October Suitcase Rummage Update

A great day at the Rummage yesterday.
As predicted the weather was beautiful. Sunny skies all day, lots of happy, shopping people... until a big gusty wind blew us home just before pack up time. We met lots of lovely people again and caught up with a few of our favourite regulars! All in all, a great day!

Here are some of our happy snaps from throughout the day, if you'd like to see...

We still have lots of great pieces left! 

So we will be shooting in the studio today and listing a whole bunch of stuff for sale soon so stay tuned! Add us on facebook! And tell your friends! 

x 

Suitcase Rummage - October

We're off again to sell from the Suitcase Rummage tomorrow. It's forecast to be a beautiful day again and if today is anything to go by, it will be a good one!

Beautiful sunny days. All packed and ready to go (this time I've even made little paper bunting price banners!) Let's hope it's a good one!

x

In the studio

You are my sunshine...
The latest project from the Affirmation collection.

x

In the studio

I've been working on a few new projects this week. Hopefully for the Etsy store but it's all about experimenting this week, seeing what works and what people are interested in.
So, what are we making this week...

ABC wall chart -
These charts are hand printed and are designed to fit in standard frames (sold without frames so it's easier to ship, which means less postage costs for you!) The print below is just a hint at what's brewing in the studio here...

The ABC charts and other variations will be available to buy 

on our Etsy store soon! 

Let us know what you think, if you have a great suggestion or 

something you just have to have! We love to do Made to Order 

projects and we always love your feeback! 

x

Would your little one like this in their room?

What makes you happy?

image from here

1. Weekends (They have a different vibe to them, even if you have other days off during the week)
2. Fresh flowers in the house
3. Day naps (My very fave day nap routine is Bikram yoga, shower, then a nap. Best feeling ever!)
4. Clean crisp sheets and a great book, the kind you can't wait to get home to
5. Cup of tea and a chat with my favourite people, family and friends.

It's all about the simple pleasures.


What are your favourite things? x

I always said that I wanted to live somewhere that never sleeps. I might be a little afraid of the dark. I suppose that's why I like hospitals and hotels... There's always someone around, awake and some lights on. Well I have finally found a really cool alternative (until I find my prefect apartment that is!)
QueenB Candles and candle holders

above is the Park Avenue tealight holder from the NYC collection

Beautiful and very affordable! (And they're Australian!) Have a look at their amazing range here. LOVE!
Wouldn't they be a lovely gift for a baby shower (a grown up friendly version of your typical night lights, just add a faux candle for safety)

This Artichoke tealight holder is another of my favourites!


Which is your favourite!!?!
x

Let's talk business... cards

I've been searching all over, trying to find some inspiration for an simple, interesting, unique (but still appropriate) personal business card design. It's tough.
There are so many out there (good and really bad) and so many things to consider is design options... Embossed or printed? Colour or monotone? Do you bother with colour psychology or is that a new agey waste of time? Is my design too fancy (will it look like I'm trying too hard) or does the simple design look like you don't care enough... etc etc etc
It's exhausting!
But there were some definite favourites out there, so here they are...

Simple with a dash of whimsy (and hand drawn) here

Just lovely! 

Colour and character (and embossed detail) here

PS: I'm a little obsessed with this colour at the moment

Retro inspired (and a little bit fun!) here

...And you begin to see a pattern emerge. 

Similar design elements, font, mood, tone...

Simple, clean, balanced... and a little bit quirky.

I think I've found my design style!

x

Love it!

Totem bowls (and cups)

From Imm Living 

Decor Hacks = love

Decor Hacks. Get into it.

I can't get enough of this site. So creative and every time I leave after viewing these creations, I begin to see potential everywhere, as things could be. So exciting. My faves right now are...

- Basket shade Image via here

Vintage egg basket + exposed light = lovely! Imagine the shadows cast by this beauty.

For a small version, try using a lamp base (without the base, just the cord and bulb) and a lighter weight basket (cane, metal, etc) 

- Foxy lamp

Oh-my-gosh-so-cute-and-beautiful! And apparently you can use this idea with any shape or creation! Create your own using Matsutake's tutorial here

- Doily lamp shade

Oh, this appeals to my Nanner-isms, but in a cool and crafty way.

Love it. Check out how to here.

Have you made/found any great DIY projects around lately?

x

Room renovation/redecoration on a budget is a continual project... This week it's a bedhead. After trying to source a decent vintage or retro piece I decided on a diy project. It's a work in progress (pictures soon) but in the mean time, here are a few of my favourite sources of inspiration while on this project.

Love a pop of colour. A bedhead is the perfect piece to update your room with seasonal colour, pattern and style. 

Check out the DIY tute for the above project here

This simple upholstered bedhead is embroidered with detail. Perfect for a child's room. Try a simple version of this by painting on your design. Get creative with pattern and stencils. 

Make this bedhead from ready made canvas frames (from all good junk/cheap shops) and cover in your favourite fabric. Finish by attaching all frames together and hang as one panel (use a back board to glue/nail each frame to) Simple! 

Check the tutorial here

(And If you like a challenge, check out this amazing tufted headboard tutorial post from LittleGreenNotebook)

x

Modern Manners - Cafe etiquette

This week I've encountered some hellish customers in cafes who need to re-read the book of etiquette, and then some!
So today I've picked my Top 5 Modern Manners for the Cafe/Restaurant to share with you.
See what you think...


CAFE - Dos and Don'ts 

1. If you have made a booking, DO arrive on time.
- If your group is not the punctual type, organise your meeting with flexibility in mind (for example, takeaway coffee in the park).

2. DO order with efficiency.
- Stand well back until you decide what to order.
- When ordering, make eye contact with and greet the cashier. Be clear and concise in your order.
Don't carry on a conversation with others while ordering (phone or the company you're with)
- Have your money ready.

3. DO use the manners you taught your children/were taught as a child. 
- Say please and thank you. Particularly as your order arrives and when leaving the cafe.

4. DON'T overstay your welcome
- Don't linger near close time, complain when refused service after close time or stay past your booking time. Be considerate of the venue/staff and organise your catch up with plenty of time to spare for an enjoyable experience all round.

5. DON'T expect to use the facilities if you aren't a customer. (The bathroom, WC... Whatever you call it, Don't shop and plop! Vulgar it may be, but it has to be said) I don't care if you're a paying customer, just work it out... AT HOME!
If you must use the facilities, DO tip for the convenience or make a token purchase in gratitude.


Here are some more great reads on wine etiquette and dinner etiquette. 

(What are your etiquette Dos and Don'ts when you're out and about?) x

Suitcase Rummage

My friend and I booked in to sell at the Suitcase Rummage Sunday and we were granted with the perfect day for it! Woke up to the bluest sky and a beautiful day (with just a hint of winter in the air, yay!) 

Perfect market weather!

(The stall next to ours was taking/selling polaroid pictures. We thought it was such a cute idea we got one ourselves!)

The Rummage is a great way to get out there and sell - newly crafted, vintage/retro or just unwanted, without the stress of a serious 4.30am start, full set up and looong day (It's a great way to get a new wardrobe together too! But more about that later)

All in all we had a lovely day, met some wonderful people, made some great sales and found some new treasures! A+



We're you at the Rummage? Did you enjoy? We'd love to hear from you!

x

Just quickly

image here

I saw this post recently over at kararosenlund's blog and now I can't get the idea of string bags out of my head! I'd love to have one hanging in my kitchen to store onions in (I have been storing my potatoes and onions together but, strange-and-boring-fact-of-the-day, apparently the gasses released by these veges together cause them to rot faster.)
Such a great yet simple storage idea!
x

Back to business

I'm at more and more business functions lately and I'm beginning to feel the boredom of dressing for business rather than fashion/fun. So I'm challenging myself this week to find 3 simple ways to "fun-up" my business wear (while still remaining business appropriate of course)

1. Accessorise 

Right now I LOVE a good neon bag. The perfect way to funk up your ensemble and still remain business appropriate. My favourites... American Apparel, Clutchny and Claire Vivier.

Image via here

 2. Be bold

image via here

With clever use of colour, any outfit can be transformed. This coral colour is the perfect pop for winter. When adding a statement piece, keep the colours to a minimum, choose just one accent colour to team with your neutrals (avoiding colour overload. Less is more) 

Try jacket a bold jacket, scarf, belt, pants, or lipstick

3. Layers, texture, pattern

Try mixing textures and patterns to create subtle point of interest. Keep it simple and start with one colour, working various patterns and texture together (like this). Once you've got the hang of it, get creative and introduce subtle colour into the mix. (Think Teen Vogue)

I really love this for inspiration

x

I got up early today and ventured across the city (to this awesome place) to source some leather (to make this)
Unfortunately I couldn't find any pieces that were just right but I did find some other great little bits and pieces for some upcoming projects. Here's what I found...

Left: Cardboard shapes and perspex bars (perfect for the sunbeam mirror project I'm working on, a great variety of textures and shades), R/top: Industrial bottle tops (these will come in handy for my next mirror project, the portal mirror) and R/bottom: fabric offcuts (intended for the interior of my A4 clutch, once I source some suitable leather offcuts)

I've begun to lay out the Sunbeam mirror, playing with shape and pattern.
Here's a sneak peak...

There are some great inspiration ideas over at my new favourite site Decor Hacks (check out the Hacks tab) I'm big on space saving and stream lining at the moment, I love this cool cable reel storage table and this nifty printer drawer. 

Have you attempted any DIY lately? I'd love to hear about it! 

x

Being back

So, I am rediscovering my little blog.


After quite a while off, not really contributing much to this place, I've come back to NOW&then.
It's been a huge year and a half. (it's been that long... it feels like yesterday that I just began this!) Lots of big, bad, earth shaking things have happened during this time... A break from things was necessary. 
But it's necessary to keep on going, one foot in front of the other.


Now I've decided it is the start of good things happening again, of new projects growing and succeeding and getting creative again. 
I'm looking forward to it. x

image source unknown

... "Then one day she decided to design a life that she loved.

You've got every right to a beautiful life." - Anon

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, by Portia Nelson

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters

Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost …. I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend that I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in this same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit … but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter Four
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down another street.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters, by Portia Nelson

An excerpt from JoannaGoddard.blogspot.com

Back in 1958, John Steinbeck, author of East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men, got a letter from his teenage son Thom, in which Thom confessed that he had fallen desperately in love with a girl named Susan at his boarding school.

Steinbeck wrote this wise and wonderful letter back to him the same day...

New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First -- if you are in love -- that's a good thing -- that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don't let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second -- There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you -- of kindness and consideration and respect -- not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply -- of course it isn't puppy love.

But I don't think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it -- and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone -- there is no possible harm in saying so -- only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another -- but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I'm glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens -- The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

(Via Letters of Note. Top photo by Maddie Joyce; photo of Steinbeck with his sons John and Thom in 1954, courtesy UC Berkeley; the letter originally appeared in this book.)

cup cosy

Is this the cutest thing ever!?!!

from here