Hannah's Watercolours

I don't know about you, but I only began to truly appreciate children's artwork when I became a mother myself.

(Okay, Hannah drawing on the 2 day old freshly painted white wall with my foundation cream was NOT pleasant... but that was 2 years ago and since then she's learnt to draw and paint only on her desk and on either her notebooks or scrap paper.)



I bought her a watercolour book last month, along with a $2 paint pallette... she's been showing some great potential in art and crafts and I wanted to capture some... and have I!



And complete with her autograph

Inspired

I have to clear space for a new, better wardrobe so my three pink plates have to go someplace else...

I've been so inspired by this image:

Image from Country Living

I just bought a wire shelf off eBay that looks alot like the one above... But not as old and rustic.

Can't wait to get it up on the wall!

(And get a wardrobe to fit that space.)

Tiles as table runner?

I am going to start collecting vintage tiles. Put it down the table in the middle and walla! A completely unique table runner.



(As if I need another collection!)

Vintage poetry book for children

As you will know if you've read my blog long enough, I have a small collection of vintage children's books.

My recent acquisition, Aladdin jewel-like book:



The whimsical vintage Ameliaranne Bridesmaid book:



My treasured House By Mouse book:



And my other mouse books...

To add to my collection is this beautiful thriftstore find in Glenbrook, NSW.

Dunno's Adventures 4 by Nikolai NOSOV. This one's How Dunno Became a POET. Printed in 1984.

Gorgeous huh?

I wish I had a reading nook for Hannah. Maybe when we move. She misses it so much.

I keep looking for a vintage plate rack in my thriftstore and eBay travels. I plan to use it to display my vintage children's books. Like this one from Martha Stewart:



Don't you have special books you love to pore over on special rainy days? I love to read to Hannah on gloomy days with some brightly lit lamps, or pore over the tiny images with a quiet but quick toast and coffee on Saturday morning before taking to a paintbrush. They make fantastically whimsical gifts to newborn bubs.

Make sure you look through some gorgeous reading corners from a previous blogpost. So many good ideas to steal.

Like using the oft-forgotten empty space behind the door for a reading nook. What else can you store there? Brooms? Store a pretty lamp on a little table, chuck some cushions, a beanbag... books... and you have the cutest, most special secret reading corner for a little one!

My girls...

I finally got the gift my sister got for my birthday last Sep 2009 a frame and a home on the wall. I love it there.

Last week, I scored a gilt, wooden, ornate frame for it while thrift-shopping (yay!). I had every intention of painting the frame a lovely egg blue but when the Kate Spade print was inserted, it felt complete.

My Kate Spade print from Etsy seller KathrynElyse

My MIL loves it too!

Of course, in this tiny home I have to be so careful what I place on the walls. I can't wait to get back into a proper house (I so miss my previous home) so I can put up my other pieces, like my David Downton and Janet Hill collection.

So for now, I treasure these splendid one offs.

On a nearby wall I have just ONE Janet Hill up.



Nearby again, I have this small, sweet vintage oil painting of a lady in pink, staring into the sea. I got her from the Camberwell Markets, VIC a year ago. I love her.



If you have been following me for a while now, you've seen pictures of my previous home and would have deduced the obvious fact: I love art.

Some of my favourite fashion prints from Etsy:

Lene from Podgehodge

Marie loves fashion from brooklit

Rose Suspenders from abigailpamela

Cricket from jkldesign

Ella from whatHEloves

Flora from sandrasuy

Martyna from Amilka

Audrey II from brooklit

Mystie II from brooklit

Maternity Picasso from CarolDesign

Joey from finalfashion

Sandrine from hollyillustration

improper British ladies from ZoeHong

Sparkle Fashion from ZoeHong