans blossoming confidence.

I found this bag on uncovet this week and I indeed did want to uncovet it and have it for my own, as a new nappy bag - last time I bought the cheapest one I could and needless to say it lacked any style or longevity - this time I want some happy nappies. The find turned into a forget me when I calculate a whopping $70 US for shipping. But then I found this little big guy at a local shop on sale for half the price and no shipping - it's similar enough for me for now - happy nappies and happy me!

Lastly this is a little rediscovery rather than a find - I was hunting down ceramics for the Instagram comp I was playing this week - another post on that pending - when I refound these little pineapple shakers I bought out op-shopping a few months ago. You may recall my love of the pine form from a post I did way back in the very beginning of blogging days Pining for the tropics well it hasn't abated - and just look at them how could it?

I hope your discoveries are as exotic and bright this weekend as mine has been this week.
Happy finding!