The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Monday, 8 September 2014

Using what you have.

I am really in luck that rustic and salvaged things are everywhere in home ware stores and magazines. The prices for some old things are just amazing. Like my old ladders I use for my tea towels and things would be so much in a store but I just wait until I find things and consider it the thrill of the hunt!

 If you love the look of romantic old things use what you have first of all! If say, you have old watering cans, google or use Pinterest and search "decorating with watering cans" or just "old watering cans" and you will have a list of ideas. Old rakes are another that I keep seeing, oars, crates, baskets, gates... (ooh gates as a headboard for a bed are gorgeous!) and so on. Giving old things new life is just wonderful.

 After Lucy's wedding I took a while to choose the photos I would like enlarged. So many to choose from! In the end I have chosen the ones that really mean the most to me, for various reasons, like the one of my Dad holding Lucy's head in his hands and kissing her...

 In my wardrobe I had 5 large sturdy frames in a dark wood. I just painted these with ceiling white and this gave me a matching series. They are in a row in the hallway and look lovely!




They look great and so the cost of framing was $0!

I have admired photos framed in old window frames. And during the year I found window frames on the side of the road in front of a house being renovated (on our street!) They were filthy but just what I wanted and with that old fashioned think glass with little bubbles through it...

Well, I did need some help and Andy made backing boards to do this but I love them!


I added the old keys which I had saved somewhere along the line...



This all really fits in our home and I'm really happy. And the best bit is every time I walk along the hallway my heart is lifted seeing all these images of the most happy day.

This was a project I was dying to do and finding the windows was perfect timing. 

The very best up cycling projects though are using things that have been in the family. Our coffee table is so rustic... when I was little I remember Mum cutting the legs off an old table (turned legs too) to make a low table for us to play at. That today is our coffee table. I just love it! My dining room table was my Nana's dining room table and I love having that. They are interesting and have a story...

A beautiful blog with so many ideas like these that inspires me so much is Miss Gracie's House. Her family portraits are just divine as well. She uses old birdcages, gates, all kinds of "junk" and her home is so gorgeous!

Inspiration like this keeps me really from ever wanting to buy things from the shops. Collecting instead is so much fun.

I hope you might be inspired to use something you have lurking in the shed for a decorating project! 
xxx
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11 comments:

  1. Mrs. Kelley Dibble9 September 2014 at 03:31

    In a word, lovely!

    No, two: lovely indeed!

    Thanks for sharing,
    Kelley~

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    1. Annabel9 September 2014 at 04:42

      Thanks Kelley, I am so glad to have these photos up. They are a joy to see. I was just looking at the photos of your Mums birthday! xxx

      Delete
  2. 56steps9 September 2014 at 04:28

    What a dress! I love it. You did a great job with the framing. The pictures look fabulous

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    1. Annabel9 September 2014 at 04:40

      Thank you! I really adored Lucy's dress... it was the palest milky pinky colour. Its so nice to have the pictures up Thank you for your comment I really appreciate it.

      Delete
  3. Nanna Chel9 September 2014 at 19:58

    What a dress! I thought the photo was from a magazine at first. Just amazing. Your photo frames are just fabulous.

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    Replies
    1. Annabel9 September 2014 at 20:04

      Thanks Nanna Chel. Everytime I look at these photos my heart just bursts! Thank you!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous9 September 2014 at 20:31

    Gorgeous in all ways , Lucy, dress, photos , framing and setting , you are such a busy happy bee Annabel :-) Which reminds me of my little grandson today helping his mum do a clothes tidy in his little sisters room, he found a bee costume and put on the pretty yellow and black wings,and went out into the yard , but came back disappointed telling his mum ..but my wings aren't flying ! Love Maria xx

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  5. Tania9 September 2014 at 21:52

    You have me inspired now! Such lovely ideas Annabel. The frames look fantastic and so does the dress.

    I have been having a "nosey" around your blog and you have many great ideas, so much so that I have been attempting a couple over the last few weeks. Things like making some homemade cards, and crocheting borders around pretty fabric to use as doileys, and they look good too! I even painted a pretty pink lid for my bathroom jar and added a rose. I am just prettying my house up a bit as it was a bit bland. I cant paint my furniture (although I would like to) because hubby wouldn't be pleased, as they are family antiques and he wants them original. So I am going to have to accessorise instead, but that's okay, I will still get to paint things :)

    xTania

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    Replies
    1. Annabel10 September 2014 at 00:01

      Tania thank you! Feel free to show me any photos of anything you make as I would really love to see. It is amazing what we can do with things we have, come across and how pretty touches make so much difference! Thank you for such a beautiful comment.xxx

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  6. Mimi10 September 2014 at 16:15

    Just exquisite Annabel. Who could ask for anything lovelier :)

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  7. Annabel12 September 2014 at 01:33

    I wanted to share this review from Kaye...

    Oh my mind is buzzing and Amy is so excited also as we can do some projects over the summer holidays. I can see us covering up the kitchen table with plastic cloths and/or newspaper and having "craft" days. What types of glue do you recommend we buy? Do you use a hot glue gun or just one that dries clear for your projects. I hope other ladies are thinking what CAN I do when they read your e-book! I don't think of myself as terribly creative, but it was a great exercise as I really thought of a few things that I can actually do reasonably well!

    We can have everything we want can't we?? It is incredible to me that I get to live a fabulous life really and enjoy things so much as they can be achieved for a small budget if you set your mind to it. How exciting hey??

    Well I must go now, but as you can tell I am pretty excited.

    Thank you Kaye this is a great review!xxx

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments thank you! The aim of my blog is the be a place of encouragement and happiness. Very rarely is anyone rude. Actually only twice so far! If you post a rude or aggressive comment I will read it but not publish it, thanks for understanding.xxx

Spam is never published... if you are advertising a product or selling website your comment wont be published. I am inundated with stuff about drugs, horses and weird things! I am not going to publish this stuff! Thank you.




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