look what i (sorta) found.

Okay so I may have "found" these items at Jord's Oma's house but she has passed these down to me & I looooove them!

Check out this baby!! From what I gather it's a late 50's model. And its HEAVY!!! Being a novice sewer I'm not sure how I'll drive this, even if it takes me a while to figure it out, it'll still look perfect sitting in my studio.

This is Jord's Dad's old Minolta from late 70's, which was collecting dust at Oma's. Just need to grab some 35m film & hello photo shoot.

This cute retro fan is perfect for summer whilst I slave away.


I have quite a bit of time off, so Jord & I plan to do some road tripping/op shop hunting. Hopefully I will find many more beauties to share with you.


Stay cute.
Gen. Xx

The gift of giving...

Giving is better than receiving.

Now stop being so dirty & remember its Christmas!

I looooove giving gifts. I love having them all wrapped pretty under the tree. 

I wait until everyone's unwrapped theirs before I start mine for two reasons.

1. I enjoy watching people opening the gifts I gave them. I( generally) put plenty of thought into them & their wrapping so think they deserve undivided attention.

2. I thoroughly enjoy watching peoples reactions, particularly when they do the 'ole.."ohhh it's lovely" or "oh I needed one of these" after opening something. Dead give away that it'll be re gifted next year!

Jord said 'its the thought that counts' but i said 'at least my thoughts weren't fugly.' But now I realise that it could be me giving those gifts!!!! I think I sometimes give gifts that I like rather than what the receiver does. I still maintain I have good style/taste & wouldn't buy/make anything ugly but I guess my 'thoughts' aren't always your cup of tea.

Anyway, I was very spoilt. Didn't even have to pretend to be excited over anything (well...nothing was fugly at least)!! Check out a few of my gifts...such a lucky girl!

Oodles of cute stationary. Oh!! Think of the lists.

Meet me at Mikes...time to get re-acquainted with my sewing machine!

Perfect afternoon supplies. Tea pot, tea cup (isn't it fab?), delicious teas, cup cake wrappers & the Hummingbird cook book...mmm.

ANNNNNDDDD.....

Yes. I'm currently getting my Mac on. Wohooo. Thanks Jord.

(okay can I just mention that I'm feeling a wee guilty as I type away right now. I had a bit of Christmas wish list going in case he was stuck for ideas or people in need of inspiration asked.

 I put on that list ' a mac' jokingly- sorta. Jord has always been a pretty extravagant gift giver but with a perfectly shit fine Toshiba laptop already, I was not expecting it. Thanks Jord!! )

I hope everyone got what the wished for!!!

Stay cute.

Gen. Xx

bad blogger.

Yes, I have been a bad blogger. I have been thinking of blogging as I've been crawling into bed after midnight for the last 2 weeks but just never made it to the lappy...bad blogger.

In my defence my social life was quite exciting! Work parties, Christmas parties, dinner parties galore. Lunch dates, shopping dates, romantic dates, movie dates, wine dates...I was in demand!

I worked 2 jobs, I frankie'd & marketed, I cooked, I cleaned, I late night shopped...and I hardly saw Jord. I literally saw him as i climbed into bed at 2am & he climbed out at 6am. I was out every night for over a week, & as much as i enjoyed catching up with friends and all the general Christmas socialising...I was exhausted & stressed. I just wanted to share with you a few things that I have realised or that have been emphasised about myself, in the last few weeks.

1. I'm a stress head. A FULL BLOWN STRESS FREAK!

2. I can be quite disorganised, which leads to..

3. Being quite untidy. And it spreads. I like to dominate space.

4.I get cranky when I'm hungry.

5. I can get crankier when I'm cranky & people try to help.

6.My time management skills are lacking...severely.


Okay so they are all negative & I reaaaallly want to change that. I get really jealous of people who can manage a full time job, kids, a home, a business calmly. I like being busy but when it gets to the point that I'm so tired & drained that I cant manage to walk sabby, cook dinner or even blog, I get so frustrated with myself...& the vicious cycle repeats.

This week I plan on blogging everyday. Hopefully fuelling motivation & a new cycle.
I plan to eat regular healthy meals to avoid getting shitty.
I will walk Sabby every day.
I will write (more) lists & prioritise.
I will set achievable daily tasks.
I will accept help graciously when needed (& even when its not.)

Yes. That is what I'll do.

So a belated merry Christmas to all! Thanks for being so welcoming to a newbie.

Stay cute.
Gen. Xx

Getting down with my creativity

So obviously I'm a bit of a craft nerd. But 'craft nerd' is the new 'party animal'. It's how all the cool kids spend there Saturday nights - or so I told my self last night at 12am.

Last night I was making these

& these

a few of these

  

heaps of these

I also watched Inception with Jord...uh escusee? May take a few viewings to fully comprehend.

Today I've also been crafting.

These beauties are for an order. New pumpkin maple smell...mmm hello American Christmas.

I wonder if they make Aussie X-mas smell...would it be ham off the bone or shrimp on the barbie?

These sweeties will be available at Mulgrave Makers Market- Dec 19th (1 week today!!)

I classify gift wrapping as a craft...

 I'm so addicted to 'frankie gusti'. I'm happy spending hours searching the op shops but dread weekends when they are shut. I'm excited by the posty (no..its not some 'pool boy' type attraction) & associated deliveries. I enjoy getting a little high of the epoxy fumes whilst making cake stands...about as wild as I get these days! I look forward to'gusti-ing' in 2011 with new markets, friends & products. I'm loving what I'm doing & I'm glad you are too.

Stay cute.
Gen. xx

I'm crushing on...

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but sometimes I like things so much I have a crush. People, places, objects..if you can like it you can crush on it.

At the moment I'm crushing on

1. Stonefield. Their song 'Through the clover' has been on repeat at my house.

2. Pretty Wrapping



3. These wedges from Wittner

What are you crushing on?

Stay cute.

Gen. Xx

look what i found.

So I scavenged through garage sales, op shops & antique stores on Saturday to find all these babies. I came home very satisfied.

Card table

 Wine jug & blue jar

Teacups ( 8 more not shown!!), bowls, glasses, pate knife, cake tongs & doily.

Picnic basket & jars

Can you believe this was $3?!

 

Antique Colclough dinner set..cannot wait to show you what I have planned!

 

I wish I was a full time op shopper...yes, that would be lovely.

Stay cute.

Gen. Xx

P.S Am desperately seeking candlesticks..feel free to share if you know where I can find some.

i'm so lucky.

So once again I've had a hectic (but super fun!) weekend. I'm going to do a bit of a time line format, so I don't forget anything!

THURSDAY

My Birthday!!! I turned 23 on Thursday & I was sort of dreading it. I have this ability to be depressed on my birthday, even though I love birthdays. I feel there is too much hype about birthdays being great, amazing, wonderful that sometimes they never quite meet my expectations.

I woke up alone in bed at 7.30am even though I didn't have to be up until 8.30am & it was raining...fantastic. There wasn't really anything overly appetizing for breakfast so I retreated back to bed with 'furry friends' chocolate. I got out of bed at 9am to be at Le's by 10-10.30, couldn't find anything to wear so didn't get there til after 11am. Feeling very un-celebratory until...I was greeted by Allie & Le, & this..

HAIRSPRAY tickets!!!

Aw, I cried out excitement (& a little out of embarrassment of being such a downer when I got there)& out of love..they are so thoughtful.

We headed out for lunch & on the way I got a phone call. It was something along the lines of "something something paper, yada yada you, something something article & photo shoot". True story! Monash Weekly newspaper were asking to do a piece on 'frankie gusti.'  They had heard about my tea cup candles & vintage cake stands & wanted to do an article on re purposing/upcyling...can you believe it?! So after a few phone calls we'd decided on a 'Mad Hatter/Alice' themed tea party shoot for 2.30pm the next day..eeek!

The girls an I headed into Fitzroy for lunch and photo shoot outfit shopping.I purchased a dress from this cute vintage store..friperie.

I had dinner at the parental's with the all fam. Jord was there waiting with my present- a market gazebo! Now I don't have to hire..does that mean I can spend more on myself at he market? I went to bed after 1am, as I was whipping up these...

 

It was such a fun day & I was so spoilt by the girls, Jord & the Fam. I'm so lucky.

FRIDAY

I had clients from 9-11.30, then had to pick up some flowers & food for photo shoot props...I may have got a bit carried away with the display. I even made these..

 I raced home, packed the car, got dolled up & with clammy hands made my way over to Mulgrave Makers Market. I met with the photographer, set up my display & worked my best model pout cheesy grin. It was really hot out & I was in the sun, so not only was I suffering from severe sweat mo' but my candles (& cupcakes) were also melting a little. Hopefully snapped some keepers which make it to front page...oh, how I would love that.

Friday night I celebrated 23 years & a photo shoot with girlfriends, mojito's & cheese.

 I'm so lucky.

SATURDAY

Jord and I made our way around the local garage sales, oppy's & an antique store. It was a fruitful morning. (All pics in a later post). We made fresh fruit juice-watermelon, mixed berries, ice and lime...oh so fresh. I went to Le's where the early planning stages of our 'Girls Roadtrip' around Darwin was happening. I've never been to Darwin nor have I road tripped, so this should be funsies.

We plan on going here

 

Meeting the locals

Wear appropriate bush walking attire

Aren't I lucky?

SUNDAY

Jord and I went out for lunch, then picked up some Xmas tree deco's before traipsing off to the tree farm to pick out our tree.

Decorations are a bit sparse but we likey

Around 3ish I was on the phone to my Emmy Bean, having a bit of a bitch & moan about how I thought our other friends Keely & Lauren, were going to come make a surprise visit for my birthday. (long story short- Jord had tried to organise a surprise picnic with all my biddies, but the weather forecast was looking cruddy so he canceled. He informed me of failed plans but I still thought Keely & Lauren would pop out, even though he denied their involvement..get it? Thought so.)I was complaining about how they hadn't really made an effort to catch up...cue knock on door. There they were...cue guilt.

I didn't feel too bad though because I had a bit of an idea but it was still such a lovely evening. We consumed more mojito's(my mojito tree mint is now looking pretty naked after all the celebrating), talked craft & went to the hills for dinner.

I'm so lucky.

Stay cute.

Gen. xx

sometimes i've believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast

Just a bit of Alice inspiration to get my creative juices flowing. Cant wait to share with you my exciting news.



{link}

{link}

{link}

{link}

{link}

Hope you have a luffly weekend.

Stay cute.

Gen. xx