Sunday, January 20, 2019

A friend(s), a Rake & a Satchel (Catch Up Post # 4)

Greetings dear friends & readers
Finally we get to our last Catch Up Post 😊(phew!!)


Mum stayed with us for New Year & then I drove her home again & stayed on for a few days.
While I was down at Mum's I was lucky enough to find time for a brief catch up with my dear friend Claire.
Longtime readers of my blog will know that Claire's beautiful home has featured on several occasions in my blog.

I absolutely ADORED these handmade ornies & although I tried VERY HARD - I could not sneak them into my car!!!
Claire decorates her entire home for Christmas & has the most amazing collection of festive treasures, both lovingly created by hand & gathered over many years.
She was kind enough to keep her decorations out until after I had visited


Claire had filled the advent calendar above with choccies for December
Although I only snapped a very few photos I wanted to share with you what I had taken so you can enjoy the gorgeous eye candy that is Claire's home.

I think she has (??)8 Christmas Trees ... this one above is in her bedroom & is decorated with vintage china teacups, 
& teapots & olde world Santa heads



Her "Claire's lounge" is probably my favourite as it's all decorated in creams & whites & is such a peaceful spot 
to sit in & relax
Bedside Table                                                                                        Coffee table vignette

The tree in the "Claire's lounge" above


 A cushion Claire had made from an op shop jumper & blanket

Now I honestly don't know WHY I did not get more pics but if you are on instagram, you can follow Claire *here*
Visiting her home is such a sensory & visual experience that you just want to sit there & drink it all in!!
My visits with her are never long enough & we chat & drink tea non-stop while I am there.
Thanks So Much Claire for letting me share just a teeny bit of your beautiful home with folk.

Speaking of lovely friends ...... this cute surprise package arrived all the way from Australia - from the lovely  
Sue at Kiwikids blog right before Christmas
I wasted no time hanging it on my tree ... thanks so much Sue 💗 - you are  so kind!

When I came home again I felt inspired to tackle a couple of up-cycle projects that had been floating around in the virtual pinterest board that is inside my head !!
This broken rake was found under the house but it was encrusted with old concrete.
The Mr showed me how to tap the prongs carefully with a hammer & chisel to dislodge the concrete

 I liked that it had a broken handle as I didn't want it full length for what I had in mind .  .  .  .
.  .  .  .  which was to fashion it into a wineglass holder for my kitchen wall !!
After I got the prongs clean I gave the wooden handle a good oil & then screwed it to my side wall.
I LoVe it !! It actually holds alot more than 3 wine glasses but that is the sum total of how many I own 😉



My 2nd upcycle project was inspired by something I had seen hanging in Claires entry way.
I remembered I had this tatty old satchel in my sleepout so I fished it out & gave it a wipe over.

Two coats of blackboard paint purchased from the $2 shop & Viola .  .  .  I wrote on it with white chalk & hung it 
on my vintage mangle


It's just perfect for my deck area & greets people as they come up to the door 



Well folks, that's me ........ all caught up !!
Thank you all So Much for bearing with me through 4 catch up posts!!
I hope the coming week brings you only good things - be kind to yourselves & to each other 💕
With much love & friendship to you ALL,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0
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27 comments:

  1. Michelle RidgwayJanuary 20, 2019 at 6:38 PM

    Well that was a lovely treat getting to visit Claire's beautifully decorated home with you Julie....Thank you! Love your bicycling and all your catchup posts xx

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  2. kiwikidJanuary 20, 2019 at 7:44 PM

    Have really enjoyed all your catch up posts Julie, love Claire's house decorations, must be beautiful to see all decorated. The cushion she made is stunning. Very clever idea with the wine glass hanger and the old satchel. You are very clever Julie!

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  3. TaniaJanuary 20, 2019 at 7:45 PM

    Oh how I loved Claire's home! I am off to check out her instagram page :)

    You are a creative recycler, both the rake and bag look fantastic. You own three more wine glasses than I do lol!

    Have a wonderful week Julie!

    xTania

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  4. Elderberry-RobJanuary 20, 2019 at 9:25 PM

    Thanks for sharing so many lovely pictures. Your friend has a very pretty house at Christmas, eight trees is quite something. your rake is an unusual idea, it works really well!

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  5. WILLIE...! =(^..^)=January 20, 2019 at 9:43 PM

    Wow! This post is amazing..so much so..I'll say
    it again..Wow! :).
    And l must confess, my 18inch pink Christmas tree
    is still sitting on the coffee table in the front
    room..Crib is all put away..but the tree..Well..!!!🎄

    And it looks a though Claire puts a lot of work into
    Christmas...and 8 Christmas trees..goodness! That's
    a small forest i my book..HeHe! Does she have any cats,
    and talking of cats..I won't say a word..! 😹

    The funniest thing..made me chuckle is the satchel, that
    took me back to my school days..the only thing with those,
    was, you could'nt get a lot in them, as the leather was
    so stiff and hard, still, kicking them around the playground
    a few times, soon soften them up..! :).

    The rake..very good idea..BUT..make sure you take the glasses
    out before using it on the lawn...
    HeHe! Sorry! feeling a bit weird this morning, have'nt had my
    second lemon tea yet! Best be off and get one! 😃

    Well Julie, enjoy yer little break if yer gonna take one, make
    sure yer back by Easter..HeHe! Bless!x
    ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)

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  6. ClaireJanuary 20, 2019 at 9:52 PM

    Jeepers! Even I like the look of my house through your gorgeous photos! You should see it now though.....!! Claire

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  7. Between Me and YouJanuary 21, 2019 at 12:17 AM

    Hey Julie. First of all, that's a lot of xmas trees in your friend's house but the whole place looks wonderful. Secondly, I was laughing at the fact that the Mr showed you how to clean up the rake, rather than doing it for you! The end result is so clever though and a nice way to rescue the rake. Have a good week, Julie.xxx

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  8. sewing green ladyJanuary 21, 2019 at 5:04 AM

    Thank you for sharing your friend's gorgeously festive home. I love what you did with the rake, so inventive and the satchel. You are an inspiration! x

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    Replies
    1. JulieJanuary 23, 2019 at 2:38 PM

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment. Its funny but something so simple as the rake & the satchel bring me such pleasure every time I look at them. Simple things !

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  9. chris.January 21, 2019 at 11:24 AM

    Wow! what fabulous Christmas decorations Claire has, love her Santa collection, I have started one of those myself, you did a great job with the rake and satchel, lol haven't seen one of those in years, it looks good on your mangle with the bird houses, cute mouse and heart from Sue, thanks for taking the time for the catch ups Julie, have enjoyed reading them, and seeing the pics. Now don't be a stranger! 😊 Chris xoxo

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  10. JeanetteJanuary 21, 2019 at 2:29 PM

    Beautiful decorating/decorations at you friends home. Love your up cycling. The mouse is so cute. Hugs, xx

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  11. Cozy Thyme CottageJanuary 21, 2019 at 3:47 PM

    Thank you for sharing your friend's beautifully decorated Christmas home. I especially like how she displayed all those stockings. I wondered since your prongs of the rake handle pointed towards the wall if you could still get the glasses off? But on the other hand if they stuck out I would poke my eye out! Thank you for all of your catch ups! Nancy

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  12. selinaJanuary 21, 2019 at 11:05 PM

    beautiful post, loved all of it & adore your vintage mangle!
    hope you have a fantastic week too!
    thanx for sharing

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    Replies
    1. JulieJanuary 23, 2019 at 2:39 PM

      Thanks so much Selina. Yes the mangle is special. I actually bought it in pieces & put it together ... it had been in someones haybarn. Also it was painted Massey Ferguson Green ... so I changed the colour!

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  13. Janet O.January 22, 2019 at 6:35 AM

    Claire's home is incredible! Love all the things you shared from your visit. My mouth was hanging open in awe the whole time I was viewing.
    The wine glass holder is so clever! Would never have come up with that idea. And I never would have had the though to repurpose the satchel with a welcome greeting. I love the way your mind works!

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  14. RaewynJanuary 22, 2019 at 7:06 AM

    Claire's house is beautiful in all its Christmas glory - thank you for sharing the photos! Your repurposing is incredible! I can see the rake hanging at our back door for overalls and coats (I need a kiddie height hanger for their gear) - with the prongs blunted I guess!

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  15. JanetJanuary 22, 2019 at 7:39 AM

    I came upon your blog a few weeks ago and I am so glad I did! You have/make such LOVELY things and have given me some very good ideas. My little Mom, who is 96, has a drawer full of doilies that she has made throughout her lifetime and now I have some wonderful ideas of how to use them after she has gone Home. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talents. I look forward to each of your posts.

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    Replies
    1. JulieJanuary 23, 2019 at 2:40 PM

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment Janet. You are a "no reply blogger" so I hope you come back here to read my reply. Welcome to my blog!! Its lovely to have you along. I do hope you use your Mums doilies for some projects as they will bring you such pleasure I am sure. Happy Week to you Janet. Xxx

      Delete
  16. BeverlyJanuary 25, 2019 at 4:04 AM

    Julie - I love your blogs, especially the catch-up ones. I'm always glad to see you have posted because I know it will be a treat for the eyes. I'm from the USA, state of North Carolina and in the midst of a cold and very wet winter. Just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your writing and your pictures.

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    Replies
    1. JulieJanuary 26, 2019 at 9:41 AM

      Thanks so much Beverly for leaving your lovely comment. Yes its hard to imagine you in the midst of winter while I sit here typing with the air conditioning on full blast! We are apparently in for a real heat wave next week. Thanks again Beverly .... wishing you a lovely week Xxx

      Delete
  17. Henny PennyJanuary 25, 2019 at 11:40 AM

    I'm a little late seeing this post. Seems I am always catching up with reading my favorite blogs. Love what you've done with the old satchel. Claire's place is beautiful. Glad she left the Christmas things out until you got there. I've been meaning to ask, is the sweet little cottage in the header your home? It is simply lovely, and exactly how I would like the front of our log cabin to look.

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  18. DebiJanuary 25, 2019 at 11:51 AM

    Hello!,I am new to your blog,I didnt realise that I could comment.I have found lots of lovely blogs from Ilona,Mean Queen and now know that I can comment on yours.I think that you make some lovely things!,Too many for me to mention here because I have been reading your post for a while now!xx

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    Replies
    1. JulieJanuary 26, 2019 at 9:42 AM

      Hello Debi, welcome & thanks for your lovely comment. I am so pleased you enjoy reading my blog ... thanks for letting me know as my hubby tells me I am mostly just "talking to myself". Hope you have a lovely weekend Debi Xxx

      Delete
  19. RoseJanuary 27, 2019 at 9:49 AM

    This is a first time visit for me and I enjoyed this post very much! LOVE your use of the old broken rake!

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  20. KimJanuary 27, 2019 at 6:47 PM

    It is always to look into Claire's home with the help of your lovely photos. I think the loungeroom is my favourite too. Love the Christmas tree there. Gosh, it must take a month of Sundays for Claire to decorate for Christmas. How fabulous is the chalk satchel...what an ingenious idea. I have never thought to use broken a rake as a holder for upturned wine glasses. It looks as if you might have to invest in a few wine glasses.

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  21. Christine MJanuary 28, 2019 at 12:04 PM

    How lovely to catch up with Claire and see all her beautiful Christmas decorating. The little mouse Sue sent you is just so cute! xx

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