Twiceloved China

I just discovered the coolest Etsy shop (thanks to my Frankie Magazine e-newsletter). Twiceloved China sound just like me!!! They are from Perth, Australia and love fossicking around charity shops, boot sales and finding treasures! They turn their finds into gorgeous wall pieces, clocks and rings. They are so beautiful, I want them all.

A dove of peace $49 Photos from Twiceloved china

Vintage china plate clock $39 Photos from Twiceloved china

Be my Valentine

Happy Valentines Day everyone. I made my Valentine Lemon and Sour Cream cupcakes. They are in red cupcake cases with white icing, all in good Valentine tradition.

There are 12 altogether and I am hoping he won't be able to eat all of them himself and will need a helping hand from a certain someone. Yummy. xx

To market, to market

Had a lovely trip to the Camberwell markets this morning. As usual there were so many amazing things that I would love to have given a new home too, but alas returned with 5 new bread and butter plates in gorgeous pastel hues for a bargain of $5.

Here are some other pretty plates I found in my travels.

Red Door Corner Store

Just been out for breaky in Northcote. Found this sweet lil cafe on Broadsheet and as always it did not disapoint. As soon as we arrived and I spotted the vintage sugar bowls and spoons I knew I was inlove.

70 Mitchell Street
Northcote
www.reddoorcornerstore.com.au

One teaspoon or two...

No tea set is complete without a collectors teaspoon. I recently got to photograph my boyfriend Marks, Nana Mancers, sweet little cottage in Manaia, New Zealand. And presented on the wall in her living room was this gorgeous collection.

I love the photo so much we have a framed version sitting on the windowsill in our lounge. 

This little peggy

Lately my evenings have been spent sipping tea and knit knit knitting!! As I haven't done it since I was a child I pretty much had to reteach myself. I used youtube to learn how to cast on and cast off because either Mum, Aunty Alison or Gran would do that tricky stuff all those years ago. After a few hiccups... I won't bore you with the details, but my 'square' came out as a half circle. I have managed to make 9 peggy squares. Oh so proud of myself.

I keep all my wool, needles and finished peggy squares in my Grans old knitting bag which is totally cool. Makes me feel like a real granny curled up on the couch, with a pot of tea, counting stitches and knit knit knitting.

Lavender tinted glasses

Just spent a glorious sunny, Sunday in Daylesford.

First stop was brunch at Breakfast and Beer followed by a wander through the gorgeous streets of Daylesford. Then off to The Mill Markets which is a goldmine of vintage and antique bits and bobs. As you can imagine I went straight for the teacups and was in my element. So many cute sets.

Next stop was the Lavendula, a Swiss Italian lavender farm. It is harvest season at the moment and they were having a festival to celebrate. There were bands playing, petanque, lavender ice-cream, lavender Champagne, lavender scones, lavender lemonade, bunches and bunches of dried and fresh lavender and a sweet lil French guy harvesting it all with a sythe. I felt like I was in the middle of France (even though it was originally founded by Italian-speaking Swiss immigrants).

The sweet lil French guy harvesting the lavender | Fresh lavender waiting to be made into lavender water and oil | Bunches of dried lavender in a basket (this pic is going to be the inspiration for my peggy-square blanket, watch this space).

Cute jars and urns and things | Fresh lavender all tied up and ready to be sold | Dried lavender in gorgeous old washing tubs

All in all a lovely way to spend a sunny summers day.