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

home and made not lately..

Ummm hello it's me, your absentee blogger...

A polite tap on the shoulder from a blogger friend (thanks Alicia) has brought me back into the bloggersphere after an embarrassingly long absence.

Where have I been?! What have I been doing?! A little bit, but nothing (other than having a very active 1 year old) that excuses such blogging slackness.. So I won't try and redeem myself with more lame excuses..

Instead I spent a very nice hour this morning reconnecting with all my favourite blogs, oohing & aahing at all the truly fabulous, inspired and often hilariously written stuff I've missed out on!!

In attempt to bring you up to date with my goings on and without resorting to a rambling essay,  here's a little scrapbook of what life has looked like here in my world lately...

1. Spring began with gorgeous pink peach blossoms, a gift from Cloudlake.

2. Yum! Rhubarb crumble muffins, my best yet (muffins that is, they're all I really bake).

3. This beautiful book is a typophiles dream, originally a gift for a like minded friend, who turned out     had it already and now is a worthy addition to our fledgling library.

4. Another gorgeous springtime gift.., these Queensland grown proteas & banksias are still gracing our dining table.

5. The garden's flourishing after early spring showers, especially my growing collection of spiky things...

6. A fun retro find at Woolloongabba Antiques was perfect for husband's first Father's day! I'm a really bad shot though, see E's score...

7 & 8. On a recent escape to Byron, we fell in love with this beautiful Robyn Sweeney piece at the very charming  Art Piece Gallery in Mullumbimby and picked up this colourful (and very forgiving) recycled leather rag rug at the super deluxe "Island Luxe" in Bangalow..

9. ""South of The Border", the cute beach shack with loads of personality, we called home in Byron.

10. My precious wee boag... Determined for this one to grow into a magnificent cloud of shocking pink, or at least survive this time...

11,12 & 14. Our Mexican flavour Byron lodgings also inspired Thom's 1st Birthday celebrations, maracas & all..!!

13. Sunny yellow lilies left over from the party. It's so nice having flowers in Thom's room (out of reach of course).

15 & 16. I Found these two retro treasures in my trusty local opshops, both for under a fiva too!!
17. My new (a wee bit Mad Men) Summer frock. I've got a bit of thing for orange at the moment.
18. More orange, an olde but a goode.. This bag was a gift from a friend many years (perhaps even decades ago) and it's probably my favourite Summer Bag..

Now to steal another 15 mins pouring over your blogs (before Thom wakes up).

Have a lovely weekend! xx

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