..last minute Chrissy gift?

....buy recycled!  My Retro-style cushion covers are made with sourced vintage linen tea towels, and backed with 100% linen, all finished with a zip.  I have a selection available for a short time online from me, can post in time for Xmas!   They are all $50 each, without insert - too bulky for postage with insert! :-) Check out the pics here on my Facebook page; Kimmy Can Dance - retro hunter-collector-stylist.

There is also a hand picked selection available (only) in store at Walk in Wardrobe Vintage in Belgrave, in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges...This range comes ready with 100% recycled insert, made from recycled plastic bottles - plumper than plump cushion inserts!  ACE!

All cushions are ONE-OFF (of course!) so once it's gone...it's um, well....bye bye. :-)

FOR SALE NOW: Vintage Retro Linen cushions!

ONLINE NOW: at kimmy can dance on Facebook, i've uploaded a couple ready for sale....(all cushion covers sold online, are sold without inserts). 

IN STORE FROM TOMORROW: at Walk in Wardrobe Vintage Belgrave, in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, there will also be a selection available for sale (complete with inserts).  

All covers are hunted and collected by me, kimmy can dance retro hunter/collector/stylist and lovingly handmade by my mum!  All cushion covers are one off and individual, backed in lovely lightweight linen in a variety of contrasting colours and finished with a zip.  

More stock due later this week!

Vintage pieces add a beautiful contrast in today's home styling.  They reflect a love of the past, whether it's a piece that tells a personal story handed down through generations or something picked up in a thrift store that brings great memories flooding back into your home.  When mixed with contemporary pieces they complete the story of in your home...

 

...just an example of my own retro vintage pieces mixed with contemporary

Not just for the dishes...

my little beauty find...I love the colours in this!

For a while now I've had an idea.  You know those ideas that just sit idle in your head?  They never leave, they never make it to fruition they just hover about in your head until something kicks you into action?  Yeah, one of them.  I found this fabulous retro linen tea towel many moons ago and made it into a cushion for myself...I just thought the colour and texture of it was far too fabulous to dry the dishes with and how could I turn into an object that I could use and admire daily.  I have, many times in the past framed things like this - especially wrapping paper I just couldn't STAND to destroy with sticky tape...but framing can be expensive and well, quite frankly, i've run out of wall space with all the lovely things i've collected in the past!  So ever since making my own little cushion, whilst on my thrifting adventures i've set about making a collection of the best, coolest retro linen tea towels that I could find - and trust me they are becoming FEW and far between, and now i've sent them to my "seamstress" (thanks mum!) who, over the coming weeks, will be making them up into lovely cushion covers that i'm excited to be sharing with you!   

So watch this space....I will endeavour to get some up online before Xmas (eek! hurry mum!) they are all one off (of course!) and will be unique in colour and individuality.  I hope you enjoy.... :-)

in store now....

but blink and you might miss them! Just in time for Christmas, what better way to be "eco-conscious" at this time of year, than to give a recycled gift.  It's the way of the future, and it's so NOW!  Mix vintage and retro pieces together with your modern bits for a unique style in your home.  I've done the leg work for you, and used my keen eye and great sense of style to collect some fab little retro bits and pieces, all starting from a very affordable $5.  Gift ideas for the young trendy folk to the young-at-heart who love to reminisce.  All in store now at Walk-in-Wardrobe Vintage store in Belgrave, Melbourne.  Here's a sneak peak...but be quick, as you know, everything is a one-off piece, here today but could be gone tomorrow :-)

Hornsea English pottery retro flowers coffee cups and saucers

Fab retro linen placemats, look at that vibrant colour!

Stunning Japanese glazed pottery coffee set

Gorgeous Italian glazed pottery casserole dish, bellissimo!

The coolest retro homewares finds around!

...and you can now make them yours!  If you haven't already discovered Walk-in-Wardrobe Vintage stocking the coolest in clothing, accessories and jewellery in Belgrave, than where have you been??!  Dan already stocks the coolest retro finds to deck you out, now kimmy can dance vintage homewares finds are in store to deck out your home!  Just a 50 minute train ride from Melbourne's CBD to the gorgeous hills' suburb of Belgrave is where you can shop for awesome vintage finds.

watch this space!

..i've done it! I've got my act together, dusted off my coat tails and buried my fears (fear of what?! who knows....) and finally am going to be stocking my hunted and collected homewares bits and pieces for sale in a GORGEOUS little Vintage shop real soon!  So exciting....watch this space peeps :-)

turning Japanese, i think i'm turning Japanese...i really think so.

I have been collecting, for some time now (along with many other treasures) cutesy Japanese ceramics and pottery.  Mainly from the 60s and 70s, they seem to have the cutest little patterns on them, and occasionally I come across something crazy like the pussy cat feather duster above, isn't it just mad?!  I have an array of things from little pots and cups to usable plates and casserole dishes (even a little froggy pot that made it into to my fish tank :-). I think the passion began subtlely when I was handed down my first little coffee cup and saucer set from my mum.  Bright orange and white, no pattern as such but I just loved the richness of the colour.  Sad to say, today only one little cup remains, the rest have gone to mosaic heaven.  I'm loving the thrill of the hunt, and most of my finds come from Op shops or Thrifty stores.  I did one day dream to set up my own little second hand homewares boutique, but for now i'm toying with setting up an Etsy shop instead, i've just got to get my act together.  The biggest problem though?  Parting with any of these little finds, i tend to fall in love with them far too easily. Though perhaps I will keep them and maybe you'll see them pop up from time to time in some of my visual displays :-)

my most recent find, 4 side plates and a dinner plate for $3.50! Love the pattern, though the colour is more green than brown as seen in this pic.

flameproof, oven proof....straight to table...love this little casserole with handle!

A trusty Mikasa i've had for years and years, from oven to table to dishwasher.  It's a little gem of a bowl!

this one just says "Japan", looks like it was missing it's lid...
i use it as a vase, love the pattern and colour.

"TEETIME" Japan...a little lonely cup I picked up, love the colour and pattern!

my froggy pot featuring Pip and Pop the Goldfish..:-)

the spark that set the fire alight: my original Schmid Kreglinger cup and saucer
in all it's bright orange loveliness!

...a bit of vintage love and my nan's trusty Singer!

...another new season and another new range to be Merch'd and I felt a vintage inspiration vibe....the new Nancybird handbag range channelling nature, vintage and some lovely patterns and textures.  Off I went with my little basket of inspiring goodies to see what I could create.  Firstly I gathered some old crochet doilies from the thrifty shops and sewed them together to make a "curtain"....after a few tweaks, it was up and looking lovely.  I trailed it down to meet a vintage Singer sewing machine so it gives the appearance that it's just been stitched together on the old girl....that old girl very dear to my heart, as it was my nan's and has been passed down to me...spesh :-) To complete my window I then worked in a gorgeous Peacock chair (from my own home!) and vintage crochet tablecloth and finished with some lovely fairy lights along window's edge.  All vintage touches lovingly placed together to highlight the Nancybird new season bags and silk scarves, divine.

..if it's interesting, Pin it!

Okay, i have a new addiction.  It's probably been around for quite some time already, and it seems i'm a latecomer, but i'm totally ADDICTED!  It's a new form of voyeurism...no longer am I peering into other's relationship status's, friendships and the like, aka Facebook, now I am peering into other people's inspirations!  SO MUCH MORE FUN!  These, "Pins" in the form of interiors, foods or whatever categories you like. No more of this having to rat out the darn right boring, predictable and whingeing and whining...I now get to choose what I want to view.  Not only that, I can then share it with the world!  ahh!  It's got me seeking out the most inspiring pics I can find and i'm completely loving compiling my own little world via my own "boards".  Know what i'm talking about?  Not discovered it yet?  It's called Pinterest, and I love it!  If you get on, go and follow my boards.  Hopefully I'll inspire you in some way.  Then you can go on and inspire me right back....ahhh.

**don't forget to read the etiquette, this is a NICE place to be, so only respectful comments on peoples pins.  Credit your sources, avoid self promotion...it's a pretty world, keep it that way :-)

the girl with the kaleidoscope eyes

I've always been a fan of styling with the five senses....even down to writing about it on my college entry form, many, many moons ago, so it was with visual delight that I recently visited the kid's Kaleidoscope Art and Colour exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria.  This wonderful little display of colour and art probably took more of my interest than the little one's, however it was such a lovely stimulant to my visual sense I was happy to while away the time in there.  If you haven't already, go check it out....especially if, like me, you love a bit of colour therapy occasionally.

hillbillies come to town

...another shop window and this time I couldn't help but bring out a little bit of country.  With some vintage inspired rustic jugs, character ducks and terracotta potted flowers for inspiration I went off on a hillbilly whim.  I searched high and low for a preloved little wheelbarrow and already had this little bike at home, for my props.  I even threw in my daughter's first little faded gumboots, planted up with some greenery just for fun. Just add some dirt and straw and there you have it...country stylin' in the middle of little ol' Canterbury!  Fun!  I also got to play with some gorgeous Samantha Robinson porcelain, and as this stuff is so divine itself, I just used the plain white background to highlight it...

...enjoy?  Immensely!  Loved it.

anyone for tea?

Has anyone noticed there aren't many Vintage teacups out there anymore (when thrifting)?  I mean, Vintage  these days is a broad classification I guess, but I'm talking really olde worldy ones, you know pretty little  floral patterned, fine bone china, tea-cup-and-saucer teacups?  Or even 60s or 70s cutesy ones?... sigh.  On the flip side though there are some fabulously clever peeps out there doing something very AMAZING with these, slowly disappearing, tea cup and saucers.  Take Gregory Bonasera for instance, his light installations are just gorgeous and clever...and then of course there's several folk dabbling in candle making out of them...such as this little online shop making teacup candles in the UK, and this gorgeousness a little closer to home, with a name like Whiskers Lane how could you resist? meeeeooooooooooow!   I mean what about this little DIY project to make your own tea cup bird feeder!   Pretty quirky huh?!

These are just a few i've stumbled across in my travels....feel free to share anymore you've seen, it's inspiring and very very clever.

In my browsing I did come across this fab little page from the US of A, called Domestic-Construction.  I just have to share it with you.  Their "Domestic-construction" apartment is well, just my cup of tea (pardon the pun :-)...I also love their little opening philosophy, they are doing some fantastically, inspiring creative projects and they will even make tea cup chandeliers to order!  ....go on you know you want to....sigh.

...i'll buy that for a dollar!

In a recent grocery stop I found these awesome little lemon (and apple!) storers, for a buck!  Yep, folks, One dollar each! Eek!  Think of all that horrid cling film you can do away with!  Love love love it!  Clearly though I should have used some of the lemon juice on the apple first, before storing it....hmmmm.

Lemons, lemons everywhere...it seems there's an overload of the lovely little yellow things at the moment.  Every little Thrifty shop I visited today had some on the counter...4 for a $1 and some even free (which i found after paying for some, doh!!)  

So with my little storers, and a string bag full of golden juicy ones, it was time to make some  "memomade"  (or 'lemonade' to those that don't quite catch on to 3 year old speak).  It's her favourite "treat" to drink at the mo.  So whilst we're not quite ready to set up a stall out the front garden to sell to passer by's....(and i'm unsure we'd get a roaring trade mid-Winter out in these here hills!!)  I would like to compliment my little concoction, it kept some of us happy, and well, it didn't take too much effort neither.

Lemons, water, sugar....stir.  Add more sugar, or water, and keep on stirrin' Mmmmmemondae!

..a glass jar obsession.

I know it's been done before but lately i've been obsessed with re-using glass jars for styling little events, and even my most recent shop window.  Trust me, no empty pesto, pasta sauce or vegemite jar is safe around me! Before you can say "another one for the recycle bin" i'm soaking them in the sink and scrubbing the labels off with a scouring pad!  (Any sticky bits can be further removed with our trusty friend, Eucalyptus Oil :-).   Once clean - and I mean sparkling, no foggy bits allowed... the lights are barely out and i'm filling them with tealights and grouping them together to make little clusters, the more random sizes the better (i like three or four, all different heights or widths).....i'm completely obsessed!  Don't get me started on those little Italian juice bottles, I had them strung up and filled with fresh orchids before you could say "bellissimo!" Its just there is a certain rustic-ness about them, and the fact that you're doing your bit for the environment always helps too...  Try them at your next party, or dinner, or heck even just do it for yourself at home, to give it that extra special ambience. 

....there's something about glass and light that just does it for me...sigh.

...i must confess...i do love a bit of hess..ian.

Just recently i celebrated a milestone birthday.  I went head first into it, organised my own party(ies) - with a bit of help  from my nearest and dearest...and they were both absolute blinding successes!  Actually I had the time of my life, celebrated with all the most important people in my life and I was overwhelmed with both parties (..exhausted by the end of what was 3 weeks of partying!) phew.  I decided early on that I wanted to mark the occasion(s) by giving a little handmade gift to each of my girlfriends.  Inspired by a handmade hessian bag given to me last Christmas by a crafty friend and so i toddled off to Spotlight to bag me some hessian.  From the moment I lay my hands on this gorgeously, aromatic fabric I was smitten.  What is it?  I can't really place it, but the stuff is so tactile, easy to work with, smells strangely earthy and lovely and well, lets just say I had a bit of a love affair :-)  I pulled out my Nan's trusty old Singer (she's gorgeous...you should see her!  I'm still a bit dumbfounded how it ended up in my hands - a non-sewer of the family, anyway...) and there I began to create.  I then painstakingly (for me, you see, I have NO patience...) cut up one of my darling crochet doilies (bagged from yet another thrifty shop), hand sewed the florets on to each one, and then hand embroidered my girls initials onto each one.  I then filled  them with a little piccolo of bubbles and tied a handmade (i was on a roll...) thank you card around the neck.  All in the space of about a week.  Now thats an achievement for me, let me tell you.  Before you ask, yes they were received with absolute delight.  Mission accomplished. :-)

Succulence!

I don't have a green thumb.  I do however, love flora, i'm just not very good at growing anything, or more so, keeping it alive.  That's why succulents are the best little piece of nature I can possibly have, cos the things are darn easy peasey to keep alive!  I also have a vast array of ceramics that I collect, Japanese from the 60s and 70s being my fav, but I also love ANY retro style crockery I can put my little hands on, Scandanavian, English, Chinese....as long as it's got good colour or pattern, BUT i'm very partial to Feng Shui in my home, so if any of these little lovelies gets chipped or broken, I have to move it out of the house immediately before I'm bestowed some evil ways of the world.  Being a particular lover of my "things" though I find it very distressing parting with anything that is still reasonably intact - (though i'm even guilty of keeping pottery pieces and making a mosaic in my backyard) Of course I always like to do my little bit to avoid adding to landfill so I decided to start filling every little vessel with a succulent off-cut, as these little babies grow roots so  dang easily.   The result is not perfect, nor amazing, but I just simply LOVE it.  It is my little garden made from love, and I love that each bit tells a story....I've even got the little one's first gumboots filled with soil and waiting ready for my next offcut to sprout :-)

 

I rock!

Wow...a few days of being stuck at home (...in the freezing cold hills, mind you!) is enough to send anyone SPARE.  Sick child + interrupted sleep + cold and rainy weather = no motivation/drive and minimal enthusiasm/care-less factor.  Aka depression starting to set in...  So, in my miserable state I start to feel sorry for myself, ready to throw in the towel, dream of tropical islands, oh and browse the interweb and low and behold I come across this little beauty.  It kicked my butt back from the dark side and back over towards the light...thank you so very very much for this witty read, it really made an impact in a much needed moment.

The Public Studio

..a great little cause!

Oh...just got another email from these guys recently so wanted to share before i forget!  Have you heard of the Yellow Bird Project?  It's a fantastic little initiative, a  Montreal-based nonprofit company who work with a range of amazing indie rock musicians to create unique t-shirt designs.  They then sell them to benefit a variety of charities, each chosen by the musicians themselves!   I bought the coolest little colouring book from them for a friend for Christmas, filled with ace pictures drawn by the musicians to colour in - SO cool!   A very rad present....(did i just say "rad"? hmmmm). Check them out....their T-shirts are pretty damn ace too!  (ace, now that's a bit better than rad, isn't it?!)...  I'm so UN-cool, luckily I have discovered Yellow Bird Project? to help me with this.... :-)