a new home.

things have been a bit quiet here on the blog of late, but it's not been quiet in life's happenings.

we've just made the big (and exciting) leap and became first home owners. it's all gone pretty smoothly so far (thank goodness) without much trouble in our dealings with the bank, conveyancer and real estate agent. the whole house buying process was all new to us so there was a bit of stress with how to go about making an offer, building inspections, getting financial approval, the need for a conveyancer, taking out insurance.. the list goes on.

and today we got to pick up the keys and have a good look around.
the house is a simple 2 bedroom home with mostly original mint-coloured kitchen and bathroom and a quaint outdoor (part of the back verandah) laundry and second loo.
there's a mismatch of carpets, cream paint and a rather unsightly suspended ceiling but the bones are good and as I look around all I see is potential.
outside there's a pair of orange trees, a lemon, cumquat and fig tree... the startings of what I hope will become a very productive permaculture space. and chooks again... I can't wait.

I'm looking forward to updating as we go and have taken plenty of 'before' photos to share. x

little tienda

another dress. a bit of a change as this one is not made by me, instead it's a little tienda dress (my second one now) and in a beautiful shade of blue with a rainbow of embroidery. I took the hem up on it and it's now the prefect length for me and oh so comfortable to wear.
teamed with my favourite tan lotta clogs, wewood watch, op-shopped silver bangle and a timber bracelet from deadwood creative (it's amazingly made from a skateboard)

with beautiful autumn temps these last few days I'm getting as much wear from this beauty before it cools down too much. x

happenings and a winner.

the days are flying by here.
overtime at work has seen another week go quickly by
the op-shops have been generous in their offerings
the spinach and kale that lay dormant over winter has sprung to life.
I've been busy making rough puff pastry (using this recipe) and filling it with homegrown spinach and market-purchased cheese
the sweet peas are in bloom. as is the lavender
we made a Biltong box and my love has been enjoying the dried meat. I hope to share a little DIY to make your own Biltong box if you're interested.
I've been blessed with a few parcels from blog friends filled with vintage sheets, LGBs and tea towels
a new camera lens was purchased as an early Christmas present. i'm enjoying playing with it
I also picked a winner for the little tea towel cushion cover give away. and that winner is...

Elaina of A little bit country.

if you could email me your address i'll post the cushion cover and a couple of other goodies your way.

zara-117(at)hotmail(dot)com

 

 

what have you been up to lately?

happy mail. times 3

parcels in the mail, one of my very favourite things...

first up this delightful little envelope packed full of treasures from Lea of life, love and making stuff. this parcel is part of Lea's lovely little mail swap. (your parcel is on it's way to you).

next the sweetest little LGB to add to the collection all the way from the other side of the country. thank you Kylie.

and lastly this book by Frankie called Spaces. wow. it really is stunning. if you like mismatched furniture and décor, vintage mixed with modern, and unique homely homes then you'll love this book. it features a few of my favourite bloggers homes too. you can purchase a copy here.

have you received any happy mail lately?

wearing: lotta from stockholm

another wearing post.
you'd be right if you thought you'd seen this dress before, I shared it with you at the end of 2013. Gosh I cant believe that was nearly 4 months ago. the year is just flying on by.
this time I styled it a little differently and paired it with my latest purchase, a pair of Lotta from Stockholm clogs. I had been admiring these lovely little clogs for months and decided to treat myself to not one but two pairs.
and in keeping with my ethical clothing pledge these shoes are constructed from sustainably sourced and produced materials.

wearing
dress: handmade from a vintage sheet
belt: op-shopped
clogs: Lotta from Stockholm
earrings: swap meet

stills: the harvest

1. table top vignette
2. earring posts attached
3. a little treat for myself
4. pretty afternoon shadows
5. today the sun was shining. so that meant drying weather
6. this afternoon we harvested the butternut crop
7. & 8. more harvesting

weekly stills at the beetle shack.

vintage sheet dress

valentines day meant a lovely little lunch date with my love and the perfect excuse for a new dress. so i chose a pattern, cut up a vintage sheet and got sewing.

wearing:
vintage sheet dress: made by me
leather belt: op-shopped
shoes: jelly bean sandals
bracelets: a new purchase from perch & pantry. they are beautifully hand crafted and ethically made.
satchel: op-shopped

joining in with the creative spaces over at kootoyoo

stills: baby butternuts

1. i wore my new cotton scarf this week. Tillie seems to approve too
2. a little shopping haul
3. it's been fan weather
4. a new kitchen toy. an oil sprayer. i'm tired of buying oil in a spray can. so many resources in the packaging and not the most environmentally friendly product.
5. hello baby butternuts

weekly stills at the beetle shack.

wearing: blue bohemian traders

another outfit to share. i seem to be on a bit of a roll with the wearing posts, i don't know how much longer it'll last though as my wardrobe isn't that well stocked at the moment. i guess it's a good excuse to do a bit more op-shopping. not that I need much of an excuse.

wearing:
denim top: from the wardrobe. it's a fav at the moment as it's so versatile. you'll find me wearing it here too.
skirt (which is actually a dress): op-shopped
scarf: a new purchase from Bohemian Traders. it's a beautiful soft cotton and is lovely and light.

hope you are having a lovely week. x

stills: colour

 

1. nest box herbs
2. it's been a cool-from-the-fridge rockmelon eating week
3. bathroom colour- lime green, navy and pink
4. i've been crafty. expect a little give-away this week
5. recycled plastic drinking straw rug for the back verandah

joining in with the weekly stills at the beetle shack.

bright pink wearing.

in keeping with my fashion pledge for 2014 I'm sharing another outfit with you lovelies. all that I'm wearing is ethically produced, op-shopped or is an existing piece from my wardrobe.

this dress is a new favourite. a purchase from little tienda. their beautiful dresses and tops are handcrafted in Mexico supporting rural artisans.
worn with a newly op-shopped leather belt ($1). deadwood creative bracelet crafted from an old skateboard. satchel handbag also op-shopped ($5). and jelly bean sandals.

i wore this little outfit today for a picnic lunch at the park in the shade, trying to escape the scorching temps.

hope you are keeping cool. x