sneak peek...

spent a beautiful afternoon with my gorgeous girls. eating scones, drinking tea, playing dress-ups, laughing, hanging vintage sheets, posing with props and enjoying time together. my uber talented sister was the photographer. we asked her to snap a few shots of us 4, before we all shoot off overseas and live our dreams. we won't be apart for too long, but spending time with my girls makes me love them even more. i will be posting many more pics when they're done..you're in for a giggle! was a truly special afternoon. have a great monday!

stu...stu...studio!

Ever since I moved into my little house, my poor little studio has got the rough end of the stick. Because my craft wares, art materials and knick knacks outweigh any other thing I own (I’m the girl will the full studio and empty fridge) I have naively believed that everything will fit nicely in the studio. Realistically it has become a storage room. A very pretty one at that, but there were times when I thought I was never ever going to make art again, and that was just not going to do. Then the floods came and I was mighty quick to get things packed away and ship shape. Then a few months passed and my things were popped back into any available space. So you’ll understand my excitement at how wonderful it’s looking RIGHT NOW. A trip to ikea, some new storage, a garbage bin full of crap (less than beautiful things) and a couple of suitcases full for rummage…means one pretty flower has emerged. I still have a lot of stuff, but I know where it is and where I can find it. I have two tables, one for painting and messy work and another for paper work and collage. I am also waiting on some retro coffee lace curtains from ebay for 99c, I think they’ll work, we’ll soon see. I dreamt of a room that I wanted to spend time in and I think I’ve achieved that. Finally. I want to make the most of this gorgeous little house before I head off. But that’s for another post. I’ll leave you with some pretty pictures. Happy Sunday all! (ps. I know I said I wouldn’t be back till Tuesday, but I couldn’t wait to show you! Pps. Not sure I’m ‘getting’ this whole scone thing…thank goodness for raspberry jam and cream!)

why hello..come on in!

the paper and collage desk...complete with inspiration wall.


pretty things on the wall and in jars.


fabrics and love stamps...what else is needed?


more lovely stuff and my beautiful wallpapered walls.

sorry for the bad language but i am in love with this card..will be framed soon. some of my wallpaper collection.

this rummage is going to be a big one!

must dash...

good morning (just!) lovelies! i will be taking a bit of a blogging break until tuesday for a little productive r&r but i can assure you that tuesday's post will be full of teaparty behaviour, lemonade scone baking, studio redecorating, cloud magnet making, fabric sorting for rummage and many, and then many more...cups of tea. i hope this finds you all well and enjoying this beautiful saturday. your comments are getting more and more beautiful, how is that possible? just know i love and appreciate every single one. have a lovely weekend!

moustache love via love made me do it.

life lately.

hello tuesday. it's been a lovely 3 day weekend dabbling in some opshopping, baby snuggling, road tripping and chai drinking amidst girly chats and ikea furniture-putting-together. i delivered and setup wedding brownie on saturday to the most beautiful bride and groom which was followed by some roadtripping down south on sunday and some ikea behaviour. i don't go there often, which was obvious when i decided to ignore the directive arrows. people noticed, it made me giggle. have been attempting to get my studio in order as i want to get my artmaking on for the exhibition, so decluttering and sorting has been flower street's hot topic. i've been spending some time with my beautiful friends and their gorgeous little ones. i'm definately not ready to have any of my own, buy my oh my...i'm in love. from playing with glitter pens and running races with a cheeky 2 year old to having a handsome 4 month old snuggle into me whilst chatting with his gorgeous mama about boys and travels...is just blissful. back to reality today and the fact my ikea tables are still in pieces. but the teacosies are up!...all is well. i hope you've had a wonderful start to the week. i'm terribly in awe of my beautiful girlfriends right now...from soy chai's over boy talk to planning a life overseas. much love to my inspiring ladies.

floral tablecloths were the flavour of the day on saturday.

more floral love and a cheeky pink lady. (check the shoes please)


cute cookie tin (perfect for clouds) and wooden leaf bowls..awaiting a coat of paint.


brownie with bunting and pretty clouds. (for mama)

one of the many flannelette pillowcases i unearthed at stevo's saturday morning!

a hawaii mug (on it's way to a special lady) and some plastic white & gold coasters.

been playing with lounge room displays.

a tea 'cosy' corner of my studio and another flannelette gem.

his and hers pillowcases. a little stained but oh so cute.

embarrassment can kill.

today started early. with that, i was promised an early mark. my wish was granted so i left work just after 3 to head home and get some wedding brownie baked. not before stopping off at lifeline (to pick up some glassware and pink melmac!) and then coles for ingredients. driving home, i had a run in with an angry man who swore he had right of way in a cramped corner at the top of a crazy steep street. it's one of those tricky situations (lack of road markings and tight corners don't help) that left me feeling a little sad and silly. he followed me to my parking spot just outside the opshop where he began yelling at me. being the lover not a fighter (boxing hasn't helped i guess) i just shrugged with confusion about why he was that angry. after a few minutes i got out of my parked car, crossed the street towards the supermarket, stopping just shy of the entrance to admire date scones in the bakery cabinet. can you tell my eating habits mirror my emotions? a little old lady sitting at a card table nearby caught my attention. she was a bowel cancer advocate and as i handed over a small $5 (i'd spent the rest of my change at the oppy, of course) her face brightened, which instantly lifted my mood. as i walked away, she called out to me that my skin was beautiful and asked what skin care regime i followed. i knew she really didn't care about my regime, she just wanted a chat. she picked the right girl. we chatted for several minutes, mostly about oil of olay and staying out of the sun, but she definately left an impression on me. i'm wearing the orange bangle that states 'embarrassment can kill', which i believe can be related to many types of cancer. not only did she enlighten me about the issues that come with early cancer detection, she gave me hope that there are some truly beautiful people out there. to the guy who almost killed my spirit, try a little kindness....i really didn't mean to cut you off. thank you for listening. have a wonderful weekend full of inspiring conversations and time with loved ones. ps. i wish i was wandering tate modern and eating hummingbird bakery cupcakes with my mama..she's in london right now. x

a few things i'm loving and doing....

dreaming of one day buying that lazybones quilt..in duck egg blue.

visiting wallpaper heaven in copenhagen. the story of how she came across thousands of rolls of vintage loveliness is enough to get me saving all of my dollars.

baking raspberry spiked brownie for a beautiful couple getting hitched tomorrow.

loving this pink house found via elsie's pinterest.

inspired.

i'm still here, promise. have been a busy little bee...working at both galleries, visiting a new mum and her beautiful baby (there was a baby photoshoot with kate and an afternoon of tea and scones), drinking lots and lots of tea, riding my bike to work, organising exhibition ideas, reworking my art displays at home (with a little help from lisa congdon) and sorting out lots of treats for the june rummage. with a sad little camera that won't turn on, i don't have any sweetness to offer in the way of pretty pictures. but do not fear, that is soon to change. i have a busy little weekend full of morning teas, wedding brownie orders, road trips to northern nsw, a hopefully fast tracked visit to ikea for studio furniture and some paint pot shopping at bunnings. photos to follow! picking up a copy of my heart wanders has also been the icing on this wednesday cake. you must know about pia, right? if not, head on over and have a peek, she is simply amazing and besties with the beautiful kylie johnson...who i also find to be just divine! my beautiful friend trudy introduced me to her work, thank you darling! i'll be popping the kettle on soon and heading to my vintage flannelette covered bed to soak up some of that loveliness. i want to spread the pia love already...being inspired is contagious! happy wednesday evening lovelies.

totally inspired by my favourite san francisco artist, lisa congdon, this week.

oh...i nearly forgot...i really want to build one of these!

love in the mail.

i do love writing letters and cards, especially to my mum who lives across the other side of the world. sometimes it's just to tell her i love her, or to recite a beautiful kylie johnson poem, even to discuss my life plans which change every day. the most beautiful thing about this, is that i receive just as much love in the mail from her. i get my love for handwritten mail from my mum, she always taught us the importance of receiving love notes in the mail and this is something i regret not doing enough of as a child. well i'm definately making up for it now. this also leads me to show you a few gifts that have arrived from mr ebay this week. even though it's me parting with my own moolah, it still feels exciting to open a package addressed to you. especially when it has the goodies below inside. all of these treats are part of my upcoming exhibition, and although i can be known for my frivolous ebay behaviour, there is a meaning and point to these purchases. a few weeks ago i purchased a charming book called 'handwritten letters to my mother', which i fell in love with at first glance. i sent it on it's merry way to america and it had the desired effect, she loves it. i love that we share such a beautiful sentiment like writing letters. i'm sure my mum doesn't know exactly how much she inspires me everyday. hanging out the washing will take me 15 minutes rather than 5, as i get distracted by the beautiful clouds....i often stop whilst bike riding to admire beautiful flowers and shadows...i'm guilty of waving hello to puppy dogs and my neighbours cat. this is all from her and i will forever be thankful for noticing the smaller, more beautiful things in life. pop over to hannah's blog, her latest post is just so enchanting and really hits a soft spot with me, boy that girl can photograph beauty. have a lovely week of enjoying the little things. x

my lovely old telephone. just like the one that hung in my childhood home. the showpiece of my display.

some gorgeous melmac platters. small and perfect in colour. anyone for a picnic?


some lovely flannelette pillowcases (a gift from my best friend's nan) and a dalmation s&p shaker set. they're tall and sleek and gorgeous. the dog version of these. and yes, my childhood dog was a dalmation called duke. love.

cake and love.

mother's day afternoon tea. a delicious gf date cake that myself and the girls had a good go at demolishing. sunday afternoons are made of moments like these.

Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

day at the coast.

as promised, a few treats picked up from my road trip yesterday. i left home early, visited 6 of my favs, ate at my favourite sushi place and picked up some baking supplies too. it was a beautiful day weather wise, which made cruising the gc highway a real treat. i do love the coast. unfortunately my vintage (read: daggy) & trusty (awesomely efficient) konica minolta died yesterday, so after a short grumpy outburst outside the palm beach salvos...i decided to give vintage espresso a miss until another day. it just wouldn't have been the same without eye candy documentation. this is also why there are no field shots, which i had planned to capture. anyway, it's time i got a new camera, or at least an iphone with a hipstamatic function. when i got home late afternoon, i got dressed to go out for dinner with my favourite people (one missing) at a yummy vietnamese in the valley. it was a gorgeous night which saw us drinking pimms up at sky bar, which i really enjoyed. this morning i talked for hours with my favourite lady and although we won't be spending mother's day together, i know it won't be long until i see her again. i've got a gf date loaf in the oven and when that's done i'm jumping on my bike and heading round to trudy's for afternoon tea. will be lovely to spend mother's day with my favourite girls. happy mother's day to all of the lovely mothers out there. your hard work, patience and love does not go unnoticed. xo

my favourite gc oppy.

my favourite fq's from the swap, amazing!


just a few goodies i picked up from nook on friday night. dangerous territory. i could and pretty much did, buy everything. finally got my ashley g print, bakers twine, the cutest gift wrapping book in the world and a beautiful kite-esque brooch. complete with cloudy sky.

picked up some floral sheets & pillowcases from my favourite oppy. they smell so strongly of mothballs, i'm in heaven.

the cutest belt of all time. only a $1. seriously.

my new kitchen clock. brown, cute and ticks so loudly i feel like i should be marching to it.

pride of place.

picked up a pretty pink/red spotted blouse and a katie's long navy spotted skirt.

a pink lampshade for my installation in august.

oh don't you worry, i won't forget to mention this fabric. amazing and there's so much of it. bonus.

some wood lovin' for the exhibition.

cute kitty fabric.

a white frame, vintage rose wrapping paper, little german teapot and some blue porcelain booties. (i have baby fever if you hadn't noticed.)

i love my mum.

i think about you every day. you are my biggest inspiration. i am becoming more and more like you everyday. i treasure moments spent with you and look forward to what the future holds for us. happy mother's day mama! i love you.

we go way back.

jan & her girls.


she loves moustaches as much as me.

i miss her cuddles.

we're besties. we eat cupcakes together.

we did nyc and loved it.

blog loving.

good afternoon lovely ones. i'm counting down the days until my opshop jaunt on saturday...i really cannot wait. i keep having little moments of excitement where i want to squeal (but refrain from it because i already feel crazy enough.) i hope your week is going well. I am loving all of your updates, finds and photos. thank you for all of your gorgeous feedback, you know i adore it. make sure you check in on sunday for my 'coast finds' post (see how sure i am of the loveliness that awaits me!?) i'll be taking some photos of my favourite haunts too so you can experience the deliciousness with me (it's what friends do). back to the point of this post though, i wanted to share a couple of beauties with you that i believe you just must see.

firstly, head over to tea for evie. Bernie is a beautiful mother of evie rose and a fantastic craftswoman who's eye for pretty fabrics rivals mine. With a gorgeous daughter as her constant inspiration, her ability to produce so many beautiful treats leaves me in awe. she's new to the blogging world but a huge favourite on facebook. she says...'i'm a thrift hunter, sewer, crafter, baker, homemaker, wife, mumma and one woman cottage business.' she is also the best friend of my sister kate. make us both warm on the inside by visiting her blog and say hi!

her thrifty finds!

this charming blog cupcake couture is a visual treat with a cherry on top. i'm still eyeballing her old posts from way back because i seriously can't get enough. lovely nadia is based in south africa and has been introduced to the world of frankie/spaces and runs a monthly 'i love market' where she shares her gorgeous handcrafted ribbon brooches and teacup finds. she says 'having eaten a cupcake in each place i travelled to, i found that my heart yearned for their taste, colour and inspiration and so cupcake couture was born. I bake now and again, but what i really do is create one of a kind accessories using vintage buttons and sewing bits and bobs'. a girl after my own heart!

nadia's gorgeous displays.

have a lovely rest of the week. it's sushi and starbucks for me tonight and grabbing the new frankie on my way home. i feel a night snuggled under vintage flannelette coming on! x

sunday breakfast.

hello lovelies! welcome to a new regular post that will document a new brisbane brekkie spot on a sunday morning. my sister kate and i will ride to a new cafe to sample what brisbane has to offer the early morning sunday crowd. this morning it was my second visit to stones corner's lady marmalade cafe. again, i was not disappointed. even got looked after by the owner and my kitchen rules contender Mal, himself. kate and i both indulged in the haloumi, tomato, spinach, roast pumpkin and pesto on sour bread, my favourite. they also offer the old school savoury mince on toast (hello nanna), banana bread with muesli and yoghurt, ploughman's lunch and mushrooms on brioche. yum! a very simple and dollar friendly menu but a delicious one. can i believe i'm saying that simple wins sometimes? these guys are onto a winner. they're on logan road, just after the o'keefe roundabout in stones corner (approximately a 2 minute bike ride from my house!) after 2 rounds of soy lattes/chai lattes, kate and i decided to take a ride towards southbank. we swung down onto the river and along kangaroo point, which i can tell you, on a day like today, was just perfect. i do love my city and this is what i should be doing more of. this is perfect riding weather, hardly any sweating and just cruising in this glorious sunshine! a few photos below captured some of this lovely sunday behaviour. i might also add that the day was topped off with a two hour nanna nap, just keeping up with my 27yr old nanna status. however no baked goods were consumed, i'm saving that for next weekend. i'm so excited as i have organised a date with myself on saturday. want to hear what i have planned? (have a choice?...wish you did, but you know it's coming.) i'm off to the coast (my old haunt) to take on 8 oppies, lunch at my favourite sushi joint, try out a coffee and cake at the infamous vintage espresso (featured in spaces and my old love, frankie), some cookie cutter buying at my favourite cupcake suppliers, and perhaps a walk on the beach to top it all off. this is all after an early morning boxing class too. my plans for sunday? sleep! this date is definately going to get me through the week, which starts at work tomorrow, hello public holiday pay (which my bank account is going to need after this oppy jaunt!) i do love a good cruise down to the coast. i'm off for a bite to eat and a look at what you've all been up to. thank you for your sweet comments, i am always enchanted by your loveliness. x

kit, ready to set off.

breakfast of the day. deeeelicious.

retro cuteness everywhere. my kinda joint.

our rides.

beautiful brisbane.

kate, working the pink lady look.

never seen the story bridge from this angle before. love this part of town.