August 30, 2012

the opposite of dull.



there hasn't been a dull moment around these parts for as long as i can remember. this may be mainly due to the daily double caffeine hits but i'm running with it. there's been non stop art making, george michael ticket buying, enrolling to screen print with rachel castle (!!) in october, date loaf baking and overeating, prado exhibition admiring, love letter receiving, navy graduation celebrating, baby snuggling and a whoooollleee lot of coffee consuming. life's been busy and i've loved ever second of it. the bags under my eyes will tell you a different story but i've missed the feeling of being as equally productive as i am inspired...something i struggle with on a daily basis. i've just got back from installing my artworks and am ready for the art opening of the year on saturday night. the support has been overwhelming, i am truly in awe of my creative colleagues and proud to be collaborating with such a talented team. being an artist really is all it's cracked up to be.




my life according to instagram.

johnson rose. (1 of 3 of my cross stitched johnson plate artwork)

geometric johnson heaven.

my favourite design of all time.

three's a beautiful crowd.



August 19, 2012

reframed.


reframe [riːˈfreɪm] verb (tr)
to look at, present, or think of (beliefs, ideas, relationships, etc.) in a new or different way.

there's been a lot of decision making and reframing of life ideals and dreams as of late, and i've honestly never felt happier. decluttering my vintage collections, slowing the opshopping adventures right down and really embracing the positive feelings that are coming from this change of behaviour. although it has taken me a while to get my artmaking mojo back on track, i can safely say that it's made an appearance and just in the nick of time. i am excited to be sharing a subject matter close to my heart and looking deeper into it's importance within my daily life. 'reframed' is bringing together a diverse range of brisbane based artists in an annual exhibition, held this year at white canvas gallery. opening night is in a mere two weeks time, so it's all hands and needlework on deck to get my pieces completed. it's a beautiful thing being able to conceive an idea and see it develop into a work of art but it's even more amazing when your creative journey is supported by a talented group of artists. these artists, are my fellow colleagues and i couldn't be more excited about joining them again this year. the exhibition title is also a very poignant reminder of this exciting time in my life, learning to love the process as i go. if you're around town between aug 31 - sept 11, go and have a peek at reframed at white canvas gallery, fortitude valley, i'm proud to be able to say, it's going to be incredible.



reframing my latest inspirations.

my current motto.

soon to be appearing as part of my installation in the reframed show.


August 15, 2012

super lekker.


with only 3 weekends to play with whilst in europe i had to make sure my plans were pre-organised to make them as fun packed as possible. the first weekend would be my london weekend spent with family and my best friend, the second my extended weekend with my girls in paris and the third spent in beautiful holland. with my two best friends in europe, it was important for me to spend some valuable time with them, sharing in their daily lives and getting to know their friends and surroundings. never having been to holland but living through trudy’s beautiful photos, i was excited to get to know a place i’d heard so much about. of course i expected to see windmills, tulips, clogs, drink delicious beer, bike everywhere and meet handsome dutchmen…well, i can safely say that it delivered all that and more. i flew into amsterdam from copenhagen on thursday evening, making my way to rotterdam as soon as i had landed. i arrived at trudy & tom's just before 7 and it wasn’t long before we were chatting over a home cooked meal in their gorgeous central rotterdam apartment. before i knew it we were out cycling around town. designated cycle paths and the bike friendly atmosphere had me in bicycle heaven. here we were, cruising the streets of rotterdam at 9pm at night without a care in the world. friday morning saw me sleeping my copenhagen exhaustion away and then meeting trudy for a wander around her local opshop and late lunch at her favourite cutie pie café spot, picknik. it was a chilly but sunny rotterdam afternoon spent catching up over chicken & coriander curry soup and coffee. as this was the last leg of my europe adventure, i could feel the tiredness setting in. saturday morning saw the three of us wandering the local markets with coffees the size of our heads and saw me stumbling across vintage fabric heaven. a 2 euro retro teapot and several floral pillowcases later, i was slowly but surely falling in love with rotterdam. trudy and i wandered the local shops buying ridiculously cute stationary and gathering ingredients for a big chicken curry i’d be whipping up for our last dinner. a few beers, curry and some lounge room dancing later and we were heading out to meet some of their favourite dutchies. i was onto my second belgian beer (my new favourite) and i soon found myself surrounded by a group of gorgeous dutchies. my crappy attempts at the dutch language (except for lekker and dank je wel) were smiled at and soon i couldn't get enough of this captivating crowd. after what can only be described as an incredible night, i was cursed with the hangover from hell, so our amsterdam plans were pushed back to later in the afternoon. a mid morning brekkie date with trudy’s nearest and dearest dutchie brought girl talk over plates of eggs, bread, juice and coffee. we were soon on our way to amsterdam where i would fly back to london later that night. as soon as we arrived in amsterdam we made our way to the quaint canals and strolled through the decorative neighbourhoods. sadly at this point I was a slither of my former self with what would turn out to be the first stages of food poisoning. in my sorry state i was unable to really appreciate the beauty of the city, but knowing i will be heading back next year has me comforted that i will get to revisit and discover all it has to offer. i left a piece of my heart in rotterdam. my favourite souvenir of the trip? a little piece of someone else's.




the obsession for hagelslag has begun.

market wanderings.

rotterdam.

the two euro teapot.

amsterdam decor.

beautiful canals and bike culture of amsterdam.

hitching a ride.

houseboat heaven.

street art, rotterdam.


August 13, 2012

treasure hunt.


you may have noticed that i've been a little quiet on the opshopping front lately. my instagram feed has been delivering eye candy of a different kind. there's a reasonable explanation for this, as i begin the planning of my move to the UK. saying it out loud sends shivers down my spine but also makes my heart beat faster in the best kind of way. i'm a girl of many ideas, constantly inspired and planning new life journeys. this one though, has been a long time coming and my recent visit just confirmed that europe is where i need to be. who knows for how long, but isn't life supposed to be a daring adventure? therefore, i have been cutting my spending at the opshops, selling a bunch of my vintage goodies and getting in the mindset to move early next year. so this weekend, i kinda broke the treasure hunting drought and managed to snag a few bargains. i can feel my design aesthetics changing, and this excites me. i look forward to the vintage collecting possibilities in amsterdam, the galleries in spain and the weekends away in paris. surely this is enough to make me want to curb my spending? you bet it is. the treats i have for you today are some gems i picked up whilst coasting with two of my favourite girlies in northern nsw. you'll be happy to know i have my priorities in order....i'll be selling my bed and most of my furniture before i go but holding onto my 70's egg chair, retro telephone table and vintage plant stand. the johnson crockery collecting has stalled, with me content with what i have now. big changes are underway and i couldn't be happier. have a good week lovelies, i'll be back with my holland blogpost, it's a goody.




my 20c beauties.

sunflower pot stand. an ode to my mama.

barkcloth cushion cover.

a cute turquoise nz pair.

robert & harper company brisbane jar.

a gorgeous documents folder ready for all the important info i need to take with me.

THE plant stand/light of my life/next project.

a little bit of tlc and she'll be shining.

a westminster geometric beauty, for mere cents i forgot about the missing teacup.

best.apron.ever. 'i'm a smart cookie.' the illustration is perfection!

my $7 beach dress.



August 12, 2012

weekending.


every so often, it's a breath of fresh air to be able to escape from the big smoke for a weekend away with your girlfriends. when ash's mum announced she'd be away in the usa for a month, we jumped at the offer of staying the weekend in her northern nsw beach house. i have always loved that part of town and have fond memories of visiting family near mullumbimby, walking belongil beach and ferreting through second hand treasures in bangalow. we set off down south on friday evening and arrived home just shy of 5pm today. a perfect amount of time away and the most perfect balance of treasure hunting, lunching and relaxing. murwillumbah and it's quaint opshops were first on the list on saturday morning that was followed shortly after by a couple of blissful hours treasure hunting in beautiful bangalow. it's not hard to understand why bangalow really is a little slice of new south wales heaven. a place i could easily set up home and open a little cake/textile shop...oh one day. it's dainty and decorative main street is full of delightful little cafes, gorgeous homewares and local art and design. to be honest, we were there for one thing and one thing only that day...heath's old wares. i fell in love with this gold mine around 2 years ago when mum and i travelled south to byron and veered off track. since then, it's been a secret supplier of inspiration to me and my love for the pre-loved object. everyone deserves a visit to this pocket of heaven, so i'm taking the chance to shout it from the blogland roof tops. take a large car, preferably a trailer, you won't be disappointed. a set designer/interior stylist/event planner/old knick knack lover's dream. just promise that you'll show me your finds. i snagged some treasure for a real steal, which i will be sharing with you tomorrow as the amount of eye candy you're about to endure is surely enough for one night. saturday night saw us dinnering with our favourite boys and sharing stories of europe over delicious local delicacies. this morning we slept in, spent a good hour spamming everyones instagram feeds with yesterday's treasure hunt and then drove our lazy sunday selves to coolangatta antiques. on boy did christmas come early. bouts of squealing could be heard from all corners of the place, when we would uncover what could only be described as a vintage gift from god. needless to say, this happened every 35.6 seconds. at one point i had an armful of treats, had misplaced my iphone amongst the retro fabrics and had my tight ass purse strings denying me of such decadent spending. reasonably sized piles of happiness were then taken to the counter after a few moments of clear headed decision making/putting half of my goodies back. lunch at currumbin, a frolick on the beach, love hearts drawn in the sand and afternoon tea at vintage espresso was THE perfect ending to a most delightful weekend. my two amigos @_ruby_ruth and @ashleighbourke were the perfect weekending companions. their instagram feeds will fill your lives with instant joy and loveliness, just like the last two days i spent with them.




first destination.

your standard driver, selfie taker & instagram threesome.

the signage was spectacular.

green hues in murwillumbah.

back in my opshopping groove.

the beautiful place.

fine & sunny stopoff.

tapestries galore next door.

selfies at heath's...

and a little bit of french kissing.

a treasure i can now tick off the wishlist.

jar heaven.

the crate queen.

my world.

stairway to heaven.

it was, thank you.

music to my ears.

perfection in garden furniture form.

follow me if you dare...

a perfect pair.

chasing the sun.

stairway to fabric heaven and i'm first in line.

this girl knows her treasure.

not a bad view.

perfect pear cake from VE, my happy place.