salvaged crystal for Summer cocktails..

Recently I came across these four crystal tumblers at a local opshop. I immediately fell for their simple lines and the fact they were all slightly irregular in size (a sign that they were handmade I'm told).

They were however very cloudy, which was probably why they were 50 cents each. I had a vague recollection of reading how to correct the cloudy issue and brought them home...

Then I consulted my somewhat trusty friend Google and came across everything from soaking in lemon juice or vinegar, scrubbing with toothpaste to using fine sandpaper to rid crystal of this seemingly common problem.

A gentle wash and polish, still quite hazy..

 

post vinegar bath, getting there...

After a little consideration, I decided on the vinegar solution, as it seemed the most gentle... Several hours in a diluted white vinegar bath (balsamic didn't seem right)and my tumblers do look a whole lot more sparkly. A couple more dunks, maybe with a stronger solution this time and hopefully they'll be good as new! If anyone has any better ideas though, I love to hear them...

In the meantime we road tested our (almost) lovely new tumblers with a kiwi/apple/vodka concoction...

We agreed, they do the job nicely!

a little reinvention, part two.

Thanks to a bunch of generous compliments from sweet blogger friends, I'm carrying on with

my new hobby and my desk is now covered with little boxes, dishes and bottles of beads, beads, beads...

Today I wrangled this piece together, from a strand of amber and a vintage Moroccan necklace. Both of have been sitting idle in my jewellery box for quite some time. I added a sprinkling of jet (I love jet) and a length of black satin ribbon that I had on hand. I think I might upgrade to a slightly thinner grosgrain though. I love grosgrain too...

This beading thing is such fun! It's been less than a week, I have two new additions to my wardrobe and it hasn't cost me a cent...

Bananas are back!!

Paul Colin's Josephine Baker. Amazing!!

It's been a tough ol year for bananas.. First the Carnavon crops were flooded and then Cyclone Yasi wiped out what was left of a vital industry here in Queensland! Many livelihoods were devastated and an Aussie fruit bowl staple became a rare luxury.

Yasi's devastation captured by photo journalist Rob Maccoll

The good news is, after many months, things look to be on the up... At the front door of my grocery store on the weekend was a sight for sore eyes. An abundant display of banana yellow goodness topped with a ticketed price that was almost back to normal!

So yesterday to celebrate we did as Jack Johnson would and made a batch of banana pancakes for breakfast... Yum!!

Mmm bananas and butter...

Sunday breakfasts just got a whole lot yummier!

Today Thom had banana topped weetbix, I'm having a banana smoothie for lunch and I think I'll pop to the shops for a couple more bunches and whip up a banana and walnut loaf for tomorrow's morning tea...

What's your favourite banana recipe?

a little reinvention, part one.

Earlier this week a favourite, albeit rarely worn necklace fell to pieces in my hands. It was a very long strand of deco hued jet, jade and creamy onyx beads by Day Birger et Mikkelsen.

With a heavy heart, I swept up the remains and was about to relegate them to the jewellery/clothes/random stuff in need of repair cupboard.., when all those images of the gorgeous girls at the Cup decked out in 'Statement' baubles, came flooding back to me. (I should note, I was nowhere near the Melbourne Cup, rather having a tres low key celebration at home, just Thom and I with vegemite sandwiches, in front of the telly).

Thus inspired, I rifled through my bead jars and ribbon box and pulled together some random bits and bobs that might work with the onyx... Then I got to work threading...

A couple of hours later and voila!! One homemade 'Statement' necklace!

Not too bad and so fun to do!  Next I'd like to create something dramatic with the jet and jade perhaps. Then maybe a couple of colourful trinkets for my nieces for Christmas...

 Look out, someones got the beading bug...

spotted, the perfect Summer armchair...

Uh oh, yet another chair to covet..!

This ravishing rattan number (also available in black) is  new from my old friends Ikea. Just add an exotic print cushion or two (the new zingy 'Tribal' from Table Tonic below would do nicely) and your sun downer of choice.  Ahhh..!

tropical inspiration courtesy of here

The 'Storsele' quite striking in black too

messy Mondays

It seems every Monday morning of late, I awake to a house that resembles a tip!! Magazines and toys strewn from one end of the house to the other; forgotten half drunk cups of tea; the remnants of half-baked weekend projects and mountains of laundry...
Aaargh!! Where does one even start?! With a double shot espresso, 80's pop and daydreams of hired help...

I hope your week has a more inspired start... xx

happy Halloween, Etsy style...

My new found appreciation for all things orange probably came about with the masses of Halloween paraphernalia about.
Up until a few years ago, Halloween remained an almost exclusively North American or at the very least a northern hemisphere thing... Not now it seems.., Jack o Lanterns, fake cobwebs and pint size broomsticks are everywhere you look! We even had a local Halloween festival with fireworks, rides, a costume parade and pumpkin carving comp!!

And yes it looks like I've caught the bug too... I've stocked up on treats (just in case, we were quite unprepared last year) and have been so inspired by all the super creative Etsy folk, I'm ready to turn my world orange...

Here are favourite Halloween inspired goodies -

Spoooky typography from The Cupcake Kid

Shock orange baroque from Shabby Mcfabby

Cute dotty decor at My Adobe Cottage

This is my kind of treat... from Made by Nanna

Super sweet bunting from The Old Pink Porch 

What a hooot this little guy is from Karma Collections

This retro original from MADsLucky13