Basket Case

What do you do on the"Australia Day" Holidays? Why you turn into a basket case of course!

For some reason my creative endeavours mostly turn into paint everything that doesnt move.......I purchased most of these baskets for a song in op shops.......the chair I rescued from a skip outside the front of a house that had succumbed to fire.....it was permeated with smoke but that didnt deter me...the owners were throwing it out.....I painted it burgundy back then, now it is a painted a washed and weathered grey. I am very pleased with the results although the sun seems to have washed out the effect in the photos. It is a lovely, sunny and warm day...:) yeah

I couldnt resist giving the lamp a grey treatment as well....HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY..now im going off to have a glass of wine..hoorah!

More Cottage Candy

Some more candy for you and for me......Im a bit of a cottage stalker...and I love to see what people with vision can do. Apparently this cottage was once in a very sorry state...which I find strangely comforting and inspirational. This tiny cottage is located in Ballarat, Victoria in a lovely street.  I love the homey atmosphere here...............

Derelict Cottage Reveal

I was fortunate to spend a couple a couple of days in the derelict cottage....At present I am peeling back the layers and giving her a paint to freshen her up a bit. I have too many major renovations to do with this place and will tackle these at a later stage....I am reluctant to post too many photos in her worn state but will provide little glimpses here and there....

All original lacework on the front verandah...what a pretty old lady:)

The wonderful old patina of the front door and the original old knocker..

Not a straight wall in this place...or a square door jam....love it!

I have a modest little bed to sleep in...you may remember this one from an earlier post...it was a thrifted black iron bed...now totally fresh in white. All the bed linen is thrifted and the bedside is made from two timber wine boxes that I have collected and whitewashed. As you can see this place needs alot of work and is not too far removed from what I like to call "Up Market Camping", but it is the sweetest place for now, for me to rest and dream of what this place can be in time.

And here is the rustic little room out the back, which I will transform in time...

And here is the back door......time to go now and start my drive back to the city suburbs....bye for now and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Peaceful New Year

My favorite and most peaceful place to sit is here.

I love to sit on this comfortable and well worn sofa and look outside and be mesmorized by the green of the garden.......and watch the swaying branches of the trees...

And rest on my large pillow...

and watch the world go by.....

I hope your xmas and new year holidays are as peaceful .......

and as restful....

as mine are....

Happy New Year!

Victorian Cottage Inspiration

I really love victorian cottages...I love the fact that they are generally all the same in layout and symetrical ...I love that I can get inspiration from seeing what other people do to them and what they can become...I love comparing them ....I love the front facade of a Victorian and the lacework, and the verandah and the door in the middle and windows to either side. Of course I prefer them to look originial but even in this house below , with the changed windows it still screams of typical Victorian...of course I would put the original ones back in but I still love this cottage ...........

Creative Cover Ups

Whom ever invented these pendant light cord covers is an absolute genius.....

I have alot of old pendant corded lights in my cottage and these covers seem to be the perfect choice for the budget conscious thrifter like me. To boot I think they look really classy and have the added bonus of being washable and cheap to change.....

I have made up my mind to put these on my pendants and create atmosphere and drama to my rooms...heres some gorgeous photos...At a later date I will reveal my very own home sewn cord covers.

Not a good photo, but this photo shows the drama these lights add to a room, especially in black! Lovely!

My mind is racing with possibilities...

Dont they look great with both drum style pendants and also chandeliers?

Ciao for now ....

Beachy Lamp Revamp

In my suburban, brick cottage.....u know the one I live in from Monday to Friday....not the derelict cottage...I am in the process of planning a complete change in decore to white, white and white. I have been very taken with this NON colour and all the possibilites it holds. I am restyling to a more modern , beachy white style. This is my start.

On one of my thrifting jaunts some time ago I picked up an ordinary, timber (pine) lamp base without a shade. Unfortunately I didnt have the forsite to take a BEFORE pic but I can tell u this lamp base was ugly and it was stained with a horrible orangey timber stain. I decided to paint it white not really knowing how it would turn out and if I would like it. I added a rattan shade (also thrifted) and white washed it with a diluted paint wash.......Voila! I am very happy with the result and it suits my new beachy white theme to a tea..

Bye for now.....Linda