The Silver Lining

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-08-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

When I left uni and started work I thought that would be the end of my need for pretty pencil cases, not so - with client visits and long commutes I am definitely in need of one and one that's bigger than the one I have already. So today here are some sweet homemade pencil cases.

1. Pencil Case with Personalized Name by Prints n Patterns.

2. Eco Friendly Handprinted Sea Oats Pencil Case by Sea Oats.

3. .A colorful and playful striped pencil case with orange, green and red stripes by Kirschbits.

4. The Mini True Romantic Pouch in linen/bondi blue by Aylla.

5. pencil case. pouch. grey. lovebirds. echino. linen. by Cloud Love Baby.

6. Teal Flowers Pencil Case by Rabbit and Duck.

Market Angel

2011-08-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love going to markets but even though I'm usually an organized person I'm not good at remembering when markets are on. Luckily this new website Market Angel provides a list of markets in your area along with when they're on. And you can sign up for their weekly newsletter so you'll get a reminder in your inbox - perfect!

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-08-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

All natural, eco-friendly make-up remover may sound like a pipe dream but it's amazing just how simple it can be - just use organic cold-pressed coconut oil! This beautiful oil smells like coconuts and is full of good stuff for your skin. The oil is a liquid at body temperature and a solid at temperatures colder which means it melts on your hands making it also a lovely massage oil. But back to make-up removal, simply grab a little bit of the solid oil and rub over your face (it will melt into a liquid oil during this process) and remove the make-up with a warm facecloth. Then if you like you can rub a little more of the oil over your face to moisturize your skin. I've found this method works well even with chemical filled waterproof mascara's that are notoriously hard to get off. And I've found jars of this great oil at about $8 for about 500ml, which is a bargain compared to your traditional store-bought make-up removers. Rubbing oil on your face may take some getting used to, especially if like me, you have oily skin to begin with but the benefits are definitely worth it.

Weekend Crafting

2011-08-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend I made myself a few of these adorable bookmarks out of my fabric scraps.

Paperclip Frabric Bookmarks by Life Through the Lens

I loved this tutorial from the minute I laid eyes on it, it's simple, practical and it would be a great way to use up the endless amounts of frabic scraps I have.

I don't think mine turned out quite as cute as Kristi's though!

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-07-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Confession: I'm an organization freak! So today here are some pretty handmade things to help keep you organized and make it fun!

1. Weekly Planner Chalkboard Calender by Simple Shapes

2. To Do Weekly Planner by Mayi Carles

3. Adjustable Velcro Bandolier by Clever Hands

4. Bag and Purse Organzier by Melissa Tan

5. 3 Pack Freakin To Do List Notepad by Finch and Hawk

6. Sweetheart Pink In Touch Clutch by Downstairs Designs

1000 Awesome Things

2011-07-27T03:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for a gift for a friend in a bookshop lead me to discover a beautiful book, based on a beautiful blog: 1000 Awesome Things. This blog and book are about celebrating the little bits of daily awesomeness that surround us, things like:

That bite with all the toppings in it

Eating a free sample of something you have no intention of buying

Airborne hugs

Hitting that point in the book where you suddenly can't put it down

Chugging cold milk after chocolate cake

Reading the both the blog and the book put me in a great mood and really reminded me to appreciate the simple things in life. A great blog to follow and a great book to buy for those hard-to-buy-for-people.

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-07-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of things in this world I don't understand...the poverty, the war, the waste, the over-consumption, the environmental destruction...these things keep me up at night, I have no idea how we've found ourselves in the 21st century with so much poverty on one hand and so much waste and consumption on the other, all the while destroying this wonderful planet we live on. However at the start of his book The Moneyless Man, Mark Boyle ties all of these issues together...the common denominater being money. I never would have thought the explanation could be so simple, yet so intelligently presented. The book then goes on to detail Boyle's year of living without money...yep, no money at all. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.

I love pinterest!

2011-07-24T03:26:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me chances are you find find so much inspiration/tutorials/things to read on the net that you're favourites bar is so full your internet freezes just by trying to open it! Not exactly ideal. So when I heard about Pinterest I got excited! If you haven't heard about it, it's a website that allows you to create virtual pin boards. You can create pin boards under any theme you like and then you can follow the image back to it's original source. But as if that wasn't great enough you can follow other people's boards, re-pin images from other people's boards, re-tweet your pins...etc! While I haven't quite mastered the following of other people's boards and the re-pinning etc (which is probably a good thing, as I'd never leave the computer) I am simply in love with pinterest!

Monday Madeit Feature

2011-07-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

Some of my new bingo marker studs made it to the front page of Madeit! (Pun intended!)

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-07-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

I love bangles! I love they way they look, that they're easy to get on and most of all I love the sound they make as the jingle together on your arm! So today here's some lovely handmade bangles, enjoy!

1. 14K White Gold Hand-Hammered Bangle by Ravens' Refuge.

2. Set of 3 Bangle Bracelets - Gold Tone and Blue Stone by Frosted Willow.

3. Resin Bangle by Oscar and Matilda.

4. Interlinking Knitting Needle Bangles Anodised Pastel Green by My Vintage Vow.

5. I Carry Your Heart With Me Bangle by Spriffing Jewelry.

6. Silver Twig Bangle by Stratus Silver.

Neglected Again...

2011-07-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

Once again this blog has been neglected for far too long. It started when the bf and I went over our downloads and spiralled out of control from there…

So the highlights since I've been awol from the blog (apart from spending time with friends and family and the bf) have been a weekend down at Dormana with the bf. This included a lot of op-shopping and looking at vintage/thrift stores as well as lots of eating! The bf and I also had a lovely drive around Kyneton/Trentham/Daylesford area, the bf is from Tretham and we went to school in Kyneton, it's amazing to see how much things have changed since we grew up there...

Some of the great finds from the trips include:

A beautiful bangle, a pile of blue buttons (some of which are vintage and the same as ones my mum has from my great grandmother!)

A pile of vintage pillowcases and a gorgeous vintage mint necklace.

And some beautiful vintage keys!!

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-06-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, chances are you have several notebooks on the go. So what's a eco-friendly girl to do - find a pretty notebook that is made of recycled leather and paper, of course! And these gorgeous notebooks by Kate's Paperie fit the bill - they're almost too pretty to use!

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-06-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

With the days getting colder and colder I thought I'd share some lovely handmade pieces to keep you warm this Winter - enjoy!

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1. The Kwan Medium Cowl Neckwarmer in Dark Red Merino Wool by Tracce. These cowl neckwarmers seem to be quite popular at the moment, they look great and very cosy!

2. I love wearing dresses, but in winter it's very hard to find lovely dresses that are easy to layer so I can keep warm. This Beautiful Dress in Purple and Black by My Lola Fashion looks like it would work well in winter or spring and would transition from work to play very well.

3. The Everyday Dress by Artaffect also looks like a great dress for layering. I love how versatile this dress is!

4. These Tubeway Armies Arm Warmers by Gaye Abandon are made out of recycled 100% wool jumpers. They're perfect for keeping your arms and hands warm, but your fingers free for those touch-screen gadgets!

5. I love the open-knit, design and colour of the Forest Folk Slouch Beanie in Violet by Talk 2 the Trees.

6. Half-jacket, half-hoodie! I love the Crossley Jacket Asymmetrical Hoodie by Stitch and Bolt for its unique design and for being made out of 100% organic cotton.

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-06-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

Eating fresh, local and organic produce is the way to go if you want to be environmentally friendly and eat the best produce available. One great way to do so is to grow your own fruit, vegetables and herbs. However not all of us are blessed with a green thumb or a garden/balcony to grow anything edible on. So today I thought I'd share with you one of the cutest solutions to growing your own herbs at home, indoors - the GrowBottle Upcycled Hydrogardens!

They're available from Branch and you can read a review on them here.

I just love that they're made out of recycled wine bottles! And I'd think they'd make a great gift, especially for a housewarming.

Monday Madeit Smiles

2011-06-20T05:18:00.000-07:00

Today I came home from a long day at work to a lovely little surprise - my Vintage Rose Studs had been chosen to appear on the front/homepage of Made It!

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-06-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

Lots of lovely necklaces, enjoy!

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1. Heart of Gold Necklace by Sparkle Farm.

2. Dark Purple Amethyst Crystal 14K Gold Filled Necklace by Bijoux by Meg.

3. E is for Emmy, Custom Initial Necklace by S D Marie Jewellery.

4. Soaring Sparrow Necklace by Oh Deer.

5. Sterling Silver Twig Necklace by Julie Nolan.

6. The "locket" Necklace by Even More Designs.

Op Shop Finds

2011-06-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago the bf and I went up to Lakes Enterance for my Pa's 80th Birthday. It was great to get away, relax and spend some quality time with the family. And of course indulge one of our favourite past times - op shopping!

I scored big with lots of bits and pieces for jewellery making and future craft projects!

I bought some lovely fabric, a cute vintage necklace, brightly coloured embroidery thread....

lots of lace, a bag of ribbon and trims, lots of lovely buttons...

the cutest tiny mushroom, 2 lots of beautiful vintage sheets and a pile of well-worn cutlery, which....

is actually made of silver and has the most beautiful maker's marks on it!

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-06-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my childhood where Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers were the coolest things ever - they were brightly coloured, amazing to taste and smell and sometimes they even had glitter in them! They were girly enough to be cool but grown-up enough to feel special a perfect combination for my in my pre-teen days.

But I've long since outgrown Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers and have well and truly grown into lip balm, lip gloss and even the lipstick I once dreamed about being old enough to wear! Yet the truth is it's fun to revisit the things you loved as a kid, it awakens something inside that you forgot you had or maybe just lost touch with. So when my mineral make up order arrived from The All Natural Face with a sample of a new product - all natural flavoured lip balms - I was excited! And delighted! I've only tried the coconut flavour but I'm hooked! I'm happy to have found a flavoured lip balm that tastes great, but isn't made of harmful chemicals which are bad for me and the environment.

The Kindness of Strangers

2011-06-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the bf and I found ourselves stuck at a servo with a flat tyre that did not wish to be removed from the axel. The bf tugged and tugged, sprayed the tyre with W-D 40 and tugged some more while I assessed the situation from a few feet away (seriously I was no help at all!). I was minutes away from suggesting we give up and call the RACV man when we were interupted by a random couple who offered us a hand. Sure enough with another man and some extra muscle the tyre quickly came free and we were on our way in no time.

We were both deeply appreciative of this random couple who leant us a hand, they had gone out of their way to help us and in doing so changed the entire outcome of the situation. In reality it probably took them all of 15 minutes to help us and it saved us a good few hours, I suspect, by the time we waited for help to arrive and remove the tyre etc.

But it got me thinking about the kindness of strangers, about how something so little can really improve someone else's day and how it's so important to be a kind stranger. We can't all donate money to charity or volunteer hours of time to a good cause but there are heaps of little things we can do everyday to be a kind stranger; from holding the door open, letting someone know they've dropped something, offering up a seat on public transport, helping a parent with a pram, holding the elevator or just offering a kind smile, we can all be kind strangers and make this world a little bit better for someone we may never know.

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-06-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

For this weeks Fabulous Friday Finds I thought I'd share some handmade tote bags. Tote bags are so handy and are a great alternative to using plastic bags when shopping. Enjoy!

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1. The Love Languages Tote Bag by The Bucktoothed Bunny.

2. The Life Quote by Emerson on a Recycled Cotton Canvas Tote by Bunkle Berry Studios.

3. The Bloom Where You Are Planted Tote by Pamela Fugate Designs.

4. The Talk Crafty To Me Tote Bag by Pannikin.

5. The Doof Doof Calico Tote Bag by Sideline.

6. The Bicycle Bike Black Canvas Tote Bag by Happy Family.

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-05-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was waiting in line at the post office to post an international order when I noticed the Bobble Water Bottle. I think it was the sleek design with the fun range of colours that first got my attention but as I read more info on the display and researched the bottle online I discovered this genius new invention - one that makes you go "Why didn't I think of that?"

The people at Bobble haven't reinvented the wheel but they have re-invented the water bottle - not only have they made it stylish but they've made it eco-friendly. Let me introduce you:

The Bobble Water Bottle has a colourful filter that filters out organic contaiminates such as cholrine from your tap water, which will make your tap water taste much better as well as being better for you. The filter can be used for 2 months or approximately 150 litres and comes in a range of colours. The bottles and the filters are made in the USA rather than in a sweatshop in China. They are recyclable, reusable and are made out of 100% recycled PET which is BPA free.

If that isn't enough to convince you that this product is amazing...they retail for about $15 each with the filters costing $10, which for a filter drink bottle which is eco-friendly is great value, especially when compared to stainless steel water bottles which can cost around $50. And if you're a bottled-water addict you'll definately be saving money in the long run.

Bright Yellow Autumn Leaves

2011-05-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that the autumn leaves in Melbourne are especially yellow this year so I thought I'd show you some - this is the view from my bedroom window. Enjoy!

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-05-28T17:22:00.001-07:00

For some reason, the autumn leaves in Melbourne have been a stunningly, bright, bold yellow and I am thoroughly enjoying looking at them on my commute to work. Especially when they are set against a stormy grey sky and I'm cosy and warm on the tram. So for this belated Fabulous Friday Finds I chose to share some lovely yellow handmade and vintage goodies.

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1. Yellow Retro Earrings by The Whirlwind.

2. Yellow and White Chevron Oblong Clutch by Found by Marie.

3. Vintage Canary Yellow 70s Top from Cranberry Juliet.

4. Mid Sized Paper Bunting 4 ft by LBC Paper.

5. Mini Rose Earrings - Sunny Yellow by Rainbow Lollies.

6. Oversized Canary Yellow Hair Bow by Ruby Bluebird.

Smart, Pretty, Awkward

2011-05-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share a cute little blog with you - Smart, Pretty and Awkward. I've been reading it for quite some time now and it never disappoints. Molly shares simple tips on how to be smarter, prettier and less awkward which is often complimented by a lovely quote. It's a great read and I highly recommend it!

Tread Lightly Tuesday

2011-05-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Being kind to the environment also means being kind to ourselves and sometimes even pampering ourselves with the most delicious of products!

I never really thought about beauty products being a hazardous chemical cocktail before I read Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano (which my wonderful bf bought me!), all I worried about was would said product acheive the desired result or do as it promised. But it turns out after reading this book and doing some further research of my own, that just because you can buy it in store and that it says it's safe to put on your body doesn't mean it is actually safe - in many cases these products can be making things worse, by altering our hormones, increasing our chance of developing cancer, lowering our fertility and many other worring things.

I know it can be overwhelming to realise that the myriad of stuff we rub all over our bodies is actually harmful, but there is a solution - all natural products. And in today's world chosing all natural products doesn't have to be a compromise, there are many wonderful companies which provide a vast range of goods which are often organic and fair trade too - ticks all round. And by using all natural products you'll be kinder to yourself and kinder to environment. It may take a few weeks for your body to acept the change, but it will be well worth it once you find the right products; I've had much better results from all natural products than I ever had with chemical ones.

There are ways to make your own all natural beauty products, some of which I'll share in future posts. But today I wanted to share with you a wonderful company - Lush.

Lush has a wonderful range of products, you could get almost all of your beauty needs from this one marvelous store and their all natural products are in no way a compromise, in fact they are some of the most beautiful products I have ever tried. I highly recommend you check out their website and if possible pop into a store for the full experience. Most of their products are all natural but they do use some synthetics, however these are fully disclosed in their listings online, in their catalogue and in-store. Here are some of their amazing products:

Ceridwyn's Cauldron, Luxury Bath Melts

Magical, relaxing melt for softer skin. It could be the ultimate bathing experience, but we won’t know that until we finish inventing them. For now, it’s as wonderful as you can get. Each melt is wrapped in muslin, dipped in wild flowers and tied with a ribbon. According to the spell it is based on, if you spit three times in the water, your wish will come true. Cocoa butter and walnut oil melt, frothing slightly, leaving you a muslin bag of whole oats to give your skin a soothing and gently scented scrub. It’s truly lovely.

Rub Rub Rub, Scrub

Rub Rub Rub is a bit of a variation on the normal shower gel. Sea salt is gently exfoliating, extra cleansing and mineral-rich. After scrubbing, it dissolves in water, leaving your plughole free of blockages. This new blue scrub is startlingly refreshing, with a dash of lemon juice and the tropical scent of mimosa blossom. Just hop in the shower and rub, rub, rub!

Marily, Hair Treatment

Softness, brightness and shine for blonde hair. Marilyn is for blondes who would like to stay blonde and become even more so, in a gentle, shiny and natural way. It’s not good for your hair to bleach it, so we suggest that you use The Blonde shampoo and Marilyn pre-wash conditioner as a regular top-up. We make it with softening linseed gel, chamomile for lightness and to calm your scalp, saffron for golden colour, lemon for shine and olive oil to moisturise your hair. It also lightens hair gradually. All things come to she who waits.

You Snap the Whip, Body Butter

Hardcore body scrub and butter bar to show skin how to behave. It’s black, fruity and it scrubs your skin really, really hard. Get soaked in the shower and start your punishment. You Snap The Whip forces your skin to submit to its pumice and charcoal regime. Once the wickedly effective exfoliation is over, it comforts you with luxurious macadamia nut oil and scents you with fruity blackcurrant and bergamot essential oils. Your skin feels as if you’ve just peeled off the old one and revealed a sexy new one (which you have, in a manner of speaking).

Summer Pudding, Soap

Our Summer Pudding was created by Noriko, who was inspired by that staple of a British summer. Just like a real pudding, it's brimming with pieces of fruit. It's a creamy soap that scents your body with its fruity fragrance. We make it with scrubby ground almonds, softening almond oil, and cleansing citrus oil. We're sure you'll find it difficult to resist a slice of pudding.