In regards to Christmas decorating
I'm keeping it simple this year..
Just a few decorations out..
a light silver streak of a tree..
a few touches here and there...
just little reminders
that its Christmas time..
and not the big pack up afterwards..
Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas everyone
Finally home..
Furniture sitting nicely in its new nook...
You know when you stand there and look at your new purchase
'cause its just so "right"
and you are sorely tempted to clutter it up with your special treasures on top..
but you show restraint..
because you also know that a simple blue depression glass jug
filled with white hydrangeas..
and a tall glass apothocary jar
standing tall
just enough....
let the furniture do the talking...
Alicia
oh yes indeedy
I wont clutter up my furniture
but that does mean I can clutter up my ebay store with more goodies.
Very large rose tray
stunning trinket box
resist if you can...
Yes I am guilty of it..
I love to rearrange furniture
Sometimes I don't have much choice because I'm always bringing in new furniture for my ebay store
I love this old cedar meatsafe I bought at a garage sale..
its got a few extra bits on it that weren't there originally
quirky
character
Love the combination
so added a few more favourite things to the top
Alicia
and here are some little beauties I currently have available in my ebay store
Sharing the bloggy love
Here in Australia
such terrible things have occured in Queensland with the floods..
I'm sure you all know
if you want to help and get a donation there quick you can go here..
Donate to the Flood Relief appeal
When that special parcel arrives in the post..
its a moment to savour
cause normally its just those letters with the windows
and reminders of how your wallet has opened far too often during the year
So I didnt open this straight away
I wanted to enjoy it
and all its special details..
I don't think I have received a parcel with such beautiful details..
But that was only a small peek as to the delights it held inside..
Yes its true...
I won a giveaway over at Adeline Country Cottage,
well I'm a liker on her facebook page you know
so I get to hear about these giveaways first..
So beautifully made and tastefully wrapped..
The most divine gift tags I have seen
I mean they are just so beautiful, I can't stand the thought of writing on them...
So I'm not
I'm doing a little Christmas decorating with them instead..
with my vintage ornaments..
and on our Christmas tree...
Dont they just look divine?
these gorgeous gift tags..
From Kirstie at Adeline Country Cottage
she makes tags not just for Christmas but all occasions
so do pop over for a visit
Although these Christmas ones are doing the dance on our tree for me right now...
and there were so many embellishments on that glorious parcel...
they had to be used all around the house...
Have a blessed and Merry Christmas everyone...
From a home on a Mountain in Australia in summer
we may even have snow this year the way the weather is going
Stranger things have happened!
Alicia
As most of you Aussies already know but a lot of my overseas readers may not
is that Australia was in a drought situation for a long time, many years in fact
but this year the drought has broken
and well
its just wet
it rains A LOT
but I love it cause we are actually not very used to it anymore.
The summer rain...
I'm sure those putting up with flooding rivers at the moment would disagree
but we are on a mountain with rich red volcanic soils
and the garden is going nuts
But its the light I wanted to show you...
that clear Australian light is amazing in between rain showers
It lifts ones soul
and when a shaft of that clear bright light speared and shattered against my favourite chandelier yesterday
I had to take a memory of it
How it danced and sang for a brief moment before the rain clouds gathered again..
some crystals on a bird cage stand...
before the clouds gathered..
that spectacular and amazing Australian light on a mountain
Alicia
and some goodie goodie yum yums. in my ebay store
Military trunks from the 1940's...
and some vintage hankies in original blue wren box
Finally I have unpacked my vintage ornaments
I did have plans to stick to a soft blue and silver theme this year..
But when I opened the boxes, a riot of vintage colour leaps out
and I cant resist..
Its sort of like visiting one of those ice cream bars..
I mean how can you possibly choose
so why not have one of each
and that vintage glass, boy does it gleam
a candy coloured Christmas
of my favourite vintage baubles
and paper thin glass in impossible shapes
with handpainted glitter and bling
A Victorian candle holder for Christmas tree lights..
German glitter on little cellophane windowed houses...
and a big bright tinsel and glittery glass Christmas tree
that nearly touches the ceiling..
Have a lovely Vintage Christmas wont you?
Alicia
and in my store...
I'm sure Santa would love to take a seat on this shabby white chair...
and put his feet up on this...
This was the front entrance to Greystanes...
Just after we removed the horrid 1980's Laura Ashley blurk wallpaper...
the clotted cream yellow trims were still there...
Before
Before
During...
After....
The door hasnt been painted because well
I want to replace it.
Its too old and it sticks and the wonky old leadlight is falling out...
Its on the list
The list is a long one
I think everyone has a list like that...
and because we have been finishing off this front room
I have been clearing out treasures to my ebay store
so I dont have to clutter it up again..
Like this little beauty..
and this...
and who wouldn't want a French enamel ware candlestick holder hmmm?
One of the special things about living on our Mountain in Australia is picking the youngest up from school and coming home to some of these lovelies sitting on our Verandah rails..
This is a King Parrot and he likes our Apples, if he asks, we give!
For a wild bird they are quite tame, they take the food from our hands, I think the tourists feed them seeds down the road at the park.
I do love their visits to our home though, one advantage of living near a forest.
People who know me well, also know that I love to rearrange furniture, its a pleasant past time to have in my opinion, you just have to have lots of tips on how to not scratch your wooden floor ~
* I have lots of old woollen blankets, maneuver your furniture on top of one (folded in half) and it slides to its next position ~ easy! You can also use old towels, carpet squares etc
* have a partner with strong muscly arms who will do it for you (this is my personal preference, also easy on the eyes...)
SO when I had to move this piece of furniture out of its original spot, due to a wall switch having to be replaced...(by "I" I do mean our lovely electrician and myself who has lots of good ideas including using the carpet square to move a heavy armoire, but that is another story..)
It reminded me how I loved the lines of this Antique Armoire, it was sitting in a recess and you couldnt see the sides...
So I looked in the front room and thought it was time for a swapsies with the desk..
Took a little time and input from members of the family and friends (some interested most not..) as to have it flush against the wall or...
have it on an angle so you can see the SIDES...
swapped the rugs around too...
I think it works better....
and now the desk is in the recess..(this used to be part of Greystanes original kitchen which has since been moved..)
This gorgeous American desk ( made in Cincinnati, Ohio, a loooong way from home now residing in Australia!) comes in three parts so took a little bit of work to move..
To this...
Added a few of my favourite treasures ~ might take a few away, perhaps a little too much, what do you think??
and inside..
and now for the rest of the house, cause what you don't see in the photos is all the stuff I pushed to one side...
Alicia
Oh and do check out my ebay store cause I have found more treasures to move on, too much here to stay!
the sweetest Royal Harvey side plates..
A lovely pink German "Father" cup...
And can you ever have too many cherubs in your home??
Followers of this blog will know by now that I have a serious addiction..
to treasure hunting
So much so that my own little business rose out of it like a phoenix from the fire
(hows that for dramatic!)
And it works in well for me
Because to be honest, we wouldn't be able to afford to furnish this big old 1900's house with all new furniture.
So to find a time worn piece at a market, garage sale, estate sale for cheaper than new but with a whole lot more character
well that makes my day
and it fills the house
and it feeds the kids
Because if I bring home something to the house that I like better
then the other one goes off for sale
either at my EBAY STORE
or to people who pop over to Greystanes to pick up other items.
or some of my regular customers who are after that special "treasure"
You can visit my little business over here in EBAY AUSTRALIA
I've been very lucky over the years and met some wonderful people, and helped them carry their new found furniture out to their cars and trailers
Even helped pull a few trailers out of the mud (yes you know who you are sweet people!)
and we really dont mind at all
cause we love to see people happy with our treasures too
it makes me smile, it makes me happy,
and it feeds the kids
and everyone knows that a happy wife makes a happy home
Dont let anyone tell you otherwise
I mean everyone's gotta cut loose a bit sometimes don't they..
Let the inner colourful soul out ...
you see, everyone's been going SO nuts for white white white lately ~ me included...
Felt like I needed a paint can of colour for one brief shining moment..
splash away those whites, neutral, burlap and red pin stripes..
grab that paint can ..
and dash it across the floor..
a Rhapsody of decadence..
Felt like I should have been dancing bare foot, Stevie Nicks style on its velvet plushness..
Bells tinkling on my skirt as it twirls..
A true bohemian Rhapsody of the decadent kind..
with not much white at all, not even a dash of neutrals.
oh yes breath it in ~ that decadent dash of colour...
for tomorrow my burlap pillows await...
You can purchase this Bohemian beauty in my ebay store ~ go on you know you want a bit of colour in your life ;0)
