Creating Vintage Charm Launch Party

A huge congratulations to Sonia over at Creating Vintage Charm on the launch of her new magazine, Creating Vintage Charm.  I’m fortunate enough to have contributed to the magazine, and I can’t wait to see it!

Today we’re celebrating the launch of the magazine, with the party,

Show Your Vintage Charm

I’m going to share with you today a little collection I’ve started of beautiful antique Victorian cups {with one moustache cup in there}

I don’t know a lot about them, except that they are German/Bavarian

And that I love the beautiful textures on each one

and the lovely sentiments.

The one above has rubbed off over time.  I wonder what it said?

I also hear they’re souvenir mugs too – they’re getting harder to find as they become more popular.

I’m so glad I have my three!

They add prettiness and vintage charm to the area they’re placed in.

Gorgeous on their own, or with simple cut flowers from the garden!

Thanks for hosting the party today Sonia!

Natasha xo

Revamp It 2010!

Welcome to Revamp It 2010!

If you are participating, please be sure to add your link at the end of this post using the “Add your link” button. 

IMPORTANT – please add the link to your ACTUAL Revamp It POST, not just a link to your blog!

This year I have revamped a couple of things for the party. 

First up is a vintage magazine rack I have had for a while.  It started out very simply…

Then I had my father cut a wood piece to size for the top…

I painted the metal cream, and the wood top pale blue…

And I added some stripes and neutral roses in acrylics

Sealed with varnish…

Voila!

The second thing I revamped was this vintage nightie I mentioned in my previous post

I cut away the lining, and had planned on chopping it in half, making a skirt, and a little shrug/cardigan from the top….

but I had a few issues, namely, leaving this additional project to the last minute…. and found that I had no knit fabric suitable for lining a skirt!

Then I had a light bulb moment!

I needed to make myself an apron for the market next week, one with pockets….

So I started cutting and folding and pinning and embellishing and sewing…

And I hand stitched together a sweet little apron!

I used the sleeves as ties at the back!

 

I hope you’ll join in – if you have recently revamped something, be sure to add your link, and please link to this actual post {not just to my blog!}

If you’re visiting, please stop by and check out the participants’ revamps and say hello!

Thanks for stopping by!

Natasha xo

green

I’ve had a love for green for as long as I can remember.  It’s a colour that I can wear against my olive skin… it’s a colour I love having in my home…it’s gender neutral…. and comes in so many varied shades.

Here are just a sprinkling of the green around me that I snapped in 10 minutes this afternoon

These stunning green blossoms are on my neighbour’s tree, just starting to bloom

a couple of vintage green jewellery pieces, both gifts from lovely friends in the US

green sparkle frame awaiting the perfect photo

gifted green vintage boxes in our bedroom

another gifted goody, my favourite vintage tin ever

today I found these awesome green dishes

Don’t you think they look like vintage green glass? Or Depression Glass?

Well, they’re actually “candle dishes” from Target!

Last week was my birthday, and I came home to this fabulous gift at my front door, from my sweet friend Kirstie

She knows I love green… and she is so thoughtful and kind, and put together a wonderful green vintage wallpaper box {she made it herself, and a little birdie told me she is going to start selling some soon…..} filled with green fabulousness!  Green trims, sparkles and a ruffled green vintage nightie!

The nightie is going to get the revamp treatment….

I’ve already done my Revamp It project for the party in 2 days, but I want to try to get this one revamped in time, too.

What’s your favourite colour?

Natasha xo

Revamp It reminder

Wow, is it really September 21 already?

Revamp It 2010 is happening in 3 days {or 4 days, if you’re above the equator}!

Here’s the sidebar button all nice and little at 220 pixels wide, if you want to snag it

I do hope you will join in! Last year it was so much fun.  There was also a  Q&A interview with me about Revamp It in Artful Blogging,

Here’s a link to show you some of the things we made.

You don’t have to revamp clothing! Revamp ANYTHING!  Just take pics before and after, and during, if you like. You can share tips or tricks that you found useful too.

You don’t have to sign up here ~ just join in on the day ~

On the day there will be instructions on leaving a link to your direct Revamp It post, working out how to use one of those Mr Linky things, and I hope to have that up and running.

Feel free to spread the word, I’ll be all happy and appreciative if you do! {thanks!}

Natasha xo

snow!

I must have been hiding under a rock.  Last week was the first time I had heard about a small ski resort up at Lake Mountain.  I had only ever been to the snowfields once in my life, about 25 years ago….

I’ve been nagging at my husband every year to go up to the big resorts, like Mt Buller. But each time we look into it, going for a few days costs an absolute fortune!  Getting there, accommodation, ski hire, lift passes, clothes, food…. so we just haven’t been.

{Maroondah Reservoir, Healesville}

But when I found out about Lake Mountain being only a few hours drive away…. and knowing we can hire gear, supporting businesses in the fire-ravaged town of Marysville – well that just seemed a better option all round.

It was very eerie driving up to the mountain, seeing blackened trees, contrasting with the overcast white sky and rain.

The mountains were basically covered in dead sticks of trees.  This was all surrounding the town of Marysville, down in the valley. Those poor souls didn’t stand a chance….

The lady at the ski hire shop said she lost her home and her business, but she reminds herself that she is still here, and 43 local people, many she knew, are not.

We did see lots of new growth.  Lots of green leaves growing back on the eucalyptus trunks, and lots of fern cover.

And several businesses in town are operating again, albeit, many out of portable buildings.  They’re moving on, and building construction is happening all around.

Hopefully, one day soon, the town of Marysville {and all the other towns ruined by the fires} will become what they once were.  The local businesses need our support & custom.

This was the little guy’s first ever snow experience.

Hubby drove the winding roads up the mountain, and we were greeted by cold and wind,

it was exciting!

Seeing that it is nearly the end of snow season, and that it hadn’t snowed for 5 days up there, the snow coverage wasn’t fantastic.  But we didn’t care.

We hung around one of the toboggan areas and just rode down the hill, and trudged up the hill, over and over and over!

It was quite exhausting! But we were warm in all our padded snow gear.

Leroy had a blast!  He tried to beat Daddy in toboggan races…

And they both fell off a few times!

He made his first snow angel…

…pretended to surf the snow…

…was constantly smiling…

…and threw lots of snowballs at hubby and I!

He found a snowman {we can’t take the credit for this one} and posed with him as though Frosty was real!

We are really looking forward to going back again next year, and spending a few days there, at somewhere like this place, when it is more snowy in August.

An action filled day with many different feelings… eeriness, sadness, hope, happiness, and excitement.

We’ll definitely be back!

Natasha xo