Happiness is...

Scoring BIG TIME while op shopping on the weekend! I found this incredibly beautiful swan print that will go perfectly in my new bedroom or great room :)

The frame is rather ordinary so I'll either give it a couple of coats of antique white or buy a new one. It is a great size at 70cms by 59cms and as you can see, my favourite colour blue!

Ever since I saw that swan print in the stunning dining room of Mz Elman's apartment I have been on the hunt. Never did I imagine I'd find such a beauty in the most unlikely of places. But then again life is full of surprises :)


P.S - Tomorrow!! Very Excited!! Full day planned!! So much fun and adventure!! Can't wait to show you my pics!! Stay tuned!! ;)

Treasure hunting rocks my world....

It was another glorious day treasure hunting at my local fleas today. Brook and I were up early bright eyed and bushy tailed. What is it with me and white these days?! One week it's globes, the next it's boats and now it's all things white lol.

These little tea light lamps were so sweet and have the lovliest detail on the base. Perfect for some flickering ambient lighting on my bathroom vanity.

I actually already had this darling little czechoslovakian clock from a previous flea market trip a year ago but that one I bought broken with the intention of fixing it. It sat on my bedside table and I never got around to taking it to the watch maker. When I found an identical clock I snapped it up cause this one does work lol. They have such beautiful detailing and I love their delicate shape. Now I have one for my bedside and one to display with my other white collection of quirky objects :)

Another purchase was this little fishing basket complete with rusty fastening hooks. I'm also a sucker for wicker, have I ever mentioned that? lol

I think I'll sit it under my chippy table for awhile so I can sit back and admire it.

My favourite purchase for the day was this cast iron fireplace base (A hearth I think it's called). It's about a metre long and has lovely ornate detail and just the right amount of patina. I plan to flip it upside down, take the tin base off and fit a new piece, attach some brackets and use it as a shelf for art.

Todays purchases cost me less that $50 and I am chuffed!

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend :)

Oh No, I've created a monster...

After a glorious trip to the flea markets this morning with my fellow treasure hunter Brookie, as you can see I've now developed quite a little collection of nautical pieces :) Like I mentioned before I really have no use for these amazing items in my home but I can't help but keep collecting them. I guess I'm building inventory for a future interior design/retail business? ;)

My purchases today included this gorgeous boat print very similar to these displayed in this stunning home in Nantucket. Pics are from House Beautiful via one of my favourite blogs Habitually Chic. Personally I think my boat print would look outstanding in a boys room.

The sweet vintage tins were bought on previous flea market trips but aswell as the boat print today I found this beautiful little ocean painting that was in the ugliest frame so I got rid of that. The lovely seagrass basket I found yesterday on a clearance table at a homewares store. Perfect for summer picnics at the beach or the lake. I know summer is quite a few months away for us Aussie's but when I read Julia's blog everyday I can't help but feel excited about the pending warmth and good times :)

My other purchases for the day included more vintage frames, a white urn and stunning hummingbird tin.

The frame above was perfect for a treasured old sketch of a birdhouse my beloved grandpa made. The last project he built for my mum before he died (miss you everyday Pa). I love how the gold frame really compliments the aged worn paper .

I love the provincial look of this urn. It's not as big and beautiful as yours Gail but it comes close ;)

Look at this amazing tin!^^ The colours are so vibrant and it has just the right amount of chippyness.


With all the rain Sydney has been washed with recently and being sick for over a week it was so nice to get out and about amongst one of my favourite environments again hunting for treasures through everyone elses trash :)


For anyone looking for a beautiful book dedicated to coastal living this book is THE BEST!!! Filled to the max with breathtaking images and ideas you will truly love it as much as I do :)

Gorgeous pictures are via the gorgeous blog Absolutely Beautiful Things .

My newest favourite find :)

This GORGEOUS tufted queen anne style bench is basically my new baby lol.

Last week while I was at the Sydney easter show I came across a stunning pink Parisian style booth selling beautiful handmade jewellery called Frou Frou designs.

I couldn't ignore this stunning display in the booth of a lovely old dressing table and this bench. I asked the sales lady (Peta) if it was for sale and we began talking about it's origin and it's beauty and I kinda got the sense at the time that the owner didn't have any emotional attachments to it.

I made a purchase and left the booth walking away thinking I hadn't really gotten an answer to whether it was for sale or not but assumed since I wasn't carrying it to my car it wasn't lol.

A couple of days went past and I couldn't get it out of my mind (haha pathetic I know). One evening I was chatting to my friend Brook who said she was visiting the show the following day and I thought perhaps if I made an offer on the bench the sales lady would let it go. I asked Brook if she would make the offer on my behalf and she graciously agreed :)

Anyway cutting it short, Brook made the right offer and the bench was mine. I was thrilled!! Jumping up n down ecstatic in fact lol. It turned out Peta was very reluctant to let it go and she did love it as much as me but I assured her it was going to a loving home and would be well looked after :)

This is the kind of vintage furniture you just don't see around much anymore (unless you have one custom made), especially in such great condition. It is the most perfect rose pink velvet and the stunning tufted lid opens for deep storage inside.


I knew it would look perfect in my daughters vintage inspired bedroom. I had actually originally planned to place it at the foot of her bed but then felt it would make a darling bedside table. The bed and bench fit perfectly under the large windows freeing up the wall space for more taller items of furniture.

(my sweet and deserving daughter Sophie)


I'd like to make another special thanks to Peta of Frou Frou designs for allowing me to take this much loved piece home with me. It will be treasured for years to come :)

Brook, thank you dear friend for doing that special favour for me. You rock my world! hehe ;)

And to everyone, check out Frou Frou designs website for some real eye candy. They specialize in stunning bridal and costume jewellery. These pieces of art would make the perfect accessory to wear with your Alannah Hill garmets :)

http://www.froufroudesigns.com.au/Index.htm

Happy hunting...

I had a lovely day today treasure hunting at my local flea markets. You know how some days you can go and find absolutely nothing and other days fill your car? Well today was a good day. Not so much for furniture but there were plenty of trinkets.

Unfortunately I have a weakness for trinkets lol. Ever since I was a little girl I loved collecting tiny porcelain animals etc and displaying them in a glass cabinet. I now have three cabinets filled with all matter of things in my kitchen, livingroom and bathroom. I also have a little white table in my bathroom with a stunning antique'd tray filled with lovely things such as candles, roses, perfume, soaps and bath oils. I like to rotate my treasures every couple of weeks from cabinet to tray :)

Today I found some sweet new items to add to my almost out of control collection lol.

My purchases included a lovely perfume bottle without atomiser (I'll find one to fit another time), two stunning blue glass goblets, a sweet makeup compact, a colclough tea trio (I can never resist a tea set), an unused bottle of Estee Lauder bronzer cream (LOVE the colour of the bottle), a darling little mother of pearl trinket box, a vintage copy of Mary Poppins for my daughter, a vintage airforce tin for my son, a lovely blue and white ceramic ashtray (we're all non smokers here but I still couldn't resist it). I also bought a fabulous large old hat box complete with original travel stickers (excellent for storage) and my favourite purchase for the day was the most beautiful piece of vintage clothing - a satin pink pair of ladies bloomers with antique lace - GORGEOUS!

One last thing, I thought I'd take a pic of my recent Ebay find. A lovely tufted stool I plan to repaint the legs cream.

The best thing was all these items came under $100!

Anyone else spend their sunny sunday at the fleas? I'd love to sticky beek at your finds too!

A dedication to my favourite flea market finds...

(This is a corner of my room that is filled with some of my favourite treasures. Someday when our house is finished and rooms have been added, i'll display all these beauties the way they deserve)

(The stunning ornate Parisian style mirror - very similar to the one in my bathroom - I found in a thrift store for $20 last week while I was on holiday and the brass lamp with pink shade was $10 also found in a thrift store)

(This sweet water colour print of Paris was given to me as a new year present last week from my thrift store partner in crime and bff Brook. She found it at a salvage yard and gave it a little face lift. It's truly one of the nicest gifts I've ever received. I love it...thank you friend :)

(I found this cutie just this past weekend at a garage sale for 50 cents)

(I also found these two little darlings - which I am so in love with - from my local flea market this past weekend for only $1.00 each!)

(I have a lovely collection of pretty floral tea cups found from all matter of places)

(I bought this sweet child size boudoir chair for my daughters room for $20 from ebay)

(This gorgeous bread and biscuit barrel was was probably the best bargin of all as my husband found it laying on the side of the road during a council clean up day - finders keepers lol)

(This is one of my favourite purchases as I won this auction on ebay for only $300. Reproduction french armoires retail for around $2000)

And the link goes on lol... After posting the pic of my adorable pink tufted boudoir chair I found at the local fleas, as well as reading a few posts this week about several people's addiction to thrift stores, I decided to dedicate my post today on MY favourite bargin finds :)

My love affair with market stalls and vintage items started when I was a little girl. Spending almost every holidays with my family at "The lake house" there was and still is a sunday flea market in the local supermarket car park. I remember looking forward to it every week and riding my bike up there along with my sisters and cousins to find something fun and quirky to spend my pocket money on and come home to show off to my family. I think back then it was mainly items like costume jewellery, figurines and sequence purses that captivated my attention which really, when I think about it, are still some of the primary items I search for when treasure hunting lol. I guess the attraction was the fact that everything was so cheap and I could find something unique and grown up that I wouldn't normally be able to afford to buy in a store at that age. You know, once again that is still the general rule of treasure hunting even as an adult whether it be at a flea market, thrift store or yard sale.

Searching for that elusive bargin is the name of the game and oh what fun it is when you find it!

I'm not one to arrive at the fleas before dawn with a torch in hand, nor do I show up at garage sales before the opening time advertised. I go when I feel ready and I'm usually lucky and find some thing that will excite and thrill me. Rarely i'll come home empty handed and the best part is my purchases don't break the bank :)

Some days it'll be pieces of furniture and other days miniature french lady figurines. I don't care about imperfections such as small stains or tiny chips, as the old saying goes - one persons trash is another persons treasure :)

I'd really love to hear about your favourite finds or if you have already made a post about the same topic on your blog, send me a link, I'd love to read about it.